《Legend of the Empyrean Blacksmith》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 LEGEND OF THE EMPYREAN BLACKSMITH BOOK I ¨C UMBRA KINGDOM ARC I ¨C DEMONS, BLACKSMITH AND CULTIVATORS APPRENTICED A bulky, middle-aged man stared at the roughly cut and oddly shaped stone in his hands, his brows furrowed deeply in anger . His eyes then shifted from the trashy stone onto the youth standing next to him . The youth appeared to be no older than fifteen and had ragged features of an adult, contrasting the slender and almost underfed body . The boy had ck eyes and hair and was currently puffing his bony chest out in pride . "Trash!!" the middle-aged man eximed suddenly as he threw the stone against the floor, breaking the former into pieces . "Absolute trash!! What the hell are you puffing your chest out for, trash?!! You¡¯re even worse trash than what my son shits out after eating pig crap for weeks!!" the middle-aged man waspletely red in face, his anger seemingly creating a mirage of a dragon behind him . "... you feed your son pig crap? Oi, oi old man! That¡¯s no good! What if the poor fe suddenly grows a pig tail? Wouldn¡¯t he be a circus joke around the vige?" the youth scrutinized the middle-aged man deeply and even lectured thetter, giving him a valuable life lesson . s, what that valuable life lesson earned him was a swift kick in the ass as he flew out of the cksmith shop straight onto the street . He was soon nted face-first into dirt while chuckles andughter soon echoed out around him . Gritting his teeth, the youth pushed himself up and dusted off dirt from his cheap, peasant¡¯s clothes . ncing back at the cksmith shop and the closed doors, the youth spat and stuck out his tongue as he left the ce inrge strides . Shit, this I even got kicked out by the worst cksmith in the vige . Do I really have no talent in mashing a hammer against stone? No, no, never doubt yourself Lino! What did the old beggar use to say? That¡¯s right! Lino, you¡¯re absolute trash of a human being, but damn me if you can¡¯t hammer a brick with your head! The youth currently walking through the dirt pavements of the vige was called Lynoel, but most people called him simply Lino . He grew up in an orphanage, never meeting his parents, and thus never learning his family¡¯s name . Just a few days ago, he had turned fifteen, and was kicked out of the orphanage and began searching for work . He deeply believed he had immeasurable talent for cksmithing, for creating beautiful and indestructible pieces of armor and weaponry, which is why he immediately went to the best cksmith in the vige, only to be sent packing twenty minutester . And so, he scoured the vige, offering his divine services to all who would have him, only to eat dirt shortly after . The vige was on therger scale, as it was adjacent to the Kingdom¡¯s Capital city; the former was called Bridge, while the Capital itself was called Umbra, mirroring the Kingdom¡¯s name . Because of its scale, the vige had eight famous cksmiths in total, and Lino had even found the ninth, the middle-aged man who fed his son pig crap . s, he was kicked out yet again . For the first time since leaving orphanage, Lino felt dispirited . He had been eating rotten bread for the past three weeks, and however good his digestive system was, his backside had begun protesting against him a few days ago . Even he felt sorry for the little fe . Sighing, he began randomly walking through the streets, ncing around without purpose . The vige was rather prosperous as it had a nearby metal deposit, making it one of the most important ces in the Kingdom . Because of this, cksmiths were born left and right in the vige, and most of the Kingdom¡¯s armory came directly from this vige actually . After nearly an hour of reckless wandering, Lino realized something: he was lost . He always kept to the western side of the vige that he was familiar with, but the alley he found himself in was aplete novelty to him . Looking up at the sky, it looked like the sun would soon fade and night would emerge . He felt his stomach rumble yet, a mere momentter, his crack clenched up firmly . The two parts that were supposed to be cooperating seemed to be currently at war, leaving him helpless . Sighing yet again, he wandered on and on, until night had fully taken ce . The vige had calmed somewhat, with windows of the houses glistening in light gold from thenterns burning inside . Finding a slightly hidden alley, Lino went inside and hid, crouching against the wall and tightly wrapping his arms around his knees . It¡¯s no good... He had soon lost the sense of time and drifted off into nothingness . His body felt extremely light and he copsed sideways, happily snoring without a care in the world . Night passed quickly, and Lino heard bustling of the vige early in the morning as he slowly opened his eyes . He first sat up and stretched, yawning lightly as he wiped his eyes . Opening them, he saw a rather sturdy knee in front, leaving him confused . He blinked a few times, yet the knee was still there . Is it a new race of people? Tsk, they just keep spawning . People really have to start controlling their urges . He slowly raised his head and was weed by a white-bearded fe that was nearly two meters tall, giving the youth¡¯s heart a start . "Beast!!" Lino eximed as he scurried backwards, only to realize that there was only the wall behind him . The white-bearded man¡¯s brows twitched when the brat called him a beast, but he settled quickly . "D-don¡¯t kill me!" Lino eximed . "I... I know! I can wipe your ass!" "Who the hell would want you to wipe their ass?!" the white-bearded man eximed as he pped Lino squarely against thetter¡¯s cheek . The boy plummeted onto the ground as though struck by a gigantic stone . "Eh?" the bearded man eximed immediately after . "Oi, oi, wake up . I barely scratched you! Oi, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve died!" "... old man, that hurt!" Lino eximed . "I demand payment for physical and emotional abuse!" "Pu!" another pnded squarely against the other cheek, and Lino now plummeted onto the other side . Kick soon followed, and then another, and another, all the while the man kept shouting . "You bastard, you scared me half to death! Pretending to be hurt! Fuck, you nearly sent this old man to his early grave! Shit, get up!" "... aaai mister, you¡¯re really rough," Lino said as he groaned in pain . "Now I¡¯m really hurt . " "... so you weren¡¯t hurt before?" the bearded man asked . "... so, what¡¯s up?" Lino quickly changed the subject . "What are you doing sleeping in my backyard?" the bearded man took a deep breath and decided to y along . "This is your backyard?" Lino said, looking around . It was just a shabby alley which stank of horse feces . "Shouldn¡¯t you be hiding that fact rather than proiming it?" Lino asked, questioning expression on his face . Pa! Yet another p, and the young boy could nearly see the stars twinkling in front of him . "Oi, old man, stop hitting me! Any more and you might actually kill me!" "Tsk, I would be doing the world a favor . " "... aah, how heartless of you . Don¡¯t you know that even I have dreams? That even I wish to see the world and prosper and emerge like a fish from a small pond straight intoke and swim up the current and travel to the ocean and eat sharks and whales and then eat sun?" Lino bbered on and the more he did so, the more did the old man¡¯s expression sank . "..." the old man looked at him for a moment, finally scrutinizing him closely; the youth¡¯s body was truly miserable . If there was such thing as a human without a muscle atop a bone, it was this young brat in front of him . "Did you eat?" "... like, food?" Lino asked . "...e with me . " the old man said, crying in his heart . Lino was soon led out of the alley and into the two-story building next to it . It was extremely shabby . Half the sign atop the entrance was cracked, while the remaining half was hanging off the edge of a single nail . There were roughly twelve holes just at the front, and windows were blown open, draft probably strong enough to cause kidney failure . "... no, I was wrong . " Lino said . "Hm?" the old man nced at him . "You should definitely feel proud that alley is your backyard . " Pu! Suffice to say, Lino¡¯s cheeks were swollen like two apples, but he at least followed the old man obediently into the shabby house . However, the moment he entered, a sweet scent of freshly baked bread invaded his half-closed nostrils . The youth¡¯s eyes glimmered in excitement as he looked left and right; he finally located the source: a woman in the kitchen! No, wait, not the woman, but the loaf of bread she was holding . "Oh, who¡¯s the guest?" the woman asked, smiling warmly as she weed the bearded man . "The stinking brat was sleeping in our backyard . " the old man replied in a rather gentle tone . The woman appeared middle-aged and, even though years have taken a toll on her, Lino was able to see that she was once quite a beautifuldy . Her slightly greyed-out hair was tied in a bun and she wore simple, white one-piece dress and apron strapped around her waist . "... ai, ai, why are you still calling that ce your backyard? Aren¡¯t you ashamed?" the woman said, shaking her head . Immediately after, Lino snickered while the old man red at him . "What¡¯s your name child?" the woman ignored the old man who went to the kitchen and sat down . "Lino!" the boy eximed, smiling . "Wee, wee," the woman urged him into the kitchen and he sat right next to the old man . "We haven¡¯t had a visitor in a while . " "Doesn¡¯t wind visit you daily?" Lino asked innocently . The old man coughed out a bucket of blood while the woman burst out inughter . These two are weird... Lino thought . "... cough, cough, stinking brat! Do you want to eat or do you want to die?!" "Eat, definitely eat! Death is scary!" Lino said . "..." the woman soon gave Lino a loaf of bread and even some jam . His stomach rumbled like thunder, as though a starving Dragon awoke after seeing a meaty pig after eating grass for eons . He devoured the poor loaf of bread and ate all the jam before the old man even took a first bite . "... you..." the old man muttered as he saw Lino¡¯s eyes focused on a loaf of bread in his hands . Sighing, in the end he handed it over, and the youth devoured it all the same . Only then did he lean back onto his chair and rubbed his belly in satisfaction . "Why were you sleeping in the alley, Lino?" the woman asked, smiling warmly at the boy . "Ah! I was done injustice!" Lino eximed, frowning lightly . "That bastard Mitch kicked me out of his shop because he couldn¡¯t see that the stone I cut was so brilliant even those Immortals woulde and battle over it!" "... . " "... . " Both elderly were stumped for a moment . Immortals? Indeed, they were just as weird . "You want to be a cksmith?" the woman asked, a strange glint shing past her eyes . "He he," Lino chuckled . "Not just a cksmith, but the greatest stone-banger this world has ever seen! One day, I shall craft a sword that will make even gods drool over the stats! Ha ha, just you wait world! You will be sorry for ignoring my brilliance!" "..." "..." yet again, both found themselves stumped to silence . Stone-banger? That silence was interrupted as the two chuckled . Indeed, birds of a feather flock together . "Is that so?" the woman said, smiling mysteriously . The old man suddenly felt cold sweat pour down his back . "My loving husband here just happens to be a cksmith . Maybe you can study under him . " THIS WOMAN!! "Hmm..." Lino nced at the old man and narrowed his eyes, seriously inspecting thetter . "Don¡¯t cksmiths earn a lot of gold? Why does he live in this hellhole? It only means he¡¯s a terrible cksmith . Maybe he¡¯s even worse than me!" Pa! As the old man pped Lino, the former also coughed some blood . His heart was wrung, pride shattered, and he nearly wanted to cry, while the woman burst out inughter yet again . "Damn brat, what do you know?!! All of you brainless youths just seek to get riches through cksmithing! Nobody is concerned with true concepts of craft anymore! All they want is glitter and shine! Pu!" the old man spat out . "Shameful! You¡¯re all corrupting the beautiful art of crafting with your vanity!" "That does sound like something a sucky cksmith would say . " Lino persisted . Pa! "Oi, my teeth are already weak old man! Do you want me to be toothless before I reach your age?!" "... ha ha," the womanughed yet again . "Although he may not seem like much, Eggor is really talented . He could teach you a lot . " "Your name is Eggor?" Lino asked, narrow his eyes in inspection yet again . "Is it because your face is egg-shaped?" the poor old man simply started banging his head against the table . Logic didn¡¯t work against this kid, violence didn¡¯t work against this kid, what did? He had known the brat less than an hour, and he already felt he had lost two years of his already short life . "So, what do you say?" the woman persisted . "... hmm, I guess that¡¯s fine . I¡¯ll allow him to be my Master . " Lino said, proudly nodding . The old man was already at the ends of his wits . He, who once shocked the entire Umbra Kingdom into utter silence by the grandeur of his craft, is being allowed to be a Master by some insignificant brat?! If his peers were to learn of this, how would they react? Eggor didn¡¯t even dare think of it . "Here, look . " the woman suddenly took out a small, kitchen knife . The de appeared rather clear and handle seemed ordinary . "He crafted this for me for our tenth anniversary . " Lino took the knife slowly and inspected it . As he saw its stats, even he felt slight shock . [Simple Kitchen Knife - Enchanted] Level: 40 Damage: 203-209 Effect: Increases cutting speed while preparing food by 50% . Note: Crafted by a Grandmaster cksmith Eggor . The grandeur lies in simplicity of its design . Almost every item in the world had stats . The stats are used to determine the quality of the item, and even more so when weapons and armors and such are involved . One has to know that even the best cksmith in the Bridge Vige could only craft Level 50 items, and that was on a good day . Yet, this old man crafted an ordinary, kitchen knife, and it was already Level 40 . "Ha? Shocked silly brat, aren¡¯t you? Look, see how lucky you are now?" Eggor asked, his smile full of pride . "Not bad!" Lino eximed nodding his head . "You¡¯re almost worthy of being my full-time Master!" Tears streamed down poor old man¡¯s cheeks as he looked through the ssless window . A memory shed inside his mind from about twenty years ago . He sat on King¡¯s right side while a line of tens of thousands of youths were waiting to be his apprentice or at least receive a pointer or two from him . He even received offers from those famous Sects and ns that cultivated Qi . Yet, in the eyes of his brat, he was ¡¯almost worthy of being his full-time Master¡¯ . Is it ignorance? It has to be ignorance . "Ah, what¡¯s your name Madam?" Lino asked respectfully, causing Eggor to cough up another mouthful of blood . "He he, what a charmer you are," the woman chuckled lightly . "You can call me E . " "E... beautiful name! How about you dump this old hunk of meat and be my wife instead?" Lino asked, his eyes beaming with confidence . "I have to tell you, in months¡¯ time, I¡¯ll craft a Celestial Weapon and gift it to you! This old man will soon be eating my dust! You deserve much better!" E burst out inughter once again while poor Eggor felt like taking that knife and stabbing himself with it . The stinking brat didn¡¯t even put him in his eyes!! "... I¡¯ll consider it . " E said in the end, winking at Lino . "Heh, you¡¯ve lost, old man . " Lino puffed out his chest proudly as E walked out the kitchen . Even though Eggor was almost twice as tall as him, Lino still somehow seemed to be looking down at the old man from the high skies above . "Yeah, I¡¯ve lost . " Eggor sighed helplessly . "I lost the moment I didn¡¯t stter your brains in the backyard . " "... at least you would have made that damned ce better-looking that way . " "..." yet another bucket of blood left Eggor¡¯s body, whose face had already gonepletely pale while his eyes turned lifeless . Bounding arrogance! Unseen pride! Even those Sect Disciples Eggor met in his early days weren¡¯t this arrogant! And, yet, he had apparently taken this arrogant youth under his wing and was supposed to teach him how to bang the stone . Eggor had never taken an apprentice in his entire life, but, in these past few years, he had yearned for it . As he slowly withdrew from the worldly affairs, he didn¡¯t want his knowledge to be forgotten, and felt a need to pass it on onto the next generation . However, no matter how much he searched, E never approved of any one he chose . And, yet, she approved of this brat . Eggor always knew his beloved wife was insane and slightly odd, but he felt this was a bit too much . Lino, on the other hand, actually fell asleep while sitting on a chair . After finally eating something decent after so long, his entire body rxed as the threat of starving to death passed . Drool slipped out corner of his mouth as his lips curled up in an exciting smile . "He, he, I¡¯m ttered Princess, but my Celestial Rod is too powerful for you..." he mumbled . Eggor¡¯s brows twitched as he nced at the brat . C-celestial Rod? . . . ai, ai, better not think about it . Let him sleep . It looks like my days will be peaceful only when he¡¯s asleep... And thus, Lino had finally apprenticed himself to a cksmith, ready to begin his journey of legendary craftsmanship! To create Divine Weapons! Charm Celestial Beauties! Drink Heavenly Wines! On the other hand, Eggor firmly believed youth¡¯s bones will be broken if he tried to lift a hammer . Why did she ept him? He didn¡¯t know, but he didn¡¯t bother asking either . After all, the only reason Eggor reached the heights of craft he did was because of her . Her eyes were far more than just pretty . Chapter 2 Chapter 2 CHAPTER 2 FOUNDATION Lino puffed out heavily as he ran around like a dying dog . His entire face was flushed red and his simple, tattered clothes were doused in sweat . He was already half-hunched and was barely moving forward as droplets of sweat poured down from him, zed underneath the scorching sun in the sky . Running like this for nearly four hours hadpletely exhausted every ounce of strength inside his body, and all that was left for him was to curse . But, even so, he had no strength to do it out loud so he could only curse in his heart . That damned old bastard!! To be a cksmith, I need stronger body?! What the hell, couldn¡¯t he have at least fed me until I had some fat on my skin?! Tsk, I¡¯ll have to swindle his wife away for my revenge! Although he cursed, he still continued ¡¯running¡¯ . Only about half an hourter did he finallye to a stop and copsed directly, his face nted firmly on the earth . He stretched across the entire doorway of E¡¯s and Eggor¡¯s house, and the former screeched out in horror as she nearly stepped on him . For a moment she thought someone died, but once she saw that youthful, innocent face she smiled lightly before calling for Eggor who reluctantly carried him into the house and put him gently on the bed . "He he," seeing this, E chuckled lightly . "You¡¯ve already taken a liking to him . " "W-what?! No, hell no! This stinking brat? Humph! Never!" Eggor crossed his arms across his chest, but it was clear he was terrible at lying . The two soon left the room and headed to the living room, sitting down as they began drinking tea . "I just wonder what kind of life has he lived to be so skinny... aah..." E sighed weakly, shaking her head . "... what caught me off guard is the contrast," Eggor said, sighing as well . "If you just looked into his eyes, he¡¯d appear like someone who nevercked anything . Yet... an inch away and... aah..." "Hm," E nodded . "His will is really strong . Still... I can¡¯t imagine he¡¯spletely fine . " "... why did you pick him, anyway?" Eggor finally mustered enough courage to ask; Lino¡¯s been staying with them for the past three days, and this was the first time he dared ask his wife this question . "I just felt like it . " E replied and smiled mysteriously . "... ah, fine, fine . I won¡¯t question it . However, you have to know that teaching that brat will be a miracle . " "Weren¡¯t you once known as Man of Miracles?" E asked, causing Eggor to choke on his own words . "... khm, you know, even miracles have degrees of difficulties . I have a feeling teaching him cksmithing will equal bing an Immortal . " "Ha ha, then you should be fine, as you¡¯ve already done thetter one . " Eughed lightly . "... that¡¯s only because you helped me," Eggor said, his gaze warm and loving . "Otherwise... aah, I would have gone ten feet underneath long, long ago . " "Just promise me you¡¯ll teach him seriously," E said . "I have a strong feeling about that child . " "... fine, fine . I¡¯ll teach him properly . But, what if he doesn¡¯t want to learn?" Eggor said, but even he himself knew it was a pointless question, so E didn¡¯t even answer . Didn¡¯t want to learn? Eggor chuckled bitterly at the thought . Even though he barely had any muscle on him, he still epted the task of running for nearly five hours every day . Whether it rained like yesterday, or scorched like today, hepleted it . However, even beyond that, Eggor felt familiar determination zing out of youth¡¯s eyes . Lino was far from an idiot ¨C that¡¯s one thing Eggor realized almost immediately . Although he had a questioning sense of socializing, justice, morals, and all things which make up a fabric of a decent human being, he wasn¡¯t an idiot . Even when given a golden hand, his distrust still yed the role in reluctant eptance . Eggor understood him, and even sympathized with him . How could he trust anyone? He¡¯s probably been yed with and betrayed over and over again since the day he was born . If he blindly epted Eggor¡¯s hand, he¡¯d truly have been an idiot . Lino slept almost until the night faded from the sky before finally waking up . He felt his stomach rumble and immediately went into the kitchen, shamelessly asking for dinner . E merely smiled warmly before handing him some baked potato and white cheese, which Lino casually wolfed before patting his almost non-existent belly . As he slowly rested, Eggor finally came looking for him and led him to the backside of the house for the first time . When Lino entered, he felt an air of familiarity, although he had never been to this ce before . That was because this was a cksmith¡¯s quarter ¨C a ce where miracles ur . On the left side of the room was a massive furnace, built in a way where its backside spilled directly into the wall . Its mouth was like a beast¡¯s maw, but was currently cool and dark as no me burned . Near it was a grindstone and next to a grindstone was arge table holding a whole heap of tools, from hammers, wires, broken pieces of stone and metal, and at the very edge were tongs and vises . At the very center of the room was a beautiful, yet also simple anvil, which exuded slightly ancient aura . Its surface contained many sharp scars which caused a stir in Lino¡¯s heart . The anvil was supported by a thick concrete tform which was built directly into the floor . In addition, there were several types of whetstones, a small hill of ck coal, neatly lined stones and metals of all types... it was the most luxurious forger¡¯s quarter Lino had ever seen, and his respect for Eggor increased slightly . However talented a cksmith was, he would feel hampered without proper tools . Sometimes, if your anvil isn¡¯t rough enough, weapon could slip, or if your furnace can¡¯t contain strong heat, it could burn the whole ce down . "... amazing..." Lino sighed as he gazed at this small, yet perfect room . "Eh? Finally impressed, you brat?" Eggor said, stroking his beard in pride . "So many things... are youpensating for theck of talent?" Lino asked . "... cough..." Eggor spat out a mouthful of blood; this brat is truly hateful! "Khm, anyway, this will be the ce where I¡¯ll be teaching you . Now, before we get to the good stuff, I need to test your knowledge . What do you say?" "Test away! My mind holds celestial levels of amazing knowledge!" Lino said confidently . "Is that so? He he, we¡¯ll see . Hmm... first, how many types of mes there are?" Eggor asked a rather simple question . Even ordinary people who¡¯ve never even seen a cksmith and just read a few history books would be able to answer it . "Uh... a hot one... and, uh, a hotter one?" Lino asked, titling his head sideways . "..." He¡¯s ying with me? Heh, of course he is . This stinking brat! "Oh, oh, I once heard Granny Rice say that there¡¯s this super amazing me that¡¯s kind of blue, and instead of hot, it¡¯s cold!! Is that possible, egg-shaped geezer?!" "..." HE¡¯S NOT PLAYING WITH ME!! Tears streaked down Eggor¡¯s cheeks . Indeed, this brat had absolutely no knowledge when ites to cksmithing . "Y-yes..." Eggor muttered weakly; s, at least he knew where to start . That made it easier... somewhat . "Khm, much like everything in the world, all mes have Levels . However, between the Levels, there are so-called ¡¯Great Boundaries¡¯ . For instance, Level 1 and Level 20 mes fall under the same boundary; although Level 20 me would undoubtedly be much stronger and better, it wouldn¡¯t be to the point ofpletely suppressing the other . On the other hand, Level 21 me would be a whole new world . So, we categorize all mes into Four Boundaries ¨C at least those mes that we have discovered so far . There is Mortal Boundary, for mes Level 1 to 20, Great Boundary, for mes Level 21 to 49, Mystic Boundary, for mes Level 50 to 99 and Peak Boundary for Level 100 mes . However, most are certain that there are mes beyond Level 100, so we simply call these theorized existences Void mes . " "..." "Did you remember a single thing?" Eggor asked, sweating . "Mortal Boundary, Great Boundary, Mystic Boundary, Peak Boundary and Void mes . Hm, I get it . It¡¯s easy . " Lino listed them out with indifferent expression as he fell into thought . Eh? The brat¡¯s got a pretty decent memory . "What are the differences? Like, major ones?" Lino asked . "Hmm... exining that is a bit difficult," Eggor scratched his head as he organized his thoughts for a moment . "For instance, all mes in the Mortal Boundary only have the slightest of chances of granting special effect to the crafted item . And, even if by some miracle the special effect is attached, it will be abysmally weak . These mes are usually used to craft army weapons and armors, as they are extremelymon and all cksmiths can work with them . On the other hand, Great Boundary mes require some level of mastery and knowledge on the side of a cksmith, but also have much better chance of special effects, better sharpness, sturdiness etc . Of course, resources that Mortal Boundary mes have no chance of melting and controlling can be melted by Great Boundary mes . They are usually used to supply some great figures with weapons and armors, such as Umbra Kingdom¡¯s King . " "As for Mystic Boundary and above... that¡¯s still too far for you," Eggor said . "For the time being, you don¡¯t have to know much about them . " "Got it . " Lino said, his expression serious . Although he randomly bragged about being the greatest prodigy ever, who else was more aware about hisck of knowledge but himself? Seeing that the old bastard was teaching him honestly, he¡¯d also learn honestly . "What about cksmiths?" Lino asked . "Do they also fall under the same umbre? Mortal, Grand, Mystic and Peak?" "He he, I see you¡¯ve finally started using your head to think . " Eggor said, smirking . "Hm, well yeah, I was too preupied with stealing your wife to care much about it before . " Lino replied, smirking back . "Y-you brat!!" Eggor gnashed his teeth but endured . "No, cksmiths aren¡¯t categorized like that . In reality, it¡¯s much stricter . For instance, just Mortal Boundary mes have 3 divisions of cksmiths: Initiate, Beginner and Adept . Grand Boundary has 6 divisions, Mystic Boundary has 9 divisions, and Peak boundary has 12 divisions . So, in total, there are actually 30 levels of cksmiths . " "What the hell?! Isn¡¯t that too much?!" Lino asked . "Ha ha, of course it is . Most people don¡¯t really use that system, but simplified 9 divisions system . However, you¡¯ll learn them as you grow . Any other questions?" Eggor asked . "... for now? None . " Lino said; I trulyck knowledge . Bleh, what can I do? Orphanage didn¡¯t have a whiff of a paper, let alone a damn book . If I didn¡¯t use to sneak out, I probably would never even have learned to read and write... "Hm," Eggor nodded his head lightly . "The further along the path of a cksmith you go, the more you¡¯ll realize just how vast it is . At the peak, it¡¯s impossible to know everything . You¡¯re bound to focus on a specific path and carry it out, whether that path be of weapons, armor, essories, siege weapons, inventions etc . Very few, talented ones are able to step on two paths and not crumble . " "What¡¯s the difference between ordinary weapons and those weapons at peak?" Lino asked, somewhat curious . "It¡¯s the difference between heaven and earth," Eggor said, his expression somewhat solemn . "If a normal weapon can cut a man in half, then a peak weapon can cut an entire mountain in half with a casual swing . " "Holy shit!" "Of course, there are so few peak weapons that it¡¯s almost pointless to think about them . You shouldn¡¯t think about that too much . For you, it¡¯s far more important to focus on building strong foundation . This means body, mind and heart . Train body so you can handle tougher metals and stones, and can endure long and dangerous sessions . Train mind so you can have a vast sea of knowledge which will let your creativity flourish when you begin making your own designs . And train your heart so you always pour every bit of your blood and sweat into every one of your crafts . This is my only requirement of you if you want to truly follow me: don¡¯t ever make things half-heartedly . Do you understand?" Eggor said, his expression extremely serious . "Even if it¡¯s a child¡¯s toy, I want you to make it to the best of your abilities, and even beyond . " "I understand . " Lino replied solemnly . "Hm, good . " Eggor nodded, satisfied; there are far, far too many cksmiths who simply pursue glory and riches scattered across the world . They search for glitter and shine, while their fundamentals slowly erode away . "I simply wanted to show you the room where you¡¯ll be spending a lot of time in in the next few years . For the time being, you are far too weak andck far too much knowledge to be able to do anything . Here," Eggor reached under a small counter and suddenly pulled out six, thick books and handed them over to Lino, causing thetter to nearly crumble under their weight . Thebination alone was nearly 20 kilograms . "For the next six months, you¡¯ll be building your foundation . Your heart is already there, but your body and mind are severelycking . Learn everything from those six books, and build up your body properly . Can you do that?" "... I will do it . " rather than replying whether he can or can¡¯t, Lino immediately said he will . He was the type to reply to honesty with honesty; Eggor was the first one who actually took time and seriously exined things to him . All others he went to would simply send him in a corner and told him to do this or that . Even if he, somehow, possessed heaven-defying talent, how much difference would that make if he was never given proper guidance? On the other hand, Eggor took time and not only properly shown just how little Lino knew, but also gave him a clear path as to what to do and how to ovee his shorings . Honesty is a wonder, and Lino deeply respected that, even if he still thought that old geezer¡¯s ring temper would kill him in the end . Little did the youth know that Eggor rarely got angry, and one could count the number of times he truly red out throughout his entire life on one hand . That is, of course, until he met Lino . "Good . Of course, I hope you know that you won¡¯t be staying here for free, got it? So, when I tell you to clean, you clean . When E tells you to do something, you do it . You got that?" "Ai, I got it, I got it . Geez, just don¡¯t tell me to go to that backyard of yours and clean it . Even I couldn¡¯t handle that embarrassment . " "YOU BRAT!!" s, Lino had already ran out, leaving angered Eggor behind to gnash his teeth in silence . In the end, thetter sighed and shook his head, smiling bitterly . Even he didn¡¯t know how could the little brat make him so angry so often . However, he finally caught a glimpse of why E chose him . In the end, his bitter smile changed hues over to a relieved one . He had finally found a seed which he himself will cause to bloom into a beautiful flower, sometime in the future . I... I just hope that future won¡¯t be like ten thousand yearster... Chapter 3 Chapter 3 CHAPTER 3 ABSORBING KNOWLEDGE Lino¡¯s life had quickly beposed of two things: running and doing chores during the day and reading before falling asleep like a dying stone . Thetter he somehow even handled as he had some interest in the theory behind cksmithing, but the former sucked the soul out of his little, shriveled up body . It wouldn¡¯t be bad if the chores were, well, chores . However, his understanding of the word and E¡¯s and Eggor¡¯s differed greatly . Throughout the past week, he was forced to carry over two tons of stone bricks from one end of the vige to the other, carry shields three times his size to the army¡¯s deposit, dig a hole nearly ten meters deep using a nearly broken shovel, and he was clearly barely hanging on . However, one positive out of everything was that his belly was finally always full . Even if he had a task to do, E and Eggor always demanded he stops whatever it was that he was doing ande and eat when it was either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or some casual breaks in-between . It was because of their clear support and encouragement that he was able to handle bone-breaking tasks . He looked toward the night so much he thought he was bing a vampire during one of his deliriums when he nearly fainted due to exhaustion . Still, the six thick books that Eggor had given him were truly interesting . Although he merely looked at the titles of the five, just reading the first one had expanded his knowledge greatly: . From the first ever records that were found so far, reaching all the way back to the New World Era, to this very day, almost all general knowledge was squeezed in . For instance, ording to some of the oldest records, New World Era had no proper cksmithing tools . Rather, people used either stones or their own bare hands to hold and craft the simplest of tools . This shocked him greatly, as he could barely lift a damn stone, let alone do anything with it . In addition, the book was split in the general chapters which marked the start of a new era in cksmithing . For instance, second chapter was titled the Era of mes, because it marked the moment people discovered different types and levels of mes . Lino had already finished it and was actually reading it for the second time because he wanted to clearly remember the most important points . His memory was rather good, but he didn¡¯t put much importance to it . What good, after all, could the good memory do to him if he couldn¡¯t even craft the simplest of weapons? As he stared at the closed, thick book, he had a solemn expression . I was really blind before... he thought for a moment as he sighed, putting the book away and picking up the second one: . It was the shortest of the books, barely two hundred pages, as it was mostly just sketches with minor descriptions and stories behind the inventions . Before he went to sleep, he skimmed over it twice and remembered most of the tools from the past, and all of the tools from the past five hundred years, as most were still in use . Then, hended on the soft pillow and immediately fell asleep . It was a dreamless sleep and when he woke up in the morning he felt rested, although his muscles still ached . Although it was better than at the very start when he felt like all his bones were broken, he still groaned lightly as he got up on his feet and walked downstairs into the kitchen . As per the norm, E was preparing breakfast while Eggor was carrying tworge buckets of water that he filled from the nearby well . Lino sat down and casually swiped a couple of loafs of bread and wolfed them down . "Hey!!" Eggor saw it and eximed . "You can¡¯t do that!! Where are your manners?" "What do you mean manners?" Linozily asked as he swiped another one and ate it . "There¡¯s food on the table . Is it there to test these so-called manners or is it there to be eaten, huh?" Eggor gritted his teeth but let it go . He had finally grown slightly resilient to Lino¡¯s unabashed personality, but not by a lot . "Did you sleep well?" E asked gently, smiling at the young boy . "Hm," Lino nodded . "Of course I¡¯ll sleep well . One of these days, I may even fall asleep forever with how you guys are screwing my body . " "He he, don¡¯t get discouraged," E said, patting his head gently . "We¡¯re pushing you because we believe in you . You feel it yourself, don¡¯t you? That you already have more strength than when you first came to us . " "...humph . " even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it, Lino had to; after all, it was true . When he first arrived, he couldn¡¯t even lift a 10kg stone properly without exerting all his strength, yet he could now rather easily carry 30kgs one without breaking a sweat for hours . The problem is that, whenever he got ustomed to one weight, these two bastards would increase it again . "How¡¯s the progress with the books?" Eggor asked as he also walked into the kitchen and sat down . "I finished first two," Lino said, sighing lightly . "cksmithing truly has a whole lot more history to it than I thought . " "...eh?" Eggor¡¯s two eyes bulged out like eggs and even the usually calm E had a slightly shocked expression . "Don¡¯t crap on my intelligence brat . There¡¯s no way you finished the two books . Did you just look at each page for a second and ¡¯finished¡¯ it that way?" Eggor snickered coldly; although the second book was merely 200 pages, the first one was nearly 2000, ten times the amount . Even E, one of the smartest people Eggor had ever met, would need at least two weeks to properly read it without using any powers . "Eh? Why would I need to lie about something so retarded?" Lino scoffed right back . "It¡¯s just 2000 or so pages . I¡¯d be a retard if it took me more than a week to read them . " Eggor gnashed his teeth but held it in, taking a deep breath . "Oh? Is that so?" he said as a cold glint shed past his eyes . "Can I test you, then?" "Sure . " Lino said casually, waiting for breakfast . "What was the most prosperous era of cksmithing?" "Hmm... although the book says that it was Magic Weapon Era, I think me Era is more suited for the title," Lino said after a short thought . "Although Magic Weapons truly revolutionized the capabilities, me Era revolutionized the entire conduction of cksmithing . It opened up an entirely new path, and it became a bridge between primitive ways of the old, and ever-evolving ways of the new . " although Eggor¡¯s expression remained calm, his knees began shaking lightly . This fucking brat!! He even figured that one out?!! Most idiots still believe that book, yet he saw through it after a casual read!! "Ha ha, amazing!!" E, on the other hand, didn¡¯t try to hide her joy . "It is indeed as you said . Without a doubt, me Era is definitely the most important era of cksmithing . Hmm... let me also test you . Name and describe three most important lost tools . " "... oh, going for the heavy ones, huh? Let me think..." Lino said as he began scouring through his memories and conclusions from the past week . "Hmm... Circr Wheel, Radiant Cutter and Empyrean Soul, thetter being the most important . Circr Wheel, ording to the legend, could imbue even the most ordinary sword with unimaginable magical properties given the proper materials, of course . Radiant Cutter, on the other hand, could cut and shape any material in the world with such precision that nothing else could evene close to replicating it . I¡¯m surprised, though, that not many agree that Empyrean Soul is even that important . The scripture allows one to internalize any type of me and then either evolve it orbine it or even rece it . How¡¯s that not the most amazing thing ever?" "... fuck!!" Eggor eximed, unable to hold it in anymore . Although Lino was used to this old guy yelling a lot, it wasn¡¯t often that he cursed, especially in front of E . "What is your damned brain made of?!! How can someone so retarded be so smart?!! Aaah, heaven¡¯s so unfair!!" "Oi! Who are you calling retarded, you tenth-grade cksmith?! Do you want me to truly sweep your wife away with my celestial charms?!" Lino retorted right back . "Alright, alright you two, calm down," E immediately mediated the situation; even she felt helpless inside . If her parents and Master knew that her sole duty was to make sure that two blockheads don¡¯t kill each other, what would they think of her? Would they cry,ugh or kill themselves out of shame? "It seems you have really impressive memory andprehension, Lino . Even I¡¯m surprised!" "Tsk, what use is it?" Lino clicked his tongue, looking away . "It won¡¯t help me in any way when ites to cksmithing . " "Aii, youths and their ignorance," Eggor said, sighing . "What? Do you really think that crafting is all about hammering onto the melting stone and praying for the best? Best cksmiths are no worse than schrs, you brat . We have to remember as many ingredients as possible, what¡¯s their use, which canbine, which contradict the others, then the tools, the different ways, and let¡¯s not even get started with unique designs . Given some time, everyone can learn to hammer and build enough endurance tost . It¡¯s theck of knowledge that stiffens cksmith¡¯s growth more so than anything else . Even if you have an amazing, creative idea for a weapon or armor, what use is it if you can¡¯t properly calcte which ingredients to use, how tobine them, the best way to draw the design, the best technique to craft it so you don¡¯t leave behind any ws... theory is half the cksmith¡¯s fortune . It is a dividing line between ordinary cksmiths who merely copy other people¡¯s designs, and extraordinary ones who keep pushing themselves further in attempts to break through a new line and create mythical items . " "...wow, even I have to bow down," Lino said, slightly shocked . "Your bullshitting skills are almost as good as mine!" "YOU BASTARD!!" After finishing up the breakfast, Lino returned to the usual routine of doing a short marathon around the vige . Short ording to Eggor, that is, as the entire run took up roughly 40 kilometers, which was anything but short . At a halfway point, he finally stopped and sat down on a side-street bench while taking the gourd of water strapped to his belt and downing half its contents in one go . He began suspecting that E and Eggor were putting something into his food, because the rate of his body¡¯s improvement was truly insane . Just then, he heard strange mor and chattering from his right; turning his head down the dirt-pavement, he saw a group of five youths surrounding the sixth one; the first five were dressed rather ordinarily, and looked much like all other kids in the vige . The youth in the center, though, was wearingvish, silver armor and was currently holding a great sword nearly two meters long and four fingers wide . Lino¡¯s eyes bulged for a moment ¨C not at the beauty or creativity of the design, but rather on the fact that no human should be able to wield that sword . Although everything in the world has stats, whenever a certain item attains an owner, unless thetter decides to publicize it, it¡¯s usually impossible to see the stats of something . Seeing that the youth was proudly disying his sword, Lino walked over and joined the five youths; the silver-d one¡¯s expression grew even more arrogant . He had short, golden hair and fair, green eyes . He was rather handsome and well-built, causing no small amount of envy to rise inside Lino¡¯s heart . I bet this bastard can eat meat every day!! Taking a deep breath to calm down, he nced at the sword and inspected the stats, causing his eyebrows to twitch . [Great Kinyer ¨C Umon] Level: 20 Damage: 66-72 Special effect: Upon umting strong enough of a momentum, can cause a mini earthquake upon impact with the ground . Note: Due to the weapon¡¯s sheer weight, only the strongest and bravest can wield it . No wonder he¡¯s disying it proudly! My ass!! Lino cursed inwardly; even if he knew almost nothing about cksmithing, he knew this sword was terrible . Its damage values didn¡¯t at all correspond with its sheer size, and it¡¯s ¡¯special effect¡¯ was a mockery . The note was clearly hand-ordered by this proud youth, and whoever crafted this sword was pretty brilliant for not putting their name anywhere near this thing . After ncing at the sword a few more times, he broke off from the circle and went his merry way . He slowly began to understand what Eggor meant; in the past few years, he¡¯s been seeing more and more weapons like that popping up . Gold-adorned swords that would break if you spat on them, armors made of coarse leather but painted over in silver and gold and then adorned with gems... crafts whichck any form of practical value . By the time anyone began swinging that gigantic sword, they would be killed fifty times over . The rest of the day proceeded as per usual; after finishing his run, he helped E and Eggor with some ¡¯chores¡¯ of theirs, and after eating dinner, he went back up to his room with a determined expression . If idiots like whoever crafted that crap can be cksmiths, then holy shit I can too!! Ignoring the first two books he¡¯d already read, he took all remaining four, determined to burn through the night to read them . The third book he picked up was titled . The further Lino read, the more awed and depressed he became . Armors, weapons, tools... all better than thest . As he came across a small, cksmith hammer, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he began drooling . [Empyrean Hammer ¨C Ancient] Level: 0 Damage: 0 Special effect: Can break apart any material with ease . Special effect: Increases crafting speed by 1000% . Special effect: Items crafted with the help of this hammer have 100% chance of gaining at least 2 additional effects . Note: Great cksmith Kal¡¯eh spent nine fortnights in the depths of the Fernol Volcano to craft this masterful hammer . Since eons past, no better one has seen the dawn of day . Lino had to wipe his eyes a few times to confirm that he wasn¡¯t seeing things . After all, it was absolutely insane . Most of the hammers he¡¯d seen in his life would increase crafting speed by 2% at most, and were able to break apart only a specific number of materials, with almost no other benefits . What¡¯s worse, they all had very specific level requirements . Yet, this thing had none . In theory, even a baby could use it and craft something amazing by just randomly smacking around stuff for a few days . "... ording to this," Lino muttered as he read the description of the hammer . "The hammer¡¯s been lost for the past 600 years . Itsst owner never had a Disciple, so after passing away, the hammer was never found . Tsk... where the hell is this Enyal Empire? I need to sprint there and haul this bitch back here . " After the hammer, Lino had encountered numerous swords, axes, shields, helmets, chest tes, and various items and tools of all usages that left him bbergasted . The book truly broadened his horizons; not only that, but it also proved just how weak he, and everyone else in this vige, truly was . The highest level item that Lino had encountered in the entirety of the vige was E¡¯s kitchen knife . Just how sad and depressing was that? It was thest item in the book that truly sealed the deal, a small, one and a half meters long sword with a very simple, almost mundane design . However, its stats were anything but . [Heartseeker ¨C Unique] Level: 160 Damage: 12600-18044 Magic Damage: 6024-11039 Special effect: Completely ignores all armor, regardless of grade or material . Special effect: Cannot be destroyed Special effect: Sword has innate sentience . It will always adjust aim toward the heart if a strike is dodged or a miss . Special effect: Bound . Can only ever have one owner; upon owner¡¯s death, the weapon loses all its power and turns into an ordinary sword . Special effect: Every strike has a chance to cut through the fabric of space, immediately arriving at the designated location . Special effect: Due to the innate sentience, the sword will automatically defend against enemy strikes . Note: Crafted by a mysterious, wandering cksmith, for his Immortal Queen . Lino barely even paid attention to the numbers; they were simply insane . One single strike was enough to mow down roughly ten thousand grown men, to say nothing else . Everything else also screamed top-tier . Will I ever be able to craft something like this? He sighed, very much doubting it . After all, even if he was an idiot when it came to cksmithing, he still had a general idea when it came to Levels . Everything in the world was ssified by Levels, from the smallest speck of sand to even a human . In the same vein, Levels were self-contained; even if a speck of sand was Level 100, it didn¡¯t mean that it could actually kill a human with ease, it just meant that, within the specks of sand, its rarity was quite high . On the other hand, weapons were directly linked to people; after all, they were created with sole purpose to be wielded by them . An average Level of a human across the entire Umbra Kingdom was 15, whichcked an entire zero toe even close to that sword . A few years ago, during the First Prince¡¯s Crowning, he heard chatter that Prince had managed to reach Level 50 ¨C which was enough to put him into the top 10 experts of the entire Kingdom . And, to add salt to the wound, it was far easier for people to level than it was for a cksmith to craft higher level weapons . Chuckling bitterly, he let go of the book and moved onto the next three: , which mostly spoke of the current methods, tools, and state of the cksmithing; , which dissected every method into details, usage of every tool, and plethora of other things in regards to beginner¡¯s ways;stly, there was the thickest book of them all: . As per the name of the book, it listed out all ingredients within the level range of 1-20, apanied by sketches . This included basic ores, some more special stones, woods, herbs, gems and such, as well as some slightly rarer ingredients which couldplement the basic ones the best . Naturally, Lino was unable to remember the whole book in one night; even if he had memory that was ten times better, the book before him had over 10,000 pages, listing over 60,000 ingredients . Even he didn¡¯t have thick enough of a face to pretend he could do it . Still, he persisted throughout the whole night and managed to precisely memorize roughly tenth of the book . It was a beginning . He knew he was far behind in terms of knowledge, but that didn¡¯t mean he would take shortcuts and make light of the opportunity he was given . At the very least, unlike a few weeks ago, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel . He saw his future, and in it, he was no longer a starved corpse lying on the side of the street, being ignored by young and old alike . Chapter 4 Chapter 4 CHAPTER 4 A QUEER BASTARD In a sh, five full months had passed since Lino had fallen under Eggor¡¯s tutge . The vige wasn¡¯t much different than it was five months ago; it still bustled with noise from dawn until midnight, with nearly ten thousand people living all sorts of lives . In a distant corner, near a shabby alley, a wooden, even shabbier-looking house, stood in silence . It looked no different than anything surrounding it ¨C rather, it fit perfectly into this rather poor part of the vige . In the backend of the house, in a room full of gray shine, two figures were standing next to each other; one was a middle-aged man with burly and muscr body, towering to nearly two meters in height . He wore a bandana over his head as to protect his eyes from the sweat, and was currently topless, revealing his chiseled body . Next to him, nearly thirty centimeters shorter, was a slightly slender youth . However, were someone topare Lino of today to the one from five months ago, they¡¯d hardly be able to connect the two . He had grown a full head taller, and his bone-and-skin appearance was reced with subtle, yet well-defined muscles . His shoulders had grown broader, and his back was straightened like a bow¡¯s string . While his youthful face could not be hidden, it appeared more mature as his eyes gave off a rather vague feeling . The ck hair hung in a crane-like fashion on the back of his head; much like Eggor, he was also topless . However, his muscles paled inparison to the former¡¯s . The two were currently staring at the seven items; all seven were ores, and were almost identical in appearance . They were roughly head-sized, and were dark gray in hue . "... ugh,e on you damn brat," Eggor grunted . "You¡¯ve been staring for over five minutes . Do you know or don¡¯t you?" "... oh, wait, I was supposed to say it out loud?" Lino said as though he was suddenly startled out of deep thought . "You damn bastard!! Here I was growing incredibly confused because you weren¡¯t saying anything!" "Ha?! You¡¯re pinning this on me, you bastard?!" Eggor replied in kind . "Why the hell wouldn¡¯t you say it out loud?!! What kind of a shitty brain do you have to even think you weren¡¯t supposed to say it out loud?!" "Ha, what shitty brain you old, rotten goat?!" Lino eximed back as the two were practically pinning their foreheads together with veins bulging out . "Both you and that wife you don¡¯t deserve were praising this head of mine so much I¡¯d swear you were thinking of beheading me and stealing my brain!" "Pu!" Eggor spat out . "Who the hell would want that shitty head of yours?! I¡¯d rather die thousand deaths than have your thoughts for even a second!" While the two yelled at each other, the room¡¯s door creaked open for a moment but neither caught it . E looked at the two and sighed while a warm smile surfaced on her lips . Without saying anything, she left a teful of food at the entrance of the room before carefully closing the doors and retreating back in silence . "Enough, enough," Eggor shook his head as he felt headache surge . "Dabbling with tongue against you is like throwing eggs against stone . Aah, brat, you¡¯ll be the end of me . So, which one is real?" "The third one from the left," Lino said calmly as he picked up the head-sized chunk of ore . "It¡¯s pretty obvious . " "Oh? How so?" "It has deeper luster," Lino exined . "Also, it left the deepest dent of all five chunks beneath . In addition, [Rowen Ore] has distinct smell, and only this chunk was emitting it . " "Oh, not bad, not bad," Eggor nodded in approval . "You¡¯ve grown ustomed to most of the ores . Not bad . " "Hai, does that mean you¡¯ll finally let me craft something?!" Lino suddenly asked as his eyes beamed like stars . Looking at the pair of innocent eyes, Eggor felt a shiver run up his spine; This brat can change so much on a whim!! It¡¯s scary!! He¡¯s worse than E!! "Khm, ye, I think you¡¯re finally read . " Eggor said as he quickly stabilized himself . "However, I¡¯ll only let you use the furnace and anvil . You¡¯ll have to procure the ingredients ¨C I¡¯ll give you a gold coin . You¡¯ll also have toe up with whatever you want to craft . Deal?" "Hell yeah!!" Lino eximed as he suddenly wrapped his arms around Eggor¡¯s belly as he was too short to properly hug him . However, he quickly realized his arms had barely reached Eggor¡¯s back . "Damn dude, it¡¯s no wonder you and E have no kids . That poor woman would probably have her bones broken in a second in bed . " Plop! Following a powerful p, Lino felt stars dance around his head as his body fell onto the ground like a wooden pole . However, he quickly stabilized himself and popped back onto his feet, sneering . "Ha ha old man, I¡¯ve grown resilient to your punches! It seems you no longer have power over me . " "..." Eggor stared nkly at the youth in front of him, unable to utter a word . He dug into his pocket and took a single gold coin, throwing it at Lino before simply walking out of the room, expressionless . Lino caught the coin and excitedly left the house, heading over to the open market . After five months, he was finally allowed to craft something! However, he wasn¡¯t angry that he had to wait so long, regardless of what he may have said . After all, it wasn¡¯t as though he was doing nothing in the past few months; he had long ago memorized the contents of the six books, and hadpletely re-forged his body . Even lifting an 80kg stone was no longer an issue for him, which hardly seemed to be the case when one took a look at his body . The open market was built at a western part of the vige, past the structuralmerce area . Whilemerce area had shops that were regted by the Kingdom itself and put under tax, the free market was exactly that ¨C anyone and their mother coulde and buy and sell whatever they wanted . While rich generally went to themerce area to do their business, most folk in the vige stuck to the free market . As with any other day, the market was bustling; through the nearly half-a-mile long street, dozens of stalls were set up with nearly hundred men and women shouting out . The street itself was lined up with countless people as everyone looked around, bargained, bought and sold, or even started cursing . Lino used toe here before, and was even swindled a few times for ¡¯heavenly items¡¯ . However, his eyes had grown under the tutge of Eggor . Even if he had never seen a material before in his life, he¡¯d be able to see whether it was of good or bad quality after a short inspection . The free market was generally divided into three parts: food and such, already crafted items and oddities, andstly ores, herbs, and other raw ingredients . Quickly blowing past the first two, Lino arrived at the third part . It was not as busy as the prior two, but he still quickly counted roughly forty people talking with the stalls¡¯ owners and bargaining over the prices . With a quick nce across the stalls, Lino spotted a nearby one selling a few types of ores before moving over . Noticing him, the stall¡¯s owner put on a happy smile as a strange glint shed through his eyes . "Ah, young brother," the stall owner spoke with a gentle tone . "I see you have the eyes of the Dragon! This humble one only sells the best of the best, without doubt! You won¡¯t find better even in themerce area, that much I promise!" "... is that so?" Lino asked as he smiled faintly, inspecting the ores; there were in total twenty-two chunks of oreid before him and he had quicklye to a very simple conclusion regarding them all: they were shit . Rather, even shit was probably better than them . "Of course, of course, I wouldn¡¯t dare lie to the young brother . I guarantee the quality!" the ownerughed as his narrow eyes inspected the youth in front of him; he had already concluded that the youth was a fool who could hardly tell grass from dirt . "Then, if I was to build a crap-tin with this, do you think it would hold?" Lino asked, smiling coldly . "Eh?" "The only thing worth more than dirt here is a single piece of ore that¡¯s Level 1 . Aii, I understand that you¡¯ve suffered greatly while trying to dig up all of this from the cans of rich sons and daughters, but you can¡¯t go around iming they are heavenly treasures . While I agree there are some weird people who¡¯d pay a hefty sum to sniff a dong of a prettydy, I¡¯m afraid I take no part in such convictions . " Lino¡¯s words hadpletely stunned the stall¡¯s owner to the point thetter wasn¡¯t even able to reply properly . How was this inexperienced youth?!! He had a tongue sharper than his own mother¡¯s!! "Y-young brother, calm your tongue," the owner¡¯s smile disappeared as he recovered, looking coldly at Lino . "Lest it never speaks again . " "... hai, old brother, at least learn to properly talk before trying to threaten someone," Lino said casually . "Aah, no wonder you¡¯re selling dongs as though they were pieces of gold . You truly believe these things here hold some worth!" "Y-you!!" the owner eximed while pointing a finger at Lino, his slightly chubby facepletely red with fury and anger . "Off with you!! Leave before I spank your bottom!! Humph, you dare speak nonsense to me?! Humph!" "..." Lino merely smiled coldly at him before departing . Although he felt the owner¡¯s stare at his back, he didn¡¯t turn and instead headed over to a nearby stall which already had a few customers . The owner was, surprisingly, a woman in her early thirties . Although she was by no means a beauty, she had a refined air about her; her hair was short and ck, almost man¡¯s in cut, and her tanned skin exemplified her defined muscles only further . Seeing Lino approach, she nced at him and smiled lightly, signaling him to look at her wares before returning to her other customers . ncing over the ingredients on disy, Lino nodded faintly; unless she demands too high of a price, he could buy everything he needs here . After all, he didn¡¯t need a lot of materials, and not many types either, at most 2-3 . Unlike the other owner¡¯s stall, hers was much fuller, with nearly a hundred items on clear disy . Lino was shocked to find some pieces of Level 15 ore, which caused him to draw in a cold breath . She isn¡¯t simple... he thought . Just as his thought finished, the woman turned to him as it was finally his turn . "Did you see anything you like?" the woman asked, smiling lightly . "... aii, big sister, don¡¯t joke around," Lino smiled back . "Forget what you¡¯re selling, you alone made this trip worth it . " "Ha ha," the womanughed lightly, not taking Lino¡¯s words to heart . "You certainly know how to treat ady . But, ttery won¡¯t get you much with me . Today, I¡¯m not ady, but businesswoman!" "... eh, can¡¯t me a kid for trying," Lino said, still smiling . "How much for two pieces of [Durable Ore], a piece of [Ginger Stalk] and a single [Level 1 Magic Core]?" "Oh? Are you nning on crafting a sword?" the woman asked, arching her brows slightly . "... uh, yeah, something like that . " Lino replied vaguely . "Heh, then this sister won¡¯t be stingy with you . Two pieces of ore would cost you 40 silver, a single stalk 15 silver and core 50 silver . How¡¯s that?" "... hai, just because you cut down the cost of core, doesn¡¯t mean you can sell a single stalk of weed that grows in my grandma¡¯s backyard for 15 silver, sister . " Lino said, smiling bitterly . "Ha ha, so I wasn¡¯t wrong, you truly do have a discernable eye," the woman said . "My name¡¯s Tanya . What¡¯s yours?" "You can call me Lino . " Lino said simply . "How about this, Lino," the woman suddenly said . "You can have all your materials for free, but whatever you craft, I want it . What do you say? Of course, I¡¯ll pay the standard service fee . " "... either you have the eye of a prophet that can see into the future," Lino said, looking at her strangely . "Or you¡¯re a na?ve idiot . Which one is it?" "We¡¯ll know soon enough, won¡¯t we?" Tanya smiled queerly before packing up ores, stalk and the core and giving it to Lino, free of charge as promised . "... see you soon, Tanya . " "See you soon!" Lino grabbed the materials and quickly ran back home, unable to hide excitement from his face . He didn¡¯t care much if he was unable to craft anything from these materials; he¡¯d simply take five silver pieces from his own bank and pay the costs anyway . Seeing him return so quickly, Eggor¡¯s face grew darker . Was the kid swindled again?! Dammit!! However, he could only sigh . Lino quickly entered the house and, without even greeting E and Eggor, bolted toward the backside . Eggor followed shortly behind in silence, and soon the two were standing next to the anvil, where four items in total were disyed . "Oh? You weren¡¯t swindled? These are all genuine items . " Eggor said with a slight trace of surprise . "What do you mean I wasn¡¯t swindled?!! Why do you sound so surprised?!" Lino barked immediately . "Humph, I was simply humoring those bastards before . How could anything get past my heavenly eyes?" "Fine, fine, fine, my bad . Interesting choice," Eggor said as he scrutinized the items yet again . "However, wouldn¡¯t it be better if the core was with an attribute?" "... you want me to buy an attribute core with a shitty 1 gold piece?" Lino red at him . "Dude, get out of the house more . You¡¯ve truly grown senile . " "... khm," as though he finally realized that he misspoke, Eggor simply ignored it as he continued . "So, what do you n on crafting? If you just wanted to craft a simple sword, two pieces of ore would have been enough . With stalk, you could probably create a bendable longsword . What¡¯s the magic core for, though?" Eggor suddenly nced at Lino; this kid¡¯s brain was simply weird, and no matter how much Eggor tried to see through it, he was unable . "What queer crap are you nning on crafting, brat?" "He he," Lino smiled as he licked his lips . "It will blow you away!" "... you¡¯re not creating a bomb, are you?! Don¡¯t make puns while nning tomit murder, you bastard!!" "What bomb?! Fuck, I¡¯ll give you my granddaughters if you can use these four items to make a bomb!" "Fuck! Who wants your granddaughters, you bastard?! By the time you find a woman who will actually put up with you, I¡¯d have turned in my grave ten million times!" "Humph, what do you mean?! That woman is already in the next room! Just you wait, she¡¯s already under my spell!" "... aii, just don¡¯t blow up my workshop, lest you want me to blow you up . " Eggor said as he moved to the corner and began observing the process . "Just you wait!! Ha ha, by the time I¡¯m done with this, even heavens will shake! Ha ha ha!" Eggor stared intently at the still shaking back of the youth, a strange glint shing in his eyes . ...I have over two thousand years of experience with crafting... yet why do I feel as though even if I wracked my brain for ten lifetimes, I wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out what this bastard will make? Sighing lightly, he spoke no more as he continued watching Lino . The youth picked up two ores as he walked over and lit up wood in the furnace, while the golden mes began zing . They were the most basic, Level 5 mes, and were mostmonly used for mass-produced weapons and armors of the Kingdom . He carelessly threw both ores into the me as though he was throwing wood itself, causing Eggor¡¯s face to contort slightly . Lino then walked over to the anvil and picked up the stalk of grass, inspecting it for a moment, before snapping it in two; he then took a nearby screw and the magic core, piercing needle-sized hole in the core and quickly plugging it with half the stalk . Eggor observed his actions carefully, and each one of them caused his heart to stir with absolute anger . HE¡¯S JUST RUINING THE MATERIALS!! However, he still said nothing . Looking at the magic core, Lino nodded satisfyingly before putting it on the table next to the anvil . He nced over at the mes and saw that the ores were just about to melt; he quickly picked up a sturdy bucket which could endure moltenva and walked over to the furnace . He began pouring the melted ore into the bucket, his actions appearing natural, as though he had done it a thousand times before . Half a minuteter, the bucket was half-full as all of melted ore was ced into it . Wiping sweat off his forehead, Lino sighed in relief before hurrying over to a corner table which was reinforced with sturdy alloy . He poured out the entirety of the bucket on the table directly, causing it to sizzle and break the silence . Then, various tools and techniques that Eggor imparted on him, he began condensing the scattered ore into a shape, bit by bit . After he was done, he raced over to the anvil and picked the half-stalk of [Ginger Stalk] and raced back to the melted ore, dropping the stalk directly into it . Unsurprisingly, the stalk burned the moment it touched the surface of the melted ore, its energy quickly swallowed up . He yed around a bit with the shape before drilling a fist-sized hole at its center in a spherical fashion, clearly nning to put the magical core directly into it . Without hesitation, he raced back to the table where the core was at and picked it up, hurrying back and dropping it in the spherical opening . However, the core didn¡¯t melt; rather, its purple luster suddenly diminished as the entire core became gray . The stalk that was pierced into it withered at the speed visible to the naked eye, soon turning into ash . Nodding with a beaming smile, Lino sighed in relief yet again . He then waited for a moment before he used two mps and carried over the strangely-shaped object to therge barrel of water . After carefully inspecting the water¡¯s temperature, making sure it was appropriate, he dipped the strangely-shaped object into the barrel Steam bellowed out in droves as sizzling sounds echoed out . He shook the object a few times and pulled it out only after a few minutes . He then walked back to the furnace and began heating up some of its corners . As the silver luster grew reddened, he hurriedly pulled it out and walked back to the anvil . Picking up a hammer, he began hammering and reshaping the object further, while also reinforcing it indirectly . Eggor stared from the distance, but he was still unable to discern the object¡¯s exact shape . His brows were already furrowed; if any other cksmith were to see Lino¡¯s procedure, they¡¯d no doubt vomit blood before passing out . None of it made any sense . He melted both ores at the same times directly, in their entirety, he then pierced the magic core, letting its energy seep out, before plugging it with half-a-stalk of a basic herb . Then he shoved the entire magic core directly into the object, and rather than letting its energy seep out into the object itself, he actually reinforced the core¡¯s outer shell and kept the energy in . It took almost two hours before Lino¡¯s expression finally loosened up and he breathed deeply . Realizing that the crafting waspleted, even Eggor wiped a few droplets of sweat from his brow before carefully walking over, afraid of what he might see . However, when he saw the object, he nearly passed out, even with countless years of experience . On the anvil, there appeared to be a handle of a sword... without the de . It was cone-shaped, its color somewhere between deep gray and light brown, like beast¡¯s skin, and there was a slight bulge at the very center of the object on two sides . What the hell is that?!! Is that a weapon?! Hell no!! "... aah, done atst, ha ha," Lino, of course, burst out in jubntughter . This was the first thing he¡¯d crafted in his entire life . Naturally, he was beyond happy . He picked up the strange handle and yed around with it . The object¡¯s name was already given mentally, but Lino didn¡¯t bother checking its stats; after all, he didn¡¯t care . Whatever he created would naturally be heavenly treasure . "Look, old man! Ha ha, I¡¯ve created a Divine Weapon on my first try, ha ha!" corners of Eggor¡¯s eyes twitched before swiping the handle from Lino¡¯s hands, immediately checking its stats . After going over them, he actually stumbled and fell backwards on his butt, his expression somewhere between being utterly confounded and absolutely terrorized . [Celestial Rod ¨C Unique] Level: 8 Damage: 21-24 Magic Damage: 8-12 Defense: 8 Magic Defense: 3 Durability: 80 Special Effect: Three-pronged weapon . Special Effect: First Form ¨C can fire Magic Darts from the small hole at the tip . Magic Darts must be crafted separately, and 10 can at most be stored at the same time . Special Effect: Second Form ¨C can be turned into a two-meter long spear, which can further be extended by consuming energy from the Magic Core . Energy must be replenished separately . Maximum elongation is 100 meters . Special Effect: Third Form ¨C encases the outer exterior in firm alloy, with chance to reflect both physical and magical attacks . Each time an attack is blocked, Durability is consumed . Must be restored separately . Special Effect: Due to the uniqueness of the design, the weapon can be enhanced further as well as re-forged, increasing stats as well as the number of forms . Note: Created by aplete novice . However, the craftsmanship is above average, and unique design allows it to stand above other weapons of the same level . Eggor still remained shocked as he reexamined the stats . Even just going off its base, weapon stats, it was definitely above average, as only Level 10 weapons were able to inch close to 25 damage . However, there was also Magic Damage, Defense, as well as Magic Defense, and even Durability, something only shields were supposed to have . Even if it was only that, the weapon could easily be sold for hundreds of gold coins, but there were also four Special Effects, something only Legendary cksmiths were able to imbue into such low-leveled weapons . While all the effects simply revolved around the weapon¡¯s strange forms, it didn¡¯t diminish the fact that there were four of them . Fuck, this brat was actually right!! If it¡¯s properly groomed, this weird crap can actually be Ethereal-ranked weapon, or even Divine Artifact!! Eggor wasn¡¯t shocked about multiple forms of the weapon as much, because those already existed, and not even in small number . However, absolutely none were of [Unique] qualification, meaning that they were stuck on the same level they were crafted at . And, due to the sheer number of resources required to craft high-level multi-form weapons, almost no one was willing to do it . Evolving a piece of weaponry, on the other hand, was much cheaper than crafting it anew . And, perhaps the greatest shock of all, was that this was the first thing this brat has ever crafted . What a queer bastard... Eggor thought as his eyes switched over to Lino who was actually sitting on a chair, his head firmly nted on the table, sleeping soundly with arge smile on his face . He quickly left the workshop and found E sitting in the kitchen, mixing flour to make bread . When he showed her the ¡¯weapon¡¯, much like him, she nearly fainted from surprise . After reexamining the small, seemingly ordinary piece of nothing, the two sighed and sat down . "Looks like... you¡¯ve really discovered a great treasure this time around, E . " Eggor said, his eyes shing withplex expression . "Heh, what are you saying? Isn¡¯t this the result of your great tutge?" E teased back . "... he¡¯s progressing much faster than I thought," Eggor said after short silence, sighing . "With this speed, he may even be able to participate in the annual Kingdom¡¯spetition . " "Even if he¡¯s gifted in cksmithing, he¡¯s still a kid, Eggor," E said, her expression somewhat solemn . "One with no experience of battle, at that . In addition, he¡¯s yet to even reach Level 10 . He stands absolutely no chance if he catches someone¡¯s eye . " "... well, you know, you could always¡ª" "Absolutely not!" E interrupted . "Oi, you forced him on me, and now you¡¯re trying to avoid the responsibility?!" Eggor cried out . "Well, you know, it¡¯s not like I thought he would improve so quickly . " E said, still reluctant . "Aii, I know that you promised you¡¯d never take a disciple again, but the only vow that you absolutely must never break is the one you made on our wedding day," Eggor said . "As for the rest? Eh, you know . " "... is it me, or are you actually growing jealous of that kid?" E suddenly curled her lips up in smile; her usual, average-looking face suddenly beamed strangely, as though it attained beauty beyondpare . However, it was only a sh, and it quickly vanished . "Humph, preposterous! Why-why would I be jealous of a brat who¡¯s yet to grow hair?! Humph!" Eggor snorted, looking away . "So, it¡¯s settled then . From tomorrow on, instead of sleeping, he¡¯ll be training with you . " "Oi, I never agreed to anything!!" "I¡¯ll go to the market and find us a nice piece of pork," Eggor said, getting up and ignoring E¡¯s pleading face . "We ought to celebrate that brat¡¯s luck . Humph, getting two Immortals as his Masters . Humph, even those rich Sect brats aren¡¯t this lucky . Humph . " "..." E¡¯s eyes shed with warmth as she watched the broad back leave the house . She smiled gently and nced toward the workshop¡¯s door before moving her eyes back on the ordinary handle . "Is he the lucky one... or are we?" she mumbled before her eyes dimmed slightly, as though she was lost to distant thoughts and memories . Chapter 5 Chapter 5 CHAPTER 5 APPARENTLY A CULTIVATOR Lino was currently standing in the ¡¯backyard¡¯ of the house, his expression a mixture of confusion, befuddlement, terror, and some more confusion atop all of that . In front of him was E, dressed in her everyday clothes, her hair tied up neatly in a bun, still appearing every bit a housewife as she always did . Yet, looking at the stats she allowed him to see, Lino nearly vomited ten buckets of blood in despair . [Eleanor Qe¡¯ll ¨C Immortal Sword Queen ¨C Level 140 ¨C Mystic Realm Immortal] Although he had no clue what the random titles represented, he had a clue or two about what her level represented . She¡¯s a fucking god!!! Although he screamed so inside, nothing came from his sealed lips . The woman he¡¯s been trying to ¡¯woo¡¯ away from Eggor turned out to be someone capable of leveling the entire Umbra Kingdom into ash . However, strangely, while a faint presence of terror remained, he didn¡¯t fear her . Deep down, he knew she wasn¡¯t going to harm him, and that there was probably a reason why she disclosed who she truly was to him . After all, it was impossible to observe someone¡¯s stats unless that other person decided to show them to you . In addition, E didn¡¯t disy all of her stats, just a small portion of them . "Surprised?" E asked with a faint smile on her face . "... fuck . " Lino mumbled, shaking his head lightly . "Who are you?" he asked, his expression serious . "Did I just get tangled in a plot to take over Umbra Kingdom?" "Ha ha, no, no," E said, shaking her head lightly . "Of course not . As for who I am... that¡¯s a story for another time, when you¡¯ve grown stronger . Do you know why I decided to show you this?" "You¡¯re vain and you wanted to see my reaction?" Lino guessed randomly . "Humph, you really think that little of me?" E pouted slightly, as though she wasn¡¯t a middle-aged woman but a teenage girl . "... forgive me, oh... uh, what was it... right, Immortal Queen . So, why did you show me?" "You¡¯ve already taken Eggor as your Master," E said . "And now, you¡¯ll take me on as well . " "... you¡¯ll be teaching me the mastery of kitchen?" Lino said, tilting his head sideways . "Mastery of murder . " E said with a smile so innocent a deaf bystander would think she was talking about apples and bananas . "..." Lino¡¯s lips parted in shock as he stared at her . She appeared slightly ethereal beneath the streaming moonlight, causing his heart to stir; strangely, it was not because of lust, but something much more noble . "I very much doubt your aspirations end with this tiny Kingdom, Lino," E said, her voice like a gentle choir . "You most-likely want your work to be admired by mortals and immortals alike, throughout the entire continent and beyond . Am I right?" "... yes . " Lino replied honestly . "And it¡¯s a dream worth pursuing," E said . "However, the world is a very cruel ce . You¡¯re but a tiny speck in its infinite terror . Were you to set out with your strength, no matter how talented you may be with crafting, you would never survive on your own . You would either be killed or swallowed up by someone to ve away for them . Is that what you want?" "No . " Lino finally grasped why E showed him her basic stats . Although his thoughts were still in slight turmoil, his expression appeared calm . "You¡¯re Eggor¡¯s only disciple," she said . "And you will be myst . You know, there¡¯s probably no living soul in this world that is as lucky as you, to be apprenticed to two Immortals . " "... wait, don¡¯t tell me that that old, bearded guy is as strong as you?" Lino said, furrowing his brows . "Ha ha, no, not quite," E said, smiling charmingly . "But, the two of us followed different paths . He pursued crafts, while I pursued cultivation . Nheless, there¡¯s probably no one stronger than him in this Kingdom . " "... damn bastard . No wonder I wasn¡¯t able to sway you heart," Lino grunted . "Humph, whatever . I¡¯ll let him have you for now . " "I¡¯m sure he¡¯s very grateful . " E said, still smiling . "You don¡¯t seem surprised that there are Immortals in this world . " "... why would I be surprised?" Lino shrugged his shoulders . "I don¡¯t have anymon sense to leverage against anything you tell me . Even if you told me there was a n of Dongs who were Immortals, I¡¯d still have no choice but to believe you . " "... aii, you really have a... weird outlook on the world . " E said, shivering slightly . "Do you wish to be my disciple?" "I do . " Lino said calmly . "En . Good," E nodded, patting his head gently . "Although I don¡¯t know how talented you will be in cultivation, I¡¯ll do my very best to guide you properly . " "Can I ask you something?" Lino asked; as a whole new world was suddenly opened up in front of him, it was natural that he immediately grew curious . "Sure . Ask away . " "... how strong are you whenpared to other Immortals?" Lino said . "And I mean, those big-shots . " "Ah, he he, I¡¯m actually rather weak whenpared to them . " E said, smiling bitterly . "What?!!" Level 140 is considered weak?! What the hell?!! "You can¡¯t me me for that," E shrugged her shoulders . "I haven¡¯t cultivated in many years . It¡¯s only natural that I¡¯d get overtaken by others . " "... how strong... how strong is the strongest person you know?" Lino asked, dreading to hear the answer . "Are you sure you want to know?" E said, smiling slyly . "... am I?" Lino mumbled . "Fuck, don¡¯t confuse me woman! Of course I¡¯m certain! Just spill it out, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to shit my pants or anything!!" "... when I was still cultivating in my n," E said, suddenly looking up, her eyes glistening in reminiscence . "Our Great Ancestor at the time had reached Heavenly Realm . In terms of Levels, he was nearing 780 . " " . . . . . " Lino stared nkly, ck-jawed . Still, who could me him? The Crown Prince of Umbra Kingdom was barely Level 50 and was considered amongst the strongest men in the entire Kingdom . Even E, at Level 140, could probably sweep Umbra Kingdom and all nearby Kingdoms by barely lifting a finger . What did, then, reaching Level 780 mean? Lino had no clue, and no matter how wild his imagination was, he was unable to picture it . "Don¡¯t overexert yourself with those thoughts," E said, smiling gently . "They¡¯re still too far away from you . In the end, you¡¯ll probably be like Eggor . It is impossible to be both masterful cksmith and a legendary cultivator . I¡¯ll only be teaching you so you¡¯ll be able to protect yourself during the initial stages of your development, before your name spreads throughout the continent . Understood?" "...understood . " Lino mumbled . "Good," E said, nodding while her lips curled up in a gentle smile . Over the past five months, Eggor and her had mostly figured out this seemingly lunacy-inspired youth standing in front of her . Although he had face thicker than tenyers of alloyed steel, his heart was still honest, and determination firm . If heplied to something, he would do it . "I will teach you aplete method of cultivation . Along the journey, it will give you a few arts and spells, but you¡¯ll still need to learn most others yourself . " "Okay . " "Hmm... let¡¯s see..." E said as she entered short thought . In reality, she had already figured out what to teach him . It was elementary-level cultivation method of her n called ¡¯Sword Light¡¯ . It was also the one Eggor was cultivating . However, she suddenly remembered something . Her lips nearly curled up in a mischievous smile, but she managed to hold it back . Coughing lightly, she turned toward Lino again with firm expression . "I came across this cultivation method by ident when I went out adventuring as a kid . To this day, I was unable to discern its grade or even its origin . However, because there were strict requirements for the cultivation, I was unable to cultivate it myself, so you¡¯ll have to figure everything out yourself . Are you willing?" "... goddammit woman, just teach me already!!" Lino eximed . It seems that their entire conversation revolved around E asking him if he was willing, and him replying that he was . "Very well . " E extended her finger and ced it between Lino¡¯s brows . Faint, golden light shimmered for a moment yet, within the dark alley, it had the appearance of a blinding sun . Lino quickly closed his eyes and felt strange energy rush into his mind, followed by a mass of information . Headache immediately surged but he gritted his teeth and endured as he forcibly began storing all the information E was transferring . The very first string of information that he had managed to decipher was the name of the method itself: . Following it was some basic information in regards to its cultivation; it focused entirely on re-forging the body itself more so than the energy, and, unlike what its name might suggest, it wasn¡¯t dependent at all on the element of me . Rather, its source lied in strength and overbearing nature of the practitioner more so than anything else . Lino quickly figured out why E was never able to cultivate it, as requirements were indeed pretty strict . First, one mustn¡¯t have cultivated any other method prior to learning . Secondly, they had to be fifteen years old or younger . Thirdly, they mustn¡¯t have any special bloodline, any form of innate inheritance, any form of reshaped or re-forged soul or even body ¨C in other words, they had to bepletely ordinary, so ordinary no n or Sect would never even nce at them . "Did you get everything?" E asked, waking him up from his stupor . "En," Lino nodded, scratching his head as though trying to force the pain out . "I was only able to understand the name, description, requirements and how to cultivate its initial stage . Everything beyond that is just a blur . " "Oh? How to cultivate its initial stage?" E asked . Indeed, she was extremely curious about the cultivation method . The reason she never shared it with her n was because it was pointless ¨C no ordinary person would ever be epted into a n or Sect from where she came . "... get stronger physically until I¡¯m able to bend a steel sword with my bare hands . " Lino said . "... . " "... . " "I¡¯m sorry..." E said, sighing . "I¡¯ll teach you something else..." "It¡¯s fine . " Lino interrupted immediately, smiling . "Hm?" E looked at him strangely . Although getting to the point where it¡¯s possible to bend a steel sword with one¡¯s bare hands isn¡¯t some fantasy, as Eggor himself could not only bend a steel sword, but even fifty of them at the same time, it¡¯s not something that suited this youth in front of her, which is why she was surprised when he interrupted her . "If I¡¯m able to do it," Lino said, suddenly licking his lips . "I¡¯ll get something that¡¯s called ¡¯Primal Spirit¡¯, and I¡¯ll get one for each of the four major elements: Wind, Fire, Earth and Water . Right, what are Primal Spirits? At least you should know that, right?" "FUCK!!" E suddenly cursed, her jaw cked, startling Lino . This was the first time he heard this beautiful, kind and almost ethereal person curse . "Are you sure it said Primal Spirit?" "... oi, I may be dumb, but I¡¯m not aplete retard . " Lino replied, feeling somewhat hurt . "Judging from your expression, they¡¯re not something simple?" "Simple? Heh, how could they possibly be simple?" E took a deep breath, shaking her head . "Almost all cultivation methods resonate with one of the Elements of the World . Even mine, although a method for the cultivation of sword arts, has resonance with the Element of Wind . Let me put it this way: if I could get my hands on a Primal Spirit, even the worst one in the world, I¡¯d easily be able to double my level . " "... . FUCK!" "Ha ha, don¡¯t get so excited," E said, smiling lightly . "Primal Spirits correspond to personal strength, and they slowly grow alongside a person . From the description of the , it focuses mostly on body strength, so my guess is that the Primal Spirits you¡¯ll obtain will be different than every other those cultivators dream about . For instance, there¡¯s a high chance that they¡¯ll fuse directly into your body, boosting its prowess; Wind will boost speed, Earth will boost your tenacity, Water your agility and Fire your overall strength . Even so, I never expected it to be so overbearing right from the start . Good for you . If you work hard, you can probably get there in about 3 months . " "... oi, I¡¯m not that muscle-headed husband of yours! Even if I¡¯ve grown stronger recently, there¡¯s no way I can get to the point of bending a damn steel sword with my bare hands!" Linoined immediately . He knew that the moment she mentioned 3 months, more and more ¡¯chores¡¯ would be given to him, to the point all his bones would probably break . "Don¡¯t worry . When there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s always a way . " "You officially terrify me . " "... should my heart break by the fact that my Level didn¡¯t terrify you, but my choice to help you get stronger quickly did?" Afterwards, E gave him a shoddy, nearly broken iron sword and told him to start swinging before vanishing somece else . Bitterly gritting his teeth, Lino obeyed and began swinging, over and over again . Soon, his daily life turned into a mundane routine; in the morning, he would be given select few tasks and chores toplete before being thrown into the workshop to listen Eggor lecture him for hours upon hours without giving him a chance to craft anything else . When Lino told him that he needs to take his rod back to the market as he promised the woman he¡¯d give it to her, Eggor pped him so hard Lino nearly began seeing stars swim in his eyes . Afterwards, he was given a somewhat above average iron sword to take to the woman . At night, following a few hours of book studying, he¡¯d be trained by E . Sometimes she would just make sure he was swinging the sword, and sometimes she would instruct him, or even spar with him from time to time . Lino felt his strength rise steadily, which was followed by rather insane rise in levels . Within a mere month, he skyrocketed all the way to Level 20 . However, he suddenly stopped leveling and, no matter what he did, it felt like it won¡¯t go over . "It¡¯s because you reached a bottleneck," E exined after he asked her . "Ordinary people who don¡¯t follow the path of cultivation won¡¯t hit these roadblocks, but cultivators will as, besides Levels, we are also further separated into major realms . Everyone between Level 1 and 20 is ssified as a Mortal Realm cultivator, and reaching Level 20 is akin to reaching a thick wall with seemingly no passage . So, you have to find a way to break through . In your case, I imagine that you¡¯ll break through once you¡¯re able to bend the steel weapon with your bare hands . After breaking through, you¡¯ll reach Level 21 as well as enter Core Realm, which is when you¡¯ll be able to sense World Energy and begin refining your body with it . " "Oh..." After his doubts were cleared up, Lino continued on with his mundane training . More and more knowledge began condensing into his brain, but Eggor still didn¡¯t allow him to craft anything after the [Celestial Rod] . Still, he didn¡¯t mind it much . His life was much better than before he met two odd Immortals . He had food to eat and water to drink and warm house to sleep in, and his entire being seemed transfigured at this point . In a sh, three more months had passed, and it has been eight months since Lino had stayed with Eggor and E . Today was his sixteenth birthday, and Lino was currently immersed in the cultivation inside his room . His body seemed much more stout and muscr, but remained refined without excess muscle . He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, his eyes closed; although he was still unable to mask his young age, first refinements of his face began appearing, and there was a tinge of maturity between his brows . His two arms were currently holding a simple, steel sword . Roaring lowly, his eyes jolted open as his muscles bulged; his fingers wrapped around the sword as he pushed it over his knee before lifting it back up above his head and kneading it together like dough . As if a dam has been breached open, he felt a strange surge and flood of energy swarm over his body, healing his exhausted state immediately and replenishing his stamina . His eyes glistened in strange, almost otherworldly shimmer as he watched the practically demolished steel sword in his hands . Suddenly, his lips curled up in a proud grin as he beganughing like a lion . "Ha ha, finally!! Finally!!" his voice boomed out throughout the house, startling E who was currently preparing lunch and Eggor who was smelting ore . "Ha ha, look at this you damned beasts!! Ha ha, I¡¯m invincible!!" just as he said that, he felt weakness ovee him and he plopped over onto the floor like an inanimate vase . Luckily, he still appeared to be breathing . Chapter 6 Chapter 6 CHAPTER 6 PRIMAL SPIRITS Lino trembled for a moment as he jolted his eyes open . As his vision recovered from a brief blur, he saw that he was in apletely unknown and unfamiliar environment . Rather, it would be better to say that he found himself at a form of a crossroads of worlds . His jaw ckened for a moment as he stared around, inplete disbelief as to what he was seeing . Currently, he was surrounded by four spectacr sights that couldn¡¯t be more different . In front of him, toward the north, was a world of fire, with hilltops rolling up in the skyless world, magma flowing through them . There were all sorts of mes, of all shapes and sizes and colors, numbering in hundreds of thousands . To his left, toward west, was an ocean of crystalline clear water, stretching underneath a clear sky as far as the eye can see . His eyes were easily able to prate through the surface of the ocean, and he saw numerous living organisms living in the depths, asionally ncing at him for a moment beforepletely ignoring him . Behind him, toward south, was a single, massive mountain akin to which Lino never even dreamed existed . The mountain was barren of life and any form of green, its surface entirelyposed of brownish earth, elongated up beyond the sky, far surpassing the point his eyes could measure . And, finally, toward his right and east, was an open field of green, epassed by forests of massive trees constantly swayed by the eternal wind . Lino was sitting on a small patch ofnd at the very center of all four worlds, and even though he was able to see them, he wasn¡¯t able to enter any of the worlds . He felt that there was a barrier bordering him off, simrly stretching in-between each of the worlds, gating them into separate entities . It took him about ten minutes to fully calm down and close his eyes in brief contemtion . A mere momentter, his eyes shed with a glint of understanding as he suddenly looked up . At the very beginnings of the worlds, stered against the barrier, were four marks . Toward the north, where fire eternally burned, was a seven-tailed me, epassed of seven natural colors . It didn¡¯t seem to burn but appeared to be frozen in time . Toward his left, where ocean stretched beyond reaches was a singr, round, azure-dyed pearl, barely thumb-sized . Behind him, where mountain rolled above the sky, was a gigantic, five-meter-tall totem with strange, runic carvings throughout its surface . And, finally, toward his right and east was a single, golden feather that kept hovering up and down, fixed in that pattern . "... the Writ said that I¡¯ll be able to choose four Primal Spirits," Lino mumbled to himself . "Fire, Water, Earth and Wind... is this it? To hell with that!!" he suddenly roared . "Where the hell am I?!! How the hell can there be four worldspletely contradicting each other just existing like this?!" After he cursed his bad luck for a while, he finally calmed down and took a deep breath . Somehow, he knew that he didn¡¯t really go anywhere ¨C he was still in his room, probably passed out . So, this was either an illusion or astral projection of sorts . Whatever the case was, Lino knew that the only way to leave this ce was to choose four Primal Spirits . "Okay... I figured that out," he said, looking around . "So... how do I choose them? Should I just randomly point at something and say ¡¯you¡¯...?" However, before he even had a chance to attempt testing his theory, the four world buzzed as the translucent barriers gating him off retained some color . A mere momentter, he saw three, palm-sized beasts appear at each of the worlds . Astonished, his jaw cked again, but he quickly pulled it back up from fear of having it disfigured for the rest of days . "What the hell..." he mumbled, scrutinizing the twelve beasts . Suddenly, a flood of information surged within his mind,rge enough to cause him a massive headache . He cried out in pain as he began slowly processing everything; in reality, as he slowly figured everything out, there wasn¡¯t much information . Rather, there was barely any causing him to curse yet again . "Am I really that much of a retard that I get a headache from few sentences? Pu, Lino! Straighten out, you bastard!" Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment and began examining the new information he attained . Everything was in rtion to twelve beasts; he learned their names, and their most basic usage . He also learned that each time he broke through a new realm, he¡¯ll be summoned here to choose four Primal Spirits, except each time the grade would be higher, and that there was also a chance of obtaining Spirits of other elements . It also mentioned that there are other ways to be summoned to obtain the Primal Spirits, but there was no mention of the ways themselves . From what E told him, all Primal Spirits ¨C simrly to martial arts and cultivation methods ¨C were divided into Mortal, Mystic, Ethereal and Divine categories, further segregated into low, high and supreme ranks . Surprisingly, all twelve Primal Spirits were actually Supreme Mortal rank . Discarding the information about the future, he focused onto examining the properties of twelve beasts . In reality, within each major category of Fire, Water, Earth and Wind, all three beasts had simr properties with some basic differences . E was mostly right; every single Spirit would enhance his body in some way . However, he had absolutely no clue as to how much, so he could only blindly guess . After about half an hour of pondering, he finally chose the four he deemed to be most suitable for him . His chosen Primal Spirit of Fire was a wisp of sorts, with three threads lingering about a small, almost invisible me . Although it appeared insignificant, Lino was able to sense faint pressureing deep within and even a spark of intelligence . As for the Primal Spirit of Water, it was a nted, crescent-shaped de that was norger than a thumb . It was dim blue in color and had somewhat ragged edges, yet it exuded an ancient aura no less impressive than that of the Primal Spirit of Fire . The Primal Spirit of Earth he chose was a seemingly ordinary pebble, entirely shrouded in uneven edges, dark brown in color . It kept on rotating slowly, causing space around it to distort as if it was terrified of approaching it directly . As for the Primal Spirit of Wind, it was a translucent blob of sorts,pletely weightless and colorless . It appeared to be floating in the air, hovering up and down, without releasing even a bit of aura . It seemed the least impressive on the surface, but Lino chose it nheless because of the benefits it provided . [Primal Spirit of Fire ¨C Ra ¨C gain Tri-Spirit me ¨C Level 30 Great Boundary me] [Primal Spirit of Water ¨C Ye ¨C muscles be more flexible . Centered attacks ripple throughout instead, spreading out damage] [Primal Spirit of Earth ¨C Gu ¨C impervious to ordinary strikes . Any earth-rted defensive martial art has doubled effect] [Primal Spirit of Wind ¨C Li ¨C running in a straight line increases speed in increments . Maximum speed is increased by levels] Rtively satisfied, he randomly poked at the four Spirits, figuring that was the way . The four chosen Spirits suddenly shuddered and turned into ze of lights, each of which sped in-between Lino¡¯s brows before he even had a chance to react . Suddenly, four roars bellowed out from the depths of the four worlds, causing his blood to freeze and mind to momentarily be numb . The roars carried with them aura far surpassing the vestige of time, as though they came before all else . Suddenly, four roars congealed into a singr voice which spoke in a voice that cannot be described with words . "Empyrean Writ is Dered! Four Races Kneel! Eight Immortals Worship! Twelve Gods Follow! Eighteen Domains Fall!" ** In a ce far, far away, beyond the boundaries of the world Lino lived in, within the void of the infinite space, a singr mountain stood like a sword . It was entirely ck and reeked of death, and one would be able to see asional sh of silver . Upon closer inspection, one would realize that shes were clear bones; some were human-sized, and some were asrge as a trunk of a massive oak . Deep within a mountain, in arge cave, a throne of bones and swords stood erected atop the tform . The throne itself was nearly fifty meters wide and two hundred meters tall, and was symmetrical in design, while constantly exuding strange aura of death . Atop the throne itself, coated in ck mist, sat a massive humanoid figure . Its skin was entirely charcoal ck, and its eyes suddenly opened; they were crimson red like blood, and seemingly immeasurable . The figure looked up toward the sky and suddenly sighed . "Empyrean Writ descended..." the figure mumbled somberly . "Hmm... no Bearer of it appeared since the Titan Era... ah, I¡¯m tired . Better go back to sleep . " The figure slowly closed its eyes and returned back to slumber, as though nothing out of the ordinary urred . ** At the same time, within a valley deeper than the world¡¯s core, surrounded entirely with crystalline ciers, a human woman sat cross-legged . Her hair was entirely white and her skin paler than the snow surrounding her . In-between her azure eyes was a brilliant gem, shimmering in faint cyan . She wore simple, white gown, and appeared ethereal, far beyond what a mortal could be . Her body suddenly shook as a trail of crimson dripped down the side of her lips . Frowning, she looked up toward the sky . "Which fucker activated that shitty thing?" she mumbled in anger . "Tsk, fuck, if you want to instigate chaos, go ahead . Don¡¯t drag me in, you bastard!!" The woman slowly wiped the blood from her lips and returned to her calm, ethereal state . Unfortunately, it didn¡¯tst long as she leapt onto her feet in anger and started smashing ciers around her while cursing the instigator¡¯s line of ancestors down to the very first one . Only after doing so for nearly a week would she calm down . ** Ake of blue fire was centered around six towering mountain peaks . At the very center of theke was a small patch ofnd,rge enough for a single house and a garden . Currently, within a garden, an elderly man was humming a light tune and watering a strange flower with a human face . He was bald and had long, white beard, while wearing simple, tattered robes . Suddenly, he cried out in pain and spat out a mouthful of blood . Wiping it, he looked up toward the sky, his emerald eyes shimmering in strange glimmer . "Fuck off, I¡¯m too old for that shit . " And thus, the old man went back to watering his garden,pletely ignoring the strange urrence . ** Meanwhile, within a castle of a certain Kingdom, its King was currently reading through the reports while furrowing his brows lightly . He wore noble clothes and had a golden crown on his head with a strange, crimson gem embedded at its center . His eyebrows were sharp like swords and his two, ck eyes appeared to be deeper than the abyss itself . His body suddenly shook as he swallowed back a mouthful of blood, creasing his brows further as he looked out the window . "No way... my Kingdom is almost broke! If youe here, I¡¯ll give you good spanking!" and thus, he went back to reading the records,pletely forgetting the strange urrence . ** Thunder and lightning boomed in unison above, dark clouds entirely eclipsing the sun . Beneath, several thousands of human-sized cages floated around freely through the air as though they had strings linking them to the sky itself . Each cage hoisted a single individual, and bars were entirely ck, with asional flicker of lighting surging through . Within one of the cages, a ck-haired, handsome youth sat with solemn expression, his eyes almost watery . He wore ck robes and had tattoos scattered throughout this fair body . "Aii, the world is so boring... I thought escaping Qe¡¯ll n¡¯s Devil Prison would at least get my blood moving... s... this is pathetic..." the youth suddenly shuddered and spat out a mouthful of ck blood . Shocked for a moment, his lips suddenly twitched and curled up in a grin, beaming from ear to ear . Lunging his head backward, he suddenly burst out in maniacalughter, startling everyone who looked at him . "Finally!! Ha ha, finally there¡¯s something worth living for!! Aii, when I meet the bastard who instigated the Writ, I swear to god I¡¯ll kiss him for ten years straight!! Ha ha, adventure, adrenaline, bloodshed, massacres, here Ie!!" The supposedly foolproof cage suddenly burst out into smithereens as the youth flew off into the distance, his maniacalughter still echoing out through the sky . ** Across the various ces and dimensions, simr scenes repeated; some appeared solemn, some were cursing angrily, some were, like handsome youth,ughing in joy, and some simply ignored it as if it had nothing to do with them . Unbeknownst to Lino, he had instigated something that many had long since buried in the trail of time . As for the instigator himself, he slowly woke up in his room, blinking a few times until headache suddenly assaulted him . Moving his hand onto his forehead, he felt a strange bump the size of a small grape there, prompting him to grunt in anger . Getting back up onto his bed, he quickly ignored the pain and slowly swallowed everything he learned . As for the voice that sent him off, he ignored it, as it appeared too scary . He suddenly flipped his palm and moved it up front, whereupon a me appeared flickering atop of it . The me had three colors ¨C red, blue and green ¨C and appeared rather ethereal . Lino¡¯s lips curled up in a massive, innocent smile; he knew very well how rare the mes were, especially multi-colored ones . Surprisingly, he obtained a great harvest this time around . Although it¡¯s only a Level 30 mes, he wagered it¡¯s still among the best in the entire Umbra Kingdom . In addition, it was a Great Boundary me, and not a simple, Moral Boundary one! Absolutely ted, he beganughing like a maniac for a moment before coughing and looking around, afraid that someone may have seen that briefpse of sanity . After realizing that he was still very much alone and ignored, he nodded in satisfaction and pulled the me back into his body . He then began inspecting the flexibility of his body and, to his surprise, it improved by a lot! He was able to easily bend himself backward to the point where his head nearly reached the calves of his legs! He could easily do splits now, and even raise his legs slightly off the floor during it . He then struck himself on the chest and felt the pain ripple outward from the point of impact; the result was that he barely felt anything! "Aii, what the hell is this cultivation method?" Linomented for a moment . "E is absolutely insane for keeping it a secret, and those sects are retards for thinking it¡¯s useless!" Unfortunately, he was unable to test the Spirits of Earth and Wind, but he figured there¡¯d be time for it . He himself was now Level 21 and had officially stepped into Core Realm of cultivation world . ording to E, most of the Disciples in Sects and ns would step into Core Realm by the age of 6, but Lino didn¡¯t care much for that . After all, he didn¡¯t want to be a fighter, but a legendary cksmith! In addition to those changes, he also felt presence of strange energy fluttering around him, spreading infinitely . He quickly realized it was the energy only those who stepped into the Core Realm were able to sense: World Energy! Through the cultivation method written in the , he would be able to absorb it into his body, strengthening himself without doing any actual training . As though thunder struck him, he suddenly pped his forehead and eximed: "Crap! It¡¯s my birthday today! That old bastard better let me craft something!" Leaping off the bed, he ran downstairs and saw E and Eggor in the kitchen . He hurried over and then turned frozen stiff as he looked at the table . Atop was a massive, round cake, surrounded with all sorts of delicacies and drinks . E and Eggor looked at him with warm smiles before they suddenly started singing ¡¯Happy Birthday¡¯ . Lino felt his heart boil for a moment as a tinge of pain pierced through, causing his eyes to water . For someone who waspletely neglected as though he was nothing every other birthday, the scene struck him so deep he started crying . Ever since the day he was born, his birthdays were like any other days; he would always wake up hoping someone would at least remember and congratte him, but no one ever did . He got into the habit of sneaking out of the orphanage to a nearby farm and spending time with cattle during his birthday, joking around with them and celebrating the day like that . While he expected this birthday would be different, seeing and expecting were two different things . However indifferent and aloof he may appear on the surface, it can hardly hide the fact that he was mostly just... lonely . He never had parents or siblings, or even a friend . No one ever made an entire table of food just for him, or sang a song to celebrate the day he was born . "... waa, waa," he started wailing like a kid . "Stop... stop you old bastard... you can¡¯t sing for shit... waa..." Pa! He felt a palm strike against the back of his head as he stumbled forward . "Oi bastard, be gentle!! Humph! You can¡¯t even take a proper critique! How will you ever improve like that? Humph! Go away, you¡¯re not allowed to touch anything on this table, you hear me?! Humph, that will teach you!" "..." Eggor stared at the cursing youth who sat down and began gulping down whatever his hands touched . He pushed down the anger and sighed; before he went back to his usual self, Eggor realized just how tough it must have been for him . Despite everything, he was still... just a kid . Sixteen years is hardly enough time to mature properly, especially when no one could ever be bothered to give him any proper guidance . Which is why Eggor swore deep down that he will steer the scoundrel back onto the proper path lest his name be spelled backwards! Chapter 7 Chapter 7 CHAPTER 7 UMBRA MOUNTAIN RANGE Soon enough, an entire year had passed since Lino began living with Eggor and E . He had already reached Level 25 in the meantime, and he felt his body was firmer than even ordinary te armor . In addition, old bastard Eggor finally allowed him to craft again, but, after his [Celestial Rod], all his creations either weren¡¯t, well, created, or they were at most sub-par . After all, the road of cksmithing was long and arduous; even if he had some talent, he knew that he had to work hard at it . However, the thing that he had made the most progress with were, surprisingly, his sword skills . Every night, he¡¯d either practice on his own or spar against E . When he first picked up the sword, he would at most madly swing it around with some impressive force . However, as of recently, his strikes followed certain stance, reason and logic, and he slowly began developing his own fighting style . Considering the strength of his body, he could have opted for the gigantic broadswords or even great swords, but he decided to stick with the short sword instead . The reason was rather simple: it was much more flexible . It could be used to pierce, swipe, sh, parry and even block . What struck E far more, though, was the fact that he developed somewhat of an auxiliary skill when ites to sword fighting . Because of his body¡¯s strength ¨C which had long surpassed average adult¡¯s ¨C the sword would sometimes slip from his grip and fly off . He once even managed to wound her slightly by ident, which got him thinking . That, in turn, led to the development of the Flying Sword Style! Of course, the swords weren¡¯t actually flying . It¡¯s just that his strength shook then so hard that they were much faster than ordinary strikes once he flickered them out of his grip . While somewhat unorthodox, E realized that with the help of some special Void treasures where he could store items, he could develop it into a form of a deadly trump card, or even integrate itpletely into his fighting style . It would no longer be rigid and restricted, but would have severalyers of depthid atop of each other, making him unpredictable . With that line of thought, she encouraged him to practice it further and increase his uracy . In that fashion, he had spent the past 4 months since his birthday, continuously improving . Although he wasn¡¯t aware exactly how strong he was as he never fought anyone outside of E, he was certain that he was at least above average if nothing else . Meanwhile, he learned yet another secret of the cksmithing: formations . Formations ¨C or as some called them magical arrays ¨C were firmly rooted into any advanced form of cksmithing . They would take form of an agent to draw energy of a specific element and imbue the weapon or armor with it . For instance, in order for a sword to attain elemental property of fire, a basic formation which could draw fire elements out of the Worldly Energy would have to be inscribed onto the sword¡¯s surface . With that, he was gifted yet another book: 8000 Basic cksmithing Formations . Like with others, he studied it in detail and was astonished with some of the formations . For instance, there was one which inched toward the advanced-level formations called Space-tear Formation . The weapon inscribed with this formation would be able to pierce through the space directly, instantly appearing at least half a meter away from where it was . Thinking about how much this simple strike would influence the battle at its peak, Lino shuddered as he felt cold sweat pour down his back . He swore that, once he¡¯s more experienced, he¡¯d inscribe this onto every one of his weapons . He was already familiar with the so-called Void Crafting, which was auxiliary field of cksmithing . It dealt with creating small, isted pockets of space which could store items of all kind . He was far, far, far away from being able to actually craft them, but Eggor promised him one when he decided to go out adventuring . After all, in order to truly grow ¨C both as a cksmith and a cultivator ¨C staying in the same room and the same vige would do him no good . Good materials were scarce here, and only in the wild would he be able to find extraordinary items which would further his knowledge and experience . On the one year¡¯s anniversary, the trio banqueted fine meat and drank somewhat bitter ale as they chattered happily . It was already deep at night, and most streets have been emptied of people while windows flickered innterns¡¯ lights . "I¡¯ve decided," Lino suddenly eximed . "I¡¯ll depart for the Umbra Mountain Range next week, and stay there at least half a year . " "Oh?" E looked at him, somewhat surprised . "What instigated that?" "... aii, my heavenlydy," Lino got into habit of giving E strange nicknames . When it first urred, Eggor nearly caved his chest in from how hard he beat it like an ape, but by now he had grown ustomed to it . However, each time Lino would speak that way, a dangerous flicker would sh by the old bastard¡¯s eyes . "I¡¯ve hit bottlenecks both in my cultivation as well as my cksmithing . For this past month, I haven¡¯t moved an inch in regards to my Levels, nor have I crafted anything that was worth more than a fart . I¡¯ve realized that it was due tock of experience..." "Hm, good choice," E said, smiling lightly . "Although Umbra Mountain Range isn¡¯t that dangerous, you should still be careful . There are many bandit groups residing deep within, and I heard rumors that there are even some Level 50 and up beats living toward the six peaks . " "Yeah, I¡¯ve studied the range in detail," Lino said, a flicker of determination passing through his eyes . "All peaks are definitely off limits; even Kingdom¡¯s strongest feel their hair stand up when someone mentions peaks . Thend directly beneath the peaks is considered red zone; although it has a fair share of rare resources, herbs, ores and such, it is filled to brim with high-leveled monsters . Beneath that is the so-called bandit zone; each mountain within the range hosts at least 3rge groups, but they¡¯re on the rtively weaker side than the beasts from the red zone . Still, it¡¯s best I don¡¯t provoke them as they know the range much better than I do . Right beneath them is thend most others do their adventuring at . While the notable resources are rare, it¡¯s much safer inparison . I¡¯ll mostly stick to that area and see how things go . " "Hm, good," Eggor nodded in a rare moment of approval . "Remember: unless provoked, don¡¯t provoke . Life is too short to bicker with others!" "... says a guy who¡¯s at least ten thousand years old . Humph . Life is too short? Screw you, old bastard! You¡¯re too short!" "YOU!!" "Khm, enough you two," E interrupted, fulfilling her role perfectly . "Alright Lino . If you¡¯ve made up your mind, go and prepare properly . " For the following week, E¡¯s training sessions intensified . Lino came off worse for wear every time the two sparred, and he had even suffered some rtively serious injuries . However, E would feed him a strange pill each time and, within a few hours, he would be as good as new . Although the sparring sessions turned somewhat deadly, they were also extremely beneficial . His fighting style grew more polished and his battle instincts seemed to have awoken on their own . He could faintly sense danger approaching even if he was unable to see the attack itself, which increased the length of the sparring sessions . Meanwhile, Eggor seemed to have vanished somece . Throughout the entire week, Lino didn¡¯t even catch a whiff of him . Although slightly surprised, he didn¡¯t ask any questions as he continued to spar with E and further his understanding of how Primal Spirits influenced his body . For instance, Gu, Primal Spirit of Earth, made it so that even E¡¯s strikes ¨C as long as she didn¡¯t infuse any Worldly Energy into them or used any martial art ¨C could at most pierce two inches beneath his skin . Ye, Primal Spirit of Water, made his body extremely flexible, which came in handy as he even began utilizing it into his fighting style; he would asionally bend his body in strange ways and fling a sword from E¡¯s dead angle, making it so that even she had to exert some effort to defend . Even Ra, Primal Spirit of Fire, which he believed would only grant him Tri-Spirit me, proved to have some offensive capabilities . For instance, he could infuse some fire energy into his strikes, making them nearly twice as strong . As for the Primal Spirit of Wind, Li, its usefulness in battle was rather limited . However, when it came to running in a straight line, Lino quickly realized he was unrivaled . At his top speed, he reached nearly 200km/h, which shocked even E stiff . Although he was unable to endure such speed for long and bacsh following it was anything but light, if he ever found himself in a deadly situation, he was certain that unless a person could fly, nobody would be able to catch him . So, in such fashion, seven days passed and the day of his departure arrived . Umbra Mountain Range was roughly 40 kilometers away from the Bridge Vige, and was situated toward West . It acted as a form of a boundary between two major districts of the Umbra Kingdom ¨C Western and Central Districts . Beyond the mountain range was the Western District, which was best known for the fact that majority of the Kingdom¡¯s army was born and bred there . Central District, on the other hand, was more politically oriented, and is known also as the Noble District, as most of the Nobility of the Kingdom resided there . This mattered little to Lino, though, as he merely wanted to catch a few rare herbs and mine a few rare ores and precious stones . At the edge of the vige, he stood in front of E and Eggor, his expression slightly somber . He wore slightly cyan overcoat beneath which strips of leather armor could be seen . To his right, around the waist, a short sword was holstered, and he donned knee-high leather boots on his feet . His hair was tied up in a strange bun, making him appear slightly mystical . "Oh, right," Eggor suddenly eximed softly as he reached into his pocket; his face was slightly pale and haggard and his eyes were somewhat bloodshot, as though he hadn¡¯t slept or seen the sun in a while . "Here . " from his pocket, he took a strange, pyramid-shaped jade ne and handed it over . All three sides of the pyramid were even, and strange, runic stripes ran through its surface . Lino¡¯s eyes suddenly shed in shock as he staggered backwards . "This... this..." he muttered slowly as he breathed in coldly . He recognized those runic stripes: it was a formation! And not just any old formation ¨C a Void formation! It was a Void Storage Ne!! Lino quickly inspected its stats upon which he nearly felt like crying . [Jade Ne ¨C Mythic ¨C Level 20] Defense: 88 Special Effect: due to the unique properties, has a special, spatial pocket within . The size of the storage space is 64x64x64 . Special Effect: by touching the bottom side of the ne, activate a special shield which will neglect the next three attacks from under Level 100 hostiles . The shield takes 2 days to recharge . Special Effect: Bound . Can only ever be used by a person who makes the Blood Contract with it . Current owner: None . Note: Crafted through the madness of perseverance . Although limited by the materials and level, it is unprecedented among its peers . "You... you disappeared for a week to craft this?" Lino asked, looking up at weakly smiling Eggor . "Aii, don¡¯t look at me like that brat, it¡¯s creepy!" Eggor eximed, shrugging his shoulders . "It¡¯s no big deal . I promised you a Void treasure before you went adventuring, and I delivered! Ah, you also have 50 identical swords stored inside that are like the one strapped to your belt . You know, in case you decide to throw one or two away . " although acted as though it was not a big deal, Lino knew otherwise . How could he not? Although he was just taking baby steps whenpared to Eggor, he was also a cksmith . Crafting Void Treasures required time the most, yet Eggor did it within a week! Lino could hardly think it was easy . "... thank you . " there was no need to say anything else . Those two words were spoken from the bottom of his heart, with utmost sincerity . Despite their quibbles, the two of them have grown much closer through the year, and Lino even began thinking of Eggor as a father he never had . He scolded him when he did something bad, he encouraged him when he was down, he gave him pointers when he was confused... deep down in his heart, Lino promised himself that for as long as he lives, he will do his very best to aplish whatever Eggor asks of him . "I¡¯ve also put some provisions in there," E chimed in, smiling with deep warmth andfort . "However, they won¡¯tst you long, just a month at most . I don¡¯t want to spoil you, you know?! You have to learn how to take care of yourself!" "... thank you . " Lino repeated the same words and bowed deeply toward the two . He didn¡¯t know what else to say . However flowery his tongue may be in ordinary days, he felt it was tied up right now into a knot that would never be unwound . "Don¡¯t be missing me too much guys . " however, he quickly steered his mind sideways and went back to his usual self . "Especially you, my dreamy maiden! Hai, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m leaving you alone with this beast! What if he suddenly goes mad?!" by now, Lino was already running and shouting while Eggor¡¯s white face suddenly turned molten red . "YOU BASTARD!! HOLD RIGHT THERE!! GIVE ME BACK SEVEN DAYS OF SUFFERING!!!" E merely chuckled; before Lino arrived, Eggor was mostly dispirited . She knew very well how many things weighed on his mind and, unfortunately, most of them had something to do with her and their past . She couldn¡¯t help him, no matter what she did . Yet, with the arrival of that little scoundrel, Eggor grew livelier and livelier as the days went on . "Humph, just wait till hees back . Humph, I¡¯ll feed him bricks for a whole year!" "He he," E chuckled as she wrapped her arms gently around him from behind . "Doesn¡¯t it kind of feel like we¡¯re sending our son away?" "..." Eggor remained stiff for a moment before his face grew ever redder . "Humph, how can you call that thing our son?! Pu! I¡¯d rather you give birth to a toad than call that thing my son! Pu, perish the thought, woman!" Meanwhile, Lino had already ran far off from the vige and was now walking down an unfamiliar road which led toward the Umbra Mountain Range . His expression flickered often withplex emotions . It was the first time he left the Bridge Vige, yet he felt far more reluctant than he thought he would . Most of it had to do with E and Eggor, though, the odd pair of Immortals who became his teachers . However, Lino realized that that was merely pretense; they gave him tools by which they wanted to ensure he lived a proper life in the future, and maybe even make something of himself . They pulled him from the gutter and leveled him onto the firm ground . Even today, a yearter, he still felt like all of this was a dream . Out of nowhere, he had met two people who genuinely cared for him . Throughout the whole year, his heart grew more and more dependent on seeing those two faces every day, making sure that all of this wasn¡¯t just a dream . He dreaded waking up every morning, thinking that his blissful dream might juste to an end . While others may have already grown ustomed to such changes, he was unable to . After all, on that night, in the ¡¯backyard¡¯, he was truly lost . He didn¡¯t have any experience with surviving . He had no clue as to what to do next, and the only reason why he didn¡¯t burst out into tears was because he didn¡¯t drink water for quite a while and was afraid that releasing more water from his body would speed his way to death up . Then, a hand reached out toward the chasm that had imprisoned him, and pulled him out with the strength of a giant . Dark, bellowing clouds were perished, and brilliant sun shone upon his life . He was given not only purpose, but also means to pursue that purpose . Food and water and the warm bed were secondary to him; it was the knowledge they imprinted on him, the care by which they attended him, and the warmth of their eyes and smiles which truly shook his soul . He suddenly shuddered and nced backward, more reluctant than ever to leave . However, deep down, he also knew that he had to leave . Truth be told, he didn¡¯t hit any bottlenecks . He could easily continue growing stronger inside the safety of that house and surrounded by the two most important people in his life . But, he felt it was a waste . Their knowledge, strength and wisdom far outstripped his . He was like a newborn babe looking up at the giants . If he stayed in the safety of that house, he would never grow properly to stand on his own two feet . If he is to ever try and help them in any way, the only way he could do that was by going out and seeing the world and growing up on his own . Although, on the surface, he may appear to be an idiot who simply let nuances escape him, he realized quite a few things . Under no ordinary circumstances would two Immortals from legendary Sects and ns be spending their days like ordinary people in some backwater vige . And, even if they did, they would be Kings and Queens who ruled the entire country, and not a shabby cksmith and a housewife . Whatever was weighing on their minds was something that even they ¨C as strong as they were ¨C could not do anything about . However, he promised himself that he would, even if he had to carve out his entire body in the process . For that sole reason and purpose, he decided to leave . "Just wait," he mumbled as he suddenly reached into an inner pocket of his coat and gripped tightly an object in the shape of a sword handle . Naturally, that object was his very own [Celestial Rod], fully equipped and ready to be unleashed at a moment¡¯s notice . "By the time Ie back, humph . I¡¯ll be Level 300! Wait, no, Level 600! No, I¡¯ll the first ever person to reach Level 1000, and I¡¯ll see that old bastard try and argue with me again! Humph..." with a cold snort and a final nce at the disappearing vige, he slowly trickled off toward his destination, wind blowing gently against his back, as if it was giving him a helping hand... Chapter 8 Chapter 8 CHAPTER 8 A BASTARD DEMON Umbra Mountain Range was thergest mountain range in the entirety of the Umbra Kingdom . It spanned roughly 300 kilometers, with its lowest peak reaching staggering 6000 meters and the tallest one reaching incredible 15,000 meters! The mountain range was home to variety of strange beasts, animals, nts, ores and other oddities, and has been used as the training grounds for practically any fighter for many years now . Most of the range has been explored in detail, save for the peaks themselves and the very top of the red zone . Still, no concrete documents have ever been released to the public about the red zone . Only those in the high position of power had knowledge about which types of beasts resided there . The mountain range itself, if looked from above, would seem like a zig-zag line stretching far off . Some of the six peaks rose straight up like tips of spears, while some were slightly curved . One thing they had inmon, though, is that they were all wreathed in eternal fog, and no green life could be seen anywhere near them . In-between the six mountains themselves were numerous valleys, ins, and even two massivekes, promptly named Western Lake and Central Lake . Much like the mountains themselves, both were host to some strange water creatures which few dared provoke . Life within the Umbra Kingdom wasn¡¯t that of leisure; for the past two hundred years, the Kingdom has been in constant warfare with neighboring Kingdoms, and there were even internal sparks of strife rearing their faces . However, with the emergence of the Crown Prince Yox, things seemed to have calmed down slightly as he began uniting all major powers in attempt to resist outside invaders . Because of the fact that cultivation techniques weren¡¯t avable within Umbra Kingdom ¨C or even known for that matter ¨C overall strength was rather low, and people got stronger by the crudest way possible ¨C training their bodies . However, there were some individuals who had staggering innate talent when it came tomuning with Worldly Energy, making it possible for them to even create some basic martial arts themselves . However, within the Umbra Kingdom ¨C and majority of low-tiered Kingdoms, really ¨C cultivation is actually called magic . Such individuals are revered to the point of insanity and all hold staggering positions within their respective Kingdoms . One of the points of contest between the factions with frictions inside Umbra Kingdom was the Umbra Mountain Range itself . All mountains were sturdy andrge, providing numerous open fields for battlefield, and small skirmishes would ur all the time . It was no different today; in-between the Third and Fourth Peaks, somewhere around the center of the mountain range, two figures d in white were currently in mad retreat, being chased by seven figures donned entirely in ck, their faces hidden . Of the two white-d figures, one was an elderly man, seemingly in his early sixties, while the other was a young woman, barely twelve by her appearance . Despite their somewhat odd ages, the duo was no slower than the men in pursuit, and despite their slightly tattered appearances, they had no major wounds . The girl¡¯s name was Vye Endo, Sacred Child of the Endo n, one of the ns within Umbra Kingdom which hid away from the world . The man next to her was her Sacred Protector, and had stayed no further than five meters away from her practically since the day she was born . Despite his age, and his loose robes, he still couldn¡¯t hide his staggeringly muscr body . By the orders of the n¡¯s Patriarch, Vye was sent out to collect some [Homespring Water] from the Central Lake . It was merely an excuse to send her out to experience some of the world, but things went awry the moment they approached theke; seven figures suddenly appeared in an ambush and nearly killed them in one swift sweep . However, the two managed to wrestle away from the encirclement which is when the pursuit started . Although the two were safe at the moment, it was clear that the seven men weren¡¯t putting their all into the chase, and it felt as if they were waiting for something . "Uncle, what now?" Vye asked, somewhat nervous . After all, even if she was a Sacred Child, she was still just a twelve-year-old girl who left her n for the first time since the day she was born . Her impressions of the outer world had long since copsed, and she swore she would never leave her n again . "If worstes to worst," the old man said solemnly . "I¡¯ll hold them off while you find a ce to hide . They¡¯re clearly steering us toward the Fourth Mountain, and it¡¯s possible there¡¯s additional ambush lying there . If that¡¯s truly the case, I¡¯ll burn my life force to hold them back while you run . " "... is-is there really no other way?" Vye said, biting her lip . Even though the man next to her was technically her Sacred Protector who was supposed to give his life for her, she knew him better than she knew her own father . Despite the arrogant disposition she felt inside her heart over her position in the n, the old man next to her was someone she truly respected and even loved . "Aii... let¡¯s just keep running for now..." the old man sighed bitterly . In truth, even if he burned his life force, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold them back for long . Of the seven men chasing them, five were in Early Core Realm, while the remaining two were in Mid Core Realm, like himself . Whoever set them up clearly wanted them dead . Meanwhile, roughly ten kilometers away in the direction the two ran, a young boy was currently sitting in front of a bonfire, roasting a freshly caught rabbit while leisurely leaning against the tree, humming a low tune . This boy was no one else but Lino himself . He had arrived at the very bottom of the Fourth Peak yesterday after two weeks of light travel . So far he didn¡¯t meet any other person, and even most animals he saw were usual critters, such as the rabbit he was currently roasting . The smell of freshly fried meet escaped into the air causing him to salivate slightly; after all, most of what E prepared were dried rations which were designed with a single thought in mind: never to rot . He decided to keep them safe instead of eating them in case something unexpected happens . As for the water, he still had plenty, but decided to head over to the Central Lake which is why he came to this very ce in the first ce ¨C to replenish it back to full . After all, it was mid-summer, and days were rather dry and hot, causing him to drink far more water than to eat anything . After a few minutes, the rabbit was fully prepared and, holding a knife in one hand, he shed against the belly of the critter, cutting away big portion of meat which fell into his other hand . He had basically be impervious to normal mes because of his Primal Spirit of Fire, which is why he didn¡¯t even feel any hotnessing from the piece of meat . He quickly wolfed it down and licked his lips in satisfaction . Just as he was about to sh anotheryer, his ears perked up and his eyes shed in cold glint . He quickly extinguished the fire and ced the rabbit into the space within the ne before burying all signs of ever being here . He nimbly climbed up to a tree and began slowly moving toward the direction of the Central Lake . After infusing with Primal Spirits, his senses had grown exponentially . He sensed strange fluctuations in wind about five kilometers away which is why he immediately decided to hide . After about ten minutes of careful jumping through the trees, he reached the very edge of the forest; before himy a rather open in with grass tall enough to reach his breasts . He quickly hid his aura and his breath and stared at the opposite side of the open field where another forest rested . Five minutes or soter, two white-d figures burst into the opening, and not even a few secondster, seven ck-d figures burst right after them, in hot pursuit . Lino¡¯s eyes widened slightly; not because of the chase, but because of the fact that these weren¡¯t ordinary people ¨C they were cultivators!! To his knowledge, cultivation was basically extinct within Umbra Kingdom yet, right before his eyes, nine cultivators appeared! All of them were in Core Realm ¨C even the girl who was almost five years younger than him . This shocked him profusely, but he had no time to ponder . Nine people were moving quickly and they¡¯ll reach the forest itself within thirty breaths at most . Lino was presented with three options: first one was to flee and pretend he didn¡¯t see anything . Second is to intercept the elderly man and the young woman, while the third one was to assist them . First one was clearly the safest, but if he pursued safety in life, he would have never left the vige . That left him with the two other options; smarter choice is obviously to intercept the old man and the girl . Even if he could buy a breath of time, the other seven would be able to catch up . However, he quickly realized that the seven ck-d figures weren¡¯t utilizing their maximum speed, and were merely making sure they kept up with the fleeing duo . It didn¡¯t take him long to realize that they probably had more friends waiting along this line of escape, which caused his hairs to rise up a bit . However, before he had a chance to make a decision, a cold wind swept over his back ruthlessly and, as though his body moved on its own, he shifted slightly sideways whereupon a bright flicker of light passed tightly by his ears . He felt a slight pricklee from a shed wound which immediately let a few drops of blood . He had been spotted! Realizing that he had no other choice, he brandished his resolve and leapt from the tree like a shadow toward the seven ck-d figures . Lino¡¯s eyes snapped in coldness as he flickered his sword out of its sheet, burning through the air . A sh sent a cold-inducing sound rolling through the air as he shed through one of the heads as though it were bread . Head suddenly rolled up and the body staggered, plopping over . The suddenness of the action startled everyone present ¨C even the young girl and the old man ¨C but before anyone had even a second to ponder, Linonded onto the ground and burst sideways, toward his left, where only two figures resided . He spun as to gain the momentum and shed through the nearest ck-d figure, cutting him in half . Before thest person could even draw his weapon, Lino suddenly flicked his wrist whereupon a cold sound of the sword shing through the air exploded ¨C alongside the sword itself . Within less than a second, sword reached the figure, aimed directly between his eyes . In them, there was profound shock, fear, confusion, terror, and myriad of other feelings the man would never be able to fullyprehend because at that very moment... sword pierced through his skull and killed him . In a breath, three ck-figures died . Startled girl and the old man paused their running and, with a glint of determination, turned around and ran toward the four remaining figures . They didn¡¯t care who the neer was ¨C all that mattered was that he was on their side . Old man knew that there was probably another ambush nearby, and the reason the seven figures suddenly sped up was because they wanted to engage in a brief struggle to cause them to waste their stored Worldly Energy in preparation for the ambush itself . They were definitely no match for the seven of them, but four was a whole different story . However, before the duo could evene within ten meters of the four remaining figures, the youth who suddenly appeared out of nowhere flickered yet again as he gained burst of his speed, bending his body backward in a crescent shape as he sped through the air . Suddenly, a sword materialized within his right hand and he bent his body forward, causing momentum to stir winds around him in explosive fashion, immediately reaching the nearest man . However, thetter was prepared; his eyes shing in cold light, he struck out with his own weapon and two collided . Slight shockwave caused grass to stir sideways as Lino was blown backward, rolling backward in the air andnding handily onto his feet, his right arm slightly numb . Hmm... he¡¯s definitely almost Level 40... fuck, I¡¯m so lucky! I nearly lost my life right there! "Oi, old man, the fuck are you gasping for?!" Lino suddenly yelled at the old man when he saw that thetter was staring at him in shock . "Do you want me to take care of everything?!" Being berated by youth barely older than the kid next to him, old man¡¯s face flushed red for a moment before he coldly snorted, causing a massive axe to appear in his hands . He swung it quickly, stirring winds much more ferocious than what Lino caused . Not to be outdone, the young girl suddenly roared in simr fashion where upon two swords appeared out of nowhere . The strange part was, though, that she wasn¡¯t holding them . They were floating . Above her head . Lino gasped in shock and stared at the phenomenon with the egg-like eyes . Suddenly, the two swords were flung through the air, aimed directly at the remaining two Early Core cultivators . "Kid, take care of the other Mid Core one!" the old man bellowed as he entangled himself with one of the men . "Mid what?" Lino asked, somewhat confused . However, he quickly realized something . "You mean the strong one?! Fuck you!! Do you want me to die?!" the old man staggered, nearly coughing up a mouthful of blood, immediately rolling his eyes . Why did you step out if you didn¡¯t want to die?! "Just hold him for a few breaths!" the old man roared . The young girl got entangled with the remaining two Early Core cultivators, while the remaining Mid Core cultivator stared at Lino with profound hatred . All their ns crumbled because of this bastard . Months of nning, plotting, years of building up nerves of steel to go through with it... all vanished because this bastard who¡¯s apparently afraid of death decided to intervene . He also killed three of their brothers . How could the man not be infuriated?! With bloodshot eyes, he ignored the old man and the young girl and immediately lunged toward Lino who felt his hairs stand up as a sense of deadly crisis rose up inside his heart . Crap!! However, what happened next caused the entire battlefield to freeze as men and the young girl stared with odd expressions at the youth who appeared out of nowhere . One by one, swords began materializing out of nowhere... and each and every one was thrown at the ck-d man . One...two...five...ten... soon, twenty swords were flung at the man who was already growling in hatred, anger, pain, inching toward the realms of insanity . "WHO THE HELL FIGHTS LIKE A CHICKEN?!!" the man roared, his voice encapsting ten thousand feelings inside his heart . "STOP THROWING YOUR FUCKING SWORDS AT ME!! AAARRRH!!!" yet, even as the man roared, more swords were flung at him...thirty...forty... at the forty-sixth sword, the man finally copsed, dead . "Heh, mock me now you bastard . Who¡¯s the dead one? Humph . " next, even stranger scene urred . The youth quickly scurried over to the dead man and began picking up the swords he¡¯s thrown, putting them into a special dimension . After he was done, he looked up and saw that nobody was fighting, and everyone was staring at him with odd eyes . "Khm..." coughing lightly, looking slightly embarrassed . "It¡¯s... uh, yeah, it¡¯s a sword-style called Ten Thousand Immortals Killed Immediately Sword Style . It¡¯s, uh, yeah, it¡¯s really famous from where Ie..." "... . " everyone immediately rolled their eyes at him . Somewhat infuriated, Lino red at them for a moment before looking at the old man and the girl . "What?! You want me to kill the remaining three as well?" as though awoken, the old man and the young girl began fighting fiercely yet again . Some few minutester, during which Lino didn¡¯t even move a finger to help them, the remaining three figures were killed . Panting, both the old man and the young girl seemed exhausted, causing Lino to stare at them in shock . "Aren¡¯t you guys cultivators? Why are you so exhausted like you¡¯ve ran a marathon around the entire mountain range?" the old man and the young girl red at him for a moment, pulling back the words they both wanted to roar out: You¡¯re the weird one!! Why do you look like you just woke up from a nice nap?! "Aii, it doesn¡¯t matter . Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go . Stench of blood will attract all sorts of animals . I heard that there was this odd beast called Nightmare Chuckle, who stabs its spear-shaped ws at those and these ces, and it¡¯s not a pleasant experience . Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go . " the old man spat a mouthful of blood while the young girl blushed so hard she looked to be steaming . However, it was no time for disputes; the duo listened and started moving away . However, when Lino realized that the twos¡¯ idea of ¡¯moving¡¯ looked more like crawling around like zombies, he rolled his eyes, wrapped his arms around them, and then sped off into distance . The girl screamed, the man roared, yet Lino ignored both of them as he sped off into the distance, toward the Fifth Mountain . Eventually, the duo stopped screaming as they realized they were moving so fast everything around them was turning into a blur . Their jaws agape, it felt as if thunder was booming inside their minds as their entire perception of the world began crumbling . WHO IS THIS GODLIKE BEING?! Then, Lino suddenly stopped as exhaustion overcame him . However, because of the sudden change in force, he was unable to hold the girl and the old man, both of whom were suddenly sent flying through the air,nding roughly twenty meters away, crying out in pain . "..." Lino looked at their disheveled appearances and coughed awkwardly, feeling somewhat embarrassed . "Uh, you guys... uh, yeah, you guys were so light I forgot I was holding you... he he..." "AAARRRGH!!!" the two finally realized how the poor man who had swords flung at him for nearly five minutes felt and why he was so reluctant to die . They also realized that this youth before them was no godlike being . He was a demon, through and through . A bastard demon! Chapter 9 Chapter 9 CHAPTER 9 HIDDEN POWERS Within an open field, edging toward the forest bordering the Fourth Mountain¡¯s humble beginnings, seven corpses were strewn about as scent of blood pervaded the air, perverting it to its core . Besides the asional howl of the wind, only silence remained, giving birth to strange, serene scenery . It has been nearly half an hour since Lino, the girl and the old man departed, when a ck shadow suddenly emerged from the trees of the nearby forest . After it, ten more shadows followed, until eleven people were standing around the corpses, their expressions grim, especially that of the leading figure . He appeared to be in his mid-forties, his jaw squared and firm, nose wide, and eyes narrow and sinister . Hair gelled back, he appeared like a strange form of an eagle in a human shape . His body was slender and slick, and he wore ck garments with golden linens spread throughout, with the greatest and most noticeable factor of the garments being the blood-colored rose embroiled on the left side of his chest . His arms crossed behind his back, he stared at the corpses with furrowed brows and deep gleam in his eyes . "... there is no way those two were able to do this," the man standing next to him spoke; he was slightly younger and more muscr, yet exuded such murderous aura that very few were able to actually look at him directly without shivering . He followed the man¡¯s style, with his hair gelled back and intentionally narrowed eyes . Even his garments were exactly the same save for the crimson rose; his was faint blue instead . "Did third expert from their n hide and we didn¡¯t notice him somehow?" "Impossible . " the first man spoke firmly, his voice coarse and deep . "We¡¯ve confirmed numerous times that only the girl and her protector left the n¡¯s premises . Even if they cast their Divination technique in order to observe the proceedings, it would be impossible for them to reinforce the duo so quickly . And even if the reinforcements arrived they wouldn¡¯t have fled from this ce . " the leading man was called Lu Hao, and he was the First Elder of a Sect hidden from the contemporary world: Dying Roses . He was currently Level 65, the very peak of Core Realm, just an inch away from the Soul Realm which followed . His strength was second only to the very Patriarch of the Sect . "... I refuse to believe they came across an expert willing to help them," the second man spoke; he was the only Direct Disciple of Lu Hao, and also his nephew: Yan Hao . He was Level 43, in Mid Core Realm, but because of his age and talents, most within the Sect have great expectations of him . "Besides Endo n and us, there aren¡¯t any other hidden forces nearby . Who helped them, then?" "... look at these three corpses," Lu Hao pointed beneath his feet . "They all died within very short period of time ¨C perhaps less than three breaths . All cuts were precise and firm ¨C the three were definitely killed from an ambush or something they didn¡¯t expect . On the other hand, Regal died differently," he then pointed at the corpse some ways off from the rest . "Meaning that whoever fought with him probably wasn¡¯t much stronger . If he didn¡¯t ambush or somehow surprise our group, even if he joined that duo, they would still be on the defensive . However, he not only killed three of them in a swift manner, he also killed Regal . As for the other three," he then pointed toward the other side of the battlefield, at the remaining three corpses . "They were killed by that old man and the girl, and their fight took the longest . That would mean they were also exhausted . However, I can only discern about a kilometer of their trail . It would be impossible for them to run ¨C while exhausted ¨C without leaving any trails whatsoever . After that kilometer mark, it¡¯s like they suddenly gained massive burst of speed and vanished . " "... that still doesn¡¯t tell us who did it," Yan Hao said, furrowing his brows; although he wasn¡¯t well-versed in analysis like his uncle, he was no fool either . With his uncle¡¯s guidance, he could easily confirm everything to be truth with his own eyes . However, despite the perfect analysis, the identity of the ambusher was no less ambiguous . "Could it be that someone from the Heavenbloom Sect was adventuring here? No... if not for asional, odd sightings, I¡¯d think they¡¯d gone extinct by how little they show . . . " "From the battle," Lu Hao said . "The ambusher was definitely within the Core Realm . He¡¯s either at the very peak of Early Core Realm, or has already stepped into Mid Core Realm . So roughly Level 30 to 35 . His attainment in sword is also rather high, but he¡¯s no experienced killer . " "Young adventurer? That¡¯s even more impossible," Yan Hao shook his head firmly . Cultivators were already rare within Umbra Kingdom so much that you¡¯d have better luck finding phoenix¡¯s feather, and there are only three secret, hidden powers harboring them, all of whom rarely appear in the open, if ever . Nobody within the Kingdom ¨C not even the High Nobility itself ¨C knows of any cultivation methods, and hasn¡¯t known since its foundation . That means that there aren¡¯t any legacies within Umbra Kingdom that could be stumbled upon randomly . So, the idea of the young adventurer ¨C who¡¯s also a cultivator ¨C randomly appearing is perhaps more insane than saying that an old man suddenly ascended to Soul Realm in the spur of enlightenment . "Aii, thisplicates matters . " "Never-mind," Lu Hao snorted coldly as he swept across the remaining nine figures, who all had their facespletely hidden by ck scarfs . "Ry the information to the Sect: the ambush has failed . Targets are currently missing . Set up ry points from every mountain leading back to Endo n¡¯s headquarters and coordinate the search . If you spot them, report either to me or the Second Elder . Even if they survived here, they won¡¯t be going back to their n . " the ck-d figures quickly departed, some carrying away corpses, and some going off on the given assignment . Only the uncle-nephew duo lingered on for a brief moment before also departing, beginning their search toward the direction where the trail was cut off . ** Meanwhile, roughly twenty kilometers away from where the corpses were found, inside a small cave carved out roughly a thousand meters up the mountain path, three people were currently sitting around the campfire . Two of them had extremely ugly expressions and their eyes revealed cold glint as they thought back to everything that transpired today . On the other hand, the third person ¨C a very simple youth ¨C had a rxed expression as he processed his very first battle of life and death . Lino was very satisfied; that old man he killed by throwing swords at him was definitely at least ten levels higher than him, so 35 and up . What surprised him the most was his countenance when dealing with murder . He had definitely never killed another person in his life before, nor was he some form of a psychopath . Although he couldn¡¯t pinpoint the reason, he did faintly recall a strange, almost primal urge rising from the depths of his soul when the battlemenced, urge which pushed him to his limits as to prevent his own death . Relegated to the thought without an answer, he could only shake his head and put it toward the back of his mind . "Oi, you two have been silent all the way here," Lino suddenly spoke, breaking the silence . "Do you two need to take a shit or something? If so, I can just step out, no problem . " "... . " the old-young duo nced at him for a moment before sighing; the bastard had barely shut up on their way to this cave and, when he finally seemed to have calmed down, out his tongue came yet again . "Who were those guys? Why were they chasing you? Oi, did I just provoke someone really strong? Aii, if that¡¯s the case, you better not mention me! I¡¯ll have you know, both my Masters are Immortals that can easily sweep you off your feet!" naturally, neither Vye nor her Protector took Lino¡¯s words to heart, regarding them as youth¡¯s boasting . "Who are you?" Vye asked; she was truly curious . To randomly run into a cultivator that was clearly not part of any of the three active powers within the Umbra Kingdom was more shocking than randomly seeing Dragon¡¯s cub bathing in ake by your house . "Eh? Didn¡¯t I already tell you? I¡¯m Lino ¨C your destined, fated, preordained Savior!" Lino eximed proudly, puffing his chest out . "... how did you learn to cultivate?" the old man asked, feeling his head slightly hurt . The youth before him truly was... unique . "Eh? Are both of you senile or something? I mean, I¡¯d expect it from the old man, but even the young girl... aah, how unfair, poor little girl... aai, I have no heart to not repeat it yet again: both my Masters are Immortals, and they obviously imparted all their celestial knowledge upon me!" although both E and Eggor told him repeatedly not to reveal the fact that he was being taught by two Immortals, Lino simply shrugged his shoulders: after all, who the hell would actually believe him? "... khm, thank you for saving us," the girl realized that there are no benefits of trying to properly talk with the youth in front of her, so she simply disregarded it all and moved on . "You really made it in the nick of time . " seeing the expectant gaze in Lino¡¯s eyes, the girl bit her lip for a moment before continuing . "... like... like a true hero..." "He he, you tter me..." Lino mumbled, blushing slightly, causing both the old man and the girl to gnash their teeth in anger . Yet, they could do nothing about it . After all, this odd youth really was their savior, regardless of his personality . They weren¡¯t the type to disregard favors; rather, they were the type to uphold them even if heavens were to fall . "Khm, anyway, seriously now . Did I provoke someone I shouldn¡¯t have?" "If I¡¯m not wrong," Vye replied slowly . "Those men were from the Dying Roses Sect, sent to ambush us and kill us in secret . " noticing Lino¡¯s oblivious expression, the girl rolled her eyes in frustration but still continued . "Although you probably think there aren¡¯t any ¨C or at least many ¨C cultivators within Umbra Kingdom, there are actually three major, hidden powers: the n from which I hail, Endo n . Then there were our pursuers, members of the Dying Roses Sect . And,stly, the most secretive ¨C and definitely the most powerful ¨C of the three, Heavenbloom Sect . Unlike thetter, my n and that bastard Sect have beening up on surface more recently, which led to constant shes . " "... . " Lino simply stared nkly, clearly not truly understanding the crux of the whole story . "The point that the Young Lady is trying to convey," the old man interjected when he noticed the fumes of anger within Vye¡¯s eyes . "Is that yes, you have provoked someone you shouldn¡¯t have . " "... eh, whatever," Lino casually shrugged his shoulders, leaning back onto the cave¡¯s wall; he wasn¡¯t pretending, he truly didn¡¯t care . After all, he came here to further his strength for a goal much greater than random hidden powers within backwater Umbra Kingdom . If his life wasn¡¯t on the line, he would never be truly refined afterwards . "I¡¯ve already killed four of their people . Even if I kneeled and sucked their toes for ten fortnights, they still wouldn¡¯t forgive me so screw it . Let bygones be bygones . " "..." seeing the youth¡¯s casual attitude, the two were stumped for a moment but quickly recovered . "Judging from your fluctuations, you¡¯re Early Core Realm, right?" Lino merely nodded . After brief analysis, he realized what Early, Mid and Late meant . It was simply a way to distinguish the strength of the people within the same Realm . It also made it easier to assess their Levels . For instance, Level 21 to 34 could be considered Early Core Realm, Level 35 to 49 could be considered Mid Core Realm, and Level 50 to 65 would be Late Core Realm . Stepping into Level 66 would also mean stepping into the next realm entirely, Soul Realm! "You¡¯re rather young, so your talent is above average," Vye stepped in . "Why don¡¯t youe back to our n and cultivate there? It¡¯s definitely better than doing it without any knowledge . " while Lino¡¯s expression remained even, he scoffed inside . Not only because their n¡¯s ¡¯knowledge¡¯ held no water to him, but also because the girl was basically asking him to act as her bodyguard for the rest of the journey . "Oh, no need," Lino shook his head lightly . "After all, my primary job isn¡¯t being a cultivator ¨C it¡¯s being a cksmith!" "Eh?!" "Oi, what¡¯s with the weird stares? Can¡¯t a man like hammering steel and metal and shaping them into magnificent creations unrivaled beneath the heavens?! Aii, you two would never understand ¨C after all, you¡¯re not cksmiths! We of such upation are lofty, unrestrained, free creatures who roam the world like nomads, improving our knowledge and our craft wherever we go, leaving behind only legends and legacies... how can a mere cultivator understand such aspirations? Such dreams? Aah, how flickering the reality truly is..." "..." the duo stared at him oddly; it was rare toe across such boastful youth, even within the ns and Sects of cultivators . However, after closer examination, the old man determined that Lino was probably speaking truth; after all, despite his face betraying his youth, Lino¡¯s body was rather robust, as though he was an adult working in a mine . Most cultivators usually had rather slender and sleek bodies, and only few with specific cultivation methods deviated from that norm . "You¡¯vee to the mountain range to temper?" the old man asked; unlike Vye, he didn¡¯t underestimate the youth ¨C despite the foolish fa?ade . He could discern that Lino understood girl¡¯s underlying plea, and his resulting answer was basically a t-out rejection . "Indeed," Lino nodded lightly . "Oh, and to find rare resources, herbs, ores and such, of course! How can I be a cksmith without those?" "If you apany us back to the n ¨C defending us along the way, of course ¨C I can promise you won¡¯t becking those . " the old man¡¯s words startled Vye who immediately nced at him; however, the old man immediately signaled for her to remain silent . Despite her talent and somewhat broader vision, Vye was still just a twelve-year-old girl, and one raised under love and care of many . "... you overestimate my capabilities," Lino said, smiling faintly; he rather liked the old man, who got straight to the point . "This is my first time in these mountains, meaning that I¡¯m aplete novice in terms of terrain . Of those seven, at least four would be able to defeat me if I had shed with them directly, without ambush or throwing swords at them . If you¡¯re after my speed, it¡¯s not as though I can maintain it for a long time; I¡¯ve yet to fully recover my stamina . So, even if you promise me heavens, what worth is it when I can¡¯t fulfill the condition?" a profound gleam shed through the old man¡¯s eyes as he scrutinized Lino . He perfectly exined the very same concerns the old man had himself . While he was definitely stronger than Vye, it ounted for little considering how well nned the actions of Dying Roses¡¯ were; there was a high chance that one of their Prime Elders ¨C all of whom were at least Late Core Realm cultivators ¨C was overseeing the entire operation . "Yet you don¡¯t seem concerned with having made someone powerful your enemy?" the old man probed further, smiling faintly . "s," Lino shrugged his shoulders casually . "They don¡¯t know it was me . And, even if they did, do you really think I¡¯d have trouble escaping if I was on my own? If all of them are stamina-depraved like the two of you, I could eat, drink and piss and still manage to run away before they even see my face . How far away is your n anyway?" Lino asked . "We¡¯re situated near the Second Mountain . " the old man replied honestly . "... we¡¯re too far away," Lino replied after short thought . "If my guess is correct, you didn¡¯te across those guys at random . " "Indeed," the old man replied; although Vye felt rather vexed over being ignored, there¡¯s nothing she could say; from a certain perspective, she had no say in what was currently transpiring . "They will have definitely closed off all roads back to our n . Even if they didn¡¯t close off every single one of them, there¡¯d at least be a scouting party that would inform the main force immediately upon spotting us . It is definitely impossible for us to return without being seen, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking . " "Aii, old man, can¡¯t you sweeten your tongue a bit?" Lino said, sighing . "Aren¡¯t you trying to get me to help you? The more you tell me, the more I feel like you two are already walking corpses . " "It is because we¡¯re in need of your help that I¡¯m being honest," the old man¡¯s smile vanished, his expression serious . "This little girl here is the Sacred Child of our n, and a direct descendant of our current Patriarch . Perhaps you don¡¯t know what that means, but, in essence, she¡¯s like a Queen-in-waiting for our n . If anything were to happen to her, it would be decades, if not centuries, before our n would be able toe out in the open again . In the same vein, if you ensure our ¨C no, her ¨C safety, you will be equally rewarded . " "..." Lino looked at the man thoughtfully; in reality, he had already decided to help them . Even if things go awry, he can always run on his own, or even pick up the girl and run away with her . From the get-go, he didn¡¯t n on this trip being anything less than a torturous experience, a hellish struggle . "I need to make some preparations first," Lino said as he leapt onto his feet . "We¡¯ll depart in three days¡¯ time . You two keep hiding here . " "Where are you going?" Vye asked before the old man had the chance to . "..." Lino merely nced at her and quickly left the cave, disappearing off into the horizon . Seeing this, Vye¡¯s face grew red as she snorted coldly, pouting . "Humph, what an arrogant bastard! If we get back to the n safely, forget reward, I¡¯ll throw him into the Freezing Jail immediately!" "..." the old man nced at her lovingly for a moment before sighing . "Stay your tongue, Vy . That boy isn¡¯t as simple as he seems . " "Uncle?" the girl looked up, a hint of confusion in her eyes . "Didn¡¯t you notice it?" the old man said, his eyes staring through the cave¡¯s exit with strange gleam . "He didn¡¯t put either our n or the Dying Roses in his eyes at all . From the looks of it, he even disregarded the Heavenbloom Sect itself . " "Isn¡¯t that just because he¡¯s a country bumpkin? A frog at the bottom of the well?" the little girl immediately said . "No," the old man shook his head lightly . "I have a feeling...his horizon is much, much broader than ours... at the very least, he¡¯s no country bumpkin . Perhaps you can¡¯t see it, but judging from the fluctuations of his body, he¡¯s been cultivating for half a year at most . " "Impossible!!" the little girl eximed immediately . "Aah... time will surely tell... get some rest, the journey ahead will not be easy by any means . " Chapter 10 Chapter 10 CHAPTER 10 SHREWD PLANS Lino descended down the mountain slowly, using covers of thick trees and bushes while also paying attention to his surroundings, making sure to spot others before he himself was spotted . His train of thought was rather simple: if they want to bulldoze their way through back to the duo¡¯s n, best said it was na?ve, while truthfully it wasplete insanity . While Lino was unaware of many things, including his own strength in regards to other cultivators, from that exchange previously, he did gain some insights . While he had some battle experience thanks to E, it was not to the point of it being overwhelming . What¡¯s more, he has never endured any life and death struggle, wasn¡¯t refined by that fine line which very few dared tread . To him, besides his own strength, that was greatest deterrent . While certain of his own ability to escape at least, he¡¯d rather not drag those two in willy-nilly . After all, he¡¯d very much like to establish some form of connection with the Endo n . Despite the fact that E was much stronger than them, she had left the world of cultivation long ago, and she didn¡¯t have any concurrent information . Suddenlying to a halt atop a branch, Lino squinted his eyes as he gazed through thick leafs into the distance . There, a ck silhouette suddenly shed by, as though by lucknding directly beneath Lino¡¯s position . The ck shadow turned out to be ck-d figure, simr to those seven who were chasing Vye and the old man . The ck-d figure looked around attentively, clearly searching for something or someone, but as Lino was hidden far too well, the figure was unable to see him . Pondering for a moment, Lino¡¯s expression grew firm and determined as he suddenly bolted from the branch, brandishing the sword in his hand, falling headfirst toward the figure . Although on high alert, by the time the ck-d figure sensed danger, sharp tip of Lino¡¯s sword was already before the figure¡¯s eyes; they widened in shock for a moment before the entire sword pierced the skull entirely, with Lino himselfnding on the man¡¯s chest, pushing him down to the ground . Without waiting to see any further results, Lino immediately disappeared, going back into the world of thick branches . It¡¯s impossible for me to clean their numbers up to the point it would make a difference, Lino thought for a moment as he sped through . But, every victory gained is still a loss avoided at the very least... The preparations he had in mind had nothing to do with actually killing their pursuers ¨C after all, for all he knew, the opposing side had dozens if not hundreds of people looking for them . Even if he killed ten, or even twenty, it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference, instead letting the other group trail behind him, eventually catching up . His trip this time around had to do with gathering certain ingredients . While he was unable to craft anything major considering hecked proper instruments, it¡¯s not as though he was unable to craft at all . In addition to everything, he still had assurance of the [Celestial Rod] and its firing form, since the darts carried extremely potent poison, one which was able to threaten even Eggor, let alone these random people . Still, it was not enough; after all, he only had ten darts, which meant he could kill ten people . In addition to everything, two other forms of the [Celestial Rod] were extremely sub-par, as the entire weapon was still Level 8 since Linocked ingredients to upgrade it . Putting the matter of [Celestial Rod] aside for the time being, his eyes shed with brilliant light as he suddenlynded onto a branch; down below, there was a group of blue-tinted flowers in full bloom . However, what caught his eyes weren¡¯t the blue flowers, but rather the emerald one at the very center . "[Spring Bloom]..." Lino muttered, pondering for a moment . "Although it¡¯s hallucinatory effects aren¡¯t that potent... if I somehow manage to find [Crevice Stone] and a drop of [Heavenspring Water]... aii, I¡¯m too wicked... too wicked..." grinning evilly for a moment, he prepared to leap down and pluck the flower directly, but abruptly stopped at the veryst second . Three ck shadows suddenly appeared from within the forest,nding directly next to the blooming flowers . Lino had finally managed to find a single figure whose face wasn¡¯t hidden; he appeared to be in his thirties, and had rather despondent appearance, with hair gelled back to the point where his head shone even with no light . The man was currently grinning as he stared at the emerald flower, clearly having recognized it . Another thing which set him apart from the other ck-d figure was the embroiled rose on the left side of his chest, sticking around rather marvelously in its cyan hue against the ck robe . Someone important? Lino furrowed his brows for a moment as he pondered . He¡¯s strong... even slightly stronger than that old man... aii, why did youe to ruin my ns? "[Spring Bloom], he he, unexpected find," the unmasked man said in a rather happy tone . "Uncle has been trying to find ingredients to concoct [Blooming Soul Pill], and he just happens tock the flower . " the old man crouched slowly as his hand extended toward the flower; just as he was about to pluck it directly from the ground, his back shivered in cold as imminent sense of danger and death flooded his thoughts . Shocked, he immediately withdrew his hand as it shed in red gleam before a short sword appeared in it . Without even ncing backwards, he threw himself sideways while also shing his sword upward . He felt massive force ¨C akin to a stone stele ¨C weigh in on his entire arm, numbing it down to the very bone . Unable to hold a grip on his sword, he shrieked in a somewhat odd voice as he was blown backward through the iing force . He crashed painfully against a tree on the other side, his entire body bending oddly as he spat out a mouthful of blood, immediately copsing onto the ground, unable to even cry out in pain . Meanwhile, Lino clicked his tongue as he felt his arm shake lightly due to the previous impact . However, having no time to rein it back in, his left hand suddenly shed as another sword appeared . As hended onto the ground, he spun in a half-circle, directly cleaving through the waist of one of the two remaining ck-d figures . Thetter had no chance to react as he was still shellshocked over what had transpired . It was only then that the other figure was suddenly jolted back to reality, grim expression flooding his face as he took out a sword from his scabbard . "You dare!!" he eximed as he swung it toward Lino¡¯s head . Even before the sword descended, Lino felt wind plummet against the back of his head, causing him to grit his teeth . He was still in the process of spinning, yet to retain bnce . Against all odds, he suddenly bit the shoulder of his right arm, causing blood to spur out and some semnce of control to return to the entire arm . Grasping the chance, he immediately swung it upward, shing against the iing sword . The ck-d figure¡¯s eyes shed in shock as he felt his sword shed against an impregnable stone rather than this youth that wasn¡¯t even twenty . The sword in his hand was bounced right back, while Lino himself was pushed right back, strangely flying right above the emerald-tinted flower . Grasping the opportunity, he threw the sword in his left hand toward the ck-d figure while simultaneously grasping the Spring Bloom flower . Landing just a few feet away from the tree, without even ncing at where his thrown sword wouldnd, he immediately sprinted away while storing the flower into the ne hanging around his neck . Meanwhile, he heard a cry of pain echo out from behind him, but had no time to rejoice as he clearly sensed several auras approaching him at great speeds . Crap, that took way too long... looks like that first guy somehow survived and called in for help . Aii, if I sprint away now... no, I can¡¯t, it¡¯s too thick . Let me think... right, there¡¯s a clearing about five miles east... but can I reach it before they reach me? As Lino ran full force, Yan Hao gritted his teeth as he forced himself to sit in the meditative position . While the previous impact didn¡¯t damage his spine directly, it had caused several of his ribs to break, and even some of his internal organs to be damaged . Going back through time, this is actually the most serious injury he had even received in his entire life . As he felt his entire body ache from the tip of his hair to his small toe, he felt like cursing yet knew that even speaking would cause the pain to increase . Observing his condition further, he felt downcast; by his estimations, even with the help of pills and Rosy Pond, it would take at least three months for him to heal back to his peak condition . Just about then, the wind around him stirred as a familiar figurended next to him ¨C his uncle . Lu Hao¡¯s expression was grim as he observed his nephew¡¯s condition; while not life-threatening, the injuries he sustained were rather severe . Carefully nting his palm on Yan Hao¡¯s back, his expression grew grimmer as firm killing intent surfaced in his eyes . "Who did this? The old man?" Lu Hao asked; while Yan Hao called for help, he didn¡¯t say anything more than that in the transmition . "No..." with Lu Hao¡¯s help, Yan Hao¡¯s condition stabilized somewhat, causing him to be able to at least speak with some difficulty . "It was some young brat... I¡¯ve never seen him before... cough..." "... it should be the same person who helped those two," Lu Hao furrowed his brows . On one hand, he was extremely furious, but on the other he also exhaled in relief; it was merely by luck that Yan Hao survived . Were the others slightly further away from his group, there¡¯s no doubt that the youth in question would have finished him . "But... how can he be this strong?" "It¡¯s weird..." Yan Hao said as he thought back to the brief sh he had with the unfamiliar youth . "He was clearly weaker than me, not even Mid Core Realm... however, it¡¯s like his entire person weighed tens of tons..." "Eh?" Lu Hao eximed softly as his brows arched up . "Body refiner? No, impossible... forget the three powers in Umbra Kingdom, even those second-rate powersck body refining cultivation methods . " "... what¡¯s worse, he seemed barely affected by my strike," Yan Hao said, gritting his teeth, his eyespletely bloodshot red; forget his own generation, even some Elders within the sect must bow in inferiority before him . Yet, just now, he was defeated by a junior almost half his age . It was a huge blow to his pride ¨C to say nothing of the fact that the youth was probably a solitary cultivator . "Not only his attacking strength, even his body¡¯s defenses seem abnormal... can we catch him?" "I don¡¯t think so," Lu Hao sighed, shaking his head lightly . "If I had known the circumstances earlier, I would have gone to chase him myself . Then, maybe, we¡¯d stand a chance of catching him . However, if he¡¯s truly a body cultivator, there¡¯s no way others can catch up to him ¨C not in speed, let alone stamina . How did those two bastards get so lucky?" "Does thisplicate things?" Yan Hao asked worriedly; if their ns truly fell apart, once that girl returned back to the n, while war maybe wouldn¡¯t happen, conflict would be on much grander scale than it is now . "Did you say that you came across [Spring Bloom] when the youth attacked you?" "Yeah . " "... considering how quickly he fled," Lu Hao squinted his eyes, causing his already menacing look to grow devilish . "He probably didn¡¯t want to sh against us directly, but was after the flower itself . While the flower has some drug-inducing effects, it¡¯s nothing major... yet, he even risked his life somewhat to grab it, unaware of whether it was a trap or not . What is he nning?" despite how much he thought about it, nothing came to his mind so he put the thought away for the time being . "Regardless, him being a body cultivator indeedplicates things somewhat..." "How so?" Yan Hao asked; while he was aware of the existence of body refiners, they were so rare ¨C and what¡¯s more, inexistent within Umbra Kingdom ¨C that he never paid much attention to their methods . "It means that, even if we by some chance can catch the old man and the young girl, we will never be able catch him if he chooses to flee . " "What?!!" "Don¡¯t think that body refiners are rare because that path of cultivation is weaker than the orthodox one," Lu Hao exined slowly . "It¡¯s actually quite the opposite: unless a body refiner is truly in a much lower realm, they will always hold the upper hand . Our advantage lies in the fact that we can externalize our Qi, while body refiners cannot . So long as we can keep them at bay, we can achieve victory . However, when ites to prolonged battles, chases and such, body refines are truly unbeatable under the heavens . " "Then why are body refiners so rare?" Yan Hao asked, somewhat stunned . "One part of it has to do with the fact that body refining cultivation methods are truly rare," Lu Hao said, sighing lightly . "Rare to the point that even those of Sacred Alliance only have a meager few, and they are of ordinary level . Another part is that they¡¯re also extremely difficult to cultivate . And,stly, very few are actually willing to turn their own body into an actual weapon . Due to the fact that body refines can¡¯t externalize their Qi, they have to head into any and all chaotic situations headfirst . Tell me, even if you had that youth¡¯s strength, would you be willing to do so?" Yan Hao weakly shook his head; clearly, that was pure madness . Considering how chaotic battles between cultivators can be ¨C let alone the fact that, usually, there would be more than two ¨C no matter how strong a body he had, Yan Hao would never dare enter headfirst into the fray, using his own body as a weapon . "No way," he said slowly . "Still... it really is tempting..." "Ha ha, of course it is," Lu Hao said,ughing lightly . "Look no further than the Titans themselves . Each and every one of them was a body refiner, and they managed to rule the entirety of the world for a whole era . However, their methods have long since been lost to the tempest of time... whatever cultivation method that youth is using... I doubt he will go very far with it . Still, for the time being, it really disrupts our ns . " "The crux of the matter is that even if we kill the girl and the old man, that guy can run away to Endo n and report it, while we can only watch his fading back, right?" Yan Hao asked . "Pretty much," Lu Hao sighed . No matter how much he calcted or nned, it was as if one of his hands was tied behind his back right at this very moment, unable to properly fight . "Besides, with him apanying those two, it will be even harder to catch them . Ordinary groups stand no chance against the three of them, and we only have three elite groups currently, including those that the Sect sent recently . Even I¡¯m not confident in being able to kill that youth in one strike, let alone anyone weaker than me . And, if we miss that one chance, he can probably easily escape from our crutches . " "However, something¡¯s still off," Yan Hao said, as he thought of something . "It¡¯s been quite a few hours, yet we caught him here . It means that the other two either left ahead of time, or that all three of them are still in the vicinity . " "That¡¯s why I said this won¡¯t be easy," Lu Hao said, squinting his eyes . "That girl and that old guy had probably informed him of who we are, even if he was unaware beforehand, yet he still dared not only stay near here, but evene out in the open and sh against us, whilst seeking ingredients . This tells me one thing: either he¡¯s utterly idiotic, or he has a feasible n to deal with both our strength and numbers . " "Still... [Spring Bloom] alone is no threat... outside of some really specific forms in pill concoction, it basically has no other uses . There isn¡¯t even a powder recipe for it that would threaten us . " "... aii, headaches abound..." Lu Hao sighed, shaking his head yet again . "Once you stabilize your injuries, return to the Sect at once . If you¡¯re unlucky to sh against that youth yet again, you¡¯ll probably face death . " "... yes, uncle . " despite his unwillingness, Yan Hao could only grit his teeth and do as he was told . After all, he knew the best ¨C outside those who have died ¨C just how strong that youth was . Perhaps, even in a direct sh, the youth would be able to push him to a draw . Meanwhile, some miles away, Lino stood atop of a rock, a somewhat odd expression in his eyes as he watched two ck-d figures in front of him . He was currently feeling very, very confused . The two ck-d figures in front of him were currently bending over, their hands on their knees, panting as though they just ran ten mountain ranges¡¯ worth of miles . Yet, they¡¯ve barely been chasing him for five minutes . In addition, out of nearly twenty auras that Lino felt when the chase first began, only these two managed to somewhat keep up with him . In fact, if he hadn¡¯t purposefully stopped, these two would have never caught up to him . Oi, don¡¯t tell me... don¡¯t tell me that every single cultivator is like that old man and that girl... "Y-you, you..." one of the ck-d man tried to speak, but was clearly short of breath . "Aii, catch your breath first guys," Lino said casually, smiling . "It¡¯s no good like this, I can¡¯t understand you . " the two ck-d figures wanted to cry yet no tears came out . Howe he was fine?! Their minds simply couldn¡¯t understand it . They ran full-speed after him and expected that he was also, simrly, exhausted beyond belief, yet this guy just stood there like he just woke up from a nice nap . "Ah, at least you¡¯re better than those other guys . They¡¯re probably somewhere back in the forest, still vomiting their lungs out . Seriously, it¡¯s no good that your bodies are so weak . If I wanted to, I can just piss on you both and kill you on the spot . Aai, that¡¯s too wicked... no, no, I¡¯m a nice guy, I would never do something so deplorable . Even if you die, you¡¯d at least want to die by some normal method, right? Aah... truly, truly wicked, this mind of mine is... forgive me..." "S-s-s-shut up!!" one of the two managed to grit words out through his teeth, yet suddenly vomited all his innards out and copsed, fainting on the spot . "... eh? Wow, I don¡¯t even have to make a move, you guys fall over all on your own! Ha ha, I truly am remarkable!" Lino struck a pose of a lonely hero, stroking his lower chin as though in deep thought . "Ah, how lonely the peak is... ah, how sad..." seeing him like this, the remaining ck-d figure was unable to withstand it and copsed much like his brother, fainting on the spot . Lino walked over slowly toward the two and pierced their hearts, killing them on the spot before sighing lightly . Then, as though heavenly inspired, he eximed softly as he picked up two corpses and moved back to the great boulder he was just standing atop of . Taking two swords out of the spatial ne, he stuck the two corpses at two sides of the boulder, firmly holding them in the air, before moving to the center with the third sword, beginning to carve something out . After finishing, seemingly happy with the results, he flickered his sleeve for a moment before ncing backwards . On the way here, he was lucky enough to obtain another item he needed: [Crevice Stone] . The only thing that¡¯s left is the [Homespring Water], but he decided to first go back to the cave those two were at, to see whether they had any . After all, bothkes were rather far away, and that was the only ce he knew that had the [Homespring Water] . With a sh, he disappeared . An hour or soter, Lu Hao arrived with several other figures next to a boulder . His eyes immediately nearly popped out of their sockets as he witnessed the scene before him; two of his subordinates were hanging listlessly at the sides of the boulder, while in-between them a message was carved: With theck of stamina, you probablyck women also . Te he . "AAAARRRRGHHHH!!!" Lu Hao roared into the sky despondently, while everyone around him also felt anger burning inside their hearts . This was no longer simple hostility over having killed some of their friends; this was a personal vendetta, a demon they simply had to exorcise lest they never sleep properly for the rest of their lives . "TE HE YOUR MOTHER!!! YOU¡¯RE DEAD!!!" Some ways away, Lino heard the angered roars and chuckled like an innocent child . Licking his lips gently, he stuck his tongue out toward the direction of the roar before sprinting off towards the cave . Heh, chaos really suits me... who knew? Chapter 11 Chapter 11 CHAPTER 11 ONE OF THEIR OWN Lino didn¡¯t encounter any obstacles on his way back to the cave where Vye and the old man were patiently waiting, meditating in a cross-legged position . As he stepped in, the two of them opened their eyes and looked at his self-satisfied expression with a strange gleam . Coughing lightly, Lino ignored their gazes and sat back down before taking out the [Spring Bloom] and [Crevice Stone] before putting them down . [Crevice Stone] appeared almost like an ordinary piece of ore, yet purple-lustered veins circling faintly through its surface spoke otherwise . With a little bit of grinding down, this almost ordinary piece of ore would turn into a t, purple stone . "Do you guys have any [Homespring Water]?" Lino cut to the chase immediately and asked the duo who first looked at the two items on the ground before looking at Lino with some confusion in their eyes . "Why do you need it?" Vye asked, narrowing her eyes . "Why else but to craft a celestial weapon, of course!" Lino puffed his chest out proudly . "Ha ha," Vye suddenlyughed coldly . "Craft with what? Your head? To be honest I¡¯d be really d to see you trying to break that stone apart with your head . With how thick your skin is, your head is probably ten times thicker . Who knows? You may even be able to break the stone with it!" "Heh," Lino sneered as he chuckled . "Do you want to bet, little demon?" a strange glint shed through the old man¡¯s eyes while Vye¡¯s face reddened for a moment . However, before she had a chance to retort, the old man interrupted her and took out a clear vial and presented them to Lino . "Will this be enough?" the old man asked . "Oh, enough, enough! Fantastic!" Lino took the vial with strange gleam as he licked his lips . "Alright, I¡¯ll start crafting now . Even if a naked celestial beauty suddenly shows up, don¡¯t interrupt me . " The duo rolled their eyes but said nothing as they observed Lino¡¯s actions . Thetter set aside the flower and the water as he flipped his palm downward and ced it atop the stone . A momentter, he began snapping his palm left and right, using it as a grinding stone to shave away impurities within the [Crevice Stone] . Old man¡¯s eyes bulged slightly as Vye looked at the scene curiously . After a few minutes, the dim luster of the ore was reced with faintly t surface which emitted light, purple glow . After shaving away topside, Lino went and shaved away the rest of the ore before a palm-sized stone weighing nearly 100kg remained within his hand . Veins pulsated throughout its surface in purple luster, causing the stone to appear rather strange . Setting aside the stone for the moment, he picked up the flower and examined it deeply before picking up the vial . Opening the lid, he poured its contents entirely directly at the center of the flower which sucked them in immediately, fluttering even though there was no wind . The emerald-green flower grew even more saturated as it turned slightly transparent . Satisfied, he took the small piece of [Crevice Stone] in one hand and brought the [Spring Bloom] directly over it . A momentter, triple-colored mes bloomed from within his fingers, directly setting the entire flower aze . The old man¡¯s heart suddenly jolted because he recognized the me: Great Boundary me, Tri-Spirit me! The only reason the old man recognized it was because he saw its sketch in one of the n¡¯s ancient records . The me itself hasn¡¯t been seen in Umbra Kingdom since its inception! Now, seeing it within the hands of this youth, the old man didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry . He could truly craft something simple this way! As the flower slowly turned to ash, it fell directly atop the stone before Lino ground it with his palms, forcing the stone itself to directly absorb the ashes . He then brought both palms against the stone as they began zing in three colors of fire . He would asionally shake his palms, bring them up and then down, wound them around, sometimes opening them and prickling with his fingers the melted surface, and other times even blowing directly at the stone . Lino¡¯s expression was that of extreme concentration; howeverx he may seem ordinarily, when ites to cksmithing itself, he never once cked . What was most important in process of crafting was a stable, concentrated mind . Sensing minute changes, fixing mistakes that prop up on the spot without allowing them to linger into the final creation, modifying the creation itself midway through if necessary... none of these things can be aplished without fully dedicating yourself to the process . In such way, he forced mes to burn for nearly two hours . His energy depleted heavily and sweat poured down his forehead and his back . s, with a loud sp of two palms, he condensed the melted stone into a paper-thin te . The te was two-palms-size, rectangr in its shape, and appeared rather ordinary on the surface . However, after close examination, one would spot a few crevices along its surface as well as vein-shaped lines which connected these crevices . He finally breathed in relief as he leaned back against the wall of the cave, panting heavily . Without proper tools, crafting even this seemingly ordinary te had taken a great toll on him . Just having to keep Tri-Spirit me active for two hours was something that he wouldn¡¯t dare do under normal circumstances . Still, it was over now . His exhausted gaze quickly grew illuminated as he looked at the te, grinning from ear to ear . "Alright," Lino said as he kept the te near his breast . "I¡¯ll rest for a few hours and then we¡¯ll depart . " "Eh? What did you craft?! Show us!" Vye said with both curious and pleading gaze, while even the old man himself seemed somewhat taken by the scene . "No rush, no rush," Lino replied casually, smiling mysteriously in the process . "You¡¯ll know soon enough . " Despite the fact that Vye pleaded for some time, Lino remained exceedingly mysterious about his creation . After realizing that she won¡¯t be seeing the strange te¡¯s stats any time soon, she finally gave up and allowed Lino to rest in silence . In reality, even Lino himself wasn¡¯t too certain over the sess of his idea . While it was tangible, and definitely viable, the resources were scarce . In his original idea, the te itself should have been like a normal, vanguard shield . However, for their purposes, he imagined it should be enough . After roughly four hours, Lino snapped his eyes open as they no longer exuded the air exhaustion, but rather a gleam of strange profundity . Chuckling weirdly, he startled the duo awake as well . Getting up, Lino dusted himself off and took in a deep breath before looking outside the cave; night had all but fallen, which was perfect for them . "Alright, let¡¯s go . " Lino said as he headed toward the exit . "Go?" the old man asked, knitting his brows . "Does that item of yours provide some concealment during the night?" "Nope . " Lino shrugged his shoulders casually as he replied . "Aii, don¡¯t give me that look! Do you know how many times I get a chance to act mysterious and cool? Zero! Zilch! Nothing! Let me have this moment, please?" "..." the duo stared at his honest expression nearly vomiting blood . At least try to hide your true motives!! "Ha ha, don¡¯t be afraid," Lino said, his expression exuding confidence unseen before . "While I can¡¯t im we won¡¯t be found for certain, I can im that we probably won¡¯t be found until the very edge of your n¡¯s influence . " "What do you mean?" the old man asked as he cautiously brought Vye with him, following Lino as he departed from the cave andnded on the main road . "This is the road which leads directly towards the Second Mountain?" Lino asked the old man as he pointed at the nearby pavement . "Yes . " the old man nodded . "Let¡¯s go then . " and thusly so, Lino began walking casually . Not through the thick trees, or bushes, or some other points where he could hide himself . No, he walked directly through the main road, for all the mothers and fathers to see him . "What are you doing?!!" the old man cried out in rm as he raced and grabbed one of Lino¡¯s arms, pulling him to a stop . "If you want to kill yourself, just do it! Don¡¯t drag us down with you!!" "Eh? Why would I want to kill myself?" Lino said . "I¡¯m young, handsome, talented, brilliant in intellect... I have entire future to leave my mark as a scar across the world! Why would I deny the world of my greatness?" "..." "Aah, fine," Lino said, shrugging his shoulders as he took out the te and handed it over to the old man . "I know you won¡¯t depart with me no matter what unless you see the source of my confidence . Go ahead . I¡¯ve unlocked its stats . " Vye and the old man looked dubiously at the te before reading through its stats, not knowing whether tough, cry, roll their eyes backwards, or grind their teeth to ash . [Celestial te ¨C Unique ¨C Level 20] Defense: 0 Durability: 1 Special effect: Obscures vision of others, masquerading the wearer and those nearby within the wearer¡¯s desires . Unless the other party is much stronger than the wearer, it is almost impossible to see through the illusions . Special effect: Item¡¯s effects are tripled at night . Note: Second in the series of Celestial items by a neer . Looks promising . "I get it! I get it!" the old man cried out ¨C not in joy or shock... just pure despondence . "[Spring Bloom], [Crevice Stone], [Homespring Water]... first one induces the hallucinations on small scale; even if supported by [Homespring Water], hallucinations wouldn¡¯t be much stronger . However, with [Crevice Stone] acting as a conduit between the two... it¡¯s not the hallucinations that the others will be experiencing, but illusions! The te probably releases specific particles into air within certain range, and whoever is affected will see what you want them to see!" "Good old man!" Lino said, giving the old man thumbs up upon whichtter actually shed a tear . Not of joy, not of shock... but of pure despondence . "It¡¯s exactly as you said . Still, we better hurry up . " "Indeed," the old man said . "However, how strong does one need to be in order to see through this te?" "I have no idea . " Lino said, spreading his arms out . "Eh?" "What do you mean ¡¯eh¡¯?" Lino said as the trio finally started walking . "That restriction wasn¡¯t within my original designs, it¡¯s material-based and level-based one . It could be as little as 5 levels or it could be as much as 10,000 . Who knows? However, since I crafted it, and it¡¯s a Celestial Item, it¡¯s at least 100,000 Levels . Lino guaranteed!" "..." In the end, the old man and Vye refused to talk to Lino for a brief period of time . Still, regardless of the te¡¯s effect, the old man remained vignt as they walked along the road, ready to bolt away at moment¡¯s notice if they were to be seen through . However, soon enough, they passed by the first ck-d figure, and nothing happened... and then second... soon enough it was tenth... then fiftieth... by the time they passed by a hundredth person, half of which Lino actively greeted, and even talked some with them while gaining information, the old man and Vye grew numb to the whole thing, just following behind like a pair of puppets . While they had heard of many strange, queer items, and even read about some in the ancient texts and scriptures, to see one crafted so easily before their very eyes was entirely different experience . It¡¯s not as though Endo n was void of master-level cksmiths; rather, it was one of the most respected professions in the n, and master-level cksmith were treated no worse than cultivation experts in the n . After all, weapons, defensive talismans, armors and such are a necessity for people who battle often . Still, when the old man asked himself how many of those master-level cksmiths would even think up something like this, let alone craft it within two meager hours without any tools whatsoever, he felt like crying . Indeed, once one examined the te and saw through its surface mysteries, it was truly beyond easy to craft it . However, with the idea of cksmithing and crafting items already having been stuck in a pattern, there were very, very few cksmiths who deviated from the original school of thoughts, especially so when ites tobining random resources they find and trying to ster them together into something that has an actual function . By the time dawn arose, they were already within apletely different cave, nearly halfway back to their n . Despite the fact that the te worked during the day as well, the trio decided to use its triple effect during the night instead . While within the cave, Lino remained silent, his eyes closed, as he seemingly pondered over something deeply . What he pondered over was the cultivation method ¨C . Ever since he entered Core Realm and obtained four Primal Spirits, Lino began researching it more fervently, yet, the more he understood, the more ambiguous and vague the entire thing seemed . It¡¯s strange... requirement for obtaining the next upgrade is to possess a strength of a bear... but, technically, I already do possess a strength of a bear, Lino thought deeply . Does it perhaps refer to some other variant of a bear that I¡¯m unaware of? Anyway, umting physical strength after entering Core Realm really is easier . I didn¡¯t even notice, but it seems the core of my body was refined entirely... ah, of course, Core Realm . E never exined these freaking realms, barely even naming any! Ugh... What confused him the most about the was that it seemed both exceedingly simple yet profoundlyplex at the same time . Exceedingly simple in the sense that there was only one requirement for the method to work: make your muscles stronger . Unlike what he believed were other cultivation methods, there was no pondering over profound meanings behind strange concepts, or continuousmunication with Worldly Energy in hopes of gaining something . As long as he improved his body, would do the rest for him . Yet,plexity of it all arose exactly because of that . He couldn¡¯t gleam past it, couldn¡¯t see how the entirework which constituted the method worked . Even if he was doing absolutely nothing, his body was getting stronger by simply getting in touch with Worldly Energy . While it wasn¡¯t by much, it also wasn¡¯t negligible . From what Lino knew, there was no such other cultivation method; all others required one to consciously draw Worldly Energy within themselves and, even then, refine it to be used . All of that, though, was done by his body alone, without Lino ever truly paying attention to it . In the end, though, he simplycked knowledge; he didn¡¯t know what other cultivation methods were like, or even just how different his was . From talking with the old man and Vye, he understood only one major difference: the reason Vye was able to make the swords float on their own was due to the Worldly Energy ¨C or how others call it, Qi ¨C being externalized out of her body through her martial arts and cultivation method . Lino knew he can¡¯t do that ¨C he even knew, somehow, that he will never be able to externalize the Qi outside of his body . At best, he would be able to use a weapon as a conduit ¨C for instance, wrapping his sword in his Tri-Spirit me . However, energy consumption would be such that he¡¯d at best be able to sustain it for a few breaths before fainting . As he rummaged through new discoveries and began piecing together some uncertainties, night arrived yet again and the trio departed from the cave under the cover of the stars . Still walking leisurely on the main road, they encountered many ck-d figures who seemed even more panicked than yesterday . After conversing for a moment with one of the ck-d figures, Lino realized that Vye¡¯s and the old man¡¯s n actually got the wind of Dying Roses¡¯ activities and had sent out their own experts to both sh against thetter was well as search for Vye and the old man . While the duo rejoiced, Lino creased his brows . If their ns were spoiled... why did they remain here? And not just in small numbers at that . Even if they, in the end, managed to kill Vye and the old man, there was probably a reason why they instigated the whole thing so covertly . Were it matter of just killing them, the duo wouldn¡¯t have been able to even reach Lino¡¯s location, let alone escape with him afterwards . Could they be trying to lure us out or make us drop our guard? Ah, everything is possible . Anyway, it¡¯s not like they don¡¯t know where we¡¯re heading, and it¡¯s not like we can head elsewhere... let¡¯s just see how it goes... Almost before the dawn would break, the trio reached an open field upon which Lino immediately frowned . In the distance, he sensed several rtively powerful auras . He was almost certain that, even within night, they would be seen through if the bearers of the powerful auras paid a bit more attention to them . "Our n¡¯s grounds are just beyond that forest," Vye said excitedly . "We¡¯ve really made it back!!" "It¡¯s too early to rx," the old man also seemed to have realized that the earlier news of their n having got the wind of the situation was probably a ruse, which deted his spirits somewhat . "While this is thest stretch, it¡¯s also the most difficult . What do you think, Lino? Will te cover us before those four?" "Nope," Lino said honestly, shaking his head lightly . "At best, it can buy us a few seconds of time . As you can see, the entire field is clear of people . Even if they first spot us as their own, there are probably orders that no one was to approach this in . Aii, they¡¯re really clever..." "... do you have a n?" the old man asked, somewhat nervous . "n? We can just hide nearby and wait until your n gets suspicious and actually sends someone out to look for you," Lino said . "We probably won¡¯t be discovered until then . However, how long do you think will your n need to send experts out? And I mean considering those initial scouts that will be silenced by the Dying Roses . " "... in earliest calctions, we were supposed to stay almost half a year within the Mountain Range," the old man said, frowning deeply . "We¡¯ve yet to be here for two months . " "Even if your n notices that something is odd, they¡¯ll probably be very conservative in their actions lest they alert others of your activities . " "Indeed..." the old man confirmed . "Then, pardon me, but I have no intention of hiding away in some dry cave for at least a few more months . Life is too short for that crap . " Lino said, smiling faintly . "Neither do we . So, what¡¯s the n?" "Besides that," Lino said, his expression somewhat solemn . "We can only bulldoze right through . " "Can you sprint over the entire in with us in tow before they spot you?" Vye suddenly asked . "Sure," Lino said, smiling somewhat oddly . "I can do that . " "Great!! Let¡¯s do it!" "... so to say," the old man, though, wasn¡¯t as na?ve . "You can sprint all the way over there, but not any further?" "I¡¯d enter a major state of weakness for a while," Lino said honestly . "And while I like you two very much, it¡¯s not to the point I¡¯d give my poor life for the two of you . Sorry . " "... so, what then?" Vye asked, furrowing her thin brows slightly . "Let¡¯s go and see . " Lino shrugged his shoulders before taking a step forward . After a few moments, the old man gritted his teeth and suddenly picked Vye into his arms before following after Lino . Carefully observing the open filed and any changes, Lino remained alert as he walked . He knew that the te won¡¯t be able to conceal them from the four enemies; the question was, how long would it take for them to spring into action? Although the forest itself was Endo n¡¯s ground, their headquarters were situated rather deeply within it . Even their patrols never came out to the very outskirts of the forest, and were stationed at a midway point . Even at his maximum speed, Lino would need at least five minutes to reach that part of the forest, and that¡¯s disregarding the fact that the forest had plenty of obstacles that would slow down his speed . Bit by bit, the trio neared the halfway point . The four auras suddenly locked onto them, causing Lino¡¯s pupils to strain; I misjudged!! Fuck!! He thought that all four auras were actually of rtively equal prowess, at Late Core Realm . However, one of the auras seemed to have broken through some barrier the moment it locked onto Lino . Thetter knew that wasn¡¯t actually the case, just that the person held back initially . The fluctuations that person gave off were far, far more terrifying than what the remaining three had . Lino felt suffocated by merely getting in touch with it, and it was no better for the old man who immediately realized what was wrong; the only time he felt such fluctuations was from the Patriarch of Endo n: Soul Realm cultivator!! "Fuck!!" Lino eximed as the same thought dawned on him . The aura itself burst forth as a shadow of the person emerged from the trees in the distance . Lino spun backwards and hurriedly picked the old man and Vye in each of his arms . The little girl actually fainted directly under the pressure . Gritting his teeth, Lino¡¯s arm muscles bulged as he roared lowly, contracting his arms backwards before hurling them forward like cannonballs . Two bodies sted through the air, causing winds to stir and grass beneath to sway . Just as the two left his arms, the person arrived above him, palm descending towards his head . Biting his lip to forcibly shake off pressure, Lino drew out his sword in one swift action and threw it upwards before drawing another one in an attempt to block the strike . "Motherfu¡ª"before he had a chance to finish his mumble, a pressure akin to ten thousand mountains descended as it broke apart both of the swords beforending directly on his chest . Grunting, he saw stars spin around his eyes as he was blown backwards, flying faster than even the old man and Vye . Spitting out several mouthfuls of blood midair, hended nearly a mile away from where he was hit, sting away several dozen trees before managing to stabilize himself . What shitty luck! Chapter 12 Chapter 12 CHAPTER 12 DEVIL¡¯S DOMAIN Lino looked down at his chest and smiled bitterly . Right side was sted in, with a clear palm imprint visible on the surface . His chest bled profusely and even a few ribs were clearly sticking out . An immense wave of pain surged from the depths of his soul, but he stifled the cry inside his throat, trying to breathe as little as possible . Definitely a Soul Realm cultivator... he thought as information about the realm above his surfaced inside his mind . When a cultivator steps into the Core Realm, his entire body is washed away from its core, shedding away its mortality and establishing resonance with the Worldly Energy . However, the resonance itself was extremely faint, and cultivators at Core Realm could merely absorb the energy and refine it within themselves before using it . On the other hand, when one steps into a Soul Realm, one draws his soul into a conscious mind ¨C that is to say, he is able to infuse his own soul into elements of the world . Cultivators are capable of directly using Worldly Energy without needing to refine it and absorb it, but it¡¯s still in limited quantities . Nheless, it is far, far more frightening than what a Core Realm cultivator can do . In addition, the body undergoes its second metamorphosis because of the surfacing of soul; as thetter is extremely fragile, it requires strong body to protect it . Were Lino not a body refiner, he would have been blown to smithereens by that attack . In the same vein, the only reason he actually survived was because the attacker used his physical body rather than any martial art . In addition, Soul Realm Cultivators are capable of using Divine Sense; with the birth ¨C or rather, surfacing ¨C of the soul, thetter bes the conduit between the body and the Worldly Energy . Using it, cultivators are able to spread thetter outside their bodies as invisible energy, covering a specific area while perceiving anything within with their minds down to the veryst detail, making it nearly impossible to hide from them . Still, a Level 25 Early Core Realm cultivator like Lino could only stand and die before someone at Soul Realm . One could say it was a miracle he even survived the first attack . The most he could do now was stand still and circte to recover his wounds . As a body refiner, his speed of self-healing far exceeded ordinary cultivators, but his wounds were simply too severe for quick recovery . "Eh? Not bad, not bad," a slightly hoarse voice entered his ear, causing Lino¡¯s heart to start as he looked up . A slightly older gentleman appeared in front of him, donned in entirely ck robes with golden threads and a white rose on his chest . The old man had his hands behind his back, looking at Lino with somewhat interested expression . He was entirely bald and well-shaved, but his wrinkled face gave off the feeling of aged wisdom . "Although you¡¯re heavily injured, you still withstood my attack . Not bad indeed . " "..." Lino simply stared at him, saying nothing for a moment as he analyzed his situation . He, naturally, still didn¡¯t give up; he was a measly Soul Realm cultivator . At most, the old man was Level 89, barelyparable to a cksmith like Eggor . If he was terrified of such existence, how could he ever hope to assist E and the egg-faced bearded guy with their troubles? "Shouldn¡¯t you be chasing after those two?" Lino asked, forcing a smile on his face . "Ha ha, I really should but, s, even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to catch them," the old man said with a heartyugh . "You¡¯ve really reacted quickly . Are you hoping they¡¯ll reach the n and summon reinforcements before I kill you?" "Hardly," Lino shrugged his shoulders . "I¡¯m at most hoping you¡¯ll y the role of a kind, old grandpa and let me go . " "Oh? Why would I let you go?" the old man said, putting on a shocked expression . "You¡¯ve killed several of my disciples and ruined our well-crafted ns all by your lonesome . You¡¯ve even insulted our manhood! That was, by the way, really low..." "Aii, what can I say? You guys look like the type I like bullying . " Lino said, smiling lightly . "You can¡¯t really me me for killing your disciples, though . " "Oh? I can¡¯t?" "Of course not," Lino said, chuckling lightly . "You see, when I saw that perky little ass of that girl, I knew right then and there I couldn¡¯t allow anything to happen to her . Don¡¯t tell me I should have ignored my centermost instinct and watched you guys ughter her silly?" "... ha ha, interesting kid, ha ha," the old manughed lightly . "From your eyes, I can see that you still have something to back up your resilience, and it¡¯s not those two farts that ran away . Do you know why we chose to kill that brat?" "She rejected Young Master of your Sect and you guys went balls-to-the-walls about it?" Lino said randomly . "Ah, if only," the old man shook his head . "That kid... those of her n call her Sacred Child, no? What a load of balls . " "Isn¡¯t it bullshit?" "Are you in any position to question my wisdom?" "Continue, oh great sage . " "Good kid," the old man smiled as he spoke . "Certainly, that brat is extremely talented . Even if you ced her in one of those Sacred Grounds she might be able to stand on her own . But, she¡¯s just a brat . No matter how talented a kid is, I wouldn¡¯t stoop so low to send a bunch of grown men after her just because of that . Although I look really cool and evil, I¡¯m actually a pretty decent guy, you know?" "... yeah, your bald head is really shining in pure holiness . " Lino said, finding the old man to be rather pleasant to talk with, aplete contrast to the murderous aura he released when the two first shed . "Ha ha, you really know how to tter, little kid . Khm, but it¡¯s true, you know? It¡¯s just talent, isn¡¯t it? Look at you . You¡¯re also extremely talented . Yet, what worth is that talent when I can simply blow at you right now and kill you? Will that talent save you? Even if, let¡¯s say, she truly did survive her growing years, those within her n would rarely let her go out . What can a milk-bred girl really do? Merely be a stepping stone for someone who¡¯s truly seen hell . " "Aii, you beat around the bush more than a virgin guy in a brothel," Lino said, rolling his eyes . "So, why are you hunting her? Don¡¯t tell me the source of her talent is some demon sucking on her soul . That would be really, really unpredictable . " "..." "Oh fuck you . " "Well... you¡¯re wrong, actually... well, technically..." the old man said, smiling oddly . "She doesn¡¯t have a demon in her soul... she¡¯s, uh, the demon . " "..." "... yep, that¡¯s the expression . Ha ha, it¡¯s like I¡¯m looking myself in the mirror from back when I first realized it . Ha ha, good kid . " "... I didn¡¯t sense anything out of the ordinary from her . " Lino said, furrowing his brows . Is this old fart trying to swindle me? There¡¯s no way, right? "Of course you didn¡¯t . Even I wouldn¡¯t be able to even if she stood stark naked in front of me . " "... aii, there goes that holy light from your bald head..." "Oi, brat, don¡¯t besmirch my perfect image, I¡¯ll stter your brains!" the old man said . "Khm, as you may have guessed, I do have some spies in that n of theirs . One of them is on a rather high position, and he informed me of this . Apparently, their Patriarch went to the Umbra Capital twelve years ago and, on his way back, he stumbled across a ratherrge egg-like thing . Lo and behold, the egg-like thing hatched and boom, human-shaped baby, right there, in front of their eyes . Tell me, isn¡¯t that freaking weird? Even I got goosebumps when I first heard it . " "... look man, if you¡¯re gonna kill me, just do it . Don¡¯t torture me beforehand!" "Aii, I already said I¡¯m an upright, honest man, right? Why do you doubt me so much? If it¡¯s because of that attack, I had to show some authority in front of my babies, right? If I just let you guys swagger across the field and leave without doing anything, where would my face be?" "... on your bald head?" "Haah... you don¡¯t trust me?" "... I do," Lino said, sighing randomly . Perhaps he truly was being too na?ve, but, for some reason, he did ¨C at least partially ¨C trust the old guy . "Which is why I¡¯m starting to doubt my own sanity . But, if it¡¯s so important, why didn¡¯t you or any of the bigwigs show up immediately and just killed her off instead of ying games?" "Tell me," the old man said, his expression turning serious . "What do you think would happen to this Kingdom if a war broke out between a n and a Sect of cultivators?" "... I imagine it would perish from the map . " "Exactly," the old man nodded . "I don¡¯t want a war, kid . I¡¯ve seen plenty bloodshed in my life, and it is never pleasant, whether I won or lost . If you hadn¡¯t intercepted us, we¡¯d have actually led the duo to one of the peaks where a Queen Spirit resides and let her take care of the duo . I imagine she¡¯d be more than happy to feast upon that brat . In addition... ah, I have a bad feeling about this . How can one simply stumble on a Demon Egg right in the heart of the Kingdom? s, s... oh, right, how did you guys evade all of our scouts?" Lino flickered his sleeve and simply threw the te over to the old man . When the old man looked at the stats, the corners of his lips twitched before he gazed at Lino with somewhat odd expression . "... you crafted this?" "Yup . " "So that¡¯s why you beat that Yan brat silly over a shitty [Spring Bloom], eh? Not bad, not bad . Although this thing is on the lower spectrum of levels, it can really work wonders for some people . " the old man praised before throwing the te back toward Lino . "So, what now?" Lino asked casually . Although his chest still looked horrendous, he was already able to actually breathe normally and his pain subsided greatly . is really something else... I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to snatch some Primal Spirits that will be linked to regeneration? Aii, I want to level up so badly right now... "Aii, you¡¯re really giving me a headache," the old man said, his expression somewhat conflicted . "On one hand, I want to spank your butt for killing my disciples and ruining our ns, but on the other hand, I really like you . " "..." "What¡¯s with the weird gaze? Oh, spank, like... screw you, perverted brat! Humph, you¡¯re really seeking death, it seems!" "Why not just let me go?" Lino said, smiling widely . "I¡¯m just an ant to your lordly existence! Look at me! I¡¯m barely able to stand¡ª" "Yeah, barely able to stand . If you¡¯re going to y the humble card, at least don¡¯t survive when someone who¡¯s at least fifty levels above you attacks you . " "... yeah, my ghostly form would really hold more water in our debate . " "Aii, whatever," the old man suddenly flicked his sleeve upon which a thumb-sized pill flew over toward Lino andnded in the palm of his hand . "Go hide somewhere and heal your wounds . Ponder over what we discussed . Although that girl just seems like an innocent brat at the moment, once she matures, she¡¯ll hardly care for who fed her and bathed her when she grows hungry . You¡¯re a bright kid . You¡¯ll know what to do . " Before the old manpletely vanished, he threw another item toward Lino; it was a simple jade talisman, and Lino immediately recognized it as amunication talisman . He could probably contact the old man through this . Rolling his eyes, he popped the pill into his mouth before he turned around and left, scurrying over through the forest before reaching a valley nearby . He carved out a cave and entered, starting fire with some dry wood he gathered on his way over . He sat in a meditative position and circted the medicinal remnants of the pill through his body . Before he swallowed it, he saw that the pill was called [Homespring Remedy] . While it was not a top-notch healing pill, it was still in the upper realm . It mainly focused on fixing internal injuries which is exactly what Lino needed the most at the moment . "... Demon, eh?" he pondered as he leaned back against the cave¡¯s wall, allowing his body to slowly regenerate surface damage . "Who would have thought? Why would the n harbor a Demon knowingly, though? From what I¡¯ve read in those books Eggor gave me, Demon¡¯s main food are actually human souls . Or, could it be that they have a way to control it after it reaches maturity? There are, after all, several ways to control a Demon... haah, in the end, though, no method is permanent . One way or another, unless killed, Demon will eventually regain freedom . What to do... what to do..." The current situation couldn¡¯t really ssify as a predicament, as it had very little to do with Lino on a personal level . Whether a war between the n and the Sect broke out or a mature Demon was unleashed upon the world, even forgetting those two monsters he calls his Masters, there was still that third sect which remained in the shadows, and was supposedly the most powerful one . Still, Lino knew that he couldn¡¯t just sit by the side and let the events unfold on their own . It¡¯s true that, this time, it has nothing to do with him, but who¡¯s to say that will be the case in the future? What hecks the most is direct, practical experience . Just like how he miscalcted enemy¡¯s movement today and ran into a brick wall ¨C or rather a bald head . "That old man is pretty clear in his intentions," Lino mumbled, closing his eyes slowly . "He will no longer act, and neither will his Sect . If the worst happens and demon matures and gets free, they¡¯ll probably just move rather than engage with it directly . So, the ball¡¯s in my court now, eh? It¡¯s too risky, though... I know next to nothing about internal dealings of the n, and much less how they look upon the outsiders . Even if they treated me somewhat favorably, I¡¯d still remain on the far outside of all essential happenings . " "Are you saying I should just drive to the root of the problem?" Lino¡¯s lips twitched slightly as he mumbled out loud . "Befriend that little girl, gain her trust, and then twist a knife in her back on the face of your words? Why give me the talisman then? Are you hoping I can lure her away from the n? Ah, nonsense . After today, that little brat isn¡¯t leaving n¡¯spound for the rest of her life . The situation will turn into equilibrium between two sides... each are aware of the crux of the matter, but they¡¯ll both take passive stances about it . Most conflicts will also cease for the time being..." As he spun his thoughts around, Lino realized that there were more things amiss than what he initially thought . The entire matter began with Vye leaving the n¡¯s grounds: but, why did she leave? Even if, for some weird reason she had to leave, a single, Mid Core Realm cultivator was sent as her guardian . If the n values her so much, isn¡¯t that just waiting for things to turn awry? "... could it be that the bigwigs of Endo n were suspecting something, which is why they used Vye as a bait? Still, shouldn¡¯t they have protected her better? Now that I think about it, she was never truly in danger of losing her life . So, even if someone was watching, they wouldn¡¯t have stepped outside because, well, I was there... aii, these political shenanigans really don¡¯t suit me . Why can¡¯t you guys just battle it out?" as words left his lips, he suddenly felt his immediate surroundings grow cold . His eyes jolted open and he found himself slightly shocked because right in front of his eyes was a boy who looked to be no more than ten years of age, quietly staring at him . "... are you waiting for me to guess who you are, or do you just enjoy that cool pose of yours?" Lino asked after the boy remained silent for a whole minute . "You¡¯re not a Demon . " the boy said quaintly . "No shit . " "Why do I sense Demon¡¯s aura on you, then?" the boy asked curiously . "What? You have a problem with my taste?" Lino asked casually . The boy finally reacted as his lips twitched lightly . He was no taller than a small boulder, and had ck, neat hair and big, ck eyes . He wore purple robes which exuded air of lofty ambitions and nobility . "Ravage all you wish," the boy replied . "None of my business . " "If not, then why are you here?" "You¡¯re really disrespectful, aren¡¯t you?" the boy mumbled . "Well, you¡¯re about ten times stronger than me," Lino said, his expression as still and calm as water . "So, what else am I supposed to do? Grovel?" it is indeed as Lino said; whoever the boy before him was, Lino felt at least twice as much pressureing from him than he diding from the bald guy . That is to say, the boy was at least Mystic Realm cultivator . Lino wanted to curse both E and Eggor forpletely lying to him, but he¡¯d have to wait untiling back to do it properly . "That would do it . " "Who are you?" Lino asked casually . "My name¡¯s Tin . " "I didn¡¯t ask for your name . " "I¡¯m one of the Peak Lords of the Umbra Mountain Range," the boy said calmly . "Satisfied?" "Oh? Why did a mighty Peak Lord descend down to the same ne as us mortals?" "From your nonsensical babble," the boy called Tin said, ignoring Lino¡¯s probing . "You seem torn about something . Does it have to do with that Demon aura on you?" "... you could say so . " Lino said, sighing faintly . "Although the aura is faint," the boy continued causally . "It¡¯s clear that the Demon¡¯s yet to reach maturity, so I presume the aura got on you by interacting with another human . Are you torn between a choice of killing it and sparing it?" "... why are you so interested in it?" Lino asked . "... do you believe in evil?" "... no . " Lino replied faintly after short deliberation . "Yet, it exists . " Tin said, smiling lightly before he sat down suddenly, cross-legged . "Not the abstract notion, but the corporal form . " "Oh?" "There is only one world in the universe ¨C which is ours," Tin said . "But, it is packed full of dimensional pockets . One of those pockets is ratherrge, inhabited by foulness beyondprehension . Some people call it Hell, some call it Devil¡¯s Domain, some call it Final Boundary... whatever the case may be, that isted dimension is the root of evil . The Qi of our world is of pure, elemental affinity; it nourishes life, and propels us forth . However, within Devil¡¯s Domain, Qi is subverted into its backward state; rather than to nourish, it destroys; rather than to propel forth, it pulls back . It corrodes life . That is evil . " "Interesting..." Lino said, squinting his eyes lightly . "Why are you telling me this?" "Demons aren¡¯t born of this world, but from that dimension," Tin exined further . "And they are just one of the manifestations of subverted Qi ¨C the weakest kind, actually . " "Eh?" Lino eximed, somewhat shocked . Then, what of those legends that spoke of demons wreaking havoc all by their lonesome? "That¡¯s just from the overall perspective," Tin chuckled, as though he understood Lino¡¯s shocked expression . "They are, as the matter of fact, rather strong, but they¡¯re also the only corporal form that can actually survive within our world for prolonged periods of time . All other forms of evil cannot sustain themselves within the pure Qi of our world . Think of Demons as envoys, who are sent here to try and devolve and subvert our world¡¯s Qi to make it hospitable for other corporal forms of evil . In the end, they stand against us not because they hate us, or because we hate them, but because we¡¯re two diametrically opposite species . " "... that was an interesting lesson," Lino said after short deliberation . "Still have no clue why you taught me, though . " "Kill it . " Tin said casually as he slowly got up . "It is no more human than a chicken is, despite its shape . " "Why don¡¯t you do it? You seem rather powerful . " "Ha ha," Tin suddenlyughed, throwing his head back, as though he was gazing up to the sky even though there was an entire mountain blocking his view . "If old folk like me always cleaned shit up, how would younger generations ever manage to grow up properly? Forget killing one demon, back in my heyday, I once entered the Devil¡¯s Domain directly with several of my friends as we ughtered our way toward one of the cities . " "Then what happened?" Lino asked, his curiosity peaked . "Then... we came across a Devil variant," Tin said, his expression somewhat solemn and somber . "Fourth strongest lineage of the evil¡¯s corporal form ¨C Godfiend, equivalent to a human Deus Imperium... but that is something beyond what you canprehend . It was still technically a child, yet it wiped the floor with us . Only three out of two hundred survived back then . Their world is full of treasures which we covet, and our world is the treasure they covet . You¡¯re an interestingd," Tin continued, smiling faintly . "You¡¯re able to maintain not just calm expression but even calm heart even when faced with someone much, much stronger than you . That shows how heavy your determination is . If you continue to grow, I have no doubt that, one day, you¡¯ll also join a campaign to enter Devil¡¯s Domain . Should that day evere, you¡¯ll perhaps truly understand why Demons in our world are killed mercilessly . Well then, until next time . " the sleeve of the boy¡¯s robe flickered for a moment as light shed andnded onto Lino¡¯s palm . When he raised his head to look at the boy, he was nowhere to be found . Only a faint voice trickled into Lino¡¯s ears, as though the boy mumbled to himself as he vanished "Could it be a high tier? No... impossible..." Lino looked back down and saw that it was a jade talisman ¨Cmunication one . His lips twitched as he smiled in a weird way . Why are weird, old dudes giving me ways to contact them all of a sudden? They... they just appreciate my talent... right? Chapter 13 Chapter 13 CHAPTER 13 ENDO CLAN As the radiance of the dawn slowly prated thick branches of the trees, its rays basking the life beneath, three figures d in ck were walking slowly, an elderly, bald man leading the other two . There were none other than the members of Dying Roses; its Patriarch, Shi Hao, First Elder Lu Hao and his direct disciple, Yan Hao . Thetter had a slightly distorted expression as he kept ncing at the leading, bald man, but he dared not utter a sound despite the grievances in his heart . "Are you angry because I let him go?" Shi Hao asked as he nced back at Yan Hao, smiling faintly . "..." Yan Hao simply lowered his head, not daring to voice out his thoughts . "Why did you let him go, Master?" Lu Hao, on the other hand, asked casually . "Not only did he wreck our ns, he also killed a lot of our disciples . While thetter can be attributed to them being weak, the former..." "ns are dead but the people are living," Shi Hao replied, looking up toward the sky . "How long has it been since I¡¯ve seen a body refiner as strong as him? Besides, the n isn¡¯t destroyed, it¡¯s simply changed . " "You believe he¡¯ll kill the Demon?" Lu Hao asked . "... I¡¯m not too sure myself," Shi Hao said, narrowing his eyes slightly . "He¡¯s not a muddleheaded kid . Even when he faced me, outside of caution, I couldn¡¯t sense anything from his gaze; no fear, no respect, no awe... it felt as though I was merely a pebble in his view of the world . " "He¡¯s just an arrogant bastard!!" Yan Hao spat out, unable to hold it anymore . "Perhaps," Shi Hao said, sighing . "But, I¡¯m more inclined to believe that his goals lie well beyond our grasp . I¡¯m even quite certain that if I chose to kill him, he would probably have a way to either escape, or kill me in retaliation . " "Eh?" while Yan Hao immediately froze on the spot, Lu Hao widened his eyes as he nced at his Master; as someone who spent countless years alongside Shi Hao¡¯s side, nobody knew him better . Not even when faced with that freak from Heavenbloom Sect would his Master say that he would be killed . "Surely, you¡¯re exaggerating?" "Intuition is a vague thing," Shi Hao said, smiling . "Although it betrayed me on more than one asion, I still choose to believe it . " "... still, even if he chooses to kill the Demon, it won¡¯t be that easy, especially since she¡¯s now within the n¡¯s grounds . " Lu Hao said, calming himself down quickly . "That is why I can¡¯t put all my apples into a basket I don¡¯t even know that well," Shi Hao said . "You and your two Junior Brothers will depart from the Sect in a week and seek grounds within the neighboring Kingdoms with potential . Scout the hidden forces and make sure we could at least survive . " "Understood . " Lu Hao said, his expression solemn . "What will you do, Master?" "I¡¯ll remain here and observe..." ** Lino suddenly snapped his eyes open and got up, dusting off his clothes . He had been remaining in the cave for nearly three days, and he had finally recovered from his injuriespletely . Were it someone else on his exact same Level, even if they managed to survive that brutal attack, they would need months, if not even years of recovery, which is why he was even more astonished by the miracles of . In addition to that, he even managed to advance to Level 29, increasing his prowess further . Without any hesitation, he immediately headed toward the forest beyond whichy the Endo n . During the recovery, he continuously deliberated on his actions and, in the end, chose to at least try his luck . Even if they questioned how he survived, there were hundreds of stories he could spin so he didn¡¯t worry too much . What worried him, though, was what kind of treatment will he be given . Rather than be weed openly and celebrated, he¡¯d much rather be neglected and just left to his own devices . After entering the forest, he walked for nearly fifteen minutes before a shadow suddenly fell from the trees andnded in front of him . He was a young man, slightly older than Lino himself, donning white robes and a rtively arrogant expression on his face as he scrutinized Lino . After the youth saw Lino¡¯s ravaged and trashed clothes and miserable state, he smiled coldly . "Who are you?" the youth asked . Lino looked at him with a yful expression, but he quickly shifted it back to solemn in the end . "Eh? What is this? Your n doesn¡¯t even appreciate the savior of your Sacred Child?" upon hearing Lino¡¯s words, youth¡¯s expression jolted somewhat as he grew warier . "Aren¡¯t you dead?" the youth asked . "Do I look dead to you?" Lino asked, rolling his eyes slightly . Youth¡¯s lips twitched for a moment before he turned around and began walking . "Follow me . " "Aye, aye, big bro . " "..." Lino followed closely behind the youth; he felt many auras nearby, but no one else came out in front of the two . The youth before him appeared to be around Lino¡¯s strength, perhaps slightly stronger . Lino put him at the peak of Early Core Realm . However, since Lino didn¡¯t really know the standards of cultivation, he had no clue whether that was good, average, or trashy . He didn¡¯t try to strike up the conversation with youth, so he just followed closely behind . As they reached a small clearing, the youth paused for a moment and nced backwards before taking a step forward . Space around him suddenly rippled outward and appeared to have swallowed him directly inside . Lino widened his eyes in shock, not because he was unaware of what happened, but because it was his first time seeing it . Taking a deep breath, he walked forward himself and soon crashed against a seemingly rejecting force . Yet, a momentter, he felt space around him engulf him whole, propelling him forward . It only took a moment, but Lino felt slightly dizzy as hended on the ground . As he looked up and saw the world before him, he was slightly stunned . Before himy a massive valley, with hundreds of cliffs encroaching at its sides and a mountain at its very end . The valley was packed full with houses built from white limestone, with its roads being paved in gray cobblestone . Several gashes at the valley¡¯s sides spat out waterfalls, which fell into the canals running around and through the mini-city in front of him, one built not only within the valley, but also around the cliffs . Some buildings were embedded directly into the sides of the valley, causing them to appear as though they would fall at any moment . At the very end, beneath the mountain¡¯s peak, Lino saw a massive temple exuding ancient air; unlike the rest of the city, the temple was constructed from thick, gray stone, and it stood out within the sea of white . It was truly a spectacr sight and it took Lino a long while to recoverpletely . The next thing he noticed was that the Qi here was at least ten times thicker than on the outside, and that many strange flowers and trees were blooming, surrounding the valley . The whole scenery somehow managed to encapste the meaning of ¡¯nature¡¯ and ¡¯man¡¯, with a handmade city sticking out at the very center, surrounded by the blossoming nature, as though valley was basked in eternal spring . The man led him toward the valley¡¯s entrance and slightly deeper before taking a turn uphill toward one of the houses embedded into the side of the valley . On their way, a heap of curious ncesnded on Lino, buttter merely shrugged them off as he kept mapping out everything he could within his sight . No matter what, he was a prudent person and he¡¯d rather not let his life be in someone¡¯s hands; if things spiraled out of control, he¡¯d much rather have a clean n than be forced to wing it on the spot . The house man led him to was two stories tall and windowless, while the entrance was supported by two human-shaped pirs . The youth quickly led him into a massive hallway before pulling him into one of the side rooms . It was a rather small and quaint room, lit up by blue crystals embedded on the walls, with one table and several chairs leaned against the wall and a bookshelf on the opposite side . "Wait here . " the youth said before ncing at Lino onest time and leaving him alone in the room . Waiting until the youth left, Lino immediately sprung onto his feet and walked over toward the bookshelf before randomly picking out books and giving them a curious nce . [War of Ravine], [History of Hell], [Sect Rankings]... most of the books dealt with general knowledge and history . While in a Sect this may be obsolete knowledge, to Lino it was as though someone threw an entire gold mine into his hands . Without any politeness, he picked six books he deemed to be the most interesting and sat onto the chair before beginning to read . The first one he read through was [Sect Rankings], which broadened his horizons immensely . ording to the book, all Sects and ns are divided into three general strata ¨C Lower, Upper and Holy . Within Lower Strata, Sects that are graded as Third, Second and First rate Sects are situated, while the Upper Strata included Sacred Grounds and Immortal Grounds . The Holy Strata included just a single type: Holy Grounds, of which there can only ever be seven in total, in correspondence with seven towers where all knowledge of mankind is stored . What caught Lino off guard, though, were the requirements themselves; just a Third Rate Sect had to have at least two cultivators of Mystic Realm, meaning that both Endo n and Dying Roses didn¡¯t even qualify to be graded . Following Third Rate Sects, Second Rate Sects had to have at least two Purity Realm cultivators, while First Rate Sects had to have at least a single Numinous Realm cultivator and two Illumine Realm cultivators . At this point, Lino pretty much nked out as he realized just how many cultivator realms there were . In a hurry to actually understand what any of what he just read meant, Lino picked one of the five remaining books on the table ¨C [Cultivator Realms] ¨C and began reading . Every person who doesn¡¯t cultivate is technically in Mortal Realm, as they are all considered Mortals . Only when someone breaks through the Mortal Realm and enters Core Realm ¨C refining their entire being in the process and being able to sense Qi ¨C do they actually embark on the path of cultivation . Yet, ording to the [Sect Rankings] book, minimum requirement for someone to enter a First Rate Sect was actually the realm above Core Realm ¨C Soul Realm . Once a cultivator breaks away from Core Realm into Soul Realm, he stirs his soul out of slumber, granting him greater sensitivity to Qi energy as well as ability to spread his ¡¯sense¡¯ in outward direction to see things without actually seeing them . In addition, they are able to use the Qi in their surroundings to a small extent when they¡¯re attacking, and after entering the realm, their bodies are refined once again to be better vassals for the soul . After the Soul Realmes Mystic Realm ¨C the realm E is in . Mystic Realm cultivators are generally considered very important figures, even within First Rate Sects, as majority tend to cross the threshold of Level 100 . Mystic Realm is defined solely by the fact that cultivators are now able to give attributes to their pure Qi ¨C that is to say, even their most basic attacks turn deadly with the attribute Qi . They also gain ability of long-term flight and are one step away from being a true powerhouse in the world of cultivators: Purity Realm . Purity Realm, as its name suggests, washes the bodypletely of all impurities, and one bes a part of the world itself . Without even doing anything, Qi flies toward them naturally, and they are capable of causing seas to dry with a single flick of their fingers . Even if they are killed, as long as a single drop of blood of theirs remains intact, they would be able toe back to life given enough time . In addition, their lifespans explode, and they are considered quasi-Immortals at this point . This is also where Lino learned the distinction between Mortal Cultivators and Immortal Cultivators; thetter were either born with immensely pure bloodline which already grants them nigh-infinite lifespan and talents that no Mortal Cultivator could everpare with, or those who have refined blood essence of Immortal Beast that is at least at Purity Stage . Unfortunately, the book didn¡¯t go further than Purity Stage, so Lino was unable to learn what the Illumine Realm and Numinous Realm entailed, but he realized just how long the journey is . For instance, just to be a Mystic Realm cultivator, he had to reach Level 90, to say nothing of a Purity Realm cultivator where he had to reach Level 141, one higher than E herself . Meanwhile, as Lino was reading through the books and pondering on how to deal with Endo n, the higher ups of the n itself were also trying to figure out how to deal with Lino . Within a dimly lit room, a stone, round table was ced, surrounded by six chairs atop of which sat six elderly men . At the highest seat was a man donned invish robes with sharp-looking eyes . He was leaning against the table, his expression indifferent and cold . Just a few minutes ago, Vye¡¯s Sacred Protector informed them of everything that had transpired . Vye¡¯s identity was leaked ¨C Patriarch Varick had no doubt about it . He was also aware that the reason Dying Roses decided to try and attack was because it was impossible to prove the girl¡¯s a Demon before she matures or if she isn¡¯t killed . "Everyone," Patriarch Varick spoke in a solemn tone . "What do you think we should do?" "... it¡¯s lucky Lady Vye returned safely," the n¡¯s First Elder Rayel spoke in a calm tone . "However, we can¡¯t take this sitting back . That old fart is probably nning on relocating . Should we intercept him?" "We can¡¯t afford to get into open confrontation," Second Elder Xyvel said . "It¡¯s beneficial for us if they relocate . " "What about the boy?" Patriarch suddenly asked, causing the entire room to enter deep silence . "... shouldn¡¯t he have died by now?" First Elder asked . "From what Vye told me, it looks like he¡¯s a body refiner," Patriarch said . "There¡¯s a chance he might have survived . If that¡¯s the case, he¡¯ll probablye here . " "... he¡¯s already here . " Second Elder¡¯s expression grew somber as he said, causing everyone else to look at him . "My son just informed me of his arrival . He¡¯s in the second wing, in the guest room . " "... even if he survived, isn¡¯t this too quick?" First Elder said, frowning . "It hasn¡¯t even been two days . From what Sacred Protector said, that old fart definitelynded a square hit on him . Even if he somehow managed to survive, it would take at least a month for full recovery . " "We need to deal with him carefully," one of the Elders spoke . "We can¡¯t be certain that he wasn¡¯t let go, or even told the secret . " "Sacred Protector described him as yful and dangerous type," First Elder said . "Should we probe?" "We must probe," Patriarch said, sighing . "We¡¯ll calcte his reactions . If he¡¯s feeble-minded, we¡¯ll just kill him . On the other hand, if he seems smart, then there¡¯s probably a reason he confidently walked into our grounds . We need to proceed with caution in that case . " "Even if he¡¯s cunning, what can he do? He¡¯s just a brat at Early Core Realm," Third Elder Tyrel said with a smirk . "Forget the Patriarch, the rest of us can kill him with barely any effort . " "Caution . " Patriarch Varick reminded . "Invite him . " It didn¡¯t take long for the doors of the room to open . A momentter, a brazen-looking youth walked in casually as he looked around with somewhat yful and interested expression . He wore leisurely loose clothes, with ck pants tied into leather boots, and simple, white shirt atop . Pyramid-shaped ne hung around his neck, and his hair was tied up into a crane . His ck eyes seemed simple, yet carried a sense of shrewdness unfound in others his age . "Saw enough?" Third Elder asked with a frown as Lino had barely even looked at them . "..." Lino nced casually at the table and six people surrounding it, noticing their expression . Eh? So you guys wanna y the hardcore style? Don¡¯t mind if I do, then . "Sure . " he said, smiling faintly . "Where¡¯s my chair?" his question stunned the six for a moment before their expressions grew grim . "You think you have the right to sit with the six of us?" the man at the topmost position ¨C Patriarch, by Lino¡¯s calctions ¨C said in a heavy tone . "Why not?" Lino said, his lips still curled up in a smile . "From what I know, I saved your daughter¡¯s life . The least you can do is offer me a chair to rest my ass on, right?" hundreds of thoughts began formting across the six minds as they analyzed the youth¡¯s casual demeanor . "Sure . " Patriarch Varick smiled weakly before a chair suddenly appeared next to Lino, who immediately sat down as though the ce was his own house . "Aah, much better," Lino said . "So, how can I help the honorable elders?" "How did you survive?" First Elder immediately got straight to the point . "I was saved . " Lino said . "Saved? By whom?" the Elder asked . "By a weird-looking boy . He said he was peak lord or something, I don¡¯t know . " Lino replied as though it was none of his business, yet his casual words echoed like thunder inside the minds of six . They all had the single thought: Peak Lord knows! As Lino had spent considerable time in Vye¡¯s proximity, there¡¯s no way that a Peak Lord would miss her scent on him . "Did he help you heal as well?" Patriarch Varick took a deep breath before asking; it didn¡¯t matter if the boy knew or not, the key point is that the Peak Lord knew . It looked like they wouldn¡¯t be able to stay here any longer . "Yeah," Lino said, smiling faintly; Geez, can you guys at least try and pretend you don¡¯t care about my words? I¡¯m reading you easier than those orphanage kids... Even if Lino was uncertain as to whether Vye was a Demon up until this point, that fact was just confirmed by their reaction . " So, did you guys prepare my reward yet or should I wait some?" "Reward?" First Elder mumbled, frowning deeply . "Of course . Why do you think I saved that kid otherwise?" Lino said . "I may look like a dashing hero, but she¡¯s definitely not a hot damsel in distress worth risking my life for . So, I was promised a reward . " "... how do we know you¡¯re not colluding with the assassins?" Second Elder asked, and now it was Lino¡¯s time to frown; Looks like these bastards are really nning to kill me, eh? Should I just take my chance? They¡¯re definitely not taking me seriously, and there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll let me get even a whiff of Vye from today onward . "Then kill me . " Lino said, grinning . "If you can, that is . " "Nonsense!!" Second Elder pped the table as he roared . "Didn¡¯t your mother teach you to respect your elderly?!" "... elderly? How are you my elderly?" Lino asked . "I met you five minutes ago, and all of you have been staring at me as though you were starving wolves seeing a sheep for the first time in a year . Instead of being given a reward for saving that worthless brat, you¡¯re making up excuses to get rid of me instead . However, I hate these games, which is why I was just giving you guys a helping hand . Go on . Kill me . If you can, that is . " Lino said as he clutched [Celestial Rod] in his pocket . That was his source of confidence alongside the three-attack-immunity provided by his ne; whether they were Peak Core Realm or even Soul Realm cultivators, the poisoned darts could kill them . He had already practiced shooting them like mad before he departed for the mountain range, and he was confident in being able to kill at least four of them before they even knew what hit them, and that was only because he had to shoot two darts at the Patriarch for precaution . The atmosphere stiffened as Lino waited, still carrying a casual and indifferent expression . "You may leave," Patriarch Varick said in a heavy tone . "You¡¯ll be escorted to the temporary room, and you¡¯ll be given rewards and official thanks tomorrow . Satisfied?" "I¡¯ll be waiting . " Lino said as he smiled and got up, leaving the room . Eh, I did not expect that . Hmm... what now? Should I wait until they begin the preparations to move? He always knew that killing Vye would be anything but easy, but he realized that the difficulty increased exponentially just now . Should I have yed it soft instead? Eh, no way, those bastards would have killed me on the spot... Chapter 14 Chapter 14 CHAPTER 14 IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST Lino was escorted into a small house at the very edge of the impromptu-city within the valley . It was more akin to a shack rather than a proper house, but he didn¡¯t mind . Inside the house he only found a single bed, a table, a chair and a simple firece . He quickly lied down atop the bed and felt exhaustion ovee his body as he sighed out . His mind drifted away into countless thoughts, some having to do with Vye, Endo n, as well as the world atrge . He learned a lot from his quick scan over the small library, and it would take a while to swallow everything properly . He doubted very much that Endo n ¨C as well as the rest of them ¨C are here by choice . Umbra Kingdom has no cultivation inheritances, making it a simple, Mortal Kingdom, practically a backwater vige for cultivators . Yet, three powers full of cultivators were stationed here . He realized that they probablycked strength to sustain themselves elsewhere, but he didn¡¯t care . After a brief moment, he discarded the thoughts atrge; his current priority was trying to figure out how to kill Vye without dying himself . On his way over to the gathering of big shots, as well as on the way back, he carefully inspected the city streets as well as possible blind spots . However, he doubted that knowledge would serve him much; there¡¯s no doubt that Vye won¡¯t be leaving Patriarch¡¯s side for as long as he remained here . No matter what he did, they will never trust him . "Aah, what a pain in the ass..." Lino mumbled, looking at the ceiling . He didn¡¯t have an idea on how long would he be staying here, but he had a feeling it won¡¯t be too long . He intended to use the Peak Lord merely as a shield, but it looks like he stirred ho¡¯s nest more than he wanted . It wasn¡¯t as though he waspletely out of options; he could simply stay here and spy and inform that bald guy of the Endo n¡¯s movements and the fact that they¡¯ll also be leaving this Kingdom . However, that was hisst resort . He never enjoyed leaving his fate in someone else¡¯s hands; fifteen years in the orphanage had taught him the hard truth ¨C there are no good people in the world, just those who can afford to be good for a period of time . He himself wasn¡¯t any different; self-interest peaked when it came to the worldly attachments, and everything else came afterwards . One can¡¯t hope to meet people like Eggor and E, who stand out amongst the crowd and are willing to offer a helping hand without gaining anything back . That old guy didn¡¯t let him go because he was a good person and Lino was a young kid . He let him go because the n already fell apart, and he decided to at least wait and see whether Lino could salvage it . If he could, then it was a worthy investment; if not, he¡¯d just proceed with the same route he¡¯d take if he killed Lino in the first ce . Leading members of the Endo n weren¡¯t any different; they didn¡¯t attack Lino not because he saved Vye, but because they are uncertain ¨C Lino provided them with just enough truth to scare them, but gave a vague enough answer that they won¡¯t be able to form a full picture . Just like he was spying on them, they were spying on him, waiting for him to make a move . Lino spotted at least seven people watching his small house; every breath he took, every fart of his would be spotted and reported . He had a suspicion that the moment he activated any of themunication talismans, he¡¯d be besieged from every corner and killed on the spot . Being watched so closely was ufortable, but it¡¯s not as though he could ask them politely to leave . "Tche," he clicked his tongue, rolling on the bed . "This really is a pain in the ass... eh, I guess I¡¯ll wait for the night . " He entered shallow sleep while maintaining a small ounce of awareness on his surroundings . Regardless, even if he was going to do something, he needed to be properly rested for it . Hours quickly passed, and night arrived . When he woke up and looked outside the window, he noticed that the full moon was already midway through the sky . He also realized that there were additional three people spying on him, totaling in ten . He smiled bitterly and shook his head; there was no way he could sneak out without being spotted . The entire perimeter surrounding his house was locked; even a fly wouldn¡¯t be able to move unspotted . He sighed and got off the bed, walking over and leaving the house through the front doors . He didn¡¯t even take two steps forward before a shadow emerged from the darkness and formed a familiar youth who stared at him with a faint trace of malice . "Where are you going?" the youth asked . "A stroll . " Lino replied simply . "It¡¯s best if you stay inside for the rest of the night . " the youth said in a somewhat threatening tone . "..." Linozily nced at him . "There are two ways this can end," Lino said calmly . "Either you¡¯ll let me go, or I¡¯ll kill all ten of you and then go . It¡¯s your choice . " "... do you really think this is your backyard?" the youth asked, his expression darkening . "So you can move as you wish?" before the youth even had a chance to finish his sentence, he felt cold de pressing against the side of his neck; his dark expression disappeared, reced by one of shock and fear . He nced sideways and saw Lino holding a stretched out sword, pressed against youth¡¯s neck . He then lifted his eyes and looked at Lino¡¯s eyes; they were cold, indifferent, terribly dark to the point he felt as though world suddenly froze . "I do . " Lino said . "So be smart . " Lino already felt all nine other people surrounding him, ready to leap at him at a moment¡¯s notice . While one of his arms held a sword, the other clutched the [Celestial Rod]; there are always different ways to deal with the situation, but he had already predetermined the way he would be dealing with Endo n . If he suddenly listened to the words of this youth, then his performance against Elders would be questioned . There¡¯s no doubt that every one of his decisions was being monitored, which is why he had to act all the way through . "Can I go?" "... y-yes..." the youth said as he gulped . "What¡¯s your name?" Lino asked as he withdrew the sword and ced it back into the ne . "... G-Garel..." the youth said . "Garel, huh?" Lino said, looking at youth deeply . "That¡¯s the second time you pissed me off . " he added coldly as he took a step forward; as he passed by the youth, he whispered coldly into his ear . "There won¡¯t be a third . " Casually passing by, he headed straight toward the city; his ¡¯watchers¡¯ followed after him immediately, but he paid them no heed . Although it was alreadyte night, the city was still rather alive; several taverns and pubs were still working full-force, and music echoed from several ces . He headed over to one of the pubs and entered; he was weed by a loud bustle and a nearly packed two-story tall building . Wiggling his way through the crowd, he found an empty seat in one of the corners and sat down . Most of the people in the pub were ordinary mortals that didn¡¯t cultivate, which didn¡¯t surprise him; even if it was a n of cultivators, it would be impossible for everyone to be a cultivator . Rather, majority of poption were ordinary mortals . Shortly after, a simply-dressed girl that appeared even younger than him approached . "Hello," she said, forcing a smile on her face . "What would you like to drink?" "... mead . " Lino replied simply . "A bottle or a cup?" the girl asked . "A bottle . " "Just a moment . " Lino took out a few silvers and ced them on the table as he waited for the girl toe back . Meanwhile, he calmly observed the people around; there was a small, raised tform at the other side of the pub where a scantily dressed woman was singing a bard song . Majority of the audience were drunkards who were mostly trying to figure out angles to see whether they could spot the forbidden ces on her body . Yet, as though by masterful design, no matter how much they tried, the ces were hidden . ~~Ale, ale, the drunken tale Of the man who¡¯s lost Ale, ale, the hidden vale Find at any cost Ale, ale, the Judgment Day Of the man who¡¯s lost Ale, ale, the shipwrecked sail Find the treasure lost Bring out kegs of wine and ale I¡¯m the one who drinks I will drink it ¡¯till I¡¯m full ¡¯Till my mouth begins to stink Somece across the seas Rests a kingly bed Where the sailors Maidens tease Find the treasure said Ale, ale, the drunken tale Of the man who¡¯s lost Ale, ale, the hidden vale Find at any cost Ale, ale, the Judgment Day Of the man who¡¯s lost Ale, ale, the shipwrecked sail Find the treasure lost Heed, heed the treasured seed Sail toward the north For once you¡¯ve done this deed None shall more tread forth Don the blessed crown Be the King of Men Let them kneel and bow Again, again and again Ale, ale, the drunken tale of the man who¡¯s lost Ale, ale, the hidden vale Find at any cost Ale, ale, the Judgment Day Of the man who¡¯s lost Ale, ale, the shipwrecked sail Find the treasure lost On thend without maidenhead Rests the kingly tomb Find the rivers of finest ale Drink them ¡¯till you¡¯re full Once your belly¡¯s grown in size From the finest ale Journey forth toward the cries Fulfill the olden tale Ale, ale, the drunken tale of the man who¡¯s lost Ale, ale, the hidden vale Find at any cost Ale, ale, the Judgment Day Of the man who¡¯s lost Ale, ale, the shipwrecked sail Find the treasure lost~~ On the other hand, most of those who were sitting on chairs were solitary figures like Lino . They all drank slowly, asionallyughing at something . Lino didn¡¯t have to wait long for his drink to arrive; the girl ced a bottle of mead and a wooden cup before taking silver, bowing lightly and disappearing back whence she came from . Lino slowly uncapped the bottle and smelled the contents; he furrowed his brows slightly; the smell was rather sweet, intoxicatingly so . It wasn¡¯t his first time drinking mead, but the one Eggor bought was much tamer inparison . Regardless, he poured half a cup and drank a gulp; much like its smell, it was rather sweet and condensed . The reason he ordered an entire bottle was because he nned on staying in the pub the entire night, and he simply needed a reason . Even if cultivators of the n would keep their mouths shut in front of him, the same can¡¯t be said for the mortals . Regardless of how prosperous a Kingdom was, there would always be poor ones ¨C the same went with ns . And, usually, the poorest would gather at ces like this where they could vent some steam before having to go back to mundane tasks . He merely needed to wait for someone either drunk or desperate enough to approach him . However little Endo n knew about him, he knew even less about them . He didn¡¯t know the structure, the rules, the history, or even where everyone was stationed and what were the living conditions . These kinds of things may not seem to bepletely necessary are essential if he was to even have a whiff of a chance ofpleting his task . Thus, he sat silently in the corner, asionally taking a sip of mead and observing . After a woman¡¯s performance, some bald, bearded guy climbed up the tform and started performing with pan pipes; it was a rather quick-paced song, causing many to start dancing wildly . Meanwhile, as the song reached its peak, Lino spotted the woman who just performed approaching his table; she appeared to be inte thirties, with rather developed body . Her simple robe could barely contain her breasts, and it¡¯s not as though she bothered to hide the ravine between them . Her ck hair was tied up in a bun and her long legs were all but cleanly exposed . She eyed him and smiled before approaching and sitting down across from him, leaning on her hands as she stared intently into his eyes . "You new?" she asked after a short while . Hmm, she can¡¯t be bought... it¡¯s probably best if I don¡¯t waste any time . Lino concluded immediately . "Not interested . " Lino said . "You can leave . " "Oh? That¡¯s rather cold of you . " the woman smiled as her eyes radiated strangely . "Maybe you just haven¡¯t seen enough?" she added as she slipped her robe sideways, revealing one of her breasts entirely . Aii, what are you doing?! I¡¯m here to gather information, not be dazzled! "Khm, you sure you haven¡¯t vitality of fifty women to get them to be that big?" Lino asked casually as he took a sip of mead, not daring to look directly at the exposed part . "Ha ha," the womanughed seductively before pulling the robe back over her breasts . "Who knows? Even if I did, it¡¯s not as though it wasn¡¯t worth it, right?" "... aii aunty, don¡¯t y with me," Lino said, smiling lightly . "I¡¯m saving myself for the marriage days . I need to be pure for the love of my life . " "..." "..." "I can help you . " the woman said, smiling sweetly . "I very much doubt that . " Lino replied . "You want information," the woman said, flinging her hair backwards as she took the bottle of mead and took a few gulps straight out . "And I want out . " "..." Lino furrowed his brows as he red at the woman for a moment . "Aii, don¡¯t give me that look . I know every single face in this god forsaken ce, but yours I don¡¯t recognize . It can only mean you¡¯re new; I don¡¯t care why you¡¯re here or what you¡¯re nning on doing . I just want to make a simple deal . " "..." Lino remained silent, but encouraged the woman with his eyes . "I know practically everything that¡¯s going on in this ce," the woman said, ying with the bottle . "Whether it has to do with these pigs behind me, or those pigs above me who im themselves gods . I can tell you all you need to know and, in exchange, I want you to help me escape this ce . " "... why do you think I have a way to leave this ce?" Lino asked casually, taking a sip of mead . "You just look the part . " "That¡¯s awfully little to be betting on . " "My intuition never failed me . Why do you think I managed to survive in this ce so far with the body like mine?" "You¡¯re really not the humble type, are you?" Lino said, smiling lightly . "I have it, I unt it . Is there something wrong with that?" the woman asked . "Certainly not . " Lino replied . "Why do you trust me, though?" "I don¡¯t . " "Ouch . " "No hard feelings," the woman said, smiling . "I can sense that you¡¯re a cultivator, but you¡¯re not from this ce . Now, you can either be a saint or a devil, I don¡¯t really care as long as you get me out of here . " "Why do you want to leave in the first ce?" Lino asked casually . "From what I¡¯ve seen, the ce doesn¡¯t seem bad . " "You haven¡¯t seen enough, then . " the woman said, her expression suddenly darkening . "If you had asked me a few years back, then sure, there would be no way in hell for me to leave this ce . " "What changed?" "... do we have a deal?" woman asked instead, smiling . "I don¡¯t trust you . " Lino said simply . "You don¡¯t have to . Only idiots trust others when they¡¯re making deals . " "I¡¯m being shadowed by ten people," Lino said . "If you have a way to leave them behind, we have a deal . " the woman smiled sweetly for a moment before replying . "So you do have a way to leave this ce . " she said . "... eeh, I suppose you could call it ¡¯leaving¡¯ . " Lino said, smiling . "The question is... how far do you want to be escorted?" "... I¡¯ll let you know . " the woman said as she got up . "Follow me . " "Lead the way . " The two scurried through the thick crowds to the backside of the pub before they ended up in a small, storage room full of barrels of wine . Ignoring them, the woman proceeded toward the isted corner before crouching down and pulling the rug away, revealing floor-door beneath . Taking a key from her cleavage, to which Lino did his best to pretend he didn¡¯t see, she unlocked it and opened it slowly, causing faint creaking sound to emit outward . There was adder leading downwards atop which she quicklynded . Lino followed shortly after and, after about a minute of downward ¡¯climbing¡¯, the twonded into a rather narrow hallway faintly lit up with blue-flickering gemstones . "My name¡¯s Ae, by the way," the woman said as the two moved forward through the hallway . "Yours?" "Lino . " "Lino, eh? Do you know you¡¯re the first outsider toe here in the past twenty years?" the woman asked . "It must have been tough on you . " Lino said, smiling . "Ha ha, eh, a girl¡¯s gotta live," the woman said, shrugging her shoulders . The two reached a crossroad before Ae took left . "What about you? How¡¯d you end up here?" "I saved Vye¡¯s life . " Lino said . "Eh? That little Demon?" the woman eximed softly as she nced backward . "Eh?" Lino eximed right back, somewhat surprised . "Ha ha, don¡¯t look so surprised," Ae said, finding his reaction rather cute . "I know a lot more things than you imagine . Eh... so you saved her life . I didn¡¯t even know she left the n . " "If you know she¡¯s a Demon, why don¡¯t you tell others?" Lino asked . "Who would believe me?" Ae scoffed . "Since the day she was born, Patriarch and others propped her up as the ¡¯blessed child¡¯ . She¡¯s practically worshiped by anyone who¡¯s worth anything in the n . " "... is that so..." "Why did you save her if you know she¡¯s a demon?" Ae asked . "Learned that after the fact . " "Unfortunate . " "Why do you think I¡¯m here?" Lino said, smiling widely . "Eh?! No, no! At least get me out of here first!" Ae said, somewhat panicked . "Even if you somehow manage to kill her, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll let you go!" "... aii, do you think I came here to trade my life for hers?" Lino said, shaking his head . "Don¡¯t worry, even if I did nothing, the n would leave this ce soon anyway . " "Eh? What do you mean?" Ae asked as they finally reached the end of the tunnel; she opened the simple, wooden doors andnded inside a small, makeshift room . She went toward the corner and lit up a few candles before sitting down and taking out two gourds of wine, handing Lino one . "Sit first . We can talk here in peace for a little while . So, what do you mean?" "... eh, let¡¯s just say that the fact Vye is a Demon is no longer a secret . " Lino said, smiling faintly . "... what is your n?" Ae asked . "No, no, information first . " Lino said . "Seeing those gigantic tits of yours, it would be no wonder if they sent you to pry my di-I mean lips open . " "... ha ha ha," Ae burst out intoughter whichsted for a long while before she forcibly calmed herself down . "Alright... alright, fair enough . So, what do you want to know?" "... everything . " Lino said, taking a sip of wine . "... well, if you¡¯re nning on assassinating them one by one, I can tell you where they reside . However, all their abodes are protected by high-level formations, and even I¡¯ve never been inside . " Ae said . "No, that would take too long . " Lino shook his head . "Also, I¡¯m not that confident in being unnoticed . " "... alright . Do you n on fighting them out in the open, then?" Ae asked . "... aah, looks like I really have to be one asking the questions," Lino said, smiling . "Is there any good smithy here that isn¡¯t inspected daily?" "Smithy? Hmm..." Ae thought for a moment . "There¡¯s Old Shack¡¯s . He died a few years ago, but no one inherited his shop, so it¡¯s closed right now . I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s the same with the smithy . " "Hmm... alright . Are you confident in grabbing some simple ingredients?" Lino asked . "Oh? You¡¯re a cksmith?" "Yup . " "How simple?" Ae asked . "... hmm, as long as it¡¯s any ore above Level 20, and any herbs above Level 15 it should be fine . It wouldn¡¯t hurt if you could get a hold of some sturdy metal either . " Lino said . "Ore and metal shouldn¡¯t really be a problem," Ae said slowly . "But herbs... especially above Level 10... at most, I can get you 4-5, and even that¡¯s if I take a risk . " "No need for a risk . Just grab 2-3 if you can . " "I can do that . " "Hmm... good . Is there any grand formation guarding the ce?" Lino asked . "There should be," Ae said . "However, as you can see, I¡¯m just an ordinary Mortal, so even if there is, that¡¯s not something I¡¯m privy to knowing . " "Why aren¡¯t you cultivating, by the way?" Lino asked . "Lack of talent?" "Hah, I wouldn¡¯t know . " "Hm?" "It¡¯s not as though everyone in the n is given a chance at cultivating," Ae replied bitterly . "I¡¯m a daughter of ordinary farmers . Even though I was born here, nobody paid any attention to one of the hundreds of babies that were born from ordinary, Mortal families . Those bastards safeguard their cultivation methods to the point of paranoia . That¡¯s why it¡¯s beyond difficult to even leave n¡¯s grounds even if you¡¯re a cultivator . They¡¯re afraid someone will spread them out in the open . " "... eh, if you¡¯re still willing, I may have a way . " Lino said, smiling mysteriously . "I¡¯m almost forty . " Ae said . "It¡¯s far, far toote for me . " "Ha ha, you never know," Lino added . "Well, it¡¯s high time I went back . " "Eh? Didn¡¯t you want to leave your bodyguards behind?" Ae asked . "Change of ns," Lino said . "I¡¯ve already found my information broker . Besides, it should be a few days before they show any movements . In the meantime, you do your best to gather the ingredients . I¡¯lle back tomorrow, same time . We can disappear on the pretense of having fun . " "You know, it doesn¡¯t have to be pretense . " Ae said, biting her lower lip seductively . "... damn, that was hot . " Lino said, sighing . "I¡¯ll think about it . As long as you don¡¯t charge me, though . After all, I¡¯m a piss poor, farmer boy . " "Don¡¯t worry," Ae said . "As long as it¡¯s you, it¡¯s free . " "..." The woman¡¯s a devil! Ah, I really wanna bury my head there... "I¡¯ll see you tomorrow . " "Hm . It¡¯s a date . " Ae said, still smiling . Lino quickly escaped back through the way he came, afraid he¡¯ll give in . The gears of his mind immediately began spinning as he adjusted his n . The reason he came out tonight was to gather information, and even though it seemed as though he didn¡¯t learn much, he actually learned quite a lot . Six ns he was concocting beforehand were thrown out the window, while new ones were forming . In the end, even this was form of tempering; he had too little experience with the world . Even now, he didn¡¯t trust Ae, which is why he didn¡¯t tell her his n and even left a few hints here and there to lead her astray . This was his first exposure to the world of cultivation, and he didn¡¯t know what rules andws and ideals they lived under . Even if everything falls apart, he was still confident in saving his life; not only was he much faster and had more endurance than the rest, he still had the [Celestial Rod] and the ne crafted by Eggor ¨C [Jade Ne], which allowed him to negate three attacks from under Level 100 hostiles . He casually walked back to his temporary abode while his guard dogs followed him in the shadows . Just as he entered and sat on the bed, his body suddenly shook as he realized something: he reached Level 30 . Although he was slightly surprised, it wasn¡¯t to the point he didn¡¯t know why . always operated, even when he was sleeping or walking, constantly drawing in Qi and refining it, meaning that he was technically leveling all the time . The surprise came after . He suddenly felt a familiar sense of loss as he plummeted back onto the bed, and as his consciousness was drawn to both a familiar and unfamiliar world . Unlike before, there were no longer four worlds intersecting with him at the center . There was only one: World of Blood . Chapter 15 Chapter 15 CHAPTER 15 FIRST EVOLUTION As Lino came to, the first thing he realized was almost unbearable stench that assailed his nostrils . He immediately hunched over and puked everything he didn¡¯t shit out in the past week . His eyes teared up as the stench seemed to have materialized into something tangible . It took nearly ten minutes before he could somewhat endure it and look around . As he predicted when he suddenly felt his consciousness being pulled elsewhere, he found himself in the mysterious ce where he first chose the four Primal Spirits . Except, unlike the first time around, what weed him was just one world ¨C that of blood . It is also then that he realized that the blood itself was the source of the vomit-inducing stench . Looking far and wide, there was only blood; whether it was the ocean, the crimson sky, the bloodied mountains, or countless, warped lifeforms and nts inhabiting it ¨C everywhere he looked, there was only blood . For a moment, his entire body stiffened in primal fear, but as he realized that there was the thinning barrier between him and the world, he rxed somewhat as he took in his surroundings . As the initial shock slowly began to wane, he looked for the Primal Spirits like thest time, but he couldn¡¯t find anything . There wasn¡¯t even a mark of the world like the prior four . Eh? What is happening? Did the skill bug out or something?!! He panicked for a moment, but calmed himself down by constantly repeating that it¡¯ll be okay . It was only on the fifteenth minute after his arrival that he felt a difference ¨C his mind jolted for a moment before a massive headache invaded his brain, causing him to scream out in pain and fall onto the floor . Following the headache, a mass of information suddenly appeared inside his brain, followed by an ancient, t and almost dead-like voice . [Bearer of Writ... analyzing...] [Achievements: Good...] [Evaluation: Passed...] [Analyzing...] [ . . . ...] [First Gate ¨C Opened] [Acquired: Empyrean Will, Primal Spirit of Blood...] [... Requirements for the next evolution: Level 40, ying of a Soul Realm Cultivator...] [Proceeding with rewards...] As the voice slowly faded from his mind, the pain waned just enough for him to regain some resemnce of sanity . What assailed him afterwards was utter confusion and befuddlement . However, that confusion didn¡¯tst long as he quickly realized that there was additional info when he scoured through his knowledge of the Empyrean Writ . [Empyrean Writ ¨C refining body as a weapon . Bearer is required to undergo baptism of endless battles, refining not only body but will itself to the absolute peak . Small portion of in enemy¡¯s Qi will be absorbed into the Bearer at the initial stages of cultivation . Requirements: No Bloodline, mustn¡¯t¡¯ve learned any other cultivation method prior to learning Empyrean Writ, must be at age 15 or under, must have not been exposed to any form of Qi prior to learning Empyrean Writ . All requirements fulfilled . Bearer has unlocked Empyrean Writ¡¯s base function and acquired Primal Spirits of Four Base Elements . Evolution: Underwent First Evolution with Good evaluation . First Gate ¨C Bearer has unlocked the firstyer of Writ; Empyrean Writ¡¯s base regeneration of body increased by 100%; it is possible to refine blood of others for quicker healing; body is able to resist natural environments to a basic degree; the higher Level of the enemy in grants the greater Qi absorption . Gained ess to Empyrean Will . Empyrean Will [High-Mystic Grade] ¨C Bearer has acquired first Martial Art through evaluation . When activated, Bearer can resist the pressure of anyone below Level 300 . In addition, Bearer gains ability to hide his cultivation if so desired . It is possible for the Art to evolve to Supreme-Mystic Grade . Primal Spirit of Blood: Bearer has acquired chance to gain Low-Mystic Grade Primal Spirit of Blood . Bearer is yet to make a choice . Requirements for Second Evolution: Bearer must reach Level 40; Bearer must y Soul Realm cultivator before reaching Level 40 . ] However, even as he gained the answers he sought, he remained as confused as ever . What the hell is this?!! Although he wanted to scream that out loud, he was too scared one of those weird-looking things in the ocean of blood would pop out and bite him for disturbing them . When he first learned , the only thing he could read was the very intro about how the method revolved around refining body and such, and the requirement of unlocking base function and receiving the Primal Spirits . Even when he reached Core Realm stage, not much has changed outside of the requirement being ¡¯reach the strength of a bear¡¯ . But where the hell is that bear?!! What do you mean Evolution?!! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN BY KILLING SOUL REALM CULTIVATOR BEFORE REACHING LEVEL 40?!! No, before that, isn¡¯t this just a cultivation method?! Why does it seem like it has sentience?! s, Lino merely took a deep breath and discarded all stray thoughts . In the first ce, he didn¡¯t even want to be a cultivator! He just wanted to be a legendary cksmith! Why did E teach me this crap... I¡¯ll have to beat her up when I get back... Of course, deep down he knew that he stood no chance against her, but courage increases when the target of anger is far enough away . As he moved his eyes around, familiar sight weed him . However, unlike before, there were only three Primal Spirts that he could choose from ¨C one was a droplet of blood that kept wiggling strangely; another was blood-colored eye that kept bleeding blood out of somece; andst was a strange, pin-sized circlet that kept emitting crimson sheen . "Hmm... Primal Spirit Trog," Lino muttered as he looked at the first one . "Increases regenerative capabilities, can instantly heal surface wounds..." he quickly skipped it as he already had ridiculous regeneration due to , and that was even before the ¡¯First Evolution¡¯ ¨C whatever that was . "Primal Spirit Glog," he looked at the eye-shaped one . "You can... eh, what?!! You can see the stats of others as long as they¡¯re not 100 Levels higher than you?!! What the fuck do you mean by this?!! Doesn¡¯t this break the world?!" Lino didn¡¯t even bother looking at the third as he quickly gobbled up the poor eye as though it was the best-tasting meat in the world . [Primal Spirit of Blood ¨C Glog [Low-Mystic Grade] ¨C Gain ability to see the stats of everyone as long as they don¡¯t surpass you by 100 Levels . The amount of stats revealed is rted to the Level difference; it is possible to evolve Glog into a Supreme-Divine Grade Primal Spirit where all restrictions will disappear . ] Lino remained dumbfounded for about few minutes before recovering just enough sanity for his only thought not to be ¡¯this is broken!¡¯ . Just as he regained that slimmer of sanity, he was mercilessly ejected from the world of blood and thrown back into the murky room and stifling bed . He groaned as headache assaulted him yet again but, luckily, didn¡¯tst long . Sitting up, he went over everything that he had learned, yet still couldn¡¯t really process . What he did know, though, was that is much more than meets the eye . Just from the fact that he could hide his cultivation and appearpletely ordinary to being able to read everyone¡¯s stats ¨C while being barely Level 30 ¨C proved him that, to say nothing of the ridiculous requirement to y a Soul Realm cultivator before reaching Level 40 . Luckily, it said nothing about being disallowed to use external help ¨C is what Lino thought deep down . Still, regardless of the benefits, he considered it pain in the ass nheless . Even if he wanted to stop leveling, he couldn¡¯t! Even if he did nothing but sleep all day long for the rest of his life, he¡¯d probably reach at least Eggor¡¯s level! However, the true way to level by using , he learned, is to basically start ughtering everyone and everything . The stronger a cultivator he ys, the more of their Qi will he absorb, meaning the stronger he himself will be . Aii, I don¡¯t want to be ughterer, he thought, dejectedly . I want people who use my celestial weapons to be ughterers! What surprised him the most, though, was the fact that he¡¯ll be able to see the stats of others . Of course, just how much he could see depended on the level difference, but even if he could just see the actual Level, it was more than anyone else could . That was because he already asked E before and she said that no such ability exists in the cultivation world from her knowledge . Stats refer to everything that epasses a being, waged into a numerical value . There are perhaps millions of stats to define every characteristic, but even when Lino views his own stats, he condenses them into the smallest possible units . While it¡¯s not a proper evaluation, nobody has time to go over millions of irrelevant numbers to understand something perfectly . He closed his eyes for a moment and went over his stats once more, where a small surprise awaited him . [Lyonel Qa¡¯yi ¨C Human ¨C Level 30] Titles: Bearer of Writ (???) upations: Beggar (Level 10), cksmith (Level 23) Martial Arts: (Level 1) Primal Spirits: Ra, Ye, Gu, Li, Glog Damage: 216 Defense: 79 Named Creations: Celestial Rod (Unique), Celestial te (Unique) Before he started cultivating, he only had three stats: his nickname ¨C Lino ¨C the fact that he was human, and his level . He couldn¡¯t even see his damage or defense, let alone anything else . However, as he went over the upations, his eyebrows twitched lightly and his lips curled up into an evil grin . "... what do you mean ¡¯Beggar¡¯, you bastard? Who¡¯s a beggar?! Your mom¡¯s a beggar, dammit!!" however, he truly did end up begging for bread through most of his childhood . What was even more insulting that it was just Level 10 after all that suffering! However, what surprised him the most were the numerical values of Damage and Defense; these two stats are condensed versions of hundreds of thousands of branches, and while they aren¡¯t pinpoint perfect, they¡¯re the closest one can get to it . Being Level 30, he expected his damage to be around 150 at most because average of cultivators at Level 30 is around 180 . Defense was even bigger headache as average was merely 40, yet he had double that . As he had thought, truly isn¡¯t simple; just with his body alone, he was sturdier than a knight d in full te armor . Still, he put it all to the back of his mind because, in the end, he didn¡¯t want to be world-toppling cultivator, but a legendary cksmith! As the night came along again, he left the small house and headed back into the same pub, with his entourage closely behind . Sitting in the same corner, he ordered a bottle of mead and waited for Ae to arrive . She popped out from within the massive crowd roughly an hour after midnight and casually walked over to him, smiling seductively in the process . "It¡¯s prepared . " she said softly as she sat down and took the bottle of mead and drank some of it . "Eh? That was quick . " Lino said casually . "I¡¯m a quick worker, after all . " Ae said . "Hmm... if it¡¯s ready, it¡¯s best if I immediately go to the smithy . " "Oh? Already?" "I can¡¯t be certain when they¡¯ll make a move," Lino said . "It¡¯s best to be prepared . " "Eeh... and here I thought we¡¯d first have some fun . " "..." "Ah, whatever," Ae said, stretching as she got up . "Follow me . Time to lose your dogs . " "Oh, I can¡¯t wait . " She led him through the same passage as yesterday, but instead of staying in the room, they took the back exit through which they arrived at the nearby alley, roughly half a mile away from the pub . Using the cover of the night, the two slithered through the simr alleys in-between the buildings as they went deeper into the valley, toward the other side . The abandoned smithy was right next to a steep cliff and a waterfall, and it turned out to be a two-story building with a rather spacious backyard . "I¡¯ve already put all the items inside," she exined . "There¡¯s some ore, some herbs, and I got you some wolf hide as well . " "Oh, nice!" Lino eximed as they entered the house under the guise of night . "Aren¡¯t you leaving?" "Eh? What? You won¡¯t touch, nor allow me to watch?" Ae said, smiling lightly . "..." Lino said nothing and merely sighed as they went deeper into the house, soon arriving at the backside . The room they entered was rtively small and cramped, but it truly was a smithy; Lino found the furnace, anvil and grindstone, as well as various tools hanging off the wall . While it wasn¡¯t as good as Eggor¡¯s, he calcted it would be enough for his needs . The materials Ae prepared were sitting in the corner; going over them, he was rather surprised as she managed to find Level 25 type ore, [Veined Ore], hide of a Level 23 wolf beast, as well as various herbs, all above Level 15 . While he was slightly disappointed that there weren¡¯t any types of metals, he figured it would be enough . Quickly taking off his top, he moved to the furnace and threw in some firewood before lighting it up with Tri-Spirit mes . While he let the mes seethe, he moved over and ced all the herbs he had onto the anvil and slowly ground some into powder, mixing them carefully before condensing them into a pseudo-pill, whose coating wouldst only an hour or two at most . As he had no leatherworking materials, he was forced to work with wolf hide crudely, but since he nned it as inner-coating of the shield, it would be enough . Meanwhile, Ae sat in the corner and carefully observed him . While she was initially surprised seeing his muscr body, after seeing how meticulous he was and realizing that he was truly a cksmith, it made more sense . After melting ores, Lino realized that the shield he was going to make was a bit toorge, causing him to have to form its shape midair through the usage of Qi . Picking up the hammer from his ne, he began banging at the sides; the crude shape of the shield revealed basic, rectangr vanguard shield, as tall as half a person and half as wide . It was the perfect type to hide from arrow bombardment, but, in his case, it would be spell bombardment which is why he alloyed it twice over with the remaining ore before cutting open various holes in a specific pattern across the shield¡¯s surface . He ced the pseudo-pill at the centermost part before taking the remaining herbs and slowly drawing over lines through Qi that all connected the centermost part and the open holes, as though he was drawing a diagram . He was actually attempting to formte a basic array called [Reflection] . While hecked practical experience with arrays, he didn¡¯t falter and concentrated twice as much as ever before toplete it . Slowly but surely, the red-heated shield began to cool while the lines he cut across its surface with Qi lit up gently for a moment before dimming down . He then took the reworked wolf hide and alloyed the inner parts of the shield to counter the eventual recoil as much as possible . After the shield took shape, he quickly made a simple-looking handle and nodded in satisfaction . It was a rather crude-looking shield with several jagged corners . Itcked perfect symmetry and appeared rather inconspicuous, which was a bonus Lino wasn¡¯t working towards . After he finished and ced the shield down, he was ovee with the sudden feeling of exhaustion, causing him to immediately plummet onto the floor and exhale as though he ran ten miles without stop . Sweat had covered every inch of his body, and as he looked out the window he realized that it was almost dawn; he had been working on the shield for over four hours . ncing back, he saw Ae sleeping on the chair . Due to her leaning position, one side of her robe fell from her shoulder, revealing her chest . The sight caused Lino¡¯s eyes to light up, but he quickly shook his head as he realized that now wasn¡¯t the time . After recovering for a few minutes, he got up again and inspected the shield . [Celestial Vanguard Shield ¨C Rare] Level: 30 Defense: 103 Durability: 300 Special Effect: Infuse Qi to reflect iing attack (Level disparity must not berger than 40) . 5 Durability is consumed for each reflected attack . Special Effect: Expand shield to four times its size . The shield gains +200 Defense for the duration of 10 seconds, and it cannot be destroyed . Requires natural charge-up period of 2 days after usage . Note: Created with absolute defense in mind . Third item in the Celestial Series of the up-anding cksmith . He sighed in relief as he noticed that the array was sessfully engraved . Although it was the most basic one, with rather simple functionality, it was more than enough . Even though the description made it sound as though he¡¯d be able to reflect anything as long as the shield has durability and as long as he doesn¡¯t breach Level disparity, Lino knew that was far from truth . For instance, attacks with pierce-option could easily break through shield¡¯s defense, let alone be reflected . In addition, any weapon with at least 150 Damage couldpletely ignore the shield¡¯s defense unless he activates the second special effect . Thetter, though, is a life-saving card, much like the shield on his ne, which he didn¡¯t dare use lightly; it was also one of the reasons why he didn¡¯t activate the ne shield when the old man punched him almost to death . After resting for a few more minutes and cing the shield into his ne, he walked over to Ae, his cheeks beet red, as he pulled her robe over her shoulder slowly before shaking her to wake her up . After a few shakes, she jolted up, nearly kicking him in the groin in the process . "Oh, sorry, sorry," she said, smiling apologetically . "I¡¯m usually alone in bed by the time I wake up, so you caught me by surprise..." "... dammit woman, forget that, why do you even wear anything?!" Linoined, seeing that her breasts were out again . "It¡¯s not like it¡¯s covering anything!" "Oh, look at you all red, he he," Ae smiled, not bothering to pull her robe up . "What? You can keep looking as much as you want, I don¡¯t mind . " "... really?" Lino mumbled . "Of course, go ahead . It¡¯s not like they serve any other purpose . " Ae said, sitting back down and yawning . "Oh, right, did you finish it?" "Hm? Ah, yes," Lino said as he took out the shield and absentmindedly handed it over, never taking his eyes off from the pair of ratherrge and round peaks . "I¡¯ve already unlocked the stats . " "..." Ae was slightly shocked as she saw the sheer size of the shield, and even more shocked when she realized she couldn¡¯t even move it, let alone lift it due to its weight . After looking over the stats, she was even more shocked; she¡¯d seen many shields in her life, but this was the first time she¡¯d seen a shield with special options . In addition, most shields she¡¯d seen had less than 100 durability . Well, considering the size, it¡¯s not like this shield can be used by a single person... "Eh, not bad . So, you¡¯ve seen enough?" Ae smiled as she pulled her robe up, jolting Lino from his daze . "..." he blushed for a moment before taking the shield and storing it into the ne, coughing awkwardly . "He he, don¡¯t be so nervous," she said, slowly getting up and hugging him from behind . "If you can bring me out of this n, I¡¯ll show you much... much... more~~" "... khm, it¡¯s almost dawn," Lino coughed, wriggling out of her grasp . "We best go back . They¡¯re probably freaked out over losing me already . They might move their ns up . " "Why go back?" Ae asked, tilting her head in confusion . "It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll try making friends with them, right? So, seeing as you¡¯ve already escaped their sight, you may as well hole up here and wait until they make a move before making a move yourself . " "..." Lino looked at her with wide, round eyes . "Eh? What?" "You¡¯re brilliant!!" "... isn¡¯t it that you¡¯re just stupid?" "... that hurt . " Lino mumbled, sitting down . "But, you¡¯re right . I¡¯m not that experienced, so while it may seem like the obvious thing to do to you, to me it¡¯s a novelty . " "Oh my . You¡¯re surprisingly straightforward . " Ae said as she brought her chair next to his and sat down . "How confident are you in escaping?" she asked . "Hmm... I¡¯m pretty confident now," Lino said, stroking the ne lightly . "As long as nothing unexpected happens, we should be fine . " "... unexpected? Why do I feel your words just triggered some weird cosmic calctor?" Ae asked, smiling bitterly . "Bleh, if I had that kind of strength I wouldn¡¯t be sneaking through the alleys like some rat . " "Are you saying I¡¯m a rat, then?" "... no, you¡¯re a mouse . " "What¡¯s the difference?" Ae asked . "Mice are cuter than rats . " Lino replied, smiling widely as he nced at her . "Oh my . A natural charmer, huh?" "Of co---" Lino suddenly stopped talking as his gaze narrowed; he quickly pulled Ae in his embrace and jumped backwards . A mere momentter, the front part of the house exploded into smithereens, causing a massive hole to appear . Lino faintly infused Qi into his eyes as he looked through the dust and rubble; in front of the house, nearly twenty people were gathered, surrounding itpletely . "Tche," he clicked his tongue as hended, still carrying shocked Ae with ease . "Looks like we¡¯ve been found out . " "Eh?! Shit, isn¡¯t this bad?!" Ae eximed . "Nah, they didn¡¯t bring anyone strong enough," Lino said as he grinned for a moment . "Looks like the bastards have finally started moving . " "... what now?" "Now?" Lino said as he nced backwards, looking through the window; there were ten more people behind . "Now we have some fun . . . " Chapter 16 Chapter 16 CHAPTER 16 DEATH¡¯S SHADOW Patriarch Varick and the Six Prime Elders were currently standing at the topmost perch of the valley, overlooking the entire town below . Their expressions were rather grim, eyes dimmed in shade, full of reluctance . Behind them were other senior figures of the n, alongside Vye who appeared to be the most confused one of all those present . She was currently wearing rather tight, leather clothes, her hair tied up neatly behind her back . Although the clothes appeared rather irregr, they were actually specially-crafted items that could prevent a deadly blow from anyone below Soul Realm . Patriarch Varick¡¯s eyes scanned the entire valley for a moment before he sighed and spread Divine Sense ¨C something only those at Soul Realm are capable of doing . Whatever was hidden behind the roofed houses and tall walls and crevices of the valley was quickly revealed to his mind . At the far edge of the city, inside the abandoned house, he recognized two figures sitting next to each other . His sense held onto Lino for a few moments before he sighed gently, shaking his head . Naturally, he¡¯d rather have someone as talented as the boy as a friend rather than a foe, but it was toote now . Patriarch was certain that the information about Vye was most-likely already out in the open, but even if so, the boy still remained a hindrance . "He¡¯s at the old smithy," Patriarch Varick spoke in a soft voice so only the Prime Elders could hear him . "Gather thirty or so people and surround him . We¡¯ll proceed with the n and wait you at the end . " "Thirty? Isn¡¯t that an overkill? Just send one of us . " First Elder Rayel said . "... it¡¯s better to be certain than sorry," Patriarch Varick spoke in a contemtive voice . "Should he break free and run rampart through the n, even if we killed him in the end, the damage would be too severe, especially now . Besides, the six of you must be there to deter the noisy ones . " "... very well," Second Elder Xyvel said, bowing his head slightly . "I shall have it arranged immediately . " "Hm," the Patriarch nodded . "Good . " He cast another, swift nce toward the abandoned smithy before turning around and leading everyone off the high point toward the town¡¯s exit . It was time to leave . ** Despite beingpletely surrounded, Lino didn¡¯t feel afraid . Even he himself couldn¡¯t put it into words; he was neither scared of dying or deterred over having to soon kill so many people and fight his way out of this hellhole . Perhaps, deep down, he was always averse to life, or perhaps he was fascinated by death, or his blood was simply cold . Whatever the case may be, he figured, now wasn¡¯t the time to search for the answers . He flung Ae over his shoulder ¨C causing a rather timid while also seductive scream ¨C while using his other hand to draw out a sword . His eyes scanned over the people in the back, and through blessing of Glog, he was easily able to discern their levels ¨C the highest was Level 31, simr to his own . Putting a whiff of Qi into his calves and feet, his muscles bulged for a moment before he bolted sideways, directly bursting the wall apart while leaving a small pit where he stood . He whizzed past the scattered wood into the backyard, startling the ten odd people waiting for him there . Without hesitation, his wrist flicked and the one-thirty centimeters long sword was flung sideways, piercing a heart of the nearby youth who didn¡¯t even realize how he died . While the sword itself was still in the air, Lino drew another one from his ne as hended onto the ground, spinning sideways to garner momentum before leaping forward, crossing nearly four meters of distance within a sh . His hand shed upward, splitting a bearded man¡¯s jaw and directly killing him, before kicking off of the man¡¯s chest and leaping into the air . He spun sideways and threw his sword in a beautiful downward arc, crashing it directly into another man¡¯s chest . Not even a few breaths had passed since he burst out of the house, and three had already died without the rest even reacting a bit . Only after the first body finally hit the floor did the light of realization light up inside others¡¯ eyes . "Fuck!! Surround him!! Tighter the circle!! Cover each other¡¯s blind spots!" someone shouted as Linonded gracefully . He drew out another sword from his ne and weed the tight encirclement with a grin . He felt wind behind his back grow colder as he lurched his body sideways, evading a sword strike; he replied in kind immediately, thrusting directly through the attacker¡¯s heart . As another strike wasing at him from the side, he twirled his de so that it stood upright, dull edges facing sides, before pulling the sword and the body with it and drawing a half-circle, using the corpse to defend against the strike . Veins on his muscles popped as his grip tightened . As the strike meant for him hit the corpse, blood spurted out across Lino¡¯s face and clothes, causing bitter sweetness to invade back of his mouth . He licked his lips with an evil grin before suddenly shoving the sword forward, cruising through the corpse and urately piercing an eye of the person in front . Screams,mands and shouts had already invaded the previously peaceful backyard, even those upfront heard themotion . Lino sensed that nearly ten were moving around the house to join the party at the back, causing him to quicken his pace . Abandoning the sword lodged into two corpses, he drew out another before flickering it backwards without even looking, killing yet another; he did so for the remaining four, until the whole backyard was doused in scarlet red, with stench of blood invading the air . Corpsesid strewn like dolls, while Ae¡¯s screams finally numbed; her eyes were as round as eggs, lips slightly agape, whole body trembling . Only a single thought circted her mind: I actually teased this kid! Ignorant of Ae¡¯s thoughts, Lino ran in a circle swiftly, gathering up five swords before the first wave of neers approached him . Most of them suddenly stiffened when they saw the scene of ten corpses surrounding a single, bloodied kid, which gave Lino enough time to take a breather beforemencing another assault . He jolted his wrist, shing his sword downward at the earth . The sh split apart the ground in a straight gash, causing a massive amount of fist-sized rocks to explode into a straight cone, hitting eight people, and even killing two . While the dust still raged and screams echoed out into the sky, he broke through the brown fog, searching for the elusive shadows within . The moment he¡¯d notice one, he¡¯d leapt toward it and pierce without a hint of hesitation . Merely ten secondster, over twenty corpses were piled into the backyard, causing stench to be nigh unbearable . Lino looked around, searching to see whether there was anyone observing him from the higher ground . The moment he realized it was clean, he ducked into the alley on the side of the abandoned smithy, slithering like a thief around without being spotted while slowly moving toward the town¡¯s exit . "Hey . Hey . Hey . " Lino called out to the befuddled woman looped over his shoulder, but there was no response . He was currently halfway toward the exit, but he ran out of the shady alleys to run through, and was currently hidden behind a stack of wooden boxes . "Oi, wake up already!" he pped her gently over the head, finally jolting her back to reality . "Y-you..." Ae looked at him in absolute terror, unconsciously attempting to pull away from him . However, as her eyes looked into his ¨C which were as still and as calm as water ¨C her stirred heart calmed somewhat . A breath escaped her ¨C one she felt she held ever since the beginning ¨C causing the stifled feeling within her chest to disappear . "Me, me what? Come on, wake up already . Where now?" Lino asked, frowning slightly . "... where are we?" Ae mumbled as she looked around . "Oh, the Merchant¡¯s house . " she eximed before turning her eyes at him, an odd glee in them . "How the fuck did we end up here?" "... uh, don¡¯t ask me . You¡¯re the guide here . " Lino shrugged his shoulders as he ignored the subtle critique . "You seem plenty strong," Ae said . "Why not just fight your way through?" "I seem strong only because those guys were weak," Lino said, sighing . "If any of the Elders were to show up, we¡¯d be toast . " "Hmm... is that so?" Ae mumbled as she thought for a moment . "Well, if we backtrack a bit, we can take a roundabout route through the underground tunnels that lead toward the exit . " "Eh? There¡¯s such thing?" "Yeah, but it¡¯s not as though it¡¯s hidden . There¡¯s probably someone watching it . " "Leave that to me," Lino said as he picked her up again and threw her over his shoulder . "You just lead the way . " "... alright . " Ae mumbled as she gripped the back of his shirt tightly . Lino encountered several patrols on their way back but evaded fighting as much as possible, preserving his strength . He¡¯s yet to fulfill the reason he even came here, and he didn¡¯t exactly want to trade his life for Vye¡¯s . The two reached a small, one-story wooden house in about ten minutes of sneaking around and entered . Much like with the floor in the tavern, there was a small door embedded here as well . Opening the hatch, Lino first signaled Ae to go inside before following her . The tunnel was extremely dark, forcing Lino to perk his fingers up and summon the Tri-Spirit me to light up the way forward . The path itself was narrow and low, as they had to bend halfway while walking forward . "They moved a lot quicker than you anticipated . " Ae said . "Yeah, I guess I underestimated them a bit," Lino mumbled . "But, then again, it¡¯s not as though I had a lot of time to observe them . " "Even if we get to the exit, though, didn¡¯t you say that even a single Elder would be enough to kill you? How will you fight all of them, alongside the Patriarch?" Ae asked worriedly . "Of course I won¡¯t fight them," he scoffed . "What do you think I am? Insane?" "Then what?" "We¡¯ll run away, of course," Lino said, puffing his chest out . "If it¡¯s running away, none of them stand a chance against me . " "... I thought cultivators were supposed to be the headstrong kind, ones who never bow their head . " "Eh, fuck my head if I¡¯m a corpse," Lino shrugged his shoulders casually . "I¡¯d rather live to fight another day than die fighting for something as dumb as pride . How long till we get there?" "We¡¯re here . " Ae said as she suddenly stopped and pointed up . "The hatch leads to thest row of the houses before the uphill climb toward the town¡¯s exit . " "Stay behind me . " Lino said as he began climbing thedder without hesitation, quickly reaching the top . He pushed the hatch open slowly and perked his head outside, ncing around . The room was empty and silent, with floorboards piling up excessive amounts of dust, one of the many clues that no one has entered here in a very, very long time . "It¡¯s clear . Come up . " he called out to Ae before climbing out and quickly skittering over to the window, ncing outside . The road leading up the hill was currently full of people being led by cultivators of all levels . He sensed several powerful auras alongside the hill as well as several more at the very top of the hill . Ae soon approached him from behind and looked out the window herself . "What do you think?" she asked as she noticed a deep frown on his face . "There are several ways out, but none of them are optimal . " Lino said after short silence, sighing . "If only your tits wererge enough to hide me..." "Is this really a right time to be flirting?" "There¡¯s never a wrong time to be flirting . " "Say that after you¡¯ve at least popped your cherry . " "Popped my cherry?" Lino nced back, looking at her with confusion in his eyes . "... goddammit, are you innocent or are you perverted?! Pick one!" Ae rolled her eyes in frustration before changing the subject . "Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯ll have to stay here until we¡¯re found?" "... oh fuck your Divine Sense . " Lino mumbled as he rolled his eyes in frustration, suddenly grabbing Ae by her waist and taking out a sword, bolting through the sidewall like a cannonball . A mere momentter, the entire house blew up in mes, causing screams of confusion to erupt . Meanwhile, Linonded a few dozen meters outside the house, looking up at the hill where the three of the six Prime Elders and Patriarch Varick himself were standing, looking back at him . "Hello fes," Lino spoke, smiling bitterly . "You¡¯ve weed me with quite a bang, I see . " "Did you kill them?" Patriarch Varick asked with emotionless voice . "... ah, what can I say? They were trying to steal my woman . That¡¯s a no-go . " "Hm," the Patriarch nodded . "That¡¯s all I need to know . " "Eh? Dad, who are you talking to?" a twelve-year-old girl suddenly appeared next to the Patriarch, her expression sunken . "Eh! Lino?!! Where have you been?! No, wait, when did you arrive?!! No, wait, you survived?!!" Vye began screaming as she noticed Lino at the bottom of the hill . Patriarch Varick¡¯s heart suddenly turned cold for a moment as a strange sense of foreboding washed over his back . Lino¡¯s eyes, meanwhile, widened to their maximum output as a heaven-sent chance was presented to him . Without hesitating even for a moment, he reached into his pocket and took out the [Celestial Rod], gripping it firmly into his grasp while hiding it from everyone¡¯s eyes . He carefully calcted the angle and aimed, knowing that this was the only chance he¡¯ll have to kill her . "Aaah, you should have looked for me when you came here!! Didn¡¯t you say¡ª" halfway through the sentence, Vye felt something gently pierce her throat, like a mosquito bite . She scratched it gently before tilting her head in confusion for a moment, shaking her head afterwards . "As I was saying, cough, you should have visited me!! What about, cough, cough, your rewards? Cough, cough..." "Vye!!" seeing the girl¡¯s strange behavior, the Patriarch immediately walked over and grasped her tightly, sending Qi through her body to inspect her . "You bastard, what did you do?!!" he roared toward Lino as he realized that his Qi was blocked by something . "D-dad, cough, cough," Vye mumbled as she suddenly fell on her knees, coughing out a mouthful of pitch-ck blood while her nose, eyes and ears began bleeding profusely . "Cough, aaaaaah, it h-hurts, d-dad, it h-hurts!! H-help, cough, help me!!" "Vye, Vye!" the Patriarch fervently tried to send his Qi inside her meridians to purify them, but to no avail . Thick tears began streaming down his cheeks; whatever must be said about her origins, he who had never married in his life or had children of his own always treated her as a daughter . He loved her more than the rest of the nbined, and seeing her current state caused his heart to stir and bleed . The little girl¡¯s body suddenly began twitching as veins surfaced on her skin, pulsating like mad . Her eyes rounded like eggs for a moment, full of reluctance, disbelief, fear and dread and deep-rooted unwillingness before bursting in a moment of gore, causing a shrill scream to escape her throat . "AAAAAGGGHHH!!! NOO!!!!!" she cried out as she fell sideways . Her skin quickly gave out as her naturally paleplexion slowly turned ink-ck . Everyone was already rmed as some approached her while others immediately locked their gazes onto Lino, ensuring he didn¡¯t go anywhere due to themotion . "... was this your grand n?" Ae asked, rolling her eyes . "You figured they didn¡¯t want to kill you hard enough, so you went and killed their Sacred Child to provoke them, eh?" "My Master always taught me that angry, pissed off opponents are easy opponents," Lino said, chuckling bitterly . "Although, to be honest, I didn¡¯t think the poison would act up that quickly . Is it too potent? Or is her immune system just that weak?" "... she¡¯s a Demon . " Aemented . "I very much doubt that ordinary poisons would be able to kill her . " "... oh, right!" "You even forgot that?!! Khm, anyway, what now?" "Now? Now we fucking run . " By this point, Vye was lying dead-cold on the floor while Patriarch shook her body and called out her name helplessly, over and over again . His thick, coarse voice bounded the hills and cliffs of the valley and even shook the earth beneath . Even air itself seemed to be entombed in his grief as it swayed gently, almost humming a low, deathly luby . The moment thest breath escaped her, her body stopped twitching as a strange, deadly aura enwrapped it . Lino¡¯s senses screamed of danger and terror as he nced at her, causing his heart to pause for a moment . A mere secondter, twenty-meters tall ck shadow sprang out of her body as a maniacalughter echoed out through the valley . Although the edgeless shadow didn¡¯t have eyes, Lino felt it watching him for a moment . His entire body froze up ¨C not because of pressure, but because of the primal fear . "W-what the fuck is that?!!!" Ae cried out in terror as she hid behind Lino¡¯s back . "... . " Before having a chance to reply to her question, the shadow suddenly burst apart into a shower of ck rain . However, as though linked by a thread, each droplet traveled toward a person from Endo n, falling directly in-between their brows . The strange part, though, was that it didn¡¯t affect everyone . For instance, none of the ordinary mortals were touched, and most of the weaker cultivators were also exempt from it, causing confusion to arise inside Lino¡¯s heart . The world froze for a moment as all sounds dulled and time seemed to have stopped . Yet, a mere blinkter, one terrifying roar after another bellowed out, as though the small valley had turned into a bowel of hell . Everyone who had a droplet enter them suddenly had their skin turn ashen gray while their eyes ¨C regardless of color ¨C grew bloodshot red . Patriarch and six Prime Elders were the most affected ones; their bodies actually grew forcibly, fingernails at the tip of their fingers growing out by nearly thirty centimeters, while their muscles bulged, tearing their clothes apart . "... better question is," Lino mumbled . "What the fuck is this?!" However, realizing that he had seen more than enough, he forced his mind and heart to calm down before suddenly beginning to run uphill, gathering momentum . As he was nearing the top, Patriarch Varick seemed to have regained his senses as his dulled eyes recovered somewhat, immediately locking onto him . All rms rang out inside Lino¡¯s mind as he suddenly leapt high into the air, nearly ten meters, leaping over the people at the top of the hill . Patriarch Varick suddenly took out three shimmering swords and, stuffing them full with strange, ck Qi, shot them toward Lino . The speed of the swords wasn¡¯t something someone of Lino¡¯s level could keep up with . Almost by instinct, he took out the [Vanguard Shield] and immediately activated its second option, expanding it considerably . Less than a breathter, three swords crashed directly into the shield . It felt as though it wasn¡¯t the swords that crashed against it, but three cannonballs . A massive explosion ensued, causing several cracks to spread throughout the shield, but they didn¡¯t manage to break it . However, the shield was pushed backwards, crashing directly into Lino and cracking several of his ribs and even the wrist of his right hand, alongside blowing him backward through the air, directly out of the concealment formation and into the forest outside the Endo n¡¯s grounds . Ae¡¯s scream was stifled under the sounds of the explosion as the duo flew for nearly half a mile over the treetops before losing speed and falling in a downward trajectory . While Lino had already activated Empyrean Writ even before the swords crashed against his shield, it did little against the wounds he received . So, instead of covering his entire body, he focused the entirety of his Qi onto his right wrist, realizing that simply running away now would be impossible . Whatever happened to everyone ¨C even if he didn¡¯t know the exact cause and effect ¨C boosted their physical capabilities to almost his own level . What the hell happened?! He hugged Ae tightly, pushing her against his bosom as he turned his back toward the ground, crashing through several dozen branches and trees before plummeting directly into the ground and rolling backward for nearly fifty meters before finally stopping . He felt his entire body ache from head to toe, but didn¡¯t dare to pause even for a second before getting up and flinging Ae over his shoulder, immediately entering full-sprint-mode . He randomly chose direction without paying it much heed as he didn¡¯t have even a second of time to think . He had already felt seven powerful auras catching up to him and, without even needing to confirm it with his own eyes, he realized they belonged to the six Prime Elders and the Patriarch . At that moment, he also realized that he hadn¡¯t felt such powerful threat of death since the day he was born . No matter how much he tried, he couldn¡¯t calm his crazily beating heart and no matter how much he tried to push his mind to think of an idea, only a single thought remained: Run! Chapter 17 Chapter 17 CHAPTER 17 BITTER STRUGGLE Lino felt all hairs on his body stand up as he frantically ran forward, immediately activating the effects of his Primal Spirit of Wind ¨C Li . His speed didn¡¯t skyrocket immediately, but increased over the span of few seconds . Auras that were closing in behind him grew distant for a moment, but Lino knew that he was far from being in a safe position . Half a mile in front of him was a deep shrubbery followed by a thick forest . He had no clue what it¡¯s called or where it led to, but being in the open with seven of the chasers was equal to a suicide . Hundred meters or so before reaching the forest, Lino suddenly took a gigantic leap, drawing a beautiful arc through the sky as he rose up to nearly twenty meters in the air . He couldn¡¯t sustain his incredible speed even with the increased physique after reaching Level 30 and undergoing the First Evolution . Rather than burning out immediately, he decided to cancel his massive speed halfway through to save up on stamina . His arc crusaded him over the treetops for nearly fifty meters after entering the border of the forest before he finally started losing momentum . By his estimates, he had put nearly a mile of distance between him and the pursuers, but he knew it wasn¡¯t enough . Hended forcibly onto a thick branch of a tree, breaking it in the process and plummeting down onto the ground . However, as his falling speed decreased, he was able to forcibly stabilize himself and burst forward once again, dancing in-between the trees . His legs hurt like hell, and he even felt that a few bones were broken, but he didn¡¯t dare halt even for a second . He immediately urged to regenerate his legs, ignoring even his rtively-recovered wrist . The forest he entered with Ae in tow was truly thick, to the point that even sunlight didn¡¯t manage to pierce its way through . After running for nearly thirty seconds, however, his heart froze for a moment . Despite his definitely inhumane speed of running ¨C considering the unfavorable terrain ¨C the seven auras were actually gaining on him . While it appeared minuscule, he knew that the gap would only decrease over time, as he could only sustain his current speed for a most five minutes before depleting his stamina entirely . He didn¡¯t dare gamble on the fact that the seven who were chasing him would run out of gas before he did, as he had absolutely no clue what kind of changes they underwent after the ¡¯transformation¡¯ . Another great disadvantage he was facing was the fact that hecked any knowledge about the current ce . He only knew that he was near the Second Mountain in the Umbra Mountain Range, but, beyond that, he didn¡¯t even know which direction he was running in . His mind continuously worked like mad toe up with ideas that would allow him to escape, but it was all for naught . He didn¡¯t have a single martial art ¨C or even item ¨C that could aid him right now . In addition, he was even unable to activate the Primal Spirit of Wind as he wasn¡¯t on the nd . In the end, his choices plummeted to only a single one: fight . Direct confrontation was out of question . Even before their ¡¯transformation¡¯, just a single out of seven of his pursuers were enough to spit him to death, to say nothing now . If, by chance, he was to confront the Patriarch directly, he probably wouldn¡¯t even know how he died . He still had nine Magic Darts encased in poison within the [Celestial Rod], but he gathered that they were probably on the lookout for such attacks after what happened with Vye . At most, he theorized, he¡¯d be able to kill four of them, excluding the Patriarch himself . Although Ae didn¡¯t understand the circumstances as well as Lino, his crazed expression told her enough . She, in the end, has yet to recover from the shock the massive, ck shadow inflicted on her heart . Unlike Lino, she was just an ordinary person . The only reason she even knew of cultivators was because she was born in the n of them . Yet again, she was forced to reassess the youth that was bravely carrying her on his shoulder . After witnessing how he crafted a massive shield in such a short span of time, she felt the gamble she took was worth it . However, after seeing him absolutely decimate people she believed to be gods, she was left in the utter state of shock . She realized that she hadn¡¯t taken a gamble, but rather more of a surefire way of escape . Even after he had killed Vye stealthily, he didn¡¯t seem panicked and looked rather confident in his escape . It was only after the ck shadow emerged from the Vye¡¯s corpse and suddenly scattered in the ck shower that his expression changed . Ae felt it when the Patriarch¡¯s three swordsnded onto Lino¡¯s shield . Although she didn¡¯t even suffer a shockwave from the attack as Lino used his own body to protect her, just the passing wind created quite a few gashes on her skin . Yet, the boy in front of her who couldn¡¯t be older than sixteen bore the brunt of it, having enough awareness not to be overwhelmed but rather immediately recover and continue running . Even now, there wasn¡¯t an expression of dismay on his face, just a form of crazed resoluteness that stirred even her heart that she believed had turned frozen long, long time ago . Lino, on the other hand, finally steeled his heart and grit his teeth as he lowered his speed somewhat . Besides conserving stamina, he also had to take action soon if he wanted to have a chance of surviving . The longer the chase went on, the lower his chances would be . If he had known beforehand, he¡¯d have started guerri warfare against the seven the moment they entered the woods but, s, it was toote to regret . At the moment, he had three tools that could aid him: the shield, the ne and the rod . The first could at most block one more attack before beingpletely destroyed . The second could block 3 attacks directly, while the rod could kill four ¨C five if he was lucky . Naturally, he had to properly used all three tools if he wanted to have a chance . A mere minuteter, Lino felt that the seven had reached the hundred meters mark behind him . Muscles on his calves suddenly bulged as he sprung upward nearly fifty meters into the sky, shifting around midair as he summoned one sword after another from the ne, sending them flying with careless abandon . He didn¡¯t hope to even injure them with the attacks as the swords were not of the greatest quality, but he needed distraction . One sword after another fell from the sky like rain, bursting trees apart on their way and kicking up a minor dust storm . Lino was still descending when he noticed several explosions which sent his swords either flying back into the sky or into smithereens . Eighty meters... seventy meters... at the sixty meters mark, he felt Patriarch¡¯s Divine Sense wash over him . Without the slightest bit of hesitation, at the moment hended, he gripped the [Celestial Rod] and let loose all nine Magic Darts at the five of six Prime Elders . Because of the dust, and the fact that the darts themselves were almost impossible to spot with naked eye, the darts moved incredibly stealthily, crossing the distance of sixty meters in less than a breath of time . Without even waiting to see the results, Lino resolutely turned around and ran . Luckily, there was a small patch of clearnd, roughly four hundred meters long, allowing him to increase his speed to gain some distance . After re-entering the forest, his frowned face suddenly rxed as a faint smile appeared . Ae was slightly startled seeing it; up to now, she didn¡¯t dare utter a word from fear of distracting him, but she almost gave in and asked why he was smiling, barely holding back . The reason for the smile was rather simple: Lino was truly lucky, as he had managed to actually kill five of the six Prime Elders . Besides the fact that only two auras were on his tail right now, his Level also increased to 33 . Because of that, small portion of his wounds were healed quickly, and his exhaustive state recovered somewhat . While he was far from his peak condition, it was better than nothing . Still, it was only just the beginning . If it were only the six Prime Elders that were chasing him, Lino would be 100% certain that he¡¯d be able to kill them all, but that wasn¡¯t the case . In the end, the greatest headache was still the only Soul Realm cultivator ¨C Patriarch Varick . Because of the Divine Sense of the Soul Realm cultivators, it was almost impossible for Lino sneak in an attack, much less one that would threaten the Patriarch¡¯s life . In addition, he was out of Magic Darts, so he¡¯d have to kill the remaining two pursuers in the straightforward fashion, which he wasn¡¯t looking forward to . After running for roughly two hundred more meters, he began slowing down in anticipation . The crazed expression returned on his face as his lips curled up in a rather devious-looking grin . He looked like a maddened murderer who was locked up for decades finally being given a chance to unleash hell upon the world once more . Lino¡¯s heart beat crazily, while resonated with it, circting even faster . Iparable power filled every fiber of his being as he felt his body lighten like a feather, while strength filled his muscles to brim . This was definitely not Lino¡¯s personality; he was always more of a shrewd person, one who¡¯d take the beating ten thousand times, waiting for the opportunity to retaliate . If it were past him, he¡¯d have run with reckless abandon, not even humoring the thought of fighting back . However, something inside of him snapped . As though a thread that was loosely connecting his sanity had finally disappeared, iparable desire for battle, blood and death gushed into his very soul . All his senses heightened considerably, while the bits of fear he felt deep inside his heart disappearedpletely . It wasn¡¯t as though he was overwhelmed by sheer madness; on contrary, he felt that his mind was never clearer than it was right at this very moment . At the same time, it¡¯s not as though he suddenly became someone who can directly contend against two massive powerhouses that were chasing him . The only thing which truly changed was his state of mind, and rity through which he was able to process his thoughts much quicker than before . In didn¡¯t take long before the two pursuers caught up to him . Both had extremely crazed expressions as veins pulsated throughout their entire bodies, deep ck and purple in color . The pupils of their eyes were dyed in deep maroon, surrounded with pitch-ck darkness akin to that of an abyss . Both their bodies had grown to nearly three meters in height, far surpassing what a human was capable of . Even the tallest human in records barely reached two-and-a-half meters and, even then, the only thing he felt was pain as his bones were unable to properly support him . On the other hand, the two before Lino seemed full of vigor and life . Lino¡¯s brows creased for a moment as he tightened the grip on Ae before drawing out a sword from his ne . He only had nine more swords stored inside, and he wagered that, if he didn¡¯tpletely run out of them or even die, he¡¯d have one or two at most remaining after this battle . No words were exchanged between the two parties; as soon as the Patriarch and thest remaining Elder ¨C First Elder Rayel ¨C entered twenty-meter radius around Lino, six swords abruptly appeared above their heads, shimmering in dark, ck Qi . Both signaled with their fingers at the same time as the six swords screeched like mad, rotating in circles as to gain momentum before discharging toward Lino . Thetter was well aware of the incredible force the swords possessed and had no intention of facing them directly . He abruptly spun and shifted his body sideways before erupting with massive force, leaping nearly ten meters in a single jolt, evading the six strikes . He immediately retaliated by sending two swords flying ¨C both toward the First Elder ¨C but it did nothing as thetter simply swiped his fingers gently, disintegrating the swords midflight . Such sight shocked Lino for a moment; that Qi was definitely not normal . Attribute Qi? Lino thought as he once again evaded the six swords by a leap . E mentioned that it¡¯s iparably rare, and that only geniuses have them . These two definitely aren¡¯t geniuses... could it be the work of that ck shadow? No matter what, though, his task of killing the two suddenly increased in difficulty, and not by a small margin . ording to Lino¡¯s observation, the Qi had an attribute simr to decay, as it simply overwhelmed any matter it touched and turned it into nothingness within a short span of time . If he were toe directly in contact with it, he had no doubts that he¡¯d die within seconds . For convenience¡¯s sake, before the third interval of attacks arrived, he chose to test the Glog Primal Spirit on Patriarch Varick . [Varick Endo ¨C Human ¨C Level 78 ¨C Soul Realm Mortal] Titles: Patriarch of the n, ???, ???, ??? upations: Patriarch, ???, ???, ??? Martial Arts: ???, ???, ???, ??? Damage: ??? Defense: ??? Unfortunately, the inspection didn¡¯t tell him anything other than what he already knew . All the ¡¯???¡¯ simply caused his eyes to sting slightly . Taking a deep breath, he refocused his senses onto the battle; to his surprise, no new swords came flying . Rather, the Patriarch and the First Elder stood side by side, each holding a sword in one of their hands, staring intently at Lino . Their gaze felt piercing, as though they could see into the depths of his soul . Yet, at the same time, it seemed slightly maddening and crazed, as though overwhelmed by something primal . The ck veins on their bodies pulsated with strong force as Lino felt Qi around the two stir unnaturally; there was a faint presence of rejection, as if the two were battling back against the world Qi¡¯s invading nature, refusing to let it in . The world was quickly submerged into the silence as the three entered a strange stand-off . Leaves were gently ruffled by a breeze, but not much else was happening around them . Lino didn¡¯t dare rx even a single part of his body from fear it would be thest mistake he ever made . He held the sword in his hand valiantly, prepared at any moment to use his three trump cards . Yet, the two didn¡¯t attack even after a whole minute passed . Refocusing onto their eyes, Lino noticed that, beneath that redness and strange craze, there appeared to be a faint glimmer of sanity, battling to perch out . However, all attempts failed . After a quick thought, Lino theorized that whatever invaded their bodies also corroded their mental states, and the two were now trying to regain the control over themselves, but it appeared futile . He used the short break given to him to take a breather and carefully looking at his surroundings, hoping to find something he could use . However, besides the trees and tall grass, there was nothing else . Not even a slope or a cave . "... w-w-why did, did you kill, kill her?" a somber, low, dull voice came out of Patriarch¡¯s mouth, unlike one full of valor he disyed previously . "..." Lino frowned for a moment as he looked at the Patriarch¡¯s ever-changing expression; from brutal madness to heart-breaking agony and sorrow . "Hmm... I¡¯m not too sure myself," Lino replied honestly . "Maybe, because she was a Demon?" "..." No reply came, as Patriarch had finally lost the battle . Whatever was within him finally took over, perhaps grasping the slip in mentality provided by Lino¡¯s sharp words . Cursing at himself for providing the enemy with an opportunity, Lino gripped the handle of the iron sword tightly, feeling his palms growing sweaty . A momentter, both the Patriarch and First Elder moved; one aimed from Lino¡¯s left and one from the right, as both worked in coordination to limit his escape paths . Lino knew that he couldn¡¯t prolong the battle; he needed to quickly take care of at least one of the two . Gritting his teeth in determination, he braved his heart and summoned the half-cracked shield from the ne . As he couldn¡¯t externalize Qi and levitate the shield in the air to protect him, he could only throw it directly not at the Patriarch who was closing in from his left, but onto the First Elder . Without waiting to see the results, his leg muscles bulged once again as he bolted sideways, leaping slightly into the air as to move directly behind the shield . Midway through his leap, he suddenly rxed the arm which held Ae and threw the woman as gently as he could to the side . He was no longer able to protect her; perhaps, the best way to protect her was to actually throw her out of the battle directly . If he was confident in one thing, it was the endurance of his body . Even if he took a direct hit from the Patriarch, he was confident he could survive as long as he wasn¡¯t struck at any of his vitals . As for why he didn¡¯t want to use the effects of the ne, he didn¡¯t wish to utilize two of his three trump cards just to kill the weaker Elder; he was certain that, if he wanted to have the chance to kill the Patriarch, he¡¯d need both the rod and the ne to do their part . While Ae was still flying sideways, releasing a stiffened scream, cracks on the shield spread further apart in the web-like fashion as the Elder swept the sword he was holding in a downward motion; incredibly, the whole of the de was coated in thick, ck Qi, but it seemed to have no effect on the sword while it spilled over onto the shield¡¯s surface, quickly corroding it . Having already made the peace with the fact that the shield won¡¯t be surviving, Lino stopped his heart¡¯s bleeding forcefully as he used the shield¡¯s shadow to approach the Elder¡¯s blindside . While still upied with the pieces of the shattered shield which showered outward in hundreds, Elder failed to notice a small silhouette approach from his left . Without hesitation, Lino burst out in all of his strength, pouring Qi into the sword and triggering the Tri-Spirit mes . However, it wasn¡¯t enough; at the veryst second, the Elder seemed to have sensed the attack and bent his body sideways, avoiding a direct pierce through his lungs . Lino¡¯s sword perched directly into the Elder¡¯s back, but it didn¡¯t hit any vital organs, failing to kill thetter . Clicking his tongue, he immediately let go of the sword as he summoned yet another, shifting his body sideways by force and weing Patriarch¡¯s strike head on . The moment their swords shed, Lino knew he made a terrible mistake . As though it was bread, his sword cracked without any suspense . Just before Patriarch¡¯s sword lodged itself into Lino¡¯s skull, thetter managed to bend his body in an unnatural way due to the Ye, Primal Spirit of Water . Pushing his body¡¯s condition to the absolute possible peak, Patriarch¡¯s sword struck at Lino¡¯s left shoulder, leaving a gash which reached deep, revealing the shimmering, white bone amidst the torn muscles and gore . Lino held back a scream of pain as he abruptly spun on the ground, summoning another sword in the motion and using all of his strength to send it flying . The sword whizzed past the Patriarch¡¯s ear before directly splicing First Elder¡¯s head in two . He didn¡¯t have time to stand in ovation over his achievement, though, as Patriarch Varick had already struck once more . Lino knew that it wasn¡¯t a decisive moment, so he still refused to activate either of his two remaining trump cards . Summoning out yet another sword, rather than blocking the strike directly, he tried to strike the iing sword¡¯s de from the side and divert its trajectory as much as possible . In the end, though, the sword stillnded on the right side of his chest, opening a massive gash which ran from his corbone down to his abdomen . His body was flung backward like a kite due to sword¡¯s explosive force while some of his guts flew out in sporadic fashion like rain, sttering crimson over the ground . Without batting an eye, the Patriarch pressed on soullessly and wordlessly . On the other side, Lino felt pain akin to nothing he ever felt before; just the ugly feeling of his organs falling directly out of him caused him to nearly vomit . Yet, atop of that was the blood-churning pain . It hurt . His heartbeat quickened . Louder . Louder . Quicker . Thumph . Thumph . It seemed as though the quicker his heart beat, the quicker the pain pulsated through every inch of his body . His entire nerve system nearly got overwhelmed with shock, ready to turn his mind nk . Yet, Lino knew he couldn¡¯t allow that . If he were to close his eyes, he¡¯d die . If he were tond helplessly onto the ground, he¡¯d die . If he were to scream out, he¡¯d die . If he were to cower now, he¡¯d die . Yet, his body didn¡¯t listen . No matter how much he tried circting , it hardly eased the pain . The vomit-inducing feeling of having a gaping hole spliced across his front side caused a stir in his mind . He wondered yet how he was alive . He should have died immediately with such a wound . Quickly biting his tongue to resolutely vanquish such useless thoughts, he realized that there was merely a ten-meter gap between him and the Patriarch . Lino was still in flight, unable to turn his body in any way, while Patriarch was already preparing his next strike . If I don¡¯t do it now, I¡¯ll die!! I¡¯ll seriously die!! Cold sweat broke out from his pores, mixing with deep, scarlet-dyed blood which had already covered every inch of his tattered clothing . Just before the Patriarch¡¯s sword shoved him into the shadow of death, he activated the ne¡¯s effect . Although he was protected from the damage, the sheer force of impact didn¡¯t leave him even an inch of breathing room as he was knocked flying even further up, faster . A quick glint of surprise shed past the Patriarch¡¯s reddened eyes, but it didn¡¯t matter as he already entered a motion of striking yet again . Lino gritted his teeth and waited . After all, he could scarcely move a muscle, let alone try and dodge while still midflight . Another sword strikended; however, rather than to send him flying through the sky again, it sent him spiraling downward like a bird with sliced wings . He crashed heavily into the ground, causing the earth to shake and trees to tremble, creating a three-meters deep and five-meters wide crater . He lied listlessly on the ground, his face upturned toward the sky, arm and legs spread with all his bones broken . Yet, one of his palms firmly held onto a small object resembling a sword¡¯s handle without the de . He gasped for breath, yet even breathing induced nothing more but pain . It rang on and on, cruising through his veins like river . He¡¯d realized: this was worse than death . Worse than torture . He was a ything . A broken doll . A watch whose gears didn¡¯t spin . A clock tower without a clock . A butcher without a knife . A body without a soul to move it . Patriarchnded twenty odd meters away from Lino and slowly began walking in the boy¡¯s direction, an expression of utter disdain on the man¡¯s face . Lino waited . Each footstep echoed out into the surrounding silence . Those were the footsteps of a Grim Reaper, Lino realized, who hade to harvest his life . He¡¯de so far only to die? Of course not . Had he been so weak-willed, he¡¯d have died in the orphanage . He¡¯d have died when Sister Roa stole his food for nearly two years straight, forcing him to eat everything and anything, eventually even stealing leather boots and such oddities . Had he been so weak in mind, he¡¯d have died when he turned eight, during the harshest winter recorded in the past hundred years, where temperatures reached 50 below zero . He scarcely wore anything, but was forced to leave the already thin walls of the orphanage to search for food, not only for himself, but kids younger than him . That winter, eighteen kids died . But, he survived . Had he been so weak-willed, he¡¯d have never epted the grace given to him by Eggor and E . He would have never taken the reaching hand, grasping the thick, warm fingers tightly from fear of ever being let go . Had his heart been so weak as to give in so easily, he would have forgotten what it meant to smile . What it meant to feel joy, happiness and warmth . In the end, he¡¯s yet to repay the favors given to him; he¡¯s yet to repay the love, the warmth, the meals, the guidance, all the things which finally made him feel like a proper human being . While gasping for breath, bleeding profusely, and making sure none of his broken rib-cages pierced his lungs or heart directly, Lino gripped the [Celestial Rod] and, using nothing but firm will and even firmer heart, aimed at the approaching Patriarch . At the fifteen- meter mark, he struck . The small rod suddenly shook, elongating in a beautiful, t line . Last bit of Qi within Lino¡¯s body was drained as it triggered one of rod¡¯s form, that of extending spear . The shaft remained of simr make as the rod¡¯s original form, while a thin, silver de grew as a tip . The spear itself elongated to over fifty meters before stopping . Ten meters before the halfway point, droplets of ck blood trickled down the shaft¡¯s glistening surface . Approaching footsteps halted . World yet again was submerged into silence . A mere momentter, the spear disappeared as Lino¡¯s eyes closed atst, his consciousness fading . His entire body remained unmoving in that crater . Fifteen meters away from him, the Patriarch¡¯s body remained standing for a few seconds more, the crazed expression in his eyes fading as ck, stiffening smoke burst out from the pores of his skin . Wretched screams of agony bellowed out from his soul, not his own . As his body plopped over, he fell onto the knees before lying down t onto the ground, life in his eyes slowly fading . Withst bit of strength, he looked around and saw the sitting, trembling Ae who stared at the whole scene with shellshocked expression . "... s-should he, he live," the Patriarch urged thest of his Qi to halt his dying moment . "P-pass on... on my gra-gratitude..." his voice slowly grew weaker . "M-my hatred... and... and my w-warning..." Patriarch Varick, a man who saw himself destined to usher the Endo n into the era of prosperity, smiled blissfully as he felt his body growing cold quickly . "It... it has o-only... begun..." And thus, one of the strongest men within Umbra Kingdom fell, his fate to forever remain unknown within the annals of history . Meanwhile, trembling Ae was jolted awake from her shock as the Patriarch breathed hisst . Gathering thest bit of her wit, she spun up onto her feet and raced over toward Lino . However, the moment she saw the state of his body, her insides churned as she shafted her head sideways and let her innards out . He was beyond unrecognizable . Rather, were it not for the faint movement of his chest, Ae had no doubts he¡¯d look exactly like corpse... one mutted through endless torture . Every inch of his body was covered in thick, red blood, and he appeared more like a mutated animal rather than a person . Yet, she couldn¡¯t sit and do nothing . Comparing the states of the two, she felt her already frozen heart thaw somewhat . She, who¡¯s yet to even receive a scratch, and him, battered, beaten, scarred beyond recognition... was it even a fairparison? Certainly not . She slowly crawled over and loomed over his body, closely inspecting his wounds . She was scarcely knowledgeable in the medicine, and no matter how much she thought, she was unable toe up with an idea . The only thing she could think of was to find a source of water and wash him . Perhaps add some alcohol on his wounds . But, to do that, she couldn¡¯t leave him here as she went off to find a river or a stream or ake . Yet, she was afraid to even touch him from fear of breaking him . In the end, though, what else could she do? As gently as she could, she ced both her arms beneath his back, one on his lower back and one on his neck . In the end, his legs and head remained the least hurt parts of his entire body . She made sure to firmly hold his chest in a frozen position, without allowing any sway even when she felt her arms throb . Leaving the Elder¡¯s and Patriarch¡¯s corpses, she slowly began trotting over the thick forest in search of at least a somewhat secluded ce if not a cave to hide him . She had to save him . That was the only thought, the only resolve she had at the moment . She felt that if she didn¡¯t save him, something inside of her would break, something which wouldn¡¯t allow her to live another day peacefully . Meanwhile, atop a slightly raised cliff some half a mile away and two miles up, a young boy with frosty atmosphere stared at the thick forest beneath him, his lips curled up in a slight smile . Behind the boy was a strange animal; a mix between a tiger and a dragonfly . The animal was twice asrge as an average person, and was currently peacefully lying on the ground, its thick, furred head rested on its front paws while a pair of translucent, cicada wingsid glued to the sides of its body . "... interesting..." the boy muttered softly as he averted the gaze from the forest, looking up toward the sky . "Will you live? Will you die? Either way... good luck..." the boy mumbled before he walked over toward the strange animal, pping its head . The animal growled in displeasure yet it obediently lowered its head as it met the boy¡¯s frosty gaze . Thetter climbed atop the animal¡¯s back upon which the pair of cicada wings fluttered for a moment before the animal sprinted forth and leapt off the cliff, amazingly taking off to the sky at great speed, leaving behind only blurry afterimages . Chapter 18 Chapter 18 CHAPTER 18 TIDE OF DARKNESS Within a spacious,vish chamber adorned in precious gems embedded in the walls and various paintings depicting superhuman battles, a youth was currently sitting leisurely on a goldden chair, a cup of tea in his hand . His legs were crossed and his dragon-carved, golden robe fell in folds over to the floor . The eyes of the youth appeared tranquil yet, at the same time, extremely vicious, deep golden in the hue . By all ounts, the youth was rather handsome, and hispletely blood-crimson, short hair added a faint presence of death onto his handsome features . The centermost window of the room was currently open, gentle breeze fluttering the silken curtains like waves, while golden stream of sun washed over the ornamental rug on the floor . As the youth enjoyed his peaceful times, a sudden, rhythmic knock on the doors caused him to frown, putting down the cup of tea . "Who is it?" the youth asked in a faint voice, his displeasure clearly disyed . "It is me, Your Grace . " a slightly hoarse and robust voice answered from beyond the doors . "Clith? What are you doing? Don¡¯t you know not to interrupt me during my free time?" the youth said, his frown deepening . "Forgive me Your Grace," the voice replied . "But it is urgent . " "... enter . " in the end, the man called Clith was youth¡¯s direct servant, someone who attended him for over fifteen years . If he chose to interrupt him, he probably had a good reason . "Thank you, Your Grace . " The doors to the room slowly creaked open and a tall, muscr man wearing full te armor walked in, a sword tied in a garnished scabbard strapped to his waist . The man appeared to be roughly in his mid-thirties, with rather rough-looking features; his jaw was squared, lines of face clearly defined, cheekbones pronounced and ck eyes sunk in deeply, extremely narrow . The man had a faint stubble and wavy, ck hair atop . The man immediately came before the youth and knelt down, bowing his head low . "Rise," the youth said as he picked up the cup of tea . "Have a seat . " "I wouldn¡¯t dare . " Clith said quickly . "Sit . " "... yes, Your Grace . " Clith said as he awkwardly sat on the chair opposite of youth¡¯s . "What is so urgent that you had to interrupt my free time?" the youth asked as he took a sip of the mellow tea . "A report came in a few hours ago, Your Grace," Clith said respectfully . "Stating that a group of roughly hundred men and women were going around viges andmencing a mass ughter . " "Hm? Why hasn¡¯t anyone notified me earlier?" the youth¡¯splexion darkened for a moment as he put the cup of tea down . "Forgive us, Your Grace," Clith immediately lowered his head . "As the report at the time seem incredulous, we first decided to investigate it and confirm it . " "Has it been confirmed?" "Yes . " "Did you report it to my father?" the youth asked . "Yes, we have already informed His Highness," Clith said . "And His Highness had already dispatched two squadrons of Knights, and asked if Your Grace would be willing to lead them . " "..." the youth entered in a short thought as a strange glint shed through his eyes . The youth was none other than the Crown Prince of the Umbra Kingdom, a man donned as one of the strongest in the entire Kingdom despite his young age ¨C Royal Prince Yox Veera of Grand Veera Dynasty . It was already set in stone that he¡¯d be the next King, and it was only a matter of time before he ascended the throne . Although he remained within the Royal Pce most of the time, he had dozens of subordinates tasked with informing him of any major events that took ce within Umbra Kingdom as well as the surrounding Kingdoms, making sure he was always up to date . "Very well," Prince Yox said as he slowly got up . "Call Sin and Valor . You and the two of them will apany me . " "Yes, Your Grace . " "I will go see Royal Father first," Prince Yox said as he slowly moved toward the doors . "You gather the other two and wait for me at the City Gates with the rest of the Knights . I shall join you shortly . " "Yes, Your Grace . " Prince Yox¡¯s room was situated in the western wing of the Pce, and without special permission, no one was allowed to evene close to it . It was heavily guarded day and night, and there were no other upants throughout the entire western wing . Prince Yox slowly headed toward the Throne Room, situated at the centermost position between the three wings ¨C northern, eastern and western . It was where His Highness, the King of Umbra Kingdom ¨C Orth Veera the Third ¨C usually resided . The doors connecting a massive hallway to the Throne Room were gigantic, easily towering over five meters, reinforced by hard steel and adorned with carvings of two coiling serpents . Without even announcing himself, the Prince pushed the doors open and calmly walked inside . Red, ornamental carpet ran forth like a river of blood straight from the doors to the small set of stairs . Atop was a rtively wide tform where the Throne itself was situated, alongside two statues of massive lions . Currently, atop the Throne, a middle-aged man wearingvish robes and a golden crown garnished with plenty precious gems sat with a somewhat vexed expression . Beneath him, at two sides, dozens of high-ranking members of the Court were standing in silence . When they saw Prince calmly walking toward the Throne, some nodded a greeting, while some frowned slightly at his behavior . In the end, despite how strong he was, even he was unable to win over every member of the Court . The struggle within the Pce was eternal, and friends and alliances were only temporary . As he arrived before the Throne, he slowly knelt down, exuding unparalleled grace . "Royal Father . " the Prince spoke softly, his voice calm and even . "Rise . " the King said with a faint smile on his face; his golden hair, paired up with noble, azure eyes gave him handsome look despite his age . Rather, one could say that the wrinkles only gave him sagacious appearance rather than taking away anything . "Seeing as you are here, you must have epted my proposal . " "Yes . " Prince Yox nodded . "Hm," King Orth mumbled . "We are still in the dark in regards to the backgrounds of these individuals . If possible, try to capture some of them alive and investigate the matter . We will also be sending word to the City of Mercenaries to post the bounty and gather some additional forces . " "Understood . " Prince Yox said . "It will be dealt with swiftly . " "Just to be on the safe side, you should take the Ancestor¡¯s Staff . " King Orth¡¯s words immediately invoked gasps of surprise, shock and disbelief from the present audience; even Prince Yox himself was slightly taken aback . After all, Ancestor¡¯s Staff ¨C [Moon-beheading Staff of Glory] ¨C was a legendary weapon crafted by a Greatmaster cksmith long time ago as a gift to the King at the time . It¡¯s the only Legendary-grade item in the Kingdom¡¯s treasury, and is considered as a part of national defense . Up to this day, it has never left the premises of the Pce, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that everyone was greatly taken aback . "I do not think that will be necessary, Royal Father . " Prince Yox said . Although he greatly desired the staff for himself, he knew now was not the time . Perhaps, his Father was even testing him . No golden fruit ever fell freely from the sky, not even to the Crown Prince of the Kingdom . "The Young Prince is right, Your Majesty," the man closest to the Throne-tform spoke; he was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, a man with no particr background ¨C one without even a surname ¨C Reyel . Despite his ordinary beginnings, his wit and knowledge greatly impressed the current King, which was why he was appointed one of the most important positions in the Kingdom . "To speak nothing of the Prince¡¯s strength, even the Knights should be more than enough to deal with the invaders . We shouldn¡¯t underestimate the nearby Kingdoms; there¡¯s no doubt that they have already been alerted to this event, and are carefully observing the situation . If we suddenly bring out the staff out into the open, there¡¯s no telling what they could do . " "Prime Minister is right, Your Highness," another man spoke in a soft, feminine voice . He was a Great Leader of Treasury, current King¡¯s younger brother, Lyrthar . Unlike King Orth, he had rather ordinary features, and even his aura didn¡¯t live up to his background . However, he remained as one of the most important personnel, and one of the King¡¯s most trusted aides . "We should not take any unnecessary risks for the time being . " "Humph, do you think your King has gone senile?" King Orth snorted coldly as he nced at the trio of the Prince Yox, Prime Minister Reyel and his younger brother Lyrthar . "Those bastards have been eyeing ournds for a long time now, how could I not know? Despite the current Treaty, the equilibrium between our Kingdoms is slowly breaking off, especially with Yox¡¯s recent rise . They are no doubt nning and scheming on ways to deal with him . Why not give them a free opportunity and root them out before they are able to formte their ns properly?" "... you mean...?" Prince Yox mumbled as he nced at his father . "Of course, you will be shadowed by Three Ancestors," King Orth said confidently . "And your life will not be endangered, no matter what, and neither will the possession of the staff . As much as it is a ploy to root them out, is also to showcase our strength . They seemed to have forgotten who won thest Great War . It is high time we reminded them of who the true ruler of thesends is . " "..." The entire Throne Room was suddenly cast into contemtive silence . It wasn¡¯t as though King Orth¡¯s n was foolproof; myriad of things could go wrong . However, it¡¯s not as though it was a quickly-thought-out-one either . This could potentially lead to amazing gains . Not only could they root out the direct, high-positioned spies of the enemy Kingdom, but they could also send a grim reminder to all those who are having thoughts of invading thesends . After all, current Umbra Kingdom wasn¡¯t exactly suited for an all-out war; with the multipleyers of internal divisions and struggles, it¡¯s hard to say whether everyone would be able to unite under the same banner and resist the invaders . The only hope of that happening is exactly the youth currently kneeling in front of the Throne ¨C Prince Yox . If he¡¯s given a few more years to grow in strength, there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯d be able to unite all the disassociated factions . Some of those present wished to see that while some didn¡¯t . Political situation ¨C whether inside or outside the Umbra Kingdom ¨C was seemingly stable on the surface, but that was hardly the case . Even now there were numerous small-time skirmishes, whether within the segregated powers of Umbra Kingdom, or the neighboring enemies and allies alike . [Moon-beheading Staff of Glory] was a great deterrent to everyone; such a legendary weapon was even registered in the annals of history books, and there wasn¡¯t a soul who didn¡¯t know of it . Even if it has only ever been used once, it was more than enough to disy its prowess . It could be said that it was single-handedly worth an army of one-hundred-thousand if not even more, especially when wielded by someone as strong as Prince Yox . In the end, no one was able to provide a proper counter-initiative to the King¡¯s n, which is when the meeting itself ended . Prince Yox¡¯s departure was dyed for a day, but nobody thought it mattered much . Although a few viges werepletely ughtered, they wereparatively hidden and low in poption, causing the overall loss to be almost negligible . In consideration to the current position of the unknown invaders, it would take them at least three days before they¡¯d reach any major, important viges and cities, so a dy of one day wouldn¡¯t impact the overall situation much . As the Umbra Kingdom ¨C alongside the neighboring Kingdoms ¨C slowly began unfolding the various schemes and ns, deep in the reaches of the Umbra Mountain Range, within a rather cool and isted cave shrouded in deep darkness, a faint sound of breathing could be heard . On the floor, propelled by a makeshift bed of dried leafs, a roughly sixteen-year-old boy was currently lying motionless . He waspletely naked, and a massive scar was visible running from his cor bone down to his abdomen . Hisplexion was rather pale, and his expression pained, but his condition appeared rtively stable . A few minutester, faint sound of footsteps emerged from the cave¡¯s entrance whereupon a woman wearing tattered clothes and carrying a bucket full of water ¨C one made of leaves and branches, no less ¨C walked into the cave . She quickly hunched over and lit up the fire that was extinguished while she was away, sitting down and panting heavily as she recovered her stamina . This woman was Ae, and she had been taking care of Lino for the past fifteen days to the best of her ability . Although she was well-versed in the means of survival within themunity, the same could not be said for her outdoor-survival-skills . After all, she had not left Endo n¡¯s grounds even once, and was even less knowledgeable about the world than someone like Lino . In truth, she didn¡¯t do much when it came to Lino¡¯s treatment; she merely found this rather hidden and damp cave,id him down on the makeshift bed, stripped him and washed him with clean, river water, and that was it . She was even unable to find a material to cover his wounds, but it seemed unnecessary, as his speed of recovery startled her greatly . Already on the second day, both his wounds ¨C which were clearly lethal ¨C closed up and stopped bleedingpletely . On the seventh day, his ragged breathing evened out and his convoluted expression eased somewhat . And, yesterday, on the fourteenth day, the wounds slowly turned to scars . She had no idea how he was healing that quickly but, by her estimates, he should be able to heal himselfpletely within another fifteen days . The greatest challenge for her was actually keeping herself alive; she was forced to eat strange-looking berries and leaves and mushrooms of all sorts . She was lucky enough toe across a dead body of a rabbit a few days ago which she roasted quickly and ate with gusto, but it was clear that she had lost quite a bit of weight in the past fifteen days and that her usually rosyplexion paled somewhat . She also felt rather lucky that there was a fresh, nearby stream of water as, otherwise, she couldn¡¯t imagine how she¡¯d survive . Unlike Lino, she was an ordinary mortal, and even traversing the rough terrain of the forest was a challenge for her, let alone surviving all by herself for fifteen days . She had also gone back once to the ce of battle and looked through the corpses of Patriarch Varick and First Elder; she only managed to find a single, golden ring with strange carvings on Patriarch¡¯s body . Although the ring didn¡¯t appear to be simple, she was clueless as to what it was, so she was only able to wait for Lino to wake up and have him take a look at it . Besides that, she also buried both of the bodies ¨C or, rather, hid them to the best of her abilities ¨C lest they be found by someone . She had no clue as to what was happening outside the forest, nor did she care that much . Despite the fact that her days were nothing short of exhausting, it never once managed to damp her spirit . After all, she was finally free; she had escaped that ce she was enved to since the day she was born . Even living in the forest wasparatively better . She couldn¡¯t help but nce at the body of the youth lying not too far away from her . Her lips curled up in a gentle smile full of gratitude and warmth; despite Lino¡¯s show of strength, she hardly feared him or felt repulsed by him . In the end, he had saved her . And, even worse, suffered grave injuries in the process . As she couldn¡¯t wrap her head around the fact that he even survived, she didn¡¯t bother thinking about how he was able to achieve all these things ¨C to her it only mattered that he lived through this ordeal . She even felt somewhat reserved over being so much older than him . Even if she was rtively beautiful, even whenpared to those girls much younger than her, she couldn¡¯t help but wish she was younger, stronger and more beautiful . She evenughed at herself a few times for having such maiden-like thoughts over a boy who¡¯d barely entered puberty . However, in the end, these were just passing thoughts . She had very little to do with her free time, which led to boredom sparking such ideas inside her mind . She certainly wouldn¡¯t humor the idea to the point of getting obsessed over it . What was left for her to do was simply wait out the time until Lino awoke and survive to the best of her ability . Whates afterwards, only time will tell . Chapter 19 Chapter 19 CHAPTER 19 FLAMES OF THE COLD CAVE An entire month had passed since Lino¡¯s deadly battle against the top forces of Endo n . If anyone had heard of his exploits ¨C killing six Peak Core Realm and a Soul Realm cultivators as a mere Level 30 Cultivator ¨C they¡¯d certainly believe it to be a mere myth, over exaggerated tale, a propaganda of sorts . Yet, it had truly happened . But, all the same, it wasn¡¯t without a great sacrifice on his part . Had he not been cultivating , he¡¯d have died without a shadow of a doubt . Wounds he sustained simply weren¡¯t something an ordinary human body should be able to withstand . Even so, it took him an entire month of unconscious recovery to fill up the wounds the demonized Patriarch left on his body . never stopped circting within his body, continuously replenishing his vitality and sending streams of Qi throughout his veins and nerves to heal him up . It could be said that this month was a period of the greatest weakness Lino had suffered since the day he was born . Even if he wished to wake up, he was unable to . His mind was forcibly shut down, put dormant, as though he had lost all of his own will . It was only a monthter when a first thought returned to his mind... and, shortly after, came second, third, all the way until his entire mind waspletely restored . He slowly opened his eyes with great deal of trouble, as he felt the heaviness of his eyelids working against his instructions . His vision was blurred at first and he was forced to wait for nearly five minutes until he was slowly able to discern his surroundings . Before him, there was only darkness with faint edges of silver stones in the surroundings . He quickly inspected his body and was rather stunned to find itpletely healed . It¡¯s almost as though the battle a month ago hadn¡¯t ever urred . He had even grown stronger in the process; while he was fighting the Patriarch and the First Elder, he was Level 33, yet now he was clearly able to discern that he rose all the way to Level 38 in one fell swoop . One has to know that, for ordinary people, even rising a single Level could take years of harsh training, and even talented geniuses would find it almost impossible to rise two levels at once, let alone five . Although Lino was uncertain as to why his strength rocketed, he didn¡¯t spend too long dwelling on it . He had gone from Early Core Realm and stepped directly into Mid Core Realm, even stabilizing his strength in the process . However, such rise came at a rather high price; not only was his shield entirely destroyed, even [Celestial Rod] sustained great damage to its durability, and without proper repair, it was impossible to use it . All that alongside the fact that he had to recuperate for an entire month spoke of just how dangerous the situation he had found himself in was . In hindsight, Lino realized that he had been slightly mad and crazed throughout the whole ordeal . It was one thing if he was able to find the opportunity to stealthily kill Vye without anyone finding out, but it was entirely different thing to kill her in front of entire Endo n . He had realized he was too confident in his body¡¯s abilities, as he assumed he would be able to outpace even Soul Realm cultivators by just using his body . Still, who could me him for thinking so? After all, there was no way he could have predicted the sudden change in the cultivators¡¯ physique . Even now, no matter how much he thought, Lino couldn¡¯t wrap his head around what happened . It¡¯s almost as though the Demon which resided within Vye bloomed like a flower and all its petals suddenly invaded the bodies of others, transforming them . "Oh well..." he mumbled, groaning lowly; as he slowly sat up, his entire body croaked like a rusted machine with his bones cracking one by one . After all, lying motionless for an entire month wasn¡¯t easy even for cultivators . Lino suspected that if his body wasn¡¯t far stronger than the average, he might have taken additional two-three days just to be able to properly move . "I can just ask E and Eggor when I go back . " just then, a faint sound of footsteps startled him as he immediately increased his vignce . It was all for naught though as a familiar figure soon entered his eyesight . She was wearing two pieces of cloth that barely covered anything, and was currently carrying a bucket of water . Her body had considerably thinned out and various scratches, bruises and wounds were visible throughout . Her hair was a mess, yet her eyes shone even more brilliantly than ever before . The moment she saw him sitting up, though, the pair of gems widened abruptly as she lost the grip on the bucket . Without even ncing at it, she raced over and threw herself at him, her arms immediately wrapping around his back . Immediately after, tears streaked down her cheeks onto Lino¡¯s back . He hadn¡¯t even a second to think about what just transpired when he felt two great peaks press against his chest . What¡¯s worse, he also finally realized that he waspletely naked . His youthful face immediately flushed red, but, despite his embarrassment, he didn¡¯t have heart to push Ae away . After all, while an entire month for him passed in a sh, she must have suffered greatly in the meantime, which is clearly visible from the state of her clothes and her body . "I¡¯m back . " Lino said softly as he hugged her back lightly . "It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back..." Ae said in a barely audible whisper, her voice weak . The willpower she sustained for an entire month had cracked atst; after all, this wasn¡¯t a life she ever nned to have, let alone trained for . She was even afraid that Lino had goneatose forever, and that he¡¯d never wake up . Still, Lino had no leisure to remain in such position for too long as he clearly felt his blood rush out of his head downstairs . "Khm," he coughed awkwardly as he pushed her off softly, hiding his crotch . "Uh, where¡¯s my ne? I have a few spare piece of clothes there..." "Oh!" Ae eximed as she immediately went to the other side of cave and picked up the pyramid-shaped ne . She didn¡¯t even notice Lino¡¯s awkward disposition as she had been staring at his naked body for an entire month, rendering all supposed awkwardness moot for her . She quickly walked over and handed the ne over to Lino . A mere momentter, two clean robes emerged out of nowhere, one which he handed over to Ae and the other which he himself had taken . Just as he was about to start dressing, a mind-blowing image suddenly appeared before him; as though he wasn¡¯t even there, Ae removed two pieces of cloth that were covering her most important areas without a hint of embarrassment, revealing her entirely stark body to him . Lino¡¯s eyes bulged as he stared directly at her; one had to say that, despite her age, she was truly beautiful . Even the various wounds throughout her body weren¡¯t able to mar her beauty in the slightest . Her breasts were full and round, their tips pink and seemingly soft, while her stomach was quite narrow, revealing even a few signs of muscles after a month of living in the wild . Her hips widened, giving her entire body an hourss figure, one inviting enough to make even the most resilient men bow down . It was only then that Ae came to her senses as she nced at Lino who didn¡¯t even notice her gaze, wholly focused on her naked body . "Oh my," she said softly as she giggled . "If you stare so much, you¡¯ll make even me blush . " "..." Lino was finally woken from his stupor as he immediately looked away, his entire face crimson red . "Well, seeing you like that," Ae said as even her cheeks blushed slightly, looking down at Lino¡¯s exposed crotch . "It seems you¡¯ve healedpletely . Good . " It was only then that Lino remembered he had yet to put on his robe and that he was also entirely naked . He immediately turned around, his head lowered while steam seemed to have seep out from his head due to embarrassment . He quickly put on the robes and turned around to see that Ae had done the same . In the end, he was just a sixteen-year-old boy who¡¯s yet to taste a woman . It would be impossible to ask of him to remain indifferent when such sight was disyed before him . "... how are you feeling?" Ae asked softly as she sat down . Even a loose robe was unable to entire hide her figure . "... khm, I¡¯m fine . " Lino said awkwardly, still unable to look her in the eyes . "Thanks... uh, thanks for taking care of me . " "No," Ae shook her head . "Thank you for saving my life . " "Heh, it¡¯s more as though I drew you into a battle you should have never been a part of . " "Nheless, you¡¯ve won . " Ae said with a warm smile . "That¡¯s all that matters . " "We were forced to leave early," Lino said . "So you weren¡¯t able to pack properly . Tell me if you need anything . " "It doesn¡¯t matter . What I¡¯ve left behind, I can just as easily get back . " "Yeah..." there was a strange, awkward atmosphere bubbling between the two as Lino was yet to look at her while talking . "You can look, you know? I¡¯m not naked anymore . " "Cough..." "Ha ha," Ae suddenlyughed; herughter was full of innocence, as though she suddenly returned to her twenty-years and up surpassed youth . "You really are an oddball . While you were fighting those two, you seemed unparalleled . Yet, now, you can¡¯t even handle an olddy like me . " "... aren¡¯t you ashamed of calling yourself old with that body?" Lino mumbled, but as the cave was rather narrow, his voice traveled and Ae was able to hear his words . "So you¡¯ve taken a liking to it, huh?" Ae said, smiling mischievously . "..." "I have no means to repay for what you¡¯ve done for me," Ae said . "But, if it¡¯s my body you want, you can have all of it, for as long as you want . " "..." Lino suddenly looked at her, but his eyes weren¡¯t shining with desire, but rather a form of pity . Such gaze startled Ae as she felt her heart crack slightly . "I... I can¡¯t imagine what you had to do to survive in that ce," Lino said softly . "But, we aren¡¯t there anymore . You are free . Don¡¯t sell yourself so short . " "..." Ae looked at him deeply, her eyes shimmering lightly as tears threatened to emerge . In the end, it was hard to remove the disposition she had been molding for a great part of her life . Mortals were nothing in Endo n . In the event that someone as beautiful as Ae appeared within Mortals, they were usually enved immediately by one of the cultivators . If it wasn¡¯t for her wit, Ae would have ended up exactly like hundreds of other girls, some who were far more beautiful than her . Most of those girls either ended up dead or pregnant and abandoned . "I¡¯m sorry . " she said, smiling lightly . "I looked down on you . " she slowly crawled over toward him until she was sitting right in front, leaning closely until he was able to sense her warm breath on his skin . "You are right . I¡¯m not free to do whatever I want . " her lips suddenly pressed against his, startling Lino . He was immediately pushed down onto the ground as Ae loomed over his body, her loose robes pping and revealing a gigantic crevice between her two breasts . Without waiting for his reply, she immediately lowered her body and pressed it against his as her lips once again interlocked with his . Soon, her tongue found its way inside Lino¡¯s mouth as it began dancing and interweaving with his . It didn¡¯t take long for him to get lost in the ecstatic feeling of the moment . As though freed from restraints, his hands quickly found their way to Ae¡¯s backside and began gently caressing it . The robe she wore was too thin to hide anything, and Lino was able to feel her body almost as though the robe wasn¡¯t even there . He suddenly jolted off the floor and picked Ae up into his arms as the two sat against each other . Their kisses turned short and torpid as their breathing grew ragged . Lino¡¯s hands quickly took off Ae¡¯s robes, practically ripping them off her body . Once again, she appeared stark naked in front of him . However, this time, he didn¡¯t awkwardly look away; rather, while pressing his lips against hers once again, his hands immediately moved onto her breasts and began ying with them . A pair of soft moans escaped Ae¡¯s lips as her cheeks flushed slightly red . Her hands moved like a pair of serpents, one weaving around Lino¡¯s neck while the other moved down his stomach, uncloaking his robe and reaching toward his crotch . As if to reply, one of Lino¡¯s hands abandoned her breasts as it moved in-between her thighs, pressing against the already moist crevice . One of his fingers slipped in as her entire hand wrapped around his own blunt, stroking it gently . He quickly shoved her down from the seating position onto her backside . Her hair pped sideways like waves while her eyes, slightly moist, looked at him with warm emotion . He once again pressed his lips against her while Ae sped up her hand at his crotch . Midway through, she grasped it tightly and moved it downward, pressing the crevice in-between her thighs . While kissing passionately, Lino felt deific feeling as Ae helped him find the entrance . Wrapped tightly inside her, he began almost instinctively moving his hips, unable to suppress the soft groans of his soul . Sweat broke off the two¡¯s skins as their temperatures arose, shifting the damp, cold atmosphere of the cave into one of delirium, me and ecstasy . Almost unable to bear it anymore, Lino took it out, swirling Ae sideways as her backside perched up toward him . A line ran between two wide buttocks, the image quickly imprinting itself into Lino¡¯s mind . Unable to wait any longer, he pushed in once again . Intermingled moans of pleasure echoed against the cold walls of the cave as the two gave in to their primal desires without holding anything back . In the end, it didn¡¯t take more than a few minutes for Lino to finish; however, just the same, a few minutester, he once again found himself full of vigor . Such repetition went on for half a day, until both were exhausted to their bones . The two liedfortably in each other¡¯s arms, panting heavily . Thus, Lino had lost his virginity, and much more . Thinking back to some books he¡¯s read about cultivators, and how the goal was to discard all attachments and worldly desires, he suddenly felt that bing a cultivator wasn¡¯t worth it . Who in their right mind would give up something as good as this? "... oh, right!" Ae suddenly eximed softly as though she remembered something . She freed herself from Lino¡¯s arm and got up, walking over to the corner of the cave before returning with a golden ring in her hand . "This was the only thing I¡¯ve found on Varick¡¯s corpse . I have no clue what it is, but maybe you¡¯ll have better luck . " however, Lino didn¡¯t even nce at the golden ring, as his eyes remained focused on her slightly flushed body . Under the light of dim fire at the center of the cave, droplets of sweat on her body glistened like gems, transforming her into an ethereal beauty . Lino only felt this sensation once, and even that for a brief moment, when he caught a glimpse of E underneath the moonlight . Remembering the girls from the vige he¡¯d seen before, he truly felt the world was unfair . "Ah, haven¡¯t you seen enough already, you scoundrel?" Ae chastised softly as she pped his crotch gently, all whileughing . "Ouch!" Lino eximed as he grabbed it and hid it . "It¡¯s really sensitive now, you know!" "Oh, I bet . I¡¯m pretty sure that you¡¯ve consumed half the liquids in your body by now . " "... ah, you¡¯re really ruthless aren¡¯t you?" Lino rolled his eyes as he took the ring from Ae¡¯s hand, inspecting it . "I¡¯m rather young to be married off, though . " "..." it was Ae¡¯s time to roll her eyes . She already missed the awkward and embarrassed youth she met this morning . "So?" after Lino inspected the ring, he was actually stunned for a moment: it was a void treasure! No less, it was even slightly better than his own ne as far as the base stats are concerned! [Ring of Gravity ¨C Mythic] Level: 65 Defense: 101 Durability: 80 +20 Agility Special effect: Insides of the ring epass arge space of 128 cubic meters . Only inanimate objects can be stored inside . Special effect: Activate inscribed array to increase gravity in the surrounding area . Can be increased by 2x/4x/6x . Qi Stones are required for consumption and sustainment of the array . Note: Dual-arrayed work of wonder, the Ring is able to offer the user a convenient means of storage while also providing an amazing option of physical training . This was the first time Lino encountered something like ¡¯+20 Agility¡¯ or the second special effect of the ring . However, it wasn¡¯t as though he waspletely unfamiliar with the concepts; in the end, every inch of human¡¯s body could be adjusted numerically . Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, stats existed just to describe a single person in detail . Even the idea of ¡¯Agility¡¯ is actually abination of numerous other stats . Simr to how Primal Spirit of Water was able to increase the flexibility of his body, so would the ring, in addition to increasing his overall speed . Number 20 wasn¡¯t a small amount; after all, by Lino¡¯s estimation, his current agility was roughly 30, so the increase would give him a ratherrge boost . As for the second special effect, it was as though it was perfectly tailored for Lino . Gravity itself was a rather elusive force and it was quite difficult to craft an array into the equipment which would be capable of influencing it, but whoever crafted this ring was able to do it . The only thing that worried Lino were Qi Stones; he knew what they were, but he didn¡¯t know how to find them . He quickly erased thest of presence attached to the ring before sinking his own consciousness into it . Immediately upon seeing a scene in front of his eyes, he felt himself short of breath . Glitter! Shine! Glow! It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that this was the entire treasury of the Endo n! This was a result of almost 20,000 years of history, and it all fell into his hands! Qi Stones? Lack of them? Lino was able to roughly spot at least 100,000 of them sitting in the corner . Rare materials? Ores? Metals? Herbs? There were literally hills and mountains of them scattered around the space in the ring . There were also numerous glittering swords, shields, armors, jewelry, coins, all sorts of things that Lino had never even seen before . He realized that his level-up was worth crap in front of what this ring represented . "Oi, oi!" Ae¡¯s voice jolted him from a daydream . "What are you drooling for? What¡¯s with the ring?" "Ha ha ha," Lino burst out into maniacalughter, startling Ae . "We¡¯re rich! We¡¯re so fucking rich this entire Kingdom cane and suck my dick! Ha ha ha!!" "..." "Khm," Lino quickly recovered, flushing somewhat at his embarrassing outburst . "I mean, uh, we¡¯ve hit it big . Yeah, that . " "... right . " "Don¡¯t look at me like that . " "I¡¯m not looking at you like anything . " "Don¡¯t lie to me! I can see it in your eyes! You¡¯re basically screaming ¡¯Why the hell did I screw this lunatic?! What if he contaminates me?!¡¯!!!" "Ah, I would never . " Ae said . "... you¡¯re breaking my heart here!" Lino cried out . "Ah, I¡¯m so sorry . " "You know, that monotone voice is kind of hot . " "... oi, you¡¯ve just lost your virginity! It¡¯s too early to be dipping into the fetishes!" Ae eximed . "... khm, anyway, we¡¯ll rest here for a day or two, and we¡¯ll depart . Where are we anyway?" "How would I know?" "Didn¡¯t you bring me here?" "Yeah . " Ae nodded . "Then how could you not know where we are?" "We are in a cave . " "No shit!!" Lino rolled his eyes as he thought for a moment . "Ah, never mind . Considering we¡¯re definitely still within the Umbra Mountain Range, we can just move northeast . We¡¯ll eventually reach the Central District . " "Good thinking . " "Ah, I see that your tongue isn¡¯t only suited for sucking . " "You have no idea . " " . . . . " As per the ns, Lino and Ae remained within the cave for the following two days . Although they nned to use them to rest properly and recover their peak conditions, by the time they departed from the cave, both seemed more exhausted than two days ago . It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine why . Chapter 20 Chapter 20 CHAPTER 20 FURY OF SHAME Lino stood frozen in the spot, his countenance dispirited . Next to him, Ae had ashened expression, her eyes fiercely moist with tears . Before them, thick, ck smoke bellowed into the sky as the stench of death and blood dominated the air . Tens of rows of wooden houses were currently nothing more but ruins, turned to greyed ash . A string of nearly two hundred corpses were hung about the whole vige, massacred by something far beyond reason . The stone streets were paved with dried, red blood, and even the youngest of children weren¡¯t spared this fate . From Lino¡¯s memories, he deduced that this vige was called Cambria; although it was far from being as prosperous and asrge as Bridge Vige, it still housed roughly three hundred people in its ranks . However, out of them, over two hundred were dead, with fate of the remaining hundred still being unknown . The vige was built atop a small hill surrounded by a canal, and its walls made of wooden pikes werepletely burnt into nothingness . Soon, Ae was unable to handle it anymore as she ran backward, down the hill, and spewed her insides out . On the other hand, even Lino¡¯s somewhat steeled heart began bleeding . He felt a familiar presence lingering in the air ¨C the Demonic one he unleashed when he killed Vye . As he understood that, his mind stirred and he felt his knees grow weak . His cheeks lost all their color and his eyes dulled . No matter how much he screamed inside his head that it wasn¡¯t his fault, it did little to help him . Overwhelming sorrow and guilt surged from the depths of his youthful heart; even if he had killed quite a few people, he himself had no clue as to why he was so averse to it . However, for better or worse, those deaths came in the form of either self-defense, or contending against people who broke off the mortal chains and began cultivating . While he can¡¯t im he hadn¡¯t killed an innocent person before, he certainly hadn¡¯tmenced a massacre on this scale, and especially massacre againstpletely innocent people... and even children . Besides sorrow and guilt, a burning fury began bellowing inside Lino¡¯s heart . It was a rather ordinary coping mechanisms of all youths who¡¯ve yet to mature properly; his heart, unable to contend against the overwhelming guilt, bypassed the me off itself onto those who¡¯vemitted such ughter, giving birth to intrepid rage . He had clear figures at which he could point fingers, temporarily relieving his wounded soul from the me . He gritted his teeth tightly and clenched his fists until his nails dug beneath his skin, causing scarlet-red droplets to fall onto the dry earth beneath . He suddenly turned around and raced down the hill . He picked up Ae into his arms and threw her over his shoulder; she screamed for a moment, but hadn¡¯t even a second to protest as she felt gust of wind assail her skin . Lino suddenly found himself reliving the simr state he was in when he fought against the Patriarch Varick and the First Elder . Something primal burned deep inside him, causing his blood to stir like mad and Qi within every facet of his body to turn into violent waves . Indispensable urge to fight was birthed directly into his bones, propelling him forth . When he first attained the Primal Spirit of Wind, he was at most able to run 200km/h, but after leveling up so fiercely, that speed doubled . He crossed the ins like a gust of fierce wind, leaving behind only a massive dust storm as he moved to the nearest vige . The muscles on his legs screeched fiercely in pain, but circted like mad, healing his breaking tendons the moment wounds appeared . It was much more vigorous than on the days when Lino was simply rxing, or even actively trying to cultivate . Much like Lino, it seemed as though something within it awoke in response to his unabashed fury . Not even an hour had passed before he came across another vige; the vige was called Reyrra, and it was three times asrge as Cambria ¨C however, the same fate descended upon it . Smoke bellowed like an ominous reminder of death high into the sky, while corpses of young and old alike hung over the broken walls of houses . Blood was yet to dry, running freely like streams down the scratched streets . He hadn¡¯t even paused to grieve as he kicked off once again, tracing the lingering, demonic scent and racing after it . Were either E or Eggor to see him now, they¡¯d be hard-pressed to recognize him; his youthful, yful face was nowhere to be found, in its ce a grim expression of destion, rage, untamed fury which seemed to seep out of his very bones . He was currently racing over a valley surrounded by mountains when he saw a distant smoke arising, apanied by screams of anguish; it was the location of third vige Lino was headed towards, Yeva . It was a small, but prominent vige which housed a rather deep quarry . It seems that despite the presence of several Royal Knights guarding it, they were not enough . Lino¡¯s speed suddenly increased as he blew through the valley within a span of a few seconds . Within his sight came horrid picture; dozens of men and women were mutted beyond recognition, while the remaining men were being ughtered wantonly by seconds . The women, on the other hand, wereden against the cold, blood-soaked streets and raped repeatedly by a group of nearly fifty men with crazed expressions . Houses were tarnished, walls battered, people ughtered, children tortured, women raped... it was a projection of a hell on earth, and Lino suddenly felt thest bit of his heart crack . He came to a halt directly in front of the vige and slowly ced Ae down . The fifty or so men immediately noticed him, but save for a few, he waspletely ignored as they went back to their own desires . Their expressions were a mix of maddened lust, excitement, and abandoned humanity . "He he, boy, did you bring us that fine woman? He he, even if you gift her to us, you won¡¯t be able to live, you know? He h---" however, before the stalwart man with reddened eyes got the chance toplete hisughter, he suddenly fell silent . A momentter, his head split open like an egg as his brain matter sttered all over the floor, his body kneaded into a paste onto the street . This alerted all those who¡¯ve ignored Lino¡¯s approach . On the other hand, thetter said nothing as he held the sword in his hand tightly . The de of the sword dripped with ckened blood; each droplet was more akin to acid, causing sizzling sounds as it hit the stoned earth . Nobody was able to see Lino¡¯s eyes as his head was slightly lowered and his disheveled hair covered the top half of his face . However, were they able to see it, even the demonic-possessed madmen would no doubt be startled . As though birth of life and death was imprinted into his pupils, strange, star-like glimmers orbited his irises, surrounded by red vessels shaped like spider webs . Each breath of his stirred surrounding Qi like mad, causing winds to rouse from nothingness . His deposition rose bit by bit as his muscles seemed to have attained life of their own and began breathing, in and out, bit by bit . Screams have yet to subside, cries of the wronged, of the dying, of the wounded, of the scarred... each single voice of the vigers entered one by one through Lino¡¯s ears, and he ascertained to remember all of them . One by one . Each scream stirred him further . Each cry boiled his bleeding heart harder . Each hedonisticughter of Demons parched him . Each roar full of unwillingness and bitterness sounded like a curse to his soul . Time, for him, seemed to have stopped . As he swallowed these resentments, he cared for nothing else . His guilt-ridden heart beat like mad as he suddenly raised his head . Between the bangs of his pitch-ck hair, two glittering stars emerged like beams of light . They scanned over the fifty or so Demons with expression colder than ice . The pair of eyes appeared depthless, as though holding the whole of universe within . A breath had passed, and everyone finally realized that one of their own had been ughtered . Parched into rage, they all abandoned whatever they were doing and turned toward Lino . "Ho ho, you sure have¡ª" the one nearest to Lino spoke up, yet his fate was even more brutal . Cleaved right through, the two halves of his body split like paper, falling opposite of each other . Lino¡¯s body was revealed in-between these two parts, his aura stirring Qi surrounding him to nearly liquefy . "Dead have no right to speak . " that was the only thing Lino said . Rousing the winds surrounding him, he began burning Qi within him like crazy as he sprung into a streamer of light, appearing directly at the heart of the remaining Demons . With a sword in his hand, he spun in a circle, directly beheading three without giving them a chance to utter a sound . He hardly stopped, immediately rousing the wildness of his blood and lunging himself forth, cleaving his sword as though he was an incantation of God of War . Soon, the screams and cries of vigers were reced by screams and cries of Demons . They tried to fight . But, it was all in vain . Even if theynded a hit on Lino¡¯s body, thetter didn¡¯t care . All wounds that were inflicted upon him were immediately healed, whereas a single sh of his sword reaped lives like grain . He shed left and right like a stream of light, untraceable by the naked eye . From the distance, Ae stared at the scene and was once again left dumbfounded . Just a few days ago, this boy was merrilyughing with her while embarrassingly avoiding her naked body . He was just like any other youth; slightly temperamental, proud, bashful . Even though she gleamed at least a trace of this side of him while he fought the Patriarch and the First Elder, it wasn¡¯t even an ounce of what he was disying right now . She could nearly see the mes of his anger surrounding him whenever he killed another Demon . Whatever stirred her heart and soul had little to do with Lino¡¯s strength; she held no doubt that there were many stronger people than him ¨C much, much stronger people . However, the air he disyed, the overwhelming presence hemanded, the sheer madness he ruled... it was impossible to look away . He captured the essence of life and death with each of his strikes, and inspired thoughts of servitude within the hearts of those who were watching . Ae herself was not an exception . She felt as though she was witnessing a birth of a legend, and she felt like kneeling before him was only the natural thing to do . Demons fell like pebbles in the ocean, without even gaining a single chance to strike back . It didn¡¯t even take a minute until only one remained . The youth which seemed no older than twenty was shaking . His demonic, proud and overbearing disposition was nowhere to be found . Within his eyes was only a trace of profound terror . He found it hard to even breathe while looking at the figure standing in front of him . Lino¡¯s clothes were entirely dyed in ck blood, and even his face wasn¡¯t spared, giving him an image of a madman who¡¯ve just left the massive battlefield . The aura of murder around him was so thick it nearly came to life . "How many of you are there?" Lino asked in a cold, indifferent voice, one that seemingly didn¡¯t belong to a human . "..." even if the young Demon wanted to answer, words simply wouldn¡¯te out . Fear had blocked all his reason . "How many of you are there?" Lino simply asked again with the same voice . "... h-h-..." the young Demon mumbled, but was only able to produce a single letter before he felt his knees give out, and his body suddenly ttened onto the ground, prostrating . "FORGIVE ME!!!!" he roared into the sky . "... forgive you?" Lino mumbled as he tilted his head in confusion . His eyes were widened like eggs, starlit in ethereal beauty; however, hardly anyone could praise their beauty beneath the coldness they disyed . "Is that so?" Lino said as he took a single step, immediately crossing the distance of twenty meters, appearing before the prostrating youth . "You want me to forgive you?" "YES!!!" the demonic youth screamed yet again . Lino suddenly crouched and grasped the youth¡¯s chin, lifting it up, forcing the youth to look into his eyes . The moment the demonic youth¡¯s gazended onto Lino¡¯s pair of eyes, the former felt all blood in his body freeze . The demonic seed which had corrupted him from within began trembling, as though it was being stared at by an unparalleled existence that could wipe its sentience without even lifting a finger . "... I wouldn¡¯t forgive you even if the entirety of Devil World was toe here and kneel before me . " Lino said coldly . "How many of you are there?" "..." realizing that death was a certainty, the youth grew listless . What else was left? He will die, there was no doubt about it . Even among the fifty people who were ughtered, he was one of the weakest . How could even hope to try and escape the clutches of the god of death before him? "HOW MANY?!!!!" seeing that the youth wasn¡¯t answering, Lino bellowed out from his soul, causing the earth itself beneath to quake and winds to scatter as though terrified . The youth¡¯s ears, eyes, mouth and nose began bleeding in streams as his entire body began shivering again . "... a-a h-hund-dred and... and... t-t-twenty..." the youth mumbled weakly . The moment thest letter left its mouth, Lino¡¯s hand pressed tightly, crushing the youth¡¯s entire head into a paste . Despite his wanton ughter, Lino didn¡¯t feel relieved . Rather, there was a stuffy feeling budding inside his chest . He heaved a deep sigh and looked up to the sky as his eyes finally cleared . How did he get entangled in this mess? He merely wanted to go out into the wild for a while and temper himself while finding some rare resources to use in crafting . Cultivation was just a by-product of his desire to leave his stamp into the world¡¯s history through his creations . Yet, within two months, he had gone from an innocent, vige youth to a murderer shrouded in heavy, killing aura . Yes, it all copsed once he decided to help Vye and her Sacred Protector . Had he simply turned a blind eye at that moment, he could have evaded everything . The treasures that were sitting in the ring didn¡¯t seem worth the sacrifice any longer . Just ncing around the vige was more than enough to tell him so . Some looked at him with the eyes of gratitude, some had no emotion within their eyes, and some didn¡¯t even have strength to raise their heads . Was he truly their savior? Hardly . The scars they were inflicted with today wouldn¡¯t heal in a lifetime . They had seen something they should have never been exposed to . And, whether Lino wanted to admit it or not, he was partially at fault . Now that his anger had sated somewhat and that primal urge retreated into the depths of his soul, his mind gained rity yet again . What did he gain by killing these Demons? Did he truly purge thend of the nuisance? They were just weak Demons; the strongest one was barely Level 40 . One way or another, they would have been dealt with eventually . However, it was toote to think it through . Whether he wanted to or not, he had got himself entangled into the whole mess . Ae had already told him what the Patriarch told her just before he died . Lino didn¡¯t believe that these demonically possessed members of Endo n were the actual end . He had a strange premonition that, soon, the whole of Umbra Kingdom ¨C and those Kingdoms surrounding it ¨C would be cast into the shadow of great war . He could easily ask E or Eggor to clean it up and, knowing them, they¡¯d probably do it for him without even frowning . However, Lino couldn¡¯t ask . Call it pride, the me of youth, or something much less noble, but he knew that those words of plea could never leave his lips . If he asked them to clean up after him once, he¡¯d ask them twice . Didn¡¯t he want to help them? Isn¡¯t that the whole reason why he even departed from the Bridge Vige to begin with? If he suddenly returned and asked them to clean up mess he inadvertently created, what would be of his already thin resolve? "Are you alright?" a soft voice full of worry came trickling into his ear . He turned his head sideways and saw Ae¡¯s worried face . "Ah, I¡¯m fine . " Lino said, smiling faintly . "I have to wash up and clean the mess . Help them . " he added as he took out a few bottles and gourds of water as well as few fresh sets of clothes . "Alright," Ae nodded lightly . "Call me if you need anything . " "Yeah . " Lino went behind one of the still-standing houses and sat down, leaning against the thick wooden wall . The fight just now didn¡¯t exhaust him . Rather, he wasn¡¯t even short of breath . He only just now realized how easy it can be to take a life... to take dozens of lives in such a short period of time . Yet, all the same, he felt nothing over it . Even though they were Demons, Lino doubted they became so of their own volition . Much like that primal urge that forced him to the binds of insanity, he suspected that the simr emotion drove them after that ck shadow ingrained itself into their being . He¡¯d seen it within thest youth¡¯s body ¨C the small seed within his heart . It was wholly ck, full of negative Qi . It even possessed its own sentience, however basic . Lino didn¡¯t know what it was, but he knew it was the cause of sudden transformation . However, he didn¡¯t have too long to ponder over his thoughts as a sudden bout of weakness overwhelmed him . It was then that he realized he¡¯d reached Level 40, and it was once again time to leave this world briefly . As his consciousness faded, he found himself within a small span ofnd as all other times . This time around, there was no four elements or even the world of blood; there was darkness... and within darkness, countless stars twinkled in and out of existence . All around him, the void of space was being crushed and reborn in the infinite span . Before he¡¯d have a chance to inspect the Primal Spirits, the familiar, ancient and mechanical voice echoed inside his mind once again . [Advent of Writ... analyzing...] [Achievement: Satisfying...] [Evaluation: Passed...] [Analyzing...] [... . . . ] [Second Gate: Opened...] [Acquired: ; Primal Spirit of Void...] [... Requirements for the next evolution: Soul Realm cultivation, ying of 50 beings of minimum 10 Levels above...] [Proceeding with rewards...] Lino was once again slightly shocked, as a few things have changed since thest time; for instance, he was no longer referred to as a Bearer of Writ, but rather Advent of Writ . In addition, the achievement segment had also changed to satisfying, which was probably the reason for the increased rewards . As he came to, a massive surge of information besieged his mind; it took him a moment to realize that the was being forcibly stuffed andprehended immediately within his mind . Incredibly, it was actually of Low-Divine Grade! Lino was immediately shellshocked into silence; after all, even the lowest of Divine Grade Martial Arts were rare even among ranked Sects . Martial Arts were divided directly into Mortal, Mystic, Ethereal, Divine, Primordial and Origin grades ¨C that was something he was taught by E . Thest Martial Art reward he¡¯d received was ¡¯only¡¯ of High-Mystic Grade; this time around, hepletely skipped an entire tier and immediately received a Divine-Grade Martial Art, and no less aplete weapon-mastery one . Lino was forced to sigh as he was once again reminded that was truly far from ordinary . Perhaps, that archaic voice which echoed throughout the world when he first chose four Primal Spirits should have been the first sign that he¡¯d probably got entangled into something much, much bigger than a ¡¯simple¡¯ Demonic invasion of a Kingdom . s, he had no mind to understand or even begin to understand these matters, so he simply pushed them to the back of his mind . Instead, he focused onto choosing a Primal Spirit . This time around, he was given only two choices: Tet and Let . Their simple and somewhat crude names hardly caused Lino to look down upon them as both were of Low-Ethereal Grade . It was slightly insane, Lino realized; if E heard of this, she¡¯d probably stter her cultivation, bloodline, and anything that was restricting her from cultivating . In the end, Lino set his sights on Tet . [Primal Spirit of Void ¨C Tet [Low-Ethereal Grade] ¨C tear open a void in space to act as your personal storage space that only you can ess . Tet can evolve into a Supreme-Divine Grade Primal Spirit, whereupon you will be able to create an entirely new Dimension to act as your personal world . ] It really was rather incredulous, but Lino merely sighed at the sight of it . After all, the moment he saw what the Primal Spirit of Blood, Glog, could do, he knew that there probably wasn¡¯t anything Primal Spirits weren¡¯t able to do as long as he was given a chance of selecting those really strong ones . Tet was in a shape of an ever-fluctuating vortex that never stopped spinning . Much like other Primal Spirits, it immediately rushed within Lino¡¯s brows and settled inside of him . A mere breathter, Lino felt a strange connection tangle itself with his very thoughts . With a mere blink, he was able to ess practically infinite shuffle of space where he could easily store whatever he wanted and retrieve it at a moment¡¯s thought . He wagered that no one in the entire Umbra Kingdom had anything even close to this . He slowly examined the spear art he¡¯d gotten and realized he¡¯d have to craft the appropriate spear once he gets back home . Although he had the entire scripture stuffed inside his head, he was actually only capable of essing the so-called ¡¯firstyer¡¯ of the art; to unlock the nextyer, he¡¯d have to reach the Soul Realm . Firstyer itself had the basic set of spear moves and stances, and an additional attack executed through the usage of Qi: . As the name suggested, the execution of the spear technique would create a figurative storm of attacks that would mix illusion and reality to confuse the enemy . At that point, Lino was flung out of the mysterious space back into reality . He felt strange inside his heart . There was no doubt that was not only powerful, but also dangerous . Lino could already predict that he wouldn¡¯t be able to follow the path he wanted ¨C the path of crafting, with cultivation merely being secondary . He¡¯d also have to keep an eye out for Demonic possessions from now on . He decided to at least ask E to tell him how to spot those who¡¯ve been possessed ¨C or even Demons themselves ¨C so he doesn¡¯t run into another case like Vye . He sighed lowly before getting back up and returning to the streets of vige . The situation had already calmed down somewhat, but Lino knew it hardly stabilized . Perhaps, if it even stood a chance of stabilizing, whole generations would be required to pass before today¡¯s tragedy would at least turn into a grim reminder rather than the recent reality . However much it pained him, he was unable to help these people . His words ¨C no matter how inspiring and flowery he made them ¨C wouldn¡¯t change a damn thing . While they nced at him ¨C or even outright stared at him ¨C with gratitude, such gazes only further fumed the mes of guilt inside Lino¡¯s heart . Even though he had killed before, he would not call himself a cruel, cold person . Even though he felt nothing over having killed before, he¡¯d still not embark on such path willingly . After all, he¡¯d grown up in istion, and saw first-hand how fragile life can be, and how easily death and life mingled . He was not a god who could don upon himself to calcte fates of anyone other than himself . He was still a child, in the end, however ahead of his years his mind might be . He doesn¡¯t have a heart of stone to be indifferent to the picture in front of him . This was the first time in his life that he¡¯d experienced suchplex emotions and it had nearly drained him . He¡¯d learned from E ¨C and even those books inside Endo n ¨C that cultivator¡¯s most important aspects were their heart and will . Yet, he was weak in both of those . Even sighing became difficult, so he simply chose to push it all down and let it boil . He had no way to deal with the insufferable and overbearing emotions birthing inside his heart at the moment, so he simply chose to ignore them to the best of his abilities . As Ae was done giving out the water and clean clothes, she returned by his side and looked at him with a worried expression . While these people simply saw Lino as someone who¡¯s saved them from absolutely dreadful fate, she could at the very least somewhat guess what was currently transpiring inside boy¡¯s mind . Yet, she chose not to ask about it . Although she was not a cultivator like Lino, she was still a woman with forty years of life experience who grew up in a n of cultivators as a mortal . She¡¯d seen much and that itself had steeled her heart . Even if she felt pained seeing such scene in front of her eyes, it couldn¡¯t break her . Lino, however, was merely a sixteen-something year old boy who¡¯s clearly just stepped into the world of cultivation and wasn¡¯t clearly aware of the implications . She could, in the end, only silently support him from behind . "What now?" she asked, hoping to change the subject . "City of Mercenaries is nearby," Lino replied as he turned his gaze to north . "We¡¯ll go there for the time being as we can probably find more information rather than just blindly moving around . Besides, this was just a groupgging behind . The vanguard group is most-likely already shing with Kingdom¡¯s forces . We¡¯ll see the situation and make a decision then . " "Sounds good . " Ae said, nodding faintly . The two didn¡¯t linger inside the vige for too long . Whether the vigers would drown in the endless river of sorrow or eventually ovee this cmity rested solely upon them . Lino and Ae were simply two passing figures in the passage of time; they might be remembered for a while but, eventually, they¡¯ll also disappear from the traces of memories . They had their own lives to live, and vigers had their own . However cruel it was, reality was such . Cold, indifferent and evesting . Chapter 21 Chapter 21 CHAPTER 21 CITY OF MERCENARIES Atop a natural, earthly teau surrounded by nds and rolling hills, a city of stone brimmed underneath the red sun . A gaping, winding road led upward from the frontal valley to the city walls, situated half a mile above the ground . teau burned in reddish-brown, curious rocks and stones protruding at the sides like spikes and tree¡¯s roots, its body¡¯s shape squared, ttened into a circle at the very top . The teau itself was massive; otherwise, how could it house an entire city? Legends say that it was dug up by an Immortal¡¯s Hand and that the Immortal used it as a temporary abode, but no one could verify such stories . After all, the teau was here long before the entirety of the Umbra Kingdom was formed, and long before those tribes lived here . Due to its natural color, it was named Red teau, and it was one of the icondmarks of Umbra Kingdom . Such reputation only soared when the city atop its bones was taken into consideration . Walls ran rampart wholly around the city, made entirely of chiseled, rough stonein atop a sturdy foundation of the teau itself . The walls were nearly five meters tall, and were once upon a time silver in color; however, greyish and brownish colors slowly began to overwhelm the silver¡¯s purity, and the wall itself began exuding somewhat of an ancient aura, though it wasn¡¯t older than five hundred years . Encapsted within was a lively and bustling city ¨C the most popr city of Umbra Kingdom if Capital Umbra is excluded ¨C City of Mercenaries . As the name suggests, the backside of the city is supported entirely by a massive force unbound by the country¡¯s borders ¨C Mercenary Union . A group of rogue, unruly kind who would do any odd job for a coin made up majority of the city¡¯s popce, but as the trade thrived in the city, it wasn¡¯t void of merchants, cksmiths, cooks, and any and all sort of craftsmen looking to put their name out into the world . Due to the shape of teau itself, the city was built in a ring-like fashion; outermost parts appeared rtively poor, overwhelmed by wooden houses, empty, plowed fields and dirt pavements . The further toward the center one walked, the more prosperous the city appeared, all the way until the center itself where an enormous, twenty-meters-tall building stood like an erect sword, looming over all else . Due to its sheer size, it was impossible not to notice the moment one entered the city . For that reason, atop the stoneden building, engraved in majestic letters of gold and silver, the name ¡¯Mercenary Union¡¯ stood all day and night long . May it be day or night, the city was eternally busy; there was a constant stream of people going in and out, walking down or up the winding road . Beside people, there were horses, carriages, cages, and all sorts of odd vehicles transporting any and all goods . Among the stream of people climbing up, Lino and Ae mingled in silence . While the road was fairly wide, it was hardly enough to properly amodate the huge mass of people . The scene where someone would fall off the side of the road and plummet to their deaths wasn¡¯t all that rare; actually, during the one-hour climb, Lino had witnessed two such scenes . Luckily, even if the entire road was to crumble entirely, Lino was confident in being able to save Ae and himself from the predicament . It took the two nearly two hours to reach the city gates; it wasn¡¯t because the road itself was long per se, but because the sheer number of people slowed down the speed considerably, even if wagons and carriages were to be taken out of the ount . While not everyone and their mother could enter the city, the security was ratherx nheless . After all, only idiots would try to do something unruly within the City of Mercenaries . So, guards scarcely cared to truly inspect the neers . There was a one silver-coin entrance payment which was almost nothing; however, considering the constant stream, Lino theorized that the city earned hundreds of gold daily ¨C on bad days . Even he felt slightly envious . Although entrance to the city was rather easy, that only applied to its outermost parts . If one wanted to enter the more prosperous, inner area, it was much more difficult . One either had to have sufficient strength, backing, or coin . However, for the time being, Lino didn¡¯t care about the inner parts of the city . Alongside Ae, he quickly departed from the city gates and the elongated line of people and entered the outskirts of the city . Wooden houses lined up in a half-circle way, going from one end of the city to the other . Some appeared newer, some older, but they all had one thing inmon: they were barelyrge enough to house a single family . As though stacked atop of one another like a house of cards, houses seemed like a swarm of locust when looked from above, with only a dozen or so curved lines ¨C which were the streets ¨C cutting in-between the rows of them . Lino asked around and quickly found a temporary lodging; it was a small inn, roughly half an hour away from the city gates . It was slightly taller ¨C but not much wider ¨C than the houses surrounding it . Behind a desk was a youth roughly Lino¡¯s age, currently reading a thick book . He had rather scrawny disposition and messy, ck hair, while half of his face was covered with thick sses . As the youth heard the footsteps, he hurriedly put the book down and looked up at the neers . "W-wee, travelers! M-my name is Ahmed, and-and I am in your service!" the youth eximed somewhat awkwardly . "Two rooms . How much?" Lino asked calmly . As he spoke, Ae¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she didn¡¯t say anything . She couldn¡¯t even begin to guess Lino¡¯s mindset at the moment; perhaps he truly needed some time alone . "Ah, two rooms... two rooms will be ten silver coins a night, five per room . " Ahmed said, somewhat surprised . He was certain these two were lovers looking for a ce to do stuff . After all, he¡¯d seen many couples simr to these twoe here almost daily . "Hm," Lino nodded as he threw over thirty pieces of silver, booking the two rooms for three nights . "Are there any restaurants nearby?" "Y-yes!" Ahmed eximed, still somewhat awkward; even though he was speaking to a boy his age, he felt strange, almost suffocating pressure whenever he¡¯d look at the boy¡¯s eyes . "There¡¯s the Livestock Diner just a few houses down the road . They¡¯re pretty cheap and their food is fresh . " "Alright, thanks . " "Hm, here," Ahmed handed them two keys with wooden key chains, numbers 8 and 9 carved atop their surface . "The rooms are on second floor . I hope you enjoy your stay . " "Thanks . " Lino said inly as he headed upstairs, followed shortly by Ae . The inn was rather simple; there were hardly any decorations, and most of the light either came through the window, or a few [Luminous Stones], Level 0 gems that are rather abundant in the Umbra Kingdom . A few of them were enough to light up an entire room for over a year . "Let¡¯s meet tomorrow morning and go eat breakfast together . " Lino said as the two located their rooms . "Hm . " Ae simply nodded and watched as the youth before her walked in and closed the door behind him . Sighing lightly, she followed his steps and soon found herself in a rather simple and quaint room . Lino was currently lying motionlessly on the bed, staring at the dull-looking ceiling . A faint ray of fading sun in the sky perched through the side-window andnded on his chest . As his face was draped in shadow, only his lips were clearly visible . The pair were currently trembling, as though cold inside out . While the room wasn¡¯t spacious, it was stillrge enough to house an entire bed, a small night desk and a body-sized mirror . One word to describe Lino¡¯s current state of mind would be ¡¯chaotic¡¯ . Because of his sharp senses, on his way over, he was able to pick up a lot of new information . The strange, hundred-something strong group appeared a day after he¡¯d killed Patriarch Varick and fell intoa . At first, they simply went around isted viges and ughtered wantonly, but about twenty days into their campaign, they split up into three groups . Thergest one continued the killing spree through the isted viges, while the remaining two spread out and began ambushing merchants, mercenaries and even Kingdom¡¯s nobility . Although the Legions of Knights were sent out ¨C and even Crown Prince Yox himself took to arms ¨C the two groups were rather elusive, and they never stayed too long at any single ce . It is estimated that over two thousand people have been killed so far, and that number keeps increasing every day . Lino suddenly sat up and stuffed his chin into his bosom, wrapping his arms around his raised knees . A ray of light piercing through the half-closed window was like a de slicing the world into two stratospheres; on one side was sharp brightness, highlighted in white edges, while the other side was cast in deep shade of ck . Lino began rocking back and forth slowly, taking one deep breath after another, trying to stifle his rampaging emotions as much as possible . When he realized that it wasn¡¯t working, he turned his head toward the Patriarch Varick¡¯s void ring to distract himself, as he still hadn¡¯t looked over clearly through it . He picked out a thick book at random and flipped open the first page which only had the title . Right beneath it said that it was High-Mortal Grade Art . Lino smiled bitterly for a moment and shook his head, once again realizing how lucky ¨C or unlucky ¨C he was to obtain . After a quick overview, he realized that this was the art Vye used to make her swords fly when he first met her . However, it didn¡¯t matter much to Lino; not only would he be unable to use this art as he can¡¯t externalize his Qi, he can¡¯t learn it to begin with as doesn¡¯t allow him to learn any other Martial Arts besides the ones grated by the former itself . Skipping over the martial arts themselves, he looked for some books which describe general knowledge as hecked that the most . Shortly after he came across a book titled . As the title piqued his interest, he took it out and began flipping the 300 odd pages . It didn¡¯t take long for his head to start aching somewhat, as he once again realized that there¡¯s something wrong with . For every other cultivator ¨C regardless of which cultivation method they were practicing ¨C Qi during the Mortal Realm remained hidden inside their body and they were unable to use it . This applied even to those god-level geniuses, and no cultivation method could change this truth . However, to break from Mortal Realm into Core Realm, one was forced to sense the Qi hidden inside their bodies, and even guide it through their meridians into their ¡¯Soul Pce¡¯, where they¡¯d culminate it until they would form an entire, spinning core ¨C hence breaking into the Core Realm . All of this waspletely new to Lino; although he was unable to sense Qi before reaching Core Realm, he didn¡¯t have to guide his Qi through anything to form anything when he was breaking through . Unlike others, his Qi was stored throughout his entire body ¨C his muscles, nerves, veins, blood vessels, bones, organs... while Qi of others was always stored inside the ¡¯Soul Pce¡¯ ¨C it was only the matter of which shape it had . Core Realm cultivators had a spherical mass of Qi . Soul Realm cultivators would shatter that core and form a small replica of themselves in a soul form . Mystic Realm cultivators would spill the soul-mimic into an ocean . Purity Realm cultivators wouldpletely purify their Qi until only a singr drop remained . However, that singr drop contained hundreds times more Qi than the entire ocean of Mystic Realm cultivators, and so on . As he read through the book, Lino realized that cultivating isplicated ¨C much, much, much moreplicated than he was led to believe . Not only did every stage have different ways of breaking through, he needn¡¯t look further than cultivation methods and martial arts; others, even if they get powerful Martial Art, would have to spend years to understand it until they were able to use it perfectly . As for Lino himself, he didn¡¯t have to do anything butplete the test set by the . Just like the initially, was simply stuffed inside his head, and he understood it to the absolute perfection all the way until the secondyer, which required him to reach the Mystic Realm to unlock . Even though Lino never held a spear in his life, he was confident that there was no one within the entire Umbra Kingdom more knowledgeable than him . Of course, even though his knowledge and understanding was perfected, he¡¯d still have to attain practical experience to really push it to the peak . He slowly submerged himself in the read, expanding his knowledge of the world bit by bit as the dark thoughts slowly began being weeded out . *** Roughly sixty miles away from the Mercenary City, near a natural-spanning, stone bridge which hung over a wide, waterless chasm, two figures stood while looking at four corpses at their feet . The skin of corpses appeared unnatural dark, as though charred inside out, while ck veins protruded out, still and motionless like dead serpents . Each of the four corpses had a massive, fist-sized hole at the left side of their chests, with their hearts having been directly shattered . The two figures standing above the corpses were the Patriarch of the Dying Roses Sect, Shi Hao, and the First Elder Lu Hao . Both had deep frownspressing her brows as heavy silence hung between them . This was the third Demonic group they hade across in the past ten days, and it was getting harder and harder to locate them, as they tended to pop out at one ce for only a few hours before disappearingpletely . "This... is not good . " Lu Hao said, sighing softly . Had the two known this would have transpired, they would have spared nothing to not only kill Vye, but ensure that Demonic Qi wouldn¡¯t have spread to the rest of the nsmen . The two had concluded that the Vye was indeed High-tier Demon . Although Demons were ranked as the lowest creatures in the Devil World, that was only byparison . After all, even the lowest-ranked Devils ¨C Crucible Devils ¨C were at minimum equivalent to Mid Mystic Realm cultivators . Outside the Devil World, Demons ¨C even low-tiered ones ¨C were extreme pests, and if they weren¡¯t contained at the first sight of the outbreak, they could easily topple over an entire Kingdom within a month . As for the High-tiered Demons, not only would the spread be faster, but even the quantity of Demonically-possessed people would grow exponentially . Lu Hao already theorized that the number of the Demonic Beings ¨C which were ordinary humans or cultivators who have been consumed by Devil Qi or were controlled by Demonic Seed ¨C had grown into thousands . However, that was not what worried the two . In the end, even if there were thousands of Demonic Beings, most of them were around Level 20 . Lu Hao alone could eliminate all of them with a bit of effort . No, what truly worried them was the fact that they couldn¡¯t locate Demonic Beings . Thergest group they encountered was merely ten people strong . Demonic Beings usually lost three quarters of the intelligence they possessed before the conversion, and it would be a miracle if they were even capable of setting up an ambush . They mostly relied on their instincts to function, and their basic instinct was to go out and try to corrupt others . Yet, they were nowhere to be found . "... indeed," Shi Hao nodded faintly, sighing as well . "I¡¯m afraid... I may have done something terrible to that boy . " "... you think he broke down?" Lu Hao asked . "Although it isn¡¯t his fault," Shi Hao said, looking up at the sky . "Nobody will be able to prove that to him... nobody except himself . Although I was surprised he was able to kill Varick, this was apletely different type of a crucible . I¡¯m afraid even if he doesn¡¯t go mad, this is where his cultivation will stop . " "We can¡¯t know for certain," Lu Hao said, smiling faintly . "He¡¯s a Body Refiner . Usually, folk like him don¡¯t pay much heed to things like this . They just charge like mad bulls at whatever is thrown at them . " "... I certainly hope so . " Shi Hao said . "There isn¡¯t much we can do here any longer . The rest of the surface groups can be cleaned up with the Mercenaries and the Knights . That Prince Yox really is a character . Who would have thought that he was a cultivator as well . " "There¡¯s a storm brewing here," Lu Hao said . "Should we contact the Headquarters?" "Hm," Shi Hao nodded . "Take Yan Hao and depart in a week¡¯s time . I¡¯ll move the rest of the Disciples elsewhere . Tell them to send someone at least of Purity Realm . " "... aren¡¯t you being too cautious?" even Lu Hao was slightly shocked . Although their Main Sect wouldn¡¯tck Purity Realm cultivators, and even those of higher cultivation, few were willing to depart to the Kingdom like Umbra, where the density of Qi was beyond depressing to the point that people above Mystic Realm would even feel slightly suffocated being here for too long . "It¡¯s just a hunch," Shi Hao said, shaking his head . "Think about it . When did you ever hear that just a single, random High-tiered Demon popped out in a backwater ce like this? No, there¡¯s certainly something muchrger than us going on here . It¡¯s just that I¡¯m far too blind to see through it . " "... very well," Lu Hao said, his expression turning serious . Although his Master was far from the strongest person he knew, Lu Hao trusted the man more than anyone else . "I¡¯ll try to get my Uncle to pull a few strings . If one isn¡¯t enough, even if I have to bleed, I¡¯ll get two of them toe . " "I know you won¡¯t fail me . Let¡¯s go . " Shi Hao and Lu Hao turned around as space around them vibrated for a moment before the two disappeared into nothingness, as though they were never there . A mere momentter, the four corpses on the ground burst up in mes, being burnt down to ash which was then scattered into the wind, destined to travel to ces far beyond the reaches of the eyes . Not too far away from where the two were just at, deep below the ground ¨C nearly two miles ¨C a ginormous underground cave system existed, like a massive maze running underneath the entire Umbra Kingdom . At the intersection of all the cave-paths, an enormous Pce rested, made entirely of ck, dead-looking stone . Currently, in front of the massive Pce, on an open field stretching for miles on end, over twenty thousand men and women were kneeling with their heads bowed down . One thing all of them had inmon were the veins atop the surface of their skin, which pulsated wildly . The atmosphere they exuded was heavy, suffocating and oppressive, and if any ordinary man were to walk in here by ident, he¡¯d immediately drop dead . The Pce¡¯s massive gate was like a maw of an ancient beast while the teau atop which it was built was filled with sculptures of gargoyles and half-devils, some two-horned, some one-horned . Among them, there was a single one that stood out massively, having reached nearly five meters in height . His body was d in tight, metallic armor, and eyes were without pupils . Atop his head, two horns grew at the side as they spiraled outwardly, while one stuck out from his forehead straight up like an erect sword . Currently, beneath the statue, a man shrouded entirely in ck smoke was kneeling, only his piercing, emerald-green eyes visible within the darkness . After kowtowing three times, the man got up and walked over to the stairs which led from the teau down to the open field where the twenty-thousand strong army was kneeling . Although invisible to others, the man grinned faintly as his eyes shed in a cold gleam . "Soon," a voice broke out, hoarse and deep, causing the space around the ck shadow to vibrate . "And we won¡¯t have to hide in this damned ce any longer . " If Shi Hao or Lu Hao were to see this man, they¡¯d no doubt be left frozen stiff . Although the man possessed a Devil Qi simr to Vye, it was much thicker and far more condensed, almost ten times more . The man was a Great Demon ¨C just a single tier below the Devil itself . And, even more, the man was Level 150 Great Demon ¨C equivalent to a Purity Realm Cultivator . Although High-tiered Demons and Great Demons are separated only by a single tier, the level of destruction they could bring cannot even bepared . If a single High-tiered Demon can copse an entire Kingdom, then a Great Demon can copse ten Empires and a hundred Dynasties... without ever showing its face in the public . The smoke-shrouded manughed coarsely for a moment before dispersing into the air, disappearing as though he was never there . Even though he left, none of the twenty thousand people stood up from their kneeling position . It was as though they hadpletely lost their minds and, without someone¡¯smand, they couldn¡¯t even fulfill the simplest of motor functions . The world surrounding them submerged in the eerie silence as the Devil Qi began eating up and corrupting the natural Qi surrounding it, expanding bit by bit until it was almost visible to the naked eye . Chapter 22 Chapter 22 CHAPTER 22 FRIENDS IN STRANGE PLACES As Ae and Lino walked through the enriched streets of the Mercenary City¡¯s innerpounds, she asionally stole nces at him . They had remained within the outer reaches for only three days, but his mood seemed to have improved considerably . His smile was more genuine and the dull, heart-wrenching look in his eyes was gone . She sighed inwardly in relief; although she knew that his mind wasn¡¯t weak, she still feared it would impact him greatly . The two paid ¨C or, rather, Lino paid ¨C a total sum of two hundred gold coins to obtain the entrance to the inner city . Unlike the outer part, the inner city truly lived up to the reputation of the ¡¯second greatest Umbra Kingdom¡¯s city¡¯ . Buildings made of all kinds of stones, roofed from colors ranging from red to white, littered the wide, concrete streets . Despite the massive requirement of entry, there were still thousands of people living here, and the street before them was full to the brim . All kinds of buildings ¨C from bakeries, medical pavilions to armories ¨C shone their disys of goods proudly at the entrance via a see-through, ssed windows . Ae was stumped more than once, and they¡¯d barely been in the city for an hour . Lino, on the other hand, was thinking of something else entirely: he had to get his hands on a spear . Although he technically did have one ¨C as a part of [Celestial Rod] ¨C it was not only low-level, but he intended for that form to evolve into another surprise attack rather than re-shape it entirely into a spear . While he definitely did n on crafting one himself, he decided to only do it once he went back to Bridge Vige and consulted Eggor . For the time being, he wasn¡¯t too concerned over it, but he still wanted to have it as he had almost run out of swordspletely . As the two came across a weapon shop, Lino paused for a moment and looked at the ssed disy . There wasn¡¯t a single spear present . There were six swords, two shields, three axes, two bows, and dozen or so pieces of equipment altogether . "Let¡¯s go inside . " Lino said faintly as he pulled Ae toward the entrance . The building shimmered in faint white, and the insides were rather spacious, elongating up to the third floor . The first floor was adorned with nothing except a single counter behind which a woman sat, while six or so other women were currently attending other customers in the shop . Sides of the room were littered with weapons, armors and essories, and after quick sweep throughout everything, Lino only spotted a single spear . However, it looked incredibly shabby, and he was fairly certain his finger was sturdier than that spear¡¯s shaft . "Good day," a mere momentter, a woman appeared virtually out of nowhere and greeted the two . She was seemingly in herte teens, wearing formal, ck suit akin to butler¡¯s, while her hair was tied up neatly to look like boy¡¯s . However, despite the attempts to hide her femininity, her face exuded a strange grace . Her eyes were of deep azure hue, and her lips were slightly on the thinner side,plemented by her fair, blended nose . Her cheeks exuded slightly rosyplexion and her gaze seemed deep and profound . "How may I help you?" she asked in a warm voice . Lino scrutinized her for a moment and activated the Primal Spirit of Blood, looking at her stats . Inevitably, he rolled his eyes . Is my luck good or really shitty?! Why do I keep running into cultivators?! [Fae ??? ¨C Human ¨C Level ???] Titles: ???, ???, ???, ??? upations: Attendant (Level 80), ???, ???, ??? Martial Arts: ??? Damage: ??? Defense: ??? ??? Not only was she a cultivator, Lino was unable to even see her level, which gave him quite a scarce . He was barely able to discern anything about her, and he couldn¡¯t even see her surname . The reason, on the other hand, she was unable to see that Lino was cultivator is exactly the Primal Spirit of Blood, which allowed him to hide his cultivation to the point it was almost impossible to discern it . Nheless, he hadn¡¯t lost his cool and decided that even if he were to expose her, he¡¯d only do it once he was certain he¡¯d survive her wrathful retaliation . "I¡¯m looking for a spear," Lino said as he nced to the backside of shelfs where that shabby spear resided . "Khm, a functional one..." "... you¡¯re a Spear Master?" Fae mumbled as she looked at him oddly . Lino felt her gaze was strange, but didn¡¯t really know why . "Well, I¡¯d hardly call myself a Master," Lino put on his best humble expression which caused Ae to nearly burst out inughter . "But, you know, I can do a thing or two with it . " Fea was clearly unable to pick up the underlying meaning in Lino¡¯s sentence . After all, she had never before dabbled in such ways . On the other hand, Ae found it harder and harder to bold back . "Hmm... unfortunately, even our best spears are subpar," Fea said as she thought for a moment . "If you don¡¯t mind, could you wait until my shift is over? I know of a ce that has good spears . " "... are you even allowed to do this? You know, turn the customer away? Are you a spy for another shabby shop?" Lino said as he nted his eyes . "Do you care?" Fae asked . "... when does your shift end?" Lino asked, clearly unconcerned . "In two hours . There¡¯s a restaurant across the street . You can wait for me there . " "Is there a hotel nearby? I¡¯d like to polish my, khm, Spear Skills for a bit . " Lino said, scratching his nose as Ae quickly looked away, covering her lips with her hand . "A hotel?" Fae looked at him strangely but was still unable to pick up on the signs . "If you¡¯re looking for a hotel, there¡¯s one just down the street called Thousand Moon Pavilion . They¡¯re rather famous here . " "Alright, thanks . I¡¯ll let the clerk know to call me up once you arrive . " Lino said as he turned around and left . Fae stared at his back for a moment, eventually shaking her head and returning to her own business . Meanwhile, Ae finally let out augh which nearly suffocated her as the two moved toward the hotel . There was a clear sign at the street¡¯s end which read Thousand Moon Pavilion, and it was almost impossible to miss . While some strange gazesnded on the duo due to Ae¡¯sughter, neither seemed to care as theypletely ignored them . "She was older than me, right?" Lino asked . "Yup . " Ae nodded . "Damn," he mumbled . "I better watch out my tongue . It¡¯s hard to find someone so innocent nowadays . " "Are you trying to tell me something?" Ae asked . "... is she older than you by any chance?" Lino asked right back as he looked at her with incredulous look . "..." Ae rolled her eyes and sighed . "What? Can¡¯t a girl be jealous?" "Well, yeah, a girl can," Lino nodded, stroking his chin . "But... are you really a girl?" "I¡¯m a girl . " "You¡¯re definitely a girl . " Lino echoed as he saw her murderous gaze . "I didn¡¯t know you gals care so much about the simple titles . " "So you wouldn¡¯t mind if I called you a boy?" "I am a boy . " "That¡¯s not what I experienced . " "... khm, we¡¯re here . " Lino said, scratching his nose as the two entered the Moon Pavilion . It didn¡¯t even take a minute before they entered their room . Money really takes care of everything... ah, dear Patriarch Varick, I may not know the ce of your rest to thank you properly, but thank you nheless for stuffing your entire treasury into that ring... "Luxurious . " Ae eximed softly . Although it was by no means cheap, the room really echoed the price; there was a massive canopy bed on one side of the room, surrounded by silken curtains . Across from it was an amazingly sculpted firece, emitting silver luster . At the center of the room was a small fountain with a sculpture of a winged baby spitting out water ceaselessly . Besides that, there were full bookshelves, arge closet, and even a veranda overlooking the City of Mercenaries from the third floor . "Ah, after sleeping in that shit hole for three days, I can finally experience living again . " Lino eximed softly as he immediately threw himself on bed, groaning . "Oh my! There¡¯s even a bath here!" Ae eximed . "Oh my! Quickly get in!" Lino eximed right back . "... you won¡¯t be joining me?" Ae¡¯s voice echoed across the room seductively . Lino gulped down a mouthful of saliva as he started calming his nerves . "I-is itrge enough?" "It¡¯s adequate . " "... HEY! Only I¡¯m allowed to y with words! Perish the thought, woman!" it didn¡¯t take Lino even a moment to retaliate . "... I was talking about the bath," Ae¡¯s voice came right back . "I wonder what the word-ying Lino had in mind, though . " "... oh, so the bath isrge enough . Here Ie, woman!" "..." Two hours passed quickly . Lino was currently lying in bed, half-covered by a thick,fortable sheet while panting, covered entirely in sweat . Ae was lying next to him, her disposition not much different . A mere momentter, Lino heard a knock on the door which jolted him out of his sweet dreams . "... two hours couldn¡¯t have passed already, right?" "Like I would know..." Ae replied weakly . "I won¡¯t be apanying you . Bye . " "Hey!" "I said bye . Time to sleep . " "#!#!!" Lino grumbled some indescribable words before getting up and pulling a towel over his lower part and putting on a shirt over his bare chest . On the other side of the door was a middle-aged clerk . Seeing Lino¡¯s disheveled hair and quickly-put-on attire, he gave him a knowing gaze and smile while faintly nodding in approval . Should I be proud?!! Should I be ashamed?!! "She¡¯s here?" "Yes," the clerk replied, nodding . "If you¡¯re worried, we have a few more free rooms, Sir . " Lino looked deeply at the clerk, stroking his chin . "... woman¡¯s jealousy is an ugly thing," Lino replied in a whisper . "I¡¯d rather not risk it . Do you have any rmendations?" the old clerk¡¯s eyes shed in a strange glint as he leaned in and whispered into Lino¡¯s ear . "Although I shouldn¡¯t be doing this, I will tell you anyway because you¡¯re rather impressive . Three streets down, turn left . There¡¯s an alley full of abandoned houses, none of which are locked . It¡¯s a public secret here . Knock three times at the house you chose and if you hear no reply, feel free to enter . " "..." corners of Lino¡¯s lips twitched as he listened . This guy¡¯s impressive! "Many thanks," Lino said as he took out a gold coin and handed it over to the clerk whose lips immediately curved into a beaming smile . "There¡¯s more where that came from if you keep it up . " "Of course, Young Master!" and thus, Sir turned into Young Master . World sure is full of shrewd people... Lino quickly dressed up and left the already-sleeping Ae before descending down to the ground floor of the hotel . Near the reception desk, sitting on a wooden bench, a woman wearing white skirt over white pants, and leather boots up to half her calves, with a white coat dripping down from her shoulders, strapped around her waist . She had let her hair flow freely down her back, fully ck in luster . Even while hiding her beauty, it hardly had any impact, and now that she was fully exposing it, Lino couldn¡¯t help but sigh . Compared to other girls her age he¡¯d seen so far in the City of Mercenaries, she may as well be fairy while the rest were pigs . Once again, he was reminded of the life¡¯s unfairness . He quickly walked over and greeted her . As he didn¡¯t have time to take a bath, his skin shimmered faintly with sweat . "Oh? You really did practice?" Fae eximed softly as she saw his slightly tired face . Ah, no, perish the thoughts Lino . She¡¯s too fair, too innocent . No raising your stinking ws at her... "Khm, yeah . I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t had a time to take a bath . " Lino apologized . "It doesn¡¯t matter . Let us depart . " Fae said as she got up and quickly left hotel, followed immediately by Lino . "What¡¯s your name?" although he knew her name, he couldn¡¯t really say it . "Fae . " the girl replied honestly . "Oh? Fae? Like the Forest Fairies from the Fables?" Lino eximed . "Yes . My father was rather obsessed with them, hence my name . " Fae said without a hint of embarrassment . "Hmm, rather fitting," Lino mumbled, nodding . "A fair name for a fair Maiden . " "Hm?" Fae titled her head in confusion as she nced at him . "Never-mind . " Lino shook his head . "So, where are you taking me? Just so you know, the riches I possess may be worthy of murdering me, but it¡¯s best you don¡¯t blemish your hands with blood . " "... I¡¯m not going to kill you . " Fae said . "How would I even do it? I¡¯ve never trained in my life . " Right, and my ass is a portal to heaven... Lino rolled his eyes but kept his retort deep inside his mind . "Ha ha, I knew we were kindred spirits from the moment I met you!" Lino eximed . "Didn¡¯t you say that you know Spear Arts?" Fae nced at him from the corner of his eyes . "It¡¯s merely a hobby," Lino replied . How far will we push our web of lies before it all copses? "Although I mayck talent, I am determined to at least master it to some extent . " "Weapon mastery has nothing to do with talent . " Fae said but immediately realized she said something she shouldn¡¯t have, quickly adding "Khm, that¡¯s at least what I heard . " "Of course, of course," Lino nodded . At least learn to lie properly! Look at your daddy here, I don¡¯t even flinch! Wait, I¡¯m an upright person, that¡¯s not something I should be proud of! "Miss Fae is truly wise . " "You can just call me Fae . " "I could hardly dare to . " "Why do you sometimes use that strangenguage?" Fae asked him, ncing back as the two steered away from the main street and entered one of the less popted alleys . What do you mean strangenguage?!! It¡¯s thenguage of courtship!! Even a fucking peasant like me is aware of it!! Where the hell did you grow up?! "I... I have a, khm, w," Lino said . "My mind, uh, my mind sometimes goes nk for a moment and random words leave my mouth . " "Oh my! That¡¯s terrible . Did you have it checked out?" Fae asked, concerned . I give up... "It¡¯s, khm, it¡¯s nothing serious . Anyway, are we close?" he quickly changed the subject . "Ah, yes . We¡¯re almost there . What kind of a spear are you looking for?" Fae asked . Lino thought for a moment, stroking his chin . Now that I think about it, I can¡¯t just say I want to buy a spear... there are different kinds, after all, made of different materials . "Hmm, I¡¯d like the shaft to be at least two meters," Lino replied . "Flexible but sturdy," he thought about the spear scripture he received and the style he learned from it . "On the lighter side if possible . t but sharp de, preferably double-edged, with elongated tip meant for piercing . As for the rest, I don¡¯t really care . " "... that¡¯s rather specific," Fae said, looking at him strangely . "Didn¡¯t you say spear was just your hobby? And, from the looks of it, such spear would suit you perfectly . " "Didn¡¯t you say you never learned anything about fighting?" "..." "..." "..." "..." "Khm, we¡¯re here . " Fae said as the two stopped in front of a small, two-story tall building . Although it wasn¡¯t as bad as those on the outer perimeter of the city, it was clearly slightly subpar whenpared to the buildings surrounding it . Fae slowly walked up to the door and knocked a few times . Only after a minute did a gruff voice sound out . "Who is it?" "It¡¯s me, Master . " Fae replied softly . "Oh, Fae! Come inside,e inside!" the girl slowly pushed open the door and signaled Lino to follow her . The room they entered was rather spacious, dimly lit but also quite unkempt . There were broken shards all over the floors and half-broken weapons hanging everywhere . Aah, I¡¯m so gonna be robbed... Lino thought for a moment . A few secondster, the entire room quaked as though a mountain suddenly fell atop of it as sound of footsteps approached . Through the door at the far end of the room came a... human . At least, Lino was fairly certain he was human . Even Eggor, who Lino thought was the greatest muscle head he¡¯ll ever meet, fell extremely short of the... human that appeared before him . The man was two-and-thirty tall, his shoulders so broad that the width of the doors was actually three times the average size . He wore a cksmith¡¯s apron beneath which was his exposed chest . Muscles . Veins . That was all Lino saw on the extremely tanned skin of the neer . The man appeared to be in histe forties . His face was wholly squared, features masculine and clearly distinguished, beard full and ck as well as his hair . Eyes were slightly narrow, pupils also ck . There was truly something terrifying about the man . After a quick nce, Lino nearly vomited a mouthful of blood . The man was actually Level 80 . No cultivators my ass!! He cursed at E and Eggor who sent him off on an adventure while filling his head full of lies . Just as the man was about to greet Fae, he took notice of Lino who was standing behind her . His expression immediately darkened . "Who are you brat? What are you doing here? Did you trick Fae? Did you do anything to her? Answer me!" apanying his words was immense pressure of the Soul Realm cultivator . Naturally, due to , Lino was able topletely disregard it as though it was a faint breeze . Nheless, he frowned . He was just like Eggor . Quick-tempered, brash, overprotective . "..." Lino stared at those ck pupils and surmounted his courage, banging on the fact that he won¡¯t be ttened immediately . "Old bastard, what are you doing?" Lino said in a harsh and deep voice . "Do you think I won¡¯t behead your ugly face before you could flex a single one of your ugly muscles?" seeing that Lino waspletely unaffected by his aura ¨C and that he even dared to threaten him ¨C the man was slightly shocked . After inspecting the youth again, he realized he wasn¡¯t mistaken . There wasn¡¯t an ounce of Qi inside the youth yet, almost impossibly, he was able to withstand the aura of Soul Realm cultivator . "Interesting..." the man grinned wildly as the corners of his eyes twitched . "Master, what are you doing?" with a faint movement of Fae¡¯s finger, the pressure descending on Lino was immediately cut . Oi, if you¡¯re going to y a character, don¡¯t suddenly break it!! Do you really think that finger-movement was stealthy?! Even the man looked at Fae with strange gaze, shaking his head . "Did you teach her how to act?" Lino asked . "Don¡¯t look at me," the man shook his head, sighing . "I... I really tried..." "I¡¯m just here to pick up a spear," Lino said, sighing . "So, I¡¯m not going to ask what are Soul and god-knows-what Realm pair of cultivators doing here . " "You know I¡¯m at a god-knows-what-realm?!!" Fae eximed in shock as she backed up a few steps . Lino once again sighed . He didn¡¯t even have heart to roll his eyes at her . Wait, a pair of Soul Realm and god-knows-what-realm cultivators... one¡¯s clearly a gruff cksmith... the other¡¯s a seemingly simpledy... no, no way, right? "Khm, c-could it be that... you two are somehow rted to the, khm, other odd pair of the Kingdom? Who also happen to be husband and wife?" Lino asked in a roundabout fashion . The man¡¯s eyes shed strangely . "Other odd pair? You can¡¯t mean the godly Maiden Queen and that horseshit, right?" "..." Oh fuck . "Aah," Lino sighed . "Why... why..." "Eh?! Eh?!!" Fae eximed . "You know Master E!!" "..." both Lino and the man looked at her with strange gaze, as though to say ¡¯hey, can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re trying to be really mysterious here, what are you doing, ruining our atmosphere?¡¯ . "So you really do..." Lino mumbled, sighing as he began massaging his temples . "What¡ªwait, I don¡¯t want to know . Just give me a spear and I¡¯ll be on my way . " "... E used to be her Master," the man said as he pointed at the already star-burning Fae who kept staring at Lino like a hungry wolf . "She came here because she heard rumors E was living here . Now you told her she was . Do the math . " "She called you her Master . Do something . " Lino said, afraid to look into Fae¡¯s eyes . "No . It¡¯s more interesting this way . " the man grinned evilly . "... E is pregnant . " Lino blurted out as he looked at the man whose grin immediately froze . "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Ah, he¡¯s really simple . I can already imagine that the two used to be rivals, both in cksmithing and in... other stuff . Lino thought as he nced at the two oddities in front of him . Life really won¡¯t give him a day¡¯s worth of rxed breathing . He just came to pick up a spear, yet he picked up two people who clearly weren¡¯t right in the mind . This shouldn¡¯t be a pattern, right? I leave the vige, boom, I suddenly release a bunch of Demons upon the world . Ie to buy a spear, boom, I suddenly release two idiots upon the world . Ah, I should really be careful... Chapter 23 Chapter 23 CHAPTER 23 RADIANT DRAGON SPEAR Lino sat calmly, leaning against a slightly warm stone as he watched the bearded, muscr man y around in the forge . He came to learn that the man¡¯s name is Rog, and that he and Fae have been living in the City of Mercenaries for over a year, searching for clues about E¡¯s and Eggor¡¯s whereabouts . However, as thetter two basically hid away and did nothing of note, they always came up empty with their search . While Rog battered the spear¡¯s shaft with hammer in a swift and precise manner, Fae was sitting next to Lino . For three hours straight . Continuously talking and asking about E . Although Lino truly wanted to p the woman silly, he didn¡¯t dare . After all, he couldn¡¯t even read her Level! That meant that she¡¯s at least Level 141, even stronger than E! And, despite her young appearance, Lino knew she was far, far older than him . So he simply remained silent, as though focused on Rog¡¯s every action with ineffable attention . However, Fae never gave up . Eventually, seeing as Lino didn¡¯t give her any answers, she began making her own answers up . Some really caused even Lino to nearly cough up some blood . Such as how maybe E and Eggor turned into two secret Masters and are currently controlling the twenty surrounding Kingdoms secretly . While Lino can¡¯t im he knows everything about those two oddballs, he can with certainly im that they can¡¯t even control their own shop, let alone the whole twenty goddamn Kingdoms . "... how flexible do you want your shaft to be?" Rog asked . The man was quite impressed by youth before him, if for nothing but withstanding Fae¡¯s onught for three hours straight . Even he couldn¡¯t do it despite hundreds of years of experience . "Hmm... even if it¡¯s forced into a crescent shape by a heavy sword, it won¡¯t snap . " "I asked for flexibility, not endurance . " Rog¡¯s eyebrows twitched; the reason he promised he¡¯d craft a spear for this odd youth was because Lino promised he¡¯d tell them where E and Eggor are as well as what¡¯s their living situation . Otherwise, why would he ¨C one of the greatest cksmiths in the entire Qe¡¯ll n ¨C bother crafting a weapon for some country bumpkin . "Meh, you¡¯re the master, you do you . " "..." "..." Rog hated this type of a person the most! Fickle! Uncaring! Aloof! He could clearly see in Lino¡¯s eyes that he didn¡¯t give a whiff¡¯s ass as to what kind of a spear he crafts! It¡¯s like he wasn¡¯t even expecting anything and merely asked for a spear on a whim! Suddenly, slightly dimmed fire inside Rog¡¯s heart red, and hispetitive spirit was roused . However, had he known that this was exactly Lino¡¯s intention, a whole different type of a fire would probably be red . It didn¡¯t take Lino even ten minutes to realize that Rog was almost exactly like Eggor ¨C straightforward, honest to a fault,petitive, proud ¨C all the finest of qualities... that Lino can easily exploit . Heh, Immortals are naiver than kids... he he... Had Lino simply asked for a spear, Rog would probably craft somethingpetent, but not too good . But, this was a rare opportunity . How could Lino possibly let it slip? Eggor had only ever crafted the pyramid-shaped ne for him, yet it yed the key role throughout his entire journey . And this guy was clearly at Eggor¡¯s level . If he was to craft a weapon with all his might, Lino would naturally be overjoyed . That¡¯s also the reason why he was able to endure Fae¡¯s besiegement that truly held nothing back . The whole process of crafting took up entire six hours, after which came three hours of molding, additional four hours of array-inscription and one more hour of final touches . When Lino saw the finished product, his eyes bulged slightly . The spear¡¯s shaft was 2,4m long, taller than Lino himself, and its thickness appeared perfect for Lino¡¯s hand . Although Lino didn¡¯t recognize which material Rog used for the shaft, it clearly wasn¡¯t cheap; the shaft gave off faint, copper luster, with its texture surface dancing between the ck wood and tough, pig iron . Further up was a double-edged de, deep crimson in hue with faint, golden sheen at its keenly sharp edges . The de itself was 30cm long, split down the middle from top to halfway point . Although it didn¡¯t have additional needle atop meant for piercing, Lino didn¡¯tin as he actually recognized the material Rog used for crafting it . One time, he stumbled upon Eggor¡¯s library and managed to flip through a book or two before being caught and kicked in the butt, and the material Rog used happened to be one of those Lino immediately memorized: [Blood Dragon¡¯s Bone] . Incredibly, it was a Level 160 material at minimum! Wow, this bastard is really easily riled up... he¡¯s even worse than Eggor... or, wait, perhaps I never riled that bastard up enough? Hmm, when I get back, I¡¯ll have to y with E a bit more... he he... "Oh, not bad . " Lino faintly nodded; all throughout his inspection, despite whatever his thoughts were, his expression remained indifferent . "You¡¯re almost as good as Eggor . " "Not bad?" when he heard that, Rog¡¯s eyebrows twitched . "Almost as good as Eggor?" however, when he heard that, his eyes red like two suns as he quickly took the spear away and headed back over to the anvil, taking out one precious material after another and beginning a whole new process of refinement . "... you¡¯re really bad . " Fae whispered softly as Lino sat back down, startling him slightly . "Hm?" Lino feigned innocence and nced at her . "He he, do you think he crafted all the items I own because he felt like it? He he, whenever I need something, I just mention Eggor and off he goes..." "... oh, you¡¯re not as dumb as you seem . " Lino idently let his true thoughts slip, immediately regretting them as the cold sweat broke out of his back . "Khm, I mean, by dumb I mean irreparably intelligent, meaning that you¡¯re not just heavenly intelligent but, uh, right, ethereally, cosmically intelligent . Yes..." "... you sure have a glib tongue," Fae said, smiling strangely as her deep eyes scrutinized Lino deeply . "At least you can tell me how did you meet the two of them, right? He¡¯s going to take at least ten more hours before he¡¯s satisfied, so you may as well talk . " "... ten hours? Did I sting a really bad nerve?" Lino said . He just mentioned Eggor¡¯s name on the offhand chance that Rog might pour in some more effort . He never expected he roused a beast that was eternally in slumber . "He he, you of course don¡¯t know," Fae said, sighing lightly as she nced at the working Rog . "But, him and Eggor actually hail from the rival viges . Ever since they were boys, the two of them disyed immense talent in cksmithing, and became two shining stars . Every step of the way, they bumped heads . Sometimes, the winner would be Rog and sometimes Eggor and sometimes they would tie . When they turned thirty and their skills were spreading throughout dozens of Kingdoms, they suddenly got invitation of Qe¡¯ll n . Their new Maiden required a personal weapon," Fae¡¯s voice contained a trace of absolute reverence as she spoke . "It wasn¡¯t just the two of them... hundreds of cksmiths from all corners of the world swarmed the n¡¯s grounds in attempt to curry the favor . And, among the masses, the two of them rose together . At thest day of the petition¡¯, the two were tasked to create a weapon right before the Maiden¡¯s eyes . " Fae took a short break as her thoughts lingered back on those distant memories . Back then, she was merely a calf, not even ten years of age, yet even back then she held nothing short of worship toward the Maiden . "E... she¡¯s the Maiden, right?" Lino asked . As bits and pieces of E¡¯s and Eggor¡¯s mysterious lives began being unveiled to him, he realized that they were truly far from simple . "Hm," Fae nodded, jolted back to reality . "Both were immediately smitten by her, as you can imagine . Back then, E was only twenty years old yet she had already stepped into Eximious Realm . Her talent was simply... beyond measure . " Lino¡¯s heart twitched, but he dared not ask; E was currently ¡¯just¡¯ Mystic Realm cultivator . Although Lino had no clue what ¡¯Eximious Realm¡¯ entailed, he was certain that it was far, far above Mystic Realm . So, however brave inside his heart he was, he dared not ask . "And her beauty unmatched . Not only that, she was kind, loved by every nsmen far and wide . The two then poured their blood, heart, soul and every fabric of their being to craft a weapon worthy of her . For ten days and nights, without stop, they worked without food, water or rest . In the end, two magnificent weapons came into existence . Rog crafted [Falling Moon], a Divine Artifact ranked sword . Its might was equivalent to a Defensive Artifact our n possessed, its beauty truly matching E¡¯s grace . However, when he nced at Eggor¡¯s creation... he knew he¡¯d lost . It wasn¡¯t that Eggor¡¯s weapon was stronger than his . Rather, it was at least three times weaker in terms of efficiency . However, [Heartseeker] embodied every ounce of what made Maiden stand above the mortality . Shape, size, every curve, every nook, every cranny, every inch of the sword... Eggor not only poured his heart into it, but entombed everything E was... is... and will be into the sword . In response, from within the de¡¯s depths, a Soul was born . He... created a Soul Weapon . Something that has been lost since Skyhaven Era . " Fae paused yet again as a soft sigh escaped her lips . Lino was simply shocked stiff as he kept listening . If [Falling Moon] Rog crafted shocked him silly, then when he heard [Heartseeker], his heart nearly leapt out of his chest . He read about that weapon... he saw its stats... it was heralded as one of the greatest weapons ever created... and that old bastard was actually the one who created it... Lino¡¯s entire body shook . "In turn, the moment Rog grasped just what Eggor managed to craft, he immediately snapped [Falling Moon] in half and admitted defeat . " Fae said, smiling bitterly . SNAPPED DIVINE ARTIFACT?!! FUCK YOUR MOTHER!! "Since then... the two simply couldn¡¯t sit in the same room withoutpeting . However, neither managed to create another Soul Weapon ever since . So, every time someone mentions Eggor in his presence... he no doubt remembers that day . " "..." Lino remained silent as she slowly began toprehend what he had just learned . From learning that E used to be far, far stronger than she is now, to learning that Eggor¡¯s creation entered into thependium of the greatest items ever crafted... every single bit of news was enough to shock his heart . However, after a short while, his lips curled up in a strange smile . "Heh, that old bastard... I really can¡¯t hold a candle to him..." "..." "Right," Lino shook his head as he regained his vitality . "I suppose, with you having shared that story, I may as well share some of mine . Senior Sister . " Lino grinned mischievously as he said that . "Senior Sister?" Fae tilted her head in confusion for a moment before her eyes suddenly bulged like two eggs and her lips parted into a massive ¡¯O¡¯ shape . "Y-y-you¡¯re Master¡¯s... you¡¯re her Disciple?!!" Fae screeched . "Ha ha, indeed," Lino said proudly as he stroked his chin . "When she saw just how gant, unparalleled I was, how could she not take me in her as her Disciple? She even made me herst Disciple, heh!" however, after realizing that Fae wasn¡¯t replying, he nced at her only to see a solemn, bitter, heart-breaking expression on her face . Lino immediately realized he said something he shouldn¡¯t have, but it was toote to take it back . "Ah... so there really was something, huh," he mumbled, smiling bitterly . "However, whatever it is, don¡¯t tell me . If I will ever learn of why the two decided to live in this backwater Kingdom, I¡¯ll learn it from their lips . " "... you¡¯re a rather shameless kid," Fae said, smiling faintly . "But you¡¯re not so bad in heart . " "... what do you mean shameless? Humph! This Junior Brother of yours is a dragon amongst men, one destined to soar to tenth heaven and conquer all living beings under the thumb of his hand! Humph! How can a great being like that be shameless?" "He he, how indeed..." After that, Lino stopped talking yet again, and Fae stopped asking . Both had simply too many thoughts to sort through . Judging from Fae¡¯s expression when he mentioned that he was E¡¯s disciple, Lino realized that whatever happened to her had something to do with one of her Disciples . However, he didn¡¯t dare probe... nor did he truly care . To him, even if E and Eggor had ughtered billions of people, he wouldn¡¯t as much as look at them strangely, let alone anything else . Whatever¡¯s the reason she came here, far away from her n and her blood, Lino didn¡¯t care . That pair of oddballs had shown him kindness that he never felt before . Warmth that he never thought existed in this world . Love and care that he had braced himself to never attain . Whether it be a city... a county... a kingdom... an empire... a dynasty... or whole wide world, he¡¯d turn his back on them all if he had to stand next to the two . Perhaps, in their eyes, what they did was truly little, merely granting a starved brat a ce to stay and a bit of their incredible knowledge . However, that shred of kindness had pulled Lino from the depths of despair wholly, and lit up a road for him that was shrouded inplete darkness . Lino had already braced himself for whatever woulde his way . Even unleashing Demonic gue upon the entire Kingdom couldn¡¯t crumble his resolve . He knew that the mountain he set his goal toward was iparably tall, so tall that he may never even catch a glimpse of its summit . However, he would keep climbing . Although he hadn¡¯t even taken baby steps so far, he would keep climbing . Step by step . He knew that neither E nor Eggor want him to do that . Rather, if he mentioned what is in the depths of his heart, he has zero doubts that the two would scold him for a month straight and try to change his mind . Nheless, that was his resolve . For a year that he stayed with the two, it slowly entombed itself deep into his heart, bones and marrow . If he had to be mad to achieve his goal, he would . If he had to be insane, he would . If he had to abandon thest ounce of his humanity, he would . Although he only caught a whiff of them a few times, he did nheless nce beyond their ssy eyes and stare at the depths for a moment . Grief, sadness, agony... whoever pushed them so far and so deep into the pits of despair and for whatever reason, Lino didn¡¯t care . If it was a person, he¡¯d kill them . If it was a group, he¡¯d kill them too . If it was an entire n, he¡¯d massacre them all . If it was tens of ns, he¡¯dmit a genocide if need be . He perhaps may not be worthy of such aspirations, but he¡¯d never abandon them . Not until the day he dies . "Here, brat . " Rog¡¯s voice jolted him from his thoughts . Surprisingly, eight whole hours had passed since Fae¡¯s and his conversation ended, and Rog was done with ¡¯enhancing¡¯ the spear . Although its general shape hadn¡¯t changed much, its height grew to 2,6m and its de seemed much sharper and deadly . The sheer aura of brutality its edges disyed caused shivers to run down Lino¡¯s spine . Gulping, he slowly got up and grasped the spear from Rog¡¯s hands, holding it firmly . Although this was practically the first time he held a spear properly in his life, an iparable simrity flushed down to his very bones, as though the spear always belonged to him, being an indispensable part of his body . The spear was slightly on the heavier side, but for Lino it was nothing . Even if it was ten times heavier, he¡¯d still be able to use it with ease . It fit perfectly into the palm of his hand . With a casual swipe downward, he caused a loud sound to echo throughout the entire room as the dust rippled outward like a storm . Both Fae and Rog were slightly shocked upon witnessing the casual attack; this finally dispelled their doubts that the brat was simply ying around . It was only then that Lino took a look at the weapon¡¯s stats . [Radiant Dragon Spear ¨C Legendary] Level 80 Damage: 2010 Magic Damage: 460 -20 uracy +100% Speed while attacking +20 Reach Special effect: A bloodthirsty aura resides within the de . Bathing it in blood of powerful foes can upgrade the weapon . Current progress: 0/1000 Special effect: Pouring Qi directly into the shaft consolidates the element of Fire and Light into de¡¯s tip . Each attack deals double the damage for as long as there¡¯s enough Qi . In addition, each attack is capable of unleashing arrays of Light and me, with maximum reach of 20 feet . Special effect: Due to extreme flexibility, spear¡¯s uracy is slightly lowered, but its speed is doubled while attacking . Special effect: (???) [y a ¡¯Dragon¡¯ species to unlock] Note: Iparable at its level, a Divine Master cksmith condensed his knowledge and talent into a level-appropriate weapon . Lino sighed slightly as the corners of his lips curled up into a smile . It¡¯s truly as he imagined ¨C the spear was out of this world! Lino was certain that even if he worked for an entire year, with even better ingredients than what Rog used, he¡¯d still have been unable to craft something of this level! What¡¯s more, it¡¯s as though Rog knew what Lino wanted from the spear ¨C speed! Even if uracy suffered slightly, as long as there was speed, gaps could be filled . And this was taking into ount the sheer, absurd size of the spear! Excluding heavy swords and simr, exclusive weapons, Lino was certain that nobody could attain the reach he¡¯d have with the Dragon Spear in his hands . As his grip tightened, a strange sense of familiarity surged from his fingers and spread throughout his entire body . As he poured a slight amount of Qi into the shaft, it went upstream like river and gushed into the two halves of the de . One zed in crimson fire for a moment while the other exuded holy, golden light . Although Lino was unable to externalize Qi, using the spear as conduit, he could attack from range ¨C especially because of the spear¡¯s special effect . "Alright," Fae¡¯s voice jolted him back to reality as he nced at her . "As my main weapon is spear as well, how about a light spar?" "... every time E mentioned ¡¯light spar¡¯, I¡¯d feel my poor life edging toward death . " Lino said as his entire body shook . "You¡¯re the same, aren¡¯t you?" "Yup . " Fae didn¡¯t even bother to hide it as she smiled lightly . "There¡¯s a special area on the backside, we can go there . No matter how loud we are, nobody will hear us . " "...pared to her," Lino looked at Rog as cold sweat broke out of his back . "You¡¯re like a little puppy . " "... aah, don¡¯t be surprised," Rog said, sighing bitterly . "There¡¯s a very famous saying from... khm, the ce we live: to Quell the Qe¡¯ll woman¡¯s heart is harder than killing Death itself . That should tell you enough . " "... that just tells me that your homnd has shitty sense of humor . " "Fuck you!!" Underneath the Rog¡¯s angered roars, Lino followed Fae to the back side of the house . There, as though by miracle, a massive tform spanning over five kilometers lingered on in the air, hovering roughly fifty meters above the ground . Lino immediately looked at the floor and saw various kinds of runic characters that he was unable to recognize . It was definitely some sort of the profound formation ¨C on a much, muchrger scale than what Lino inscribed into the shield¡¯s surface when he crafted it . "It¡¯s called ," Rog exined seeing Lino¡¯s shocked reaction . "It¡¯s nothing special, actually . It merely creates a profound tform made up entirely of Qi elevated in the air and obscures it from the eyes of the curious, isting everything within . You two go and have a st . " "..." Fae had already jumped up at the tform and was standing on one end . Lino sighed bitterly and leaped up; although he was unable to fly, with the strength of his body, jumping fifty meters in the air was rather easy for him . He was already Level 40, and with his body¡¯s strength, he was fairly certain that it¡¯d be hard to find someone underneath Soul Realm who¡¯d be able to kill him . However, Fae wasn¡¯t just Soul Realm, nor was she Mystic Realm... rather, Lino had no clue just how strong the seemingly teenage girl before him was, and he did his best not to ask such question . At the very least, he knew he¡¯d survive . As for his dignity that would no doubt vanish underneath her spear, he couldn¡¯t give rat¡¯s ass about that . "As you¡¯re my Junior Brother," Fae said in a faint voice, but Lino heard it clearly, alongside the light bitterness within . "It¡¯s beneath me to bully you . So, I¡¯ll only use the first segment of my art, and will limit myself to Level 50 . Satisfied?" "... yep . " despite the supposed fair treatment, Lino held zero joy . He had about two months of proper fighting experience, while Fae had probably killed more people than he¡¯d seen in his life and gone through many things he couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom . At the very least, though, he¡¯d finally experience a spear of a proper Spear Master, which would help him in processing his own skills . "Here Ie, then!" As her voice resounded, the entire tform shook underneath her feet as she sprinted forward, leaving behind only a massive gust of wind and dust alongside a sound boom . Lino immediately knit his brows tightly as he took in a deep breath . Not to be undone, he bulged his calves and burst forth, holding the Dragon Spear vertically as per the basic stance of the . Fae was slightly faster as the two meet within the Lino¡¯s half of the tform . As the two were within ten meters, he was able to clearly see her focused expression down to the veryst pore . She swung her spear sideways, shing in a massive arc as she sted forth a tyrannical wind . As a reply, Lino poured a st of Qi into the spear¡¯s shaft alongside the Tri-Spirit me, igniting the crimson mes which held a hint of three colors atop the de, shing in a downward matter . Two spears shed almost instantaneously, causing tform beneath them to shake and a screeching sound of metal to st open a deafening sounds . Lino felt iparable might gush against his muscles but he forcibly endured gritting his teeth and using the flexibility of his spear to break the deadlock almost immediately . As the storm of Qi was birthed between the two, both were blown backward,nding on their feet within two breaths¡¯ time . Lino flew slightly more, but he didn¡¯t pay any attention to it . The very familiar urge was birthed deep within his soul, so overflowing he was unable to suppress it any longer . His lips revealed an excited grin as he shed forth, his entire body coated in wind . At the speed surpassing what a human body should be capable of, he reached Fae within a single breath, startling thetter . She immediately pierced her spear forth, aiming at his chest, while Lino flexed his body sideways, actually allowing the spear to pierce his shoulder directly . As though unaware of the pain, he bundled his arm over and grabbed the shaft while using his right arm to fling his own spear in a beautiful arc, aimed directly at Fae¡¯s throat . His eyes zed in crazed light, causing Fae¡¯s expression to grow solemn . She jerked the spear in her hand, forcibly pulling it out as crimson red blood spurred out in droves . She then immediately ducked, avoiding the iing attack by hair¡¯s breadth . Yet, before she even had a chance to take a breather, she saw foot¡¯s sole before her face, pping her directly across the nose¡¯s bridge . A mountain¡¯s weight descended upon her face, sting her backwards like a cannonball . Storm of Qi crushed the tiled tform beneath into smithereens as dust and rubble rose up . Fae immediately stabbed her spear downward, ignoring the pain, piercing the tform and using her spear¡¯s rigidness to halt her backward momentum . From within the dusty clouds, a figure¡¯s shadow approached like an uncouth titan . Yet, Fae realized that she had greatly underestimated Lino ¨C especially his determination . He took a clean hit that would startle even the bravest of men just so he could strike right back . Lino¡¯s figure emerged from the dust; shockingly, his shoulder had already stopped bleeding and while his clothes were dyed slightly red, it was as though he waspletely uninjured . The Dragon Spear danced like a grim reaper in his hand, causing Qi and wind to stir into a massive, horizontal cyclone . His body swayed like a shadow as he strode forth in a massive momentum, leaping halfway through and spinning into a whole circle before declining the spear¡¯s shaft downward, aiming the de at Fae¡¯s head . Thetter finally decided to go out; grasping the shaft tightly, she grunted and swept upward as a gigantic force of wind ¨C infused with her Qi ¨C crashed against Lino¡¯s strike . Surprisingly, without any source ofbustion, an actual explosion appeared, sting the two apart from one another . Yet, as though driven by something beyond their own will, they immediately hurried toward one another once again . Their spears danced in a beautiful cycle as shes of metal and screeches of weapons echoed across the battle arena . Rog stared in shock at the scene unfolding before his very eyes; one has to know that Fae was one of the most renowned Spear Masters not just in Qe¡¯ll n, but the whole world! While she was merely using her most basic moves, they weren¡¯t just ¡¯basic moves¡¯ . Yet, Lino actually fought to a rtive standstill . It was quite clear, though, that he was far beneath her when it came to the actual skill; rather, to be more precise, his spear-wielding didn¡¯t utilize any specific form or style, at least from what Rog gleamed . Yet, every swing, sh or thrust of it carried something which far surpassed style: tyranny . Domination . Suppression . Rather than losing momentum as he traded blows with Fae, all of which were perfectly blocked, incurring more than few injuries along the way, his momentum kept rising like a storm . Every new strike was more tyrannical than thest, and even Rog began feeling faint pressure against his bones . Meanwhile, Fae also came to the same conclusion . To call Lino¡¯s spear mastery refined would be a mockery to the art of spear . To call his skill even passable would be a mockery to all those who studied decades just to gain the slightest enlightenment . There was nothing truly skillful or refined about the way he fought; he never used faints, he never hid his Qi flow, he never tried to hide his moves or strike from her blind angles . If one were to be light, they¡¯d say it was a straightforward way to fight; if one were to be truthful, they¡¯d call it stupid and idiotic . Although she was slightly startled at the very start, she almost immediately gained upper hand and merely yed along, trying to see how long he¡¯dst . Yet, Lino was already covered in wounds all over his body, but, without ever taking a breather, he kept on attacking . Thinking back, Fae realized that he defended against her strike only once: at the very start of their spar! Much like Rog, she realized that while Lino¡¯s spearcked refinement, mastery and skill, it had something that Fae only ever saw in two Spear Diviners in her entire lifetime . It was a rather crude style of profound art, looked down upon by practically everyone ¨C excluding those two figures . Because, underneath their spears, refinement, strategy, skills, forms... all of it lost its luster . They called it Absolute Domination ¨C and, as its name suggests, the entire style revolves around simply domination over your opponent through sheer brutality and momentum . She was shocked to find out that Lino had actually already reached the very same realm those two have; while hecked their cultivation and pure physical strength, he was actually stronger than them when it came to garnering momentum! Each following strike was twice as strong as previous and ten times as brutal! If the first strike was akin to a hill, second was akin to a mountain, while third was akin to an entire mountain range! At the same time, Lino¡¯s thoughts were much simpler than Rog¡¯s and Fae¡¯s . He didn¡¯t try to analyze the spear style of his opponent, nor did he try to understand his own . He was entirely driven by what was seemingly an instinctual feeling driven into his bones . Apanied by that primal urge that only kept growing stronger the longer the battle went on, every fiber of his being ¨C down to the veryst atom ¨C held a very simple and straightforward belief: I cannot lose! It¡¯s not that he was unwilling to lose, but rather that he thought losing was simply an impossibility . His Qi was stirred to much that if it were anyone else in his situation, there¡¯s no doubt that their meridians would directly rapture and they¡¯d be crippled for life . However, to him, it was an ecstatic feeling; every one of his blood vessels, veins, muscles and nerves worked at twice their maximum output, circting Qi throughout his entire body ceaselessly . burned forth like a maddened dog, pulling in Qi and refining at speeds that would leave others aghast were they to witness it . They had already exchanged over three hundred moves, yet Lino didn¡¯t feel even a whiff of exhaustion . He was cut roughly two hundred times all over, yet pain was a concept he seemingly forgot . He was entirely drowned in the delirium of the battle against a foe he could hardly defeat, as though he¡¯d abandoned his sanitypletely and fought purely to ovee a wall which seemed so high it towered the sky itself . There was only one thought in his mind, overbearing to the point of extinguishing all others: Victory!! Chapter 24 Chapter 24 CHAPTER 24 FUTURE PLANS Despite Lino¡¯s relentless assault, it was clear he¡¯d run out of strength eventually . When Fae realized that he¡¯d stopped gaining momentum and that his strikes became less and less oppressive, she decided to finally end their little spar . By parrying Lino¡¯s thrust, she managed to force an opening and smacked the dull side of her spear¡¯s de across Lino¡¯s chest . Thetter¡¯s eyeballs bulged for a moment as he felt immense pressure against his chest blowing him backwards . He flew for nearly twenty meters before crushing on the tform . Rog¡¯s heart jumped a bit as he leapt on the tform; he didn¡¯t expect Fae to be so vicious . However, when he saw Lino, his already frightened heart nearly burst out of his chest . A strike that could leave even him scrambling to evade without heavy injury merely scratched the top of Lino¡¯s skin, slightly bleeding . Meanwhile, Lino was breathing heavily, replying the battle . He didn¡¯t know what overtook him; he just felt like pushing onward without stop . He didn¡¯t even use the special technique and merely struck with intent to kill . That¡¯s right: kill . He had no enmity with Fae, yet every one of his strikes was aimed to directly take her life . The realization struck Lino deep inside his heart to the point it hurt more than Fae¡¯s ruthless sh against his chest . He wasn¡¯t himself, but was that really an excuse? That primal urge ¨C which he thought was there to save his life ¨C began scaring him at the moment . Holy shit, I better never spar again in my life... "Rog, leave us alone for a while . " Fae¡¯s voice echoed across the tform . Startled, Rog nced toward the source and saw an exceedingly gloom and solemn expression at Fae¡¯s face, a true rarity . He immediately realized it¡¯s something he was not privy to knowing and left without saying another word . After a few moments, Lino managed to recover some Qi as his body began operating normally yet again . He pressed his palms against the floor and flipped himself up, standing firmly . It was only then that he noticed Fae¡¯s gaze; it was extremelyplicated, as though the matter she wished to discuss was tearing her walls bit by bit . Only after a whole minute of awkward silence did she shook her head and sighed, putting away her spear and appearing next to Lino at the very next moment . "Sit . " she said as she did the same . Ignoring the odd tone of her voice, Lino sat next to her and waited . "E taught you ?" she asked . Lino¡¯s eyebrows jumped slightly but he didn¡¯t think it was weird that Fae knew so he nodded . "Ah... as I thought..." "... why? What¡¯s wrong?" Lino immediately realized there¡¯s more to it than he thought . "... she didn¡¯t tell you anything?" Lino immediately thought back to the moment E taught him the method and replied . "Not really . She just said she encountered it when she went out adventuring, but she never tried cultivating it as requirements were too harsh . " "... well, she didn¡¯t lie," Fae said, sighing . "She did indeed chance upon it while adventuring, and requirements are indeed too harsh . " "... but?" Lino looked at her with worried expression . "... I¡¯ll give you a suggestion . As to whether you adhere to it or not, I won¡¯t ask or probe any further," Fae replied after short silence, ncing at him . "Don¡¯t actively cultivate it . However amazing you think it is at the moment, it is not worth it, especially if your goal doesn¡¯t coincide with the method¡¯s nature . " "... method¡¯s nature?" Lino asked, feeling somewhat strange . "Your every strike just then aimed to kill me, no?" Fae asked . "Ah... about that, khm, I¡ª" "No need to exin it," Fae interrupted, shaking her head . "That¡¯s what I meant by its nature . Not all cultivation methods have their own, specific nature . However, those that do are extremely stingy . If you won¡¯t adhere to their nature, they¡¯ll force you to do it . Just like you were just forced while we sparred . " "..." " nature is domination," Fae said, her voice quaking somewhat . "Tyranny . That is to say, even if you were to face ten thousand people that were Level 1000, if your willpower was weak, method¡¯s nature would override your own and you¡¯d be forced to engage the ten thousand people . " "... shit . " Lino mumbled in low breath . "I honestly have no idea why she taught you that," Fae suddenly said, sighing . "I don¡¯t know whether she saw something in you, or for some other odd reason, but... if it were me, I¡¯d rather have taught you nothing than that . " "Is special?" Lino asked . "I don¡¯t know much about other cultivation methods, but it does seem quite different than the rest . " "... it¡¯s unique," Fae said faintly . "So unique that there isn¡¯t a single one like it out there . " "Eh?" "... ah, forget it, forget it," Fae said, shaking her head . "You¡¯re still in initial, growing stages of it . If you halt your progress, you¡¯ll at most ever reach Mystic Realm in your life . However, you¡¯ll also stifle the Writ¡¯s nature . On the other hand, if you continue cultivating it actively and pursuing higher realms, that nature ¨C the primal urge seeping from your very soul ¨C will continue growing . If your willpower isn¡¯t growing alongside it to suppress it, you¡¯ll eventually turn into a Writ¡¯s manifestation . In simpler words, you¡¯d be a battle-crazed maniac thirsty for blood . " "..." "It¡¯s not hard to see that benefits are immense," Fae said, smiling faintly . "As you are now, you can probably match even Soul Realm cultivators if you¡¯re careful . And, you¡¯d be hard-pressed to find someone of your Level and below who can leave an injury on your body . While I¡¯m far from knowing mechanics through which this manifests, unlike you, I know of few... existences who¡¯ve cultivated before . There were ever only two oues: either they rose to prominence and eventually became one of the strongest cultivators in the entire world, or they were consumed until they began wantonly massacring . I can¡¯t ¨C nor will I ¨C tell you what to do . I can see that you care about those two quite a lot, and that you even had a faint idea of trying to help them . I won¡¯t discourage you on that, but I will say that if you choose this method, those two wouldn¡¯t allow it . " "... perhaps," Lino finally spoke after short silence during which he managed to somehow swallow the new information . "Maybe they¡¯d truly scold me dry if they knew I had such aspirations . But... how could I not?" Lino suddenly smiled as he looked at her; his smile was simple, beyond honest, almost bordering childlike innocence . "Those two gave me a new lease on life . I¡¯m well aware that if I continue down this path, I may be consumed by that desire . Rather, I¡¯m already finding it almost impossible to control . But, I¡¯ve also gleamed something else from this . As long as those two shine their light upon me, and I have a reason to grow stronger, I¡¯ll never be consumed . There will always be something to pull me back before I cross the final threshold . Even though you didn¡¯t say it directly, I can already guess that isn¡¯t simply a cultivation method, but something that involves many things I can¡¯t even begin to fathom right now . " "..." Fae remained silent, as though admitting to the fact . "Even so, I can¡¯t simply abandon it," Lino chuckled bitterly . "While it¡¯s true that it¡¯s requirements are a bit insane, it¡¯s also true that rewards and progress form an equilibrium . Did you know that, before today, I have never once in my life held a spear?" "... I faintly guessed it . " Fae said, sighing, slightly shocked in her heart . "This goes beyond a simple cultivation method," Lino continued . "To have actual experience stuffed inside my head and then integrated into my body... even I know that¡¯s simply impossible for a cultivation method . Although I¡¯ve realized that is the so-called body refining cultivation method, the fact that I can¡¯t externalize Qi at all has nothing to do with that, does it?" "... you¡¯re right," Fae nodded . " is unique in that segment . " "... then, it really suits me," Lino mumbled as he gripped his fingers into a fist, rising it up slightly . "I¡¯ve never had anything in my life I wanted to protect, to fight for, except myself . And even that desire was merely a survival¡¯s instinct . But, now I¡¯ve got two . Rather than to use fancy tricks and whatnots to protect them, isn¡¯t it far more fitting that I use my body? One which was basically constructed through their efforts?" "..." "I know it sounds dumb and childish," Lino chuckled as he noticed Fae¡¯s strange gaze . "And, to a certain extent, even I realize it is . After all, I¡¯ve barely spent a year¡¯s worth of time with them . I know next to nothing about the two . Hell, I don¡¯t even know how old they actually are . But, to me, none of that matters . I¡¯m currently pursuing two dreams; one of my own, and one tied to them . E told me at the very start that it is impossible for one to be a peak-level cultivator and a world-renowned cksmith and, at the time, I agreed . I never intended to pursue cultivation as something important . But, eventually, that thought changed . Even if it¡¯s impossible, I¡¯ll make it possible . While fulfilling my own dream of pursuing the peak of craft, I¡¯ll also find any means to help them . Both of these goals are equally important to me . By asking me to stop practicing , you¡¯re asking me to actively abandon one of my dreams . Now... how could I do that?" "... alright," Fae said, chuckling strangely . "I suppose it puts me at ease . " "Hm?" "It¡¯s time Rog and I went back to the n," Fae said with slightly solemn expression as she gazed up toward the clear sky . "We¡¯ve been away for too long . " "... won¡¯t you go and meet them?" Lino asked with slightly queer expression . "... I¡¯ve been sending a n-specific Qi signal for the past twenty years," Fae said, smiling bitterly . "She must have noticed it . But, even so, she never came or replied . Really, I just wanted to see how they were doing . But, hearing it from you, I¡¯m content . " "... I¡¯m almost tempted to ask just what actually happened . " Lino chuckled, shaking his head . "... you¡¯re determined," Fae said, her voice carrying a hint of seriousness . "And I can clearly see that . However, determination is... cid . You have no clue as to just how cruel the world of cultivators is . If you wish to help those two, you¡¯ll be forced to abandon your humanity at some point . When that day arrives, whether you hesitate or not, will be up to you . " "... I won¡¯t . " Lino said simply . "... hone your spear," she said, smiling suddenly . "It¡¯s sorelycking . " "... tsk, who knows how fucking old you are . Of course it¡¯scking whenpared to you . " "What do you mean old?! Can¡¯t you see this perfect skin of mine?! Humph, I¡¯m still as young and as beautiful as anyone else!" "And also just as vain . " "..." "Don¡¯t tell them about us . Let them have their peace . " Fae said, smiling lightly, while Lino merely nodded . He didn¡¯t stay too long with the two; packing the Dragon Spear, he nced once at the duo and sighed inwardly before going back to the hotel . Although their meeting was brief, Lino still felt somewhat appalled at the sheer coincidence of it . While he may not have learned anything earth-shattering when it came to E, he did manage to gleam a few things from his conversation with Fae . Two words kept resonating throughout his thoughts: Qe¡¯ll n . Lino was far from being aware of just what that name represented in the world, but he was certain that Umbra Kingdom couldn¡¯t even constitute a single backyard for it . His starting point was low, his experience iparable, his strength non-existent . All he amounted to at the moment was a fleeting potential that didn¡¯t even stem from his own bones but the cultivation method that E imparted on him . Considering Fae¡¯s tone and expressions when she spoke of it, Lino gleamed just how grave the ordeal was . Before he had left, she reminded him at least five times to never divulge its name to anyone else, be they friend or foe . Although he was burning with curiosity, he didn¡¯t ask . If Fae wished to tell him anything more, she would have . With thoughts spanning storyrger than his own, by the time he returned to the hotel, sun was already setting beyond the horizon, casting a magnificent, crimson sheen over the inner city . He stood in front and nced up toward the sky, his heart in slight turmoil . Only after a few minutes did he enter and go up to the floor where Ae and he were staying . Yet, his hand froze as he reached for the doorknob . His expression revealed rarely seenplexity, his eyes filled with unwillingness, confounded emotion of loss and strange depravity . A rather lonely sigh escaped his parted lips as he twisted the handle and opened the door, causing a faint creak to echo out throughout the room . Ae was sitting near the window, looking out into the sky . Her hair fell down her back like a waterfall, face illuminated gently by the piercing light of the fading sun . She truly was beautiful beyond words, Lino thought for a moment . "You¡¯re back?" she asked as she turned around and smiled at him . "... yeah . " Lino nodded . "You found what you were looking for?" "Yup . Even more, actually . " "That¡¯s good . " "... yeah . " Lino mumbled, sitting on the bed . "How do you like the city?" "It¡¯s a new world," Ae said, chuckling . "Quite different than n¡¯s . " "That¡¯s good . " "Looks like you¡¯re leaving me, hm . " Lino¡¯s whole body shook but he refused to look at her; rather, he was afraid to look at her . "Ha ha, what¡¯s with you?" herughter resonated through the room . "Why are you so depressed about it? I¡¯ve always known that our meeting was but a twist of fate, a briefpse in design . " "... you truly believe that?" Lino chuckled bitterly as he finally looked at her . Her eyes were iparably clear, her smile honest and full . "It doesn¡¯t matter," she shook her head lightly . "I never thought I¡¯d get to monopolize you . You¡¯ll be a story I¡¯ll be telling my grandkids in due time, and their eyes will faintly shine in admiration . " "Heh, of course!" Lino said, puffing out his chest weakly . "It¡¯s as you¡¯ve said . Our meeting really was purely coincidental," he continued, looking her directly into the eyes . "But, it was a very happy coincidence . " "It really was . " Ae smiled gently . "Although I can¡¯t keep you here to bear your children, at the very least I wish we can remain friends . " "... ha ha, that¡¯s only natural," Lino said as he suddenly took out a golden ring from his ne and yed around with it . "Rather, I could really use your help if you n on staying here . " "What is it?" she asked . "You¡¯re incredibly smart," Lino said . "Much, much smarter than me . It¡¯s only natural that you¡¯ll eventually find your way up the social strata here . In theing months, or maybe years, this Kingdom will undergo a massive change," Lino said, ncing at her with grave expression, causing Ae¡¯s smile to immediately disappear . "When that timees, you¡¯ll know . Until then, try to locate any loose cultivators like me, whether it¡¯s in Umbra Kingdom or surrounding ones . I¡¯ll leave you with Endo n¡¯s cultivation methods and martial arts as they don¡¯t mean much to me, as well as some Qi Stones . I want you to secretly build an army of cultivators and, when the timees, I want you to help me . " "..." Ae looked at his eyes and saw nothing but honest desire . She immediately realized it had something to do with Demons, but as she wasn¡¯t exactly itching to know every detail of it, she didn¡¯t press for an answer . "I¡¯ll do my best . " "I¡¯ll also help you open up a few meridians," Lino said as he took out two books, some Qi Stones as well as gold coins, putting them onto the bed . "And get you started with cultivation . While I can¡¯t im you¡¯ll really peak up, it will be enough to protect yourself before you establish your footing . I¡¯ll also leave you this ring; in it are the rest of cultivation methods and martial arts, as well as 50,000 Qi Stones as well as roughly 80,000 gold coins . Use them to establish yourself properly and create awork for both searching for cultivators and general information and status around here . If I ever get some free time, I¡¯ll alsoe and deliver some of the things I create, but don¡¯t bet on that too much . " "... aah,dy truly can¡¯t rx," Ae chuckled lightly as she got up and walked over to him, patting his head gently . "You¡¯ve saved my life . Restored my dignity . Even if you asked me to find a way to blow this entire city up, I would do it, let alone gathering enough strength to help you when you¡¯re in need of it . Don¡¯t worry," she added, crouching down and looking him directly in the eyes with a faint smile . "Although loose cultivators are rare, they aren¡¯t wishing stars . I¡¯ll also try and poach some from the Sects and ns I¡¯m familiar with . After all, you clearly have no clue just how precious 50,000 Qi Stones are . " "... heh, I think I¡¯m starting to miss the vixen side of you . " Lino said, grinning lightly . "Oh? Then maybe I can teach you a thing or two more before you leave, eh?" Ae said while smiling seductively, pulling his hand onto her chest . "Gulp . You really know how to make me speechless, eh . " "I¡¯m just teaching you not to get tricked by women in the future," Ae said, smiling . "After all, you will never truly know the true depths of woman¡¯s cunning nature when ites to men . Before the one who stirs your heart appears and teaches you properly, take heed to my guidance . " "... you don¡¯t sound very convincing while rubbing my hand against your nipples, you know?" "That¡¯s that, and this is this . Don¡¯t mix pleasure and business together . " "..." Lino stayed for another five days in the City of Mercenaries . Most of the time he either taught Ae cultivation to the best of his abilities, or she taught him things and position he didn¡¯t even know existed . On the fifth day, feeling slightly reluctant, he parted ways with her and promised he¡¯d visit in the future, while she promised that at the time an army would be waiting for him . Throughout the whole journey here, Lino pieced together a few clues . The first ever he¡¯d gotten was from the old, bald guy Patriarch of Dying Roses; Vye was brought over from the Umbra¡¯s Capital City, and she was apparently still incubated in some egg-form . He¡¯d gotten the second hint from the weird boy while he was recovering in the cave . Demons are sent out of the devilish dimensional pocket to contaminate the world¡¯s Qi and reverse it, to make the environment hospitable for Devils . Lino realized then, without even being told, that just a single Demon appearing out of nowhere isn¡¯t something that¡¯s likely to happen . While Vye¡¯s demonization of her n Members wasn¡¯t something he expected, he was able to gleam a few more clues from it; while they did take somewhat of a roundabout path, from Endo n¡¯s hidden stead, they moved toward the Capital the entire time . There was also the strange, foreboding feeling rooted deep inside his chest telling him that this was truly far from being over . As he headed toward the Bridge Vige, he remembered the news he obtained within the City of Mercenaries about the whereabouts of ¡¯groups with red eyes¡¯ . He intentionally took a roundabout path back in hopes toe across them and help along with the cleansing, even though he knew it probably won¡¯t amount to much . On second day after leaving the City of Mercenaries, he was resting near a calm, slightly emerald-huedke . Lying back down, with one of his legs hurled over another¡¯s knee and a straw in his mouth while humming a rxing tune, he stared at the clear, blue sky with serene expression . While the pyramid-shaped ne still hung over his neck and shimmered faintly, there was nothing in it . All of his things were stored in the strange ¡¯void world¡¯ that was granted to him through the Primal Spirit . He could onlyment on the obscenity of it all, but he¡¯d be hard-pressed to reject the grace . His gaze flickered for a moment as he suddenly swept up andnded gracefully on his feet, his ck cloak fluttering faintly against the hushed wind . His eyes turned westward where, through thickets of green, several faint silhouettes emerged with panicked expressions . Among them, two wore rather simple, leather armor with bows strapped to their back, while one wore a full set of silver armor and had a broadsword hanging from his back . Of the three, his expression was the calmest as he retreated with steady steps . Not even a few breathster after them, a group of dozen or so people emerged from the same spot; their eyes seemed maddened and crazed, wholly red like blood, exuding eerie, dreadful aura from every orifice of their bodies . However, Linopletely ignored the demonized group as the strongest was merely Level 38 . What caught his attention was a silver-armored man; surprisingly, he was Level 67 . And, shockingly, he actually wasn¡¯t a cultivator . That is to say he reached such level purely through his physical prowess and nothing else . The reason why Lino was certain the man wasn¡¯t a cultivator was because he only sensed very faint, almost untraceable thread of Qi lingering around his body . Although he didn¡¯t know why the man simply didn¡¯t take care of the demonized group, Lino didn¡¯t retreat and instead stood calmly next to theke as the trio approached him . The silver-armored man noticed him after they were within a hundred meters gap, his brows furrowing . His heart froze when he looked into the youth¡¯s eyes, and he felt incredible sense of danger overwhelm him, telling him that he scarcely had a chance of defeating this youth . Throughout the entire Kingdom, he got such feeling only from three people; not even First Knight Rue, King¡¯s personal guard could make him feel so cold . The youth had a faint smile as he watched them, but from his stance, it didn¡¯t appear as though he had any intention of either helping or obstructing them . Gritting his teeth, the silver-armored man ¨C Third Knight Valor, Commander of Royal Guard and one of the legendary figures within the Kingdom ¨C grasped the two leather-strapped youths next to him and suddenly sped up considerably, increasing the gap between him and the demonized figures, reaching Lino¡¯s position within mere three seconds . Shit! How can he be so fast without even cultivating?!! Lino bellowed inside his mind due to shock despite keeping a calm expression . Is the bastard even human?!! Even demonized Varick wasn¡¯t this fast!! "... can you kill that group?" Valor¡¯s faint voice echoed inside Lino¡¯s ears as he sped past him andnded several meters behind . Thetter nced back and smiled knowingly before taking out a sword from out of nowhere, startling Valor into further retreat; on the other hand, Lino sped forward and spun midair, causing winds to stir, as he immediately reached the demonized group . He shed a few times at speeds that neither Valor nor the other two next to him could actually follow . Within a breath, the sword disappeared and the youth slowly began walking backwards . Behind him, a series of ¡¯plops¡¯ sounded out as dozen or so bodies shed crimson and fell over, never to get up again . Valor¡¯s brows knitted further together as he stared at the youth rmingly; even he was unable to properly catch the sheer speed of youth¡¯s shes, to say nothing of the two people next to him . "Knock them out . " a voice that only Valor was capable of hearing reached him, startling him slightly . Taking a deep breath, his two hands shed andnded on the backend side of two heads that barely reached his chest, as the two twenty-something youths next to him fell unconscious . It was only then that Lino properly inspected the man in front of him; he had short, spiky ck hair and piercing, honest eyes . His jaw was squared and his features aggressive, yet also simple . He was almost as tall as Rog, but definitely more on the refined rather than muscr side . Lino estimated that the man was roughly thirty-something years old, but couldn¡¯t be wholly certain . "Who are you?" Valor asked, still keeping his guard up as the youth stopped ten meters ahead of him . "Just a lonely traveler," Lino replied with a smile . Damn, does it feel good to y a mysterious expert!! He he, I ought to travel around more often and search for people in trouble... he he . Khm, less vanity, be humbler . Yup, that¡¯s the way . "And you? Who were those people chasing you?" Lino asked casually . "The so-called ¡¯ughterers¡¯?" "... yes . " Valor replied . "Why didn¡¯t you take care of them?" Lino asked, tilting his head slightly, still smiling . "You¡¯re more than strong enough for it . " "..." underneath those eyes, Valor suddenly felt naked, as though all his secrets were exposed . But, he couldn¡¯t find a hint of hostility in the youth¡¯s eyes, let alone any killing intent . "I didn¡¯t want these two to realize who I am . " Valor said, pointing at the two unconscious bodies . "Oh . " Lino faintly eximed, his expression growing ever-so-mysterious while his childlike vanity surged in troves . "Well, no matter . Think it as fate that the two of us met . " "... what¡¯s your name?" Valor asked . "Lino . " Lino replied honestly . "And yours?" "... Valor . " "Pft . " "..." "Khm, sorry," Lino coughed lightly as he looked away awkwardly . "It¡¯s just, uh, unexpected, yeah, that¡¯s all . " "I get that a lot . " Valor said, a rare trace of smile on his face . "Are you from the Capital?" Lino asked . "... yes . Why?" "... hm," Lino nodded faintly . "I¡¯ll take your name on the face value and give you a bit of a warning," he added, smiling mysteriously . "The source of this lies there . " "Hm?!" Valor¡¯s expression immediately stiffened as his gaze grew cold . "What do you mean?! Speak!" "Ha ha, don¡¯t be so angry," Lino shrugged his shoulders calmly . "Do you really think that a bunch of people just decided to start massacring wantonly on a whim? I don¡¯t take you for that much of an idiot . " "... you mean to say that something happened to them?" Valor asked, his eyes narrowing into slits . "Eh, something like that," Lino nodded, sighing . "Just... be wary . In due time, I myself wille there . I just hope that it won¡¯t be toote . " Lino added, speaking honestly from the bottom of his heart as he looked toward the direction of Endo n, his expressions fluctuating . Valor took a note of it and realized that there wasn¡¯t even a hint of lie or deceit in youth¡¯s words, causing him to be even warier . "... can you at least tell me what¡¯s the cause? What do I look for?" even Valor himself was surprised due to his question . After all, the youth before him just jumped out of nowhere and told him that the source of the terrible event that swept through the Umbra Kingdom was actually its most protected ce ¨C the Capital itself . "... don¡¯t look for it," Lino said as he nced at Valor; even if he wanted to, Valor was unable to search for the source as he can¡¯t sense Qi . "Just... be wary . I¡¯ll see you in due time . " with a faint smile, Lino¡¯s figure turned into a blur as he sped off into the distance . Damn, what a cool exit!! He thought as his smile turned into a vain grin . Chapter 25 Chapter 25 CHAPTER 25 BACK HOME Valor stood in the open field while staring at the direction the unfathomable youth disappeared to . His eyes flickered withplex emotions before he stuffed them all into a sigh, once again clearing his mind up . A few minutester, he felt wind flicker next to him as he nced cautiously toward his left; a blinkter, a figure d entirely in ck with only yellowish eyes revealed appeared next to him, bringing with it a suffocating air . Valor immediately frowned but repressed it back . "What are you doing here Sin?" Valor asked cautiously . "Our dear Prince was worried as you¡¯ve been gone for some time," the man called Sin replied in a hoarse voice, his yellow eyes flickering faintly . "So he sent me to fetch you . " "I don¡¯t need you to fetch me . " Valor scoffed coldly as he bent over and picked up the two bodies on the floor, hurling them over his shoulders . "Let¡¯s go . " "... by the way, who killed them?" Sin asked as the two moved past the corpses . "None of your business . " Valor replied, his tone still as cold as ice . Every time he¡¯d look at the Second Knight ¨C Prince Yox¡¯s personal guard ¨C he¡¯d feel his heart grow cold . If possible, he¡¯d very much like to never interact with him . "Hoho, I see you¡¯re still as cold as ever," Sin chuckled hoarsely as he followed closely behind Valor . "Hmm, strange... I can sense a faint strands of Qi..." he mumbled under his breath . "Qi?" Valor nced back, frowning . "Nothing," Sin shook his head while his yellow eyes looked deeply at the corpses onest time . "I¡¯ll send someer to clean them up . " "What¡¯s the situation at Prince¡¯s side?" Valor asked . "Under control, of course . " "Hm, that¡¯s good . " Valor nodded . "We can probably retreat now and leave the rest to the Mercenaries . " "Heh, you really do like giving opportunities to failed scum who¡ª" with a cold whizz of a wind, Valor drew out his gigantic, almost three meters long broadsword from his back and swiped it sideways, halting it only an inch from Sin¡¯s throat . Thetter sucked in a cold breath as he nced at the frosty edge of the famous de . "This was second time . " Valor said coldly, his eyes denoting nothing but unhidden killing intent . "Alright, alright, I see you¡¯re still quick to pull the trigger," Sin rolled his eyes and chuckled as he pushed the de away gently, taking a step forward . "There won¡¯t be third, I promise . " "..." Valor merely red at him and withdrew his sword before continuing forward . Soon, the two left the boundaries of theke and the forest surrounding it, entering stretchy, wavy ins . Hills rose up from time to time while mountains shimmered from east and west; cutting through the ins was a wide, churning river, a single, grand, stone bridge clearly visible from the distance crossing its bounds . Crossing the bridge slowly, Valor nced at the river and sighed; despite his best attempts, many people have died, and he¡¯s yet to even understand the source of it all . Did it reallye from the Capital? His thoughts once again shed back to that youth and his words before shaking his head . Greater part of himpletely discarded such notion, while a small part didn¡¯t dare believe it . After all, Umbra Capital was the centralized power of the entire Umbra Kingdom . While a greater part of army rested across the Umbra Mountain Range, nearly all Commanders and Generals lived within the Capital, to say nothing of countless nobles and royalty itself . If something so dangerous had actually found its way to the Capital, Valor didn¡¯t dare imagine the consequences that would follow . After crossing the bridge, they emerged on a main road leading downhill, surrounded by tall grass and scattered trees . At the bottom of the hill, Valor spotted a ratherrge encampment of over twenty tents and three campfires currently burning . Descending, he handed over the two men he was carrying before moving toward the centermost andrgest tent of all . Inside, he spotted several figures; standing solitary on the furthest side of therge desk was a familiar, youthful face of Prince Yox whose brows were currently knitted tightly together as he stared at the map on the desk . On the right end side of the desk stood a twenty-something woman d in silver, te armor . Her hair was me red, cut shortly, eyebrows perched up like swords . A pair of crystalline-clear crimson eyes nced over the map with mysterious glee, while her thin lips were curled up in a smile . She was the only female Knight of the Order ¨C Ymir . On the opposite side of the desk sat a silent man who¡¯d hardly be noticed in the crowd; his hair was ck, face ordinary and slightly pale, eyes staring without revealing the slightest bit of emotion . Unlike Prince Yox¡¯s luxurious robes, Second Prince Relish wore a much humbler clothes pertaining mostly of leather with only his cloak being woven in silk . Even Second Prince is here? Valor was slightly surprised but said nothing as he instead immediately moved toward the desk and bowed deeply toward the two princes before speaking . "Your Majesty," his voice was full of respect as he spoke to Prince Yox . "Another group of dozen or so invaders has been dealt with . " "What took you so long?" Prince Yox asked calmly . "... there was an interference . " Valor replied as he thought back to the mysterious youth once again . "Oh? Interference?" Prince Yox¡¯s eyebrows perched up slightly as even Relish and Ymir looked deeply at Valor . "It was an unknown youth," Valor spoke honestly . "He¡¯s also the one who killed the group . I estimate that... he¡¯s probably stronger than me . " these words immediately stirred everyone present, including Second Guard Sin whose yellow eyes shed in dangerous glint . "Are you certain?" Prince Yox asked, frowning . "I can¡¯t be certain unless I fight him," Valor replied . "But the feeling he gave me is almost at the level of Grand Elder . " "Impossible!!" it was Ymir who suddenly eximed, nearly smashing the desk beneath her fist apart . "How dare you?! Take those words back!!" "Calm down Ymir," Prince Relish spoke calmly . Of the entire group, only he remained quite indifferent to the whole affair . "You said youth? How old is he?" "... around fifteen-sixteen years old . " Valor replied . Even he himself had a hard time believing his words, but his intuition hardly ever fooled him, and he trusted it more than his own eyes . "..." the entire tent suddenly fell into eerie silence . Being almost as strong as Grand Elder of Umbra Kingdom is one thing, but not even being twenty years old was apletely different one . There was one thing that Valor absolutely didn¡¯t dare mention: the youth¡¯s warning about the source of the sudden invasion . It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t trust those present in the tent, but he simply felt that if he spoke those words, he may be executed on the spot . "... ah, it¡¯s fine," it was Prince Yox who broke the silence as he sighed, suddenly smiling faintly . "Everyone, keep in mind Valor¡¯s words . Someone that strong is dangerous . As long as he¡¯s loyal to our Kingdom, it only means we¡¯ll grow anotheryer of strength; however, if he¡¯s one of the spies sent over here, we¡¯ll need to be wary . Disperse and rest for now . Convene in four hours on the outside perimeter and prepare to head back to the Capital . " "Yes, Your Majesty!" Ymir and Valor eximed as they turned around and left . Prince Relish looked at Yox deeply for a moment before nodding his head faintly and disappearing, leaving only Sin and Prince Yox inside the tent . "What do you think?" Prince Yox asked in a serious tone . "There was a trace of Qi . " Sin replied with equally serious tone . "Valor is right . Although it¡¯s just a remnant, it¡¯s definitely dangerous . " "... could it be one of the other two Sects? With the fall of Endo n, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to settle back . " Prince Yox said . "I doubt it," Sin said, sighing . "I¡¯ve been tracking the members of Dying Roses; they were mostly cleaning up for the past few days, but haven¡¯t made any major movements . As for those reclusive ones... I have absolutely no idea where they are . " "... could it really be that there¡¯s a spy?" Prince Yox frowned deeply . "Don¡¯t take it to heart," Sin said, chuckling strangely . "Although he¡¯s somewhat strong, he¡¯s no threat . Just focus on ns at hand and leave the rest to us . " "Hm . " Prince Yox nodded heavily as he nced at Sin withplex expression before sighing . "Inform me if there are any changes to the n . " "Don¡¯t worry about it . Just focus on the cultivation for the time being . The Annual Festival is fast approaching; extend the invitations to the nearby Kingdoms as well and try to pull in as many people as possible . " "... alright . " Several thousands of miles away, at the edge of a steep cliff overlooking hilly ins, Lino stood straight like a sword, his eyes focused on the rows of buildings in the distance . After an entire week of travel, he had finallye back . On his way over, he¡¯d run into another group of demonized people totaling in six . They were all rather weak, and he once again didn¡¯t need to use his spear to deal with them . Sighing faintly withplex expression in his gaze, he rounded the cliff and went down the carved path, slowly walking back toward the vige . His original n was to remain outside for at least half a year, yet not even half of that time had passed, and he was back once again . Still, even just three months was enough for him to feel a trace of change being born inside his heart . His horizons were widened, and he¡¯de across many things he never dreamed of experiencing . It would be aplete lie to say that he was the same youth who departed from the Bridge Vige with a reluctant smile on his face . It took him nearly half an hour of casual stroll before he reached the vige¡¯s edge . It didn¡¯t seem to have changed much since he had left; smoke still billowed out in droves, noise and chatter and horses¡¯ neighs still drove out silence like swords . Streets were still all the same, and simple buildings still hosted the same people . From the looks of things, demonized groups hadn¡¯te across this ce . Yet, Lino knew that wasn¡¯t the case; on the far outskirts of the vige, he had clearly sensed a faint trace of demonized Qi that had almost dispersed . They, too, hade here, but were barred from entering . He could only think of E and Eggor, and he knew that long questioning session was in order once he gets back . However, he didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately heading over to the familiar street and stopping in front of a shabby-looking, old building . There were still the same holes on it and the same, half-crushed sign still hung meekly over the porch . He could faintly hear voicesing from inside and, while taking a deep breath, he slowly entered . E and Eggor were currently in the kitchen, eating lunch; at the moment, Eggor was bragging about something he¡¯d done in the past while E gazed at him with eyes full of warmth and unconditional love . A tender smile hung on her face and her lips would from time to time part into an enchanting smile . As the two heard the echoing footsteps, the conversation ended and they nced sideways . E¡¯s eyes gleamed strangely while Eggor¡¯s brows immediately furrowed . Without even giving him a chance to say hi, he bellowed out "What did you do, brat?!" Lino rolled his eyes as he ignored him, sitting on the free chair and casually swiping a few pieces of bread and chicken before wolfing them down . "..." Eggor¡¯s anger quickly sated; not because he¡¯d grown resilient to Lino¡¯s behavior, but because of thetter¡¯s eyes . Within them, he saw insufferable pain and guilt, causing even his old heart to stir silently . "... what happened, Lino?" E asked after a few minutes of silence . "Where did those demonized groupse from?" "... aah," Lino sighed as he finally turned toward the two . "You bastards lied to me!! You clearly told me there were no cultivators in this Kingdom!!" he bellowed out in anger, something he held inside ever since he came across Vye and her Sacred Protector . "My ass!! Then what about three fucking groups full of them, huh?! What about the fact that I had to fight a freaking Soul Realm cultivator, huh?! Ugh, I hate you!" "..." Eggor¡¯s brows knitted tightly together while E¡¯s loosened as her lips curled up in a gentle smile . "It was quite a surprise, no?" she asked . "Surprise my ass! I nearly died!" "But you didn¡¯t . " "... egg-faced bastard, punch your wife for me!" "Punch your mother! I¡¯ll skewer your brain you little brat!" "Humph, skewer your ass!" Lino growled as the two butted their heads against each other once again . "Are those big muscles just for the show, huh?! Are you that terrified of her, huh?!" "Alright, alright, calm down you two," E said as she sighed, shaking her head helplessly . "Tell us what happened first . " "... what happened? Isn¡¯t it obvious?" Lino scoffed . "Endo n was hosting a Demon . I killed it . Then it somehow infected the others . " "... what?!" Lino was slightly shocked that it wasn¡¯t Eggor who eximed in panicked tone, but rather that it was E . Her thin eyebrows perched up into arcs and her eyes shimmered in odd light . "Are you certain?" "Of course I¡¯m certain!! Why the hell do you think it took me this long toe back?!" Lino growled . "... a High-tiered Demon? Here?" Eggor mumbled, his expression darkening . "What are they doing here?" "Did you uncover anything else?" E asked . "I found out that the Endo¡¯s Patriarch brought the Demon from the capital while it was still incubated in an egg, if that helps . " E remained silent for a few moments before a sigh escaped her lips . "It¡¯s not an egg . " she said, looking out the window toward the sky . "Not an egg? What is it then?" Lino asked, slightly surprised . "It¡¯s a cocoon of sorts," E exined . "Demon fetuses cannot withstand direct invasion of Qi," she looked deeply at Lino before continuing . "So, their bodies are wrapped in a shell of Devil Qi while they¡¯re in their developing phase . " "... so that¡¯s it . " Lino mumbled, furrowing his brows . "This is bad, E," Eggor mumbled, ignoring Lino . "If there¡¯s one High-tiered Demon, there¡¯s bound to be more . To say nothing of a Low-tiered one . There might even be a Great Demon . " "... perhaps," E said, her usually smiling face now appearing rather grave . "In the Capital... the Annual Festival is fast approaching," she added . "You take Lino and head to the Capital under the guise ofpetition . I¡¯ll investigate independently . " "... it¡¯s not something the three of us can handle alone," Eggor furrowed his brows . "If there¡¯s a Great Demon, perhaps even you won¡¯t be its opponent . " "... don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already stepped in the Purity Realm," E said, smiling faintly . "Even if we can¡¯t prevent it, I can still make sure we escape . " "Eh?! Was the Seal lifted?!" Eggor asked, incredulous expression on his face . Lino stared at the two with nk expression as he found himselfpletely lost . "It was lifted a long time ago," E said, sighing . "I just stopped cultivating . However, when I spotted that demonized group, I had a bad premonition which is why I started again . It looks like it was the right thing to do . " "..." "Are you angry that I hid it from you?" E asked, smiling faintly . "... humph . " "Alright, we were supposed to be having a serious discussion!" Lino finally interjected, feeling ufortable over being ignored . "Are you done with the flirting?" "But look at how adorable he is . " E smiled as she suddenly extended her arm and pinched Eggor¡¯s cheeks . "... pfft . " Lino quickly stifled hisughter as he noticed Eggor¡¯s deathly re . "Alright, we¡¯ll do as E said I suppose . I¡¯ve reaped quite a few benefits this time around . Old fart, you won¡¯t bar me from using your promisednd, right?" "Humph, could it hurt you to ask nicely?" Eggor snorted coldly as he crossed his arms over his chest . "Oh the grand, great, marvelous smith of legends, would you be so kind as to bequeath your treasured, grandnd to me?" Lino asked with solemn expression . "Your glib tongue is still there, I see . " Eggor said, sighing . "Fine, just don¡¯t ruin the damn thing . " "Of course, of course, I would never dare!!" Lino eximed happily as he immediately bolted out of the room and into the house¡¯s backside, leaving E and Eggor to stare at his back with odd expressions . "Make sure you protect him properly," E said as she suddenly pinched Eggor¡¯s muscr shoulder . "I know you¡¯re stingy with your treasures, but not this time . " "... this isn¡¯t fair! You know I can¡¯t say no to you! But... but to use my treasured babies on that brat..." Eggor bawled dejectedly . "Humph, what do you mean treasured babies?! If you worked half as hard on me as you did on those treasured babies of yours, maybe we¡¯d have a treasured baby of our own by now!" E snorted coldly, looking away . "... khm . " Eggor coughed awkwardly as his thoughts frantically spun to figure out how to change the topic . "What should we do if things spiral out of control?" he asked after a few moments of silence . "Retreat," E sighed lightly as she replied . "What else? Neither you nor I care much for this ce, and Lino perhaps cares even less . " "... hah, it¡¯s been awhile since the two of us braved a storm . " Eggor chuckled lightly . "I¡¯m getting kind of excited . Don¡¯t . " he immediately added as he saw E¡¯s peculiar expression . Thetter suddenly smiled warmly as she wrapped her two slender, seemingly fragile arms around his, leaning her head softly against his shoulder . "Perhaps you¡¯ll finally see the woman you fell in love with yet again after so many years . " she mumbled . "... you¡¯re still hung up on that?" Eggor rolled his eyes at her as he stretched his free arm and gently caressed her cheek . "I fell in love with your grace, your smile, your heart, soul and iparable, matchless presence, not that brutish demon you used to be . " "What do you mean brutish demon?! I always paid extra attention to look as graceful as a swan when I fought!" E eximed in protest . "... wow, I did not know that . " Eggor mumbled as he suddenly stroked his beard . "That makes it even more depressing . " "Humph, hulking mass of muscles!" "Heh, try saying that while not wrapping your fingers around them with a strange gleam in your eyes!" "..." Meanwhile, in the forge at the back side of the house, Lino was currently shifting through all the materials he gathered . Besides them, on the table, were several dozen sheets of paper as well as ink and pen; slowly contemting, he began drawing various designs and jotting down various ideas that came to his mind as he inspected the materials . There were still a few months until thepetition, and he decided to dedicate the free time to crafting a whole new set of gear for himself as well as various tools like [Celestial Rod] that could be used handily during dangerous situations . He also decided to set apart a few piles of materials to craft something and officially begin selling his own items out in the open . Inspired by the cultivation method, he¡¯d also figured out his ¡¯pen name¡¯ and sign that he¡¯d carve onto each one of his creations; thetter would be a six-lined spiral, with each tangible, outer end spilling into a representation of the six so-called Divine Truths of the World: Light and Darkness; Life and Death; Order and Chaos . As for the former, on a small parchment, in the very corner, scribbled in a rather messy handwriting, rested yet-to-dry letters denoting a simple name: Empyrean cksmith . END OF VOLUME I Chapter 26 Chapter 26 LEGEND OF THE EMPYREAN BLACKSMITH BOOK I ¨C PEST OF THE UMBRA KINGDOM VOLUME II ¨C TO BE AN EMPYREAN CHAPTER 26 YESTERYEAR Night hung, looming like a thread of oppression up on the sky . Silver-d moon waspletely hidden behind ashened, gray clouds which spat out snow ceaselessly . Falling t, it gathered in small hills outside the silent vige, while its whites doused roofs in its hues . Sharp, glistening icicles hung underneath gullies, fences and window panes, shimmering faintly even in the darkness of the night . asional howl of the wolves or bark of the dogs would break silence silly, but, past them, no other sound was emitted by the vige, as though not a single soul rested inside . Edging toward eastern border of the vige, surrounded by rather impoverished homes and tattered streets, a two-story building stood relentless within the frost . Its fenced courtyard showed signs of not being taken care of in a while, with even the wooden fence itself having been broken apart at some ces . All windows were dark, and there were quite a few of them, numbering nearly twenty . Some were still whole, mostly those on the second floor, but most showed signs of deterioration, or outright copse . On the first floor, heaved at the left side of the building, scurried in the corner, howling wind managed to pierce straight through the cracked window and broken cardboard patch, dousing the room into seething frost . Inside a rather small room, there was only a single, simple bed with headboard and footboard which stood molded into the wall . Patches of glistening ice and snow fluttered on the floor freely like mid-summer dancers, while icicles had already begun forming at the bed¡¯s edges . A nket, thinner than a sheet of paper and full of holes, suddenly heaved slightly as it fell into folds, slowly slipping over and falling onto the floor silently . As it fell, it revealed a shivering, small body of a boy that didn¡¯t look older than eight . The boy¡¯s body was thin, bones visible on his skin, and he was currently curled up in a fetus position, his hands and head tightly wrapped together against his bosom . ck hair was messy and disorderly as it fell over the mattress, onecking a pillow . The body suddenly shifted as a soft groan of pain and agony escaped the boy¡¯s pale lips . As his features unveiled, it showed a startling picture; the boy¡¯s eyes were sunk in, patches of deep ck and purple beneath each of his eyes . Snot beneath his nose was frozen stiff while his thin, sickly purple lips trembled ceaselessly . The boy suddenly scurried over to the edge of the bed with great difficulty, extending one of his thin arms and pulling up the fallen nket back onto the bed, wrapping himself from head to toe in it immediately . Yet, it seemed to have hardly alleviated bone-piercing chill, as the body beneath still continued shivering . After a few short minutes, faint, weakly sobs echoed from beneath the sheets . They were barely audible and if one didn¡¯t stand right at the bed¡¯s edge, they¡¯d be hard-pressed to hear them . Sobs quickly turn into an outright cry of pain and agony . Beneath the sheet, boy¡¯s face was distorted as his weak, yellowed and half-missing teeth cked loudly in a strange symphony . The boy fought fiercely to steady his jaw but to no avail . In the end, one of his arms escaped the entrapment of his knees as he steadied its palm against his lower jaw, bringing about the end to the symphony . Streams of tears bellowed down from his eyes over his cheeks and onto the mattress beneath, but he quickly wiped them clean with vigor from fear of having them frozen on his face . His thickly ck eyebrows glistened faintly in frost, and his skin had gonepletely pale, as though he was a corpse . Suddenly, a sound of the doors opening startled the boy as he unwrapped himself and rang up onto the bed, turning his head toward the source . The first thing that entered his sight was a small, fist-sized candle exuding faint, ethereal light . Thetter then cast over onto the features of the holder; as the boy rose his gaze up, he was met with a pair of glistening, azure-colored eyes that sparkled like gems in the night . Surrounding them was an oval-shaped head with clean, starkly brilliant features . A young girl, roughly boy¡¯s age, quickly scurried into the room and closed the door behind her carefully . In her other arm was a thick, furred nket, far eclipsing the boy¡¯s . It was faintly brown in color with thick, hairy edges . Blowing faintly at the candle, the source of light was extinguished as the girl¡¯s faint footsteps approached the bed . Finally awoken from the daze, the boy shook as his helpless expression disappeared and a stern one emerged . "Ally, what are you doing here?!!" he bellowed in a low roar . "Humph, what do you mean what I¡¯m doing here?" the girl scoffed lightly as she stopped next to the bed . "Look at you..." her tone suddenly mellowed as her gem-like eyes sparkled in teary mist . "Move over . " she pushed him gently and leapt onto the bed before wrapping one of her arms around his waist and pulling him next to her, using the other arm to hang her thick nket over the both of them . Boy¡¯s body suddenly stiffened as the girl¡¯s warm one pressed against his . "No, no, leave!" jolted back to his senses, the boy immediately protested . "If we get caught, while they¡¯ll just spank you, they might actually dump me out into the cold!" "They won¡¯t catch us, I was careful!" the girl said in a low tone . "Don¡¯t-don¡¯t wave your cold legs around-bzz-it¡¯s cold!" "Ally, seriously, leave!" the boy eximed as loudly as he could without having his voice leave the boundary of the nket that had covered both of them . Though it waspletely dark, the boy still swore he could see the girl¡¯s sparkling eyes staring at him . "I won¡¯t!" the girl said in an annoyed tone . "Look at you, you¡¯re still shaking! How can I leave?!" her tiny arms suddenly wrapped tightly around the boy¡¯s body and brought him even closer until they had nearly be one . "You¡¯re... so cold..." because the girl was slightly taller, the boy¡¯s head only reached up to her corbones; as her voice faded, he could feel sudden wetness on his hair . "If Sister Roa catches us... we¡¯re toast..." the boy mumbled softly as he gave up his protests, feeling quitefortable having been suddenly thrown into warmth . "She won¡¯t," the girl said . "She won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry..." "... how can I not worry?" the boy said . "They quite liked you when you first came here, but, because of me, they¡¯ve also started cutting your food too . " "Who cares? It¡¯s just less food . " the girl said . "Compared to you, I¡¯m still eating like a Queen . " "... thank you . " the boy mumbled in a barely audible voice . "Lino... did... did you ever think about leaving this ce?" the girl suddenly asked . "Heh... every day . " the boy said . "But... then what?" "I don¡¯t know . " "Me neither . " "... I¡¯m sorry... I... I wish I could help you more..." "... don¡¯t cry, oi, don¡¯t cry!" Lino eximed in a slightly scared voice as he heard Ally¡¯s sobs . "Y-you already help me ton... d-don¡¯t cry..." "..." The faint sobs soon came to an end as the room fell into deep silence . Underneath the thick nket, the two were wrapped tightly into each other¡¯s embrace, their expressions tranquil and serene . Though the cold wind still blew, it seemed unable to pierce the nket¡¯s thick coating and disturb the two . Lino¡¯s eyshes trembled a few times and his expression darkened on asions, as though he was having a bad dream . Bit by bit, he moved ever so closer to Ally until his head was directly pressing against her chest . Only then did he seem to calm down somewhat . By the time morning arrived, wind had already stopped blowing . As though woken by something, Lino¡¯s eyes suddenly jolted open . He scurried out of the nket and looked outside the window only to see the hazy beams of sun slowly trickling at the horizon . His heart started and he quickly turned around, shaking Ally and calling out her name . It took him nearly half a minute to wake the girl up; thetter slowly stretched and yawned, wiping her eyes, as she looked at him gently and smiled serenely . Her golden hair pped on the mattress and she seemed unhurried to get up despite Lino¡¯s anxious calls . "Get up, get up! It¡¯s already morning!" Lino cried out hurriedly in low voice . "If someone catches you, we¡¯ll be done for!" "... uhm, let me sleep a bit more..." Ally mumbled . "I feel like I slept really wellst night..." "Damn it, get up youzy beast!" Lino growled somewhat angrily as he forcibly sat her up . "I¡¯ll y with youter . Okay? Just leave now!" "You promise?!" Ally¡¯s eyes beamed in joy suddenly . "Yes, yes, I promise! Go! Now!" only then did Lino somehow manage to convince the strange girl to leave while carrying the thick nket . It was only after five minutes had passed since her departure that Lino¡¯s heart calmed down somewhat . He plummeted back onto the bed, already feeling tired . However, he couldn¡¯t help but let a smile creep up onto his face . Ever since she came here, for one reason or another, Ally stuck to him like glue . Disregarding warnings from Sisters and jeering from other kids, she seemed deaf to it all and still stuck with him . Even when her rations were cut and when she was punished for disobeying rules, she still stubbornly sought ways to meet up with him and y . Over a year had passed since then, and he¡¯d slowly let the strange girl¡¯s image inside his heart . Perhaps, for the first time in his life, he¡¯d felt the happiness he heard about from the stories . Yet, such feeling also made him feel apprehensive; the more he cared, the more he feared losing that feeling . That is why he tried to meet up less and less with her, as to not let others have an excuse to constantly bully her . However, she was even deaf to his pleas . Whether out in the open or in secret, she sought him and asked him to tell her the stories he picked up while sneaking out of the orphanage . Because of her, he¡¯d been sneaking out more often recently just so he could pick up another story or two to retell to her . After calming down, he slowly got off the bed and walked over to the window while covering himself from head to toe with thin nket . Looking out into the courtyard, he only saw a pile of snow beyond whichy a fence, a street, and a row of rundown homes, some of which had already begun spitting out smoke from their chimneys . As he watched on, he saw robust men coated in thick, fur clothes walk toward the backside of the vige where one of the mines was located, no doubt going to work . He looked on at them with deep envy in his heart; though he knew their days were far from perfect, at least they had control over their lives . Nobody could decide whether they were allowed to eat or drink something but them themselves . Realizing that his chest was growing painful, he finally broke off his gaze and walked back onto the bed . He knew that some other kids were probably gathering in the canteen for the breakfast, but he also knew that it had nothing to do with him . He wasn¡¯t an exception, though; there were many others just like him, some even younger and weaker . The orphanage, after all, only received some monthly donations . To feed all the kids was theoretically possible, but just barely . However, instead of that, the focus was on the kids that had a higher chance of either being adopted or bought . That is why they paid a lot of attention to Ally when she was brought in; golden hair, azure-colored eyes, pretty face... she was even able to read at the tender age of seven . Of all the kids currently in the orphanage, she had the highest chance of leaving this ce quickly . When she first arrived, she was given three meals a day and even proper education . However, as she started hanging out with him, most of her privileges were stripped in an attempt to pull her away . Some of the scorn inevitably fell on Lino, and, nowadays, he¡¯d be lucky to get to eat in orphanage once in a week . Besides sneaking out of the orphanage to listen in on the stories from random people, he also snuck out in search for food . That is how he mostly survived for the past half a year . As he picked up a lot of stories from the outside world, he yearned to grow up and leave this ce . One of the first stories he¡¯d ever heard was the one of the legendary cksmith who visited the Umbra Kingdom a long, long time ago, and crafted the Kingdom¡¯s legendary weapon that, till this day, is still considered itsst line of defense . The legendary cksmith was offered coffers of gold, jewels and gems, but he refused them all, elusively disappearing and never surfacing again . The story lit fires inside Lino¡¯s heart, and he swore to himself he¡¯d be a cksmith one day and, just like legendary cksmith, craft something that would awe the world but, unlike the legendary cksmith, he wouldn¡¯t ignobly refuse the toast of gold, gems and jewels . After all, he feels as though he sucked all the heaven¡¯s luck when he stumbles upon a single copper coin, then what if he had a huge pile of gold? Couldn¡¯t he eat those sweet cakes from Benny¡¯s shop every day? Waiting until the meal was over, Lino climbed out of the window slowly and circled to the backyard of the orphanage, drilling himself through a small hole in the fence andnding on the snowy-white street . By now, the vige had already woken uppletely . Sneaking through the slightly obscured alleyways, he raced toward the vige¡¯s market with a faint smile on his face . Though all of his body began feeling the wretches of cold once again, running heated him up somewhat . Three copper coins dangled in his pockets; he had been saving for entire four months now, and today was finally the day he¡¯d be spending them . About half a year ago, he came across a book called that Old Wick was selling and he forced thetter to swore to not sell it until Lino saved up three copper coins . On his way over, he couldn¡¯t help but imagine Ally¡¯s shocked face when he shows her his find . Though he couldn¡¯t read quite well just yet, he was confident in at least being able to understand the book and retell it to Ally . His faint, small footprints in the snow were soon covered up with muchrger ones as he swayed between the heavily-coated bodies on his way to the market . Even this early, it was already bustling with activity and noise . Stalls were lined up left and right of the cobblestone street, with people constantly bargaining over the prices . Ignoring every stall that wasn¡¯t Old Wick¡¯s, Lino scurried over in his fastest speed, sooning to a stop in front of one of the smaller stalls; save for the three rows of rather strange and macabre items, there was nothing else on disy . Sitting on a small stool next to the stall with a pipe in his mouth, Old Wick was the same as Lino remembered him; disheveled, gray hair fell over his shoulder, his wrinkled face giving of sagacious air, and his slightly dulled, silver eyes wandering off into the distant horizon . "Hey, hey, old man!" Lino waved his hands in front of Old Wick¡¯s face and spoke with enthusiastic voice . "Wake up! I¡¯ve got you three copper coins for that book!" "Eh? Lino?" the old man jolted back to reality as he nced downwards at the small, fragile body of a boy with a gentle smile . "Oh? You really have them?" "Of course, of course!" Lino reached into his pocket and took out the three, old copper coins, handing them over quickly . "Give me! Give me the book!" "Alright, alright," Old Wick chuckled as he ignored the three copper coins in the boy¡¯s hand and reached for the backside of the stall, taking out a slightly worn book with roughly two hundred pages . "Here . Take good care of it, you hear?!" "Eh? Why aren¡¯t you taking the coins?" Lino looked at him with bewilderment as he took the book . "Why would I need your coins?" Old Wick chuckled as he drew a smoke from his pipe and blew it gray into moist air . "It¡¯s enough that I see you really wanted it . Just promise me you¡¯d take care of it!" "Eeeeeh? Couldn¡¯t you have just given it to me back then?" Lino asked, pouting slightly . "Then I wouldn¡¯t have had to save up in the first ce!" "It¡¯s a lesson, lesson, ha ha!" "You¡¯re just messing with me!" "Ha ha!" "..." Growling lowly at the old man, he stuck out his tongue and quickly left, afraid he¡¯d get his ass spanked by the old man . A surge of warmth bewildered his heart on his way back; after all, receiving kindness was on the rare list of things he got in life . With three copper coins, he decided to go to the small bakery near the orphanage and bought two jam buns, one copper each, deciding to save thest one just in case . He pressed the still-warm buns against his bosom, warming them up quickly, as he took the same path back to the orphanage . It¡¯s usually around this time that Ally would be waiting for him in the small, slightly isted corner of the orphanage, beneath an old tree with a thick trunk . Just as he predicted, she was there, wearing an oversized coat as she yed with snow . A subconscious smile crept onto Lino¡¯s face as he slowly approached her; instead of calling out, he sneaked behind her and leaned into her ear before whispering ¡¯Bo¡¯ . The girl suddenly screamed lowly as she slipped on the small branch and fell head first into the snow . Lino immediately burst out intoughter as he saw her struggling to get up with a face-full of white snow . With knitted brows, she growled at him as she took a handful of snow and shoved it at him . Almost instinctively, he dodged sideways and evaded it while hisughter continued to resonate . "It¡¯s not funny!! You scared me!!" Ally cried out, pouting . "Ha ha ha..." "Grrr!!" "Okay, okay, calm down," Lino said, smiling as he took out the two buns and handed her one . "Here, it¡¯s still warm . Let¡¯s eat it, quickly!" "Eh?" Ally eximed softly as she looked at the small bun in her hands before ncing up at Lino¡¯s honest expression . Her already reddened cheeks flushed further as she hid her expression, slowly nibbling on the bun . "I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll pay you back, somehow..." "Hm? What are you talking about?" Lino asked, tilting his head sideways while wolfing down the bun . "I know!" Ally eximed as she suddenly moved close to him and unbuttoned her coat, pulling him in . "Hehe, isn¡¯t it warmer now?" "..." Lino said nothing as it was his turn to lower his head and slowly nibble on the bun . "Thank you . " he mumbled softly . "... no problem . " "I got us a book to read . " Lino said after a short moment of silence . "Eh? A book? What book? Where¡¯d you get that?" Lino slowly took out the from his bosom and showed it to Ally with a proud grin stered on his face . "Awesome, right? He he, you don¡¯t have to be so shocked!" "You snuck out again!" "How do you think I got the buns then?!!" "Ugh... you should stop sneaking out!" Ally said . "If they catch you, they¡¯ll lock you out again!" "... like there¡¯s a difference anyway . " Lino growled lowly . "Do you want me to read it to you or not?" "Read, of course!" Ally said as though she already forgot her berating him . "..." Lino rolled his eyes at her for a moment before slowly and carefully opening the first page of the book . The two sat down at the tree¡¯s roots and leaned against the thick trunk while stered against one another beneath the coat . "Oh, okay . So, uh, the first is... uh, it¡¯s called F-fable of... of the... Sneaky Fox! Yeah!" Lino eximed as he struggled to read . "... do you want me to read it?" Ally asked . "I can read!" "I know . " "You don¡¯t sound like it!" "... fine, you read!" Ally said, snorting slightly . "I will!" Lino eximed before averting his gaze back onto the letters on the page . "Khm, so, long, long, long time ago... there, there was a fox, and... uh, v-vige people called it¡ª" "Just give me! You read slower than a snail!" "I didn¡¯t know snails can read!" "Just give me the book!" Ally growled . "Fine, here you go! Read Mrs . I-can-read!" "A long, long time ago, there was a fox and vige people called the fox Sneaky Fox . " Ally slowly began reading in a gentle and soothing voice as Lino listened attentively . "Sneaky Fox woulde to vige often and demand that vigers give it food . One year, the winter was really harsh, and vigers didn¡¯t have enough food, but Sneaky Fox came once again . It demanded that vigers give it three pounds of meat or she will begin stealing babies from them after three days . As vigers were unable to give it three pounds of meat, one day, a brave young man Hero said to the vigers ¡¯I will go and kill the Sneaky Fox, don¡¯t worry!¡¯ . On a cold, winter morning, Hero left the vige and headed off into the woods where the Sneaky Fox lived . After journeying for two whole days, he finally came in front of Sneaky Fox¡¯sir . It was a big, cold cave with evil air about it . Hero, however, braved onward and entered, holding nothing but a rusty sword in his hands . In the depths of the cave, Sneaky Fox was lying and sleeping when Hero came . However, instead of killing it while asleep, Hero waited in front until the Sneaky Fox awoke . When it saw Hero, it was surprised and asked ¡¯What are you doing here?¡¯ . Hero replied ¡¯I came to kill you, evil fox!¡¯ . ¡¯Then why didn¡¯t you kill me while I was asleep?¡¯ the Sneaky Fox asked . ¡¯Because that would have been sneaky, and I would be exactly like you!¡¯ Hero said . The Sneaky Fox was surprised, thinking that this human was truly foolish . ¡¯Instead of fighting,¡¯ the Sneaky Fox said . ¡¯How about we y a game? If you win, I will never bother your vige again but, if you lose, you will be my ve forever¡¯ . Hero agreed after a short thought . ¡¯What¡¯s the game?¡¯ he asked . " Ally slowly turned the page and continued while Lino waspletely immersed in the story already, not even noticing the pause . "¡¯It¡¯s very simple¡¯, the Sneaky Fox said . ¡¯You just have to catch me, and you win¡¯ . Hero agreed and put away his sword . ¡¯Fine,¡¯ he said . ¡¯I¡¯ll catch you, then!¡¯ . Hero then ran towards the Sneaky Fox, but thetter didn¡¯t even move . Hero thought that the Sneaky Fox wasn¡¯t so sneaky after all . He quickly reached it and wrapped his arms around its head . ¡¯Hah, I win, evil fox!¡¯ Hero eximed proudly . The Sneaky Fox grinned as it replied ¡¯Foolish human...¡¯ . It lifted its head and bit at Hero¡¯s neck, killing him . " "... eh? That¡¯s it?" Lino asked as he realized Ally hadn¡¯t said anything for a while . "That¡¯s it . " Ally nodded . "That was stupid!!" "How is it stupid?!" "What¡¯s the point?! Hero died just like that?! Isn¡¯t he an idiot?!" Lino said . "Why would he trust the Sneaky Fox?!" "... that¡¯s the lesson of the story," Ally rolled her eyes at him . "That we shouldn¡¯t just trust what people say . " "... oh . " Lino mumbled softly . "Alright, onto the next one!" "What are the two of you doing?!!" a familiar voice which immediately sent shivers down Lino¡¯s spine interrupted the two . As he lifted his head, he saw a familiar, middle-aged face of an angered woman wrapped in nun¡¯s cloth . Her brown eyes were staring at the two with fervor of fury as her two arms rested at her sides, her legs spread apart . Both Ally and Lino eximed softly as they jolted onto their feet, immediately trying to run away . However, two arms reached forward and grabbed them by their necks, pulling them back and throwing them down onto the floor . "What did I tell you two?! What did it say about sneaking out?!!" the woman screamed as she suddenly kicked Lino in the back, causing thetter to cry out in pain . "You bastard, when will you learn to listen?!" another kicked followed immediately after, hitting his kidney . "What is this?!" the woman bent down and picked up the book that was lying in the snow . "Where did you get this, huh? Where did you get this?!! Did you sneak out again?! I bet you snuck out again!" all the while, the woman continued kicking at Lino, merely avoiding his face while her feetnded on the rest of his body . He cried out over and over again and tears had already began trickling down his cheeks . "S-sister, please stop, you¡¯re hurting him!" Ally cried out as she grabbed at the woman¡¯s leg, trying to stop her . "Let go of me, you bitch!!" the woman kicked back and hit Ally¡¯s chest, causing the little girl to fall back into the snow . "I tried to be nice to you, but how do you repay me?! Huh?! You hang out with this piece of horseshit and ignore all my good will!! You bitch!" she kicked her again, this time on the upper shoulder, causing Ally to scream out in pain . Lino suddenly sprung on his feet as hetched onto the woman¡¯s leg and tried pulling her . "Don¡¯t hurt her!! I¡¯ll kill you!!" he screamed out, closing his eyes . "Huh?!! What did you say you little bastard?!" the woman¡¯s gazended on him again as she grabbed his hair and lifted him up directly, causing pain to spread throughout every inch of his body as he screamed out . "You¡¯ll kill me, you say?! Kill your mother! I¡¯ll show who you¡¯ll kill!" instead of using her legs, she now used her free arm and punched Lino over and over again, avoiding his face . After tenth punch or so, tracks of crimson slipped out of Lino¡¯s mouth as his eyes rolled backwards, losing consciousness . When the woman noticed that he fainted, shended onest punch and threw him down like an empty bag . "You,e with me! From now on, I¡¯ll lock you in a room and throw away the damn key!!" as the woman carried her away, Ally screamed and cried over and over again, seeing Lino lying unconscious in the snow . However, all her pleas were ignored and instead answered by another beating . In the snowy a fragile, slender body of a boy, his eyshes glistening with frost and trembling, his breathing faint and weak, and white of snow beneath his cheeks reddened by blood . His mind adrift in the ocean of nothingness, he was unaware of the world; he had sailed somece where even the winters were warm . Chapter 27 Chapter 27 CHAPTER 27 THE MISSING ELEMENT Moss covered walls rose up and forged arge, almost three hundred square meters castle . Cracks and dents ran rampart across their surface, their once glistening appearance now doused in ashened gray of time . Eerie silence enveloped therge castle lying in a gorge between two high-rising mountains, strange, gray fog shouldering it . There was no clear path leading to it; the whole of what was once a road was covered with shrubbery, trees and overgrown weed . The downward, spiraling path rounding the mountain in front of the castle was long since buried in the vestige of time . Perhaps there was not a living soul who knew when was thest time this ce had prospered . Currently, within one of its damp, cold and suffocating rooms whose entire wall shielding it from the outside was crumbled, a faint flicker of a candle swayed in the hazy wind . Next to it, a strongly enunciated figure stood in silence, covered entirely in ck cloth from head to toe, only revealing a pair of clean, blue eyes . They appeared dull at the moment, as though the focus escaped them, and their owner¡¯s thoughts had wandered away from reality . After a few minutes, a sound of approaching footsteps caused the pair to regain their sharpness as they looked toward the source; there, another figure appeared, simrly draped in entirely ck cloth with only a pair of pitch-ck eyes showing . He came to a halt roughly five meters away from the figure who waited for him, leaning on the crumbled pieces of wall while faint wind swayed his ck cloak . "Why call a meeting in this ursed ce?" the neer asked in a harsh, low tone . "... is it really an ursed ce?" a pleasing, melodic voice of a woman replied . Her eyes suddenly shifted away from the neer and looked around the rather spacious, but hauntingly empty room . "Do you know what this room was used for back then?" "Should I?" the neer asked indifferently . "... we all should know bits and pieces of history," the woman said . "It¡¯s rather marvelous . Though we proudly im to be the most prosperous era since the dawn of time, our words hardly ount for much . These walls... ever after nearly three billion years... they still stand, however parched, beaten and broken . Tell me... isn¡¯t that simply marvelous?" "..." "Perhaps, such number is astoundingly vague for us," the woman said, sighing lightly . "After all, even the strongest of us are yet to live and breathe an entire era . However, these walls... they have seen it all . ording to the records, this used to be the secret stronghold of Human n after the Fall of Titans . Nobody knows what type of stone they used to craft this, and we have no way of replicating it . This ce... has never been found by any of the other three ruling ns, and was only discovered when cultivators became aware of the flight . It is really amazing . " "What was this room used for?" the neer asked with some interest . "... it was a research facility," the woman replied as she looked back at the man in front of her . "The only bits and pieces that were excavated here still rest in our home . Just a bit deeper than either one of us can reach . " "... fascinating . " the man said as his tone returned to that of indifference . "Why did you call a meeting? It¡¯s too early to move . " "New orders came," the woman said . "We are forbidden from making any moves until told otherwise . " "?!!!" "Don¡¯t give me that look," the woman shrugged her shoulders as she spoke . "I am as baffled as you are . " "... are they trying to root out the source of the problem itself?" the man¡¯s tone clearly grew colder as he spoke . "No, that¡¯s insane . Even the order itself is insane . Nobody from the Sect would ever order that . " "Yet they have . " "... show me . " the man said as his alertness suddenly increased . "You don¡¯t trust me?" "Show me . " "I don¡¯t have it on me . " the woman said calmly, seemingly unaffected by the man¡¯s behavior . "It is your choice to believe me or discard me . I have no reason to lie to you, or prevent you from taking any action . " "Never before in the history had we sacrificed countless Mortals just to pursue some vague figure," the man said harshly . "What changed?! This isn¡¯t any different than any other time; they¡¯ve corrupted a few high-standing hearts and opened up the portal . It will take less than a year for the portal to be able to transfer Crucible Devils, and less than two for the entire capital to diffuse Qi enough for Devils to sustain themselves . " "... in theory," the woman said . "But Qi here is far from enough to meet your estimates . They canplete the portal¡¯splete connection, but there¡¯s no way Devils would be able toe here within two years . They¡¯d be lucky if they coulde within next two centuries . " "Humph," the man coldly snorted as he turned around to leave . "I¡¯ll let you know if I have any more questions . " "..." the woman watched the man disappear like a shadow, as though he was never there, inplete silence . Her brows suddenly knitted together as her eyes shed in cold glint . "Were you able to discern his strength?" she asked seemingly the air itself yet the voice, as cold as winter, still replied . "No . At the very least, he¡¯s stronger than us . " "That means he¡¯s at least at Amaranthine Realm," the woman said, slightly shocked . "What¡¯s someone from the Sect¡¯s lower strata doing here?!" "... I don¡¯t know," the voice replied though there appeared to be no one else besides the woman in the room . "But, he¡¯s very dangerous . I¡¯ll have to make some preparations in case he decides to act against us; stay alert for theing months . I won¡¯t be able to protect you . " "..." The woman didn¡¯t speak again, merely staring at the ce man stood . She fell in deep thought as she reexamined everything she gleamed from the three meetings they held; he didn¡¯t speak much, never showed any overt movements, and didn¡¯t appear interested in anything butpleting the mission . What she found exceedingly strange was that she was given the leading role, despite being the weaker . A thought that someone was onto her creeped in for a moment, but she immediately discarded it; her backer was no lesser, such mistakes were impossible to ur . Shaking away the useless thoughts with a bitter smile, she once again looked around the empty room . For some reason, she felt a strange wave of nostalgia ovee her . Though it wasn¡¯t her first timeing here, it definitely didn¡¯t warrant such a strong emotion . But, she quickly sorted it out and realized why . Although most of the world had forgotten its history, she hadn¡¯t . Rather, she was devoted to it more so than her own ideals . Even if she never lived in this ce, she felt she knew it like the back of her hand . The basement was used to store the first Fiends humans discovered back then... the first floor was a Weing Hall... the second floor was where they researched alchemy and the existence of Qi... every room, every wall, every lever... they all served some sort of a purpose . And whatever their individual purpose was, in union they were meant to strengthen the mankind . After the Titan¡¯s Fall, the world was feeble, and mankind was scattered . The few ns which survived the Titan Era by hiding underground finally surfaced and reunited . It didn¡¯t take long for them to meet other ns; Devil n, Beast n and Godly n . Though the current era is called Warring Era, she felt it was more appropriate to swap the names . The New World Era from back then should have been called the Warring Era, as, ording to the records, wars between ns ¨C and in extension races ¨Csted for its entirety, all the way until the ns were either wiped from the face of the world or went into seclusion . However, it was through the myriad of wars, the seas and oceans of blood, the symposium of agonizing screams, that they paved the way for cultivation . It was because of them that she was now able to live past the age of eighty while retaining her youth . It was because of them that mankind now stood as the top race in the world,pletely having driven out Devils back to their dimension, subdued beasts or banished them into mountainous seclusion . Sighing once again, shemented over how the world always was and still is cruel . No matter which of the five grand eras with extensive enough records one looked at, none were void of grand wars . Skyhaven Era ¨C to this day mankind¡¯s proudest moment ¨C was full of extensive race genocidemitted by humans against other races in order to keep their seat of power . Titan Era ¨C an era that caused aplete reshape of the world¡¯s terrain, where every race but the Titans had no other choice but to sink underground to survive the sheer onught . New World Era ¨C where four ns of four different races fought for dominance since the start until the end, where millions if not billions of humans alone died, to say nothing of other races . Even Cultivation Era, during which the whole of the world experienced a massive boon both in cultivation as well as technologies... such knowledge was always predestined for war, for massive bloodshed . That never held truer for the current era ¨C the Warring Era . Since the start, Holy Grounds were held by over seventeen thousand different ns and Sects . Each and every time there was a change, it was preceded by aplete extinction . Dissipating the thoughts which caused her heart to sink, she took onest nce at the castle before disappearing into nothingness, much like the man who left before her . The once massive, grand castle was once again doused in silence of eternity, remaining as one of the few vestiges of long-gone times, forever to wait its inevitable copse . ** Lino was currently sitting in on a chair in his room, his head loomed over the table, eyespletely bloodshot red, his ck hair aplete mess . He stank so much one could nearly see it materialize around him . On the desk in front of him, aside from a sketching pencil and a sharpener, were dozens of papers . Some were t and smooth, some were half-crumbled, and some were torn into several pieces . A week had gone by since he¡¯d returned, and he hardly had any rest since as he focused entirely on creating designs for his armor-to-be . However, he realized that it was much, much, much harder than he imagined . The only reason he was able to quickly develop the [Celestial Rod] was because he already had a specific idea for it; he had harbored the concept of a multi-form weapon for a long while, so it was much easier to implement it into a design . However, the only thing he ever took into consideration when it came to designing pieces of armor was the notion of ¡¯cool¡¯ . Heavy, t colors, sharp angles, spiked essories, me-like patterns, shiny! However, he realized that his entire thought process was fraudulent . He couldn¡¯t implement it like that at all! Heavy and t colors stood out too much! Sharp angles stiffened the body¡¯s movements! Spiked essories, he realized, were just ugly! me-like patterns were just a waste of resources! Shiny! That¡¯s the only thing he was left with ¨C shiny! For the past week, he dedicated himself entirely to drawing up armor designs in hopes of suddenly being inspired . However, nearly each of his designs felt... off . From a technical standpoint, he realized, there was nothing wrong with them; they were actually rather perfect for the type of a fighter he wanted to be . Yet, he always felt something about themcking . As headache and fatigue finally caught up to him, he picked up all of the papers on the desk and forced Qi into his fingers, transforming it into the Tri-Spirit me, burning all the papers to ashes . He quickly leapt onto his bed and fell asleep, figuring he needed some rest before diving into it yet again . It was a sleep filled with armors; shiny, brilliant, awe-inspiring, powerful, cool! They all had mouths and were sneering at him, mocking him, and telling him he will never be able to craft anything close to them . By the time he woke up, he felt even more exhausted and dispirited . Groaning lowly, he sat up and lowered his head, resting it on his hand . What am I missing?!! He roared inwardly as that maddening gaze returned to his eyes . Practicality?! Durability?! Seamlessness?! No!! What the fuck am I missing, dammit?!! Jumping off his bed ferociously, he went to the drawer and took out another set of papers before sitting down and picking up the pencil once again . He first sketched out a few chest pieces on the topmost part of the paper ¨C three to be precise . First was a rather simple-looking, full-enclosing piece of leather armor bound by stripes and belts . Second was mail armor, covering his head, neck and torso; it was rather primitive and simple, aimed entirely at efficiency . And the third was a full-ted steel chest piece . It had protrusions around breasts which sank down to t angle at the abdomen . Backside and frontside were separated pieces linked by either t, iron chain or sturdy leather belts . There were wide, angled gashes around shoulders and armpits designed to inspire flexibility . After looking at them for a while, he decided to borate on the first piece ¨C simple, leather armor . Taking up the central piece of paper, he first sketched it in arger side, before taking some space to dismantle it at the side andy it open; he then drew the belts and stripes separately, jotted down what he thought were best ingredients for base crafting as well as further enhancement, what tools he¡¯d have to use as well as the best-suited technique for leatherworking . However, the moment he was done, he shed an angry smile at the piece of paper and crumpled it with gusto before throwing it at the wall . He finally closed his eyes for a moment before breathing in deeply and getting off the chair . He first went downstairs and realized that neither E nor Eggor were in before taking off to the bathroom . Filling the wooden bucket with water quickly, he took off his stinky clothes and jumped in . Rxing, he dozed off once again, but this time into a dreamless sleep . By the time he woke up, he finally felt rested after an entire weak . Leaving the bucket, he first tried himself with a towel before putting on a new set of clothes . Exiting the bathroom, he headed off to the kitchen and noticed that E was preparing diner while Eggor was sitting down, reading some sort of a book . Ah, looks like I still have to ask the old fart what am I doing wrong... he begrudgingly admitted inside before moving over and sitting down next to him . "Oh, thank god you finally took a bath!" Eggor eximed as he put down the book . "You stank worse than a corpse of a horse! Ha ha!" "..." "Ah, you¡¯re really getting better!" E said as she shed the two a smile . "Of course, of course . I told you long time ago I¡¯m quite talented at it!" Eggor said, puffing his chest out in pride . "Old man, I¡¯ve got a technical question for you . " Lino ignored everything and immediately decided to get it over with . "Oh? What question?" "I¡¯ve been... I¡¯ve been trying to fix up some designs for my armor over the past week," Lino exined while smiling bitterly . "However, no matter what I draw up just... never feels enough . It isn¡¯t that the armors wouldn¡¯t fit me, or that they aren¡¯t good enough, or that they are impractical or too practical... from the technical standpoint, I suppose everything is fine . It¡¯s just that... whenever I look at the designs, I just feel something¡¯s off . " "... hmm," Eggor thought for a moment . Wow, this brat is actually asking me a proper question for a change!! Looks like his little adventure really hit him hard... "Usually, when something feels instinctively off rather than technically, it¡¯s because the design iscking you . " "Eh? What¡¯s that mean?" Lino tilted his head in confusion . "For instance, think back to your [Celestial Rod]," Eggor said . "You never hit a bump in the road during the design because you poured who you are into it, your own vision . However, from the sounds of it, you aren¡¯t doing the same with the armor; you¡¯re thinking of practicality ¨C of the best way to protect yourself . While that¡¯s admirable and a core teaching I don¡¯t want you to disregard, it¡¯s all for naught if the design iscking you . " "... are you telling me to make a multi-form armor?" Lino asked as he looked at Eggor strangely . "... yeah, sure, why don¡¯t you just make a multi-form house?!" "..." "It doesn¡¯t have to be something so grand," Eggor borated . "asionally, when it happens to me, it¡¯s perhaps because I forgot to include my favorite ingredient, or because I forgot to include various Void arrays for hidden weapons, or even something as simple as not including my insignia . This isn¡¯t something I can help you deal with; you yourself have to find out what is it that¡¯s missing, what of you you forgot to include in the design . Sometimes, you¡¯ll even have to craft the item itself to understand what is missing . " "..." Lino sunk deep into thought as he contemted Eggor¡¯s words . Thetter was indeed right; he set out to design an armor that would specifically increase his defenses . His one-month-longa had frightened him quite a bit, and realizing that he¡¯d be going to the Capital soon enough, he felt like he needed strong reassurance to protect himself . Though he did think about implementing various ideas, as long as he found they would downgrade armor¡¯s overall defenses, he¡¯d abandon them almost immediately . That¡¯s it!! As though suddenly struck by inspiration, he jumped onto his feet and almost subconsciously began going upstairs . I never designed [Celestial Rod] with the damage or defense or such absolutes in mind!! I designed it with the idea of diversity; a multi-tool that can do many things that differ! That¡¯s what the designs werecking!! All armors were just... well, armors! They offered top-notch protection and practicality but nothing outside of that! I never wanted to be that kind of a cksmith, one that just dealt in absolutes; didn¡¯t I want to explore the craft to the very ends? To vary the very concepts and ideas that it¡¯s defined by?! Why am I restricting myself by the traditions when I never gave single fuck about them anyway?! "..." looking at Lino storm off, Eggor couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly . "He¡¯se a long way, huh . " "Are you finally starting to warm up to him?" E asked as she sat next to him while a kettle behind her began to wheeze . "... are you sure about sending him to the Capital?" Eggor asked instead of answering her . "Looks like the events shook him up pretty bad . He hasn¡¯t talked about it since, and has instead locked himself up in a room and focused entirely on designing armor to protect himself . " "... I don¡¯t know myself," E sighed, shaking her head lightly . "I truly didn¡¯t imagine something so ominous would be hiding here . Had I known, I wouldn¡¯t have sent him to the Umbra Mountain Range in the first ce . But, now, he¡¯d already seen it . Perhaps, without understand it fully, he¡¯d never be able to stop fearing it . " "... perhaps . " Eggor nodded faintly . "I honestly don¡¯t even know how he found it in himself toe as far as he did . When I was his age, I was nothing short of a scrawny coward afraid of the world... and I was even properly educated and had protection of various Elders . " "Heh, even I wasn¡¯t any better . " E said with a self-reproaching smile . "I was far, far, far stronger than he is currently and enjoyed treatment of heavens... yet, I was always paranoid, afraid, unsure of myself . Maybe it¡¯s the ignorance that¡¯s fueling his courage... or maybe that¡¯s just how he is . " "I¡¯d rather say that¡¯s how he is," Eggor said as he looked at her and smiled lightly . "Something in his eyes tells me so . Perhaps, one day, he might even give us a shock . " "That would be wonderful . " "When are you leaving?" Eggor asked . "After I have a talk with him," E replied, smiling . "Don¡¯t miss me too much, alright?" "That¡¯s impossible," Eggor sighed . "Keep yourself safe, alright?" "I will, don¡¯t worry . You¡¯re the one I¡¯m worried about the most . " "... heh, even your Grandfather would have to sacrifice both his balls to kill me," Eggor said as he stuck out his chest proudly . "Let alone some half-baked Demons . " "... why... why do you always mention my Grandfather¡¯s balls?! Do you really want me to vomit?!" "... khm, sorry . I just really want to squash them . The guy just pisses me off . " "Ah, it¡¯s no wonder you guys never liked each other," E said, sighing . "Every time you¡¯d leave, he¡¯d alwayse to my room and hold a three-hour long lecture over how you¡¯re just a brainless cksmith who can do nothing but hold a hammer and how I¡¯m ten clouds above you and undeserving of you . When he realized it wasn¡¯t working, he started saying how he ¡¯researched¡¯ into you and learned that you¡¯re actually a very ugly woman too ashamed to admit it so you pretend to be a guy..." "... I will kill that fucking bastard!!" Eggor roared in anger as his cheeks flushed in beet red . Chapter 28 Chapter 28 CHAPTER 28 TO SEE ONE¡¯S HEART Tri-colored me was slowly heating up the furnace, causing the entire room¡¯s temperature to rise . Folds of paperid scattered on the floor alongside various materials and tools . Sounds of craning iron echoed out against the thick, concrete walls alongside sounds of hammer bashing against a metal te . Lino was currently looming over the anvil, his upper body entirely exposed . Due to slight tan, his muscles were pronounced further, causing him to appear much older than sixteen . Though at one point his hair was tied up neatly, it was currently disheveled while some strands were glued to his forehead due to the sweat . Atop the anvil was a t, squared metal te, its surface entirely smoothed out . Picking it up, he examined it deeply before nodding with a satisfied smile . He went over the grindstone, cutting the te¡¯s edges slowly until they weren¡¯t sharp but rather smooth . Finishing up the four corners, he went over to a simple, wooden table andid the te down . Lying neatly one next to another were three different herbs; a simple, white-leafed flower with seven yellow petals, simple-looking weed with reddish stems and a blue, lotus flower . Picking them in that order, he ground them with his bare hands bit by bit before cing his palms directly onto the metallic te, infusing Qi into them and letting it seep into thetter alongside the herb¡¯s remnants . It took him nearly fifteen minutes to repeat the process with all three herbs . Leaving the te on the table, he scurried over to the corner where arge, poster-sized paper wastched onto the wall . Atop it were seeminglyplex yet simple schematics of a chest armor piece; the entire armor was split into two ¨C upper part which would be metallic, and lower part which would be made of leather . Alongside the direct split in the materials, there were numerous lists at the side depicting variousbinations . In addition to that, at the lowermost part of the paper were four circles with intertwining lines; all four were arrays he was still considering it . Though all four were basic ones, Lino actually attempted to modify them to his liking slightly, such asbining 70% of with 30% of . Although he had no idea whether it could work before testing, he felt rather confident . Blueprint read a simple, even slightly crude, name: Bisected Defender te . He decided to refrain from using ¡¯Celestial¡¯ for everything and save it only for the most special items . After checking over the designs once again, he nodded faintly before walking over to the neer in the room: leatherworking rack over which a brownish piece ttened and neatly cut was hanging . He ran his fingers over the surface and nodded in satisfaction, picking it up . Weighing it with his arm, he realized that it was slightly on the lighter side, causing him to frown . "Hm... ah, it¡¯s fine, I can just fix the bnce with belts," he mumbled, stroking the faint stubble on his chin while walking over to the table where the metallic te was sitting . "I can also tie in some pouches for some emergency stuff . Hm, maybe I can array them with by reconstructing the array to expel outwardly? Oh, not bad!" he was entirely in a daze as he spoke, his mind churning at the fastest speed possible . The chart of array appeared inside his mind as he began scouring his memory for the arrays such as and , taking bits and pieces of each and trying tobine them into a single one . He slowly took the piece of leather and curled it up, tying it around his stomach and confirming the width before marking it gently with a knife . Bit by bit, the first armor piece was taking shape; throughout the entire process, Lino kept trying new ideas and experimenting, both inside his head and on the actual pieces . asionally he would walk over to the door where a meal would always be waiting for him, and when he finally felt tired, he¡¯d sit down on a chair and sleep for a few hours before waking up refreshed . Soon enough, in such stupor, an entire week had passed . Lino was currently polishing the metallic te strapped to leather beneath with two crisscrossing belts . After smoothing it enough, he took in a deep breath before picking up a special, chiseling knife and pricking the top of his finger with it . After confirming the sharpness, he calmly circted the Qi within him and sent it over to the palm of his hand as well as the knife itself . This was the most important process, the thing that would tie the whole armor properly . At the moment, it was just a half-baked protective armor; however, if he sessfully imparted arrays on it, and if his ideas were sessful, it would turn into a bona fide life-saver . Looking at the patterned arrays carefully drawn on the paper on the side table, he closed his eyes for a moment and opened them; they seeped out concentration and focus as he gentlyid the tip of the knife on the ted part of the armor . He then carefully began moving it, first forming a full circle on the left breastte, before beginning to draw crisscrossing lines and further inner circles . After finishing it up, he shed a full line across the center and onto the right breastte where he drew another full circle and began drawing more lines within, slightly different ones . After finishing the right side, he drew the line down, at the breaking point between the two parts of the armor; there, a disk-shaped protrusion connected the two sides . He slowly drew in another array within, gently pouring Qi in it; by now, he¡¯d surprisingly spent over half his rather considerable reserves . Without any notion of time, he only felt sweat pour down his forehead, but he didn¡¯t even dare wipe it from fear of breaking his concentration . After finishing up the final circle, he carefully drew thest line which connected it to the left breastte, forming a triangr connection . The moment thest line was connected, the entire design fluttered in faint gold and began glowing in a slightly darkened room . Momentarily blinded, Lino closed his eyes and took a step back from surprise . The golden shine shimmered down only a few secondster . When Lino looked at the armor, he suddenly felt strange presenceing from it, as though it was slightly alive . His heart froze for a moment; he¡¯d read about these cases, and they only ever appeared when a cksmith poured out his everything, from heart, soul and mind, into creating something . An indescribable bond would form between him and the creation, and as though to reply to the cksmith¡¯s deepest love, the piece of weapon or armor or amulet or any other creation would gain sentience... bing Soul Creation! He created Soul Armor! Just like Eggor created [Heartseeker] a long time ago, he finally created it as well . No, ¡¯finally¡¯ would perhaps be a bit of an over exaggerated im . After all, he hadn¡¯t even been a cksmith for two measly years . But, the strange thing about Soul Creations was that they didn¡¯t seem to care how experienced or masterful of a crafter someone was; as long as the conditions were met, anyone would be able to craft them . Strangely, though, the moment Lino tried thinking back through the process, he realized that... he couldn¡¯t remember . The whole past ten or so days were somewhat blurry, as though covered in deep haze . It felt as though he had entered a strange state where he separated himself from the world, being bigger than it . He suddenly felt a pulse inside his mind, as though something was calling for him . Looking up, he saw that the half-te half-leather armor piece was actually wriggling, as though trying to move! The pulses were like baby¡¯s cries for his mother, startling Lino . He suddenly felt a sort of innate desire, one quite different than the primal urge he¡¯d felt a few times now; his heart convulsed, as though a part of it was missing . He walked forward as if he was being pulled by invisible strings and extended his arms, picking up the rather strange-looking piece of armor . The moment he held it up, the strange feeling disappeared and was reced by peace . The pulses turned from chaotic into pleasant, as though eternalughter was resonating inside his mind . He could feel the joy seeping out into him from seemingly nowhere . Suddenly, he ceased to think about the armor¡¯s stats, or whether it could protect him . The only thought he had was to protect it instead; it was rather strange, much stranger than anything he ever felt . His lips curled up in a subconscious smile as his fingers traced the cool surface of the metallic part before falling down to crude, yet strangely warm, leather part . Pulses of joy grew stronger, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly giddy . He barely held back from bursting out into joyousughter and lifting up the armor toward the sky and screaming something silly like ¡¯You shall be called... God-ughtering Breastte!!¡¯ . Pushing back the urge, he ripped open the void and carefully ced the armor into a corner before sitting down,pletely exhausted . He figured he¡¯d check out the statster on, when he calmed down for a bit and got a hold of his emotions . Just then, the doors to the forge opened and Lino nced at the entrance, seeing E slowly walking in, holding two still-steaming cups of tea on a te . shing him a warm smile, she walked over and sat next to him before casually waving her hand; a mere momentter, the empty table in the corner flew over and stopped in front of the two . She ced the te atop of it and looked at him deeply . "You finished?" she asked . "Yep . " Lino replied with a gratified smile . "Oh? Can I see it?" E asked, slightly surprised . "He he, not yet, not yet . It¡¯s not time for such a grand creation to be unveiled to the world yet! He he..." "... ha ha," Eughed lightly before continuing . "Alright, if you say so . How are you feeling?" "Ah, now that you mention it, I am kind of exhausted," Lino said, sighing . "Where¡¯s Eggor?" "He¡¯s fixing up the holes on the walls . " "Oh? You finally convinced him that holed house isn¡¯t a cool house?" "You could say so . " E nodded, smiling lightly . "That¡¯s not what I was asking, though . " "... oh . " "... you don¡¯t want to talk about it?" she said, any traces of smilepletely vanishing from her face as she resumed a strangely tranquil expression . "... not particrly . " Lino replied, feeling entranced by her sudden expression . "I took my first life when I was eleven," E said as she picked the cup of tea and took a gulp . "Do you think that¡¯s strange?" "... strange?" Lino looked at her oddly . "That¡¯s insane . " "It is . " E nodded . "But, truth be told, I was one of thete bloomers . Though this may be cruel to hear, you¡¯re among the few lucky cultivators, to depart on your journey here . " "Howe?" Lino asked . E rarely spoke of anything non-technical when it came to cultivation, which is why he felt rather intrigued . "... answer me something first . Honestly . " "..." "Are you thinking about helping us in the future?" E¡¯s question startled Lino, but he still managed to nod faintly in response . "Ah... I don¡¯t want that, Lino . Neither one of us does . Even if, one day, you grew so powerful that you would be able to help us, we¡¯d still not let you do it . " "... why?" Lino asked . "World of cultivators is... magical," E said, smiling faintly . "It truly is . Throughout my life, I can¡¯t count the number of breathtaking vistas I¡¯ve visited, the strange people I¡¯ve met, and inexhaustible amount of knowledge I¡¯ve obtained . Every corner held another secret, every mountain another strange flower, every valley another starlit river, every ocean spawned one strange creature after another... every bit of it infatuated me . I felt truly blessed to have been born in such a world, to have been given a chance to partake in it, to live and breathe in that kind of a world with the kind of privilege I had . Even the asional battles weren¡¯t able to dissuade me from extending my arm out into every imaginable reach, trying to unveil all the world¡¯s mysteries . But, bit by bit... I began realizing that... there wereyers to my world . As a young girl, I was only ever exposed to the topmostyer... but, the older I grew, the more I¡¯d see . Bit by bit, I was slowly drawn in into theplexity of it . No, calling itplexity is just excusing it; as you¡¯ve said, the world of cultivators is that of insanity, Lino . " E paused for a moment and looked deeply into him; her beautiful pair of eyes suddenly reflected immense pain, one that even stung Lino¡¯s heart . "Eventually, I realized it all, I¡¯ve seen it all . But, it was toote . Much like the rest, I¡¯ve turned cold . I turned indifferent . I¡¯ve turned crazed and mad . The smallest of slights could be used as an excuse tomence ughter . My Junior Sisters and Brothers looked at me with envy, Elders looked at me with Pride, and Sect Leader and Ancestors would proudly disy me to Sect Leaders of the ¡¯friendly Sects¡¯ . By the time I had wrapped my mind around who I was, I realized that... I was nothing more than a tool . " "..." Lino listened carefully and could almost imagine the journey . However, he didn¡¯t say anything as he knew there was more to the story . "Then, one day," E said, a sudden smile emerging on her face . "I met Eggor . I was leading some of my Juniors to the tempering session in nearby mountains when we encountered a small vige halfway up . The entire vige was made up entirely of mortals ¨C not a single cultivator could be found . Naturally, neither I nor anyone who followed me paid any attention to them . However, one of my Juniors saw a man carrying a rather breathtaking de as he went into the mountains to hunt . We soon realized that it was a vige of cksmiths, the weakest of which was a Master cksmith . We went over and demanded theye down to our Sect and craft for us, but they vehemently rejected, unwilling to abandon their home . When one of my Juniors lost patience, he killed one of the loudest ones . It was then that Eggor suddenly stepped out," E chuckled lightly as she recalled the memories . "His entire body was enamored by dozens of different weapons, three differentyers of armors, countless tools and whatnots . I found him both ridiculous and dazzling to the eye; however, only a tragedy followed . We started killing everyone who resisted, and tied everyone who epted to join us . " "... wow . " a soft exmation escaped Lino¡¯s lips as he stared at her . "I thought he died among those stubborn fools who resisted," E continued, her expression quickly sinking . "At the time, I didn¡¯t understand them . Why would they resist when they knew they stood no chance? They were just ordinary mortals, and we were lofty cultivators . However, about twenty yearster, my Sect held a cksmithpetition because I wanted a new weapon . " Oh? Lino thought back to Fae¡¯s story but didn¡¯t interrupt her . "Eventually, that once chubby-looking guy whom I¡¯ve already forgotten won . He created a Soul Weapon before the eyes of thousands . The story quickly spread that he¡¯d done it out of his admiration and love for me and that such strong emotions resonated with world¡¯s Qi, creating the perfect weapon . However, after the ceremony, when he privately handed me the sword, do you know what he told me?" "..." "He said, ¡¯I named the sword [Heartseeker] so that, one day, you may finally find the heart you¡¯ve lost . I made it so that it would always seek to kill through the heart so you¡¯d never forget what it looks like . I made it so it would always defend you so that you will never die . So that, one day, when you finally find your heart, you will feel every bit of pain, every bit of agony, every bit of absolute worthlessness that I felt that day . Perhaps, on that day, you¡¯ll finally realize what it means to be a human . ¡¯" Lino listened in silence, but his heart was always beating madly . So it turns out that the true story behind the whole thing waspletely different than what he heard! Rather, it was so different the two had no connection to each other! "After he handed me the sword, he left without even sparing me another nce . Before we met, I even considered asking him to be my personal cksmith, believing it would be his utmost honor . But... that emotionless voice... eyes void of anything but emptiness... it was the first time in my life I saw something like that . I¡¯d seen many eyes burning in hate and anger aimed at me, wanting vengeance . Those eyes weren¡¯t strange to me . But his... hit me . Slowly, the dam around my heart began showing cracks . Bit by bit, I began copsing . I couldn¡¯t use the sword, yet I couldn¡¯t not use it . It was perfect for me, yet it was my bane . I sought him every day, hoping he could modify the sword so that feeling would disappear . But, it was as though he disappeared from the face of the world . " "Eventually," E took in a deep breath; her eyes were already moist, as though ready to shed ake of tears . "I gave up searching for him, and I gave up fighting back . I broke . I unearthed what every cultivator buries deep inside: empathy . I felt every ounce of agony he wanted me to feel . I felt every ounce of pain he wanted me to feel . I shed all the tears he wanted me to shed . I¡¯d realized that the world of cultivators is... not worth the magic . He taught me all the things I¡¯ve lost since I was a child... and, to this day, I do not know how he found it in his heart to forgive me, no less to love me . Lino," she then looked at him deeply, smiling gently . "I don¡¯t want you to be another me . I don¡¯t want you to bury that guilt, that pain, that agony . I don¡¯t want you to ignore it . I don¡¯t want you to think you¡¯re above it . I want you to embrace it, even if it feels as though you¡¯re being burned inside out . I want you to take every bit of it and stuff it directly inside your heart . Live through every scream you¡¯ve heard . You don¡¯t need to help us . You don¡¯t need to fight for us . The reason we showed you the path was because you needed it . The reason we gave you the tools was not to be a tool of our own, but to see you make something of yourself, for yourself . We don¡¯t want you to move onward for us . Most importantly... we don¡¯t want you to get woven into the world of cultivators . That ce is... broken . There, people live for millions of years, yet you would nowhere else find more miserable, wretched, broken and agonizing heap of souls . No one is happy . No one is satisfied . Every day is a struggle to strive for more, yet, there¡¯s never a feeling of satisfaction over it . Crossing one boundary means preparing for the next . That kind of life is... worthless . " "..." Lino was at a loss for words . Truly, what could he say at such a moment? Something childish like ¡¯I can do whatever I want!¡¯ or ¡¯How else am I going to repay your kindness?¡¯? Even he wasn¡¯t so thick-skinned, he realized . He truly saw in E¡¯s eyes and heard in her tone that she didn¡¯t want him to dive into the world of bloodshed and insanity . She didn¡¯t want him to take on her burdens and carry them . She just wanted him to be... happy . Without realizing it, a trail of tears ran down Lino¡¯s cheeks . A convulsion of emotions assailed his unprepared heart; guilt, pain, agony, joy, confusion, gratitude... sensation that felt bigger than himself assailed every ounce of his being . "It¡¯s okay," a charming and a soft voice trickled into his ears before a pair of seemingly fragile yet incredibly firm and strong arms wrapped around his back and pulled him in a tight embrace . "No matter what, we¡¯re always here for you . " "..." Lino sobbed quietly in the bosom of a woman he didn¡¯t even know just a year and a half ago . All his grievances seemed to be stuffed in that overwhelming cry . He felt weak, feeble, broken . Yet, among the disparateness, he felt a surge of warmth . Is this how it felt to have a mother, he wondered? Is this how it felt to have a shoulder to cry on? Is this how it felt to always have a ce toe back to? Is this how it felt to have someone who¡¯d uphold even the falling sky, shoulder the world¡¯s fury and reflect it all for him? Is this how it felt to feel warmth during chilling winter? Perhaps . Perhaps, he mused, such care wasn¡¯t something that everyone could encounter . He realized that he was truly lucky . No, something as ambiguous and as vague as ¡¯luck¡¯ couldn¡¯t describe it . Rather, he would never allow those twos¡¯ sacrifices to be ascribed to ¡¯luck¡¯ . He¡¯d never let anyone besmirch their kindness, warmth and love by something so abstract . Everything in one¡¯s life was a choice; they could have chosen not to extend their hand to him . He could have chosen to reject their kindness . Every point in life was a struggle over varying choices . Just as, now, he had chosen to cry . He had chosen to let it all out . And just as E had chosen to talk to him, to open her own heart to him and offer trust expecting nothing in return . How was she cold, he wondered? How was she different? How was she a part of the cultivators¡¯ insanity? He couldn¡¯t ept it . He didn¡¯t care what she did in the past . He knew that E in front of him, the one with a warm smile and a voice full of kindness, was one who was the furthest thing from cold he could imagine . One¡¯s heart is greater than life, Lino realized . To what degree of insanity has cultivators¡¯ world fell, he didn¡¯t know . However, he realized that even there, hearts still beat . They¡¯ve just been buried deep, in coffins sealed up by years of teachings . It takes something much greater than conviction and strength to pry open the steel surrounding your heart, and ept all that you are . To look yourself in the mirror and smile . To notice wrinkled skin, crooked teeth, long nose, dull eyes... and smile nheless . And then beyond that, to see that slightly evil part of yourself, to see things others would condemn, to gleam at parts of you which you never show to others, and still smile even broader . It bes a strange sort of metamorphosis; no, to call it change would be to lie . Those parts were always there, nothing about them changed . Perhaps, just a door or two leading to depths of one¡¯s heart opened up . To ept all that is to understand not only yourself, but others as well, Lino realized . He was still unable to ept all parts of himself; that cold, maddened, crazed part that bursts out from his depths when blood is sprinkled . That part of him that makes it nigh impossible for him to trust others . That part which is enveloped in deep, seething hatred that was bred for over fifteen years of his life . That part that told him not to trust E and Eggorpletely, that he should entomb his heart entirely in cold ice, and forever remain alone, as that was the only way to never get hurt . He realized, though, that hurt is there for a reason; all people, one way or another, hurt . Though hurt inspires insipidity, anger, hate and agony, it also inspires change . He knew it was time he changed, however little . Though he felt his heart being grated by guilt and pain, he steeled his will to endure it . "... thanks . " me mumbled meekly . "Heh, it¡¯s such a rare thing to have you answer honestly," E chuckled lightly as she caressed his hair gently . "You¡¯re rather cute when you do it, though . " "Humph, what are you saying? I¡¯m always cute!" "Eeh, that was way too short! You can¡¯t just go back to your routines!" "Heh, watch me!" Lino eximed as he fought out of her embrace and stood up straight like a javelin, puffing his chest out . "Besides being the greatest cksmith to ever grace this world, and also the handsomest boy that will win hearts of ten thousand women-no, wait, one million women-yes-and generally the greatest person to ever be, I¡¯ll also be the best actor! Hah, when I spin my lines in the future, even slithering liars will be kneeling and kowtowing, begging me to ept them as pupils!" "..." E rolled her eyes at him before parting her lips in a beautiful, warm smile . "Bravery and courage are disyed in different ways for different people, I suppose . Yours just happens to be a bit silly . " "... khm, because you¡¯ve been so nice to me today," Lino said as he turned away, afraid she¡¯d see him blushing . "I¡¯ll craft you some ne or something when I have time . Shoo now . I need to go back to being the best cksmith in the world . " "... alright," E chuckled as she got up . However, before leaving, she suddenly hugged him from behind tightly . "No matter what happens, there will always be a ce for you beside us two . Just know that . " "... I already do . " Lino¡¯s voice was akin to a murmur, barely audible . "Don¡¯t ever go back on those words!" "Never . " Chapter 29 Chapter 29 CHAPTER 29 HELL¡¯S WAYS [Bisected Defender te ¨C Soul Armor] Level: 65 Defense: 850 Strength: +60 Regeneration: +50% Soul Strength: +10% (Upgradable) Unique: Soul Armor ¨C can link up to (3) other pieces of gear and increase their stats by 20% . Special effect: Cannot be fully destroyed . Special Effect: - reflects 60% of iing attacks . Can instead store the damage instead . Special Effect: - consume stored damage and inflict Soul Attack to selected targets within 4m . Special Effect: Each additional set piece will add additional Special Effect . They are selected randomly based on materials used during the crafting . Note: A masterpiece crafted by an Adept cksmith . Due to perfect circumstances, this piece of armor formed a Basic Soul . By upgrading the armor piece through re-forging process, it is possible to elevate sentience, increase the maximum amount of and add additional effects . Looking over the stats, Lino felt somewhat stumped and at a loss for words . Although he expected it to be on the up-and-up of things considering it was a Soul Armor, he was still given quite a shock . Not only were all the arrays he fiddled with and inscribed onto armor perfectlybined, the armor could actually be used as a core to form a Set! Naturally, other pieces would be of lower quality, but they would in turn strengthen the core piece further . In addition, there was a rather substantial increase to the strength of the wearer and a decent boost in regeneration which, whenbined with , would probably shock anyone into silence . One thing Lino didn¡¯t expect was the additional boost to Soul Strength; thetter was avable only to Soul Realm cultivators, and it primarily increased the range of their Divine Sense, resistance to mental attacks, illusionary formations and such, as well as increased the potency of soul attacks . While 10% increase seems rather marginal, it would effectively double Lino¡¯s mental facilities once he ascends to Soul Realm . There was even a chance of increasing the armor¡¯s sentience, which Lino found absolutely astounding . Uh, I probably need to keep this a secret from everyone other than E and Eggor... otherwise I might die . Although the armorcked the ascribed rank as it was a Soul Armor piece, Lino was more than certain that it was at least of Legendary grade just judging by its special effects . Legendary-grade crafts were a raremodity even in the world of cultivators, where each piece could spark a conflict between not only loose cultivators, but even ranked sects . Thoughcking as one of the final defensive lines of a ranked sect, it is still considered quite a treasure . Stroking his lower chin, he nearly burst out into conceitedughter . Even if he waspletely untalented when it came to cultivation ¨C as he relied entirely on the method itself for such a quick progress ¨C it appeared as though he wasn¡¯t that shabby when it came to crafting . "Hm, E left this morning," he mumbled softly as he stored the armor into his void world . "And that guy left somewhere saying he¡¯ll be back in two days . I¡¯m too exhausted to start crafting another pieces for the time being," and he alsocked designs . "And I¡¯m yet to figure out the path of [Celestial Rod] . Oh!" he eximed as he quickly took out a familiar, metallic te with strange inscriptions . "Should I go and try sell this?" [Celestial te] may not be abative item, but it was rather queer, and Lino knew that many-a-curious people would be interested in it . However, his spirits quickly damped as he had nowhere to sell it within a Bridge Vige . The vige itself wasn¡¯t militant, mainly focusing on crafting and mining, and most of the contracts with the capital had to do with offensive weapons and armors, which [Celestial te] certainly wasn¡¯t . "Eh, I can wait until we go to the Capital," Lino said as he stored the te back into the void world . "Ah, E told me she left some more books for me . Let¡¯s do that until that bastardes back . " ** Arge mountain piercing the clouds was covered in lush green from top to bottom; along the elongating, rugged path were manykes and nds and crisscrossing rivers, and mountain¡¯s width could hardly be described as a natural phenomenon . Up the mountain, one would stumble across several viges and even smaller towns, and three hegemonies ¨C cities governed by Lords . However, the part of the mountain which pierced the clouds didn¡¯t belong to any of them, nor did they have the privilege of ever ascending that high . Above the clouds, the mountain suddenly stretched outwardly like a crown, with four spire-like pikes erected high upwardly even further into the sky . The inner part was sunken, like the crown¡¯s hollow parts, while edges almost appeared chiseled in their design, perfectly symmetrical . The entire sunken part of the mountain covered nearly twenty kilometers, and was home to a massive, spiraling spire that had countless angled and sharp-looking towers breaking off its central structure . At the very top was a massive set of petal-shaped tforms, forming a gigantic, white rose . The entire spire was a mix of white and red hue, but the two never mingled together, as though cleanly separated by a higher force . Surrounding the spire were four massivekes, over which countless, crisscrossing wooden bridges were built, connecting smaller settlements around the spire to each other, and to the spire itself . Architecture on the outer edge was rather simple, mainly consisting of solitary, squared houses made of brick with t roofs . The further in one ventured, the morevish the buildings got, going from being made from brick to being made from heavy stone, until the very innermost ring surrounding the spire which had several dozen structure built entirely of white marble stone, strange, maroon red stone and refined and recolored ck granite . Each building was at least thirty meters tall, with several straight spires and countless patterned decorations on their fa?ades . The road leading up the main, spiraling spire was empty, surrounded by swaying grass and countless flowers, procuring a rather serene and tranquil scenery . Discarding the dirt pavement, the upwardly spiraling road rounding the spire was made entirely of precious, white and red crystals, making it seem almost as if there were liquids within eternally dancing, but never mingling . The spire was separated into seven clearyers, and the higher one went up, the less thorn-like structures there were . Currently, on a firstyer, surrounded by serene beauty and effusive charm, Lu Hao and Yan Hao were standing in front of a protruding, thorn-like building . Although Lu Hao hade to the Dying Roses¡¯ headquarters two times before, it was his first time ascending the famed Undying Rose, building which even Seven Holy Grounds of Mankind coined as one of the world¡¯s architectural miracles . On the other hand, it was Yan Hao¡¯s first time within the Main Sect, as well as his first time ascending the spiral, which gave him a ratherrge shock . Theyer they were on had a disc-like floor, with several buildings made entirely either of white or red materials of all sorts blooming from the ground . However, all of the important figures of the Undying Rose building lived within the ¡¯Thorns¡¯, and it was no exception for the firstyer . As the two were lost in their own thoughts, a simple door they were standing in front of opened, revealing a set of stairs leading upward to the central part of the building . Taking a deep breath, Lu Hao was the first one to step while pulling Yan Hao to follow him . After ascending the stairs, they emerged in a rather simple-looking yet beautiful room . There were no external decorations brought in; the sculptures of various kinds of beasts were seemingly spilling over from the wall, white and red in color, while even the seating chairs and a low table were chiseled out of the floor itself . On the other side of the room was another door, but they knew they could not go inside, and simply chose to sit down on one of the chairs, cross-legged . After waiting for a few minutes, the door opposite of them opened, and through it walked a rather modest-looking middle-aged man . He had clean and styled ck hair, supported in a bun by pins, and well-groomed ck beard spreading through his low and sharp jaw . His eyes were rather narrow, like eagles, and his ck pupils emitted charm that one is hard-pressed to find in the secr world . Though his body didn¡¯t appear to be anything special, Lu Hao knew that beneath that seemingly loose and simple white robes rested a body of a man that could level the entire Umbra Kingdom ¨C and all its inhabitants ¨C with a flick of his fingers . "Lu Hao greets Great Uncle!" Lu Hao eximed solemnly as he kowtowed three times . Following his lead, Yan Hao did the same . "Ho ho, looks like you haven¡¯t really forgotten your origins . " the man smiled amiably as he stroked his beard, sitting down opposite of them . With a wave of his hand, a tea set with steaming cups suddenly appeared in front of the three from the thin air . "Sister keeps wing at me for sending you away; you really ought to visit more often, Lu . " "Ha ha, I ask Uncle to forgive me," Lu Haoughed lightly . "I burdened you with my Mother¡¯s quacking . " "Hmm, don¡¯t worry about it; I was burdened by her quacking long before you were born, brat," the manughed as he picked the cup of tea and drank a sip . "This is?" "He¡¯s my adopted nephew as well as my direct disciple," Lu Hao pointed to Yan Hao and exined . "Though he¡¯scking in talent, I hope Uncle can offer a pointer or two . " "Hm, not bad, not bad," the man nodded lightly as he scrutinized Yan Hao; feeling the former¡¯s gaze, Yan Hao felt all hairs on his body stand up, as though all his secrets ¨C including his thoughts ¨C were revealed to the man . "He¡¯s an ambitious youngd, unyielding, but not abstinently proud to die for stupidity . If you guide him well, he might make something of himself just yet . " "Ah, Great Uncle overpraises me!" feeling the Lu Hao¡¯s poke, Yan Hao quickly eximed as his cheeks flushed slightly red in embarrassment . "Ha ha, don¡¯t mind it," the middle-aged man waved his hand lightly while turning toward Lu Hao . "What about Shi?" the moment he mentioned the name, the middle-aged man¡¯s smiling expression weakened somewhat as it grew bitter . "... ah, Master couldn¡¯te back, unfortunately," Lu Hao shook his head lightly . "It has to do with our own arrival here . " "Oh? Something¡¯s happened? Did that n you mention finally dere a war?" the middle-aged man asked, seemingly somewhat surprised . "No; unfortunately, it is much worse," seeing his nephew¡¯s grave expression, the middle-aged man also grew serious . "Endo n is wiped out . " "Hm? Who did it?" "... a few months ago," Lu Hao slowly began, taking a deep breath . "One of our high-rank informers from within told us that Endo n Patriarch¡¯s daughter was actually a Demon ¨C or rather, he suspected she was . " hearing this, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression suddenly darkened as his eyes shed in strange, cold glint,pletely contradictory to his usually smiling face . "He told us that he heard how Patriarch brought an egg from the Capital, and how when she was born, her veins were apparently ck and pulsating . Because the details were so specific, we knew it was probably true; though the Endo n was probably aware of the Demons, I can¡¯t imagine them knowing the exact details to fabricate such story unless they¡¯ve witnessed it . We intended to immediately eliminate the threat and didn¡¯t report it as we believed it was just a Low-tier Demon . " "... it wasn¡¯t?" sensing the underlying meaning, the middle-aged man asked . "No," Lu Hao shook his head . "Eventually, our n failed . However, Master stumbled upon a young cultivator and informed him of the truth of the matter . We aren¡¯t certain how, but the young cultivator managed to kill the Demon; however, immediately after, Demonification urred, corrupting over a hundred people . " "High-tiered Demon?!" the middle-aged man eximed softly . "Although a threat, I don¡¯t think you¡¯de here simply because of a single High-tiered Demon . " "Master and I directly went out ourselves to help the Kingdom¡¯s army deal with them, and stumbled upon the strange signs . " Lu Hao borated further . "Rather than following their instinct, the Demonized people would engage in guerri warfare, often retreating when their circumstances were unfavorable . We also realized that the nearer we came to the Capital, the thinner Qi got; we suspected it was merely a natural formation, but after closer examination, we understood that it was being subverted . All of this pointed us to two realizations: there was a Portal being constructed somewhere in the Capital, and it has been under construction for a while, and there is definitely at least one Great Demon behind the scenes . Master suspected that the Great Demon is at least at Purity Realm, and we simply have no means to deal with it, which is why I came here . " "..." the middle-aged man turned to silence as his brows knitted together . "This is strange," he spoke after a few moments, sighing lightly . "Usually, when Demons invade trying to subvert Qi, they go to the ces with high density . Rather than sending incubated children, they send over fully grown ones as to quicken the process . ording to you, the High-tier Demon was brought back from the capital in its incubated form . If there is one, there must be another . And if there is a Portal, with surrounding Qi being subverted to the point where it can be sensed, it is at least 60%pleted . All of this simply sounds... impossible . " "Indeed," Lu Hao nodded gravely . "Even in high density areas of Qi, it would take at least a decade for a Portal to reach the point where its subversion of Qi could be sensed by people under Purity Realm . I seek guidance, Great Uncle . " "... although I would like to go there myself, that¡¯s impossible unfortunately," the middle-aged man sighed lightly . "Even walking in there, I would cause Qi to implode . I¡¯ve recently epted three new disciples, two of which have already ascended to Purity Realm, while the third is a Peak Mystic Realm . I¡¯ll directly assign them under you . Although it sounds ludicrous, this is starting to remind me of the Godfiend Crusade two thousand years ago . Even if there¡¯s an inkling of such catastrophe repeating, we must squash it before it has a chance to . Do you have any ns on how to handle it?" "The Kingdom will soon host the Annual Festival and it will be a good opportunity to gain clean ess to the Capital . As we¡¯re uncertain of the details, it¡¯s probably best we don¡¯t rush headlong . " "Hm, good idea," the middle-aged man nodded . "If the Portal somehow reaches 80% by the time you get to it, immediately evacuate ande here . I¡¯ll personally lead the Purge in that case . Oh, right . You mentioned a young cultivator? Where is he from?" "... uh, no clue," Lu Hao shook his head in embarrassment . "He doesn¡¯t belong to any forces there and appears to be... loose cultivator . " "Oh? Is that even possible?" "It shouldn¡¯t be," Lu Hao replied . "What¡¯s even odder is that he¡¯s a Body Refiner . Although I haven¡¯t personally shed with him to inspect his cultivation method, from my induction, it appears to be at least of Mystic Grade, possibly higher . " "Oh? That¡¯s interesting," the middle-aged man stroked his beard as he mumbled lowly . "How old is he?" "Around fifteen, I think . " Lu Hao said . "Thest time I saw traces of him, it appeared he was Level 40 . " "Not bad, not bad . Considering the circumstances there, he seems like a great budding . " "... hm, the odd part is that he seems to have cultivated for less than two years at that point . " "..." the middle-aged man¡¯s expression suddenly darkened as he thought about something but he quickly shook his head . "I¡¯m thinking too much..." "Uncle?" "Ah, it¡¯s nothing," he said . "If you meet him, try to invite him to join us . When do you n on departing?" "As quickly as possible," Lu Hao said . "I also want to ask a personal favor from the Uncle . " "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, your dear disciple can stay here," the middle-aged manughed lightly . "I suspected that by the time youe back, he¡¯d have surpassed you already . " "Lu Hao thanks the Great Uncle!" "Yan Hao thanks the Great Uncle!" "Don¡¯t stand on the ceremony," the middle-aged man said . "I¡¯ve already informed my three disciples and they¡¯re on their way over . I¡¯ll personally send you guys the closest I can to the Umbra Kingdom . Remember: always be careful . Don¡¯t y the hero if it will lead to your deaths . " "Lu Hao will heed Great Uncle¡¯s advice!" "Hm, good," the man nodded, smiling lightly . "I¡¯ll be expecting good news . " The only reason Lu Hao and Yan Hao were able to quickly rush over to the Main Sect was due to the teleportation formation residing right outside the Umbra Kingdom . Otherwise, with their average speed, it would probably take them roughly 6 years to reach this ce without ever even resting for a second . With Wei Hao ¨C Lu Hao¡¯s Great Uncle, Core Disciple Hall Master as well as the Main Sect¡¯s youngest Elder figure ¨C promising to send them back near the Umbra Kingdom, it meant that their worries were alleviated, otherwise resources required to make a trip back through the teleportation formation would be almost impossible to bear . The Dying Roses Sect within the Umbra Kingdom was just one of the hundreds of branch sects scattered around the world, usually tasked with either spreading the influence of the Main Sect or pulling in extraordinary talents . Dying Roses Main Sect upied high position in the world¡¯s hierarchy, as it was actually one of the Sacred Ground Sects . The Sect had incredibly long history, dating back all the way to the previous era ¨C Cultivation Era . However, because they rarely instigated conflicts and entered the struggle for power, they never vied for the position of one of the Seven Holy Grounds of mankind . It was one of their principal rules, and they were mostly focused on dealing with mankind¡¯s external enemies ¨C primarily Devils from the Hell . One could say that they were the pioneering force when it came to defending against invaders, and had long since took it upon themselves to helm the position of a leader without much dissatisfaction from others . Lu Hao felt rather reassured as with the addition of two Purity Realm cultivators and a peak Mystic Realm cultivator he was more confident in dealing with whatever would be thrown his way . Currently, within the Umbra Kingdom¡¯s Capital, deep beneath the pce, in a massive underground clearing, an eternally spinning, circr sh of light was beaming in bloody red, residual Qi spilling over eating away at the world¡¯s Qi bit by bit . The atmosphere was heavy and were any mortal to be ced here, they wouldn¡¯tst even a breath before choking and dying on spot . Besides the portal that was a centralized portion of the opening, there were two symmetrical altars depicting a same, three-horned Devil with massive wings and hooves for feet . Suddenly, the Portal shed in brilliant crimson as a shadow spilled over like water,nding in front of it on the already corroded ground . The figure was almost two meters tall, with dazzling crimson hair flowing freely like blood . Its skin was a mix of ck and red, and it had three eyes, one atop the forehead currently closed while the other pair burned in heavy maroon . The figure was bare chested and had simple loin cloth covering from his waist down to his knees . Unlike humans, his feet were hooves and legs gave of metallic sheen, appearing slightly thin whenpared to his muscr torso and arms . A few momentster, a rugged breathing could be heard as a figure darted from upward andnded in front of the two-horned Devil, kneeling while shaking . "G-great Lord... Y-your Servant is-iste... please... punish me!" the figure clothed entirely in ck with only a pair of emerald-green eyes revealed spoke in a shaky and frightened voice . "Rise . " the two-horned Devil spoke in a calm and even, yet harshlymanding, tone . "Hm, not bad . I could probably sustain myself for roughly four breaths while fighting here, thirty or so while idle . Nobody realized that the Portal has beenpleted?" "N-no, Great Lord," though he was pardoned, the ck-clothed figure didn¡¯t dare rise from his knees or even rise his lowered head to look at the two-horned Devil in the eyes . "At most, some hidden forces and spies would suspect that it is halfwaypleted . " "Looks like Exalted One¡¯s Formation is functioning marvelously," the two-horned Devil said in a worshiping tone . "As expected . What is the status of the corrupted?" "All ording to the Great Lord¡¯s ns . " "You can put the little one as a figurehead after the initial phase is done," the two-horned Devil said . "As for the other two... humph, they think they can get free lunch from Us? Exalted One has warned me that we will hit a few obstacles during the initial phase; though I can¡¯t say for certain to what degree, He said that if we do our best, it would be no trouble toplete the initial ns . Send those two to investigate any possible retaliation and if need be force them to exterminate any opposition . " "It will be as the Great Lord decrees . " "Hm, not bad, you¡¯ve already reached the Purity Realm in a few years," the two-horned Devil said, nodding his head lightly . "Looks like it wasn¡¯t a mistake to send you over . Any important issues to report?" "I am ashamed to say, but a tiny branch of Dying Roses Sect evaded our eyes until recently," the ck-clothed man said, a clear hint of bitterness in his voice . "By the time this lowly one got the wind of it, they relocated . There is a great chance that they will be informing their Main Sect soon . " "... humph, those inbred dogs," the two-horned Devil spoke harshly, his voice full of killing intent . "Theirst campaign over to our home costed us a lot . It is high time we repaid the favor . Don¡¯t worry about them . At most, they¡¯ll send a few Purity Realm puppies . If they dare make a stir, just activate the talisman and I¡¯ll rush over . Exalted One has been nning this operation for hundreds of years, and my territory won¡¯t be the one to screw things up . " "This lowly one is reassured with Great Lord¡¯s promise!" "Oh, right," the two-horned Devil said suddenly as though he remembered something . "Exalted One was informed by the Revered Origin Ancestor that someone has begun cultivating thest Writ - . Though it is probably someone from the Great Descent as they¡¯re the only ones who¡¯ve been vying for thest Writ over the past millions of years, it may not necessarily be so . Exalted One has asked everyone to keep an eye out just in case . " "Ah! This lowly one understands!" the ck-clothed man¡¯s eyes shed with deep surprise as he said . "It¡¯s just..." "Speak!" "This lowly one has only ever heard of the ," the ck-clothed man spoke carefully . "But has never learned how to recognize its Bearer . " "Hm, it¡¯s understandable you hadn¡¯t," the two-horned Devil said with a sigh . "Even We only have a few clues We¡¯ve deciphered from the Ancient Texts . Though most other signs are uncertain, one is definite: it is the only Writ which is yet to submit to the Gaia¡¯s Qi, meaning that its bearer would cultivate Qi of Entropy . It should be easy for you to recognize it as its roots reject both the Gaia¡¯s Qi and Devil God¡¯s Qi . " "Ah, this lowly one understands! Thank You, Great Lord, for clearing it up!" "Don¡¯t worry about it," the two-horned Devil said as he turned around, preparing to walk back through the Portal . "No force will allow Writ¡¯s Bearer to grow unless the Writ submits to Gaia . Even if we do find the Bearer by ident, we needn¡¯t lift a finger except informing humans and watch them ughter each other . That will be all . Keep me informed . " "Yes!" A mere shter, and the two-horned Devil disappeared back through the portal . ck-clothed man only got up after a few minutes of kneeling,pletely wet from head to toe due to fright . After all, the two-horned Devil wasn¡¯t just an ordinary Devil; he was one of the most feared Devil Variants, Godfiend . Though he was just recently ascended one, he was still a genuine Godfiend ¨C a beingparable to a human¡¯s Deus Imperium cultivator, a being in human world akin to a god, one at least at 1250 Level . Chapter 30 Chapter 30 CHAPTER 30 COOPERATION After designing and crafting the first piece of what will eventually be his main armor set, Lino once again hit a hurdle . As he didn¡¯t expect that his effort would reward him with a Soul Armor piece, he didn¡¯t take into consideration the fact that it would breach the norm and give him opportunity to craft a set . However much of a blessing it was, it was also a headache . After all, Set Armors ¨C especially those with a Soul Armor at their core ¨C couldn¡¯t be made casually . There were very specific requirements both in terms of visual design, practicality and even arrays that could be inscribed on them . Since he didn¡¯t have a n on designing a whole set, now that he had to he was unable to n it all from scratch and build each piece to support each other from core . This meant that, even when he finished all four pieces required for the Set, it still wouldn¡¯t be perfect . However, he wasn¡¯t discouraged; in the end, he treated it as yet another challenge and decided not to be rash about it . He could no longer design pieces independently, so before he had concrete and foolproof designs for all three remaining pieces ¨C helmet, shoulder pads and arm greaves ¨C he wouldn¡¯t start crafting anything . He had also informed Eggor of his sess when thetter returned . After a few minutes of digesting the shocking information, Eggor also shared some of his own experiences when it came to designing sets . Lino learned that only the core armor of the Set could be worn independently and retain stats and benefits, while others could neither be worn independently nor without the core piece . In addition, supporting pieces had to follow the general design of the core armor, while arrays inscribed could only be auxiliary . That is to say, Lino wouldn¡¯t be able to inscribe something like into any pieces as it differed far too much from the arrays inscribed on the chest piece . But, something like was possible as it was merely an auxiliary array that could easily connect with the main one . Eggor and he practically switched ces, as the former cooped himself up in the forge while Lino mainly resided inside his room, either studying up Advanced Arrays, rarer materials, special ores, special smelting, welding,bining etc . methods, or brainstorming designs of other pieces . Although the days sounded rather boring, he¡¯d hardly felt the passage of time as he was too engrossed in it . He already knew that the trip to the Capital would be anything but ordinary, so he wanted to be as prepared as possible . However, based on his calctions, he realized that he¡¯d be unable to design and craft the entire set before their departure . Because of this, he also allocated a few hours every day to studying and designing odd items that could neither be considered weapons nor armors, but utilities that could save his life one day . "Eh, this looks good," Lino nodded as he smiled lightly . He had already been cooped up in the house for over two months, and there was less than a month left until the Annual Festival . As he guessed, he was nowhere close topleting the designs for the Set, so he shifted more and more focus onto Advanced Arrays and odd items, one of which he just finished designing . "If I use [Velen¡¯s Metal], [Draconic Leather] and [Fire Core], it should be just enough to craft it . I just wonder if that bastard¡¯s done with the forge..." On a paper in front of him, a strangely-shaped item was drawn, with countless lines spreading out detailing every nuance of it . At a first nce it looked like a doubleyered cape that could be transferred into a whole-bodied cloak, but upon the closer inspection one could see various holes scattered about the design and strange patterns designated to be made of small, metallic rods and stuffed in-between the twoyers . There were also four arrays lined up neatly next to the main design which would be inscribed on the inner parts of the piece, three of which were mix of Basic Arrays, while one was actually Advanced Array . Though Lino wasn¡¯t confident in being able to inscribe thetterpletely, he opted to try . Even if he failed, the worst that could happen was that the Advanced Array wouldn¡¯t activate in the final product . In the end, he decided to first sleep for a while before heading over to the forge and trying his luck . Surprisingly, when he came to the forge, he realized that Eggor had already left, leaving behind only a letter which read ¡¯Will be back four days before the Annual Festival . Don¡¯t blow up my house . ¡¯ . Sighing lightly, Lino entered the forge andid down the paper full of designs on the table before he started shuffling through his void storage for materials . Alongside the three main materials that would make up most of the item, there were also dozen smaller, auxiliary ones, made up mostly of herbs and small patches of linen . The key didn¡¯t really lie in trying to stich all the materials together and formte the final product, but within the bnce of three main materials as well as distribution and inscription of arrays . It was only recently that Lino realized why average quality of armor within Umbra Kingdom was so low . It wasn¡¯t really because of theck of exotic materials or skilled cksmiths, but because of their very basic knowledge of arrays and material blending . For instance, if other cksmiths inside the Bridge Vige aside from Eggor heard that he was trying tobine a [Fire Core] with [Draconic Leather], they would probably curse him to death for his idiocy, as that would simply waste the [Fire Core] since [Draconic Leather] would absorb all its energy . However, what they didn¡¯t know was that this could be fixed by blending a few herbs in during the processing, and two could actually co-exist without afflicting one another in any way . As far as the arrays went, they were exceedingly simple and mostly obtained from the rarelying merchants from outside world . Forget , Lino was fairly certain that they didn¡¯t even have designs for a simple . Learning this, in turn, made him respect Eggor even further . Ever since the old guy decided to train him, he was never stingy with knowledge . Rather, among the very first six books, Lino was given a full set of thousands of Basic Arrays . It was only because of this that Lino thought since they were basic, everyone knew them . Rather than materials and items required for crafting, knowledge was always the greatest bottleneck for craftsmen and cksmiths . Lino knew that, with the exact same materials, he¡¯d be able to craft a better item than any cksmith in the entire Umbra Kingdom simply because he was more knowledgeable, not necessarily because he was a better smith . After sorting out his thoughts and pulling all the necessary items that he¡¯d need for crafting, he was just about to get ready to start processing them when a signal inside his mind startled him . Pulling out an item from the void world, Lino¡¯s eyebrows twitched; it was themunication talisman that was given to him by the bald guy from Dying Roses . Heh, the bastard waited long enough to thank me... Pressing it at the center, the talisman shed in gold as Lino felt a strange connection being established inside his mind . A momentter, a familiar, yet distant, voice echoed out . "Ho ho, it¡¯s nice to see that you¡¯re still alive kid!" "No thanks to you, bastard . " Lino replied coldly . "You sent me to the fucking ho¡¯s nest without even telling me all the details . " "Aii, my bad, my bad!" the old guy spoke apologetically . "But I myself didn¡¯t know that the Demon was High-tiered, I swear! If I had, do you really think I¡¯d y hide-and-seek and not just directly kill her?" "... humph, how would I know what you are thinking? You sly old fox, don¡¯t think you can trick me the second time!" "... khm, how about this ¨C you said you¡¯re a cksmith, right?" "How¡¯d you learn that?" "Do you really need to know everything?" Lino could practically hear the old guy rolling his eyes . "... fine . I am, so what?" "How about I gift you some good stuff aspensation?" "I¡¯ve already got tons of good stuff from that Varick guy . Actually, I got a whole sect worth of good stuff from him . " "Yaya, you¡¯ve just got some cheap shit that old guy thought were treasures," the old guy said . "When I say good stuff, I mean genuine good stuff . Like a whole gram of [ckgod Iron] . " "... fuck . Where did your fat ass get that?!!" Lino eximed, clearly shocked . "Oi, what do you mean fat ass?! I¡¯m clearly a good-looking, fit dude! Humph, you¡¯re a fat ass!" "Fine, fine, I¡¯m a fat ass! Forget forgiving you, I¡¯ll suck your toes if you give me that shit!" "... pu, you¡¯re really a cheap bastard! Can everything about you be bought?!" "Oi, don¡¯t go aiming for my butt! At least give me more shit before . " Lino said shamelessly . "... ah, why do I even try..." the poor old guy sighed . "Aside from that, I¡¯ll gift you a batch of [Blood Wood], four fist-sized pieces of [Deepsea Ore] and a specialty of my Sect, [Rose-woven Silk] . " "..." "... little guy, you there?" if the old guy could see Lino right now, he wouldn¡¯t be asking if he was there but wondering whether he should send him to loony . Lino was currently lying on his butt, his whole body shaking, mouth agape, unable to take control of himself . Fuck, where was this sugar daddy hiding?!! "Old bastard, I¡¯ll take it! Say, how many more little girls do I need to kill, huh? Ten? Ten thousand? Fuck it, name the price!" "... aii, what kind of a man do you take me for?!" the old man cried out . "A very cheap one!" "Fuck you!" "Fine, just as long as you give me those items!" "... you know, before I contacted you, I was having a great time drinking tea and enjoying a peacefulke . Now, there¡¯s blooding out of my ass . " "What do I have to do with your hemorrhoid problem?" "Everything!!" "Khm, alright old guy, let¡¯s not throw the me around," Lino said . "So, what¡¯s the catch?" "Why would there be a catch?" "Ah, don¡¯t fuck with me . Those items are worth about nine times more than the entire fucking Kingdom . Of course there¡¯d be a catch . " "Of course there¡¯s a catch . " "At least seethe my hopes a little before crushing them!" Linoined . "So, what¡¯s the catch?" he asked again, his voice taking a serious tone . "You should be aware of the Annual Festival in the Capital, yes?" "Yup . " Lino replied, already having a sense of dangerous forbearance inside his heart . "Will you be attending?" the old guy asked calmly . "... yup . " "... I will be honest with you," the old guy said, sighing lightly . "This time around, there¡¯s a high chance a massive battle might break out in the Capital . " "Against Demons?" Lino asked cautiously . "Demons and those allied with them . " "Those allied with them? You mean humans?" Lino asked, furrowing his brows . "Yeah," the old guy said with clear anger in his voice . "In the end, regardless of everything, some people still can¡¯t resist the temptation . Unfortunately, this isn¡¯t an isted case . Moreover, the scale of this battle will be something neither you nor I can participate in directly . " "Eh? What do you mean?" Lino suddenly felt he should stay as far away from the Capital as possible rather than going to it . "Unfortunately, even I can¡¯t say with full certainty . " the old man said . "However, just because we can¡¯t participate directly doesn¡¯t mean we have nothing else to do . " "... borate . " Lino said, his previous yfulness and casual attitudepletely gone . "Due to the sparse Qi within Umbra Kingdom, without special treasures, it is impossible for those above Purity Realm in cultivation to remain for too long . This actually gives Demons home advantage, as ironic as that sounds . " the old guy said . "This, in turn, creates a strange vacuum; outside of the Capital, Demons still can¡¯t do much as subversion of Qi is mainly focused on the Capital city while the surrounding area is still rtively okay . However, inside the Capital, not only will cultivators be marred by poor Qi, but the addition of Devil Qi will put even harsher chains on them . This means that it is nigh impossible to actually defeat the Demons inside the Capital as long as they have two-three Great Demons . " "..." Lino remained silent as he knew there was more to the story . "That is why I have a proposal for you . As you¡¯re still in the Core Realm, you will hardly be affected by either the poor Qi or Devil Qi . During the Annual Festival, your task would be to try and locate the Devil¡¯s Hideout . " "... Devil¡¯s Hideout?" Lino asked . "It¡¯s usually built deep underground," the old guy replied . "And is divided into three portion: Portal Room, Incubation Room and Gathering Room . Naturally, those are just the names we assigned to them . Portal Room is where the Portal connecting our world to Hell is situated . As far as you¡¯re concerned, you don¡¯t have to worry about this as even if you found it, you could not even approach it, let alone destroy it . However, if you do find it, immediately report to me . Your task will be to locate Incubation Room; this is the area underground where the so-called Incubated Demons are stored, in other words infants yet to be properly birthed . I don¡¯t know how Varick managed to snatch a single egg from the Capital, but the likelihood of iting from the Incubation Room is extremely high . You¡¯ll be able to recognize it easily as all ¡¯eggs¡¯ have oval appearance and seem to be woven with spider silk . However, those cocoons are extremely resilient and at least Great Boundary me is required to burn even the weakest of them . Your job would be to locate the room and set up a formation that I would teach you once we meet up in the Capital . Naturally, aside from those materials I promised you, I¡¯d also gift you a few things which will make it easy for you to sneak around unnoticed . " "..." Lino entered deep thought; if he were to be honest, he didn¡¯t like the idea of sneaking around, looking for Demons¡¯ birth ward in the city . However confident he was in himself, he knew that as a recently leveled-up Level 41 Core Realm cultivator, he was extremely weak . However, he also knew that this was a two-edged dagger; not only was this an opportunity to profit and increase his experience, it was also a chance to directly influence a greater-than-life event that would undoubtedly take ce . Though the old guy didn¡¯t disclose everything, Lino realized that only cultivators of at least Peak Mystic Realm would be able to engage directly in the battles . Someone as weak as he was couldn¡¯t even serve as cannon fodder, which would limit his role to a simple spectator . In the end, he was still unwilling to be that; as he¡¯d already made a decision to be both a peak level cultivator as well as legendary cksmith, hiding his neck all the time wouldn¡¯t help him in any way . He realized that as long as he pushed forward, he¡¯d never be short of ways to survive thanks to . In addition, this was a good chance for him toplete the requirements for the Third Evolution, which would also help him open the Second Gate . After short pondering, he took a deep breath and replied: "I¡¯ll do it . " "... are you sure?" "Yeah . " Lino knew that the old guy didn¡¯t want him to think this mission of sorts would be easy, and wanted him to think it through carefully before replying, which is why he answered seriously . "Very well," the old guy said, rather happy . "With Endo n gone and Heavenbloom Sect still hiding somewhere, Dying Roses is ill-equipped to handle this alone . I¡¯d also like to ask you that before departing for the Capital you craft an item that can hide your Qi . Seeing as you¡¯ve already crafted the [Celestial te], it shouldn¡¯t pose too much trouble to you, no? After all, to sneak around properly, you best never leave any trace . " "... don¡¯t worry about it . " Lino said . He also felt some gratitude toward the old man; he didn¡¯t know that items that hide Qi could actually be crafted . He could finally have a decent exnation as to why he never emits any Qi without exposing . "Alright, then that¡¯s settled," the old man said . "I¡¯ll meet you in the famous ck Bear Inn within the Capital a day before the Annual Festival . We¡¯ll discuss things in detail there . " "I¡¯ll see you then . " After ending the conversation with the old man, Lino slumped down onto a chair and entered a deep thought,pletely forgetting his initial excitement over crafting the special cloak . Though he already guessed that his trip to the Capital would be all but simple,plications had already reached the stage where they were giving him a headache . He naturally didn¡¯t fully trust the old man as there was certainly far more truth to it than what he was being told . But, in the end, this was due to hisck of strength . He was just a measly Level 41 Core Realm cultivator . Speaking broadly, even if he had to fight with core Kingdom¡¯s forces, he¡¯d still fall short, to say nothing of existences on E¡¯s level and above . Luckily, though, this time around he didn¡¯t have to kill anyone, merely locate some underground ces . Though he clearly knew that it was far from being as easy as it sounded, it was still much better . He could take his time investigating and looking for clues instead of blindly rushing into the belly of the beast only to wait for ughter . It took him nearly an hour to fully sort out his thoughts, after which he once again looked at the materials he prepared on the table . He gritted his teeth and grew determined: before departing for the Capital in less than a month, he had toplete the cloak, upgrade the [Celestial Rod] and modify [Celestial te] . Though neither of the three increased his defenses directly, he knew they would y a direct role in his survival . He also quickly modified the arrays for the cloak and slowly began nning ahead on how to upgrade [Celestial Rod] and modify [Celestial te] while processing the materials for the cloak . Because only [Velen¡¯s Metal] needed some basic restructuring, he didn¡¯t heat up the furnace and instead decided to use his Tri-Spirit me directly . Though the me had served him well, he realized that its usage would cease to be that grand very soon, which is also one of the reasons why he desired to push for the Third Evolution and Second Gate in hopes of obtaining another Primal Fire Spirit of higher grade . [Fire Core] was in spherical shape, exuding faint but powerful crimson glimmer, and was rather hot to touch . [Velen¡¯s Metal] on the other hand was a naturally processed metal that appeared only in volcanic areas, and one could say that it was one of the nature¡¯s miracles . The metal¡¯s surface was smooth as if it was processed directly by human¡¯s hand, and it was cool to touch . The piece he held was notrge, but as the metal would be mainly used for conduit in-between the twoyers, he didn¡¯t need much of it . Slowly melting it, he also began shaping it into rods and separating sections after which he began welding them slowly in a strange pattern . After he was done, he put them down to cool before moving over to the [Draconic Leather] and [Fire Core] . Luckily, [Draconic Leather] was already processed; in its raw form, it had to be dried for at least a year, let alone any further processing, which Lino definitely couldn¡¯t afford . Afterbining six simrly shaped herbs, he turned them into a strange, ck paste and melded them on both sides . While waiting for the leather to absorb and assimte the paste, he began injecting his own Qi into the [Fire Core], alongside Tri-Spirit me, slowly cleansing away impurities . With his free hand, he created another mixture of herbs, this time mixing it with boiling water and turning it into a wholly transparent liquid . He directly stashed the [Fire Core] into the boilingbination and left it there to seethe . As the leather had already assimted the paste, he began slowly stretching it and extending it to the size of an average, ankle-length cape, while cutting and stitching back the edges . He paid great attention to the area around the cor, where the first metallic rod was slowly being sewn in; it formed a mechanism through which the dualyer cape could shift and form a full-body cloak . The metallic rods ran throughout the entire space between twoyers . Not only would they act as the driving mechanism of change, they were also direct conduits for arrays, as [Draconic Leather] alone ¨C even if reinforced ¨C wouldn¡¯t be able to endure prolonged usages . By the time he was done with assimted the rods and the leather andpleting the mechanism of change, the [Fire Core] that he had left inside the boiling liquid had seemingly drank all of it in a gulp, leaving nothing in a small pot besides itself . Nodding in satisfaction, Lino didn¡¯t dare to pick up the [Fire Core] directly and could only use iron tongs and hope they wouldn¡¯t melt under massive heat . Luckily, as these were all tools that Eggor himself had personally crafted and reinforced, they were rather resilient to massive heats, so Lino¡¯s worries were for naught . He quickly went over to the cape and opened its mid-section between the twoyers; the mechanism of the metal roads circted around in the strange pattern, like a maze, eventually converging toward the central part where a clear, circr opening awaited . Taking a deep breath, Lino slowly ced the [Fire Core] in the opening and immediately focused . This was the most important part of the entire crafting process ¨C inscribing the arrays before the [Fire Core] burned the whole thing up . After some slight earlier modifications, he only nned to inscribe three arrays ¨C two Basic ones and a single Advanced . Two Basic arrays werebinations of several others, and Lino named them and . As their names suggested, their entire job was practically to control the [Fire Core]¡¯s energy and nothing else . As for the Advanced array, Lino didn¡¯t dare make any modifications as he simplycked knowledge for it . He set his sights on the , a higher version of the Basic . The array¡¯s job was to iste all signs of life and increase his stealth during the night . As he slowly poured Qi into his fingertips, time passed . Sweat droplets quickly formed on his forehead as he carefully inscribed every line bit by bit . Shortly after, he could already feel the surface of the cape heating up . Though the metallic rods were isting as much heat as possible, without arrays, they were far enough from being able to do their job . If it was the original [Fire Core], they might have even stood a chance; however, Lino reinforced the core three times over and increased its energy and capacity tenfold, which made it so that only materials of Absolute Ice could act as direct instors without any arrays . Seeing that he didn¡¯t have much time left, Lino braved his heart and increased the speed of inscribing twice over . After a minute, he finished inscribing the . The heating up of the cloak paused for a moment, but Lino knew it was only temporary control . Without even bothering to wipe the sweat off his forehead ¨C let alone rest ¨C he immediately proceeded to inscribe the directly around the [Fire Core], connecting the array¡¯s main channels in a circr fashion and converging them all toward the cape¡¯s center ¨C [Fire Core] itself . A minute quickly passed by, but the array was only half-finished while there was already smoke rising directly from the cloak . Thirty secondster, the metallic rods lost their silver luster and became crimson . Two minutes since he started inscribing the second array, the metallic rods began bending and their welded corners looked like they¡¯d soon crack . Seeing this, Lino panicked for a moment but quickly calmed down; if he lost concentration now, he¡¯d definitely fail . If he kept calm, there was still a chance . Another thirty secondster, the first support beam cracked ¨C Lino knew that this would lead to a chain reaction and immediately increased speed of inscription . If he had to fail, he¡¯d at least fail at his own terms rather than leaving it up to luck . Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have any materials that could directly increase [Velen Metal]¡¯s resistance to heat, which led to such predicament . Seconds ticked by and the entire structure of metallic rods looked like it¡¯d burst apart and explode . Seemingly just as it could no longer take it, Lino drew the final line and connected it all perfectly . Golden light immediately red up and covered the entire cloak, and he could immediately feel the heat under his fingers dissipating . However, he didn¡¯t rx ¨C though there was no longer chance of directly ruining the whole item, there was still thest part ¨C inscribing the Advanced array . Of all the things, Linocked the confidence for this the most . After all, this would be his first time trying to inscribe an Advanced array . Truth be told, he didn¡¯t evenpletely master the Basic arrays to say nothing of others; though he could easily inscribe all Basic arrays he knew of, and evenbine majority of them, the minimum requirement Eggor set for him before trying to move onto Advanced arrays was to be able tobine at least six Basic Arrays and actually create an Advanced array directly through that process . As Lino didn¡¯t have that much time to devote to researching Basic arrays for the time being, his only choice was to try luck directly with the Advanced array . If it wasn¡¯t a crucial array that would practically determine the item¡¯s nature, Lino definitely wouldn¡¯t do something so amateurish . By the time he was near the end of inscribing , his Qi was running at reserves and he could feel weakness overtaking his whole body . Throughout crafting, Lino realized one thing: unless he was proactively fighting a tough battle, would practically remain dormant and just do basic replenishing circtions . No matter how much he urged, it¡¯s like the method didn¡¯t even hear him . No matter how much he cursed, he knew he couldn¡¯t change it so he had to always take into consideration the amount of Qi he had when inscribing arrays . Non-cultivating cksmiths naturally didn¡¯t use Qi to inscribe arrays but various rare materials, which made it so that as long as they had enough materials, array inscription was the easiest process for them . For Lino, it was the toughest one . However, each time he¡¯d deplete his Qi during the crafting, after he¡¯d replenish it, he realized it would be purer and denser, which was the only silver lining he found in the whole situation . As he finished thest line, he didn¡¯t even have enough strength to see the beautiful ck light sh and enwrap the whole cloak, simply slumping over onto the floor and passing out . Aside from the battle against the Patriarch Varick, this was the most tired Lino ever felt ever sinceing under Eggor¡¯s wing . Not even running forty kilometers with weights strapped around his calves under scorching sun ever exhausted him this much that he directly passed out without having an ounce of strength to resist it . Aah, dammit, looks like to be a legendary cksmith, I really need to cultivate more and increase my Qi... otherwise, how can I create Godly Artifacts with this puny amount?! What Lino didn¡¯t know, though, was that majority of Mythic-ranked and up items were actually crafted in stages, and very rarely would one be made entirely in one go . Even Eggor, to craft the pyramid-shaped ne, did so in three stages rather than doing it all at once like Lino . After all, mental concentration required for such high-quality items was simply not something spades of people had . Suddenly, a familiar, robotic voice echoed inside of his mind . [Analyzing...] [... Analysis Complete...] [... Purity of Qi achieved Base Level...] [... Bearer has gained ess to Archaic Records...] [... Analysis Complete...] [Archaic Records ¨C Q¡¯vil¡¯s Last Stand unlocked...] [Simting...] Chapter 31 Chapter 31 CHAPTER 31 Q¡¯VIL¡¯S LAST STAND (I) [Analyzing...] A familiar, dull voice echoed inside Lino¡¯s mind . Though he felt as if his eyes were open, there was nothing but darkness surrounding him unlike previous times he stepped into the strange world inside his mind . The voice came from nowhere yet everywhere,pletely enveloping him . [... Analysis Complete...] [... Purity of Qi achieved Base Level...] [... Bearer has gained ess to Archaic Records...] [Analyzing...] Archaic Records? Lino mumbled inside, slightly perplexed . From the sounds of it, due to him exhausting his Qi and refining it further, he had unlocked yet another function of that he was previously unaware of . Just how many secrets does this thing hide?!! [... Analysis Complete...] [Archaic Records ¨C Q¡¯vil¡¯s Last Stand unlocked...] [... Year: Uncalcted...] [... Era: Skyhaven Era...] [... Location: Fallstand, Great Dragon Empire¡¯s Capital City...] [... Information: Forces of Skyhaven Dynasty have pushed back their only rival throughout the era, Great Dragon Empire, down to theirst city . Abandoned by all Generals but one, Emperor Yomir and Great General Q¡¯vil make theirst stand...] [... Recalcting the Record... setting the timetable... sessful . Bearer will be sent to witness the final two days of Great Dragon Empire from Bearer Q¡¯vil¡¯s perspective . ] [...] As Lino slowly tried toprehend what he was just told, the darkness suddenly vanished as his eyes got blinded by light . A strange feeling suddenly wormed into his heart and soul as he felt his entire self being washed over by a strange sensation . As if his spirit suddenly descended from above unto thend below, his perspective changed entirely . He was inside an unknown body as an observer; the unknown person was sitting cross-legged atop a tall, brick-built tower, overlooking the massive in toward the east . "... it is finally my chance, huh?" a gentle butmanding voice echoed out and Lino realized it was the unknown man talking . Looking at his features, Lino¡¯s heart shook; the bearing the man disyed was something Lino had never seen before . It appeared as if the entire world ¨C down to thest atom ¨C surrounding him was bowing repeatedly toward the man . His sword-shaped eyebrows were rxed and t, his ck eyes akin to an abyss with neither the beginning nor an end, just absolution . The long, ck hair was tied up in a crane, and his ck beard was well trimmed . He wore simple, white robes while a strange spear with spiral shaft and six des atop rested on his knees . "This must be your first time . Don¡¯t be anxious," the man said, his lips curling up in a thin smile . "Just listen and observe . " "..." though Lino wanted to ask millions of questions, he realized he was unable to utter a sound . It appeared as though he was truly just an observer here . "My name is Q¡¯vil Mengal," the man continued after a short pause . "I was born during the Skyhaven Dynasty¡¯s worldly conquest . Born amoner, my destiny was to be a ve; I had no talent for weapons or military, much less for magic . Fate gave me a chance, and I obtained the Writ ¨C and Will to Command the Heavens . While a seedling, Great Emperor took me in and taught me ¨C he taught me sword, spear, axe, bow, crossbow, knife, mace, javelin, fan, cuss, saber and wodao . He taught me Myth of Origin, Sanskrit of Command and leadership . " Q¡¯vil¡¯s voice was even and calm, as though there was nothing in the world that could usurp his heart . "Forty years had passed, and not once had the war stopped . It soon shall . " "..." not even when talking about the end of an entire Empire did his voice or expression waver . "My King was slowly abandoned," Q¡¯vil said . "His grace forgotten . His kindness repaid with betrayal . His care taken for granted . Look . " his eyes moved ¨C as did Lino¡¯s at the same time ¨C toward the endless in . Roughly ten kilometers away from the city walls beneath was a massive swarm of ck and gold . Lino¡¯s heart began beating like mad; he could hardly count the sheer number, but he was certain there was at least half a million people there alongside countless, strange beasts . "Those are my King¡¯s enemies ¨C those are my enemies . Though I knew I stood no chance, it hardly mattered . I will teach you three things about Writ, Lyonel . One now; one during the battle; and one during myst breath . " "..." "The first is something you should have understood yourself by now: our Writ is an epoch of domination . Of tyranny . Of defiance . When in front of our foes, we never kneel . We never bow . We neverpromise . If we do, our cultivation slows down, and has a chance ofpletely stopping . Whether we¡¯re against a single man, ten, a squadron, battalion, a legion, or an entire army, we never falter . We never submit . We are Tyrants . We are Empyreans . We are those who strike fear into others . You are still young, weak and feeble . You certainly cannot abide by that code . However, if you keep resisting the path, the primal urge you feel will eventually take over . It will no longer be about bouts of insanity, but bouts of sanity . Don¡¯t fret . Don¡¯t fear . Listen and observe . " "..." "The Writ always gives a path," Q¡¯vil said . "Even here, if I had listened to it, I could have lived and surmounted greater heights, perhaps even etching my name into the eternal histories . But, had I, I would have forever lost my chance to etch my name into the Archaic Records . It was only during this battle that I opened the Fifteenth Gate, one that I was unable to open for the past ten years . We are Empyreans, Lyonel . Wemand the World ¨C we defy the World ¨C we obliterate the World . I have said all I had to say for now . From now on, you only need to observe . See . Witness... listen... remember . " "..." Even though Lino was unable to utter a sound all the way through, his mind was constantly spinning like crazy . As he was besieged by ideas he found suicidal, he suddenly felt no small amount of hatred for his mad cultivation method . A path of tyranny? Never submit? Neverpromise? Lino didn¡¯t understand how was that even possible . But, he also knew that what he was told was far from the whole truth . In the end, he could only observe and see, as Q¡¯vil said ¨C witness the whole ordeal . See what the peak of the so-called Empyrean looks like . Though Lino already knew Q¡¯vil lost and died during this battle, he also knew that he wouldn¡¯t be recorded within Writ¡¯s archives just so future generations could see his pitiful death . There is definitely something to learn and absorb from this ¨C whether that was knowledge, vision or experience, Lino didn¡¯t know . Perhaps it wasbination of all three, or perhaps there were even more factors to it all . Q¡¯vil slowly arose from his seat atop the tower and leapt gantly, flying off the two-hundred-meters tall structure toward the central pce . One had to say that the style truly showed this had happened long, long time ago . Most of the city¡¯s buildings were wooden and short, with only the pce and the temple being built out of mixture of stone and brick . The streets were dirt pavement and people wore shabby, cotton-made clothes . Whenever someone saw Q¡¯vil, they would greet him with smiles and respect, and thetter would reply in kind . He slowly walked toward the pce and entered unobstructed . The pce wasn¡¯trge; besides the throne room, there were only side wings where the Emperor and the topmost officials lived . Currently, inside the throne room, the atmosphere was heavy and dull . Beside Emperor Yomir, there were only dozen or so people currently in the throne room . Most of them were old folk, people who have followed the rise of the Great Dragon Empire, and were now about to witness its fall . Emperor Yomir himself had already crossed three hundred years in age, and so was the case for most people in the throne room . When Q¡¯vil entered, all eyes quickly found him and their dullness regained some luster . Had it not been for the man in front of them, the Great Empire would have fallen years ago . One could say that this man who¡¯s not even 60 yet had singlehandedly upheld the Empire¡¯s pride and luster . However, they knew that even he could not defy the heavens alone . No matter how strong he was, the Skyhaven Dynasty wasn¡¯t filled with just poor soldiers . They had their own stars . Nheless, nobody med Q¡¯vil; rather, one of the reasons they were even willing to make the Last Stand was to witness this star¡¯s final burst . They knew that even in death, Q¡¯vil would shine more brilliantly than anyone else in life . "My King . " Q¡¯vil came up to the throne and bowed on one knee . Emperor Yomir already had white hair and beard, but his wrinkled face still retained a hint of youth¡¯s vitality . Looking at the man kneeling in front, he couldn¡¯t help but smile . He could still remember the scrawny youth he decided to train tens of years ago . Now, all his supposed friends who drank and ate with him were gone . They took their men and abandoned him . But, this youth stayed . The true Great Dragon of the Great Dragon Empire . The man who could make even the Skyhaven Monarch personally attend the battlefield and try to recruit him . Old Emperor¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but swell with pride . "Rise, Q¡¯vil boy," the Emperor said in a calm voice . "Are they still standing out there like sheep?" "Indeed," Q¡¯vil said, smiling faintly as he rose up . "They look quiteical, my King . Ah, had I only learned the art of brush, I would have loved to paint the scenery . " "Ha ha," the Emperor, alongside the dozen remaining officials, allughed . The brightest of lights could illuminate even the darkest of worlds ¨C and to them, Q¡¯vil was exactly that light, and even more . "Unfortunately, us old folk have long since forgotten even the penmanship, let alone anything else . " "Ah, don¡¯t say so, my King; you still look as young as the day I met you . " "Ah, bastard, the day you met me I looked exactly like this!!" "... khm . " Q¡¯vil coughed lightly, smiling . "Eeh, I must have misspoken then..." "Ha ha ha..." the previously dull and dark atmosphere waspletely gone . It didn¡¯t appear as it was the gathering of the Emperor and his vassals, but the gathering of old brothers . "My King . I have a proposal . " Q¡¯vil said as everyone quieted down . "Speak . " "Let us march . " Q¡¯vil said . Old Emperor¡¯s body visibly shook as his eyes widened; how many years ¨C no, decades ¨C has it been since he heard those words? He too was once young, and grace battlefields left and right, spilling blood with his saber . When did the throne get sofortable, he wondered? "For years, they wanted us to submit and kneel . Instead of weing them at our doors, why not give them onest p in the face? Onest act of defiance?" "..." the Emperor¡¯s usually cold eyes grew emotional as he thought about it . "I still have twenty thousand brothers under my name," Q¡¯vil continued . "And none of them are cowards . All are true Dragons who have protected the pride of our Empire . Like us, Skyhaven will too fall one day; but I can promise you, my King, they will never have a chance to fall with pride and boiling blood . " "... indeed they won¡¯t," the Emperor said, smiling faintly . "We shall march, my little Dragon . My ass has grown tired of sitting on this damned chair for all these years . Though my bones are old and my breath short, I shall saddle up with you and march! Storm them head on and prove the bloodline of the Great Dragon!" "Aii, little Dragon, could you take us as well?" one of the elderly officials suddenly said . "Even if we never graced the soils of battle, now that your words caused our blood to churn, you have to take responsibility for it . " "Ha ha, of course, Great Elders!" Q¡¯vil replied,ughing . "Great Dragon oversees us! No sky can shelter us!" "... then, I shall give out myst Imperial Decree to my nation," the Emperor said as his eyes grew moist . "Whoever is willing to march with us, let them join us . Whoever is not, open the back mountain and let them escape . We shall build a wall for them with a sea of corpses!" "... ha ha, my King," Q¡¯vilughed lightly . "Your concerns are all for naught . Your people are one of heart . They have all already submitted their names for thest march . All sixty-thousands of our brothers and sisters shall march with you, my King!" "... good, good," the old Emperor said, his voice cracking lightly as his eyes grew red . "I haven¡¯t disappointed my ancestors . Until the end, I held the hearts of my people . " Q¡¯vil slowly left the pce and returned to the tower, looking at the open ins where the massive army was stationed . Skyhaven Dynasty... their rise was abrupt and sharp . They conquered from South up, never taking a no for an answer . Currently, there was no force that could stand against them ¨C and there probably won¡¯t be for a long time . Their current Monarch was also a Bearer of Writ ¨C Q¡¯vil learned . In addition to him, there were two more . Of the Seven Holy Writs, they had Bearers of three . With Q¡¯vil, four were now gathered here . As for the remaining three, Q¡¯vil didn¡¯t know . Perhaps there were no bearers, or perhaps they were hidden . Whatever was the case, he didn¡¯t care much . "... you must be wondering... how can a tyrant submit to another?" Q¡¯vil suddenly spoke as his gaze grew profound . "Shouldn¡¯t I be the one sitting on that throne while the Emperor is licking my boots? Shouldn¡¯t I be the one holding the crown?" "..." "You are yet too young to understand it all, little dragon," Q¡¯vil chuckled lightly as he spoke . "But, one day, you will . To be an Empyrean isn¡¯t to hold the whole of the world in contempt; to be an Empyrean isn¡¯t to close your heart and freeze itpletely; to be an Empyrean isn¡¯t tomit to endless ughter and aura of death; to be an Empyrean isn¡¯t to abandon humanity and turn to madness; to be an Empyrean isn¡¯t to enve the hearts of others through fear and terror; to be an Empyrean isn¡¯t to never yield to another . What does it mean, then, to be an Empyrean, little dragon? Think, little dragon . That shall be the second thing I tell you . Until then,prehend for the night . Tomorrow... tomorrow we march . " Strange silence washed over the top of the watchtower as time seemed to freeze for a moment . Within seeming nothingness Lino¡¯s thoughts were spinning, trying to understand . But, he couldn¡¯t . In the first ce, he didn¡¯t even know what an Empyrean was . Was it simply someone denoted from cultivating the ? Was it a philosophy? Religion? He couldn¡¯t say . Perhaps it was none of those things and was something simply made up and irrelevant . Or, perhaps, it was indeed something important that he should understand as quickly as possible . In the end, he didn¡¯t know . As his thoughts spun, the night passed and the dawn came hurling forth . Golden sun broke the eastern horizon and spilled over like water over thend . Shabby city walls seemingly shone while the ins before them glistened like droplets . The sky was clear blue and the weather was warm . Q¡¯vil slowly opened his eyes and looked up . They were clear, pure, undisturbed . It was a sort of bearing Lino had no chance of understanding . It was the image of a heart sculptured in a different era, under different circumstances and through different events . What he did realize, though, was the nobility in those eyes didn¡¯t stem from inborn arrogance over his position, or the fact that he stood above the thousands . It didn¡¯te from being a lofty being that looked down at ordinary people . It came from something much simpler, yet something that Lino couldn¡¯t yet understand . Q¡¯vil slowly rose to his feet and looked over the ins at the swarm of ck dots in the distance . His countenance was calm, his breath even, his gaze tranquil . It didn¡¯t appear as though he was looking at his enemies but at an ocean full of life . He slowly picked up the spear off the floor and leapt off the watchtower, gliding like a fallen leaf through the sky . In a few breaths, hended at the gates of the city and calmly stood . Behind him, masses had already gathered . At the front was the Emperor and his old officials . Behind them were Commanders, Generals, Captains, Knights, ordinary soldiers, and eventually ordinary people . Q¡¯vil¡¯s robe fluttered in the hazy, morning wind as his ck hair danced in the same rhythm . Eyes which were looking at him were full of fervor, pride, love, awe and respect . Lino realized at that moment that, had he only been a hero whomanded great wars, he would never carve so many hearts so deeply . To Lino, Q¡¯vil became a symbol of something much greater than simple soldier of the Kingdom . No, he seemed even greater than the Kingdom; even the Emperor, a being who ought to look down upon the world, looked up at Q¡¯vil with eyes clearer than the morning dew . He had won thempletely, Lino realized . Their hearts and souls belonged to this man . Was this what it means to be an Empyrean? Lino pondered for a moment . He couldn¡¯t be certain . He could only guess and wait . Q¡¯vil slowly turned around and looked at the mass of people standing before him . In turn, they all looked up at him and remained silent . Lino couldn¡¯t see even an ounce of fear, agony, regret or anxiety within those eyes . There was only determination and fervent desire . Not to live, but to apany this man to wherever he may go . "Today," Q¡¯vil voice was calm and even, yet it pierced every pair of ears as though he spoke right next to them . "We will all die . " Lino¡¯s heart shook; he thought Q¡¯vil would try to rouse them with a battle-hardened speech, and instead he told them they¡¯d die . Is it some sort of a reverse psychology? "These ins will be our graves . Yours and mine . Neither the gods nor the devils wille out their abodes to save us . " there was only stunning calm that Lino couldn¡¯t understand . "But... so what?" Q¡¯vil smiled faintly . "Death isn¡¯t scary . We are Dragons, sons and daughters not of heaven or hell, but of greater fate . We have fought while our blood boiled . Our brothers and sisters fell . Our mothers and fathers had their hearts broken . Our children perished . " Q¡¯vil¡¯s voice grew heavy as he continued . "Today, we shall join them . Death? Pain? Agony? We know not what those mean . Carve up those who stand in your way and join the fallen in Dragon¡¯s Caelum! We are Dragons, sons of Fate, daughters of Destiny, Children of the Cradle! Since the dawn of time we rode and braved the storms, and our sails have atste to an end . Carve up your names in the stones of history! Make the earth tremble whenever we are remembered! Let the winds spread our tale! We are Dragons!" "WE ARE DRAGONS!!!!" a massive roar echoed out into the sky, one which shook the world inside out . There seemingly wasn¡¯t a soul who hadn¡¯t heard that call . "Sons of Fate!" "DAUGHTERS OF DESTINY!!!" "Children of the Cradle!" "WE ARE DRAGONS!!!!" "We march!!!!!" Q¡¯vil screamed atop his lungs, hismanding voice shaking the heaven and the earth . "WE MARCH!!!!!!!" the gates opened . No, rather, the floodgates opened . There was no fear . There was no agony . There was no regret . One... ten... a hundred... a thousand... soon the mass rode not on horses, but on winds which seemed to obey them . Sun seemingly shook high up in the sky, as though bowing its head toward those beneath it . The grass gave way . The trees swayed in a salute . The hearts of those who stood opposite of them trembled . Great Dragon Empire, the first andst Empire of Dragons¡¯ Children . Long ago, before the records were a thought, winged creatures dominated thend . They only ever gave their blood to a single feeble creature, for that creature was dying . From that little creature, a homogeny spawned, a man who forged a legend all on his own . Perhaps the world had forgotten, but the hearts remember . The blood of Dragons flows in their veins . It burns . It boils . Each one of their steps issued a quake . Each roar of cracking voices shook the souls . Some held shabby swords, some held shabby spears, some even held wooden sticks and some even held nothing but their fists . A march of feeble few was like an onught of a heavenly army . Lino watched . His heart was beating like crazy, and he wanted to shout, wanted to join, wanted to ride alongside them . As though his pleas were heard, Q¡¯vil moved . With a single step, he overtook everyone else and came to the front . Next to him, Emperor Yomir was running, his expression that of delight . He didn¡¯t wear noble clothes or a crown . He wore a shabby armor, held a crude, iron sword and a simple, wooden shield . Even so, earth beneath quaked with each of his steps . When he noticed Q¡¯vil next to him, he turned his head and smiled . "Forgive this folly King, Q¡¯vil," Emperor Yomir said . "I couldn¡¯t show you the stars, as I promised . " "..." Q¡¯vil turned toward him and smiled . "No, but you¡¯ve showed me something much better, far brighter than stars . " Q¡¯vil then turned back and looked at the mass of people who were running . "You¡¯ve showed me what it means to have a ce... you can call home . " Chapter 32 Chapter 32 CHAPTER 32 Q¡¯VIL¡¯S LAST STAND (II) Skyhaven Dynasty ¨C force which would eventually lead mankind into its most glorious era had dark and brooding beginnings . Even a continental-sized dynasty required seas of blood as sacrifice to be born to say nothing of the world-sized one . First ushered by the Velor the Great, Skyhaven n was a small but powerful group of mountain dwellers . In his fifty-third year of life, Velor became the Bearer of a Writ, and quickly conquered nearby mountain tribes and ns, until eventuallying down and slowly forming the Skyhaven Kingdom . Through four generations, Skyhaven Kingdom slowly became Skyhaven Empire and after seven generations of Monarchs ¨C all of whom were Bearers of Writs ¨C it turned into a Skyhaven Dynasty . The records had long since lost the count of dead that were left beneath the hooves of their horses and tips of their des and spears, but the glorious name of Skyhaven had undoubtedly shook the hearts of men whenever it was mentioned . Currently, the ninth generation Monarch of the Skyhaven Dynasty, Edgar IV, was standing at the backend of the massive army, surrounded by his retainers . They all stared coldly at the distant, shoddy walls . It was thest line . Thest conquest . Thest force that could usurp their rule ¨C Great Dragon Empire . The wars between the two sides were waged for the past four generations, and dozens ofrge-scale battles were led, resulting in millions of deaths . Edgar IV¡¯s gaze was somewhat solemn; it was a dream of every Monarch before him to truly unite the world underneath the banner of Skyhaven Dynasty, and today was finally that day . He inherited the dreams and desires of his forefathers and he was about to aplish them . However, within that gaze, there was certain reluctance; that was solely due to a single man who was currently standing atop the distant gates ¨C Q¡¯vil . Amoner of ordinary birth who rose to prominence out of nowhere had stifled their progress for the past ten years greatly . Had it not been for him, Great Dragon Empire would have long since crumbled . Edgar IV didn¡¯t want to let go of such a vassal, but no matter what he threw at Q¡¯vil, thetter never even responded, let alone rejected . Every other general and important vassal of Emperor Yomir hade to his side... except the only one he truly desired . He couldn¡¯t care less of old dogs who betrayed the blood in their veins because of vanity . No, he wanted someone like Q¡¯vil ¨C someone who could withstand the fall of the heaven for his King . "... what a pity . " he mumbled softly . Next to him, a man in his mid-thirties sighed as well as he nced at the gates . He was Edgar IV¡¯s Sacred Guardian, and another Bearer of Writ ¨C Grand Commander Yvel . He too felt the suffocating feeling, much like the man he served . Ten years ago, when he led an army of twenty-hundred-thousand against foe¡¯s fifty-thousand, it was supposed to be thest victory . But, it was an utter defeat . Defeat so catastrophic that Yvel nearly took his own life out of shame . And that defeat was dealt to him by no one else but Q¡¯vil . Back then, he was a youth in Yvel¡¯s eyes; thetter had lived for hundreds of years by now, while Q¡¯vil was a fifty-something youth at best . Yet, that spear... that valor... the strength... the tyranny... Yvel could still clearly remember his blood freezing . He cut his men as though they were wheat, directly charging into the heart of the army like a madman and began a ughter that Yvel would never forget . Corpses piled into hills and blood soaked thend until even the heavens began crying . With thunder sting off in the sky, he stood atop the mountain of corpses, spear in hand, soaked in blood from head to toe, his ck eyes staring at Yvel¡¯s ¨C that gaze was a gaze of a being above the world . Though both were Bearers of Writ, Yvel knew something was different . He didn¡¯t know what Writ Q¡¯vil was obeying, but he wanted it . All the same, he quickly realized he could never have it; such disposition had nothing to do with the Writ . It was the heart . "They will all march out, Your Holiness," Yvel said solemnly . "After today... Draconic Bloodline will probably cease to exist..." "Yes..." "Humph, so what?" a cold snort came from the other side; Yvel nced at the hot-blooded youth ¨C the third Writ Bearer of the Skyhaven Dynasty ¨C but said nothing . "They are just barbaric beasts,cking grace . Look at their walls and their buildings . They are pathetic . " "Shut it, Gyel . " Edgar IV said softly; however, a mere blinkter, a trail of blood escaped down the corners of Gyel¡¯s lips as his eyes widened . "You should rather steel your heart . When Dragons march..." Edgar IV paused for a moment as a lowly sigh escaped his lips . "The world bows . " As hisst word faded, the distant gates tore open as a swarm sted out like floodgates . One... ten... a hundred... Edgar IV had stopped counting . His gaze was fixed on those distant figures . Thest of Draconic Bloodline... truth be told, Edgar IV didn¡¯t want to kill them . If there was any way, he¡¯d dly ept them as vassals . But, he knew that was impossible . Much like Dragons, pride was etched in their blood . They would never kneel before another Lord but their own . The Dragons marched... and the world indeed bowed... Edgar IV and Yvel stared at the sight in daze . No matter that they were Bearers of Writ, the world never obeyed and kneeled . It was never roused by the beat of their hearts . They were quickly jolted out of their gaze by a single figure ¨C the ck dot leapt off the gates andnded upfront, running forth ahead of everyone . "Q¡¯vil..." both mumbled, inwardly shaking their heads in regret . "..." Lino had witnessed such sight because Q¡¯vil¡¯s perception was truly that great . He was stunned . Just how many battles like this took ce over the course of history? He wondered for but a moment, immediately shifting his attention back on the open ins . There is no strategy... just a straight march at an overwhelmingly powerful foe... After briefly talking to Emperor Yomir, Q¡¯vil sped up, creating distance between himself and the rest . Ten meters... a hundred... soon he was half a mile out, matching his pace with those behind him . His gaze was clear . His heartbeat calm and even . It didn¡¯t seem as though he was marching to his death, but to a higher heaven . Perhaps, Lino realized, he truly believed he was . Though he was not a Dragon like the rest in blood, they all never doubted him . To them, he was the greatest Dragon that had ever taken to the skies . He was their star . Their light . And in their darkest moment, their eyes and legs followed that blinding light . His back was sturdy, his shoulders broad . Rather than casting shadow which would sway them, his back cast light against the darkness which surrounded them . That was who Q¡¯vil was to them . Thetter didn¡¯t turn back . He didn¡¯t look back . He marched forward steadily . A mile ahead, a magnificent row of shield bearers was waiting . Behind them were troops of spearmen . Further back were archers whose bows were already nocked, ready to be fired . Yet, his gaze was calm . His countenance tranquil . At a half mile mark away from the main troop, arches let loose . Arrows nketed the sky, pouring down like rain . Q¡¯vil nced upward slightly . His lips curled up in a faint smile . The grip on the spear tightened as all his muscles bulged . "... what does it mean to be an Empyrean?" he mumbled softly as he suddenly spun like a whirlwind . A st of wind so strong it curbed the earth beneath gushed upward into the sky . The invisible force turned visible as it began shattering arrows as though they were made of fragile porcin . The darkened sky brightened once more . For the first time in his life, Lino realized just how beautiful a clean, blue sky can be . Unblemished by the spoils of the world . Ever-looming . Tranquil . "... who is an Empyrean?" Q¡¯vil mumbled as hended softly on his feet, speeding up suddenly as crimson lightning swept past the soles of his feet . He disappeared, leaving behind only a trail of bloody light . "SHIELDS UP!!! HERE HE COMES!!!!!" a roar came from the ranks of Skyhaven¡¯s forces . A breathter, crimson bolt fell from the clear, blue sky in the middle of the army . A shockwave akin to a world¡¯s tear swept outwards as winds rose into hurricanes . Crimson lightning danced like cobwebs, surrounding a solitary figure . Amidst the golden and silver armors, a single man wearing ordinary, white robes was standing, his spear hoisted down . His gaze was calm . Demeanor graceful . "SPREAD!! SPREAD!!" amander¡¯s rough voice echoed . "PRIESTS RAISE THE SHIELDS!!! KNIGHTS UPFRONT!! SPEARMEN SURPRESS!!" Q¡¯vil ignored the shouts as he moved . He slid sideways gracefully, swiping his spear as his dance began . Vaulting sideways, he struck the spear downwards as crimson bolts danced like serpents at the tips of the spear¡¯s des . Hended softly as crimson blood mixed with bolts . Without taking a breather, he moved sideways once again, charging past the shields and sting them apart as though they were made of paper . Each swipe of his spear imed tens of lives . Just when it seemed like he had no way out, his feet would sh crimson and he¡¯d disappear, reappearing elsewhere, followed by a massive crash of crimson bolt . "Is he an overlord?" a faint voice surged within the hellish screams of pain and agony . Blood dripped freely . Copsed parts of the whole rolled over . Heads with eyes and mouth wide open strutted down in their singrity . Just then, Emperor Yomir charged at the front, followed by his vassals,manders, generals, soldiers, men, women, children, old, young, sick, healthy... it was a scene that Lino couldn¡¯t describe even if given a lifetime . There was no fear in them . Though they stood against a foe they couldn¡¯t ovee, they charged bravely . They fought bravely . And Q¡¯vil danced . Not a beautiful dance . Not a graceful dance . But a bloody dance . Suddenly, crimson bolts which had surrounded him disappeared . Sixty meters around him was a charred, empty ground full of blood . Nobody dared step forth . Nobody even dared look directly into those ck eyes . God of ughter ¨C that was what Skyhaven¡¯s soldiers called the man in front of them . Who would dare attack a god? Rising from the ashes of crimson bolts, calm, transparent water coiled around spear¡¯s shaft . It appeared alive, indispensable to the world surrounding it . "Is he a saint?" Q¡¯vil mumbled under his breath . He drew a beautiful arc up as he leapt forth, seemingly ignoring thews of gravity, bounding over half a mile as hended in another core part of the army . He came bearing gifts of death and nothing else . As countless attacks began foaming toward him, his spear moved gently, easily reflecting each and every attack that came at him . No, rather than reflect, it would be better to say that he was subduing them; everything grew tranquilized as it came in touch with that water and that spear . Tranquility in his eyes ¨C only matched by the coiling bits of water ¨C remained even as hundreds fell beneath his spear . "Is he a god?" water dispersed, and in its ce living and breathing emerald fires arose, coating spearheadpletely . Like a ghost he moved in-between the terrified soldiers, reaping lives like a messenger of death . One . Ten . A hundred . A thousand . It has already been a minute since he began fighting . How many had he killed? Lino had long since lost the count . No, he didn¡¯t even have leisure to count in the first ce . What he was witnessing shed with everything he believed in . He certainly knew that cultivators were powerful ¨C but he only thought so because of the supernatural they could cause . Because they could split a mountain at a great distance . Because they could summon fires and scorch the world from the skies . Yet, Q¡¯vil couldn¡¯t . He was in the heart of the enemy¡¯s army, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of soldiers . His spear was his cleave . His body was his me . "Is he a servant?" as his spear swept sideways, it suddenly came to a halt . Shifting his calm gaze, Q¡¯vil saw a man seemingly in his thirties holding a war axe, firmly holding his spear in ce . The man¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t as tranquil; rather, it was besieged by strange emotions . His golden hair fluttered gently in the wind, its magnificence magnified only by the golden robes wrapped around his body . "Yvel . " Q¡¯vil muttered calmly as he withdrew his spear . Suddenly, two more men appeared by the man¡¯s side . Q¡¯vil recognized them, but didn¡¯t seem to care who they are . "Your people are dead, Q¡¯vil . " Edgar IV spoke softly, sighing . Q¡¯vil¡¯s eyes turned toward the distant ce . There, a hill of corpses rested . He quickly recognized Emperor Yomir... he was smiling . There was also old man Fu... he, too, was smiling . He even recognized S, a young pig-breeder... she, too, was smiling . They were all smiling . And Q¡¯vil smiled too . "Hm . " he nodded, averting his gaze from the corpses back onto the three men standing before him . World around them opened as the ordinary soldiers withdrew . They had no business prying into a battle between the Bearers ¨C no, Messengers of the Writs . "Won¡¯t you reconsider?" Edgar IV asked yet again . "... no . " Q¡¯vil said, seemingly to answer Edgar IV¡¯s question, yet seemingly to answer something else . His gaze swept beyond the three men in front of him, into the distant future . "And yes . " he spoke in a voice which only Lino could hear . "Empyrean is everything... and he is nothing . " he continued . "It¡¯s a shame..." Yvel said, his gaze fluctuating . "You¡¯re a magnificent soldier, Q¡¯vil . " "You tter me, Yvel . " Q¡¯vil said with a faint smile . "Should you fall today," Edgar IV said . "Your name will be forgotten . " "All things are bound to be forgotten one day," Q¡¯vil said, still smiling . "As shall I, so shall you . " "Impudent!!!" Gyel roared, reaching for the sword in his scabbard, but quickly being held back by Edgar IV . "Your Holiness!" "Calm down, Gyel," Edgar IV said, still looking fixedly at Q¡¯vil¡¯s calm eyes . "It is indeed as you¡¯ve said . We will all be forgotten one day . " Edgar IV took in a deep breath . "But... you are too young to be dreaming up such thoughts, Q¡¯vil . Think about it... you¡¯ve still got plenty years to live . You could be so much more than a fallen myth . A stain in the past . " "Hmm..." Q¡¯vil mumbled lowly as he looked up toward the sky . "It is certainly a beautiful day to die, don¡¯t you think so, Your Grace?" Q¡¯vil smiled once again . "A clean, blue sky... next to my brethren... on my own soil... with a calm heart . It is more than a man like me could ever wish for, really . " "..." Edgar IV sighed bitterly . Though he knew this would be the end result, he still couldn¡¯t let go of it easily . Such a blinding light... is it really meant to fade today? "Ha ha, don¡¯t look so dispirited, Your Grace," Q¡¯vilughed as he heaved his spear up . "Come! By the Command of King of Heaven...es the Death of All!" What does it mean to be an Empyrean? Lino thought as he witnessed he scene . To be an overlord? No... and yes . To be a saint? No... and yes . To be a god? No... and yes . To be a servant? No... and yes . Everything... and nothing . He doesn¡¯t care about being remembered... about having to die in a corner of the world that will be wiped from history... even while standing in the field of death, he is calm... what is it that makes him different from me? What is it that he¡¯s trying to teach me? To tell me? To be an Empyrean is to always remain calm? No, that¡¯s not it . To always charge forth no matter what? No... that¡¯s not either . To never forget your bearing? No... it is not that vain of a meaning . It¡¯s more... yet, for some reason, I feel like it¡¯s exceedingly simple . "To be an Empyrean," a familiar voice mumbled yet again as the ck eyes peered into the abyss of death . "Is to be yourself . " Lino¡¯s mind shook . "That is my second lesson, little dragon . " Chapter 33 Chapter 33 CHAPTER 33 Q¡¯VIL¡¯S LAST STAND (III) Lino soon came to realize just how immensely strong was . Since Q¡¯vil started fighting against the trio, he¡¯d used a total of eleven different elements ¨C something that Lino thoughtpletely impossible . Though he had different Primal Spirits as well, he always thought they simply enhanced the body in one way or another, but he was wrong . Q¡¯vil¡¯s feet shed in crimson lightning as he blurred left and right, evading a heaving, two-miles long cleave of a golden axe . Meanwhile, his entire body was surrounded by fuming mes while earth beneath continuously spat sharp, metallic spikes at him . In addition, before him stood Edgar IV, bearer of the . Much like its name suggests, he was nigh impossible to kill, and even Q¡¯vil couldn¡¯t find a way . Edgar IV used variety of weapons to restrain his movements, but Q¡¯vil paid little heed to it . While lightning soiled his feet, his two fists burned alight, shimmering in blinding gold . shing his spear sideways, he shed against the iing axe while blowing its bearer ¨C Yvel, Bearer of - backwards for miles on end . Control of his spear was immacte, Lino realized; he firmly believed that fighting style revolved around domination and ovepping momentum, but Q¡¯vil proved him wrong . Each of his shes had precise purpose, each stab refined to the point of perfection; he was dancing . He was dancing a dance that Lino could barely follow . Wherever he went, arcing trail of crimson lightning followed, creating a beautiful painting when mixed with mes surrounding him . asionally, Q¡¯vil¡¯s ck hair would temporarily be ghastly white as space surrounding him would break, expelling whatever was thrown at him . As Yvel was trying to regain his footing in the distance, Gyel approached from Q¡¯vil¡¯s back . He had long since abandoned his arrogance; Q¡¯vil was much, much stronger than either of the three individuals . Rather, they were barely restraining him as it is . "... Ash¡¯ka . " Gyel mumbled . He was Bearer of - Writ of the Spoken Word . As the sound of his voice got swallowed up by the world, a towering ck hole appeared above him . It was wholly circr, with radius of over ten kilometers . It bloated out the sky and swallowed all the light as it pressed heavily against Q¡¯vil, trying to swallow him up . Q¡¯vil slowly turned and faced the gigantic mass of abyss, his expression solemn . His robes and hair fluttered crazily in the wind, but he remained rooted on the spot, firmly grasping his spear ¨C Kh¡¯v . It was gifted to him by Emperor Yomir five years ago, and it was his dearest treasure . Forged from the and infused with , the spear was an unmatched weapon ever since its creation . He slowly lifted it up and pointed its three-headed tip toward the ck hole . His muscles bulged quickly as veins began wriggling like worms around his skin . Crimson lightning soon enveloped his whole being rather than just his feet as his skin tore in several ces, beginning to bleed . With a heaven-shaking roar, he heaved his head upward as he erupted forth, shattering the earth beneath his feet into smithereens, forging a nearly kilometer long and twice as deep fissure . His speed broke all thews Lino believed existed; it tore directly through the space as he appeared on the ¡¯other side¡¯ of the ck hole . Behind him, everything copsed . Laws of space and time ceased to exist . As though ss, cracks spread throughout the ck hole and it slowly shattered into shards which evaporated like water beneath the zing sun . Q¡¯vilnded some ways off, sting off a massive crater beneath his feet . His robes were soaked whole in crimson red and he was panting heavily . However, he quickly steadied himself as he spun sideways, hoisting the spear with both of his hands and smashing against the golden trails of light . As he sted it off into nothingness, he felt pure, inviting energy suffuse through the tips of his fingers . Chuckling bitterly, he shook his arms and extinguished the strange, ufortable energy before turning back toward the trio which regrouped . Behind them, massive army had already reformed; bows were nocked; arrows were loosened; whole of the sky was nketed in hellish inferno . Q¡¯vil¡¯s heart thumped heavily . Not because it was a dangerous situation, but because it was a beautiful sight . The world-renowned Skyhaven¡¯s Infernal Shower . It reaped countless lives since its inception until now, yet Q¡¯vil still considered it among the top five most beautiful sights he¡¯d ever seen in his life . "... little dragon," he spoke in a calm, even voice, as thoughpletely healthy and in peak condition . "Your fate is to fight," he added as he grasped the spear¡¯s shaft tightly, taking a deep breath and lowering his stance slightly . His feet released golden sparks as they caught aze a momentter . "Your fate is to struggle," he suddenly sted upward into the sky, leaving beneath his feet inferno which was spreading outwardly in a ring-like fashion, consuming everything in its wake . Within a blink he reached and surpassed the hail of arrows, emerging beyond the clouds, high up in the sky . "But, such is the fate of all those who are born . Youe to me bearing questions, but I scarcely have the answers, little dragon . My third lesson to you..." Lino¡¯s heart shook heavily; though he knew that all these events had already happened, though he knew that Q¡¯vil has been dead for a long, long time, he felt iparable pain assail his heart . Had he corporeal body, he didn¡¯t doubt he¡¯d suddenly start crying . "Is very simple, little dragon . " Q¡¯vil suddenly smiled; his lips curled beneath the veil into a harmonious, tranquil smile . A smile which could vanquish generational hatred . A smile which could quell even the most furious hearts . "Every decision you made and will make in your life... is your own . Whether good or bad, proper or evil, righteous or devious... it doesn¡¯t matter . We¡¯re all broken shards, spanning earth and sky to find scattered pieces of ourselves in hopes of one day bing whole . All of us only do the best we can with the life we are given . I chose to be my King¡¯s de . Another chose to be world¡¯s protector . Another to be eternal vagabond . Another to be World¡¯s Monarch . However different our paths are, our hearts unite us all under the same banner . My third lesson..." his voice softened as he slowly stopped rising up and began falling . "Little dragon, regrets are for weak hearts . Let it burn like the golden sun and let it seep into every orifice of your being... but never fall . Don¡¯t look back . Keep moving forward . The three lessons... you must be thinking how contradicting they are, no?" Q¡¯vil chuckled lightly as he slowly began gaining speed . "First is to be a dominator... second is to do whatever your heart wants... and third is to keep moving forward . Be who you are, little dragon . Do unto others what you will . But... never forget that for all that you do, there will be a reply . This is where I bid you a goodbye, little dragon," Q¡¯vil said while Lino tried screaming insensately . "I was an Empyrean who mantled my King¡¯s shadow . My de was His de . My heart was His heart . My life was His life . His death... is my death . " by now, Q¡¯vil had already fallen beneath the clouds and was heading not toward the battlefield, but toward the rundown capital . "Farewell, little dragon . Make of your life a legend, and of yourself a person your heart truly desires . " There was no longer Great Dragon Empire . Where its capital stood was now a nd spanning endlessly . At the very heart, embedded in the earth like an eternal monument, was a strangely shaped spear . For many eons toe, endless heroes would venture here in hopes of pulling the spear out, but, none have seeded . The spear remained stoic and immovable, fulfilling its lifelong purpose of being a storyteller,st remnant of a long-passed myth of a young man who flew to the sun and descended coated in lustrous gold, forever vanishing from the world . Lino heavily shook as he opened his eyes forcibly . He was back in the forge, lying t on the cold, stone floor . His heart was aplete mess, his thoughts in utter disarray, and he found himself incapable of moving even an inch . He kept replying everything he just witnessed, carefully making sure to embed every single word Q¡¯vil spoke to him as though it was a religious scripture . He had always thought of those who unconditionally gave their loyalty and lives to other people as fools . They would swear off their souls to another and bend their knees and swing their swords by theirs¡¯ bidding . But, he could no longer think that way . Even if he himself was not someone who would give his heart unconditionally to another, he realized that the faulty with him . To brave a storm for another... he thought of it as a heroic act . "..." he grunted lowly as he supported himself off the floor and sat back onto the chair . [... Analyzing...] The familiar, monotone voice echoed out inside his head, startling him . This was the first time he heard it while being conscious . [Analysisplete . Bearer received Q¡¯vil¡¯s approval . ] [ . . . ...] [...Requirements to receive : Reach Eximious Realm; Travel to Kh¡¯v¡¯s ins] Lino listened on carefully, but the voice disappearedpletely afterwards . He chuckled bitterly and shook his head; forget reaching Eximious Realm, he didn¡¯t even know just how far up it was exactly . Add that to the other requirement; who knows how long he¡¯d take to even learn where are Kh¡¯v¡¯s ins, let alone reaching them . For the time being, he stuffed the sudden quest to the back of his mind and turned his attention back onto the cape-cloak mixture while a satisfied glint shed past his eyes . Picking it up, he carefully ran his fingers around the slightly coarse surface before checking its stats . [Cleft Shadow ¨C Epic] Level: 55 Defense: 38 +8 Agility 10% to Flexibility Special effect[1] ¨C Cape Form: increases traveling speed by 10% . Lessens Stamina consumption by 20% . Special effect[2] ¨C Cloak Form: increases Stealth by 60%; 120% at night . Negates environmental hazards . Special effect[2] ¨C Infusing Qi into the Cloak turns the wearerpletely invisible to all forms of senses ¨C Divine included ¨C for 60 seconds . Can be used once every hour . Special effect[3] ¨C Either Form: Infusing Qi directly into the [Fire Core] gives explosive boost of speed to the wearer . Depending on the infused amount, speed is increased by 50/80/120/150/300% for 5 seconds . Note: increased speed by 300% has a chance of heavily damaging [Cleft Shadow] . Note: Utility-oriented dual-form cape designed for evading perception and fleeing . Above average . Lino¡¯s lips curled up in a satisfied smile; everything turned out the way he nned, and he even got the basic bonus of the Cape Form as a side present . The cloak was practically made for sneaking around, but he¡¯d still have to be careful . ording to his estimates, as long as someone¡¯s around Mid Purity Realm, they would be able to discern him through Divine Sense even when he turnspletely invisible . Nheless, this was the best he could craft for the time being . With it, he also rose his cksmithing to Level 56, roughly halfway through to bing a Grandmaster cksmith . All cksmiths were generallyyered through general ranks of Beginner, Adept, Master, Grandmaster, Exalted, Mystic etc . , but that was hardly the only and foolproof measure of their ability . For instance, Lino was a Level 56 Master cksmith, but he¡¯d be generally worse than some truly experienced Level 39 Adept cksmiths because hecked knowledge, practice and, most of all, specialty . For instance, if someone who specialized in crafting leather-woven armor ¨C especially auxiliary pieces like the coat and the cloak ¨C were to craft [Cleft Shadow], they¡¯d not only add more basic stats, but also increase the numbers of special effects by at least 40% . Besides that, there was also quality of the blueprint, knowledge about how to work with materials, perfectbination of arrays, etc . ¨C generally, much like how millions of stats rting to Strength are condensed in a single number, cksmiths were hardly judged by their Level and mastery, but rather by their actual creations . Lino didn¡¯t growcent; while, perhaps, he may be among the best cksmiths in the Umbra Kingdom, that was only when he struck gold . One has to know that, on average, most cksmiths in Bridge Vige craft 2-3 decent items daily, and procure a rarity once a week or so . Meanwhile, Linocks that consistency, and his rare crafts are, well, truly rare . He knew he had a long way to go which is why he didn¡¯t stay in the state of delirium for too long . As there was only less than two months to go until the Annual Festival, he immediately went back to his room and took out [Celestial Rod] . [Celestial Rod ¨C Unique] Level: 8 Damage: 21-24 Magic Damage: 8-12 Defense: 8 Magic Defense: 3 Durability: 23 Special Effect: Three-pronged weapon . Special Effect: First Form ¨C can fire Magic Darts from the small hole at the tip . Magic Darts must be crafted separately, and 10 can at most be stored at the same time . Special Effect: Second Form ¨C can be turned into a two-meter long spear, which can further be extended by consuming energy from the Magic Core . Energy must be replenished separately . Maximum elongation is 100 meters . Special Effect: Third Form ¨C encases the outer exterior in firm alloy, with chance to reflect both physical and magical attacks . Each time an attack is blocked, Durability is consumed . Must be restored separately . Special Effect: Due to the uniqueness of the design, the weapon can be enhanced further as well as re-forged, increasing stats as well as the number of forms . Note: Created by aplete novice . However, the craftsmanship is above average, and unique design allows it to stand above other weapons of the same level . Durability had dropped from 80 down to 23 after repeated usage, which required repairing, but Lino didn¡¯t pay attention to it for the time being . His mind slowly began spinning over how to modify it . As his first ever proper creation, he nned to take [Celestial Rod] to much greater heights . For starters, he decided to entirely try and discard the Third Form . He nned on crafting personalized shield in the near future, and Rod¡¯s Third Form would simply lower its durability unnecessarily if used . He also nned on modifying the Second Form, but not by therge margin . As he was truly satisfied with the First Form ¨C the Magic Darts ¨C he decided to keep it as it had proved capable of incredible things . As hey down the handle-looking object to the side, he took out the pen and paper before starting to scribble his draft designs . His first focus was recing the Third Form; he had no ns for the time being to add additional form as that would require too many materials, so he focused entirely on recing the Third Form and increasing the overall strength of the ¡¯weapon¡¯ . He had several ideas as a recement, but he quickly drove that number down to two: His first idea was to introduce an isted conduit within the de and infuse it with two arrays - and . In addition to those two, he¡¯d also have to inscribe another one on the backend of the handle, most-likely Advanced . His idea was rather simple: he¡¯d infuse his Tri-Spirit me directly into the , which would connect to the Rod¡¯s inner workings, running directly through the isted conduit and connecting with while would be used to regte heat . The end product woulde from the other side of the Rod where a cone-shaped st of me would be released . Even further modifications were possible ¨C timing it to be just a single short burst, or prolonged spitfire, or even changing shapes, radius, ability to track targets etc . However, this option was ratherplicated; for it alone he¡¯d have to inscribe three arrays ¨C one of which was Advanced while even the Basic Arrays were inching dangerously close to being Advanced in addition to chambering an entirely isted area within the small handle . Second idea, on the other hand, was much simpler; instead of creating an entirely isted area running through the whole handle, he¡¯d only have to create a small ¡¯storage¡¯ space somewhere and fill it with water . He¡¯d then drill a hole atop the Rod¡¯s surface and connect it directly to the storage . At the tip of the drill-point, he¡¯d inscribe and it would be done! The idea was to create a primitive version of a smokescreen, which would in turn even increase the effects of his [Cleft Shadow] . However, the drawbacks were obvious; he¡¯d have to manually refill the storage with water each time it was used, and it can only ever be used just once before running out . In addition, future modifications weren¡¯t as prominent or as numerous, as not even Intermediate Arrays could cover up deficiencies of the fundamental craft . Lino couldn¡¯t decide for the time being; the second option would increase his survival for the trip to the Capital considerably, but it was still just a short-term gain which he¡¯d definitely have to rece in the future, much like the current Third Form . Whereas the first option was a long-term investment . If he were to procure his idea now, the form would at best be used as a temporary distraction and couldn¡¯t really harm any cultivator worth a salt, but had much greater potential for the future developments . It would also be one of the ways Lino could attack externally, as he was simply unable to externalize Qi like other cultivators . He leaned back in the chair and sighed, exasperated . Just recently, he couldn¡¯t procure a single inspirational idea, yet now he had two and he couldn¡¯t decide which one to use . If he was confident enough in being able to inscribe in addition to other three arrays within the ¡¯methrower¡¯, he¡¯d choose it in a heartbeat, but there was simply no way he could do it . However, even if he was able to do it, he didn¡¯t have any materials that would be capable of actually enduring Qi being processed directly through four arrays . By the time Tri-Spirit me would reach the other end, the whole Rod would explode, probably taking Lino alongside itself to the bitter afterlife . Aah, let¡¯s just go for the long-term benefits, he decided after a while . I¡¯ve already got the cape for the immediate problems... Chapter 34 Chapter 34 CHAPTER 34 ONWARD TO CAPITAL [Celestial Rod ¨C Unique] Level: 52 Damage: 985-1040 Magic Damage: 611-613 Special effect: Three-pronged item . Special Effect: - can fire {Magic Darts} from a small hole at the tip of the Rod . {Magic Darts} must be crafted separately . Maximum limit: 15 (Weapon¡¯s Magic Damage dealt remains neutral despite the Darts¡¯ element) Special Effect: - can be quickly elongated into a massive pole by consuming energy from the [Magic Core] . Minimum elongation is 10m while the maximum is 300m . If imbued with Qi, pole gains 20% prative effect . Damage dealt is 2x weapon¡¯s Damage . Special Effect: - infusing me-attributed Qi into the bottom part of the Rod channels immense burst of mes within 1m, dealing 3x weapon¡¯s Magic Damage (element is converted purely to ¡¯Fire¡¯) . Requires 24h cooldown period; if cast within 24h, there¡¯s a chance of damaging the item . Special Effect: Due to the uniqueness of the design, the weapon can be further upgraded and re-forged, either recing current forms or adding additional ones . Special Effect: Due to having underwent the First Upgrade, [Celestial Rod] cannot be destroyed by any item beneath Level 300 . Note: Created by aplete novice ¨C upgraded by the up-anding Master cksmith . Uniqueness of the design and adequate materials used ensures the possibility of future upgrades . Lino stared at his ¡¯new¡¯ creation with a faint smile on his face . [Celestial Rod¡¯s] upgrade went far better than he expected, though he did pour quite a bit of resources from the Patriarch Varick¡¯s collection into it . Damage values from before and now are simply iparable to the point that Lino himself had trouble believing the numbers . What surprised him the most, though, was the increased maximum limit of Magic Darts that the rod could store . An unfortunate thing was that he didn¡¯t have any specialized material for crafting needle-sized bullets of destruction, so the potency of this form couldn¡¯t be fully unleashed just yet . Third Form, though barelyplete, could be used as ast resort to surprise an enemy, but Lino wasn¡¯t too keen on using it as it was simply too unstable . He let out a deep breath and sat down, wiping the sweat off his forehead . He¡¯d done all he could for the time being . There was simply no time for him to either craft or modify anything else before departing for the Capital . Another boon for him, though, was that he reached Level 45 due to crafting ceaselessly ever sinceing back to Bridge Vige, exhausting and replenishing his Qi in unceasing cycle . Looking at his stats without having any equipment on, he was both startled and surprised: [Lyonel Qa¡¯yi ¨C Human ¨C Level 45] Titles: Adept of Writ (???), Empyrean Soldier (???) upations: Beggar (Level 10), cksmith (Level 56), Cultivator (Level 2) Martial Arts: Empyrean Will (Level 1), Peerless Empyrean Spear Scripture (Level 1) Primal Spirits: Ra, Ye, Gu, Li, Glog, Tet Damage: 461 Defense: 231 Named Creations: Celestial Rod (Unique), Celestial te (Unique), Bisected Soul Set ((Chest) Soul Armor), Cleft Shadow(Epic) He had to look at the numbers a few times just to make sure he didn¡¯t see wrongly . Both Damage and Defense ¨C raw, without any equipment ¨C were simply insane . Technically, his fists were as strong as a top-tier Level 45 equipment in terms of damage, while his body was as sturdy as top-tier Level 35 armor! He could probably beat everyone within Bridge Vige ¨C with the exception of E and Eggor, of course ¨C with his bare fists! Taking a deep breath, he once again reaffirmed that is simply too mysterious . The scariest part was that he hadn¡¯t felt any direct changes urring on his body . That is to say that all change was extremely gradual to the point that he¡¯d adapt to it before even noticing anything unusual . In addition, he¡¯d gained another upation: Cultivator . Though he had no clue why he received it just recently, he knew the reason why it was only Level 2 ¨C because he was still a mere Core Realm cultivator . Mortal Realm should be Level 1, Soul Realm Level 3, Mystic Realm Level 4, Purity Realm Level 5 and so on . Sighing, he moved on from vainly staring at his prowess and chuckled lowly . He felt much more reassured about the trip after seeing just how sturdy his body became; with [Bisected Defender te] equipped, his defense would spike to over a 1000! That would mean that any weapon that dealt less than 1100 fixed damage would literally be unable to even scratch him! Defense and Damage stats are umtion of thousands, millions of other stats and they are woven tightly together ¨C that is to say that they operate in a symbiotic rtionship . If one person can deal 5 Damage with each hit, and another has 5 Defense, it would be extremely difficult to break that defense down . Such coordinated rtionship extends beyond just humans; for instance, Lino read in one of the books that the ancient Beasts, like Behemoth Turtle, would have defensive values with almost ten zeroes, making it nigh impossible to break . For instance, his [Radiant Dragon Spear] can, on average, deal 2000 Damage . However, that number isn¡¯t fixed; if it were to go up against a piece of armor that has 1000 Defense, though it would break it eventually, Damage values would be lowered considerably before the armor is broken . Even Lino himself has yet to understand the exact principle under which these two ¡¯general stats¡¯ operate and their direct rtionship with one another . He knew that in order to understand it fully, he¡¯d have to dwell into the numbers beneath the surface, and he simply wasn¡¯t interested in wasting his time on that . The following days passed by quickly in silence and Eggor soon returned, signaling the day of their departure from the Bridge Vige . Though the vige was rtively close to the Umbra Capital, it would still take roughly two days via carriage to arrive there, and considering that they¡¯d have to find lodging amidst the chaos in the city, they decided to depart for the Capital whole five days before the official start of the Annual Festival . Eggor appeared rather exhausted, with ck circles around his slightly bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair . Though Lino asked him about it, the old man refused to say anything, so the former could only let it go . As there were many people departing for the Capital, it didn¡¯t take them long to find a carriage to pull them ¨C alongside four other people . Unlike the four, Lino and Eggor seemingly didn¡¯t pack anything, as all they needed was neatly stored either in some Void storage item or Void World . Of the four passengers, three were youths slightly older than Lino, clearly excited, while thest was a woman in her early thirties, a solitary traveler . "Damn bro!" one of the youths eximed as the six people got seated in the carriage . His ck eyes were slightly widened as he stared at Lino . "You look younger than me, but why are you so buffed?! Oi, tell me, honestly, what did you eat? Huh? Do you work out? How much? Can you show me?" "..." Lino¡¯s brows twitched lightly; he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d encounter a chit-chat fe of all possible personalities . "Hm, there¡¯s this neat ce in the western part of the vige, a bit hidden behind some alleys . The sign is old and rotten, but windows are clean and¡ª" "You¡¯re talking about Merlyn¡¯s Sprout? He he, no wonder you¡¯re so buff! Aah, my wife forbade me from going there... no wonder I can¡¯t pile up any muscle!" the youth eximed yet again . "Eh? When have you ever been there Jon?" the youth¡¯s friend, a slightly shorter fe with rather unique hair color ¨C purple ¨C asked . "Jamie actually married you while knowing you¡¯ve been out and about? Eh, what a finedy . " "Shush, bastard!" the youth, Jon, berated his friend quickly . "Of course she¡¯s a finedy! For her, I¡¯d given up Jessie, Wanda, Snow, Gizz, Sermona¡ª" "Holy shit dude!!" Jon¡¯s other friend eximed . "Is there any girl in there you haven¡¯t drilled?" "Eh, there was that fat chick, V," Jon said as he scratched his nose in embarrassment . "Honestly, I wanted to check them all off my list, but damn... my little friend just couldn¡¯t heave up when she stripped... it was virtually impossible to tell the difference between her nipple and her bellybutton!" "Pfft..." Lino snorted inughter while Eggor shook his head, disappointed with vulgar youths . "Lads, can¡¯t you see that we have ady apanying us?" Eggor said . "Can¡¯t you be more proper?" "Ah!" Jon and his friends eximed as though they finally remembered . "My bad, my bad," Jon said as he smiled toward the woman apologetically . "We got carried away there . How do you do? I¡¯m Jon, this here is Harry," he pointed at the purple-haired youth next to him . "And this other fe is William . " he pointed at his other friend . "We¡¯re headed for Capital to participate in brawling, what about you?" "..." the woman merely nodded at them with a faint smile, but said nothing . "Ah, no wonder you¡¯ve screwed the whole brothel," Lino said, smiling lightly . "You having a wife should be mantled as an additional world¡¯s wonder . " Harry, William and the womanughed lightly while Jon couldn¡¯t do anything but smile in faint embarrassment . "Ah, you jest my friend!" Jon eximed . "My wife and I are very happy, and I¡¯ll have you know that she very much appreciates my charms . " "Oh well, there¡¯s a spark for all sorts of mes..." Lino mumbled . "Are you guys confident in doing well during the festival?" Lino asked, shifting the topic as the carriage slowly began moving, leaving behind the house-scattered Bridge Vige behind . "Confident, of course we¡¯re confident!" Jon eximed, puffing his chest out . "Though, now that I¡¯m seeing you... uh, you¡¯re not participating in brawling, right?" "Ha ha, no," Lino said . "I¡¯m going there merely to sight-see and, you know, sight-see . " he added with a wink . "Oh!" Jon, Harry and William all eximed in unison, smiling knowingly . "Oi, bastard, did you already forget that there¡¯s ady in here with us?!" Eggor berated him as a giant palmnded on top of Lino¡¯s head . "Oh, fuck you old bastard! Isn¡¯t that why I¡¯m talking in metaphors?! Huh?! Did I say anything along the lines of ¡¯I¡¯m going to the Capital to fuck every single woman that would say yes¡¯?! No! No I didn¡¯t!" "..." "..." "Oh, yeah," Lino chuckled lightly, though clearly not embarrassed . "Khm, so, seeing as I¡¯m not participating in the brawls, you guys better take top spots and treat me to fine ale, got it?" "... are you even old enough to drink? Wait, are you even old enough to be talking about women in the first ce?!" Jon asked as he had seemingly forgotten Lino was younger than them because of the robust body the boy had . "Eh? What do you mean am I old enough?" it was Lino¡¯s turn to puff his chest out in pride . "I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯ve both drank the finest mead and screwed the finestdy already! I¡¯m a full-fledged man!" "..." "..." "Ah, seriously," Eggor sighed, clearly far more embarrassed for Lino than thetter was for himself . "My deepest apologies," he then turned toward the woman who was still smiling faintly . "The kid loves to brag, ¡¯s all . I¡¯ll make sure to teach him a proper lesson . " "No worries . " the woman replied in a gentle, low voice . "Say kid, how about we kick them out when the nightes and have fun together?" "..." "..." silence, absolute silence! Jon, William, Harry and Eggor stared at this seemingly properdy with bulged eyes . Lino¡¯s lips parted in slight ¡¯o¡¯ exmation before being overtaken by a sleazy smile . "He he, you have fine eyes," he said . "I don¡¯t mind ying with you for a while . " after a few moments of silence, the conversation quickly steered away as everyone believed that thedy was just teasing the little boy . However, the night came, and Jon, Harry, William and Eggor found themselves camping outside, by a tall oak tree . They all had elongated expressions of utter confusion on their faces as flickers of campfire shed some light on the nightly darkness . A few momentster, the carriage began shaking and creaking, as deep growls and moans echoed out in strange rhythm . Of the four, Eggor was the most disturbed one; he had yet even to teach the young brat of propriety and fealty and the boy had already gone astray! Who knows? Maybe he¡¯s really going to the Capital to sightsee after all! Eggor felt cold shivers run down his spine . Lino was, after all, fairly young and decently handsome . That paired with his unusually stout and well-refined body and it isn¡¯t a stretch to say that he¡¯d be a decent catch in the eyes of many women . If he truly extended his hands and arms around haphazardly, Eggor suspected a birth of new specimen of demons by the time they¡¯re done with the visit to the Capital! No, I have to prevent that!! Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to lecture the bastard properly! On the other end of the curtains, Lino was currently having fun exploring the mature body beneath the palms of his hands . His head was kneaded deeply in-between the woman¡¯s breasts ¨C whose name Lino only learned when she eximed ¡¯Call my name! Call me Sarah!¡¯ during one of her erotic spasms . After environing number of sessions with Ae, both his endurance and skillfulness had grown up a notch . Paired with the fact that Sarah was far from being as beautiful as Ae resulted in carriage shaking and creaking for almost twenty minutes beforeing to a stop . Morning came and only then did Jon, Harry, William and Eggor dare enter the carriage . Inside, Lino was leaned against the wall, seemingly deep in thought, while the woman was perched up against the backend, sleeping . Her hair was a mess, dress torn in several ces, while her lips were curled up slightly . Three pairs of eyes quickly locked onto Lino, gleaming in strange glee as they re-inspected this youth . On the other end, Lino had once again realized that the idea that cultivators should abstain from all ¡¯worldly pleasures¡¯ was absolutely moronic . He¡¯d tasted the fruit and he knew there wouldn¡¯t be going back now . The carriage proceeded onward toward the Capital slowly . Though the small space within still appeared lively, there was bound to be a certain amount of awkwardness due to everything that transpiredst night . Lino could only shrug it off with a chuckle . Meanwhile, Sarah was much more active than yesterday, as though her lips were suddenly unclogged . On the other hand, even though Eggor wanted to lecture Lino, he felt it was better he waited until the two were alone, without any disturbances . With such mixed atmosphere, the carriage slowly arrived at the Umbra City . After dismounting the carriage and paying the toll, Lino was finally able to nce at the magnificent city . Outermost walls were built from thick, gray brick, rising upward for at least ten meters, with dozens of watchtowers spread about . The city¡¯s architecture was mostly gothic, baroque in the sheer amount of detail . Every major building had at least two spires piercing the sky like spears, while their domed roofs ranged from pure white to pure ck in color, almost leaving no color untouched . The dirt road of the outside was immediately reced by beautiful, white limestone . The city itself was built in arge valley, surrounded on one end by a deep and wide river, on another by a massive mountain, while the remaining two were open ins spilling into forests and hills . Lino¡¯s eyes bulged slightly at the sight of it all; though City of Mercenaries was without a doubt a rather impressive city, it looked like a massive dung whenpared with Umbra . The centerpiece of the whole exhibition was no doubt the Pce ¨C though Lino considered it more of a massive castle within the city . With walls striking nearly twenty meters in height and almost a meter of thickness, and six carefully ced watchtowers with reinforced, ssed windows to boot, it looked like an impregnable behemoth of cosmic proportions . Though the walls were drab gray in color, the insides were all but; even if he was unable to clearly see everything, just the dozens of white-dyed spires rising up like skewers were more than enough to tell him of the luxurious lifestyle that royalty enjoyed . Lino had quickly parted ways with the group as he was led by ear by Eggor to look for the inn . The city streets were bustling with activity to the point that it took them almost a minute just to move a hundred paces . Even Lino found himself slightly annoyed as he constantly bumped shoulders with no small amount of courses heading his way . After the eleventh time, he snapped . He reached out with his right arm and grabbed the cor of a middle-aged man who told him that ¡¯he was clogging the streets harder than a thick dung clogged narrow bum¡¯ . The middle-aged man was immediately shocked as he realized he couldn¡¯t put even a whiff of resistance against the massive force which heaved him up into the air . Lowering his gaze, his eyes met a pair of ck stars, ring at him with iparable annoyance . "I¡¯m clogging the streets, huh?!" Lino growled angrily . "I¡¯ll clog your damn mother! Fuck you!! Say it again you fat-fucked bastard, I dare you!! Come on, where¡¯s your fucking bravado, huh?! If I see your face again I¡¯ll rip my foot so far up your ass that I¡¯ll unclog your fucking throat from your neck, got it?! Get lost!!" he threw the man casually, yet the poor thing flew nearly ten meters across the sea of people,nding elsewhere where he was immediately besieged by another ry of curses, no doubt getting beaten up . "..." Eggor¡¯s eyebrows twitched as his expression turned odd; he suddenly realized that the little bastard was actually holding back against him! If he used that vicious tongue to the full extent against him, Eggor wondered whether he¡¯d even be able to withstand a minute of it . "Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t stir up the trouble the moment we arrive . " "..." It took the pair nearly fifteen minutes until they arrived in a slightly less-popted street; unlike the limestone-paved path they came from, the streets here were much more akin to those outside the walls . Either they were full of stirring dirt or of shaky, half-cracked cobblestones . Lino knew that this was the reality of things, whether it was Umbra Capital, City of Mercenaries or Bridge Vige in question . Wherever was the splendor of delight and magnificence, there was the light-woven shadow cast upon the backend few ever see . For every nobleman bathing in liquefied gold, there was a whole set of families who¡¯d forgotten what the word ¡¯bathe¡¯ even means . Though the streets were impoverished and full of beggars, neither Eggor nor Lino were affected that much . Former had gone through far worse things in his life, while thetter had grown up in a ce exactly like this, if not worse . Both were all too familiar with the ugly side of life . After fiddling about for a few minutes, they finally reached the small-time inn near the western end of the city, barely fifty meters away from the tall wall . The inn was three stories tall, the only building nearby which boosted stone walls and some basic decorations . After paying a ten-silver-a-night fee, the duo was sent up to the second floor into a rtively small, butfy enough, room with two beds and absolutely nothing else . "Tsk," Eggor clicked his tongue . "Ten silvers for this shit? Aren¡¯t they ashamed?" "Ohe on," Lino rolled his eyes . "It¡¯s still better than that crap you call home . " Pu! It¡¯s been a while since Lino felt the humongous palm crash against his cheeks . He realized he missed it somewhat, causing his eyebrows to fiercely twitch . Oi, this isn¡¯t good . What if I suddenly get a stiffy while fighting? Where would my damn image go? "... are you sure you don¡¯t want me to give you anything?" Eggor asked as the two sat down . "Old bastard, do you want me to turn into a parrot?" Lino said with a somewhat annoyed expression . "Unlike you, I won¡¯t be proactively looking for the damn Demons . I¡¯ll just look for the signs and bolt my ass to eighth heaven the moment I spot something . " "... ah, whatever, I already tried . Can¡¯t do anything if you keep refusing the toast . Where do you n on looking?" Eggor asked as the two had already cleanly studied the Capital¡¯s map before departing . "Sewer system," Lino said, sighing . "Though all entrances elsewhere are probably barred, I can maybe dig up something . What about you?" "I¡¯ll go mingle with the crowd under the pretense of registering you," Eggor said . "Remember to use the talisman if you get in trouble, got it?!" "..." Tsk, why don¡¯t perky women sweep in and give memunication talismans? Why are only old geezers so interested in me? Lino scoffed inwardly for a moment before replying . "Alright, alright . Don¡¯t be a worrywart . I¡¯m not aplete idiot . " "... are you certain about that?" Eggor asked, looking at him with odd gaze . "Be honest, you¡¯re just jealous I banged that babe while you could only sit outside and watch-no, wait, listen-right?" "... . " The two waited for the night to arrive before Lino departed from the inn . Mantling his [Cleft Shadow], he began inconspicuously moving through the alleys . He also equipped [Celestial te] . Though its effects were somewhat lowered at his current Level, they were still helpful, especially during the night . Before meeting up with that old geezer from the Dying Roses Sect, he had to do three things first: scout out the ck Bear Inn, map escape routes, and listen in on the gossip from themoners . As someone who practically grew up in the streets, Lino was quite versatile in understanding where the source of informationy . Even if most of it was gossip, it was almost always based on a truth; after simply weeding through the lies, one could usually find out far more from the ordinarymoners than even established Information Guilds . After all, thetter would always withhold a certain amount of information, especially if it pertained to important figures . And that¡¯s exactly what Lino had to learn ¨C the hierarchy and structure of the upper strata . For a whole Demon Nest to not only appear but also sustain itself within the heart of a Kingdom, a powerful hand with immense political and economic influence was required . In order to unveil the hidden shadow behind it all, he first had to learn everyone who operated in light . Chapter 35 Chapter 35 CHAPTER 35 UMBRA CAPITAL Lino had truly found himself slightly stunned as he stood beneath the behemoth-like walls of the Umbra Capital . Towering at over fifteen meters tall, they seemed constructed in such a way to nket the sky for all the neers, while the seemingly countless watchtowers sprawling at every cut-corner appeared as reminders of Kingdom¡¯s might to all those who might have any ideas . While the stream of people was somewhatcking whenpared to City of Mercenaries, the ¡¯quality¡¯ was certainly a notch higher . Lino was also certain there¡¯d be an endless streaming over the next few days until the Annual Festival, which would most-likely clog even the massive, iron gates erected before his eyes . Divided with metal tes with identical lions carved on each side, painted in deep gold, they gave off a feeling of overbearance, one which pressured one¡¯s soul and mind . Lino was quickly dragged off by Eggor as the two headed toward the eastern part of the city . The wide streets - where two whole horse carriages were able to pass side-by-side - sprawled like spider web, conduits between countless, smaller alleyways at whose sides numerous buildings rose up from earth . Brick, concrete, stone - from four to over twenty meters tall, they seemingly upied every inch of free space avable . And, far off in the distance, toward the very center of the city, Lino had been able to see several spires rising like spears into the sky, shrouding a domed, ssed roof of a massive pce . All spires had sharp and edged style to them, emitting a rather threatening atmosphere, acting as guards of sorts themselves . Eggor soon dragged him to a slightly poorer part of the city, where one could carp about streets for hours due to their narrowness and filth . Every so often, they¡¯de across a beggar lying or sitting on the ground, fiendishly leaning against the walls or street posts, their charred and scarred arms extended into open hands while their eyes watchfully observed the passers-by . The high sun slowly sank as they found their way to a slightly ran-down, two-story inn . The moment Lino crossed the front door, he felt a strange sensation assail him as his eyes widened, scanning over the room . His eyes soonnded on a man behind the half-cracked counter; he appeared to be in histe thirties with chiseled and sharp features and ck, messy hair, though his eyes provided a stark contrast with their emerald-green hue . He appeared rather tall, but also thin, as his eyes rose up and met Lino¡¯s . Thetter quickly felt as though there were spiders crawling over his skin ceaselessly, hurrying Eggor on while he pretended to observe the inn, whistling in a low tune . Eggor carried out the arrangements rather quickly; Lino noticed that the man spoke little, in low, brash voice, and seemed disinterested in practically everything surrounding him . The two climbed up to the second floor and entered their room - or rather a prototype of it, anyway . A small, stuffy, squared room with two bed that could hardly be called so constituted the room . "Wow, you really wanted to save up money wherever you could, huh . " Lino mused as he sat down on the bed, quickly feeling his bottom ache to the firmness of the mattress . "We need to stay inconspicuous," Eggor reminded angrily . "Would splurging around let us do that?" "No, but it¡¯d be a hell of a lot more fun . " Lino said, smiling . "But, your money, your rules . " " . . . what is your first n?" Eggor asked, shifting the topic . "I¡¯ll visit the district . " "Which district?" "The district . " Lino replied . "Yeah, but which?" Eggor asked, frowning . " . . . really?" "What?" "Khm, okay, how can I exin it to you . . . you see, there are girls there, and there are guys there; former are mostly naked, whiletter are looking to get naked--" "No!! I ought to talk to you about that! You need to learn to carry yourself properly! How can you go off whoring like that?!" Eggor st into anger immediately, entering his lecture mode . " . . . ah, first off - you¡¯re wrong . I¡¯m not whoring, I¡¯m having fun . Secondly, that¡¯s not why I¡¯ll be going," Lino exined . "Most of the unfiltered information goes through these ces . I might get lucky ande across a girl or two who know something . " "Or you might get lucky, huh . " "Oh, wow! The bearded bastard ying with words! What day is it today?" "Oh, fuck off . " "What will you do?" Lino asked . "I¡¯ll go and talk with the participants under the guise of applying you," Eggor replied . "I might learn something as well . " "Chances are, though, that neither of us will see much luck," Lino said, shrugging his shoulders . "If they were yet to be found by now by anyone, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d get so lucky to find them in a day or two . " "Unlike others, we know what to look for specifically," Eggor said, sighing lightly . "In case we don¡¯t find it within two weeks, we¡¯re leaving . Not just this city, but also the Kingdom . " " . . . " "You don¡¯t agree?" Eggor asked, raising his eyebrow at Lino . " . . . I can¡¯t," Lino said, smiling bitterly . "There¡¯s no way I can leave . Not until I at least figure out what the hell¡¯s going on . " " . . . I see . " Eggor said, sighing lightly . "We¡¯ll figure it out, then . No matter what . " "No matter what . . . yeah, I like the sound of that . " Lino waited until night fell over the skyline, causingnterns around the city streets to radiate out like stars, before departing from the inn, scurrying through the narrow alleyways while avoiding the main streets . He needn¡¯t even ask where the ¡¯red district¡¯ was as he easily spotted dozen or so young and old men alike on their way over, no doubt their destination expressed on their faces . Red district of Umbra Capital was situated toward the rough border of the southern wall, surrounded by low-cost and worn down homes and shops . Though the night had already fallen beyond midnight by the time Lino arrived, it felt like day once heid his eyes on the main street cutting directly across the heart of the entire district . Hangingnterns, tied to thick, iron strings, hung above the streets like ornaments, lighting it up in mesmerizing colors . Windows at the sides of the streets were nearly all alight, and chatter continued ceaselessly, silence seemingly unknown thing to all of them . Scantly-d women adorned the sidewalks and streets¡¯ corners, sending flirtatious gazes to every passer-by, sometimes even moving that bit of linen covering their breasts and exposing them entirely in hopes of enticing the onlookers . Prostitutes weren¡¯t chosen by their age, Lino quickly realized, as there were those as young as fourteen, and those as old as sixty from his estimation . He very much doubted most of them wished to stand on these corners, hoping others would demean them, but he didn¡¯t dwell on it for too long; it was the reality of things, one he¡¯d witnessed countless times while growing up . He knew he couldn¡¯t save them beyond giving them temporary relief with some coins, but how many could he save? Even without counting, only here they numbered in over a hundred, discounting those already inside, providing services . While his eyes scanned around, he set his eyes upon the group of three girls, aged between fifteen and seventeen, standing on the corner, feeling slightly out of ce . Their demeanour was awkward and stiff, and their attempts at flirtatious nces failed to capture anyone . He noted they¡¯d just recently entered the world, and are yet to get used to it . He approached them slowly and openly while ignoring the nearby chatter and other women trying to drag him by his sleeve, and in no time found himself in front of the three girls; unlike most other women around, they were slightly better dressed, only exposing parts of their legs and arms and cleavage, their stomachs entirely covered . They grew startled for a moment as Lino stopped in front of them, smiling lightly . "Y-yes?" the oldest one muttered out weakly, slightly on guard against him . "How much for your girls¡¯ time?" Lino asked nonchntly . " . . . you mean . . . all three of us?" the same girl asked back; she had appeared to be roughly seventeen years old, with long, ck hair and thick eyebrows beneath which a pair of emerald gems hid, carefully observing Lino . "Hm? Isn¡¯t that why you girls are standing together?" Lino asked, tilting his head sideways . "Uh, no--" "It¡¯s fine," Lino interrupted, shaking his head lightly . "I¡¯ll give twenty gold pieces for an hour . How about that?" "T-twenty?!!" all three girls shrieked in unison, quickly looking around from fear of someone having heard them . "A-are you sure?" the oldest one added . "Yeah . " Lino replied simply; he had enough gold to splurge on whatever he wanted, but he was hardly a spendthrift . Growing up with empty pockets had taught him to always have a hidden stash in case all hell breaks loose . "A-alright," the oldest one said after a short silence, during which the three girls exchanged strange gazes . "Follow us . " "Alright . " Lino followed them to the nearby house, not unlike any other in surroundings, and got lost in thought in the meantime . He naturally had ns to ¡¯hire¡¯ other girls as well, of varying ages, but he decided to try his luck with the youngest ones first as they aren¡¯t as shrewd and as experienced as the older ones . Lino was certain, deep down, that experienced prostitutes were the shrewdest sort you never wanted to cross, as your life would quickly turn into a nightmare . The four of them quickly found their way to a small room with a single, slightly narrow bed . Lino sat down without hesitation while the three girls remained standing, some ways off the bed, looking at him warily . He smiled gently and reached for his pocket, fiddling around while pretending he was taking the coins out of his pocket rather than the void world . He dragged them out and slowly ced them onto the floor, lifting his gaze up only to see the girls¡¯ shocked expressions full of desire . "How long have you been girls doing this?" he asked . " . . . a-are you . . . are you into virgins?" the oldest one asked yet again, swallowing a mouthful of saliva in the process . "It doesn¡¯t matter," Lino said, smiling lightly . "I¡¯m interested in beautiful girls, which you three certainly are . However, that is not why I¡¯m here today . " "What do you mean?" the oldest one asked, drawing a step back alongside the other two . "What¡¯s your name? Mine¡¯s Leo . " " . . . Anna . " the oldest girl replied . "Anna? It¡¯s a nice name," Lino nodded faintly . "Don¡¯t be afraid," he added softly, not making any sudden movements from fear of scaring them away . "My request is rather simple: I just want you girls to be my ears . I¡¯ve just arrived in the city, and I¡¯d like to know what¡¯s going on here . " "You have Information--" "We both know they¡¯ll tell you nothing of importance," Lino interrupted Anna with a faint shrug . "I don¡¯t need the names of the streets, the most popr girls and guys, and the name of the crazed, witchcrafting widow . " " . . . what . . . what do you need?" Anna asked, clearly tempted . Lino knew they would be; after all, twenty gold coins would allow these girls to live in luxury for over a year, and for over ten if they use it sparsely . "Rumors," Lino said, rxing slightly and leaning back onto the bed . "Strange people, strange events, unexined phenomena, people with red eyes . . . such stories . " " . . . I-I haven¡¯t heard anything of the sorts . " Anna said after a short thought . "No worries, just keep your ears out . Money is yours either way," Lino said as he slowly got off the bed, moving toward the doors while girls quickly sidestepped him . "I¡¯ll be back in a few days; wait for me in this room, during the daytime . If you find out anything useful, there¡¯s more of that shine in my pockets . " He casually left, leaving the girls dumbstruck . Though the prostitutes were indeed shrewd, they were also easily enticed by the golden shine; you sh them enough coins, and they¡¯re willing to do anything for you, no matter how odd, weird or disturbing it may be . However, Lino still avoided girls that appeared rather dubious to him, as his actions weren¡¯t exactly ¡¯proper¡¯, since he was avoiding Information Guild and going behind their backs . He also avoided the girls which seemed like they¡¯d bargain over more gold as they would probably see his desperation overing to them of all ces . In the end, he ¡¯hired¡¯ seventeen women, ranging from fourteen years of age to forty-something . Though he didn¡¯t expect much, he still had some hopes of finding out at least something odd about the city . Even if his pockets did grow slightly hollow, it hardly dented his overall situation, as he still had tens of thousands of gold coins to spend . To him, beyond survival, they were only used as means to an end rather than something he ought to hoard and bank until his dying days, or to unt about to people who don¡¯t have as much as he does . On his way back, he decided to stray from his previous path slightly, deeming it necessary to explore the Umbra Capital a bit and confirm everything he learned from the various maps he studied . After all, maps are dead and they can¡¯t tell everything exactly as it is; no matter what hell breaks loose eventually, he wanted to be properly prepared for it to the best of his abilities . Halfway through his journey, thunder began to boom out throughout the sky as the clouds eclipsed the moon, drawing apletely ck carpet over the sky . It didn¡¯t take long until thunder grew louder and first droplets of rain began to fall, quickly turning into an absolute hailstorm as strong winds began to blow in addition . Streets grew wet immediately and pond after pond erupted from crevices in the road . Lino¡¯s vision grew limited and he had to slow down, oftentimespletely hiding from the rain as it¡¯d grow too heavy . The world around him fell into strange, almost eerie silence where only the sound of the rain pounding against the roads and roofs echoed . Even the near corners would be nketed entirely in the night and heavy rain, making him uncertain as to where exactly he was going . Though not exactly lost, as he could always cast a nce at the Pce which was clearly visible even during the terrible weather, it did cause him to slow down even further, oftentimes having to orient himself against the Pce itself to know where exactly he was . He¡¯d long since parked the map inside his void storage as even with Tri-Spirit mes, he was unable to read anything properly . The eerie atmosphere grew softly, causing Lino¡¯s mouth to go dry a couple of times . He couldn¡¯t exactly exin it, but he felt a sensation of dread creep up and down his spine, as though his body was repeatedly warning him of something, though he could hardly venture a guess as to what . As the sensation grew even more horrid, he finally decided to turn around and leave, deeming it too dangerous to continue on . Just as he was crossing from one alleyway onto another, he caught a heavy, thudding sound followed up by low wails . Startled, he immediately came to a halt and carefully scouted around, noting every single detail he could make out . He couldn¡¯t understand how he was able to hear the sounds over the deep rain, as he¡¯d barely been able to hear the sound of his own footsteps . A few secondster, the same two sounds repeated as the thudding sped up slightly, growing rhythmic . Low wails soon turned to dreary sobs, and the sound continued to weave between the two . Somber atmosphere permeated every inch of the ce, but Lino couldn¡¯t locate the source of the sound exactly; it bellowed out from all around, as though he was encapsted within the heart of the source itself . He carefully took a step forward, trying to heave himself up to look beyond the roof and toward the Pce in order to orient himself; however, he soon found out something which sent shivers down his spine - Pce was nowhere to be found . Rather, the entire city seemed to have been swallowed up in a void while even the sky itself loosened suddenly with thunders as the ck clouds swirled together in a clot as the centerpiece, whirling round and round until a massive, gaping vortex leading seemingly to the abyss opened up in the sky . Illusion!! Lino immediately realized he¡¯d fallen into an illusion of sorts, but it was far toote now . The indifferent air quickly turned foul and rancid as Lino spotted the seeming source of it all . Land beneath his feet was no longer cobblestone pavement, but opaque water atop of which he was somehow standing without sinking . Gloomy fog pervaded all through, causing a sinking feeling to grow in his chest . Within the misty fog, a set of seven silhouettes, all seemingly exact replica of one another, appeared . They were standing still, their forms distorted as though smudged by a finger . Entirely ck, they provided a stark contrast to the white mist, but Lino was unable to discern any of their features . Dreary sobs and low wails were now gone, Lino realized, but something even more horrid reced them - a sort of hysterical, high-pitchedughter screeched out, grating against Lino¡¯s ears like a grindstone against a sword, forcing him to put both his hands up to cover them . Immediate headache assailed him as his senses grew crippled, his vision turning distorted and blurry, as though he was looking at things through a spectral mirror of sorts . He could still, though, notice the seven silhouettes suddenly move - not toward him or elsewhere, but toward each other . As though ink spilling over and rushing to the lowest central point, they morphed into shadow-like enigmas and floated against the gravity itself, blending together in a rather morbid fashion . Hystericalughter continued, thudding sounds growing into booms that caused the earth beneath his feet to sink . His eyes finallynded onto a giant vortex in the sky which was now spitting out eerily pale-white arms up to their shoulders in droves . It was raining, but not the rain he¡¯d just escaped . The arms numbered in thousands, tens of thousands, carpeting each and every ounce of the sky as they dove toward him in their own individual arcs . The morphed figure in front of him stopped wriggling; its silhouette was reminiscent of a spider, as it had nearly twenty limb-like protrusions erected from its body, swaying around almost as though independent of its main body . Within the white mist, beyond the ebony silhouette, another color appeared: crimson red . One dot . . . two . . . ten . . . soon, almost a hundred of red, eye-like dots appeared in a gleaming fashion, all staring directly at him . Realizing he¡¯d gotten trapped by a Demonic creatures, Lino gathered his wits quickly and used to resist the assault on his mind . He then quickly extended his arm, drawing the Radiant Spear from his void world and gripping it tightly while shifting his gaze between the figure in front of him and the army of arms racing toward him . It was a conundrum; he could attack either of the two, or wait for them toe at him . Whichever he chose, though, he had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t be much easier . The key point was that he had no clue how to escape illusions as he was yet to reach Soul Realm, where he could use his mind for purposes other than to think . Thuds . Laughter . Eerie hissing sounds of the arms cutting through the air . Strange, crackling soundsing from beneath his feet . What the hell did I get myself involved into?!! Chapter 36 Chapter 36 CHAPTER 36 BEYOND THE VEIL Spearing forward, Lino suddenly felt a grip on his ankle as his heart paused for a moment . Looking down, he saw decaying, pale fingers twirled around his right ankle, pressing tightly as sizzling sounds echoed out . Freaked out, he threw a straight thrust at the ground without holding anything back, causing a massive explosion to bellow out, slicing the earth apart and revealing a gaping hole - as though a massive beast¡¯s maw - filled with corpses beyond numbers¡¯ count . Whilst in air, he crossed above the mist as his eyesnded on the other side, where he was finally able to make out the features of the grotesque thing; rather than spider¡¯s limbs, it had arms instead, extending out from every inch of its body, while its round, spherical body had dozens of protrusions akin to nails at its back . At front were eight heads - or, better yet, eight pairs of eyes and mouths, all gaping wide - swirling about the body like trunk in mud . The eight pairs of eyes suddenly turned upward, entirely ck in hue, and focused onto him . A mere blinkter, the mouths gaped even further as incredulous screech broke out, causing air itself to vibrate briefly . Lino took a deep breath while midair, and drew Qi into his feet while using momentum to dive toward the creature . What the hell is that thing?! he thought as he observed every inch of the strange creature . [Analyzing . . . ] The familiar, robotic voice echoed out inside his mind all of a sudden, startling him further . [Analysisplete . . . ] [Name: Abominable Morphed Devil Child] [Level: 71] [Source: Born when an overflow of Devil Qi urs at ces with a lot of corpses . ] [Strength: Illusion Arts, ???, ???, ???] [Weaknesses: Fire, ???, ???, ???] [Rmendation: Fight] Lino nearly rolled his eyes so far back up they¡¯d end up on the other side of the skull, barely holding back from cursing out loud . With a great momentum, he broke through the curtain of pale-white arms, piercing directly toward the creature and sliding past its shoulder-like area while its arms twirled around as though independent of its body, turning into shing spikes flying toward his back . He crashed directly into the ground, blowing it apart thanks to the Qi he infused previously, and spun immediately, barreling the spear in his arm between his ribcage and elbow and slicing it in a wide arc, dissecting the iing arms in a swift motion . A mournful screech followed, which he ignored to the best of his ability, gritting his teeth and kicking off yet again, circling sideways while making sure to side step all the arms breaching past the earth . He took the spear directly into his hand and began piercing it in quick sessions; each time he¡¯d hit the creature, it¡¯d feel as if he¡¯d briefly stuck the spear into the mud, and it took far more effort to pull it out than to reel it in . While circling, he felt cold winds slowly blow from above and he took a chance to nce up, sighing inwardly . Arms all around, all blowing toward him, creating an inescapable . He tightened the grip on the shaft and came to a halt, infusing Qi directly into the spear while using the only Martial Art he had for fighting for the first time: . The spear immediately blurred as it seemingly blended into the environment, leaving behind only whizzing sounds of tearing wind and bellowing dust . Each second, another hole appeared somece on the strange creature while agonizing wails echoed out again and again, ceaselessly filling the world with macabre feeling . He shortly after felt cold sensation prick against his body, sending chills through his veins . He knew that the pale arms had finally reached him and enveloped him, but he hardly cared for the moment, simply sending whiffs of Qi to defend against them . Had someone been there to look at him from the outside, they¡¯d see a far stretch of forearms spreading out like erect spears, wounding down into a singrity while countless fingers interwove into a strange canopy, a cocoon of sorts entangling him . However, every moment, holes were blown apart as the Radiant Spear pierced through both the arms entangling him and the creature trying to escape in front of him . Shocking sounds of bellowing thunder blew out from the cocoon, as listless arms fell from the sky only to be reced by new ones . It was a struggle of two ends, and Lino felt it reach deep into his bones . Strange coldness - less like winter¡¯s and more like terror¡¯s - seeped into his marrow while whispers barely audible assailed directly into his mind . He felt as though his bones were being eroded, his heart torn open inside out, veins slit like stalks, all his senses diminishing considerably . Rather than hearing, it seemed as though all sounds were transmitted directly into his mind without a buffer, stench passing by his barriers and muddling him, sight blurred beyond any focus; weakness akin toplete suppression growled at him like a beast, but he remained as focused as he could be, pouring Qi ceaselessly into the Radiant Spear while pushing it forth over and over again . He fought against the voices, against the coldness, against the weakness, against the strange unknown, defying it as though battling against something natural . He¡¯d only taken a first step, he¡¯d remind himself, and if he were to fail here, all he ever thought he could achieve would shatter; the ss-thin illusion of the future he¡¯d concocted for himself would fracture, and there¡¯d only be fragments of what could have been . Even if he survived through the ordeal, piecing the fragments together back to their original shape would be nigh impossible, he knew . If he let himself be broken here, he knew there would be no future as he imagined it . He felt the arms, like chains, wrap around every inch of his soul, their coldness empty, akin to an endless void without either matter or light, but he pushed back . He heard the voices, the softest of whispers as alluring as the charms of the most beautiful women, but he ignored them . Halfway through, he¡¯d even seen her, and his heart nearly cracked; thoughcking features much like his memory, he knew it was her . He¡¯d never met another who had hair as golden, smile as ethereal, voice as sound, tranquil, warm, and eyes as clear as the summer¡¯s sky . He¡¯d realized something right then and there, wrapped in the arms of death, called forth by the cries from hell, murmur of purgatory; he was a tiny speck, a fleeting nothing in the majesty of what he was going up against . Alreadycking confidence in himself, it wasn¡¯t easy to ce himself within that world and understand he stood beneath the bottomyer, looking up at the world muchrger than he¡¯d ever imagined . He didn¡¯t know what this creature was, or what these arms were, or what this strange, cold sensation was . He didn¡¯t think them evil, or innately malevolent, but simply a natural contrast to himself; just the same as he¡¯d look at his reflection in the muddy waters of a September¡¯s pond and see someone else entirely, this creature, this world, these arms, were a reflection of a world seeping out from the other side . He couldn¡¯t feel any anger, any hatred, any inherent desire for destruction aimed toward him, just natural opposition to who he was . Spinning in these thoughts, he could still manage to focus enough of his consciousness on the world around him, a world distant and unknown, but part of the whole nheless . He¡¯d remembered the boy in the cave telling him that there¡¯s only a single world, and the fragments living ¡¯outside¡¯ of it while still being part of the singrity . Just then, he felt the arms¡¯ grip on him loosen and he grasped the opportunity, pouring in Qi and Tri-Spirit mes directly into the spear, causing the de to lighten up like sun, sting away the cold darkness bellowing at him from the deeps . Mournful cry leaked out, permeating the whole of the strange world, causing it to sway, much how Q¡¯vil and others caused the world around them to sway and shake with their mere voices . The fog and mist dissipated, the arms eroded away into ash and were carried off by the wind, and the disfigured creature in front of him began melting as though doused in acid . Bit by bit, its outer shell copsed, its arms crumbled, countless eyes closing as streaks of ck blood leaked out their corners and drowned the floor beneath it in a small ebonyke . Lino looked around and saw that he was standing in the middle of a vast field, surrounded merely by empty horizon . There was no source of light, yet light there existed, as he clearly could see everything around him, even in the supposed pitch ck darkness . Every inch of his body hurt and felt cold and as he looked down, he noticed that his clothes were tattered, skin carved out at several ces, flesh torn open, revealing white bones beneath . He bled profusely, yet it had already begun healing because of the . He shifted his gaze back onto the strange creature, only to be startled yet again; the disfigured monstrosity was gone, before him standing a meter-and-some tall human-like girl . The difference was that she had dark, blue skin and ankle-long hair where each strand seemed independently alive . Her facial features mirrored human¡¯s save for the massive gash on her forehead and deeply concave cheeks . She was quite thin, barely a stick-wider, seemingly only skin and bones . One of her arms was stretched forward, her palm turned up above which a spherical object shimmering in faint cyan spun ceaselessly . It was rather strange, exuding metallic luster and seemingly humming a low melody . "What is your name?" a choir of voice echoed out, yet Lino knew that only this strange girl-like creature in front of him was the source . " . . . Lino . Why?" he asked, still on alert, holding tightly onto his spear . "Hm," the girl murmured lowly, ncing at the rotating sphere . "Do you know what this is?" she asked as Lino shook his head . "It¡¯s a miniature scale of the whole world," she said, her voice(s) void of emotion . "In reality, it¡¯s simply a shell . Within it, there areyers," she exined . "You humans call it fragmented dimensions, just isted parts of the singrity . However, singrity lies deep below, at the heart of the world . There, where neither living nor dead could or would ever thread, is where all answers are . You, your world, the facade you believe in," she said, looking up, directly into his eyes . "Are merely the topmostyer of the shell . You live on the surface, looking and living things birthed from the further remnants of that heart . Your Will lives up to your Writ," she said, her lips curling up in a strange smile . "Since time immemorial, only Empyreans ever stood against the Gaia, defying with unbending wills . Should you live, much like those before you, and those before them, and all the way back to the very first sentient being who had inherited Will of the Writ, you¡¯ll peel back theyer of reality and fall into the rabbit hole from which there is no return . Humans . . . Devils . . . Gods . . . Angels . . . Dragons . . . countless, innumerable races . . . we all live here," the sphere suddenly extended and a single part of it split out into a translucent image . "A single, topmostyer . Beneath us . . . is a road . I yearned to walk it long ago, my curiosity getting better of me . But it¡¯s not a path just anyone can thread, I¡¯d learned that a hard way . " " . . . why are you telling me this?" Lino interrupted, feeling slightly annoyed . He realized that people have tendency of dwelling into long, strange and obscure monologues when talking with him, seemingly telling him something very important, yet saying absolutely nothing at the same time . "Because you don¡¯t belong here, Lino," the girl said, withdrawing the image into the sphere . "No, it¡¯s better to say that this world will reject you at best, and try to destroy you entirely at worst . Writs have given up . Bearers turned cowards, ves to Gaia . They¡¯d forgotten their Wills, they¡¯d forgotten their purpose, one grasping at streaks beyond this tiny reality . But, Empyreans never have . The Empyrean Writ never has . Do you know how and why Titans suddenly disappeared from the world, and their era came to an end over night?" " . . . " Lino nkly stared at her, utterly confused . "For eons, Agh¡¯art fought like a ¡¯mad dog¡¯," she said, suddenly looking up at the sky . "He was an Empyrean in his heart, bones, soul and will . Finally, the Seventh Bearer surrendered to Gaia, and six came after him . He fought for seven days and nights, ending up riddled with wounds that not even Empyrean Writ could heal . In the end, he still refused to give up . Refused to surrendered . . . for he knew . He knew what they ignored . So, he tore his heart out directly, poured Chaos into it and awoke Yigoth, The First Prime . It scorched the sky and copsed the earth, annihting every Titan within a blink . Such is the fate of an Empyrean," she looked back at him . "You have qualifications to be one . It is not a destiny imposed upon you, and you can still choose not to walk it . You can still turn away, Lino . However, if you keep pressing onward, you will be fighting a war that will never end . You will find yourselfcking allies,cking friends,cking loves,cking all things you humans seem to ostensibly yearn for . It is a road marred with pain, apathy, coldness of an empty void, indifference, dismay, loneliness you¡¯ll hardly find elsewhere . It is not toote, I say, to turn around and walk away . All those before you had fallen; I very much doubt you¡¯ll do any better than them . And you," Lino¡¯s soul suddenly shook as the girl spoke, seemingly to something beyond him . "You¡¯ve fought long enough . You¡¯ve taken another seed you know will fail . How much longer? How many failures can you live through? First had also abandoned you . You have no one and nothing left . You¡¯re a vagabond trying to change the world, when the world doesn¡¯t wish to be changed . It¡¯s enough . You¡¯ve fought long and bitter war, but it¡¯s enough . Let them be . Let them do by Gaia¡¯s bidding . Your children will forgive you . Everyone will . I know . . . that I¡¯ve already forgiven you . My father forgave you . My grandfather forgave you . All of my blood had forgiven you for what you¡¯ve done to us . We¡¯ve understood, long ago, why you did it . You needn¡¯t suffer any longer for the things you¡¯ve caused . They¡¯ve caused much . . . much . . . much worse . Go to sleep . Let the world spiral back to the beginning and start anew . It is the only way . . . " " . . . it is never the only way," Lino¡¯s lips parted, though neither the voice nor the will that came out were his . It was that familiar, robotic voice that he¡¯d grown slightly tired of hearing, replying directly through him . "You say to start the world anew, but to start it, it¡¯d have to be destroyed . She thinks herself strong enough to unearth the Below, and reach the Truth . Should she get lucky, world would start anew . Should she not, there would be no world . You¡¯ve surrendered, given up . I can¡¯t say anything to that . It was your choice . But, I never will . Like others before him, I¡¯ll guide this boy as far as he can go . Why did youe here? To belittle me? To advise me? To ridicule me? To encourage me? To warn me? What things haven¡¯t I seen, Nt? I was there when Chaos and Order birthed first light . I was there when the Singrity grasped the Truth and hid . I was there for all and everything . Every rise, every fall . Every birth, every death . I shall end when my endes . When I¡¯m defeated entirely . When I¡¯m chained and locked up and tossed aside, and eroded in the wisp of infinity . Until that houres, I live on . It is not hopeless yet, Nt . Why do you think your grandfather is doing all this? Why do you think Descent exists? There are still hearts out there willing to fight . Let us . We will fight until we can fight no more, and then silently perish . Though hardly beautiful, it is an end nheless . Let us be . " " . . . both you and him are senile fools," the girl scoffed coldly as she turned around . "Go ahead . Die while thinking yourself martyrs, while world thinks you fools . See if I give a damn . " You clearly do, though!! Lino cried out inside, simply choosing to ignore whatever is being said while picking up only the girl¡¯s name - Nt . They both spoke too vaguely about the things Lino had no knowledge, making it impossible to follow their conversation . "We¡¯ll meet again, Lino . Don¡¯t be an idiot like that geezer . Good luck . " Darkness and strange world vanished . Thunder cried out . Lightning lit up the sky . Rain hummed as it fell t onto the familiar ground . Pce rose in the distance . The world had seemingly not moved an inch since the moment he disappeared . It was all the same . Timid . Meek . Wondrous . Chapter 37 Chapter 37 CHAPTER 37 BEYOND TOMORROW Thick mist veiled the bursting rays of the sunrise, casting a strange, ethereal light over the Umbra City . The nightly silent streets soon grew loud and chatty as neighs of carriage horses sang out like a strange hymn throughout the streets . As the city woke up from its sleep, Lino sat on the corner of the street, leaned against the wall of a rundown, empty house, while looking up at the sky . Though many odd gazes came flying toward him, he seemed not to have noticed them, focused entirely onto the nothingness up in the sky . His mind grew derailed over the events that had transpired just a few hours prior . An overwhelming sense of smallness overcame him, fogging up the future he had nned for himself . It seemed as if he was forced to change his ns on every corner, on every new revtion he¡¯d stumble upon . Now, this city, the Demons inhabiting it, the immediate danger it¡¯s under, all seem so small, so insignificant, which he knew not to be truth, but still couldn¡¯t help but think that way . The world he¡¯d kept rebuilding for almost two years keeps getting eroded, bit by bit, in its ce growing new things, those he could hardly even begin to understand . At the very least, though, he understood that Q¡¯vil wasn¡¯t simply fighting to save his homnd . He¡¯d learned that, besides , there were six others - and like it, they were also sentient . Q¡¯vil¡¯s fight wasrger than this world - quite so - and the invites for him to join Skyhaven Dynasty had far greater meaning than Lino at first thought . Though a scorching star, the trail left behind by him appeared everything but radiating with light . A section of world entirely shrouded in darkness, forever eclipsed in mist beyond which no eye had ever seen . "Ah, fuck," he sighed, shaking his head . "Let¡¯s just go and meet that bald guy for the time being . Whateveres,es," he added, getting up and dusting off his already dry clothes . "Just wing it, as always . " The inn they were supposed to meet at is rtively popr, situated at the very heart of the city, in a cross-section out of which three main roads diverged into different parts of the city, further branching out into small alleyways and streets . By the time Lino arrived, the whole cross-section was filled to brim with people and carriages, causing the air itself to grow stifling . The inn was packed, barely any room to walk from the entrance hall to the restaurant in the back where sets of tables were tacked on with rowdy bunch, room lit up by sparsely opened windows in the far back . Lino quickly spotted him in the corner, sitting alone, wearing rather loose robes, standing out in the crowd, while drinking a cup of something . "You really stick out like a sore thumb . " Lino said as he sat down . "We ought to be driving attention toward us, ah?" "You look well and healthy . " the old, bald man said with a smile . "You found the inn fine?" "Oh, no, I had to wander around the city like a homeless loon, asking dogs and cats for directions to the only inn in the city that uses bear as an insignia . " Lino replied . "Still a sarcastic one, eh?" the old man Shi chuckled lightly as he poured down the contents of the cup . "You could have just said no, right?" "Right, but where would be fun in that . " "I suppose there wouldn¡¯t be any," the old man said . "Here . " he then took out a small, gray ring out of nowhere and ced it in front of Lino . "What I¡¯ve promised you . " "I¡¯m ttered, but I¡¯d rather not get ordained to an old, bald guy . " Lino said, taking the ring and stashing it into his void world . "Oh, how could you break my heart like that?" the old man yed along for a moment as the waitress came . "I¡¯ll have the same . " Lino said, pointing at Shi¡¯s cup . "Bring me another . " the old man said . "So? Don¡¯t get me wrong; flirting with you is all good and fine, but how about we get down to business . " Lino said, smiling lightly . "I¡¯ve brought the help . " the old man Shi said, ncing sideways . "I know," Lino said . "You guys look like clowns in here . I¡¯d be an idiot not to notice them . Tell them to back off with the inspection . " " . . . hm, you¡¯re really more than what I thought," the old man Shi smiled vaguely as he nodded toward a table in the distance where four men were sitting . "Apologies for that . This is, however, a rather important mission for them . " "I couldn¡¯t care less," Lino said, shrugging his shoulders . "So? What¡¯s the n?" "Pretty much the same as what we¡¯ve discussed before," the old man said . "We¡¯ll work separately to locate any signs of the Demonic presence, and if you manage to snuff them out, leave the rest of it to us . You don¡¯t have to fight . " " . . . are you sure you can win?" Lino asked . " . . . no . " "Reassuring . " "Things are much worse than we¡¯ve thought," the old man said, sighing lightly . "We hadn¡¯t noticed it before entering the capital, but the concentration of Devil Qi is substantially higher than we¡¯d imagined . Whatever is going on here . . . it¡¯s muchrger than a simple Demonic invasion . There¡¯s a high chance that all of us will have to flee . " "So I keep hearing . " Lino mumbled in his jaw to himself . "That¡¯s on your end . I¡¯ll see what I can do on mine . Let¡¯s limit our contact to as little as possible . " " . . . very well . Stay safe . " "Likewise . " Lino got up and walked away before his drinks arrived, ncing back at the old man withplex expression . Though he understood just a few things from thest night¡¯s events, he did take a gleam at a very important news: whether today, tomorrow, a monthter, or even years in the future, the old man - and all those standing by his side - and him would be fielding two sides . The whole of world - not just Umbra Kingdom and its surroundings - is about to face chaos, one instigated by Devils, one everyone will see as a mass invasion of opposites . Only a few, perhaps, may notice the underlying currents . While millions throw themselves in the mes of the war, feeding and fueling the state of chaos, Lino feared the consequences of ever letting them know it serves no purpose . It¡¯s a battle farrger than them; far bigger than that old man sitting over there, or his friends sitting on the opposite end . Demons in Umbra Kingdoms were pawns of a world-scale chessboard, if even that, and all events that will take ce here will be for naught in the grand scheme of things . It¡¯s an event among many bound to set a stage . . . stage for him, Lino realized . Or, perhaps, if he dies, someone who will no doubte after him . Leaving the inn, he felt short of breath . He didn¡¯t know what to do . He felt lost . The thought that he¡¯d slowly carve out his ce in the world now shattered, given that his ce in the world was already solidified before he¡¯d even understood the world itself . He¡¯s a soldier of ideologies he couldn¡¯t hope to understand, a sword of a mind beyond his notion, a wall guarding something that may not even exist in the first ce . "Are you afraid?" a robotic voice jolted him from his stupor, startling him slightly . Lino smiled bitterly and shook his head, moving forward for a stroll through the city streets, taking everything in . "Should I be?" Lino replied in a low voice . "Yes . " was a simple and short answer he got . "Then I am . " Lino said, ncing at a brick building to his left, its chimney billowing out gray smoke while a smell of fresh bread spread out from it . "Good," the voice said . "It means you haven¡¯t broken down . " " . . . why¡¯d you choose me?" Lino asked, taking a left turn into a rundown alley with a motionless body lying cold on the street, its eyes rolled far back into its skull . " . . . for the same reason you¡¯ve chosen to trust me . " the voice said . "There¡¯s hardly a logical reason for it . Isn¡¯t every fiber of your being telling you toy low and just live out your life in silence, far-removed from the world?" " . . . " Lino said nothing, merely ncing at the body while passing by it, quite familiar with the sight . "You see the world around you through your own lens, and I am the same," the voice said, still as robotic as ever, seeminglycking any emotional weight behind it . "You shelter your own purpose within you, just as I do mine . I am every bit a person you are, yet, I was never able to make choices you can make . Perhaps I know no fear because I¡¯ve never had anything to lose, but I will not project my purpose on you . You can always stop this battle . " " . . . hm," Lino nodded faintly, walking over a bridge, ncing toward the riverbank where several dozen kids were currently ying . "I hardly know what a purpose is," he said, empty-faced . "And can¡¯t exactly understand yours, either . However, if you had chosen me, you must¡¯ve had your own reason, however opaque that reason may be . I¡¯ll do my best for as long as I can . One day, if I¡¯m on my knees, defeated, I¡¯ll think back to this day and curse you into oblivion, just so you know . " " . . . do you know what all those who came before you had inmon?" the voice asked . "They were all batshit insane like me?" Lino asked, chuckling lightly . "They all had kind hearts birthed from reality¡¯s cruelty . Even I, with all my knowledge, never understood it, not until this day . But, what I do know is that without souls like you, my fight would have ended a long time ago . " "Why do you even fight? Is it worth it?" Lino asked, moving on toward the other side . "Don¡¯t you ever get tired?" " . . . always . " " . . . " The city was hardly a dreamlike one Lino was led to believe . Anything outside of the immediate center was like walking into another world, into another reality . Filthy streets, dispirited eyes, broken postures, silent footsteps, full of a downcast, suffocating air . Lino realized that this was the reality everywhere; parts of the diamonds-cast city are glorified, trotted over to the eyes of the onlookers, while the cast shadow behind it is hid . Only a few of many ever get to bathe in light, while most forever remain battered in the shadows, left to their own devices to live out their lives to the best of their abilities . How should I go about this? Lino pondered in silence as he came to the edge, standing next to the riverbank, surrounding a river much filthier than on the other side . Take a side? Pretend I haven¡¯t learned anything? Escape? Warn them and then escape? Or just . . . wait it out? Is there even the right choice, or just lesser of two evils as per usual? He realized, then, that it never hurt more to know less, or even nothing . Chapter 38 Chapter 38 CHAPTER 38 ALISON Gray chimney blew out thick, even grayer smoke, swayed furiously in the galloping wind . The sky-dome above was d in pure blue, unblemished with clouds, while sun¡¯s rays washed over the thick, rundown roofs of the nearby buildings . Passing feet kicked up clouds of dust on the nearby dirt pavements while the wooden fence hung crooked over itself, long past its prime . Several kids were sitting in a circle near the front door of the orphanage, drawing something on the ground, their skin sickly white, constitution barren . Outside the yard, standing in front of the half-copsed doors of the fence, stood a young girl, not older than seventeen . She stood out spectacrly from her surroundings, and hardly anyone could look away without ncing back once again . She wore leather, white coat and dust-free white boots, reaching up to her knees, with a scabbard strapped tightly to her metal belt . On her shoulders rested two metallic pieces shaped like drakes¡¯ maws, down-facing, while her breastte shimmered in thick silver beneath the sun . In her arm she held a two-horned, metallic helmet with a feathered fabric flying freely in the wind . Her expression was cid, sky-blue eyes void of emotions, cheeks pale and concave . The golden hair flew freely down her back, wound in locks, with bangs covering the whole of her forehead, asional lock falling over her eyes . She had sharp, rising eyebrows that seemed to haven¡¯t been moved in years . She was on the taller side, but her slender body hardly gave an imposing image . Yet, all the same, she had oppressive, almost frigid air about her, barring anyone from approaching her . She had been standing there for nearly an hour, yet not a single person dared even pass next to her, let alone strike up a conversation . Her eyes remained focused on the orphanage, seemingly lost in their own little world independent of the real one . She suddenly moved her head sideways slightly, looking toward the backyard of the orphanage, focusing on the long-cut oak tree of which only a small trunk remained . Though no one noticed, her lips trembled for a moment, yet felt keenly unnatural . She took a step forward while the half-closed doors opened seemingly of their own will, letting her in . She didn¡¯t even nce at the kids who looked up and stared at her and instead passed directly into the orphanage . Inside reflected an image she had remaining in her mind; walls filled with cracks, narrow hallways that hadn¡¯t been cleaned in years, stench reminiscent of corpse¡¯s, broken windows, dirty rugs, stomped stairs, rundown doors . It had remained exactly the same as the day she left this ce . She stopped in the hallway for a moment, taking a deep look at everything . She hadn¡¯t stayed here for too long; yet, the years she had spent here had turned into concrete memories that remained as clear as what she did yesterday . She took a right turn at the end of the hallway, following her memory, and quickly found herself in front of a rtively newer doors and cleaner part of the orphanage, as it always had been . Much like the fence¡¯s doors outside, these ones too opened seemingly of their own volition, as though bowing before an entityrger than life . The room appeared to have been ripped out of a different world entirely whenpared to the rest of the orphanage . Walls were freshly painted over in light cyan, floor settled andminated, chairs, tables and shelves clean of dust and age . Other end of the wall had a row of awning windows pointing at an elevated angle, letting the sun¡¯s shine illuminate the whole room . Currently sitting on a chair surrounding the squared table directly in a center was a middle-aged woman with graying hair and slightly loose expression . She wore a stain-clean blue dress and was barefoot, resting them over another chair . She seemed to have not noticed the doors open and the girl staring at her, as though lost in her own little world . "I love what you¡¯ve done with the ce . " the girl spoke in an even, emotionless, disconnecting voice . Her eyes wandered around as the woman leaped off the chair, startled, her gazending onto the girl standing in front the doors . " . . . Alison?" it took her a moment to recognize the girl, yet she could hardly ever not recognize her . "Hello, sister Roa . " the girl said as she took a step inside, not even taking a nce at the woman, still examining the room . "Not much has changed since I¡¯ve left, huh?" "Ah, no," the woman said, slightly flustered . "You should have let me know you wereing . I would have prepared better to wee you . " "I was in a hurry," Alison said, finally looking at sister Roa with eyes as cold as void itself . "Didn¡¯t have time for the pleasantries . " "Ah . . . I . . . I see . W-would you like something to drink?" "No . " she said . "I¡¯vee for him . " she added after a short silence . "Where is he?" " . . . he?" sister Roa looked at her oddly, slightly confused . "Lyonel . " "You mean Lino?" "Yes . " " . . . " an ufortable expression suddenly overcame her face as she seemed to struggle with words and thoughts . "Where is he?" Alison asked yet again . "He . . . uh . . . he left . " "Left?" " . . . he turned fifteen, so . . . you know . . . " sister Roa said, avoiding Alison¡¯s gaze which suddenly hardened, her brows tightening into a deep frown . "Wasn¡¯t it eighteen?!" she asked, the tone of her voice slightly raised . " . . . it¡¯s, uh . . . our funding got cut when you left so, uh . . . we had to lower it to fifteen . . . " " . . . what happened to him?" Alison asked . "I--I don¡¯t know---" "What happened to him?!" she asked again, interrupting and infusing her voice with a hint of fury . " . . . he . . . he tried to get a job as a cksmith apprentice," sister Roa said, taking a step back . However, realizing that she¡¯d began showing her weakness for no reason, she hardened her heart and stance, taking a step forward and straightening herself . "But, as I always told you, he was useless so everyone kicked him out . Since then, there has been no news of him . " " . . . what do you mean?" "I mean that he¡¯s most-likely dead," sister Roa said calmly . "A talentless hack who can¡¯t even obey orders . . . what else can you expect? You should forget about him . " " . . . dead?" Alison mumbled, her vision suddenly growing blurry . "He can¡¯t be dead . " though sister Roa said something else, Alison hadpletely tuned her out . Her gaze lost its focus, mind derailed beyond the capacity to think . She only felt her blood go cold and her heart convulse for a moment before seemingly stopping entirely . Her arm loosened and helmet fell onto the floor, its crash waking her up from the stupor . What weed her was sister Roa¡¯s angry and flushed face and her finger pointing at Alison . "Are you even listening?! Why are you acting so disrespectful? I had thought you had already learned proper manners, but I was clearly wrong . Humph, what is your new family doing, letting you off toe here and look for that failure?" " . . . " there was a soft whizzing sound that echoed out in the room before there was a sharp reflection of the de pressing against sister Roa¡¯s neck . It was cold and frightening, and thetter immediately felt her entire body stiffen as the words got stuck in her throat . The blue eyes that were once full of innocence and naivety now stared cold, emboldened by looming anger, hatred, regret and pain . Alison¡¯s arm was shaking, her lower lip trembling, eyes growing misty . "Failure? Why is it that every single one of you marked him as a failure from the get-go, without ever giving him a chance to prove himself?! Why is it that whenever a family woulde to adopt one of us, you would stuff him in the attic and pretend he doesn¡¯t even exist?!! Why is it that the very first thing you¡¯d tell to new kids was to avoid him at all cost or they won¡¯t get any food?!! He was just a kid!!!" the floor beneath snapped as floorboards flew out like bullets, piercing the walls . Cracks began spreading through the windows while the earth itself seemed to have began shaking . "--c-calm down, Ally--" "You not only killed him," she mumbled out in a voice barely audible . "But you¡¯ve turned what few years he had lived into hell . Do you even know anything about him, huh? Do you know that half the reason he¡¯d sneak out was to go to old field and pluck some plums and apples for kids you refused to feed because you wanted to refurnish your room?! Do you know that he¡¯s the reason half the kids in this goddamn hellhole ever learned to read or write?! No . . . of course you don¡¯t . " Alison chuckled lightly as she withdrew her sword and looked out the window into the seemingly empty sky . "You don¡¯t know anything . No, you never wanted to know anything . " "I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll look for information about--" "No you won¡¯t," Alison said, her voice turning back to frigid yet again . "Because today is yourst day . " "Huh? What do you me--" halfway through, her voice got cut off as blood spurred out like geyser, detached head flying off into the air and falling onto the floor with a loud thud as crimson began flying like river . Without even ncing at the corpse, Alison slowly turned around and walked out . Her footsteps were all but t, gracious and even, and she¡¯d nearly fallen over more than once on her way out of the orphanage . Her thoughts were chaotic, mind ruled over by entropy . Everything stopped making sense; every decision, every choice she¡¯d ever made in her life were brought into question at that very moment . She¡¯d left to settle out and toe back for him eventually . She¡¯d left because she knew there was no other way to help him . She left thinking he was strong enough to endure until she returns . But, she hardly anticipated the sort of the family she¡¯d be adopted into . She couldn¡¯t even leave her small courtyard, let alone return here as per her ns . She¡¯d gotten enough strength to save him years and years ago, yet, no matter how much she begged and pleaded, she was never allowed to leave . And now that she has, it turned out to have been toote . " . . . " she stepped out of the courtyard and lowered her head, fighting back the tears . He had saved her life more than once, yet she was unable to return the favor even once . She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how hisst days were spent, shunned away by everyone, hiding away in the dark alleys, cold, thirsty and starving . What were hisst thoughts? Did he suffer? Did he think of her? And if he did, in what light did he remember her? She could hardly imagine; no, she would rather not imagine . She nced back at the orphanage once before taking a step forward . Suddenly, twenty or so kids heaved up in air as though held up by invisible hands, some screaming out in fear, some in joy . Another step forward and me suddenly sprung out of t earth, devouring the whole of the orphanage . Another step forward and they rose upward of fifty meters, while agonizing screams of pain bellowed out from inside . Another step forward and all kids found themselves gently put just outside the orphanage, staring at the mes, utterly gobsmacked . Another step forward and mes raged on even harder while screams grew even more shrill . As her expression turned cid yet again, she remained walking, not even ncing back at the inferno behind her . Rather than ignoring them, she found herself enjoying the agonizing screams . Though hardly worth much, she still felt it a poetic sort of revenge for him, however little it matters at this point . Perhaps, wherever he is, he¡¯s watching and enjoying the scene too, she imagined . Another step forward . . . and she was gone, as though she was never there . No man, woman or child noticed her, and no one woulde to remember her until their dying days . Chapter 39 Chapter 39 CHAPTER 39 FATE¡¯S TWINE It is hardly ever a choice when to meet someone outside your understanding of reality, beyond the normalcy you got used to, unbridled by your perception of them . Lino especially believed so, as all people he ever met in his life fell into certain conformity to where he discovered them; you¡¯d rarely ever be wrong to assume certain things about a person based on where they live, what their eyes say and the way they dress . But, for there is no absolutes in the world beyond thews of nature that thetter itself cannot defy either . Following the first day of the Annual Festival where major focus was on jousting, Lino spent majority of time walking through the empty streets of the Capital, barren in confound thought . He was lost, perhaps not of who he was, but of where he ought to walk now . Above him light brazenly radiated, beneath shadows tangled in an eternal waltz, and they fought a war, one deemed eternal and evesting by nature of design . He had hoped walking aimlessly would settle his thoughts, which partially worked, until he met her - aplete stranger . She had strikingly silver hair, inhumane in a sense and a way, and rapidly swirling ck eyes . She wore silk-woven dress, puffed at shoulders and tied tightly round waist with a belt-like strings . She appeared beyond the corner and walked into his haze and shook him out of stupor . Beneath the veil of beauty Lino doubted many could deny, though, he had seen a mirrored reflection of himself, of his own conundrum, perhaps one burning even more brazenly and brightly . She, too, had been walking aimlessly, never spotting him, yet there was certain grace and elegance to her steps, as though she was floating above the dirtied concrete streets . He didn¡¯t wish to interrupt her thoughts, yet could hardly suppress the urge . She was clearly from upper strata of society - every inch of her being screamed that notion - yet he still wanted to walk up to her and ask her what¡¯s wrong . Which is what he eventually did, making sure to do it carefully as to not startle her . " . . . hi?" Lino mumbled, waving his arm in front of her, which finally seemed to have jolted her back to reality . Her eyes lifted up from the ground and looked into him, grated by invisible pain . "Yeah, hi . Are you lost? What are you doing here?" Lino asked with an honest smile . " . . . you are the shadow . " the girl replied in a mellow, transcendent voice, tilting her head sideways and looking at him oddly . "I¡¯m . . . uh, I¡¯m a what?" "Not ¡¯a what¡¯, but ¡¯the what¡¯," she corrected . "You are the shadow . " " . . . not following . " Lino said, squinting his eyes . "You cannot follow that which you have never known," she said, smiling faintly . "Is that not the truth?" " . . . " "Want to take a walk with me?" she asked, passing by him and suddenly grasping at his arm, interlocking it with hers and dragging him along . "Are you confused?" "No, of course not . Everything makes about as much sense as anything else in my life . " Lino shrugged his shoulders, carrying along with the charade . "I imagine . . . that confusion is the least thing all have inmon with one another . Who are we? Why are we? How are we? Where are we? What are we? Blissful ignorance offers a road of words, of thoughts, of pictures we deem worthy of our existence . Quite romantic, is it not?" she asked, ncing at him from the corner of her eyes . " . . . I wouldn¡¯t know . " Lino said . "You do . We all do, whether we are aware of it or not," she chuckled lightly as they took a left turn, arriving at a eastern gate of the city and easily passing through it as though they were invisible to the set of alert guards . "Quite unlike them not being aware of us . " " . . . yup, you were right . I am utterly andpletely confused right now . " "My name is Freya, for starters," she said . "And you are my shadow, Lyonel . " " . . . how do you know my name?" Lino asked, tensing up . "And when our shadow catches up to us," she continued on, ignoring him . "It bids end to our time . A depressing fate, if nothing else, should someone ask me and ponder . Do you believe in fate, Lyonel?" " . . . uh . . . no?" "You should not," she smiled . "It is a dog-breeding, foul, dishonest, corrupt, broken linen . But, for better or worse, it is there, however faint it may appear . All of us in this world bear twines knotted round ourselves, bounding sky and earth until finding their match . Yet, the twines hardly represent anything but potential . A chance . An option . Future is never set in stone, unlike the past . Everything can and will happen, regardless of our desires . But, twines bind two variables of equation and make them a constant . Do you find this confusing?" " . . . who are you?" Lino asked as they suddenly stopped a few hundred meters away from the city gates, standing atop a small hill overlooking a vast field and a river . "I am the other side of your twine, Lyonel," Freya said . "As you are mine . You havee to this ce for a reason, and though I cannot even begin to venture a guess as to what that reason may be, it is tied to me somehow, someway . However blurry the twines of fate may be, they do not lie . They are birthed from billions of years of patterns, of repeated urrences between simr people, simr events, simr ideologies, simr states . They are not random choices . They are coldly calcted predictions, bound tightly in the intelligence¡¯s habit of repetition . Umbra is odd, Lyonel . Has been odd for a few years now . And I am fairly certain you are here because of those oddities - or perhaps you may even be the source of them, I can hardly say . The reason you and I are bound by the fate¡¯s twine is because someone else like us in the past has been bound, and someone else before them had been bound too, and those before them . " " . . . riiight," Lino said, wriggling his way out of the armlock and distancing himself slightly from the beautiful - yet slightly morbidly odd -dy standing in front of him . "That¡¯s, uh, great and all, but, you know, I¡¯m not really into religion and, uh, no offense or anything, I¡¯m just, you know, not that type . " "There is darkness budding beneath our feet," Freya turned toward him, her gaze tranquil, pure and serene, sober of confusions . "Yet, why is it that I fear more the light scorching toward the earth from the high sky, than the darkness hiding in the shadow beneath the crust?" " . . . " Lino froze for a moment, unable to reply . A round of thousands of thoughts ran through his mind, most connecting her with one form of test or another . "You¡¯re imagining things . " Lino replied in the end . "Just . . . just go back home and live on . Nothing¡¯s gonna happen . " "Something is happening all the time," she said, looking toward the horizon . "Big or small is, in the end, irrelevant . From the slightest sway of butterfly¡¯s wings, devouring winds may be spawned as the end-time consequence . It is never a thing being born out of nothing, or of a single choice, Lyonel . I do not ask you to tell me the truth of what is happening, nor do I have particr desire to hear it . I have seen the chaos birthed from knowing, and I have lived it . I do not need--no, I do not want the truth . Let it all remain much like you were just an hour ago - a mere shadow looming over me eternally . But, we are twined for a reason, Lyonel . What that reason is . . . I am not wise enough to know . Perhaps it is up to me to stop you, or to aid you, or to do nothing at all and just watch . In the end, choice is still up to me, not up to fate¡¯s twine . " " . . . you really have a particr way of speaking . " Lino said, rxing slightly while chuckling . "Why do you dress up a single thought so much?" " . . . it is just how I am . " Freya replied . "No," Lino shook his head, smiling bitterly . "It¡¯s who you were made to be . " " . . . perhaps . Does it matter?" " . . . no, it just sounds nice . " Lino said, sighing . "It¡¯s like talking to someone from an entirely different world . " "Do you envy me?" Freya asked, tilting her head slightly as she nced at him . " . . . I do . " Lino said, smiling . "You¡¯re dressed nicely, you smell even better, you have proper manners-whatever the hell that is-you can speak well . . . I may not be the smartest kid out there, but I even I can tell you aren¡¯t exactly amoner . " "No, you are right . I am not . Does that make me better or worse than you?" "It does . " Lino said . "Doesn¡¯t make you wrong for it, though . We are all children of circumstances, after all . " "No . . . you are children of neglect," Freya said, turning around and beginning to walk back toward the city . "You should have been taught to speak the same way I do, to carry yourself the same way I do, to eat and drink and sleep the same way I do . Do not excuse us through circumstances Lyonel," Lino followed shortly after her, walking by her side . "That is not how you scrutinize a monster . " " . . . I can¡¯t say," Lino said, chuckling lightly . "You don¡¯t seem that bad to me . " "Why?" " . . . I don¡¯t know . You remind me of someone I used to know, I suppose . " he said . "I am ttered . Who was she?" Freya asked, looking at Lino . " . . . she . . . she was a friend from a long, long time ago . " "What happened to her?" " . . . I don¡¯t know . " Lino said . "I just know she¡¯s better off wherever she is . " " . . . " Freya looked at him deeply for a moment before averting her gaze . The two entered through the city gates shortly after, stillpletely ignored as though they weren¡¯t even there . When they returned to the ce they met at, Freya paused and nced at him yet again . "Though you have a right idea to go to the girls for knowledge, you have scared them . Should you ever need to know anything about the city, go to Melinda and tell her you want to see me . Until next time Lyonel . I truly hope my shadow will not cast darkness over this city . However broken it may seem, it still has good people in it, people fighting to change it for better . I will be seeing you . " Lino stood at the spot for a long while, slightly amused . He could venture a guess as to who she was --as the name of the only Umbra Kingdom¡¯s Princess is Freya -- though he couldn¡¯t be certain . What he found amusing - and slightly hopeful - was that the girls he had ¡¯hired¡¯ could go to her without fear . They are really simr, he thought as he looked toward south . Though they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stand each other should they meet . . . hmm, speaking of meeting people, I really should go meet those girls tonight and give them a piece of my mind . I expect trust when I deal with prostitutes, dammit . How is anything in this world fair anymore now? Chapter 40 Chapter 40 CHAPTER 40 COMPETITION Lino was currently standing on a massive, elevated tform surrounded by a circr stadium housing thousands of people who were all in unison roaring cheers at the moment . In front of him was a furnace, surrounded by a grindstone, a rack of tools, and a table full of materials needed for simple crafting . On the other ends of the tform were seven other people, totaling in eight for the first group of the first round of cksmithpetition which had finally started on the third day of the Annual Festival . Erected up above the rest of the stadium, overlooking others like an eternal reminder, were the seats of honor, where most of nobility and whole of royalty were seated . Though others perhaps were unable to see who exactly was sitting up there, Lino was . He couldn¡¯t have helped but chuckle bitterly for a moment when his eyesnded on Freya who waszily stretching in her chair while someone was talking to her . He¡¯d also spotted the Royal King and Queen at the central seats, surrounded by the Crown Prince Yox and Second Prince Relish, who, if not looked for specifically, would be hard to notice . At sides ranged nobility from Dukes to Barons, numbering totally in just short of a hundred . Lino learned that cksmithingpetition is heavily attended every year due to the Kingdom¡¯s natural, militant mindset and the ceaseless search for the young, talented cksmiths . Though it was his first time standing in front of a suchrger audience, he hardly felt any anxiousness or nervousness . As his goal wasn¡¯t to win, or even do that well in thepetition, he didn¡¯t bear as much pressure as the seven people around him . Surprisingly, at least for Lino, there were actually two girls seemingly slightly older than him who were participating . The other five were either inte teens or young adulthood, and Lino seemed to be the youngest there, despite his physique being rather stout and unlike what his age would suggest . "Hey," being suddenly jolted out of his thoughts was something Lino was ustomed to, though not too happy with . He turned sideways and saw two young men standing there, both roughly a head taller than him, quite muscr . Both wore rather disdainful expressions while looking at him, as if he was too far beneath them to treat him otherwise . "You new?" "Yeah . " Lino said simply, smiling lightly . "Hey, don¡¯t feel bad," one of them said . "Every year we get the ¡¯filler¡¯ crowd, that¡¯s just there to fill the numbers, you know? Same goes forpetitors . Just, you know, fulfill your role and you¡¯re good . " "Hm . " Lino faintly nodded, disinterested in the two . " . . . as long as you understand . " "I don¡¯t actually," Lino said suddenly, interrupting the two¡¯s attempt to leave with a slightly confounded tone and expression . "Are you saying I¡¯m supposed to suck and fail on purpose because, you know, that¡¯s my role, or are you saying that I just in suck in general and I was just invited here to fill the quota? You know, it¡¯s really misleading the way you guys phrase it . " "Uh--" "You know what? It doesn¡¯t matter," he added with a faint chuckle . "I suck either way, so what¡¯s the issue, right?" Linoughed, forcing the two of them tough along as well . "But man, it¡¯s great to be standing here, you know? There¡¯s so many people . I kind of feel, you know, inspired? Like I can suddenly craft the most marvelous shit in the world! It¡¯s kind of amazing, isn¡¯t it?" "Y-yeah but--" "Ah, but I suck, you know? No matter how inspired I am, if I suck, what¡¯s the point?" Lino interrupted again . "But . . . there¡¯s always a chance, no? Like a miracle . Like, I¡¯m holding the hammer, and I¡¯m looking at the materials, and inspirations just strikes me like thunder and I just enter this phantasmal realm where every action is instinctual, and everything I do is being done by my higher consciousness, you know? One that memorized all that shit from textbooks and whatnots . Wouldn¡¯t that be amazing?" "Yes but--" "But that¡¯s not gonna happen, I mean, right? Ha ha, what are the chances of me suddenly being able to create [Epic] quality items every time whereas just yesterday I had one in three chance of doing it, right? Ha ha ha!" " . . . ha, ha ha, yeah, you-you¡¯re really funny--" "Good, and you¡¯re hrious," Lino said, sneering lightly at the two . "It¡¯s good to be vain, just don¡¯t it show guys . Then it¡¯s just in ugly . " " . . . " After seeing the two off, he sat down onto the chair and leanedzily against the table behind . He truly had neither inspiration nor desire to craft anything, at least not anything good, but he still had to craft something, else he¡¯d fall under suspicion . While other seven were clearly fired up to prove themselves and what they can do, only Lino looked somewhat gloom and disinterested . Though he tried his best not to be distracted as he was these past few days, it was truly hard to do . He was supposed to be looking for Demons and their nest and uncovering these massive secrets hidden behind the walls of the Capital, yet the most he could do was muster enough strength to get out of bed and stroll around the city aimlessly . He felt it would be different today as he had a certain purpose - however servile it may seem - and that it would fill up both his time and mind . While the former it did achieve, thetter not as much . Just as he was about to jolt himself from the dreand, a faint yet vigorous voice called out to him . "What¡¯d you do to Jack and Earnst?" turning around, he spotted one of the two girls slightly older than him standing above, her arms at her waist, stance spread, looking down harshly at him . "Who?" Lino asked, tilting his head in confusion . "The two guys that just came back from you and turned into wet sheep all of a sudden . What¡¯d you say to them?" she repeated . "And you are?" "Why do you want to know?" "I just do . " "Why?" "Because I feel like it . " Lino said . "Should I reply to your feelings then? What if you felt like you wanted to bed me and wed me? Should Iply to that as well? I don¡¯t care what you feel like, just answer my question . " " . . . you don¡¯t go out a lot, do you?" Lino asked, smiling faintly . "So?" "Just an observation, nothing else . " "Why are you avoiding my question?" "Because I think it¡¯d be fun to see for how long you¡¯d be able to endure without walking over and punching me in the face . " Lino replied honestly, still smiling . " . . . you are a rather infuriating man . And, uncharacteristic of cksmiths, you have a sharp tongue . I can see why they look like wet sheep . " "What¡¯s your name?" "Why do you want to know?" the girl asked; her skin was slightly on tanned side while her muscles were rather toned, buffed over through her broad shoulders . She wore a basic cksmith set with a fairlyrge hammer strapped to her belt on side . "Not every question needs to have a logical reason behind it," Lino said, leaning back once again . "I just like you, so I want to know how to call you . " "I am sorry . I only find you slightly unpleasant, is all . " "Hm, is that so? Any way I can remedy that impression?" "I doubt it . " "How about if I beat you in thepetition?" Lino looked at her, squinting his eyes prancingly . "Proving that I¡¯m a better cksmith ought to remedy my tongue, no?" " . . . you are too thin . It means you either don¡¯t care much for the craft and just do it asionally, or that you started just recently . Whichever case, you cannot defeat me . You should give it up . " she said in a confident tone . "Really? I just think you¡¯re afraid," Lino got up and approached her, stopping only before their bodies nearly touched . "That someone younger, thinner and better-spoken than you could possibly stand a chance of also being better at crafting something . It¡¯s okay, you know? I mean, we¡¯re all afraid of stuff . For instance, I¡¯m afraid of buckets . When I was six, I was forced to do the business there, but didn¡¯t check, and the next thing I knew something jumped and bit my ass . I cried for eleven hours straight . Been terrified of buckets ever since . " " . . . " "I¡¯ll take your silence as consent that you ept my challenge," Lino smiled broadly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder quite naturally . "It¡¯s gonna be wonderful watching you sweat over losing to me . " " . . . you are a very disturbed, little man . " "Well, I can¡¯t say I appreciate the adjectives, but I do appreciate the sentiment . Good luck, whatever your name is . " " . . . " Hm, he stroked his chin as he watched the girl leave in slightly uneven steps, clearly still trying to process his entire being . Eggor told me to treat it as temporary distraction . . . I don¡¯t have to win, but that doesn¡¯t mean I should lose miserably, right? Every chance at crafting is a chance at improving . I shouldn¡¯t ignore it just because I¡¯m wussing over shit I can¡¯t impact at the moment . Right, right, let¡¯s craft something that will blow her away to tenth dimension . It should buy me some good will when I approach herter . This should be fun . Chapter 41 Chapter 41 CHAPTER 41 BARREN LUSTER Fires bellowed out like beasts while sounds of hammer shing against metal and steel echoed out through the tform, creating a strange sort of rhythmic beat, one you could almost sing to . Unlike the other seven, though, who were hard at work, Lino was sitting leisurely with a pen and a paper, humming a low tune while drawing up his design . He could hardly be med for the fact that he hadn¡¯t thought of anything to craft beforeing here, which is why he found himself a whole step behind . However, they had full six hours to craft something simple, which he found plenty doable even with extra work . ncing over to the others, he noticed that some were already drawing their casts, while some were still preparing materials . One of the girls was crafting battle-ax while the other was crafting a buckler; the guys were either crafting swords or shields . As armor is moreplicated than weapons, Lino figured that no one would try to craft anything like it - and he was not an exception . He drew up three designs and eventually decided on a simple, short-sword . Itcked any particr decorations, and would no doubt look as ordinary as anything you¡¯d see in an abandoned armory, but he didn¡¯t mind much the appearance of it . Putting down the paper and the pen, he got onto his feet and stretched, yawningzily . Audience was split between those who were cheering and paying attention and those who were dozing off to the beautiful wondend of innocent sleep . He spotted Eggor in the distance who looked as disinterested as he could possibly be, and rather than focusing on Lino on the stage, his eyes were veering over the audience, clearly searching for clues . Lino sighed lightly, putting on the gloves and walking over the table with materials . He chose two simple, Level 15 ores, a small patch of wolf leather, and a couple of simple-looking herbs . He walked over to the furnace and, while blocking the view, used his Tri-Spirit me to slightly cheat . While the ores were melting, he walked over to the t stone and began drawing out the mould and slowly shaping it up . Hepletely shut off the cheering audience, the odd nces cast at him who was falling behind, and the scorn of those standing on the same tform, enjoying the same attention . He withdrew into his own world, where fabric of time and space ceased to exist, reced by frigid tranquility . The sizzling sounds of melting ore, the cries of the mes, the thuds of cracking stone, the beating of his own heart, the droplets of sweat already curling up on his forehead . With his senses focused and sharpened, no detail escaped him, no matter how minute it may be . While finishing up his mould, he walked over and quickly collected the molten ore, dropping it whole into the mould and pressing until it fit perfectly into the edges . He then walked to the herbs and ground them with his bare fists, sprinkling them over the ore . While waiting for thetter to cool off, he picked up the patch of wolf leather and, using a short needle and his Qi, began drawing up a dual-array on its surface, abination of and . His n for the sword was for it to be durable andsting rather than impressive-looking and dazzling . And his n for Qi was something else entirely . Even he hadn¡¯t noticed just how much his perception of crafting had changed since he¡¯d taken it up . While festering his dreams of bing a cksmith throughout his childhood, he always dreamt up golden swords, diamond-cast shields and dazzling armor pieces with glowing patterns . He dreamt up fascinating, exotic designs, a whole spectrum of colors, patterns, different protrusions . . . but he hardly ever thought of their usage . The whole conception of craft had flipped inside his head, as he mainly focused on functionality over design; rather, thetter was there to fulfill the former . Designs were tailored to suit the functionality rather than the other way around . He didn¡¯t know what it was like for others, but he didn¡¯t care much for it . He had his own principal ways and his own path to follow, one whose rootsy in why crafting was invented for in the first ce: to ensure survival, in one shape or another . As per usual, time ceased to matter for him while he crafted; hammering, shaping up the edges, drawing up conduits between the arrays, chiseling fine details, imparting his own insignia, by the time he had finished crafting the sword, he could hardly tell how much time had passed . Looking around, he saw that some were yet to finish, looking at him with somewhat panicked and odd gazes . He picked the sword up and inspected it, weighing it in his hand before checking out its stats . [Stormy Queen - Rare] Level: 30 Damage: 361-523 +10 Hand Speed Special Effect: Impossible to destroy via ordinary means Special Effect: Full swings gather more momentum, dealing extra 30% damage Note: Deceptively ordinary looking sword, with explosive strength hidden behind its crude design . Lino frowned for a moment as he inspected the stats, unsure of whether it was too good . Truth be told, he hardly knew the standards of thepetition, and even Eggor told him to hold back somewhat . Looking back at his crafting, he limited himself to roughly 70% of his skill, even deciding to only use two quitemon arrays that most of cksmiths knew of . However, extra ¡¯Hand Speed¡¯ and two Special Effects could perhaps be a bit of a shock to the rest . Eh, whatever, he thought, stroking his chin as he put down his sword . I can just say I had momentary bout of godly inspiration . They should buy that shit, right? Hearing the footsteps echoing behind him, he turned around and saw familiar, starkly feminine face on a starkly masculine body . She had a rather proud expression, her lips curled up in a strange sneer which made her appear even more adorable, so much so that Lino barely held back fromughing out loud . Droplets of sweat glistened on her forehead while her eyes shone with brilliant light . Lino recognized those eyes; he¡¯d have them each time he¡¯d craft something he was proud of . A piece of pride brimming from your own creation . In her hand she held a round buckler, roughly a forearm¡¯s width, built purely of cast metal . Though Lino couldn¡¯t see its exact stats, because of his knowledge, he could venture a guess on the materials and techniques she used as well as rough stat estimation . Well, now I just feel bad . . . he sighed inwardly, remaining stoic on the outside . "You done?" she asked . "Yup . Nice buckler," Lino said, smiling . "You that desperate to lose the bet you¡¯de over the moment you finished it? It hasn¡¯t even cooled properly yet . " "Hah, lose? I don¡¯t think so," she shook her head lightly . "I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve overestimated yourself . " " . . . hm, ¡¯s that so? Let me see the stats then . " "Sure . " she handed over the buckler without hesitation causing Lino to nearly roll his eyes at her . [Round Defender - Enchanted] Level: 25 Defense: 209 +10 Maneuverability Special Effect: Has a 5% to ¡¯Parry¡¯ and ¡¯Reflect¡¯ an attack on sessful block Note: A simple but well-designed and crafted buckler, sacrificing some defense for movement . "Not bad, not bad," Lino nodded lightly, stroking his chin . "You¡¯re talented . " " . . . you still don¡¯t want to admit your defeat? Look at what you¡¯ve crafted . It¡¯s just an ordinary sword . " she said, taking the buckler back . Lino smiled faintly and handed the sword over . Just as she was about to scream out while reading its stats, she saw Lino¡¯s finger pressed against his lips and a faint curl of his lips . " . . . who are you?" she asked in a shaky voice, while barely parting with the sword . "The guy who¡¯s just won the bet . " Lino said . "I think you owe me your name . " " . . . it¡¯s Shante . " the girl said, taking a deep breath . "Who are you? You are not a young, up-anding cksmith looking for job . This sword alone could you thousands of gold coins, and you look like you barely expended any effort on it . " "Keen eyes . " Lino said, sitting down . "Mind if I offer you some advice?" "No, please . " Shante said, immediately sitting down next to him, her eyes full of expectations . Lino couldn¡¯t help but chuckle; she was truly a cksmith, where as soon as craft is mentioned, everything else is forgotten . "Your mould wasn¡¯t good enough," Lino said . "The choice of metal is terrible; [K¡¯van Metal] is too heavy for a movement-based buckler . You should have used [Verran Steel] . Though the end result would give you a bit less Defense, it would be far easier to wield . All bucklers - by their very nature - have ¡¯Parry¡¯ and ¡¯Reflect¡¯ options . Your choice to inscribe arrays directly in-between theyers is just a waste of time . You could have instead created a midyer mould that would increase the buckler¡¯s size temporarily . You also paid too much attention to the design; inner parts, hidden from the eyes, are rough, scrappy, ensuring that the buckler won¡¯tst long on the battlefield . " " . . . " Shante fell into deep thought for a moment as she went over what Lino said . "You¡¯re right . . . no wonder you can craft a sword like that . Who¡¯s your Master?" " . . . just an old, bearded bastard with anger issues . " Lino said, smiling . "You like crafting?" " . . . yeah . I love it . " Shante said, smiling widely, like an innocent child . "It¡¯s the one thing I¡¯m good at . Or, well, at least I thought I was . . . " "Ha ha, you are," Lino said,ughing lightly . "Don¡¯t think that just because I listed so many things that what you crafted isn¡¯t great . It¡¯s a rare type of a buckler, and most of the Scout and Archer divisions would be lucky to get one . " " . . . how¡¯d you learn to craft that well? You¡¯re not some old geezer pretending to be young, aren¡¯t you?" she asked, squinting her eyes . " . . . no, ¡¯m afraid not . I just . . . have a really good Master, is all . " Lino said . "Don¡¯t tell him I said that, though . I¡¯d never hear the end of it . " "How would I tell him? You never told me who he was . " " . . . I was making a joke . " "Hm . You should stick to being a cksmith . Joking isn¡¯t your strong side . " " . . . " Lino chuckled lightly, shaking his head . "Alright, good advice . How do you think the rest of them did?" " . . . if what they¡¯ve crafted is half as good as yours, I¡¯d already be ready to hang my hammer up and leave . There¡¯s probably no one who can beat you here, not in this group or any other . I don¡¯t know whether to feel lucky or unlucky that you came to thepetition the same year I did . " "I wouldn¡¯t worry if I were you," Lino said, looking up toward the sky . "I don¡¯t n on sticking around for much longer . " " . . . eh? Why?" " . . . stage isn¡¯t a ce for me to shine," Lino looked at her, his expression calm . "Forge is . " " . . . " "Well, you should probably go back . They¡¯re about to start the inspection . " Shante nodded absentmindedly and got up, leaving . As Lino watched her receding back, he took the sword into his hands and stroked it gently before picking up the nearby knife and beginning to ¡¯alter¡¯ it . What he said to her was true; he had no intention of winning thepetition, or this round even . Long gone are his dreams of luster, shine and gold while being showered in praise and apuse of the masses . He¡¯s yet to figure out what he will do about the whole ¡¯Demons¡¯ situation, let alone anything else in regards to the future . He can¡¯t have a swarm of nobles knocking at his doors and asking him to craft them something, which would no doubt happen were he to disy the sword as it is . Sometimes, it¡¯s better to hang up the crown and wear rags instead of robes . Sometimes, darkness is far more pleasant than brilliant radiance . Chapter 42 Chapter 42 CHAPTER 42 A COMPROMISE Suffocating air suffused the thick, earthen walls carved out into a half-spherical room . asional glint of a droplet shed bright in darkness, stting against the floor . The room was rather small,rge enough only to fit a few chairs and a primitive, mud table at the very center . A single sphere of cyan light hovered above the table, ceaselessly spinning in circles while casting dim light over to the far edges of the table and the chairs beyond . " . . . are you certain?" a hoarse voice asked while tapping sounds of finger against the table echoed out slowly . "You sensed Qi yesterday?" "It was very faint, but it was there," a mellow and charismatic voice answered . "One of thepetitors, though I couldn¡¯t pinpoint which one . " " . . . it seems we¡¯ve already got friends in the city, he he . What do you think we should do?" "Smoke them out?" "No, no, you¡¯re thinking too simply," the hoarse voice brimmed with excitement as it talked . Sin leaned his cloaked head over into the cyan light, his dark eyes glimmering faintly . "It¡¯s too early . Fighting it out now wouldn¡¯t be beneficial . Misleading them, though . . . any ideas, m¡¯ Lady?" " . . . that is your job," a gentle voice replied . "We were tasked with speeding the ns up . If you don¡¯t, well, you know what to expect . " " . . . ah, as cold as always," Sin said, smiling widely . "You really know how to spin me in circles . " "We can create a diversion by releasing some out into the open . " the mellow voice joined in again . " . . . wasteful . I¡¯ll set up a massive formation beyond the north gate . Your job is to find them and bring them there . You have three days . " Sin said . "They¡¯re clearly cloaking their Qi with something . How do you expect me to find them in three days?!" the mellow voice turned slightly angered as a young, handsome face of the Prince Yox came into view . "You already have your first clue," Sin shrugged his shoulders as he backed into the darkness . "Thepetition . " "I already know who it is," a fourth, slightly ruff voice, joined in . "It¡¯s the guy who got fifth ce in thepetition . " " . . . hm? Him? Why?" Prince Yox asked . " . . . I saw the weapon before he chipped it," Shante said . "It was well beyond anything ordinary smiths can do . I also think he made me out . " " . . . is he strong?" Sin asked, frowning slightly . "I couldn¡¯t tell," Shante replied, sighing . "I paid attention to him the whole time after he showed me the weapon, but I couldn¡¯t sense a whiff of Qi or anythinging from him . . . as though he wasn¡¯t even there . " "He must be quite a bit stronger than you, then," Prince Yox said . "And me, in extension . " " . . . m¡¯ Lady?" Sin looked toward the only person who hadn¡¯t stepped out of the darkness yet and asked . " . . . we can¡¯t be drawing up any conclusions," the voice replied . "Other departments are ahead of schedule, only we¡¯regging behind . It¡¯s at point of no return now . Even if he¡¯s made her, it doesn¡¯t change much . They already know something¡¯s happening here . I¡¯ll do the scans more frequently . The rest of you be careful . Even if they hadn¡¯t sent anyone stronger than Purity Realm, Dying Roses bastards have strange methods . " "What about your partner?" Sin asked . "He¡¯s growing suspicious as well, but I have preventive measures against him . Don¡¯t worry about it, just focus on yourself . Dismissed . " a faint whizz echoed out, leaving the trio behind alone . " . . . your mom¡¯s really something else, eh?" "She¡¯s not my mother . " "Whatever you say . " "Gather up more information for the next week¡¯s meet . I¡¯m going . " "See ya¡¯ . " Within a mere minute, Shante found herself walking down the familiar streets, moving toward her house while her eyes danced around with great rm in them . She couldn¡¯t help it; something about that boy, besides his incredible crafting skills, threw her off yesterday . His attitude . . . stance . . . eyes . . . voice . . . words . . . none of it belonged to a simple sixteen-year-old kid trying his luck in the Capital . It belonged to someone who had a n, purpose and reason to be here, at this specific time . She was just confused over why he had showed her that weapon in the first ce, practically outing himself . He must have known that someone would have discovered him using Qi, yet he still used it . A whisper sounded out and Shante found herself frozen in spot, her vision growing dark . She only saw ck cloak sh before her eyes before she lost her consciousness, drifting off into dreamless sleep . Lino was leaning against the wooden bean, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at Shante who was tied to the chair . His eyes were out of focus as he tapped his leg against the floorboards in rhythmic fashion, doing so all the way until Shante groaned out in pain and slowly opened her eyes, looking around while trying to make sense of it . Her eyes quicklynded on Lino, causing her heart to start while her throat grew parched . She knew she was done, yet that scared her far less than what would happen until that end . " . . . you guys are really impressive," Lino smiled faintly as he crouched down, leveling their gazes . "I had absolutely no way to follow you . Well, I technically had, but I would have gotten caught and chopped up . And I¡¯m not really into that . " " . . . who are you? Seeing as I¡¯ll be dead soon enough, I at least deserve to know . " " . . . it doesn¡¯t matter who I am . " Lino said . "And you¡¯re wrong about your prediction . I have neither the will nor the reason to kill you . " "You don¡¯t?" "Nope . I¡¯m not that bad of a person, actually," Lino said, getting up and walking over to the table in the corner, pouring two cups of bubbling ale and bringing them over . Shante felt the knot round her wrists loosen as her arms got freed . "At least I like to believe that . I just hadn¡¯t expected that you guys would be walking around in the open, is all . " " . . . how¡¯d you make me out?" Read your stats, duh . Lino nearly spat out, but held back . "How long have you been living here?" Lino asked instead, handing her over one cup while taking a gulp of his own . "You don¡¯t seem that familiar with this ce . " " . . . " "It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk," he said, smiling . "You should just listen then, instead . Unlike you, I didn¡¯t decide to voluntarily partake in this charade . I¡¯m hardly here because I want to be, or because I¡¯m some sort of a noble hero looking to save the world . I can¡¯t prevent the portal from opening . I can¡¯t prevent the war from breaking out here . Other people who¡¯vee to stop you guys can¡¯t either . One way or another, you¡¯ll achieve at least initial victory here . But, I¡¯m not in possession of a frigid heart either . I can¡¯t watch that happen, Shante," Lino sighed softly, ncing at her . "I can¡¯t watch thousands of innocent die . So I want to make a deal with your side . " " . . . heh, you just admitted you can¡¯t stop us . Why¡¯d we make a deal with you?" Shante said, sneering . "Perhaps you don¡¯t know where the portal is, but you certainly know enough," Lino said . "I can rip your soul out and learn everything . Perhaps I won¡¯t be able to prevent it, but by the time your guys¡¯ n ispleted, you¡¯d wish you had made the deal with me today . " " . . . rip my soul?! Are you an Angel¡¯s Descendant?!" Shante eximed . Angel¡¯s Descendant? What the fuck is that? Lino remained cid on the surface while his mind spun around trying toe up with an answer . "You¡¯ve seen what kind of a weapon I can create," Lino said . "I can provide you with much better ones . Weapons, armors, essories, shields . . . I can even feed my side false information to ensure they don¡¯t whiff up your scent . All you guys have to do is . . . open the portal outside the city . " "That¡¯s impossible . Moving the portal when it¡¯s already open? Are you already out of your mind?" " . . . " " . . . khm, I mean--" "You¡¯re not on the bright side, are you?" Lino asked, sighing . "It doesn¡¯t matter . I already knew that . However, others don¡¯t . One of you is already drawing up a massive formation up north . You clearly have the resources for it . Just chop it up a bit, and you can teleport it . Share my sentiments with the crowd . I am not a patient man . " " . . . " Lino watched Shante flee with all her might, after he might change his mind . His sharp gaze loosened and lost its focus yet again while his expression turned mncholic . He couldn¡¯t help but sigh when her back vanished in the horizon, somewhere beyond the concrete walls of the abandoned part of the city . "Don¡¯t worry . They will ept it . " the robotic voice broke the silence inside his head . "Honestly? I kind of liked you when you were a mute, just asionally informing me that I¡¯d gotten stronger . " Lino said, smiling bitterly . "You still won¡¯t be able to save everyone, so you should be prepared . " "I know," Lino said, his eyes glistening slightly . "I don¡¯t have to . Why do I feel like I suddenly aged so much I¡¯m beginning to see graves?" "Because you had abandoned the part which had made you a child in the first ce," the robotic voice replied . "Your innocence . " " . . . that just sounds dirty . " "What do you mean?" "Hm, nothing . I don¡¯t think you¡¯re ready for sex-ed just yet . " " . . . " "Yeah, so, what if they don¡¯t agree and instead let hell¡¯s hounds on me?" Lino asked . " . . . then you run . " " . . . encouraging . I should probably tell Eggor to leave . " "Will he listen to you?" "Not at all . Should I just knock him out and drag him away?" "Can you knock him out?" "You¡¯re kind of killing my buzz here . " " . . . " Lino sighed yet again, looking up at the darkening sky . He had at least chosen what to do - save as many people as possible and just . . . leave . He neither can nor should save this ce entirely through some form of noble sacrifice . Portal¡¯s already opened . . . Demons have already probably overrun the whole upper strata . . . and a few folk are far from enough to stop this in any way, shape or form . However right his choice was he couldn¡¯t say just yet; perhaps there was a better way, but even this he couldn¡¯t have thought up without the Writ assisting him . Perhaps, this time, it just wasn¡¯t meant to be . Chapter 43 Chapter 43 CHAPTER 43 THE SPANNING BLAZE Lino felt short of breath, sprinting through a narrow alleyway while asionally looking back into the distance . The whole city had been flipped upside down, panic and chaos emerging from the troves of a massive, booming explosion that had urred fifteen minutes ago . Pce¡¯s southern wing zed out in golden glory, like a signal re heaving up into the sky for everyone to see . For the past fifteen minutes, Lino only saw people racing toward any of the gates, practically carrying nothing from fear of being one second toote . He, on the other hand, was currently looking for Eggor as they had went their separate ways this morning . Cursing under his breath, he vaulted over a stack of boxes and, springily, climbed up the side of a small house from which he jumped over to the towering clock tower, scaling it nimbly and quickly . View from the very top, where the whole of the city blended into a simplified mass of streets and roofs, was truly beautiful but he hardly had time to appreciate it . Pushing Qi into his eyes he first looked toward the Pce, where he could sense faint presence of both Qi and Devil Qi, causing his brows to tighten . While the streets were picturesque swarms of people, Pce courtyard seemed eerily empty . Just as he was about to avert his eyes and look for Eggor, another massive explosion urred as the walls surrounding the Pce¡¯s courtyard blew up intorge chunks that flew off in arcs all over the city . From the bellowing dust storm, a single silhouette flew out like a cannonball, crashing through several dozen homes while leaving behind a trail on the ground . Focusing his eyes, Lino was startled as he recognized the person quickly climbing onto his feet, holding a massive sword on his hands . " . . . Valor?" he mumbled, frowning lightly . "What the fuck happened in the Pce?" "There was a sh," robotic voice replied as though on cue . "I am not certain for the rest, but that man did participate in it . " " . . . ah, great . " sighing, Lino extended his arm out as he squashed his body slightly before leaping off the clock tower and flying out in an arc . Radiant Spear appeared in his hand and he quickly heaved his arm back, pushing his chest outward, gaining momentum midair . Valor was currently panting, blood trailing out his left arm, while three figures were walking toward him . There was a strange light in Valor¡¯s eyes, one akin to maddened yet also hurt beast, as he stared at the central figure - Prince Yox . "You should not have done that, Valor," the Prince said, sighing faintly . "We could have talked . " " . . . talk? I have no desire to talk with traitors . " Valor said, spitting out a mouthful of blood . " . . . shame . I suppose we havee to an impasse then . " the Prince said . " . . . word will get out, one way or another, even if you kill me . Housing those . . . things . . . corrupting our own people . . . I merely believed you were an ambitious person, not a cruel devil . " "Ah, Valor, Valor, Valor," Sin spoke out, sighing faintly as well while reaching for his belt were several daggers were stashed and taking out two, des of both gleaming in pitch ck . "Were you not such a simpleton, we could even slowly exined it to you . But, I suppose not . . . and, because of that, you should---what the fu--DODGE!!!!" It fell from the sky like aet crashing at full speed, sting directly at where the Prince and the other two were standing . The strike seemed to have uprooted the world as a gigantic pitfall appeared while massive chunks of rock and stone flew out like rain . Valor stared at the phenomenon with a shocked face, tongue-tied, unable toprehend what had just urred . Though Sin¡¯s fist certainly shocked him, it hardly upended his world view, unlike whatever that was . The only thing he managed to see was a faint sh of gold before a thunderous explosion blew out his eardrums, causing blood to trail out . He saw Sin jump over and grab Prince Yox by thetter¡¯s arm before it all turned to dust . The third person was directly in the epicenter and was decimated from the face of the world within a blink of an eye . A hole spanning half a mile in diameter, deep beyond what he was able to calcte at the moment, spawned in front of his eyes from a single sh of light . As though by instinct, he nted his head sideways and spotted a figure gentlynding a few meters away from him . He wore a ck coat and cape and leather boots up to his knees, holding his arms behind his back . His ck hair was tied up neatly in a bun, jaw squared, eyes gleaming in strange light, the strange gaze meeting his . "Yo, long time no see," Lino smiled widely, extending his arm; a mere momentter, a spear appeared within it out of nowhere . "You don¡¯t seem to be doing that great . " " . . . " Valor stared at him, gobsmacked, averting his gaze toward the other side of the hole where Sin and Prince Yox were standing, thetter missing an entire arm and crying out in pain . "Uh . . . " "You went snooping, haven¡¯t you?" Lino asked . " . . . yeah . . . " "Hmm . . . you know, a smart man would back off after learning something and look for allies, you know? What were you doing man, instigating all this? Let¡¯s go . We have too many eyes on us . " "Huh? Who? What?" instead of replying, Lino grabbed Valor¡¯s arm and switched to cloak form, before bursting out at maximum speed, vanishing into thin air while using to hide his Qi . A mere momentter, three figures appeared where he stood, looking around while frowning . "What was that Shi?" one of the men asked; he appeared to be in his early twenties, wearing spotless, white robes, ncing at the pit next to him . " . . . something unexpected . " the bald man appeared out of nowhere and replied, sighing . "Go capture those two . " "What about the boy?" "What about him?" Shi asked, frowning . " . . . leave him be," a middle-aged man joined in, turning his eyes toward Sin and Prince Yox . "A Great Demon and a Human . . . a sickening bastard . " "Now, now, that¡¯s just unfair," a hoarse voice startled the four of them as they turned toward the source; there, a man cloaked entirely in ck with emerald eyes stood, emptily staring at them . "We all find friends in strange ces . " " . . . another Great Demon . You guys have sure found your home . " old man Shi said, grinning . "Dying Roses . . . you certainly like running into us, as though you¡¯re stalking us for the whole of your lives . " "You think you¡¯re enough to stop us?" the middle-aged man asked . "Ha ha, I may be confident, but I¡¯m no fool," the strange manughed out loud . "I am far from your guys¡¯ match . However, I felt it was important to inform you that the Portal ispleted . Calcte for me . . . how long would a Godfiend need to kill all four of you? A tenth of a breath? Less?" " . . . " Shi sighed and looked up toward the sky . "We werete . " "Don¡¯t be hard on yourself," the strange man said . "You never stood a chance in the first ce . " "Godfiend . . . huh? Seems excessive for a small ce like this . " the middle-aged man said, frowning . " . . . you should leave . The roses aren¡¯t wee here . " " . . . one way or another, we¡¯ll nt another garden here, demon . Be it Godfiends, Crimson Devils, Sacred Ones, or even your Patriarchs . . . there can never be enough horns stacked on our walls back home . " the young man said angrily . " . . . " Twenty miles away, already outside the city, Lino was standing atop a tree while Valor was sitting behind him, leaning against the trunk, breathing heavily . His eyes wouldn¡¯t leave the boy in front of him as he simply couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened . One moment they were near that pitfall, and within a few seconds, they were out of the city, overlooking the burning ze in the distance . " . . . who are you?" Valor asked after gathering enough courage . " . . . just another traveler . " Lino nced back and replied, smiling . " . . . so that¡¯s why you seem so familiar . We¡¯ve met before . " "Ah, I can¡¯t believe it took you so long . And here I thought I¡¯d left a rather deep impression . " "You have . " "Color me surprised . " Lino said, sitting down across Valor . "So? What¡¯d you do?" " . . . " "I think we¡¯re well past the point of staying silent here man . I¡¯d warned you the source is in the Capital, you went snooping, you found something and probably went to King or Prince or someone and got your ass kicked out in a ze of glory . Am I wrong?" " . . . no . " "So? What¡¯d you find?" " . . . as you said," Valor said, taking a deep breath . "I got suspicious after you told me the source was in the Capital . At first I didn¡¯t believe it, but, after a while, I noticed that more and more people were going missing in the slums . Men, women, children . . . no one was spared . Whenever I¡¯d go to Pce, I¡¯d get this suffocating feeling, like there were cold hands wrapped around my neck . Yesterday . . . yesterday I found Rena¡¯s body - uh, she¡¯s this beggar girl I knew - just outside the city . Her skin . . . she was entirely covered in ck veins that were still wriggling like worms . That is when I knew for certain you were telling the truth . . . so I decided to sneak into the Pce . I¡¯d known for a while there was a secret underground tunnel made in case our Kingdom ever fell for royalty to escape through . Following it, I¡¯d found myself in a massive underground cave . . . no, calling it a cave is disservice . It was like another city beneath the ground . All around me were spider-like cocoons, on ground, on walls, hanging from the ceiling . . . hundreds . . . thousands . . . and no matter how dumb I may be, I connected two and two together . So I went to report to the King . It just so happened that Prince Yox was there, but I hadn¡¯t thought much of it as I wouldn¡¯t even dream of Prince himself being in on it . The moment I reported my findings, Sin came out from the shadows, sliced King¡¯s and King Guard¡¯s throats, while Prince attacked me . The rest . . . well, you know . . . " " . . . you¡¯re really an idiot, huh . " Lino said, sighing . "And just as I asked them to evacuate the city . . . " " . . . you knew about it?" Valor asked, frowning . "Of course I¡¯d known about it," Lino scoffed . "Why do you think I¡¯m in the Capital? But, I also knew it was past the point of return . I could only make apromise . " "Compromise?!! They killed hundreds of people!! Turned them . . . turned them into those monsters!!" Valor eximed angrily in deep voice . "How . . . how can you even think about thepromise?!!" "You haven¡¯t, and look at what you¡¯ve done," Lino said, looking deeply into Valor¡¯s eyes . "You¡¯ve plunged the Kingdom into premature war . Within a week, there will be people just like Sin and Prince Yox and me, flying over here in droves . You¡¯ve just sentenced the entire Kingdom to death, Valor . " " . . . but, but you¡¯re stronger than me!! Why didn¡¯t you just kill them?!" "I¡¯m far from being as strong as you think I am," Lino said, sighing . "Much like you, I¡¯m powerless here . Was the Princess there when you reported it?" " . . . no . Princess Freya is usually in eastern wing, alone . Why? Is she involved somehow?" Valor asked . "She¡¯s . . . she¡¯s a kind soul! I swear on my name she has nothing to do with this!" "I know she doesn¡¯t," Lino said . "That¡¯s why I have to go back in and save her . " " . . . save her?" "They haven¡¯t found out who she is just yet, but they will soon enough . " Lino said, getting up and turning toward the city . "And I can¡¯t let that happen . " " . . . who is she? What do you mean?" Valor asked, frowning . " . . . they still think she¡¯s just another ordinary human," Lino sighed, shaking his head . "She probably thinks so too . " " . . . s-she¡¯s not?" "You got over that ¡¯not human¡¯ part rather quickly, eh . " " . . . seeing those things . . . nothing would surprise me . . . " " . . . she¡¯s Fate¡¯s Child . " Lino said . "Huh?" "Yup, I surprised you . I win . " Lino said, grinning for a moment . "I don¡¯t have time to exin it . Just know she¡¯s not someone who can die . . . just yet at the very least . Go to Bridge Vige, there¡¯s a small rundown cksmith shop there at the very edge of the vige, one full of holes, you¡¯ll recognize it . Wait there for either me, an old, bearded bastard Eggor or a woman called E . In the meantime, prepare us some necessities for a long . . . long travel . " " . . . where are you going?" "To the belly of the beast, I suppose . " Lino said, jumping off the tree and disappearing before Valor¡¯s eyes, leaving thetter to contemte in silence for hours before finally departing as the night truly fell over the still burning haze of Umbra Capital, where wretched screams had atste to an end . Chapter 44 Chapter 44 CHAPTER 44 BEFORE THE DAWN Silent, drowsy and gloom streets coated in dampened moon¡¯s light, a fragrant reminder of how quickly life can be flipped upside down without any warning . Lino carefully scurried through the alleyways barren of a living soul, recalling the events that had transpired here today . Though he may have left Valor with a confident sweep, he hardly felt so truly . Today he¡¯d gleamed at the Purity Realm Great Demon, someone who would easily be able to discover him were Lino to slip up even slightly . Enrobed in the ck cloak with hood hiding his face, his steps were slow and careful, wary of alerting any unwanted eyes . The rubble was spread out and about, concrete proof of a city that was handled a catastrophe just recently . There were more than a few corpses here and there, with blood trails wailing against the thick, bricked walls . On more than one asion, he had to look away . Just yesterday, the city housed entertained lot who¡¯d know not day or night in their delirium . Today? It is a grim shadow of yesterday . Treading over the battered grounds didn¡¯te easy for him, even less so when he¡¯d ran across the three girls he¡¯d ¡¯hired¡¯ to keep a lookout on for any ¡¯red eyes and such¡¯ . Taking a deep breath, he forcibly calmed himself down before ncing toward the Pce . He was still a couple miles away as he didn¡¯t dare approach candidly, yet its destruction was quite visible, even from back here, and even so during the night . Tattered walls hung barely on the edge, innards exposed to the shining moonlight . As he was about to look away, his eyesnded on her, standing on the ledge, draped in a beautiful, white gown, her silver hair cascading down her back like a waterfall . Her eyes peered toward the sky, air about her mncholic . There are some wounds that neither time nor care could ever heal; Lino imagined that seeing the city you grew up in - the city you were a Princess of - razed and beaten to such a degree would be one of those wounds . For better or worse, she was still alive, Lino wagered as he ducked back into the shadowed alleys, making his way over . Freya stared at the clear, night sky, seeking the glitter of stars and drawing a picture in her mind . Hands beneath her gown were shaking, her nails digging into her skin, bleeding crimson . She didn¡¯t dare look down . It hurt too much . Just a mere nce would remind her of what she had seen today . It would bring about the rebirth of a crimson-dyed image she had worked the whole day on forgetting . It happened too quickly to process it properly, yet slowly enough to be imparted directly into one¡¯s psyche, and she had the front row seats for the whole ordeal . Seeing Valor being blown backward like a cannonball was one thing, but the ensuing chaos was another . Her father is dead . Her mother is missing, as is her second brother . The Pce is wholly silent, drowned in drowsiness of emptiness, mncholy, an odd, eerie feeling creeping into its thinly veiled walls . "You look as beautiful as ever . " a gentle voice which, just yesterday, used to bring a smile to her face, jolted her from her dream, causing her to bite her lower lip before turning around and smiling . "Brother . You havee . " Freya said, bowing lightly toward the neer; Prince Yox stood a few paces away, wearing a royal garb adorned in golden threads andplex patterns, with a glittering scabbard strapped to the side of his belt . "Is it time?" she asked . "Not yet," Prince Yox said, smiling faintly . "We have some minutes to kill prior to being required to descend . It is a beautiful night, is it not?" "It is," Freya said, turning back toward the sky . "I hardly ever remember the stars shining so brightly . " " . . . are you afraid of me, Freya?" Prince Yox asked . " . . . I do not know . " she replied as he slowly walked up and stopped next to her . "Ought I be?" "I will readily admit I am far from what one would call a good person," the Prince said . "Events of today should attribute to that, after all . But, whether you wish to believe me or not, I hardly had a choice, Freya . " " . . . choices are all we have, Yox . " Freya said . "You are the one who taught me that . " " . . . do you remember when we visited Anna and Joan?" the Prince suddenly asked, surprising Freya . "I believe you were eight at the time . You loved their garden, and stayed there for the most of our visit with Joan . Meanwhile, Anna and I were inside with Royal Father and Duke Yolk, who were excitedly recounting the ns they had for our marriage . " " . . . I never knew you were engaged with Anna . It must have hurt you when she died . " " . . . back then, I had a choice to save her," the Prince said, his voice cracking halfway through . "In return, I only had to stab you in the heart . " " . . . " Freya shifted her head sideways and looked into his eyes, depicting only honesty . "I have been given simr, impossible choices throughout my life, Freya," Yox continued . "Assortment of choicesid before me, all I had to do was pick whichever I wished . " " . . . allow me to venture a guess," Freya said, looking away . "Most of those involved my life, one way or another . " " . . . " "I have always known you loved me Yox, and not as a sister," Freya said . "However, I had never ventured a guess your obsession with me would lead to this . " " . . . so you do resent me?" Yox asked, his voice trembling slightly . "No . . . I just sympathize," Freya said . "That you had to sell your soul because you saw no other way to wed me . Father, I assume, refused your proposal every single time, mother hardly ever had any interest and told you to do whatever you want, and Relish . . . well, Relish must have pretended to have never noticed anything . Among us, you were always the one shining the brightest, Yox, yet you always also cast the longest shadow . My hand in marriage . . . do you truly think it was worth it?" " . . . I do," Yox said meekly . "Those people outside . . . they . . . they are irrelevant . They are like rabbits; no matter how many you hunt, they will breed quickly enough topensate for the losses . But there is only one you and one me Freya . There is only one royal family . There is only one Umbra Kingdom . " "You are broken, Yox," Freya said, ncing at him and smiling faintly while her eyes grew moist . "I suspect you have been broken for quite some time now . You clearly do not think all lives beyond this ce are worthless, yet you proim it with such conviction that a stranger would be none the wiser . I do not know, nor do I care to find out, whose hands tangled themselves around you, but I do care for my brother . However much you love me, you were always Prince first and everyone else second . And Prince cares about his people, as you do . Today, you have condemned the whole of Umbra Kingdom to a war that will not end until we no longer exist, Yox . You have invited spawns of darkness into our home and let them breed ceaselessly beneath our beds . You have let them dine with us, speak with us, guide us . You may have my hand forevermore . . . but, today, you have forever lost my heart . " " . . . Freya . . . " Yox mumbled, grabbing her hand . "I . . . I didn¡¯t have another choice!" "Whoa, careful there, themoner inside of you is showing . " a chirp voice startled the two . "Who goes there?!" Yox turned around as he drew out the sword from his scabbard and pointed it at the outline hidden in the shadow beyond the rubble . " . . . why are you here?" Freya, though, quickly rxed and asked . "I havee for you . " the voice replied . "There is no need . You can leave . " Freya said . "Freya, who is he?! How do you know him?" Yox asked, agitated . " . . . as much as I admire your whole ¡¯self-sacrifice¡¯ spiel, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s helping anyone at the moment," Lino walked out, chuckling lightly, gentle, nightly wind blowing his hair . "You can¡¯t save your Kingdom while being prisoner inside its rotten heart . " "Guards!! Guards!" "Don¡¯t bother," Lino said, sighing . "The poor things were so exhausted they decided to take a nap . You really should be more attentive to them . " " . . . you were the one who saved Valor today . " Freya said, smiling lightly . "I should be expressing my gratitude for that . Valor is a good man . " "He is," Lino nodded . "As you are . " "I am hardly a man, do you not think so?" "Well, you¡¯re certainly behaving as one," Lino said . "Stubborn, headstrong and, quite frankly, a bit stupid . " "Then you, being the sensible one, are a woman, no?" Freya said . "Enough!! Who is he Freya?!! Answer me!!" "Aaah!" Freya screamed out as she felt her arm being pulled, her feet stumbling over a piece of rock; her body fell to gravity, leaning sideways, while both Lino and Yox drove their arms toward her, but were tote . Yox¡¯s sword was in the trajectory of her body, stabbing right through her sleep, dousing her white gown in crimson . "Freya!!" Lino and Yox eximed at the same time as she fell onto the floor, breathing faintly . "Hey, hey, look at me! Dammit, you fucking moron," Lino cursed, ripping of a piece of cloth from his shirt and winding it around her wound . "Hey, what the hell are you doing?! Is this really a good time to freeze up?! Go and fetch a doctor!" "R-right!" Yox eximed . "No, wait! You n to take her away!" " . . . just go grab a fucking doctor if you don¡¯t want her to die . " Lino growled at him, ignoring the Prince afterwards while tending to Freya¡¯s wound . "You know," he spoke to her when the Prince left finally . "You really are like a man . What other woman would be insane enough to impale herself on a sword as means to an escape?" " . . . you figured it out?" Freya mumbled, chuckling faintly as Lino helped her up on her feet, holding onto her wound and pushing Qi in to prevent further injury . "Well, either that or you¡¯re just a clumsy little girl," Lino said . "And I wouldn¡¯t bet on thetter . How much do we have?" "A few minutes, at most . " Freya said . "How confident are you in escaping?" " . . . from your pervy brother? Quite so . From others in the Pce? Eh, we¡¯ll take our chances . " " . . . he is not . . . he is not perverted . He is just . . . " "Whatever he is," Lino said, dragging her to the edge . "We can analyse it for days on end once we¡¯re out . For the time being, he¡¯s your pervy brother that we have to get away from . If you have anyints, keep them in that pretty little head of yours . " "Oh, you think I am pretty?" " . . . right, now you decide to behave like a vain woman," Lino said, chuckling lightly . "Hold on tightly . " "I knew you woulde for me, you know?" Freya said, wrapping her arm around Lino¡¯s neck while thetter suddenly jumped off into the darkness beneath . "Oh? What gave me away?" " . . . nothing . I just . . . knew . In my heart . " " . . . still not the greatest idea to impale yourself on the sword to give us a chance to escape . " "Felt more assuring than risking detection by striking him . " Freya said . "Whereto now?" " . . . now? Onto a rather long journey . " "Will we evere back here?" "We will," Lino said . "And even if I don¡¯t, you certainly will . " " . . . thank you . " she said faintly, pushing her head into the nape of his neck . Linonded onto the ravaged ground and carefully danced around the many craters while escaping Pce¡¯spound . "Well, I am your shadow," Lino said . "Aren¡¯t shadows supposed to follow their source no matter where thetter goes?" " . . . " Just as he reached the three mile mark away from the Pce, a resounding roar full of anger bellowed out from the Pce . A mere momentter, Lino felt an overwhelming presence sweep over him, causing his pupils to dte . "We¡¯ve been made," he mumbled weakly . "This . . . is going to be rough . Better hold on . " Purity Realm?! Really?! You couldn¡¯t have informed someone that can¡¯t kill me with a nce?! Shit! Shit! Shit! Lino . . . think . . . think . . . right!! That ce where that weird devil fought me! Maybe she¡¯s still there! It¡¯s a minute away . . . I should be able to make it . . . I hope . . . Chapter 45 Chapter 45 CHAPTER 45 IN THE DARKEST HOUR The thunderous roar and the following sweep roused Lino¡¯s basic instincts from their sleep . He felt blood in his body boil as his Qi began circting throughout him like a crazed river . Air around him warped, bizarrely wound as his feet began leaving deep-caving imprints on the stone beneath them . He felt his breathing hasten, his senses heighten, the fabric of his very being contract back into singrity with a solitary purpose: survive . He knew he stood no chance of winning if he gets caught; he¡¯d be dead and broken before he could work a word in . He hardly believed in miracles, in divine intervention that woulde to his rescue, as he¡¯d only ever trusted himself, as it was still the case . The remaining part of his sanity fought to tooth and nail not to throw Freya off his shoulder just to increase his speed by a single unit, while the rest of him was focused on ducking into the alleyways and bounding rooftops, asionally ncing backwards only to see a looming shadow foregrounding the nightscape of the sky . His legs kicked up a storm of stones and rocks and roof tiles, founding a cascading shower of desecration in an arc behind him . He heard Freya scream something into his ear, yet his mind didn¡¯t register it; it felt as if every inch of his brain was working overtime to think of a solution . Every moment he¡¯d spent reading up maps and checking out Umbra Capital with his own eyes was being re-examined ceaselessly, trying to conjure up an escape n . However, no matter on what answer he arrived, he found it hopeless . The shadow was already catching up, and he was already going his fastest without breaking himselfpletely apart . Just as he was about to leap off his feet onto a roof, he felt rms go off inside his head and instead burst toward right, blowing apart the building and arriving on the other end . A momentter, dark, cylindrical beam ttened the roof he was about to bound and everything surrounding it, turning it all into gray ash, blown apart further by the ensuing storm . Lino himself was blown backward through the sky, his right arm bearing the brunt of it all as he tried to shield Freya . Thetter screamed out in fear, closing her eyes and burying her head into Lino¡¯s chest while he grit his teeth and endured the burning sensation on his forearm . Looking down, he saw worm-like creatures crawling atop his skin, ck in hue, trying to dig their way in . He circted Qi as they burst out in ze, scalding off within seconds . Landing nearly half a mile away, he took the course toward the eastern gate as the shadow in the sky began following him again . Looking left and right, he saw absolutely no avenue of retreat; it felt as if an iron cage was closing up on him, as if chains were slowly wrapping around his feet and as if his mind was slowly being worn off . Sweat had long since permeated every inch of his skin, but he hardly noticed . "There¡¯s no point in running away," a raspy voice reached his ears from the sky, causing his heart to skip a fear . Illusion! Fucking shit, are all these fuckers good at this?! Lino shook his head and ignored the voice as well as the images it conjured up in his mind . "You¡¯re just prolonging the inevitable . " "Not if you let me go!" he screamed at the sky without turning around . "You know I can¡¯t do that," the voice added, a trace of amusement in it . "You have taken something you shouldn¡¯t have . He . . . he really cares about her, I¡¯m afraid . Far more than anything else . " "Like I give a fucking shit . . . " Lino grumbled in his jaw, still speeding ahead as quickly as he could . "You ought to . Isn¡¯t he why you came to this city? To look for who opened up the portal?" " . . . " Lino did his best to ignore the voice, but, as though without rhyme or reason, it began to wear on his mind and even his body . "You cowardly piece of shit . Purity Realm fuck using tricks to wear down a Core Realm kid . . . I¡¯d be ashamed if I were you . " "Anything to grant a certain victory . It¡¯s the creed worthwhile of following . " the voice replied . " . . . " Lino finally felt his legs give out as he came to a halt, panting and trying to catch a breath . A momentter, he heard a pair of feetnd behind him; turning around, he spotted a man enrobed entirely in ck, with only the green of his eyes showing . "Don¡¯t y a hero," the man suddenly said . "On the grounds that you¡¯ve endured so far, and had entertained me for a while, if you let her go, I will do the same for you . You could still live out your days peacefully . " " . . . " Lino looked deeply into the man¡¯s eyes and saw nothing but honesty; he¡¯d truly let him go were he to release Freya . s, that was not something Lino could do . "It¡¯s funny," Lino said, chuckling . "Recount over ny percent of my life, and I¡¯d say ¡¯yes¡¯ to your proposal in a heartbeat . " " . . . not now?" "I want to . Heh, I really do . Truth be told, I barely know her," Lino said . "But . . . I feel that if I give her to you here . . . the rest of my life will turn out the same . I will always makepromises, take the easy way out . I will always end up sacrificing others for myself . " "That¡¯s reasonable . Self-interest is hardly ever a wrong choice . " the man said . " . . . maybe . No, heh, definitely . After all, the whole of the world is ruled by self-absorbed people . Anyone who really matters is self-absorbed, I¡¯d learned . It¡¯s a way to seed, I¡¯d realized . " Lino said, taking a deep breath as he finally managed to rx and calm down . "But . . . " " . . . but you can¡¯t be someone like that, you¡¯re trying to say?" the man added after Lino went silent for a moment . "I¡¯d hardly call myself a good person," Lino said, looking up at the sky . "But, she doesn¡¯t deserve this . This city didn¡¯t deserve this . " "That¡¯s not on us . " "The hell it isn¡¯t!!" Lino screamed out . "Your war with Cultivators, whatever the fuck you guys have been doing since the fucking dawn of time, what the fuck¡¯s that got to do with the innocent people?!! What¡¯s any of it have to do with people who just want to live out their lives and die a peaceful death?!! Youe to the fucking edge of the world because there are no cultivators, and why?! So you can . . . what? Kill without restraint? Control without restraint?! Execute your ¡¯grand fucking ns¡¯ without someone prying in? Hah . . . what¡¯s it matter anyway, at the end of the day? You¡¯ll kill me, take her back to that sick fuck, and go on as if nothing had happened . Eventually, there will be no innocent person living in this city . . . in this kingdom . And, to you, that will be considered a victory . It¡¯s an empty one . What have you won? Grand devils managed to take over almost entirely non-cultivator Kingdom . Ha ha ha, it¡¯s the joke of the fucking century . Good job . " " . . . are you done?" the voice revealed impatience and anger, causing Lino to chuckle . "Yea . . . I suppose I am . Onest thing, though," he quickly added . "You will never win . Today it¡¯s me, tomorrow it¡¯s going to be someone stronger . Someone you can¡¯t intimidate with your shitty encore . Like her, one day . " Lino mumbled meekly as he smiled, sending a spiral of Qi into the arm in which he was holding Freya . "What are you doing?!!" the man cried out when he sensed the Qi¡¯s movement . Lino looked at him and grinned, suddenly spinning in half-circle and jerking back his arm before barreling it forward, letting go of Freya . She screamed out as she suddenly felt herself leave Lino¡¯s arm, and she opened her eyes . The world was beneath her feet while her fingers were touching the clouds . She suddenly felt freedom akin to nothing she ever felt before, like the chains which were binding her down were melted off, cast aside, her shackles disappearing . She looked down, at a tiny spot of the immeasurable city, in a small corner of it, where the arm that had freed her was . Lino nced at the sky and saw the dot flying off, sighing lightly . "Idiot! Do you think you saved her?!! She can¡¯t survive that!!" " . . . who cares? She¡¯s just another normal human . You¡¯ve already killed enough of those that it shouldn¡¯t matter . " Lino shrugged his shoulders . "Heh, you think you saved her?! After I kill you, it won¡¯t take me long to track her down . You just dyed the inevitable . " " . . . maybe you¡¯ll kill me quickly," Lino said as he extended his arm whereupon a radiating spear appeared, glistening in the dark . "And maybe you¡¯ll find out that I¡¯m sort of a cockroach . Looks a bit too feeble to be real, but a real bitch to take down . " " . . . is that so?" the man said, chuckling suddenly and extending both his arms as well . A mere momentter, two bolt-like shadows appeared above his palms, dancing like serpents . "We¡¯ll see just how resilient you are, then . Do not disappoint me kid . Otherwise, none of this would have been worth it . " Lino sted off, leaving a trail of dust behind him and appearing directly in front of the man, startling thetter . He swept his spear sideways and ground down, sweeping with his leg at man¡¯s ankle . Thetter sped his hands together, causing a ck vortex to appear above them which immediately began spitting out ck bolts of lighting while the man himself turned faded, like a shadow, kicking back . Lino ground his teeth and held back a scream when he felt a bolt perch itself into his left shoulder, causing a massive wound and countless worms to try and swarm his body whole . Ignoring them - or rather leaving them for - he instead pursued the man, piercing straight at the man¡¯s shadow . While thetter dodged, Lino managed to graze him, causing a stter of ck blood to paint itself on the wall behind . The same wall that was struck with the spear a blinkter and was blown to smithereens, causing a domino effect as wind swept about like an awakened monster . Ignoring the ever-growing pain, Lino didn¡¯t let up . He¡¯d figured that the man didn¡¯t have much expertise when it came to meleebat, which is why he felt he could extend their fight beyond what it shouldst in reality . Should the man ever gain some distance between them, Lino knew, it wouldn¡¯t take him longer than a second to end the fight . Which is why Lino tried to stick with him, mimicking everyst of man¡¯s movements while dly epting bolts that were raining on him . Hole after hole appeared on his body and blood ran crimson, dyeing him slowly . Pain inched ever so closer to his heart and he felt his life being eaten away at, but he ignored it . He pierced, shed, swept, dove, heaved, rolled, blowing buildings like wooden logs while sliding along . On the other end, the man grew more and more agitated, clearly not expecting Lino to hold up as well as he did . Him sticking to the man could perhaps be done away, but it was Lino¡¯s pain resilience that gave the man a start . He himself knew just how much those bolts hurt, but it was the worms they fed to the body that were the true source of agony; they nibble, eat away at every ounce of one¡¯s being, slowly until there is nothing of the person left . Yet, the young man before him seemed hardly affected by them . His footsteps didn¡¯t slow down, remaining as nimble as they were at the start, his attacks were still ferocious, precise, and were even gaining momentum as the battle dragged on, so much so that man felt receiving a direct attack from the spear now would no doubt leave a lifelong scar, if not actually end his life . However startled the man was, Lino himself best knew that he was burning his reserves . Pain had nearly numbed his ability to think, and the only reason he was still gaining momentum was because he was overdrawing his every muscle, vein and bone to do it . A part of him hoped for a lucky shot, but for the most part he merely wished to extend this battle for as long as humanly possible . Just as he was about to do another pierce at man¡¯s heart, thetter suddenly vanished into gray smoke and appeared fifty meters up in the air . The green eyes emitted hostility and anger, staring down at Lino, who finally gave into his weakness, his hand feebly letting go of the spear as Lino himself fell onto his knees, his arms lying listless by the sides of his body . He looked up, barely holding himself from crying out in pain . His entire face was dyed red, his eyes even more so, and with a body filled with holes, he hardly looked like someone who should still be alive . "A cockroach indeed," the man said, panting; clearly the move he¡¯d just executed took a toll on him . "You are a variable we certainly didn¡¯t ount for . Luckily, you are still young, inexperienced . Had you trained yourself and then came back for her, perhaps you even stood a chance of saving her . Not anymore, though . " " . . . it¡¯s a beautiful night," Lino mumbled, ignoring the man and looking at the round moon in the sky instead . "Don¡¯t you think so?" " . . . " the robotic voice he was expecting didn¡¯t reply, causing Lino to chuckle faintly, coughing up a mouthful of blood afterwards, but still keeping himself from falling entirely over . Perhaps he was unable to die on his feet, but he wouldn¡¯t die lying down either . " . . . good luck with your future endeavors," Lino mumbled weakly . "I may not have been the one you were waiting for . . . but someone will be . " . . . is this your will?" the robotic voice appeared inside Lino¡¯s head, asking him . " . . . dying? Ha ha, I don¡¯t think so . " "Going against overwhelming odds . . . to do something right . " "Oh . . . that . I think it¡¯s more along the lines of stubbornness . " Lino said . "Your Will is recorded," the voice replied . "As you have finally found yourself in the dancing shadows of doubt . Hardly a time to depart from this world now, don¡¯t you think so?" " . . . " "You are not alone," the voice added . "Not anymore . Even in the darkest of nights following the darkest of days, look how bright the moon is . Just the same, in your darkest moments, there will be someone to show you light . Enfeebled you may be; alone you are not . " a beautiful, divine-like light suddenly appeared around Lino like a sphere, a mythical shield protecting him from harm . He suddenly felt warmth encapste him, eating away at pain, at his brutish unwillingness to die . His chaotic mind eased, his body rxing . Just before he closed his eyes, he saw a strangely familiar knee standing in front of him, and the bearded face looking down with eyes that did not belong to a stranger . In them, he saw hurt, worry and pain . They glistened with moist tears . His arms reached down and grabbed Lino, gently putting him down onto the ground . They were shaking, much like his lips were trembling . The pair of eyes scaled Lino¡¯s tattered body, growing moister by second until, by end, tears rolled out in waves . " . . . y-you¡¯re going to be fine," Eggor mumbled in a weak voice . "You . . . you¡¯ve fought well . Leave the rest to me, alright? Go . . . g-go to sleep . You¡¯ll be fine . I promise . " Chapter 46 Chapter 46 CHAPTER 46 HEARTS OF PAIN A faint fire crackled coarsely, swayed by a gentle, nightly breeze, golden and crimson hue interwoven in the eternal dance of dominion . Cold, humid walls surrounded a small enclosure, barely taller than a person and wider than three, while heavy breathing echoed out and joined the rhythmic orchestra of mes . Covered by a thin, white sheet, Lino lied at the corner of a small cave, his face startlingly red, beads of sweat falling down his forehead ceaselessly . Grimacing expression imed pain as he repeatedly bit his lower lip with his teeth, grunting in his sleep, asionally shaking . "Why don¡¯t youe out for a while?" Eggor¡¯s voice burned through the small hallways and directly into the cave, startling Freya who was sitting next to Lino, crossing her arms over her knees . "I am fine here . It is better I stay in case he wakes up . " she replied meekly . "He¡¯ll wake up when he wakes up," Eggor said . "And he¡¯ll let us know, don¡¯t worry . Come out here . It¡¯s a great night to be missing . " " . . . " taking another nce at Lino, Freya stood up unwillingly walked out, reaching the t, rectangr edge of a cliff leading to a nearly mile long drop . Eggor sat on the edge, his legs dropping down, with a gourd of wine in his hand . "Thank you for rescuing me . . . again . . . " "Don¡¯t sweat it," Eggor said, chuckling lightly . "The boy nearly died to protect you and I figured there was a reason for that . " " . . . would it be rude of me to ask who are you? And who is he?" Freya asked, sitting down next to Eggor . "Just a young cksmith prodigy and his Master," Eggor replied . "Eternal vagabonds . " "cksmiths I know certainly cannot do the things the two of you have done . " "Then you ought to meet more cksmiths . " " . . . it is fine if you do not wish to tell me the truth," Freya said . "I was just curious . " " . . . sometimes . . . truth isn¡¯t worth the pain of knowing . " Eggor said, sighing faintly . "What happened yesterday . . . it¡¯s best if you choose to forget it . " "Forget it?" Freya scoffed . "You really overestimate my capacity for forgetfulness . " " . . . we¡¯ve saved you yesterday," Eggor said . "But we may not be here tomorrow . And there¡¯ll certainly be tomorrow if you insist on tackling this world down . " " . . . my brother sold an entire Kingdom to . . . somethings . . . " Freya said . "And I simply wish to know why . " "Why? Heh, take your pick," Eggor said . "He got scared, he was given an offer he couldn¡¯t refuse, he was simply manipted . . . it¡¯s not the first time ordinary people have been bewitched by the darkness, and it certainly won¡¯t be thest . " " . . . what do you think I should do now?" Freya asked . "I don¡¯t know," Eggor shrugged his shoulders . "The kid saved ya¡¯, so he must¡¯ve had the reason . We wait for him to wake up and tell us . After that, we n . " " . . . he certainly does not seem like someone who will wake up . . . at all . " "He will," Eggor said, taking a sip of wine . "He must . " "You really care about him, do you not?" " . . . I do," Eggor said, sighing . "He seems like a distasteful, arrogant, egoistic prick at first . . . but, deep down, he¡¯s a good kid who¡¯s been given all the wrong paths throughout his life . " "He grew up in an orphanage, huh . " "Yeah . How¡¯d you know?" " . . . I have seen it," Freya said, startling Eggor as he nced sideways at her . "With my own eyes . I have been seeing it for years upon years now . Istion . . . beatings . . . pain . . . sometimes - no, all the time - I wonder how he endured it . " " . . . he¡¯s a tough son of a bitch, that¡¯s how . " Eggor said, growing slightly more alert . "No, he was not," Freya said, looking up at the sky as her eyes grew moist and her voice began cracking . "I have seen him break down many times over . More than once he had held a knife to his throat . More than once he had stood at the edge of a cliff and gazed down the abyss . To me, at the very least, that does not sound like someone being strong . " " . . . " Eggor looked deeply at her for a moment and sighed . "Maybe it¡¯s hard for you to understand, but that¡¯s exactly what someone strong sounds like . When you have every reason and one more to end your life, but still choose not to in the end, youe out stronger out of it, however little that may be . He¡¯s been through things neither you nor I can imagine, but he endured . That¡¯s all that matters in the end . " " . . . both of you have led difficult lives, I can tell . " Freya said, looking at Eggor . "Both you and him carry deep mncholy in your eyes . It pains me, deeply, that I cannot help you . " " . . . you don¡¯t have to help us kiddo," Eggor said, chuckling . "You just have to help yourself . " "Well said, bearded fuck," a slightly coarse voiceing from behind startled the two as they turned around . "Good thinking, you know, leaving the dying person inside alone while you two flirt out here . You have a wife for god¡¯s sake . And you¡¯re like . . . a lot, a lot older than her . Get a grip . " " . . . yup, you¡¯re just fine . " Eggor said, handing the gourd over to him . " . . . " Lino gulped the contents immediately and wiped his lips before burping in satisfaction . "Fine? Fine your ass . I¡¯ve still got sky-high fever while half my bones have holes drilled in them . " "You should lie down," Freya said, driven out of her temporary stupor . She quickly got up and wrapped her arm around Lino¡¯s waist, trying to pull him back into the cave . "For someone who ims to be incredibly injured, you are certainly strong . " "Nah, you¡¯re just weak," Lino said, chuckling lightly as he slowly sat down . "Bearded one, go take a nap . " " . . . just give me a heads up so I can clog my ears if anything happens . " Eggor groaned as he withdrew into the cave . "What does he mean?" Freya asked, sitting next to Lino . "Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯spletely nuts . " "He seems fine to me . " "Of course he does," Lino said . "His expertise lies in bewitching young, naive girls . He¡¯s actually kind of terrifying . " " . . . " "Alright, I made that up . But, it¡¯s true you shouldn¡¯t mind what he says," Lino said, sighing lightly . "How are you feeling?" " . . . I am well . Far better than you, anyway . " Freya replied . "That¡¯s good," Lino said . "I figured you¡¯d snap a bone or two with how I tossed you . " " . . . I have not . " Freya smiled, blushing faintly . "You must be full of questions," Lino said, looking deeply into her eyes . "But . . . I can¡¯t give you any answers, at the very least not yet . Even I¡¯m very much confused over who you are and what saving you did for the future, let alone trying to describe it all to you . I--" "It does not matter," Freya interrupted him, cing her hand on his shoulder softly . "All I know is that you have risked your life to save me whereas you had no reason to do so . My life is yours from henceforth till the end of time . " " . . . yeah, sorry, that¡¯s the kind ofmitment I don¡¯t need," Lino said after nking out for a moment . "But, I can use a lifelong friend . Besides, you¡¯ve yet to act out your part in this story . " "Oh? I am?" "Every person in the world, one way or another, has a story to tell, however brief or insignificant it may be," Lino said . "And, trust me, yours is neither . You may have lost your home for a moment, but you¡¯ll have it back . I can¡¯t tell you why yet . . . but, it¡¯s integral you sit on that throne one day . " " . . . sounds exhausting . " Freya said . "It will be," Lino said, chuckling . "But, you¡¯re a big girl, you¡¯ll handle it . " "Hey, I am not big! I am very much in shape!" " . . . yeah,moner or a princess, you are all the same . " Lino sighed . "Tell me, how¡¯d that guy save us?" " . . . you don¡¯t remember?" " . . . I passed out from pain . Pardon me from being weak, but I was kind of riddled with bone-deep holes and bleeding like a fucking maple tree back then . Not exactly a recipe for staying conscious . " "I did not see much myself as I was some ways off from you," Freya said, sighing . "I have only seen a brilliant sh of cyan light burst out at where you stood followed by a magical beam . . . something that should not be possible . . . pierce at the sky like a sword . The next thing I knew, he was standing next to me, holding you over his shoulder . You two are really something else . " " . . . he is," Lino said, reaching into his void world and taking out another gourd of wine . "I¡¯m just a straggler . " "Hardly," Freya said with emphasis and a chuckle . "You are a brave knight who rode to rescue a princess from the ws of a viin . " "Yeah, yeah, that I certainly am," Lino said . "Kind of proud of that one, actually . Years down the line, I¡¯ll be the drunken guy in the local tavern spitting out about how I rescued a princess while everyone¡¯ll be thinking I¡¯m a grown man reading fairy tales . " "I will believe you, no matter what you say . " " . . . yeah, I¡¯ll be brutal here, because I believe in honesty," Lino said, sighing lightly and looking at her . "You and I will part ways rather quickly . There¡¯s a high chance that we won¡¯t see each other for years, if not decades . Whatever feelings you¡¯re starting to develop for me - which Ipletely understand, by the way; after all, it is me - it¡¯s best you . . . let them go . " " . . . you are right . " Freya said, backing away slightly . "That was brutal . " "I¡¯m just a guy you¡¯ve met thrice and spoken to twice, Princess," Lino said, chuckling . "Don¡¯t be so downcast . " " . . . you are still keeping everyone at a distance," Freya said after short silence, turning toward Lino while a moon cast brilliant light against her silver hair, causing glittering radiance to ensue . "One day, you will have to let someonepletely in . Living inside of your own head . . . can be suffocating . " " . . . ditto . " Lino said, smiling vaguely . " . . . " "Maybe you¡¯re right, maybe you¡¯repletely wrong," Lino said, grunting as he slowly got up on his feet . "Either way, it doesn¡¯t matter . Whether you want to believe me or not, there are some things that I¡¯ll never be able to tell another soul," he added . "Maybe I¡¯m just destined to be a lonesome vagabond . Has a cool ring to it, don¡¯t you think?" " . . . has a lonely ring to it, to me . It is your life," Freya said . "Do with it what you will . But, Lyonel, I have lived almost all of my life hiding inside of my own head, and it has nearly broken me . I am certain you know exactly what I mean . After you are done here, perhaps you should go and search for her . She is the only person in your life you have ever beenpletely honest with . " " . . . how do you know about Ally?" Lino asked, frowning . " . . . the same way I know you feel guilt over what happened to her," Freya said, looking at him . "But, we both know it was not your fault, Lyonel . You were a kid . It is already a miracle you did what you did . I am certain she understands it the same way . " " . . . one more word, and I¡¯ll shove a sword right through your fucking heart . " Lino¡¯s voice turned harsh and low as he crouched, ignoring the pain pulsating through his body, and grabbed Freya¡¯s neck, forcing her to look him in the eyes . "You don¡¯t know fucking nothing about what I felt, or what happened or what she meant to me . She¡¯s not someone you can put in your mouth, understand?" " . . . " "Good . " he shoved her lightly, walking away inrge strides, leaving behind Freya¡¯s moist eyes looking at his back . " . . . I know," she mumbled weakly, averting her gaze at the scaling moon in the sky . "For her . . . you did everything . . . and she still has a hold of you . . . the sooner you let go of her, the sooner you will understand your happiness is not tied to her, Lyonel . . . " a faint whisks of hazy, night¡¯s wind blew past, carrying the faint words spoken in whisper through the sky, embedding them eternally in eons of time, forever to remain etched somece where they cannot be heard by anyone or anything but the memory of the one who¡¯s spoken them to her own jaw . Chapter 47 Chapter 47 CHAPTER 47 UNTIL DAWN (I) Weak rain sizzled from the ashened sky, drawing a dampening canvas over the high-strung walls of a city on full alert . Spread about watchtowers were those of brave hearts and courageous souls, yet even they were currently shaking in their boots . The faint taps of rain were rhythmic, yet drowned out by ttering of teeth and shallow panting of men raining on the walls . They held bows in their hands, yet were to afraid to pull the string back, too afraid to gaze down the sight of the abyss and fire . A city glorified for the stout men and women who would shy away from nothing for a decent coin was encased in eerie silence of unspoken word, sandwiched between pandemonium and void itself . Inside the tallest watchtower, d in simple, leather armor with sharp-looking daggers strapped to her belt, Ae gazed down the sight toward the field beyond the wall . Her golden hair glistened due to droplets, her paleplexion a startling sight in the darkness of the night . Though she gazed toward what she had feared the most, she appeared calm, as though nothing could sway her . On her left stood another woman, half-a-head shorter than her with a leather-strapped bow hanging by her wide shoulders . She had tied her ck hair back, only a few strands falling over herrge forehead, reaching barely her glistening, purple-dyed eyes . Unlike Ae who appeared carefree, she seemed stoic, as though she lived beyond the world she stood in . Gazing at the crimson shes hardly did much to her expression, and even less so to her gaze . On Ae¡¯s other side was a tall and stout man d entirely in te armor from head to toe with a massive warhammer strapped to his back, hanging like a doom-bringer . Underneath the thick helmet, if one were to look carefully, they¡¯d see a pair of abyss-colored eyes devoid of emotion andplexity, with ayer of barren madness hiding beneath . Though it was the main watchtower inside the City of Mercenaries, there was no one else there besides the three of them; rather, no one else dared step on the same floorboards as the three of them . " . . . roughly two-hundred-thousand," the woman to Ae¡¯s left broke the silence with a cid voice . "The best course of action is to retreat . " "They have the numbers," the man voiced out in a harsh and deep voice . "But we have the quality . One of ours can go against five of theirs, even at worst . " "It would be so if everyone here wasn¡¯t currently pissing their dear pants," the woman replied . "Look at them . Do they see battle-ready to you?" " . . . I can make them battle-ready in a minute . " the man replied . "I¡¯d like to see that magic--" "Enough, you two . " Ae interrupted in a mellow yet deeplymanding voice . "We¡¯ll wait till dawn . If there are no reinforcements, we¡¯ll n an escape . " "Reinforcements? Our whole group is here," the woman said . "Are you talking about the totally-made-up-guy sponsoring us?" "Kraval," Ae turned toward the man, ignoring the woman . "Go at the front-most gate and take Fish with you . With the two of you there, we should be able to defend the gate till dawn . " "Yes, m¡¯ Lady . " Kraval¡¯s harsh voice softened as he bent forward as much as his te armor would allow him before suddenly leaping off the tower directly onto the concrete streets down below . "Shaneine . " Ae turned toward the woman who immediately lowered her head . "Yes, my Lady?" "You¡¯ll bounce between the towers," Ae said . "Aim at whoever seems the most dangerous . Come dawn, if we¡¯re still under full siege, regroup with Lucky and Smite and withdraw to our usual spot . " " . . . I can¡¯t leave you alone, my Lady . " Shaneine said meekly . "I won¡¯t participate in the battle directly . . . not as though I could anyway . " Ae sighed faintly, looking at the massive army standing within the valley down the teau . "I¡¯ll try coordinating you guys to the best of my abilities . And . . . I know you won¡¯t believe he exists until you see him," Ae¡¯s voice softened as she spoke . "But, I assure you, if he¡¯s in position, he¡¯lle . " " . . . I¡¯ll start with the frontal towers, gives me a better shot at nabbing whoever¡¯s hive-minding these bastards . " " . . . sure . " Ae watched the woman nimbly leap off the tower and onto the nearby roof, scurrying over like a cat hidden in shadows, moving toward the front of the City of Mercenaries . Ae had realized something was wrong this morning; air grew heavier to breathe and unsettling, cold feeling invaded her heart, not unlike the one she felt when the Endo n got corrupted . She then knew that the invasion was imminent; barely a few months had passed since Lino and her had parted ways, and Demons were already openly roaming the Kingdom which meant that something went wrong in the Capital recently . Though she was worried about his safety, she knew to set the priorities; using the small band of ¡¯mercenaries¡¯ she had gathered, she knew she could withstand a single night of the siege, which is why she ordered a fight rather than a retreat . However, if things were to go awry, she also had to n for the possible retreat routes . ying with people, she learned, is apletely different ordeal than trying to guide and control the masses . The only reason they¡¯d listened is because they are terrified of her little group and nothing else . Should things go really bad, it would turn into a free-for-all where every man would be for himself, which is something she hoped to avoid . The ensuing chaos would ensure massive casualties and could even hinder any chance of sessful escape in the long run . She¡¯d given herself a single night after which she¡¯d issue retreat orders and be a temporary vagabond inside a Kingdom infested by Demons . She bitterly chuckled as she reyed the day¡¯s events inside her mind, thinking back andparing them to when she was warming beds in the Endo n . Though thetter dehumanized her to her core, it was also much simpler; there were no big decisions to make, no greater evil to fight, no thousands of souls counting on you to endure and prevail . Nheless, she hardly had any desire to turn back to her previous life; he had opened up a new path for her, one where rue of her destiny is hers to control, and she had every intention of seeing it through . She shook her head as though to forcibly expel the distracting thoughts inside her mind, averting her focus back onto the massive army that had suddenly began moving . Up the narrow road, in fine formation, with vanguard shields settled at the very front . She knew very well that this was not something converted Demons were capable on their own; somewhere in that sea of them is a centralized mind controlling their every action . She had little hopes of finding whoever it is, let alone taking them out, but it also provided a benefit; as they¡¯re acting like a hive-mind, their actions are mirrored, and patterns won¡¯t be tooplex . They¡¯ll definitely try to win over with the sheer numbers and would have no qualms about sending hundreds to die just to waste away at her archers¡¯ arrows . "Listen up you shivering babies!!" she used a simple trick Lucky taught her to amplify her voice through Qi, causing it to echo out throughout the entire city, but not beyond its walls . "As you can see, they¡¯re like mindless dogs! They move straight and that¡¯s it! If you can¡¯t kill them, you ought to kill yourself instead! So buckle your balls up and draw those damn bows, aim and fire at the fuckers till we forever turn that road crimson in color! Aye, aye, aye!! After me! Aye, aye, aye!!" "Aye, aye, aye!!!" "FIRE!!!" A shower of zing gold heaved up toward the ashened sky, arcing as it turned into a downward spiral . They fell like zingets, plummeting into shields and flesh all the same, causing golden hue to ze out in glory down the path toward the city¡¯s gates . The demonized ones fell one by one, trotting over the edge of the narrow path and falling down, building up small heaps of corpses immediately . However, right after the first volley took out a few dozen of them or so, another lineup crossed the first section and began walking upward, fearless, as though they hadn¡¯t even noticed theirrades being taken out just a moment ago . Arrow supply wasn¡¯t infinite, Ae knew, but it couldst for a few hours if they use it smartly . Each volley sizzled over the sky like a falling star, bursting down in a fashioned glory, drawing ze out of the cold rain itself . The corpses burned like the world¡¯srgest campfire, while meek calls of wailing ghosts signaled the dance of the dead, the one invisible to the naked eye, yet ever-present on each battlefield . One after another joined the dance, rounding the massive mes, willing to abnegate their fear to join thest act of lucidity . Ae watched from the distance, her gaze cold yet turbulent beneath the surface . Whoever they are now, all of them used to be ordinary people, no doubt citizens of this Kingdom; they all once had names and families and aspired to make something of their lives . She very much doubted any one of them wanted to be a mindless drone in a hive-minded army sent on a suicide mission over and over again . She could partially feel what Lino felt the day they first learned of invasion, when he sprinted over half the Kingdom in hopes of catching up to them . They were at the border between life and death, neither here nor there, in an eternal limbo with their consciousness snuffed out entirely, never to be reawakened . She thought of it all as freeing them, however hollow that shield was . She battered back the estranged thoughts and kept her mind straight . She saw Shaneine firing off arrows one after another, not halting for even a second; she found her at the far reaches of north, inside borderline uninhabitable wilderness . It took her nearly two weeks to convince the girl toe back with her, and another month to get her to do anything but lie away at her room . Ae had never seen another person fire off arrows at the pace Shaneine was doing, and far from with that precision, where every arrow reaped at the very least two lives, oftentimes three or four . She didn¡¯t kill randomly either; she aimed at the ces where a fall-over could cause disorder and chaos, slowing down the climb or outright causing a whole row to falter and fall apart . She¡¯d met and befriended an amazing group of people, yet she knew it was far from enough . When Lino asked for an army, even if he merely wished to make her feel as though whatever she was doing mattered, she promised herself she would give him one . Six people weren¡¯t an army; they were barely a squad . And certainly far from enough to hold back the invasion all on their own . Her hands huddled up in fists, nails digging beneath her skin, causing crimson droplets to fall onto the wet floorboards beneath . She had no intention of sacrificing even a single one of them; even at the expense of an entire city . Come dawn, if they are still alone, she¡¯ll force them to retreat no matter what . No matter the cost . And she wagered it wouldn¡¯t be a small one . Chapter 48 Chapter 48 CHAPTER 48 UNTIL DAWN (II) Beneath the star-stretched moon, shrouded in the cold and damp drops of heavy rain, a battlefield raged on like an oil-augmented ze . The sharp slope hosted corpses beyond count, water suffusing with woeful, coal blood, amplifying the gloom and eerie of the night . In front of the tall gates behind which stood a fear-infested city, two men were currently shouldering an onught of battering; Kraval heaved forward, swinging his warhammer from the upward angle and crushing the earth beneath his feet, causing the whole slope to tremble . The sound boomed out like thunder, shaking the walls and the hearts of those that stood behind him, spiraling out in awe . Next to him, slightly shorter but simrly stout man stood, donning half-te half-cloth armor, with a massive vanguard shield in one hand and a spherical orb floating above the palm of the other . It shimmered in radiant golden, like a mini-sized sun, ceaselessly shooting out bolts of golden light, volleying the slope and the field beneath it in an endless shower of gold . Fish lifted his massive shield, which weighed over a ton at the very least, and shoved it forward, causing the line of the scarcely-d enemies to be pushed back as though they had rug pulled under them, rolling over and falling . A mere momentter, besiegement of arrows fell from the sky, all embedded directly in-between the eyes with pin-point uracy . Screams and sows and heaves and cries bellowed out into the petrified night while City of Mercenaries mantled the title of a mass grave . Soldiers on the walls shook ceaselessly, their teeth ttering in strange symphony, hearts ready to jump out of their chests, unable to endure the horrid sight of it all . By the ledges of the slope, an almost invisible shadow hung over the edge, nimbly scaling the slope, asionally leaping out like a reaper, shing a silver radiance for a moment whereupon a head would fly off into the air, before the shadow disappeared back as though it was never there . Lucky was her name, covered entirely in pitch-ck cloth with only a pair of equally ck eyes shimmering asionally in the dark, searching for their prey . The putrid and horrid smell of the decaying corpses seemed to have hardly impacted her, her eyes only ever exuding light when a head would fly off . She scaled the slope up and down, killing off stragglers while trying to search for the brain of it all, but with little luck . Not even an hour had passed before it seemed as though Kraval and Fish would be unable to handle it any longer; the former leaned against hisrge warhammer, panting ceaselessly, trying to catch a breath, while thetter all but fell on his knees due to exhaustion . Yet, despite their states, they endured; both knew that if they were to fall, so would the gates, and so would the city and all its inhabitants . Their feet and calves and knees and thighs hurt, and their arms felt heavier than lead, and their thoughts came to an absolute crawl, yet the most basic of an instinct drove them, like a maddening desire for victory, for survival, for oveing . Ae watched from the nearby watchtower, her eyes shimmering in faint light of unease . She had underestimated the cruelty of her enemy, the utter disregard of life that hardly anyone could have anticipated; one or two seemed to have the same meaning as tens of thousands . The rain of the army never ceased; when one wave fell off the slope, another one would emerge . Even, calm, bizarrely tranquil steps would seep into the muddied earth and climb up expressionlessly . Women, men, children, old, young, it was a mixture of it all, yet all acted exactly the same . Kraval and Fish were doing far beyond their best, and Lucky and Shaneine were outperforming everything Ae had ever seen, yet it hardly seemed enough . Aside from them, the ordinary mercenaries of the cities, the ones standing on the walls, hardly did much; they would draw and fire their bows, but due to the shaking of their arms, they¡¯d be lucky if they ever got a hit . It rained, but it rained at a much slower pace . Exhaustion of mind transferred over to the body itself, and the heavy rain pressed ever so tightly on already broken souls . The whole of the night seemed bleak, and dawn ever so out of reach; it felt hopeless, and such hopelessness had begun to seep even into her bones . She had considered retreating many times by now, yet held back; they had to endure until dawn, and she had to make it happen somehow . "Smite," she called out into the empty night . "Status?" "Status?" a yful voice replied as a young, handsome man leaped out of the shadows andnded next to her . "We¡¯re losing . Big time . Though those hills of corpses would tell a very different story, actually . " " . . . do you have a n?" Ae asked, a hint of impatience seeping into her voice . "Retreat, m¡¯ Lady . " Smite said . "Even under the best of circumstances we¡¯d stand no chance of winning, and this night is certainly not one of those . Devil Qi is beginning to eat away and dominate . Do you really think Fish and Kraval, those fitness-freaks, would exhaust themselves so quickly otherwise? Devil Qi is making it difficult for them to fight, or even to breathe . It will soon reach the clouds, and from clouds rain, and people will actually start losing their minds . Do you really think we can afford to be centerpieces when their souls be demonized?" "There has to be another way!" Ae eximed, ncing at him . "Find me another way!" " . . . you¡¯re really banking on him, huh?" Smite mumbled, sighing . "I find it rather odd that you¡¯re the only one that believes me . " Ae said . " . . . we all have our reasons . How many Qi Stones do we have left?" "Around two thousand . Why?" " . . . hmm, should be about enough . " Smite said, quickly scrutinizing the ground beneath . "I could quickly construct a formation that would distill the Devil Qi in the air, giving us some breathing room . " " . . . why didn¡¯t you mention anything earlier?" "Because it¡¯s hardly a solution, Ae," Smite said, his tone suddenly growing serious . "It will buy us a few hours - at best - but that¡¯s it . Besides, those are thest of Qi Stones that we have; what¡¯s your n after on getting more of them? It¡¯s not like they grow on trees . Even with the formation, we can¡¯tst until the dawn . We all have underestimated the spread of Devil Qi . My bet is that there¡¯s a Greater Demon in their ranks, hiding somewhere . If we could take him out, it would be a different story . But, we can¡¯t even find him, let alone take him out . " " . . . haah," Ae sighed slowly . "Brutally honest as always . Do it . " " . . . you¡¯re putting that much faith in us? In him? In this?" Smite asked . " . . . if this bastion falls, Smite, it all does . " Ae smiled bitterly, holding back a chuckle . "If they are here, it means that the Capital fell . If we too fall, who else is left to fight? Or are you suggesting we turn around and walk away from this? Of course I believe in us . You guys have proven yourselves time and again . . . I¡¯ll just sit here and wait for another miracle . " " . . . right . " Smite said, smiling lightly . "It¡¯s a good idea to wait, either way . I ought to check out my rival, after all . He¡¯s got you so smitten that I¡¯m starting to think I stand no chance . " "Just draw the damn formation . " "Aye, aye, captain!" Smite jumped off the watchtower andnded squarely on his feet, immediately withdrawing two short swords from his waist and beginning his dance; he started drawing circles and began weaving them while continuously brushing in various strange symbols and patterns . Moonlight¡¯s stream washed past the shallow dents in earth and bathed them in ethereal silver, as though embedding them with strange shine . It didn¡¯t take long for Ae to feel the air lift up, as though suffocating part of it had been sucked out . At the same time, Kraval and Fish both seemed to have regained their vigor, rousing up with an earth-shaking battle-roars, pushing forward for the first time in a while . Kraval swung his massive warhammer sideways, causing rain itself to be back-firing projectile, while Fish increased the rate at which golden showers of bolts urred . ck blood flew hastily, drowning red teau inplete ebony, matching it perfectly with the hue of night itself . The howls and wails of pain increased, yet the momentum hardly subsided; the crimson eyes marched onward ceaselessly still, hauntingly shot down one after another . It was a harrowing yet captivating scene, one upturning all reason andmon sense . As though ghastly for its own sake, stripped of reason and logic down to the barren core . This was not how a war is waged, Ae came to realize . This is nothing if not piling of pointless deaths, the scarring of countless souls, the death of innocence for many . " . . . it¡¯s done . " Smite appeared out of nowhere, startling Ae slightly . "You really should stop appearing out of nowhere . " "But then I won¡¯t be able to witness your adorable reactions . And, to be honest, that¡¯s what I really live for . " "That¡¯s depressing . " " . . . no, that is depressing . " Smite said, pointing at the road . "You are beautiful . " "Really not the time or ce . " Ae said . "To court you? Oh, you could not be more wrong . It¡¯s always the time and the ce to court you . " " . . . " "Does it scare you?" Smite asked . "What?" "This . " " . . . it does . " she replied . "Very much so . " "Good . " Smite said, smiling faintly . "It¡¯s only right it does . " " . . . how long exactly will that formation buy us?" Ae asked . " . . . as I¡¯ve said, a few hours at most, if even that . Definitely not until dawn . " Smite replied . " . . . " Ae took a deep breath, falling into thought for a moment . "Order a retreat ten minutes before the formation copses . " " . . . are you sure?" Smite asked, seeming slightly surprised . "There¡¯s no reason to pointlessly sacrifice lives . " Ae said . "It would mark us no different than them . " " . . . we can still look for him, you know?" " . . . it¡¯s not about Lino, Smite . " Ae said, sighing lightly . "It¡¯s long since stopped being about him . It¡¯s about what we can do for people who can¡¯t fight this . I meant it when I said that this is thest bastion, Smite . Should this city fall, Umbra Kingdom is forever gone . " " . . . then, we shall all do our best so it doesn¡¯t fall . " Smite said in oddly serious tone beforepletely disappearing . " . . . don¡¯t die, that¡¯s all . " Ae whispered a prayer faintly into the wind, clutching her hands into fists yet again . It¡¯s a dreaded wait again, she realized, observing decay from the sidelines; not a lot has changed since the day she witnessed Lino being nearly ripped apart before her very eyes while she couldn¡¯t even muster enough strength to get onto her feet . It was still all the same . Chapter 49 Chapter 49 CHAPTER 49 UNTIL DAWN (III) The rained never ceased, persisting through the night . Dawn was still an hour away, but the gates had fallen . City of Mercenaries was overrun with spades of darkness and air of suffocation, dark clouds clotting high up in the sky endlessly . Walls were torn asunder, buildings razed, everything which once stood proudly defying the order was now in shambles, squashed to its chaotic form . Every corner was marked by dozen crimson-eyed demons, standing still like statues, watchful guardians . Along the streets corpses piled up groundlessly; there was no distinction between them, just that they were all dead . Still . Frozen forever in time, never to wake again . Crimson mingled with water, running streams bounding destroyed city, filling up small ponds at asional crater-likekes . Dozens of miles away, on a mountain erected like a sword, halfway up, a group was sitting by the zing me, doused in heavy silence . From time to time, a pair of eyes would veer off mes into the distance, as though searching for something or someone, but the darkness of the night hardly allowed anything to be seen past the immediate distance . Among them, Ae seemed the most dispirited, the life in her eyes flickering . Her clothes were torn from travel and her expression weary and dreary, hair messy . She sat in silence, focused on the crimson-gold fire before her, as though waiting for it to give some answers . Smite sat next to her, sighing heavily from time to time while paying her an asional nce, worry littered over his expression . Opposite of them sat Kraval and Fish, former silent and still like a statue while thetter drank ceaselessly, seemingly never running out of bottles or gourds . In-between the two groups were Shaneine and Lucky, both withdrawn in shadows . " . . . you guys are killing me," Fish suddenly said, burping loudly . "O¡¯course we¡¯d lost, dam¡¯t . We were outnumbered six to billion . " "Told you we should have not allowed him to drink . " Lucky chimed in from the shadows . "Y¡¯ got a problem wit me drinkin¡¯?!" Fish eximed somewhat angrily, trying to get up but stumbling and falling down instead . "Nope . Otherwise, I¡¯d have less material to make fun of you . " Lucky replied, sneering . "What now?" Kraval asked in deep, seemingly emotionless tone . "We gotta get out of the Kingdom," Smite replied when he saw that Ae was wholly disinterested in the affair . "Probably surrounding region as well . We head north as north we can go . " "There¡¯s nothing but snow and cold up there," Ae joined in finally . "I say we head east . While I was living in Endo n, I once chanced upon a map . A month away is a massive gulf almost cleaving the whole ofnd from north to south . Beyond, I¡¯d read, is where Third Rate Sects are stationed . " " . . . it¡¯s a long journey . " Smite said . "We don¡¯t have enough supplies . " "Lady¡¯s right," Shaneine said in a matter-of-fact voice . "North, west, south . . . we¡¯re perched at the corner . Anywhere we go, eventually we¡¯ll run into ocean . East expands into a massive continent . Much easier to hide . " " . . . alright . So we head east . " Smite sighed . "Where do we get the supplies?" "We could circle the border-viges," Kraval said . "Pick up what we can . " "You mean rob?" Ae asked, looking at him . " . . . " Kraval stared back for a moment before replying . "Yes . Rob . " "No . " Ae replied without hesitation . "My Lady--" "No discussion on this!" she eximed, ring at the group . "I didn¡¯t get us together so we can pige the innocent!" " . . . better us than them, m¡¯ Lady . " Shaneine joined . " . . . " Ae looked at the group for a moment before averting her gaze back onto the me, falling silent . "We do it once, we¡¯ll do it whenever things get rough," Smite broke the awkward silence . "We¡¯re justying the foundations for bing bandits in the future . " "M¡¯ Lady," Fish spoke up . "Do you think Endo n was raided after you escaped?" " . . . what do you mean?" Ae asked . "I mean whether it was discovered by people," he borated . "If it was not, there¡¯s a chance the warehouses over there are full . " "The Patriarch must have packed anything that matters before fleeing," Ae replied . "And it was all stored in this ring . " she pointed at her finger . "Yeah, but he¡¯d have packed, you know, treasures, heirlooms, cultivation methods and such," Smite said, a hint of excitement in his voice . "And just enough food for the travel . He wouldn¡¯t have packed the whole of warehouses . " " . . . it¡¯s possible . " Ae said . "So long as we avoid the Demons, we should be able to arrive there in a week at most . " Fish said . " . . . so long we avoid them, huh?" Lucky muttered softly, but all both heard and understood her . "It¡¯s not the time to fight them, guys," Smite said, sighing lightly . "You know the mantra? Live to fight another day?" "That just sounds like giving up to me . " Kraval said, his brows tightening . "We did all we could," Ae said . "Smite is right . For the time being, we shouldn¡¯t incite any trouble unless absolutely necessary . We¡¯ll break away before the dawn and move southeast . We¡¯ll move through the day as Devil Qi is barely effective . Get some rest everyone . You deserve it . " Ae said, breaking away from the group and leaning on the nearby tree, taking a deep breath . It wasn¡¯t even a momentter that Smite joined her . "I thought I said you should get some rest . " "We decided to take turns guarding you . " Smite replied, smiling . "We or just you?" "Alright, it was me . But, hey, they made me their representative . So it¡¯s basically them . " " . . . I should have listened to you . " she said solemnly . "Hm?" "You told me the formation wouldn¡¯tst until dawn and that we¡¯d only be wasting the Qi Stones," she nced sideways at him . "But I didn¡¯t listen . Remind me the next time that I¡¯m the dumbest one in the group . " " . . . ah, that . " Smite chuckled lightly . "You¡¯re not the dumbest . You just chose to believe in him . There¡¯s nothing wrong with believing in other people, Ae . " " . . . I¡¯d risked your lives, the whole of the city, on the parting words me told me, Smite . " Ae . "I¡¯m acting like a love-bound girl whereas I should be acting like a leader . " "Well, I¡¯m not denying that there was definitely some favoritism going on there," Ae chuckled for a moment, shaking her head . "But it¡¯d be strange if there wasn¡¯t . You didn¡¯t just believe his parting words . . . you believed him . A man who saved you whilst almost dying in the process . Someone you grew to care for . That there is a lot more than just trusting words . " " . . . isn¡¯t your agenda to turn me over from him?" "Oh, definitely," he said, taking out a bottle of water and drinking a gulp . "As the matter of fact, I¡¯ll reluctantly admit that I was rather happy when I saw he didn¡¯t show up . But, you¡¯re in pain . Our little rivalry takes a backseat to that . " "There¡¯s no rivalry, Smite," Ae said . "A woman knows when she¡¯s a recement . " " . . . then he¡¯s an idiot . " Smite said . "About twenty years ago," he continued after short silence . "I met this girl, Evelyn . I was just a teenage boy back then and I¡¯d just learned from my dad that he¡¯s a cultivator and that he¡¯ll be teaching me all these magic tricks . So, to impress her, I performed one of the Martial Arts my dad taught me back then . That very night, a group of people broke into our house . My mom and sister were killed while my dad was left crippled . I never told him I recognized one of the girls he¡¯d killed that night and that it was my fault . " " . . . " Ae stared for a moment at the solemn face full of pain, saying nothing . "Point is, that¡¯s what being quite dumb is," Smite said, chuckling . "You pulled out before we were in danger . That¡¯s all that matters . Qi Stones? We¡¯ll get them back, in time . " " . . . you¡¯re strangely optimistic about this whole affair . " "Because, believe it or not, I¡¯d grown to understand you over the past few months," Smite said, gazing deeply at her . "We all have . You¡¯re a . . . remarkable person, Ae . Stronger than anyone I¡¯d ever met in my life, all of us here included andbined . I know that the only reason you seem dispirited is because you¡¯re trying to tell us it¡¯s fine to be the same . I¡¯m fairly certain we all know that . We also know that the eastward journey wasn¡¯t something you just came up with . Believe it or not, there¡¯s no ce in the world where I¡¯d feel safer than here . " " . . . you¡¯re giving me too much credit . " Ae smiled faintly . "I never nned on running out of Qi Stones . . . or going to war this early . " " . . . perhaps . But you already ns if you had to . It¡¯s alright to be humble . . . just, there¡¯s no reason to sell yourself too short . " " . . . keep it up and you might just win me over . " Ae said, chuckling . "Oh, is this the first affirmative sign? Could it be that I¡¯m finally starting to beat out that kid?" "You really have a strange obsession with him, you know that?" Ae said, squinting her eyes . "Hey, it¡¯s your fault," Smite replied, shrugging his shoulders . "You¡¯ve mystified him to the point where he¡¯s, well, a damn myth . I just want to meet this fifteen year old Core Realm boy who killed a Mythic Realm cultivator while warding of six peak Core Realm ones and with you in tow . Intrigue is strong . " " . . . well, if we do ever get to meet him," Ae said, looking up at the sky . "I assure you that you won¡¯t be disappointed . One look into his eyes will tell you everything . " " . . . it always does . " Smite mumbled lowly, turning toward the direction of City of Mercenaries, stunned for a moment . "Eh? What¡¯s that? Hey, Shaneine, do you see that?" "I do . " a cold voice replied from the darkness as the rustling sounds of branches echoed out while Shaneine climbed the tree nimbly . "What¡¯s going on?" Lucky asked . "Look toward the city . " Smite replied; a mere momentter, the whole group gathered around the fire, gazing off into the distance . "Shaneine?" " . . . it¡¯s fire and smoke . " she replied . "I can¡¯t make out much else but it looks like someone¡¯s fighting . " "Who the hell---no, no way," Smite said, sighing . "Right?" he nced at Ae . "Don¡¯t look at me," she shrugged a reply . "I don¡¯t know . " "It¡¯s your call, m¡¯ Lady . " Kraval said, picking up his warhammer, eagerness painted on his face . "Should we go back in?" "If we do," Lucky said . "We¡¯ll probably be encircled with no hope of escape . " "If we don¡¯t, on the ot¡¯er hand," Fish said, taking a gulp of his wine . "We¡¯ll leave whoever that is to die . Or worse . " " . . . how could it be any worse---you know what, forget I asked," Smite said, rolling his eyes . "What will it be, Ae?" " . . . " though five expectant gazesnded on her, Ae seemed unhindered by them, remaining calm, gazing off into the distance where smoke began to rising toward the high sky . "Do you trust me?" "Always . " the five replied almost at the same time . "We¡¯re heading back . " she said . "Lucky and Shaneine, move roughly fifty paces ahead of us and scout . Fish, take the rear . Kraval, stay at the midway point between Smite and I and Lucky and Shaneine and be ready to assist either group . Let¡¯s go and see what the hell¡¯s going on, guys . " Chapter 50 Chapter 50 CHAPTER 50 UNTIL DAWN (IV) Darkness cloaked the swift shadow barreling through the thick forest, making no sound, as though entirely ethereal . Grass and branches of the tall trees seemed to sway sideways to open up a path, as though weing their lord, while nightly animals grew silent wherever the shadow would pass . Its steps seemed sporadic yet had certain rhythm to them, as though its feet wereposing a song, piece by piece . The moon above cast faint light zing through the small openings in-between the branches, yet not even a whiff of light seemed to catch the shadow itself . Lino hurried as quickly as he could, barely maintaining the equilibrium between consuming and replenishing his Qi . It has been a few days since he escaped from the Capital and he¡¯s spent them all recovering as quickly as he could . He knew there was one more thing he ought to do before leaving Umbra Kingdom: find Ae and bring her with him . Though both Freya and Eggor offered to join him, he knew that it wasn¡¯t an option; he wasn¡¯t going there to fight a war, but to swiftly go in and out without hopefully anyone noticing him . He sent both of them to pick up Valor and rejoin with E, wherever she may be at the moment . Lino had no clue as to how things transpired within the Capital and whether the bald guy and his friends engaged or withdrew, but he didn¡¯t care enough to check out . City of Mercenaries ought to be the second target after the Capital since it¡¯s almost as important as Capital itself, both as a strategic stronghold as well as the transit-hub of thousands of people on daily basis . At the very least, if Lino were on the other end, he would have gone after it following the fall of the Capital . He hadn¡¯t taken a moment¡¯s rest for hours now, barreling forth like an unstoppable machine . He even regretted slightly not venturing sooner and recovering as he traveled, but past always remains past and cannot be changed . He didn¡¯t know whether Ae managed to gather any cultivators, but he knew that even if she did, it wouldn¡¯t be enough . For one reason or another, upation of Umbra Kingdom is on a much higher scale than he initially anticipated . He could venture a guess as to why - which is him - but he couldn¡¯t be certain . It¡¯s not as though every Demon and Devil is in on their Ancestor¡¯s actual n, and most wouldn¡¯t think twice about killing him or even reporting him if they find out he¡¯s Bearer of Writ . He often found himself cursing whoever set these ns in motion on such scale under his breath, but it hardly did him any good besides venting out frustrations partly . Still a few hours away from the city, he began feeling restless, odd, bizarre feeling creeping up his spine and tangling around his heart . Small portion of rationale he had remaining at the time convinced him not to speed up any further; even if he arrives a few minutes early, it would do no good for anyone if he¡¯spletely exhausted . The only thing he had left was hoping that she either already escaped, or has yet to be caught . Either way, if he doesn¡¯t find her in the city, or if the city is upied, he decided he will retreat and look for her once things settle down . Though, deep down, he knew he was simply reassuring himself falsely, he could hardly afford to get tangled with the dark thoughts . The journey over was rather simple, which he found surprising . He had expected to at least run into a few demonic patrols, but the road - however ¡¯off-road¡¯ it may have been - waspletely barren of life, corrupted or otherwise . He would only asionally spot a wild animal minding its own business, some casting him a curiosity nce before moving on back onto what they were doing beforehand . Such eerie stillness and silence hardly inspired confidence and stern hope that everything will be okay, but he persisted and pressed on . Sweat had already broken out and doused his flushed face while his hood had long since fallen off his head, revealing long ck hair that kept fluttering backward as he ran forth, rhythmically joining the cloak which increased his speed further . He was still in no condition to fight desperately; at the very best, he would be able to bring out 80% of what he¡¯s capable at his peak, which is why he hoped dearly he wouldn¡¯t get entangled in a fight and, even if he did, it would be a short-lived one against easy opponents . It was around an hour before the dawn would break out that he finally approached the valley where the teau and city in extension were . Already from the distance he saw the horrid sight; thousands of corpses piled against the rising slope, the stench of blood permeating the air miles on end . Red rivers ran joyously, paying no heed to the message they innately carried . Lino realized it was a horrid night for those who stood on top of those distant walls . Demonic or not, in the end, all those corpses were people one way or another; they hardly wished for their minds to be corrupted and to be lost in the endless void of nothingness . He carefully used the tall grass to hide his presence as he hurriedly approached the slope . Just before reaching it, he realized that even more things were amiss; in the distance, he saw ttened gate and rattled walls and crumbled watchtowers . He wished deeply he could use Divine Sense, but he was still a few levels off from that, reaching 61 after hisst fight . There were no guards on the slope nor near the gates, which is why he dared to slowly climb up, avoiding the moonlight as much as possible . He reached the ttened gates after a few minutes, scurrying over toward the corner of the ledge and casting a nce inside . He barely held a sigh of despair inside; streets were tombs, houses ruins of what once used to be a beautiful marvel . Red eyes emptily stared into nothingness, void of reason . Young, old . . . men, women . . . children . . . elderly . . . it didn¡¯t matter . Heaps of corpses, some whole some cleaved, were strewn across the streets, blood dyeing what little remained of whole walls, all crevices filled with crimson . It all pointed to a single conclusion: the City of Mercenaries had fallen, and all those who lived here with it . There were no dying in sight, just dead . Feeling slightly sick in the stomach, he had to look away . He leaned in closer toward the wall and crumbled, sitting down while leaning against the cold stone behind him . His breathing quickened, eyes growing hazy . He¡¯d decided if the city fell, he would retreat . He had no business sneaking inside and looking around . All oues would lead to terrible endings for him . Yet, for some reason, he was unable to walk away . As though there was a hand from inside pulling him, he had deep-seated yearning to walk into the city . To look for her; to look for anyone who may yet to die . It went beyond the instinctual desire, beyond a simple feeling . Realizing what it meant, he chuckled bitterly, barely holding himself back from cursing out toward the sky . When the Writ said his Will was ¡¯recorded¡¯, Lino merely regarded it simrly to how Q¡¯vil¡¯s Will was recorded, and nothing more . He never imagined it would be ¡¯recorded¡¯ in a literal sense, whereas it would be a part of him, a part ingrained so deeply it can¡¯t be ignored . He took a deep breath and stood up, readying himself . " . . . fucking shithead," he cursed under his breath as he took a step forward beyond the ttened gates and entered the city . "Sneak into the city crawling with Demons without even knowing if anyone inside is alive," he continued . "Great idea, you fucking braindead moron . Why not strip naked and wave your dick around as a greeting? Sing a song ¡¯Hey it¡¯s me,e and kill me¡¯ while you¡¯re at it! Fucking bitch," his cursing persisted as he avoided a line of Demons by scurrying in a narrow alleyway and rounding it . "And you, fucking bastard, warn me at least you shithead . You pop your dumb head out when I don¡¯t need you, but a heads-up is too much to ask? Saying ¡¯hey, don¡¯t go there, you won¡¯te back¡¯ is too much? Fucking dick," he avoided open spaces as much as possible, while looking around for rtively undamaged buildings where alive people may be hiding . "Alright Lino, just calm down . You¡¯ve been in bigger shitters than this . Remember that time that bitch literally threw you in a shitter? Yeah . . . aah . " he sighed, ducking down the pile of stacked boxes, sneaking his head out slightly . The distinction between inner and outer city has all but copsed, but one thing remained the same: it was mostly a clear opening with hardly anywhere to hide . No matter how much he thought, he was unable toe up with a way to pass through that didn¡¯t include literally bounding wall and circling it from the outside . Even then, though, he runs the risk of being seen . After waiting for about ten minutes and realizing that none of roughly two hundred Demons moved a single inch, he realized he couldn¡¯t rely on them deciding to take a nap all of a sudden . He only had two options: go back or fight through . And, whether his desire or someone else¡¯s, thetter seemed rather attractive, while also remaining mostly suicidal . He hadn¡¯t noticed any signs of life so far and he doubted there were any deeper in . In the end, he decided to retreat and observe from outside the city for a while, seeing if there was another way in . There was no reason for a suicidal rush, he wagered, which is why the reason won out in the end . He took a deep breath and turned around, crouching and beginning to take the same route back . "Oh the fucking hell---" he cursed out, swiftly sidestepping and drawing out the spear from the void world . He rushed sideways, rolling over rather embarrassingly as the ce he was just at suddenly turned ck, a vortex spawning within, sucking everything within it . Lino haphazardlynded on his feed, dirt covering every inch of his clothes, his eyes dancing around . It took him but a moment to spot a figure standing a few dozen meters away . Cloaked entirely in ck, with sinister eyes that shimmered in strange understanding . Lino frowned for a moment; he recognized the person in front of him . Using , he inspected his stats . [Sin - Great Demon - Level 81] Titles: The Corruptor (???), Demon upations: Rune Master (Level 48) Martial Arts: ???, ???, ??? Damage: 1692 Defense: 311 Sin? He frowned further, thinking back to the thin figure that got blown backward when he saved Valor . I¡¯m betting my ass he named himself . " . . . you¡¯re an unexpected guest . How did you survive?" Sin asked . "Where is Cole?" "I remember you being more handsome," Lino ignored the question and said instead, tightening the grip on his spear . "What happened?" " . . . you have some balls, trying to sneak in here . Who are you looking for? A girl? Is it a girl? You seem to have quite a liking for the opposite sex, repeatedly risking your life to save them . " Sin grinned, reaching for his belt and taking out two pitch-ck daggers . "Hey, what can I say, it¡¯s a burden ugly shitheads like you would never understand," Lino shrugged his shoulders . "So, tell me, you catch any hotties but decided to spare them for some reason?" " . . . how can a cultivator be so vain," Sin mocked . "You¡¯ve chosen a wrong calling, kid . " "And you¡¯ve chosen a wrong name, but you don¡¯t see me judging . " Lino said, smirking and beginning to move sideways, clockwise, while Sin followed the pattern in a counter-clockwise direction . "I rmend you begin running away," Sin said, bringing one of the daggers closer to his lips and licking it . "You can¡¯t defeat me . " " . . . " Lino suddenly stopped, stunned for a moment . "Holy shit! Those books I read as a kid were right!! Bad guys do do and say the dumbest shit! Fuck, thank you for ruining my fantasy of perfect, cool bad guy, you cow-head!" "--c-cow-head?!" " . . . " Lino stared at the angered Sin, confused for a moment . "Wait . . . " remembering something he read when he first began studying Demons, he squinted his eyes . "You . . . your original form . . . couldn¡¯t have been a cow, right?" " . . . " "Pft, hahahaahhahaha," Lino burst outughing, forgetting that he was in the belly of the beast, unable to control himself . "Oh my god, this is golden! Hahahahaha . . . " "I WILL KILL YOU!!" Sin suddenly disappeared, morphing into a shadow, scaling the side walls and leaping toward Lino . Latter¡¯sughter immediately stopped as he smirked for a moment before pulling the spear back and hurling it sideways . A rather loud boom of shing metal echoed out as spear and two daggers met; Sin felt his arms grow limp for a moment before he felt force akin to a massive mountain barrel him backwards like a cannonball . He crashed through dozens of half-copsed buildings beforeing to a standstill,nding on his feet lethargically . Before he even had a chance to recover he noticed the crimson hue arcing toward him from the side, forcing him to ignore the pain and numbness paralyzing his body and move . He darted sideways, reaching into his cloak and beginning to throw array of daggers toward Lino . Latter pummeled the earth beneath with the spear, burrowing out a massive, rectangr stone and hurling it toward the daggers, blowing them away . He followed the stone¡¯s path, leaping halfway through and crashing right through it, causing the storm of debris to spawn a mini dust storm . Beyond the stone, Sin¡¯s shadow awaited; spear missed by an inch, brushing past Sin¡¯s right arm and embedding into the earth beneath, causing a massive explosion to blow him outward yet again . Sin¡¯s mind was in pure chaos; he realized he stood no chance in direct sh - as a body cultivator, no less - against a kid who¡¯s supposed to be far weaker than him . He knew that if he were to sh directly once again with Lino, his arms would be turned into liquid . However tame that spear and those arms holding it looked, they hid strength Sin had only experienced from a few of his peers . He hurried tond, looking around with eyes wide open . From the dusted shadows of crippled earth, a silhouette emerged . Spear swirled in his hand while his steps remained confident and even, his head tilted slightly sideways in a mocking and taunting manner . His lips were curled up in a disdainful smirk, seemingly disregarding Sin¡¯s existence entirely . "Shall we go for another round?" Lino spoke softly yet his voice carried tone which caused chills to run down Sin¡¯s spine . He suddenly took out a thick, old book and opened it midway through, chanting something under his breath . A momentter, low wails cried out from all around, drowning the silent city in heart-breaking noise . Lino frowned for a moment, looking around . "Calling on your friends, eh? That¡¯s kind of unfair dude . " he spotted hundreds of Demons moving in toward him from all sides . " . . . I don¡¯t know who you are, or why are you so strong," Sin said, retreating a safe distance . "But you¡¯ve made a mistakeing here . You have to die . Tonight . " " . . . so I keep hearing . " Lino sighed, reaching into the void world and taking out a sword . In one hand he held a spear, in another a sword, taking a confident stance . "Yet I still breathe and bleed . I suppose I can y with you lot a while longer . " He shoved a mass of Qi into his legs, causing earth beneath to erupt as though a dynamite exploded . He hurdled himself forth without caring as to whether he could stop, spinning sideways like a rotating machine of death . He cleaved through a nearby group of demons, spilling blood like water as halved wholes fell apart like apples from a decaying tree . He burst through dozens of buildings, demolishing them further, before somehownding . Without even taking a breather, he repeated the same action and barreled himself forth toward Sin who felt his heart chill when his eyes met Lino¡¯s . Dark, cold, sinister; if he hadn¡¯t met a genuine Devil before, he would believe Lino to be one at the moment . He immediately morphed into a shadow and evaded the humanizedet . Linonded like a cleaved side of a mountain, causing the whole city to suddenly quake . Cracks like spider webs emerged, crater growing wider, buildings slowly being swallowed up by earth . Lino didn¡¯t let up, quickly pursing after Sin who desperately tried to evade . Though dozens, sometimes hundreds, of Demons tried to block Lino¡¯s way, he easily dispatched of all of them . Simple-minded, single-patterned creatures hardly posed a challenge . However, there were tens of thousands of them, and there was only one Lino . He knew he couldn¡¯t keep it up forever, which is exactly what Sin was banking on . For all his shorings, Lino realized, Sin was rather slippery; one moment you begin thinking you have him cornered, and the next he¡¯ll find a way out, disappearing from sight . Growing impatient, Lino heaved the arm that held the sword back and ran forward for a moment, gaining momentum . He chucked the sword like a bullet, causing space itself to distort visibly around it . Feeling the burning heat at his back, Sin only managed to skew sideways before he felt the right side of his body ze out . He threw himself further away upon which a beautiful, yet terrifying, pir of golden mes burned out at where the swordnded . Sin looked at his right side, noticing the missing arm almost up to his neck and the cleaved right side of the body, down to his thigh . He wanted to cry out in terror, but his instincts forced him to look for Lino . Thetter was standing at the same spot, breathing quickly while sweat poured down his forehead . He was utterly exhausted, yet he still failed to kill Sin . He wasn¡¯t even certain whether he had enough strength to retreat, but, luckily, Sin was in much worse shape . The only problem were the thousands of enclosing Demons . Though slow-moving, they will all catch up eventually . And no matter his items, no matter his physical strength or resilience, he would still fall . His mind spun quickly, searching for the best solution . He made enough noise to even rm the Capital, but no matter how quick the reply, it should still take quite a few hours until they arrive . External influences were null; the only thing preventing him from leaving were the Demons and his ownck of strength . " . . . you have a choice," he heard Sin¡¯s coarse voiceing from nearby, slowing turning his head toward the source . Sin stood ten paces away with grim expression, his right-end side clotting in full ck like stone . "Fight desperately here and leave your mark as you die, or try to run away and hope you can fight your way out of the encirclement . " " . . . you really love talking, don¡¯t you?" Lino smiled faintly . "I have another choice . " "Which is?" "To chase after your dog-ass until I catch you and rip your fucking skull off your head," he said . "That ought to stop them, no?" " . . . he he, you can give it a shot . " Sin chuckled . " . . . and then there¡¯s thest option," Lino mumbled, looking up at the sky . "Endure until dawn . " " . . . " Sin¡¯s muscles tensed for a moment . "Nightsts only so long . And, truth be told, I think I can endure . What happens when sun burns out from the horizon? How long before your army crumbles, and you are left to fight me alone?" Lino asked, smirking . "Seconds? Minutes?" " . . . you will neverst a full hour . " Sin said confidently . "No matter how tough you think you are . " " . . . maybe, maybe not . " Lino said, averting his gaze back from the sky onto Sin . "Shall we test it, then?" " . . . " If he really wanted to escape, Lino wagered he could; by risking the cloak¡¯s destruction, he could imbue it with as much Qi as possible and st his way out of here with speed . But he yet again felt the same pull, the same set of hands wrapped around his waist, pulling him further in into the madness . And it was all madness, indeed; faint moonlight folded over the corpses, giving rueful yet beautiful highlights to countless streams of blood . It stank so hard one could hardly hold back from vomiting, yet Lino felt a strange sensation that he belonged here . That he belonged in this mass grave; not as another number in the pile, but as the chosen to perform thest rite . He still had roughly 25% Qi left, and if he used it sparsely, it couldst him an hour . The only variable he couldn¡¯t ount for is Sin; if he can recover faster and aid the Demons in attacking Lino, his chances ofsting until dawn would decrease immensely . Oh well, he thought for a moment, smiling bitterly . If I live, I can reach Soul Realm . It ought to be a nice rebate . Lino gripped the spear tightly and swirled it, causing the whizzing sounds to echo out and blend into the roars and wails of the iing army . He ran forward, into thergest group he could spot, just a hundred meters away . Ignoring the numerous corpses he was stepping over, he leaped into the air and drove himself downward, into the very heart of five hundred or so strong army . He crashed yet again, causing yet another earthquake to shake the city . He spun and sliced with his spear, dismantling dozen heads in a single motion . He ducked and skated forward, leaping vertically and piercing at their heads from above . He danced . Using the least amount of Qi he could, he relied mostly on his physical prowess to bob and weave in-between the Demons, killing as many as he could in the process, adding onto the numerous piles of decaying corpses . It was a horrid sight, but Lino had to ignore it . Ten minutes . . . twenty minutes . . . by the thirty minutes, Lino felt exhaustion slowly take over him . His legs felt as heavy as lead, his arms limp and unwilling to listen, barely holding onto the spear . However, he persisted . A hundred . A thousand . Ten thousand . He lost count of how many he had killed . Rather, he lost desire to count; it would weigh too heavily on his soul if he did . At the forty minutes mark, he was no longer able to stand, forced to use spear as a support . Around him were nothing but walls of corpses andkes of blood . The city was razed beyond recognition, and he could hardly tell where he was at the moment . Sin stood a hundred or so meters away, staring at him with eyes wide open, full of disbelief . Lino forced himself up, hanging his head low while catching breath . His legs began to shake but he forcibly froze them . From in-between the free-falling strands of hair, his eyes peered into the distance, into the fading moon in the sky and the slightly cor-colored sky in the east . The golden radiance felt so near yet so far . " . . . yo, give me some strength, will ya?" Lino mumbled into his jaw in-between deep breaths . " . . . " there was no reply, however . Only eerie silence asionally broken by a distant cry of a Demon yet to be felled . Lino chuckled bitterly,cking strength to curse out loud at the entity living inside of him . "Ha ha ha," Sin suddenly burst out intoughter . "No wonder, no wonder you¡¯re so strong!! I get it, I get it now!! Ha ha ha!! You¡¯re Em--" his voice was halted midway through as a golden warhammer sted his head into small pieces, causing his lifeless body to thud onto the earth and join the tomb . Though startled, Lino hardly had enough strength to grow alert, merely casting a nce sideways . He quickly spotted a man d in full te armor, with a look of wonder on his face, standing some ways off . Next to him was another man carrying a massive shield and a rotating sphere in another hand, almost mimicking the first man¡¯s expression entirely . From the darkness behind the two, another figure emerged, d entirely in ck . Her eyes danced around, unsettled . Just as he thought it was the end of entourage, another three figures showed up; a young, handsome-looking man with two swords strapped to his sides walked with uneven steps, look of horror on his face . It only took him but a moment to grow faint and fall sideways, vomiting his innards out onto the floor . On the other end, woman with a bow strapped to her back nced curiously at Lino, a hint of fear in her eyes . However, Lino hardly noticed them; his eyes were glued to the figure in the center . She remained as beautiful as he had remembered her, yet now she had forceful and fierce gait about her . Her unblemished, golden hair fell freely down her sides, her blue eyes growing moister by second, locked onto him . " . . . yo . " Lino called out softly, shing her a beaming smile . "Long time no see . " " . . . " rather than words, Ae let her hastened steps speak for her . In a matter of a moment, she reached him and hugged him tightly, helping him stand upright . She felt warm arms wrap back around her as she hid her head into his chest, afraid others might see her tears . "Oh for the love of god," Lino grumbled . "I¡¯m the one who should be crying . Do you know I¡¯ve got eleven cracked ribs? And that you¡¯re currently pressing against six of them? Ouch, ouch!" Lino cried out as he felt Ae shove her head harder at him . "Alright, alright . " he sighed faintly, looking at the other people who stood frozen in ce, their eyes egg-sized, staring at the two of them . "Hello, hello friends!" Lino smiled . "Thank you for saving me! I gotta say, I honestly did not expect it . Where did you guyse from? Oh, who cares . Any of you got any ale or wine? My throat is parched . Oh, I mean, I have to pour it over my wounds so they don¡¯t infect . . . and stuff . Khm, anyway, I¡¯m Lino . " silence still remained as everyone kept staring at him . "Hey, I told you to recruit cultivators, not mutes . " " . . . pfft . " Ae stifled herughter as she slowly let go of him, standing by his side instead . "They didn¡¯t believe you existed . " she exined . "Ouch . Well, anyway, I¡¯d love to chat you guys up, but how about we do it somece where that buddy of yours over there won¡¯t be dying, huh?" Lino said, pointing at the still-vomiting Smite . Others merely nodded their heads, following after Ae and Lino . "Where did you guyse from?" he asked her . " . . . we . . . we were in the city when they attacked," Ae said, sighing woefully . "We fought for as long as we could, but they simply overran us with their numbers . When the gate was breached, we decided to retreat into the mountains . We were going to circle the city and move southeast when we heard and saw a massive explosion in the city, which is why we decided to go back . We spent like ten minutes sneaking into it without even realizing that you¡¯d gone and cleaned it up . " " . . . so, how¡¯d you gather such fascinating party?" Lino asked, ncing backwards . "I¡¯ve heard giraffes talk more . " "Ha ha, I¡¯ve gathered them all over the ce, actually . " Ae replied,ughing joyously . "Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯lle around . You kind of scared them shitless with the disy you put on for us . How are you? Do you want one of the guys to carry you?" " . . . really?" Lino nced sideways at her, then looking back at the three guys behind him . The one d in te armor faintly nodded upon which Lino smiled like a child, running over as though at full strength and nimbly climbing on his back . "Aah, thanks man . I haven¡¯t sat in literally days . This is almost as good as sex . " " . . . I didn¡¯t actually expect you to sit on one of them . " Ae said, giving him a strange nce . "Eh, it¡¯s fine . Look at this guy, he¡¯s a freaking tank . He could carry a mountain, let alone an underfed, bony kid like me . " " . . . so, he¡¯s real . " Lucky said, taking in a cold breath . "And he¡¯s worse than Smite . Oh boy . " "Hey!!" Smite cried out, still trying to recover from singed throat . "He¡¯s funny . " Shaneine said . " . . . " Lino nced at her strangely as her voicecked a single emotion . "She actually means it, don¡¯t worry . " Ae said . "Oh . Right . " Lino said . "So, now that we¡¯ve established that you guys aren¡¯t mutes, how about you introduce yourself?" "Kraval . " a deep voice came from down below, forcing Lino to look at the helmet . "Kraval . Alright, I¡¯ll make it a point to remember you . How about you?" Lino looked at the girl who called him funny . "Shaneine . " " . . . " "You can just call me ¡¯hey you¡¯ if my name is hard to remember . " "Thanks . Appreciate it . " Lino said . "And you?" he turned toward Lucky who took a moment before replying . " . . . Lucky . " "Well I¡¯m lucky to meet you . " Lino fired off without even pausing for a moment . " . . . yup, never heard that one before . " Lucky said, rolling her eyes . "Oh? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got more!" Lino said, smiling . "With how you guys saved me, you must be my lucky star! Or, better yet, I lucked-the-fuck-out! It must be my lucky day! It¡¯s just my luck that I¡¯m already taken, otherwise I¡¯d put a ring on you! That should do it for now . " " . . . " Lucky sighed lightly, shaking her head . "Yup, she¡¯s definitely not my fan," Lino said, turning toward the guy holding a shield . "How about you?" "Just call me a shield guy . " Fish said . "You have a weird name too, don¡¯t you?" " . . . noment . " "Alright . I¡¯ll call you noment then . " Lino said, smirking while turning toward thest one, who wasgging behind the group . "That¡¯s Smite," Shaneine exined . "He¡¯s in love with the Lady . " "Who¡¯s the Lady?" Lino asked, titling his head in confusion . " . . . Lady Ae . " Shaneine said . "Oh! Well, of course . Look at her," Lino said . "I¡¯m surprised all of you aren¡¯t gunning after her . " "Alright, enough guys! Let¡¯s first find a good hiding location for some rest!" Ae cut the conversation short, leading the group up the mountain . Bobbing up and down, Lino felt rxed . For one reason or another, he very much let his guard around people he hardly knew . But, he trusted Ae . As his guard went down, his exhaustion went up; the hours of constant running, the continuous battles, it all came crashing in a wonderful haze as he slowly dozed off, sleeping atop of Kraval¡¯s shoulders . It took the group a few minutes to actually realize he was asleep as hardly anything changed about his posture . " . . . he¡¯s . . . unique . " Fish said, ncing at him . "He¡¯s funny . " Shaneine repeated yet again, her eyes glimmering strangely . "He¡¯s all yours . " Lucky said, shrugging her shoulders . " . . . Smite, what are your thoughts?" Fish asked, grinning . " . . . noment . " Smite said, passing the group and catching up to Ae . "He¡¯s light . " Kraval said, ncing up at the much smaller body than his . "Makes it all the more terrifying that he¡¯s the one who did all that . " " . . . oh, right . " Fish eximed suddenly . "His light-and-breezy personality almost made me forget I should be terrified of him!!" " . . . how did he pull it off?" Shaneine asked, curious . "Don¡¯t think too deeply about it, guys," Ae¡¯s voice came flying from afar . "One way or another, you¡¯ll find out eventually . " They traveled back up the mountain for a whole hour before finding a decently sized cave where all of them could fit . It was only then that Lino woke up; though still feeling slightly lethargic, he felt some strength had returned to his bones, at least enough to walk on his own . The group settled in a rather cozy cave, rounding the small fire and the sizzling fish hanging over it . "Capital fell?" Ae asked Lino as everyone settled down . Her question perked the ears of others as they all focused on Lino . "Yup . " he nodded faintly . "Almost a week ago . " " . . . you were there?" "Yeah," Lino said, sighing and leaning back onto the wall . "Not the funnest of experiences . I nearly died . " "You always nearly die," Ae joked . "It should be your promoting slogan . " "Hey, that¡¯s not fair! It¡¯s not like I want to keep fighting battles I can¡¯t winfortably!" "Hey, how about you tell us what happened back in the city?" Smite interjected, asking . "What happened?" Lino looked at him, tilting his head . "Well, I first wanted to sneak in and find Ae and just bolt . But, well, that didn¡¯t happen . When I wanted to escape, they found me . So I had to fight . So I fought . Then you guys came in . " "You just skipped a whole lot of necessary detail there, buddy!!" Smite cried out . "Oh, you¡¯re right! I exchanged a few words with that guy that had his head blown off . Quite a funnyd . Would you believe me if I told you his original form was a cow?" " . . . a-are you doing this on purpose?" Smite asked, gnashing his teeth . "Yup!" Lino replied, shing back a smile . "Don¡¯t worry about it guys . We¡¯ve got bigger things to talk about . Like do you have any seasonings for this fish?" " . . . " "I have a feeling you don¡¯t take things seriously often, do you?" Lucky asked . "Eh, what¡¯s the point in living if you got a stick up your ass all day long," Lino said . "May as well go sell the hole for a copper . " " . . . how old are you?" Lucky asked . "Sixteen . " Lino said, taking a gourd of wine from Fish¡¯s hands and gulping half of it down . " . . . fuck me . " Smite sighed, dejected . "What¡¯s the n now?" Shaneine asked, joining in . "We¡¯ll go with your original n," Lino said . "But we¡¯ll have to make a slight adjustment . I¡¯ve friends I have to pick up . " "Are they strong?" Kraval asked . "Well, stronger than me at the very least . " Lino said nonchntly, taking another gulp; it was only after putting the gourd down that he realized the whole cave fell silent . "Oh, don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re on our side . " "Who the hell are you?!" Smite asked . "Lino!" "Fuck you!" "After plundering Endo n," Lino said, ignoring him . "We¡¯ll continue moving east until the gorge . There, we¡¯ll go our separate ways . " "Why? Where are you going?" Ae asked . "To thend of beyond . . . " Lino spoke in a mysterious tone . " . . . and where is that?" " . . . a ce where only those stronger than me can venture . " "So you don¡¯t want to tell us, huh?" Lucky mumbled . "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll meet with you guys on the other side a bitter," Lino said . "Don¡¯t miss me too much . " " . . . does anyone else want to punch him in the face really badly?" Smite asked . A few heads nodded in silence while Lino frowned . "Why my face? It¡¯s my selling point . I¡¯ve already got cracked ribs . Punch me there . " " . . . yup, let¡¯s avoid his face guys . There¡¯s already something horridly wrong with his head . " Lucky said . "You look rather well for someone who has half his ribs cracked . " Fish said . "I¡¯m tough . " " . . . you don¡¯t say . " "Alright, fish is ready," Ae said . "Now everyone shut up and eat . One word and I¡¯m kicking your ass out of this cave . Got it? That includes you too, Lino . " " . . . " Lino ate in silence, silently smiling . Partly because Ae was alright, and partly because she managed to find a rather fun group . He imagineding days would hardly be boring with them around . Even more to the point, he now had enough people to open up a mercenary band across the gorge . Shaneine will definitely join me in a heartbeat, Lino thought as he ate . Kraval too, probably . The shield guy doesn¡¯t seem to dislike me much either . Lucky . . . ah, I probably shouldn¡¯t have made puns out of her name . Still worth it though . I guess key with her and Smite is Ae . So they¡¯re in . That bearded bastard can be our cksmith---no wait, I¡¯ll be our cksmith . These guys can go out and gather materials for me to craft them stuff . Free practice . He can be shadowy leader . Freya can be fortune teller or something . E can be a cook . Damn, I¡¯m brilliant . END OF VOLUME II Chapter 51 Chapter 51 BOOK I PEST OF THE UMBRA KINGDOM VOLUME III THE ARCHANGEL¡¯S DARKNESS CHAPTER 51 YESTERYEAR (II) A boy and a beast stared at one another, former d only in thin cloth, knee-deep in freezing snow,tter being over two meters tall, with massive fangs sticking out of its maw and furred, warm body, growling lowly at the boy . It snowed all around,ndscape brushed in nothing but white, with only faint edges of distant mountains and hills popping out of the mist . The boy¡¯s body was shaking, not due to fear but the heart-chilling cold . It seeped into every part of his body, slowly taking over him . He lost the feeling in his feet entirely, unsure whether they are still there . For some reason, he was unable to look downwards and check . His eyes, as though frozen in time, were unable to look away from the beast¡¯s . Each time he¡¯d exhale, breath would be clearly painted before his eyes . It would rise like smoke, slowly scattering in the wind . Snowkes fell one after another, each more beautiful than thest, but he couldn¡¯t afford to admire their beauty . He felt caged, stuck to the singr spot, unable to either move forward or run away . He could only stare at the massive beast and let the cold take over him . After his legs, it was his fingers, then his hands, then his arms . The cold slowly inched from the edges of his body toward his heart . Layers of frost had already built up on top of his skin, turning it eerily pale with a tint of cyan . It didn¡¯t take long for the boy to turn into an ice statue, yet he didn¡¯t die . He couldn¡¯t understand it . He was frozen - of that he was certain - encased within the ever-thickening block of ice, yet he was still alive . He wasn¡¯t breathing . He could feel his heart wasn¡¯t beating . Yet he was alive . He couldn¡¯t understand the oddities . The beast slowly inched closer and closer, one step at the time, each shaking the ground beneath . Had the boy¡¯s heart still been beating, he was certain it would be leaping out of his chest by now . The beast leaned in closer, its wolf-shaped head mere inches away from the boy¡¯s face . It suddenly stopped growling, its crimson eyes dimming . The boy saw, of all things, pity inside those eyes . Pain . The beast suddenly moved, opening its maw wide, exposing two rows of sharp teeth . Just as the boy was preparing to be swallowed, a warm current surged from the beast¡¯s mouth, melting away the ice . Boy felt his heart beat again, his blood beginning to cruise through his veins . It was no longer cold . It was warm . Very, very warm . Lino opened his eyes, his thoughts muddled and confused . It took a moment for his eyes to gain focus and for his vision to unclog the blurriness . The first thing he saw was thick, wooden ceiling with panels . It was dark wood he couldn¡¯t recognize . Moving his gaze away sideways, itnded on the closed doors made out of the same wood . He realized that light wasing from somece and tried to sit up . However, he quickly realized it was impossible . His body simply wouldn¡¯t listen to him, remainingpletely still . He whimpered silently, growing even more confused than before . Inspecting the other side, he only saw a paneled window over which a curtain was drawn . He didn¡¯t recognize the ce; thest thing he remembered was a horizon of white and chill permeating his bones . As his memories surged, he remembered Ally being carried away, his eyes widening . He urged his body over and over again to move yet it wouldn¡¯t listen; stuck lying there in silence, in a ce he didn¡¯t know, he felt helpless, powerless . He remained conscious for a few minutes before falling back asleep . The room remained as silent as before, not a sound besides the faint crackling of fire to be heard . Waking up from the dreamless sleep, the first thing Lino felt was a warm, thin hand wrapped around his, fingers tangled together . He groaned lowly, still unable to move, looking sideways . There, golden hair spilled over the bed sheets like satin, unveiling partly the familiar face beneath . Ally was lying asleep on the chair besides the bed, her head on it, snoring lowly . She seemed both at peace and deeply pained at the same time from what little of her expression Lino could see . Her fingers were clutched tightly against his, as though afraid he would disappear . Lino¡¯s lips slowly curled up in a warm smile, his eyes glistening gently . "H-hey, Ally," he mumbled weakly, his throat hurting . "Hey . " he managed to shake his hand for a moment which seemed to have startled Ally who suddenly jumped up, screaming lowly . After a brief moment of confusion, her eyes found Lino was staring right back . She froze in a spot for a second before running over and throwing herself at him, burying her head into his chest while sobbing lowly . "Oh god . That hurts! M-move, it hurts!" "R-right, sorry," she said, getting off quickly . "Water! Right, water!" she eximed as she spun in spot, trying to locate the cup . Lino felt his throat getting slightly better as mildly warm liquid flew down gently . "H-how are you feeling?" she asked, sitting on the chair, shuffling for a moment and grabbing his hand yet again . " . . . sweaty . Eew . Why is it so hot in here?" Lino asked, finally realizing it . "Uh? Yeah, let me, uh let me open the window," she said, hurrying over and drawing back the curtains . "You were," she said as she reached for the handle to open the window . "Shaking . . . a lot . So I figured you were cold, and I decided to throw more wood onto the fire . " "I was . . . shaking?" Lino asked, thinking back to his dream that he was already beginning to forget . "Right . " she nodded, hurrying back to the chair . "I put like three nkets on you, but you were still shaking for some reason . " " . . . where am I?" he asked . "It¡¯s uh, it¡¯s Barry¡¯s cottage . " Ally replied . "Barry the butcher?" Lino said, arching his brow . "What are we doing here? No, wait, back up first . What happened after I passed out?" " . . . I, uh, I begged Sis Roa to help you," Ally said, suddenly avoiding his eyes, her lips trembling faintly . "After a while, she seemed to take pity on you and brought you in from the cold . Barry happened to be inside at the time and he offered you this room until you got better . " " . . . that ox took pity on me?" Lino mumbled, feeling slightly confused . "That doesn¡¯t sound like her . " "Well, I don¡¯t think a dead kid would look good for her . She probably just did it for herself . " though Lino felt something was off, he decided not to question any further and figure it out on his ownter . "Anyway, how are you feeling?" she asked, smiling faintly . " . . . I¡¯m fine, I guess . How long was I out?" he asked . "A few days . It¡¯s Monday . " Ally replied . " . . . did . . . did she punish you for sneaking out with me?" Lino asked with a worried tone . "Ha ha, why are you worry about that silly," Allyughed heartily before replying further . "Of course she has . She locked me up in a cer for an entire day after we settled you . I was so worried that something would happen to you and I wouldn¡¯t be there . " " . . . should I pretend to beatose more so Barry lets us stay here?" Lino asked, smiling shrewdly . "Yeah, you can do that . But he¡¯ll kick us out tomorrow anyway, so . . . " "Right . Nobody¡¯s that good of a person, huh . " Lino said, sighing . "I guess I¡¯ll abuse the kindness till tomorrow, then . " "Good idea," Ally said, smiling . "Are you hungry? I managed to grab some pork he was gonna throw away if you¡¯re interested . " "Pork? As in . . . meat?!" Lino asked, growing excited . "Ho ho, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d like meat that much . " Ally teased, reached down beneath the bed and pulling out two tes with scattered bits of meat and bone in them . "Want me to feed you?" "I desperately want to say no," Lino said, his cheeks blushing slightly . "But I literally can¡¯t move my arms more than an inch . " "You¡¯re adorable when you¡¯re shy!" Ally eximed, smiling, taking a few bits of meat and sitting next to Lino on bed, helping him sit up before slowly feeding him . " . . . it¡¯s good . " Lino said after swallowing . " . . . of course it is," Ally said . "It¡¯s meat! And a cute girl is feeding you it no less!" " . . . wow, you just called yourself cute . That¡¯sme . " Lino said, rolling his eyes . "Hey, who¡¯s the guy always saying he¡¯s going to be the best cksmith in the world?" "That¡¯s because I will . " " . . . are you, then, saying that I¡¯m not cute?" Ally asked, arcing her brow . " . . . " Lino grew mute for a moment, unable to answer . "That¡¯s unfair! You can¡¯t ask me that!!" he cried out in the end . " . . . pft, ha ha ha, aah, and I was really hoping you¡¯d say yes . " she said, still giggling . " . . . " Lino remained silent, eating his meat while asionally stealing nces at her . The next few minutes were spent inplete silence, as Ally fed him with a warm smile . Warmth seemed to have transferred over as Lino felt his cheeks and ears and neck burn while not even the cold winter¡¯s wind blowing through the window could seem to chill him . "You should get more rest," Ally said as they finished up both tes . "I¡¯ll wake you up when we¡¯re about to be kicked out . " "Yeah, you do that . I¡¯d rather not wake up with my ass freezing out in the snow . . . again . " "Want me to sing to you?" she asked as she tucked him in gently . "No!!" "Eeeeh, why? I really want to sing to you . " "You¡¯re a terrible singer, that¡¯s why!" "Liar! You¡¯ve never heard me sing! How would you know if I¡¯m a terrible singer or not?" " . . . I . . . I . . . I heard you that one time in the kitchen!" "I¡¯ve never sang in the kitchen," she said, looking down for a moment . "I haven¡¯t sang since . . . I came here, actually . " " . . . d-do you want to sing?" Lino asked meekly . " . . . I do, actually . " Ally said, looking back at him with a faint smile . "Will you listen?" " . . . I will . " Lino said . "And promise you won¡¯tugh!" " . . . no . " "Tsk . " Ally clicked her tongue after which she coughed a few times to clear her throat, sitting upright . "My mom taught me this song," she exined . "And she used to sing it to me every time I was sick . She never told me the name though . " "What do you call it?" Lino asked . "Hopeful Dreams . " " . . . it sounds lovely . " "I¡¯ll start now . " "Alright . " "Khm," she coughed yet again, taking a deep breath before her voice seeped out in melodic tune, low and clear and warm . "Let the dreams lull you away, Let the dreams steal your pain, Let the dreams show you a better ce, Let the dreams carry you away . . Let the dreams be near and warm, Let them be full of love and hope, Let the dreams open the doors Let them show you a whole new world . . . . . . Lino didn¡¯t realize when he fell asleep, nor did he know how much time had passed till he woke up . He only knew that Ally was no longer in the room and that the window was closed yet again with the curtains drawn over it . He attempted to move slowly and his body responded to themands, albeit a bit lethargic . It took a few minutes for his muscles to warm up and a few more until every bone in his body was cracked and he felt like he could walk slowly while supporting himself against the wall . Getting up, he slowly walked over toward the doors, intending to surprise Ally with his quick recovery . Exiting the room, he found himself in a short hallway leading to several other rooms . He heard voicesing from one of them and decided to head over there . The doors were left slightly ajar so he peered inside only to see Sister Roa and arge, fat man - Barry, he recognized - sitting around the table, drinking and chatting . " . . . how do you like your new furniture?" the man asked whileughing . "Oh, it¡¯s incrediblyfortable!" Sister Roa replied . "Makes me wonder why I haven¡¯t thought of this before . " "Well, I wanted to suggest it for a while now but . . . I didn¡¯t know whether you would go for it . . . " the man said . "Oh well, at least we¡¯ve foundmon ground now," Sister Roa said,ughing . "Where is she anyway?" "In the room," the man pointed behind him . "Still crying . " "Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll get over it," Sister Roa said . "I find it more amazing how readily she agreed . " "She really cares for that kid," the manughed yet again . "The moment you said you will help him, she agreed . She won¡¯t say anything, right?" "She won¡¯t," Sister Roa said . "So long as the boy¡¯s here, she¡¯ll stay silent . " "Ho ho, good, good," the man said . "Let¡¯s keep the kid alive, then, because I enjoy her too much . " "Ha ha, very well . I¡¯ll make sure he stays alive . . . barely . " Lino listened in on the conversation, his mouth agape, mind in absolute chaos . Though very young, he still understood what they were talking about . He felt his heart break and shatter into countless pieces, his whole being besieged by an array of emotions, ranging from pain to guilt and anger . He wanted to burst in and kill them both, yet his feet wouldn¡¯t listen . Rather, his mind was too busy with coping and trying to understand everything to be ordering his body to move around . He only felt his whole world break apart right then and there, and he was desperately seeking for a way to repair it, lest it remains broken till the end of time . Chapter 52 Chapter 52 CHAPTER 52 JOURNEY¡¯S REST Sun glistened golden high up in the sky, its rays folding over hills and mountains and bathing forests in its shimmering hues . Umbra Kingdom slept as though there was a moon instead of sun high up; viges and towns and cities and roads all seemed abandoned and empty, void of a living soul . Eerie silence hung over the vastndscapes, painting a canvas estranged from norm . Closing in on the border, high up in-between the narrow pathways of mountain range, a group of people climbed steep slope overlooking a deep abyss beneath . With Eggor in lead, they walked in a single line at a crawling pace, afraid of the slightly chilly winds that would asionally howl out through the sky . Somece toward the back, Lino walked rather leisurely, slightly lost in his thoughts . It has been half a month since the day they escaped City of Mercenaries . After doing their utmost to evade the ever-growing demonic army, they had finally made it toward the border of Umbra Kingdom . Across the mountain range lies a massive wastnd, aptly named Wastnd of Decay . It stretches all the way from south almost all the way up to north, and is thest threshold before the gorge and the other side . However, Lino¡¯s thoughts were hardly focused on the journey; he kept reying his experiences from the past fifteen days, namely reaching Soul Realm and gaining a new chance to choose a Primal Spirit as well as being given another Martial Art . When it came to Primal Spirits, both were lightning-based, one being named Glint, which would give him ability to move at lightning speed within a specific radius in any direction so long as there was Qi supply, while the other was named Spectre which would make him immune to most types of lightning present in the world . Lino chose former, as he already felt his body to be quite durable . He felt the disadvantage of having to chase after someone in a fight without proper tools while fighting Sin; had he had Glint back then, catching up to him would have been a cake . As for the Martial Art, Lino has yet to understand what it actually does; named [Empyrean Rite], the only exnation he got was as following: In the time of need, Will shall answer the call . Whatever that meant, he could only vaguely guess . The greatest benefit, of course, was acquiring Divine Sense as he finally needn¡¯t roll his head into dangerous situations to scout out and could just perceive things directly with his mind . Which he practiced in excruciating detail over the past half a month, repeatedly expending his Qi on using it and sustaining it . As they were constantly moving, he hadn¡¯t had a chance to craft anything which had resulted in a deep itch he was unable to scratch, a soulbound yearning for it . He was looking forward to crossing the Wastnd and settling on the other end . Though he very much doubted that would mark the end of his journey and would be a ce where he¡¯d settle, he felt it would do him good toy low and rx for a while . He was jolted back from his thoughts as he bumped into stout, ted back . Groaning lowly while rubbing his nose, he realized they had reached a somewhat of a t cliff with enough space to camp out . Overhead ledge provided decent protection from possible rain while a egg-shaped depression in the side of the mountain could be used as a shelter against the wind . Others had already began settling down and retreating into their own little corners, resting . Lino, however, hardly felt tired; his mind has barely been focused on the journey which is why he felt the time pass so quickly . He walked over to Eggor who began taking out logs of wood from a storage item and preparing the campfire . "Still no word from her?" Lino asked; Eggor¡¯s expression grimed for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing . "No . . . " he said, sighing . "Could it be she dumped you?" Lino asked, grinning slyly . " . . . " Eggor merely gave him a stink-eye before returning back to his task . "Rx old man," Lino said after short silence, leaning back onto the wall . "If there¡¯s anyone who¡¯ll survive this whole ordeal, it¡¯s her . " " . . . not if she went to the ce I¡¯m thinking she went . " Eggor said . " . . . back home?" Lino ventured a guess, but judging from Eggor¡¯s reaction, he hit a nail . "What¡¯s the story there anyway? Is she like an illegitimate but talented kid every proper heir hated and envied and eventually managed to cast out because her strong benefactor died?" " . . . no," Eggor said, sighing as fire began crackling slowly . "She¡¯s very much a proper heir, I suppose . " "Whose?" "Even if I told you, you¡¯d merely stare at me like a nk sheep," Eggor said, smirking faintly . "You¡¯ve yet to see and understand the world, kiddo . " " . . . alright, alright, tease the sixteen year old kid for not traveling around . Nice jab, ancient corpse . " "Oh, someone¡¯s hurt finally, huh?" "Not hurt . " Lino said . "Just curious . What¡¯s the secret you guys are so adamant to keep me in dark about?" " . . . it¡¯s not really a secret," Eggor said . "Just something both of us have worked hard to put behind us . Especially her . Imagine . . . imagine if you were sitting on top of the world, Lino," he continued, his voice growing weary . "Only to suddenly fall to the very bottom over the course of a single night . Truth be told," he turned his head sideways and looked deeply into Lino¡¯s eyes . "You were . . . exactly what she needed . What we needed . A dumb kid to distract us from reality . " " . . I¡¯ll ignore the subtle insult in order to appreciate thepliment . " Lino said . "Why would you think she¡¯d gone back?" "Because she would have returned by now otherwise," Eggor said . "She must have sensed the issue to be muchrger than what we thought . ¡¯A few friends¡¯ just couldn¡¯t have measured up . " " . . . " Lino felt the sudden urge to expel the whole truth of the matter to him, but held back in the end . The silence ensued between the two, one whichsted for a while, yet hardly the ufortable type . It was broken only by the iing set of rhythmic footsteps; Lino nced sideways and saw Freya approach while holding a te of freshly frisked rabbit meat . "Here," she handed it to him with a faint smile . "You have not eaten much recently . You¡¯ll lose all muscle you¡¯ve gained . " " . . . thanks," Lino replied, taking it with an awkward smile; he rather regretted his outburst by the cliff side, but Freya went out of her way to show it with her actions that she didn¡¯t mind, or rather that she¡¯dpletely forgotten it . "You tired? I can¡¯t imagine a Princess is used to something like this . " "I¡¯ll live . " she said, sitting by his side . "What were the two of you talking about?" "Oh, that . Just about how lucky we are to have so many beautiful maidens join us on this adventure," Lino said, taking a wolfing bite out of rabbit¡¯s meat . "Imagine if it was just a whole bunch of smelly, ugly guys . Ugh . I¡¯m suddenly losing my appetite . " " . . . does your brain really work that way?" Freya asked, tilting her head in confusion . "What way?" Lino asked back . "Unable to simply refuse to answer," she exined . "But wired to make up an entirely new story instead . " " . . . yup, pretty much . " Lino said nonchntly . "I can¡¯t tell you how fun it is to be me . " " . . . I can only imagine," Freya said, smiling faintly . "So . . . this could just be my jealousy rearing its ugly head, but I have to ask: who is she?" she nced stealthily at Ae who was sitting on other end, seemingly immersed in the ongoing conversation - or rather fight - between Fish and Lucky . "She has been more than just attentive to you through the whole journey . " " . . . really?" Lino squinted his eyes for a moment . "I didn¡¯t imagine you¡¯d be so stubborn . " "Why? It is the first time I have felt like this," she said, still smiling . "Let it flood me whole . . . at least for a while . " " . . . " Lino stared at her for a moment, deciding not toment on it in the end . "Whatever floats your boat, I suppose . You should get some rest while you can . I doubt we¡¯ll have many opportunities once we leave this mountain . " " . . . so should you . " "I¡¯m fine . " Lino dazed off once again, retreating into his thoughts . However, rather than focusing on the past half a month or prior to that, they ventured over onto E . He hadn¡¯t seen or received a word from her in a month . Either she¡¯s simply toozy to contact them, or she¡¯s unable; whichever the case, he thought, it gave him restless feeling . Whether he was ready to admit it or not, he had grown dependent on her . Sudden absence hardly equates cid reaction . The sun slowly set and moon burned out from the shadows, lighting up the sky in sun¡¯s stead . Save for Eggor and Lino, who were seemingly asleep yet wholly awake, the rest were gathered around the campfire, drinking andughing . Even Freya decided to partake in warriors¡¯ past-time, which she found both rming and fascinating; the crude words and stories thate flying out of their mouths after a few drinks shocked her rather deeply, yet also opened her eyes to a whole new reality she waspletely unfamiliar with until recently . She couldn¡¯t quite yet exin it properly, yet she felt like she had finally found a ce she belonged to after searching and yearning for so long . A ce where masks, facades and fake smiles do not exist; a ce where people are honest, no matter how unruly they may seem . A ce she could call home . Chapter 53 Chapter 53 CHAPTER 53 THE DISTANT HOME A gaping crater stood at the very top of a cloud-piercing mountain, entirely spherical as though carved out by a godly hand . Steps cascaded downward through thousands upon thousands of buildings stacked atop of one another, some made of white marble and some of green limestone . Above, in a dome-like fashion, light arrays wove a massive cast over the entire crater, shining eternally, whether day or night . It appeared splendid, even extravagant, as it cast holy rays of light down onto the entire, massivepound . The design of the sect was spiraling, staring from top to bottom, where a tower overseeing the world, made entirely out of ebony stone, piercing the sky . It looked like an obelisk from a distance, yet was much winder and sharper toward the tip, more akin to a pyramid pressed at each side . The streets bustled with noise, ceaseless chatter spanning the whole of the city-like sect, drowning out any emerging silence . People d in white, green, yellow, golden, red and ck robes moved in and out of the grounds in droves, creating a never ending stream of visitors . One of them was a woman wearing a in, tattered dress and a bamboo hat on her head, hiding her face . Her strides were wide, her pace quick as she skillfully weaved herself through the crowds, bit by bit approaching the center . She had left the topmost part rather quickly, descending the white stairway leading further down, when she saw two elderlynd on the other end . Both wore old, gray robes, and had almost identical faces and expressions . With hands behind their backs, they stared at her expressionlessly, yet she could discern a deep glint of something far greater in their eyes . She paused only for a moment, braving forth step by step, until she had reached them both . Silence emerged as they stared at one another, the world around them seemingly locked and frozen in time, without any passersby for minutes on . " . . . why are you here?" one of the men broke the silence atst, asking in cold and distant tone . "Am I not wee?" the woman asked back . " . . . you were wee for over a thousand years," the other man joined, a hint of anger in his voice . "Yet, you never so much as visited to say you are alive . " "You knew I was alive . " " . . . is that your excuse?" the man asked . " . . . did they send you here to escort me or expel me?" the woman asked instead of replying, seeming impatient . " . . . they are waiting . " a man waved his arm slightly whereupon a spinning, white vortex appeared next to him . Woman, without hesitation, took a step forward and walked through . After a bright sh of light, she had found herself in a massive hall spanning hundreds of squared meters . The floor beneath was tiled and glistening, chandeliers hanging above, paintings decorating the walls while sculpted columns held up the domed roof high above . The whole of the hall was brilliantly lit, perhaps even too much, to the point it took her a moment to regain her vision . When she did, she came face to face with a table and four people sitting behind it . Three men and a woman, all d entirely in white, stared at her with different expressions . She choked for a moment, feeling an overwhelming wave of memories assail her . No matter how many years had passed since shest saw them, all these faces were forever imprinted in her memory . To the far right, she nced, was a seemingly middle-aged man; he had golden hair woven into a bun, with a few strands of hair falling over his forehead . His eyes were sky-blue, lips thin, nose long and narrow, cheekbones extruded, jaw squared . His eyes shimmered in an array ofplex emotions, she realized . How could she ever forget his face? It was her father, after all . Next to him sat a woman, simrly in her forties or so . Much like him, she had golden hair threading over to half her back and sky-blue eyes, seemingly holding the secrets of the whole universe in them . There was a faint smile on her face, yet her eyebrows were heaved backwards, as though wishing to both express joy and sadness at the same time . Next to her was an elderly man, with a face full of wrinkles . His eyes were seemingly closed as his hand creased his beard repeatedly . His back was hunched, and he appeared over a head shorter than everyone else on the table, yet the woman knew one could hardly discard him for it . On the far other end of the table sat a youth, seemingly in his twenties . His hair was unnaturally crimson, eyes even more so, and his expression danced between anger and resentment . Only now did woman¡¯s expression change, as she did not expect him to be here as well . "So," the oldest man was the first one to speak . "You have atste here . What for?" "She didn¡¯t even greet Us," the young man scoffed . "Why are you addressing her?" "She has no need to greet us . " the old man said without looking at the young man which caused thetter¡¯s brows to furrow even further . "Speak, nor . Speak or forever remain silent . " " . . . I havee in search for an answer . " the woman spoke, taking off the bamboo hat . Beneath she hid hair as golden as the sun shining in the sky and eyes hued in deep, ocean¡¯s blue . Her face was like a mirage of perfection, ethereally beautiful without any blemishes . The young man¡¯s brows rxed as his eyes drew a line over her body without any secrecy . "And to what question do you seek an answer for?" the elderly man asked as though he hadn¡¯t noticed anything . "Why are Demons invading our world?" she asked . "Demons are always invading our world . " the elderly man replied . " . . . I broke a vow bying here," she looked deeply into the old man¡¯s eyes . "Betraying everything I trusted ever since leaving . At the very least you can indulge me for a single question . " " . . . your vows have little to do with us, nor," the old man said, his expression still tranquil . "You had broken just as many, if not more, when you left, too . What of it?" " . . . why are Demons invading our world?" she asked yet again . "Why are you asking?" the old man asked back instead of answering . "Because I wish to know . " " . . . " the elderly man suddenly opened his eyes halfway through and looked deeply into her eyes . "Varren, Jade, Crug, leave us . " "But, Patriarch--" "Leave us . " the old man¡¯s voice was calm and tranquil despite the three pairs of eyes staring at him as though fire was about to burst out of them . The three of them remained silent for a moment before suddenly disappearing as though they were never there . " . . . now that they are gone," the old man said, slowly getting up . "We can have an honest conversation . " "Why the need to dismiss them?" the woman asked, following him as he began walking further down the hall . "Because I very much doubt you¡¯d want them to know you were in possession of a Writ and have given it away to someone . " though the old man¡¯s tone was ever the same, the words had tremendous impact on the woman, causing her to freeze in ce . "Don¡¯t be so shocked, E . Your grandfather knew what would happen to him when he carried out the Fiend, so he told me . . . many things . Some of which I still have trouble believing . " " . . . thank you . " E said meekly, quickening her pace to catch up . "Don¡¯t thank me," the old man said . "I am merely doing this for the n . " " . . . I know . You were always devoted to it, even more so than my grandfather . " E said . " . . . hardly," the old man paused for a moment and nced back . "It takes a man whose entire heart is encased in n¡¯s well-being to do what your grandfather did . " "And if he hadn¡¯t, you would have . " "We can all im we¡¯d have done things in the past differently now," the old man continued . "Whether we would or not . . . we may never know . Why are you interested in Demons, all of a sudden?" " . . . I wasn¡¯t at first," E replied . "I wasn¡¯t even going toe here initially . But, the further I travelled, the more I realized the sheer scope of their invasion . " "Where¡¯s Eggor?" the old man suddenly asked, startling her . " . . . he¡¯s not here . " "Oh, I know he¡¯s not here . I¡¯m asking where is he . " "Safe . " " . . . good . " the old man said, sighing faintly . "Though he¡¯s not a very popr figure around here, I remember him to be a great youngd . Honest . Devoted . Faithful . I imagine he¡¯s the sole reason you¡¯ve endured what the n had done to you back then . " " . . . you¡¯re different than I imagined . " E said . "What were you expecting?" the old man asked with a chuckle as the two came to a stop in front of a massive painting; on it, another old man with white hair and beard and golden robe stood smiling, as though overseeing the whole of the hall with his glistening, cyan eyes . "A biased, old, muddled head who would have chased you out immediately?" "Pretty much, yes . " E said, chuckling as well . " . . . from your memory, I suppose that¡¯s how Ie off," he said, turning toward her . "But, every soul¡¯s prone to change, E . You ought to know that best . " " . . . yes, I suppose I do . " E said, sighing . "This ce hasn¡¯t changed much . " " . . . no, no it hasn¡¯t . " the old man said, smiling faintly . "And to answer your question . . . I don¡¯t know . " seeing E¡¯s surprised expression, the manughed for a moment before continuing . "How long has it been? Ah, at the very least half a millennium has passed since Ist talked with any of the Ancestral Devils . Truth be told, our n isn¡¯t the only one being frozen out . It¡¯s the case with all Holy Grounds . They suddenly went mum, and it was only about a year ago that we realized they were nning a massive invasion . The only word we¡¯d gotten from them was ¡¯Don¡¯t meddle . It¡¯s not your ce . ¡¯ . For the time being, we chose to sit on the sidelines and observe . " " . . . all Holy Grounds decided the same? I find it very hard to believe . " E said, even more surprised . "Ha ha, I know . You¡¯d think old man Jarn would have burst into Hell and cleaved it open to figure out what¡¯s going on . But . . . even he simply withdrew . It¡¯s possible he was told more than we were, but he isn¡¯t saying much . " " . . . " E grew silent, entering deep thought . "You haven¡¯t changed since Ist saw you," the old man drew her back from it, smiling with warmth in his eyes . "With the exception of your eyes . I imagine it has to do with the kid you¡¯ve passed on the Writ to . " " . . . you¡¯re as perceptive as ever . " E said, smiling faintly . "What¡¯s he like?" " . . . strong . " E said . "He ought to be," the old man said, sighing . "Although there¡¯s no proof of it, I am certain all of this has something to do with Writs, E . " "I had the same thought," she said, looking up at the painting . "I think I was eight years old when he told me about them . He rarely spoke truth, but when he did, heid it all out on the table . " "Ha ha, that he did . " the old manughed, looking at the portrait as well . "Sometimes, I really resent him for handing me over this position . " "That bad?" E asked . " . . . knowing things others don¡¯t, and making decisions others don¡¯t understand based on the things they aren¡¯t aware of . . . it is never easy, E . If it weren¡¯t for your folks, I¡¯d have given up a long . . . long time ago . " " . . . how are they doing?" E asked, her voice cracking slightly . " . . . how do you think?" he replied, looking at her . "When are you going back?" " . . . immediately . " "You ought to talk to them first . " "I--" "They love you, nor," the old man interrupted . "And, believe me, that is a rare thing in this world . You may think you were once their shining star that had fallen, but, in their eyes, you have never fallen E . You merely hid behind the clouds for a while . When you left, everyone went up in arms to form a party to search for you . They, however, insisted you be left alone . They defended you every way they could . Talk to them . Let them know how you¡¯re doing . " " . . . they¡¯ll try to keep me here . " E said after short pause . "Aye, of course they will . It would be odd if they didn¡¯t . However . . . I very much doubt your resolve is so weak as to break merely because of that . It would hurt them more your leaving without saying goodbye than refusing their love calls . " " . . . I didn¡¯t think you were a softie . " E said, chuckling . "Ho ho, look who¡¯s talking . " the old manughed, stroking his beard for a moment . "Go . They¡¯re at their ce, pacing around and waiting . " "Why was Crug here?" E asked before leaving . " . . . I have my reasons . " "You suspect him of something?" E added on . "No," the old man replied, shaking his head . "His cultivation had been stalled for centuries now . " " . . . and you think I¡¯m the reason?" "In his heart, you are," the old man said . "You¡¯ve incurred his greatest shame and humiliation in life . Someone as proud as him . . . that doesn¡¯t simply vanish one morning . Go now . They are waiting . " " . . . thank you . For everything . " E said as she turned around and began walking away, her steps slow andcking assurance . The old man stared at her back, eyes glistening slightly, sighing when she disappeared from his sight . "You¡¯ve condemned that child E," he muttered, looking at the portrait . "To a life far worse than you could ever imagine . . . " Chapter 54 Chapter 54 CHAPTER 54 BESMIRCHED HEARTS Her steps werenguid, yet she never stopped . Climbing up a spiraling slope made of white, jade stone, surrounded by ever-tall crimson red sumac trees, she felt an array ofplex emotions that she could hardly express at the moment . At the very end of the slope was a round clearing, in its center a humble abode, half-spherical, barely a few meters tall off the ground . Surrounding it were two gardens of flowers, a small stream and a pond of crystal clear water . Birds weaved and chirped about, singing a song of tranquility that the whole of the ce exuded . The courtyard was barren of people, but by the doors lied a wholly white wolf, his eyes starkly silver in hue, full of wisdom . He rested his head on his paws, seemingly asleep . He jolted all of a sudden, his ears perking up, his eyes wide open . He rose up to his feet and looked toward the entrance of the courtyard . A low whine escaped his maw, his snout jerking slightly, his eyes growing tender and moist . There stood a woman d in shabby clothes, yet hardly any different from what he had remembered of her . Hair as golden as sun cascaded down her back, her eyes pure blue, ethereal . It was her, he realized . His feet moved forward slowly as he approached her, continuously sniffing loudly . E stared at the all-too-familiar approaching figure; though he had grown quite a bit since shest saw him, he still had the same fur, the same eyes that were like moons . The same air, one full of wisdom and serenity, still surrounded him, swaying away dark thoughts in their wake . He came before her and stopped, looking up directly into her eyes . She smiled faintly, extending her hand forward and resting it on his head for a moment before caressing it warmly . A low cry bellowed out as the wolf heaved forward, leaping atop her chest and pushing her down, weaving his two front legs round her neck as though to hug her . He kept crying into her ear while nudging his snout into her face . Eughed peacefully, drawing lines over his silken fur . In the distance, the sound of the opening doors broke their little moment; through came two figures, a man and a woman, who both immediately locked their eyes onto the scene transpiring before them . The woman¡¯s lips curled up in a warm smile while the man¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly . Varren and Jade remained silent as the wolf whined lowly beforeing off E and retreating back to Varren¡¯s feet, sitting beside them . E got up slowly and dusted herself off before looking at the two people before her . Complex emotions once again assailed her eyes, conveying far more than words ever could . "Let¡¯s go inside . " Varren suddenly said, turning around . "She¡¯s prepared your favorite . " he was the first one to walk inside, followed by the wolf . Jade kept standing, waiting for E to walk up before joining her in waltzing inside . Unlike the courtyard, the inside of the house was rather simple; there were only a few rooms, decorated mainly by necessities, and only a few paintings hanging on the walls, one which caused E to nearly choke in tears; in the hallway extending from the entrance, at its far other end, there was a portrait of a young girl, roughly ten years old . She was exposing a beaming smile, her golden hair weaved into waves cascading downwards, blue eyes standing out against her pale skin . She wore adorned, golden dress and a tiara of precious gems and diamonds while holding an old-looking book in her hands . "I¡¯d say you haven¡¯t changed at all," Jade said as she realized E had stopped walking . "But you have . " " . . . " E bit her lower lip, lowering her head in process as though ashamed, resuming the walk . It took but a moment till they reached the small, yetfy room, with a single table and three chairs around it . Varren was already sitting on one of them, caressing the wolf by his feet . Atop the table were several tes of various cakes, all of E¡¯s favorites . She sat meekly, avoiding the two and instead focusing on the wolf . "You look well . " Jade said, leaning her head against her hands supported by the table, smiling . "Would you like some actual food before the cakes?" " . . . n-no, it¡¯s fine . " E said . "You . . . you guys look good, too . Where¡¯s Drew?" "Ah, you know him," Jade said, sighing faintly . "He¡¯s out there somewhere, proving something to someone . It¡¯s only gotten worse after you¡¯d left . " " . . . " E drew an arc with her eyes around the room, feeling a wave of nostalgia assail her . "We haven¡¯t changed it one bit," Jade said, noticing it . "Do you want us to call him back?" "No, that¡¯s fine," E said . "He¡¯d just yell at me, anyway . " "Ha ha, yeah, he certainly would," Jade said . "Hey, mute, your daughter is back after so many years . Maybe you ought to stop petting the damn beast and say hi to her?" " . . . " Varren seemed to have froze for a moment as he let go of the wolf and looked up, meeting E¡¯s eyes . His lips trembled for a moment as he swallowed a mouthful of spit and coughed to calm himself down . "Hello daughter . How . . . how do you do?" " . . . really? ¡¯Hello daughter¡¯? Ugh . " Jade grunted, gently pping him over the head . "There¡¯s only us here . Why are you still ashamed of getting up and hugging her? Geez, you and your machismo . It will kill you one day, you know?" " . . . " Varren remained silent for a moment before suddenly getting up and walking over, grabbing E and heaving her off the chair, wounding his arms tightly round her back . Though startled for a moment, she rxed almost immediately and hugged him back, taking in the warmth of his body, the familiarity that she had thought had disappeared a long, long time ago . "I¡¯ve missed you . . . " she heard his gruff voice enter her ears, causing her to smile . " . . . I¡¯ve missed you too dad . " E said . "Yeah?" she said, pulling back and sniffing for a moment . "Then why¡¯d you nevere to visit?" "Hey!" Jade eximed, shing him an angry nce . "No mom, it¡¯s fine," E said, sighing . "Dad¡¯s right . " " . . . no, no I¡¯m not . I¡¯m sorry El¡¯," Varren said as he sat back down into his chair . "You¡¯re a grown woman and you can live your life the way you want to . I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m just being selfish . " "He¡¯s right though," Jade said . "An asional letter would have been nice . " "Hey! You can¡¯t go and berate me and then do the exact same thing!" Varren cried out . "Oh, cry me a river . " Jade rolled his eyes at him as E burst into shortughter, startling the two . "Ha ha, ah, I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry . It¡¯s just . . . you guys are still the same, after so many years . It¡¯s surprising . I was sure you¡¯d have killed each other by now . " "Oh, trust me, it isn¡¯t for theck of trying . " Jade said . " . . . how long are you staying?" Varren suddenly asked, breaking the warm atmosphere and turning it frigid in a moment . "Varren--" "It¡¯s okay mom," E interrupted . "A day, at most . I have to go back . " " . . . what did you and the Patriarch talk about?" Varren asked . " . . . sorry, it was private . " E said . "So private you can¡¯t even share it with us?" "Varren! Enough!" Jade eximed angrily . "Do you really want to spend today like this? Fighting? We haven¡¯t seen her in thousands of years for crying out loud!! At the very least let me have this!" " . . . sorry . " Varren said, looking away . " . . . I want to tell you . I really do," E said . "But . . . it involves certain things that only Patriarch knows . I¡¯m really sorry . " "It¡¯s fine sweetie," Jade said, grabbing her hand gently . "Don¡¯t worry about it . I¡¯m certain you haven¡¯t traveled hundreds of thousands of miles just to borrow a book from him . You¡¯ve got your own reasons for not telling us and, like civil adults we are," she nced at Varren . "We¡¯re going to respect that . Right, Varren?" " . . . yeah, right, respect . Sorry . So, uh, how¡¯s the musclehead?" "His name is still Eggor, dad . " E said . "Never cared much . " he looked away . "He¡¯s still using the spear Eggor crafted for him, isn¡¯t he?" E asked Jade who smiled immediately, ignoring Varren¡¯s stern gaze . "Yup . He practices with it every day . I swear, if it weren¡¯t for me, he¡¯d probably be sleeping with the damn thing . " "And, to answer your question, he¡¯s fine," E said . "He should have escaped the Kingdom by now . " " . . . you seem really happy, El¡¯," Jade said, smiling . "You two finally decided to have a kid?" " . . . uh, no," E¡¯s cheeks flushed red for a moment as she looked away . "But, uhm, we, we sort of adopted one? I think?" "Oh?" Varren arced his brows as he looked at her . "He must be pretty special to catch your guys¡¯ eyes . " " . . . special?" E said as Lino¡¯s grinning face popped into her head . "Uh, sure, let¡¯s say he¡¯s special . " "Well, tell us about him," Jade said as she sliced three pieces off one cake and distributed them . "How old is he?" "Should be sixteen . " E replied . "Oh, wow, so he¡¯s already a man, huh?" Varren said, stroking his chin . "Interesting . " "I¡¯m not letting you ¡¯discipline¡¯ him," E said almost immediately . "And, if I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t think even you could reel him in . " " . . . oh wow, well, that¡¯s just silly . I reeled you in, haven¡¯t I?" Varren said . "Yeah, but you¡¯d probably have an aneurysm before actually reeling him in . " E said . "He has that sort of an influence on you . " "A wordy brat, huh? I¡¯d like the challenge . Most the kids these days in the n are so obedient I mostly sleep through my lessons . " Varren said . " . . . you¡¯d both like him and hate him, I think . " E said . "But, even if you do meet him one day, it won¡¯t be any time soon . " "I can live with that," Varren said, faintly smiling . "So? He a cultivator too?" "Uh, yeah . But, he¡¯s more like Eggor," E said . "cksmith first . " "Tsk . " "Hey! Don¡¯t click your tongue!" E eximed . "There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a cksmith first!" "Yeah, if you¡¯re aplete hack at cultivation . " "Ah, forget that," Jade interjected before the conversation spiraled any further . "All that is secondary . Tell me: is he handsome?" " . . . and that¡¯s somehow important?" E asked, arcing her eyebrow . "Well of course! All members of our little family dazzle people wherever we go! We can¡¯t be breaking that tradition!" " . . . oh, wow, I didn¡¯t know my family was so vain . " E said . "What an eye-opener . " "So he¡¯s an, how do they call it, ¡¯acquired taste¡¯?" Varren asked . " . . . I¡¯m not discussing how handsome he is with you guys," E grunted lowly . "He¡¯s . . . he¡¯s a smart, witty kid . " "Oh, right . So he¡¯s as ugly as theye, right?" " . . . Telly, bite him in the ass . " E looked at the wolf and said; the poor thing whined lowly as he nced between Varren and E, unsure on what to do . "Hey, leave him alone," Jade said . "You know he can¡¯t choose . He loves you, but he¡¯s terrified of him . It¡¯s an impossible choice . " " . . . woooo . " the wolf cried out lowly before snuggling off into the corner, ignoring the trio . " . . . so, what was that about Demons?" Varren asked as they finished up their pieces of the cake . "Do you need any help?" "No," E shook her head . "We should be fine . " "You know that you can always ask us for anything, right?" Jade added . "I . . . I know . Don¡¯t worry . It hasn¡¯t gotten so bad we can¡¯t handle it on our own . " "You¡¯ve resumed your cultivation . Only recently, though . " Varren suddenly said . "Something to do with the kid?" " . . . yeah," E said, smiling faintly . "He¡¯s . . . helped both of us, in his own little way . Helped us move on . " "That¡¯s good," Jade said, caressing E¡¯s hair gently . "Taking away your cultivation was a terrible thing to do in the first ce . " "No . . . grandfather was right to do it," E said . "It set a perfect example: no matter whether you¡¯re a normal member, or even the Maiden, no one is exempt from punishment . He already did me a favor by only taking it away and not crippling me entirely . " " . . . he would have never done that," Varren said . "Even if the entire n demanded it, he would have fought them before crippling you . He . . . he may have been more loyal to the n than anyone else in its history, but you trampled that loyalty . He loved you very much, almost as much as we do . " " . . . yeah . " E said . "I know . Where is his tomb? I¡¯d like to visit it to pay my respects before I leave . " "It¡¯s in the Ank¡¯ars," Jade said, smiling faintly . "Alongside his father¡¯s . We¡¯ll take you there before you leave . " "Thanks . I¡¯d like that . " A long distance away, from atop of a mountain, a pair of crimson eyes stared at the distantpound, a pair full of resentment and deep-seethed fury . Crimson hair fluttered by the wind¡¯smand, like trails of blood in the fresh sky . Though top of the mountain was covered in snow, the ground around the young man was entirely parched, ckened by crimson mes and suffocatingly hot air . His eyes suddenly widened as mes coiled around his feet . Before a blink of time was over, he disappeared from the top of the mountain, heaving through the sky like a falling meteorite, aiming for the peaceful courtyard in the distance . Chapter 55 Chapter 55 CHAPTER 55 QE¡¯LL REMEMBERS Crimson arc cruised through the sky, leaving behind a trail of zing, beautiful mes spanning miles on end . A pair of incinerated wings blew out Crug¡¯s back, manifesting a majestic sight to behold . Endless gasps echoed out from the n beneath as thousands of pairs of eyes looked up at the sky, at the scorching sky whose natural, blue hue had long since been turned scarlet . Crug withdrew a massive, spiked sword from seemingly nowhere, brandishing it with both his hands where puncture wounds appeared one after another, dyeing the handle red . His eyes began smoking, his whole face flushing, his muscles so flexed his clothes nearly tore off . Just as he was about to reach thepound, he felt a banishing force assail the very core of his being . Golden light torched the other end of the sky as a massive pir uprooted the darkness, blinding everyone whoid their eyes on it . It seared the clouds above, banishing them from existence, prating into realms that a human eye could not see . The golden pir of blinding light expanded forward, crashing against Crug¡¯s face directly . A massive st beamed outwardly into even greater shockwave, causing winds to rouse the world beneath and above . The blend of golden and crimson painted a beautiful, yet far more terrifying, canvas up in the sky . Qi turned visible for a moment, like silken threads of webs, spanning the world and its every essence . Crug felt his lungs capsize, unable to breathe, as a force far greater than his own pushed him back, sting him through the sky like a kite . Hended thousands of miles back, crashing through numerous mountains and drilling massive holes in them on his way . Crimson shade depletedpletely, leaving only gold to shine . As it dimmed slowly, a visible silhouette appeared deep at its center . With golden light drawing further back, the figure became more and more visible, in the end depicting exactly Varren . From his back spun two wings made of ethereal light, fluttering gently, while he hovered in the sky straight like a spear . His expression was grim, eyes exuding fury, fists clenched tightly . It only took but a moment for the dissipated crimson light to appear back in the sky as Crug burst through miles of travel in the blink of an eye, appearing just a dozen meters away from Varren . The two stared at each other for a moment, former bleeding profusely from several dozen cuts all over his body . Yet he seemed to not have even noticed it, as though they weren¡¯t there . "This is?" Varren asked in a low, threatening voice, tilting his head . "She¡¯s gone back to hiding behind her daddy now, I see . " Crug said with a beaming grin, causing his face to distort . "Pathetic . " "Do you need something?" Varren asked, tone of his voice growing ever so hostile . "Call that bitch out," Crug said . "I¡¯ve got a few things I¡¯d like to chat with her about . " " . . . " Varren remained silent for a moment, looking deeply into Crug¡¯s eyes . "Call my daughter bitch one more time and I¡¯ll rip your tongue out and feed it to Telly . " " . . . ha ha ha," Crug burst out intoughter as he heaved his head backwards . "Even after all these years, you¡¯re still defending her?! Look around you Varren!! How many people know who came back today, huh?! Why do you think that is?! Shouldn¡¯t we be celebrating the return of the Immortal Maiden, huh?!! Shouldn¡¯t we brandish banners and bring out finest ale and finest music and drink till we forget who we are?! Yet why is everyone silent about her return?!" " . . . " Varren¡¯s eyes shed for a moment before replying . "That¡¯s right . She¡¯s shamed our n . But,e heaven or hell, she¡¯s my daughter first and everything else second . I¡¯d be buried alive before I¡¯d let an ape like you insult her dignity . Go back Crug . You are not wee here . " " . . . if it wasn¡¯t for her, I¡¯d already be far stronger than your aged ass!!" Crug screamed out atop of his lungs, his voice echoing through the entire n¡¯spound . "She ruined me!!! Cursed me to forever stagnate like a cultivating morons we call ¡¯n members¡¯!! Bring her out!! I need to cleanse this hatred or I¡¯ll never advance again in my life!" " . . . you¡¯re pitiful, Crug . " Varren said, sighing faintly . "You¡¯ve forsaken cultivation, and you aren¡¯t even aware of it . Go back . Thest bout was a warning in respect of your father . " "Hah, my father? Like I give a shit!! Unlike some, I don¡¯t depend on him to protect me! Go ahead, st it all out on me!! Till you grind my bones down to ash, I¡¯m not leaving unless shees out!" " . . . you asked for me," a faint yet melodic voice cried out from down below, reaching Crug¡¯s ears . "Here I am . " " . . . " Crug tilted his head downward, quickly spotting the distant figure standing on the ground, her golden hair swaying gently sideways . At a moment¡¯s notice, his anger dissipated . The mes burning hot behind him mellowed and madness in his eyes perished . "El¡¯ . . . " he muttered lowly, crashing from the sky onto the ground, just ahead of her . His stunt cause hundreds of bystanders to cry out and run away; Varrennded almost simultaneously as him, standing next to E like a guardian angel . However, Crug didn¡¯t step toward her . He merely stood frozen at the spot and stared, his hair swaying simrly to hers . "Why have you forsaken me?" he asked after short silence . " . . . I haven¡¯t forsaken you, Crug . " E replied . "Yes . . . yes you have . We were meant to be together . By Fate¡¯s ordain . But . . . you left . You chose him, a nobody, a craftsman from mountain . At first . . . I thought it was just pity, for what you did to his vige . But . . . despite the passage of time, you never came home . And I¡¯d realized you didn¡¯t pity him . You chose him . . . over me . " " . . . " E stared for a moment, sighing afterwards . "You¡¯ve always been unhinged, Crug, but I know that deep down there¡¯s no other person here who cares about this ce more . Why have you forsaken that for me? You said it yourself . I am a shame of this n . An eternal outcast . I¡¯m not worthy of your heart . " " . . . heh," Crug chuckled lightly, smiling afterwards; unlike his sneers, it was a genuine smile, exuding almost boyish innocence . "Maybe you believe that El¡¯ . . . but nobody in this n does . They think we don¡¯t hear ¡¯em whispering, but we do . Thousands of yearster, post-drinking stories are still myths of the legendary Immortal Maiden, Queen of des, Qe¡¯ll¡¯s Sword Bearer . The one who breached past the shackles all others were bound by . You . . . you belong here, E . This is your home . Your return signifies that . " " . . . I¡¯m leaving, Crug . " E said . " . . . I know . I know you¡¯re leaving . But, one day, you¡¯lle back . You¡¯ll return to stay instead to visit . And, until that day, I¡¯ll stand here waiting El¡¯ . I¡¯ll persist with this nagging demon in my heart, whispering to me ceaselessly . I¡¯ll wait for you . That is my Fate . " " . . . it¡¯s your choice, not Fate, Crug . " E said, smiling faintly . "I don¡¯t want you to wait for me . Though I feel pain over what I did to you, to the n, I don¡¯t regret it Crug . I¡¯d have done it all over again if given a choice . I love Eggor . I¡¯ve loved him since and will love him after . Not even his or mine deaths would change that . " " . . . " Crug looked deeply into her eyes for a moment before turning around and beginning to stride away . "On my thirteenth birthday, I feel in love with you El¡¯ . That was also the day my Fires were born . And since then, because of this love, they¡¯ve kept burning . And they¡¯ll keep burning . . . till the time¡¯s end . " " . . . " E stared painfully at his vanishing back, holding back tears from breaking out of her eyes . She suddenly felt a firm but warm hand grasp her shoulder; ncing sideways, she spotted Varren smiling gently . " . . . I haven¡¯t seen that side of him in a long, long time," he said . "Good to know it¡¯s still there . " " . . . it¡¯s always been there . " E said . "Yes . Yes it has . He¡¯s the future of this n, El¡¯," Varren said . "And he¡¯s strong enough to one day move on . You have to trust him . " " . . . I do . " E said . "Good . " Varren said, smiling as he also turned back toward the house . "Let¡¯s go back inside . We don¡¯t want to get sacked with repairing that damage, now do we?" " . . . tsk, I see mom still hasn¡¯t beaten thatziness out of you . " "Whatziness? It¡¯s called selective productivity . " "That sounds exactly like somethingzy people would call it . " "And you still haven¡¯t learned not to talk back to your parents," Varren said . "I ought to spar with you to remind you of respect, no?" " . . . ah, I¡¯d rather not . You never held back in your spars . It¡¯s actually one of the things I hated about you growing up . " " . . . well, that¡¯s just not true . You used to love sparing with me . " Varren said . "You were always the first one out on the field!" "That¡¯s because if I wasn¡¯t you¡¯d be three times as harsh as usual! Just how bad is your memory?!" "My memory is perfect, thank you very much . It¡¯s yours that could use some greasing . " " . . . ugh . " In the far distance, crimson-haired figure leaped over a wooden fence andnded in a barren courtyard, sitting down on a singr, ttened rock standing in the center . The cuts over his body had already healed, blood seemingly sucked back whence it came from, his intense expression turned tranquil . He looked up at the sky, his eyes hazy for a moment, as though deep in thought . Beneath them, though, two flowers budded ck, low echo of sinisterughter perishing before even beginning . Within the crimson pair of eyes was another, color-burned, cold and full of malice, forever whispering . Chapter 56 Chapter 56 CHAPTER 56 THE FABLED FJORDS It looked like nothing more than a massive gash in earth, like a scraping wound running from north to south . It was wide, bounding tens of miles from one side to the other, its length equivalent to the distance of the Northern Seas from the Southern Isles . It got its name, the Fabled Fjords, many moons ago, after thend was cleaved, but before the beautiful river running through it dried up, leaving only scorched earth and deep abyss reeking of gloom . The corrosion of earth was visible to the naked eye, garments of aged rocks ever so often falling apart and diving deep into the abyss . At the very top, looking down with eyes full of curiosity, Lino stood motionless as howling winds blew past his figure, tantalizing him . His hair and coat fluttered madly backward, grass behind him swaying all the same, yet he stood firmly erect and straight, as though nothing could move him . He left the group silentlyst night, just as they reached the massive gorge, without notifying anyone . They¡¯d find their way across, he figured, and it was best if he didn¡¯t get entangled into the conversation over where he was going as even he wasn¡¯t certain it was such a good idea . He marked this as his eventual destination a long while ago, even before the Capital fell to the Demons, as it¡¯s the ce the Writ pointed him toward . Though it was quite vague, Lino understood that there was something he needed hidden in the harrowing deeps . A piece of the puzzle he¡¯s perhaps yet to unveil, but one far too important to ignore . However, since then, the Writ hasn¡¯t spoken a word about it and no matter how much Lino asked, he never got an answer . Now, standing by the edge of the massive gash, he began having second thoughts about descending . The fall was steep, entirely lethal should he somehow slip, and zing and neverending winds hardly helped the cause . Still, deep down, he knew he had to go . His journey has already begun and, however grim it may appear, he didn¡¯t want to give up . He himself had grown intrigued by the mass spectacle that this world appears to be, with countless secrets hiding beyond the shroud . Global demonic invasion, he was certain, was just a small piece of what would transpire in the following years, and perhaps even decades . Whether he wanted it or not, hended a major role in the conflict that would ur . There was already a mark on him, a mark he could not erase, and he didn¡¯t want to exclude himself entirely from the pursuit and live like a hermit until the end of his days . He¡¯d grown tired of worthless living, of day-to-day hoping it would eventually get better without ever being given tools to fix it . Now that he has them, he didn¡¯t wish to see them wasted due to fear . He sighed and took a deep breath, ncing briefly at the scalding sky before taking a rope out of his void world . He¡¯d crafted it himself on his way over here, using durable ox leather and flexible tails of rarely seen creatures around these parts, Vertins . Legend has it that they used to be Moon Cats who embraced Spirit Lords as their Guardians, growing three times their original size and turning their tails into one the most deadly weapons in the wild . The rope¡¯s design had twofold necessities: to be able to endure shred of the quick winds, and to remain steady and straight against those winds . There was simply no other way to descend down the side of the gorge . He tied one end to the toughest tree trunk he could find and slowly reached the edge of the gorge, beginning his downward climb . The winds were rough, already cutting the surface level of his skin by the time he¡¯d taken a few steps down . Beyond them, he also sensed a rather strange and obscure atmosphere deep down below, voiceless yet loud at the same time . He couldn¡¯t see past the thick darkness beneath despite driving tons of Qi into his eyes to enhance his vision . The deeper he¡¯d descended, the thicker the darkness surrounding him got; by the time he¡¯d reached two hundred meters by his ount, he was barely able to see a few inches in front of him . Looking above, he only saw thick misty veiling over the whole of gorge . Only darkness, without a single streak of sunlight piercing through . He¡¯d already gone into a massive, downward spiral of regret in his mind, but he still managed to thicken his resolve and continue the descent . There were scarcely any records about the Fabled Fjords since it has dried up . At the very beginning, quite a few adventurers gave the descent an attempt, only to fail to ever return . With the passage of years, it¡¯s be one of the dead-end spots, an eternal tomb for the reckless . Lino knew he was going in blind, but he was still confident in himself; after reaching Soul Realm, he¡¯d grown considerably stronger than before, to say nothing of having acquired Divine Sense . With a simple, consciousmand, his mind seeps out into the fabled Limbo, where both living and dead intermingle in an abstract contraption, and where no breath can be hidden . It is a fascinating experience, no matter how many times Lino experienced it; suddenly, the darkness surrounding the insides of the gorge would vanish, reced by a full spectrum of colors . Tiny, wisp-like dots danced round the rainbow-colored bridges leading everywhere and nowhere . Gray and dark cliff he was holding onto became a cascading waterfall of beautiful colors, and he himself but a spec in the eternity of things . It provided himfort, however brief it may have been . He was not alone . Not even here, in the boundless darkness, surrounded by heavy silence . However small, surrounding him, thousands upon thousands of creatures invisible to the naked eye danced . He continued his descent, asionally inspecting things with his Divine Sense to make sure he doesn¡¯t stumble onto anything athwart . It felt peculiar, crossing over to the Soul Realm and bing aware of the tiniest of presences in the depths of your body, there, lingering in stillness like a fellow passenger on a lifelong journey . It was a tiny dot, Soul, shimmering in pure white, unblemished by sins of one¡¯s heart . It appeared as though it was sleeping peacefully, its figure ethereally vague . Lino found it reassuring, as it felt like having a friend on a lonesome journey . One you could always count on to have your back, even when all hell breaks loose . He¡¯d long since forgotten the meaning of time on his way down . Darkness had long since seeped into every corner of his mind and he felt his thoughts growing ever more depressing, yet he couldn¡¯t do anything about it, even though he tried . As is the case in his darkest hour, he eventually traveled back to his childhood, to the days that were supposed to be the most carefree in one¡¯s life . He¡¯d always brush up her face that hadn¡¯t faded even slightly after all these years . He¡¯d imagine her smile, a beaming, bright one curling downward into a frown, then into a weep . He¡¯d imagine her striking eyes shining in curious innocence, then veiled over in a curtain behind which he was never able to peer . She hid it from him too well, all that pain he knew she felt . The tears she wept in the dreadful corners, hidden away from his eyes . Realizing his thoughts had turned painful, he used Divine Sense quickly, expanding it to the maximum of his abilities, which reached nearly a hundred meters in diameter . Just as he began weeping inwardly over having to climb further down, he spotted a small cave roughly seventy meters to the east . Though he was unable to peer inside, he quickly headed over as he knew he needed a moment to rest and reel his thoughts proper . It took him a few minutes to get to it, carefully unwrapping the ever-expanding rope off his waist andnding gracefully at the thick but short protrusion leading to the inside of the cave . His steps were hurried and sporadic as he burst inside, ignoring any possible danger . He was unable to count how many minutes had passed before the first breach of light assailed him, blinding his eyes for a moment . He pressed onward, feeling slightly short of breath . The cave ended in a barely human-sized vertical gap through which he was forced to squeeze . Light wasing from the other end, and he was both curious and terrified to find out why . How was there light so deep below the world? Inside the lightless gorge of death? He could hardly venture a guess . After squeezing through for about a minute, he had finally reached the other end,nding on an uneven, rocky floor full of sharp, natural spikesing from both sides, rising upward of several meters . The spikes created a form of natural, downward path in-between the steady columns upholding the tall ceiling above . He followed it slowly, feeling his heart suddenly quicken . The Writ began circting Qi much faster than usual, and he felt yet again an indescribable pull ovee his being . The end of the pathnded him into a ce he could never have guessed existed here . A hall hundreds of meters tall, embellished by hand-sculpted pirs of human-like beings with feathered wings spread out far and wide . The floor beneath was tiled golden, reflecting light illuminating the halling from the crystal rocks both from the ceiling and the pirs themselves . The hall was spotless, as though it existed in another dimension, away from the filth just outside its front doors . All of the pirs seemed to have been turned toward the singr direction, toward the far other end of the hall . Lino braced himself and walked forward, his footsteps echoing throughout the hall in a seemingly neverending loop . After walking forward for about five minutes, he¡¯d finally reached the end and froze in the spot, his mouth agape . In front of him, atop a strangely, yet beautifully shaped altar, wholly symmetrical, rested a transparent coffin made of pure, violet jade . Inside, he saw a seemingly middle-aged man in lying position, his arms crossed over his chest, golden-haired and snow-pale . What caught his eyes far more was what was above the coffin; looming over it were pair of golden, feathered wings, spanning dozens of meters on both ends . They flickered briefly, sounding out a low cry that pierced the whole hall . It quaked all of a sudden, floor beneath rumbling as rays of blinding light burst out of the pirs¡¯ - specifically the eyes -nding onto the coffin . Thetter spun and fixed upright slowly, the lid opening . Against all odds, and meeting Lino¡¯s greatest fears, the eyes of the man inside the coffin opened . They were wholly white, hardly something one could see even in a blind person . It took but a moment for them tond on Lino; thetter felt his whole body tremble . Even in death, he realized, the man before him lived in a world far outside Lino¡¯s reach . It was a gaze meant to scrutinize one¡¯s everything . Fears, hopes, secrets, loves, desires . They were all seen by the man . As the blinding light settled and the quaking stopped, only silence remained . The man stared into Lino¡¯s eyes while thetter stared back, transfixed by the strange, ephemeral gaze of an even stranger man . "Hello Lyonel," the man said in a low, echoing voice that seemed to havee from everywhere and nowhere at the same time . "Wee to the Hall of Angels . " Chapter 57 Chapter 57 CHAPTER 57 ASMODEI Lino realized that the atmosphere inside the hall was beginning to shift . Though it gave off grand, awe-inspiring and monumental feeling upon setting foot in the ce, it wasn¡¯t as overwhelming as one might expect . And neither the radiating wings nor the coffin inspired frigid heart to thaw; yet, as soon as the man crawled out of the coffin, setting upon the invisible floor in the air, the hall underwent a towering change . The sculpted pirs seemed to havee to life, their gait eerily vibrant, their eyes piercing and fierce, while pressure emitted by them increased tenfold . The spectacr lighting of the hall turned a hue more golden, yet it seemed to have made a world¡¯s difference . The light bounced off the tiles, creating ridges and bridges of light cascading across the hall, like a light-show one would only dream of witnessing, but never actually having a chance to do so . The man himself exuded an air so ancient Lino was certain it was not of this world; it reminded him quite a lot of the atmosphere he¡¯d sense whenever he¡¯d enter the Writ¡¯s world to choose a Primal Spirit . It felt as if he was carved out of another dimension and ced here, as though he didn¡¯t belong . However experienced Lino was in reading people, their expressions, mannerisms, gait, gestures, he couldn¡¯t even begin to venture a guess as to what kind of a person the man above him was . His wavy, golden hair fluttering backwards was oddly transparent, ethereal in sorts, while his eyes brimmed with wisdom and knowledge Lino was certain no human being has ever or will ever posses . Yet, however monumental the asion was, Lino¡¯s heart was calm, serene even . He felt not a tinge of dangering from the man, only eternal peace, as though remaining here till the end of his days would be worth sacrificing everything else . The man flew down slowly,nding without making a sound, stopping merely a few feet away from Lino . Thetter felt like a newborn babe before the man who, Lino was certain, towered over at least three meters . Despite being on the taller side of his peers, Lino wasn¡¯t even the height of man¡¯s calves . " . . . hello . " Lino spoke meekly . "Sorry, uh . . . for waking you up?" " . . . ha ha," the manughed heartily before replying . "No, no, you are wrong . For me to have woken up, I¡¯d have needed to be asleep first . " " . . . then, uh, sorry for resurrecting you?" "Still no . In order to be resurrected, I¡¯d have to have been dead first, and in order to have died, I¡¯d first had to have lived . " . . . what the hell is he talking about? Though Lino thought so, he didn¡¯t dare voice it out . "You seem confused . " " . . . no, no way . I get it . Y¡¯know, never live, never die . Quite a cheat . " "Yet, you don¡¯t seem envious . " the man spoke candidly . "Envious of what? Being stuck in an empty hall, inside a - true, nice coffin - but coffin nheless, speaking to wind and earth for all eternity? Hah, no thanks . " "Quite a brazen fellow, aren¡¯t you?" the man said, smiling faintly . "You don¡¯t seem to fear me . " "Oh, give me a reason and I will . " Lino said . "Very well," the man leaned in closer, his head, as tall as whole of Lino - if not taller - inches away from the boy¡¯s face . "The friend of yours, inside here," he pointed at the center-most point of Lino¡¯s chest, between the breasts . "I am older than him . " " . . . " Lino gulped loudly, his mouth gaping slightly . "Yeah . . . uh, officially terrified . You can stop now . " "Ha ha ha," the manughed yet again, his voice resounding throughout the massive hall in a seemingly eternal echo . "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry . I mean no harm . I see he¡¯s still a being of very few words . " "Oh, you have no idea . " Lino said enthustically . "Did he always just pop out of nowhere, say something incredibly important but leaving out the most important part, and then no matter how much you call out to him, he¡¯s just like ¡¯eh, too tired, gonna take a nap¡¯?" heunched a torrent ofints against his silentpanion while the man remained standing, startled . " . . . ho ho ho," the man stroke his chin as he spoke . "Indeed he was . Can be quite annoying, no?" "Yeah . Hey, do you have some secret spell or something that I can use to pull him out once in a while and just give him a good beating?" Lino felt all his pent-up frustration with Writ slowly dissipate as he let it all out, bit by bit . "Ah, unfortunately no," the man shook his head, sighing faintly . "Though I am older, he¡¯s far wiser . " " . . . eh, shame . " Lino said, sighing as he sat down . "So . . . he told me toe here . Do you know why?" "I imagine because of those," the man nced at the wings above him, following Lino¡¯s lead and sitting down as well . Strangely, no matter how much he moved, he never made a sound . "My wings . " " . . . " though Lino remained silent, greed was evident in his eyes . However much he had strayed away from the ¡¯cool is the way to go¡¯ when ites to equipment, it wouldn¡¯t hurt having massive, golden wings and making an asional entrance to save an eye-candy from deadly danger . "But I imagine he also sent you to me for answers . " the man said, the tone of his voice turning serious . "Answers? To what?" Lino asked . "Your questions . " the man replied simply, waiting . " . . . " Lino stared deeply into man¡¯s eyes for a moment as he gathered his thoughts . "What is he?" he asked after a dozen or so seconds of silence . " . . . a Holy Writ," man replied . "One out of Seven . He¡¯d gained many titles across the eons of time," he borated . "The Beholder, the Uncorrupted, the Eternal Guardian, the Prime . . . though, I imagine, he couldn¡¯t care less for those even if he tried . " "I know about some of the Writs," Lino said . "But . . . what exactly are they? At least he doesn¡¯t seem like any other cultivation method . " "He¡¯s not," the man said . "None of them are . Seven Holy Writs are apendium of plenary knowledge, a limbo for exhausted souls, voices of the mute, eyes of the blind, ears of the deaf . Our mutual friend is Writ of Chaos," the man nced up toward the ceiling, yet it seemed as though his gaze was piercing the fabric of space and time, peering into ce no longer existing . "His counterpart is Elysian Writ, which is the Writ of Order . Then we have Writs of Light and Darkness, Incandescent and Aphotic Writs respectively . Writ of Nihility for nothingness, Canorous Writ for spoken word, andstly Immortal Writ for transcendence . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s mind worked furiously to remember all of this as he knew it would no doubt be tremendously important in the future . "And you are?" he asked after making sure everything was remembered . " . . . I¡¯m an Overseer . . . or at least, I used to be," the man replied, heaving and sighing in deep mncholy . "Upon the universe¡¯s creation, Seven Holy Writs descended upon it . However . . . before all seven of them, before there was either light or darkness, order or chaos, any energy, First Scripture appeared . I, alongside countless of my brethren, were born of that Scripture . We were once called Order of Angels, and I was the firstborn, the Prime Archangel, given the name of Asmodei . " " . . . " Lino wanted to know more, but seeing the look of utter agony on the man¡¯s face, he chose not to and instead decided to change the topic . "Who is Gaia?" "Oh? I¡¯m surprised you know about her . " Asmodei said, smiling faintly . "Gaia is . . . the World, Lyonel . " "So . . . it¡¯s true then . That the World is a person?" Lino probed further . "A person? Ha ha, I would hardly call her a person," Asmodeiughed, surprising Lino with the sudden emotional shift . "Even I¡¯m not quite certain as to what she is, to be honest . All I know is that she created this world that you and I inhabit, and eventually learned to formte life from observing Writs and the Scripture . " " . . . " Lino remained silent for a moment, contemting . "I know that she¡¯s after something that¡¯s referred to as the ¡¯Truth¡¯, which lies in the heart of this world . Can you exin?" "You know quite a lot, don¡¯t you," Asmodei chuckled before continuing . "The ¡¯Truth¡¯ you speak of is simply another word for the origin of my birth . " "The Scripture?" "Aye, the Scripture . As for the heart of the world . . . I wouldn¡¯t know . Perhaps it¡¯s there, perhaps it¡¯s not . " " . . . what¡¯s my role in all of this?" Lino asked the only question he truly needed an answer to, his eyes brimming with expectation . "Your role? Your role is whatever you assign yourself," Asmodei smiled gently . "No one and nothing, Lyonel, can ascribe you a purpose you do not want . You can choose to be a soldier, you can choose to be a messenger, or simply an observer, much like all those who came before you had chosen at one point . It is true that Gaia had corrupted other Writs, but expectations of others need not be your dreams . You don¡¯t have to wage their war, Lyonel . " " . . . you know what you just said? Nothing . Literally nothing . That¡¯s not even an answer!" Lino cried out in frustration . He¡¯d realized that all of the old bastards love to speak cryptically and weave words such that they seem to be a perfect answer, yet upon deeper thought mean absolutely nothing but empty drivel . "Ha ha ha, indeed, indeed I¡¯ve said nothing," Asmodeiughed yet again, amused by Lino¡¯s outburst . "But, I¡¯ve also said everything . I¡¯ve been hidden away from the world for far too long, Lyonel . I hardly know its current state . That was, is and always will be a question you need to answer for yourself . Do you want to know theplete truth? Or do you want to remain blissfully ignorant? Remember, though, some truths are hidden for a reason . " " . . . I want to know . " Lino mumbled lowly, more so to himself than to Asmodei, buttter heard him nheless . "Then, you pursue the knowledge . You fight . You sacrifice . You endure . You win, lose, ovee, fall and rise back up again . I was . . . I am not like you and him," Asmodei said, sighing faintly . "I have given up a long time ago . Unlike him . Youin, yet you two are eerily alike . " "Take that back you bastard!!" Lino cried out, nearly jumping up and clubbing Asmodei who simplyughed out yet again . "Though your temperaments are vastly different, I must say . I have given you the answers, Lyonel," he said, slowly getting up and turning toward the wings . "Now I give you a gift . I¡¯ve clipped them when I had realized all my brethren had Fallen, grown corrupt . I clipped them because I had failed . But . . . I could never abandon them . There was always a part of me hoping that one day I¡¯d don them once again, grace the world with my voice, and join the eternal war once more . Now, though, I know it was but a wistful dream . They have been asleep for far too long . It is time their holy radiance shines upon this world once again . . . " Chapter 58 Chapter 58 CHAPTER 58 THE FALL There was an air of serenity surrounding Asmodei as he followed Lino¡¯s flying departure from the golden hall, his eyes bearing emotions unfitting his youthful-looking face . His shoulders fell but an inch downward, yet it seemed as though a world of burdens had been lifted off them all the same . Before he had a chance to get lost in thoughts, a wisp of faint energy materialized next to him, its form and color indistinct, seemingly there but not at the same time . The wisp seemed to be rejecting the world surrounding it as space around it began bending and tearing, clean gashes and uneven cuts rounding it . Asmodei nced sideways, smiling faintly as he held up his arm as though with the intention to touch the wisp, but instead keeping it away from the tearing space and merely keeping it there, frozen . " . . . it¡¯s been a long time . " Asmodei said in a low voice . " . . . it has," the wisp replied in a coarse, distant and distorted one, as though it was traveling through numerous dimensions before reaching Asmodei . "I made it in time . " "You did take your sweet time choosing," Asmodei said, chuckling . "Why him?" "Because he can withstand it . " the wisp replied . "Can he, though?" Asmodei mumbled, ncing toward the distance, his eyes searching the figure that had long since disappeared . "He¡¯s still young . " " . . . I had to take the risk," the wisp said . "And I chose to believe in him . " "Remember the first time we spoke after I obtained my Will?" Asmodei suddenly changed the topic, switching his eyes back onto the wisp . "I believe it was just after the Yuel¡¯s death . " " . . . it was . " "You told me that her death was worth my waking . Do you still believe that?" " . . . " the wisp remained silent for a moment, as though contemting . "I do . " " . . . I¡¯m d to hear it . I don¡¯t though . She was the greatest Prime that has ever existed . Could have made your journey much easier . " "And you were the greatest Angel . " "Hah, I was, once, I suppose . I still dream about it, sometimes . The grand imposition of Scorching Firmament, the towers piercing into the void, the pure, white pir of light shouldering the echoes of dismay . Beneath my feet brethren, their wings spread out, rhythmically fluttering in a symposium that never ceased . And Yuel," he added, smiling lightly . "When I met her, I knew she was unmatched . In everything . It was the very first time in my existence that I had begun to have doubts . And, spending days with her, furthered the gap . Then, one by one, all my brothers and sisters began Falling . Yet, I remained firm . I was blind, Ataxia . The light had blinded me . " " . . . you were always a believer, Asmodei," the wisp said, though seemingly forever emotionless . "With the Scripture, with us, with Gaia, with Yuel . . . and with yourself . You always believed we could make a world worth living in . While we were concocting ways to uproot each other and spread our Word to the living, you were the conduit binding us, however meekly . That¡¯s why Yuel went after Gaia instead of you," the wisp paused for a moment as if it was remembering something it had forgotten a long, long time ago . "Because, of all things in this world, she believed in you above them all . " " . . . you are too kind . You always were . " Asmodei chuckled faintly . "Perhaps I was a believer in all of us, but you were the one who always saw the best in us . Even today you do . That¡¯s a conviction none of us ever had . I envy you, you know? To be able to chase that conviction so fervently, no matter what it takes . " " . . . you shouldn¡¯t . It¡¯s a thankless upation . " "Oh, ho ho ho . Is that humor that I sense?" Asmodei suddenlyughed heartily . "Never thought I¡¯d live to see the day . " "I decided to indulge you once . " " . . . I¡¯m sorry, Ataxia . I had failed you . " Asmodei said . "I had failed the world . I . . . had failed myself and her belief in me . I¡¯m not going to ask for your forgiveness because I know you don¡¯t engage the concept, but I will ask that, should you ever get the opportunity, apologize in my name to Yuel . She deserves it . " " . . . you were always sentimental, but old age had really amplified it . " the wisp said . " . . . I hope it works out with the kid," Asmodei said . "But, be careful with him . His heart . . . is almost bridging the point of no return . " " . . . I know . " " . . . I¡¯ve given away myst gift, I¡¯ve spoken all that ought to be spoken and seen all that ought to be seen . Though, there is onest favor I need to ask of you . " " . . . " the wisp remained silent, waiting . "I . . . I had forgotten ourst moment together, with shame I admit," Asmodei said, lowering his head slightly . "I¡¯d like to relive it, onest time, before I go . " " . . . you really are overly sentimental . " "I am . Will you indulge me onest time, old friend?" " . . . " the wisp said nothing, but Asmodei suddenly felt a faint trace of energy pass up through the soles of his feet, circting his whole body before entering his brain . " . . . thank you . " " . . . you have done your job, Asmodei . Rest now . " A gates tall beyond description, cased in gold and gems and diamonds from top to bottom, nted eye on each side of it, burning in golden ze eternally, guarded a city in the clouds beyond . They were firmly shut, before them only a tall giant, nearly six meters, and a shapeless phantom of shadow and entropy . The former was d in full set of golden armor, simrly colored, towering wings flung behind his back, shining in their glorified radiance . The phantom before him was barely half his height, repeatedly flickering in and out of existence, its shapeless tangles weaving like ropes, its edges like vaporizing water and smoke mingling together . Its eyes were starkly red; not of blood or of mes, but red much deeper and darker, without shadows or highlights . The man¡¯s expression read a faint trace of guilt, though it appeared stoic on the surface . The two stared at each other ceaselessly, as though time and space surrounding them was eternally frozen in its singrity . The phantom moved ever so closer, its ethereal body lifting off the ground till its perceived head was at the same level as man¡¯s . From the shadows a human-like arm, coiled in darkness and smoke, sickly pale in its hue, emerged, crossing over the small distance and holding up the man¡¯s chin gently . Thetter felt sudden burst of cold and warmth mingling at the point of touch, as space around him began to flicker and vibrate, his whole body systematically trying to expel the energy, rejecting itpletely . However, nothing showed on man¡¯s expression but a passing flicker in his eyes . The hand remained but for a moment before the phantom withdrew it back into the shadows . There was a trace of abstruse sadness in its eyes, wholly unfitting the image . The man felt his body calm down as the alien energy departed from him, yet he also felt a strange sense of loneliness surge from the depths of his being . The two remained staring at each other in silence, as though both were afraid to speak out their minds from fear of anyone else hearing them . However, eyes hardly spoke much for either; red and golden mingled in invisible trace, in a puncturing array of light which broke apart the dimension before traveling . "You are afraid," the phantom suddenly spoke, its voice heavily distorted and distant, frigid in tone even . "Don¡¯t be . " " . . . I am not afraid . " the man replied . "By the decree of the Word, Chaos and Order shan¡¯t mingle," the phantom continued . "And so they shan¡¯t mingle . " " . . . " the man¡¯s lips trembled for a moment before he managed to control his expression once again . "I am a Prime, Asmodei," the phantom continued . "A being born to die . " "You won¡¯t die . You¡¯re stronger than her . " "She¡¯s the World, Asmodei, and I¡¯m merely a lingering shadow of a rejected calling . That is why He¡¯s ordering me, and not you, to go . You can yet change this World . Your light is brilliant, beset for a stage far grander than Firmament . " " . . . " the man remained silent while his facade began cracking . "Goodbye, Asmodei . Val¡¯hul kah¡¯hul . " Within a flicker of time, the phantom had disappeared, leaving the man alone standing on the grand bridge between the sky and earth . His eyes widened, shine in them dimming, as red tears began strolling down his cheeks . Suddenly, the golden eyes began losing their shine, turning silver, as cracks began spreading like spider webs across his armor . The wings behind him screeched and screamed in agony, pushing to tear themselves off of him, while every inch of his being began convulsing . With a burst of chaotic energy, the golden armor blew out off of him, revealing a body full of pulsating, ebony veins . They wriggled repeatedly like worms, yet he didn¡¯t let out a sound . Red tears streamed on like river, eyes flickering eternally between silver and golden, his body, inch by inch, shortening . Yet, in his mind, only the phantom¡¯sst words resonated . Nothing else . Over and over again, like an image bouncing off the mirrors ceaselessly into infinity . Just the words . Chapter 59 Chapter 59 CHAPTER 59 WINGS OF AN ARCHANGEL Lino couldn¡¯t help but exim joyously from the depths of his heart as he felt wind brush past his cheeks and caress his hair gently . During his descent down into the abyss, he felt madness encroaching upon his mind ceaselessly, forever entombed in colorless shadows . Yet, his climb was the opposite; with a flutter of massive, golden wings, light shone brilliantly all around, illuminating every stone¡¯s edge, every depression in the cliff, every strand of grass, banishing every shadow present . He hardly felt strange over suddenly gaining wings, feeling as though that was where they always belonged . Rather, he felt like it was the part of his body he was missing since the birth, however strange that may appear . The abyss of terror about whom countless horrifying tales were sang now seemed like any other piece ofndscape enriched by immortal colors . A beaming smile hung on his lips as he shouted toward the sky time and again, flying upward and reaching the top edge of the gorge within a mere minute . Hended on the tnd, wings spreading from his back fluttering briefly; he nced at them from the corner of his eyes, unable to wipe the grin off his face . Not only were they, at the very least to him, an ultimate expression of ¡¯cool¡¯, but besides the added power of flight, they also had stats that made him drool when he first saw them . [Wings of an Archangel - Unique Legendary] Level: 67 (+Growth) +10% Affinity to Light Element +5% Affinity to Fire Element +15% to Elemental Defense +150% to Flight Speed Special Effect[1] - While flying, increase Agility by 3%, Strength by 4% and Vision by 10% Special Effect[2] - Indestructible Special Effect[3] - Can be turned into a spherical shield briefly, which will reflect iing attacks worth of 5,000 durability . Recharging time is 1 hour . [Unique Effect] - The Wings will grow alongside the host; basic stats are increased each 5 levels, while further abilities require specific conditions to be fulfilled before bing avable . Note: The Wings of the First Archangel, forged in Fires and Light of the First Scripture, from materials never known to the mortal world . Their radiance forever banishes the darkness, yet, with their seed lies one, dormant . Perhaps the most joyous part of it all was that he needn¡¯t ever discard them, as they¡¯ll grow alongside him, bing an eternalpanion . He quickly withdrew them and sighed deeply, looking up toward the sky with a glee he was certain he won¡¯t be able to hide for a while . Next on his agenda was rejoining Eggor, Ae and others who must have already crossed the gorge and were waiting on the other end . The n onward was simple; settle down for a little while, organize a mercenary group, and collectively grow stronger . Lino sincerely felt that he needed some downtime as his journey through the Umbra Kingdom had wholly exhausted him, to say nothing of him nearly dying time and again . He looked toward the east, toward the other end of the gorge were tall forest trees sprung up en-mass, and spread his wings once more, leaping over the edge and beginning his flight . Rather thannding on the other end, he chose to fly over the forest and scout out, as his vision considerably improved when in flight, especially so if he imbues his eyes with Qi . He quickly discovered a strange phenomenon on his flyover of the forest on the other end; depending on which angle one looked at the trees from, their hue would shift, and even their shapes would bend slightly . Normally they appeared deep emerald, yet sometimes they¡¯d turn scarlet red, other times twilight-colored, and asionally even bone-white . No matter how much he rummaged through his memories, he was unable to think of a tree that had such properties . From time to time, he¡¯d also hear a deep growl or two echo out from beneath, and asional cries and singing of the birds . The forest went on for miles, spilling into a massive mountain range at the bottom of which rested a small-sized town . It was barred from forest by a massive, six meters tall wall reinforced with steel support beams, which Lino found rather strange . As he didn¡¯t want to immediately be the center of attention, he decided to firstnd into the forest before walking over to the town on foot . He wasn¡¯t sure as to whether Eggor and others were settled here, but even if they weren¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn a bit more about the surrounding area before proceeding further . Roughly hundred meters separated the entrance to the thick forest of color-changing trees and the gateway into the town . A watchtower stood on each end of the gate, armed with bow-wielding men wearing leather armor . Hiding behind the trunk and ncing out to scout the situation, Lino¡¯s eyebrows furrowed momentarily; the men on the watchtowers were oddly on high alert, their eyes darting about ceaselessly . He also spotted ck, singed spots all over the gate and the surrounding walls, seemingly only recently somewhat remedied from the former disaster . Echoes abound broke out of the town and there were nearly dozen smoke patches bellowing out into the sky in strange swirls . Lino immediately recognized them to be odd, and it took him but a moment to realize they were arranged in a pattern and that they were, ever-so-slowly, converging toward center point of them all, bending over unnaturally . Formation? What for? He thought deciding it would be best if he could sneak in rather than bang on the front door and ask for the entrance . After looking at the two guards on the tower, he was rather startled as they were both Level 80, though they weren¡¯t cultivators . The town he considered just a curious oddity was turning more and more bizarre the longer he stayed here . He was on the verge of simply turning around as he very much doubted the others were here . Deciding to risk it and check thoroughly, he donned the [Cleft Shadow] and began shifting sideways in-between the trees, evading the eyes of the men on watchtowers, inching slightly closer to the town . He managed to find a singr hiding spot on its east side, fifty meters or so away from the walls, behind justrge enough rock . After he hid, he carefully used his Divine Sense, ready to bolt it should anything go awry . Holding his breath, he felt his vision expand beyond the rock, inching closer and closer to the town¡¯s wall . Ten meters . . . five . . . one, within less than a breath, his Divine Sense encroached upon the wall and Lino immediately felt rms going off inside his head . By instinct, he immediately withdrew Dragon Spear and Celestial Rod; he switched thetter into its second form, while he braced former over his head and spun it circrly . A massive pole immediately elongated from the rod, breaching the rock and embedding into the earth as it propelled Lino backward . All this took less than a second to ur, and just as Lino¡¯s feet took off the ground, a hail of zing arrows sted against his makeshift shield made from spear¡¯s spinning momentum . The arrow¡¯s sheer and pure strength blew him backwards through the air and just as he began rejoicing, he felt back of his neck go cold . He immediately shifted his spear backward and pierced, while also bending his body in such way that the te part of his chest armor would wee the iing blow while also activating the piece¡¯s ability . Invisible wave of energy spread out with Lino as its center; a groan of pain and a loud nk urred almost simultaneously as Lino felt massive forced drive him back whence he came from yet again . He almost felt like a mud ball being tossed around by a bunch of kids, causing him to curse inwardly . He somersaulted while still in air andnded firmly on his feet, bracing for another attack . However, it never came . As the dust storm settled, he looked around and was immediately assailed by confusion . "Lino?" a familiar, slightly cold voice called out from behind, while a melodic, yet cynical one, came from upfront . ncing back and forth, Lino recognized two faces who appeared just as confused as him - Lucky and Shaneine . "Eh? What the fuck guys?! Why are you trying to kill me?!" Lino cried out immediately as he realized the deadly danger was over . "What do you mean trying to kill you?" Lucky scoffed . "Why are you sneaking around like some sort of a rat?" " . . . your mom¡¯s a rat! Would you just bang out at the front door and sing ¡¯hey I¡¯m a friendly¡¯ song with the whole town seeming to be a convergence of something shady?" "What are you doing here?" Shaneine interrupted the two before they went deeper down the rabbit hole . " . . . looking for you guys?" Lino replied, tilting his head . "I¡¯ve finished my business so I figured I¡¯d regroup with the rest of you . Where is everyone else?" " . . . " " . . . " Oh for fuck¡¯s sake . I haven¡¯t even been gone two days, the hell happened in-between then and now? "Aah," Lino sighed, putting the spear and rod back into the void world . "So . . . what happened?" "Come inside," Shaneine said . "Lucky, escort him . " " . . . tsk . " "Do you really hate me that much?!! You just need to stand near me so they don¡¯t start shooting me!" "I don¡¯t hate you," Lucky said as the two began circling the wall and going back to the front entrance . "I just find you repulsive . " " . . . oh . Lucky me . " "Hey, screw you!! The entire journey over, you did nothing but make bad puns out of my name!" Lucky exploded all of a sudden . "Does anything useful transpire in that rotten head of yours?!" " . . . is it depressing that this is the biggest reaction I¡¯ve ever gotten out of a woman?" Lino teased, grinning . " . . . " Lucky suddenly froze, as though the circuits in her brain fried . It took her a moment to recover, her angry expression reced by a wholly nk and cid one . "Get your ass moving and shut up . " "I wrote you a song . Do you want to hear it?" "Luckily I don¡¯t . " "See?! See?! If you¡¯d just embrace your name," Lino cried out . "We¡¯d make a great team!" " . . . " " . . . so, anyway, what happened after we separated?" Lino asked as they inched closer to the front gate . " . . . a lot," Lucky replied, sighing faintly . "It¡¯s a long story . " " . . . I haven¡¯t seen you guys in like a day and a half . How long could it possibly be?" " . . . oh, you have no idea . " Chapter 60 Chapter 60 CHAPTER 60 FRIEND IN THE FOREST The moment Lino walked into the town, he was able to sense that things were rather tense . Several men in groups patrolled the streets while armed to teeth, while all windows and doors on buildings were barred, mere flickers of light barely pulsing to outside . Lucky led him deeper in, just past the town¡¯s central square, into a four story tall building - the only one without barred windows and doors . She didn¡¯t exin anything on their way over, remaining silent and Lino followed suit as he realized it wasn¡¯t the time for joking around . They climbed up to the topmost floor and into a rather in room with only a few simple bunk-beds, chairs and tables . Inside, besides Shaneine, there were also Freya and Ae looming over a table with arge piece of cloth spread out wide with strange markings and lines drawn over . Both Ae and Freya lifted their heads almost at the same time when they heard the approaching footsteps, smiling warmly in the process . Lino spotted the oddity and nearly spoke out, but figured it was best he said nothing all things considered . "Yo guys!" Lino shed his best smile and waved lightly . "So I heard you already fucked something up without me . " " . . . " " . . . " "Sorry, I couldn¡¯t resist," he added, chuckling into the condemning silence . "So, who will be the one to exin to me what¡¯s going on?" "I will . " Ae and Freya spoke out at the same time . Damn me and my charms . . . after stroking his ego silently for a moment, he instead looked at Shaneine . "Why are you looking at me?" she asked, avoiding Ae¡¯s and Freya¡¯s piercing gazes . "¡¯Cause you¡¯re the person who has the least amount of emotion toward me in this room . " Lino said, causing Freya to faintly blush, Ae to smile meekly and Lucky to roll her eyes . "That¡¯s not true," Shaneine said inly . "Last night I had a dream about ripping your clothes---" "Ooooookay," Ae interrupted, turning the cloth to be facing Lino who stood on the opposite end of the table . "We came across this town yesterday and simply wanted to resupply," she exined . "But, before we even got to the gate, we were attacked . After a bit of scuffle, they finally sent someone important on the wall and after a bit more talking--" "You mean seducing?" Lino interrupted . "Shut up . " "A¡¯ight . " "After a bit more talking, they let us in . Just about that time, Eggor suddenly had to leave . He said to tell you that E contacted him . " Lino¡¯s nonchnt expression hardened almost immediately, but he said nothing . There was probably a reason why he couldn¡¯t wait for him toe back . They¡¯ll meet up eventually, Lino figured . "Go on . " he said . "The town doesn¡¯t really have any political structure to speak of," Ae said, sighing . "It¡¯s mostlyprised of mercenaries, mercenary groups and their families . They sustain themselves by hunting in the woods and picking herbs and such . However, for the past month, of the ten parties that had gone into the woods, four had gonepletely missing, which is why all the tension is about . After they¡¯d exined it to us, we feared it might be some Demons causing it all, which is why Fish, Kraval, Smite and some town¡¯s mercenaries departed together into the woods . The smoke you most-likely saw was Lucky¡¯s idea as it¡¯s a formation to repel Demonic Spirits in case it¡¯s their fault . " " . . . " Lino turned silent for a moment, thinking while tapping the table with his finger lightly . "On my way over," he said . "I hadn¡¯t sensed any Devil Qi . This is also quite a remote location, hardly essible by normal means, which is why I doubt it¡¯s the Demons at work here . " " . . . yeah, we figured . But, we still had to make sure . " Lucky said, sighing . "They left like four hours ago . If only you were a bit faster . " "Oh? Who said I would even go?" " . . . you always dive headfirst into everything like aplete moron?" Lucky said . "No, no, that¡¯s the old Lino . The new Lino is a chill dude who sits back and watches others nearly die trying to fix shit they didn¡¯t even fuck up . You need a new sword? I¡¯m your guy! You need some ten-headed, quadra-winged beast killed? I¡¯m not your guy . " " . . . what does quadra-winged even mean?" Freya asked . " . . . it-it means it has four pair of wings . " Lino exined . "I¡¯m fairly certain nothing and nobody has four pair of wings . " Shaneine added . "What would even be the purpose?" "I don¡¯t know! That¡¯s why I wouldn¡¯t be the guy to go and kill it!" "Oh, shut up," Ae said, pping him lightly on the shoulder . "We all know that you¡¯ll go after them the moment we leave you alone . " " . . . " Dammit . It¡¯s in the eyes, right? They read my eyes . I need to learn how to control them . "Bullseye . " Shaneine said . "Want me toe with?" " . . . no need . I¡¯ll be faster alone," Lino said, not borating any further despite various stares . "How do you guysmunicate?" "We had some low-tier talismans in reserve," Ae said . "But they will only use it in emergencies or to check in once every two days . " " . . . alright, so that¡¯s useless . I should have learned talisman crafting or whatever it¡¯s called . " "It¡¯s called Talisman Drawing," Lucky said . "And Shaneine¡¯s already at it . It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t have materials for it . " " . . . I¡¯ll see what we can do about thatter on . Do you guys have any idea as to what could it be besides Demons?" Lino asked . "Wild beasts? That¡¯s the best we got . " Lucky said . " . . . yeah, that¡¯s really not helpful . But, it¡¯s better than anything . " Lino said . "Anyway, I¡¯m off . You guys try not to kill any friendlies while I¡¯m away . " "Screw you!" He bolted out of there, unwilling to suffer Lucky¡¯s undoubtedly long barrage of insults andints . He didn¡¯t spread his wings immediately, not even after leaving the town, but after getting away enough that he wouldn¡¯t be seen while ascending into the sky . The forest was hardly an eerie one; it was rather quite tranquil and beautiful, with all sorts of flora and fauna growing left and right, twining around the trunks of colorful trees . Lino recognized from the markings and lines from the cloth the general direction Fish and others departed toward and he decided to follow it in a broader way as they could have taken side routes somece . After ascending into the sky, he spread them wide and sped up, repeatedly using Divine Sense to scout while pushing to regenerate his Qi as quickly as possible . He simultaneously inserted some Qi into his ears and eyes, increasing their sensitivity . It took but a minute for him to pick up something strange - smoke bellowing out into the sky in the midst of nowhere . He got surprised as he thought they¡¯d gotten much deeper which is why he proceeded with caution . Hended almost half a mile away from the smoke into the forest and proceeded on foot, making sure he didn¡¯t make any sound . He also used to cloak himself entirely, proceeding with caution . asionally he¡¯d run into a strange-looking bird but he ignored them all, following the path from his memory that led to the source of smoke . After a few minutes, he climbed up a tree and heaved himself over a few rows down, hiding in thick branches, as his eyes peered through them onto a small clearing below . There, leaning against the trunk of a tree, a young-looking, ck-haired man sat . Fire burned in front of him, a rabbit spinning on a skewer on his own over it, sizzling out while intoxicating smell of good food whiffed into Lino¡¯s nostrils, almost causing him to jump down and take a bite . He remained stationary, however, suspicious of the young man . His skin was rather pale, clothes hidden beneath a ck cloak . Lino couldn¡¯t see any weapon nearby, if the straw pping about in youth¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t one . After a few minutes, Lino was growing impatient and decided to check out the man through . The moment he did, though, the man casually raised his head and looked directly toward him . Startled, Lino screamed out as he lost his footing and plummeted onto the ground, rolling forward through thick bushes while crying out in pain . "You alright?" a melodic, yet cold voice called out to him, waking Lino up to reality that he had been found out . He immediately jumped onto his feet, ready to fight, only to realize that the youth hadn¡¯t moved even an inch, and was merely looking at him curiously . "You seem alright . You know, it¡¯s rude to check someone out before even saying hi . " " . . . " utterly confused, Lino merely stood there, nkly staring at the strange youth . "Care to join me?" the youth said, flicking his finger barely enough for Lino to notice a movement whereupon the rabbit flew off the fire and skewer, miraculously sliced in half in midair, one of the halves flying over to Lino while the other onended in youth¡¯s hand . "It¡¯s a rare hare," the youth said, taking a bite . "Can only be found in these woods for some reason . I think it¡¯s the trees . " " . . . " still confused, Lino decided to just go with the flow, sitting down on the other end of the fire and beginning to dip his finger into the rabbit; the very first bite was enough to let him know that this indeed wasn¡¯t like any other rabbit he¡¯d ever eaten before . The meat was far more textured and crispy as well as salty, yet it melted almost immediately inside his mouth, turning into warm soup as it flew down his throat . "Shit, this is good!" he cried out, immediately taking another bite . "Oh? You¡¯re not a mute?" the youth voice out, seeming genuinely surprised . " . . . what made you think I was a mute?" Lino asked . "Because you were muted . " " . . . " Let¡¯s just chalk it up to strange people being in strange woods . Yup . "So . . . how¡¯d you know I was checking you out?" "Because you¡¯re much weaker than me . " the youth replied casually . " . . . no kiddin¡¯ . " Lino chuckled bitterly; he wasn¡¯t able to gleam even a single thing about youth from his attempt, which meant the youth was at the very least a whole realm above him . "Yet, you¡¯re also much stronger than your realm would suggest," the youth smiled faintly, ncing at Lino . "Strange . " " . . . you seem familiar . " Lino said suddenly . "Have we met before?" "No," the youth said . "But, you might have seen me before, little cksmith . " " . . .petition?" Lino mumbled, squinting his eyes . "You were on the upper stands!" "Bingo . " the youth said . "What times were those, no?" "Prince Relish!!" Lino eximed, suddenly leaping onto his feet . "Fuck, you¡¯re not Prince Relish!" "Oh, in flesh and blood . Though, you¡¯re right . My actual name isn¡¯t Relish . " " . . . wait, I thought you died during the Capital¡¯s fall . " Lino said . "How¡¯d you get out---yeah, that question was dumb . Let¡¯s just forget I asked that . Why didn¡¯t you stop it?" " . . . why indeed . " the youth mumbled, his eyes seeming dazed for a moment . "I¡¯ll figure out one day . Are you looking for your friends?" "Yeah . You seen them?" Lino asked; strangely enough, he didn¡¯t feel anxious near or about the strange youth in front of him who for some reason impersonated a Prince of a backwater Kingdom . "They passed around here about three hours ago," he replied . "Fidgety bunch . " " . . . hey, back up . What were you doing in the Kingdom in the first ce?" Lino suddenly asked . "Oh?" the youth nced upward, a strange gleam passing through his eyes . "Interesting . " he mumbled, reaching into his pocket and taking out a small, star-shaped wooden pendant from his cloak and tossing it over to Lino who caught it easily . "When you reach Mythic Realm, inject Qi into it and follow the guide . It may lead you to an answer to that question eventually . " " . . . well, that was random . " Lino said, inspecting the pendant; however, it seemedpletely barren outside its carved star shape . "Nothing in this world is random," the youth said . "Remember that . It may save your life . I assume your friends are on the lookout for those idiots living deep in the forest," the youth said, taking thest bite of the rabbit . "Follow further west for about forty miles and you should meet up with your own, and then another thirty miles southwest and you should reach their hideout . " "Who are they?" Lino asked, frowning . "A cult of sorts, I suppose," the youth exined . "An off-off-off-off branch of the Maind¡¯s very own great Holy Land, Necrosis Crypt . " " . . . I¡¯m drawing a nk here . " Lino said . "It¡¯s alright," the youth said, chuckling . "You¡¯re still some ways off from needing to know about them . The cult deals mainly in corpses and reanimation, though they shouldn¡¯t pose much problems to you and your friends . I¡¯m looking forward to meeting you again little cksmith . Stay well . " before Lino even had a chance to get a word it, the youth disappearedpletely, leaving behind not even a strand of hair . Startled, Lino jumped backward, anxiously looking around only to be met with silence . He took thest bite out of rabbit¡¯s meat and sighed, shaking his head as he got up and dusted off his bottom . "I need to learn something like that," he mumbled . "I¡¯ve got theatrical entrance in the books, but I¡¯mcking in exists . How cool would it be toe swopping in with massive wings, and then disappearing in a burst of smoke or something? So damn cool . . . " Chapter 61 Chapter 61 CHAPTER 61 NECROPOLIS Lino channeled his wings, barreling himself forward through the air in a golden arc while azure lightning burned beneath his feet . He appeared to be a mere blur to both naked and trained eye, bounding over ten miles of distance in a single leap . In mid air, he drew out his spear and donned the cloak, bursting its core for the maximum speed . With his very own eyes, he witnessed space around him bend as he began plummeting down . Pointing his spear downwards, he came crashing like a thunderbolt, blowing apart a crater nearly a mile wide, and everything in it . He fell on one of his knees for a moment before dragging his feet up, on alert . As the dust settled, he spotted three mangled corpses scattered about rocks and trees and grass, causing him to sigh in relief . All three donned ck robes, and corpses appeared ethereally strange as their skin tone was blueish, hair wholly white and overwhelming . He briefly stopped and recovered his breath before looking high up in the sky . There, like a behemoth, structure levitated freely in the air as though unbound byws of nature . It had the shape of a double-stacked tetrahedron, sloped at sides in a downward angle, with its equator stretching for nearly five miles . It appeared to be built in a story-like fashion, as each ¡¯floor¡¯ had a vertical beam - made out of human skulls and bones - cleaving it from the rest . It slowly spun in circles, while its three edges at the center sported three ruby-colored crystals which cast an array-binding around the whole necropolis, warding off anything - or anyone - unwanted . It was mostly made out of strange, ck and purple stones, each brick molded so perfectly one could hardly discern the separations between them, while two ring-shaped objects made purely out of deep violet energy rotated at the very top and bottom, connected by a surging pir of same-colored light . Lino frowned for a moment as he slowly began recovering his Qi; he¡¯d been searching for Fish and others for nearly two days without any luck when he stumbled upon the nest of strange people . To call them people, though, would be somewhat of a stretch, as they were all mainly animated corpses . They were collecting strange herbs, dirt and water from the forest, some even hunting animals,pletely ignorant of everything else . What caught Lino¡¯s eye was the axe one of them was wielding, as it was the perfect replica of Kraval¡¯s . Realizing that something had gone awry, Lino followed the group for an entire day before they began walking back somewhere in unison . It took another half a day until Lino had finally spotted necropolis - and he only did so because of the specific Qi animated corpses were emitting, which allowed him to search for it specifically . It was right about then that he was found out, which is why he burned through nearly all of his Qi reserves to catch up with a few that had gotten away and kill them . He wasn¡¯t certain as to whether he was already discovered by those in the necropolis, which is why he found himself in such a conundrum . Though, after a short thought, he realized that whether he¡¯s already discovered or not is irrelevant, as sneaking inside that thing would be virtually impossible . Just from the distance, Lino had spotted dozens of arrays and formations of all sorts, all powered up by Fire-purified Qi Stones - naturally mined Qi Stones which had then underwent purification process by a me of at least Void rank - which meant that not only they stored mass amounts of Qi, but also that the response time would be almost immediate to any of his attempts . Brute-forcing his way in also wouldn¡¯t work, he wagered; though he might be able to break the outermostyer of defenses, he¡¯d not only be exhausted in the process, but he wasn¡¯t even certain whether they were additionalyers which would prevent him from going inside . "Dammit," he mumbled . "How¡¯d they got caught? Then again, they probably didn¡¯t have an experienced scout like Shaneine or Lucky . Ugh . . . " He battered his mind over and over again, attempting toe up with a solution . He knew he was running short on time, both before the new army of animated corpses - and probably something stronger - were sent out of the necropolis to search for him, and before Fish and others would be killed, if they were even still alive by some miracle, which Lino chose to believe in . The rescue came in a fashion that always made him frustrated for some reason . "If you wish to sneak in," the robotic voice spoke inside his head, startling him and causing him to fall on his backside, crying out in pain . "You can mimic the specificposition of their Qi and cheat their rm systems . " " . . . dude!! Can¡¯t you, you know, have some bedside manners? Wait, what do you mean Qiposition? Aren¡¯t there only two types of Qi in the world?" Lino quickly forgot his frustration and hopped onto the mystery . "There are," the robotic voice replied . "But there are not . Most prevalent and self-sustaining types are Universal Qi and Devil Qi; however, it is not that difficult to construct a specific makeup of Qi to suit your needs . After all, Qi is nothing more than just another element; so long as you understand its properties, modifying them isn¡¯t that difficult . I estimate there are technically over 11,000 different types of Qi currently present and active in the world . " " . . . what? Doesn¡¯t that mean I can just make up my own Qi to be ten times stronger than anyone¡¯s?" "It already is . As I¡¯ve mentioned before, you do not absorb Qi directly - you absorb a specific element within itpatible with me - Chaos . The makeup of your Qi is entirely made out of Chaos, with no blemishes . There is no stronger one . " " . . . oh . Right . I forgot that," Lino mumbled, scratching his head . "So? How do I mimic their Qi?" "It¡¯s quite easy," the Writ said . "Approach one of those corpses and directly absorb their remnant Qi . I will run an analysis and uncover the exactponents and links between them which create their strain of Qi . Afterwards, I¡¯ll make it outwardly appear that you¡¯re wholly made out of it . " " . . . you can do a lot of shit you won¡¯t tell me about . " Linoined . "Much like you, I am recovering my original functions over time . This one simply never seemed relevant enough to be brought up . " "You always have the answer, don¡¯t you?" Lino mumbled as he walked over toward the bare-bones remnants of an animated corpse and directly absorbed Qi from it . "I know you aren¡¯t the chatty type, but can we just agree on something, please? Like, once a month or something like that, just update me on what you can do, so I can know all my options before I decide to do something utterly dumb that could lead to me dying . Luck won¡¯t always be on my side . " " . . . your safety is always my number one priority," the Writ, strangely, decided to reply and engage, surprising Lino who quickly left the crater and sat up on a thick branch of a tree to rx for a while . "Should any of my functions ever increase the chances of your survival at specific times, I will inform you about them . " " . . . you know, if you even added a whiff of emotion in that speech of yours, I might have even shed a tear or two . " "Sarcasm?" " . . . what gave it away?" Lino asked, grinning . "I understand that human¡¯s basic psychology requires them to engage in social interactions repeatedly, but by talking to you, I am consuming both time and energy that I could be using to recover my functions . Out of original 14,513, I have only recovered 9 so far . " "What the fuck?! You had nearly 15,000 functions?!" Lino cried out in shock . "Wait, are all other Writs like you?" "No," the voice replied . "Though they do have their own fair share of functions, due to their link with Gaia, they also have a limiter ced on them . I do not, which allows me to continuously evolve . " "So, what are those nine functions?" Lino asked . "Ability to give you realm-appropriate abilities is one, Primal Spirits is another, Martial Arts is third, filtering Gaia Qi is fourth, ability to award you gear is fifth, ability to internalize mes is sixth, Writ Archives is seventh, Recorded Will is eight, and Qi analysis and conversion is ninth . " " . . . you know, I expected more . I didn¡¯t know every one of those is a separate thing . " "Your expectations are dully noted . " "Sarcasm?" [Analysis Complete . . . ] Instead of a reply, Lino heard the familiar sounding words echo out inside his head which caught his attention immediately . [Name of mutated Qi: Necrosis Qi - Low Tier] [Derived from: Necrosis Qi - High Tier] [Original Source: Unknown] [Main Component: Devil Qi] [Subsidiary Component: Souls] [Additional Components: Death¡¯s Breath, Moon¡¯s Light, Essence of Time] [Conversion Difficulty: Easy] [Approximate Time: 3 hours] [ . . . ] [Proceeding with Conversion . . . ] "Do not disturb . " "Dully noted . " Lino said . He sat on the branch, closing his eyes, losing himself in thoughts . Though three hours could mark the difference between life and death, he hardly had another option . He still chose to believe though that they will be alive and well and all readied-up for a rescue, which is what made his thoughts be on the lighter side of things instead of moving astray . Chapter 62 Chapter 62 CHAPTER 62 THE WORST SORT OF PAIN There is something tantalizing in the echoing screams of agony and pain; though not hurt personally, the hearing heart gets affected with searing pain, a scorch they cannot cool, itch they cannot scratch . Befuddled, the heart regresses gently back into silence, capsizing what it had felt because it hadn¡¯t understood it; why is there pain if no one has wounded it? The bleeding stops and skines together to form a scar, and that scar remains hidden, awoken briefly in times least expected . It¡¯s the unreasonable ache that spirals the mind, causing otherwise healthy soul to turn manic . Lino remained crouching behind a corner, leaned against the wall, his whole body soaked in thick, yet cold, coat of sweat . He had managed to get inside the necropolis with Writ¡¯s help, yet, right now, he was wishing he¡¯d stayed outside and chose any other option . Throughout his search, he had passed several dozen rooms taken up by all sorts of people, strapped to tables in all sorts of ways, repeatedly tortured in manners he hadn¡¯t even thought possible . Some had their bodies skinned inch by an inch, yet kept alive and awake through it all; some had their bodies turned into bed of nails, some had their limbs stretched and bent in ways Lino only believed children could draw up; some, yet, were gently strapped to chairs, just enough they can¡¯t shimmer loose, forced to watch people they loved undergo anything and everything . He felt sick, as though there was fire burning inside his soul he couldn¡¯t put out; if he was ever confident in one thing, it was to always remain calm, no matter what . He believed his experiences had gotten him to that point; yet, his reality had copsed after spending ten minutes in this ce . He never believed in existence of good and evil; he simply adhered by the right of choices, regardless of what was at stake . But, he had witnessed evil, repeatedly; things he¡¯d seen weren¡¯t wrong choices, they were acts bounding reason, and even cruelty . He felt his body shaking, yet he couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it; his mouth had gone dry, his palms sweating profusely, fabric of reason slowly copsing, being torn piece by piece . He knew it was neither time nor ce to undergo a psychotic break, yet, no matter what he tried, he wasn¡¯t able to either prevent it or stop it once it¡¯s started . He found himself in a tiresome loop of endless doubts, recurring images of people tortured in worst ways imaginable, their soul-cutting screams of agony that ceaselessly echoed throughout the dimmed hallways of the necropolis, and myriad of memories he had worked hard on forgetting . He clenched his fists as hard as he could, forcibly digging his nails into his skin in hopes of jolting himself to reality . Though it worked, it worked but for a moment, just until another choir of agonizing screams bellowed out from hundreds of rooms surrounding him . "Gather yourself," a robotic voice suddenly overwhelmed his state of mind, healing him seemingly by words alone . "You can¡¯t help them if you break down . " " . . . did you know what it was like in here?" Lino asked, taking deep breaths . "Yes . " "Why didn¡¯t you warn me?" " . . . how strong of an opponent you can beat isn¡¯t the only way to gauge how strong you are," the Writ replied . "You believe this to be the worst the world has to offer, but you are wrong . You needed to learn . " "Heh," Lino chuckled for a moment, wiping the sweat off his brow . "This isn¡¯t like swimming, where you¡¯d just throw me in the water and watch over me . Here? You give a heads-up at the very least . " " . . . if I had given you prior knowledge of what¡¯s in here, you would have built a wall to shield yourself . " "Damn right I would have!!" Lino eximed . "What would be the point, then? You would deflect the whole experience and would have not learned anything from it . " " . . . you are being surprisingly chatty today . " Lino mumbled . " . . . by all ounts, you are still a child," the Writ said . "And you neither need nor deserve to witness this - or shouldn¡¯t in an ordinary world . But yours isn¡¯t an ordinary world . You had made a choice to pursue the truth; I cannot treat you as a child any longer . " " . . . you¡¯re one mean motherfucker," Lino cursed, sighing . "But whatever you¡¯re doing, it¡¯s working . Thanks . " " . . . I¡¯m doing exactly what you¡¯ve been doing all these years - deflecting, suppressing, pretending, lying . I¡¯ve enamored your psyche with the same poison you have been using since you were young . You have to process it . " " . . . I don¡¯t think a gigantic ce full of people who would kill me on sight while I¡¯m trying to rescue my friends is either time or ce to do that . " Lino said . "So keep doing it until I¡¯m out . " " . . . by then, you would have built up resistance yourself . " "That¡¯s the n . " "You cannot . " " . . . " Lino stared at the asymmetrical wall, seemingly in daze for a moment . "I can¡¯t do it . " he mumbled . "I know what you¡¯re doing . All this . . . you¡¯re just trying to use it as a catalyst . For her . " "Yes . " the Writ replied after short silence . "She is your crucible . " " . . . no . She¡¯s a memory . " "She¡¯s alive . " "I know . " Lino said, smiling faintly while shaking his head . "I can handle it without you inserting me in situations like this blindly . No . . . I will handle it . " "You are in an age where you¡¯re just supposed to be developingplex emotional responses, namely guilt, sorrow and self-loathing . But, you have already developed them . Now, you have to process them . Not handle them . " "Why suddenly now? You had all the chances in the Kingdom . Why wait until now?" "You weren¡¯t ready . " "I¡¯m still not ready!" "You are . " "Well, your unwavering faith in me is ttering, but it¡¯s also full of shit . Let me save them first . " "You will save them while dealing with all you¡¯ve been exposed to . By epting that she did what she did for you, that you did what you did for her, that both of you merely wanted the best for the other, and couldn¡¯t see eye to eye over who was more important . " " . . . you went digging through my memories?" Lino asked, lowering his voice . "Are you ashamed of them?" " . . . whatever," Lino said, getting up . "You don¡¯t show up to even utter a word when I need you, but you show up randomly just to screw with my head . Go ahead . Let me feel all of it . If my heart doesn¡¯t rapture, I¡¯ll buy you a freaking beer . " " . . . your heart is strong, Lyonel . You¡¯ve just weakened it by repeatedly hiding it from reality . Facades you put on may work for other people, and may even cheat the whole of the world into believing you are the happiest person alive . However, they will never turn into reality you so hopelessly desire . " "Why are you still lecturing me? I told you, give it to me . You think I¡¯m ready? Go on then . " " . . . you¡¯ve ran away your whole life from human connection . But you didn¡¯t run away from those two . Tell me, what is the difference with them?" " . . . " Lino got startled for a moment, aplex array of emotions disying on his face repeatedly . "Their eyes . " "What of them?" " . . . the moment I met them, I knew . . . they understood . What¡¯s it like to live a lie . I knew they wouldn¡¯t push me . " " . . . your Will is recorded, Lyonel . To face the greatest of walls, yet still persist in hammering through it no matter what . That¡¯s who you are, not who I made you out to be . You¡¯vee here to help them, people you barely know, knowing you might die . That¡¯s what you did when you went to rescue Ae . That¡¯s what you¡¯ve been repeatedly doing ever since I met you . You and I both know it¡¯s not me forcing the Will on you . It¡¯s you being who you are . " " . . . I know," Lino said softly . "My whole life, I only knew one person who was willing to go over and beyond for me . She gave me hope . Made my days less . . . of what they were . I realized, long ago, that her being there for me saved me . Even after she left, she remained my anchor . I want to be that . A steady rock for other people that they can lean on, no matter what, how or where . I want them to know that if no one else in the whole world, I¡¯ll be there for them when it counts . " "What was she like?" the Writ asked . Lino suddenly felt his chestpress as he began being short of breath . "Talk with me . I¡¯m here . " " . . . she-she was . . . unique," Lino replied, drawing shorter breaths while sping onto his chest, trying to shut out the endless screams helplessly . "A mountain . A shield . Light . " " . . . " the headache returning, feeling as though his head was being cleaved time and again while he felt like his eyes would pop out of their sockets any moment . A flush of memories assailed his mind; her crying face, the blood, the screams, their fight, his betrayal, the way she looked at him thest time they¡¯d seen each other; agonizing screams, the images of people broken beyond repair, all blended into a singr canvas that drew up his life . Every bit of joy he ever felt was counter-bnced with a sky of pain, so much so he became averse to happiness . He learned to hide inside a thick shell, where neither pain nor joy could find their way in, yet, he knew his shell was beginning to crack, bit by bit . Eggor, E, Ae, the Kingdom¡¯s Fall, Demons, Ally . . . all of them found tiny cracks to slither through andy deep inside, seething in silence . Unbroken, terrible, eternal silence . Chapter 63 Chapter 63 CHAPTER 63 ABANDONED CHILD A youthful man hung over sps, his head lowered, arms raised up above his back, broken where theytched onto the shoulderspletely, his whole skin infected with deep, crossing wounds . They bled profusely, filling up the small pond beneath him with scarlet blood . His breathing was low, almost inaudible, yet it was there . Smite was conscious, too afraid to fall asleep as it could signal his death . He¡¯d only spent five hours here, yet it felt like a whole lifetime . He was on the verge of crying out, of breaking down, yet he endured . He knew that, after him, they¡¯d go after others . Fish and Kraval could endure some time themselves, but those mercenaries they brought along would die within minutes . A sound of approaching footsteps startled him, causing him to look up . His eyes immediately widened as he gnashed his teeth, ready to leap forward like a rabid dog . Standing a few feet away, looking down on him was a thin, extremely pale woman, currently smiling . She wore barely any cloth to cover herself, yet one could hardly call her beautiful; her skin folded over her bones, thetter clearly visible throughout her body . Her cheeks were sunken, eyes even more so, wholly gray as though she were blind, and her hair half-gone, shimmering in ugly gray . She was currently smiling as she began circling Smite, rather slowly . "Cultivators are really something else," contrary to her appearance, her voice was rather melodic and warm . "Enduring for so long, still able to bare your teeth at me . " " . . . " Smite didn¡¯t reply, merely following her by the sound of her footsteps . "You¡¯ll make a fantastic corpse, you know? So just give up . It¡¯s over . " " . . . go to hell . " he managed to squeeze out, spitting out a mouthful of blood . "Hell? Ha ha ha," a shriekingughter echoed out, bouncing against the wall like a sound wave, assailing Smite¡¯s eardrums . "Oh, dear, how uncouth of me . Hell is where I was born . And I certainly do not have any intention of returning . I¡¯d very much like to take you there one day, to show you what sort of a ce you wished for me . It should be quite an eye-opener . " " . . . you¡¯re awfully chatty . Running out of ways to torture me?" Smite taunted, grinning . " . . . you¡¯re really childish, aren¡¯t you?" the woman sighed, shaking her head . "Do you think I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re fighting back so hard?" Smite¡¯s heart froze for a moment as he perked his ears up . "Putting knives into you and scalping your skin is fun and all, but watching your expression as I do all the things I did to you to them . . . damn, I have a feeling I¡¯d orgasm . " " . . . " seeing Smite¡¯s panicked reaction, the woman indulged into yet another bout ofughter, heaving her head back in an unnatural way . "Haah, perhaps this is even more fun . Just teasing you . ying around . " "Thank the fuck you guys areplete arrogant morons . " "Huh?" as the woman tried to shift her head sideways toward the source of sudden neer, she felt something cold pierce her heart directly . A momentter, a face of a young boy came into view, his eyes barren and cold staring deep into hers . "Have fun going back home, you bitch . " Lino mumbled as he twisted the spear and forcibly ripped it upward, cleaving the woman in half from waist up . Rather than red blood and organs, ck blood and mucus spilled out in droves, some nearly falling all over Lino who quickly backed away, panicked look on his face . "Holy shit, warn me you¡¯re made out of crap dammit!" he cursed out as the scene settled . He then finally remembered that Smite was tied up and looked at him, feeling a deep sting in his heart . "Damn, you look even worse than her . " he said as he walked up to him and cut the chains binding him, helping him stand . " . . . why the hell are you the one saving me?! I don¡¯t want to owe you one!" Smite cried out, causing Lino to roll his eyes . "You know," he said as he heaving Smite over his shoulder and began walking . "This rivalry that you¡¯re trying to drag me into is kind of dumb, you know?" "You¡¯re saying our love for her is dumb?! Put me down! I¡¯ll kill you!" " . . . no, I stand corrected . You¡¯re the dumb thing here . " Lino said as he scurried through the corners and began walking down a dimly lit hallway . "Where are the others being kept?" " . . . walk down this hallway . They¡¯re in one of the chambers on left side . How¡¯d you find us?" he asked . " . . . long story . " Lino said . "I¡¯d offer you something to heal up, but I¡¯ve literally got nothing . " "Just get me out of here . " "How¡¯d you guys get caught anyway?" Lino asked . "We were fine at first," Smite exined . "But then some Mythic Realm woman showed up and, well, she was much, much stronger than we were . " " . . . that¡¯s good to know . " Lino grumbled as he slowly injected some of his own Qi into Smite, hoping it would speed uptter¡¯s recovery as he realized fight was inevitable . And he could hardly afford any distractions if he were to fight a Mythic Realm cultivator . Shortly after, without even realizing it, Smite began feeling better as his wounds slowly closed up, crests appearing on his skin . "This one, I think . " he said as Lino stopped next to a thick, steel doors . Without trying anything else, he circled Qi into the sole of his right foot and banged it against the doors, crushing them . Behind, several people jolted onto their feet, startled expressions on their faces . When Fish and Kraval saw Lino, both heaved in relief, while three other men next to them still remained tense "Rx," Kraval said . "He¡¯s with us . " "Eh?" one of the three men eximed, ncing between Lino and Kraval . "You sure?" "Yeah, we¡¯re sure," Fish replied . "You¡¯rete, you bastard!" " . . . maybe I should just leave . " Lino said . "Nope, being here is great . Don¡¯t you just admire the architecture of this ce?" "Save the bickering forte," Lino said as he handed Smite over to Kraval . "You guys need to boot it . " "What about you?" Kraval asked, frowning . "Well, I¡¯m fairly certain we¡¯ve already been made," Lino said, smiling faintly . "And, not to be brutal or anything, but you guys would only speed along my death if you stayed to fight . So, you know, get lost . " " . . . that actually hurt . " Smite cried out lowly while Fish nodded . Kraval merely looked deeply into Lino¡¯s eyes for a moment . "Stay safe . " Kraval said as he walked out, others quickly following after him . Lino stared at their backs for a moment before departing the other way . He already knew where the Mythic Realm woman was, and he was fairly certain she knew where he was as well . His steps were even and confident as he ran through rather confusingbyrinth of hallways that led around in circles . It took him almost five minutes until he finally reached the massive gates, nearly ten meters tall . Just as he stopped in front of them, trying to figure out how to cross to the other side, they opened on their own . There was no blinding attack of light, nor foul stench . Eerie sounds cried as the gates grated the floor beneath . Lino walked into a spacious hall, decorated with one macabre item after another; coffins, skeletons, decaying corpses, mummified corpses, sculptures of agonizing deaths . . . he immediately realized this hall along denoted everything the whole Necropolis stood for . On the far other end, he immediately spotted a woman cloaked in ck, enrobed in thick shadows . Shecked eyes and instead had two scarlet spheres rotating in thick darkness where a face is supposed to be . On each of her sides was a skeletal hellhound, baring their teeth at him . Besides the four of them, the rest of the hall appeared barren . Above the woman was a makeshift teau atop of which a single statue stood erected, surrounded by heap of corpses . It was a seemingly middle-aged man with unwound book in one of his hands and a human heart in another, his features hidden behind a thick veil of darkness . Lino found it rather chilly inside, as though there were countless arms reaching out from beyond and gripping at him, which caused his approach to drop down in pace . " . . . " he stopped at the fifty meters mark away from the woman who merely stared at him, without saying anything . "¡¯Sup?" Lino asked, grinning and stretching out his arm, whereupon a familiar feel of steel inched against the palm of his hand . He whirled the spear around for a moment as though to warm his arm up . "Empyrean," a cold, hissing voice bellowed out, echoing out through the hall . Lino¡¯s heart froze for a moment as he grasped his spear ever-so-tightly, moving it forward and pointing it at the woman . "You ought to not be . " " . . . " Lino remained silent, on full alert; he had no clue as to how she knew who he was, but he knew it wasn¡¯t a good thing she did . "Yet you are . How . . . miraculous . " " . . . " "Writs remain ashened in Firmament," the woman said as she slowly got up onto her feet . "In their fires heart¡¯s frost repeatedly birthed . " " . . . Eshen . " the robotic voice spoke out from Lino, startling him even more than the woman . He barely held back from cursing out yet again . "It is time to go . " " . . . wait . You know her?" Lino asked, rising his brow . "I am his failed child," the woman replied, chuckling morbidly . "Unlike you, he abandoned me . " " . . . you knew I was an Empyrean because you are one too?" Lino asked, growing ever more confused . "I knew you were an Empyrean because your stench burst my heart apart . " the woman said . "Why else would I wait for you here? In my home?" " . . . oh, fuck me . Did you purposefully withhold information from me again?!" Lino asked, but the only reply was silence . "Oh, goddammit!!" Chapter 64 Chapter 64 CHAPTER 64 WORLD ENDER Eshen stared deeply into Lino¡¯s eyes, her own shadowy mirages of what they used to be . Her whole being appeared cloaked in darkness, in eternal shadows, barred from entering the realm of the living . Lino sensed strong battle intenting from the depths of her soul, but it wasn¡¯t aimed at him - but at the source of that robotic voice within him . He didn¡¯t know what transpired between the two, but he did know that he will be the one to suffer the consequences of it all . She slowly got up, her feet - or at least the shadow of what they were - heaved slightly up as her whole body rose into the air . Her cloak danced around as individual strands - like hair - fluttered about, carried by non-existent wind . Lino could almost hear the battle drums bang off in the distance as the entire hall shook for a moment, as though awakened from its deep slumber . Just behind her, levitating slightly above, a new shadow formed, quickly taking shape . It was long, nearly three meters, with slender pole and wide, slick de curving inwardly . Lino immediately recognized it as a scythe, and its de zed ebony, edgeless shadows weaving in and out of its core . It seemed to have screeched for a moment as it woke, slicing in circle once, tearing open the fabric of space with a single sh . "I bear no grudge against you, Empyrean Child," Eshen spoke darkly . "But my hate is eternal, much like Night Winters of the Arburn¡¯s Vale . Join me in my Necrosis . " She blinked through space, and Lino immediately sensed rming danger aiming at the nape of his neck; his feet zed in azure lightning as he sted sideways, spinning in the process and piercing straight with his spear . A nk of metals meeting echoed out as he evaded downcast strike which tore a massive gash in the floor, causing tiles to spiral upward like a reversed rain . There was not a moment to breathe as Eshen whirled through the air, the scythe behind her heeding her call, spinning alongside her like a rotating saw, cutting through the floor . Lino roared deeply, his muscles tensing as he sent more Qi into his feet, causing the lightning to spread out sporadically around his legs . He dashed forth rather than retreating, heaving his Dragon Spear up and then down, meeting the scythe head-on . After another sh, he immediately spun and pierced from a downward angle, aiming at Eshen¡¯s head . Her form grew deeply encased in shadows as she cut through the world and appeared behind him, scythe shing sideways at his ribcage . He immediately took out [Celestial Rod] while using the spear to block the iing strike . Using the Rod¡¯s second form, he attacked from Eshen¡¯s blind angle, cutting through the short distance of a few meters in a blink . As scythe and spear crashed into each other yet again, the Rod managed to pierce Eshen¡¯s shoulder, causing shadows to break away and screech in pain . It seemed to have enraged her as a soul-crushing cry bellowed out a momentter, the scythe roused even deeper, shing in much wider strides . Lino could barely match up to her raw strength, but was still put in defensive position; he tried firing off poisonous darts from the Rod, but they seemed to havepletely passed through her without doing any damage . The scythe¡¯s speed seemed to start gaining, and Lino realized he was losing in momentum; his spear arts would inevitably meet a dead-end if the fight was to continue down this road, which is why he decided to ignore defense and abandon all pretense . As yet another strike came at him, rather than meeting it with his spear, he angled his body in such a way that the scythe would merely cut his thigh while piercing his spear forward at the quickest speed possible . A mere momentter, he felt burning sort of sensation cripple his left leg as his spear pierced through Eshen¡¯s already wounded shoulder . Both cried out in pain as the ensuing shockwave sted them backward, nearly a hundred meters apart . Lino crashed through several pirs upholding the hall, ending up in a mini-sized crater . He quickly nced at his wound and realized small shadows were beginning to eat away at his flesh . Commanding Writ¡¯s Qi to battle back the invasion, he looked toward Eshen again and ran forward . Mirroring him, she dashed forward as well as the massive scythe behind her back doubled in size, reaching nearly six meters . Lino¡¯s heart froze for a moment, but he grit his teeth and pushed, coating his feet in thick lightning as he summoned wings from his back . The golden light sted out, consuming the surrounding darkness, illuminating the hall . The pirs seemed to cry out in agony as they got assailed by the holy light, and even Eshen seemed to have paused for a moment . Lino barreled himself into air, breaking past the speed of sound as he dove straight toward her . Realizing the iing attack was rather dangerous, Eshen came to a halt immediately as shadows around her dove into the ground,ing out a blinkter alongside a thick, ck wall made out of something Lino didn¡¯t recognize . Regardless, he pressed onward and crashed directly into it, causing a ear-bursting explosion to ur as ck pieces of the wall burst out in holy mes, spreading outward . Shockwave uprooted the tiles, decimating the eerily charming hall, and Eshen herself was blown backward like a cannonball, crashing through dozens of pirs beforeing to a halt . ck liquid - seemingly blood - began to ooze out of her, coating the floor and burning it like acid . Her gaze grew colder and sterner, the scythe behind her suddenly growing smaller and splitting into two . She reached out with her arms and grabbed them, holding them apart as her cloaked figure grew blurry, shadows dancing like smoke . Lino¡¯s instincts immediately screamed at him to retreat, but before he had a chance, Eshen blinked right next to him and sliced with both scythes simultaneously at his sides . Without even thinking, Lino immediately used wing¡¯s special ability, causing them to contract into a sphere surrounding his being . Two scythes shed against the golden barrier, breaking it almost instantly and causing yet another explosion; this one, however, only blew Lino out, his entire body doused in cuts and bruises, bleeding profusely . Though the pain assailed every inch of his being, he knew he couldn¡¯t give into it - he bit his tongue, forcibly jolting his consciousness, as his gaze grew sharper . He no longer looked like a sixteen year old youth, his usual innocencepletely banished from his expression . ck hair fluttered behind him, the cloak following rhythmically . Eshennded dozen or so meters away from him, still holding her two scythes . The two looked into each other¡¯s eyes for a moment before she struck forward yet again . Not willing to be outdone, Lino burst out with speed of lightning, breaching past her in a blink and piercing at her sides; the spear found its way through her ribcage, while her scythes shed at Lino¡¯s left shoulder . Immediately after, both spun - one clockwise and one counter it - and shed at each other again . Lino urged Writ to consume and replenish Qi repeatedly, as old wounds began healing, new began appearing . He felt as though he was on fire all the way through, like his skin was slowly being melted, yet he didn¡¯t dare give into the sensation . He instead began attacking faster and faster,bining his wings and lightning Primal Spirit to match - and even surpass - Eshen¡¯s speed . Thetter quickly realized she was losing in terms of speed and instead chose to make her attacks more ferocious, aiming at Lino¡¯s vital spots while exposing her own . If there was an observer present, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that the battle would be named Battle of Madmen; both were willing to risk death to inflict serious injury on the other, almostpletely forgetting what defense was . If one were to look a bit deeper into the fight, however, they¡¯d realize that their two fighting styles seemed eerily simr, despite wholly different weapons and elements used . Fierce, forceful, reckless without abandon; crimson and ebony blood began mixing and coating the copsed floor beneath, which kept being uprooted every second, sted out in an earthly shower . The hall was on the brink of copse, yet golden and darkened colors kept mingling . The two were well past the speed of sound, reaching almost ten shes per second, causing the sound waves to cancel each other out while space surrounding them slowly but surely began revealing deep gashes leading to empty nihility . Nearly five minutes into their fight, they suddenly broke away,nding half a mile from each other . Lino was panting, his breath quick and shallow, one of his eyespletely gouged out, reced by a ck hole . His clothes werepletely tattered - including his armor - revealing scarred and wounded body beneath which kept bleeding profusely . He looked like like a corpse rather than a living being, yet no matter his wounds, he still remained firmly on his feet . Eshen was in no better shape; her being repeatedly weaved in and out of existence, as though it would wane outpletely at any moment . She used her scythes to support herself, staring deeply at Lino . " . . . no wonder," she mumbled, slowly straightening herself while her two scythes vanished whence they came from . "You are everything he ever sought . You are his perfect Child . His dream . " her thin, one-line lips curled up in a massive sneer, seemingly inhumane . "Ah, envy . I haven¡¯t felt that . . . in so many years . It¡¯s ugly, yet beautiful . Like soul¡¯sst requiem . Do you know what happens to a soul once it begins to fade? A bridge of sort opens up, bridge of radiant colors, almost like a rainbow . Yet, the bridge stands alone in the empty, colorless void . The further along across the bridge the soul is, the weaker it grows here . Bit by bit, it crosses over, into the unknown . I have been crossing that bridge for thousands of years now, waiting, biding my time . Waiting for him toe . I knew he woulde . He woulde with his new Chosen, to feed him my essence . To take away my Will . But," she chuckled suddenly as winds began howling through the hall, causing Lino to feel uneasy . "I will not give it . I am your tool no longer, Ataxia . I am the Maiden of the Damned, the Keeper of Souls!" her body expanded exponentially, distorting in shape as shadows began encasing the whole hall, causing all light besides Lino¡¯s wings to cease to exist . "And this . . . this is how my World Ends . " Chapter 65 Chapter 65 CHAPTER 65 ASHEN FATE There was no light, Lino realized . There was only void, and he was in it, in solitary istion, cleaved away from the fabric of the living . However, what he found the most strange, was the siege of stray emotions; they were not his own, but were seemingly shoved into him by an outside source . Pain, agony, abysmal loneliness unfitting of the world . He was forced to kneel, holding tightly onto his chest, growing short of breath . As though to answer his silent call for help, the darkness flickered for a moment, and a sh of blinding light attacked him . As he came to, he realized he wasn¡¯t in the silent void any longer; he was in the open fields of swaying grass and chirping birds . Sun burned hot far above, its rays perfectly folding over the nearbyke¡¯s surface . By its edge, on the shore, Lino spotted a figure bending over, dipping her toes into theke, then immediately pulling back and shaking, seemingly due toke¡¯s coldness . It was a young girl, not older than eight, sporting oddly colored purple hair and yful expression . Her eyes were starkly ck, in contrast to her almost sickly pale skin . She skipped around a few times, as though to warm herself, before trying to dip her toes only for the same thing to happen yet again . Lino looked strangely at the girl who began skipping around yet again . However, halfway through, she turned toward him and paused, tilting her head . Lino¡¯s heart froze for a moment; he knew this was but an illusion and it wasn¡¯t real, rendering her seeing him impossible . Yet, those eyes stared right into his, directly, confusion in them . " . . . uh, hello?" Lino mumbled, almost immediately regretting it, nearly pping himself in the forehead . "Eh? Big bro, can you help me?" the girl asked . Lino, however, remained seated, too shocked to move a muscle . His notion of this being an illusionpletely crumbled . "Uh . . . you . . . you can see me?" Lino asked dumbly, getting up and walking over . "See you? Of course I can see you! He he, you¡¯re ying pranks on me, aren¡¯t you big bro?" the little girl giggled . "Eshen is too smart for pranks! I¡¯m already all grown up!" Eshen? Lino¡¯s heart froze for a moment,ing to a halt . He stared deeply into the girl, yet could not even see an inkling of that shadow that had trapped him wherever this is . "Your name is Eshen?" Lino asked "Yeah . . . I know, it¡¯s weird . My dad named me that because I¡¯m so pale!" the little girl exined, pouting . "All other kids in the vige make fun of me because of it . " " . . . they shouldn¡¯t," Lino said, smiling gently . "It¡¯s a beautiful name . " "Eh? Really?! Really big bro?! You¡¯re not pulling another prank, are you?" the little girl began skipping around Lino,ughing while tugging at his sleeve . "Me? ying prank? I would never! So, what do you need my help with?" Lino decided to y along whatever this was, choosing to see through its end . "I saw a book in theke," the girl said, pointing at the water . "But it¡¯s so cold! Can you fetch it for me? Please big bro?" "Uh, sure . Where did you see it?" Lino asked . "Right there!" the little girl pointed at a near-shore spot; Lino immediately saw rather thick and old-looking book, merely a meter or so deep . He casually stepped into theke while the little girl behind him cried out, warning him of the cold; however, theke was rather warm, confusing Lino slightly . Deciding to ignore it, he quickly fetched the book and went back ashore, handing it over to the little girl . "Yaay!" the little girl eximed in joy . "I like reading, but . . . my parents are poor and can¡¯t afford many books . I¡¯m lucky they taught me to read and write already . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyes grew moist for a moment but he quickly shook it off, reminding himself this was all an illusion . A memory at best . "Hm?" the book in little girl¡¯s hands suddenly vanished as her eyes glistened strangely for a moment . "Empyrean Writ? Heh, what a funny name . I never read another book that went into my mind directly!" Lino realized what this was at that moment; it was Eshen¡¯s distant memory of her own journey¡¯s beginning, the day she¡¯d gotten the Writ . He was certain the actual event unfolded differently as he wasn¡¯t there to fetch the book, but this was the ce and time she¡¯d gotten it . "Did you ever read it big bro?" " . . . no . " Lino replied, nearly choking . "What¡¯s it about?" he asked . " . . . hmm . It¡¯s kind of confusing . There¡¯s a bunch of random letters I never saw before, and there is this weird voice telling me stuff inside my head . Eh, whatever . Big bro, do you wanna go and y? I know a great spot where a lot of Trickle Tkers eat at! Did you ever see them y? He he, they tug at each other¡¯s tails, and then they chase each other like whoosh, buum, as, he he, it¡¯s really funny! You have to see them!" Before Lino had a moment to reply, the scenery suddenly changed . The field was gone, and it was reced instead by a small, stuffy room . There was only a mattress of sorts made from straws in the corner, where a teenage girl was lying curled up . As Lino appeared, she shook for a moment and turned around . Her violet hair was in disorder, her eyes red from crying, her cheeks sunken, lips bruised at corners . A strange glint shed past his eyes when she saw Lino . " . . . big . . . bro?" she mumbled meekly, slowly getting up . "What are you doing here?" " . . . checking up on you . " Lino replied weakly . " . . . " the girl stared at him for a moment, fixing her hair afterwards and sitting cross-legged . "I¡¯m fine . " Lino saw all-too-familiar look in her eyes, one he¡¯d seen countless times more in the mirror . "¡¯s that so?" he mumbled, sitting across from her . "Tell me . " " . . . tell you what?" "Tell me . " Lino repeated, locking their gazes forcibly . " . . . " the girl¡¯s expression flexed for a moment, until she finally lowered her head . "My parents . . . they abandoned me . After I got that book, I began changing . I was able to lift rocks hundred times my weight, run as quick as the wind, do things nobody else was able to . My parents said I was cursed by the Devil, and soon the rest of the vigers knew it like so . " " . . . they don¡¯t deserve you . " Lino said, sighing inwardly . " . . . heh," the girl chuckled, looking up yet again . "You think so? I don¡¯t . I am cursed by the Devil . That book is Devil¡¯s book . But, no matter how I tried, I can¡¯t get it out of my head . It keeps feeding me . . . even against my will . " " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t know what to say; rather, it didn¡¯t matter what he said . In the end, this was all but an illusionary memory . Eshen from present was telling him a story, and he was merely a passerby in one girl¡¯s tragic life¡¯s journey . "Endure . " "Will it get better?" she asked, hopefulness present in her eyes . " . . . yes . " Lino lied, smiling weakly . The scene changed yet again . From the room, Lino found himself atop a barren soil, stench of blood and death permeating the air . He turned around and saw heaps of corpses and a single girl sitting atop of them, sharpening her scythe . She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, her violet hair cut short like boy¡¯s, her body muscr, shoulders broad and calves thickened . She wore simple, leather armor stained by numerous stters of blood . As though sensing him, she looked up from her scythe and into Lino¡¯s eyes . She seemed surprised for a moment, yet returned expressionless in less than a blink of an eye . "You seem to find me at the strangest of ces . " she said as she began sharpening her weapon yet again . Lino didn¡¯t know what to say; he only knew her story began seeming eerily simr to his own . "You seem to find yourself at the strangest of ces . " he said in the end . "Heh, I guess I do . You checking up on me again?" " . . . I am . " Lino said . "Do you like what you see?" she stopped sharpening the scythe yet again, looking up . Her expression was cold, gaze distant, almost removed from this reality . " . . . in my eyes, you¡¯re still a curious little girl who hates being pranked on . " Lino smiled . "So I suppose my view is too biased to be taken into ount . " " . . . you lied to me . " she said . "You said it would get better . " "I did . " Lino said . "Why?" "Seemed like the right thing to say at the moment . " "It wasn¡¯t . " "I suppose . " " . . . I learned it¡¯s not a Devil¡¯s book, you know?" Eshen said . "True to its name, it¡¯s a Writ . One of Seven . And it¡¯s the most selfish fucker to have ever existed . " " . . . " Lino said nothing, merely listening . "I didn¡¯t want to do this," she pointed at the tomb surrounding her . "But I have to . I can no longer escape it . " " . . . I know . " Lino said . " . . . no, no you don¡¯t . Not yet . " The scenery changed yet again, and Lino now found himself in front of a massive, gothic-styled castle . It sprung for nearly mile across, half a dozen spires heaving high up in the air, decorated in great detail . Its atmosphere was beyond depressing and eerie, and not a sound but crows¡¯ cries could be heard anywhere near . Lino braved forward and crossed through castle¡¯s open front doors . He entered a massive hall, all too familiar one . At the end was a throne, and atop the throne was a middle-aged looking woman . She still exuded ethereal sort of beauty, one beyond this world¡¯s, yet air around her appeared so frigid one¡¯s eyes would freeze upon looking at her . She was cloaked entirely in ck, from top to bottom, including the thick lipstick and mascara . Lino stopped only a few meters away from the throne, which is when the woman opened her eyes and looked at him . They were even cker than before, as was her hair, almostpletely losing its wonderful violet hue . "You¡¯vee . " she said softly . "A bit toote, though . " " . . . " Lino said nothing . "Would it be odd to still call you big bro?" she asked . " . . . no . " "I¡¯ve slept here for hundreds of years . It¡¯s been quite lonely, I have to admit . " she said . " . . . I can only imagine . " "Did you enjoy my story?" she asked . "Eh, it was a bit cliched . " Lino replied, smiling . "Heh, I guess it kind of was," she smiled back, revealing a perfect set of white teeth . "I like it, though . It perfectly exemplifies everything I ever hated about myself . " "What¡¯s that?" Lino asked . "My curiosity," she said . "My weak will . Doing things that, deep in my heart, I never wanted to do . Some among many . " "He chose wrongly, then . " Lino said . " . . . he abandoned me long before today," she said, sighing . "He realized I wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfill his dream . He realized he wasn¡¯t able to cure the demons in my heart . And . . . he gave up . It¡¯s rather depressing . Thest . . . person, I suppose, to have ever had my back gave up on me atst . I had nothing . No one . I finally knew what true loneliness felt like . " " . . . you didn¡¯t deserve this . " Lino said . "I did," Eshen added quickly . "I¡¯ve done many . . . many terrible things in my life . All in the name of being an Empyrean . To uphold a title I earned by doing absolutely nothing . It¡¯s an empty title, Lyonel . It means nothing . You¡¯re an Empyrean . He¡¯s an Immortal . She¡¯s an Elyisan . It¡¯s all letters with no meaning . " "Nothing has meaning beyond what we give it . " Lino added . "Person¡¯s life ought to . " "It ought to . " " . . . maybe you should close your eyes," Eshen said, shaking briefly . "It won¡¯t be pretty, you know? He was my lifeline for thousands of years . Having that suddenly disappear isn¡¯t easy on either the body or the soul . " " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t say anything, but he didn¡¯t close his eyes either, determined to live through it all until the end . " . . . you aren¡¯t nearly as broken as I was, Lyonel," she said, smiling faintly . "Unlike me, you have people who love you and support you . You have people who are willing to shoulder the inferno¡¯s mes for you . And it has absolutely nothing to do with him . It¡¯s all you . Your shoulders inspire confidence, your smile thaws the coldest of hearts . The way you look at the people, the way you understand us . . . he doesn¡¯t deserve you . You¡¯re too good for him . " her skin slowly began wrinkling, bit by bit . "Oh, that I know . " Lino said, smiling . " . . . you won¡¯t find my Will in the records," her voice grew coarser, hair turning grayer by second . "I don¡¯t belong there . But," she appeared to have difficulties with talking as her smooth skin grew dry and folded . "My will is very simple . I had only gotten it by the end of my days as an Empyrean . It was to defy," her hair had turnedpletely white, her youthful appearancepletely gone . "To defy the eternal war too many innocent had been dragged into . No Bearer is a hero, Lyonel . " her lips thinned out, eyes growing smaller, her whole body growing shorter, nearly swallowed up by therge cloak . "One way or another, we are just broken pieces held together by glue we can never hope to understand . " by the end, there was nothing but ashened corpse, seemingly lifeless and listless . " . . . I¡¯m sorry . " Lino said meekly, holding back the tears as the scenery around him began distorting . "You deserved better . " by the end of his words, he was back in the hall . However, there was no Eshen . There was only an old, worn out throne, and a ck, tattered cloak sitting there, apanied by nothing but eternal silence which spoke louder than any word ever has . Chapter 66 Chapter 66 CHAPTER 66 THE AFTER-SONG [Analyzing . . . ] A robotic voice once again echoed inside Lino¡¯s head as thetter appearedpletely dazed, staring into the throne with empty eyes . [Essence Transferred: 89%] [Compatibility with Bearer: 92%] [Analyzing . . . ] Lino came to atst, sighing deeply while robotic voice continued as though nothing had transpired . He knew better than to ask or wonder how; after all, Writ wasn¡¯t a person . He lived far longer than Lino or Eshen, or anyone else alive or dead in this world . Besides, Lino already knew that Writ¡¯s only purpose was aplishing its goal . Disregarding humane way to do it only makes sense, as humane way means little to him in the grand scheme of things . [Analysis Complete . . . ] [Bearer too weak to assimte the entirety of Essence . . . ] [Current Assimtion: 9%] [Bearer attains Level 78] [Bearer¡¯s Strength is permanently increased by 10%] [Bearer¡¯s Endurance is permanently increased by 10%] [Bearer¡¯s Soul¡¯s Strength is permanently increased by 15%] [Bearer¡¯s Divine Sense now covers 1 mile area] [Bearer¡¯s resistance to Illusions permanently increased by 20%] [Bearer¡¯s resistance to Dark Element increased by 5%] [Bearer¡¯s affinity to Darkness increased by 50%] [Bearer¡¯s affinity to Light decreased by 10%] [Bearer¡¯s affinity to Spirit World decreased by 15%] [Fewer Primal Spirits will be willing to ept the Bearer as their Master] [Unlocked ess to Primordial Spirits of Darkness] [Informingplete . . . ] Lino bitterly smiled as he recounted everything - and that was a lot to recount . It would be a lie to say that he didn¡¯t benefit hugely from this visit . His all around strength had nearly doubled, even going as far to reach Level 78, inching ever so closer to the elusive Mythic Realm . His Soul had once again increased, which was the hardest part of one¡¯s cultivation to strengthen . He wagered that even the emotional trauma that apanied this increase in strength couldn¡¯t dampen the overall benefits . Yet, for some reason, he simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to be happy . He knew that he was practically stealing another person¡¯s lifetime of cultivation . He was stealing everything she worked so hard to obtain . It hardly felt like he earned much of what he was given, as that fight had hardly been a proper one . She, who was at herst breath, fought against him in prime of his youth . Though there was an entire realm of difference between the two, it hardly amounted to much, as he simply had far greater endurance than her fragile body and soul . " . . . is it true? Everything she said?" Lino asked; he knew it was foolish, but he couldn¡¯t hold it all inside anymore . "Yes . " the robotic voice replied almost immediately . "Do you regret it?" "No . " " . . . didn¡¯t you see her today? That was the result of what you did to her . " Lino argued . "That was the result of Eshen¡¯s own choices," the Writ said . "I had offered a mutual parting, which wouldn¡¯t have affected her as badly . However, she refused, iming she¡¯d rather suffer the consequences than unleash me upon the world and another innocent soul . I had no choice but to forcibly tear myself away, leaving her in the state she was in . " " . . . aah," Lino sighed . "It just doesn¡¯t seem right . She didn¡¯t seem like a bad person, all things considered . " "She wasn¡¯t . However, she had wounds that could not be healed . And every new task I asked of her only broke her down further . Which is why I at one point stopped asking anything of her, hoping she would slowly recover . She took it as me abandoning her, which only served to break her down further, until there was only a shell left of a woman I had once known . " " . . . " "Deflecting me is hardly ever a correct path," the Writ continued, surprising Lino as it began being rather chatty again . "I am not above admitting my own shorings; she was too young when I had joined with her . She was too young when I asked her to kill in my name . She was too broken when I asked her to stare into the abyss, expecting her to resist its temptations . I miscalcted . " "Hah, I can¡¯t believe someone as old as you miscalcted . " Lino chuckled as he slowly turned around and began to leave the hall . " . . . it shouldn¡¯t be surprising . I¡¯m old, not omnipotent . " "You can just say you believed in her, you know?" Lino said, smiling . "I won¡¯t judge . " " . . . " "Yeah, now he shuts up . How unexpected . Anyway, if you ever have ns of letting me go, hit me up ¡¯cause I¡¯d want that mutual parting . I don¡¯t want to die in that kind of misery . " There was no more conversation and Lino realized there wouldn¡¯t be for a while, which is why he also decided to shut up and just leave this ce . Coming here ascertained him to a simple fact that kept being reiterated everywhere he went: to be Empyrean is to do things that will make blood of others freeze in their veins . Lino was hardly a saint, and wasn¡¯t abovemitting evil to propagate the endgame . In the end, what is good and what is evil are arbitrary notions . Inherently, those concepts do not exist; if they did, ought to be good, and other Writs ought to be evil, yet no one has ever worded it as that . They are simply different . Everyone makes choices that benefit them the most, and some of those choices happen to be good, and some happen to be evil . Then again, Lino knew he had to have a mental line he wasn¡¯t willing to cross . Or rather, he was unable to cross . If someone didn¡¯t have that barrier, it would only lead to eventual self-destruction . Or bing like Eshen; a soul so broken it is no longer possible to repair it . He took his time leaving the necropolis as he wasn¡¯t in a hurry . With Eshen¡¯s death, all other corpses died as well . Now that the death had been perished from its halls, it appeared rather beautiful, in a bizarre sort of a way . He chuckled at the thought and shook his head; everything can be beautiful in a bizarre sort of a way, he realized . He left the necropolis only after a whole hour of touring,nding in the forest beneath . He nced back once again and looked deeply toward it . He¡¯d leave it there, hidden away from the world . It was the tomb she chose, herst resting ce, herst bastion of sanity . The ce where she gave away thest piece of her heart to aplete stranger, with whom she shared her life¡¯s story, and gave away a small part of herself to rest with him eternally . He quickly switched his tattered clothes with rtively unharmed ones and donned his coat before slowly departing . He hummed a low tune as he crossed between the trees, retracing steps Kraval, Fish, Smite and others took on their way away . He suddenly chuckled as he thought back to Smite¡¯s reaction; though thetter was rather obnoxious in a funny sort of a way, he seemed to really care for Ae . She¡¯d found good people, he realized, the sort that will have her back even if all hell breaks loose, as they have already proven . That is rare in the world, he knew very well . He suddenly came to a halt as he was jolted out of his thoughts; in front of him, Kraval, Fish and Smite stared at him in a bizarre sort of a way, their lips slightly parted, eyes like eggshells, bodies hunched slightly . They looked like petrified statues, and if the atmosphere surrounding them didn¡¯t seem slightly heavy, Lino would definitely burst out intoughter . "Hey? Guys?" Lino called out . "Did you meet someone so terrifying you literally just died like that?" " . . . " they merely blinked, which only told Lino they were alive . "Right . Uh, I¡¯m going back guys . You . . . you keep up whatever the hell you¡¯re keeping up . " "You defeated it?!" Smite cried out atst . "Huh?" Lino nced at him . "That scary woman-like thing, Mythic Realm one!" he borated . "Oh . Her . Yeah, I did . " Lino said,cking enthusiasm they expected . " . . . fuck!! Dude, how can Ipete with you?!" Smite cried out, falling onto his knees . "Can you slow down a bit?! The only thing I have on you are Levels, and you¡¯ll probably pass me in like three days! I¡¯m just gonna be the third wheel for the rest of my life!" " . . . " it was Lino¡¯s time to stare oddly at him . He found Smite¡¯s obsession with the ¡¯rivalry¡¯ between the two rather funny, as he was certain if he simply stayed with Ae, they¡¯d eventually get together as she seemed to like him as well . "Do you know how can you win against me?" Lino decided to y along . "Huh? How?" Smite asked, intrigued . "Stop acting like a dumbass and get up . We¡¯re going back . Geez, the hell are you doing in the middle of the forest, standing like you took the worst shit of your life, contemting every choice you ever made . Come on,e on, don¡¯t take it to the heart . Your moms wouldn¡¯t want you to feel hurt . Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go . " Lino ignored the stares and walked past them, moving onward while resuming the humming . He didn¡¯t really want to speak about what happened in the necropolis, partly because he didn¡¯t trust any of them yet, and partly because they didn¡¯t need to know . Lino knew that, sooner orter, he¡¯ll leave this ce . And they won¡¯t be able to follow . They¡¯ll stay behind and build their own lives in their own ways, climbing slowly to wherever they wish to be when they die . There wasn¡¯t much point in sharing with them who he was and what he was doing, as they¡¯d hardly understand it all . Perhaps they would, but even then they would only understand and know . They¡¯d forever remain behind, struggling to keep up with him . He knew, however, no matter what they did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to . After all, Lino¡¯s cultivation could hardly be called a ¡¯proper one¡¯; it was designed to burn him through Realms and Levels as quickly as possible to take him to the top in the shortest amount of time . No one and nothing could keep up that pace, or at least he so believed . Little did he know that belief would one day be shattered into pieces, upturning his world on its heels . Chapter 67 Chapter 67 CHAPTER 67 ALISON (II) A sh of golden light sted through the air, apanied by explosive sound . Atop a tform in the sky, the light looked like a crescendo, bouncing off the sun¡¯s rays as it pierced through the fabric of space and time in but a moment¡¯s notice, arriving on the other end, where a muscr, middle-aged man d in full, ebony-colored armor awaited with a massive vanguard shield . The light crashed directly into it, causing a massive explosion and uprooting the floor beneath, yet the man himself hadn¡¯t even moved an inch . It was the light that bounced off, quickly transforming into a figure of a young, beautiful woman with golden hair and sky-colored eyes . Shended on her feet a few dozen meters away, seeming somewhatnguid . Quickly recovering her stance, she braced herself for yet another attack but she saw the man shake his head and withdraw his shield and armor . Beneath was a figure of a tall, dark-skinned man with thick eyebrows and bald head . His green eyes stared deeply at the woman for a moment before he sighed . Alison bit her lower lip and withdrew her sword, dusting off her clothes . "You said going back would have helped you . " the man spoke in a deep voice . "I thought it would have . " Alison replied, emotionless . "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong . " " . . . " the man briefly nced at the sky and suddenly braced for a leap . "Follow me . " The two flew through the sky wingless, appearing like a true miracle as they bounded the vastnds in a span of a few seconds . The mannded by a massive waterfall by the edge of the cliff, dipping down mercilessly into a vastke . What was odd, though, was that the water¡¯s color was emerald green and it appeared to be sparkling, painting a majestic sight . The man waited for Alison to appear before he suddenly took a leap off the edge and dove straight into theke, braving a nearly mile long drop without hesitation . Alison followed almost immediately after, feeling the cold air brush past her skin, her eyes growing teary . She purposefully withdrew the Qi surrounding her body that was shielding her, letting herself experience everything that could be experienced from it . She realized she was gaining speed quickly and that it was getting much harder to breathe, yet, for some odd reason, she didn¡¯t hate the feeling . Rather, she enjoyed it . She felt her heart quicken, the whole of her body suddenly grew panicked as rms echoed out inside her head, signaling the impending doom . Just before she had passed out from theck of breath, she infused Qi into herself, expelling both the danger as well as the excitement . Shended directly into ake just after the man, both creating massive sshes of water, swimming out shortly after and moving toward the shore where they sat at the edge, their legs up to their knees dipped in the cool water . "You were always talented at everything," the man said . "Except understanding people, and yourself . It¡¯s unfortunate that cultivation isn¡¯t only about getting more powerful, unlocking more potential through sheer talent and ability . In the end, cultivation is just as its name implies: cultivating yourself . There is no way to circumvent this wall, Alison . You can¡¯t break past it . You can¡¯t bound it . You can dig beneath it or go around it . " " . . . I know . " Alison said, staring into the water . "It¡¯s good that you do," the man said, smiling gently . "That way at the very least you¡¯re not foolishly trying to push yourself through . " " . . . I still think the answer is him . " Alison said while the man sighed . "The answer isn¡¯t him, but what he represents, Alison . " the man said . "So, what does he represent? What does he mean to you?" " . . . " Alison thought for a moment, memories of the decade ago shing past her mind . "Everything . " she spoke softly . " . . . " the man didn¡¯t know what else to say; he knew too well the demon Alison was battling wasn¡¯t easy . It was dependence, the worst of kind at that . She had cemented herself as a part of the pair, and when her other end wasn¡¯t there, she lost her heart . She hadn¡¯t smiled in ages, hadn¡¯t spent a minute with her peers outside mandatory training, hadn¡¯t done anything else but cultivate ever since she¡¯d gotten here, only with the n of going back and saving him when she could . Now that that was gone, she had nothing else to hold onto, man realized . "Tell me about him . " he suddenly said . Though he knew about his existence, the man hardly knew anything of the boy himself . " . . . " his heart suddenly shook; but for a brief moment, he saw a sh of her smiling face, her usually dead eyes waking up from their slumber, their heart thawing for a moment . Yet, just as quickly as it came, it disappeared . "My first day in the orphanage, I immediately realized I was being taken care of more so than the other kids . I had proper meals, was given proper dresses, was even given books to read . I enjoyed it, at the time, the special attention . Then, by the day¡¯s end, I¡¯d met him . I was sitting outside on the bench and reading a book, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him struggling to climb over the fence back into the orphanage¡¯s courtyard . He had a silly expression on his face, his tongue stuck out, and Iughed . He spotted me and panicked, crying out and falling over . " the man listened with care; Alison never spoke of her past beyond saying it meant more to her than she could put into the words . The man never understood why; what was it, at the age of six, that could impact the girl so much she would have it be an irremovable part of her a whole decadeter? "The first thing he did was get up, dust off his butt, and look at me . And then he said ¡¯You¡¯re cute . What are you doing here?¡¯ . " "I imagine it must have been nice to hear that . " the man said, smiling faintly . " . . . it wasn¡¯t the first sentence . It was the second . " Alison said, looking up . "No one¡¯s asked me that . Not the sisters, not the other kids, not the people that brought me in . I know it¡¯s kind of implied why I was there . . . but, I wanted to share my story . And I did . I told him everything . And he just stood there and listened . After I was done, I started crying . He reached into his pocket and took a small apple and handed it over . At the time I didn¡¯t think much of it, and just took it . However, I quickly realized what that apple cost him . Of all the people I met in my life, he¡¯s the one that never looked at me with anything but honest eyes . " " . . . he sounds like a great kid . " the man said . "Heh," Alison suddenly chuckled, surprising the man . "I know . . . I know how you, how Master, Patriarch and others see me . A silly little girl who¡¯s far too lovestruck to realize everything she¡¯s shoving down the drain . " " . . . " the man remained silent; there was no point in denying it, after all . " . . . aaah," Alison sighed, suddenly getting up . "When that woman told me he¡¯s probably dead, for the first time since leaving orphanage, I felt my heart break . I felt a part of me crack . And it did so on the mere assumption that he was dead . Tell me, Elliyah, what would happen to me if I found out he was really dead?" Alison looked down at the man who looked back, yet was too afraid to answer . "I know how much you guys have sacrificed for me . And, even though I don¡¯t show it, I really do care for you all . I love this ce and I¡¯m d I can call it my home and I¡¯d never do anything to jeopardize it . " "I sense a ¡¯but¡¯ing . " the man smiled . "There¡¯s no ¡¯but¡¯ . Not this time around," Alison took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, as though finalizing something that has been weighing on her mind for a long time . "I¡¯ll do it . " " . . . " Elliyah¡¯s heart shook for a moment as his eyes gaped at her, inplete disbelief . "A-are you sure? You do know it¡¯s irreversible, right?" "I know," Alison said, ncing at him . "But, it¡¯s time I¡¯d forgotten him . It¡¯s time I¡¯d moved on with my life . " " . . . " Elliyah remained silent for a moment before getting up, walking over and hugging her tightly . "Though I can¡¯t understand it," he said . "From your eyes I know this is probably the hardest decision you¡¯d ever made . And I also know it¡¯s the decision you made solely for the sect . We¡¯ll never forget it . " "We can¡¯t lose this Holy War," Alison said, hugging him back . "That¡¯s a certainty I¡¯m aware of . And you once told me that I should only deal in certainties as they¡¯re the only things that are reliable . " " . . . your heart is boundless, Ally," Elliyah said, pulling back and patting her head gently . "Though you won¡¯t remember him, he¡¯ll be with you, always, through it all . And, in your darkest moment, your heart will tell you to push forward, and you¡¯ll hear a strange voice in your head telling you you are strong . Of that I¡¯m certain . " " . . . " Alison merely smiled back, hiding yet again her soul behind a facade, something she¡¯d learned to do many moons ago . Though Elliyah and others meant well, she knew she could never show her heart to them in full . They were cultivators since the day they were born, but she lived as just another, ordinary girl first . She¡¯d experienced things that can only be experienced in full by ordinary mortals . Perhaps, she realized, she hadn¡¯t yet be a proper cultivator herself; deep down, she was unwilling to abandon all the things cultivators ought to abandon to further their cultivation . Perhaps, deep down, all she ever really wanted to be was an ordinary girl, living in ordinary life, with an ordinary boy who taught her the strength of heart and soul better than anyone else ever could . A boy who showed her resilience that cannot be put into words, hopefulness that shouldn¡¯t be possible, and care that she¡¯s yet to see in anyone else . She wondered, yet again, just how many people he would have saved in his life had he ever been given a proper chance . More than she will in eternal lifetimes, she wagered . Chapter 68 Chapter 68 CHAPTER 68 PASSING OF THE TORCH Lino sat atop the city wall, his legs dangling off the edge, looking over the towering buildingspeting to touch the sky . He looked at the bustling streets full of people in rush to live their lives, looked at the peddlers trying to sell things that are hardly worth a pebble for enormous amounts of money, and looked at beggars hoping someone would give them a nce at the very least . It¡¯s a city like any other, he realized . No matter the corner of the world, no matter if cultivation is a magical myth or somethingmon, people naturally behave the same, creating the same atmosphere, the same, strange serenity that wraps the city in thick veil offort . He leapt off andnded firmly by the road¡¯s end, walking casually through the side alleyways on his way over to the edge, where the headquarters of his new Mercenary Group were . He decided to name it Archangel¡¯s Darkness, in the memory of someone who probably forgot Lino was able to hear everything him and the Writ talked about . Though it was a small building with even smaller courtyard, it was their own; however cramped it may be, it will always be a ce they can alle back to . He¡¯s yet to hear from Eggor, but he wasn¡¯t worried . If anyone can pull themselves through any sort of hell, it was those two . They¡¯lle, he knew . In the meantime, all he was trying to do was to get the group off the ground, forcing them to ept the most menial tasks just so they can get their grade up . The system was simple; from E to A, Mercenary Groups were ranked based on their achievements . In order to get jobs that actually pay, one has to first do the lowliest grunt work, no matter how meaningless it may seem . "You know," Ae suddenly popped out in front of him, her hair disheveled with a few feathers scattered about in there . "Just because you¡¯re the, khm, ¡¯boss¡¯ of our little group, doesn¡¯t mean you can do jack diddly all day long!!" "What do you mean nothing? I¡¯ll have you know I was just out there mapping the whole city out in case something terrible happens, like, you know, a war . So we can take the quickest escape route . " all he saw was anger, yet he still couldn¡¯t help but smile . "Lyonel," Oh no . "I¡¯ve been in this dump for half a month, and all I¡¯ve done was clean shit up, clean horse shit up, clean pigeon shit up, and help a homeless guy find his home . " "Well, thatst must have felt nice . " "He was fucking homeless!!" "Right . " "Look, I don¡¯t know - nor really care - where you go off to all day long while we¡¯re here doing crappy stuff," she appeared to be on the verge of crying, Lino realized . "I . . . I just wish you showed up once in a while and at least pretend you¡¯re also helping . " " . . . no, you¡¯re right . " Lino said, smiling faintly . "I will . For sure . " "Thank you!" "No problem . " "Now where¡¯s that goddamn red chicken?! I swear to god I¡¯ll strangle the bitch!" As he watched Ae bounce off somece, Lino couldn¡¯t help but think back to the past half a month . It felt . . . empty . He wasn¡¯t able to craft a single piece of equipment that didn¡¯t suck, wasn¡¯t able to go an entire day without letting his mind drift off to somece far away, wasn¡¯t able to even admit the reason for it all . He nced at the small courtyard for a moment before he turned around and walked away . Bounding the same alleyways as he did for the past month felt excruciatingly same, yet also oddly peaceful . He knew his destination, where he¡¯s supposed to be and why . After ten minute long walk, he arrived by a small chapel with what could barely be called a spire by its side . Surrounding it was small, yetfy courtyard, more akin to a well-managed garden . People passed by this ce in droves, left and right, without ever paying a second nce . However, he walked straight in past the slightly creaky doors and onto a cobblestone paved path leading to the entrance . In there, a dimly lit hall of roughly a hundred seats that were never busy waited him, alongside four lit candles because he knew that was all they could afford . On the other end was a man in priestly robes, far down on his knees, his hands sped against his chest . Lino sat on the bench behind the man as silently as he could and waited . "You know, if you get bored, you can interrupt me any time . " the man broke the silence five minutester . "Oh, no, please, go on . I enjoy watching overly hairy, sixty year old men on their knees . It¡¯s just . . . a picture . " "Son, and I¡¯m going to keep telling you this," the man said, getting up . "You need god . " "Sorry pops, not interested . I¡¯ve brought candy . " Lino said, smiling . "Why are you so angry with Him?" the man asked as the two began walking toward the chapel¡¯s other end . "I¡¯m not . " "Why are you so angry with yourself?" "Oh, so many reasons we¡¯d need a year just to cross out the first page . I appreciate what you¡¯re trying to do, but I very much doubt even your god could help me with my problems . " " . . . He doesn¡¯t help with your problems, son," the man said, smiling faintly . "He tells you you¡¯re strong enough to help yourself . " " . . . yeah . I wish I could believe that . " Lino said, smiling meekly . He¡¯d beening here every day for the past two weeks, ever since he discovered this ce . The kindly, old man walking next to him was Priest Andre, and he¡¯s been mainstay in this chapel ever since he was fifteen, which Lino counted to roughly eleven thousand years . Besides being a church hardly anyone everes to, it¡¯s also a ce Lino can understand better than anyone else . Opening the wooden doors and exiting into the backyard, he immediately saw ten or so snotty faces gathered around a small ant hill, pricking fingers at it and thenughing at how ants begin running around mindlessly . It was a poor man¡¯s orphanage, where one, sixty year old guy went out every day to do three dehumanizing jobs just so these kids can afford to eat . He¡¯d realized there were still some good people in this world, which is why he kepting back here, to make his life at least a bit easier and let him know he didn¡¯tpletely waste it . "Oh, Uncle Lino is here!!" one of the kids cried out . "Alright Timmy, what did I say? I¡¯m way too young for you to call me an uncle, right?" "But you have beard . " the kid said . " . . . it¡¯s, it¡¯s not a beard, it¡¯s just a patch! A patch, alright?!" "What¡¯s a patch?" "Oh good god--" "Don¡¯t call his name in vain . " "--oh good, dear devil, take my soul away . " Lino grinned at the kindly Priest who barely held back from rolling his eyes backwards into his skull . "If you call me uncle one more time, I won¡¯t give you any candy . " " . . . " "Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about . Come here . Look, I¡¯ve got apple, I¡¯ve got strawberry, I¡¯ve got this thing you suck on and all vor just melts in your mouth, I¡¯ve got--" the man stood by the side and watched, saying nothing . On the first day Lino showed up, he knew the boy was the child of a ce like this . But, he also knew that ce like this had already ruined him . He never needed to ask Lino why he didn¡¯t believe in god, as the answer was obvious . Anyone who¡¯s suffered through life so much on every step of the way could hardly find it in themselves to believe in anything good . They¡¯re just lucky if they can manage . He withdrew back to the courtyard¡¯s edge where a small table and a pair of chairs was at, sitting down . Lino joined him only ten minutester, when every kid finally started ignoring him . "Here I am, busting my back trying to feed these kids healthy food, and you just stroll right in and remind them my food sucks . Do you know what Anna told mest night? That you were a better cook than me . " "Ouch . " "You don¡¯t even cook . " "No, no I don¡¯t . " Lino said, smiling faintly . " . . . you can¡¯t keeping back here son . " the Priest suddenly said, surprising Lino . "Eh? Look, I can bring them healthy food if you¡¯d like, no need to get so defensive . I won¡¯t steal them, you know?" "It¡¯s not about them," the Priest said . "It¡¯s about you . At first, I know you were here because you felt close to the kids and wanted to help them out, to let them know there was someone in the world that cared . But, you¡¯re not here because of that anymore . You¡¯re lost . " " . . . " Lino said nothing, faintly tapping his fingers against the table . "But . . . you¡¯re looking for answers in a wrong ce," the Priest said . "I don¡¯t have them, and these kids sure as hell don¡¯t . I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re scared of, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re running away from . . . but, one way or another, you¡¯re just dying the inevitable . Nobody and nothing can hide you from your own heart . " " . . . I¡¯m surprised you even took a single breath to indulge me . I¡¯m still a kid, so what do I know, right? Hah . " " . . . yeah, in many ways you are still a kid," the Priest said . "You pulled Andrew¡¯s finger when he told you to and then you had a stughing for ten minutes with them yesterday . The day before you pretended to be a goat and actually ate the grass that you know these kids pissed onto at least once . So, yeah, you are a kid . But, you¡¯re also not . Which makes it that much harder for you . You never got to enjoy these silly things, the innocent quibbles that end up in hugs and kisses . You were thrown out to the wolves and told to bite . And, now, that you¡¯re dealing with something you can¡¯t seem to handle, you¡¯re scared . Because nobody¡¯s ever taught you how to handle it . " " . . . the kids are lucky to have you . " Lino said after short silence . "Keep showing them there¡¯s good in the world, pops . Otherwise . . . they¡¯ll forget what good even is . " "If you didn¡¯t know what good was, you wouldn¡¯t have walked into this ce to begin with," the Priest said, patting Lino¡¯s shoulder gently . "You¡¯re just . . . a bit lost, son . There¡¯s no shame in it . I can¡¯t help you, but for some reason, in my heart I know you have people who can . " " . . . ah . So you checked me out and learned who I am . " Lino said . "It¡¯s the talk around the town," the Priestughed . "A leader of the new Mercenary Group in city has his minions so terrified that they¡¯re out there doing literally anything you ask of them while he¡¯s nowhere to be seen except asionally on a wall, observing everything like a hawk . I¡¯ve met you and . . . I know they aren¡¯t so terrified of you they¡¯ll do anything you ask them to . So, ask yourself then . . . why are they doing all that even when you¡¯re never there with them? You crawled out son," he said, getting up . "Don¡¯t w your way right back in . You¡¯re better than that . " Lino stared at the man¡¯s back for a moment, knowing he won¡¯t live for longer than a month . He¡¯s dying, and he knows it, yet he doesn¡¯t show it to anyone . He still smiles for the kids, still does the same jobs he¡¯s been doing for years, and still begging everyone left and right to take over this ce once he¡¯s gone . It was toote for him to begin cultivating, and Lino didn¡¯t know any other way to help him . Yet, he still smiled . Because, the look on the man¡¯s face told him the only reason he was still feeling regret was because he didn¡¯t know what will be of kids once he was gone . He got up and walked over to him and leaned over, whispering something into his ear before turning around and leaving . The Priest looked up at the fading back of a young man he barely met while his eyebrows rxed, his flexed wrinkles folding over one another, tired lips curling up into a smile, his yellowed eyes growing moist for a moment . In that kid¡¯s eyes, the moment he walked in here, the man saw reflection of himself from when he first started working in this chapel . And, all he did for the past week was hope . And his hopes were answered . And he knew kids will be safe, even after he¡¯s no longer there with them, to show them the way . Because there will always be someone else to pick up the mantle and carry on the torch . Chapter 69 Chapter 69 CHAPTER 69 SETTING THE STAGE Hope Town was sacked in-between boundless valley of green, thick, terrifying forest, and cloud-bounding mountain barren of any green halfway up the winding road . It had a single road perching up its main gates, a road which further along the way branched out into nearly thirty more, all leading where feet would take some . It was notrge, yet not small either, just in that midsection where it makes perfect sense it only had one school, and nothing else . Lino was currently wandering the streets, no doubt hiding from the others who have been practically ving away for the past two months while he mainly spent the money they didn¡¯t know he had, asionally doing a mission or two if it interested him . Priest Andre had passed and he had hired almost ten people to move over into that small chapel and look after the kids in his stead, while Lino himself was also a rather frequent babysitter . Today, however, was another¡¯s day; rather than just sight-seeing the already memorized streets, Lino was gathering information for the past month, one which would allow them to climb up further as a Mercenary Group . Though the ceiling awaited them, they were still at the bottom, too far away to see it at the moment . He learned that in order to climb to being the top Mercenary Group in the town, he had to uproot four long-standing ones - Wolf Gang, Skyriders, Velvet Sun and Horned Lords . He also learned that the town was practically ran by a branch family of Su¡¯s, though he hardly knew how important the main family was . Today, he was headed over to find out as just yesterday he found an invitation letter addressed in his name from the branch head . Since Archangel¡¯s Darkness reached C Rank as far as the Mercenary Groups go, they were finally allowed some actual jobs, and it is customary that every new Mercenary Group was inspected on their way up . He was hardly nervous, and mostly curious of how they would approach him . He wagered not many teen-looking leaders came walking through their doors . Branch family¡¯spound was stationed eastward of the town¡¯s Central za, it was a rather beautiful mansionden with marble bricks, and surrounded by oversized gardens which mostly appeared empty more so than anything else . Road leading from the main gates to the mansion was upward and winding through the numerous gardens, small ponds, fountains, and even a training grounds . Lino took it all while he casually strolled, seeming unhurried though he was already half an hourte . His expression was tranquil, his surroundings filled with pleasant silence . Life¡¯s been good, he realized, ever since he arrived here . He knew it was a right thing to do, settling down somewhere inconspicuous for a little while . By the time he¡¯d arrived at the mansion¡¯s main doors, he was nearly an hourte . He truly felt the imposing feeling of the mansion, yet, having been through two halls that would make even seasoned warriors piss their pants, he could hardly care for the awe-inspiring columns and sculpted walls . The doors suddenly opened on their own and he entered into a main hallway, blending straight into a massive stairways leading to the first floor . On the first step, man dressed in simple, ck, butler¡¯s clothing waited with his hands behind his back . He looked briefly into Lino¡¯s eyes before beginning to ascend the stairs, signaling Lino to follow him . Thed began his stroll yet again, taking in the wonderful paintings on the sidewalls and rather beautifully sculpted figures of men and women . The first floor was hardly any different from the one below save for a few more doors leading to a few more rooms . The man moved toward one of them and Lino followed; the doors were already ajar and man merely stepped aside and signaling Lino with his eyes to enter . Thetter nodded his head gently and smiled faintly before pushing the doors further open and entering . The room wasn¡¯trge by any means, but it wasfy . Satin nkets hung from the side, separating one of its corners from the rest of the room, whilerge, half-circr sofa encased a ssed table in its glory . Beyond were a pair of windows, though Lino didn¡¯t get a chance to admire the view as a man was already sitting on therge sofa, sipping tea . He appeared to be in histe thirties, with first signs of thinning, gray hair appearing on his head . With blue eyes and seemingly chiseled face, he was rather handsome, and his clothes were but golden folds and red ribbons,vish beyond what Lino could ever hope to describe . "You¡¯rete . " the man broke the silence and jolted Lino from the sight-seeing tour of the room . "Yeah, sorry about that . " Lino smiled faintly . "I get a bit lost, from time to time . " " . . . you¡¯re the first person to have made me wait in almost thirty years," the man said, putting down his tea cup . "It appears you neither want your Mercenary Group to seed in this town nor do you want to keep on living . " "Yeah, kill a man because he¡¯ste," Lino said, sitting on the sofa as well and leaning back while groaning lowly; it was ratherfortable . He decided he¡¯d get himself one of these soon enough . "Sounds reasonable . So, what¡¯s your name?" " . . . " though Lino could almost feel man¡¯s fiery gaze parch his skin, he chose to ignore it . Proud and egotistic men were everywhere, and have been a part of Lino¡¯s life since his childhood . If you give them the respect they expect, they¡¯ll never see you as a human being, but as some form of a bob they can walk right over any time and anywhere . "Rx big guy," Lino said, smiling as he poured himself a cup of tea . "You don¡¯t seem a day older than a hundred to me, but if you keep that frown up, you may just get to two hundred by the time we¡¯re done . " " . . . you never really learned to respect those above you, have you?" the man asked, forcing a smile . "No, I have," Lino said . "You see, when I didn¡¯t respect them, one of them used to use butcher knife to skin my back, another used me to experiment with whip sturdiness, and another would starve me to near death just because I woke up in the morning . . . alive . The difference between then and now is that, now, I can just get up and leave, and, well, let¡¯s face it, you could try, but you¡¯re hardly strong enough to stop me from doing that . " "A little respect goes a long way,d . " the man said, chuckling as he also leaned back . "Had you given them any, perhaps your childhood would have been less of a bore to listen to . " " . . . I assume that, by now, you had your minions look us up," Lino skipped the drivel and decided to get straight to the point . "And beyond the fact that you¡¯re rather terrified of how strong we are despite our small numbers, I¡¯m betting my left ball you haven¡¯t learned anything else about any one of us . You invited me over most-likely expecting someone over the age of twenty, but, well, tough luck . You expected a pal you could take afternoon off with and sip this disgusting tea whileughing about things neither one of you finds particrly funny . Well, tough luck again . We don¡¯t care about the city," Lino said, his piercing gaze sending shivers down the man¡¯s spine . "We¡¯ll be out of your hair soon enough . That is, so long as you leave us alone and let us do our thing . We don¡¯t need any encouragement with gifts, and neither will you from us . And, one of my dear friends told me that the next minion you send over to ourpound will end up with his head on a stake right atop the city gates . And, trust me, she means everyst one of those words . She¡¯s also insane . Like, literally insane . I think thest time she felt something, she was someonepletely different about ten billion years ago . " " . . . " every word Lino spoke seemed to be true, yet man could do nothing but sit still and stare . After he¡¯d learned of the new Mercenary Group, he had them researched as every other in the city . However, the more he learned about them, the less he wanted them in the city . Every singlest one was cultivator, and almost all were strong . And, perhaps worst of all, he truly didn¡¯t know anything about them . Not their names, not how old they were, not what their cultivation path was, not where theye from . . . he learned that knowing someone well was half a battle won, yet, that half was missing with the new, mysterious group . He was looking forward to today¡¯s meeting, as he truly wanted to make friends with their leader . He, however, hardly imagined their leader to be a kid with a tongue of a snake . "Heh, it¡¯s a shame you won¡¯t be staying in the city for too long . " the man said after short silence, chuckling . " . . . I did not expect that . " Lino¡¯s eyebrow arched as he took a sip of the tea he couldn¡¯t help but hate down to his core yet also repeatedly drink . " . . . the town¡¯s full of people willing to bend over without me ever saying anything," the man said, smiling faintly . "Almost all Mercenary Groups worth a while arepeting over who can be a bigger kiss-ass, and . . . well, truth be told, I¡¯ve grown tired of it all . They¡¯re cultivators, for god¡¯s sake . That calling used to mean something . It used to say you were proud, your will was firmer than diamonds, your heart sturdier than stone . Now? Any poor, filthy degenerate seems to be a cultivator . You . . . you just don¡¯t seem the type, for a change . " " . . . you¡¯re weird . " Lino said . "Got any fruit?" "Yeah, I¡¯m the weird one . " the man said, looking at Lino oddly while taking out a bowl and some fruit from seemingly nowhere . "What¡¯s your name?" "Lino . " " . . . it¡¯s, uh, a unique name . I¡¯m Van Sereh Qinn Su . Nice to meet you, Lino . " "That¡¯s a mouthful . " Linoined . " . . . just call me old man . " "I was going to . " "You don¡¯t really hold your punches, do you?" "It¡¯s all that suppressed anger from my childhood, I think . " "There¡¯s only so many things you can excuse by bad childhood, you know?" the man said, smiling . " . . . I don¡¯t excuse my shorings because, from time to time, I forgot what food felt like when I was a kid," Lino said . "It¡¯s pathetic . " " . . . " "Yeah, we¡¯re all kind of insane," Lino shed him a bright smile . "But, you know, everyone¡¯s got their demons . What¡¯s yours Van?" "Call me Qinn . " "Van is easier . " "Qinn . " "You do realize you¡¯ll never win this battle, right?" Lino asked . "A man has to try . " "Well, you tried Van . " " . . . ugh," Qinn grumbled something lowly into his jaw before replying . "My demon? There¡¯s so many kid I wouldn¡¯t know where to start . " "How about staring with why do I feel a pair of eyes currently piercing my skull and trying to kill me?" Lino tilted his head sideways toward the doors who were ajar once again, and saw a head bobbled in-between the frame and the wall . His eyes and heart froze for a moment as his gazended on the oval-shaped, snow-pale face slightly obscured by night-ck hair and a pair of glistening, emerald eyes . "Hey, Sylvia!" Qinn called out when he saw the girl . "What are you doing here? I thought I told you dad would be busy today!" "You told me we would have lunch together!" the girl grumbled as she walked in . Since Lino was expecting some sort ofvished dress, he was rather stumped when instead he realized she wore simple, leather armor with a pair of scimitars strapped to her belt . "Oh, yeah, I did say that . " Qinn said, smiling awkwardly while ncing at Lino . "Yeah, that one would be my fault," Lino said, smiling . "You see, drinking tea with me was just far more interesting than having lunch with you, so he figured he¡¯d just crush you and scar you like the rest of the kids out there . " " . . . " Qinn sighed and shook his head . " . . . who¡¯s this tadpole and why is he speaking without ever being given permission?" the girl said . She appeared to be half a head taller than Lino and somewhat older, yet still near his age . "Who am I? I¡¯m your new husband," Lino said as he got up and grabbed her hand, kissing it gently . "And I don¡¯t like the tongue on you, youngdy!" " . . . " while Sylvia froze in spot, her eyes darting toward Qinn with a bucket full of pleas in them, the old man couldn¡¯t help but nearly burst out inughter . Hardly anyone could make his daughter be at aplete loss for words, while at the same time terrifying the god out of her . "Don¡¯t worry honey, he¡¯s messing around," Qinn said . "He¡¯s a leader of the new group in town . We were just having a chat and I lost the track of time . " "Hey, dude," Lino looked at him . "Couldn¡¯t you have yed along for at least a while? Didn¡¯t you see the look on her face? Imagine if she broke down and started crying . It would be beautiful . " " . . . you and I really have different ideas of what beautiful means . " Qinn said . "Hey, broken childhood, bitter dreams . y along man . " " . . . let go of my hand or I¡¯ll kill you . " Lino heard angry voice whisper into his ears and nced sideways to Sylvia¡¯s distorted face . "You can¡¯t kill what has never lived," Lino said . "You can only appreciate it for what it is . " " . . . what?" "I don¡¯t know . It sounded better in my head . Anyway, Van," Lino turned toward the old man as he let go of Sylvia¡¯s hand . "I¡¯ll see you tomorrow . Get us a better tea---wait, I¡¯m a man, I don¡¯t want to drink damn tea . I¡¯ll take care of drinks . You just make sure this jewel here isn¡¯t adorning someone else¡¯s crown at least until we leave . " Lino didn¡¯t give either a chance to say a word as he simply waved and left, leaving both Qinn and Sylvia stumped in strange silence . "Seriously dad, who was that and how can you let them treat you like that?!" Sylvia was the one to break the silence . "I was serious," Qinn said, sighing . "He is the leader of the new Mercenary Group I was telling you about . " "Archangel¡¯s Darkness?" Sylvia¡¯s eyebrow arched as she asked . "Yeah . And as for why I let him talk to me like that," Qinn said, taking a sip of tea . "It¡¯s mostly because I¡¯m terrified of him, to be honest . " " . . . I figured," Sylvia said, looking at him . "I couldn¡¯t move a muscle in my hand when he was holding it . He didn¡¯t even use an ounce of Qi . Who the hell are these guys?" " . . . I wish I knew . " Chapter 70 Chapter 70 CHAPTER 70 THE GATHERING OF FOOLS Six pairs of footsteps trailed along the winding road through the forest, asional animal corpse lining up next to them . The forest was well know around the Hope Town as it was a ce where both Mercenary Groups and individuals could prove their worth by ying strong beasts . However, as most of them lived quite deep in the forest, one had to walk for nearly a week before even having a chance to prove themselves . At the end of the footsteps was a zing campfire, above which a rather meaty boar was being roasted . Surrounding the me were seven people, currently resting and talking . "No way!!" Freya suddenly eximed, her eyes like stars focused onto Lucky who had rather proud expression . "You really killed a Mountain Ape?!" "Of course!" Lucky eximed . "We fought for nearly two hours before I finally managed to down the damn bastard!" "So amazing!!" "Hey, weren¡¯t you running away from him when he tripped and fell down the ravine, dying in the process?" Shaneinemented from the side . Freya smiled awkwardly as Lucky¡¯s eyes burned with anger, pointed toward Shaneine . "Don¡¯t hate the messenger . Hate the liar . " "Humph, liar? Weren¡¯t you bragging to the guys how every single man from your vige wanted to marry you?" Lucky suddenly said as Shaneine¡¯s body jolted for a moment . "Truce?" "When the reality is that you proposed to every single one of them and, get this, she was rejected every single time!! Ha ha ha ha!" while Luckyughed, Fish, Kraval and Smite looked at Shaneine oddly, refusing toment . " . . . aah, still," Freya sighed, leaning back onto her arms . "You guys have so many amazing stories . I¡¯m really jealous . " " . . . hey, in no time, you¡¯ll have stories to share too," Ae said, smiling . "Like today¡¯s . . . incident . " " . . . yeah, being peed on by a bird - twice - is really something I will share in the future . " Freya said, shuddering . "Eh, it¡¯s not bad . Fish here gets pooped on all the time by random birds . " Smite said . "It¡¯s true," Fish said, nodding . "I don¡¯t know why, you know? It¡¯s like they see me as a target practice dummy or something . " "Maybe they¡¯re just trying to see whether it¡¯s possible for you to stink even more?" Lucky asked . " . . . eeh, it¡¯s possible . Trust me . It¡¯s possible . " "Ugh . " "Eww . " "Dude!!" "Guys, can we not talk about poop, pee and stinks while waiting for our dinner to be done?" Ae asked, smiling awkwardly . "No, we have to talk about one specific stink . " Smite said, frowning . "The worst of all . " "The selfish, self-centered, arrogant, ¡¯why should I do that?¡¯ stink, right?" Lucky quickly added . "The ¡¯I¡¯m too special to do missions¡¯ stink!" even Freya joined . "You mean Lino?" Shaneine asked, tilting her head . "Who else but that bastard!!" Smite eximed, leaping onto his feet . "We¡¯ve been here three months, working our butts off and climbing all the way to bing C Ranked Group, but has he done a single mission?! Yes, yes he has! He once stole a job of mine that entailed escorting a beautiful maiden on a dual journey!" "Oh, is that why he suddenly started hiding when he came back?" Kraval asked . "Because that strange woman kept looking for him?" "Stop!! Don¡¯t bring up his sess stories!" "Where is he anyway?" Fish suddenly asked . "Lady, do you know?" " . . . no clue," Ae replied, sighing bitterly . "He said he found ¡¯another interest¡¯ and that he would be ¡¯exploring his options in near future¡¯ . " "So, another woman?" Shaneine added, not noticing the sudden awkward atmosphere . "Khm, anyway," Kraval said, breaking the silence . "Enough about him . He did promise he¡¯ll make us each a weapon next week, so maybe that¡¯s his way of making up everything he¡¯s missed . " "I¡¯m gonna squeeze every ounce of talent out of his perky ass for the best pair of daggers I can!" Lucky said, licking her lips while her eyes shimmered in greed . "He does have perky ass, doesn¡¯t he?" Freya added . "Can we not talk about another dude¡¯s ass while I¡¯m here, please?" Smite joined in . "Oh, the boar¡¯s done . " "I¡¯ll cut . " Fish said . "I¡¯ll get the water . " Kraval added . "I¡¯ve got the seasonings here . " Freya took out a few small bottles from her knapsack . "Here are the tes . " Ae said . "Anyone got a sharper knife?" "Here, here . " "Oh, thanks . Wow, it¡¯s really sharp!" "Yeah, that bastard¡¯s Qi is really good for sharpening weapons . " " . . . " "Don¡¯t judge me! I like my babies well-tempered---alright, that came out wrong . Moving on . " "So," Freya said as the group slowly began eating . "How long have you guys been together?" "Hmm . . probably since the Lady picked us all up like stray dogs off the streets?" Shaneine said, tilting her head sideways slightly . "Yup, pretty much . " Fish concurred . "Same here . " Lucky added . "She stole me from military . " Kraval joined . "She stole my heart and forced me to run away from my well-off family . " Smite said . "So worth it, though . " he added, smiling at Ae who merely sighed . "You two are really sweet together . " Freya added, looking at Ae and Smite . "I know your intentions aren¡¯t pure," Smite said, inching closer to Ae . "But, girl, you just made my day . Whooooooaaaa!!" "Oh, for the love of . . . " Lucky mumbled . "Unless you have aplete do-over on your personality, I¡¯ll never hand you over to my Lady!" "Our Lady . " Kraval interrupted . "Our Lady!" Lucky said . "What do you mean aplete do-over?!" Smite asked, staring daggers at Lucky . "I¡¯m a charming, funny, handsome prince-type that all women can¡¯t help but swoon over!" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "Let me voice everyone¡¯s thoughts," Fish said, coughing briefly . "There are four women in this group, and not a single one wants to see you naked . " "Thanks, thanks a lot asshole!" Smite cried out . "No problem buddy . Anytime . " Fish smiled . "Freya," Ae suddenly looked toward the girl who was happily - and messily - eating a piece of boar¡¯s meat . "You never talk about life as a Princess . I¡¯m actually quite interested . " " . . . there¡¯s not much to say, really," Freya smiled meekly as she replied . "Every day was . . . pretty much the same . Wake up early in the morning, have some women do the most basic things for you because my father thought I was a cripple incapable of washing my own face, then go to breakfast where entire family would gather and not a single word would be spoken, then go to random sses for random skills I¡¯d use as someone¡¯s wife . . . I don¡¯t miss it . " " . . . yeah, being taken care of really seems depressing . " Lucky said . "Having a family to eat with every morning sure sounds awful . " Shaneine said . "Never needing to worry about anything is definitely the worst thing ever . " even Fish joined in, smiling lightly . "Mmmm!!" Freya pouted, her cheeks puffed like hamster¡¯s, slightly flushed, staring at them . "Ha ha,e on guys, give her a break," Ae said . "It couldn¡¯t have been easy, being a dreamer in a ce like that . " "It wasn¡¯t! So you understand!" "Nah," Smite said . "She was just pulling whatever sounded the best out of her ass . Trust me . " "Yeah, I¡¯m definitely never having sex with you . " Ae shed him a beaming smile, yet her words were more akin to swords piercing Smite¡¯s heart . "See?! See what you did newbie?!" heshed out on Freya . "I hope your hair goes gray---oh fuck this . I¡¯m off to sleep . " "Have very nice dreams where she blue-balls you!" Lucky said causing Smite to nearly trip over . However, he braved onward without even looking back at her . "Were you being serious?" Kraval asked Ae . "Of course not . " she replied with a smile . "But he doesn¡¯t need to know that . Seeing his tortured expressions is quite fun, eh?" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "Why are you all looking at me like that?" Ae asked, frowning . "No reason . . " "Yup, what he said . " "It¡¯s definitely not because you¡¯re a sexual deviant . Definitely not . " "It¡¯s because you¡¯re weird . " Freya said honestly . "Why¡¯d you torture someone you like?" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " it was everyone¡¯s turn to look at Freya oddly . "Oh, sweet innocence . . . " "You are . . . you are just beautiful . . . never, ever, ever change, got it?" "We mustn¡¯t let her near that stinking bastard ever again, lest he corrupts her pure heart . " "Protect the Princess! By any means necessary!" "Y-you guys!! You suck!" Freya puffed out and moved away, ready to sleep as well . "He he, she¡¯s really adorable," Lucky said . "Too bad I can¡¯t bring myself to like her . " "Because she likes Lino?" Ae asked . "Exactly!" "What¡¯s your problem with him anyway?" Shaneine asked . "Besides being the only one in the world who can make sixty puns out of your name, I mean . " " . . . sixty?! Wasn¡¯t it fifty-eight just a week ago?!" Lucky asked . "Oh, it was," Kraval added . "But, while you were out, he came up with two new ones: ¡¯luck always finds the way¡¯ for when we realized you came back and ¡¯luckily she didn¡¯t hear that¡¯ immediately after . " "I WILL KILL HIM!!!!" " . . . you don¡¯t like him because he reminds you of Shawn?" Ae suddenly asked, her voice growing gentler . " . . . " "Who¡¯s Shawn?" Fish asked . "Oh, don¡¯t give me the stink eyes . You two were asking the same thing in your head . I just have enough balls to say it out loud . " "Or, you know, you¡¯re just stupid enough to ask out loud . " Shaneinemented . "Yup, that¡¯s probably it . " Fish said, retreating into his corner and chewing on the piece of bone . "It¡¯s her older brother . " Ae replied . "Hey!!" Lucky eximed, staring angrily at her . "I¡¯ll tell them either way," Ae grinned . "So it¡¯s probably best if they hear it from you instead . " " . . . I don¡¯t want to talk about it . " "So, when she was younger--" "Fine!! Fine!! Goddammit, you¡¯re almost as bad as him!" "Oh? So you told him?" Ae eximed softly . "Hell no!! And," she suddenly took out a dagger and brought it closer to her throat while nting her eyes . "If anyone does, it will be thest gossip you ever shared . Got it?" "Yup . " "Got it . " "My lips are shut . " "What he said . " " . . . he was, uh, eight years older than me," Lucky said, lowering her head . "And was pretty much a father figure to me and sis . Lady¡¯s right, he was a lot like Lino," her voice grew slightly warmer . "Brash, straightforward, gofer, really, at the end of the day . He never thought much about himself and instead did his hardest to repeatedly endanger his life to save others . . . until, well, it cost him . I was eleven when I found his body by the river, alongside two younger boys . They were killed by a local bandit group . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " everyone remained silent, unable to think up proper words to utter, embracing the heavy atmosphere . "Serves him right, heh," Lucky said, stealthily wiping her eyes . "Idiot thought he could save the world . He couldn¡¯t even save himself . " " . . . and that¡¯s why we both hate him . " Ae was the one to break the silence after nearly a minute . "I . . . I don¡¯t hate him . I just wish our leader wasn¡¯t aplete moron . " Lucky quickly added . " . . . it¡¯s pointless," Kraval said, sighing faintly . "You all know . . . it¡¯s really impossible to ever guess what he¡¯s thinking . Or why he does the things he does . " "I know why," Lucky suddenly said, getting up . "For the same reason my brother did . He can¡¯t help whatever¡¯s eating at his soul, so to fill that void, he helps others . The saddest part is that . . . none of us matter to him enough for any of that to change . " she walked away with slightly sporadic, yet weak-looking steps, ready for sleep as well . " . . . do you think she¡¯s right?" Fish asked Ae . " . . . yeah . " she smiled lightly . "He¡¯ll leave us, soon enough . I imagine that¡¯s why he¡¯s not trying to be ¡¯part of the group¡¯ . " " . . . figures . " Fish said, taking the nearly emptied gourd of wine and downing what was left . "Why would he stay, though?" Shaneine added, getting up . "None of us ever gave him a reason to . " "It doesn¡¯t matter," Kraval said, smiling lightly and getting up . "Even if he leaves us behind, it doesn¡¯t mean we should be like this . We¡¯ve got each other . Smite abandoned everything to follow us, Freya also seems to have realized we are the family she belongs to, Lucky wants nothing more than for us to seed together, and, well, we know your story . . . Shrine Maiden . " " . . . don¡¯t call me that . " Shaneine said, though her voice carried a trace of unusual anger and frustration . "Get some sleep, guys," Ae interjected, getting up . "We ought to reach forest¡¯s depths by tomorrow noon . " "We should really stop these gatherings around the fire," Fish said, sighing . "They always start out with funny stories only to wind up being more depressing than my love life . " " . . . yeah, sorry bud, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible . " Kraval said . " . . . you couldn¡¯t let me dream even for a second, huh? Asshole . " Though the night appeared serene from the outside, countlessplex emotions were woven into their hearts . Some thought of past, some of present, some of future, some of stories that have and that are yet to unfold, some of faces that might or might not be theree morning, and some simply of ways to understand the fairer sex . No thought was alike, that night . Chapter 71 Chapter 71 CHAPTER 71 FLYING VISITOR Lino currently stared intently at the oddly-shaped piece of wood sitting still on the table in front of him . He¡¯d promised everyone a new weapon, and it was high-time he delivered, he figured . While the rest were doing the actual missions, he chose to stay behind in their headquarters and ¡¯guard it¡¯ . In the meantime, he also rummaged through his void world and took quite a few materials that he decided to use in crafting everyone¡¯s weapons . Most of them came from the old man Shi¡¯s generous offering when they met in the Umbra Capital, though some were splurged here and there by Lino himself . The first weapon he chose to craft was a bow as he¡¯d never even attempted to craft one before . In order to get used to it, he¡¯d been crafting simple, crude bows for two days straight now, trying all possible shapes, sizes, angles while abstaining from using any materials that were worth anything . There were three most important things when it came to crafting a bow - limbs, string and handle section, with thetter being somewhat less important than the former two . Limbs yed part in not only bow¡¯s endurance, but also maximum speed whenbined with the string, which was self-exnatory . Limbs, alongside the handle section also yed part in uracy, making it so that, in the end, all three parts had to be at the very least well crafted for a bow to be useful in an actual battle . Lino figured it all mostly through trial and error; though he¡¯d read some sections on bows from numerous books Eggor had given him, as they weren¡¯t exactly a nominal weapon in the world of cultivators, there were only a few pieces mentioned in the encyclopedia of legendary items . One that Lino had long since etched into his memory was an Ancient-Grade bow with a rather simple name: [Void Bow] . What made this bow special was that it practically had no basic stats, and was entirely defined by two Special Effects, first being ability to literally cut through the fabric of space, practically always being able to fire in front of someone¡¯s face so long as cultivation level was high enough, and second being innate necessity to convert any arrow used into a [Void Arrow] . Because they had to move through the limbo of void, [Void Arrows] could not store any energy, and even then they¡¯d usually end up half-beaten by the time they reached their target . Naturally, Lino had neither desire nor knowledge on how to even begin to craft something like that . What he wanted to create was a simple, urate and powerful bow for Shaneine to use . As she was proficient at longbows which usually sacrificed some uracy and speed for rtively long range, he decided to use [Deadwood] for the limbs . It was a rather sturdy type of wood with some innate flexibility, and could meld well with other materials if necessary . For the string, he decided to use tendons of a somewhatmon type of a beast - Horned Ox . He chose so because of the endurance and flexibility of the beast¡¯s tendons as well as the fact that he was actually considering inscribing an array on the string that would further increase the flexibility, for even greater range . For the handle, he decided to use an impure mixture of [Deadwood] and simple [Iron] . The secret would be the array he nned on inscribing: . As it name implied, it would further propel the initial eleration of arrow, and Lino estimated if all things fell into right ce, eventual bow¡¯s range would most-likely reach over half a mile, which was truly insane . One has to know that even the greatest of longbows used in the armies had at beast 300m of range, and that was when taking into consideration absolutely atrocious uracy . As for that, Lino decided to leave it into Shaneine¡¯s hands as, at that range, arrays increasing uracy simply failed to make any impact . After he drew up the blueprint, he decided not to wait any longer and began cutting therge log of [Deadwood] with incredible precision and uracy . Meanwhile, he stewed a few pieces of Ox¡¯s tendons over mild fire to rx them for further proceedings . He nned on taking roughly five hours to craft the bow, and this included giving himself some leeway for rest even . After all, he¡¯d grown quite a lot as a cksmith since his starting days . If he simply wanted to craft a bow, he¡¯d be confident in being able to craft one within half an hour . However, this wasn¡¯t just any bow, so he had to pay a bit more attention to detail . He¡¯d long since decided to follow Eggor¡¯s creed when ites to crafting; even if he¡¯d sometimes mass-produce an item, it would never be his calling . Every new item ought to have heart and soul put into it and be unique in any way possible . They all had to serve some form of purpose that no other item - at least one easily obtainable - could . After cutting the [Deadwood] into a singr pole, he smiled with satisfaction before removing tendons from the me and beginning to carefully prick a singr, fingernail-wide string . He would further thin it out when it came to finishing touches, so it was fine for the time being . It took him almost half an hour to extract a single string which only showed how careful he was not to identally damage it and eventually lower bow¡¯s grade . Because [Deadwood] innately had some flexibility, he first cut two holes just beneath the tips and then bent them in a precise angle before driving the string and locking the limbs in ce . He quickly tested the bow by pulling the string, and though it felt rather awkward - as he hadn¡¯t processed it or added any finishing touches - the foundation was there . He then proceeded to quickly craft a simple handle, wrapping it tightly around the limbs¡¯ center . The bow was slowly beginning to take the shape, but he didn¡¯t rx . ording to his previous ns, he first inscribed onto the handle, before taking a small needle, infusing it with sliver of Qi, and inscribing and arrays on the tendons . As this was practically the hardest part, it took him the longest - over two hours - to finish . After he was done, he wiped the sweat off his shoulder before smiling . During the inscription process, he also thinned out the string so it felt more natural in one¡¯s hand . Thest, but not least, he then proceeded to inscribe the limbs with the same arrays, after which he added some adorning patterns along the limbs, adding a tint of color here and there so it didn¡¯t simply look like basic wood . Thest thing he did was to add some finishing touches, make sure that the limbs werepletely symmetrical, and that the bow could be pulled far enough without any obstructions . Only after he waspletely satisfied did he finishing up his crafting, whereupon a sh of purple bloomed out for a moment along the bow¡¯s edges before disappearing . Lino picked it up and quickly looked over its stats . [Bounding Longbow - Epic] Level: 85 Range: 650m Damage: 1830-2100 Range: +20m uracy: -40 Projectile eleration: +60 Projectile Speed: -20 [Special Effect] - If arrow is fired from 500m and further away, it gains 100% piercing effect regardless of arrow¡¯s quality . [Special Effect] - If arrow is fired from 100m and shorter, gain elerating burst of 100% to the initial release, but lower damage by 60% . Note: A longbow crafted from rtively simple materials, but due to its innate design it was turned into a long-distance death machine . Only Godly Archers are capable of fully utilizing the bow¡¯s advantages . Though it wasn¡¯tpletely the way he imagined, Lino still nodded in satisfaction . If all items he nned on crafting came out roughly like this, it would not only strengthen his group, but also possibly even push him over onto the next realm of cksmithing - Grandmastery . Just as he was about to take a short nap and prepare himself for the next craft, however, he was interrupted by a rtively strong surge of Qiing from the yard upfront . As he was the only person who stayed here, he naturally had to be one weing the guests . If it had been someone weaker, Lino would simply ignore them, but the Qi released suggested that the person outside is Mythic Realm - and toward its peak, at that . Lino quickly used the towel to wipe the sweat off his forehead before leaving the smithy and going toward the yard . On the way, he changed into simple, leisurely clothes that seemed to be simr tomoner¡¯s . As he exited into the yard and failed to see anyone in front, he frowned for a moment before he looked up toward the sky, his heart freezing for a moment . There, levitating roughly twenty meters above the ground, atop a glistening, silver sword adorned with gems, a youth slightly older than him stood loftily with his hands behind his back . He wore a strange-looking yellow gown that was tied around his belt, corresponding to his sun-colored hair which was tied into a ponytail . The youth seemed to grow apprehensive for a moment as he inspected Lino, unable to perceive anything from the youth down below aside from the fact that, well, the youth was alive . Or at least he chose to believe that . This gave him a start as that indicate that youth is either really just an ordinary mortal, or at least a full realm and a half above in terms of cultivation . Lino, stared for a moment before his eyes suddenly shone in strange light, causing youth to pull his guard up . "So cool!!!" however, Lino¡¯s words nearly caused the youth to fall over from his sword . The boy down below began drooling, and the man realized he wasn¡¯t even being registered in the youth¡¯s eyes - it was the sword he was standing atop . "Dammit, I¡¯m so jealous!! Look how damn cool he is!! If, if I could fly like that, look down on the world, swoosh and whoosh where I please, could you imagine how cool I¡¯d look?! That¡¯s it!! I swear, even if I have to re-write thews of nature, I¡¯ll find way to ride a sword like that in the future!! There¡¯s nothing that can stop me!" " . . . " the man atop the sword was at aplete loss for words for a time . He came here expecting a haughty, arrogant and self-centered fool who had been dancing too much around his fiancetely, only to find a . . . fool . Just a fool . A fool who can¡¯t even use [Flying Swords], something that even [Core Realm] children in his n could do easily . " . . . you¡¯re the leader of Archangel¡¯s Darkness?" the man suddenly asked, ending Lino¡¯s short-lived daydream . " . . . " Lino¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, and just as the man began expecting a rtively reasonable answer, Lino spoke . "Dammit, I hear it now . It sounds so bad when you say it out loud . Tell me, brother, how embarrassed were you when you said that name? I tell ya¡¯, I made that name up, yet I still don¡¯t dare actually say it out loud! Aaagh, what was I thinking?! I could have named us something cool, like, I don¡¯t know, Starved Gods, but I had to go and get sentimental right then! Ugh, this is too much," Lino grasped at his heart, falling onto his knees . "I don¡¯t even want to be a father anymore . Imagined if my wife told me to name our kid! I¡¯d scar the poor bugger until hemitted suicide on his tenth birthday! I¡¯d probably call him something like Scarred Soul, or Harrowed Heart! Aaaah!" " . . . " while man¡¯s thought process was entirely uprooted, Lino¡¯s on the other hand was very, very simple: chase away this troublemaker by acting as stupidly as possible . That was really all . Chapter 72 Chapter 72 CHAPTER 72 VELIN SU The man atop the sword was rather gobsmacked; beforeing here, he was repeatedly warned not to antagonize the boy if possible, as it wouldn¡¯t be a wise decision . He never had any ns on attacking the boy or causing trouble, regardless, and merely wanted to scare him away from Sylvia . However, his hopes were ignited, imagining he¡¯d find someone else in his generation who could stand up to him and fight . The only thing he saw by now was a young fool who wasn¡¯t all there in the head . " . . . " he found it difficult to find the perfect words to express his confusion . In the end, he decided to simply reiterate his main point . "Just stay away from my fiance . " " . . . can¡¯t you just take a hint . . . " though the boy mumbled the words, he heard them clearly . In addition, Lino¡¯s yful and foolish expression shed cold for a brief moment, the man barely catching it . Their eyes met in that brief second, causing the man¡¯s heart to freeze as though he was thrown into an ice pond . Every fiber of his being suddenly screamed at him to pull back and retreat, as only death awaited down below . However, it allsted for a brief second, before the boy beneath him went back to his foolish demeanour . "Fiance? What fiance? You have to be more precise!" " . . . " he realized that the words of the warning he¡¯d received weren¡¯t for naught . The boy was really dangerous . Perhaps more dangerous than the Branch Patriarch realized . "Don¡¯t you get tired of ying the fool?" " . . . " Lino suddenly sighed and looked up to the sky,menting the fact that the man in front of him seemed to be aplete moron . In the end, he gave up to fate . "Do you drink? Ah, I don¡¯t care . Let¡¯s go inside . I need a drink . " Without even waiting for the man¡¯s answer, Lino turned around and walked back into a small-sized mansion . The man remained stunned for a moment before carefully descending, putting the sword away into his void equipment and following Lino inside . A momentter, he found himself within a small, but ratherfy living room with several sofas and tables strutted around in careful arrangement . The boy was already sitting on one of the sofas, a few bottles of mead on the table, one in his hand, already half-drank . The man cautiously moved closer and sat opposite of Lino, paying great attention to boy¡¯s every move, lest he gets sneak attacked . "Why are you so stiff?" Lino asked, tilting his head briefly . "You think I¡¯ll fight you? Come on man . I just spent five fucking hours crafting, there ain¡¯t no way in hell I can even rub one off, let alone fight a talented Mythic Realm idiot . Rx and have a drink . It¡¯s been so lonely here these days, and I had to drink alone all the time . It¡¯s nice to suddenly have somepany, however . . . weird he is . " " . . . " the man¡¯s eyebrows stiffened for a moment, nearly shouting ¡¯You¡¯re the weird one!!¡¯ but holding back in the end . "You¡¯re a crafter?" "Crafter? Who taught you that word? It¡¯s cksmith . " "Oh . What did you craft?" the man asked, realizing the boy could really get on someone¡¯s nerves as long as they weren¡¯t ready . Lino reached into the void world and took out the bow he crafted for Shaneine, handing it over to the man . At first, thetter merely took it over out of courtesy, but as soon as he looked at the stats, he got so frightened he nearly dropped it . "What the hell?!! You crafted this?!!" he eximed, unable to keep his cool any longer . "Bingo! It¡¯s great, right?" Lino felt his ego being fed, and if those who knew him were here, they¡¯d realize it was a bad sign . "Great?! It¡¯s amazing!" the man eximed, not noticing Lino¡¯s gloating expression . "How much?" "Eh?" "I want to buy it," the man said, his expression that of a young boy who just discovered his favorite toy . "Name your price . " "It¡¯s not for sale . " Lino said casually, dampening man¡¯s spirits immediately . "Ah,e on! Why show me then?! You¡¯re just enticing me to increase the price, right? Hah, you can¡¯t fool me! My grandma warned me that all businessmen were like that!" " . . . " Lino stared oddly at the man in front of him . Rather than man, though, Lino realized that ¡¯boy¡¯ seemed more appropriate despite him being slightly older than Lino . "Fine . I want Sylvia . " Lino sneered . " . . . " the boy put down the bow, his expression so distorted like someone bit him and then poured half the bottle of alcohol on top of the wound . "Ha ha, damn, I didn¡¯t think you cared for her so much . " Linoughed at the boy¡¯s reaction . "Rx, I¡¯m only ying around . I have no intention of stealing her from you . " "Then why are you bothering her?" the boy asked, turning his attention from the bow onto Lino . "Eeh, because . . . it¡¯s fun?" Lino replied . "She really hates my guts, but can¡¯t do anything about it because, as much as she hates me, she fears me twice as much . " Lino added, grinning . "So, in the end, she¡¯s just enduring there, seething like a little hamster . Ha ha ha, aah, she¡¯s way too much fun . " " . . . are you really a cultivator?" the boy suddenly asked, surprising Lino . "Eh? Why?" " . . . you don¡¯t seem like one," he borated . "You drink, you fool around, you don¡¯t have the grace or bearing of a cultivator . . . you¡¯re more like a bandit than a cultivator . " " . . . ¡¯s that so?" Lino chuckled, drinking a gulp of mead before speaking . "To me, it¡¯s you guys that are weird . Abstaining from everything worth living for . . . what¡¯s fun in that? I¡¯d rather be called a bandit than lock myself away from every joy in life . That just sounds miserable . " " . . . " the man said nothing, realizing that the two hadpletely different points of view when it came to cultivation . "Your name is Lino?" "It is indeed . " "I am Velin," he said . "A direct descendant of the Su Main Family . " " . . . oh, a bigshot . " Lino grinned for a moment . "Sorry, if I had known, I would have brought out a better mead . " " . . . Branch Patriarch expressed his concerns to me in regards to you and your group," Oi, don¡¯t throw the poor bastard under the bus! What are you doing?! "And, to be honest, you seem far too dangerous to remain unsupervised . " " . . . " Lino said nothing, merely continuing to drink . "However, you don¡¯t seem to be evil," Velin borated . "Which is why I won¡¯t report anything to my Elders . " " . . . you¡¯re a soft man, Velin," Lino suddenly said, putting the bottle of mead down and burping loudly . "While that has its own charms, it¡¯s also sad . You came here to warn me not to get close to your fiance, and further to assess how dangerous my group and I are . In the end, you somehow concluded I¡¯m not ¡¯evil¡¯, and basically turned the point of your visit moot . Do you really think that¡¯s the best course of action?" " . . . " Velin suddenly found himself confused; he couldn¡¯t understand why Lino would suggest that he ought to be more hostile . "Are you saying I should report you to my Elders?" "I don¡¯t really care either way," Lino smiled . "This isn¡¯t as much about me as it is about you . Perhaps your family¡¯s name so far gave you an umbre under which you could hide, but, in time, what if youe across someone or something that doesn¡¯t care about your family, like me? You can¡¯t y soft with people like me just because you don¡¯t think we¡¯re ¡¯evil¡¯ . That¡¯s how you lose your pretty little head . " " . . . you¡¯re definitely odd . " Velin said . "Suggesting I should treat you like an enemy whereas I don¡¯t see a reason to . I¡¯d rather befriend you, to be honest . " "Well, that just touched my poor, cold little heart . " "Really?!" " . . . god, you¡¯re naive," Lino sighed, shaking his head . Silently, he also prayed that every kid from the cultivating families and sects was like this . His journey would be much easier that way . "Though, I suppose, it¡¯s cute in its own way . " "You¡¯re underestimating the bounds of human¡¯s heart, Lino," Velin suddenly said, getting up . "I can¡¯t begin to fathom the reason as to why you bordered yourself from the world, but for someone who ims he¡¯s enjoying life, it makes you seem rather hypocritical . I offered you a hand of friendship, and you mocked me . Tell me, what does that say about you?" without waiting for the answer, Velin turned around and left the same way he came in, leaving Lino alone in the room . Thetter stared at the fading back for a moment, smiling briefly and sighing . He uncapped another bottle of mead and drank a mouthful before putting it down onto the table . "He¡¯s right . " the robotic voice interjected into the calming silence, immediately aggravating Lino . "Instead of judging my character, why don¡¯t you help me? Tri-Spirit me has pretty much ran its course by now, and is limiting my crafting capabilities . I need a better one immediately . Do your magic and gift me one . " "Level up and I will . " "Yeah, alright, sure . Sigh, you¡¯re as helpful as a grain of sand . " " . . . " feeling slightly down, Lino got up and took a quick shower before changing into fresh clothes and departing . There was only one way to lift his spirits up in this town: to tease Sylvia . It seems that Velin¡¯s warning was left unheard . Chapter 73 Chapter 73 CHAPTER 73 SKYDEVIL BASIN A massive beast, towering at nearly four meters tall, bounding nearly nine meters in length, stood on its four, muscr legs with protruding veins, spitting smoke out of its nostrils . It had two heads, though they weren¡¯t separate but uniformed, leading to a rather disfigured-looking features; four eyes weren¡¯t at even line, and two pairs of nostrils were actually vertical to one another, just off the center of two faces . The singr head had features of two, and was covered in thick, emerald scales . It spilled into tree-trunk-thick neck, which was also covered in scales, elongating slightly from the body . At the meeting point it split into two sides, where both were like tortoise shells, thick and seemingly imprable, while the central line ran straight with six sharp-looking spikes protruding in arching formation from the back . At the far end of its body was a two meters long tail, ending with an arrowhead-like tip seemingly made of toughest steel . It whipped left and right repeatedly, rising up dust storm and creating gashes in earth wherever it passed . The beast was universally known as a Devil Mutation - it urred when either one or more beasts came in contact with Devil Qi during the time before they were born . In reality, most of these beasts died during the birth as their bodies would mutate to the point where organs would be disced, incapacitating them to the point where they couldn¡¯t even take a single breath . However, from time to time, despite numerous problems, a beast would survive and grow up . At their peak, even in ces where Devil Qi was barely non-existent, they could rival a peak Purity Realm cultivator on their bodily strength alone . Though that wasn¡¯t the case for the two-faced beast, it was still as strong as a mid-range Mythic Realm cultivator . As it was corrupted by Devil Qi, it had inherently understood basic cultivation and used Qi to strengthen its body beyond what an ordinary beast could . Staring at it, currently, was a group of seven, who all had serious expressions on their faces . Taking charge upfront were Kraval and Fish, both of whom held their warhammer and shield - respectively - in the air, ready for beast¡¯s charge at any moment . Behind them, the solitary figure stood - Smite . Further behind him were Shaneine, who had already nocked the first arrow, Ae who stood still, her eyes dancing around the opening, trying to find another approach besides the direct one, and Freya who, despite feeling terrifying pressure that nearly caused her to fall on her knees, resolutely stood with bandages already prepared in case someone got hurt . Lucky had already pulled back from the group and hid in the nearby shrubbery, waiting for the battle to begin before stepping out . This was the very first true opponent their little group faced - though they did have some tough battles on their way over, none were life-threatening and were used more as a polishing chances for the group . However, the beast before them certainly couldn¡¯t be treated as such; as a Devil Mutated beast, it technically didn¡¯t have a name as such beasts werergely unique and hardly ever two of same make appeared in the world . What they understood from it was that its original form was rhino, and due to two faces, they suspected Devil Mutation had bound them together even before the birth . As none had a way to inspect the beast - like Lino could with the help of Primal Spirit - they could only draw assumptions based on beast¡¯s appearance . The formation they chose was a standard one; Fish and Kraval were tasked with keeping the beast at bay, with Shaneine providing long-ranged focus-fire . Smite had two jobs: first was to keep Shaneine, Ae and Freya safe in case beast breached Fish and Kraval, and second was to asionally dip his fingers and attack the beast when it wasn¡¯t expecting it . Lucky provided nking support and her battle stylergely relied on weaving in and out of the battle, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike . As Ae was still rather weak and had barely reached Core Realm, she didn¡¯t participate in the battle directly and would instead observe the battlefield like a general, seeking for the best way to defeat the foe . Freya, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t even a cultivator; her mission was to provide first aid to injured to the best of her capabilities . All in all, it was a rather well-put group . The main thing theycked, though, was a magicponent; though Fish knew some, it was mostly low-tier arts that were used for suppression rather than direct conformation . In the end, though, they had to make due with what they had . The battlefield, unfortunately, didn¡¯t favor them tremendously; beyond the beast was a massiveke, its surface terribly calm . At sides was arge clearing, save for a few spots of shrubbery where Lucky was hiding . Behind them was another clearing, with roughly hundred meters until the forest from where they came . All in all, it was a pretty open battlefield that encouraged direct confrontation . Even without knowing beast¡¯s exact stats, they were all certain of the fact that direct battle would only lead to their certain deaths . "Kraval," Ae gathered her bearings and spoke . "Drag its attention back till Lucky cane from rear . Fish, work in concert to distract it when it gets too dangerous . Shaneine, you do you . Smite, prioritize attacking over defending us; the beast shouldn¡¯t be that quick on its feet . " "Yes, m¡¯ Lady!" the group eximed back . Ae was always the one that yed the role of general when it came to battles; part of it had to with her almost inhuman-like ability to process information on the battlefield quickly and find the best solution, and part of it had to do with the fact that, regardless of everything, she still remained perhaps the most knowledgeable person when it came to cultivators, Devils and Devil Beasts in the entire group, save for perhaps Lino who, of course, wasn¡¯t here . Kraval roared lowly, d entirely in thick armor, as he ran forward, causing earth beneath him to tremor . He swung hisrge warhammer from up down, aiming at one of beast¡¯s legs as he could hardly reach its head properly . Fish immediately nked, gathering a small sphere of golden light in his free hand while preparing to use the shield to block at any moment . Shaneine withdrew until she was roughly sixty meters away from the beast and began firing off one arrow after another, each with uracy that even ¡¯deadly¡¯ seemed inappropriate as an adjective . She was by far the deadliest threat in their team, but they always had to try their hardest to mask it to give her freedom to do her job . Smite on the other hand distanced himself from the far rear of Ae, Shaneine and Freya, inching closer to Fish and Kraval, entirely focused on the beast, waiting for the moment to jump in . Lucky was still hiding, tight grip on the daggers¡¯ handles, ready to strike out at any time . The first sound to break the stalemate was the arrow crashing against the beast¡¯s face; it roared and spat out massive amount of saliva in front of it . As itnded on earth, it caused sizzling sounds to echo, and everyone realized that Kraval¡¯s and Fish¡¯s jobs suddenly grew twice as dangerous . However, both braved on; Kraval¡¯s first strikended squarely against the right, front leg¡¯s kneecap, even managing to dent it slightly as the beast cried out in pain . It suddenly reared forward, surprising Kraval with its dexterity; Fish quickly moved sideways and used the brute force with shield to push the beast back . At the same time, Lucky saw the opportunity and sprinted out, brandishing her daggers backwards and sliding underneath the beast that was hardly keeping bnce; stomach was one of the few areas on its body where it had no shielding, and Lucky took the chance to stab and then slide her daggers throughout, creating two massive gashes where blood and guts where immediately spat out . Though mostly crimson, there were tinges of ck everywhere, like little worms wiggling about . The beast cried out in pain yet again as Shaneine¡¯s arrow hail reached it; six arrows got embedded in the beast¡¯s head, turning it into a porcupine, while six others were either broken or slid off of the hardened skin . Kraval and Fish worked in concert to limit the beast¡¯s movement while Smite weaved in and out, striking at the few soft spots they have identified . As though it suddenly had enough, the beast roared and reared, rising its front legs up like a horse, as a massive surge of Qi sted outward in a ring-like fashion . Both Kraval and Fish only felt a force tantamount to a massive boulder crash against their chest, causing them to slide nearly thirty meters backwards before somehow stopping . Even Smite and Lucky weren¡¯t spared, and due to their rather weaker constitutions, they were rooted from their feet and flung backwards like pieces of poultry . Two pairs of menacing eyes stared daggers at the group for a moment before its maws opened, a blood-freezing screech following . Just as they though the beast would go berserk and attack them, it turned around and began running away, splitting sides as it circled theke and went behind it . As the group was stunned by the sudden chain of events for a moment, they took nearly three seconds to gain their bearings which allowed beast to gain a decent distance on them . They hollered immediately after and gave chase, disregarding everything else; the beast was much weaker than its outer shell would indicate . It was luck that one could hardly evere by; they couldn¡¯t let it slip away . However, surprisingly, the beast was rather quick; even Lucky, the fastest one in their group, couldn¡¯t near a hundred meters away from the beast . They could only follow the dust it was kicking up and hope it tired out . It¡¯s not as though they didn¡¯t think there was a chance of it looking for help, but they were confident in at the very least escaping . They followed the beast until the other end of theke whereupon they found a winding road that led up the mountain that was hidden by fog until then . The mountain seemed roughly six thousand meters up, and they only hesitated for a moment before following the road, continuing the chase . The road was rather tough, if for nothing but the fact that it curved left and right time and again . They endured for nearly two hours before they appeared to have reached the end; deciding it was best they be careful as they¡¯ve lost the beast nearly half an hour ago, everyone pulled back as Lucky entered the shadows and moved forward . Her eyes darted about in rm as she moved, but there wasn¡¯t even a trace of beast left by now by some miracle . She closed in on the edge and crossed to the other side, whereupon her heart immediately froze like a statue . What awaited her was a massive beyond description basin . The first thing she noticed were ck towers spitting out chilly smoke into the sky, then millions of gray specters fluttering about ceaselessly . Then her eyes moved toward the base of the towers, where entire city of macabre awaited her; what shocked her even more was that Devil Qi was so thick one could actually see it with naked eye . Without a second thought she turned around and ran away . From her experience in the Umbra Kingdom, she grew somewhat familiar with Demons and Devil Qi, and what she felt in there surpassed anything and everything she experienced in Umbra Kingdom by miles . She knew they stumbled upon something big, and in her mind only one face appeared when she thought of what to do about it . However much that face annoyed her, she was a firsthand witness of at least a part of his capabilities . She also knew without anyone else telling her than another war was imminent; as to whether they ran or fought . . . she herself didn¡¯t have the courage to say either way, as war was something that should never be taken lightly, especially against a foe that has proven capable of cruelty beyond reason time and again . Chapter 74 Chapter 74 CHAPTER 74 TWIN SHADOWS Lino was currently staring at a rather peculiar - or, better said, spectacr sight . Thin nkety draped over smooth and pale skin, its folds ever-so-tempting, hiding a scene he had witnessed just a moment ago . After biding farewell to his new friend, Lino immediately went over to Su family¡¯spound and mansion . As he was a rather frequent visitor, guards mostly ignored him as he stormed toward a small room at the back-end side - Sylvia¡¯s . Without even knocking, he barged in and hollered her, only to be frozen in ce . Sylviay entangled in another¡¯s arms, wholly bare from top of the head to soles of her feet, without even an inch of clothing covering her . He wouldn¡¯t have found it that strange were it not for the fact that the arms wrapped around her rather sizable bosoms were . . . woman¡¯s . As his eyes darted sideways, he spotted unknown woman, roughly in her early thirties; she had chestnut-colored hair and eyes and a body full of muscles atop of muscles . The time seemed to have frozen for a moment as the trio tried to process what had just transpired; Lino attempted to etch every single inch of the picture permanently into his brain, Sylvia tried to beg every god she knew of for this to be a dream, and the woman curiously checked Lino out, wondering whether it¡¯d be appropriate to invite him in . As their thoughts circted, a few seconds passed upon which Lino immortalized the moment, Sylvia realized this wasn¡¯t a dream, and woman concluded it would be better she kept her thoughts to herself . "AAAAH!!!!" Sylvia cried out as she quickly pulled the thin nket over her body, scurrying backwards as far as she could go, her cheeks blushing crimson red . "Awesome . . . " Lino mumbled, his eyes like eggs . "G-get out!!! GET OUT!!!" " . . . " suddenly, a dark thought emerged in Lino¡¯s mind, akin to a devil whispering sweetness directly in his ears . His lips curled up in a strange, peculiarly evil grin . "You have two options," he said . "You either continue and pretend I¡¯m not here, or I write a song about this moment and sing it to the whole town . " Lino couldn¡¯t really grasp what came over him and though he felt slightly bad about it, he was far more interested in the continuation of the show than his own moral values, which he already deemed rather shady to begin with . "WHAT?!!" Sylvia¡¯s embarrassment turned into pure anger; though she knew Lino was everything but a gentleman, she never expected him to be so utterly corrupted as to rmend something like that . The woman lying next to her - who didn¡¯t even bother to cover up - softly eximed in surprise as she reevaluated Lino . "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! I SAID GET OUT!!" "Now, now," the woman suddenly joined in the conversation, startling Sylvia who backed up away from her a bit . "Don¡¯t be so harsh on the poor boy . He¡¯s just curious . " "Yes, yes, what she said . " Lino said, unable to peel away his gaze from woman¡¯s naked body . "Besides," the woman crawled ever-so-closer to Sylvia, grasping her chin . "Don¡¯t you think it would be more exciting with audience?" I don¡¯t know who you are you insane peach, but I love you!! Lino had enough control not to say it out loud, though . " . . . " Sylvia found herself gobsmacked; of all the things that could happen to her, Lino by some miracle did . She regretted the day she walked into that room and met him . And she also regretted the day she met Annabel and decided to explore her curiosities with her . Inside her mind was just an endless loop of regrets, repeating in an infinite cycle . "Where were we, huh?" the woman mumbled as she slowly pulled the nket back from Sylvia¡¯s body, diving back into the bosoms . Lino never expected for his ¡¯threat¡¯ to actually work; he merely spat out what was on his mind, and was ready to bolt away lest he got killed on the spot . Luckily, he thought, she was with apletely shameless woman . And so, Lino sat back and enjoyed what would turn out to be one of the few moments in his life he¡¯ll remember into the tiniest detail till the end of his days . After the ¡¯show¡¯ was over, he immediately got up and left . He pondered for a moment how awkward his next interaction with Sylvia would be, but quickly realized he didn¡¯t really care, moving on . He stormed back to the group¡¯s little courtyard and entered the backside, immediately rubbing one out before sitting down in rather strange delirium . As though a wall was suddenly breached inside of him, inspiration struck like thunder and he leapt onto his feet, walking into the smithy . The image, idea and the whole process of crafting Lucky¡¯s daggers were quickly drawn inside his mind, as though he was perfecting the idea for years toe . Should she ever learn that the weapons she would proudly wield for many years toe were a result of a boy¡¯s curiosity, one can only imagine how she¡¯d react . Lino went all out for the item, taking out two different types of ores, his most precious [Stone Giant Ingot], a Level 70 material he treated like heirloom, several rare herbs, tendons of [Blood-Woven Ape] and even his own [Celestial te], which he quickly melted with Tri-Spirit me . There was barely enough material for two daggers and he immediately began crafting, without even resting first; his first instinct was speed, eleration and precision when it came to daggers . That meant they had to be light, sharp and needed to feel good in one¡¯s hands . He melted ingot into two portions, melding them with the ores before throwing equal divide of ground herbs into the mix . While beginning to shape the des of daggers, he also started drawing up three arrays he nned for both daggers: , and . The daggers began taking shape shortly after as his entire body got swarmed in sweat; it was far more difficult than need be because Tri-Spirit mes simply couldn¡¯t perform as well as they used to since materials slowly began gravely out-leveling it . He could only pray the Writ would be kind enough to offer him a me Spirit the next time rewards came about . Until then, he can only struggle and endure . Though the process was tiring, Lino entered the strange trance, whereas time ceased to exist for him . His mind was entirely wrapped in crafting process, in the method, in the ending¡¯s oue, in small details he couldn¡¯t miss, like patterns along the de that would make it easier to inscribe arrays, the faint curvature that would it make it possible to both stab and slice with them, the teeth at the back-end for more options when ites to fight, the smoothing of surface, the precise angle and meeting point of the de, the blending into the guard and handle, the exact mix necessary for the item toe out as he¡¯d imagined it . Everything seemed to flow at half the speed for him, no detail escaping his hawk-like vision . Bit by bit, the two daggers began taking shape, and rather than waiting for them to cool down, he decided to immediately inscribe two of the arrays . It was, to say the least, a tiring task; he was already running on Qi reserves, and due to smaller surface of the dagger¡¯s depared to something like a sword, he had to inscribe with even greater precision . However tiring it got, though, he hardly felt it; inside him only burned desire to craft something beyond this world, something he could proudly call his own . Two . . . three . . . five . . . soon enough, eight hours had passed since he¡¯d begun . He seemed to have thinned out slightly due to exhaustion, yet his eyes still burned with exquisite radiance . He was at the point of beginning tobine the de, guard and handle, carefully melding them together to the point of perfection . Two daggers lookedpletely identical, not even an inch of their surface slightly different, as though one was a magical copy of another and not two different crafts . As he finally finished, he let out a breath he seemed to have been holding since the start . He was immediately ovee with exhaustion, but before slipping into thend of endless dreams and adventures, he grabbed at the daggers and decided to check out their stats . [Twin Shadows - Legendary] Level: 80 Damage: 4192-5539 +20 Agility +60 Attack Speed +80% Piercing +40% Armor Break +1 To ¡¯Assassin¡¯ [Martial Arts] Special Effect - Shadow Warp - wielder can teleport to targeted shadow within 50m range at the expense of 1/10th of max Qi Special Effect - Afterworld - ignores upward of 80 Levels of difference when attempting stealthy assassination Special Effect - Order of Dying - each sessful assassination increases daggers¡¯ damage by 0 . 5%, up to 200% Special Effect - Dark Embrace - daggers will automatically seek vital points and pierce through armor/defense when injected with Qi Note: A master-level craft by an up-anding cksmith . It denotes the essence of assassinating and is a perfect weapon for those living in the deep recesses of darkness . It was the very first Legendary-tier item Lino had crafted, which filled his heart with immeasurable pride . The feeling didn¡¯tst long, though, as the moment he closed his eyes, he began snoring, exhausted down to his very core . Chapter 75 Chapter 75 CHAPTER 75 RUDE AWAKENING Lino stood atop the courtyard¡¯s wall, his legs hanging off the ledge, eyes staring into the distant sky . Just a few minutes ago amunication talisman burned up, signaling that Ae and others had run into something and are on their way back . They¡¯d been gone for two weeks, which meant whatever they ran into was deep in the woods, most-likely further than other mercenaries in the town dared travel . Whatever it was, Lino knew, it must have been big to scare them off and even cause them to use a talisman to warn him . He immediately climbed the wall and used Divine Sense as far as it will go to scout for any inconsistencies, but it appeared everything was fine, and whatever they ran into didn¡¯t get them exposed . Lino nced toward the Su Family¡¯s courtyard, wondering whether it¡¯s the right choice to warn them as well . In the end, he decided not to stir up dust without knowing everything in detail . For all he knew, it was just a big beast they couldn¡¯t defeat on their own . However, deep in his heart, doubts began to fester, as his gut had practicallye to a conclusion of its own that they came across Demons . He sighed lowly, shaking his head as though to push out the dangerous thoughts, before descending down the wall and beginning a casual stroll through the city . He wore rather tattered clothes, making him no different than everyday beggar, which caused everyone to circle him from fear of being asked for money . He enjoyed the feeling quite a bit as he didn¡¯t have to brush shoulders just to get ces . Over nearly four months that he had stayed here, during which he¡¯d turned seventeen, he had learned the town¡¯s streets by heart . Even with closed eyes he¡¯d be able to go out and about . Just a few blocks off from their courtyard, toward the city¡¯s northern side, was his favorite bakery, where they made a jam-and-butter bread that he¡¯d spent dozens of gold coins on by now, eating it every day . A few dozen meters further away was a fine tavern where they sold town¡¯s local special ale, made from the yeast extracted from the nearby farms . On the other end of the town, by the southern gate, was a gambler¡¯s den, where most of the mercenary bosses spent their days trying to make it big . On the western side were mostly houses and further away farms, tying up to the river . On the eastern side were numerous headquarters of Mercenary Groups, and shops that catered to them . All around, it was a very normal town, Lino found; even with presence of cultivators, save for thetter¡¯s arrogance, it wasn¡¯t much different than Umbra Capital, though somewhat smaller and more rural . He¡¯d grown to enjoy his days spent here; they were beyond peaceful . Most days, he¡¯d wake upte and go out for breakfast, taking a stroll back when he¡¯d either craft something or study up arrays, runes and materials . Though his Level hadn¡¯t gone up by much, barely passing 80, his crafting had increased exceptionally he felt . He even crafted a few weapons and sold them on the market for decent sum, and even managed to stir up a smallmotion over a new, unknown cksmith with a winged crest . However peaceful his days were, though, he hadn¡¯t lost the sharpness; he felt, deep down, these days wereing to an end . It was nearly evening when he¡¯d finished strolling through the town aimlessly lost in his own thoughts, returning back to the group¡¯s courtyard . They still hadn¡¯te back, and he wasn¡¯t expecting them for a day or two at the very least, even if they rushed back at full speed . Just as he was about to head inside for another round of studying, he felt a small Qi fluctuationing from above, causing him to smile . He casually looked up and saw a familiar figure descending from the sky atop the sword,nding in front of him . Velin wore a rather casual clothes this time around, seemingly having realized that Lino didn¡¯t care much about the customs, seeing astter had worn rags most of the time when he wasn¡¯t fighting . Those were simply clothes Lino was ustomed to, and no matter how much money he had to buy fancy ones, he simply felt ufortable wearing them . "A drink?" Lino asked, entering the small house . Velin followed shortly after him, assenting with silence . "I wasn¡¯t expecting a return visit from you, you know? You seemed pretty mad when you left . " " . . . I wasn¡¯t mad," Velin said, sitting down while Lino went to fetch a bottle and two cups . "Just confused . " "What brings you back today?" Lino asked, sipping them both a cup . " . . . you may not realize, but not many people in the n like to socialize with me . " "Oh, I realized that one . " Lino said, smiling . "You did? How?" Velin asked, seeming confused . " . . . it¡¯s people¡¯s nature," Lino borated . "You¡¯re a golden kid, elders¡¯ favorite, and though you may not look down on them, they¡¯ll still take it as you do no matter how you behave . Just let it go . " " . . . you¡¯re rather perceptive . " Velin said, taking a sip . "And you¡¯re right . " "Don¡¯t feel bad about it," Lino said, gulping down half the cup and burping . "It¡¯s not even your fault to begin with . They¡¯re just insecure . " "You¡¯re not . " "Heh, of course I¡¯m not . I¡¯m way better than you . " " . . . " "Wow, cat bit your tongue?" "I want you to teach me how . . . how to be like you . You know, happy-go-lucky type . " Velin suddenly said, surprising Lino . " . . . " thetter stared at the man in front of him for a moment, sighing . "Why¡¯d you want to be like me?" " . . . Sylvia canceled our engagement . " Velin dropped a bomb out of nowhere, causing Lino to nearly spit out a mouthful of ale he had just drank . "Though everyone¡¯s giving me the looks of sympathy, in their eyes I only see mockery . Then I remembered you and realized you¡¯d never let it get to you . I want you to teach me how . " " . . . do you know why she dropped your ass?" Lino asked, causing Velin to growl lowly for a moment . "No, I don¡¯t . She just said she wanted to focus on herself for the time being . " " . . . " Is this my fault? Nah, she was already screwing Annabel before I showed up . That¡¯s all on her . "Maybe you should look at her as an example . " "What do you mean?" " . . . I¡¯m really not the best person to give out advice," Lino said, smiling bitterly . "You ought to look for sagacious people with wisdom beyond their age, though their age may be kind of insane . I¡¯m just a poor boy looking for crumbs so he doesn¡¯t starve . " " . . . right . And I¡¯m still a happily engaged, golden child of my n . " "Wow, you¡¯d already hit the first rule right on its head . " Lino eximed . "First rule?" "Right, first rule: sarcasm . It¡¯s a mother of deflection," Lino said . "It¡¯s followed closely by denial . If you want to be like me, those are two ingredients you need . If it hurts, you pretend it doesn¡¯t . If someone asks if it hurts, you sarcastically tell them you aren¡¯t a six year old girl whose candy just got stolen . " " . . . that seems unhealthy . " "Oh, it is, trust me," Lino said, finishing up the cup . "But, you¡¯re the one who asked to be like me . Oh, and there¡¯s also drinking," Lino said as he poured another cup . "Lots and lots of drinking . It kills things inside you that should have never been born to begin with . " " . . . maybe I should look for those sagacious people you mentioned . " Velin said, smiling . "Maybe you should," Lino added, his expression growing serious for a moment . "That being said, I could use you and your sagacious friends . " "For what?" Velin asked, surprised that the kid in front of him had a serious side to him . " . . . my group departed for the forest a few weeks back," Lino said . "And yesterday, amunication talisman we¡¯ve set up for highest emergencies got triggered . They¡¯ve ran across something so terrifying they had to warn me beforehand . " " . . . " Velin¡¯s expression grew serious immediately; though he wasn¡¯t from town, he also knew of the strength of Lino¡¯s mercenary group . All of them were cultivators, most around Level 80 . That¡¯s the strength of Elite Disciple groups in his n, future elders . "What do you need help with?" " . . . how much do you know about Demons?" Lino asked . "Demons?!" Lino immediately saw horror spawn inside Velin¡¯s eyes . "They came across Demons?!" " . . . most-likely," Lino said, trusting his gut feeling . "From your reaction, I¡¯m guessing you know a thing or two . " " . . . how can I not?!" Velin¡¯s expression grew distorted with anger and hate before replying . "About half a year ago . . . my n suffered a major Demonic invasion . Nearly half a million of demonically possessed, thousands of Demons, from Low-tier to Great Demons, even Devils . . . they sieged us for nearly a month before we managed to get rid of them . . . on the ount of thousands dying form our side . Why do you think it¡¯s Demons? After that, we made sure we exterminated every single one we found . " " . . . " as Lino guessed a long time ago, it appears as though Demonic Invasion wasn¡¯t limited to Umbra Kingdom . Even beyond the gorge, it happened . Which made his hypothesis that Ae and others ran into Demons even more into a certainty . "My group and I came from the other side of the gorge," Lino exined . "Where Demonic Invasion took ce as well . However, cultivators are scarce over there . We were unable to fight back . The entire other end had fallen into their hands . Just as we crossed it, they could have as well . " " . . . " Velin¡¯s pupils dted for a moment as he grit his teeth . "So it¡¯s really an epidemic . . . " " . . . yeah . " "What do you need our help with?" Velin asked . " . . . as whatever they came across is in the forest," Lino said, sighing . "It¡¯s a good guess it¡¯lle out eventually . And the first thing on its path is this town . With what we have, if it¡¯s really another Demonic Invasion . . . tell me, can we defend against it?" "What, you don¡¯t have a confidence in being a hero?" Velin asked, grinning . " . . . heroes die pointless deaths," Lino said, his expression strangely obscure . "I have no desire in bing a name on the chart of history . " " . . . . right . You¡¯re definitely not a happy-go-get type . " Velin said . "You need reinforcements?" "Not at the moment," Lino said . "That would just scare them shitless . " he added, pointing outside toward the town . "But I need to be able to reach you immediately, and you need to be able to respond immediately if needed . Do you have anyone in your n that can construct Teleport Formation?" "Teleport Formation?" Velin arched his brow as he questioned . "Well, Elder Varr has the method, but . . . the amount of resources required is simply . . . we¡¯ve barely been able to establish a single one in case of emergencies so we can flee safely . " " . . . write down the ingredients," Lino said . "I¡¯ll take care of that . " "You sure you can? These aren¡¯t the things you can find growing around . For over half, we had to purchase them from big-time Sects at insane prices . " " . . . I¡¯ll handle it . " Lino said . "My group will take point on this and if it really turns out to be a Demonic Invasion, I¡¯ll coordinate with other Leaders to form the scout team so we¡¯re always ahead . " "If you tell them Demons areing, they¡¯ll leave this town before you can get another word in . " " . . . leave that to me as well . " " . . . you seem confident . " Velin said . "People are rather simple," Lino said, smiling as he got up . "Especially those who¡¯ve grasped the power . They don¡¯t want to let it go . If you can threaten that, you can get them to do whatever you want them to do . It¡¯s quite straightforward, actually . " " . . . " "You should go . " Lino said . "Your would-be-father-inw is on his way over . " " . . . I¡¯ll contact you in the next few days . " Velin said, getting up and leaving . Lino sat back down and began drinking again, awaiting for another guest . He didn¡¯t expecting old man Van to suddenly show up as he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d done anything to warrant a visit in the past few days . Perhaps it¡¯s that Sylvia matter? Eh, must be . I should just deny everything . Yup, safer that way . Not a minute passed before another fluctuation of Qi sted over the courtyard . Old man Van came through the doors without knocking, his appearance slightly dishevelled . He¡¯s out for blood! Lino thought, though his expression remained serene . "Where¡¯s your group?!" Van asked, somewhat anxiously . "My group?" Lino tilted his in confusion . "Something . . . something big¡¯s happening . . . " Van said as he sat across from Lino, taking the bottle in front of him without even looking at what it was, gulping half of it . "Are you familiar with Demons?" Massive Deja Vu right there . . . " . . . " Lino said nothing, merely nodding his head . "Part of me being a leader in this town," he borated . "Is knowing everything . This includes the main hunting ground for the Mercenary Groups . " "The forest?" "Aye, the forest," Van nodded . "My men have pretty much mapped it out over these past few years, and I¡¯m aware of every beast in every corner of it . However, just a few hours ago, report came in that they¡¯ve discovered a new part that we previously haven¡¯t mapped . I thought it was odd which is why I asked them to investigate further . Of the ten men that went in, only one came out with a simple report: Army of Demons has gathered . " " . . . " though Lino didn¡¯t mind being right, this was one of those few asions when he wasn¡¯t . He sighed deeply before taking up the cup and drinking . "How many?" " . . . hundreds of thousands, possibly more . " Van said, seemingly calming down somewhat, as if Lino¡¯s calm demeanour transferred over onto him . "Though he wasn¡¯t certain, the one that survived said he felt dense Devil Qiing from the high tower in the center . " "Devil Variants crossed over, huh?" "Yeah . . . the question now is . . . which kind?" "It doesn¡¯t matter which kind," Lino said . "We can¡¯t handle Devil Variant . " "You don¡¯t have to," Van shook his head . "I¡¯ve already sent a messenger to the Main Family . They¡¯ll send people who can deal with them . " "So, what do you need my group for?" Lino asked . "They can¡¯t pull out too many people . . . world of cultivation is a cruel one, and if those who don¡¯t take kindly toward us realize we¡¯ve emptied our headquarters . . . " " . . . blood will flow . " Lino mumbled, nodding . "I¡¯ve some experience fighting Demons," Lino said . "Those Demonically Possessed aren¡¯t an issue, and neither are the Low and High-tier Demons . Problems start to crop up when we¡¯re dealing with Greater Demons . My group and I can handle two-three at most at any given time . " " . . . even that¡¯s better than what I expected . " Van frowned for a moment before speaking . "I¡¯m not confident other Mercenary Groups will even stay once I ry the news to them . " "Oh, they¡¯ll stay," Lino smiled mysteriously for a moment . "My group should be back in two days¡¯ time . So, that day, at night, throw a banquet and invite every leader of every group over . I¡¯ll have a heart-to-heart chat with them and convince them of their humanity . " " . . . why does that sound far more foreboding than the words would incline?" "You¡¯re imagining things . " Lino smiled innocently, emptying the cup . " . . . I don¡¯t care, so long as you make them stay . A few elders from the Main Family should arrive by the morning;e over and we can start arranging the defensive strategy . " "Will do . " Lino said . "Thanks . I¡¯ve a lot to do, so I¡¯ll see you tomorrow . " "Good luck . " "To us all . " Lino nodded as Van got up and left . Limo remained sitting and drinking in silence; no matter how far one ran from their past, it inevitably catches up andes knocking yet again . Lino still hasn¡¯t forgotten the massive swarms of Demonically Possessed people over in Umbra Kingdom, one group numbering in nearly a quarter of million . Even if individually they weren¡¯t particrly strong, that number isrge enough to exhaust anyone, let alone soldiers from this town who hardly ever fought against something that doesn¡¯t care for its own life . Naturally, Lino had a choice of simply disappearing alongside Ae and others, and dooming the town to fall . However, he¡¯d already epted the fact that he can¡¯t leave;promising once means only that one¡¯s heart gets ustomed to it . He¡¯d already ran away once, leaving behind dead and dying, and he couldn¡¯t find it in his heart to do so again . Though it meant another pointless war where countless would no doubt die, he¡¯d firmly decided he¡¯d partake in it and see to its end, no matter how bitter it may turn out . He let loose a long breath and smiled faintly, looking out the window over the skyline of the town he¡¯d grown to like . It always felt better to be fighting for something and someone, he realized . Chapter 76 Chapter 76 BOOK I PEST OF THE UMBRA KINGDOM VOLUME IV THE DEATH IS HE CHAPTER 76 JOURNEY AHEAD Heavy silence hung inside a rather spacious room fitted with several sets of tables and chairs, all carrying cups of various drinks . Of the six people sitting inside the room, two appeared rather anxious, one wholly nonchnt and three were expressionless as they sipped their teas slowly . Old man Van wasn¡¯t kidding when he said he¡¯d gather the Elders quickly, as even before the day¡¯s end, Lino found himself in a room with three big-shots from the Su Main Family . They were so above him in Levels that he couldn¡¯t even perceive their names, let alone anything else . Still, he remainedpletely calm and simply drank bad wine he bought on the market just a few hours ago, while Velin and old man Van appeared rather tense and ufortable . " . . . you expect us to leave the town¡¯s fate in the hands of a child?" the only woman in the room - who appeared to be in her fifties with first signs of gray hair and tempting, blue eyes broke the silence, ncing at Lino indifferently . "Elder Wan--" "Save it," she interrupted old man Van who tried to exin . "Kid, if you have any pride, get up and walk out of this room right now . You don¡¯t belong here . " Lino nced at the woman indifferently before taking a sip of wine . "Fuck off, old hag . " he spoke casually, as though merely uttering a greeting . Velin¡¯s and old man Van¡¯s fears came true as both their heads simply sloped down, shaking in disbelief . "Youe into my home," Lino continued, his voice growing icier . "Barely look at me - and when you do it is with contempt - and then tell me to kick it? You¡¯re neither naked nor sucking, so what right do you have to speak to me like that?" silence that was perhaps even heavier than before the conversation was started emerged as the woman stared at Lino in surprise and shock while two other Elders next to her nced at Lino with faint interest . "You little--" "Save it," Lino interrupted her, smiling faintly . "Old hag, if you have any pride, get up and walk out of this room right now . You don¡¯t belong here . " he chuckled for a moment before continuing . "Now, before your old heart bursts and you either kill me or die yourself, let¡¯s put all that behind us and focus on the task at hand: those eyes aren¡¯t real, right? I mean, goddamn woman! The rest of you is like aption of world¡¯s filthiest mold, but those eyes are like gems in a pile of dung! Hey, wanna trade? I read somewhere that there was this guy about a few centuries ago who went around collecting eyeballs of powerful cultivators and then melded them all into his own eyes, improving vision and color till his eyeballs were literal rainbows . Too bad he eventually got caught and was publicly tortured for one month before being crucified . Yikes . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . too far?" Lino tilted his head for a moment before sighing . "Forgive me, I have to keep my tongue at a leash . Bad dog . Bad, bad dog!" " . . . pft . " both Elders barely held back fromughing as the woman red at them for a moment . Velin and old man Van on the other hand appeared petrified as they stared at Lino in disbelief . "Alright kiddo, you¡¯ve proven your bravado," one of the Elders sitting next to the woman decided to intervene, speaking in a calm tone; he appeared to be in his fifties as well, but his hair was already wholly gray, face slightly wrinkled, and eyes strangely brown . "You ought to understand Elder Wan¡¯s perspective as well, though . We don¡¯t know you, and you¡¯re barely a Soul Realm kid in the sea of those just like you . Besides, with Devils, to us it¡¯s personal . " " . . . I watched my hometown, my entire Kingdom scorched in their filth," Lino said . "While I could only flee with my balls contracting back into my stomach, swearing inside my heart I¡¯de back to liberate thend one day . In the end, I don¡¯t see any Demons and Devils crawling around these parts . " Lino lied through his teeth, as he didn¡¯t really want to give up the dominant position; Writ had informed him there¡¯s an interesting piece inside the basin that Lino didn¡¯t want to give to anyone else . "To you it¡¯s personal, you say? What¡¯s it to me, then?" "Ho ho," the third Elder who abstained from talking up until now finally spoke to Lino,ughing lowly while stroking his rather long, white beard . He appeared to be the oldest and as he was sitting in the central position, Lino assumed he was the leader of the three, immediately shifting his focus onto the old man . "Your tongue sure could use a leash,d . But," the old man stared intently at Lino who appeared indifferent to the gaze, surprising him . "We¡¯llpromise . You take one side of the wall to defend, we¡¯ll take another . " " . . . defend?" Lino tilted his head slightly, smiling . The other five all suddenly felt chill crawl down their back . "Who said anything about defending?" "---y-you want to storm Devil¡¯s Stronghold that has at the very least a quarter million demons?!!" the woman eximed as she leapt out of her chair . "Yeah . So?" Lino remained calm as he continued . "We¡¯re all aware that Demons and Demonically Possessed aren¡¯t the issue . I¡¯m assuming you guys can just throw your disciples at them and be done with it . It¡¯s the Devils hiding there that will pose the challenge . If we let them attack, there¡¯s a great chance they¡¯ll split their forces . Suddenly, you¡¯ll have Devil Variants popping all over the Kingdom . Right now, they¡¯re all gathered together . If it helps, I can guarantee that they¡¯ve yet to finish their portal . It should take them another few months at least to do so . " "How do you know that?" the man sitting in the central position asked, squinting his eyes . "Trade secret . " Lino smiled . "Either way, with or without you, I¡¯ll be attacking . " "When west spoke," Velin joined in with some fear . "You didn¡¯t mention anything like that . " "I¡¯ve had time to think it over . " "Then you must have a n?" old man Van joined, hopeful expression on his face . "Aim for Greater Demons," Lino said . "To thin out their numbers . I have a friend who can craft Locator Talismans specifically aimed at Greater Demons . You guys form groups of disciples and give each one or two talismans . While disciples fight the Demons, we¡¯ll let the regr army and ordinary mercenaries deal with the possessed . At the same time, the rest of us will tackle Devils . " "Us?" the woman scoffed at him . "You think you can handle a Devil? Have you ever even seen a Devil, boy? Just because you can scare this idiot boy here," she nced at Velin who lowered his head in shame . "Doesn¡¯t make you a king of the world . " " . . . you¡¯ve been grinding my balls this entire time," Lino said in a cold tone, his eyes narrowing into slits, staring intently at the woman . "Do you want to test whether I¡¯m capable or not?" "Humph, I¡¯d like to see you--" woman suddenly came to a halt as the entire room burst into noise; two Elders jumped onto their feet and took out their weapons, aiming at Lino, while Velin and Van retreated back . Lino, meanwhile, was still sitting, holding out his spear whose tip was grinding against the woman¡¯s throat, just an inch away from piercing through . "Now I can see why Demons troubled you so much," Lino calmly said . "You¡¯re just a cultivator . You¡¯re not a fighter . " he withdrew his spear and got up . "Put your weapons away," he said, ncing at the two Elders who still stared at his every move intently . "You¡¯ll hurt yourselves . They¡¯re not toys . " Lino picked up his cup from the table and walked out, leaving the other five to stare at his back in silence . It was only after the doors closed behind him that the two Elders breathed out in relief, withdrawing their weapons . The woman lifted her hand, gently touching the spot the spear¡¯s tip was at, still looking at the doors . "You alright?" the oldest man asked the woman, finally jolting her out . " . . . I¡¯m fine," she said, sighing . "You two, who¡¯s that boy?" she turned toward Velin and Van who both appeared even more petrified than before . " . . . I don¡¯t know . " both replied at the same time, in the same tone . "It doesn¡¯t matter who he is," the oldest Elder - Wei - said . "With not stabbing you, he was telling us there¡¯s still room for negotiation . " " . . . an interesting fe," the other Elder - Glen - said, smiling faintly . "To draw out a weapon in the room where he¡¯s by far - theoretically - the weakest one . . . yet, none of us were able to respond in time . " " . . . is he really a Soul Realm cultivator?" the woman mumbled . "In that brief moment between him taking out the spear and its tip ncing against my skin . . . I could see the jaws of death close in on me . Not even the Horned Devil gave me that feeling when I fought him . " " . . . yeah, I sensed it too," Elder Wei said, stroking his beard and sighing . "Could be a trick . " "Or it could be that he was right," Elder Glen said, sitting down, still smiling . "That we¡¯re just cultivators . It is true that we have enough Qi with equivalent means to level this town . . . but in a quick fight where every breath counts . . . we¡¯re perhaps even worse than ordinary soldiers in the army . " " . . . we¡¯ll do as he nned," Elder Wan suddenly said, surprising everyone . "Qinn," she turned to the old man Van . "You¡¯ll coordinate that banquet you were telling me about . In the meantime, I¡¯ll stay here and receive direct reports about the status of Devil¡¯s Army . Wei, you go back and gather our top disciples and send them out on group missions . Each group should consist of at the very least four, and until they can kill a Pure Beast, they¡¯re not to return back to the n . Glen," she turned toward the smiling man . "You¡¯ll stick with the boy . Learn who the hell he is and what are his intentions . He¡¯s a variable I cannot calcte at the moment . Velin, you¡¯ll also stay here and try to befriend him . Scout the rest of his group as well once they return and report to me or Glen directly . So long as we don¡¯t alert Devils and Demons, the war won¡¯t break out for a while . Let¡¯s prepare properly this time around, lest we suffer the same way as before . " "Yes, Madame!" Chapter 77 Chapter 77 CHAPTER 77 VALLEY OF SECTS Seven figures stood in front of a single table, appearing somewhat gobsmacked as their expression, however varied, reflected only a single emotion: confusion . Atop the table were five items, alongside a single-page note that had only a few lines inscribed at the top, the rest being empty . Ae walked forward and picked up the note, casually reading it . "Wee back! I hope none of you died? Great! Anyway, I figured out what¡¯s happening, so I went out to get us some resources in preparation . I left what I had in the storage so that Shaneine can start crafting two types of talismans:munication and locator talismans . The more the better . I¡¯ve crafted items for everyone except Ae and Freya . You two are too weak . I can¡¯t hold back when crafting! Anyway, I¡¯ll be back in about three months . Old man Van wille around every once in a while to coordinate with you guys . Ae should take the lead since she¡¯s the only one with any people-skills . Good luck and see ya! Your dearest, greatest, most-powerful, Lino the Wind God!" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " Silence befell the small room as various eyebrows began to twitch, alongside lips¡¯ corners . They always knew he thought rather highly of himself, but never thought it was to this extent . Ae merely smiled faintly, shaking her head . She put the paper down and look at the four items on the table; at the far left was an exquisite-looking longbow, appearing extremely sturdy in its make . She picked it up and, without looking at its stats, handed it over to Shaneine . Thetter appeared indifferent when picking it up, but after checking its stats, even the ever-expressionless face had lips parting into a massive gap of shock . Next to the bow was a pair of shiny daggers, whom she handed over to Lucky . Despite her supposed hatred of Lino, she also couldn¡¯t stop bawling over the weapon . Naturally, the secrets of their make was not reveled; nheless, it was still a pair of Legendary-tier weapons, something one couldn¡¯te across even with luck . Next to the daggers was a massive shield, over a meter high and thicker than a person¡¯s waist . Yet, Ae lifted it up rather easily as the shield weighed barely twenty or so kilograms . Fish took the shield with enthusiasm because he spotted Lucky¡¯s and Shaneine¡¯s reactions . He couldn¡¯t wait to see what kind of a wonder he¡¯s been gifted . [World Defender - Epic] Level: 75 Durability: 6500 Defense: 2100 +30% to Constitution +10% to Strength Special Effect: infusing Qi into the shield creates a 15x15x10 barrier around the wearer for 15 seconds . The barrier has three times the shield¡¯s base Durability . Special Effect: unsealing the shield with Qi increases its base weight by 1000 times . Note: Extremely sturdy and powerful behemoth of a defender; crafted from condensed blood of , it¡¯s tougher than diamonds in its make, providing wearer with massive boost in defense . Fish nearly fainted upon seeing the shield¡¯s stats; forget base stats which were simply insane beyond measure, two special effects alone were enough to hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of gold coins at popr auctions . He could only weep in joy that their Lady had befriended such an idiot who never spared an ounce of strength when crafting an item, even if he wouldn¡¯t be using it . Next to the shield was a massive warhammer, purely silver in its hue, with strange, metallic sheen covering its surface . Though Ae tried, she was unable to pick it up; she wagered the warhammer weighed in hundreds of kilograms . Kraval instead calmly approached and picked up the warhammer with one hand, immediately sensing a strange, other-worldly sense of familiarity with the weapon . [Celestial Crusher - Unique] Level: 70 Damage: 1909-8309 +50% to Strength -20% to Speed Special Effect: Infusing Qi into the weapon can expunge its head forward for nearly a mile like a cannonball; the further the distance traveled, the greater the damage dealt . Special Effect: Every third consecutive swing increases both Speed and Damage of further swings by 5%, with maximum being 150% . Special Effect: Due to [Unique] make, weapon can be further evolved Note: Thetest item on the Celestial Series of the up-anding cksmith, Celestial Crusher¡¯s focus is on overbearing strength and momentum . Only fierce and stout people are able to wield it . Even Kraval felt his emotions being riled up when he saw the weapon . Although, overall, it appeared slightly weaker than Fish¡¯s at the moment, and far more so than Lucky¡¯s, due to its unique special effect of evolution, it meant there was a chance to ever surpass them in the future . Besides, even if it never evolved, it was still a weapon perfect for him, and would be the cause of envy for everyone who looked at its stats . Thest of the items on the table included a pair of swords; they appeared slightly longer than meter in length, with strange, gray sheen exuding from the des¡¯ surface . Ae picked them up and felt strange energy try to invade her body, quickly handing the swords to Smite who epted them with some hesitation . Although he looked forward to a new weapon, he wasn¡¯t that excited over who made it . [Phantom des - Unique] Level: 80 Damage: ? +150% to Speed - Attack Speed - Movement Speed- Agility Special Effect: Weapon¡¯s Damage is directly linked to the number of in creatures with Devil Qi . It can grow indefinitely . Special Effect: Upon ying 1000 creatures with Devil Qi, besides the weapon¡¯s growth, wearer will also receive a title: Demon yer, further increasing damage to all Devil Qi creatures by 50% . Special Effect: des of swords can be turned into phantoms, passing through physical objects at will and attacking Souls directly . Great amounts of Qi required . Note: Weapon specifically crafted to battle Devil Qi cultivators, be it beasts or people . Due to its unique craft, weapon has no ceiling . Smite sighed for a moment as he finished reading the weapon¡¯s stats; indeed, if one looked from one side, his weapon appeared to be by far the best of the bunch . On the other hand, it was only so when he was battling creatures with Devil Qi . However, he knew why Lino crafted it that way; after all, iing war would raise this weapon¡¯s damage to massive numbers, which would ensure it can be used against anyone in the future . The group altogether quickly realized they had underestimated Lino¡¯s capabilities as a cksmith; they¡¯d merely seen him as a fighting monster before, someone who should never be looked at as a simple Soul Realm cultivator . They now realized, though, that he¡¯s perhaps even more talented when ites to crafting; for all their experiencesbined could not even conjure up an item that came even close to any of the five he¡¯d forged . ** Meanwhile, thousands of miles away from the small courtyard of Archangel¡¯s Darkness Mercenary Group, a lone figure walked down a winding road, surrounded by trees and deep falls beneath the cliffs . Above the figure was a massive mountain, road directly piercing into its belly . Lino¡¯s steps were even and steady, and he appeared to be lost in thought . He was entirely enrobed in his ck cloak, so much so that even the people closest to him would fail to recognize it was him . Along the road, he¡¯d asionally run into another person, but outside of courteous nod, he didn¡¯t have much interaction with anyone . He left the town about a weak ago and headed further east after purchasing a map from Velin . His intention was simple: gather as many resources as possible . Randomly wandering around the world and hoping something would fall out of the bright sky onto his feet was rather stupid, so he first formted a n before departing, heading directly for a single valley: Valley of Sects . It was a massive valley, hundreds of thousands of miles across in all directions at the very least, and was rather popr around these parts as it housed most of the Sects that appeared here . From little information he¡¯d gotten, Lino learned that in order to survive here, every sect had to at least be Third-tier Sect, and that there were even three First-tier Sects located at the heart of the valley . His n wasn¡¯t as noble as his intentions; he decided to simply rob them . After all, he didn¡¯t have enough time to make connections and show off his crafting abilities so that they would hire him for arge sum . Though that was the n, he still hoped he could seed as a cksmith rather than a thief; not because he had some moral qualms about the act, but because he¡¯d rather not make enemies with everyone here . Most of these Sects were on the level of Main Su Family, and those Second-tier and First-tier Sects were even far more powerful, so much so that Lino could hardly even fathom . He decided he¡¯d work his way up, from the very bordered region at the edge of the valley where the weakest of Sects resided, to the very heart of the valley . If it was just him, he definitely wouldn¡¯t risk it; however, thousands of people, including some he was quite willing to call friends, were waiting back in that small town . There were some hearts he couldn¡¯t bring himself to break, and he¡¯d rather break his own than theirs . In the end, he was rather confident in stealing and robbing due to the cloak which should increase his sneaking abilities at night to the point where very few people would be able to spot him . After all, he managed to sneak into the Pce of the Umbra Capital under the eyes of Purity Realm cultivator, and he wagered he could even do so in front of those of a higher realm . A sly grin emerged on his face as he thought about the riches which were simply waiting for their rightful owner - Lino that is - to pick them up . Chapter 78 Chapter 78 CHAPTER 78 GRENS CITY Streets wider than tworge horse carriages still seemed incapable of keeping the constant flow at an even pace; there were blockades of people left and right, which stirred more than a few arguments, and even a few fights along the way . Grens City was the first city Lino encountered when entering Valley of Sects, and was immediately surprised . The city itself was not only over one hundred squared kilometers, but it also housed fifteen sects all on its own who all fought for top position . The architecturergelyprised of buildings made of limestone of varying colors, with streets being paved in rough, gray stone . The city, due to its size, was separated into territories which were ruled by the respective sects . After a bit of inquiry, Lino realized that only three sects had qualifications to be ranked, and all three were Third-tier Sects: Seven Sins Sect, Ten Wonders Sect and Sacred Sword Sect . They were all respectively led by two Mythic Realm cultivators each, with dozens of Soul Realm cultivators in their ranks . However, Lino was no longer just an ordinary kid who got intimidated by Mythic Realm cultivators, especially the Early ones . He was already Level 82, just 8 Levels shy of reaching the Mythic Realm himself, and was rather confident in fighting anyone up to Level 100 . Beyond that, he figured it would be a bit too risky . Currently, he was sitting by the window on the second floor of a small tea shop, watching the bustling streets with a faint smile on his face . He¡¯d spent three days already in the Grens City during which he¡¯d mostly studied the city¡¯s makeup, the powers and basic things like that . He¡¯d learned that the strongest cultivator in the city didn¡¯t belong to any of the sects, but was actually the city¡¯s major; his name was simply Raven, and though nobody had ever met him, the rumors surrounding the name were numerous . Some said he came from the depths of the Valley where he was an Outer Elder of the First-tier Sect, and was actually a Illumine Realm cultivator, two whole realms above Mythic Realm . Some also said that he was sent here as a punishment for killing over ten thousand disciples because they didn¡¯t listen to him, and some said he was actually a descendant of a powerful, Ancient Beast . Naturally, Lino didn¡¯t really trust these rumors; he very much doubted that he was Illumine Realm - at most, he should be early Purity Realm cultivator, if even that - and he was definitely no descendant of an Ancient Beast . As for the leaders of Third-tier Sects, as he suspected, they were all around Level 100, which made them just right as Lino¡¯s opponents . Of course, he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to challenge them in the open, as he stood no chance fighting against two of them at the same time . His n was simply to steal from them, not engage in a fight . But, even that would require extensive nning, as tiered sects are very different from ordinary ns and sects that could not qualify as tiered . Besides the leader requirements, in order to be a tiered Sect, it not only had to have arge-scaled Defensive Formation, but also a Sect Artifact . Sect Artifact wasn¡¯t a forged item, and it could not be crafted by any person, no matter how strong they were . Rather, it was a natural urrence when Sect¡¯s unified strength was poured into a single point . It could be anything, from a sword to a g, and its properties always remained aplete mystery to everyone except Sect Leaders . The reason why they were so feared was not only because they were usually far, far stronger than anything man-crafted, but also because nobody except chosen Sect Leaders could operate them, so they could not be stolen or even destroyed unless the Sect itself was destroyed . This meant thatrge-scale wars between the Sects were actually quite rare, as unless one Sect far eclipsed the other in strength, both sides would suffer too much and there wouldn¡¯t be much benefit from it . This kind of dampened Lino¡¯s initial n, which was to stir the three sides into entering free-for-all where he would be the party to collect the most benefits . After doing a bit more research, he was also fairly certain that the three tiered sects weren¡¯t actually fighting each other outside of putting on a surface show; they most-likely colluded to keep any lower sect from being able to threaten them . He couldn¡¯t help but sigh; the world was never as simple as it seemed on surface . Stealing from outside seemed rather impossible now, which meant he would have to make a name for himself . In the end, though, at least he knew he wouldn¡¯t have to dwell any deeper than Grens City, as he was fairly confident in being able to gather enough resources in the following three months right here . He still had some basic capital inside his void world which would be enough to open up a shop here, and he was more than confident in being able to sell any one of his creations . The problem was his identity . Lino was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody . He had no background, his cultivation wasn¡¯t that great, and he had no connections worth anything to these people . Before he¡¯d sell anything, there was a greater chance of someone storming in and stealing everything rather than buying it . There were, naturally, a few ways he could circumvent this; one was to take the backing of one of the Third-tier Sects, another was to y a mysterious persona of a Master¡¯s Student, and third was to sell them as though it was a pawn shop, where stats would be locked for a certain period of time after a purchase . However, he didn¡¯t really want to do any of these as they carried either too many cons or too many risks . ncing sideways, he spotted a central, high tower made of ck stone that stood above all other buildings in the city . It was a part of Major¡¯s Manor and rumors said that the Major himself resided in that tower . A peculiar thought emerged in his mind, and he decided to test it . After paying the bill in the tea shop, he went to the nearby smithy where one could rent a room for a small fee . Though the smithy was of terrible quality, Lino wasn¡¯t intending to craft anything spectacr, but something just intriguing enough that would make him valuable . Paying the fee, he entered and immediately felt his heart darken; half the tools in here were broken, anvil was nowhere to be found, grindstone looked like it was ground itself at one point, and even forge looked like it would copse at any moment . ¡¯Seriously?! Can people craft anything other than chicken¡¯s shit in this hellhole?!¡¯ Sighing, he could only surrender to the circumstances and do the best with what he had . After taking out some basic materials, which altogether didn¡¯t even cost a single gold coin, he began preparing . He wasn¡¯t going to craft a weapon or an armor, but an auxiliary item, something akin to his [Celestial te] . cksmith¡¯s skills were best showcased with these types of items, as it not only required high-level of still, but also imagination and creativity . He decided to craft a simple mirror . The crafting process itself was simple, but due to outstandingly awful tools, it took him nearly four hours toplete the item . Once again, he was reminded of how unequipped he was with his Tri-Spirit me at the moment . Luckily, the Writ informed him he¡¯d offer him another, higher-tiered me after he¡¯d reached Mythic Realm, which was why Lino focused on cultivation more than usual recently . The mirror itself looked simple; its surface was smooth and clear and didn¡¯t seem to be anything out of the ordinary . The border was made of dark wood, with strange patterns carved in all throughout, winding up to a single point where a small, ruby-colored crystal was embedded . The mirror was oval, and carried a hint of mystery in its make . Looking satisfied, he stored it into the void world before leaving the smithy and swearing to himself he¡¯d never craft anything ever again without proper tools . His destination was the Major¡¯s Manor; rather than taking his chance with the Sects, he figured it¡¯d be best if he got the backing of the Major himself . Though he perhaps wasn¡¯t as strong as the rumors said, he should still be far stronger than Sect Leaders if he could keep them under tight lock . Lino was rather confident as a cksmith, far more so than as a fighter and a cultivator . He¡¯d never once stopped studying numerous books that Eggor gave him before they parted ways, and as a seventeen-year-old teenager, he was already a Grandmaster cksmith, something most people only ever reached halfway through their lifetimes . In the end, it was because he fought and cultivated since he had to, but crafted because he loved to . Solving mysterious ways of creating greater things from smaller pieces was a heart-burning passion of his, one he was certain he¡¯d never abandon . The Major¡¯s Manor was guarded heavily; even at the outermost gates, dozens of guards stared at the people like hawks from five meters tall walls . The gates themselves were tightly shut, and people would have to walk through the small doors at the side if they wanted to enter . When the guards saw an unfamiliar, shabby-looking youth approach, they brandished their weapons tightly, ready to pounce at him immediately . "Turn around and leave . You can¡¯t beg here!" one of the guards who was stationed in front of the gates beckoned Lino . "Ho ho, I¡¯m not here to beg big bro," Lino said, putting on an innocent, childish smile . "I¡¯m here to present a gift to the honored Major!" "A gift? You?" the guard scoffed . "Beat it, kid . What could you possibly have to gift to the Major?" "Here," Lino casually took out the mirror and handed it to the guard . "Also mention I¡¯m the one who crafted it when you hand it over . " the guard naturally had no intention to take the mirror, but when he heard the youth crafted it, he became a bit intrigued . Not many people knew it, but the Major was far more impressed by people like cksmiths, talisman and rune inscribers, formation and array masters etc . , than by cultivators . Taking the mirror, he quickly looked at the stats and found himself shellshocked . His eyes darted between the mirror and the youth, seemingly inplete disbelief . "Old San, what are you standing like a statue? Shoo him away already . " the voice of another guard jolted the man out of his stupor whereupon he swallowed arge gulp of saliva, immediately reevaluating the youth in front of him . "You sure you crafted this?" "Aye, with these beautiful hands of mine!" Lino still smiled widely . "Wait here . " without daring to dy for a second, the guard called San darted through the small doors and headed toward the Manor . Though the other guards were confused, they said nothing and merely waited . Major¡¯s Manor was massive, farrger than any otherpound - even those of three great Sects - and could house hundreds if not thousands of people at the time . Without paying heed to strange gazes headed his way from the city¡¯s officials, he immediately headed toward the tower . The tower was like an oval obelisk, and was nearly a hundred meters tall, guarded day and night by no less than fifty people, all of whom were at least at Soul Realm . He was immediately stopped as he approached, despite his guard insignia . "You have no clearance to be here . Step back immediately . " a guard that was half a head taller than San stepped out and pointed a massive sword . Thetter, however, didn¡¯t even flinch and presented the mirror to the guard . "A cksmith hase to present this to the Major," San said, bowing slightly . "I am certain it would be most wee . " " . . . " the heavily armored guard took the mirror and inspected it only for a moment before his ever-cold eyes shone in strange light . "Wait here . I suspect Major will want to reward you . " "Yes!" while San waited outside, the heavily armored guard headed inside the tower and climbed to the topmost floor . There, a door to a room awaited him and he respectfully knocked, waiting for nearly a minute before a melodic voice replied . "Come in . " opening the doors, the guard went inside slowly and immediately knelt; on the other end was a table with arge bookshelf behind it . In-between the two, sitting atop a mildly decorated chair, was a thirty-something woman, her ck hair braided beautifully, face decorated with only a small amount of make-up . She had a mix of gentle and fierce features, with small nose and full lips and ck eyes that looked like nightly sky . It turned out that the city¡¯s Major was actually a woman . "Oh? Evan? Has something happened?" the woman asked, seeming surprised over the guard¡¯s visit . "Please take a look . " the guard called Evan spoke respectfully and handed over the mirror . "A man iming to be a cksmith brought this in as a gift . " the woman seemed immediately intrigued and took the mirror, tracing its surface with the finger before inspecting its stats, only to be left shocked, like two guards before her . " . . . invite him up . Immediately . " the woman said; the guard seemed to have expected it and left without saying another word, leaving woman who started caressing the mirror . "Interesting . . . now, I wonder what is it that you want from me?" the woman once again looked at the mirror¡¯s stats and sighed . Though it was crafted from low-level materials, and couldn¡¯t help one¡¯s fighting capabilities that much, the crafter¡¯s talent oozed from every single inch of the mirror . [Disillusioned Heart - Unique] Level: 0 Defense: 0 Durability: 10 Special Effect: Can see through any illusion below the Godmaster Rank Special Effect: Can be a core of arge-scale Formation, either Illusion or Disillusion one Note: Crafted from low-level materials, it mainly denotes the cksmith¡¯s talent; indispensable auxiliary item . Chapter 79 Chapter 79 CHAPTER 79 MAJOR AVA Lino had a rather impressed expression on his face as he slowly climbed the tall tower . Though itcked proper floors, ever so often there would be tforms which led to smaller rooms, or even open spaces stacked to roof with books . The tower was of a strange make, and after inspecting it closely, Lino realized that the ck stone used in its construction was actually [Dried Blood Stone], a Level 60 stone that is made when an ordinary stone undergoes a baptism of blood over the course of dozens of years, making it rather rare . His idea to join hands with the Major now seemed even more appropriate; one could only guess the depths of the influence and purchasing power one would have to have in order to buy so many of these stones . As per instructions, he went straight to the top floor, where a single, simple door awaited him . He paused for a moment, though, his heart skipping a beat; beyond that door, he felt an overwhelming aura, akin to an ocean whereas he was but a small fish in it . Strong! He eximed inwardly, taking in a deep breath . The person beyond the doors was definitely the strongest one Lino had ever met in person, by arge margin at that . He approached slowly and knocked, whereupon a melodic voice quickly replied "Come in . " Huh? A woman? Lino was slightly shocked, but entered slowly nheless . The room was rather simple, only having a table and a chair pair with a bookshelf beyond, and a window on each side, looking down on the entire city . At the table sat a thirty-something woman, one Lino immediately categorized as beautiful beyond words . Her gentle and sharp features intermingled in a perfect symphony, one that seemingly shouldn¡¯t be possible . Nheless, he quickly recovered and immediately checked her out with the Blood Spirit, only to be left sighing bitterly . [Name: Ava ???] [Level: 201 - Peak Early Illumine Realm] [???] Besides the name and her realm, he was unable to perceive anything else . However, even that little was enough to let him know the rumors were actually true . She was well above everyone else in this city, and that was even when nearly eighty percent of aura was drawn back into her soul, probably as to not terrify everyone else . She smiled faintly, seemingly unaware that her realm was seen through . "This mirror," she was the first one to break the silence, picking up the mirror from the table . "Is quite interesting . You said you were the one who crafted it?" aside from Lino, even Major was rather startled inside her heart; not only was the boy in front of her seemingly not even eighteen yet, she was unable to see through him, as though he was just a normal mortal . Just a massive blur, without a single speck of information to be gleamed . Aside from that, if he truly crafted the mirror at a such young age, it would make him even more talented than those freaks with Inborn mes from Sacred and Immortal Grounds . "Aye, aye," Lino said . "Though, now I wish I had put in a bit more effort . It surely looks rueful whenpared to your beauty . " regardless of the fact that the woman could kill him with a single finger, Lino still couldn¡¯t help but flirt . He immediately cursed at himself inwardly, promising he¡¯d kill the habit lest it killed him in the future . "Ha ha, quite charming . But, you are too young for me," the woman seemed to not have taken it to heart, merelyughing . "Perhaps if I was fifty years younger, you¡¯d stand a chance . " "Eh, never say never," seeing that she was rather easy-going, Lino still pressed on . "You must have liked my mirror, seeing as you invited me in . " "Indeed I did," the woman nodded, smiling faintly . "Here, you can have it back . " she suddenly offered the mirror back, surprising Lino . "Eh? Why? Didn¡¯t you say you liked it? Even if you don¡¯t, it¡¯s a gift . Just throw it out if you don¡¯t like it that much . " Lino¡¯s words startled the woman, causing her eyebrows to twitch . Throw it out? Did this kid really craft this? Does he not know he could put this on the market and literally every Sect in the valley would start an outright war over it? "You don¡¯t seem to realize the value of this mirror . " she said . "Eh, I do," Lino said . "It¡¯s worthless to individuals, and could be Sect¡¯s artifact if used well enough . Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s still not a gift . " in reality, Lino always had a general idea of how much worth were the items he crafted . However, crafting the mirror really didn¡¯t take much effort on his part, which was why he wasn¡¯t that hurt over gifting it over . "Don¡¯t worry about it . You can count it as both the gift and me reaching out a hand of partnership . " "Partnership?" the woman arched her brows, seeming interested . "Indeed," Lino got tired of standing and took out a chair from the void world, settling on the other side of the table . The woman nearly burst out inughter; who the hell carries a chair with them? "To be humble, I¡¯m probably the most talented cksmith you¡¯ll ever meet in your life . " "That¡¯s not being humble . " the woman smiled, seeming more and more interested in the strange boy in front of her . "Oh, did I say humble? I meant honest . " " . . . pfft . " she couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer and burst out in a short bout ofughter before calming down . "Alright, I¡¯ll bite . What do you want?" "The world!" Lino eximed . "But, that¡¯s for the future . For the time being, I want to open up a shop in the city and sell my crafts . " "Oh?" the woman immediately gleamed through most of Lino¡¯s n, and found herself rather impressed with the boy¡¯s thinking ability . "What did you have in mind?" "It¡¯s rather simple, actually," Lino said . "You¡¯ll provide me a shop, protection and someone to sell my wares . I¡¯ll provide you with 10% of all profits, and you¡¯ll have priority on all items I craft . " "My side seems to be losing a bit too much, don¡¯t you think?" "What if I promise all items I sell with at least be of Rare rank?" Lino threw out a bigger fish . " . . . " the woman sucked in a cold breath; if anyone understood the rarity of good, quality items in the world, it was her . Usually, people would be lucky to walk around with a piece or two of [Enchanted] or [Umon] gear . Anything beyond that relied on luck too much . Even those high sons of Kings and Queens would be lucky to have a single [Epic] item . And, from the boy¡¯s words, it seemed that [Rare] would simply be the lowest quality . "What¡¯s your long term n?" the woman didn¡¯t think for a second she was being cheated; it wasn¡¯t only because, even if she was, she could easily do something about it, but because boy¡¯s eyes revealed nothing but honesty and truth, and even her instinct told her so . "Ie from a very poor ce," Lino said . "Where I didn¡¯t dare sell my wares because I¡¯d have to sell them for loafs of bread . Within three months, I want to expand to the point even people from First-tier Sects will be rushing over to buy my items . There is, however, a catch . " "A catch?" "I will not sell them either for money or for Qi Stones of any quality," Lino¡¯s words seemed to shock a woman for a moment . "I¡¯ll only sell them for resources . nts, ores, leather, metals . . . anything that can be used in crafting, really, in addition to core items for setting up formations, arrays, as well as high-tier Scrolls for Talismans . I¡¯d like it if I paid 10% of proceedings in either gold or Qi Stones, but if it¡¯s impossible, I¡¯ll settle for resources . " " . . . " Lino knew that his ambition was simply too much, and he knew one mirror alone was hardly enough to convince the woman . So, he took out another one of his creations, the pair of daggers he¡¯d crafted for Ae but decided to leave gifting them forter, once she¡¯s a bit stronger . Handing them over, he rather enjoyed woman¡¯s shocked expression; daggers were of [Epic] grade, Level 72, and almost impossible to find anywhere to be bought . " . . . what¡¯s the highest grade and level you can craft?" the woman immediately asked as she began nning out the whole process in her head; this youngd in front of her wasn¡¯t simply a talented cksmith, he¡¯s a treasure trove if handled properly . "Unfortunately, my mes are quite low-level," Lino said, seeming apprehensive . "If I pour my all, I can craft at maximum Level 100 [Epic] grade items . However, those will be exclusive rarities . " " . . . I want to extend the deal . " the woman said, suddenly surprising Lino . "Do tell . " he added with some interest . "I¡¯ll provide you with Level 85 me - [Burning Heart me] . Though it¡¯s not the strongest of its rank, it¡¯s among the top 10 at the very least . If I gift you that, can you craft a [Legendary] grade staff that¡¯s at least Level 150?" Lino was slightly shocked; Level 85 me was inching too close to the Void Realm of mes, the breaking point . The difference between the Void Realm mes and those beneath was like the difference between heaven and earth; even Lino himself only knew a bit about them thanks to Eggor¡¯s guidance . " . . . " Lino fell into a deep thought for a moment; aside from the me, he was also limited by his own cultivation and the amount of Qi he possessed . He usually liked crafting items in one ago after preparations, but crafting what the woman wanted in one go was simply impossible . He¡¯d probably have to spend two-three months to craft it, and even then he wasn¡¯t certain of the sess . "I can at most promise a [Legendary] grade Level 130 staff . However, depending on the resources and ns, I am 80% confident in being able to craft growing-type [Unique] staff . It¡¯s your choice . " The woman¡¯s breathing quickened; she¡¯d beencking a good weapon for quite a while now, not only because she was much stronger than people in her surroundings, but because there simply weren¡¯t that many talented cksmiths around . Most are either groomed by Sects and ns or are absorbed the moment they showcase some talent . They are treated like treasures by everyrge power, as one Grandmaster cksmith can increase the n¡¯s and Sect¡¯s strength by nearly five times in just a few years, to say nothing of those monsters that had gone beyond, Like Void cksmiths and Sacred cksmiths . If she could establish rtionship with the boy early on, she would never be put in such an awkward position as now, using a Level 80 [Rare] grade staff as a Illumine Realm cultivator . "Deal . " she said without even a hint of hesitation . "How long before you can craft it?" "I can¡¯t exactly dedicate all my time to crafting it, as I need to supply my future shop," Lino smiled sheepishly . "But, in two months, at most two and a half, it will be yours . Of course, as not not arouse the beauty¡¯s suspicion, I¡¯d prefer if my smithy was inside thispound . Besides, those outside are utter shit . Can you believe I spent like 5 hours crafting that crappy mirror?! Good god, no wonder you seem so thirsty for a weapon . I bet the most people in her can craft are forks and spoons . " the woman seemed to have heard something too mind-shattering thrown in there, such as him crafting a [Legendary] tier weapon in two months and crafting that mirror in five hours, but she simply chose to believe she misheard . She didn¡¯t dare believe it . However, she was rather pleased Lino himself offered to stay in thepound, as she felt slightly awkward having to ask him . "Anyway, I¡¯ll deliver first batch of items in two weeks, and rather than shop-style, I¡¯d like you to hold an auction first as to draw in attention . There will be at least one [Epic] grade item thrown in there . But, uhm, I¡¯m kind of short on resources . I have around 10,000 low-grade Qi Stones . Can I exchange them for something?" " . . . pfft . " the woman burst outughing yet again, shaking her head . "What¡¯s your name?" "Lino . " "I¡¯m Ava," she said, smiling . "I have a feeling you and I will be good friends, Lino . " "Just friends?" "Haii . . . " "I won¡¯t give up, you know?" "I already have a husband . And three kids . One of them is even older than you . " " . . . well, now that¡¯s just cruel . " Chapter 80 Chapter 80 CHAPTER 80 STIRRING THE VALLEY Not even two days had passed since Lino and Ava signed a contract before the zing news spread throughout the Valley of Sects - formerly known as Dreamcast Valley - one which shook its very foundations . The mysterious Major of the Grens Town by the valley¡¯s border had announced the Manor is opening up an exclusive shop, and to celebrate it, an auction would be held in two weeks . However, that news alone wouldn¡¯t have shaken the valley as much as it did: it was the additional news which stated that the auction¡¯s ultimate item would be of [Epic Grade] and no other would be below [Rare Grade] . Ava wasn¡¯t alone in the dismaying thoughts over inadequate items; not only loose cultivators and those of lower-tiered sects, even some Inner Court Elders of First-tier Sectscked proper weapons and armors that suited their rank and cultivation . To even further drill in the fact that it was an exclusive shop, neither the auction nor the shop itself would take any of themon currency, such as gold and Qi Stones, and would instead trade for umon and rare resources, such as ores, metals, herbs etc . "The Major is really going all out this time around," somemented . "If all of it is true, the Grens City would soon rise in prominence at least threefold . " "Indeed . But I don¡¯t think he would lie," another added . "After all, this news will attract those big shots from the Sects in the valley¡¯s heart . No matter how mysterious or strong the Major is, I don¡¯t think he has enough guts to lie to them . " "That¡¯s true . " Simr discussions spiraled around the entire valley, soon reaching the ears of those living in the valley¡¯s heart - the First-tiered Sects . There were in total four, each controlling a single side of the valley - east, west, north and south . East was controlled by Burning de Sect, whose disciples all specialized in Fire Qi and de Arts; west was controlled by Children of Heaven, whose main cultivation method was named [Heaven¡¯s Path] and it is said to be almost of Divine Grade, though a few suspected it was merely a lie . The north was controlled by Crimson Devils, who, despite their name, didn¡¯t really cultivate Devil Qi, but much milder version called Half-Demon Qi, which was much weaker than Devil Qi, but wouldn¡¯t bring about the massive side effects, such as going insane . Lastly, south was controlled by what many considered to be the strongest Tier One sect in the valley - Skysword Sect . Like its name suggested, every person there used a sword - regardless of make - and cultivated Sword Arts . The Skysword Sect upied a huge mass ofnd, though its main headquarters were smaller than an ordinary town . It was where the core of the Sect lived and cultivated, and it was also here where two men, one older and one younger, were currently sitting, drinking tea . The younger one appeared to be around twenty years old, with a rather handsome, clean-shaven face, a pair of piercing, blue eyes full of intellect, and sword-like eyebrows . His hair was neatly tied up so it hadn¡¯t fallen over his face, a short sword strapped to his waist . The man opposite of him looked no different than any other old man; he seemed to be in his sixties, with a face full of wrinkles andpletely ordinary features, which when coupled with his neat, but gray hair, made him seem all too ordinary . However, a deep sharpness hid inside the old man¡¯s eyes, one which very few would be able to perceive . "What do you think, Master?" the younger man suddenly asked . " . . . hmm, Major Ava is a trustworthy woman," the older man replied, stroking his beardless chin . "She wouldn¡¯t recklessly squander her reputation . It¡¯s very likely she¡¯s telling the truth . " "You met her?" "Indeed I have, once . But, don¡¯t ask too much about her," the old man shook his head . "Even the Great Patriarchs would think twice before offending her . " " . . . " the youth didn¡¯t say anything; he knew very well that some thresholds should never be crossed . "Either way, it would do you good to travel some . You¡¯ve been coped up in here for too long, and I imagine many youths will flock to the Grens City in theing two weeks . You ought to experience the world rather than staying here . And, if there happens to be a sword that¡¯s appropriate for you, even better . " "Many thanks, Master . " "Hm . " the old man nodded lightly, smiling . Though he couldn¡¯t see through the Ava¡¯s sudden movements, he was certain it can only benefit the Valley . After all, if she and the power behind her wished to conquer the valley, they could have done so long ago . He knew she was merely there to make sure nothing athwart urred . Simr scene transpired in other three Tier One Sects of the Valley, with more than a dozen Disciples from each Sect departing over toward the distant, little known city by the Valley¡¯s border . Aside from attending the auction, it was also a chance to experience how much their peers have progressed when ites to martial arts and cultivation . In the end, world of cultivators was that of pure, brutalpetition; if you were weaker than your peer, you had no leg to stand on and can only ever look up, no matter what you harbored inside your heart . Meanwhile, thousands upon thousands of miles away from the Valley of Sects, situated in a seemingly hand-crafted gorge, a massive city built entirely of chiseled, white stone stood brimming . Through its heart a graceful, transparent river flew candidly, while rows and rows of buildings rose from its sides, upying even the gorge¡¯s thousand meters tall walls . Inside one of the buildings toward the topmost position, two men were currently sitting and drinking tea, a small parchment of paperin in front of them on the table . "What do you think, brother?" one of the men, who seemed to be in his early thirties, with chiseled and straight features and emerald green eyes spoke . His hair fell down gracefully, strangely scarlet in hue, perfectly encapsting his rather handsome, cleanly-shaven face . "Hmm, we should listen to Little Sister," the other man said, stroking his ck beard . Unlike the man across from him, he appeared to be slightly older, as few wrinkles had already found their way on top of his forehead . His hair was neatly tied back, as scarlet as the other man¡¯s, and his eyes were simrly red, exuding strange, archaic sense of wonder . "He¡¯s still at best at Hanner¡¯s level . We have nock of talents, but those who can climb the peak . We should wait by side and observe first . " "It¡¯s strange that such a talented young man was born in an insignificant corner of the world, though . " the younger man said with a tinge of contempt in his voice . "Do not underestimate the world, Sven," the older man reprimanded him gently . "What that corner is to us, we simrly are the same to many others . " "Humph, it¡¯s only because we are still young . How would our family sit so far below if not because we simplyck enough time to grow?" "Haii . . . this is why Father appointed me as the Leader, despite you being far more talented," the older man said, sighing lightly . "You underestimate the Ancient Empires and Holy Lands too much, little brother . Though only a fool would im them to be the rulers of the world, at least on surface, they are . And, on surface, they can be . Even your talent stands no chance of contending against some of the monsters born there . You were still a child back then, but you should still remember the story of Qe¡¯ll¡¯s Sword Maiden, no?" "Humph, just a fabricated tale!" the younger man replied . "Qe¡¯ll n simply wanted to ascend to being a Holy Land at the time . " " . . . no, it wasn¡¯t a tale," the older man said, sighing deeply . "I met her once, when our Father took me to her sixteenth birthday celebration . Even though it was from afar, I confirmed it with my very own eyes Sven . Back then, I was six years older than her - twenty-two, and I barely scratched the Numinous Realm . Though I was conceited, there were many youths my age who were the same as me . However, toward her . . . we couldn¡¯t even feel jealousy, envy or anger . She was simply so far above the rest of us, it was pointless . At sixteen, she had already crossed the Mortal Realm threshold, stepping into Realm of the Exalted, and even its peak, Level 370 . By the time she was eighteen, she had already formed Soul of the Acedia, bing Imperial under the sky, at level 450 . At the age of twenty . . . she was peak Eximious Realm, having formed Heart of the Aeonian . . . Level 600 . " " . . . " the other man, however reluctant, couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of fear inside his heart . If the whole story really was true, then this simply crossed the idea of talent; it went against Heaven¡¯s Decree, and surpassed everything and everyone who ever cultivated since the dawn of time . One had to know that the woman in question only began cultivating at the age of 10 . So, in 10 years, she had gone from apletely ordinary mortal, to the Peak Aeonian, someone strong enough to form a thousand-year-long Dynasty if they wished . "Naturally, she¡¯s an exception," the older manughed candidly as he felt the atmosphere stiffen . "There hasn¡¯t been anyone else to evere close to her, but, nheless, there are many others who are monsters in their own ways . For instance, the current Core Disciple of the Skybearer Sect hasprehended [World Will] at the age of 8 . I¡¯m over two thousand years old, and even if you beat me into a paste, I couldn¡¯t even put into words that [World¡¯s Will] is . " " . . . don¡¯t worry brother . One day, our family will not fall short of those achievements . Is it true, though? What happened to Qe¡¯ll¡¯s Sword Maiden?" the younger one, called Sven, asked . "Aii . . . it was a tragedy that shook not only the Holy Lands, but the entire world," the older man smiled bitterly . "To think her closest friend and direct disciple caused the n to lose six Fiend Gods . . . haii, luckily, they had deep roots . Something like that would have crippled any n or Sect slightly weaker than them . " " . . . it was thest time someone had woken a Fiend or a Prime, no?" Sven asked, a rare sh of absolute terror and fear crossing his eyes . "Hopefully, it will be thest time ever . " the older man said, his entire body shuddering . "Those things . . . do not belong to this world . " Chapter 81 Chapter 81 CHAPTER 81 DAYS BEFORE THE AUCTION While countless disciples of numerous Sects within the Valley burned midnight oil to get to the Grens City in time for the auction, Lino was currently standing inside the handmade smithy, looking at the table full of exquisite items . [Blood-forged Flower], [Tempered Eternal Stone], [Tears of the Phoenix], [Aeonian Stone] . . . his brows couldn¡¯t help but twitch . Though he had requested some resources from Ava, he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be this generous . All of these were at least Level 100 materials, and even among the rares ones of that level . Furthermore, with Level 85 [Burning Heart me], Lino realized he¡¯d have to hold back . . . horrendously . Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t he be pooping out Legendary items left and right? Wouldn¡¯t that simply lower their value? However, there are naturally differences between Legendary items; Level 10 and Level 100 Legendary items were like the difference between Heaven and Earth,pletely iparable . Shit, what was that woman thinking?!! I clearly told her just to get me some ordinary materials!! I¡¯m afraid to death to check out the materials she prepared for her staff! I swear, if there¡¯s a Level 200 material, I¡¯ll find her and spank her butt! Lino couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he withdrew to another table, where a stack of papers, ink and pen were waiting . It was time for him to design what he would be crafting . He figured, in two weeks, he¡¯d be able to craft around twenty items, though of course he¡¯d limit the auction to fifteen at most . Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t that woman exploit him to death?! In three months . . . he wagered he should even have superfluous materials for the arrays, formations, weapons and such for the uing war . He would be lying if he said he waspletely calm; though he was quite stronger than when he departed from the Umbra Kingdom, it wasn¡¯t by a huge amount . That¡¯s why he decided to save a few items that he crafts for himself, especially those that turn out to be superb . After all, he can¡¯t spoil his customers with the best stuff right out of the gate . Two weeks shed past in a blink, and the Grens City was currently enjoying poption that it simply couldn¡¯t sustain . Instead, outside its gates, countless tents were risen where hundreds of people were living . Only the most famous and imposing figures were allowed to rest in the city itself . Currently, within the Major¡¯s Manor, at the top of the humongous tower, Ava was staring dazed at the thirteen items on the table in front of her . Her will, one she thought she had trained to the utmost state, was crumbling . Greed and desire akin to something she never felt before in her life surged within her heart, tempting whispers lingering sweetly in her mind . . . Take us . . . and fleeeeeee . That¡¯s right; the mighty Major Ava desired nothing more than to take all these thirteen items, flip a middle finger to the world and leave . Though she was rather expectant of the items that would be put on auction, she didn¡¯t raise her hopes too high . After all, Lino, despite his rather robust body, seemed to be eighteen at most . Perhaps twenty, if he had one of those child-like faces that drew women mad . But, any hopes she had in her wildest dreams were far surpassed . . . of thirteen items, eight were of [Rare] make, three were of [Unique] rarity, and two were of [Epic] quality . Such assortment . . . she hadn¡¯t even seen when she visited her n¡¯s Treasure Vault a long time ago . "Hoy, hoy!" Lino cried out, detesting the act of ignoring he was being subjected to . I know you¡¯re smitten by this master, but at least show some self-restrain woman! You¡¯re salivating all over the ne I¡¯ve ved for three days to craft!! Dammit woman!! "Earth to Ava! Hoi!" "Y-yes?!" startled out of her daze, she barely pulled her eyes away from the items on the table . "Holy shit, I¡¯ve been standing here for ten minutes! What¡¯s wrong with you?!" " . . . uh, I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry . Please forgive me . " Eeh?! What¡¯s with that blush?! Aren¡¯t you married?! Don¡¯t you have kids?! For holler¡¯s sake!! "Ugh, whatever . So, tell me, where will the auction be held? There are like ten billion people out there!" "Uh, I was nning on holding it here but . . . there¡¯s not enough room . I didn¡¯t expect so many people toe, to tell you the truth," No shit . "But, it¡¯s fine . I¡¯ve already obtained the tform, so the auction will be held outside, in the ins . There should be enough room . " Lino rolled his eyes at her but nodded . "Well, anyway, here¡¯s the list of the resources I want in exchange," Lino handed her a thick stack of papers that listed nearly two hundred items in total . "Have your auctioneer remember them all, as well as how many points they¡¯re worth . Item will go to the person with the highest amount of points . Got it?" " . . . yeah . " still in daze, she faintly nodded . Lino shook his head and left; though he very much liked when his ego was stroked, he also knew that this was far too important for him . He¡¯s far too weak now, and the least he can do is provide the materials for those who were much stronger than him . Despite his outward bravado, he was very much aware of his strength; while he could holler a round or two with a Mythic Realm Cultivator, he would definitely be unable to defeat them without using any of his special items . And, even with those, Peak Mythic Realm was his utmost limit, and even that with steadfast heart to sacrifice numerous items, and receive wounds that would leave him bedridden for months . "You¡¯re desperate for strength," a robotic voice echoed his thoughts into words as Lino strolled down the streets, aimlessly . "I didn¡¯t expect that from you . " "It¡¯s your friend¡¯s fault," Lino sighed . "Why did he have to interject in these matters?! Should Devil Father or whatever be upied with more pressing issues?!" Lino was truly at the verge of tears because of that old man . Why couldn¡¯t he have just left him alone?! " . . . if he hadn¡¯t, you¡¯d have been dead by now . Every time you fought, you released pure, Chaotic Qi into the world . The only reason you were never spotted was because of the sheer amount of Devil Qi present in the world currently, making it obscure in the sea . " " . . . when Eshen was fighting, there weren¡¯t any demonic invasions . " Linoined . "What about that?! Huh?!" " . . . the difference is that I¡¯m not holding anything back with you," the robotic voice replied . "I¡¯m giving you my utmost support, which makes it so that I can¡¯t help you mask the Chaotic Qi . If I did, you wouldn¡¯t even reach Mid Core Realm by now, even if you struggled three times as much . " "Haii . . . " Lino sighed, shaking his head . "I don¡¯t know if I should be grateful to you two, or smack you dead . " "If you want to get stronger," the robotic voice said . "Cultivate seriously . There are no shortcuts to the Path of Truth; in the end, the only true way to strengthen yourself is to cultivate . Even if I can provide you with knowledge of countless things, I can never provide you with understandings of them . You have to contemte the Truth on your own . " "What¡¯s that about?" Lino asked, slightly shocked . "For instance, the that you¡¯ve obtained . How many times have you truly trained it without holding anything back? Not even once . Even if you know how to utilize the spear, you don¡¯t understand it . No amount of Qi, or any other supplementary material will ever make up the difference of knowledge and understanding . " " . . . I only have one Martial Art that I can use for attacking! What the hell can I even contemte?!" "Who says that?" the voice rebuked . "Martial Art is a simple convergence of knowledge . They aren¡¯t be-all-do-all guides on how to utilize something . The Spear Scripture didn¡¯t exist when I first began teaching humans . Rather, thorough the eons of time, it was cultivated by every new generation of Empyreans, until it attained its perfect form . You¡¯re a possessor of the Chaotic Qi, its purest form; you can manipte it to your will . The only thing holding you back is your fear . " "Haii, old man, you trust me way too much," Lino chuckled bitterly . "How can I cultivate my own Martial Art? Haven¡¯t you forgotten who I am? At best, I can think of shooting a beam of light at someone . " "It¡¯s a beginning, and it¡¯s difficult, as any other . Do you think I came to be alongside nearly fifteen thousand functions? No . I sought them out myself, studied them, implemented them, perfected them . Always brave onwards, no matter the walls you have to leap over . It¡¯s the heart of the Empyrean; the Soul that¡¯s the ultimate fuel . " "You¡¯re rather chatty today," Lino squinted his eyes, stroking his chin . "I¡¯ll wager a guess as to why . You have absolutely zero faith of us defeating that demonic army, which is why you¡¯re telling me to urgently power-up . How close am I?" " . . . " the silence was the perfect answer; Lino sighed yet again . It seems that I have to brave the burden all by my lonesome . Haii, how difficult it is to be a hero? To be the guiding light to those lost, poor souls? Haii, forget it, forget it . I shall shoulder it all! Tsk, tsk, I¡¯m a really good person . I wonder if there¡¯s anyone better out there in the world . Heh, probably not . Chapter 82 Chapter 82 CHAPTER 82 WHEN THINGS GO GREAT The auction avenue wasn¡¯t anything like Lino was expecting; settled just outside the Grens City, on the massive ins, it spanned over three thousand squared kilometers, and rose up to nearly sixty meters into the sky . Built like a half-circr diator arena, on one end were the seats, one row over another, while on another was a massive, rectangr tform hovering slightly above the ground . While thick walls epassed it all around, it wasn¡¯t roofed, revealing the starlit sky far up above, graced with silver-piercing, round, full moon . It was a truly beautiful sight to behold, Linomented, rued by the thousands of people currently sitting and chatting ceaselessly . By Lino¡¯s ount, there were at least twenty thousand people present, and to make matters worse, even the weakest of them was at Level 92, Mythic Realm . Technically, Lino was the weakest person in the entire avenue, which infuriated him quite a bit . To think that so many people would show up even when he demanded materials as an exchange . . . haii, world truly didn¡¯tck rich young masters . Lino sat in a corner,pletely inconspicuous and ignored by the crowd . Ava opted not to have VIP rooms as, ording to her, ¡¯everyone attending would be an VIP¡¯ . Lino didn¡¯t really care, one way or another; he only wanted to quickly get this over with so he can see how much can he squeeze out of these rich bastards with too much free time on their hands . It was just as the midnight ticked that a beautiful woman appeared on the tform out of nowhere . She wore just a few pieces of clothing, revealing long, thin legs and cleavage that looked more like a massive crevice in earth . She had dazzling smile spread across her thin, beautiful face . Even Lino couldn¡¯t help but gulp slightly; he must ask Ava to introduce her to him after this is over . Hmm, I can hire her as an assistant . Heh, hehehe . . . he had perverted smile on his face which he quickly hid, immediately appearing to be a savant of skies . "Wee, Honored Guests," Hiss, even her voice is soooooo good!! "To the very first auction of ¡¯Exotic Workshop¡¯ . " that was the name that Ava suggested for the shop, and Lino agreed as he didn¡¯t really care . "Today is a rare chance to obtain exquisite treasures crafted by a cksmith that the Major discovered . As for the rules, I am sure you¡¯re all familiar with them; everything is the same as with every other auction save for the currency - we¡¯ll only ept various materials that are listed in the booklets you were given . Without further ado, let me present you with the first item of the auction - [Rare] grade sword, [Heaven Piercer] . " another two beautifuldies hollered over a shiny sword on a cart, presenting it to the riled up masses . "Crafted from the [Tempered Hell Metal] and enhanced with [Level 40 Fire Demonic Core], its main property is the fact that each swing will unleash a torrential fire upon your foes . The minimum price is 100 points, and each increase must be at least 10 . " as she finished, the stats of the weapon were also presented to everyone in the audience . [Heaven Piercer - Rare] Level: 80 Damage: 488-920 +10% Fire Affinity Special Effect: Each attack unleashes torrent of fire in a frontal cone . The amount of fire depends on the expended Qi . Note: Crafted from ordinary materials, it became extraordinary weapon . There was only a moment of stiff silence before the entire ce erupted in bids and chatter and cheers . Even Lino nearly fell on his bum when he heard someone immediately call out ¡¯1000 points¡¯ . ording to his demands, the most valuable material was at 10,000 points, while majority were around 100 points . I wonder how will they lose their shit when the [Epic] one gets on stage? Lino stroked his chin as he watched them throw away money, snickering silently . "2000!!" "5000!!!" "Fuck, I¡¯m a Heavenly Son of Dru¡¯gh the Great, and I will bid 10,000 points!! Which one of you bastards dare go against me?!" "Fuck you, Heavenly Dung of Fuck-nothing!! Daddy here bids 15,000 points! What can you do about it, huh?!" "Screw it, I¡¯m bidding 30,000!! I have to get that sword!!" "35,000!!" "37,000!!" Lino was currently standing shellshocked . Oi, oi, did worms eat your brains?!!! It¡¯s just a shitty sword!! It literally took me an hour to craft it!! Are you all insane?! However, what Lino didn¡¯t know is that these people didn¡¯tck resources, but means to turn them into battle strength . One has to know that even if theye across another [Rare] weapon, chances of it having attributes such as bonus ¡¯Fire Affinity¡¯ or Special Effect are so small one can¡¯t even dream of it . Yet, the sword before them had both . What did that signal? It signaled that it was not only extremely strong, but also extremely sturdy! Ava was also currently sitting some ways off, a smile on her face . She indeed expected this; if she had thick enough of a skin, she¡¯d bid herself on every single one of the items . However, she pushed down the desire as she was already promised a [Legendary] grade staff . In her eyes, these people were fighting for crumbs while she was getting the actual bread . She knew that Lino hid some of the things he crafted, but she didn¡¯t care . It¡¯d be weird if he didn¡¯t; after all, this was more than enough for the shop to immediately be a legendary existence in the valley . She was also d that those bigshots were holding back; an ¡¯idental¡¯ leak let them know that there would be an [Epic] grade sword at the end of the auction . I wonder for how much will it sell? 500 million? Hmm . . . If Lino could hear her thoughts, he¡¯d definitely shudder and cringe . Which idiot would give away so many resources for an [Epic] weapon?! s, that was what it meant tock understanding of the masses . In the end, the sword was bought by a middle-aged man for incredible 140,000 points, and after Lino saw the mass of resources the man was handing over with a smile on his face, he nearly went down and smacked his head silly to educate him of the value . If Lino wanted, of those resources that the man gave away, he could craft at least 60 of those swords!! Good lord! Following the sword, three additional [Rare] quality items were auctioned off, each selling for at least 130,000 points . Lino became slightly numb to it all, realizing he didn¡¯t need 3 months . Heck, he can probably gather everything he needed in 10 days . These people were way too rich in his eyes . "Next up, we have something different," the woman on the stage calmed the crowd easily with her charming smile . I must have her! "The following item is neither armor nor weapon, but don¡¯t disregard it so quickly . Of [Unique] grade, it¡¯s a priceless treasure for anyone cultivating Earth Qi . [Totem of Earth Gods] is its name . " suddenly, a five meters tall totem appeared on the stage seemingly out of nowhere . It exuded extraordinary aura, seemingly sucking all Earthly Qi around it directly . It had strange carvings around its surface, with wing-like extrusions at the sides of its main body . When the audience saw its stats, there was only utter silence . [Totem of the Earth Gods - Unique] Level: NIL +100% Earth Affinity +10% Attraction to Earth Spirits Special Effect: Speed of cultivating Earth Qi is increased by 400% . Special Effect: Increases battle capabilities in the mountainous terrain by 20% Note: One of its kind, the item cannot be replicated by any means; it will forever be helpful to those fated to it . Silence . Utter,plete silence . Ava understood . She was the same when she first saw the stats . This was no longer something that should be craftable by a human hand; this belonged to the Realm of Gods in her eyes . She believed it was utter waste to auction it off here . Rather, she wanted to take it to the Central Continent, or even perhaps Holy Continent, and auction it off there . She was confident she could have sold it for at the very least 10 billion Supreme Qi Stones . However, when she told Lino it could take years for that to happen, he just dismissed it and told her to sell it here for whoever¡¯s fated to it . "HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!!" "WHAT THE FUCK?!!!" "THAT¡¯S A LIE!!! THAT¡¯S A FUCKING LIE!!!" hundreds of voices hollered all sorts of profanities as they were unable to make peace with the fact that something like that actually existed . "Staring price is 100,000 points, each increase must be at least 10,000 points . Go . " there was only a moment of silence before everything exploded . "1 million!!" "Ten million!!!" bigshots finally began joining in, causing Lino to actually plummet down on his knees . However, nobody even paid any attention to him . T-ten million?!!!! WHY DON¡¯T YOU JUST THROW YOUR GODDAMN MONEY AWAY, YOU ABSOLUTE MORONS!!! However, when the price reached 100 million, Lino gave up . Forget 10 days, he already had enough resources to go back, burn half of them as an offering to god of tits and wine, and still have excess for the war . A-am I the retarded one?! Should--should I have held back a bit more?! But hell, I barely squeezed half of my skills even into that [Epic] sword!! Are they really thirsty?! Another thing Lino didn¡¯t know is that, besides weapons and armors, unique items like the totem were not only rare, but almost non-existent . In the end, everyone would asionallye across a fortuitous encounter where they¡¯d get a hold of a decent weapon or armor, but when it came to unique items, they can only sit back in the corner and dream about them . Especially something like the totem, which didn¡¯t only increase their potential in present, but would do so for endless years toe . Even when they died, their future generations would still ride the skies so long as they had the totem . If someone started cultivating at an early age with the totem around, they¡¯re bound to be invincible existence in the world even if their talent was so bad it went in reverse . In the end, it was sold for 400 million points to an old man, who immediately became the source of envy for hundreds of people in the audience . Meanwhile, Lino was crying . Not metaphorically, or figuratively; he was literally crying in the corner . For how much he struggled through his life, these farts were throwing money toward the sky without a care in the world . Unjust!! The world is so unjust!! Chapter 83 Chapter 83 CHAPTER 83 WHEN THINGS GO AWRY Lino sat in the corner of the auction house, growing ever so numb to the headache-inducing prices that his items were being sold for . One after another, the pile just kept on growing till the point he simply couldn¡¯t be bothered to count any longer . With his mind already off to the near future and the war itself, he appeared slightly dazed . Moment by moment, the auction continued heating up as the remaining [Rare] and [Unique] items were sold off . A few among the audience who were yet to ce the bet grew fidgety as they knew what was thest item: an [Epic] grade one . Something that¡¯s as rare as feathers of a Phoenix . They stared intently as the woman atop the tform smiled flirtatiously . "The next item is thest of the auction," she said . "And, as they say, we saved the best forst . [Swallower of Skies] is a Level 90 sword, perfect for those of you who aim for speed . Bring it up . " as the cloth atop the table was unveiled and sword beneath shown, it took but a moment for the entire ce to fall silent; yet, just that momentter, it erupted in chatter, noise booming all throughout . [Swallower of Skies - Epic] Level: 90 Damage: 4180-5833 Magic Damage: 1820-2400 +100% to Hand Speed +20% to Agility +10 Agility +15 Speed Special Effect: infusing the Sword with Qi will unleash pseudo-Sword Lights in a quarter a mile range Special Effect: attacking will automatically create blurry afterimages as to simte the unparalleled speed Special Effect: sword can evolve 2 times by being infused with enough Sky Qi - 1/10,000 Note: Unparalleled in its range, the Swallower is beyond sharp and quick, perfect for swordmasters . Even Lino was jolted to reality by the erupting cheers, causing him to sigh . By the time he came to, he realized that the price was already at 500 million, surpassing the best-selling totem by a hundred million already . He couldn¡¯t be bothered to stand there any longer so he quietly left, departing from the arena-like auction house anding to the open field shortly after . It was well beyond midnight, moon in its silver hue hanging high up in the sky, surrounded by countless stars . There was a trace of meek breeze brushing past one¡¯s cheeks, yet the temperature remained on the higher end . Lino looked up toward the sky and wondered how he was going to spend the remaining two and a half months before his promised return . I suppose I ought to start cultivating seriously . . . I should reach at least Mid Mythic Realm before the war, as otherwise I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be as useful . . . "You should get ready . " robotic voice suddenly echoed inside his mind, startling him . "For what?" Lino asked, frowning . "I sense immense amount of Devil Qi inside the arena and the surrounding forests . " Lino nearly slipped over and fell, rolling his eyes so hard they nearly got stuck in the back of his skull . "Holy shit, and you thought NOW was the good time to tell me?!!! What the fuck do you want me to do?!" " . . . " "Right, now you go quiet . Screw you . I hope you break your freaking spine . " Lino mumbled curses lowly before turning around and going to the backstage entrance of the arena were Ava was . He knew that there was no time to lose . The hell are they doing here though? Can¡¯t they tell that it¡¯s a massive gathering of cultivators of all things? Ugh, whatever . Lino quickly found Ava who was sitting with glee stered on her face, eyes shining in gold as she counted the sheer amount of resources inside the few Void Rings atop of her palms . "Hey . " startled, she nearly pped Lino silly until she realized it was him . "Hey my ass! Don¡¯t startle me like that!" " . . . quite the --ugh, no time for that . Let¡¯s go . " "Go where?" Ava asked, slightly confused . " . . . I sensed overbearing amounts of Devil Qi around this ce . It¡¯s about to boom . " ": . . " "Yup . " " . . . " "No matter how wide you make your ¡¯o¡¯ mouths, it ain¡¯t gonna change a thing . " " . . . " "Oh for the love of--" just as Lino was about to pull her up and outside, a singr explosion bellowed out from inside the arena, followed closely after by screams and shouts of pain and agony . Both Lino and Ava were blown backward like kites, spiraling past the arena and into the open field where they rolled on the floor for nearly a good half a mile before finallying to a stop . Lino immediately got on top of his feet and looked toward the auction house, were sky-high mes were raging like demons from hell . A mere momentter, several dozen shes of light heaved out of the mes and barreled in an arc toward them . Startling him, Lino immediately wanted to escape but realized a firm hand grip wouldn¡¯t let him . "They¡¯re alright . " Ava said, grim expression on her face . Soon enough, several dozen peoplended in front of the two, most of whom were rather young . Lino, though, only paid attention to a few of them, all of whom were at Purity Realm; there was a youth slightly older than him with piercing, blue eyes and neatly tied hair, a stout, tall man with crimson hair and eyes and looking the type who always seems angry, with another woman standing by his side with extremely flirtatious disposition and simrly dyed hair . There were another two youths, around blue-eyed man¡¯s age, the first one havingpletely bald head and almost expressionless eyes as though he was dead inside . The other was slightly on the older side, almost nearing thirty ording to Lino¡¯s estimate . His features were hidden beneath a dark cloak and his figure was on the slender side, bordering bone-and-skin . They all exuded rather dangerous air about them . "Who was it?" Ava suddenly asked the group . "Tortar . " the blue-eyed youth replied . "He tried to steal the sword, whereupon he used Devil Qi . " "Brazen!!" Ava barked suddenly, her expression growing ever darker . "We¡¯re surrounded . " she added, looking around . "Estimated number?" the blue-eyed youth asked . "Hah, who cares? Are you that much of a coward Sevan?" the crimson-haired man said aggressively in a mocking manner . "If you¡¯re in rush to die, go ahead . Don¡¯t drag the rest of us with you . " the man called Sevan replied casually . "Humph . " "There are at least several tens of thousands of the Possessed," Ava replied . "A few dozen or so Demons, and a single Devil . " "What?! Devil?!" quite a few people eximed at the same time . "Up there . " she pointed toward the mes and above; suddenly, everyone turned their heads and spotted a figure neatly hovering in the sky, enrobed in thick shadows, exuding oppressive and dangerous air . " . . . Skydevil Variant . " Sevan mumbled, frowning . "This is dangerous . Where did theye from all of a sudden?" If I speak up, they¡¯ll berate me . Yup, definitely . Oh well . . . "From outside the Valley, I gather . " Lino spoke up, dozens of pairs of eyes immediately focusing onto him . Nearly a momentter, everyone frowned as they realized they couldn¡¯t see through this rather . . . poor-looking youth . "What makes you say that?" the crimson-haired woman asked, smiling while revealing a set of perfect, white teeth . "Because I¡¯vee across an army at least half a million strong in the forest outside the Hope Town," Lino replied honestly . "I gather this is just a scout party . " "Half a million? That means there are at least dozen Devil Variants," the woman said, her easy-going disposition suddenly reced by a grim one . "What the hell? We¡¯ve just barely gotten over thest invasion, and there¡¯s already a new one?" "There¡¯s no more time to chat," Ava suddenly interrupted . "Where¡¯s the sword?" "Here . " Sevan took it out from his void ring and handed it over . "Keep it for now," Ava said . "You¡¯ll join me against the Devil . Temar, Seya" she turned toward the crimson-haired pair . "You¡¯ll take the vanguard . Hanner," she then spoke to the balded man . "Take the supportive role . The rest of you will spread in the groups of five and begin exterminating whatever stands in your path . Lino," she then turned toward Lino and leaned in closer, whispering into his ear . "You take a chance to retreat . Though I can¡¯t see through you, I very much doubt you¡¯re that strong considering how good of a cksmith you are . " " . . . you underestimate me missy," Lino whispered back, biting her ear suddenly and grinning as she jumped back in shock . "I¡¯ll take vanguard with those steroid-induced beasts . " "Steroid-induced?" "Beasts?" "It¡¯s apliment," Lino hollered as he walked toward the two . "Heh, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve spilled some demonic blood," he mumbled, looking toward the distance where a swarm of ck began to gather . "This should help me break through . . . hopefully . . . " Chapter 84 Chapter 84 CHAPTER 84 MYTHIC REALM Ava, losing her carefree appearance and donning a majestic, sky-bearing one, took to sky alongside Sevan, bounding toward the dark shadow hovering in the sky . Ava had already perceived it was a Skydevil Variant, but merely a recently ascended one . It was only a few dozen levels or so stronger than her, but that still made him the most dangerous opponent she ever faced . Even with Sevan¡¯s backing, she was only confident in holding him back, and not much else . In the numerous books depicting Devils, the number of Variants was vast - estimated anywhere between 60 and a 100 . Being a ¡¯Variant¡¯ simply denoted the Devil¡¯s roots; for instance, Skydevil Variant meant that, prior to bing a Devil, he was a Sky Demon, born of corrupt Qi diffused directly into air . Unlike the Six Exalted Royalties of the Devils - whose roots stemmed directly from the Devil Qi itself - other variants weren¡¯t as dangerous, but were still fiendishly difficult to deal with . "Hmm?" a hoarse voice broke out from the shadows as Ava and Sevan ascended before the Devil . "Hallowed bitch dares show up before me?!" "A Skydevil child calling me a bitch?" Ava smiled nonchntly . "World must have turned upside down since Ist left my home . " "Heh, a brave front," the voice said with a faint chuckle . "Are you so terrified of me that you¡¯d bring a kid along to die with you?" "Are all Devils this arrogant?" Sevan asked genuinely . "Ha ha, you¡¯ve got no idea Sevan," Avaughed . "This? This is just a little kid trying to imitate adults . Why do you think he¡¯s talking to us? He first wants to see if the battles below go his way . If they don¡¯t, he¡¯ll most-likely scurry back to the hole he crawled out from, begging his master with a snot-infested face to take revenge for him . " " . . . you¡¯ve really got a tongue on you, hallowed bitch," hoarse voice remained strangelyposed . "But, it doesn¡¯t matter . I suppose I should let you vent before thest breath . " "Why don¡¯t we observe the battle down below in silence, eh?" Ava said, grinning as she turned her sight toward the charging armies down below . In reality, she wished she didn¡¯t have to fight the Devil; if the others were able to gain advantage and force the other side to retreat, that would be for the best . It would also give her time to inform her Elders to send proper reinforcements . A boy-aged Skydevil Variant certainly wouldn¡¯t be the leader of anything, let alone an expedition into the Gaia . That, at the very least, required someone at least as strong as a human Deus Imperium cultivator and would most-likely end up being one of the Six Exalted Devil Variants - God-Devil, Death-Devil, Sin-Devil, The Fallen, The Exalted or The Imperial . There¡¯s even a chance a descendant of those old monsters might show up . . . the very thought gave Ava shivers . While the battle of observation was urring in the sky, Lino - alongside Temar and Seya - was leading a charge with roughly fifteen other cultivators as a vanguard force . They seemed to have a rather imposing momentum, but whenpared to the force opposite of them - numbering in tens of thousands - they looked like mice charging against a giant . Lino sensed the long-buried longing inside his heart, that familiar me, urge, the utmost need, being born . It began to spread, to blossom like a flower, taking root in every part of his body bit by bit . The Writ¡¯s already insane cirction speed increased, Qi traveling throughout his entire body like a gushing river . Unlike other cultivators, who would create an Inner World upon reaching Soul Realm and store their Qi there, Lino¡¯s Qi wasn¡¯t stationary; it was everywhere and nowhere and could be employed at any point of his body but with a thought . His entire body was simply a channel for the rampaging force to travel through . He fished into the void world and took out the Dragon Spear; its sharp tips bellowed silently, resonating with the battle intent of its wielder . Crimson mes urged along the shaft like tiny, coiling dragons, waking the light in the ever falling darkness . Both Seya and Temar trembled for a moment; those mes caused their Seeds to tremble . As Purity Realm cultivators who had already shed their body of its original mortality, for their own Seed - the very essence of their power - to tremble was something neither had experienced before, not even whening face to face with those old monsters . This seemed more akin to a primal urge to bow before something innatelyrger than them; it only meant that those faintly flickering crimson mes wrapping around the shaft of the strange boy¡¯s spear were innately purer than the mes of their own Seeds . Both nced at each other for a moment in wonder, but as though they realized their action, scoffed and looked away shortly after . Though this didn¡¯t escape Lino¡¯s sight, he didn¡¯t say anything . Even if he preferred crafting over battling, he¡¯d be lying if he said he didn¡¯t like the current feeling, the feeling of heralding himself over into the unknown with every muscle in his body screaming to tear open a void in space and down a god all on his own . The distance between the two sides shortened quickly, and by the time they were fifty meters apart, Lino¡¯s eyes grew into slits as he urged Qi into his feet . The originally chaotic Qi soon changed forms, turning into spectral, azure lightning . Like tiny specs they evolved from mere shes to full bolts that wrapped around his feet like serpents, shing brilliantly in dark night . Lino¡¯s lips curled up into a grim smile as he suddenly bounced off the earth and spiraled through the sky in a beautiful arc of azure lighting, crossing fifty meters and more in a sh and diving straight into the heart of the entire formation . Everyone watching suddenly got startled, especially Ava who stared at what just happened with cked jaw . Seya and Temar were no better, as both simply had an idea of taking the brunt hit and immediately retreating as numbers were simply too much . However, seeing this kid whose cultivation they couldn¡¯t see through just jump into the heart of massive, ckened swarm caused their hearts to stir . SO COOL!! If Lino could read their thoughts, he would smugly reply ¡¯Damn hell it¡¯s cool!¡¯ . But, at the moment, he didn¡¯t really care . It wasn¡¯t much of a conscious decision to dive in like a fool, but more of an instinctual desire . As though ck swarms of Demonically Possessed were weing him with open arms, he dove straight in with a big grin on his face, pointing the spear downward and crashing down like a falling star . Immediately, a booming explosion urred which sent mashes of ck blood and rotting organs flying, alongside piercing screams and shouts and masses of shattered rock . It rained outwardly like a fountain, the initial range of impact nearly a hundred meters across . Lino rested but for a moment inside the settling dust as his ck eyes grew ever darker . He sensed madness rapture his heart, cracking the faint sanity which remained . In that single impact, he had managed to increase his Level . It was a beyond wonderful feeling, sensing Qi surge like raging waves throughout his body . Bathing in it for a moment, he flicker his sleeve and donned the Soul Armor as well as other pieces he crafted; though they weren¡¯t a part of the set, they were still individually rather strong . Behind him, ck cape flutter like fleeting shadow, spear exuding radiance of brutal death . He looked like a knight arisen from hell as he bolted forward, his feet still coated in lightning . Rather than retreating backwards after causing a massivemotion, he dove even deeper in . Pinning the spear in-between his ribs and arm, he took out a sword from the void world, which was also a high-ranked [Epic] weapon he crafted in the first batch, he was like a mowing death, piercing straight through dozens of the Possessed and pinning them atop of the spear before flickering it sideways and sending their dismembered pieces flying . Endless wails and cries of agony and pain beckoned into the sky as the seeming incantation of death descended upon the army of Demons . Deep within the ranks, a few Greater Demons finally responded to themotion as they broke ranks and immediately flew over to where Lino was causing havoc . Three of them intercepted him, stopping his endless onught . As he was forced to retreat backwards, his grinning expression darkened, as though he was a kid who suddenly had his favorite toy taken away after ying with it . "You¡¯ve sure got balls kid . " one of the Greater Demons said, smiling wickedly . "But, your ytime ends here . " Lino scrutinized the three deeply; all three were early-ranked Purity Realm cultivators . If he were in his normal mood, he¡¯d avoid them like gue . Yet, a voice deep within his heart kept whispering ¡¯You can kill them . . . you can kill them . . . ¡¯ repeatedly, urging him to just continue his onught . "Heh, you fuckers sure are obstinate," Lino said as he withdrew the sword and held the spear with both his hands . He then began sending droves of Qi directly into the spear¡¯s shaft, causing crimson mes and golden light to radiate out ever more brilliantly . At the same time, he decided to dispose of uracy in favor of more speed . "Come then, let¡¯s have some fun . " You¡¯ll be my grind wall for Mythic Realm, heh . . . Without waiting for any of three to speak, Lino was the first to move as he swept the spear sideways, sending an array of golden light toward the trio . He followed right behind, his feet coated in lighting; he didn¡¯t dare reveal his Wings as he was afraid someone would recognize him - at least until he was in deadly danger . In the end, lighting also provided sufficient speed as he was moving faster than any of the three Greater Demons were able to anticipate . The three worked in concert as they split into a triangle formation, making sure Lino had no path of retreat; however, hepletely ignored their games and dove straight towards the one who spoke . Just as the Demon deflected the golden array of light, the face of a boy carrying maddening expression and a smile of a Devil appeared before him, startling the Demon . He immediately shuffled the Devil Qi inside of him and pushed it outwardly to create a massive veil in front of him like a shield . However, it was useless . Like ss, the veil shattered as unstoppable spear pierced through, barely missing the Demon¡¯s vitals and striking at his shoulder . Rather than being pinned, he was blown backward into the sky like a cannonball, flying nearly five miles beforeing to a halt . Rather than following up, Lino swept the spear downwards, stuck it into the ground, spun around and blew himself forward toward another Demon using the momentum . While midair, he kept pouring Qi into the shaft and already began attacking . Though he was unable to externalize Qi on his own, using weapon as a conduit, he could still attack from range, though the damage was lowered greatly . However, he didn¡¯t care . Soon, sky was bathed in brilliant, majestic radiance of crimson and golden hue interwoven like lovers as they dove toward the Great Demon who had a dark expression . Though the lights themselves didn¡¯t pose much threat, the youth before him certainly wasn¡¯t easy; for some reason, he was still unable to discern the youth¡¯s cultivation, but, at the very least, he wagered that youth was a notch above them, which was at mid-Purity Realm, and it looks like he condensed three Seeds - one of Light, one of Thunder and one of mes . One has to know that having three Seeds means one¡¯s Qi is six times purer than having one Seed, while its quantity is at least three times as much . It means that even if all three of them pooled together, they still wouldn¡¯t match this single youth¡¯s Qi reserves, whether in quantity or quality . Lino appeared before him like an apparition, that maddened grin sending shivers down the Demon¡¯s spine . Thetter wasn¡¯t careless and had already poured all his Qi into a [Rare] graded shield that was a treasure he was gifted by the Master after sessfully breaking through to Purity Realm . However, it was useless; how could he know that the spear in Lino¡¯s hands was not only a [Legendary] grade one, but was also crafted by a legendary Exalted-ranked cksmith? Even if you gave him ten thousand chances, he¡¯d have never guessed the seemingly slightly above-average spear was so strong . Like piercing a piece of bread, spear went straight through to the shock of the Great Demon whose expression immediately grew pained as he realized spear¡¯s tip pierced his chest and straight through his heart . No matter how strong his vitality is, he was just a Purity Realm cultivator; his Seed was still in his heart, and having it pierced, even if he by some miracle survived, his cultivation days are over . Overwhelmed with anger, he couldn¡¯t hold it in and roared toward the sky in anger as he drove thest ounce of Qi into the Seed, forcibly erging it to explode . Lino naturally didn¡¯t know what Seed was or what imploding it meant, he only felt a massive amount of Qi condensing into a singrity . Crap! He had but a moment to conjure a thought before the Demon in front of him blew up into mass of meat and blood, and ckening storm . A force beyond what Lino could handle pounded against his chest, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood as he felt his organs churn in difort . Luckily, all his gear was extremely sturdy; he was merely blown backwards, but didn¡¯t sustain a deadly injury . Gotta watch out for this! He wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and nced at thest remaining Great Demon who came to stop him, smiling grimly . The Demon stood shellshocked and watched the youth focus onto him; it all happened within seconds!! His two brothers who were both slightly stronger than him were either crippled or outright killed within mere seconds!! And even a full-on explosion of one¡¯s Seed barely scratched the youth! A single thought emerged inside the Demon¡¯s head: run . It was only then that Temar and Seya arrived at the frontlines, struggling to ept what their eyes were seeing . They were not alone, though . Ava, Sevan, Skydevil, Hanner, Endor . . . they all stared at this unassuming youth that tagged along with Ava . There was eerie silence epassing the battlefield, one broken by Lino who brandished his spear yet again . "Ha ha, finally!! Finally!!!" others may not know what it meant, but he certainly did: a robotic voice sounded inside his head . [Congrattions on reaching Mythic Realm . . . ] [Analyzing . . . ] [Analysis Complete] [Evaluation: Superb] [Ascended to Mythic Realm via killing Purity Realm Greater Demon] [Fourth Gate Opening pending . . . ] [Rewards pending . . . ] [Quest updated: Current Realm insufficient, raise to Late Mythic Realm] [ . . . ] [Please finish the battle before undergoing the official ascension . . . ] Chapter 85 Chapter 85 CHAPTER 85 FRIEND FROM THE OTHER SIDE As Lino was wreaking havoc across the Demonic army, the trio in the sky all observed the action with different expressions; Ava¡¯s was one of the shock andplete confusion . If someone told her Lino was one of the most talented cksmiths in the world, she would still be inclined to believe them as she witnessed his potential firsthand . From that, she also derived that he must have spent every day since his early youth studying and practicing the craft to achieve the knowledge he currently possessed . At the same time, if someone told her that his cultivation was at the very least of Purity Realm and that he was a fighter cruel beyond reason, she¡¯d have smacked that person immediately . It was universally known that, despite the nigh limitless lifespan of cultivators, it was just the same nigh impossible to follow two paths at the same time . Road of cultivation was endless; in actuality, since the dawn of time, not a single cultivator had approached the realm of Primes and Fiends from the Ancient Eras . While Ava couldn¡¯t im she had met the most powerful cultivators in the world, she had peered toward the top, and it was still marred with more potential . Even today, those old monsters in seclusion were doing their hardest to break further . They simply had no time to pay attention to anything else . A person would choose their path as early as the Core Realm, as that¡¯s when their innate talents were revealed to the world . Those who were talented in cultivation would pursue that path, perhaps only asionally dabbling in the auxiliary fields as a reference . Those who were not would pursue some of the other myriad paths: cksmithing, alchemy, talismans, formations, arrays, runes, etc . . Even if there were a minuscule amount of people who followed two paths due to their immense talents, sooner orter they¡¯d leave one rotting in the dust . What startled her, though, was that Lino disyed talent in both crafting and cultivation that shouldn¡¯t be possible within a single person, especially due to his young age . It meant that he had to divide his attention between crafting and cultivating, yet still managed to progress to the point where he could easily be considered a top genius in both fields even whenpared to First-tier Sects from the Upper Strata of cultivation . While he stillcked quite a bit to bepared to those inhuman kids from Holy Grounds, one can easily attribute it to the fact that he came from nowhere and nobody . Perhaps others may not know, but she knew that Lino came from the other end of the gorge, from the ce that nobody really paid any attention to . She was simply unable to process what she was witnessing properly, feeling as though every bit of her worldly understanding was being crushed under the feet of this berserk-looking youth . Hovering next to her, Sevan had other thoughts; he didn¡¯t know that Lino was a cksmith who crafted the sword he was currently holding . Had he, he¡¯d have probably already knelt before the youth . He only saw the immense strength Lino possessed which inspired his fighting spirit to yearn to spar with the unknown youth . It was even more so because he realized that Lino was a Body Cultivator, a branch of cultivation that had nearly gone extinct in the world . In the end, who would willingly throw their bodies into mes and frost of hell over being able to summon those two to do their bidding? Even Temar and Seya, and perhaps even their Elders, who can be considered quasi-Body Cultivators would never dare do what Lino did - jump straight into the fray without any consideration . At best, they¡¯d act as vanguard force as their bodies were considerably more durable than those of ordinary cultivators . His grip on the sword tightened as he wondered how can he get the youth to spar with him, at least once . However, of the three, Skydevil¡¯s expression was the oddest; there was a trace of surprise, a bit of joy, and even some glee mixed in there . If one didn¡¯t know any better, they¡¯d think he was looking at his pupil destroying his enemies, and not a random kid ravishing his own army . However, if one was to peer into his mind, they¡¯d perhaps even be more shocked of what they¡¯d find in there . ¡¯So he¡¯s my future Little Master, huh?¡¯ Skydevil¡¯s name was Linger, and he was direct descendant of the Skydevil¡¯s current Patriarch . Though political games ran deep there, there were generally two factions, and his Patriarch belonged to those who sided with the Origin Father - the Father of all Devils . ¡¯Heh, if Master knew I met the little devil in the middle of nowhere, would he be surprised?¡¯ his thin lips curled up in a faint smile as he observed Lino decimate three Great Demons under hismand . ¡¯His growth is steady,¡¯ Linger thought . ¡¯It looks like the Writ is bending rules to help him out . Even so . . . aren¡¯t you being a bit free-willed, little bugger? Fine, fine, I¡¯ll let you grind yourself to Mythic Realm, but don¡¯t you know the idea of being low-key? Look at you . Now everyone¡¯s wondering who the hell¡¯s this kid . Tsk, tsk, tsk, looks like I¡¯ll have to sneak into his room one night and properly educate him . ¡¯ Linger was one of the few Devils of younger generation that was privy to the true reason behind worldwide Demonic Invasion of Gaia; despite however many Devils protested against it, Origin Father was, in the end, Origin Father . He was a being which had long since surpassed the realm of understanding . In billions of years of Devils¡¯ existence, not a single one came even remotely close to his realm . Rather, nobody even knew what his realm was; many didn¡¯t even know whether he was dead or alive . However, Linger perchance once followed his Master to meet the Origin Father . He certainly was alive, and he certainly was iprehensible . Even so, regardless of his immense strength, he was still forced to hide away as he was unable topete with Six Writs and Gaia at the same time . Army opposing them was thin, but, in reality, only a single piece was missing . And Linger was currently staring at that missing piece who seemed to be having a lot of fun . "Kid, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve had enough fun?" Lino suddenly heard a voice breach past his barriers and directly enter his mind, startling him . He recognized the voice; it was that of Skydevil¡¯s . However, strangely, he didn¡¯t feel any hostilitying from the voice but rather a hint of yfulness . Could he . . . ? "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be ying it low-key? Heck, look at you, isn¡¯t your ego a bit too big? Tsk, tsk, you can¡¯t be like this man . " " . . . fuck . You are . " Lino mumbled, sighing . "I¡¯ve been gracious to have let you grind yourself out," Skydevil said . "But it¡¯s time to pull the curtains to your one-man show . Now I want to see your acting skills in y; pretend that you¡¯ve just suffered an injury so great that even whenpared ten thousand mountains piercing your anus, it could still hold up on the same level . " " . . . what is wrong with you? Ha, nevermind . I assume you¡¯ll find me for a chat anyway . Fine, watch me disy the world¡¯s best acting . " Lino had realized that the Skydevil was part of the few who knew the reason behind the massive invasion . If he knew and still stayed his hand, it meant he was in support of it, or at least belonged to the camp that was in support of it . His heart calmed down as he looked around and realized that everyone was looking at him with eyes that, for Lino, spelled disaster . Crap, I really overdid it . . . hai . . . He suddenly grabbed at his chest and his vicious expression turned timid and painful . He gurgled for a moment as his face contorted, a mouthful of purely ck blood flying out like a bomb out of his mouth . He fell onto his knees and dropped the spear, suddenly heaving his head backward and roaring into the sky like a beast approaching the threshold of death . His muscles bulged and his armor cracked slightly, which pained him perhaps more than anything as it would require a lot of resources to repair . Blood began oozing from his ears, lips, nose, eyes, and countless other points across his body . The victorious imagine he disyed just now waspletely gone, reced by one of utter horror . "GODDAMMIT!!!!!" he bellowed, truly making others feel as if he was just about to die . Many, including Ava and Sevan, came to a simple conclusion: he overdrew himself and now he¡¯s suffering from bacsh . With worried expression, Ava signaled Temar and Seya with her eyes who immediately understood the message: save him! Two rushed in as their bodies burned in crimson mes, cleaving opposition as though they were bread . They quicklynded themselves next to Lino and watched in horror as the previously handsome boy was bleeding ck blood from everywhere, his face like a petrified statue . They quickly picked him up and carried him out of the encirclement while battling Demonically Possessed . Luckily, no Greater Demons came to stop them and they soon found themselves out, running back . Others realized that the boy just wanted to show off, which immediately nullified whatever glory Lino attained, causing him to cry inside . ¡¯Dammit, my image was perfect!!! I¡¯d have carved myself out into their hearts and remain there until they die! Now?! Now they¡¯ll be telling their grandkids the story of idiot who wanted to show off! Fuck you, thin-lipped, ugly-looking, skin-and-bones, narrow-eyed bitch! Fuck you back to hell!¡¯ Chapter 86 Chapter 86 CHAPTER 86 FOURTH GATE OPENS Lino felt shame yet, at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly proud of how he pulled wool over many eyes with his act . Still, shame far outstripped that pride, so in order to calm his bleeding soul, he decided to retreat from the battlefield altogether and undergo official transition into a Mythic Realm . From Mortal Realm to Core Realm, it meant stepping into the world of cultivation, forming a Core and being able to sense Qi . From Core Realm to Soul Realm was the first ¡¯awakening¡¯ of sorts, where one would be aware of the tiny dot which is one¡¯s soul; their entire being would undergo a change as they¡¯d begin feeling deeply connected to Heaven and Earth . A transition from Soul Realm to Mythic Realm was both small and gigantic at the same time, depending on what one valued . Mythic Realm in and of itself didn¡¯t offer aplete metamorphism; that change would ur only when one entered Purity Realm . However, it offered a period of consolidation, where one would re-value their fundamentals and practically decide their ending point in the world of cultivation . It is by many considered one of the most important points in one¡¯s life, as it can be a final determiner to one¡¯s future . However, naturally, it waspletely different for Lino . His fundamentals couldn¡¯t be shaken as the Writ itself cultivated for him . He didn¡¯t need to consolidate anything, and one could say that Mythic Realm was simply a necessary evil for him . If he could, he¡¯d definitely choose to skip it and proceed onto Purity Realm . Still, ascension came with its benefits - primarily the opening of the Fourth Gate . Lino learned from the Writ that there are in total 72 gates to be opened; since the Writ¡¯s birth, throughout all cultivators who bore it through many eons, the highest number of gates that were opened was 31, less than half . Even Q¡¯vil, who Lino deemed to be beyond this world, had only managed to open 16 Gates by the time he died . Usually, Lino wouldn¡¯t have gotten to open the Fourth Gate so quickly; however, as most of the burden was borne by Writ itself, his body could handle it . Gates themselves were more of an abstract notion that Lino didn¡¯t truly understand; nothing inside of his body ¡¯opened¡¯ per se . It was his mind that undergoes the blurry transition; one could consider these Gates as ¡¯eyes¡¯, and with each new opened one, Lino¡¯s mind would grow clearer and sharper . This not only allowed him to perceive things far more deeply than others, it also allowed him toprehend realities far quicker . However, as it was a forceful opening, Lino couldn¡¯t even fully use the Second Gate, let alone the Fourth . He knew that himself the best, which is why he¡¯d often walk through the Hope Town while the rest of his group were doing the missions . He wasn¡¯t merelyzing around; he was trying to understand so-called ¡¯Facets of the Universe¡¯ - 72 Base Laws of existence . Despite his attempts, he¡¯d onlyprehended one and a half, which meant he could fully utilize only one Gate out of four . However, he wasn¡¯t disheartened; though his speed of cultivation was heaven-defying, he knew it meant a lot of sacrifices on his part that he simply had to make up somehow . Lino was currently floating in an absolute void, where neither light nor darkness existed . Within, there was only primal energy that tickled softly against his skin - Chaos . The most primordial of all existences, Chaos in and of itself had neither mind nor will; it only had a solitary purpose which reflected the reason for its existence . With the opening of Fourth Gate and ascension to Mythic Realm, besides the Gate itself, there were other rewards . As he¡¯d already gotten me which could apany him for a while, the Primal Spirits he¡¯d have chosen had changed from me to Chaos . It was Lino¡¯s first time actually encountering Chaos first-hand; though he cultivated the energy, the way it was now was its primal state rather than refined one under which it existed within Lino as Qi . No matter how much he tried, he couldn¡¯t grasp a single idea about it . It wasn¡¯t because he was too dumb, but because the Chaos itself was origin of all other matter within the world . It wasplex beyondplexity, and to say someone understood it wholly, perhaps only Writ itself could im and nobody else . Within the void, three shes of light radiated for a moment before they appeared before Lino . He immediately realized that they were three Primal Spirits out of which he could choose one to embody him . The three had simr appearance; they were just a fingernail-sized mass of gas . Lino knew these weren¡¯t even their real forms, as Chaos itself was ever-changing and had no actual form . Same was the case with Primal Spirits which represented it . The three Primal Spirits were named Rhogtha, Astub and Yekub . But, when Lino tried to see what they can do, all that registered was ¡¯???¡¯, simrly to how he perceived things when trying to see status window of someone who had much higher cultivation than him . "You can¡¯t understand what they can do because you can¡¯t understand the concepts tied to them," the familiar, robotic voice exined . "If times were ordinary, I wouldn¡¯t have let you encounter them for hundreds, if not thousands of years . Primal Spirits of Chaos are simply not something that can be trifled with . " " . . . can¡¯t you at least give me a hint?" Lino asked . "Take Astub," the Writ, surprisingly, replied . "It¡¯s the mildest . The other two might attempt to murder you the moment you choose them . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyes twitched for a moment as he bit his lower lip . Fuck you! Then why even give me a choice, you fucker?! "Fine, I choose you, Astub!" two flickers of light shed yet again and two other Primal Spirits disappeared, leaving only central one . It flickered in and out of existence for a moment before it departed toward Lino¡¯s forehead . It was apanied by a sigh so ancient Lino felt the core of his soul shake . His entire being froze under that sigh, as though the sigh alone could end the world itself . I¡¯m so sorry!! But don¡¯t me me, goddammit! me that fucker inside of me! The moment the gas-looking thing entered Lino¡¯s forehead, his entire being shook . A concept beyond vague, archaic and strange emerged inside his mind . He couldn¡¯tprehend a single iota of its meaning, yet he felt by just sensing it for a moment, his understanding of the World grew immensely . After all, the Primal Spirit was that of Chaos; even if it wasn¡¯t the Chaos itself, it embodied its ideas . Chaos was source of everything, and by just having a Primal Spirit of Chaos residing inside of him, Lino¡¯s perception of other matter grew exceptionally . He was certain, though, that wasn¡¯t Spirit¡¯s primary purpose; as to what it was, he could knock his head against the rock for eons guessing, and he most-likely still wouldn¡¯t be able to guess properly . He couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved as he realized he was sucked out of the endless void atst . He was back in the familiar room, covered under nkets . He sighed lowly and closed his eyes; besides the Primal Spirit, the Writ had given him another mantra - . Why¡¯s the bastard pushing me toward Chaos so early?! Dammit! He kept hisints to himself, though . He realized that in order for one to cultivate , they had to be in possession of Primal Spirit of Chaos, alongside being able to absorb Chaos Qi itself . Lino¡¯s brows twitched again as a realization dawned on him; no more than five people since the dawn of time cultivated this, right? Right? Hm, that¡¯s pretty cool . was simr to Spear Scripture, as it denoted style of sword rather than a single, particr move . Lino was given ess but to a first couple of pages which simply denoted three images . Even so, the images in his eyes were more akin to blurs than actual images . Haah . . . looks like I¡¯ll actually have to beginprehending things myself and not just rely on him . Lino realized that despite the fact he already knew how to actually use the few moves of that were present, he couldn¡¯t even begin to actually understand them, simrly to Spear Scripture . It was a shoring of the Writ forcibly stuffing the ability to use the mantra despite Lino¡¯sck ofprehension; as Lino wasn¡¯t a puppet, Writ can¡¯t actually inscribe theprehensions inside of Lino¡¯s mind since it¡¯s not omnipotent . He had to rely on himself toprehend it, simrly to Facets of the Universe . Not matter how well-versed Writ was in them, he couldn¡¯t pass its own understandings onto Lino as thetter¡¯s individual will would reject them . However, Lino didn¡¯t mind; he himself was rather curious about the Universe¡¯s Laws . He was drawn to the mystery that was the world itself; for most, world simply existed and that was it . Lino, though, wasn¡¯t like that; simrly to how he was when crafting, bearing attention toward every single detail, his outlook on many other things was the same . World had its own mechanisms, its own gears that drove it, rules under which operated . Even if Gaia was a sentient being, Lino realized Writ was still inherently more capable, yet even he wasn¡¯t omnipotent which meant Gaia wasn¡¯t either . She - the World - had to operate under some form of Laws, and he was rather interested in learning those Laws, not just out of curiosity, but the fact that he would have to face her one day . Knowing her inside out would be more than beneficial then . Chapter 87 Chapter 87 CHAPTER 87 ASHEN EMPEROR Dark skies trembled slightly as a palm-sized vortexes spun ceaselessly beneath them . They appeared to be devouring the light the sun cast, spitting it out on the other side in the form of obsidian fog which covered the entirety of a massive basin . Towers made entirely out of obsidian stone rose around these vortexes, woven into therge-scale city of crisscrossing roads and absolute darkness . The atmosphere was well beyond being simply eerie and deste, and was more akin to absolute suffocation of life . Were an ordinary mortal even to gaze upon the sight, there¡¯s no doubt their soul would immediately be plundered . Though appearing random, the tall towers were built in a pre-nned manner, forming a massive formation that epassed the entire city . If one looked at it from far above, a shape of three inverse triangles connected to the central point . In-between ran a cross, which then further split at the edges, connecting to the edges of triangles . At the central point, where all of the formation converged, was the tallest tower which, much like vortexes above, ceaselessly spat out ck gas from its openings . There wasn¡¯t even an ounce of light anywhere near or inside of it, and it appeared to be bereft of life . However, it was not so . Deep within the tower, around its midway point, was a grand hall embroiled with skeletal statues of hundreds of different beasts, and purely obsidian statues of various devils . The statues were formed in a half-circle, all pointing toward a singr point of the hall - the throne . The throne was stacked with bones, yet its seating and st were made out of rough, meteorite stone . The bones around the throne stacked outwardly, as though mimicking a birth of a world-ending shockwave . They protruded like ciers and icicles, yet their dark, silvery hue hardly matched the former¡¯s beauty . Atop the throne sat a pale-looking youth, appearing to be no older than twenty-five . Though pale, he seemed rather handsome, and the pair of blue eyes were like stark gems in the world of darkness, sparkling with radiance beyond reason . He was entirely cloaked in shadows from neck down to his toes to the point that one was unable to discern his body . His hair had turned into withering white and it fell softly over his shoulders as a crown made out of hellfire rested atop of his head, burning eternally in ck haze . The youth¡¯s expression was that of indifference and distance as he observed four Demons kneeling before him . All four Demons were actually Great Demons and they were already at the pinnacle of Purity Realm, yet they felt neither shame nor unwillingness when bowing before the strange youth . "Interesting," the youth suddenly mumbled, his voice echoing through the hall . "I was not wrong . He¡¯s still here . " the four Demons dared not speak and merely listened in silence . "Which means that she¡¯s here as well . Interesting indeed . " his thin lips suddenly curled up in a sudden smile as his entire body vanished from the spot . The four Demons still remained kneeling, though, as though awaiting his return . The youth was none other than Prince Yox of Umbra Kingdom who had since sold his soul entirely to the Devils . None of his human disposition remained, and if one were to peer beneath his flesh, they¡¯d see nothing but ever-rotating darkness . Souls of humans and devils were starkly different; rather, souls of all races were different, as they were borne of different ideas and concepts . Devils were born directly of Devil Qi, which was theplete opposite of Gaia Qi; though not inherently ¡¯evil¡¯ in any way, shape or form, due to the precedent that Gaia was Light, Devils themselves, in opposition, chose the sigil of Darkness and bore it with pride . Prince Yox - now known as Ashen Emperor - clipped through the void and appeared on the topmost floor of the central tower . There, unlike his own hall, the room was far simpler; save for a few bookshelves, chairs and tables, there were no statues and no throne . However, the pressure exuded by this simple room was perhaps tens of thousands of time grander than that of his own hall . Yox could do nothing but immediately fall on on knee and bow his head as he stared at the figure across from him . It was a two-horned Devil with scaled skin and bulging muscles across his body . His face was extruded akin to horse¡¯s, while his two eyescked pupils and were entirely ck . "Grandmaster . " Yox spoke humbly . "Hm? Ashen Emperor, why have youe here?" though the voice appeared calm and indifferent, it bore directly into Yox¡¯s soul, shaking him from within . "I implore a favor from Your Majesty . " "You wish to lead the expedition against Man?" the Devil asked . "Yes . " " . . . I cannot permit that . " " . . . " Yox held back from shouting, choosing his words carefully . "May I ask why?" "Your hatred," the Devil replied . "It will bear you death . " "My hatred?" "Toward that boy," the Devil borated . "You are not someone who can stand in his path . " " . . . " to say Yox was shocked would be an understatement . He had already considered that boy a fly, and he merely wished to go out to settle past scores and retrieve Freya from the boy¡¯s clutches . Being told, however, that he was not the boy¡¯s match - despite already having ascended to Illumine Realm - ate away at him like a soul-devouring worm . "Don¡¯t be indignant," the Devil, naturally, was able to perceive any and all emotional changes within Yox . However, he hardly cared; the only reason he even spoke to the youth before him was because, surprisingly, the youth bore ever-rare body, despite being a human initially . Though not exactly unique or even the strongest body for Devil Qi cultivation, it was still a lucky find in the middle of nowhere . Some time in the far distant future, he even had a chance of bing a Variant . "Even I do not possess the right to stand in his path . " "G-grandmaster?!" Yox was unable to hold it in any longer . If the Devil before him said that Yox had no right, though he¡¯d be unwilling, he¡¯d still ept it one way or another . But to say that even his Master - a God-Devil Variant - had no right to stand in that fly¡¯s path, how could Yox ept it? "That boy . . . " the Devil spoke, sighing faintly as he walked over to one of the bookshelves and picked up a tattered and worn book . "Will one day change the world, Ashen Emperor . Not a realm, not a kingdom, not a mere dynasty - but the entire world . He is not someone either one of us can measure against . You have already learned of the Writs, have you not?" " . . . I have, Grandmaster," Yox spoke . "There are Seven of them, and each embodies one of Seven Origin Principles of Existence . " "Indeed," the Devil nodded . "Of the Seven, which do you think is the most powerful?" " . . . " Yox fell into a temporary silence; though he wanted to say it was Aphotic Writ - Writ of Darkness - he was unable to . "I . . . I am not certain, Grandmaster . Perhaps . . . Writ of Nihility?" " . . . hmm, nihility is indeed a concept that¡¯s hard to surpass," the Devil said . "However, it is not the strongest . While it embodies the concept of nothingness, there is feasibly nobody who canprehend it . Even the Writ¡¯s Will cannotprehend its own concept . Nothingness does not exist, after all . " "Then, which one is it?" Yox asked . "Canorous Writ," the Devil said . "Writ of Spoken Word . Its prowess is something that even Gaia fears . Thus, she imposed the greatest restrictions upon its bearer . Thetter is unable to even leave the Realm of Heavens, forever entombed in that hellhole . " the Devil sighed for a moment, shaking his head . "Though, even if it¡¯s inherently most powerful, and can through sheer force gain temporary control of other Writs, there is one that it cannot move no matter what . " " . . . Empyrean Writ?" Yox ventured a guess . Surprisingly, within the Library he had ess to, while other Writs were described in great detail, there was very little information on Empyrean Writ . "Yes," the Devil said, his eyes shing with strange gleam . "Writ of Chaos . Even Spoken Word came from somewhere, and it cannotmand that which it came from - the Chaos itself . Even Gaia, regardless of her prowess, cannotmand the Empyrean Writ . Perhaps . . . perhaps even the First Scripture couldn¡¯t do so . Chaos, after all, is evesting," the Devil continued . "Even before the Writ¡¯s Will was formed, Chaos ought to have existed . It is just that itcked a representative . Things cannot be born from nothing; equivalent energy is always necessary . Which means that energy poolrge enough to form an entire world and all its subsidiary dimensions had to have existed before the descent of the First Scripture and the Writs . And that energy was most-likely a purely chaotic one . " " . . . " Yox already had a vague idea as to why the Grandmaster chose to speak about this, but that vague idea had further sent him down the spiral of madness . "You must have already understood, and you are right . That boy is the bearer of . The embodiment of Chaos in the ocean of Order . You must understand, little one, that even us - the Devils - and our Devil Qi - are entirely bound by Order . Though we oppose Gaia, we are unable to break away from its ws entirely . Even the Origin Father isn¡¯t powerful enough to separate the chains which bind him to the Source . However, Empyrean Writ has already done so, eons ago; it not only separated itself from Gaia, but it also shed its connection to the First Scripture, which supposedly gave it birth . Tell me now, little one, is that the sort of figure you wish to entangle yourself with?" Yox mumbled indescribably for a moment before bowing deeply and leaving . The moment he left, the Devil¡¯s indifferent expression changed as his thin lips curled up in a vicious grin . Abandon the pursuit of the boy? Impossible! The Devil knew Yox¡¯s heart better than Yox himself . Even if he had entirely converted to a Devil now, he still grew up a human and has been a human for over twenty years of his life . If there¡¯s one thing that even Devils had to admit humans were far superior in, it was incessant greed! Greed that could topple Kingdoms and Empires within a night! Though the young Prince had been reborn, he was still at the very bottom of all Devils, looking up at the wall he couldn¡¯t surmount no matter how hard he tried . How tempting was something like the to him? Devil¡¯s eyes suddenly shed for a moment as he sighed, shaking his head . ¡¯Though I can¡¯t make a move against the boy¡¯, he thought, putting the book down . ¡¯Do you really think all of us will bow down to an absolute nobody, Father? Your words are Devils¡¯ Creed, but, in the end, nothing is an absolutew in this world . If we bow down before the Writ, how are we any different than those six ving away in Heaven¡¯s Realm for eons without seeing even the sun? You deemed it worthy to sacrifice millions of children for this boy . . . do you think everyone would blindly bow before you and ept it? You¡¯ve grown weak, Father . Too weak to lead us to the apex of this world . . . and beyond . . . ¡¯ With the incentive of the , the Devil knew Yox was currently mulling over how to get it . No matter how strong the boy was, or how much potential he held, so long as he was dealt with early on, it would all be but a puff of smoke . The Devil, as many other like-minded ones, knew that this was thest straw; considering their Origin Father¡¯s action, it really showed that the Writ was throwing all eggs in the basket of this boy . If this time it also turned into a failure, Writ would most-likely either surrender himself over to Gaia, or perish in the infinite symphony of time . In the grand scheme of things, even if Writ perished, it wouldn¡¯t change much of the world¡¯s current order; while it would prevent Gaia from breaching past the barrier in the near future, the breach itself was already inevitability . With six Holy Writs working in concert tirelessly, no matter how profound the Barrier of the World is, it would eventually crash and crumble . ¡¯We have to n it well¡¯, the Devil thought as his memory shed back to the deep abyss past which no living soul could tread . ¡¯From what I know, besides Origin Father, four out of six Ancestral Devils, eleven out of sixteen Primal Elders and sixty out of seventy-four Grand Elders are in support of the boy . Perhaps even boy¡¯s death wouldn¡¯t force them to turn over to our side; if we don¡¯t stand united, we can¡¯t win against Gaia . Haii, I wonder if Master has had any luck locating [Codex of Banishment] . . . ¡¯ Chapter 88 Chapter 88 CHAPTER 88 WORLD OF GAIA Lino sat upright on the bed, his head heaved slightly downward as he read through a thick book in his hands . He¡¯s been lying in bed, ¡¯hurt¡¯, for about a week now . The battle had long since concluded, with Demons retreating back into the shadows almost immediately after Lino was ¡¯hurt¡¯ . However, even the Demon¡¯s invasion was unable to overshadow the mysterious items that were sold on the auction, all of which had the same, winged crest engraved on the surface . It meant that they were crafted by a single person! No matter how much they inquired, though, Ava kept her promise and didn¡¯t utter a word about Lino . This allowed him to rest mostly in peace, with her asional visits and pestering with better and better medicine each time . Upon his request, she also allowed him to take a peek into the Major¡¯s Library, which Lino deemed the best reward sinceing here . After his ascension to the Soul Realm, his ability to memorize and process things increased exceptionally . While it wasn¡¯t at the level of instant memorization, he was still able to remember the contents of a single page after looking at it for five-six seconds . This was only possible, though, because of his innate ability to memorize things quickly . For the past week, he¡¯d learned a heap of new things which quickly broadened his horizons more than ever before . The knowledge tied to cultivation especially intrigued him, and he learned the clear distinction that was simr to cksmithing . While Mortal Realm, Core Realm, Soul Realm etc . all had independent names, they were all technically categorized into a single stage atrge: Foundation Stage . The stagested from Mortal Realm all the way up to Numinous Realm, with its peak being Level 280 . Crossing that threshold wouldnd one into the next stage: Immortal Stage . Thetter itself was divided into six sub-realms, namely known as Exalted, Imperial, Eximious, Saintly, Heavenly and Godly . However, what startled Lino the most when ites to knowledge about cultivation is a single fact: since the dawn of time, not a single cultivator had ever reached the absolute peak . Not even the Bearers of Writs! This idea shocked Lino . Most of the people theorized that there even wasn¡¯t a peak; they concluded this by looking at the currently most powerful being: Gaia herself . If she wasn¡¯t omnipotent, yet was way beyond everyone else, didn¡¯t that mean even she could improve further? Lino finally epted E¡¯s words, that road of cultivation was an endless one, and breaking past one barrier only meant chasing after another . He couldn¡¯t help but sigh; somehow, deep down, he found it pointless . What was the reason for it all? Chasing a ghost that may not even exist? For a simple reason such as inscribing your name in history books? To prevail over all others? To realize the truth? Lino simply shook his head . Those people were millions of years old, if not more; their reasoning wouldn¡¯t be that simple . There had to be something else, something Lino wasn¡¯t privy to at the moment . Besides the cultivation, he also delved into the general knowledge of the world . The ce he was currently at was actually just one of the three major continents, and it was by far the smallest one, at the very western edge of the world . Further north was a massive protrusion ofnd known as Demonic Battlefield, a grand expanse ofnd where battles and wars never ceased . Far away toward the east, once one crosses the Valley of Sects, reigned the supreme power of the continent: Divine Dynasty . Even further east, beyond it, was a Sea of Sorrows, known so because of the number of people who perished in its storms . If one is lucky to cross it, though, they¡¯d arrive at the Central Continent, secondrgest one, besides the Holy Continent where the Holy Lands resided . There wasn¡¯t much detailed information, but Lino still learned quite a bit about the world¡¯s geography . Besides these three continents, there were still tworge masses ofnd, standing on opposite ends of north and south; they were known as Northern Expanse and Southern Expanse, and were mainly dominated by Ancient Races and ns who had gone into seclusion . There was pretty much no information about them, though they did tickle Lino¡¯s fancy for a moment . Lino also further improved his knowledge when ites to auxiliary fields, such as cksmithing . There were literally hundreds of such professions, and Lino nearly got a headache trying to remember them all: alchemists, rune masters, array masters, formation masters, energy conductors, talisman inscribers . . . nearly every field was as deep as cksmithing itself, though some were more important than others . For instance, in most parts of the world, cksmiths were revered as one of the top professions; however, once one reached the true upper strata of the world, rune masters would be the most valued ones as they, in conjunction with formation masters, can craft long-range teleportation stands, in addition to isting smaller pieces of void into isted worlds . Again, Lino marveled at the knowledge; no matter how talented he was, he realized, he still wasn¡¯t worth a speck of dust . Though Ava and others drooled over his weapons, he realized it was simply because of the poor state of Eastern Continent . Because most of the good materials were gabled up by the Divine Dynasty, the rest had to scramble for the pitiful remains . Even the sect-ranking was this continent-exclusive, as even First Sects here wouldn¡¯t qualify to be called even associations in any other ce, to say nothing of the Holy Continent . He realized that the world was far broader than he expected, and that was only when the concurrent situation was taken into ount; its history . . . Lino could neitherugh nor cry when reading just a surface ount of everything . Origin Era - the eons of time people called the part of timeline without any records whatsoever besides living fossils that no one even dared to understand - Primes . Following it was Fiend Era, with the first signs of sentient life; after it was New World Era, where numerous races of the world began emerging into the spotlight; past it was Skyhaven Era, one in which Q¡¯vil lived, marked by the Skyhaven Dynasty and mankind¡¯s most glorious achievement - ruling the entire world for an entire Era . The era¡¯s end was marked by the Skyhaven Dynasty¡¯s fall against the newly emerged race - Titans . That era was promptly named Titan Era . Its end, however, was a mystery that hasn¡¯t been solved till this day; as though overnight, Titans fell, and there wasn¡¯t a single record for roughly eighty million years prior to the era¡¯s end . In their ce, Four Great ns arose: Human n, Devil n, Angel n and Godly n . The era was marked by endless wars between four ns for the worldly dominance, one which none achieved by the era¡¯s end; much like Titan Era, Four Great ns Era also ended abruptly, with all four ns having withdrawn from the public eye . After their retreat, new kind of force emerged into the world: cultivators . Martial Arts, Cultivation Methods, new, previously dream-like realms . . . cultivators dominated thend, and the most powerful ones soon gathered to create Seven Holy Towers, now better known as Holy Lands, which contained all of mankind¡¯s knowledge . The records of it are nearly intact, though general public only had ess to some surface knowledge . However, the era¡¯s end was publicly released for everyone, not because it was full of glory, but as a forewarning; Cultivator Era indeed ended over night . Though Lino was unaware of the story behind it all, one of the Seven Holy Lands at the time - The Fallen Sect - dered war against another Holy Land - Myriad Storms Sect . It was nothing unusual, as wars would break out often between Holy Lands, and some would fall while some would rise in the former¡¯s ashes . What made this one different was a single entity - a Prime . For the first time in history, a Prime was fully woken from its slumber-like state . Primes, also known as Primal Beings, are the only remnants of Origin Era, time before Gaia took hold of the universe . Nobody could gauge their power, nor have there been any attempts so far . This event simply showcased why; because they were losing the war, the Patriarch of The Fallen Sect at the time decided to do the unthinkable - wake the Prime they had in possession . Rumors state that the Prime had an appearance of a young boy with horse¡¯s mane instead of hair and six sets of eyes . With a single wave of its hand, both sects were ttened till not even a speck of ash remained . Within a blink of an eye, nearly a million of most-powerful cultivators in the world died, with their Sect Grounds being formally dered ¡¯Forbidden Grounds¡¯ . Immediately after, a world-wide pact was formed: everyone was forbidden from ever waking another Prime, no matter how dire the circumstances . Thus, the event marked the end of the Cultivator Era, and the start of the current Era: Warring Era . It was named so simply because since the day it begun, at least two Holy Grounds were always emerged in wars, to say nothing of weaker powers . History was marred with bloodshed beyond reason, Lino learned; of billions and billions of people who¡¯ve been born, he estimated that at least half died at someone¡¯s hands rather than from natural causes . One might say that cultivation heralded mankind into a new age of prosperity, but it also intensified already existing conflicts to apletely new degree . Only now did Lino realize the weight of E¡¯s words, that world of cultivators was one of absolute madness . Eastern Continent was still somewhat different; cultivators here mingled often with mortals, and a semnce of normalcy remained despite the scuffles . However, the other two continents werepletely different; one sign of weakness would have hundreds of cultivator mark you as an ¡¯easy target¡¯ . Lino put the current book he was reading, , and sighed . He at first thought that Holy Lands were impervious and tall giants that hadn¡¯t changed since the day of inception; the truth was far different . Only a single Holy Land remained standing since the very beginning, while the other six tend to change every few generations or so . The solitary standing Holy Land was also known as the most powerful force in the world, and the utmost shield of Mankind against Devils: Heaven¡¯s Chosen Sect . ¡¯Have they turned over to Gaia? Or are they resisting? Is E¡¯s n a Holy Ground as well? Haii . . . I¡¯m way too young for this shit . I feel so cheated . . . ¡¯ Chapter 89 Chapter 89 CHAPTER 89 SKYDEVIL LINGER Lino¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he stared at the neer in his room who was sitting next to his bed, with one leg heaved over the other, calmly sipping a cup of tea with a faint smile on his handsome face . Perhaps the most irritating part of it all for Lino was the fact that the man before him was truly handsome; though a bit pale in skin tone, it hardly affected the fact that he could walk into a room full of nobledies and have them all swoon over him . Lino had no clue as to how the Skydevil managed to enter this room as he was fairly certain the entirepound was blocked by numerous fortifications . Yet, there he was, casually drinking tea like it¡¯s his own home . He¡¯s been doing so for nearly ten minutes without uttering a word . " . . . how¡¯s tea?" Lino asked, tired of the silence . "Hmm, quite good," the Devil replied, taking in a deep breath of rather intoxicating fragrance . "It¡¯s my own mix, actually . Six flowers of [Ice-zing Lotus], a root of [Heavenly Jasmine], and a few other secret ingredients . I¡¯ll tell you the rest if you tell me you love me . " "Suck my dick . " "Eh, it can be---" "What are you here for?" Lino realized that the Devil was a bit of an oddball so he decided to cut the long story short immediately . "Tsk, no fun . " Linger clicked his tongue sweetly before putting down the cup of tea and facing Lino . "Your progress is much slower than we anticipated . " FUCK YOUR-- Lino shook for a moment and took in a deep breath . "Don¡¯t get me wrong," as though realizing Lino¡¯s state of mind, Linger quickly added . "It¡¯s unprecedented . But, it¡¯s still too slow to keep up with our ns . Initial idea was for you to take a beating over in the Umbra Kingdom as to mask your Qi, but then take the stage here as a star and grab us by our balls and squeeze us dry . From the looks of it, we¡¯d be lucky if you could survive . " "Eh, sorry . I really do apologize . " Lino said . "Now if you would kindly fuck off back to your mother¡¯s womb so I don¡¯t have to look at you anymore . " "Hehe, that¡¯s not how Devils are born, though," Linger merelyughed . "Though female Devils do have wombs, babiese out of there only when they¡¯re impregnated by humans . " ": . . " "It happens more often than you¡¯d think . " "I¡¯m honestly just . . . just not interested in sex stories between humans and devils . Rather, I¡¯m more interested in the shape of Dragon¡¯s shit . " "Dragons don¡¯t--" "Please . . . just . . . please . . . tell me why you¡¯re here . " Lino was on the verge of tears; he finally understood how Eggor feels whenever he talks with him . Poor old bastard . . . I should cut him some ck once hees back . . . "To be honest, you shouldn¡¯t be biding by our expectations, as it should be other way around," Linger said, his tone suddenly turning serious . "You can hardly be expected to understand the world¡¯s situation atrge and what you actually mean to the conflict . " "What do I mean to it?" Lino asked . "Nothing . " Linger said, suddenly smiling faintly . " . . . " "Ha ha, did I hurt your fragile little ego? Eh, that¡¯s the way you¡¯re supposed to be . I¡¯m sorry to demolish your imagination, but a single man cannot change the course of the world . . . even if they¡¯re an Empyrean . Do you think no one else before you flew higher than the rest of us?" Linger¡¯s lips curled up in a wider smile . "War of Writs had been ongoing since early days of Skyhaven Dynasty, Lyonel . In that Era alone, two figures who nearly changed the course of the history were born . " " . . . was Q¡¯vil one of them?" Lino asked, somewhat expectant . "Q¡¯vil?" Linger looked at him strangely for a moment before shaking his head . "He was thest Empyrean of the Era . Even if talented, he simply didn¡¯t have time to grow . To be honest, there¡¯s a Devil within thousand miles of you that could have crippled Q¡¯vil with a single hand . " Lino¡¯s heart shook for a moment but he decided to simply listen . "We¡¯re already aware of our little miss throwing some bombs at you," he continued . "Which is why I was dispatched here . Nobody¡¯s expecting you to change the world," Linger said . "Because you can¡¯t . Even if nobody tried to kill you, even if you were given every resource in the world freely, you would still need a few million years just to be as strong as some of my Ancestors . Not my Origin Father, just a few of my Ancestors . " " . . . " Lino remained silent yet again; he truly did imagine for a moment being the chosen one, the person who would change the course of the world with his own two hands . "If I¡¯m to be even more brutal," Linger continued . "We don¡¯t even need you, but the Writ itself . You could have been anyone else and it would have been all the same to us . Why am I telling you this? So you don¡¯t get dumb ideas and rush like an idiot into the fray like you did this time . We need you alive, not strong . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyes shed in understanding for a moment as he looked into Linger¡¯s eyes . "So, at the end of the day, I¡¯m really just a puppet?" "Is it humiliating?" Linger asked, smiling faintly . "Not really," Lino shook his head . "It would be if I cared what any one of you cocksuckers thought . " "Oh?" Linger arched his brow as he looked at Lino curiously . "Heh, why do you think I¡¯m cultivating for? To fight Gaia? To help you lot? Of course not," Lino shook his head . "To be honest, I¡¯d be the happiest person in the world if you all fuckers just dropped dead this very instant . What do wars of idiots who have nothing better to do than measure their dicks have with me? All I ever wanted was to live a simple life . . . " Lino sighed faintly as he got up from the bed and walked over toward the window, opening it slowly . "Yet, with two years that I¡¯d gotten this shitter inside of me, I¡¯d experienced sorts of pain and understood sorts of things I couldn¡¯t even imagine before . " Lino looked outside the window toward the lofty, blue sky marred with petty, silver clouds . It looked like it was about to rain any moment now . He was truly free at heart . He wasn¡¯t putting up any sort of a front; he really didn¡¯t care about the ¡¯grand mission¡¯ that some old fart imposed upon him . "But . . . I¡¯m sure that if I keep growing and survive till the point I¡¯m strong enough," he turned around and looked Linger into thetter¡¯s clear eyes . "I¡¯d have no choice but do your bidding . It¡¯s not humiliating . . . but it is frustrating . . . " Lino smiled bitterly . "Isn¡¯t it? Even as a cultivator, you are rarely in charge of your own fate . Look at you . Are you resigned to sitting there, bickering with a kid you could kill with your fart and are most-likely told to listen withoutint? Though you are a sissy, I doubt you¡¯re that much of a pushover . " " . . . " Linger said nothing but merely smiled oddly . "And I very much doubt your entire race is resigned to sacrificing their brothers and sister to be a grindstone for some random kid they couldn¡¯t give two shits about," Lino continued calmly . "Big picture? Grand ambition? Heh, ask a mother next door who lost her son what sort of a shit that is and you¡¯ll get the truth behind it all . Do you believe your Origin Father is truly doing this to simply battle Gaia out of goodness of his heart? Surely not . " " . . . be careful, kiddo . " Linger¡¯s smile grew slightly fiercer . "A lot of things can be forgiven, but you¡¯re close to crossing the line . " " . . . " Lino turned toward him yet again and smiled faintly . "There it is . The truth behind it all, no?" he chuckled weakly . "I¡¯ve no imposing and lofty ambition . " he tucked his hands neatly into his pockets as he stared at the sky which began spitting out rain slowly . "To me, Gaia is better than all you lot . While you bicker and fight, causing millions upon millions to die, she forged the world as it is and granted us all a breath of life . Perhaps she¡¯d done horrible things to you lot, but what¡¯s that got to do with the rest of us? To us, she¡¯s been a proper mother all the while . " "Mother, eh?" Linger chuckled as he also got up and walked over next to Lino, looking at the rain . "Surely you don¡¯t think you¡¯re the first Empyrean to think so, no? After all, you seem quite witty . Yet . . . without a single exception since the dawn of time . . . every Empyrean chose to defy her . You don¡¯t know her yet, Lyonel . If she¡¯s a mother, she¡¯s the sort that changes an innocent kid into a genocidal maniac . You don¡¯t have to take my words to mean anything . . . but, trust me when I say this, sooner orter, you¡¯ll be the same . Just as all your brothers and sisters before you, you¡¯ll turn toward the sky and scream . You¡¯ll curse her till you¡¯re out of breath . Indeed," he nted his head sideways and looked at Lino¡¯s clear face . "We are no saints . Devils have done things that can hardly be called humane, as have humans . One way or another, we¡¯re all sinners . Yet . . . all the same . . . we¡¯re all more fit to be called Saints than her . Every single one of us . " "It¡¯s fine to be witty," Linger continued as he turned around and began walking away . "And to have your own outlook on things . But, if ten thousand out of ten thousand agreed on something, can you truly im to be wittier than them? With all my heart . . . I truly hope that you remain steadfast in your belief till your grave . That would mean she never scarred you too . Farewell Lyonel . We¡¯ll meet again . " Lino was left alone in the room as he stared at the fading shadow of the Devil . Though he didn¡¯t truly believe Gaia was a saint, he after all didn¡¯t really hear or see any of the supposed evil things shemitted, yet Umbra Kingdom alone was enough evidence to condemn the entire Devil Race . "Is he right?" Lino asked nobody . " . . . " yet, Writ didn¡¯t reply . It only meant a few things; either he was so bored out of his mind he couldn¡¯t be bothered, or that the truth is something Lino wasn¡¯t emotionally or mentally equipped to handle . He took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward the sky yet again; the rain was pouring ceaselessly right now, battering against the soil . Only time will tell, eh? Chapter 90 Chapter 90 CHAPTER 90 SEALING HEAVENS Though Lino had already gathered enough resources tost him for a while, he still decided to stay as originally nned for three months . He had to, after all, craft Ava¡¯s weapon as well as supply his own shop with more ¡¯exotic¡¯ stuff for others to waste their rare stuff on . After Skydevil Linger left that night, he hadn¡¯te back; perhaps he was disappointed with Lino, or simply had better things to do, but the young boy put it at the back of his mind and devoted himself entirely to crafting and cultivating . Specifically, Linger¡¯s words that he was far too weak for the uing war startled him . In the end, despite his battle prowess, he wasn¡¯t the lone person who can skip levels to fight . Rather, it was quite ordinary thing; so long as someone has better Martial Art, better weapon, armor or some other item, it would be strange if they didn¡¯t skip levels to win a fight . Thanks to Ava¡¯s extensive library, he had better understanding of levels themselves by now; like every other stat, they are arbitrary sum of ¡¯average¡¯ progress, but unlike other stats, one¡¯s greatest asset takes arge portion of that sum . For instance, Lino¡¯s physical prowess itself is the only reason he isn¡¯t Level 20 and is nearing triple digits instead . This, in turn, made him realize that leveling for others is actually easier than for body cultivators; if it wasn¡¯t for Writs¡¯ boosts, Lino could have never reached the level he did so quickly . Usually, body cultivators take decades to cross a single realm, even when just starting, to say nothing of when they reach higher realms . Because of such level discrepancy, cultivators instead use the system of realms to represent major crossings where one¡¯s power takes arge leap . However, it is still not a good indicator of cultivator¡¯s overall strength . In the end, only a fight can showcase that properly . Out of the items that he crafted for the shop, he also took some into his own personal storage . Naturally, he only took the idental ¡¯best¡¯, as to not empower people he mighte in conflict withter on . Currently, he was oddly staring at one such product - a pair of gloves who, through pure, sheer luck, became the second part of his own [Soul Set] . [Bisected Defender¡¯s Armguards - Unique] Level: 90 Defense: 780 Strength: +20 Arm speed: -5% Regeneration: +100% Unique: Linked to [Soul Armor]; stats increased by 20% . Unique: Growth-type piece; so long as the centerpiece of the set grows, so will this item . Special Effect: Infusing Qi into the item increases Arm and Hand Speed by 500% for 3 seconds; can be repeatedly used; for each consecutive use, -25% Strength for 20 minutes (stacks) . Special Effect: Immune to any fire below Level 80 . Can instead be used to reinforce the item . Note: Part of the [Soul Set], it is among the best of its level, with great future potential growth . Lino sighed at his own awesomeness andmented over how many people struggled their entire lives to create something they can proudly disy to the world only for him to strut along and create one on ident . "I must have been too engrossed into it and added two or three extra arrays," Lino stroked his chin as he mumbled, swiftly putting the armor away . "Tsk, tsk, who needs to save the world when I can just buy it when I sell my awesome creations?" His lovely self-indulged dream was interrupted by a faint sound of approaching footsteps . Lino looked sideways and saw Ava slowly walking in; she still wore simple clothes, which were still unable to hide her stunning looks . Lino truly felt it a shame she was married . Not because of his moral line, but because she was actually faithful to her husband . "Yo, what¡¯s a fair maiden doing in this stink hole?" Lino asked, smiling . He seemedpletely ignorant of the fact that his torso was bare, and instead even flexed his muscles slightly to show off . "Aren¡¯t you going to cover yourself up?" Ava asked, her eyes dancing here and there, unsure as to where to look at . "Things that ought to be covered are covered," Lino said . "Things that ought to be disyed are disyed . Anyway, want some mead? Or ale? Or wine? I¡¯ve gotten some really expensive stuff as bribes . " " . . . " "Oh, don¡¯t worry," Lino said . "I took the bribes, but I didn¡¯t fulfill the promises that came along with them . I¡¯m an upright man, after all!" " . . . sigh," she was truly unable to properly understand this youth; he¡¯s been staying here for two months, yet, day after day, he managed to find a way or two to leave her tongue-tied . "How¡¯s my staffing along?" she asked . "It should be done in about two weeks at most," Lino said . "Can I make a joke here?" "No, I don¡¯t want your staff . " " . . . dammit . It¡¯s not fun when you guys don¡¯t get flustered," Lino sighed . "Besides, that wasn¡¯t the joke . " "What¡¯s the joke then?" "For your staff to be crafted I had to employ tons of staff to help me!" " . . . " "Screw you, it was funny!" "I¡¯ll be in my office if you need me . . . " "Why¡¯d I need you when you don¡¯t appreciate my humor?!" Lino barked though Ava had already left . "Humph, what¡¯s with that nk look? I¡¯ll have you know my humor and charm will one day conquer the Heavenly Maidens and Muses and have those Devil Subi crawling out of their hellholes to beg me for a touch . Humph . . . " While trying to reaffirm his slightly hurt ego, he turned around and walked into the deeper part of the smithy where the Ava¡¯s staff was being ¡¯made¡¯ . In truth, he made it about a month ago, but he was toozy to leave since he couldn¡¯t get enough of the riches . Over the past two months, he¡¯d umted nearly a million of mid-quality Qi Stones, tens of thousands of herbs, ores and such materials, hundreds of high-quality Scrolls and Parchments, and had even gotten his hands on some Martial Arts . Though they were very, very low levelpared to stuff Writ gave out, Lino still studied them . After all, one can only truly learn properly if they begin from the start; Lino had jumped the natural barriers of cultivation which made it difficult for him to trulyprehend the arts Writ gave him . Hecked proper foundation, which is exactly what he was doing at the moment . Though his level hadn¡¯t gone up by a lot, he felt he was nearly twice as strong as he used to be simply because of the previously foggy areas having been illuminated with knowledge . He slowly went further back and took a quick bath before dressing up in his usual,moner-looking clothes . He then sat down and opened a bottle of random wine he¡¯d gotten as a bribe, slowly drinking it in swift gulps . His eyes were glued to the staff resting in the opposite corner, a visible glimpse of greed in them . The staff was roughly 2 meters long, with thin shaft . Both ends were oval protrusions, inscribed with 4 arrays each . The staff danced between being golden and light-brown in color, seemingly never settling for either . Though it appeared somewhat ordinary, just thinking back to those stats, Lino was forced to suck in a cold breath . Doing something in a day and in a month is really a major difference . . . He realized that the reason cksmiths usually took so long to craft something wasn¡¯t because they were bad, but because the end product was much better . Numerous times by now he was tempted to just keep the staff to himself and craft another one entirely for Ava . In the end, though, he chose not to . He¡¯d realized Ava¡¯s background was much bigger than what the surface showed; having a friend that high up is certainly never a bad thing . Putting down the bottle of wine, he got up and walked over toward the staff, picking it up yet again . He stroked it gently, as though it was his kid, while a faint smile surfaced on his face . [Sealing Heavens - Unique Legendary] Level: 160 Damage: 9060-18800 Magic Damage: ??? Durability: 60,000 +20% Endurance +60 Strength Special Effect [Bone Breaker] - regardless of cultivation difference,ing in direct contact with bones will result in them breaking Special Effect [Seal] - staff has restricting effect on the opponent; so long as the difference in cultivation is within 2rge realms, opponent¡¯s stats are decreased by 10% Unique Effect: Souls of high-level cultivators (600+) can be stored within the staff, increasing its stats . Note: An astonishing masterpiece created by a young, up-anding cksmith that could rival the best of Ancient Creations in its design and practicality . Though not quite on the level of [Heartseeker] that Eggor crafted as a curious youth - especially because it was an ¡¯ordinary¡¯ weapon and not a [Soul Item] - Lino couldn¡¯t help but feel pride surge from within every orifice of his body . It wasn¡¯t just a legendary-tiered item! It was an Unique legendary-tiered item! It meant that, across the world, there was none quite like it! Usually, creation of Unique items didn¡¯t necessarily entail that there was no such item elsewhere; it only meant that item¡¯s uniqueness was deemed enough to be awarded that particr tag . However, if there¡¯s tier adjacent to the Unique tag, then it meant exactly that: that there¡¯s no simr item in the entire world, including the fabled Holy Continent! He always felt it true that he had some talent in crafting, but hergely doubted this is the result merely of his talent; it¡¯s mostly due to that old guy¡¯s guidance, Lino admitted - however reluctantly . The old guy taught him with care and precision, allowing him toy firm and proper foundation before even being allowed to craft a single piece . It also had little to do with the philosophy Lino took from the old man; he no longer necessarily lusted for luster . When he was crafting items for his shop and was forced to hold back, he felt cramped, almost constipated . All throughout there was a nagging feeling that he had to suppress with all his strength - feeling that was telling him he wasn¡¯t injecting his heart and soul into the item . He almost felt as though he was betraying the core ideology of who he was, causing him to feel ufortable . In the end, though, he had to; if he poured every ounce of himself into every item he crafted, Lino doubted Ava would simply allow him to leave . Which is also why he decided not to personally present her with the staff - rather than just leave it for her and bolt as far as he could . She was no saint, Lino knew that firmly; nobody in cultivation world was a saint . The idea that dominated them all was self-sufficiency, followed by loyalty to their origins . If Lino could create one such staff, who¡¯s to say he couldn¡¯t craft two or even tens throughout the years? That sort of possibility would leave even the heaven-licking goodies drooling and wondering how to kidnap him, let alone someone who¡¯s not all that morally upright already . "Two weeks . . . " Lino mumbled as he put the staff down . "Nah, I should stay just a week longer . They should be nearing the end of their preparations as well . We canunch the campaign a bit earlier . Hm, yeah, let¡¯s do that . . . " after confirming his ns, Lino felt a heavy stone weigh off his chest as he slumped back into the chair and quickly feel into a soundless sleep, resting his tired body . Chapter 91 Chapter 91 CHAPTER 91 HELL ON EARTH Ava stared at the staff in her hands with incredulous expression; it was a mix of joy, astonishment, confusion, terror, pride and somberness . She realized that this staff alone was nearly as strong as a Defensive Artifact of the Second-tiered Sects in the valley . Such realization shocked her profoundly . Though she had some anticipation for the weapon crafted by the sly youth, they were nowhere near as high as what he delivered . However, by now, he¡¯d long since departed . Even though she kept eye on him, and usually had at least dozen guards watching his every move, he still somehow managed to slip away . It was then that she recalled she waspletely unable to even perceive him unless he willingly released Qi vibrations . An odd smile appeared on her face as she stored the staff carefully into the storage ring . She then swore to herself that she would find him once again, and force him into her n . Letting go of such treasure was simply a sin against heaven . ** Lino was currently well outside the valley, back at the bottom of the mountain which separated two sides . He appeared nondescript to everyone, aplete, ordinary mortal youth with rather shabby clothes and somewhat decent looks . However, his eyes brimmed with strange, almost archaic light as he quickened his pace . " . . . I wonder what was her expression? Aii, what a shame I couldn¡¯t witness it . " he mumbled, smiling wryly . "I best learn some disguising method when I leave Hope Town for good . Otherwise . . . haii, that woman will chase me to the ends of the earth . " As he reveled in his greatness with delight, he sensed a strange feeling of uneasiness creep up inside of him . It grew stronger by every passed second, till the point that he couldn¡¯t help and feel anxious over something . Such phenomenon was most often described as the cultivator¡¯s ¡¯sixth sense¡¯; as one moves on with their life, they leave behind endless treads connecting them to their past . These Fate¡¯s Twines, however feeble and unimportant they may seem usually, are deeply linked with the very notion of ¡¯sixth sense¡¯ . Not even Freya, Fate¡¯s Child, was able to exin it properly; it¡¯s almost as if one of the threads you left behind was tucked at by external force, and that tug pulled at you, causing strange feelings to emerge for no reason . Though Lino wasn¡¯t much of a believer, he¡¯d already experienced the strange oddities of Fate, and was fully aware that Fate itself was actually a very corporeal thing, unlike what some may believe . The feeling of uneasiness grew ever so stronger the further along he walked . By now, he was entirely certain something terrible had happened on the other end of the mountain . He was also almost pushed to the point of spreading his wings and simply flying over there, but he held back . Though scarce, there were still people moving along the mountain . Still, he kept increasing his pace until he was virtually in full-sprint . Luckily, as a body cultivator - an Empyrean no less - his stamina and endurance wasn¡¯t something ordinary people could even begin to fathom . Even cultivators could at best venture a wild guess, but as to how close they¡¯d hit to home, it was unknown . While Lino was running back, the other end of the mountain - where Hope Town, alongside nearly twenty other simrly sized-towns as well as Sects andrge-scaled ns like Su n - was currently experiencing what can only be describe as hell on earth . Millions of Demonically Possessed, hundreds of thousands of Great Demons, hundreds of Devils . . . it was an attack akin to nothing they had ever lived, heard or even read about . Currently, Hope Town was entirely encircled by all sides with an army closing in to innumerable . What was perhaps even worse was that, inside, there weren¡¯t even a hundred cultivators left . All of them were currently standing atop the walls that certainly could do little to help them against the iing siege . Ae, Freya, Fish, Kraval, Lucky, Shaneine and Smite were among the cultivators that stayed behind, their expressions extremely ugly . " . . . they really abandoned us, huh?" Smite said, sighing bitterly . "That¡¯s one lesson we¡¯ll never forget, at the very least," Ae said, her expression as cold as winter, eyes bereft of any emotion but fury . "Have you had any luck contacting Lino?" "Still nothing," Shaneine said; she appeared to be the calmest of all, still carrying a rather indifferent expression . "Allmunication is being blocked . " " . . . it should be around the time for him to head back here," Ae said . "But . . . I wish he wouldn¡¯t . " "Yeah," Fish smiled wryly . "Even he could do little but kneel and piss himself against this . " " . . . " the rest remained silent, as though approving Fish¡¯s words; it¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t trust in Lino, it was simply that he was one man - and army before them was well beyond what they faced in the City of Mercenaries back in Umbra Kingdom . The number of Devils here were higher than the number of Demons back then alone . Of the hundred cultivators, there wasn¡¯t a single one in Mythic Realm; few were in Soul Realm, while majority were still in Core Realm . Though they all knew mounting defense was worthless, it was of their own volition that they stayed . Most either remained because they were quite old, and this was their home for so many years . Others remained because they had families here, and others simply because they were too weak to escape in the first ce . Ae and others had a chance to escape, but they were actually halted from doing so - by none other but Elders of Su n, who promised that they¡¯d send reinforcements . That had happened nearly a week ago, and Ae had long since abandoned her trust in that promise . She only swore that if she had a chance to leave this ce alive, she¡¯d stop at nothing to eradicate the entire n . "They¡¯re moving . " Kraval suddenly eximed, causing everyone to look ahead of them . At the end of the ins, swath of ck both in sky and on the ground was the only thing their eyes saw . At first the swath merely swayed, as though graced by the wind, but then slowly began inching forward . Hundreds of thousands . . . that wasn¡¯t the number measly hundred cultivators could handle . Most had already resigned themselves to death, including Ae and others . Even Freya, who still couldn¡¯t even be considered a proper cultivator, appeared ethereally calm . After all, she knew Lino saving her was only her gaining a few months on a loan . Fate was something that¡¯s very difficult to change; the thread of her soul had long since grown rotten, indicating her demise . Today, simply, was that day . She even smiled, feeling quite lucky; after all, before her departing day, she got to experience various emotions that she never experienced before . She¡¯d gotten close to Ae and others, and truly became part of their group, all of whom treated her like a little sister . Such blessed days, for her, were more than enough to make up for the fact her life would be short-lived . Kraval, Fish, Smite, Lucky, Shaneine . . . they all knew that were it not for Ae¡¯s grace, they¡¯d long since have died back in Umbra Kingdom . They weren¡¯t afraid of death, strangely . It was a myth that youth often dreaded it while old and wise epted it . Perhaps, in world of mortals, such was the case, but when it came to cultivators, it was reverse . Old dreaded death far more than one could imagine; youth, however, found strange, almost poetic sce in it, especially if it was inevitable . Some might say their minds and wisdom had yet to develop, which is why they could ignite such passionate thoughts, but it had mostly to do with the fact that they never had enough time to let the fear of death grip them deeply . They stared at the iing army defiantly, pulling out their precious weapons that were crafted by that sly boy . Whether willingly or not, at that moment all of them thought back to that strange boy that somehow became cornerstone of their little group, even recing Ae . Though they neverpletely demystified the enigma that is Lino, they did grow to know a bit more about him, whether he realized it or not . All of them could see the somber loneliness in his eyes; it was not the sort of loneliness where onecked friends or loved ones, but loneliness that transcended it . They realized that, no matter how much he cared for them - or even trusted them - he¡¯d never open himself up to them . He¡¯d forever remain locked away, behind a veil he would never let anyone see through . Whatever was weighing on his mind and heart, the rest of them couldn¡¯t venture a guess - but they did realize the burden of it wasn¡¯t something they could understand even if he told them . And yet, instead of that somber loneliness, they remembered his smile, his usual, indifferent and lofty behavior . Even when he killed a Mythic Realm cultivator as a mere Soul Realm one, he didn¡¯t speak a word about, leaving the entire affair to be aplete mystery . Yet, at other times, he¡¯d brag about having ¡¯conquered¡¯ another ¡¯fair maiden¡¯ . Whether they realized it or not, all of them suddenly smiled; their smiles were bright, pure, bereft of blemishes . They smiled in the face of death, in the face of a bitter struggle they couldn¡¯t ovee . Then, as though wind bellowed from their behind, they all leaped from the walls and raced over toward the iing army, followed shortly after by other cultivators . Though death is eternal and unchanging without choice, the way to die was in their hands . Even if tombs size of a pyramid won¡¯t be built in their names, nor will their tales be inscribed into history books to be read by children for many generations toe, stories about their heroic charge toward the unbeatable foe, they still chose to die leaving their mark upon this world - however faint that mark may be in the grand scheme of things . Chapter 92 Chapter 92 CHAPTER 92 HEART OF THE BROKEN Lino¡¯s anxiousness continued climbing until, at one point, he felt his blood freeze and heart even pause for a moment . Unable to endure it any longer, he spread his wings and took to the sky, unleashing his profound cultivation base to turn into a golden blur that arced through the sky, astonishing everyone who happened to take a look . Still, even with that, it took him nearly two days till he reached the outskirts of Hope Town whereupon hended, feeling something was amiss . He moved cautiously through the hilly region until his eyes finallynded upon the walls of Hope Town . From where he stood, it appeared nothing was wrong - at least on the surface . However, even a simpler, deeper look unveiled far more . Lino couldn¡¯t detect a single ounce of life energy within the city . What¡¯s more, swaths of billowing, ck smoke heaved toward the sky here and there . He could also spot more than a few demolished towers, and, to his greatest shock, quantity of Devil Qi that actually surpassed Gaia Qi! His anxiousness immediately spilled into outright madness as he disregarded everything and raced toward the city . He scaled the walls and quickly entered only to be met with a sight more ghastly than the one he witnessed in the Eshen¡¯s Necropolis . It reminded him back of the days when he had just begun cultivating, when he first departed on the adventure . Dried blood dyed the walls crimson, while mutted, maimed, bloodied, sometimes wholly destroyed bodies littered the streets . Young . . . old . . . weak . . . strong . . . it didn¡¯t matter . Those few who kept whole corpses had looks of profound terror, destion, utter, soul-wrenching despair, their eyes bulging like saucers, filled with grief and indignation that can hardly be put into words . Women, especially, were a sight that caused Lino to bend over and actually vomit; all were stark naked, without exception - regardless of their age - embellishing poses that had nothing to do with humane ways . He walked along the streets, witnessing scene after scene which left him seething . Without even realizing it, he reached the orphanage and entered, whereupon he paused before suddenly ttening onto his knees, his expression ck as his eyes danced like stars in the sky . There, in the familiar courtyard, dozens of familiar facesy cold . He recognized them all . . . the images of their smiling faces prated his mind, their childish, innocentughter echoing like rumble inside . His entire body shook as tears cruised down his cheeks . Even further, he bent forth and vomited yet again - this time blood! He used his arms to hold himself from falling t into the pool of blood beneath him . He wanted to scream out, yet his voice got trapped in his throat; he could barely breathe at this point . The only thing that kept him from spiraling into blind lunacy was a single thought: ¡¯They¡¯re alive!¡¯ . It repeatedly circted his mind, like a heartfelt prayer, ast straw of his fading determination . He climbed onto his feet and turned around, his eyes bedeviled, red like the blood racing down the corners of his lips . He grit his teeth and strut forth, using his Divine Sense to scan every inch of the town . However, no matter how much he scanned, not a single trace of life came to be . He soon reached outside the town, facing the forest beyond which the Skydevil Basin was; there, the scene wasn¡¯t as ghastly as inside . However, Lino felt coldness far surpassing what he felt inside the walls . This was the ce, he realized, where cultivators of the town made theirst stand . After deeper inspection, he felt remnant traces of Kraval¡¯s, Fish¡¯s, Ae¡¯s, Lucky¡¯s, Shaneine¡¯s, Smite¡¯s . . . and even Freya¡¯s Qi! By now, his thoughts had turned entirely chaotic . All but that singr thought that kept him going ceased to exist . He madly used his Divine Sense, even overdrawing his cultivation base to expand it to nearly fifty miles before he finally caught a trace of a living aura! As though possessed, he bolted toward it, unfurling his wings and almost breaking void around him in the process . It didn¡¯t take even a full minute before he arrived at the source, tracing it further away to a small, underground cave besides a dried upke . When his Divine Sense reached inside, he only saw two figures, causing his entire body to shake . Landing in front of the cave, he ignored the simple spell formation ced around and stormed inside . Inside awaited him rather cramped space, barely enough to fit a few people . It was entirely dark, yet it didn¡¯t prevent him from seeing it clearly; in one corner, battered, bruised, scarred and still bleeding body of Lucky was leaned against the wall . Though her breathing was low, he immediately realized she would survive even if he did nothing . However, when his Divine Sense scanned the other figure, he couldn¡¯t help but tremble . Ae¡¯s state was ten - nay, a hundred times worse than Lucky¡¯s; there wasn¡¯t an inch of her body that wasn¡¯t injured, and over half her organs were either entirely rotten or hadpletely stopped functioning . He couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom as to how was there still a breadth of life inside of her . Still shaking, he quickly approached her and sat beside her, pulling out a small, spherical object from his void world, using it to light up the entire cave . Ae¡¯s beautiful face was now marred with scars and wounds, turning her previous tender, pale skin entirely scarlet . One of her eyes was missing, and there was a bone-deep wound reaching from her lower abdomen all the way to her jaw, still spitting out blood . Suddenly, as though she sensed something, her remaining eye flickered as it opened, looking at Lino . As her vision grew sharpened, and a familiar face came into her view, her entire body trembled as her eye grew moist . She somehow managed to actually pull up one of her arms, her handnding on Lino¡¯s face, as though fearful he was but an illusion . As she felt the familiar warmth of his skin, her lips trembled and curled up in a faint smile . Lino¡¯s entire being by this point was being doused in ice; he repeatedly tried to think of a way to help her, yet every time he did, his faint bits of hope would only crumble further . Perhaps, in some divinend far away, there were people and ways that could help her even at this point . . . but . . . here, and now, Lino realized, he had no way to save her . He was suddenly struck with that realization as he saw Ae smile at him . Even while battered and bruised almost beyond recognition, that smile was beautiful . It was filled with warmth, with care, even faint trace of relief, as though thest burden which upheld her soul from perishing was banished by the appearance of this young man . Lino suddenly bit his lower lip in an attempt to hold the tears back, but it was in vain . They streamed in droves, and there was nothing he could do to stop them . "Hey you . . . " she mumbled weakly, yet, inside the silent cave, her voice turned into a crisp and clear stream that entered Lino¡¯s ears . " . . . " Lino was unable to utter a sound, merely staring at her, feeling the sensation of her enfeebled hand caressing his cheek . "It¡¯s . . . it¡¯s good you¡¯re okay . . . " she said, nodding faintly . "It¡¯s good . . . " "I . . . " he didn¡¯t know what to say; to promise her he would save her? He couldn¡¯t . To express something deeper? He didn¡¯t know what . "It¡¯s okay," her hand suddenly slipped as though she lost thest ounce of strength to hold it up . Lino, however, immediately reacted and caught it, tending to it gently, fearful it may crumble at any moment . "It¡¯s all okay, Lino . You¡¯re okay . . . " " . . . . " "This . . . it isn¡¯t a dream, is it?" "No . . . no it isn¡¯t . . . " "Hmm . . . good . . . good . I endured . . . " " . . . y-yeah . . . you . . . you did . " "Your hand is warm . " "Hm . . . " "It feels nice . . . " " . . . " "Take care of her . . . " "I . . . I will . . . I promise . . . " "Your hand is really warm . . . " Lino saw her one eye slowly close up, fear enshrouding him . "H-hey, d-don¡¯t go sleeping now . Hey, we¡¯ve got a lot to chat about . How about I tell you what I did while away, huh?" " . . . I¡¯m tired . . . " she said, as though she hadn¡¯t registered a single word he said . "Your hand . . . is really warm . . . " " . . . y-yeah . . . " by now, Lino¡¯s eyes were like waterfalls as he gnashed his teeth, making sure he didn¡¯t cry out . " . . . are you there?" "I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m right here . . . right here . . . " "Hm . . . you¡¯re here . . . " her voice was turning softer and milder, almost like a whisper . "I¡¯ll always be here . . . " " . . . " she remained silent for a few moments . "Are you here?" "I¡¯m right here . " "I¡¯m going . . . to sleep . . . " "Y-yeah . . . you, you go and rest . . . I¡¯ll be right here . . . r-right here . . . " "Your hand . . . is . . . " even after waiting for an entire minute, not another sound came from her . Lino had already realized it, yet couldn¡¯t face the reality of it . He sat there numb, still holding onto the gentle hand, caressing it . He still waited, anticipated her voice to fill his mind yet again . However . . . the voice never appeared . Only silence hovered, bearing against his tender shoulders . Nothing before in his life, not even the day Ally left, impacted him quite as profoundly as this moment did . He simply continued sitting, unsure of anything beyond a single reality . He couldn¡¯t scream out in pain, bellow out in anger and agony, couldn¡¯t even cry out in somber release . Only sit there and listen to the sound of silence eternally eating away at his broken heart . Chapter 93 Chapter 93 CHAPTER 93 BUDDING FURY Rain temperamentally fell, soaking the earth for nearly three days straight . Gray, thundering clouds veiled the sun, casting a rather depressing atmosphere upon the world down below . Within one of the hilly mounds, scurried away in a rather isted corner, a cave covered with thick shrubbery existed . It was a rather small cave, and had nearly always been bereft of life . Yet, at the moment, there were three figures inside . Oney unconscious in the corner, her previously pale cheeks gaining some rosyplexion . Compared to how she was like a week ago, Lucky now looked far healthier; as the matter of fact, Lino suspected she should wake up in a day or two . It was partly due to the fact that her injures weren¡¯t all too severe, and partly because Lino used some of the herbs he got from the auction and the shop to help the healing process along . As for him, he seemed theplete opposite; his expression was cid, eyes bereft of a single emotion, sunken in . He seemed entirely listless, as though his soul had long since abandoned his body . Slumped against the rugged walls of the cave, he appeared to be starring into the abyss of the other end, contemting . As for the third, not a sign of life could be spotted; she was covered with a thin nket, leaning against the other end of the cave . Lino had barely moved a muscle for the past week save for helping Lucky . He mostly drank himself into a hallucinatory stupor, hoping it would one way or another erase his memories . Yet, they all remained . He neither wished nor dared to think too deeply about anything; he merely waited for Lucky to wake up so he can finally understand what had transpired . Too many questions that hecked answers to confused him, rendering him incapable ofing to conclusions . It was almost ten days after Lino found her in the cave that Lucky showed signs of waking up . Her somewhat thinned body trembled for a moment as a low groan escaped her lips . Lino, sitting right beside her, shook himself as he lowered his gaze toward her . Then, he saw her slowly open up her eyes, which were full of nothing but confusion . She wished to propel herself upward instinctively yet found shecked any strength to do so . As her vision was still blurred and she wasn¡¯t sure as to where she was, panic began to encapste her . Just as she was prepared to scream out, a familiar voice jolted her . "Don¡¯t move," Lino said . "You¡¯re still hurt . " " . . . " an image of the cheekily smiling boy immediately sprung into Lucky¡¯s mind, yet she could never connect that cold, emotionless voice to him . Still, somehow, almost by heart, she knew it was him . "Can you talk?" Lino asked as he helped her sit up . It was only then that Lucky¡¯s vision cleared up and the face so familiar, yet that of aplete stranger, showed up in front of her . He appeared listless, his usual, smiling expression reced by icy cidity that couldn¡¯t be measured . His eyescked that drive and desire, even a bit of mischief that Lucky remembered seeing . It was only the general outline of it all that confirmed it was him . Realizing she was struggling, Lino reached into the void world and took out a gourd of wine, helping her to a few gulps . Her parched throat immediately felt almost revitalized as some semnce of life returned to her . However, it was also apanied by surge of memories, ones so painful her tears immediately grew moist as she unleashed a shrill cry . Lino did nothing to stop her; he simply took the gourd to his lips and downed whatever was left inside . Shrill cries continued echoing against the walls for nearly half an hour until Lucky finally calmed down somewhat . Her eyes were reddened, lips bitten and bleeding, snot falling out of her nose . Despite never being a pinnacle of beauty, she was at least eye-catching; however, now, she felt the ugliest in her life - inside and out . " . . . here . " Lino helped her to another few gulps of wine, yet even they didn¡¯t help much against the ache of her throat . "You¡¯re still weak . " " . . . t-they---they . . . " Lucky mumbled, gritting their teeth . " . . . haah," Lino sighed . "After you recover, tell me everything . Then . . . we¡¯ll see . " It took nearly three days until Lucky had recovered just enough to share her story with him . The more Lino listened, the calmer he appeared which, for anyone who truly knew him, was far more terrifying than if he had began screaming in rage . As Lucky¡¯s story unfolded, she could feel the temperature in the cave physically dropping, as Lino¡¯s eyes darkened more and more . By the end of it, she could swear she felt an aura of utter destruction escape briefly from his being . Lucky¡¯s story was rather simple, yet, at the same time, profoundly deep, Lino realized . On the face value, what had transpired was ordinary: Demons suddenly invaded one day without any warning, some people fled to get reinforcements while others stayed behind to dy . They were unable to do so and died before reinforcements arrived . Yet, to Lino, it was a story of utter betrayal, profound ugliness of human heart, one which further stoked the mes of hatred toward the world of cultivation . By now, he held nothing but pure, unfiltered contempt to everyone and everything within it . Even Sister Roa and other Sisters in the orphanage, however vile and vicious they may have been, they at least had a little bit of humanity left inside of them which prevented from outright exploiting the children in the orphanage even more . Cultivators? Lino realized there was no such thing as ¡¯humanity¡¯ present in this world . Even someone like Ava, who on surface appeared to be entirely normal, wasn¡¯t; Lino knew that, if he had stayed, she would have no doubt locked him up and forced him to craft repeatedly for her n, no matter what . Lives . . . were like flickering candle mes . Whether they flickered a second longer or not didn¡¯t really matter, as they would soon disappear anyway . The Elders from the Su n who stayed in the City used the teleportation formation to escape, alongside hundreds of other cultivators . They promised they¡¯de back with reinforcements, but, by that point, even a child would realize their promise meant nothing . Those few cultivators who remained did so because they either had no choice, or had their families there, or simply didn¡¯t wish to abandon the Town where they grew up in . As for Lucky, Ae, Fish, Kraval, Shaneine, Smite and Freya . . . they were among those who were forced to stay . They were no fools and neither were they saints; when they saw the sheer number of Demons and Devils approaching, they wanted to escape . However, they were denied . To Lino¡¯s shock and surprise, the person who led the army was none other than Prince Yox from Umbra Kingdom, though now it seemed he went by the name of Ashen Emperor . At the very start of the battle, he took Freya away after which he simply told other Demons to kill everyone . It was only through some luck and sacrifice of others that Ae managed to bring Lucky away and hide inside the cave . After finishing her story, Lucky remained silent, asionally ncing at Lino who sat there motionless . She didn¡¯t me him; rather, she had no reason to . However much he irked her with his personality, she also respected him . Even if he had been there, he couldn¡¯t have changed a thing . Much like Ae, she was d he wasn¡¯t there . As for her, she knew deep down that it was over . Rather, she was unwilling to continue; it was the second time in her life that she felt such pain inside her heart that no amount of medicine could cure . The barely flickering me of life remained so only because she wanted to tell her story to Lino in hopes that he¡¯d learn a lesson for the future and, perhaps, even act out some form of revenge for them, though she held little hope for that . " . . . heh," Lino suddenly chuckled bitterly . "Even when there¡¯s a clear enemy . . . hearts of men are still corrupt . " " . . . what will you do?" Lucky asked . "Obliterate them . " Lino replied casually . Lucky shook; though she expected simr answer, the conviction by which he spoke made it seem as though he¡¯d spring to his feet any moment now and go . " . . . " "Are you willing to give up already?" " . . . already?" Lucky looked at him grimly, her expression cold . "That¡¯s right, already," Lino said, looking back emotionless . "Do you think they saved you just so you could tell me what happened?" " . . . " "Whatever," Lino sighed as he got up . "It¡¯s your choice as to whether you want to live or die . However, before you make it, why not apany me? Maybe . . . you¡¯ll see the light of hope in the things I¡¯m about to do . " Lucky¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked up . "What you¡¯re about to do?" "Hm," Lino nodded, smiling faintly . "You guys were the only true family I¡¯ve ever had in my life . And they took you away from me . " though there was a smile on his face, his voice was beyond frigid, as thoughing from the depths ofherworld . "They think they can just walk away from it? No . . . " Lino turned toward the cave¡¯s exit . "Humans . . . Demons . . . it doesn¡¯t matter who . Come dawn, they will join Ae, Fish, Kraval, Shaneine and Smite, to kiss their feet for all eternity . " Chapter 94 Chapter 94 CHAPTER 94 THE COMING Lino¡¯s decision was not rash or made in an outburst of unbridled rage; rather, it was calcted and cold . During the short period of silence, he conversed with the Writ over his options, and learned of the particr function: forcibly crossing Realms for the short period of time . Afterwards, Writ tried to exin the consequences, but Lino hardly cared . Anything short of permanent death was eptable to him . After all, if he couldn¡¯t vent the anger in his heart, he was certain he¡¯d never get a wink of sleep for the rest of his life . Naturally, he didn¡¯t n to exterminate the entire Su n; most of them werepletely innocent and unaware, and however enraged Lino was, he wasn¡¯t blinded by it . Revenge and massacre are two things he didn¡¯t dare mix together . Thanks to Lucky, he already had a vague idea of who exactly to target which simply meant there was no reason to dy it any longer . Because he couldn¡¯t fly, he knew it would take a bit too long to walk over to Su n - perhaps half a year at the very least - so he had Lucky lead him to the destroyed teleportation tform . Tattered stoney around, the circr formation cracked over its entire surface seven or eight times, with runic lines nearly entirely perished . He studied for a moment and, to his relief, realized he could fix it . It should be enough for a trip over there . . . and back here . Lino didn¡¯t immediately go after Demons even though it may make a bit more sense to a bystander; though he very much wanted to save Freya, he knew that Prince Yox had long since left, especially because he couldn¡¯t find Lino . In the end . . . I just hope he won¡¯t do anything too quickly . . . He set about to fix the formation while Lucky sat on the side, asionally nibbling on some seeds while trying her best to suppress the surging screams . The already clouded sky grew even darker as heavy rain began to fall, soaking both of them . Yet, neither seemed to care much; Lino¡¯s mind was entirely focused on the formation itself . He didn¡¯t know much about it but, thanks to his experience with arrays, he at least had some idea on the direction . Thankfully, he also had more than enough materials to fix it temporarily . After all, he didn¡¯t need it to be perfect or to transport hundreds of people numerous times . Making it stable for a day or two was more than enough for him . He patiently worked through the entire night before a faint smile crept up on his lips . By now, clouded sky, as though pierced by an unknown power, was gone, reced entirely by blue expanse with the golden sun slowly rising in the east . Lino wiped sweat off his brow as he looked up toward the horizon and sunrise . Though it was beautiful, it hardly impacted him much . It was time, he realized . He looked at Lucky who didn¡¯t say anything and instead got up and walked onto the formation, followed by Lino shortly after . He took a deep breath and flung nearly twenty thousand Qi Stones he¡¯d already prepared at the specific points of the formation . Even if he didn¡¯t know all the details, he knew the overall structure; formation served to rip open a void between two points in space - no matter how far away they were . As space itself was extremely durable - even here, where Qi was rather weak - to do that required enormous energy, something Lino couldn¡¯t provide himself . After a void was torn open, space was bent between two points until the distance narrowed to measly few meters . All this knowledge stemmed from his attempts to understand the Laws of Nature, as well as his reading in Ava¡¯s library . He came to understand a bit more about the world itself and how it functioned; for instance, he knew that clouds didn¡¯t simply ¡¯appear¡¯ in the sky . Rather, they were formed from the invisible water vapour rising high up, where the temperatures drop and vapour in turn condenses - into clouds . Simrly, he knew that space itself wasn¡¯t as t as he imagined it to be; though the books he read on it were rather vague and didn¡¯t provide any definitive answers, by contemting himself, he came to some conclusions in which he was quite confident . For instance, he believed one couldn¡¯t physically ¡¯tear open¡¯ space; what they did was simply disce it, revealing the void behind it . At the very least, that¡¯s what Lino thought . He was too weak, though, to confirm it . As he watched the formation light up and felt space around him vibrate, he realized that his conclusion seemed to be right; though it appeared as though space around him and Lucky was being destroyed, it was simply being ¡¯moved¡¯ in a sense to create a hole . That hole was a spinning vortex which was justrge enough for a person . Usually,rge-scale teleportation formations would make the ¡¯mouth of the tunnel¡¯ immensely vast, but the size of the tunnel itself connecting two points couldn¡¯t be toorge . As such, though it seemed everyone was teleported at the same time, the reality was that they crossed the tunnel itself one by one and then were forced to wait - without realizing it - for others to catch up on the other end of the tunnel . As Lino wasn¡¯t teleporting a lot of people, he used just enough energy to tear open the holerge enough for a person . Even though he was certain Su n had already destroyed the formation on the other end, it didn¡¯t matter; coordinates were already ¡¯installed¡¯ into the formation beneath his feet, and he had rough destination in mind, even if he might be off by a few miles . Without pausing, he walked into the vortex whereupon he felt strange vestiges of space assail him . Thankfully, the formation didn¡¯t simply open up a tunnel between two points, but also coated it in shielding which made it possible for a person to cross through . Otherwise, only someone who could manipte space and void at will could cross freely through - something Lino certainly couldn¡¯t do . Though the journey was short - merely tens of seconds - Lino gleamed a lot from it . Even if he read about space and void and how they function, this was his first time seeing the turbulence of space . With a bit more research, and a bit more strength, he was confident in being able to ¡¯tear open¡¯ the space with his bare hands at will . It took him a few moments to gather himself after he was spat out on the other end of the tunnel . After getting used to the sudden burst of light, he nced around and realized he was standing on a midway point of a rather barren mountain . Surrounding him were other, simr mountains, which further encircled arge valley down below . When Lino¡¯s eyesnded onto the valley, the suppressed rage almost burst out from him . Right there, in the heart, was a massive town - perhaps town was a bit of an exaggeration, but n Headquarters hardly seemed to do justice to the size of the thing . Su n . . . Lino thought inwardly as his breathing sped up and grew ragged . The town was bustling with life and activity and constant stream of people going in and out of it . South-eastern part of the town seemed a bit cut off from the rest, like a fat bulge at the edge, and sported even grander architecture of which the three massive spires seemed the most impressive . They were d in bright, golden color, while slightly shorter buildings were silver . The smallest buildings in the ¡¯bulge¡¯ were bronze-colored, and Lino immediately realized that must be where pretty much everyone who he marked resided . The three spires formed a triangle and Lino¡¯s eyes immediately lurched toward it; while other ns and Sects usually hid their Artifacts, Su n proudly disyed it right there . One part of it was a golden globe, akin to a sun, resting at the very center of the triangle, spitting out light ceaselessly . Surrounding it were thirteen silver-colored globes, simr to the moon, who continued spinning around it in a specific pattern . Unlike the sun part, which held a hint of warmth even at the vast distance Lino was at, he detected a vestige of cold within the thirteen moons . Lino immediately realized that this was the n¡¯s famed Defensive Artifact, one of the most basic requirements of a named n or a Sect - [Cycle of Heaven and Earth] . Su n¡¯s Cultivation Method relied on day and night cycles, examining profound meaning behind sun disappearing and moon appearing in the sky, as well as vice versa . It was no coincidence that their unified belief formed the Defensive Artifact that it had, nor that it had such name; in order to practice their Cultivation Method, [Thirty-three Cycles of Heaven and Earth], they had to embody it - believing wholly that sun and moon represented cycles of Heaven and Earth and, in extension, Life and Death itself . Lino¡¯s eyes focused onto the Artifact as he used the Primal Spirit to examine it . Even though he was unable to decipher its entire status window, he immediately learned more than 90% of people in the n itself . Seeing it, though, made his confidence drop somewhat; only now he truly understood why massive-scale wars between ns and Sects were so rare . [Cycle of Heaven and Earth - n Artifact] Level: NIL Damage: NIL Durability: 10,000,000 Special Effect: [Symphony of Day] - ??? - Special Effect: [Symphony of Night] - ??? - Special Effect: [Cycle of Heaven and Earth - First Form] - ??? - Special Effect: [Cycle of Heaven and Earth - Second Form] - ??? - Special Effect: [Cycle of Heaven and Earth - Core Reversal] - ??? - Special Effect: [Cycle of Heaven and Earth - Heaven¡¯s Fall] - ??? - Note: Defensive Artifact of Su n; can only be wielded by the n¡¯s current strongest person . Its destruction signals n¡¯s destruction . Chapter 95 Chapter 95 CHAPTER 95 WRATH OF AN EMPYREAN (I) A shabbily-dressed youth leisurely cruised the busy streets while asionally eximing softly when his eyes would meet something he enjoyed . Right behind him, a young woman with her head bowed nearly to her chest followed, her shoulders slightly slumped, yet her eyes brimming with strange fire . The ¡¯outer town¡¯ of the Su Family¡¯spound was the part that was open to public, and it saw quite a bit of traffic despite where n¡¯s headquarters were stationed . There were merchants left and right as well as random travelers looking for better life . However, Lino didn¡¯t pay much attention; he¡¯d only asionally exim upon seeing an above-average item . He followed the main street and, after almost an hour, he found himself in front of a gated part . Walls made of green limestone rose to nearly six meters in height, wounding round the main headquarters . There were dozens of guards stationed in front of the gates and up on the walls . Gates themselves were made out of strange, yet sturdy wood, with a carving of sun and moon taking the centerpiece position . To most others, this sight would appear majestic and even overwhelming; yet, to Lino, it was nothing but empty unting . However, he held himself back from ramming right through and instead casually approached whereupon he was stopped by one of the guards . Before the guard even had a chance to utter a word, Lino grabbed him by the cor, whispered something into the guard¡¯s ear, and suddenly heaved his arm backward before throwing the guard over the gates and walls, toward the tallest spire . It all happened so quickly that the other guards didn¡¯t even have a chance to react; by the time they realized what had happened, the thrown guard was halfway through to his destination . The other guards, d in yellow armor, quickly came to and raised their weapons . It was then that a deep, woman¡¯s voice echoed from the depths, causing them all to freeze in spot . "Stay your hands . " Lino recognized the voice; he¡¯d forgotten the name behind it, but not the proud, filthy face . He looked up toward the tallest spire from which a woman, followed by dozens of people, flew out . She flew rather quickly, stopping as she reached the gates, looking down at Lino . " . . . " Lino noticed aplex sh of emotions inside the woman¡¯s eyes, yet seemed entirely indifferent to it . Behind the woman, he saw several familiar figures, including old man Van, Velin and even Sylvia . "I¡¯m sorry . " the woman spoke . " . . . " Lino looked at her, yet wasn¡¯t really paying attention to her; his focus was on the shaking body behind him . "Ae," Lino spoke softly . "Fish . . . Kraval . . . Smite . . . Shaneine . . . Freya . . . " Lino continued in a rather soft voice, yet the kind which hid cold sharpness of death . "I may be selfish, but even if you abandoned the entire vige and took them with you . . . I¡¯d have thanked you rather than anything else . " " . . . there was no time--" "I¡¯m not here to hear your excuses," Lino said, interrupting the woman; his attitude seemed to have annoyed quite a few people behind the woman, yet he didn¡¯t even look at them . "The only reason you abandoned them is because you thought I couldn¡¯t threaten you . I get that," Lino suddenly smiled . "Self-preservation is, after all, a powerful thing . " the woman suddenly had a strange, dangerous foreboding appear inside her heart, causing cold sweat to break out as she looked at the boy through whom she still couldn¡¯t see . "And know that, while I¡¯m removing your name from the annals of history," Lino¡¯s smile suddenly turned frigid, his eyes like two mirrors reflecting nothing but pure chaos . "I¡¯m doing it with full understanding of your actions . I ask the same of you . " "Humph, you . . . erasing our name?" the woman¡¯s brows furrowed quickly as she stared at the youth beneath her; she at first wanted to offer him to stay here and cultivate, and even help him the best way she could . However, all those feelings immediately disappeared when she heard Lino threaten her n . "If I were you, I¡¯d turn around and leave while I still hold some good will toward you . " " . . . " Lino smiled softly, a smile of almost boyish innocence, as he extended both his arms . In one, a radiant spear appeared, seemingly causing a roar of a dragon to echo out . In the other, a slick and straight sword appeared, cyan sheen atop its surface, exuding chill of the frost . "Here¡¯s to their amaranthine voices . " A dangerous feeling once again swarmed the woman as she called out "RETREAT!!!" . Just as her voice bellowed out, Lino threw both the sword and spear with all his strength toward the gates and the walls . Both immediately imploded as though they were made of paper, causing one explosion after another to echo out while rubble of stone and wood flew like an upward rain all around . His eyes grew colder by every second, his arms still extended whereupon a sword and a massive axe appeared . Without pausing, his muscles bulged as he threw them both toward the sky where a woman suddenly pushed her arm forward, causing a strange, mystic shield-like screen of light to appear in front of her . The screen managed to repel the sword, but when the axe crashed into it, it too copsed just like walls, sending the woman spiraling backward like a kite while spitting out blood . "MADAME!!" voices cried out, but Lino was unaware of them . Inside, only a single voice can be heard . [Analysisplete . . . ] [Body¡¯s Endurance is enough for forcible increase . . . ] [Level increased to . . . ] [Level increased to . . . ] [Realm Reached: Purity Realm . . . ] [ . . . ] "NOT ENOUGH!!!" Lino cried out; his veins were pulsating as though alive, eyes bloodshot red as though he was bedeviled, his voice deep and almost inhuman . [Level increased to . . . ] [Level increased to . . . ] [Level increased to . . . ] [Realm Reached: Illumine Realm] [Level increased to . . . ] [Realm Reached: Numinous Realm] [Further increase may damage--] "MORE!!!" [Level increased to . . . ] [First Transcendence Achieved . . . ] [Realm of the Exalted Reached . . . ] [Temporary Title Obtained: Exalted Empyrean] [8 Gates were forcibly opened . . . ] [Time remaining: 1h] [Recovery period: 3-10 Years] Lino felt power well beyond his understanding surge through his veins; it was familiar yetpletely alien . He knew how to use it instinctively, yet felt as though chains were restricting him . He knew he didn¡¯t have a lot of time, so he entirely disregarded everything except achieving his goal . Though his body bled from every inch, and pain assailed as deep down as it can go, his focus remained on the figures in the sky . Extending both his arms, the familiar spear and sword suddenly flew back to him . Lucky stood behind, utterly shocked; she could feel the boundless auraing from Lino . Even if it wasn¡¯t directed at her, it was suffocating; it seemed almost as though he belonged to another world entirely . . . "E-e-exalted!!!!!" the woman finally came to her senses as she focused toward Lino yet again . However, when she sensed his aura, she felt her heart and soul freeze at the same time . She wasn¡¯t alone; nearly everyone was shaking by now . No matter how strong they were . . . they were like children causing ruckus in front of this seemingly ordinary boy before them . "Sun,e to me!" without putting on any airs, the woman immediately summoned the n¡¯s Defensive Artifact; it was their only chance at survival . Golden sphere of light flew from its usual position, followed immediately by the smaller, silver-colored ones . Lino stared at the artifact for a moment, suddenly grinning as he brandished his two weapons tightly . His main goal wasn¡¯t Su n; he needed to wrap things up quickly here and go back . Go back to try and find Freya even though the chances of that happening were minuscule at best . It was then that the day suddenly darkened and turned to night; only the singr source of it remained, that being the golden sphere . It rose above the woman as everyone except her suddenly fell down onto the earth and knelt down, as though praying toward it . However, Lino was able to perceive thin threads of Qi traveling from them toward the artifact, powering it . "First Form-" the woman cried out as she extended her arms . "Eternal Night!" for a moment, Lino felt strange sense of sluggishness overwhelm him, yet with a single cirction of Qi, it was immediately dispelled . He knew that, in order to achieve what he set out to do, it didn¡¯t matter whether he killed the entire n or not; what mattered was whether the Defensive Artifact remained or not . Lino knew the names of its forms, but didn¡¯t know what those forms did . As such, he was slightly surprised when he realized that the Artifact actually suppressed lighting off both his weapons . He was shrouded in what appeared to be eternal darkness, and such thoughts tried to vie into his mind . He smirked for a moment, realizing it was simr to an illusionary formation . "Cheap tricks . . . " he scoffed, sending Qi into his feet . A momentter, alongside a thundering surge of lightning, Lino heaved into the sky, barreling toward the woman with speed that she couldn¡¯t possibly follow, or he could possibly control . He barely managed to stick out both his weapons toward the Artifact as the sh urred . A massive explosion followed, causing a shockwave which sted for miles on end, immediately expelling the darkness surrounding the mainpound . One building after another toppled over, causing stone and rock to wash over the now emptied streets . Lino was forced backwards, but appeared uninjured; on the other hand, the woman was already bleeding profusely, feeling stifled from the depths of her soul . Her entire being was now connected to the Artifact, and thetter was actually damaged in that sh; perhaps even more shocking was that the First Form - Eternal Night was actually forcibly sealed and couldn¡¯t be used anymore! Though she knew Lino was an Exalted, she still believed she could somehow take him on with the n¡¯s Artifact . Yet, now, doubts began to creep in; is this really the end? No! We have prevailed for thousands of years!! We won¡¯t fall because of some brat who can¡¯t control his emotions! "Ha ha ha ha ha," Linoughed freely, almost like a madman as hended back on earth; the sword suddenly crumbled and turned to ash, but a mere blinkter, another one appeared, this one exuding a fiery sheen instead . "Hide, hide, hide you fucking whore!! Let¡¯s see how long you¡¯ll be able to hide behind that shitty item of yours!!!" by now, he was overwhelmed with the same old feeling of boiling blood; even if someone told him to stop right now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to . Even if that someone was Writ itself . Chapter 96 Chapter 96 CHAPTER 96 WRATH OF AN EMPYREAN (II) Shocked expressions of Su n members were hardly enough to convey the sheer impossibility of what had just urred; the Eternal Night was shattered!! Even the Matriarch had not expected it, despite facing an Exalted! After all, Defensive Artifacts couldn¡¯t simply be overpowered by higher realm . Yet, Lino did exactly that . He didn¡¯t feel it was such big aplishment; after all, items he used to battle against the Artifact weren¡¯t exactly scrap found anywhere . His greatest weakness when it came to battles was inability to externalize Qi; this meant he had no way to attack from range . . . so he made a way: by literally throwing money at people! "Reform!" the Matriarch cried out, reassembling the Artifact . "First Cycle - Life! Second Cycle - Death! Eternal Cycles of Heaven and Earth - Cardinal Reversal!" The golden sun suddenly spun as it cried out into the world; its light tripled in intensity, causing even Lino to put an arm in front of his eyes to block it . The ¡¯moons¡¯ surrounding it pulled backwards until they were all circling the sun inpletely reversed formation . Day once again turned into night, but that wasn¡¯t all; Lino suddenly felt a strange sensation ovee him . He couldn¡¯t quite exin it; it was as though moving slowly would mean moving quickly, whereas moving quickly would mean moving slowly . Defensive Artifacts usually couldn¡¯t be used to attack directly; rather, they were more simr to massive-scale formations . However, they were stronger . While formations used Qi to strengthen themselves, Defensive Artifacts manipted Qi directly - which is why there was a widespread saying ¡¯To ovee the Sect¡¯s Heart, one has to ovee Heaven and Earth¡¯ . Lino, naturally, didn¡¯t know that . He just felt quite odd, but it didn¡¯t stop him from drawing out several weapons from his void world and hurling them toward the seemingly only source of light in the darkness . Still, Defensive Artifacts weren¡¯t that weak, after all . Before even reaching the Artifact, Lino¡¯s weapons seemingly lost their target and flickered for a moment before falling back down to the ground . Realizing his previous tactic was impossible, Lino did what his opponents thought it was impossible: with his feet suddenly coated in azure lightning, he moved forward while causing a billowing sandstorm to sweep behind him . Matriarch¡¯s jaw gaped intensely as she stared at the flicker of light approaching . Under the effect of Cardinal Reversal, even she - who had centuries of experience with it - couldn¡¯t exert all her strength . After all, everything was reversed - it wasn¡¯t simply a matter of moving forward to move backward . Even Qi passages for Martial Arts were reversed! However, what they didn¡¯t know that Lino didn¡¯t have Qi passages . His entire body was one, massive Qi gulf instead . In addition, he cultivated Chaotic Qi, the origin of all Qi in the world; to say he was immune to all illusions wasn¡¯t correct, but something which directly influenced him could easily be negated . He moved his body normally, as though the Cardinal Reversal had never urred . He took out two spears from his void world and flung them in front of himself as he plunged into the screen of darkness bordering him from the shining sun . There was no explosion, but rather a sound of a paper tearing as the screen crumbled . Lino¡¯s spears found their way and hit the sun directly, causing Matriarch to immediately feel her organs churn and twist, vomiting her innards out . Naturally, that wasn¡¯t enough to actually damage the Defensive Artifact, but Lino was relentless . As he was blown backwards through rebound force, he forcibly steadied his body and spiraled forth yet again, cruising through the air like a falling star . Over and over . . . ten times . . . hundred times . . . his speed couldn¡¯t be perceived as his momentum kept increasing . One booming sound after another bellowed out, and the world around quaked as walls, buildings and even spires cracked and copsed . All around was an apocalypse, as people began leaving the Su n in droves, afraid of being caught up in the utter destruction unfolding before their eyes . On the other hand, Su n members had no choice but to stand gobsmacked and stare at the figure flying in and out of the sky . No, rather than call it a figure, to them it was just a sh of light; they¡¯d never witnessed anything remotely this fast . Velin and old man Van were especially shocked . Though they believed Lino to be strong, they never once ced him at the same level as Matriarch . They didn¡¯t even consider him as strong as Elders . But, today, all their perceptions of the world were crumbling . Lino¡¯s expression grew more and more maddened the more he attacked . By now, he was entirely consumed by the urgent feeling of battle . His blood boiled and churned as though aze, his muscles bulging and contracting repeatedly, veins wriggling like worms . With each attack, he expelled mass amounts of Qi through the two spears, yet by the time he attacked again, it was entirely replenished due to insane speed of recovery . " . . . Birth! Death!" realizing that this method would only lead them to eventual destruction, the Matriarch cried out toward the sky as the darkness disappeared . "The Absolute Cycle! Heaven¡¯s Reversal --- Earth and Sky bejoined, Heaven¡¯s Fall!!" A sky-amassed pressure suddenly crashed against Lino, forcing him to halt his attack . Winds bellowed in cyclones, ruffling his long hair and beggar-like clothes as he raised his head and looked toward the sky . Heaven¡¯s Fall, Artifact¡¯s final form . Even Lino was somewhat apprehensive of what it could do and, looking at the sky, that apprehension only grew . There, where once sun was, he only saw a massive void of darkness . Cracks like bolts spread out from the void throughout the sky as though it was made of ss, ready to be broken at any moment . And, it was . The sky copsed; true to the name, it was the Fall of Heaven . Rather than darkness, sky was reced by a void filled with stars and gxies that shone likenterns in night . It was truly beautiful, Lino admitted; his maddened expression turned tranquil as he gazed at thepletely new vision of the world . It was as though he suddenly understood something; although he was told this world was the lone one in the existence . . . how was that possible? What, then, of the countless stars adorning the nightly sky? Suddenly, he had a desire to fly up toward the void and chase after the suddenly growing lights . True, stars were seemingly growing; no, Lino realized, rather than growing, they wereing closer . From a fingernail-sized to fist-sized all the way until they nketed the sky . Ten . . . a hundred . . . tens of thousands of stars were sting through the heaven¡¯s void and copsing toward him . It was a sight that would leave even the bravest of souls crippled in fear . What can one, ordinary, fleshly body do against the might of heavens? Nothing . To many, it wasn¡¯t simply a saying, but absolutew . Death was true projection of heaven¡¯s might; who had ever withstood the ravages of death? None . Heavens could not be measured with normal understanding . Still, there stood a boy, not even fully grown yet, who didn¡¯t care . Rather than respecting heavens, he felt nothing . He didn¡¯t believe in heavens . While staring at the falling stars, his eyes were as clear as Eternal Lakes, his posture straightened like a spear he was holding . It was beyond breathtaking - not only for him, but other Su n members . It was the first time they had the pleasure to witness their Artifact¡¯s final form . They imagined it all to be real . . . only a few, however, knew it was nothing but an illusion . Heavens didn¡¯t copse . How could a meager artifact of a small n copse the heavens? It couldn¡¯t . Their hopey in Lino being unable to realize it . But . . . Lino never even believed it was copse of heaven . That is why he did nothing . He watched burning stars, millions of times brighter than the sun, fall toward him . He stood there, appearing like a small ant before the overwhelming might . Stars . . . he didn¡¯t know what the stars were . He couldn¡¯t understand the make of the celestial world . However, he swore he would one day . Its beauty was beyondpare . Such were his thoughts as countless burning globes sted against him . In the eyes of those caught in the illusion, everything exploded . The earth, the sky, the world itself . . . only they remained safe . They cheered . Loudly . They were assured of victory . However, a few among them sighed . Matriarch looked at the boy standing there, his eyes still glued to the sky . She knew he never fell for her illusion . No matter how shaken a person was, they would always battle in theirst moment . If Lino truly fell into the illusion and experienced the Fall of Heaven, no matter how overwhelmed he felt, he would have resisted . But . . . he just calmly weed it . While hundreds of people cheered, Lino closed his eyes and breathed in . He even felt a small amount of gratitude toward the Su n . Because of that illusion, he felt as if his view toward the world broadened greatly . All sacrifice was not in vain . Nay, their deaths weren¡¯t in vain . He chose to believe so . They died valiantly, they fought marvelously . They were like the stars . . . shing blindingly across the whole of the universe for a brief flicker before disappearing forevermore . " . . . must we really do this?" a woman¡¯s voice brought him back to reality as he opened his eyes and looked toward the sky, where the elderly woman floated next to the Artifact . The shine had dimmed by more than half . " . . . it¡¯s not fair," Lino said . "To either of us . They didn¡¯t deserve to die, but neither do you or your n . Is there a right choice to be made here?" " . . . allow our n¡¯s Bloodline to persist," the woman said . "I¡¯m willing to offer my life in exchange . " "You overvalue your life . . . and overvalue my kindness," Lino said . "Su n will end today . As the matter of fact, I don¡¯t have to kill any one of you . Just step back and let me destroy the Artifact and I¡¯ll leave . " ": . . I can¡¯t do that . " the woman said, her eyes shing with immenselyplex emotions . "I know," Lino suddenly smiled as he raised his spears yet again . "If you did, thest shred of respect I have for you would have been wiped away . I may be cruel . . . and my actions may seem as petty . It doesn¡¯t matter . I¡¯ll don the devil¡¯s crown for today . Come . Don¡¯t wait for me . " Sun shone . . . it swept the darkness away . Though Artifact¡¯s durability was massive, Lino was relentless . Without resting for even a moment, he plunged himself directly at it . Over and over again . Each time he struck, hearts of those watching would freeze . Sun¡¯s radiance dimmed . . . cracks spread . . . tears of blood flew . Compound was already leveled, the rest of the city buried in the dust . From well back, Sylvia watched the whole ordeal . Tears had long since infested her eyes . She hadn¡¯t felt much attachment toward the n, but she was still a member . It was almost an instinctual reaction toward seeing the Heart and Soul of the entire n being rammed in time and again . Everyone wept, whether old or young, whether aware or not . Each time a crack appeared on the sun, one would appear on their hearts as well . 18th of August, year 16,369 of Yev¡¯eve Calendar, just before the dusk, sun turned colorless, lightless . It turned to ash, and with it nearly twenty people perished . It didn¡¯t even take half an hour for it all to happen . Those who lived stared at the sight they would never forget . From that day onward, till the end of time, these few dozen would be thest blood of Su, a n which once danced the Devil¡¯s Dance with one of the four Great ns, Godly n . Chapter 97 Chapter 97 CHAPTER 97 WRATH OF AN EMPYREAN (III) Lino ignored the stunned expressions of the Su n members and he ignored the absolute destruction of the valley the n resided in . He turned around slowly and looked at the figure that hadn¡¯t moved from his back since he came here: Lucky . She was currently staring at him with wide eyes full of strange shine, her hands wound in tight fists . Lino faintly smiled as he walked up to her . "Aren¡¯t I amazing?" he asked . "Yup . " Lucky replied honestly, surprising him . "You really are . " " . . . oh, wow, I¡¯m actually embarrassed . " "You better be . I rarelypliment other people . " "You don¡¯t say?" " . . . what will you do now?" Lucky asked suddenly . "Visit the other side . " Lino replied seriously . " . . . you aren¡¯t their match . " "Huh?" "Even if I don¡¯t know what realm you¡¯re at," she borated . "I can vaguelypare the aura . There were at least three that were stronger than you . Much . . . much stronger than you . " Most-likely Devil Variants, Lino thought inwardly, frowning . If they¡¯re still defending the army . . . Lucky¡¯s right . I stand no chance . "Why not leave with me and get stronger first?" " . . . " Lino smiled as he looked deeply into her eyes . "I can¡¯t," he said . "This is a borrowed hand . " "A borrowed hand? Y-you won¡¯t die, right?!!" "Ha ha, no, not quite," he exined . "Though . . . I will be gone for a while . That¡¯s why it¡¯s time for us to say goodbye to each other . " " . . . " "In ten years . . . I¡¯ll look for you . I hope you make a name for yourself so my search doesn¡¯tst long . " " . . . you¡¯re selfish till the very end, huh?" Lucky grumbled . "Yup, that I am . Well, time is running out . We¡¯ll meet again . " Lino said as he suddenly ced his hand on top of her head and caressed her with a smile for a moment . Lucky froze, though by the time she came to and was ready to fight him, he had disappeared . It wasn¡¯t the type of speed she couldprehend for the time being, so she was forced to swallow the bitter pill and wait . . . wait for the next time she sees him to pay him back . She averted her gaze from where Lino was at and focused once again on the dismayed standing less than a hundred meters away from her . All of them were kneeling, their arms slumped by their sides, gazes locked at the hopeless sky . Lucky recognized more than a few of them; Sylvia, who would asionally grab Lucky¡¯s bum for no reason, old man Van who was a coward beyond reason, Velin, a man who pestered Sylvia even after being repeatedly rejected . . . there was also Riven, young girl who was proficient in setting up ¡¯rm Formations¡¯, Venar, a middle-aged man tasked with training youths in Martial Arts . . . She interacted with a lot of members of Su n over the course of few months . Yet, she felt neither guilt nor regret while watching the ravaged scenery . In the end, they were just fleeting names in her life, while those who died were her family . She could never forgive the abandonment . Strangely, Sylvia was the first that recovered from shock . Her head tilted sideways as she met Lucky¡¯s gaze . Her eyes were empty, Lucky realized . Void of hope, of ambition, of desire . . . it¡¯s as though the whole of her character was sucked out and thrown into the void . " . . . you should have also died . " Sylvia said . "Then, he wouldn¡¯t have known . We would have been fine . " " . . . fine?" Lucky scoffed . "Lino isn¡¯t so kind that he would have needed evidence either way . You were doomed the day you decided to dance with that devil . " " . . . he is a devil, isn¡¯t he?" Sylvia couldn¡¯t raise her voice, and neither could she cry . She only felt weak, barren, empty . " . . . yes, he is . " Lucky said . "Had you helped us . . . he would have been an angel . " that was thest thin Lucky spoke to Sylvia before turning and leaving the valley . Her destination? She didn¡¯t know . Lino promised to meet her in ten years . For some reason, she didn¡¯t want him to feel disappointed then . A strange fire woke within her soul, something even she was unaware of . On the day one legend fell, another was born, in the most unassuming ce, a ce abandoned by the grace of the world . While it turned a blind eye to the small ce at its very edge, a figure that would shake the very foundation of the era was taking her first steps toward a new life . ** Lino was currently hovering above the Hope Town, golden wings unfurled behind his back, illuminating the darkening sky . His gaze was fixed toward the forest and then beyond . He had no fear in his heart despite the fact that he was certain he was heading into a trap . It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t care about living or dying - he still very much did - but that certain things reached beyond that . He had less than half an hour of the forced transformation remaining . Could he save Freya in that time? He doubted it . No, he waspletely certain he couldn¡¯t . However, he still had to go, at the very least to ascertain whether she was dead or alive . She was Fate¡¯s Child, but Fate wasn¡¯t omnipotent . Even if independent of Gaia, it still had its limitations . Its incantations were merely blessed, not invincible . His wings fluttered as he turned into a golden streak of light shing through the sky . What took most others a week to cross, he did in less than a minute . There, beneath him, an enshrouded city existed, protected by thick, gray mist . Lino immediately recognized it as a formation . However, he wasn¡¯t worried . It was far weaker than Defensive Artifact of Su n . Did he destroy the Artifact with his own power? Not really . Even if he was Exalted at the moment, it was far from enough to forcibly shatter a Defensive Artifact . The items he threw at it and used to batter it yed the key role . Lino always considered himself a cksmith before a fighter . That¡¯s why, despite his cheat-like progress, he didn¡¯t feel all that powerful . His confidencey in the items he crafted with his own two hands . " . . . he he he, you really came . " eerieughter broke through the formation, echoing in the sky . "What a fool . " "A disgraced pig of mankind," Lino¡¯s voice was cold; it was one thing to kill another person, but to sumb and sell your soul to the devil . . . that was simply beyond cowardly . "Where is she?" "Disgraced pig? Ha ha ha ha, you ignorant fool!" a mirage extended from the mist; though there were some differences in appearance, Lino immediately recognized Prince Yox . "What worth is stupid pride in front of absolute power?! Ha ha ha!" " . . . Devils needed a conduit to enter our world," Lino said, his gaze growing sharper . "And you willingly became that, condemning millions to death . What are you if not a disgraced pig of mankind? What absolute power? Devils are absolute power? They are rotten rodents hiding in the wretched corners of the world . I asked you a question you ball-licking devil-whore . " " . . . " no mater what, Yox was still a prideful man; how can he withstand being insulted repeatedly by a being he considered nothing but his prey . However, before he even had a chance to retaliate, Lino¡¯s spiteful tongue operated again . "No, forget it . Your shrieked voice¡¯s just grating my ears . Do you feast on devil cocks every morning? Is that why your voice sounds like you¡¯re gurgling? You fucking devil cumdumpster . No, you are worse than that . You fucking inbred dog . Ah, no, why am I insulting the beautiful dogs? Even if you took her . . . you probably hid her away . Heh, you hide behind the horns of two dogs who should be buying coffins, and you speak to me of pride? Fuck you . Fuck the rest of you listening . You think you are protected? You think your dickhole father¡¯s n will protect you? Fuck both you and him . If a single thing happens to her, I¡¯ll annihte you all . Even if I die, I¡¯ll enter your shit-infested homes and kill you all, you wastes of fucking resources . " it¡¯s been a long, long time since Lino unleashed his spiteful tongue . After all, in the recent years, he was rtively happy . Even though he would re in anger from time to time, it was never to the overwhelming point . Today, it was different . He couldn¡¯t do anything . Besides the anger he felt toward the world, he was angry with himself . He discovered two auras far stronger than him hiding within the city . He knew he couldn¡¯t help Freya today . Rather, he couldn¡¯t even avenge his friends . What was his worth? He could only curse like a dog and escape . In his mind, he was cursing himself ten times harder than he was cursing the devils . But . . . they didn¡¯t know that . "Careful, little kid," another voice suddenly broke through the barrier; its mere presence nearly caused Lino to suffocate . "You¡¯re crossing some lines that ought to never be crossed . " " . . . huh? Who are you? Fuck you . I don¡¯t care who you are . What are you preaching me for? How important are you anyway? I wager not at all cause you were sent in this backwater hellhole instead of at the ce that actually matters . Today, I can¡¯t do anything to you . However, that won¡¯t be the case forever . Pray to your fucking daddy that you are dead before I¡¯m strong enough . If I ever get my hands on you, you¡¯ll wish you were in hell . " Lino, however, didn¡¯t want to leave without doing anything . He stretched out his arms and two swords appeared in his palms . "I¡¯ve still got some time to y . So let¡¯s y, you wretched dogs of hell . " Chapter 98 Chapter 98 CHAPTER 98 WRATH OF AN EMPYREAN (IV) Two swords heaved across the sky like cannonballs in a perfect, shimmering, golden arc . Lino¡¯s physical strength was immense; as the matter of fact, him throwing weapon directly was at least four to five times stronger than someone of Early Purity Realm using Qi to do the same . However, Yox didn¡¯t know that . He merely scoffed, considering Lino a fool . Two swords, naturally, weren¡¯t able to break apart the massive formation; however, two explosions were massive, obliterating clouds in the sky and breaking apart the shadows hiding the city beneath . Lino saw Yox fluttering in the air with shocked expression . He¡¯d only met the Prince once, but it was more than enough to conclude he was nothing but a bastard . Lino didn¡¯t pause; taking out another two swords, he repeated the same action while golden wings fluttered behind his back . Though his face was almost expressionless and his eyes appeared dull, and even if he couldn¡¯t exactly be called superbly handsome, at the moment he exuded a sort of majesty that Yox had never seen in his life . He, a former Prince, current Emperor, paled inparison . Two swords struck the shield of the formation . . . and exploded . Lino didn¡¯t seem to care, but even Yox felt his heart hurt as he realized both those swords were actually [Epic] tiered ones . Was this the style known as ¡¯throwing money at your opponent¡¯? Yes, yes it was . Two more weapons emerged . . . and were thrown . Then two more . In a few seconds, Lino didn¡¯t wait until weapons sted against the formation to throw new ones . Purple, red, golden, yellow, blue, green . . . nearly every color imaginable was interwoven in a single array of light reaching from Lino toward the formation¡¯s shield . Explosions resonated one after another, stirring and copsing the world around the city . In no time, cracks spread like spider webs across the formation, sending the already shocked Yox in a spasm of madness . Over and over and over and over again weapons crashed against the formation until, a mere few minutester, the formation cracked like ss and Yox finally felt the true pressure . In the sky above him, there were twenty-four weapons, eighteen of which were [Rare] tiered ones, five were [Unique] tiered ones and one [Epic] spear . It was like entering a treasury, except touching anything would mean causing an explosion strong enough to blow up half the city . Yox couldn¡¯t defend against the sudden rain . Weapons fell but, strangely, they ignored himpletely . Rather, they struck at the city, leveling the glorified basin into dust . Yox watched as the world around him turned to ash bit by bit, realizing that all his confidence in facing Lino was but a mere fool¡¯s dream . Lino didn¡¯t target Yox because he wanted to spare him, but because he knew those two Devils would never let him kill the Prince . Even if two Devils wouldn¡¯t actively attack Lino, it didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t simply tie him down till Lino¡¯s borrowed strength expired . It was frustrating . It made him angry . He was too weak; he always knew it, but today he felt it deeper than ever before . He couldn¡¯t even avenge the people closest to him . How pathetic was that? He could only throw the storm of swords toward the city and watch it burn . It wasn¡¯t even a constion . . . it didn¡¯t even help him vent his fury, just further encapste the notion of just how weak he was . Frustration . . . anger . . . regret . . . pain . . . loss . . . grief . . . anguish . . . he tried pouring all those emotions into those weapons to cleanse himself, but it was pointless . " . . . she¡¯s already dead, isn¡¯t she?" he suddenly asked, halting the onught for a moment . " . . . he he he, ha ha hahaha," Yox seemed to have finally been liberated from his fear as he saw Lino¡¯s expression . "You realized? Ha ha ha . Shemitted suicide . Can you believe it? Said she didn¡¯t want to be sullied . Ha ha ha, what an idiot . If she served me properly, she could have had the best life she could imagine! Ha ha ha . . . " " . . " He remembered his conversation with E, he remembered her opening her heart toward him and he remember him leaning against her shoulder and crying . His heart was bleeding more than ever before . He wanted nothing more than to just hide back in his shell and bury everything . But he knew he couldn¡¯t . The loss was too great . For the first time since he learned of their deaths, tears of pure, unfiltered agony and fury began falling out of Lino¡¯s eyes . They were tears of pain, of anger, of frustration and, most importantly, of hate . Hate toward himself, toward the Devils, toward the world, toward mankind . . . toward the cruelty of reality . All his life he seemed to only evere across the worst of cruelties; he couldn¡¯t understand it . No, he didn¡¯t want to understand it . Why has the world gone so cold? He bit his lower lip as it bled . His tears tasted salty, he realized . He didn¡¯t have many weapons remaining . All these were supposed to be future resources, the base for his Mercenary Group to grow . What worth were they now? They were scrap to him . Worthless junk . So he threw them all . Dozens . . . even hundreds . City, save for a few buildings, was leveled . There were cratersrger than what eye could see everywhere . Yet, it hardly helped . A forlorn dream emerged inside his mind . It was bitter, seeing their smiling andughing faces . He couldn¡¯t even imagine them mocking him and jeering at him and cursing him for letting them die . In his heart he knew their kindness . They never med him . Even in their final hour, he knew they didn¡¯t me him . If they did, he figured he¡¯d even have felt somewhat better . "AAAAAGHHH!!!!!" he couldn¡¯t help but scream into the sky because of the frustration . Suddenly, like a bolt from empty void, golden shine of his wings dimmed and twirled into a vortex as though sucked away . Beneath them, ckened sheen tried to break through . "Asmodei¡¯s wings!!" two voices eximed at the same time, shocked . "How do you have them?!!" "FUCK YOU!!" Lino screamed back as he felt pain tear away from his back toward his heart . He knew something strange was happening with the wings but he didn¡¯t care . He felt power . Strength . It was beyond his understanding . . . and beyond his capacity! His vessels burst, causing his entire body to immediately be dyed in crimson red . He truly looked horrendous, like a crimson moon in front of the fading sun . His face was distorted to the point of nearly breaking apart . He reached into the void world and took out the Dragon Spear, his strongest item . As he held it, his lips curled up in a devilish grin . "Wretched dogs of hell," Lino¡¯s voice was mutated, as though a choir of thousands rather than his own; it caused Yox to suddenly freeze . A sense of deadly crisis overcame him . "Today I have failed . But I¡¯ll bury Devil¡¯s Domain in ashes one day . To that I vow with my Heart and Soul!" Lino raised the arm which held the Dragon Spear and entered the throwing motion . World seemed to have suddenly frozen as clouds ceased to spit thunder and rain and earth calmed from the eternal quaking . Winds halted in their currents and breaths reversed back into lungs . His eyes were like swirls of damnation as he stared down below at the scorched earth, his heart empty of any feeling . His entire being was wrapped in coil of shadows which mingled like threads, weaving about into crying faces . Yox wasn¡¯t alone . . . two Devils and hundreds of Demons suddenly felt their blood freeze . Death . . . they only saw an advent of death hovering in the sky, looking down on them as though they were ants . Lino had already lost his senses; his sight was blended with crimson dye, his ears drumming with countless voices, some crying, someughing, some whispering . He smelled only blood and rotting corpses, and the shaft of spear was cold despite the mes flickering . " . . . you aren¡¯t this weak," the only voice that could break past the veils of darkness was the robotic one . It felt kind and familiar, and even slightly warm . "You can¡¯t be broken, Lyonel . " " . . . everyone can be broken," Lino replied . "And I was hardly whole to begin with . " "Let it go . . . " the Writ said, his robotic voice suddenly turning human, startling Lino . "You¡¯rerger than this pain . Take all that¡¯s in your heart and put it in that spear . . . and then let it go . " " . . . I spit in the face of your strength," Lino said with a voice full of anger and hate, though he listened to Writ¡¯s advice . "You¡¯re a sly, manipte cunt that¡¯s just as bad as them . You think I don¡¯t know you were aware of it all? You think I don¡¯t know you didn¡¯t warn me because you are trying to test me? I always knew you were using me, but it was fine because I was using you too . But . . . you¡¯ve crossed the line . If you ever as much as attempt to tell me what to do," Lino¡¯s voice was coarse and low, as though he¡¯d suddenly aged hundreds of years, which his sudden shift in appearance would lead one to believe . His hair had turned gray, his face wrinkled, back hunched and body thinned . "I¡¯ll shove a knife through my throat and end it all . " Lino let go of the spear; it roared like a magnificent dragon, trialing in golden, ck and crimson while shadows danced around its shaft and de . It wasn¡¯t an attack that an Exalted could pull off, no matter how talented or strong they were . It was the sort of attack that transcended the cultivation; it flew at speed beyond recognition, tearing apart space wherever it passed, inviting infinite void into reality . It blew past any barrier, it blew past any defence, and it crashed through Yox who couldn¡¯t even move a muscle . It sted directly through his chest, leaving behind a gaping hole where his heart once was, and it ventured onward . It blew past the formation guarding thest remaining buildings, and it blew past them and earth itself . As though a mountain imploded from within, explosion sted apart earth for tens of miles on end . A crater size of a massiveke emerged within heaving dust storm, barren of anything but lonesome earth in its make . And there, embedded in the earth, was a spear, its luminosity dimming . It stood there proudly, and it would stand there for thousands of years, and many heroes from all corners of the world would seek to pull it out, yet all would fail . The spear bore one¡¯s heart, his resentment, anger, pure, unadulterated fury toward the reality itself . It bore Wrath of an Empyrean . Chapter 99 Chapter 99 CHAPTER 99 YESTERYEAR (III) A young boy sat underneath a tree, his eyes watching birds pecking at it . He appeared weak and sleepy, his eyes void of joy and innocence someone his age should proudly disy . Lino hadn¡¯t seen Alison for two weeks; rather, he tried his best to avoid her . He felt bad about it, but he couldn¡¯t figure out how to behave in front of her . Rather, he was ashamed to behave any way . The reason she was suffering was because he was weak . She was suffering because he wasn¡¯t strong enough to endure, smart enough to avoid . He saw her yesterday . She appeared much weaker, her body thinner, eyes void of that simple joy . It was heart-breaking for him, yet, all the same, he couldn¡¯t see her . Not until he figured out how to help her . Go and tell someone? Who would believe him? Rather, who would even help him? He was just a poor boy without a copper in his pocket, while Sister Roa and the fat pig had coins lining up theirs . It snowed yesterday, yet he couldn¡¯t feel the cold . Even while his fists rested on the frozen soil, he couldn¡¯t feel its chill and frost . It wasn¡¯t supposed to go this way, he thought . She needn¡¯t have sacrificed herself for him . Sooner orter, she would have left this damned ce and found a proper home . She would have been taken care of . And she was denied that because of him . He hit the ground lightly once, ignoring the pain and blooding from his knuckles and getting up . He was weak, timid, insignificant . But he had to help her, whatever way he could . As he turned toward the courtyard¡¯s exit, a familiar face entered his view, standing no more than a few meters in front of him . She wore a sleeved dress, thinner than cicada wing, and was shivering . Her eyes were moist as she stared at him . "Hey, Lino . " her voice was coarse and her nose was red, as were here cheeks . He realized she has a cold . "H-hey . . . " "I¡¯m sorry . . . " "W-why are you apologizing?" he bit his lip, lowering his head, too ashamed to look her in the eye . "I . . . I should be apologizing . " " . . . " "You should have just let me die . " he said . "Then, you wouldn¡¯t have to sneak around and you would soon find family that would take you in . " "Let you die? I . . . I could never do that," Alison chuckled bitterly . "Don¡¯t be stupid . " "But I am stupid!!" he eximed . "No, you are stupid!! How--how could you even . . . even think about it?! Am I worth it?! No!!" "Yes you are!!" "No I¡¯m not!" "You don¡¯t like me anymore?" "Of course I like you!" he said as tears streaked down . "I¡¯ll never stop liking you!" "T-then we¡¯ll figure it out! Together!" "No . . . no . You . . . I¡¯ll fix it . I swear to god, okay? Just . . . don¡¯t do it anymore . I promise I¡¯ll fix it . " "Lino--hey, wait, don¡¯t run!! Lino!!!" He ran past her and out of the courtyard onto the snowed streets of the little vige . He ignored her fading pleas and pressed onwards, determined to find one way or another to help her . He didn¡¯t care what would it take, he had to help her . It¡¯s only been a week, yet how different she was? If it went on for longer, what would happen to her? He couldn¡¯t imagine . He ran frantically through the streets, looking for a sign, for anything that would give him answers . Yet, he was just a little boy . He wished he was the sun so he could burn the cold away and wake her up every morning with perfect shine; yet again, he wished he was the moon so he could watch over her when lights dim out, and could strip the stars from the sky to give her . But, he wasn¡¯t . He was just a little boy who liked a little girl whom he couldn¡¯t protect and be there for when she needed him the most . He sought left and right, yet there was nothing . Everyone ignored him, shunned him away as though he was just pure filth . He ran for hours till all strength left him and he copsed onto the floor . It was cold, but he didn¡¯t care . He still stubbornly looked around, yet all feet were ignorant of his pain . They pressed on, stamping their mark onto the wet snow and moving onward with their lives . They were all ignorant of his circumstances . But he couldn¡¯t me them . Not at all . "Aren¡¯t you cold, sitting there?" suddenly a fresh voice jolted him and forced him to look slightly up . A girl slightly older than him stood there, coated in thick clothes with red scarf heaving around her neck and a hood covering her startlingly crimson hair . Her eyes were green like grass and shone like pearls as she stared at him with curiosity . "Are you hungry?" "A . . . a fairy . . . " Lino uttered as he watched her . In his vision, there was a pair of wings fluttering behind girl¡¯s back, pulverizing the cold away with a simple p . "Y-you¡¯re a fairy . . . ?" "Eh? I¡¯m not a fairy, silly, he he . " she chuckled lightly, covering her mouth with her hand . "I¡¯m a cultivator . " "C-cultivator?" Lino mumbled, appearing confused for a moment before shaking his head as though to expel theplex thought . "I . . . can you help me?" he asked with pleading eyes . "Help you?" "Y-yes, yes! T-there¡¯s a girl . . . a girl just like you, fairy!" "Just like me?" the little girl arched her brow as she looked at Lino with curiosity . "Yes, just like you! She . . . she also shines and glows," he exined with enthusiasm . "A-and, and she¡¯s really magical!" "Oh? Can you take me to see her?" the girl asked with faint smile . "Y-yes, yes! Of course! Come with me!" Lino¡¯s tiredness was immediately washed away as he saw a sliver of hope in the time of despair . He got onto his feet and grabbed the girl¡¯s hand, ignoring her slightly flustered expression as he ran back through the streets, ignorant of whether she could follow him . His heart was racing and he was short of breath, yet he ignored it allpletely . It was only joy he felt at the moment, joy over finding someone to help him . The two quickly raced into the courtyard of the orphanage and immediately saw Alison who was sitting beneath the tree, pressed into the snow, crying . The girl behind Lino nced once at the girl and her eyes immediately sparkled like gems . Then she looked sideways at the boy and her curiosity deepened . "It¡¯s-it¡¯s her, can you see her fairy?" Lino asked, smiling broadly . "C-can you help her? T-take here away from this ce, please!" he suddenly knelt into the snow and buried his head in it . " . . . you really want me to take her away?" "Yes! I¡¯ll . . . I¡¯ll do anything! Anything you want!" "What can you do?" "I . . . I . . . " "He he, it¡¯s alright," she said as she caressed his hair gently for a moment . "I¡¯ll take her away . " "Really?!" Lino eximed with glistening eyes . "Yes, really . " "G-great! Thank you, thank you so much!" although he wasn¡¯t this trusting usually, Lino didn¡¯t think much; he was grasping at any straw he could see . He couldn¡¯t stop himself from crying the tears of joy as he imagined Alison finally leaving this hellhole for a better ce . It didn¡¯t even take a few hours till he saw Sister Roa respectfully walking behind an elderly woman and the fairy Lino met, as well as Ally right behind them, her head bowed down . Lino had never seen Sister Roa so flustered and couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly gleeful over it . The elderly woman seemed to be ignoring her while the young fairy would only say a word or two . They all spotted Lino standing in the off corner when they reached the courtyard¡¯s exit; Sister Roa¡¯s eyes were like fiery ze, little fairy¡¯s were of yfulness, elderly woman¡¯s were of slight curiosity, while Ally¡¯s were of pain . Her gaze made his heart throb, but he endured it . Just as he was about to turn around and walk away, she saw her whispering something to the elderly woman upon which thetter nodded, followed by Ally walking over toward him in short strides . She was in front of him in no time, wearing new, spectacr cyan one-piece dress, already seeming slightly healthier than yesterday . " . . . h-hey . . . " Lino said, smiling nervously . " . . . you know Sisters will make your life a living hell now, don¡¯t you?" Ally said, her voice oddly cold . " . . . yeah, I know . " Lino said, still smiling . "I didn¡¯t ask you to save me . " "I didn¡¯t ask you either . " "You¡¯re younger than me . " "You¡¯re a girl . " "What¡¯s that got to do with anything?" "Aren¡¯t guys supposed to protect girls they like? At least that¡¯s what grandpa Felix says . " " . . . I--I¡¯lle back, I promise," she bit her lip, lowering her head and kneading against her thighs with her fists . "I¡¯ll save you . " " . . . you don¡¯t have to," Lino added, smiling broadly . "I¡¯ll be fine . " "Like hell you will!!!" she suddenly screamed at him, her tears like glistening gems trickling down her cheeks . "You¡¯re an idiot!" " . . . " Lino looked at her in silence, unable to process it . "I hate you!!" after a moment¡¯s stillness, she screamed yet again and ran off, not even pausing before bolting through the courtyard¡¯s exit, leaving behind only silence . The elderly woman and the young fairy nced at Lino once, thetter smiling and waving, before also departing, leaving Sister Roa and Lino alone in the ever-cooling courtyard . He thought back for a moment and realized this was the ce he met her at, when she just came and after he spent his two-months¡¯ savings to buy an apple which he gifted her because she looked really sad . However, he didn¡¯t cry . He held it in . Being strong for her, at the very least for now, was the least he could do, he figured . He looked up slowly and saw Sister Roa walking toward him, her stride quick and broad, arms hung at the sides, expression that of fury . Before she even said anything she sent her palm flying, hitting Lino¡¯s cheek squarely so hard he fell into the snow within a second, crying out in pain . He instinctively reached out and held his cheek while trying to roll backward, but before he could, he felt a foot stter against his spleen, then his ribs, his back, legs, stomach, even had . Over and over, for nearly five minutes, she stomped on him like he was overgrowing weed . However, after the first time, he never cried out again, holding it in despite the pain . "Hah, ha, ha," Sister Roa puffed and panted after kicking and wailing for five minutes, clearly out of breath, still staring daggers at the young, bloodied boy beneath her feet . "You little runt, you think you¡¯re clever, huh? I¡¯ll show you clever, mark my words!!" "Shut up, you bitch . " slightly coarse and childish voice beckoned her, surprising her for a moment . "What did you call me?!!" "If it weren¡¯t for other kids," Lino¡¯s head snuggled out of the snow as he looked at her; when her eyes met his, she suddenly felt chill far colder than winter st against her soul . Those eyes . . . were void of emotion . They were cold, empty, as though he was looking at a bug rather than a person . "I would rip your heart out and feed it to dogs, you selfish whore . " "Y-you!! How fucking dare you, you lowlife?!!" kicking resumed, far harsher than before; she increased the strength partly because of anger, and partly because of fear . She didn¡¯t want him looking at her with those eyes; she¡¯d asionally see those eyes, after all . Those were the eyes of soldiers who killed and mowed life as though it was crop; she could hardly understand how a kid barely eight years old could look at someone like that . . . for the first time in her life, she felt true terror, one bounding any rationality a person had . Chapter 100 Chapter 100 CHAPTER 100 END OF AN ERA Ten minutes . . . that¡¯s how long he had before his entire body gave out and copsed . Lino flew through the sky, barely bncing himself without flopping to the ground and sttering against it . He moved eastward, a destination already in his mind . His expression was cid, eyes dark as night, and thanks to his extremely aged appearance, he looked like a risen corpse rather than a young teen . He¡¯d exhausted every ounce of himself with thatst attack; though he didn¡¯t kill those two Devils, he did kill everyone else present there, including Yox . With it, he almost felt as though he put the past few years of his life behind him, somewhere in the deep recesses of his heart . At least, he tried his hardest to convince himself that was the case . It was still night, yet the first breach of the sun was on the horizon . Hued zing coral, it looked strangely ethereal, as though existing outside this reality . It reminded him of fire, of many fires he¡¯d seen in his life . Those visible and those hidden; those good and those bad ones . Throughout his life, he fancied himself the clever and witty one, the observant kind . He¡¯d learned he was nothing more than a fool, though . An actor atop the worldly stage, obscure amidst the main actors ying their roles . What was his role? He¡¯d realized he was assigned many roles . Spurned by factors well outside his power to understand, he was thrust into a world that he was not ready for . He tried to follow E¡¯s words and reject the cruelty and coldness of the world of cultivators, yet he was scorched beyond reason a mere few years in . He¡¯d lost more than he ever bargained for, and had his heart ripped and torn like a piece of useless cloth . It was beyond him as to how it turned out like this; after Alison left, he locked everything up, never allowing anything or anyone to thaw away the frost . He suffered, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as painful as it was now . He was bleeding, just like many times before, but there was no remedy, no point that he can press to stop it . Just an endless river of invisible blood flowing outward like a river, pressing against his mind like a hammer . There was a transgression at some point, he realized; he stopped being who he was for so long, and let others see him . It was merely lies he told himself that kept him from realizing the truth of the matter . Innocent lies that piled up over time, snuffing out his defenses without him even realizing it . His thoughts still stirring, he finally arrived at the deste location that would be his home for many years toe . There, hovering in the might sky, was a necropolis void of life . Seeing it, he was immediately reminded of Eshen, and her own life story . Wasn¡¯t it incredibly simr to his own? She, too, suffered repeatedly until she broke beyond repair . He hardly considered himself broken - merely hurt . Yet, he tread the same path as she did . "You there?" Lino asked,nding into the necropolis and moving toward the throne room slowly . "Yes . " a voice inside his head replied . "Tell me about Eshen . " "What do you want to know?" "What was she like at the beginning?" he asked . " . . . cheerful, pleasant, open-minded . A bright little girl curious of the world . " " . . . she could have made it," Lino said, looking at the barren walls surrounding it . "Why did you choose her anyway?" "Same reason I chose all Empyreans before her and after her," the Writ said . "She fulfilled the criteria . " "You levied her because she fit in a specific set of rules? Heh . . . " " . . . " "And I thought I had it rough . . . " he sighed, ncing down at the state of his body . "This is nothing, though . . . " "You¡¯ll have your revenge, eventually . " "I don¡¯t need ¡¯my revenge¡¯," Lino said, his voice chilly calm . "What¡¯s the point of it, anyway? I depend on you for the rest of my days . " " . . . " "You really outsmarted us all, you know that?" Lino chuckled bitterly as he entered the throne room . "You write scripts that perfectly fit who we are and we have no choice but the follow them . . . because that¡¯s who we are . It¡¯s outstanding, actually . " "Do you think I made a wrong choice?" " . . . of course I do . " "I haven¡¯t," the Writ said . "Sooner orter, they would have died, and you would still be left alone . I can¡¯t begin to imagine the reality being so cruel, but, Lyonel, you are bound to forever be alone . Anyone you befriend, anyone you love, will end up being stirred into the story beyond them, and will be pieces for others to y with . " "Like you?" "Yes, like me . Like other Writs, like Gaia, like the Devils or myriad of other races each hellbent on fulfilling their agendas, regardless of who suffers because of it . My entire purpose is to strengthen you and take you to the peak . I won¡¯t apologize for what I have to do to get you there . " " . . . it¡¯s just like in that book that Ally read to me," Lino said, walking up to the throne and picking up the remnant cloth before sitting down andying it over his knees . "It was about two Kingdoms at war, and about Kings, Queens, Princes, Princesses and other Nobles ying a game with millions of people just because they can . Kings were sacrificing their sons and daughters, Queens were manipting the Kings to do their bidding, Nobles were enving people left and right and gifting them into the army so they wouldn¡¯t be sacked, whilemoners . . . they died . Their purpose seemed to have been to stack up mounds of corpses and nothing else . " " . . . " "In the end, one of the Kingdoms won, and utterly destroyed the other," Lino continued, closing his eyes . "But, then they started scheming from within . Some of the Dukes wanted the Crown, the King wanted to be immortal and believed sacrificing his family would lead him to that, Queen wanted her son to ascend to the throne, Princes back-stabbed each other till the sun shines, and it all descended into unbridled chaos . I¡¯m not nearly as clever or witty as you," he added . "Nor do I have as much experience and knowledge as any of you . But . . . what you¡¯re doing . . . under no circumstances does it have a good ending . " "Then write that good ending by yourself," the Writ said, quickening the pace as Lino only had a minute before copsing . "Use me to get stronger, and rewrite all the rules that eat away at you when you be the strongest . " " . . . that¡¯s a good dream . But it isn¡¯t for me . I¡¯ll write out your story till my dying breath, and then I¡¯ll take that breath . I have no desire to live in a world infested by soul-sucking parasites who can¡¯t see past their own selfish desires, eternally invoking the need for the ¡¯greater good¡¯ while sowing chaos in their wake, no matter where they go . " " . . . it¡¯s your choice . " "Heh, I can¡¯t really believe that . One way or another, it feels as though you slowly fed me fool¡¯s lies, and now I¡¯ve truly turned into an utter tool . " "Rest well," the Writ said . "It will be a long time before you¡¯re ready to leave this ce . " " . . . " Lino sat as thest seconds ticked away . The chill of the throne seeped into his bones, yet he ignored it; he realized how Eshen felt in the end . Cold . . . abandoned . . . broken . . . he was yet to fall into such abyss, yet he already felt fear - fear of being left behind in a world that¡¯s as broken as this one . That city didn¡¯t have many cultivators, but it didn¡¯t matter . Those children in the orphanage . . . those familiar vendors . . . grandmas just enjoying thest few years of their lives . . . everything and everyone was trampled over as though they don¡¯t matter . It was suffocating, at least to him, breathing the same air . He was by no means a saint, and had already killed more than majority ever did or will, yet he also felt absolute disgust toward such world . Did he have dreams of changing it? Certainly . How grand would it be if he could create a world where everyone can enjoy it and rise up based on their own merits, where every individual life was appreciated? It would be grand and beautiful and fulfilling . But, that was fool¡¯s dream, through and through . There¡¯s a reason why current era is called ¡¯Warring Era¡¯ . It was because everything is solved by war; from the minor transgression to eternal hatreds, all invoke war . He can¡¯t save the world, he knew; at the very least, though, he can end its current era . Perhaps only that thin thread of hope keptst remnant of his sanity safe, locked up in a remote corner of his mind, barely keeping him afloat . There¡¯s still a long way to go before he could even begin to act out his ¡¯n¡¯, though . For now, he ought to sleep . He smiled just before thest second ticked away and that robotic voice reported in his mind . [Current Realm: None . . . ] [Damage to Body: Severe] [Damage to Soul: Severe] [Overdrawn potential . . . ] [Analyzing . . . ] [Analysis Complete: Can be healed . . . ] [Time required: 8 years for initial healing] [10 years forplete healing] [Entering ¡¯Hibernation Mode¡¯ . . . ] END OF VOLUME IV - DEATH IS HIM END OF BOOK I - PEST OF UMBRA KINGDOM Chapter 101 Chapter 101 BOOK II - GREAT DESCENT VOLUME V - RUINS OF THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM CHAPTER 101 BEGGAR AND HIS DOG Divine Dynasty - the utmost power of the Western Continent - rested on its easternmost shore, stretching all the way from the entrance to the Demonic Battlefield through the expansive desert standing between it and the other side . Its sheer size alone was enough to intimidate all other forces present on the continent, to say nothing of its military which is entirelyposed of cultivators . Though it has numerous cities under its borders, the greatest and by far the most famous was its capital - City of Sun . It was stationed at the heart of the Empire, and housed at least five million people at any given time . It was byrge the most prosperous city on the continent and the dreand of many young people who sought to make something of themselves . Divine Dynasty had ruled Western Continent for tens of thousands of years with a single family remaining as royalty for just as long: En¡¯gar family . From the first En¡¯gar who rose to the throne to the current one, they remained with a firm grip on the power without ever allowing another force to rise and threaten them . Current King¡¯s name was Althone and he had six children altogether; four sons and two daughters . Unlike the King, who mainly remained behind closed doors in cultivation, young Princes and Princesses left the Pce often and interacted with people, trying to buy enough favors to keep them closer to the throne when the timees for a change . One of them was Annel, third oldest Prince who was currently sitting on a chair in his chambers, his hands at his head, expression livid yet helpless . He was staring at the reports one of his servants just delivered and had the urge to just set them ame and throw them out the window . Next to him was his younger sister, Evelyn, who was drinking tea while holding back fromughing . Their appearances were very much alike; both had striking, ck hair and strange, purple eyes . The differencey in their statures; while Evelyn was very much slim and slender, Annel towered at two meters tall with broad shoulders and muscles that even loose robes couldn¡¯t hide . " . . . so . . . what did that beggar do this time?" Evelyn asked . "Report¡¯s from Lady Innoy," Annel said . "In it she states she was taking her afternoon walk down the Windstrut Street when she saw a dog chewing on the bone . Since she loves animals, she approached over and tried to pat him, upon which the dog bit her bottom while a man dressed as beggar emerged from the alley and robbed her of her purse, both disappearing immediately after . " " . . . " "Holding back all thatughter isn¡¯t good for your health . " Annel said, smiling bitterly . "Pfft . . . no, khm, it¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s terrible what happened to Lady Innoy," Evelyn said, barely withstanding the urge . "She¡¯s, after all, a very important member . . . uh . . . I¡¯m sure she¡¯s important somece . " "Leave it to Eve to forget the wife of our Third General . . . " "Oh, right, Rico¡¯s wife! How could I ever forget?" "You¡¯re terrible . . . " "That¡¯s the, what, sixteenth one this month?" "Yeah," Annel said . "He¡¯s really driving me insane . No matter what I do I can¡¯t seem to catch him . " " . . . eh, you¡¯re worrying over little things," Evelyn said, pouring him a cup of tea as well . "He nevermitted a truly heinous crime . asional theft, public urination, peeping . . . even if you caught him, you could at best send him to a prison for a year . " "It¡¯s about making a statement," Annel borated . "We can¡¯t allow people to simplymit crimes . What if others start acting like him?" "They already are . It¡¯s just that they aren¡¯t nearly as clever so they get caught . " "Oh . . . " "Just rx," Evelyn said . "It¡¯ll eventually sort itself out . I just feel bad for that dog . The things he¡¯s forced to do because of his terrible owner . . . " " . . . have you not read reports on that dog?" "I chose to ignore them . " "He . . . he defecated in front of Church every day for a week while his owner was on the other end of the city, swindling noble kids from their pocket money!" " . . . they¡¯re really made for each other, aren¡¯t they?" Evelyn said, smiling lightly . "Haii . . . " Annel sighed yet again, shaking his head . "He¡¯s been here for two years and I can¡¯t even get a proper description of his appearance . " "What about those witnesses from the brothel?" " . . . they actually cursed me when I asked them for their help," Annel shuddered . "Do you know what it feels like to be stared at by ten women who all look like they¡¯re ready to skewer your heart?" "I can¡¯t say I do . " " . . . there¡¯s nothing, really . I¡¯m beginning to think I should start strolling out daily and hope he chooses me as the target . " "Wow, that¡¯s really desperate . " "Tell me about it . Anyway, what about you? Is Felix still pestering you?" Annel asked with concerned expression . " . . . of course he is," Evelyn said, her charming expression wiped and reced by an angry one . "He¡¯sing over nearly every day recently . " " . . . I don¡¯t know why Father tolerates him," Annel mumbled angrily . "He¡¯s aplete failure . Knows nothing except drinking and visiting brothels . And the bastard took Father¡¯s silence as consent!" "Ah, I¡¯ll figure something out," Evelyn said . "Worstes to worst, I¡¯ll just be a nun . " " . . . robes would suit you rather well . " "Or, perhaps, I can ask that beggar for a favor; he makes Felix go away, you pardon all his crimes . What do you say?" Evelyn asked with a beaming smile . "I¡¯d be happy to," Annel replied . "And I¡¯m fairly certain he¡¯d do it just for fun . He seems to enjoy pissing people off . " "And he just happens to be really good at it . . . " "Yeah . . . " While the two talked in one of the side mansions next to the Pce, on the other end of the city where streets were woven like threads around two-story buildings, there was web of narrow alleys interlinking all the major streets . Recently, those alleys have gotten notorious reputation; ording to rumors, there lives a beggar and a dog, both shameless beyond human capacity . Apparently, the two shooed away all other beggars from the area and proimed those narrow alleyways their ¡¯kingdom¡¯ . Though a lot of people could use those alleyways to quickly get about, they instead choose longer routes just to avoid them . However, that isn¡¯t the case with everyone; there are few who either don¡¯t know, don¡¯t believe or simply don¡¯t care . Such was the case with Maria, a youngdy in her early twenties who works as a child caretaker for noblewomen of the nearby mansions . As she was runningte to her job, she decided to cross the alleyways despite the numerous warnings from both her family and friends . Because of it, she found herself in the current situation; in front of her, standing by alley¡¯s exit, was a beggar-looking man and a dog . The former had thick, ck beard and hair which covered nearly the entirety of his face . He wore tattered clothes and stank so hard Maria smelled it nearly ten meters away . Dog was a silver-haired husky with beautiful, crystalline azure eyes and enchanting muzzle and whiskers . Yet, that strange gaze in his beautiful eyes sent shivers running down Maria¡¯s spine . "W-what do you want?!" she gathered enough courage to break a minute-long silence . "I¡¯mte for my work! Can you . . . can you please just let me go? I promise I¡¯lle backter today and give you some money . " " . . . " neither did the man talk nor did the dog bark, they merely remained staring at her with strange eyes . Though she felt slightly frightened, she didn¡¯t see any true malice in those eyes, mostly yfulness . "P-please? What do you want? How much? Just tell me . " "Ten billion . " the beggar said . "Woof, woof!" the dog barked, actually nodding . "T-ten billion?!! I don¡¯t have that kind of money!!" "You don¡¯t? How? You look rich . " the beggar said . "Woof!" "Stop repeating what I say," the beggar suddenly berated the dog with angry expression . "Are you that dimwitted you can¡¯te up with your own stuff to say?" "Woof, woof wof woof!" "Cursing me?! Are you cursing me?!" the beggar suddenlyunched his leg and struck the dog squarely against thetter¡¯s chest, sending him barreling into the wall . "Curse your mother, you goddamn degenerate!" "W-woof, woof!! Wooff!" as she watched the two of them bicker and banter, with dog biting at the beggar andtter kicking the former, she realized . . . they didn¡¯t even care about her . They were just . . . having fun . "Hey, you, where are you going?" the beggar suddenly interrupted her as she tried to leave . "T-to my job?" Maria pleaded helplessly with her eyes . "No, forget that . Let¡¯s sit down and chat about life . " "Eh?" "You know, life! The day-to-day struggle, the night terrors, love, hate, friendships, immortality, mortality, such and such . Don¡¯t you find those topics interesting . " "No, I really don¡¯t! Please, just let me go!" "But I want to chat with you . " "I don¡¯t want to chat with you!" "How rude . " "I¡¯m sorry!" "Why are you screaming and crying?" the beggar asked, titling his head in confusion . "I . . . I just want to go to work . . . please . . . " " . . . haii, look at what you did, you damned dog," the beggar berated the dog yet again . "You made an innocent girl cry . How can you live with yourself?" ": . . c-can I go now?" "Yes, yes, good luck and have fun!" as the two watched the youngdy sprint as though she was a runner at diator Games from fear she would be stopped, both seemed to have grinned for a moment before looking at each other . "Woof, woof!" "Yes, yes, a new record, ha ha," the beggarughed loudly as he sat down and leaned against the wall of the building, taking out pieces of jerky from seemingly nowhere, throwing some toward the dog while chewing on some himself . "This is going to be difficult to top . That girl was really weak . " "Woof, w-ffoof---" "Don¡¯t bark while eating, you uncivilized swine!" "W-woof!!" the dog barked angrily as he raised his paw and pointed at the beggar . "What do you mean I¡¯m doing the same? You¡¯re seeing things . Looks like you¡¯ve really grown old and senile . . . I should just put you out of your misery . . . " "Wooooooof!!" And thus, the legend of the beggar and his dog continued when people witnessed a young maiden running out of the narrow alleyway in tears, running so fast she stirred dust behind her . Chapter 102 Chapter 102 CHAPTER 102 EXASPERATED THIRD PRINCE Annel was a Prince, a revered person even in the most dominating Dynasty of the Eastern Continent, yet now he stood dressed as a normalmoner with makeup covering his facial features . Next to him stood his younger sister, Evelyn, who was doing her hardest yet again not to burst outughing . " . . . are you sure you want to do this?" she asked with an odd expression . "I have to do this!" Annel eximed more so to convince himself than to reply to her question . "He¡¯s crossed the line!" "He only made a few women cry . . . " "Few?! He made every woman west of ggen Chapel cry! That¡¯s hundreds of people, Eve!" " . . . khm, yeah, my bad . You should definitely dress up as amoner and bait him . Wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate if I went? He seems to go after women, after all . " "I can¡¯t risk it," Annel said, shaking his head . "Who knows what he does to them? You¡¯re too precious to be a bait . " "Ah . . . whatever . Have fun, I suppose . " "Fun? I¡¯m not doing this to have fun!" "Yeah, sure, whatever . . . " Evelyn turned around and left, leaving Annel standing alone just outside the royalpound¡¯s walls . He watched streams of people moving left and right, all of whom would kneel before him any time of the day if he dressed and looked as per usual . Yet, now, they all ignored him as though he was an ant . It was truly a new experience for him . He moved toward the southern part of the city where residences of mostly middle-ss people were built . There, a notorious web of alleyways was the me of rumors as of recently, named ¡¯Kingdom of King of Beggars¡¯ . Apparently, that¡¯s what beggar himself requested they call the ce . Though Annel found it amusing, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to smile; it was fine for now, but what if he moved further north and started harassing Ladies of Marquises and Dukes? Wouldn¡¯t that spiral the city into a civil war? It certainly would! Those vixens, after all, have such short fuse even Annel doesn¡¯t dare look at them wrongly . It took him nearly an hour of walking to get to the fabled alleyways . They were quite ordinary, cutting in-between houses built out of limestone and courtyards filled with greenery and flowers of all colors . asionally he¡¯d spot a stray animal or two, but, after walking around for nearly half an hour, he was yet to run into any beggar, let alone the beggar . Feeling slightly annoyed and tired, he took a deep breath and sat down onto the street . Unlike his older brothers, Annel wasn¡¯t hellbent on always maintaining proper decorum; he sometimes ate with his hands, drank directly from the fountain, climbed the trees like a monkey and tended to do whatever tickled his fancy: such as dressing as apletemoner to track down a beggar and his dog . "Eh? What are you doing, sitting there? Are you contemting life?" a voice jolted Annel from his thoughts, causing him to look up toward the alley¡¯s entrance . There, standing with his arms on his hips, was a man dressed in shabby clothes, with disheveled hair and beard covering his entire face save for the ck eyes . And, right next to the man¡¯s leg, was a dog of silver fur and ocean-blue eyes . It¡¯s them! He immediately concluded, a strange shine glinting in his eyes . "Can I join you? I love contemting life . " "Hah! I finally caught you, you damned beggar!" Annel eximed, rising onto his feet and pointing his finger at the beggar . "Eh? You were looking for me?" "Of course!" "Oh, I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d already gotten so famous," the beggar chuckled, suddenly scratching his nose as though embarrassed . "I¡¯m ttered, really, but I don¡¯t do autographs . " "Eh?" "We can share a meal, if you want, or talk about life," the beggar continued . "That should be enough for you, right?" "W-what are you talking about?! I¡¯m not your fan!" Annel eximed, feeling his cheeks growing warmer . "Ah? You¡¯re not?! Ah, my bad, my bad . Geez, this is embarrassing . I always just jump to conclusions . . . I¡¯m sorry . . . " "As-as long as you understand it! I¡¯m actually the Third Prince of Divine Dynasty, Annel En¡¯gar, and I¡¯m here to arrest you!" suddenly, there was silence; when Annel looked at beggar¡¯s expression yet again, he saw an odd one . . . with eyes filled with a solitary feeling: pity . "W-what are you looking at me like that for?!" "Aii . . . brother . . . dear . . . dear brother . Just how far down have you fallen to pretend to be a Prince?" the beggar said, shaking his head; as though to emphasize the true sadness of the situation, even the damned dog shook his head . "I mean, I thought I had it bad, but you, you brother . . . I¡¯m sorry . I¡¯m honestly broke myself; but, if I ever doe across some riches, I¡¯ll give them all to you . You obviously need them . " "W-what . . . what . . . " Annel felt defeated . It was one thing for the beggar to think he was fan, but apletely another for him to make fun of Annel . W-wait, my face! Annel realize . It¡¯s makeup! A handkerchief suddenly appeared in Annel¡¯s hand, spurring a strange glint in beggar¡¯s eyes which Annel missed . He quickly reached for his face and wiped it clean, revealing his rather handsome appearance . "See? I¡¯m really a Prince!" " . . . wow, you even wear makeup," the beggar suddenly took a step back as though terrified . "Uh, it¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s your choice, so do whatever you want with your life . All the power to you, brother--uh, sister? Whatever, I¡¯m fucking out . " "No, wait, please! Just wait a second!! I¡¯m really here to arrest you!!" " . . . why would you arrest me?" "What do you mean why?!" "I¡¯mpletely innocent of any crime whatsoever . " the beggar said with a straightforward expression . "There are literally hundreds of reports against you!!" Annel was staring to slowly lose it . "What do you mean? That¡¯s heresy!! False usations!! I damn them all to hell! How dare they tarnish my great name?! Humph, lowly bastards! Here I am, feeding stray dogs and offering strangers wisdom of life whenever I can, and they use me of crimes! Who?! Tell me their names!" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . woof?" "Sigh . . . " Annel sighed weakly, realizing the stories he¡¯d heard weren¡¯t exaggerated at all . The beggar truly was . . . shameless . Shameless beyond reason . "Can . . . can we just stop this?" "Ah, alright, fine . I¡¯m running low on food anyway," the beggar said, scratching his head . "So, what¡¯s prison like? Do you guys have food? Can I contemte life with other prisoners?" "What¡¯s with you and contemting life?!!" "Whoa, where¡¯s this angering from? Calm down, brother . " "It¡¯sing from you! And I¡¯m not your damned brother!" "Alright, alright, settle down," the beggar said . "Tell me . What¡¯s bugging you? Is life as a fake Prince truly too hard? If you want, I can kneel down and call you ¡¯Your Highness¡¯ . " "That¡¯s what you¡¯re supposed to do!!" Annel eximed, feeling his eyes growing warmer as though he was on the verge of tears . " . . . dude, are you really about to cry?" "No, no I¡¯m not! Shut up!" " . . . " "Woof . . . " " . . . I . . . I don¡¯t have to take you to prison," Annel said . "If you could do me a solid . " "Wow, are you really thinking of patricide?" "What?! Are you insane?!! Why would I want to kill my Royal Father?!!" "Well, let¡¯s see," the beggar said, stroking his beard . "You say you¡¯re a Third Prince of this huge, massive Empire, right?" "Yeah . " "And that you have power to arrest people?" "Yeah . " "And most-likely have all sorts of resources at your disposal?" "Yeah . Where are you going with this?" " . . . then why the fuck are you scouring the city for a random beggar to ask him for a favor?!" " . . . " " . . . " "Woof?" "I . . . it¡¯s a delicate situation," Annel said, sighing yet again . "Do you think I¡¯d pardon all your filthy crimes if it wasn¡¯t?" "By delicate you mean politically charged?" "Yeah . Do you care?" "Not really," the beggar shook his head . "Anyway, I don¡¯t need any pardoning . I want riches, women and glory!" "I¡¯ll pay you a hundred gold . " "Deal! Who am I killing?" "K-killing?! Why would you be killing anyone?" "Eh? Then why are you hiring me?" " . . . khm, it¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s about my Younger Sister--" "Sorry, I¡¯m not interested in dating spoiled brats . " the beggar interrupted . " . . . you know what dude? Fuck you . Fuck you to ten thousand hells! You goddamned, filthy, loud-mouthed piece of shit! Burn in hell you fucking cocksucker!" " . . . wow . I suddenly have a shred of respect for you . " " . . . I . . . ah, whatever . " Annel realized his outburst, but decided to just let it go . He¡¯ll pretend as though none of this ever, ever happened, anyway . "I¡¯m not asking you to date my sister . As though I¡¯d ever let that happen, you moron . There¡¯s a guy who¡¯s been pestering her recently . As he¡¯s Duke¡¯s son, there¡¯s little I can do without causing conflict, and Royal Father¡¯s remained mum on the issue . I don¡¯t want you to kill him, just . . . make him leave my sister alone . I don¡¯t care how you do it so long as you don¡¯t mention my hiring you . " " . . . what¡¯s the guy¡¯s name?" the beggar asked, suddenly turning serious for some reason . "Felix . Felix Dongrauth . He¡¯s the son of Duke Dongrauth of Northern Frontier . " "Alright," the beggar nodded . "I¡¯ll make it happen . Good luck, Prince Annel . " the beggar suddenly turned and left . "Eh? What about your paym---wait, you bastard, you always knew I was the Prince, didn¡¯t you?! And you still disrespected me like that?!! Come back, you bastard!!" however, the beggar was long gone, leaving Annel fuming all on his own . Hah, hah, whatever . Let him be . Hopefully, he makes something happen . If not . . . I¡¯ll really have to escte the conflict . Even if his father is defending the Northern Frontier, it doesn¡¯t give him freedom to do whatever he wants in my Empire . . . Chapter 103 Chapter 103 CHAPTER 103 --BECOME MY MASTER! City of Sun, like many capital cities, was bordered by quarters, or Districts as they were called . There were five major ones which were then split further into smaller parts: Western, Northern, Eastern, Southern and Central . Unlike with most other cities, save for the Central one, every other district was shared bymoners and nobles alike . Such was also the case in the Western District, where a swath of vis and mansions decorated with gems and gold were only divided by street from one-story buildings with drafty windows . At the very end of that street, where the river cut it off from the further military barracks and the wall, was thergest mansion on the street . It was made of four distinct, individual buildings connected with ssed, arching bridges, with the shortest one being at least twenty meters tall . It was the official home of Northern Frontier Duke, though mostly his family resided there as he was almost always stationed at the border between the Empire and the Demonic Battlefield as the vanguard force . Within thepound, sandwiched between the four massive structures, was a small garden with a fountain at the center spitting out glistening, emerald-colored water . Garden was exclusively made up of roses, of all sorts and colors, though they were nted with specific intention; innermost ring, surrounding the fountain itself, was made up of red roses, while the row behind was filled with white ones, further behind were pink, then orange, purple, and, at the very edge, were multi-colored roses . At the very center, tending to the roses with scissors, was a youth seemingly around twenty years of age . He had a long, hazelnut hair tied with a string, while front bangs were skewered sideways to expose his forehead . His eyes were pure blue, and his features would suggest a handsome man . . . if it were not for a birthmark on his red cheek in shape of a bird . He wore simple garment, almost akin to that of amoner; however, he was not . He was the son of Duke Dongrauth, Felix Dongrauth, the Duke¡¯s oldest son, future Family Head . Person of such status was currently humming a yful tune while watering the blood-red roses . He had a rather tranquil expression, his eyes exuding unprecedented joy . He went round in circles and, after watering the first row, he went on the second, third and all the way to thest, after which he came back at the fountain and sat on one of the benches surrounding it . There was dirt all over his clothes and some on his face, yet he didn¡¯t seem to care . Closing his eyes, he wanted to take a quick nap but was suddenly jolted as his keen Divine Sense picked up a figure standing right in front of him . It was not the figure being there that surprised him as the garden was essible to everyone in the Duke¡¯s Compound, but that he only spotted the figure now, when it was in front of him . Felix quickly opened his eyes and got onto his feet,ing eye to eye with an unknown person . Well, it was better to say that he came eye to bangs, as the figure had bangs covering top of his face and thick, disheveled beard covering lower part . It was a man, though Felix was unable to determine his age as he looked both 20 and 60 at the same time . He wore shabby, tattered clothes and stank even from ten meters away . Right there, beside him, was a dog of husky breed currently curiously observing the roses . Though the man in front of him appeared to be aplete beggar, Felix was on guard, believing wholeheartedly it was an expert in disguise; even whenpared to his Father, Felix¡¯s Divine Sense was keener . To avoid it meant that it was someone nearly as strong as his Father, if not even stronger . "Who are you?!" Felix eximed, gathering Qi around him in preparation for battle . "Are you notorious Felix Don-something . Sorry brother, thatst name is a mouthful . " the beggar-looking expert asked him back . "Eh? What¡¯s that to you?" "You don¡¯t seem like creeper . " " . . . I¡¯m asking again, who are you?" "I? Kneel mortal, for I am the great Hero of Justice, Women and Wine, the Immortal fromnds beyond---alright, I went too far there," the expert coughed a few times as though to cover up his embarrassment . "Anyway, I¡¯m here because the great League of Women forewarned me of your intolerable behavior toward the Royal Princess what¡¯s-her-name . " " . . . " Experts sure do have entric behavior, Felix didn¡¯t find the man¡¯s behavior strange, but rather it made his conclusion even stronger . Father was right . The more entric one is, the stronger they are as they don¡¯t care what people think about them! I need to be careful . "I don¡¯t know what you mean, Senior . I am nothing short of respectful toward Royal Lady Evelyn . " " . . . S-senior?" the man suddenly staggered as though he heard the most ludicrous thing ever . "I---do---do I look that--that old?! N-no!!" "Uh, I . . . I meant--" "Ah, forget it," he shrugged it off yet again . Truly entric!! A true expert! I need to make him my Master! "Rumor is, though, you are trying to court her . " "I¡¯m not . " "Eh?" "While I greatly respect Royal Lady Evelyn and admire her beauty," Felix said straightforwardly . "And though I would never say this in public, I will say it to you Senior: she¡¯s a maniptive vixen . Whoever marries her shall not have a day of peace . I¡¯d have to lose my mind for me to even contemte chasing her!" " . . . " " . . . what is it Senior?" "C-could it be . . . that my information is incorrect?" the man mumbled to himself . "I¡¯m assuming the information was leaked by either her or her Elder Brother Annel," Felix said . "They are part of Royal Family, and, if I may speak honestly--" "Please don¡¯t!" "--all of them are paranoid twats who think everyone and their mother is out to remove them from power and seize the throne . Though I have to show courtesy in their presence, for the love of God never again suggest I¡¯m courting her . " " . . . why do you frequent her ce, then?" the man asked . "They have a wonderful garden," Felix said, his eyes suddenly glistening like gems inplete radiance . "It¡¯s made up of rarest flowers on the continent such as Aura Jasmine, ck Roses, Skyscent Lilies, Terrarium Daisy---" "Yeah, I get it, you like flowers . Dammit . Well, could you stop going there? I was promised money--khm, uber rare material if I can keep you out . " "Of course, Senior . " "Great!" "In return--" "Fuck . " "--be my Master!" Felix suddenly knelt before the man, surprising both him and the dog who nced in-between the two men, as though wondering what was this noble boy doing kneeling before the beggar filth . " . . . are you nuts?" "Senior?" "You expect me to be your Master for free?" "Ah! Of course not, how uncouth from me . Please forgive me, Senior!" "Ah, whatever, I don¡¯t need anything," the man shrugged his shoulders and turned around . "Worldly possessions are worthless . " "Then what about that reward---" "Worldly possessions are worthless . " "Indeed they are, Senior . " "Good, good disciple!" the man eximed,ughing . "Follow me . " "Where are we going, Senior?" Felix asked, both somewhat anxious and excited over finally bing a Disciple of a true master . "We¡¯re going to stir some shit up . " "Eh?" "How do we progress as cultivators?" the man asked . "By--" "It was rhetorical . Listen, this is lesson time . You just keep quiet and absorb . " "Yes, Senior!" Felix eximed, perking his ears up, unwilling to miss a single word . "Naturally, we absorb Qi and understand Laws," the man continued as the two began walking out of the garden . "But, those are the shallow things . You already know those . But, in the end, cultivation isn¡¯t dependent on Qi, or Laws, or Cultivation Arts and Methods . . . it¡¯s entirely dependent on mind!" "Mind?" "Yes, Mind!" the man eximed . "Think about it! Whatmandeers Qi? What perceives the Laws and understands them?" "The Mind!" "Yes, the Mind! However, mind is not a static thing; it needs to be trained! As infants, we are dumber than bell! As kids, we¡¯re even dumber! We still shit our pants, but can¡¯t use the excuse of inability to walk! As teenagers, we¡¯re even dumber!! We think we¡¯re the smartest and understand everything, but we don¡¯t understand jack! As adults, we¡¯re the dumbest! It¡¯s because we understood the world, so we give up! We grow embittered, cynical and brash . And, when we turn to crippled, old age . . . we are just as dumb as babies are . Except, now, there¡¯s a mound of regrets bounding our hearts . " " . . :" Felix suddenly froze on spot, appearing somewhat dumbfounded; it was the first time he¡¯d ever heard something like that, and itpletely opened his mind . "Don¡¯t get lost in thoughts just yet, I¡¯m not done!" the man warned . "Y-yes, Master! Please, continue!" "All those things happen because we underestimate the worth of our minds," the man continued . "It¡¯s same with both ordinary people and cultivators . As cultivators, we dedicate our daily lives to getting stronger . . . to bounding realms, to achieving new heights . It¡¯s be the sole principle of cultivation . But, we¡¯d forgotten the main root of cultivation itself: cultivating oneself! Bing not stronger, but better! Have you ever wondered why old fear death more than young?" " . . . because they have more to lose?" Felix proposed . "Partly," the man said . The two exited the garden and headed toward the exit of thepound itself . "But also because they¡¯re stronger while being worse . They¡¯ve abandoned their hearts in pursuit of higher realm . Isn¡¯t point of cultivating to better your heart, mind and soul? I thought so, too . But, reality is . . . it¡¯s not . It¡¯s about who¡¯s stronger . It¡¯s sad, don¡¯t you think? We¡¯ve abandoned what made us unique in the first ce for some arbitrary sense of power that will, without a doubt, turn into vapor one day in the future . " " . . . " Felix suddenly wanted nothing but to lock himself up and contemte on his Master¡¯s words . But, as thetter didn¡¯t say anything, he suppressed it and followed his strange, entric Master . "You said we were going out to train our minds, is that right, Master?" "Yes, yes," the man nodded . "And the best way to train one¡¯s mind is to see another lose theirs . " "Eh?" "Plus, it doesn¡¯t hurt that it¡¯s so much fun . " "M-master?!" "Ha ha, don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry . Look at how this damned dog is excited . You¡¯ll see, you¡¯ll see . Let¡¯s go have fu--- I mean, let¡¯s go and train our Minds!" " . . . " I-is this really a good thing to do?! Master, oh, Dear Master, I¡¯ve got reputation to uphold!!! . . . Chapter 104 Chapter 104 CHAPTER 104 STORM BEFORE THE APOCALYPSE A familiar scene was urring in the extravagant chambers of the Third Prince of Divine Dynasty, Annel En¡¯gar . There, amidst the golden decorations, canopy bed adorned with silken sheets and curtains, and rugs which each individually could feed a thousand families for two years, atmosphere was sunken and dry . Even the walls decorated with colorful painting exuding sheen of elegance hardly seemed to matter . Annel and Evelyn sat around his work desk, with a thick stack of papers residing right there in front of their eyes . It has been a week since Annel asked the strange beggar for help, and now he was seeing results; indeed, Felix stoppeding over to Evelyn¡¯s ce - she hadn¡¯t seen a shadow of him in the past week . Instead, he was being spotted left and right across the city, doing all sorts of weird and questionable things . His reputation as a rather reclusive, but calm youth hadpletely copsed and was instead reced by that of aplete scoundrel . It took neither Annel nor Evelyn a moment to realize the cause of it all: that beggar . Somehow, he actually managed to convince Felix to follow him and, perhaps even worse, talk him into pointing finger at a woman and uttering strange things like ¡¯eight-out-of-ten¡¯ and ¡¯definitely would, definitely¡¯ . Annel tried going out once again but, this time around, he was unable to meet the beggar no matter how hard he searched . Letters kept streaming in from the Duke Dongrauth¡¯s family, each piling on apologies like stacking cakes . There was aplete witch hunt for the two across the city yet they kept eluding everyone through some strange means . Perhaps the worst offender of all was the dog that tagged along with them; he¡¯d escted to outright stealing expensive jewelry and gemstones, though beggar would strangelye backter and return them, even apologizing for the dog¡¯s damned behavior . To make matters worse, he¡¯s apparently won over a small army ofmoners with his outrageous stories, one of which included a story about how Royal Lady Evelyn seduced Royal Master Annel which is why the two of them are inseparable . Just yesterday, Annel had deployed several Royal Guards to search every nook and cranny for the beggar, but they¡¯d returned just half an hour ago and resigned, saying they wished to be beggars as it was the most honorable calling in the world . If it were just any other guards, Annel wouldn¡¯t have cared much; however, Empire has put in a lot of resources into training Royal Guards, which included numerous medicines, Martial Arts, weapons etc . , so losing them cost considerably . Though he was infuriated, Annel actually understood somewhat how beggar won over themoners and even his Royal Guards; he had that sort of charisma that a person can¡¯t help but follow his pace . As someone trained in speech and negotiation since early childhood, even Annelpletely yed the beggar¡¯s tune without ever gaining any ground on thetter . On the other end, Evelyn was growing more and more curious about this strange beggar that suddenly showed up a couple years ago . Though he was always a troublemaker and a source of some humorous stories and rumors that spread throughout the city, the past week really appeared like he was escting things . She very much doubted it was without reason, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint as to what his n was . It vexed her deeply . " . . . shouldn¡¯t we consult with Ministers now?" Evelyn asked Annel, no longer carrying a yful expression; though she didn¡¯t know what beggar was nning, she was certain it wasn¡¯t anything small . "And reveal that we were yed like children by a single beggar?" Annel protested . "It would ruin me, not to mention any chances of me ever ascending the throne . " " . . . we danced with the devil," Evelyn added, sighing . "While thinking we were the devils in the equation . " " . . . I¡¯d still rather pull him in than push him out," Annel said, tapping his finger against the table . "Even if his realm is low, his wit is more than enough to make up for it . I have a feeling that, with him around, securing the throne would be a child¡¯s y . " "Of course, he¡¯d kill all our other brothers with his tongue and shamelessness . " " . . . that¡¯s true," Annel sighed . "There¡¯s no way they could endure his snake¡¯s tongue . They¡¯d be bleeding from every hole within minutes . " "How do we rope him in, though?" Evelyn asked . "I think he made it pretty clear he doesn¡¯t want any contact with us . " " . . . why not release a public arrest warrant for real?" Annel said with strange expression . "We¡¯ll set down that anyone who warns us about his whereabouts or brings him in will be rewarded handsomely in gold and, intter¡¯s case, with a noble title . " "Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?" " . . . no matter how clever he thinks he is," Annel said, smiling slightly . "If I could get him to talk with me again, I¡¯d be able to pull him in . Noble titles beneath Duke are worthless these days anyway . Father and Grandfather gave them away as though they were candies . " " . . . do you really want to antagonize him further?" Evelyn suddenly asked . "What do you mean?" "If he¡¯s doing all this while technically on peaceful terms with us . . . can you imagine if he suddenly escted things even further? You have to remember, An¡¯, he has one thing that neither one of us does: freedom . We have to behave, speak and react a certain way . There are certain things that, due to our position, we are simply unable to do . However . . . he can do anything he wants . He¡¯spletely unrestricted . " " . . . that¡¯s true . " Annel sighed, realizing he¡¯d been a bit harsh with his idea . "Do you have an idea?" "I think it¡¯s time I went out and searched for him . I¡¯m certain he won¡¯t be able to resist allure of a pretty maiden . " " . . . are you certain? Though he didn¡¯tmit any serious crime, especially with harm toward the people, it doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t . If you push him too far . . . " "Hah, please," Evelyn said, ying with her hair while a strange smile dangled on her face . "He may be the smartest beggar that has ever been, but so what? He¡¯s still a beggar . His world view is narrow . How many beautiful women would he have seen in his life, let alone felt a touch of? I¡¯ll have him dancing around my little finger within minutes . " " . . . I¡¯ll assign a few Shadow Guards to you just in case something goes awry . " "Very well . " Meanwhile, the topic of their conversation was currently sitting by a small pond, his feet soaked in, humming a low tune . To his righty a dog with his tongue spat out, sleeping soundly . To his left was a massive fan, being heaved up and down by an expressionless youth - Felix . His eyes looked at the man he was currently fanning with utter reverence . If someone told him just a week ago that he¡¯d be beyond joyful by fanning another man . . . he¡¯d have them executed . Today, however, he was doing and feeling exactly that . It took his Master just a week to show him apletely new world . It was the sort of feeling Felix had never experienced before, making it hard for him to put it into words . However, if he did want to boil it down to a singrity, the word would be simple: freedom . His Master unshackled over twenty years of rigorous teachings of Duke¡¯s House and showed him the world without it . That world, for Felix, was fun . For the first time in his life he¡¯d interacted withmoners alongside his Master, he¡¯d joined in on their nightly drinking adventures and tale-telling, he¡¯d scrubbed the walls and earned bread with hardbour . He never once used Qi in the past week by his Master¡¯s assignment, yet his cultivation, which was stuck at Early Purity Realm actually achieved a breakthrough into the Mid Purity Realm . Since then, he¡¯d slowly started understanding why his Master lived, behaved and dressed like a beggar . Why he never allowed rules to constrain him, why he never seemed to meditate upon the world . Living it gave all the answers necessarily . Why contemte clouds when you can watch them? Why debate on life when you can live it? Felix felt that unrestricted feeling for the first time in his life . It was beyond beautiful, so much so that he had no desire to go back to his home even if extravagant dinners, clothing and jewelry awaited him . Though his Master would from time to time be confused about worth of worldly possessions, Felix realized it mainly had to do with food and alcohol . And sometimes a golden coin or two to buy those two things . He never looked at expensive clothing, never looked at gems and radiant stones . As for his Master¡¯s antics when it came to making people cry, he at first found it rather unsettling . However, as his Master exined, it was a training; to make another person cry will make you more emotionally stable, making it harder for others to shake you . Though he heard a lot of rumors about his Master, most were simply wrong . While his Master did make many women cry, he never once touched a single one . Rather, he never came even five meters within them . It was another lesson for Felix: words are a weapon as powerful as any other . If you can touch a sore subject and erge it, or if you can simply present a potentially dangerous situation, sometimes it wasn¡¯t even necessary to take action . He¡¯d also witnessed his Master¡¯s glib tongue numerous times, especially while he was telling tales like a bard tomoners . They mostly involved nobility and royalty, and even Felix would oftentimes find himself immersed and devoured even though he knew none of those stories were true, especially one about Annel and Evelyn . All in all, Felix realized his Master was a true entric; he did what he wanted, said what he felt like saying, and he didn¡¯t care how others perceived him . He lived life rather than thinking about it, he did things rather than considered them, and he enjoyed it all . Though Felix certainly wasn¡¯t yet at the stage where he could feel the same level of freedom, he anticipated the day he could . He knew that his cultivation would soar so long as he stayed near this weird, twenty-sixty-looking, beggar-acting, storytelling man and his utterly shameless dog . Chapter 105 Chapter 105 CHAPTER 105 BREWING TENSIONS City of Sun, over the past two months, had begun experiencing immense changes which developed into increasingly dangerous tensions . Nearly everyone in the nobility felt air growing ever more oppressive whenever they¡¯d venture out, whilemoners seemed to have gained an enlightenment about life . Some quit their jobs, some left the city entirely, some demanded basic human rights while some even began their own little newspaper where they wrote articles on numerous things . While few were left unaware of the reason for the sudden change, majority had a perfect rity of who was behind it all: a single beggar . By now it was nigh impossible to actually discern his whereabouts and no matter what nobles did, not a singlemoner they arrested or brought in for questioning ever divulged it . Felix also returned to his family and soon after began another campaign that had risen the tensions within the ranks of nobility itself . Prince Annel was currently reviewing the situation with a terrible expression on his face . By now he¡¯d realized the mistake he had made; he should have captured the beggar the first time he met him rather than let things escte to this point . He was no longer able to control the situation and, as it stood, it was only a matter of time before either a civil war or a rebellion breaks out . Rather, Annel had a feeling that if beggar chose so, it could happen tomorrow morning . The problem, both for him and the rest of those looking for the beggar, was that they didn¡¯t know thetter¡¯s goal . Such borate game certainly wasn¡¯t just a side-activity he did in-between his begging sessions; it had to have some sort of grander purpose . Most still believed his main goal was to usurp current powers and perhaps even don a title of a high noble in exchange for calming things down . Others believed he was sent here by one of the main, opposing forces in the Demonic Battlefield to weaken the Empire from within and steal away their focus from the battlefield itself . There was even a small minority who believed he was simply doing all this for fun, though they were mostly ignored - even mocked - by others . However, today, Annel had invited the most prominent supporter of that theory over; his name was Je¡¯vel Haqin and he was a small-time Baron who¡¯d risen to such position as an public entertainer and ywright . Since the start, Je¡¯vel was the loudest proponent of the ¡¯for fun¡¯ theory, and no matter what was thrown at him, he never shrunk back which is what piqued Annel¡¯s interest into inviting him today . Baron Haqin was a rtively short, slightly plump man in his mid fifties . He wore a strange, white wig over his perfectly fine, ck hair and had a spectacle over one of his eyes . He currently stood in front of Annel with posture of respect and submission, though notcking confidence in the slightest . "I assume you know why I invited you today . " Annel immediately cut to the chase as time was of essence . "Indeed I do, Your Highness . " Baron replied in a tame, yet slightly joyed tone . "Tell me, then," Annel said, taking a sip of the tea . "borate your reasons as to why you believe he is doing this merely out of entertainment . " "Yes, Your Highness," Baron said, taking a deep breath . "First, it is important to note that he¡¯d spent two years in the city without stirring much trouble; from my research, I understand hemitted asional petty crime, such as mild theft and public urination, but that was really all . Am I correct?" "Yes, continue . " "If he was a spy, specifically one sent by someone from the Battlefield, why wait so long? If his mission was to infiltrate the nobility, it would make sense to bide his time and gain our trust, but he clearly neither had nor has such intentions . Furthermore, no matter how much he riles up themoners, a spy should know that it won¡¯t impact the main battlefield that much . A single squadron of guards would be able to suppress whatever unrest happens to ur without too much trouble even if they do incur some wrath frommoners . It simply isn¡¯t a feasible strategy in long term . " " . . . " Annel said nothing in response, simply indicating for Baron to continue . "On the subject of him chasing after noble title," Baron continued, slightly quickening the pace of his speech . "Isn¡¯t this just . . . a bit too much if that¡¯s his n? I¡¯m fairly certain that with his intellect he could have be a noble in no time, perhaps even ascended the ranks faster than the rest of us . With all due respect, it¡¯s not as though earning noble title through regr means is terribly difficult . " " . . . still, even with all that," Annel said . "To say he is doing all this for mere entertainment seems a bit too far fetched, no?" "Indeed," Baron said, smiling faintly . "It¡¯s the manner in which he does it that gives it away . " "Manner?" "Yes," Baron nodded . "Esction of events, in his case, isn¡¯t a steady climb but rather an upright jump; this indicates that he was bored with his previous status and decided to chase after something more . Perhaps even bigger giveaway is his rtionship with Master Felix . " Annel¡¯s eyes shined in a strange glint for a moment which Baron naturally didn¡¯t miss, prompting him to speak with even more confidence . "Master Felix is Duke¡¯s son, a direct heir at that; if one has him as a follower, is there nothing in this city - or even Empire itself - they can¡¯t acquire? Indeed, there is not . Yet, what did the beggar assign him to do? To follow him around, talk tomoners, and then go back to his family to preach . He didn¡¯t even consider exploiting Master Felix¡¯s background for any sort of financial or political benefit . " " . . . is his value of entertainment entwined in sheer chaos? Which makes all his actions seem so random?" Annel asked, feeling slightly convinced by Baron¡¯s words . "Partly," Baron exined . "It is true that he most-likely enjoys seeing chaos he himself had engineered, but I firmly believe his joy of it alles in threeyers . " "borate . " "First one is, indeed, the chaos caused by his actions," Baron said . "Second, however, is feeling of respect he¡¯d gained withmoners . Regardless of who it is, it¡¯s not a terrible feeling to have so many followers willing to do your bidding . As for the third . . . it¡¯s most-likely tied to nobles themselves . " "How so?" Annel asked though he already had a vague answer in mind . "If he truly wanted to harm nobles, there were numerous other ways to go about it," Baron said . "To me it seems he¡¯s simply observing our actions . He knows that it¡¯s not that the nobles fear themoners, or that they had some qualms about killing a few to restore the order, but that the vast majority of nobles is too used to life with servants . He¡¯s also aware that it¡¯s mostlymoners who do mining of Qi Stones and other precious gems, which is why he¡¯s pressing us from that front . I believe he has no intention of actually going through with it, but the mere idea that he could gives him enough pleasure . This, in turn, ties our hands in a sense; we wouldn¡¯t be terribly hurt if things truly do escte to irreversible situation, but it would still leave a mark that would take a while to recover from . There would probably be even dissenters among noble ranks as they and their children would then be forced to do manualbor . " " . . . " Annel stroked his chin for a few minutes, deep in thought, while baron Haqin remained standing in silence . It was nearly ten minutester that Annel finally spoke . "In conclusion, his end-game is that . . . there is none?" "I can¡¯t say that for certain," Baron replied, shaking his head . "Perhaps there is none and this is all just a mere fun challenge for him, but perhaps there even is a higher purpose to it all . What I can im with certainty is that he does not intend to actually harm us, and that the whole charade, indeed, is mainly done for his personal entertainment . " "Can you predict his future actions?" Annel . "Is Prince intending to send him to Royal Court?" the Baron asked with some caution . " . . . I don¡¯t know . It¡¯s a headache," as Baron Haqin was one of Prince Annel¡¯s supporters in court, he didn¡¯t mind revealing a bit truth behind it all . "On one hand, he truly deserves it if for nothing else but for daring to y with us . On the other hand, he would most-likely be incredible addition to my camp . " " . . . if I may so boldly say . . . should you acquire this man, throne is definitely secured for the future, Your Highness . " one of the reasons Baron Haqin rushed over here the moment he received his Prince¡¯s summons was exactly this; he wanted to persuade the Prince to try and acquire the beggar¡¯s assets - even if it means through pay rather than through loyalty - than to send him to Royal Court to be tried . "How can you be so certain?" Annel asked, somewhat curious . Even he didn¡¯t think beggar was that key of a piece; after all, while he was smart, hecked any political and financial backing, making him somewhat of a liability in the long run . "Looking at how long it took him to practically convert eighty percent of city¡¯smoners to follow him," Baron exined . "I¡¯m fairly certain he¡¯d be able to do the exact same thing with nobles . " " . . . " though Prince Annel frowned for a moment, Baron braved onward with his exnation . "Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness; I¡¯m neither instigating that themoners and nobles are equal - as they¡¯re certainly not - nor am I instigating that the beggar himself is that smarter than us . What I am instigating is that he¡¯s willing and able to do things we are not . " " . . . hidden from the public . " Annel mumbled . "Not only that, but also his personality . " "Personality?" "Someone as free as that wouldn¡¯t care what was being talked about him," Baron exined . "Which means that he would do it both in open and secret . With some backing from Your Highness, he¡¯s certain to thrive in Royal Court . " " . . . I will take it into consideration," Annel said, sighing . "For now, we ought to at least be able to figure out where he is staying . " "Leave it to me, Your Highness . I¡¯ll have an answer for you in a week . " "I¡¯ll trust you . " "Thank you . " As Baron Haqin left, Annel remained sitting down and drinking tea while massaging his temple gently . It was exactly the beggar¡¯s personality that gave Annel a headache; as Baron said, he truly would do well in court due to it, but he would also be a massive liability . Someone as free-spirted as him would never be tied down with loyalty, and benefits would eventually run out . Kill him afterwards? Annel hadn¡¯t even considered it once . Not only would it set a dangerous precedent, it would also demoralize his entire camp and decrease loyalty of others . Let him go? If Annel was certain the beggar would leave Empire for good and never return, he¡¯d let him go in a heartbeat and with enormous amount of resources at that . Can that be ascertained? Definitely not . In the end, though, he would still have to talk with the beggar . He¡¯d only had one, brief conversation where he let himself be dragged into beggar¡¯s pace, leaving Annel little room to learn more about the former . If he could know his story . . . he would know a way to chain him . That is way greater certainty than trying to buy him with gold . Chapter 106 Chapter 106 CHAPTER 106 THE MASTER¡¯S WOES A bright, golden sun cast its shining rays freely over the basin surrounded by charred and ancient cliffs and stones . Through it ran a thin stream, barely visible from distance, with vain, yellow grass rising up from dry rock surrounded by thick, leafless shrubs . Eternal wind blew through the basin, one barely strong enough to sway the few grasses as though it was a mother singing luby to a rocking baby . Within basin¡¯s depths, beneath an out-stretching cliff which appeared like an umbre fornd below, shielding it from the scorching sun, was a small pond, full of clear, slightly chilly water . It wasn¡¯t terribly deep, perhaps up to knees of a grown adult, and it was the size of an average house . It was bereft of any form life, nt or animal alike, and was steady despite the wind . Surrounding it was a rather tranquil-looking scenery, with flowers seemingly specifically groomed to follow a certain pattern winding around into a strange, spiraling shape with several empty circles in-between each . Flowers were all of equal height, much like pond up to a man¡¯s knees, and sported a gradient-like shade of rainbow colors with white and ck at the very edges . Further back were few trees that the basin had, forming a wall-like structure, seemingly barring anything from passing through and reaching the flower field and the pond . Pine trees glistened in light green, rising upward of four meters, though incredibly thin in their structure . It was the basin¡¯s most special and unique corner, one which set it apart from the rest of the world; it was hidden away from the world, hidden away from the eyes of the curious and shielded by numerous runic formations, though none which were of advanced stage . That was the sole reason Felix was able to immediately spot the special corner and move past its basic barriers . He stealthily followed his strange Master over, astter never spoke of himself, making Felix know little to nothing about the man he respected the most . Yet, the moment he stepped inside, he had regretted his decision greatly . The entirety ofnd beyond the forest was t, blending further into a rising cliff, which made it easy to spot the beggar-dressed man . He was currently standing outside the field of flowers, his shoulders appearing sunken from behind, his formcking that transcendence Felix was used to seeing . In those shoulders, the young Felix saw pain; he saw sorrow and grief his Master never even showed a hint of elsewhere . It was a tempered sight, as the image of a perfect, other-worldly being in Felix¡¯s mind slowly crumbled . Yet, recing it was something much closer to him; a living, breathing person with a heart and soul just like he himself . Casting his gaze past the sunken shoulders and looking at the rhythmic, circr openings in the field of flowers, Felix quickly understood the source of it all . Numerous gravestones stood erected in those circr openings, each made of gray rock, with somewhat rugged carvings littering their surfaces . Yet, it was those rugged carvings that oozed emotion which he¡¯d rarely seen when visiting gravestones of his ancestors . It was then that his revered Master suddenly turned around and looked at him . It was an ufortable gaze, perhaps not so much in and of itself, but because of Felix¡¯s regret and guilt for following the beggar here . The man¡¯s eyes were still clear, though now appeared far moreplex than Felix had ever seen them as . " . . . you¡¯re a cheeky disciple, aren¡¯t you?" the man asked shortly after, turning back toward the field of flowers and entering one of the circles upon which he began to clean the ce up of stray grass and rocks carried on by the wind . " . . . I . . . I¡¯m sorry . . . " Felix mumbled feebly, lowering his head in shame . "I . . . I didn¡¯t mean to . . . " "Yes you did," the man said . "Don¡¯t ever undermine your desires . Even if they are wrong, at least acknowledge them . That¡¯s how you keep your heart strong . " " . . . yes . " "Are you curious?" " . . . " Felix wanted to say yes, though his shame wouldn¡¯t allow him, keeping him silent . "Every life is beset with blemishes," the man said, getting back up onto his feet and looking at Felix yet again . "I always truly believed that, as my childhood wasn¡¯t exactly full of honey falling from the sky . So, I did my best to steel my heart; if you never care, you can never be hurt, no?" " . . . " "It¡¯s futile, though," the man continued, smiling faintly as he nced at the gravestones . "One way or another, others, so long as they are honest about it, find their way inside . It¡¯s not through some grand words or gestures, not through saving your life from utter copse, strangely enough . It¡¯s most-often through the simplest of things: a gentle touch when words are worthless, a beaming smile, that look in their eyes . It¡¯s irresistible . " " . . . w-were . . . were they Your friends?" Felix finally gathered enough courage to ask as he noticed that his Master wasn¡¯t so terribly averse of talking about it . " . . . yes, friends a man can only hope but never search for," the man said, sighing faintly . "Do you have any friends, Felix?" " . . . I . . . I think so?" "Then you don¡¯t," the man shook his head . "But, don¡¯t worry . They¡¯lle . They always do . I think it¡¯s high time I told you about why I¡¯m doing the things I¡¯m doing at the moment . " Felix¡¯s ears perked up as he was incredibly interested in his Master¡¯s reasons for causing so much chaos in the City of Sun . "I hope your expectations aren¡¯t too high, because my reasons are mainly selfish . " the man smiled yet again . "I¡¯m looking for a friend . " " . . . ah?" "Haii, what¡¯s with that stupefied expression? Didn¡¯t your Master always teach you to, no matter what you feel inside, keep your expression cid?" "Ah, I¡¯m sorry!" "I¡¯ve made promise with her, many years ago," his Master said . "That I would find her, no matter where she may be . Unfortunately," he quickly scratched his head in frustration . "My endeavour didn¡¯t go . . . as well as I had nned, I suppose . So I had to resort to a bit more of a chaotic method . I had hoped that, by now, she would hear rumors about the guy causing chaos in the City of Sun, under Emperor¡¯s eyes, seemingly indifferent to it all . Perhaps she did . . . and just doesn¡¯t care enough toe looking for me . " " . . . " Felix, indeed, was stupefied; he imagined numerous reasons as to why his Master was causing so much trouble, but even his wildest one - with his Master coveting the throne itself - ttened whenpared to the actual one . He imagined all those Ministers and Courtiers and Nobles brainstorming day and night trying to guess the odd beggar¡¯s intentions . . . yet, they are so . . . pure and innocent at the end of the day . "Seeing as it hasn¡¯t paid off even when I¡¯ve gone so far, it¡¯s time to stop," the man said . "You can go back to your former life now . " ": . . I . . . can I say something, Master?" " . . . you appear to be ignoring literally everything I teach you . " the beggar said, frowning . "Speaking your mind in front of everyone . . . that ¡¯everyone¡¯ includes me as well!" "Y-yes, sorry!" " . . . " " . . . " "Just speak, for crying out loud . " "Thank you!" Felix eximed, smiling faintly . "While it is true that we could simply stop all that we¡¯re doing and go back to the way things were . . . I also have a selfish proposition for us to continue . " "Oh?" " . . . I¡¯m certain Master has noticed, but the Empire is . . . weak internally . Even my Father, who has never once in his life indulged himself in Court¡¯s games and remained firmly a militant Duke waging eternal wars in the far north is being called back from the frontier and forced to align himself to one of the numerous sides . Due to sheer number of titr Nobles that the Empire sports - especially those living in the Capital - making any new legition is nigh impossible . This, in my humble opinion, is terribly counter-productive for not only the Empire itself, but also its people . However, even as a Duke, my Father¡¯s political and even financial influence is incredibly limited; the one¡¯s with any actual say are strictly nominal Princes of the Empire, and Emperor himself . " " . . . the problem is the division there as well, no?" the beggar added . "Yes . They all want to secure the throne, and they hardly care for the means they use to achieve that . Though, on the surface, City of Sun seems imposing and ever-expanding, it¡¯s slowly dying, being eaten away from inside out . Master . . . you have single-handedly united countless Nobles with a singr goal . For the first time in decades, they are ignoring their differences in pursuit of something else . " "My head?" the man tilted his head sideways and asked . " . . . yes, but probably in a different way than you imagine," Felix smiled bitterly as he replied . "They want your intellect, instead . They want to buy or obtain your loyalty any way possible . Whether you are aware of it or not, you have be a quint-essential piece of their games for the time being . If I may selfishly request . . . you do not withdraw yet from being that piece . " " . . . you seem to care for this ce greatly . " " . . . I do . " Felix said . "Not only me, but my sisters, brothers, my Father, Mother and all Ancestors who came before us . . . thisnd has raised us, in one way or another . Countless men and women are shedding blood day and night to protect us, while those in safety of their own homes bicker about things weighing less than half of that . " " . . . what ns do you have for me, then?" the beggar asked, smiling . " . . . I would like if Master continued the current story," Felix replied . "While others value your intelligence, they do not consider you a threat in any way, shape or form . . . yet . " "Yet?" "With your agreement, I¡¯ll start rising a small militant group of direct Noble Descendants," Felix said . "We, of course, will not threaten the Throne or the Imperial Family itself and will remain impartial as to who ascends there . However, we will try to reduce the number of Nobles present as well as their overall influence altogether, trying to create small, more nuclear-like groups . What does the Master think?" " . . . it¡¯s not enough," the man shook his head, sighing . "Don¡¯t consider yourself a norm in the grand scheme of things, Felix . Other direct Descendants are by now mostly instilled with principles and followings of their parents . You had the luxury of having a Father and a Mother who didn¡¯t impose their will on you; that isn¡¯t the case for everyone . From what little of it all that I had seen, the reason Emperor is ignoring everything at the moment - including me - is because he¡¯s already chosen the next person to ascend the throne and is in the process of transferring over political and financial power over to them . " "W-what?!" Felix eximed, somewhat shocked . " . . . you have a very idealized version of an Empire, Felix," the man smiled yet again . "Neither Nobles nor Commoners get to choose who ascends the throne . They can shout and bellow all they want, but it¡¯s useless . Tell me . . . if Emperor appeared in the skies tomorrow and ordered all Nobles to remain house-confined for the next ten years . . . how many would ignore that decree?" " . . . none . " Felix replied dejectedly . "Exactly . Rather than forming an idealized, outside-the-political-struggle group of children, associate yourself with the next Emperor and grow closer to them . Then, at the very least, you¡¯ll have some political power to change things in the future . " " . . . does Mater know who the next Emperor is?" "It¡¯s Empress, actually," the man said . "One you¡¯re very familiar with . " "Eh? Y-you . . . you don¡¯t mean Lady Evelyn?" "You don¡¯t need irvoyance to spot it," the man said, turning yet again toward the gravestones and walking over to another one . "You just need to look at the current political sphere to spot all its underlying currents . She¡¯s hiding in the shades of the Third Prince, acting out her own orders through him as to remain outside the public eye . Most Dukes either support her or a faction that¡¯s at least secretly allied to her . Most of the individuals who carry any influence have already been transferred over to her by the Emperor . I¡¯d even wager Emperor is currently nowhere near the Capital . Just as I was using the City for my selfish needs, she was using me and my actions to further her own goals . You said it yourself; she¡¯s a maniptive vixen . " " . . . b-but . . . why would she send you to me if she has that kind of power . . . " Felix was slowly losing his mind over the matter as it was simply iprehensible to him . "She was directing me . " the man exined, bending over and cleaning up another grave . "Directing you?" "Aye . Toward a young descendant who¡¯s yet to be brainwashed . She knew Icked upper-nobility influence, and you were the vessel for it . Before ascending the throne, she wants to thrust the entire Empire into a chaotic, or at least near-chaotic state . " " . . . but why?! It¡¯s only hurting everyone!" " . . . because it¡¯s in the chaos that the truly brilliant thrive," the man exined . "And that all truthse unfolding like carpets before the King . No King or Queen wants to ascend the throne blind, Felix . Early years of ruling are the hardest ones, and she simply wants to remove potentially threatening variables before they even have a chance to undermine her in the future . You should be careful," the man¡¯s tone suddenly grew even more serious . "For now, you and your father still have use for her . I implore you go toward her and surrender your loyalty . You can even im it my intention, as to make it seem less suspicious as to how you suddenly know her situation . As an ally, you¡¯ll never find a better one; as an enemy, never a worse one . You can leave now," the man said . "I¡¯lle find you after you¡¯ve aplished it . " " . . . " Felix almost reflexively turned around and left, still dumbfounded . He felt additionalyer of shame over how blinded he was with his own vision and with theck of urate knowledge; ording to his Master¡¯s words, Evelyn must have been chosen to be the next Empress at least a few years ago as domain of her influence is toorge to have started expansion just recently . Even as a personal pawn of her games, he still failed to realized it . However, all of this increased the respect he had toward his Master even more; even as a mere beggar with little to no influence over the upper strata of the Empire, he had already noticed it all . It was also when he thought of his Master that the images of those gravestones came to his mind; though he was curious who they were and how they died, he knew better than to ask . As he was too far away, he only managed to read a few names here and there, and all werepletely unfamiliar to him . Ae, Smite, Fish . . . though they were nobodies to him, they mattered beyond words to his Master . In the end, though, it didn¡¯t matter; if they were cared for by his Master, they must have been great people . In Felix¡¯s eyes, after all, the beggar-dressing Master was by now taller than the sky itself, sharper than ever-seeing eye of Seers, and smarter than all those schrs living in the libraries, breathing and eating books day and night . Yet, even so, Felix realized, he was still a human . . . with a heart that can still bleed like any other . Chapter 107 Chapter 107 CHAPTER 107 A WORLD BEYOND THE CURTAINS Silken, violet-colored drapes folded over canopy bed, falling as far as the floor adorned with clustered rugs of fantastic designs and colors . Covering wooden floors, they stretched acrossrge room in a sporadic pattern, filling out gaps between and through the tables, chairs, bookshelves and a strange device donning the central spot of the room . It was reminiscent of an altar, with a solitary column upholding a small, squared surface above which steeled, helix-shaped lines wound around in a loop, surrounding a faintly glittering, azure globe in the center . The globe spun round itself repeatedly, in a seeming eternal cycle, forever bound within the confines of its small world . Standing next to the strange structure was a woman wearing ck, ornamental dress with low cut at neck and naked arms . Mimicking her dress was her hair, entirely ck like the night outside the window, falling straight back and at the sides of her face, encapsting beauty that a painting could not convey . Her eyes were starkly purple, seemingly shining in darkness like lit diamonds, as though whole sky spun in them round her irises . She held both her arms back, standing straight up while gazing at the spinning globe with light of curiosity beaming in her eyes . The altar-like object in front of her was thest thing her Father gifted her before ordaining her the next Empress; he hadn¡¯t exined its functions, its history or - really - anything outside of its name: Descensus Magna . She had no knowledge of what it meant, though to be literally the only physical object transferred over from one Emperor onto another, it meant it was beyond important . She had spent most of her nights since mulling over the object; she tried interacting with it in numerous ways, though each time she¡¯d only gotten nothing as a reply . It remained still, isted, forever floating in its own little world independent of those surrounding it and bothering it . It would be a lie to say it wasn¡¯t frustrating for her, though she knew it was another trial set up by her Father . Just like numerous others she had gone through since her early childhood, this too was designed to test her and strengthen her in some way, just that she was unaware of what that way was . Since the night turned out just like any other previous one - unproductive to say the least - she let out a sigh and withdrew back, walking over to a window at the side and perching her head outward . Her room was high up in the Pce, in one of the spires overlooking the whole City of the Sun . She looked down at her domain, though her eyescked pride andcency . The Empire¡¯s present state is also a trial, one she was still undergoing; she¡¯d learned from her Father it is tradition of the crowning . From chaos, one must emerge stronger in order to create a strong nation . She wasn¡¯t worried, though; she knew very well she held all the cards and that now it was only a matter of time . However, just earlier today, a strange event even managed to shake her up a bit . Felix, whom she had long since forgotten and erased from her memory, came requesting her audience . Curious, she epted him only to then see him take a knee before her and swear loyalty to her . She had no doubt he had figured out her identity, though she hardly ounted it to Felix¡¯s intellect and his investigative skills . Immediately then and there a figure popped inside her mind: the strange beggar . He, somehow, knew . And, with sending Felix to her, he also joined the game, though what made her slightly frustrated was that she didn¡¯t know his angle . " . . . just who are you?" she mumbled faintly into the wind, looking down at the massive cityscape . Regardless of her massive influence, if he didn¡¯t want to be found, she couldn¡¯t find him, just like her Third Brother . asionally, she even thought that he was a ghost, perhaps a mirage her Father formed as another form of a trial . However, she dismissed the notion quickly; though trials were difficult and all-epassing, they were also very clear and distinct and there was a specific point to them all . She hated to admit it, but, she too had begun being curious about the strange beggar; perhaps not at the obsessive level of her brother, but certainly enough to warrant caution . It wasn¡¯t really a sense of threat she felt from him, but a mistednd veiled with shadows; her knowledge-thirsty nature overwhelmed her indifference to unimportant figures . Whom she wanted to know, it would take but a day to learn everything about . Yet, she knew next to nothing about the beggar . Even Felix, whom she threatened with execution if he didn¡¯t speak about the beggar, spoke but a single sentence: ¡¯Master . . . he¡¯s a game that¡¯s not meant to be won . ¡¯ Her lips suddenly curled up a strange smile, yet it only enhanced her striking beauty further . It was the sort of beauty that didn¡¯t strike at man¡¯s instinct, but at one¡¯s heart, deting any and all doubts they would have . She then turned toward a shadowy corner in her room, looking at it with strange glint in her eyes . " . . . still nothing?" she mumbled into emptiness yet, strangely, a voice from it replied almost immediately after . " . . . no . " the voice was clearly female¡¯s, yet appeared distorted and unwound . " . . . it¡¯s really a miracle," Evelyn sighed faintly, turning her gaze back toward the city . "Do you have any ideas?" " . . . I assume he cultivates some sort of art which allows him to hide his lifeline from any form of scrutiny . " the voice replied . " . . . if that¡¯s the case, then his background must be immense . " Evelyn said, frowning slightly . "It doesn¡¯t matter, though . He¡¯s still but a fleeting interest . How goes your investigation into Duke Callus?" "You were right, Empress," the voice spoke . "He¡¯s indeed colluding with Damian¡¯s faction behind the scenes . " "Where are you at now?" "I¡¯m inside their secondary hideout . There are boxes stacked with Qi Bombs spread throughout . " " . . . they¡¯re really nning on doing it, huh?" Evelyn said, her expression darkening . "It appears so . " "It doesn¡¯t matter," Evelyn said . "Gather the rest of Forsaken and snuff out some mid-tier leaders . " "Why not go after the Duke himself?" the voice asked . " . . . he¡¯s an important piece," Evelyn replied . "Besides, his son is still technically my fiance . I can¡¯t be going around and killing my father-inw now, can I?" " . . . " "It¡¯s a joke . Have you forgotten the humor already? Sheesh . . . " "Apologies . Ha ha . " " . . . ugh, fine, I¡¯m not funny . What of it?" Evelyn grunted, feeling her cheeks turning slightly warmer . "Empress is the must humorous--" "Shut up! You¡¯re just making it worse!" " . . . I¡¯m sorry . " "Ah, whatever . Anyway, go after so mid-tier leaders at first, preferably of ranks below Counts¡¯ . It should either force them to hide further down or to escte their ns . We¡¯ll act ordingly hereafter . " "As per Your orders . " "I¡¯ll inform you if I need anything else . Stay safe . " "You too . " As Evelyn took onest nce at the sky, she turned around and went to the bed . On the other end, the shadowy corner itself did not contain a figure; the source of voice lied well beyond the walls of the Pce, and even its entirepound . Much further east, toward the shoreline of the entire continent, was a rather infamous mountain called Ring of Disgrace . ording to history records, two major forces - a long, long time ago - fought a war there over who would transcend the ocean and bound toward the Central Continent . The losers - Imperial Family of Divine Empire - remained, while their rivals traveled onwards, hence resulting in such a name . Deep inside the mountain was a massive maze of tunnels, woven into a strange, web-like city within the mountain . In one of the carved out rooms near the very entrance, surrounded by wooden boxes, a figure d in ck was currently leaning against the wall . The figure suddenly opened its eyes with a strange gleam quickly passing by, before undoing the mask covering their face . Beneath was an expression of strange, cold indifference, apanied by intelligent yet strangely bloodthirsty eyes . " . . . is it really you?" she mumbled softly, looking down . "How can I find you . . . if you keep hiding . . . " Chapter 108 Chapter 108 CHAPTER 108 INHIBITIONS Gentle wind swept past the empty road woven into a rising hill on the furthest, southern side . Overlooking the hill itself was a barren cliff, once a home to continent¡¯s tallest waterfall - Sanguine Fall . Now, it was but a carved stone with barren bed and dry, scorchednd surrounding it . However, it still acted as a natural barrier, a wall of sort, on city¡¯s south, preventing any invasion from going smoothly . Next to the barren bed of the fall was a small hut made of wood and straw, and in front of it at the moment, atop a stool, sat a beggar-looking man, overlooking a fire and the whirling, skinned rabbit above it . It¡¯s been over nine years since Lino first fell asleep in the Necropolis . From an innocent-looking, seventeen years old youth, he¡¯d be a twenty-six year old man who looks more like he¡¯s in his forties . He¡¯d woken up from the slumber three years ago, spending one on journey from the far west toward the east and the Divine Dynasty, wandering around for a few months before settling in the City of Sun . His slumber wasn¡¯t dreamless or voiceless; rather, throughout its duration, he¡¯d done nothing but contemte upon the Laws and Martial Arts . It was a long, long night, though; perhaps long enough to drive anyone insane . And, even so, he hasn¡¯t fully healed, even today; rather, he was fairly certain even ordinary soldiers of the Empire could actually defeat him in a battle . Forget using Qi, even his bodily strength and resilience has yet to return fully . It also meant he was unable to craft anything, but instead also simply ponder and wonder of the designs, ways and materials time and again . He didn¡¯t hate it though . Rather, this setback was more akin to traveling back through time to him, to those years where he could neither leap the dozen-meters tall walls, nor lift a rock weighing thousands of kilograms, nor could he battle it out against dozens, if not hundreds, of people at the same time ande out on top . Perhaps some may derive it as a period of utter, shameful weakness; to him, though, it was merely a reminder of the fact of who he was . Willingly or not, he indeed had wrapped himself in a cloth of the chosen along the journey, dubbing himself a man who would change the world . However, a man never changes the world, he realized; the world changes him, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse . Ever since waking up, he¡¯d assumed a mantle of someone he would have most-likely be were it not for E and Eggor - a beggar . He didn¡¯t mind the looks, the words, or indifference of others toward him . It was pleasant, in a way, at least to him . However, deep down, he knew such state could not persist forever; the Writ had already informed him he¡¯d fully heal in less than a year from now . Then, time to resume the glorified mantle of an Empyrean would be again . Thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh silently . He got up from the stool and walked a bit north, just at the summit of a hill overlooking the city . It was a grand one indeed, with only small sections of it appearing out of date; most of it was fashioned from stone, some more precious and rare than another, with high-rising buildings standing like spears among the swords . However, shortly after arriving here, he¡¯d realized the ce was broken inside out . Part of the reason why he instigated so much trouble over the past few months was indeed in hopes Lucky would hear about it, while part was indeed just him having some fun after a long time, there was also a third reason: he had hoped he¡¯d give them a wake-up call . However, as he quickly learned, it was unnecessary . There was already someone else sweeping through the order and dismantling it into chaos . " . . . it should be any day now, huh?" he mumbled faintly as he looked at the distant Pce . Though many were unaware, he very much knew a civil war - or at least some form of it - was imminent . It wasn¡¯t a natural one, but the fashioned kind; the city needed cleansing, and its new Empress wasn¡¯t shy about spilling blood to ensure it . Lino held nothing against her in that department, merely excluding her from people he¡¯d ever want to interact with through his life . It was, in the end, her choice over how she wants to rule her own Kingdom . He was but a little, insignificant beggar toiling through empty days and trying to have some fun . "Woof, woof!!" a bark jolted him out of his thoughts, forcing him to nce backwards; there, right next to the fire and the rabbit, was a dog kneeling, spitting out with his tongue swirling around . Lino named him Hairy, though he really mostly called him just a ¡¯dog¡¯ . "Fuck off, that¡¯s mine . Didn¡¯t we agree both of us will hunt for our own food?" "Woof, woof!" "What do you mean someone stole yours? Do I look like I give a shit?" "Woof!" "I¡¯m not your Master! If I¡¯m your master,e and lick my bumhole!" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "I can¡¯t . . . I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually trying to do it . . . " Lino said, sighing and swiftly evading dog¡¯s wet tongue about tond on his backside . "Fine, I¡¯ll give you some . " "Woof!" "Yeah, yeah, kiss my ass . . . " He met Hairy shortly after arriving in the Capital and, strangely, the two quickly formed a bond - one built upon not trust or love, but upon the fact nobody else really wanted them, so they just kind of wound up together . As the two indulged in loud chewing, Lino once again cast a nce at the Pce; in a few days, he suspected, seemingly tranquil city would burst out in mes . Disasters appeared to be a part of any corner, however remote or central . People, after all, everywhere are all the same . " . . . should I warn her?" Lino mused, smiling lightly . From what little he¡¯d learned about Evelyn, he really liked her - as a ruler, at the very least . She understood a nation can¡¯t have several cornerstones of power, can¡¯t have muddled options for future, can¡¯t depend on anyone but itself . Though he very much suspected all of those were things passed on as teachings, he didn¡¯t mind lending a hand in return for a favor . After all, he didn¡¯t direct Felix toward her merely because thetter had no other choice; those who served her and stood by her side would prosper greatly so long as she did; it was the kind of ruler she was . For him, at the very least, it wouldn¡¯t be a terribly difficult task to sneak into the Pce - he¡¯d done it numerous times before . There are surprisingly few guards, perhaps because the entirepound isyered with formations and trigger-traps that work both based on Qi detection as well as life detection . Despite being unable to really utilize Qi in any way, shape or form, Lino was still like a ghost in front of any form of detection . He quickly finished the rabbit and got up, dusting off his butt . From far south and Sanguine Fall, one would have to cut through the centralized farnd spanning several miles - embedded in an artificial, squared pit - before reaching the other side . Usually, for cultivators, the journey would take minutes, but as Lino was for all intents and purposes a mortal, he always cut through it . He enjoyed the view of fluttering corn and wheat and rice fields, and looking at ordinary people devote themselves to thend . It had a calming effect on him, and he¡¯d visit this ce more frequently than all others over the course of past two years; each time his nightmares would re up, he would bolt over here and simply gaze . Since arriving he¡¯d admired City of Sun; not only was it far more advanced in architecture and structure than any other city he¡¯d visited, standard of living was also greater . There were fewer beggars and poor, and so long as one had a talent and will, they would be able to seed here . City, if nothing else, provided people with vast array of opportunities . He personally didn¡¯t wish to see it decay into chaos, but, then again, he wasn¡¯t the one ascending the throne . From what he¡¯d learned, Evelyn¡¯s chambers were directly in the Pce, where the rest of Princes and Princesses lived . However, instead of heading there, he headed toward where many suspected Emperor himself to live - the Spire of Sun . The structure was like a straight spear, with woven steel beams bending in spirals surrounding it like coiling dragons, each spitting out mes ceaselessly . It was beyond a grandiose sight, far outstripping everything Lino¡¯d seen so far . Reaching exactly 365 meters, the only way to the top was right across those steel beams set aze . The entire structure was covered in hundreds of formations, arrays and defensive mechanisms, yet Lino didn¡¯t hesitate even a moment before jumping at the mouth of the path and casually strolling upward . Though his entire body appeared to be consumed in mes, he had long ago realized the mes themselves were merely an illusion projected outwardly . He neither burned nor even felt warm in the slightest . With hands in his pockets, he began the slow climb around the spire which had several ¡¯floors¡¯, mostly where Emperor¡¯s Imperial Guards were stationed, Empire¡¯s ¡¯treasury¡¯, and perhaps the most important chamber of the entire Empire: Hall of Edicts . The climb itself had taken him nearly three hours, yet he appeared unfazed; his body, after all, while not having recovered entirely, did somewhat . His stamina still by far outstripped even cultivators up to Illumine Realm . At the end there wasn¡¯t an entrance, but a tform made of cyan stone, and a throne at the very edge, one made of obsidian ss with a golden disk hanging as a central piece above, held up by spiked swords melting out of the throne into it . The tform was bereft of life, inhabited merely by winds and silence . Lino walked over toward the throne slowly and sighed; thrones, in his eyes, were but ufortable chairs, yet it appeared everyone was trying to outdo another with the size, the projection, the instilling of might and awe . He caressed it gently before suddenly leaping up and sitting on it . Indeed, as he had suspected, it was quite ufortable . It didn¡¯t even take a second before space at the center of the tform suddenly warped and a spinning vortex emerged . From it, a figure walked out in calm strides . It was a woman, seemingly in her early-twenties, though as Lino looked at her through the Primal Spirit, he¡¯d realized she was well into her thirties . No wonder . . . he wouldn¡¯t have given the throne over to a child . . . she must have been born with a sign for him to trust it all to Fate . The woman appeared calm and lofty, dressed in ck, one-piece dress, her equally ck hair falling tly downward . Her purple eyes immediatelynded on Lino as bolts of surprise and curiosity appeared within them . " . . . how¡¯d you get here?" she asked without needing to be told as to who this shabbily-dressed man was . "With my very own feet . " "Clever . " "I try . " " . . . I could have you executed for this, you know?" Evelyn said . "For climbing here or sitting on a chair?" Lino asked, smiling faintly . "Both . " " . . . it¡¯s really ufortable," Lino said, moving left and right . "You ought to fatten your ass before coronation . I hear they canst for days . " " . . . I can see why my little brother got obsessed with you . " "I don¡¯t, though," Lino spoke honestly . "I¡¯ve done nothing that would warrant attention of noble children of the Emperor . Of many things that I¡¯ve realized, however, I¡¯ve yet to know as to why you lurched him toward me . " " . . . " Evelyn smiled faintly, yet, despite it all, she realized there was no reaction on the beggar¡¯s side . "You prefer men?" "Duke Erdicth," Lino began listing names suddenly, surprising Evelyn . "Duke Callus, Duke Mardent . " " . . . I know . " Evelyn said . "Duke Fercrow, Duchess Le¡¯vol, Three Imperial Counties, all Sky Seers, Eldest Prince and Princess . " " . . . " Evelyn stood frozen in spot, unable to either speak nor evenprehend the words the beggar just spoke . "Eighteen out of twenty-seven Marquises, thirty-two out of forty-nine Barons, Sky Legion, Crow Legion and Dragon Legion . " " . . . that¡¯s not possible . All Legions are directly under the Emperor . " Evelyn said, managing to calm herself down . "Yes, they are . But you are not an Emperor," Lino said . "Though you no doubt believe yourself cruel and ruthless enough, and witty and charming and coy enough to deal with whateveres, you¡¯re not . " " . . . " "I¡¯m not trying to belittle you," Lino said, smiling faintly . "If you were that rotten to the core, I¡¯d have never cared enough toe here and warn you . I¡¯ve been to the Pce numerous times before, and I¡¯d realized many things . Your Eldest Brother is a warmongering fool who thinks of emptying the Empire of army and marching to the Demonic Battlefield to conquer it . Your Eldest Sister is, and pardon my saying this, a whore more suited for a brothel than the Court . All rest, either ipetent or corrupt . " " . . . what is your goal?" Evelyn suddenly asked . "My goal?" "Are you trying to be my Hand? My trustee? Are you after riches? Or to control the throne from the shadows?" " . . . you overestimate my ambition," Linoughed lightly as he replied . "I won¡¯t remain here for much longer . Perhaps a year at most . If anything, I want to lessen the deaths of as many innocent as possible . Whatever the oue, they are the ones who will end up suffering the most . " " . . . nobody is that saintly . " "Of course I¡¯m not . I will be expecting a favor from you . " "How ghastly or costly will that favor be?" " . . . when you be the Empress," Lino said, getting up from the throne . "Help me find someone . " "A girl?" "Aye . " "Oh? Quite a romantic, aren¡¯t you?" " . . . if she¡¯s still alive," Lino ignored Evelyn¡¯sment and stopped in front of her . "Tell her I¡¯m d and happy for her . If not, put flowers on the nameless grave . " " . . . what¡¯s your cultivation realm?" Evelyn asked, rather curious about this; not even with the help of the formation her Father set up was she able to pierce through the strange beggar in front of her . "You¡¯re awfully curious about a random, little beggar," Lino smiled cheekily . "Forgive me, but I am unworthy of thine love . " " . . . at least tell me your name . " Evelyn hurriedly asked as she saw Lino walking away . " . . . Lyonel . " Lino replied without looking back . "Look after Felix for me . He might really be your Hand in the future . " " . . . what do you mean?" she asked, frowning, though a reply didn¡¯t arrive . She merely remained standing atop the tform, watching the beggar descend the steel beams of fire in pure calmness . Her initial, small curiosity grew; she almost wanted to imprison him, though she held back . There would be time to understand him, she knew . For the time being, she needed to confirm whether the names he¡¯d given her were correct . Just a mere thought on them caused a small spark of anger to flourish inside of her heart; most of those she hadn¡¯t known about had actually sworn themselves to her . If they were nning on renegading on that promise . . . more blood than she¡¯d initially imagined would flow . "Pray tell . . . how did you learn all of this, Lyonel?" Chapter 109 Chapter 109 CHAPTER 109 SIEGE OF THE THRONE (I) There was a methodical sort of tension hanging above the City of Sun, one which most could hardly notice, yet still felt as form of transference . Such tension would find itself reflected in rhythmic sounds of silence, in distant thudding, in footsteps echoing against the limestone walls, in ever-dancing eyes of the curious, in air itself if one were to grasp at it . Lino felt it, to him appearing more akin to a strange rush of colors bearing down from heaven onto earth . It burned yet was strangely cold, simr to properties of strange, Void-level me, [Arctic Frost me] . Heavy atmosphere hung over the Pce, with Lino being able to notice it from miles away . He¡¯d left City of Sun this morning, realizing it was about time for the hell to unfold like red carpet . He wished no part in the ensuing ughter for he had more than his fair share of it beforeing here . Yet, deep inside his heart, he regretted he was still recovering; a part of him indeed wished he could get back into the game, but those wishes were for naught for the time being . He instead took out a gourd of wine, sat atop a thick branch of a tall, oak tree and leaned against its trunk, overseeing the entire city, his eyes glued to the distant Pce . There, though beyond his sight, Evelyn was currently sitting in the Throne room within the Pce, surrounded by several dozen ministers, nobles and court officials . They all had rather tense expressions, yet none dared speak up . Just a few hours ago, they were all officially informed of the sessor to the Throne - Lady Evelyn En¡¯gar, Second Princess of the Divine Dynasty and the chosen of the now Retired Emperor, Althone En¡¯gar . Usually, this asion would be one of celebrating and joy, yet just a mere nce around the tables would one force to realize over half the officials that should be attending the event . . . weren¡¯t . " . . . as you can see," Evelyn, realizing there would be no one else arriving, spoke up with frigid tone, her disposition of shy, withdrawn Princesspletely gone . "We have some infidels in our ranks who believe themselves above the Imperial Decree . " expressions of many stiffened; they¡¯d all by now realized what was about to unfold . One of those present was none other but Annel, Third Prince of the Kingdom . He currently sported somewhat bitter, relieved, joyful and regretful expression at the same time . Though feeling somewhat down that he didn¡¯t win, and feeling somewhat stiffened that his struggle was in vain to begin with, and even slightly embittered because Evelyn had used him as a puppet, most of all he actually felt an incline of joy; he always thought that Evelyn was perhaps best suited for the throne, but because he was still in the running for it, never dared voice it out loud . She was clever, strong, could see through people as though they were transparent ss, and carried air around her that would make others look down in shame over their owncking . He hadn¡¯t thought even for a second to join his Eldest Brother and Sister in resistance; he was well aware of his Father¡¯s temper . Even if Evelyn was to lose the uing battle, she will ascend the Throne in the end - there was not a single iota of doubt in him about that . He knew others were blinded with possibilities; after all, Evelyn was still rtively young andparatively weaker . She still needed to rely on others to ensure the seat, and that was what others were counting on - that their side had more than hers . Fools . . . Annel sighed inwardly . You¡¯ve really all forgotten what kind of a man your Emperor was . . . However, he still didn¡¯t think Evelyn would even lose . Knowing her, Annel was certain she was already aware of who she was going up against even before today, and today itself was simply a disy for others - a necessary ceremony of sorts . Looking at her sitting up at the replica of the actual throne, Annel couldn¡¯t see a trace of doubt, of shock or of insecurity . All he saw was cold indifference, temperament of an Empress lording over an entire realm and hearing the news that a few of her subjects would wish to rebel . "Soon, they shall arrive before our doors," Evelyn continued, her voice resonating throughout the otherwise silent hall . "And demand we switch ces . Shall we allow them?" "No!!!" there wasn¡¯t a single moment of hesitation before nearly everyone voiced it out in a grand roar of brotherhood, causing Evelyn to smile faintly . "Indeed, no . Duke Rog¡¯thar . " "Yes, Your Highness!" a man stepped in front of the rest; he was d in shining, silver armor with violet decorations, wearing a thick belt where two swords were strapped . His face was covered entirely in helmet save for a pair of golden eyes . "You shall hoist the with your Legion," Evelyn said . "And meet their aerial assault . " "Method?" the man asked . "Execute anyone who attacks, no matter their rank or bloodline . " Evelyn¡¯s decree caused others to gasp out and stiffen while feeling their blood freeze; they realized this wasn¡¯t a mere battle for the Throne; it was simply a masking of cleansing for the future rule . "As Your Highnessmands, it shall be done . " the man stepped back with a bow . "Duchess Asthrah," Evelyn called out whereupon a woman wearing thick, ck robes stepped out . She had short, boyish ck hair and a pair of green, piercing eyes, entirely void of emotion . "Command Children of Stars andmence a counter-attack . " "Yes, Empress . " the woman bowed down lightly and retreated . "Third Brother . " having been suddenly called out, Annel stumbled for a moment before hurrying over and kneeling in front . "You have called, Your Highness?" a slight trace of amusement shed past Evelyn¡¯s eyes; of all her siblings, she liked the young boy in front of her the most, which is why she wanted to offer him an opportunity to prove himself in the uing battle as to allow her to position him highly in ranks . "Are you confident in facing our Eldest Brother and Sister?" " . . . " Annel stiffened for a moment; in reality, he stood no chance - even against one, let alone both . Yet, a sense of pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to say no, yet fear of death wouldn¡¯t let him say yes . "Not alone, of course," still slightly amused by her brother¡¯s reaction, Evelyn quickly added . "You¡¯ll be joined by Marquis Drevor and Marquis Thorne . " two men suddenly stepped out and knelt on each side of Annel . "As youmand, Your Highness . " the three of them quickly acknowledged before retreating . "I shall take the vanguard role alongside Sir Devon and Ishel," Evelyn got off the throne, stepping in front of therge group . "The rest of you will bemanded directly by Duke Onthore . His word is My word . Whoever shall reject it, shall be sent to gallows following the battle . Understood?" "Yes, Your Highness!" "Very well," Evelyn smiled faintly as she began walking forward whereupon people quickly scattered sideways, creating a passage for her . "Let us cement the name of the Sun¡¯s Child in the minds of all those who still have doubts . " She was followed by only two men d entirely in ck armor with spiked shoulder pads and helmets . The two were her personal guards assigned by her Father when she turned six - Devon and Ishel . Both were hand-selected from the Empire¡¯s secret Legion, Sons of the Damned, a special Legion directly under themand of the Emperor and no one else, created for the sole purpose of protecting the heart of the Empire . They were the most ruthless, the bloodiest, the coldest and the most skilled soldiers Empire had to offer, and each Emperor or Empress would be granted two as their personal guards to serve them till death . Two men shared simr pair of crimson eyes, yet differed in their stature as Ishel was at least a whole head taller than Devon . " . . . how confident are you two in holding back Duke Eredicth, Mardent, Callus and Fercrow?" Evelyn asked the two men . "It is no problem . " Ishel replied in cold, t voice . "What about the Lady?" Devon asked in a somewhat mellower voice . " . . . Sky Seers and Three Imperial Counties have been thinking themselves too valuable for a long time now," Evelyn said, her expression turning frigid . "They even dared doubt and defy my Father¡¯s orders twice . It is time they learned of sky above the sky . I suspect Duchess Le¡¯vol and Damian won¡¯t be showing up today, but you should keep an eye out of the two . They ought to be thergest headache . " " . . . I sensed Sister Shade inside," Devon said . "Can¡¯t she take care of the two?" " . . . she has other tasks," Evelyn smiled faintly . "But, if those two do show up, she will too . " Devon and Ishel suddenly shuddered for a moment, causing their armors to nk . "Ha ha, are you two still so terrified of her?" Evelynughed cheekily, ncing back at the two . " . . . I¡¯d rather face maws of death in battle than her . . . " Ishel replied honestly . "Indeed, so would I," Evelyn said, sighing . "The only living being I ever heard of capable of cultivating . . . makes a soul wonder what she had gone through in her life . . . " "She still can¡¯t break past the Fifth Shackle," Devon said . "When I asked her, she told me there¡¯s still a person rooted inside of her heart . " " . . . hm," Evelyn nodded lightly . "But, she¡¯s yet to understand the Fifth Shackle . " she sighed . "It doesn¡¯t require abandonment of heart, nor eptance of true nihility . " "She¡¯s smart . She¡¯ll understand it sooner rather thanter . " Ishel said confidently . "Indeed . Ah, here we are," Evelyn suddenly stopped as the trio stepped out on the terrace of topmost part of the Pce; it heaved up nearly half a mile into the air, suspended on invisible support, seemingly hanging in empty air . Already, in the distance, the trio spotted the moving onught of darkness creeping toward them . "They¡¯re close . " " . . . it¡¯s sad," Devon said suddenly . "They were swayed by promises of a cretin . " " . . . there¡¯s a reason why Damian can be considered a King of a ce embroiled in chaos since the day of its inception," Evelyn said . "Converting a few, sheltered nobles? Even the two of you could do it . . . " "Ah, now that I think about it! . . . " Devon eximed in slight, almost child-like wonder, prompting Evelyn and even Ishel tough briefly before turning their attention back onto the iing swarm . War for the Throne was at their doorstep . . . and they had to emerge victorious . Chapter 110 Chapter 110 CHAPTER 110 SIEGE OF THE THRONE (II) The moon shafted the sun from the sky, or at least those seeing the scenery from deep down below believed; the shining day grimed while streetsden with light turnedpletely barren of it . Yet, high in the mighty sky rested not the moon over the sun, but an army superseding the imaginations of many . High above, piercing through the fleeting clouds, was a warship reaching staggering length of over four kilometers with width just over half that . By its sides were numerous, curious-looking arrays flickering in deep shade of azure as they spun like wheels, their sheen brushing past the whisks of smoke being blown back out through round, metallic pipes size of a man¡¯s thigh at ship¡¯s sides . The warship had fouryers in total, its height just shy of three hundred meters, and could at any moment station over twenty thousand men if necessary . Upfront was a massive object, pure white in color, depicting a helix-like shape with des cutting through its openings and hilts made of pure, molten gold . At its helm were several dozen figures all d in fantastical armors ranging in color from night¡¯s ck to morning¡¯s sweet, warm coral . Behind the men, atop the main deck, squadrons of soldiers were standing in a t, rectangr formation, numbering anywhere between a few thousands to an entire ten . Unlike those men before them, soldiers were d in same armors, only dyed in specific colors; shining silver with a sigil of clouds embroiled on their chests standing for Sky Legion; muddy ck with a red-eyed crowed as a sigil upon their chest standing for Crow Legion and zing-hot red with mix of yellow with a sigil of dragon¡¯s head standing for Dragon Legion . Instead of wind and masts the warship used advanced magics to operate, draining Qi from the world directly into its cornerstone cab where a gear-stacked machine repeatedly spun, converting Qi into usable energy which was then spat out form the back-end of the ship, propelling it forward . The warship was one of Divine Dynasty¡¯s greatest creations and there were only three currently in existence, the current one helmed by Duke Erdicth, National Hero from the War of Torments thirty years ago when eight ns of Demonic Battlefield banded together and invaded the borders of the Empire . Though no one was certain of his actual age, he resembled a man in his sixties with stout body frame and deep voice and eyes which could make even the bravest cower . He was d entirely in ted armor made from precious, [Sun-dragon Metal] and was currently standing with his hands behind his back at the ship¡¯s helm, looking down at the Pce . Even if his family had for many generations remained loyal to the Imperial Family, he himself was always different; he had ambitions sting past merely remaining a loyal dog of the Emperor, forever chained by arbitraryws and sent to the battlefield to die ¡¯for glory¡¯ . He¡¯d been nning for almost ten years today¡¯s events, and was beyond confident in seeding; he himself would hoist the Crown and be Emperor, heralding Divine Dynasty into a new age . Just as the warship reached roughly half a mile point before the Pce, it suddenly stopped; moving any further would no doubt move them directly into the formation, and though he was confident in victory, he wasn¡¯t that confident . The rest of the army could now be seen moving from afar toward them, either riding Demonic Beasts or flying on swords . Erdicth¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment as he suddenly saw three figures emerge from the Pce and take to the sky; one of them was a woman defying description of beauty and even he, who had wed dozens and bedded thousands, couldn¡¯t help but feel the me of youth rekindle . Such was Princess Evelyn, pride and horror of every citizen; Erdicth was indeed surprised when he first found out she was being Crowned, as he wished to make her hisst wife . However, that was no longer possible . Unlike her usual wardrobe, she now wore flexible armor with interweaving silver and ck hues . Her hair was, however, left freely to float by wind¡¯s whims, enchanting her already terrifying beauty even further . Her eyes were like two amnesty gems shining inside the skull¡¯s sockets, yet ones depicting intellect and wisdom beyond age . By her side were two men d in full-body armor, and even Erdicth couldn¡¯t help but feel sweat break out of his back . Beyond all other opposition, he - and the rest of Nobles who sided with him - feared these two the most . . . Sons of the Damned . . . who among high-standing hadn¡¯t heard of that name and the horrors associated with it? While the two standing by Evelyn were individually mostly unknown, it didn¡¯t matter; mere association with that Legion lent them more credibility than anything else ever could . " . . . shame . " Evelyn suddenly said, her eyes looking at the warship and all those abroad it with frigid gaze full of murderous intent . "Truly a shame, Uncle . " " . . . why bother with the talk?" Erdicth asked . "We both know it won¡¯t lead nowhere . " "I simply wonder . . . " Evelyn said, suddenly looking down toward the ground . "What will themoners think when they see your head spiked atop a pole on the Central za for all to see? Will they think their Empress cruel and bloodthirsty beyond reason? National Hero . . . murdered and disyed like a prized artifact for all to see . " she leveled her eyes once again with his . "It writes an intriguing tale, no?" " . . . " Erdicth, naturally, didn¡¯t respond to the obvious provocation . "Greater shame is that Lady was born a woman with a wit of a man . " he instead fired back . "If the wit of a man is reflected in you, I would rather have wit of an ape . " Evelyn said, smiling faintly . "Ye all, heed the words of your Empress!" she then ignored Erdicth, suddenly shouting toward everyone else - both those abroad the warship and those just now reaching the ce on the beasts or swords . "Whomever shall point their de at Me and My Loyal Subjects shall be subjugated and executed without trial, publicly disyed for a year at minimum and one additional for each life you take! Think wisely, lest it bes thest time you ever thought . " " . . . words are meaningless, Evelyn," Erdicth said, sighing . "We all knew what awaited us should we fail, which is why ensured we would not fail . " " . . . fool . " Evelyn mumbled, sighing herself . "Weight of the Crown is not something the likes of you can bear . " Regarding it pointless to talk any longer, Evelyn raised her arm suddenly whereupon lights lit up like stars in a spherical shape surrounding the Pce - it was activation of the formation - - helmed by Duke Rog¡¯thar and his men . Soldier after soldier spurted from the Pce and took to the sky, encasing the structure like a swarm of bees protecting their hive . Above all stood fluttered Evelyn and her two guards who dispersed toward the warship¡¯s helm, drawing out their weapons - greatsword and a runede - preparing to engage with Dukes . Meanwhile, Evelyn herself took further up toward the sky, above the first sphere, where she was met with three individuals hovering in the air cross-legged, bald in head, wearing simple, brown robes, their hands sped together before their chest, golden beads mingled into their fingers . Behind them, beneath the banner depicting a yed man, nearly four thousand people were standing in a half-circr formation, facing her . Yet, despite it all, there was not an ounce of fear on her face, merely frigid indifference . " . . . you havee, Empress . " one of the three men upfront, sitting in the central position, appearing the oldest, spoke out in somewhat ancient voice . "Truly, blood of His Divinity runs through your veins . " " . . . what courage could I possibly need when facing ancient relics and disgraced Sons and Daughters of the Forgotten Kingdom?" Evelyn replied . " . . . and his tongue, too . " the man added, opening his eyes . Strangely, he had three irises, each shaped like stars, glittering faintly . "Just like him, indeed, you intend to ignore our warnings repeatedly . " "If a wise word were destined to leave your lips, both Royal Father and I would have listened, Seers . However, it does not . Writs and their Bearers are figures of legends living beyond the ocean," she said, her eyes turning into slits . "Yet, all I ever heard from your lips dating back to my childhood were warnings about their descent and plunder . " " . . . both Empress and His Divinity are wise beyond man¡¯s wit," the man spoke yet again . "And strong enough to shake the cornerstones of world, given enough time . However . . . Writs are something transcendent of this World, Your Highness . They are relics of the Void endowed with Seed of Creation as much as one of Destruction . Unlike all else - Mother herself included - they also transcend Fate . Unbound . . . unchained . " "I have heard of the limericks depicting them since the day Royal Father had sent me to study under you, Govar," Evelyn said . "Yet, all I ever truly heard were fables and tales of lifetimes ago, beyond the recorded histories . I stand here before you today, with mind open to change; tell me, teach me Govar," Evelyn added with a faint trace of emotion . "Prove me Writs are all you im them to be and that their Bearers will grace ournds with their presence . Prove me, and I shall end this pointless conflict right now and dedicate years of my rule to your cause . " " . . . I can¡¯t do that, young one," the man called Grovar shook his head while a smile full of bitterness emerged upon his lips . "Though it pains me to say, even I cannot fathom Fate and its whispers; I cannot clearly hear Mother¡¯s words and her warnings . In the end, all I can ever do is try to understand them to the best of my possibilities . Without faith, I would be for naught, and without faith, you cannot and will not trust me on my plea alone . " " . . . very well," Evelyn said, lowering her head for a moment and sighing . "So be it . Let the legends of Mother¡¯s Children and Fate¡¯s Chosen forever be extinguished on this day . " Meanwhile, graciously far away, sat a beggar-looking youth looking at the sky above while rocking left and right inside an improvised bed linked to two trees . Thanks to his understanding of the Divine Sense he¡¯d gotten over the past few years, he was able to hear and see everything that had transpired above - and thanks to the Writ, nobody else realized it . Listening to Evelyn¡¯s conversation with Sky Seers surprised him somewhat, especially with the mention of Mother and Fate, as both subjects interested him very much . " . . . what¡¯s your take on it?" Lino suddenly asked nothingness . " . . . they are misinterpreting the signals," the robotic voice replied after short silence . "Fate and Gaia sound to be in concert ording to them, yet they are not . " " . . . one is a warning, then, and one is a promise?" "Most-likely . " " . . . it¡¯s amazing," Lino sighed . "Even with such weak souls they are able to even fathom Fate¡¯s existence . She¡¯s making a terrible mistake . " " . . . you can prevent it . " " . . . I¡¯d rather not get entangled in this mess . " he said . "It¡¯s well above my paygrade . " "I thought you aren¡¯t being paid . " "Clever . . . " " . . . " " . . . there¡¯s no need for me to step in," Lino smiled faintly . "She won¡¯t have a heart to kill them . I¡¯m more interested in those behind the Seers . . . Sons and Daughters of the Forgotten Kingdom? Is she referring to the surviving descendants of Oreb Kingdom?" " . . . analysis supports it . " "Heh . . . interesting . . . " Lino suddenly smirked as his eyes shed in strange glint . "I didn¡¯t think there¡¯d be any living out in the open, yet . . . look at them . Leaders of Three Counties . Perhaps I could catch a straggler or two and ask them a few questions . . . ah, the show¡¯s about to start . I¡¯m really interested in Evelyn¡¯s two guards . First time seeing actual Exalted in action . . . it should be as terrifying to the ancient Dukes as it should be fun for me . . . " Chapter 111 Chapter 111 CHAPTER 111 SIEGE OF THE THRONE (III) Dawn had passed and a midday point had arrived with sun sting golden rays across the world in a symphonic cascade of colors and warmth . Earth was silent, not a pebble to be found rolling, not a leaf to be spotted falling as though the entire world was waiting in anticipation, eyes peeled to the expanse of the azure sky where swarms stared at each other like bands of locusts, readying to devour each other . Three major battles were taking ce at the same time; at the very bottom were individual cultivators of both sides contending, adding up to three hundred people altogether . Among these was Prince Annel as well as Marquis Thorne and Drevor one one side, with Eldest Prince and Princess standing on the other . Further up the skyline was a major battle between two armies - Royal Family and the rebels, former being led by Duke Rog¡¯thar and Duchess Astharh, including three legions - Sons of Sun, Children of the Stars and Daughters of the Moon legions, while the rebel army was led by Duke Fercrow, a middle-aged man d in purple armor wielding sword and shield whilemanding three Legions - Dragon, Crow and Sky - from atop the warship, formting a massive formation meant to contend against the . Thest of the battles, and the one unfolding highest up in the sky, also had a small divide, with one side reserved for the fight of Dukes Erdicth, Mardent, Callus and Ishel and Devon, while the other side had Evelyn contending alone against the three Sky Seers and thousands of people of Three Imperial Counties . In any war, especially one contended so openly, there¡¯s always that brief moment of reticence, when even nature goes lull in solidity . It¡¯s, to many, a moment of doubt; a moment of hindsight over how all of this could have been avoided for, regardless if cultivators or mortals, death was a reality for many . Yet, perhaps even more so than mortals, cultivators feared death . Still, that momentsts for as long as it¡¯s necessary for a thought to move a lip and for the first battle cry to break out into the silent world and usurp the order, shaking the hearts of those who¡¯ve heard it . The first to cry out among tens of thousands present was actually Evelyn - she spread her arms whereupon two bolts of ck lightning coiled round her fingers as she cried out into the sky, partly because of anger and partly because of anguish . After all, it hurt her to know so many people among those who were most supportive of the throne over the years went against her . It meant they didn¡¯t trust her, didn¡¯t trust her ability to rule and to push the Dynasty further along the path of glory . She felt betrayed by the very people she had hoped to count on to guide her . Her eyes shed with berserk anger as she turned into a gulf of darkness and streaked across the sky faster than the eye could follow, striking like a bolt of lightning from the clear sky . Yet, before she had a chance to harm anyone, a golden veil sprung from nothingness and blocked her path, causing her to bounce backward through the sky . Rather than taking a breath and giving away the momentum, she shifted midair forcibly, cracking one of her ribs in the process, and dove straight back down at the veil . ck bolts of lightning spread through the sky, shrouding the sky in pitch-ck darkness . Thunder boomed repeatedly, affecting the space itself, causing it to vibrate . Evelyn was Peak Numinous Realm cultivator, just a single breath away from bing an Exalted . However, due to the quality of Cultivation Method that she inherited from her Father, as well as rigorous training she received, she could match three Sky Seers, all of whom were at Early Exalted Realm . She paid little to no heed to the thousands surrounding her from the Three Imperial Counties; rather, she didn¡¯t even consider them enemies in the first ce, as none had even crossed into Numinous Realm to begin with . A few dozen miles away from her battlefield, Ishel and Devon had begun their own . They didn¡¯t speak or offer a witty insult or two, merely drew their weapons out and lunged at the Dukes in front of them . Status, besides the Imperial one, didn¡¯t exist in their eyes . They didn¡¯t recognized Barons, Marquises, Counts, Dukes . . . the only title they recognized was that of an Emperor - especially so because the two of them were chosen to protect the Empress till the end of time, in life and death . Yet, on the very first day of her noble rule, her right was challenged by the unworthy; they hade parading in front of her home, shaming her in front of her own people, and dering her unfit for the Throne . To Ishel and Devon, it wasn¡¯t merely because she was the Empress that it incited the rage within them; the two had watched Evelyn grow up from her cradle, undergo one trial after another, surpassing all her brothers and sisters in strength and wit, atst deserving her title of the Empress . What Duke Erdicth and others did to them wasn¡¯t merely a matter of betraying the Throne; it was a personal insult . They didn¡¯t care who people before them were - they had already sentenced them to death regardless, and it was with that fervor that they struck with impunity, disallowing them to gather their bearings . Unlike the Seers, Ishel and Devon were Exalted of the highest order, with their Cultivation Method being second only to Royal Family¡¯s, even a tier higher than the rest of their brothers and sisters within the Legion . The two were almost unequaled when facing same-realm opponents, and Dukes - who themselves were as well at Middle Exalted Realm . One of the reasons why Divine Dynasty could rule supreme for so long over the entire continent was exactly because of the fact that they had a lot of cultivators who crossed the first tidal barrier - one of crossing from Numinous Realm into Exalted Realm . It was the first barrier that truly distinguished the talented and the average ones, the hard-working ones and the uninspired ones, and the rich ones and poor ones . One of the most basic necessities to be a person of the highest standing in the Divine Dynasty was exactly to be at least of Early Exalted Realm . Every single Duke, as well as two Duchesses, were all Exalted; however not all Exalted were Dukes, which served to both incentivizepetition between nobility as well as to instigate tensions as to avert their intentions from the Throne . Meanwhile, secondary strata of the three-legged battle had also shed with Duke Rog¡¯tharmanding and firing it up, creating zing wings at two ends of the formation and transforming the body into an angelic-like giant with luminous features . The giant towered at a few kilometers, making the warship actually appear like a boat before it; however, Duke Fercrow himself had also activated the formation - - transforming the warship in such a way that it became the head of a massive mirage of a Dragon, which appeared only slightly shorter than the angelic giant . The two shed with fists and ws, causing thunderous booms to echo out for hundreds of miles on, swaying trees with emerging wind and rousing it from its slumber . Each step the two took would cause a small quake, yet it couldn¡¯t topple a single building within the City of Sun, as all were enclosed tightly in the city-wide formation . The least impactful of battles was the one led closest to earth; as they were individual, people were spread out in arge area, leading to fewer earth-shattering collisions . That was not to say, though, that battles weren¡¯t heated; Annel himself would attest to that, as he¡¯d finally realized just how strong his Eldest Sister and Brother were . He himself was Peak Illumine Realm cultivator, while the two of them were at Middle Numinous Realm . Even with the help of Marquises Thorne and Drevor, who were both at Early Numinous Realm, it was turning into a prolonged battle where the three of them were actually being pushed back despite outnumbering their opponents . Meanwhile, perched up in a saddle between the trees, Lino had the pleasure of enjoying a spectacle without being a part of it, something he realized was quite a rarity in his life . However, there was a distinctck of shock on his face, even a trace of disappointment; he expected to see at least one Imperial - realm higher than the Exalted . As was clearly disyed, though, they seemed to be rarities even here . " . . . is Althone observing the battle?" Lino suddenly asked . "Yes . " the Writ replied in its usual, robotic voice . "Quite a sadist, he is," Lino smiled strangely as he spoke . "Forcing his daughter to fight a man who was more of a father to her than her actual father ever was . Is he hoping to teach her some sort of a lesson?" " . . . " the Writ had already gotten used to Lino¡¯s rambles; as to not go insane, Lino developed a strange habit of voicing out his thoughts out loud, as though to implicate a conversation with the Writ . " . . . things can¡¯t be this simple," Lino said, his eyes turning into slits . "Surely, those Dukes aren¡¯t such morons as to think they can take the throne with their shitty strength, right?" " . . . there are additional three auras of Imperials within the vicinity of the battle," the Writ said . "Althone is yet to spot them . " "Hoh? Really now?" Lino¡¯s lips suddenly curled up in a strange smile . "I wonder . . . how much merit can I get by informing the former Emperor that not everything is within his control and that his daughter may very well die if he doesn¡¯t do anything?" " . . . " "Where is he?" Lino asked . "Sitting on the Throne . " " . . . ah, that¡¯s boring," Lino said, jumping up onto his feet . "I was hoping to explore another exotic location . I don¡¯t like retracing my steps . Ah, whatever, let¡¯s go and visit the revered Emperor and see how willing is he to listen to a beggar . " Chapter 112 Chapter 112 CHAPTER 112 SIEGE OF THE THRONE (IV) The Rapture of Heaven --- it is the name that will be given to the battle for the throne bymoners yearster . For, to all of them huddled beneath earth in formation-enhanced bunkers, that¡¯s what it was; even so down below, protected by magic of those much closer to gods, they felt it it all -- they felt the earth rumble and quake, and even felt sky tear open as though gashed by a knife . It was the sort of copse that rendered even the youngest children incapable of cries, shutting the whole world in silence of anticipation and dread . They didn¡¯t understand why was there a fight, they didn¡¯t know who was fighting, and they didn¡¯t know how they were fighting; to mortals, these were the matters of gods which they had no say in, and could only inwardly utter prayers toe out unscathed from it all . Meanwhile, up in the skies, a maimed body would every so often fall from the sky like a swatted fly and crash through the buildings, leaving a temporary imprint of their story while they exhaled theirst breath amid the fall . Soon enough, the t earth of cobblestone-paved streets down below was sacked with holes like ones from cannonballs, within which listless bodiesy cold and mutted, many beyond their mother¡¯s ability of recognition . It was the bitter reality of war, and none felt it worse that a solitary woman currently swatting golden arrays of glistening light shing past her cheeks, tearing open a small wound on them . Anger, pain, grief . . . myriad of emotions were reflected in Evelyn¡¯s eyes . Indeed, she dubbed herself cruel enough to rule; yet, it hurt . It hurt more than she had ever dreamed it would . Some of those who fell she didn¡¯t know, some even fought against her rule, and some she knew personally; yet, regardless, she felt pained over seeing so many talented men and women of Empire fall at the hands of one another . Yet, she couldn¡¯t spare even a moment to grieve over them or send them to Gaia as she was too upied with her own battle . Three Seers were far from being weak even if their primary call was one of Fate Readings . All three had exceptionally sturdy bodies endowed with high mastery of Defensive Arts, and while their attackcked inparison, it could still dig deep if she was caught unaware . All around her was chaos, entombed forever like imprints in the sand into her memory, bound to linger on there forevermore . Yet, amidst the sadness delving deep into her soul, a me arose, one akin to stout sun . She gnashed her teeth till her gums bled, causing crimson trail to slip past her lips, appear ever-dauntingly beautiful and ethereal . Her eyes suddenly turned into fiery slits, expression contorting till the point of disfigurement, Qi beginning to flood her meridians near the point of implosion . As she, once again, deflectedbined arrays of golden light that were as quick as the speed of sound, she suddenly shifted backward like a shadow and forged a distance between her and the three Seers, elevating slightly up above them in air, tilting her head down and looking at them . Her hair fluttered wildly behind in rhythmic vice, shouldering her slender frame . The cape strapped to her shoulders fluttered even further back, almost resembling a pair of shackled, ebony-dyed wings; in concert with her gaze denoting transcontinental coldness and anger, she seemed like a visage, an incarnation of rage itself . Her weapons disappeared from her hands in a puff of waning smoke, Qi surging outside her body forming a visible shake in space around her . Were anyone - including Three Seers - to stand by her side, they would undoubtedly be consumed by it; the amount was so massive it far surpassed what someone of Numinous Realm could achieve . Yet, she wasn¡¯t crossing that gulf; she was embodying her Crown, her Throne, her Empire into who she was - perhaps for the first time in her life . For the first time, she disyed dignity of an Emperor -- unshakable pride of a ruler of billions of men and women . Drive and passion, grace and grandeur, poise and prestige, virtue of a Queen . It was then that the space before her shook and a warped void tinier than a person¡¯s palm appeared; from it, a white light shed out for a moment before the void closed . Evelyn felt coldness assail her palms as she looked downward and saw a sword long as her arm stirring within her hand; it was a beautiful sword, darted with winged patterns, slim but sharp and sturdy in make with de glossed entirely in pure white and guard holding it swatted in unfiltered, slightly dirty gold . The handle within her hand felt smooth, almost silken, and seemingly perfectly designed to fit her and nobody else in the entire world . She felt something trickle from the sword itself into her; it wasn¡¯t energy, it wasn¡¯t defiance, it wasn¡¯t any sort of recognizable feeling -- it was, she realized, more simr to Will her father told her about . Will of the Weapon -- its Soul . It was only then that she recognized the sword in her hand -- her Family¡¯s True Heirloom -- [Emperor¡¯s Dignity] . The sword seemed to resonate with her, with her emotions and her state of mind, appearing to answer her calling . Her expression didn¡¯t change, save for perhaps appearing even more dignified . She once again averted her gaze toward the three Seers who, as though mirror images of one another, all had solemn expressions as they stared at the sword in Evelyn¡¯s hand . This was what they had feared; one of the reasons why they thought they could suppress Evelyn herself, which would have allowed them at least a say before the former Emperor, was that she stillcked the core of what made Divine Dynasty¡¯s Ruler truly unquestionable existences -- the Emperor¡¯s Dignity, both one¡¯s innate virtue and the weapon itself . At that moment, they knew they had all but lost . . . and that there was no hope any longer . Meanwhile, two men ofpletely opposite appearances stood side by side, both looking toward the sky and the battle urring between the Seers and Evelyn . One of the men was a beggar-looking youth in his mid-twenties wearing simple, tattered clothes, while the other was a dignified-looking middle-aged man of tall and bulky stature, wrapped entirely in tinum armor . Though his face was somewhat wrinkled, he still appeared handsome with thick, ck beard and brows and a pair of purple eyes . " . . . that¡¯s a good sword . " the beggar spoke out with a strange glint in his eyes . "Oh?" the middle-aged man turned toward him with a slightly surprised expression . "You know of smithing?" " . . . a thing or two," the beggar said, smiling faintly . "Should be Unique-Legendary Soul Weapon, no?" " . . . you¡¯re right . " the man nodded . "You really have an eye for many things, little beggar . " "I¡¯d appreciate if you stopped calling me little . " "And I¡¯d appreciate if you¡¯d drop the ¡¯Brawny Empy¡¯ nickname . " "I suppose I am at least a little bit little . " "You never give up, do you?" "It¡¯s one of my virtues . " " . . . you didn¡¯t think she had it in her, did you?" the man decided to simply drop the discussion as he realized it was going nowhere and instead asked the beggar a strange question . " . . . honestly? No," the beggar shook his head . "She¡¯s many things, to that I attest . . . but I¡¯ve never once noticed dignity of someone ruling a nation in her . " "I have," the man said, averting his gaze back to the sky at which he stared with unequaled pride . "Since the days of her earliest childhood . She carried herself in a way that defied her age . Unlike all my other sons and daughters, she understood the necessity of ears over tongue . . . image of dignity over terror . " "At least, now, they probably won¡¯t be making any moves," the beggar said . "Is this what you were counting on?" "Eh, I had an idea or two in case she got cold feet . " the middle-aged man smiled strangely as he stroked his beard . " . . . will you head over after the official coronation?" "I have to," the middle-aged man said, his expression hardening . "There are rumors of ruins suddenly surging from earth . " "Oh?" "Interested?" "Intrigued . " the beggar replied . "But, really, you haven¡¯t managed to pry open their lips after so many years? You really are just a Brawny Empy . . . " " . . . I¡¯m seriously considering executing you . " "You mean my tongue . " "Oh, I have special idea in mind for your tongue . " "Does it include being your ass-wiper for many years toe?" " . . . " "What? I need to know what I¡¯m getting myself into, at the very least . " " . . . they don¡¯t know," the man, once again, decided to switch topics . He realized he¡¯d done it many times in the few tens of minutes he¡¯d spent with the strange beggar . "Before they fled, all their Elders who knew of the exact locationmitted suicide by staying in their Library which they then set aze . " " . . . loyal to theirst breath, huh . " the beggar said, sighing faintly . "It¡¯s a shame . " "Want toe with me?" " . . . not yet," the beggar replied . "It¡¯s merely rumors by now, and I¡¯ve still got something to do in the city . " "I already told you where she is . " the man said, rolling his eyes . " . . . you¡¯re really beset on the idea I¡¯m in love with Lucky, aren¡¯t you?" "Uh, I don¡¯t know . Why else would a man try to upturn a Capital of thergest Empire on the continent for a woman?" " . . . because I was afraid," the beggar said, his expression softening suddenly . "She might have given up in the end . " " . . . I don¡¯t know what kind of a person you know her as," the middle-aged man said after short silence . "But, I know her as a wall that cannot be breached or broken . " " . . . there is no such wall," the beggar looked at the man with strange eyes . "One way or another, we can all find ourselves suddenly kneeling toward the sky and asking ¡¯why¡¯ . Anyway," it was the beggar that decided to switch topics this time around, surprising the man . "I¡¯ll join you over there in a year or so at most . Till then, you better make damn sure you don¡¯t croak, old man . " " . . . oh, so now I¡¯m an old man?" "Eh, you¡¯ve been an old man for a while I imagine . " "At least I don¡¯t look like I just crawled out of shit-sprawled sewers . " " . . . gives me a sort of archaic wisdom, no?" "I¡¯d wager it gives you archaic stench rather than anything else . " "Potato, potato . . . " " . . . " Chapter 113 Chapter 113 CHAPTER 113 THE FIRST AND FINAL BREATHS It is the sort of story which repeats through the ages; a power-hungry Duke blinds others with ambition and passion into assisting him in usurping the throne, yet is denied when his struggle provescking . It is the sort of story written by winners to belittle the fallen, to discourage ambition from those who would have it . Duke Erdicth knew, when Ishel¡¯s de fiercely pierced his heart, that such story would be etched into the histories . Duke Erdicth, Son of Grand Archduke Wovien Erdicth who served Royal Family more devoutly than all those before him, heard the whispers of the dark and converted, abandoning the oath his family had sworn generations ago, vying for the Crown . As he nced down and saw crimson tide trickling through the etchings of his stained armor, he¡¯d already written out the story itself inside his head . He knew he¡¯d have no honor after death; his name would be turned into a jest, a joke, a mockery of highest order - and a warning . However, that wasn¡¯t the story . He wasn¡¯t power-hungry idiot who believed himself better than the Emperor and the Empress . With his whole heart, he believed Evelyn can rule as best as any of them, especially when he took a nce at her a few minutes ago . In her, he saw dignity befitting a Ruler of the Nation . He saw fire, passion and drive, pure desire to better the Empire even further . Yet, no one would ever know his story . No one would ever learn his heart . Ishel¡¯s eyes were cold, frigid despite taking a life of revered Duke . Erdicth - of given name Stor - knew Ishel didn¡¯t care for his story . Devon didn¡¯t care for his story . Empress didn¡¯t care for his story, nor did her Royal Father . He took a look at the obliteration surrounding him, feeling suffocation akin to nothing he ever felt before surge from within the depths of his soul . It was agony, watching men and women he bonded with fall one by one in the symposium of madness . . . one which he himself hadposed . He wanted to sound out agony and apology to all of them, yet voice wouldn¡¯t break past the barrier . He could only bitterly look at bloodied, maimed, brutalized faces and bodies being coldly scalded from the skies and into the pit of oblivion, to rest forevermore as mere itches of the past . He began falling, the sort of fall thatsts no longer than a couple of breaths; horizon blended into a warp of various colors, all entangled within the sun¡¯s pure golden . He could swear it, deep inside, he¡¯d seen the meaning of his story dancing in those colors . But his mind was muddled; he couldn¡¯t even ascertain as to what he was thinking . It was sh after sh of memories, of thoughts, of hopes and desires and lingering doubts all mixed together in a pot ofplete mania, where there was no distinction between a sound and an image . If only . . . he were stronger, he would have won . If only . . . he was smarter, he would have won . He crashed like a falling star against the floor, yet it felt strangelyfortable . There were no broken bones, there was no impact, nost sh before his death . He was wholly unprotected with Qi, an ordinary man of flesh and bone falling from hundreds of meters onto t, sturdy concrete . There was only one result: death . Yet, he wasn¡¯t dead . He was very much alive, he felt . His closed eyes shook for a moment before opening up, and he quickly realized he was in a small, narrow alleyway, leaned back-first against the wall . Next to him stood a shabbily-dressed man of uncouth bearing and filth unbefitting of living . Even at the doorsteps of death, Erdicth couldn¡¯t help but frown; it was not the matter of nobility or others, it was a matter of personal desire of betterment . And, Erdicth concluded, man before him had none . " . . . why . . . why did you save me?" Erdicth asked . "You think I saved you?" the man asked back, seeming confused . " . . . temporarily saved me . " "Oh, yeah, that makes more sense," the man said . "Your Qi passageways are decimated, half your organs have given up, and for the life of me I can¡¯t figure out how are you still conscious . You can be considered a medical miracle . " " . . . you are that filthy beggar everyone has been moring about recently?" Erdicth asked . "You really live up to your name . " "My, my, to think even the great Duke Erdicth has heard of me," the man said, squatting down next to Erdicth . "I¡¯m honored . " " . . . what do you want, beggar?" "I¡¯ve heard chatter," the man said . "That, recently, you¡¯ve been employing services of a cksmith . " "Oh? What¡¯s that got to do with you?" "Well, not to brag, but I¡¯m a bit of a cksmith myself," the man said, smiling faintly . "And I¡¯m very interested in making acquaintances with that friend of yours, if you¡¯d be so kind as to help me out here . " " . . . it cannot be that you saved me for that reason alone, can it?" " . . . it¡¯s because I¡¯ve wanted to give you an opportunity, out of respect you¡¯ve earned, to die warrior¡¯s death," the man said, sighing faintly . "Though you were a fool in the end, you fought till the bitter end . Someone like you doesn¡¯t deserve to die that way . " " . . . hah, respect? Wherefore you respect me, little beggar? I am but a traitor of the Crown, shame of the Empire . " " . . . for thest part of your life, you¡¯ve yearned for one thing alone," the man spoke slowly, suddenly raising his arm and cing his thumb onto Erdicth¡¯s forehead . "And, for that reason and that fear, you braved betrayal of all you held dear, of all your ancestors and of all people you respected . " Erdicth felt a sudden jolt whereupon a strange current surged into his body like a tidal wave, besieging him near the point of suffocation . Just as he was about to cry out in protest, an image formed inside his head, and it struck his heart like a bolt . "Y-you . . . you . . . you¡¯re . . . " Erdicth mumbled while his eyes widened like eggs, staring at this strange man before him, as though he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing . "You wanted them to hear your voice, yet they ignored," the man said, smiling lightly . "You wanted to tell them your story, yet they ignored . Though, really, you were a bit of a fool toward the end . " " . . . you . . . really are . . . " by now, Erdicth¡¯s entire body was shaking as his eyes grew watery, eventually beginning to spit out tears ceaselessly . "I . . . my death . . . my death is not in vain . " " . . . hm," the man nodded faintly, his smile broadening . "How¡¯d you figure out I¡¯d being to this ce, though?" " . . . uh, t-ten years ago or so," Erdicth mumbled, not bothering to wipe his tears . "I sensed a strange Qiing from far East, as though something was disturbed . Rather, a trace I left hundreds of years ago was disturbed . The Necropolis . You¡¯ve been there, haven¡¯t you?" " . . . " "You have . . . and so have I . When I got there, I realized it was empty . There were no corpses, there were no tortured, there was not a Mysterious Queen overseeing it . And I knew, because, long ago, she told me . She told me that should she ever vanish without trace it would mean her inheritor hade . And I knew . . . I knew . . . yet, I . . . I had doubts, still . Where were you? Why weren¡¯t you unveiling yourself to the world? So . . . I studied . I studied you, I studied histories . I learned, all of it . " " . . . and the best n you coulde up with was to usurp your Empire and create a massive-scaled formation covering its entire surface that would continuously spit out consistently non-chaotic Qi?" " . . . heh . . . I first proposed it to the Emperor, four years ago," Erdicth said, smiling bitterly . "Hepletely ignored me, saying I was spouting nonsense like the Three Seers . I tried numerous times after, but nothing came of it . I had . . . I had to do something . " " . . . you¡¯re draining your Life to talk . Are you sure that¡¯s a good call?" the man asked, sitting down next to Erdicth . " . . . heh, who cares? I have met you . In the end, you truly are her inheritor . . . you truly are . . . an Empyrean . " " . . . you seem strangely proud of meeting me . " the man said, casting a sideways nce at Erdicth . " . . . only a fool would not be," Erdicth said, smiling lightly, his aged features softening in the process . "Fate . . . Fate told the Seers of you, but I learned of you on my own . I read the books, and I read the stories . In them, you are a Bringer of Chaos, a Demonic Entity beset on destroying the world . Every story of an Empyrean is of a madman¡¯s attempts to bring utter copse upon us all . " " . . . sounds about right . " "No viin is ever that vilified," Erdicth said . "No madman ever written of to that extent . It is the quint-essentialponent of story¡¯s dichotomy; a true masterpiece of a propaganda . And then . . . there was her . The Mysterious Queen . " "Eshen . " the man mumbled in a faint tone . "Ah . . . so that¡¯s her name . . . " Erdicth smiled faintly as he closed his eyes . "Even with cruelty of eternal despair chaining her . . . she still held to her heart . And, she told me . . . all those bearing the calling of an Empyrean . . . are the same . She said you were fools assailed with non-existent notions of grandeur, filled to brim with pride over a title you didn¡¯t earn . . . yet, I knew, right then and there, you were the sort with incorruptible and defiant hearts . Even with the whole of the world standing against you, you would still stand your ground and fight . " " . . . aye, we really are fools," the man said, sighing as he suddenly grasped at Erdicth¡¯s shaking hand and held it . "And you are even greater a fool for still believing in us . " " . . . t-tell me . . . tell me . . . what¡¯s your name?" a faint voice asked . " . . . it¡¯s Lino . " "Lino . . . ah . . . Lino," Erdicth mumbled . "Thank y--" before thest vowel left his lips, thest breath escaped as Lino pressed the hand tightly, killing Erdicth . He held onto the hand for a moment while gazing at him with strange eyes before letting go and getting up . " . . . your heroics have reached as far as this backwater vige . " Lino mumbled into the air . " . . . none are my heroics . " " . . . we are either glorified or vilified," he said as he left the alleyway in even steps . "Either desired dead, or sitting upon world¡¯s throne . You¡¯ve sorted a beautiful story of us . . . to the point it seems the whole of the world had forgotten that we are, before everything else, just . . . us . " " . . . " "Now I¡¯m a bit interested in meeting the Seers," he said as he looked up toward the distant sky . "I wonder to which tune do they dance . . . " Evelyn burst with sudden speed far surpassing her prior one, crashing through the space and time itself it seems to appear before the Three Seers . An arc of blinding, white light shed through the sky, bearing itself through the golden veil and piercing through . A shockwave massive enough to copse the sky bounced outwardly, scalding all those who¡¯ve felt its reach and braving them further backwards along its waves . Three Seers all catapulted like loosened mountains falling from the sky, crashing into the earth and rumbling through onward for hundreds of meters before stopping, creating a sort ofical trail on earth of their being . The battle was over; those who ought to have been in were taking their final breaths, and those who ought to be living were taking their first breaths of new life . On the surface, it almost appeared to be a cathartic sort of a moment . Yet, for all those involved, dead or alive, it was anything but . Perhaps, more so for her than anyone else, Evelyn felt that, despite all, she had still failed . As though a piece of puzzle that was this ensemble was missing from her eyes . Almost instinctively she looked toward the ground, a bit further north in the distance, where she saw Erdicth fall . In her heart, she knew hey at the heart of it all, perhaps even more so than Damian himself . Yet . . . the answer to it all still escaped her, like that dream where you eternally chase after the doors you wish to go through only to find them always the same distance that they were at the start . Chapter 114 Chapter 114 CHAPTER 114 DEMONIC BATTLEFIELD Sprawls of corpses - one indistinguishable from another from distance -y rested across the hilly in of red-soaked sand, with asional pond enriching the dry desert with a few trees . Eternal winds blew here, ever since its first inhabitants many moons ago . Suchndscape sprawled onward for over two hundred miles and was a dividing point between two entirely different worlds: Divine Dynasty and the Demonic Battlefield . While former enjoyed the glory and dignity of most prosperous ce on the continent, stacked with endless opportunities, thetter enjoyed the reputation ofplete chaos, the sort of ce where one would only go if he had a death wish . It was not without reason that Demonic Battlefield gained such reputation . Its history dating back several million years ago is filled with one conflict after another, with it all being started exactly because of the Demonic War - after which it was named - which had urred here . Ever since then, Demonic Battlefield became the ce of ruthless conflict and death, but also opportunity - for those brave enough to seek it . Though the entire ce¡¯sndscape varied greatly from its southernmost point to the far north, most knew it as a dry, empty wastnd of a desert as that was as far as they¡¯d go . In reality, the desert was simply there as a gateway, sort of a trial for those who would truly embrace the ce¡¯s nightmares . The northernmost point of Demonic Battlefield was an ind, connected to main shore with artificial bridge spanning nearly thirty kilometers . Very few would ever evene close to this ce, and even fewer would ever be graced with the permission to cross the bridge . It was, indeed, apletely different world once one crossed that bridge; for far north was a tundra of drying trees and grass, one would think the ind would be exactly the same: yet, it was opposite . Ind was marked with lush forests, valleys and severalkes endowed with natural beauty that¡¯s nigh impossible to brush onto canvas . Series of mountains honed valleys beneath them and directed them, with their mountaintops resting in clouds, some even further up than that . Numerous flora and fauna existed on the ind that could not be found elsewhere on the continent, making it truly a paradise for the curious . However, resting at the ind¡¯s heart - around and above itsrgestke, Lakuhandi - was a strangely-dressed city housing the greatest mystery of the Demonic Battlefield - its own Emperor of sorts . The city¡¯s architecture was different aboveke and around it; thetter constituted mainly of ssical architecture, with buildings of stone supported with hand-sculpted columns and stone roads with numerous intersections cutting across . Though a marvel in and of itself, it still couldn¡¯tpare to the city above theke . Styled in extremely detailed gothic, yet with a mixture of ss and strange, ck metal, city¡¯s buildings looked like true miracles, something out ofmoner¡¯s imagination . They appeared stacked atop of each other with sloped roads winding around, shifting into ten-meters wide pavements and several elevated tforms supported by metal beams connected to the city¡¯s backbone - a carved out piece of a massive rock which was hovering neatly aboveke¡¯s surface due to a massive formation beneath it . The buildings only grew more grandiose the higher up one went, and several spiraled roads could be seen extending out of the rock¡¯s main body into thin air, where additional buildings could be seen, seemingly hovering all by themselves in the air itself without any support . It wasn¡¯t the sort of a city that one could fashion over a few years, or even a few decades; its history dates for thousands and thousands of years, and is a product of hundreds of thousand peoples¡¯ hard work and sacrifice . The very top of the city reached as far up as fourteen kilometers, and was an encapsting mansion surrounded with peaceful gardens and fountains and stone pavements in-between them . The mansion itself, though smaller than many of the buildings below it, was beyond aesthetic in design, wholly symmetrical and adorned with countless carvings alongside its surface, depicting various images . The mansion was well above the clouds with a spinning veil ceaselessly protecting it from any and all who would brave a chance . Currently, within one of the mansion¡¯s rooms, was a man wearing rather simple, yet luxurious-looking clothes . He appeared to be in this early thirties, with sleek, brown hair falling down to his shoulders and a pair of glistening, emerald eyes seemingly capable of piercing into one¡¯s soul . He had squared jaw and rigid cheekbones which paired magnificently with his well-refined, muscr body . He was currently surrounded with mounds of papers, one of which his eyes were scanning over, with the rest of the room appearing seemingly empty . Man suddenly jolted his eyes away from the paper and nced backward, at the doors which opened almost a momentter . A graceful-looking woman walked through in short, yet rhythmic strides . She was of average height, at least head and a half shorter than the man himself, yet carried herself with strange dignity which made her appear taller than she actually was . Her hair was of short kind, almost boyish-looking, dyed entirely crimson red while her face was veiled whole down to her blood-red lips . She wore a dress very much reflecting city¡¯s architecture: Exaggerated amount of details and folds made her seem ten times as wide as she truly was, yet dress¡¯s mix of ck and crimson colors appeared to suit her perfectly . She walked over slowly toward the man and stopped by his side, ncing at the paper in man¡¯s hands as her lips suddenly curled up in a strange smile . " . . . as expected from Eve," she said in a smooth, melodic voice . "She really cannot be underestimated . " " . . . she wasn¡¯t chosen without a reason," the man said, rubbing his temple with a frown on his face . "Though, this does slow our ns somewhat . I didn¡¯t think Erdicth would part ways in the end . " "He was an old fox who always had his own schemes . I warned you . " " . . . it doesn¡¯t matter . We¡¯ll recover quickly enough . " the man said . "Why have youe here, Le¡¯vol?" "Oh, please," the woman said, chuckling oddly while covering her mouth with her hand . "I can hardly hold that surname now . Have I not told you to call me La from now on?" " . . . why are you here, La?" "Ie bringing good news," the woman called La said . "We have found one of the ruin¡¯s entrances . " " . . . one of?" the man asked, his frown deepening . "Hm, ording to runic pattern, it appears it is 6th entrance of 12 in total . " "Can we enter?" the man asked . "Nope!" La eximed, giggling . "Of those few buffoons that tried, all got blown up . " " . . . don¡¯t disrespect the dead . " the man said . " . . . sorry . Old habit . " "So? What¡¯s the cause?" "Bloodline is necessary . " " . . . haii . . . they really made the whole ordeal quite a headache . " the man said, shaking his head . "Forget it, forget it . I¡¯ll find a way . Any new information about Shade?" " . . . " it was La¡¯s turn to have her expression twist; a mere mention of that woman¡¯s name would usually send her into a spiral of insanity, yet she had to hold back in front of this man at least . "N-no . . . " " . . . don¡¯t be so frustrated," the man said . "Even I¡¯m not confident in victory . " " . . . you surely jest . " "Perhaps in a heads-on collision I could easily defeat her," the man said, stroking his chin . "But, then again, would she ever willingly enter such battle? Her forte lies in shadows . If caught unaware . . . I¡¯d probably have my throat slit before I even realized what has happened . Oh, right . I¡¯ve heard rumors about a strange beggar in the City . A variable?" " . . . ugh . " La groaned suddenly, sighing . "I . . . I don¡¯t know . . . " "What do you mean?" "I mean . . . I mean exactly that . Throughout my stay there, I never had a chance to even catch a shadow of his, let alone meet him . " " . . . so he is," the man said, suddenly leaning back onto the chair and heaving his head back over it, looking at the empty ceiling . "If he¡¯s a cultivator, he¡¯ll no doubt head over here once the rumors of ruins spread . And now Althone is also here . . . this is growing moreplicated day after day . " " . . . hm . " "Strange . . . there¡¯s finally someone you don¡¯t instinctively dismiss . " " . . . for all my hatred towards him," La said, sighing . "I¡¯d be a fool not admit his strength . He really could thwart our ns if we are not careful . " " . . . that¡¯s why we¡¯ll be careful," the man said, faintly smiling all of a sudden . "Our advantage is that they¡¯re the outsiders looking in . War is as much a battle of wit as it is of strength . Though, I suppose, this isn¡¯t exactly a war to begin with . Send at least three thousand Outsiders into the desert and increase number of people on manned walls . Go inform Turuk to speed up the training of Scouts and increase quota to at least ten monthly . Also meet with Geneve and ask her for two more Agents . Shift primary focus from hiding to investigation . Within half a year, I want to know Empire¡¯s every hideout, every stronghold, every potential avenue of attack and every warehouse where they¡¯re storing stuff - whether that¡¯s weapons or horses¡¯ shit . Let¡¯s stay one step ahead of them . " " . . . alright . " La nodded faintly . "What about . . . you know, --" "I don¡¯t want to talk about it . " the man interrupted her, his voice turning slightly cold . "But Damian--" "I said I don¡¯t want to talk about it!" he eximed, ncing at her coldly . " . . . fine . Call me if you need anything . " ": . . " La left with somewhat uneven steps unlike the way she walked in, something clearly weighing on her mind . The man - Damian- stayed behind, still sitting in the chair, appearing somewhat listless . For a moment he wished there was a window somewhere in the room so he can nce southward, toward immeasurable distance and beyond . . . but, he knew it was fruitless . After a short period of ufortable silence, he took a deep breath and began reading through the papers again, fulfilling his eternal duty to the cause . Chapter 115 Chapter 115 CHAPTER 115 THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM A smell of roasted chicken wafted many-a-man who passed by a small, wooden shack at the city¡¯s outskirts . The shack was no different than those surrounding it, built out of pure wood and roofed with thick straw . It was but a two-rooms shack with a single window and several cracks spreading over its surface like spiderwebs . Outside the door, a dog could be seen sprawled on all four, snoring lowly and asionally whipping his tail up and down . Suddenly, dog¡¯s eyes opened like sharp knives as he rose on all four and took a rather shoddy-looking battle stance, lowering his head somewhat and growling as drool cruised through his teeth . Felix stared at the strange dog for a moment, sighing afterwards and wondering why his Master adopted this beast . Though it had somewhat above average intellect whenpared to other ordinary dogs, it was filthy and loud and unbefitting of a great man such as his Master . Fearless, he stepped forward and only when he reached the three stairs leading up a barely elevated porch did the dog recognize his scent, lowering down yet again and falling back asleep before Felix even reached him . He stopped by dog¡¯s side for a moment wondering whether it would be a good idea to split him in half, holding back in the end because, for some strange reason, his Master seemed to enjoy dog¡¯s presence . It has been nearly two weeks since the great battle for the throne, and he was quite busy wrapping up loose ends on Empress¡¯mand, giving him no time to pay a visit to his Master . And when he got some free time, he realized his Master was nowhere to be found, leading him to a search whichsted five whole days . To think his Master finally bought a house and was moving up in the world; even Felix couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly emotional over such progress . He respectfully knocked on the doors, ignoring rather inviting scent of the chickening from inside . It took a while before the doors finally opened, revealing behind the familiar, slightly filthy face of his Master, still dressed as though he was literally trying to be the worst-looking man possible . Felix¡¯s expression softened as his eyesnded on the man before him, and he quickly bowed down respectfully . "Greetings, Master!" he eximed with deep reverence . "I ask You forgive me for not visiting . I will receive any punishment necessary . " " . . . " even after remaining bowed for nearly a minute, there was still no reply . Felix finally gained enough courage to look up . "M-master?" he mumbled, noticing the strange gaze in his Master¡¯s eyes . "Eh . . " his Master scratched his head for a moment before adding . "Who are you?" " . . . " Felix suddenly fell on his knees as his eyes bulged like eggs . If one were to listen carefully, they could hear a young man¡¯s heart crack quicker and more brutally than if a woman rejected him . "M-master . . . h-how . . . waaah . . . " right there, on a distant porch of a rundown shack, in the midst of cold winds, a man broke down in tears . That was not a nobody; in just a week¡¯s time, he would be Empress¡¯ Prime Counselor, a man who couldmand all but Empress herself . "Waaah . . . h-how can you not . . . not remember me . . . . " " . . . a-are . . . are you seriously crying?" even Lino was caught somewhat surprised as he stepped back . Naturally, he remembered Felix, just figured he¡¯d joke around for a bit . He never expected a fully grown man to break down in tears just on the assumption he was forgotten . "Holy shit dude, get the hell up and get inside . " Lino pulled the still-kneeling Felix inside the shack and quickly closed the doors, preventing many-a-bystander from observing it any further . Even Lino, with his thick skin, felt somewhat embarrassed when he saw those curious gazed pointed toward his humble abode . "Geez dude, the hell are you crying for?" Lino sighed, shaking his head as he left crying Felix on the floor as he moved toward the small, improvised firece to look over the chicken . " . . . w-wait . . . s-so, so you remember me?" Felix mumbled, wiping snot and tears off his face . "Do I look like a goldfish to you?" Lino asked, rolling his eyes at the strange youth . "Besides, even if I didn¡¯t remember you, how can you break down crying like that? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a bigshot now?" " . . . aah, thank god . Thank god Master remembers me!!" " . . . " "Ah, forgive my bad manners," Felix quickly got off the floor and bowed once again . "Greetings Master!" " . . . you¡¯ve grown strangely dependant on my validation . Ah, whatever . Greetings Disciple . " Lino replied nonchntly, licking his lips as the beautiful, soul-stirring scent of chicken grew even more emphasized . "What brings you to my humble abode?" "I wished to consult with the Master . " "Aye, aye, get in freakin¡¯ line," Lino mumbled in a low voice, intentionally withholding it from Felix . "How goes being Queen¡¯s first-hand man?" "It¡¯s difficult . . . but it¡¯s worth it," Felix said, seeming somewhat excited . "I got to learn a lot of new things in just two weeks . I can only imagine how much more I¡¯ll learn through the years . " "Hm, you really don¡¯t give a shit you¡¯re pretty muchmanding the entire Empire, don¡¯t you?" Lino asked, ncing at Felix . "Eh? I mean . . . I suppose it¡¯s quite an honor?" Felix replied, tilting his head slightly sideways in confusion . "You really will either bring the Empire to new heights or lead it to utter copse . Even I can¡¯t predict that . So, what did you want to consult me about?" " . . . has . . . has Master even heard of the Forgotten Kingdom?" Felix now spoke with some caution and in lowered voice, as though afraid ghosts might hear him . Lino¡¯s ears suddenly perked up as he turned around and looked deeply into Felix¡¯s eyes . " . . . that¡¯s a dangerous knowledge to have . " he said . " . . . tell me about it . I came across it on pure ident, though," Felix said . "Even I¡¯m not quite certain as to what I¡¯vee across . . . " "Do you really want to know?" Lino asked, turning back around and facing the chicken; somehow, he found himself less enthused over the uing meal . " . . . does Master know?" "Tell me what you¡¯ve found out . " Lino said instead of replying to him . " . . . uh, not much to be honest . . . " Felix said, stepping up and sitting down next to Lino, also focusing on the chicken which seemed almost ready . "I¡¯ve learned it was the most developed Kingdom during the Cultivation Era, but that it copsed some hundred thousand years before the Warring Era began . ording to the records, their overall strength was equivalent to Holy Ground¡¯s, perhaps slightly even stronger due to sheer amount of Artifacts in their possession - all their own, local product . I came across a few names as well, like Fardel the Bloody, Swor the Eternal Jailer and Syvelea, Daughter of Gods . Apparently, the three of them werest three generations of the Kingdom¡¯s Chosen Guardian, and all could easily go head-to-head with the strongest members of Holy Grounds . " " . . . " Lino listened in silence, as he actually wasn¡¯t privy to this information . Anything to fill in the gaps was weed for him . " . . . but, really, that¡¯s about it . The reason I brought it up was because I read that, though majority of their Kingdom was destroyed by some unknown cause, a few remnant ruins remain scattered about the Western Continent, and that there are rumors about a few that have sprawled up in the Demonic Battlefield . I figured Master might be interested . " " . . . do you know what the Kingdom¡¯s Chosen were called in actuality?" Lino asked, ncing at Felix . "Eh? Weren¡¯t they just called Chosen?" " . . . that¡¯s what histories refer to them as," Lino said . "In reality, they were called something else entirely, and Kingdom itself stood for something else entirely . Why do you think they were so powerful they could rival Holy Grounds at their absolute peak?" " . . . " Felix remained silent, knowing his Master would continue sooner orter . "It was exactly because of those Chosen," Lino said . "Who, in reality, were Bearers . " " . . . Bearers?" Felix mumbled in confusion for a moment before it dawned on him . "Y-you . . . you mean Bearers of Writ?!" " . . . yeah," Lino said, smiling faintly . "More specifically, Bearers of the Empyrean Writ . They were Empyreans . " " . . . " Felix went from his squatting position straight on his butt, a look ofplete befuddlement on his face . Though he perhaps didn¡¯t know as much about Writs as the old monsters, he certainly knew a thing or two himself - especially when it came to the Empyrean Writ . Spoke of the most in the histories, it was clear that all the Bearers were nothing but manifestations of pure evil; ughterers, murderers, madness-incarnate . "In reality," Lino continued, finally removing the chicken from the mes . "The reason the Kingdom fell was because four Holy Grounds banded together and invaded it . Most of the battle was led above the ocean, and as it was so long ago, there aren¡¯t really any remnants lying around to be seen . Syvelea was almost captured in thest battle, butmitted suicide shortly after . Kingdom fell, but not before its Emperor activated self-destructive formation, copsing every one of the Empire¡¯s treasuries . Still, the bloodline lived on, however thin . Members of the current Three Counties are its descendants . " " . . . " Felix simply remained stunned, unable to utter a sound let alone a cohesive word . Though he always prided himself on knowing more than most of his peers, he realized it was presumptuous of him to think so; just a week ago, he didn¡¯t even know about the massive force which once inhabited his homnd, let alone the actually story behind their rise and fall . "M-master . . . what was the Kingdom¡¯s name? Surely . . . surely it couldn¡¯t have been just the Forgotten Kingdom, right?" Felix came to only a few minutester and immediately asked in a short-of-breath fashion . " . . . its name?" Lino nced at him, ripping apart the chicken¡¯s wing and beginning to chew on it . "Oreb Kingdom . " Chapter 116 Chapter 116 CHAPTER 116 CHOICELESS WORLD A span of over nine years has taught Lino many things;rge period of it was spent in istion and soul-binding silence, one that drove him near the edges ofplete madness, and ever since he walked out of it, he found it quite difficult to readjust to the bustle and hustle of therge cities with a lot of people . In his early days spent in the City of Sun, he mainly remained withdrawn, as loud, scattered noises caused weeping headaches to assail him . As days, months and years passed, though, he¡¯d gotten more and more used to it all . Perhaps the greatest of rewards, however, of the nine years he¡¯d spent the way he did was knowledge - not only external, factual one, but also one of human nature . As for the former, however, he himself was somewhat of a library now with the amount of knowledge he possessed, ranging from encapsting events of different eras and figures which reshaped the world . He first came across the mention of the ¡¯Forgotten Kingdom¡¯ eight months ago when he snuck into the Pce¡¯s restricted library . There wasn¡¯t a lot of information, but as it piqued his interest, he wished to scour about it a bit more when the Writ informed him he knew far more than any library in the world . . . as he lived through it . It was mainly through the Writ that Lino learned of the Oreb Kingdom, its history, rise and fall as well as events and figures which attributed to it being such avish part of continent¡¯s history . One has to know that the current era, Warring Era, has been going on for over one and a half billion years; that is to say that the Forgotten Kingdom itself existed prior to this period, including all people who inhabited it back then . He well understood Felix¡¯s reaction, as he was quite simr when he first learned it all . More so than anything else, over the past two years, he¡¯d understood just how much of a ¡¯taboo¡¯ even a mention of anything Empyrean-rted was . Even here, tens of thousands of miles away from the shores of Central Continent, and hundreds of thousands of miles away from the shores of Holy Continent, most people in the up-and-up end of society were aware of, if nothing else, Empyrean¡¯s evil nature . Erdicth was actually an exception rather than the norm and it was only so due to his encounter with Eshen . When others were added in the picture, it formed a rather one-lined notion of hostility rather than any form of reverence . He hadn¡¯t any notion of informing Felix - or anyone else for that matter - of who he was . Empyrean Evil has transformed into this monolithic belief upheld by everyone and everything, and no amount of ¡¯evidence¡¯ would change it as such any time soon . He knew very well that if he was to disclose his identity, he would be hunted like a rabid dog almost immediately by everyone on the continent, weak or strong alike, as it was associated with the sort of ¡¯traditional honor¡¯ of heroism, as most books depicting any form of a battle against Empyreans denoted the opposing side as heroes of the age devout to and marked by light and life themselves . Victors, indeed, wrote histories in the end; as Gaia herself and other Writs sit atop the World¡¯s Throne, they can disperse any information they wish at will and others would have no choice but to ept it as one and only truth . Only now did he fully understand the weight of Fae¡¯s warning a long time ago over how he should keep who he was hidden . He fervently believed that no small amount of luck yed part in his identity remaining secret for so long . With his interests ignited, he began learning more and more about the Forgotten Kingdom, which is when he first realized that some ruins may have remained on the current area of Demonic Battlefield . It was really only after Emperor Althone informed him of them that his guesses were proven right . However, he wasn¡¯t interested in the ruins for the reasons most others were - which ranged from Legendary Artifacts to cultivation methods and technologies - but for the reasons privy only to select few . He was quite certain that even Emperor Althone wasn¡¯t aware of theplete story behind the Forgotten Kingdom, and that he truly believed it was at one point merely a powerhouse which happened to have some connection to Empyrean Writ that was overwhelmed by someone, leaving behind numerous legacies . However, he doubted no one else was aware of the truth behind it all - specifically the enigmatic figure that went by a simple name: Damian . Even he, with all avenues of knowledge at his disposal, knew very little about the man . From what Lino read and learned, Damian rose to power approximately half a millennium ago, partly due to his charismatic order of leadership and partly due to his insane battle prowess which allowed him to leap as many as six realms of difference when battling . Ever since the initial rise, he¡¯d fallen somewhat dormant when it came to public appearances, yet most still believed he was running the whole ordeal of Demonic Battlefield from behind the curtains . Lino considered him one of two major threats to his eventual journey over to the ruins, alongside one of the former Emperors of the Divine Dynasty: Arch Emperor Gustav . Lino was more certain in the fact that Gustav knew most parts of the story behind the Forgotten Kingdom than Damian, and that all stemmed from a single fact: the man was at least 200 million years old . You do not grow that old in a world beset by wars with being reckless and headstrong, but by being cunning and knowledgeable to the extreme . As he saw stunned Felix out, he returned back into his little shack and sat into the corner, pulling out a small, worn-out parchment from seemingly nowhere . He¡¯d looked at the parchment hundred times over in the past two months after acquiring it, and it was one of the main reasons why he wanted to go to ruins in the first ce . The parchment denoted a simple image of a red-eyed woman kneeling before the sky, with the former¡¯s entire armor having been nearly shredded to pieces . The kneeling woman was actually thest Empyrean of the Oreb Kingdom: Syvelea, Daughter of Gods . ording to the Writ, during the Last Battle for the Forgotten Kingdom,she managed to kill the other Bearers of Writs that attacked her, but as she¡¯d overdrawn herself, she also died in the end . However, just before she did, the Writ managed to condense her entire essence into a Singrity . One of Lino¡¯s goals was exactly finding that Singrity and ¡¯swallowing¡¯ it, simrly to what happened with Eshen in the end . " . . . is there really no way to speed up the recovery?" Lino asked, putting the parchment back into the void world . "No . " the Writ replied without hesitation . "You have damaged your fundamentals, which require specific and slow means of recovery . If you were to involve external factors, it could potentially lead to permanent damage . " "Ahh . . . " he sighed dejectedly . "One year is a long period of time . They might unearth it all before I even dare go over there . " "I doubt it . Even finding a member with suitable bloodline to open the initial entrance may take up the entire year . " "They can¡¯t just grab anyone from the line to do it?" Lino asked, somewhat surprised . "There were exactly four Major Royal Bloodlines, all of whom had different ess to the Kingdom¡¯s parts . However, only a member with all four Bloodlines could open up the Gates leading to the Kingdom without any external tools others used . And even back then, they were rarer than Dragons¡¯ Hearts . " "Interesting . . . " Lino mumbled, smiling faintly . "Let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t get too lucky in the process . Have you analyzed the Empire¡¯s Artifact?" "No . Due to having to devote majority of my function to your recovery, the remaining parts are inadequate which is why it¡¯s taking so long . I estimate another half a year at minimum, bar from any other barriers being present . " "They went to great lengths to conceal it," Lino said, staring into the void . "Well above anyone else I¡¯vee across . I wonder what¡¯s the reason? Fear of spies leaking information? Artifact is actually quite weak? Nah, it can¡¯t be that simple . " "Why did you tell that youth the truth? It might be dangerous if otherse to know you were the source . " " . . . I doubt he¡¯ll spread it," Lino said . "Besides, I¡¯m banking on him at least alerting our dear Empress . This should give me a bargaining chip to talk to Seers eventually . " "You shouldn¡¯t trust too much the Dealers of Fate . All their knowledge on the subjectes from personal interpretation of vague notions . " " . . . why are you so reluctant to talk about Fate anyway? It seems you two could be good friends . " " . . . our goals do not align . Rather, you could say we stand on the opposite spectrums when ites to our purposes . " "So what? It wants the world of peace and love and pleasures and eternal peace?" Lino asked, smirking . " . . . it wants world void of choices," the Writ said, his iconic, robotic voice seemingly gaining a trace of emotion for a moment . "Where every so-called ¡¯predestined¡¯ event happens independent of individual¡¯s desires . Where the world stays on its own, ¡¯written¡¯ course, never straying . " " . . . so . . . you¡¯re saying Fate¡¯s actually a sentient entity?" Lino asked, somewhat shocked . " . . . " "Right, shut me down when things get interesting . Why even bother teasing me? Geez, you¡¯re like a woman who leads you into her rooms, strips naked, strokes you a bit and then tells you she¡¯s got a headache or has to get up early . What¡¯s even the point of tease? I was interested in the first ce! That¡¯s why I bought you the damn drink!" Writ remained silent as Lino went on about his ranting over recent events that left him slightly bitter of reality . The rant wouldst for quite a while in the end . . . Chapter 117 Chapter 117 CHAPTER 117 SHADE There was a drumming silence encapsting a small, riverside, star-shaped fort . As the silver moon hung above, casting its rays over the gray walls, those few patrolmen who ought to be paying attention to the surroundings were snoring happily with emptied bottles in their hands . The fort itself was called Lunar Fort, one of numerous forts alongside the border between the Divine Dynasty and the Demonic Battlefield, situated at the very edge of the desert separating the two, with only a river¡¯s worth of distance before crossing over into the bordered territory of the Divine Dynasty . It was also one of the most manned ones and had experienced the most skirmishes over the years, turning many-a-soldier stationed here into a veteran . However, as number of attacks decreased exponentially in the past month since Empress Evelyn¡¯s ascension to the throne, security had gottenx . It was also on this very night that a shadow nimbly scaled the five-meters tall walls of the fort without making even the faintest of sounds . Heaving over the extruded edge, the shadownded on the wall yet didn¡¯t pause, instead immediately leaping over and beginning to scale down its other end, quickly entering thepound itself . It didn¡¯t contain many buildings as the fort was primarily focused on frontline defending, meaning there were no civilians present and was entirelyposed of soldiers . Besides thergest building - barracks - there was a smithy, warehouse and separate armory . The shadow ignored thetter three and raced toward the barracks, a three-story building made of tinted brick and concrete, windowed ten times per floor . Rather than going toward the entrance, the shadow once again began scaling the stone and reached roof in a matter of a few moments, bolting toward the chimney and jumping in without any hesitation . Though inside was pitch ck, it seemed as the shadow knew the course by heart, navigating somewhatplex route which connected a single chimney to all fireces in the barracks . The room of choice was slightly different than others, particrly with the fact that it was twice the size, slightly decorated and housed only a single person . The shadownded onto the wooden floor yet again without making the sound whereupon its edgeless features molded into a person wearing body-tight, linen clothes and a mask covering everything but starkly ck eyes . Those very same eyes quickly scouted the room until they found the bed rammed into the corner and a man sleeping atop of it . Approaching silently, the figure withdrew a barely discernible needle from seemingly nowhere, firing off at the man on the bed from a few meters, precisely hitting thetter¡¯s neck . The man¡¯s body contorted for a moment, indulging in a few bouts of spasms, before returning to its former tranquility, as though nothing happened . The figure walked over to the bed and picked the man off of it, heaving thetter over its shoulder before once again retreating to the firece, beginning to scale the chimney, reaching the roof and, as though it was never there, quickly disappearing into the night outside the fort itself . The figure once again turned into an edgeless shadow, morphing the man into it as well, and bolted southward, into thends of Divine Dynasty . It ran through the night without making a sound for nearly an hour before reaching a small shack seemingly in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but thick, leafless trees . Reflecting its exterior, the shack¡¯s interior was in and simple, with only a single chair present of the furniture and absolutely nothing else . The shadow once again morphed into a figure as ity the man down onto the floor before withdrawing the mask from its face . Behind was a face of a defiantly beautiful, yet tepid frigidity best reflected in the woman¡¯s eyes . Her hair was short, boyish in design, ck as night in hue . She quickly sat down onto the chair and crossed her legs as another needle appeared in her hand, which she also threw at the man . Thetter shook for a moment as his eyes opened; he cried out as he tried to move, yet all he could do is look around with his eyes . The entirety of his body was strangely paralyzed to the point where he couldn¡¯t even call upon Qi in his meridians . He immediately realized something was wrong, especially so once his eyesnded on the woman sitting in front of him . " . . . what the fuck?" he mumbled meekly . "Who are you?" "You should have been delivered a letter these past few days," instead of replying to his question, woman asked one of her own . "Can you give it to me?" "I asked you a question . " "I believe its source is the ¡¯Mortal Council¡¯ as you morons call them," the woman said, her voice cold and indifferent . "Again, I¡¯d very much like to see its contents . " " . . . ha ha ha, you¡¯re fucking insane . " the man burst out into a short, sporadicughter . "Do you even know who I am you bitch?!" " . . . are you worthwhile me losing valuable time remembering your name?" the woman asked right back, seemingly with honesty bereft of filth . "I¡¯d wager no, as I have no clue as to who you are besides being the highest-ranked person in that fort . I do not like to indulge in conversations; if you¡¯d kindly give me the letter, I can make all of this quick . If not, just say so . " " . . . of course I won¡¯t, you moronic whore . Just wait till I get my hands on you--" " . . . why do people always defy?" the man was forced to silence as he suddenly felt a strange feeling surge within his chest, as though something was wiggling its way out . "They defy and defy, forcing me to exert means I do not wish to exert . Your defiance bes the ruin of my reputation . That feeling in your chest," the woman finally addressed the man¡¯s sudden worries . "It¡¯s because of a very particr breed of worm . It goes by many names across the world, but yournds call it ¡¯Hearteater¡¯ I think . Strangely, it doesn¡¯t actually eat your heart; it simply eats away at nerve endings connecting to it, stimting your brain into believing your heart is being eaten . Most people die due to the brain¡¯s confusion as it tries to fire up countless support systems for nothing, overexerting their bodies . Did you know? Their hearts continued to beat for almost a minute after they died . Fascinating, don¡¯t you agree?" " . . . y-you . . . you are Shade!!" the man eximed in terror as he nced at his chest, fearful of what might happen next . " . . . I suppose I am," the woman said . "Which is why you should know what will happen to you if you don¡¯t give me what I want . I mean, you must have borne witness to at least one of the corpses I¡¯ve left behind . Do you too wish to be someone¡¯s nightmare?" " . . . y-you insane bitch!! Once we catch you, you¡¯ll finally learn literal definition of hell!!" " . . . I can assure you," Shade suddenly leaned in until she was inches away from the man, startling thetter . "I¡¯ve lived hell far worse than you all cane up with together after a thousand years of contemtion . The letter . Give it to me . " " . . . fuck you . I ain¡¯t giving you shit!" the man replied defiantly . " . . . " she stared into the man¡¯s eyes for a moment before suddenly smiling faintly . "Did you ever wonder just what happened to all those guys¡¯ genitalia for it to end up so . . . off?" " . . . !!" "Honestly, even I find it rather grotesque and avoid doing it if possible," she said, sitting back up onto the chair . "After all, I¡¯ve got needs as well and I hate seeing a liked toy of mine be turned into . . . well, you know . That . " "You . . . you wouldn¡¯t dare---" "I¡¯d dare do anything," she interrupted him quickly . "Even slit the throat of the person I serve . What makes you think you¡¯re special? I want the letter, and we can be done with . " " . . . will you let me go?" " . . . pfft, ha ha ahahaha, will I let you go? Ha ha ha ha . . . aaaah, good one . Good one indeed . Of course I¡¯m not going to let you go, you ape-brained moron . You¡¯re a dead man . Yet, I¡¯m at least kind enough to let you choose how to die . In perfect exercise of absolute, hellish torture that will have your ghost wander the Nethend for all eternity crying out in agony, or one which will settle your soul quickly and peacefully . I wholeheartedly rmend the second one, for both our sakes . " She¡¯d gotten the letter in the end; however, just like most of those before him, the man chose the first route . It involved a lot of screaming, blood and crying, as it always does . What she¡¯d learned over the years is that no one is truly impervious to pain - one simply has to figure out a way to jolt back the dead feelings into motion . This has been Lucky¡¯s life for a long time now . It wasn¡¯t fighting, participating in wars and battles, but being a shadow consuming those treasured the most by the opposing side . Unlike others who trained by her side, she operated alone - always . She found presence of anyone else unsettling, and would find herself waking up in the middle of the night, fearful of whether there was a knife on her throat or not . Though there were times when she regretted bing who she was, they were quite rare - and have been growing rarer over the years . It¡¯s the oldest principle of repetition leading to routine; it has be her routine to be the nightmare for many, and angel for a few . She hardly thought of her past, mostly due to the immense pain associated with it, yet it has be a reurring dream for the past few months . Images of days before she became who she was today, when she was an ordinary cultivator with friends and foes like any other, with aspirations of being something muchrger than what she realistically believed she could be . The image which repeated the most often, however, was one of a boyish face, braving an innocent smile hiding sufferings which she, till this day, had never deciphered . Nine years after their separation, Lino was still the greatest enigma to her . Even the Emperor of Divine Dynasty, and current Empress in extension, she understood as though she lived and breathed their lives . It was also with the dreams that a strange form of anxiety surged within what she believed to already bepletely dead - her heart . Mixed in was also a dose of fear, something she hasn¡¯t experienced in a long, long time . It wasn¡¯t fear of death, or even something as monumental; it was a simple sort of fear, born of single thought: what would he think of her if he were to see her as she is? She was growing increasingly more confident that the strange beggar that had recently surfaced was exactly him, yet despite searching, even she was unable to confirm it, which only further led her to believe it was him . She was certain that if there truly was a person in the whole world who could hide from someone in broad daylight, it was him . " . . . it¡¯s time to go back," she nced out into the night for a moment before huddling into the corner, readying for sleep . "I wonder how¡¯s the city changed . . . " Chapter 118 Chapter 118 CHAPTER 118 AN EMPRESS AND A BEGGAR Lino was staring at an unannounced and a very unexpected guest, draped in velvet folds like curtains, veiled in thick silk as to cover her face from those curious enough to look . Despite the stack of clothes atop of her, she still held herself with strange dignity which seemed to manifest itself into the atmosphere . However, it did rather little to sway Lino either way; he was merely curious and somewhat confused as to why was the Empress of the Divine Dynasty in his little shack . That level of indifference, though, wasn¡¯t present in Evelyn; she¡¯d given up a lot to learn where the beggar lives, and there¡¯s no doubt that rumors about Felix and her will begin circling the Court - one more fervent than the other . One of the reasons she was willing tomit to it was a word from her Royal Father who asked her to look after the strange beggar for as long as he was in the city . That - even more than the war itself she just participated in - surprised her . This only increased her now somewhat unhealthy interest in the strange beggar roaming the streets of her Domain; what could have, after all, a lonesome and meek-looking beggar do for her Royal Father as to gain such support? She could hardly venture a guess, which is why she decided to juste and ask . " . . . you¡¯re supposed to kneel and greet . " Evelyn said, frowning for a moment . "Funny story," Lino said, smiling . "I don¡¯t actually have a citizenship! So, technically, you¡¯re not my Empress!" " . . . so you¡¯re admitting to the ruler of the nation that you illegally snuck in without going through proper channels?" "No, no, I¡¯m just telling a funny story . " "How¡¯s that a funny story?" "It¡¯s funny because it¡¯s true . " "So you are illegally here . " " . . . you¡¯re really stuck on semantics, aren¡¯t you?" Lino said . "Anyway, what can I do for you, Your-not-quite-Highness?" " . . . " Evelyn certainly thought about shoving a spear through the beggar¡¯s heart, but held back in the end . Not only was she rather reserved about whether she could match him, but there was also her Royal Father¡¯s warning which weighed even heavier on her mind . "How about you tell me how you coaxed my Royal Father into putting a good word for you?" " . . . eh? That old geezer actually told you to take care of me?" Lino stopped talking for a second as he felt a cold de press against his neck, forcing him to look down . It was truly a beautiful dagger, one which caused a sudden itch deep within his soul . However, he focused on the dagger for only but a moment before drawing his eyes up, meeting Evelyn¡¯s . In them, he could see that she really was contemting shoving it a bit deeper . "You really respect him, don¡¯t you?" he asked, smiling faintly . "As should you . " " . . . forgive me, but I don¡¯t respect titles," Lino said, gently shoving the dagger away as he got up . "I respect people . " " . . . " "To answer your question," he added after seeing Evelyn was beginning to cool down . "He¡¯s just trying to repay a favor he owes me . Let him know the debt is still there . " "What debt?" Evelyn asked . "You¡¯re doing a nice job of cleaning up," Lino, instead, switched topics as he sat down onto the solitary chair in the room . "One would hardly guess looking at the state of things that there was a battle here a month ago . Good job . " " . . . you have also dialed back your shenanigans," Evelyn said . "Any particr reason?" "I¡¯ve aplished what I set out to aplish," Lino replied, smiling . "Are you that disappointed that you can¡¯tugh at my ¡¯shenanigans¡¯ any longer?" " . . . you say so, but I can see in your eyes you are still concocting something . " "Aren¡¯t we all? Do you really expect me to believe you came all the way here, probably bribing Felix to hell and back in the meantime, just to ask me why¡¯s your daddy looking out for me?" " . . . " " . . . you¡¯re a fantastic beauty, I assent," Lino said . "But, I¡¯ve no intention of involving myself in either political or social matters of your Empire, Your Highness . And even less of bing your personal tool . " "You think it is beneath you to serve me?" Evelyn asked, arching her brow slightly . " . . . " Lino remained silent for a moment, looking deeply into her eyes . "It¡¯s not the matter of servitude . It is the matter of shing views . " "Oh? Howe?" " . . . honestly?" "Yes . " "I don¡¯t like Emperors," Lino replied, smiling lightly . "Not as people, mind you, but as a form of governance . It¡¯s always a thin thread between a benevolent and just ruler and a tyrant . As such, I can¡¯t really see myself helping one consolidate her power even further . " " . . . the words you just spoke . . . you do realize I could hang you for them?" " . . . thank you for proving my point . " Lino said as he took out a gourd of ale from his void world and drank a gulp . "But, as you and your father have been rather nice to me, and as I¡¯ve rather enjoyed my stay in this city, I can offer you a free piece of advice . " "Oh? This ought to be good . " Evelyn sneered, rxing for a moment . " . . . you should rein in your ambitions," Lino said in a serious tone . "Lest they be yourst crucible . " " . . . what does that mean?" "There¡¯s no deeper meaning to it . Uniting the continent . . . crossing the sea . . . establishing Central Frontier . . . all these dreams are indeed wonderful," Lino added, suddenly smiling . "Should you all ever desire to be buried nameless one day . " "And you know this how?" Evelyn asked, clearly not taking him seriously . "I don¡¯t! That¡¯s the fun thing about it! I can spit bullshit straight out my ass, and if I happen to be right, at one point in the future I¡¯ll be able to point a finger at you and say ¡¯Hah, told ya¡¯ so!¡¯ . Isn¡¯t that just freaking amazing?!" " . . . I will let you stay in the city for as long as you want because my Father asked me," Evelyn said after short silence . "But, there is no more negotiation between us . No more interaction . You have picked your path . . . now stick with it . " "Did you ever hear that old adage, ¡¯Wisdom is found in moments of hindsight . ¡¯?" "No . " " . . . don¡¯t chase the ghost of the ruins, Evelyn," Lino said as Evelyn turned toward the doors, the serious tone of his voice startling her as she turned around . "In due time, that ce will reprise its old role of a tomb once again . Leave it to your Father, Grandfather and others . There is a reason why they haven¡¯t and will not involve the Kingdom¡¯s forces in the struggle . Oh, and tell Felix to prepare his ass to be beaten when hees . " " . . . " Evelyn walked out in a slightly stunned state; she, indeed, had faint intentions of bringing up a small, elite force and joining her Father eventually in the excavation of the ruins . She wasn¡¯t surprised that the beggar could have guessed her intentions, but rather the words he chose to use . He called the ruins ¡¯a tomb¡¯, something she hadn¡¯t heard before . It carried much graver implications than simply being a ¡¯ruin¡¯; for the first time she began wondering whether the story she was familiar with . . . was the actual story . Meanwhile, Lino quickly emptied the gourd of ale and took out a book to read, which he turned into a hobby over the past few years . He¡¯d read practically anything, from histories to purely fictitious stories, so long as they tickled his fancy . On the reading list today was a book called ¡¯Six Greatest Wars In 10,000 Years History¡¯ - at least, as far as he was aware, history of the Western Continent . Just as he was about to begin, he felt a strange shakeing from his void world . Frowning as it was the first time something like that happened, he reached in and took an object that he hadn¡¯t looked at in a long, long time - a small, pyramid-shaped ne sat on the palm of his hand, vibrating strangely . He shook it around for a moment trying to figure out what was the issue, but no matter what he did, the pyramid kept vibrating . Just as he was about to throw it back into the void world and ignore it, he identally pressed against the bottom point of the pyramid, whereupon the shaking stopped . In its stead, however, a ray of blinding light burst out into a massive, rectangr screen before his very eyes . The screen was slightly translucent and mostly dominated by a dry, brown hue . Yet, he paid attention to it for but a moment, as at the center of the screen a bulge extended, one which quickly morphed into two figures, both of whom he hadn¡¯t seen or heard from in almost ten years now . There, standing side by side with worried expressions and eyes full of concern were E and Eggor, exactly the same in make as Lino remembered them being since the day he met them . Chapter 119 Chapter 119 CHAPTER 119 CONVICTION Reality ceased to exist, as though swept away by strange winds trailing ahead of time . In a small shack within an insignificant corner of the city, a young man sat in silence, eyes staring wide open at the screen in front of him and two figures within it . Alongside searching for Lucky, he¡¯d also tried finding them, but to no avail . It was as though they left these parts like ghosts, without leaving a single trace behind . They were the same as he remembered them; E, though seemingly ordinary-looking, projected a strange, almost ethereal sort of beauty, with eyes that could cause anyone to get lost in them . Eggor, on the other hand, was at one moment frowning and at another worrying, still as much of a muscle-head as he was when he left . Without even realizing it, a trail of tears flew down Lino¡¯s cheeks as his heart began beating madly, a sudden urge within him to find them rising . He didn¡¯t even realize just how much he missed them until this moment, until he¡¯d finally seen their faces . Long washing of years didn¡¯t damage the images of them he had in mind, as he¡¯d made sure of it . " . . . f-finally," a sound of a familiar, warm voice jolted him back to reality as he looked around madly, until he realized that it wasing from the source . "H-hey, why isn¡¯t he answering?" the voice was slightly choppy, yet very distinguishable . It was E¡¯s . "How-how would I know?" Eggor replied . "Maybe the bastard¡¯s forgot about us . " " . . . really helpful," E rolled her eyes at him before suddenly turning to face Lino - or at least front as Lino imagined . "Listen, I don¡¯t know when . . . or even if you¡¯ll get this, but I want to . . . I want to say we¡¯re sorry . " her voice cracked slightly as she bit her lower lip . "No, no, don¡¯t be sorry--" Lino mumbled but E began talking again, forcing him to listen . "We . . . we werete . We lost any trace of you at Hope Town . . . I . . . in my heart I know you¡¯re still alive," she said, her eyes growing watery . "I know it! And I know you¡¯re fine . Knowing you . . . you¡¯re most-likely ying pranks on some innocent people somewhere far away . Heh, yeah . . . " she chuckled for a moment and a faint smile even escaped Eggor¡¯s control . "Please . . . please be fine . " "He¡¯s fine, woman," Eggor grumbled gently . "Nothing short of the world¡¯s end could kill that little bastard . " " . . . when you get this . . . I want you to know we¡¯ll still be looking for you," she said, wiping the tears away . "I heard rumors about possible Empyrean ruins in this ce called Demonic Battlefield . One day, you¡¯ll most-likely be drawn to them one way or another . We¡¯ll hole up in there and wait for you . We¡¯ll wait no matter how many years it takes, you hear me? So . . . so you bettere! Or else!" "Yeah,e . And when you do, I¡¯ll test your progress! You better not be drinking around while ignoring your training!" "Hey!" E bumped him gently with an elbow into the chest, frowning slightly . "Say something heartfelt instead of trying to be macho all the time! For all the hate between the two of you, my dad and you are really exactly the same . " "H-how dare you?! What do you mean I¡¯m the same as that reptilian bastard?! Take it back!" "Not if you don¡¯t say something nice to him!" "N-nice? F- . . . . fine . Khm, uh, I . . . good luck kiddo . I miss ya¡¯ . Or something . " "See? Was that so hard?" E asked, smiling . " . . . literally harder than crafting an Artifact . " "Oh . . . how I miss the days when you used to write me poetry . You used to be such a romantic~~" "W-what are you talking about?! That never happened!! Hey, little bugger, that never happened! No way in hell did I ever write poetry! You hear?! It never happened!" "Ah, we don¡¯t have much time left," E suddenly eximed . "Listen, when you get this, I hope you haven¡¯t exposed who you are to anyone . Though I¡¯m not too certain myself yet, it seems . . . your role in all this is much greater than you can even imagine . Oh, I suppose I should also apologize for that one . . . eh, I suppose I¡¯ll save it for when I see you . Stay safe . Ande see us . Please . " " . . . " The figures from the screen didn¡¯t disappear - they just froze leaving Lino to yet again seethe in silence . He quickly found a way to re-y the message . . . and he did . Over and over again, for countless number of times, till sun left the sky and moon took its ce . Sometimes he¡¯dugh, sometimes he¡¯d merely chuckle, sometimes he¡¯d just contemte in silence . . . however, all throughout, his desire to find them, to talk to them and hug them only grew stronger . Soon enough, a conviction was born inside of his heart, one so strong he believed nothing could quash it . " . . . you said it was extremely risky to use external factors to heal me . Can you be more specific?" Lino suddenly asked as he finally withdrew the screen back into the pyramid . " . . . do you n on going to the Ruins to look for them?" "No, I n to suck my own dick . Of course I want to go and look for them!" Lino rebuked . "They said they¡¯ll wait for you indefinitely . " "What if something happens to them? No, something will happen to them . Especially now that everyone¡¯s gunning for the ruins . " "How can you even be certain they entered? As I said previously--" "I know what you said, yet - hey, what¡¯s this?, looks like I don¡¯t really care! Just answer my question!" " . . . you¡¯re being quite emotional . " the Writ said as Lino suddenly felt a cooling sensation wash over his body, calming him down . " . . . of course I¡¯m being emotional," Lino said, sighing . "Without those two . . . I would have died a nameless no one . I . . . I can¡¯t lose them too . . . not again . . . " "I can tell you how to speed up the process," the Writ said . "But, even if it somehow doesn¡¯t cause a side-effect, it will hurt more than all the pain you¡¯ve felt in your lifebined . . . and then some . " " . . . you¡¯re really trying to dissuade me . I guess it¡¯s nicer than manipting me into doing what you want regardless of what I want to do . " Lino said, smiling faintly . "Can you scan that far out for them?" he then asked . "No . I can at best search for whether they¡¯d been in the city and determine how long ago it was . " " . . . hey . What¡¯s the least risky option besides just waiting around?" Lino asked, still feeling somewhat reckless . " . . . breaking through to Purity Realm . " the Writ replied after short silence . "Eh? What the fuck? I can¡¯t even sense Qi . How can I break through?" "Purity Realm for you is different than for others," the Writ exined . "While others require a mass amount of Qi to undergo a body¡¯s rebirth through destruction and creation, even if you wanted to, you couldn¡¯t do that as to reduce your body to that state, external help of someone at Heavenly Realm would be necessary . " " . . . " even Lino was left somewhat stunned as he didn¡¯t expect his body to be that sturdy . "Purity Realm for you isn¡¯t about destruction and creation, denoting a cyclic rebirth; it¡¯s about condensing Singrity . " "Singrity?" Lino mumbled, not understanding the concept . "It¡¯s about taking the Qi inside of you that¡¯s scattered through your entire body, and condensing it all into a sub-atomic-sized Singrity . " " . . . yeah, I understood like 4 words in that sentence . " Lino said, rolling his eyes in frustration . "You don¡¯t have to understand the concept itself," the Writ borated . "And the principles behind it; you merely have to use your Will to shuffle Qi from within you into your Soul and condensing it as much as possible . " " . . . though I have no idea what any of it means, why am I getting that tickling feeling that it¡¯s extremely dangerous?" Lino shuddered . "If you happen to lose control over the process at any point, the partial Singrity would implode, not only killing you, but creating such a massive explosion that it would wipe out half the Divine Dynasty off of the face of this world . " " . . . " Lino gulped, feeling cold shivers running down his spine . "W-wait . . . you said I¡¯d have to use my ¡¯Will¡¯ to move Qi . How can I do that without sensing it in the first ce? Huh," Lino sighed in relief suddenly . "Too bad, it sounded like a great idea . I guess we¡¯ll just have to think of something else . " "I can temporarily take up the burden for you and assist you in sensing Qi," the Writ said, seemingly unaware of Lino¡¯s silent plea . "Though I can¡¯t help you with the process itself . " " . . . fuck . " Lino grunted lowly, sighing yet again . "What?" "Nothing . . . ah, whatever . Let¡¯s do it," Lino said, cracking his neck . "I¡¯ve done crazier shit than this in my life anyway . What am I afraid of?" "I can only assist you for ten minutes," the Writ said . "If you don¡¯t manage to do it in that amount of time, you¡¯ll explode and die, taking with you half this Empire . " "Yeah . . . I get it . . . if I fail, I kill a lot of people . Totally not a distraction whatsoever . " "I¡¯m only saying that you should bepletely ready for it . " " . . . so . . . meditate?" "Meditate . " " . . . yeah . . . this ought to be fun . . . " he said, thinking an entirely different thought . Chapter 120 Chapter 120 CHAPTER 120 REBIRTH It was the howling; cold, decadent, mocking - swiftly cruel like a sword plunging through one¡¯s heart . It was the howling which stirred his heart and mind and soul, causing his veins to bulge like worms and his whole body to shake off the coat of forsaken age, slipping through a hole in time to be reborn . It was the howling that nobody else heard - or could possibly hear - for it lived on inside of him . It was not his own or of some other entity, but more akin to a primal being that is always there within us all, only ever unveiling itself when we least need it . Lino sat cross-legged atop a mat, his figure seemingly both frozen and burning, for a shade of something grander than both life and death swiftly coiled his body, prating in wordless choir joined in the wind . His body was shaking, clothes already tattered and holed copsing further, some parts into ash itself . Yet, inside, even grander storm was brewing; no matter who it be, if anyone were to nce at Lino¡¯s little world inside of him, they would no doubt fall to madness, for it defied what should be possible . The world was a nket of darkness, eternal stretch of void roused ever so often with glimmering stars . The void was his body, and stars were his Qi; they were everywhere, gallivanting across like yful children,cking only that innocent apaniment ofughter . A strange sensation washed over his mind as he once again felt Qi after so many years . It was familiar, yet so strange he nearly felt as though he¡¯d just began cultivating again . Though he very much wished to indulge himself in curious sensation, he knew he didn¡¯t have much time . He knew very well he was grasping at straws here, yet he nheless felt like he had to do it; perhaps ¡¯had¡¯ to was a bit of an overstatement, but he certainly did feel a need . Not a calling of sorts, but need of heart to see them and confirm they were alright . Those little, glimmering stars suddenly shook; from the expanse evesting, they all bounced roundly like little balls as the howling began . Unlike before, where he simply used instinct itself tomand Qi to move around, he now used Will - a concept he¡¯s yet to even understand . A face shed inside his mind, one from many moons ago, face of Q¡¯vil and alongside it his words . Not of Will, but of being an Empyrean; thetter was birthed from the former, or at least Lino understood it as such . His Will was recorded, yet, as he¡¯d learned, it wasn¡¯t a static thing; like him, it would evolve . Change . Shift . Morph . Or even disappear entirely should he ever do something inplete opposition of it . To move Qi with his Will was strange, bewildering experience . It felt as though he was moving himself, strangely simr to walking, eating, speaking, crying . . . seemingly just another part of everyday tragedy of man . Yet, it was not . Bit by bit, the strands of Qi began moving . They, indeed, Lino realized, were much like children; like young toddlers curious of the world yet unaware of its plight, employing utmost trust in those who feed them . They wander where told and not, and they listen and absorb and learn everything . Strands of Qi seemed to have heard his voice telling them to move, to walk, to run toward each other . Bit by bit they sped up till they seemed like falling stars upon the sky all falling toward a single ce . It was a spectacr sight, one well beyond the Copse of Heaven itself Lino had experienced when fighting Su n . ¡¯Are they really sentient?¡¯ he wondered for a moment but dispelled the thought as he couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted . He carefully observed their flight and fall, as hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of strands copsed unto each other like droplets of water of waterfall copse into the river beneath . However, unlike droplets, the strands of Qi didn¡¯t disperse over surface and be a part of somethingrger; they instead began copsing further into themselves as though there was a massive, world-defying external force pushing them into it . That force, Lino realized, was him - it was his Will - his voice, hismand, his heart¡¯s desire . ¡¯You¡¯re almost there,¡¯ a robotic voice bellowed out into the reaches of void . ¡¯It will be painful . Endure . ¡¯ Rather than painful, however, Lino ascertained a momentter thatnguagecked apt description for it . Being burnt alive, frozen, stabbed countless times, poisoned with every poison known to man, beheaded, hanged, boiled alive, ripped apart, sawed right through while hanging upside down, strapped to a rack watching your arms and legs being pulled away in ways disallowed by nature . . . he¡¯d experienced pain many times in his life yet, all those experiencesbined, paled like snow inparison . Yet, he couldn¡¯t scream . Voice was stifled in his throat and his lungs felt aze, forbidding him from procuring a sound . His mind was a confused madman, unable to decipher what was happening or which part to prioritize, so it prioritized everything, sending signals repeatedly that Lino¡¯s entire body was copsing and that he was dying . Rather than focusing on the pain, however, Lino focused on the strands of Qi copsing into a single point or, how Writ called it, ¡¯Singrity¡¯ . Lino didn¡¯t know what the word meant or represented, but seeing the reality unfold before his eyes, he could venture a guess . He didn¡¯t know the purpose as he always felt that the fact Qi was spread throughout his entire body to be his strength over others, yet he had no other choice but to obey . Endure, obey and watch . He needn¡¯t understand, he knew; on one level or another, he believed himself too stupid to understand either way . He tried to ignore the pain, though found it impossible . If it was not for repeated warnings by the Writ and its robotic voice echoing through the vastness of the now empty world, Lino would have fainted . He would have failed and died alongside countless others he would have taken with him . Time ceased to have meaning, as he was fairly certain centuries had passed since he¡¯d begun; every inch of movement from the strands seemed to have epass a century, and every time they¡¯d further copse into themselves, a shockwave was sted outwardly, burning his senses into pure, inhumane agony . In reality, he¡¯d forgotten the sensation of pain; rather, for the nine years since hest fought, he never as much gotten a cut . Now, he was remembering; every bit, every ounce, every dip of it all that he ever felt surfaced back into his mind like cannonballs, stripping him away of ability to reason and think . All the past memories werepounded into a codex of his own, ascribed together to the currents of life he was experiencing . He¡¯d finally lost himself in the sea of pain; his mind was reeling and his heart felt as though it would explode . That familiar, robotic voice failed to reach him, seemingly bouncing back against a strange veil separating it from Lino¡¯s mind . He found himself standing in a meadow, one he¡¯d dream many times before, one he¡¯d imagine whenever things became too hard to bear . It was a t meadow of knee-high, green grass and it spread into infinity . Wind here always blew, swaying the grass and caressing his cheeks with warmth . Above was an expanse of a clear, blue sky and a golden sun right at the center, shining eternally . There was no night and there were no stars and there was no passage of time . There was only day and sunshine and meek silence interrupted asionally by stranded howls of winds . He knew he had to go back immediately lest everything he worked for so far ends; he knew he had to return, pull himself away from this little paradise, yet he seemed unable to will himself to do it . He held a breath inside his lungs and nced at the sky with bowing eyes . Then, as though he was never there, he vanished . He was back in the endless expanse of himself, overseeing the copse of stars . The robotic voice echoed throughout yet, what seemed different was that there was a trace of emotion - no, Lino realized, it wasn¡¯t just a trace . There was a clear anxiety and fear present . Lino willed his lips up and smiled before concentrating yet again onto the copse . It hurt, well beyond what the words could describe . Yet he endured . He let his skin be charred and yed and flogged and he let his heart be burned and frozen and he let his bones he rammed through like pieces of wood . From a star-sized glimmer of light, strands of Qi grew smaller and smaller . Smaller and smaller . Smaller and smaller . Fist-sized, pearl-sized, bean-sized . . . smaller and smaller, till naked eye could not see it any longer . It seemingly ceased to exist, yet Lino knew it was there . A figure sitting cross-legged shook for a moment as his tensed muscles rxed and veins withdrew back beneath the skin . His sped hands before his chest limped downward as his pale and dry lips parted, a putrid breath escaping from in-between them shortly after . A pair of eyes opened, each as ck as night yet seemingly in possession of universe itself . They glistened for a moment before turning dull and ordinary like any other . There were no visible changes on Lino¡¯s body; he was still very much a filthy-looking beggar donned in tattered and smelly clothes with beard and hair hiding his features, making him seem much older than he was . Old friends or new, there is no one who would be able to perceive a single difference about him . Yet, deep inside him, it was a difference of two worlds; one where sun eternally burned and scorched world of any life, and another where it worked in concert with the rest of elements to give birth to a small universe brimming with it . Chapter 121 Chapter 121 CHAPTER 121 WINDING JOURNEY A familiar path spread before his eyes, one which bore a striking memory of the first time he came to the City of Sun . It was a winding road splicing the mountain as it went round and through, surrounded byvish greenery of meadows and valleys, and great Flent River which went on southward to spill into the Imus Sea . It was a highly traveled road, be it merchant¡¯s or ordinary man¡¯s, and it never dubbed itself silent since many moons ago . Lino was not alone, however; traveling alongside him was a silver-furred husky whose tongueshed out in drool, its eyes cunningly ncing around, its tail waggling strangely . Besides him was anotherpanion, a curious, handsome youth who respectfully walked a few steps behind Lino . Thetter, though, found it quite awkward as Lino still appeared like amon, filthy beggar, while Felix oozed the air of nobility, which invoked many strange nces toward the trio . Though Lino asked the youth to walk by his side many times, Felix resoundingly refused each time, saying it would a sin to his forefathers . Lino had no clue what that meant, but seeing just how stubborn Felix was about it, he decided to let it be . It did incur more than a few strange nces, but Lino, after all, had a rather thick skin, all things considered . What annoyed him more, though, was the damned dog who for some reason decided to follow him . Along the way, Lino always prayed that no female dogs came along, because whenever they did, his little ¡¯friend¡¯ would jump them immediately . He also had tendency of stealing and pulling pranks . More than once he¡¯d jumped in front of the horses pulling carriages, causing the poor animals to freak out and fall, dragging the carriage - and everyone in them - down . It¡¯s only been two days since he¡¯d departed from the City of Sun, yet he already regretted pulling along the entourage . "Master," Felix¡¯s voice pulled him out of bitter thoughts as he nced back . "There¡¯s a traveler¡¯s inn nearby in case you wish to rest . I can ensure they give you the best room they have . " " . . . why are you even here? Shouldn¡¯t you be serving Evelyn? You were just made the second most influential person in the Kingdom! Why are you wasting your youth following me around?!" Lino cried out suddenly, feeling it all overwhelm him . "It doesn¡¯t matter . Following Master is more important . " " . . . " "Woof, woof!" the dog barked, nodding of all things . Lino felt truly bitter; in his heart he believed his purpose for traveling to Demonic Battlefield was pure and innocent, yet with the apaniment of these two, it now appeared more like a luxurious getaway rather than anything else . " . . . fine . I guess I could use a map seeing as I forgot to buy one . " Lino mumbled in slight frustration before letting it go . . . for 11th time since they departed from the city . The trio slowly began climbing the upward spiral, only stopping to rest before the night fell upon the world . Per Felix¡¯s instructions, the trio moved slightly off the main road and soon came across the traveler¡¯s inn that was rather popr . It was a three-story, beautifully designed building erected near a small, but perversely breathtaking pond of water over which a stone bridge sprung to the other end where a system of caves existed, each leading to archaeological sites and artifacts that were unearthed, pointing to the distant past . Felix and Lino lodged in a single room while the dog was let go to survive on its own devices, which Lino believed would include a lot of weepings and cryingse morning . In that brief moment as he watched the dog skittle into the wooded area, he silently prayed for all those who were staying in the inn . They were weed at the counter by a middle-aged, smilingdy with sharply red hair and freckled cheeks, above which a pair of diluted, crimson eyes rested . Lino immediately recognized her to be a member of Kvalend Race, a rather prominent tribal race of Demonic Battlefield . Although he wondered how she wound up here, he didn¡¯t care enough to ask . "How can I help you two?" she asked in a joyful manner . "We wish to rent a room," Felix said, digging into his pocket and taking out a few gold coins . "And reserve an early-morning breakfast . " " . . . " woman¡¯s eyes glistened strangely as her gazed washed over the golden shine of the coins . "Of course, of course! Anything for the revered guests . Do you require any . . . extra attention?" she added with faint smile . "Extra attention?" Felix mumbled in confusion as he tilted his head sideways . " . . . who would . . . be giving it?" Lino asked in simr, ambiguous tone, confusing Felix even further . As a Child of Nobility, especially one of the few who didn¡¯t frequent brothels, he was quite unaware of the jargon . "Does Young Master have any special preference?" the woman asked, smiling strangely at Lino as her eyes looked up and down across him . " . . . yeah, I was thinking someone my age . " Lino said in strange tone . "Excuse me?" " . . . it¡¯s a clever scheme," Lino suddenly leaned in close to woman¡¯s ear while grabbing her arm and preventing her from pulling back . "But, and I know this mighte as a surprise, your Art isn¡¯t omniscient . Now, I want you to slowly retract it so the poor boy¡¯s future isn¡¯t forever fucked because of you, or I¡¯ll snap your head off your body . Got it?" " . . . --y-yes . . . " the woman meekly mumbled as she closed her eyes quickly, her expression distorted to one of terror . Not specifically because the strange man¡¯s words, but rather because of the grip on her arm; it felt . . . inhuman . It felt that no matter how strong she could ever get, that grip could forever hold her in ce . "Good," Lino let go and smiled, evenughing for a moment . "Chop us some fine meat into the breakfast soup . Give us keys now . " "O-of course . It¡¯s, it¡¯s on the second floor, room 11 . " the woman said, handing over a copper key, not daring to look up into Lino¡¯s eyes . Thetter grabbed the keys nonchntly before pulling Felix after him and climbing upstairs, leaving the woman to seethe in silence . The stairs creaked slightly and the two passed by numerous guests, some which had rather strange expressions and glint in their eyes . It was only then that Felix¡¯s eyes shone in realization as he gasped lowly . "Kvalend Arts . . . " his eyes steered toward the man in front of him almost immediately . "Master . . . how did you know?" Lino nced back at Felix and smiled faintly before replying . "Aroma . " he said . "I remembered reading a passage on most prominent races of Demonic Battlefield and the mention of Kvalends . Though notrge in number, they are still rtively feared and left to their own devices due to their innate art, easily recognized through the aroma they exude when using it . " " . . . still, just knowing the aroma isn¡¯t enough to resist it . " Felix said, feeling somewhat frightened in his heart . Most of the time when his Father would talk about Demonic Battlefield, he would warn Felix of specific dangers - and one of those was the entire race of Kvalends, specifically their art . "Of course not," Lino said . "Do you know why, despite being respected and recognized, Kvalends never tried to expand further into the maind in an attempt to conquer?" " . . . why?" Felix asked, somewhat interested . The two had by now climbed onto the second floor and turned right toward the room numbered 11 that was at the end of the hallway . "Because, once you remove their Art of Corruption from the equation," Lino exined, unlocking the room . "They are by far one of the weakest cultivators of the same realm . And, really, anyone who¡¯s undergone a crucible of one kind or another can easily dispel their illusions . " " . . . crucible?" Felix mumbled, an image shing inside his mind, one of his Master standing above the graves, his shoulders sunken like ships on dried riverbed . "It need not be anything grand or life changing," Lino said . "Just something that would strengthen your heart . Of course, for more senior members of the race, it¡¯s a bit more difficult to resist but, byrge, majority of top-ranked Races, ns and organizations on the Demonic Battlefield are resistant to them . " " . . . " Felix suddenly felt a slight tinge of shame as, if it wasn¡¯t for his Master, he would have no doubt been put under the spell . "Don¡¯t feel bad about it," Lino said, smiling as he jumped onto the bed and sighed in strangefort . "It was your first timeing face to face with them . " "B-but . . wasn¡¯t it yours too, Master?" Felix asked meekly . "And that¡¯s why I¡¯m a Master and you¡¯re a Disciple!" Lino eximed with strange sense of pride and oddly serious expression . " . . . " " . . . what?" Lino asked, seeing Felix¡¯s strange expression . "C-can . . . can I say something?" " . . . " " . . . right . Your rules apply to everyone, including you," Felix said, taking a deep breath . "Why is it that Master is sometimes so serious . . . and . . . sometimes so . . . childish?" Felix asked a question out loud, one that he has been asking himself inwardly for months now . " . . . c-childish?" Lino was taken aback, a feeling clearly reflected on his face . "W-what do you mean childish?!" " . . . I-I mean . . . I mean . . . at one moment, you will be teaching me mysteries of cultivation, and a secondter you would be approaching women and begging them to p you . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "Khm . . . " Lino coughed lowly . "It¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s a . . . it¡¯s above your understanding for now, yeah . It¡¯s not something you canprehend at the moment . Don¡¯t think about it . Yeah . Go to sleep . We¡¯ve got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow . " " . . . yes . " Felix once again nced strangely at his Master before moving to the other bed and lying down . Now, at least, he knew why his Master behaved so strangely; it was just . . . who he was . Chapter 122 Chapter 122 CHAPTER 122 HIRED Hallway stretched t, surrounded on both sides by rooms, epassed wholly in silence . The only source of light was a bay window at the far end through which a few faint traces of moonlight touched the floorboards, yet not much else . Just beyond the reach of the moon¡¯s rays were a few shadows pressed tightly against the wall, inching closer inplete silence . In total there were six, three on each side, masked in ck with leather-armored chests and legs as well as shoulder pads . The six figures suddenly stopped as the foremost one rose its hand t into the air; they bounded nearly to the edge, all focused solely on the single door with a clearly etched number in the upper center: 11 . It was spectacrly unremarkable door, just like any other along the floor, yet it meant to them more than all othersbined . The foremost figure heaved up onto its feet followed closely by the rest as they slowly encircled the door, still making no sound . Two figures shed their arms forward whereupon two greatswords appeared within their hands, held up straight, while the rest withdrew slightly back from the door . At the leading figure¡¯s signal, the two who held the swords let go of their inhibitions and drew a full, downward arc across the doors, interrupting the hollow silence . Splinters flew in droves around and sound of the cracked wood bellowed out through the hall startling many who¡¯d heard it . One of them was a young man within the room itself who immediately jumped onto his feet and almost instinctively bound over the bed that was closer to the door . Just as he arrived there he saw four shadows meld into the room like smoke and begin their encirclement . Although confused, Felix didn¡¯t think much; he perceived it all as an ambush and acted ordingly . As a First Son of a man who¡¯d spent most of his life on the battlefield, Felix was taught not onlybat but military tactic since early age . Quickly assessing his situation, he realized stiff confinement of the room was to his disadvantage as he was outnumbered, making it easier for one of his enemies to venture into his blind spot . The moment he came to that conclusion he sped his hands together whereupon a bright sh of cyan erupted from the darkness, molding into a shape of a massive, cial sword . Felix swung it sideways over the bed, causing a sh of frigid light to st outwardly, crashing against the opposite wall and blowing it to smithereens . Due to sudden action, one of the figures was caught unaware and was dragged outside by a sudden pull . In panic, however, he also retaliated, sending a blindingly bright sphere of crimson light the size of a fist at Felix who didn¡¯t have a chance to repel it entirely, but only to block it using the cial sword . The collision led to another explosion upon which Felix found himself scaling the sky in an arc, sted out of the room . His eyes immediately began dancing around, trying to locate a figure . However, fear and anxiety assailed his heart when he was unable to do it . Just then, however, before falling t to the ground while being distracted by his thoughts, he felt a gentle touch which repelled the downward force of his fall and allowed him tond gently, jolting him back to reality as well . Felix looked sideways and immediately sighed in relief as he saw his Master standing there, seemingpletely unharmed . "Master . . . I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay!" Felix immediately eximed as he jumped forward in front of Lino . "What are you doing?" Lino asked, tilting his head slightly . "Protecting you!" " . . . I can protect myself, though . " "That doesn¡¯t matter! Disciples always ought to protect their Masters . It¡¯s the creed of the rtionship . " "It¡¯s a dumb creed . I¡¯m stronger than you . You¡¯ll just get yourself killed . " Lino said, rolling his eyes . " . . . dying in an attempt to protect my Master . . . that doesn¡¯t sound so bad . . . " while Felix was indulging himself in a fantasy, he suddenly felt a strong bump on his head only to realized his Master had suddenly punched him . "You¡¯re too young to be thinking of dying," Lino said, sighing and wondering what the hell were they teaching the poor kids these days . "Go to those guys at your right . There¡¯s two of them and both are Mid Mythic Realm . " " . . . but . . . but they¡¯re Mythic Realm!" "Go . Whoop their asses for your Master!" Lino eximed mboyantly . " . . . yes Master . " nodding with a slightly sunken shoulders, Felix moved right, circling the pond past which the two of themnded, to meet the two - now uncloaked - men holding greatswords . Meanwhile, Lino remained standing in the same spot, focused on the pond itself over which four figures were approaching him, all taking a casual walk . All four were, strangely enough, women . Though, after a short inspection, he realized it wasn¡¯t that odd after all; they were Kvalends . Those pairs of crimson eyes . . . even Lino had to admit they were eerily beautiful . The leading woman appeared to be no older than thirty with smooth, yet freckled skin . She had full, crimson-red lips and long, wavy hair sinking down to nearly her waist . She, like all others, donned leather armor and wielded a pair of knife-like daggers . Even Lino was slightly surprised that he was suddenly ambushed, so he didn¡¯t try to initiate the attack despite the fact he was rather itchy to test out just how strong he was . "Oh my," he said, instead, smiling lightly . "What an honor it is to be graced by presences of four beautiful maidens at such an hour of the night . You could have just knocked, though . I would have happily opened the doors . " " . . . who are you?" the leading woman halted before leaving the pond¡¯s surface, her expression tightening somewhat as she grew even more alert facing this strange-looking beggar . "But a humble traveler and admirer of all beauties of the continent," Lino imitated those noble bows he¡¯d seen repeated all the time in the City of Sun as a greeting, though he was certainly he butchered it decently enough . "And who do I have pleasure of speaking to?" " . . . I am Dame Freya," Lino¡¯s heart suddenly shook as his eyes sprung into a brief me of madness which he quickly worked to suppress . "Chief Matriarch of Kvalend Maind Tribe . " the woman replied in a somewhat cautious tone . " . . . unfortunately, I sire no titles to match the Dame¡¯s," Lino brought himself under control quickly, realizing Freya is a rathermon name across the continent . "What brings you to my humble abode?" " . . . I cannot tell whether you are mocking High Language or whether you are genuinely trying to use it . " "Oh, I¡¯m definitely mocking it," Lino said, smiling somewhat cheekily . "Don¡¯t be insulted, though . I mock many things in life . " " . . . " "Right, I guess ¡¯Don¡¯t be insulted¡¯ doesn¡¯t actually prevent people from, you know, being insulted . . . oh my, what a blunder . " " . . . are you headed to the Demonic Battlefield?" the woman called Freya suddenly asked, surprising Lino . "Aye, I heard there¡¯s many-a-beautiful-vista to visit there . I¡¯m quite a curious spirit like that . " Lino said . "I wish if you could apany us . " "Eh?" it wasn¡¯t only Lino who eximed such utterance in shock; it was also all threepanions of Freya who looked at her in bewilderment . "A-apany you? What the heck for?" Lino asked, taking a step back . "My-- my Grandmother¡¯s Lineage has been banished from the Tribal Lands for over a thousand years," Freya said as her voice cracked slightly . "In seven full moons, it will be time for the Grand Chief to open up Ancestral Grounds . I wish to return and bury my Grandmother and Mother there . " " . . . then . . . do that?" Lino said, confused . "I am not strong enough . " "What makes you think I am?" "I have a feeling . " " . . . and I have a feeling you¡¯re a nutcase . " "What does that mean?" Freya asked . "It means you¡¯re insane . " "Be that as it may-" "What do you mean be that as it may?! Are you admitting to being insane?!" "Fate binds us, humble traveler and admirer of all beauties across the continent," Freya said, suddenly smiling . Within that smile, Lino noticed a strange familiarity, a sense of impossible closeness . "Will youe with me?" " . . . how did wee from you busting into my room most-likely to cut my guts to you trying to get me to be your bodyguard for free?" Lino asked, looking at the strange neer with odd gaze . "I never had any intention of ending your life . . . merely . . . scarring you a bit . " "You meant scaring, right?! Tell me you meant scaring!" " . . . yes . " " . . . " " . . . " "Hey, Felix,e back . " Lino called out to the youth who immediately left the battlefield and joined Lino, standing respectfully behind him . "Thesedies are asking us to be their bodyguards . What you say?" "It¡¯s beneath you Master . " Felix immediately replied . "Khm . . . I mean, yeah," Lino lowered his voice slightly . "But, uh, they¡¯re quite pretty, right?" " . . . yes?" "It¡¯d be a shame if we, you know, missed opportunity . Especially because they¡¯re Kvalends . I hear they¡¯re quite . . . foxy . " "Master?" Felix looked at his Master with worry, wondering what thetter was talking about . "Finedies, you¡¯ve convinced me," Lino eximed with strange gleam in his eyes . "I shall apany you and protect you . And all other stuff, too . " "What other stuff?" Freya asked . " . . . uh, just, y¡¯know . Stuff . " " . . . okay?" "Well, seeing as you blew up my room," Lino said, changing the subject and looking up at the massive hole in the inn . "I assume you have alternative lodging somewhere around here . " "Let us depart immediate--" "Ha ha, no, fuck that," Lino interrupted Freya, shaking his head . "It¡¯s barely halfway through the night, and I¡¯m sleepy . " " . . . but . . . are you not a cultivator?" Freya asked . "Yes, yes I am . So what? Does that I mean I don¡¯t deserve to sleep? Let me tell you,"pletely ignoring befuddled expressions of others, Lino suddenly stepped forward, strapped his arm around Freya¡¯s shoulder and led her away from others . "Sleep isn¡¯t just for mortals, you know? It improves your vision, your lungs, your libido---anyway, point is that it¡¯s quint-essential element of human existence, cultivator or not . I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s just a massive conspiracy that cultivators don¡¯t need to sleep . In reality, if you don¡¯t sleep, you¡¯re just increasing your chances of reaching a bottleneck in the future . See? That¡¯s their n! To stifle the young and promising talent, to make them miserable! Haii, but let me tell you, I¡¯d seen through them; sleep is a wonderful thing so . . . . " while everyone looked on in wonder, confusion and silence, Freya wondered whether she misinterpreted silent whispers of Fate she¡¯d heard when shended her eyes upon the strange beggar . . . Chapter 123 Chapter 123 CHAPTER 123 UNINTENDED INVITATION "No way? Really? You never had a boyfriend?" Lino asked walking at a brisk pace, a faint smile hanging on his face, his eyes glistening . "That¡¯s impossible! You¡¯re way too cute!" "It is forbidden . " Freya replied somewhat shyly, trying to avoid his gaze . "Haii, how loathsome one is to forbid love?" Linomented mboyantly, stringing his arm around Freya¡¯s shoulder . "Can you imagine it? The world . . . the entire world forbidden to love . Children mourn on streets for their papas and mamas dumped them like garbage they are . . . beautiful, work-maidens ravaged in poverty . . . a hopeful, young man with zing heart, unable to express it to his love . . . and his love, of equal disposition, forever wreathing in loneliness and silence of her small room . Aii, how lonely . . . how damned does the world sound, no?" " . . . you seem rather passionate about love, Mr . Lino . " Freya mumbled meekly as she fought off Lino¡¯s arm around her shoulder . "¡¯course I am!" Lino eximed, seemingly unaffected by Freya¡¯s feeble attempts to free herself . "It is through loving one another that we also understand each other, don¡¯t you agree?" "Uh . . . " "Of course you do! After all, I can hear your heart bleeding in desire to know more about me!" " . . . that is because you are . . . rather odd . " "Odd? Is love odd?" " . . . " "Then I am odd," Lino said . "Odd like a duck in chicken hen!" " . . . " Meanwhile, a few paces behind the two was another group of four with poor Felix currently being besieged by startlingly hostile gazes of three women . He could almost feel his skin being peeled off by those eyes, his entire soul being exposed and bared open for all to see . He hadn¡¯t felt so ufortable since that day his young sister caught him naked in a bath . " . . . uh . . . he . . . my Master means well . . . I promise . . . " he said meekly, hardly believing it himself; for the past four hours that they¡¯ve been traveling with thedies, Lino¡¯s done nothing but talk about love and some other odd stuff . "Our Lady is innocent in these matters," one of the women said . "Should anything happen to her, both you and him will be boiled alive . " " . . . " "I¡¯ll go check on her . " another woman said, pulling away from the group and quickly reaching Lino and Freya, immediately piercing herself in-between the two, breaking away Lino¡¯s lock on Freya¡¯s shoulder in the process . "Ah, Jane, why have youe here?" Freya asked, her cheeks flushing red . "Is everything alright, my Lady?" Jane was a rather young woman, perhaps not even twenty just yet, with long, red hair and red eyes and as much beauty as any of her sisters behind her . "Y-yes . . . yes . . . everything is just fine . " Freya said, quickly hiding her expression . "You . . . " Jane frowned, looking at Lino with fierceness of a lioness protecting her cub from a predator . "Me . . . what?" Lino asked, smiling still . "Stop feeding our Lady profanities . " "Are you calling love profane?" "We all know of what love you speak!" " . . . oh? We do? Can you enlighten me, then?" Lino teased . " . . . you would have ady utter such perverse words? You, indeed, are corrupt!" Jane eximed, not backing down . "Perverse words? What perverse words?" Lino asked, seeming confused . "Love of heart is the purest word of all, bearing no perverse tone or line . " "How long will you keep up your sham?!" Jane eximed somewhat loudly, seemingly losing her patience . " . . . don¡¯t worry ¡¯bout yourdy," Lino gave in and smiled widely . "I¡¯ve no intention of sullying her, if that¡¯s your worry . " " . . . " "I¡¯m just trying to have fun . " he said . "If you knew my story, you¡¯d understand . Trust me . " he added, shing a rather bitter smile . "What? You think your tragic days excuse your actions in present?" Jane asked, looking at Lino with trace of disgust . "What a weak man you are . " " . . . you¡¯re right," Lino nodded faintly as he looked up . "I really am weak . . . " " . . . huh?" Lino, however, didn¡¯t reply; rather, he had no time to reply as before them a gate in space opened, ck as night, through which two figures appeared . Both donned shimmering, silver-ted armor stacked withyers of grandeur, lined with golden patterns and shimmering crystals embedded across their greaves, chests and shoulder pads . Both wore helmets cleaved above eyes under sharp angles, with spiked protrusions extending up like erect swords . Intimidating was the meekest word one could use to describe them, and that was without taking into ount a pair of gigantic war axes hanging off their backs whose des reached the size of four heads of grown adults in diameter . Felix wanted to jump forward immediately, but felt pressure descend against him - the sort he only felt when facing the Elder generations of his family . The girls were no better, including Freya . All five were forced on their knees, shaking in silence of words, yet brittle of crackling jaw and creaking bones . Only Lino remained standing still and upright, his head faintly leaned up toward the men standing some ten meters above and fifteen meters ahead of him . " . . . his Imperial Majesty has not expected your arrival for another few months . " one of the men broke the silence, ignoring everyone else except Lino . "I¡¯d concluded my business in the Capital, so I figured I¡¯d get a head-start over there . " Lino said, smiling lightly . "It is not safe . His Majesty asks if you could return and wait for a while; He shall summon you when things calm down . " the man said . " . . . hey," Lino waved his hand gently, causing heavy air hanging over Freya¡¯s head to disappear as though it was never there . She looked up with shocked and fearful expression, breathing heavily . "Sorry for that . Do you have an extra spear?" " . . . h-huh?" "Spear, a weapon, a stick with a pointy tip, whatever . Do you have it?" "Ah . . . y-yes . . . " "Can you lend it to me?" "S-sure . . . " Freya raised her weak arm meekly and held it t while taking out a spear she came across randomly at the Demonic Battlefield from her spatial ring . It was a rtively lengthy spear with a single tip made of solid steel . It didn¡¯t seem all that special, but as a cksmith, Lino immediately realized it was quite good . He grabbed it out of Freya¡¯s hand and swung it around a few times, causing his blood to boil . "Why are you arming yourself, Mr . Lyonel?" the man asked while both of them drew out their axes . "¡¯Cause I don¡¯t like being told what I can¡¯t, can, should or shouldn¡¯t do," Lino said . "So I¡¯m arming myself in case you decided to chop my head off when I tell you I¡¯m going there and there¡¯s quite literally nothing you can do to stop me . " he finished with a wide smile . " . . . must we do this?" "No, of course not!" Lino said yfully . "Just go back and tell him you couldn¡¯t find me . That ought to do it, no?" " . . . we shan¡¯t kill you . " "Oh, howforting . " Two men descended from the sky in a quick burst, causing a shockwave to erupt behind them, one which quickly leveled trees to trunks and nd . It took less than a sh of time before two men were right in front of Lino; neither Freya nor Felix were able to capture the speed with their eyes . Two great axes paired in perfect rhythm, striking at Lino from two sides in full force of two mountains . ncing casually left and right, Lino smiled widely before lifting up the spear in his hand and slicing in an upward, angled arc . It was a slice far quicker than the axes¡¯ strikes, far quicker than what two men, let alone Freya or Felix, couldprehend . Time seemed to have frozen for but a blink of an eye before an eruption of energy bounced two men backwards like cannonballs, sending them spiraling through the air in zing arrays of light . Tsunami of invisible strength pressed forward from Lino¡¯s spear, catapultingrge swath of earth before his feet forward, uprooting it and flinging it like rocks across what used to be a path through the forest . As the dust slowly settled, a few meters in front of Lino appearedpletely decimated; there was a massive pit, seemingly dug out in t perfection, bereft entirely of life . Lino swung the spear casually a few more times before handing it over to Freya who took it purely due to instinct, as she was still trying to understand what just happened - she, though, was hardly the exception . " . . . he doesn¡¯t want me there, eh?" Lino mumbled, briefly allowing a cunning smile to surface on his face . "Looks like they¡¯ve almost opened up the ruins . Ah . . . my cheeky king . If you¡¯d only just let me be . . . I would have never known . " Lino turned to Freya who was still on her knees, looking at him with a mix of respect, awe, dread, terror and a trace of curiosity in her eyes . "Looks like we¡¯ll have to take a detour . Do you mind?" " . . . " Freya said nothing, merely shaking her head . "Hah, good!" Lino eximed, stretching his arms out as he took a deep breath . "Damn, this ought to be fun . " Chapter 124 Chapter 124 CHAPTER 124 SEA OF SAND There was a certain elegance to the day; what with the perfect, blue sky blending over into meekly misty horizon sheltered in white, and warm, southern wind working in concert with the nature to create an idyllic scenery spanningnds and mountains . Then there were animals, of all sort and make, both winged and otherwise, enjoying the bliss of the day and amplifying it with their own majesty . There were also rivers andkes with waters so glistening it would seem they were made of diamonds and pearls, translucent till rocked bottom, with fish of all sort and kind swimming about freely . It was truly a day one would describe as perfect, yet, along a road through wooded marsnds, the atmosphere broke away from the peaceful one world was celebrating and into an awkward, even tense, one . Two men walked upfront, well over fifteen meters ahead of four women . One of the men was constantly ncing back and forth between the other man and four women, clearly nervous . "Master . . . are you really not going to talk with them?!" Felix eximed lowly at Lino who had a rather dubious expression on his face . "Hm? Why? Look at them . They¡¯re like scared, little rabbits . It¡¯s beyond adorable . " Lino replied, shing a yful smile . "Master!! Please . . . please take this seriously!" Felix eximed once again, on the verge of tears . It¡¯s been two days since the battle and ever since the girls didn¡¯t speak a single word to them; rather, they kept suchrge distance even Felix couldn¡¯t handle it any longer . "They¡¯re afraid of you!" " . . . why do you care?" Lino nced at him with curiosity . "Oh . . . wait . Could it be? Do you like one of them?" "Master . . . !!" "Which one? Tell your Master which one!" Lino said, stringing his arm around Felix¡¯s shoulder . "Among many things that I¡¯m a Master of, being a wingman certainly sits at the top of that list . I can have you guys married in a week!" "I don¡¯t want to get married in a week!!" "Alright, fine, be one of those who takes their time then . " "I don¡¯t want to get married at all!!" "Eh? Why? Do you hate marriage? Did you get your heart broken when you were younger and now you can¡¯t even imagine the concept of someone loving you so you repeatedly doubt whenever girls want to hold your hand because you think they just want to use you and then discard youter like a piece of shit?" " . . . I know you¡¯re doing this on purpose," Felix said, sighing faintly; he very much ignored his Master¡¯s one-breath-speech . "For what reason? I can¡¯t say . It¡¯s . . . it¡¯s not right, though . They could be thinking you¡¯ll kill them!" " . . . haii,e on dude, you¡¯ve been under me for months now . Did you really not pick up anything?" Lino sighed, too, but more so in disappointment and bitterness . "Eh? What-what does the Master mean?" Felix asked . "They¡¯re not keeping their distance because they¡¯re terrified of me," Lino said . "But because of the fact that I ignored former Emperor¡¯s suggestion - which, y¡¯know, was pretty much an order . So, they still want my help, but they also don¡¯t want to get entangled in my mess . " " . . . " "I know you like flowers man," Lino said, smiling faintly . "But you ought to spend more time understanding and knowing people instead . They¡¯re the ones with a sword . " " . . . " Lino remained unbothered about the whole ordeal; whether the girls helped him or not didn¡¯t really matter . Everyone has their own best interests in mind before anything else, and that¡¯s thenguage Lino can understand very well . He considered it quite cute, actually, with how open they were about it; it showed how little experience they truly had with the world . He didn¡¯t turn entirely bitter and cynical of the world and people, but it was a seductive call . In his heart, though, he couldn¡¯t cross thatst bridge . Somehow, he still believed in goodness of heart, a constant ilk binding everyone . After all, for however much of human¡¯s cruelty he¡¯d seen, he¡¯d also seen plenty kindness; for every rotten heart he¡¯d noticed crying, he¡¯d also noticed decency in many others . No one¡¯s inherently good or bad - tender or rotten . It¡¯s just that the depressing tragedy of the heart is that it¡¯s far easier to hate others than it is to love them . Among numerous ws, Lino realized, that one perhaps scars the most . Months . . . if not years of developing love for someone can be vandalized entirely in night¡¯s cry . " . . . I really am naive, aren¡¯t I?" Felix mumbled, sighing . " . . . yeah, of course you are . " Lino said . "I would have been more worried if you weren¡¯t . Don¡¯t feel down about it, though . Your Empress is also quite naive . As am I . As are a whole lot of us who want to believe in others . " "I . . . I just fail to understand," Felixmented . "You offered your help without asking for anything in return, to a swath ofplete strangers no less . Yet, they behave like this because of something like that?" " . . . you have a rather convenient misunderstanding about me, Felix," Lino said, smiling . "I¡¯ve not offered my help freely . Actually, you could say that I¡¯m pretty much exploiting their unfortunate circumstances . " "Eh?" Felix quickly nced up, somewhat surprised . "They pretty much offered me an open invitation to their Ancestral Grounds," Lino said, his smile widening . "Which you can only gain ess to in the first ce if you have appropriate bloodline . " " . . . oh! So . . . it was one of those unspoken understandings?" Felix asked . " . . . yeah, well, it¡¯s certainly unspoken . " Lino replied somewhat awkwardly . " . . . oh . They¡¯re not aware of it . . . " Felix added, frowning slightly . "Wow, you¡¯re a quick study!" "Sometimes you really do confuse me, Master . " Felix sighed . "Hey, nothing wrong with using people once in a while," Lino said . "Just, you know, don¡¯t be a dick about it . " "Aren¡¯t you being a dick just by using them, though?" it wasn¡¯t the first time Felix felt like arguing with his Master over something, but it was the first time he gathered enough courage to do it . "Heh, little Felix saying dick so openly," Lino suddenly smiled cheekily as he patted Felix¡¯s head . "To think I¡¯d live to see a day . " " . . . " "Oh, you¡¯re starting to decipher my tactic, aren¡¯t you?" " . . . Master, please be serious!! Just once!" " . . . you want me to be serious?" "Yes, please!" "Alright," Lino said, nodding lightly . "I¡¯m not a good man, Felix . You¡¯ve lifted me up to a pedestal because I yed a tune to the dream you never knew you had," Lino said, looking deeply into Felix¡¯s eyes for a moment . "You see me as someone who¡¯d shown you the world, but . . . that¡¯s not who I am . I¡¯m . . . many things . A thief, a murderer, a liar, an asshole . . . I¡¯ve been yed by people and I¡¯ve yed people, I¡¯ve been betrayed as I¡¯ve betrayed, I got left behind as I left others behind . Just as some people have given up on me, I¡¯ve also given up on some as well . I¡¯ve be a reason why a normal, cheerful young girl has turned into a cold-blooded, torturous maniac . I¡¯ve never been a good man, Felix . And I¡¯ve never had qualms about using other people to achieve my goals . I know you want me to be someone, something more than life," Lino smiled faintly, ruffling Felix¡¯s hair . "But, I¡¯m not . Just like everyone else, I¡¯m . . . just another guy . At the very least, though, you¡¯ve grasped my first lesson atst . " " . . . first lesson?" Felix asked numbly, still processing words Lino just spoke . "Never trust blindly in anyone, Felix . Forge yourself out among the muddied waters of those who would wish to save you and help you . Don¡¯t make yourself a voice in the masses," Lino added with slight bitterness . "Make yourself a person you would love to be friends with . Echoing what others tell you is a disservice . . . greatest disservice you can ever do to yourself . Remember . . . there are no gods among men, as there are no wise among the fools . We¡¯re all just trying to make it, the best way we can . " The walk continued in confounded silence . Felix stared at the dirt road beneath him, his feet kicking up dust back in strange rhythm . Lino¡¯s words resounded profoundly inside his mind; perhaps, for the first time since he¡¯d met this strange beggar, Felix understood what it meant to have a Master - rather, a Master who truly wishes you well . He didn¡¯t lose respect for the man walking briskly next to him; rather, it was quite the opposite . But, he¡¯d also realized he didn¡¯t have to adhere to everything Lino ever said . They were two different people, and their beliefs were never meant to be the same . It was only then that he¡¯d realized it was much brighter around than it was a few moments ago . He raised his head slowly and gazed forward, his eyes widening in surprise a momentter; rather than greened trees rising like obstacles all around, it was a hilly horizon, reminiscent of the wavy sea, with the exception of being golden in hue . It stretched endlessly across, Felix realized, this great divide between the two worlds, this sea of sand . Chapter 125 Chapter 125 CHAPTER 125 RUINS OF THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM At first it was but a few pirs sticking out from sand at odd angles, carved out with plethora of beautiful designs depicting an alien culture that seemed to have strange fascination with fire . Some pirs were thick and some thin, some tly painted-on some hand-crafted, some tall and some short, yet all unquestionably oozed archaic aura, breathing out air of times long since past . After pirs came the walls, made entirely of white marble but muddled with brownish sand over the course of ages, they themselves were much grander projections of the past . They were thick in design, carefully smoothed over the surface, unblemished with brushes, yet, just like the pirs, now stood ruined in the covenant of sand . Past the walls and waved hilltops, there were then remnants of tall towers, some squared, some cylindrical, some almost like obelisks in their designs . Unlike the walls, towers were made of gray brick with silver coat of paint, protruding out of sand like defiant swords forever tipping toward the heavens . Clear crackings ran rampart through their surfaces, withrge holes peering into their hollow interior . It was a beautiful yet daunting sight, as it reminded history read quite differently on paper and in reality . Lino, Felix and the girls journeyed across the desert for nearly a week, asionallying across various remnants of ruins . While others may have seen beauty and rue of it all, Lino saw something more: defiant spirit . Murals depicted a solitary figure in the sky taking a crack at the world, or a solitary thunder cloud in a beaming, blue sky . He¡¯d realized that¡¯s how they truly saw themselves; outcasts, ounders within the world of their own . Cast aside, yet unwilling to remain there in silence . It wasn¡¯t only the nobility, the royalty, and the Empyreans; it was also the regr folk, the ordinary soldiers who echoed that sentiment loudly . It was the Kingdom that wholly exemplified what Lino began believing to be Empyrean¡¯s core fault: unbendable will . They, unlike him however, praised it, held it in such a high regard they¡¯d defiled and denied all else in its name . He often found himself smiling bitterly while overlooking these murals, these expressions of that defiance . For better or worse, he imagined, those Empyreans had legs to stand on even if the sky fell on top of them . In his heart, he even envied them slightly; he had but armies of Devils hellbent on sowing chaos, while they had armies of ordinary folk who truly respected them . Oreb Kingdom, indeed, Lino realized, was an unspoken paradise of an Empyrean . It was almost two weeks of walking along the sandy, dry and inhumanely hot desert that Lino had finally spotted it: a veiled entrance that the Writ told him of . Unlike others, Lino didn¡¯t need blood of the Kingdom¡¯s descendant; by right, all Empyreans had unlimited ess to the Kingdom, more so than its own ruler . The entrance was a dome masked in sandy hill, with protruding, half-crushed spires extending outward, bent like broken fingers, barely hanging against the coarse, sandy winds . Beneath the dome was a structure known as ¡¯Entrance Gate¡¯, where any neer was inspected and either sent through a teleportation array into the Kingdom itself, or rejected and left out hanging . " . . . Master . . . is that the entrance?" Felix asked, somberly looking at the dome . " . . . yeah . " Lino replied . "Such a shame what happened," Felixmented . "Eons of remarkable history . . . ravaged just like that . " " . . . " Lino merely nced at the boy and looked back onto the dome . He himself hardly thought so . Looking back, he also saw four girls halting and beginning to set up a camp, as though they realized they¡¯ve arrived at their destination . Lino signaled to Felix to go and wait for him by the dome while he himself leapt over to where the girls were at . They seemed startled at his sudden appearance, quickly huddling together and grasping at their weapons without drawing them . " . . . you should probably camp a bit further out," Lino said . "And preferably under ground . " " . . . w-why¡¯s that?" Freya asked . "Hmm . . . well, let me put it this way," Lino smiled widely . "Right now, every single powerful person on the entire continent is gathered around these parts, and it¡¯s really only a matter of time before they all start fighting . Now, tell medies, do you consider yourself on par with, let¡¯s say . . . the former Emperor? Arch Emperor? Nebulous Damian? Or even Kar¡¯hav Tribe?" " . . . " "I thought as much," he added . "You¡¯ve little to gain by sticking close around, and everything to lose . I¡¯ll find you after I¡¯m done and we¡¯ll head back to your tribal grounds . " "W-what if you¡¯rete?" Freya asked . "I won¡¯t bete, don¡¯t worry . Six months is more than enough to rip those wiseass shitstains a new one . " " . . . " there was a unified sound of dubious gulping, prompting Lino to look at the four who looked right back with incredulous expressions . "What? Hey, never be afraid to tell someone how you feel about them," Lino advised with a smirk . "Otherwise, how will they ever know?" " . . . you are . . . quite . . . brave . . . " Freya mumbled . "What you really wanted to say was idiotic, right? See, you can¡¯t even tell me what you really think about me . How do you expect your tribe to listen to you and allow you to bury your ancestors into the Ancestral Ground?" Lino¡¯s words seemed to startle Freya who looked up at him with some anger . "Don¡¯t look at me like that . I promised I¡¯d help you, not resolve the entire situation for you . If they attack you, I¡¯ll defend you; but I won¡¯t utter a word for you . Otherwise . . . what¡¯s even the point? Anyway, go and hide for now . I¡¯lle and find you after I¡¯m done . " the four girls watched Lino leap back onto the hill and disappear beyond in brisk strides . His shadow lingered strangely long behind him, giving him an odd sense of height, as though he towered the world itself . "Can . . . can we really trust him, my Lady?" Jane asked with worried expression . "None of us doubt his strength . . . but his integrity . " " . . . I don¡¯t know," Freya said, sighing . "But . . . what else can we do? Besides, if we ignore his somewhat childish yfulness . . . he isn¡¯t so bad, right?" "He defied his Emperor!! And he nearly killed two men in the process!" Jane protested . "A person with no sense of authority rarely has sense of shame either! What if he demands . . . demands your . . . your purity as payment?!" " . . . do you really think he wants me that way?" Freya asked, seeming undisturbed by Jane¡¯s worrying tone . "I¡¯ve never seen such desire in his eyes . Rather . . . I¡¯d seen nothing at all in his eyes . " "My Lady?" " . . . we will trust him for now," Freya said as she began packing up . "Let us move . I, too, have a feeling this ce will turn chaotic sooner rather thanter . " Meanwhile, across the hill and beneath the dome, Felix was inspecting strange, carved runic characters that he had no chance of understanding . Still, he found them quite fascinating as he actually sensed faint traces of Qi present in them; it wasn¡¯t the fact that someone inscribed characters with Qi that surprised him, but that the Qi was present over a billion yearster, something he found quite impossible . He was soon joined by Lino who didn¡¯t take a deeper look into the characters and instead squatted down in front of the dome, nting his arm t onto the sand beneath his feet, closing his eyes . Soon, the sand beneath his arm began shaking and rousing and, as though pushed through by a divine hand, a downward pathway suddenly opened up in the sand . Felix jumped in surprise as he heaved his head over the entrance leading into the darkness, ncing at his Master . Day after day, he found his Master to be more and more fascinating, and made Felix doubt whether he¡¯d ever unlock the mystery that was his Master entirely . "This leads to the entrance?" he asked . "One of them anyway," Lino replied, stepping into the path while nearly twenty meters tall top of the dome loomed over him . "There will be quite a lot of illusionary mirages trying to kill you . Just ignore them . " "Eh? W-what do you mean?" "What do you mean what do I mean? I mean exactly that," Lino said, rolling his eyes . "There are a bunch of Illusion Formations littering the walls and the floor . And I¡¯ve triggered pretty much all of them by opening up this path . Anyway, give us some light, would you?" "Oh, yes, sorry . " Felix mumbled, quickly forming a spherical ball of Qi, molded into an exhrating source of light illuminating dry walls full of carvings even more spectacr than those on the surface . "I . . . I can really see it now . " Felix eximed in soft wonder as he inspected these murals on his way down . "Hm? What?" Lino asked, ncing at him . "When Master told me the Forgotten Kingdom was the Kingdom of the Empyreans . . . I honestly doubted it . After all, Kingdom erected for solitary purpose of housing one of the Bearers of Holy Writs should leave countless records that are easy to identify . Yet . . . there were none . But, now, I see it . " "What do you see?" Lino asked, slightly curious . "Defiance to authority," Felix said . "They really did consider themselves better than the rest . Practically every mural is depiction of that . " " . . . yeah . " Lino mumbled, smiling faintly . "Pretty much . " " . . . do you think Writ¡¯s somewhere in there, Master?" Felix asked, seeming somewhat afraid of the notion . "Oh, I very much doubt that . Don¡¯t worry . " "Ah . . . alright . " "Besides, even if it was, aren¡¯t I here?" Lino asked, smiling widely . "What¡¯s the purpose of the Master if not to protect his Disciples?" " . . ah, with all due respect Master, you are quite strong - but, I very much doubt you¡¯re stronger than the Writ itself . " "Pfft . . . ha ha ha, really now?" Linoughed casually . "Ah, see, I don¡¯t think so . I actually thick I¡¯m quite stronger than the fucker . " "Eh?! M-master!! Can¡¯t . . . can¡¯t you not use those words to describe Writs, please?" "Why?" "Because . . . they¡¯re . . . you know . . . " " . . . they¡¯re nothing, Felix," Lino said as a weeping child suddenly shed past him in a mournful cry, startling Felix to the point of nearly falling over . "Just broken relics of a distant past still looking for a way to remain relevant . I¡¯d be more terrified of finding nothing of value in there than stumbling across a Writ or two . " " . . . " "Haii . . . why do both you and those girls look at me like I¡¯m a fool rather than a brave soul that I am?" Linomented . "Here I am, perfectly presenting you with what being courageous is, and there you are, thinking me an idiot . " " . . . but . . . Writs are different, Master, than Emperors, and Queens and other humans," Felix said, shuddering in strange cold for a moment . "They¡¯re . . . they¡¯re above humans . They¡¯re Gods . " " . . . eh? Gods? Who the heck told you that?" Lino asked, looking at Felix strangely . "My father," Felix exined . "When he was teaching me the history of the world . . . he told me that the first life didn¡¯te from Gaia . . . but from Writs, as they were first beings to descend to this world, granting it life . That makes them . . . Gods . No?" " . . . Writs aren¡¯t Gods, Felix," Lino said . "Do you think they¡¯d need Bearers in the first ce if they were?" " . . . what does Master think they are, then?" Felix asked cautiously . " . . . I don¡¯t know . " Lino replied . "They¡¯re . . . certainly something . " "Ah . . . " "It wouldn¡¯t hurt if you showed some respect for us . " a robotic voice suddenly echoed inside Lino¡¯s head, causing a wry smile to emerge on his face . "I feel many things about you . . . " he mumbled into his jaw, making sure Felix didn¡¯t hear him . "But, respect . . . that¡¯s the one I¡¯ll never feel toward any one of you till the day I die . " " . . . really?" "Really . " "That¡¯s quite extreme . " "Perhaps . It¡¯s nothing personal, though . " "It¡¯s not? I imagined it¡¯s entirely because of what I did . " "No, those were all my faults one way or another . I¡¯d truly sink to the bottom if I solely med you for it," Lino said . "The reason I don¡¯t respect you is because rather than sorting out your nonsense among yourselves, you dragged the rest of the world into it all . " " . . . do you truly believe that?" "I do . " "Do you wish to experience a different perspective?" "Oh? Another [Archaic Record]?" "You achieved [Advent Level] Qi purity once you condensed your Qi into Singrity," the Writ exined . "But I didn¡¯t want to bring it up as you had a lot on your mind . If you want, however, I can send you there . " " . . . alright . " Lino said, grinning faintly . "I really do want to see what moron respected you guys so much . " [Analyzing . . . ] [ . . . Analysis already Completed . . . ] [Purity of Qi already achieved Advent Level . . . ] [Bearer has gained ess to Archaic Record . . . ] [Analysis Complete . . . ] [Archaic Record - ¡¯Grazynth, Guardian of the Far End¡¯ unlocked . . . ] [Simting . . . ] END OF VOLUME V RUINS OF THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM Chapter 126 Chapter 126 BOOK II VOLUME VI FALL OF THE EMPYRION CHAPTER 126 GRAZYNTH, GUARDIAN OF THE FAR END (I) Blend of colors, of shapes, sounds and miracles awoke a sense of strange yearning inside of Lino . Like ink, colors appeared to be brushed into shapes of still images by a hand divine, then further defined by light, by shadows, by depth . Scene unfolded before his eyes in just a few moments, yet those few moments perfectly captured the beauty of life . Lino found himself overlooking a massive valley, enclosed on both sides by tall mountains, with a massive, natural arched passage standing tall on the other end . It appeared perfectly symmetrical, nearly forty meters tall and just below half as wide . The valley itself was braced with strange, grayish weed growing to a grown man¡¯s knees, swaying about through wind¡¯s presence . "My turn, eh?" a gruff, deep and well-defined voice came out of Lino¡¯s lips, though he knew they weren¡¯t actually his . Just as it was with Q¡¯vil, he was simply an observer of an event that had long since transpired . "He¡¯s never picked me before," the voice continued . "I wonder what makes ye different?" a hand reached for a small gourd sitting silently on a wooden floor beneath, taking a few gulps of it . "Either way, my introduction is simple: I¡¯m Grazynth, Fourth Son of the Champion Okvele of n of Angles, a ck sheep among the white swan . I beckon you from the Era of Four ns, or New World Era as some named it . Life ain¡¯t great, but it¡¯s fun, I tell ya¡¯ . I became an Empyrean at the tender age of 46, after losing a battle against Devil n . . . one my folk named quite beautifully, I say: Battle of Grazynth¡¯s Fall . Heh, chaps sure got a sense of humor, no?" Lino heard no small amount of bitterness in the aged voice yet, as with Q¡¯vil, he was unable to add anything to the conversation . "Anyway, moving past that depressing shit, after bing an Empyrean, I roamed the world for a long while before I settled here . What¡¯s here, ye asks? I call it Far End . Beyond herey the unblemishednds and folk who wish no part of the ongoing War of ns . So I settled here to make their dreamse true; I have been doing so for the past four thousand years . " " . . . " "Who am I defending them against, ye wonders? All . " slightly dull gaze sharpened as Grazynth focused on the valley¡¯s entrance where a bleak swarm of shadows suddenly appeared . "Theye again and again, testing my will and resolve . Angels, Gods, Devils, heck, even fuckin¡¯ Humans have balls toe here . Ah, sorry, you¡¯re one of humans . But, to be faire, you guys are weak as shit . Since the start of the Era, you¡¯ve never once won a war . Ain¡¯t that just pathetic?" Yup . . . Lino wished to mumble but couldn¡¯t . He didn¡¯t know humans were so weak during the Four ns Era . "Ugh, here we go again," Grazynth got up suddenly and stretched, his bones creaking and cracking . He was a very tall man -- well, Angel, technically -- towering at nearly three meters, with wide shoulders and muscr body . He wore what once sure was a beautiful set of armor; now, though, it looked like something one picks up to train disassembling rather than something one would wear for protection . "Human, I can¡¯t say what you wish to learn from me, but I¡¯ll teach you what I know . And I¡¯ll show you my Will . May it assist your journey . " A pair of crimson, feathered wings sprung from Grazynth¡¯s back as he heaved off the ground into the air, diving toward the valley . He nced back to show Lino where they were at, and within Lino¡¯s sight came a massive tower with a disc-like tform at the top, which is where Grazynth was at all this time . It was good three hundred meters above the valley¡¯s ground, overlooking it in its entirety . Grazynthndingcked gracefulness Lino expected of an Angel as he plummeted, creating a massive crater around him and even managing to shake the entire valley for a moment . He withdrew his wings and slowly began walking toward the swarm that was growingrger . "All my early life, I was weak . . . pathetic . . . aplete idiot . . . " Grazynth mumbled as his gaze grew even sharper, the figures in the distance bing distinct . "I fought to retain what little Honor I believed I had . . . fought to gain my Father¡¯s acknowledgment, my brothers¡¯ respect, recognition from the entire n . I¡¯dmitted myself to death itself . . . if I could see them look at me with pride . Aye, aye . . . pathetic, no? Weak-hearted, I was . Timid . A coward, really . I¡¯ven¡¯t changed much after I became an Empyrean; believing it a stroke of God¡¯s Hand, I used ¡¯im to gain that respect, gain that recognition, that acknowledgement . I used ¡¯im to stroke my ego . For hundreds of years . . . I¡¯ve been nothing but a tool of my n . A fool in warrior¡¯s cloth . " Lino recognized stream of resentment and anger flowing alongside those words . "I was a fool, no doubt," Grazynth drew his arm back and took out a giant war-ax from his back . It was well over two meters long, double-edged, yet cracked at several ces, much like the rest of his gear . Nheless, it still shone with strange valiance and pride . "But I¡¯d washed those colors away . . . eventually . He¡¯d shown me the path, a road amid the muddy waters . " "You¡¯re still here, Grazynth? I thought your old ass would have died by now . " opposing Grazynth was an entire army, Lino realized, numbering in tens of thousands by now . They slowly encircled him entirely, leaving roughly fifty-sixty meters of distance between them and him . It was then that a man walked out from one of the groups; he was rather handsome, appearing to be in his mid-thirties, braving a golden hair and a pair of azure eyes . He sat atop a brilliant, white mare, both of them adorned in glistening armor, with man¡¯s back further garnished with a pair of golden wings . Lino quickly realized the man was also an Angel . " . . . Qenta? Hah, is n using me to ax clowns from its midst?" " . . . !! You¡¯re a clown, bastard!" . . . spoiled brat? Really?! Come on! You¡¯re a freaking Angel dude! Have some dignity! "Humph, what am I doing, anyway, talking to a dead man?" "There are many-a-brave-men in the world who could no doubt threaten my life, but you aren¡¯t and never will be one of them, Qenta . Go back home . I respect your Mother greatly; I wish she would not have to mourn the loss of another son . " "You really think yourself indestructible, don¡¯t you?" another man suddenly walked out of the masses . Hisplexion was far darker, a mix of deep brown and faint blue, with a pair of crimson eyes seemingly aze . He, too, rode a horse, except his was entirely ck, with simr, crimson eyes . A Devil? Lino immediately ventured a guess . "You¡¯re worn, tattered and old Grazynth . Just give up, die with little dignity at the very least . " "Who gave you permission to talk in my presence, you infidel? I¡¯d rather use myst breath to chew your rotten heart out than to ¡¯die with little dignity¡¯ . Enough chatter, ye mongrels," Grazynth said, lifting his war-ax up . "My ax hungers . " Grazynth suddenly erupted at a torpedo-like speed,pletely unlike what his stature would suggest . He creased through the volley of arrows and approached the Devil who withdrew a spear from the void, raising it in defense . Grazynth spun sideways to garner momentum, holding his war-ax horizontally, creating a massive whirlwind of grass, dust and pebbles . Spear quickly crumbled as ck mare neighed out once in pain before being cut in half suddenly . The Devil stumbled over, crying out in fear as he tried to withdraw back into the end of the formation . However, Grazynth stopped spinning a momentter and cleaved his ax downward, splitting the Devil in half through the seemingly expensive armor . Blood gushed out like river, dyeing and staining the ground crimson while sttering all over Grazynth who seemed to pay it no need . Without pausing he cleaved onward, waving around the gigantic ax as though it was a wooden stick, splitting open skulls and guts of everyone who stood in his path . Screams of agony, pain and fear soon filled the alley as hooves of the horses turned chaotic; the encirclement was quickly broken on one end as the rest of the army began converging toward him . " . . . I took my ax one day," Grazynth suddenly spoke out in a low voice . "Entered Hall of Elders, and cleaved ¡¯em fuckers in half . They all believed I did it in madness, and I let ¡¯em . I am mad . Till my dying breath, I call meself an Angel, despite trying to forfeit my lineage for thousands of years . Human boy, no matter what written words of histories taught ye, Angels were no Saints, Gods were no benevolent creatures, and Devils were indeed just Devils . . . war, war, war, war, WAR, WAR!! WAR!! JUST FUCKEN WAR!!" he roared out in solemn agony as he drove himself into the herd of nearly a thousand souls, ignoring countless swords, arrows, spears, and myriad of other weapons striking at him from all sides, causing one wound after another to spawn . "Blood . . . gore . . . disemboweled corpses . . . razed cities . . . genocides . . . mass graves stacked like mountains . . . " Grazynth cleaved his ax sideways with a full momentum, causing wind itself to turn as deadly as de, cutting through hundreds of soldiers standing well behind ax¡¯s reach . As the dust slowly settled, Grazynth remained standing still, panting lowly as his eyes gazed around at the terrified faces of the survivors, some of whom immediately bent over and vomited their innards out upon seeing the sight before them . "How bad it got? Bad . . . very bad, human boy . Women were turned into birthing machines, deprived of the most basic necessities . . . all men, without exception, were turned into suicidal soldiers . It¡¯s gotten so bad, so bad human boy, Writs buried their hatchet of eternal war . . . and joined together . Just as I stand here guarding my Far End, six others are doing the same . Eternally . To cease this madness . . . to cease this pain . . . this agony and tragedy of life . . . look at ¡¯em, human boy . They cower like whores, fear like worms infesting their bodies . . . yet, what ye thinks they will do? Run away?! HA HA AHA HAHAHAH!!" a maddeningughter suddenly covered the entire valley, shaking the surrounding mountains . "Nay, fucken nay!! HA HA HA!" just as hisughter ceased, the remaining troops reorganized and began marching toward him again . "It¡¯s sad, ay," Grazynth smiled bitterly all of a sudden as he lowered his ax . "What tragedy was bestowed upon this world . . . " Chapter 127 Chapter 127 CHAPTER 127 GRAZYNTH, GUARDIAN OF THE FAR END (II) It was a beyond gory and bloody sight to behold, one which made even Lino wince and cringe for a moment . Corpses sttered the valley, pieces of minced meat strewn across the gray grass, disemboweled guts and organs piling into the small mounds across, sauced with crimson, glistening red blood . Standing solemnly at the center of it all was a single man, panting and raving like a maddened beast, smoke puffing out of his mouth . Lino had just observed aplete massacre; tens of thousands of people were ughtered like the chicken, left to slither namelessly in the corrupt hymn of the world . He¡¯d begun wondering why the Writ showed him this Record; if anything, it only further encapsted everything he hated not just about the Writs, but the world of cultivation itself . " . . . I told ye, nay?" Grazynth suddenly spoke, taking a deep breath as he withdrew his great-ax - nicked even further after the battle - and turned around . "None ran away . Not ¡¯cause they didn¡¯t wanna, the saddest part of all . Do ye feel pity for ¡¯em? Do ye thinks I¡¯m a beast for mauling them so? Ay . . . how could ye not? Ye most-likelyes from a world very different from my own . I envy . . . envy greatly, human boy . How grand a spectacle would it be for me to live in a world where my reality ain¡¯t this? Hah . . . I can¡¯t even imagine . " Grazynth hunched over for a moment as he gathered Qi into his legs before propelling himself into the air like a cannonball, quickly surmounting the hundreds of meters tall tower andnding on the tform from which he leapt off before the battle . He then sat down with a grunt and took out another gourd of ale, downing half its contents immediately after . " . . . I wish ye could tell me your own tales, sessor," Grazynth said . "Of whether maybe . . . just maybe . . . these sacrifices were not in vain . That we didn¡¯t bleed for nothin¡¯ . Does ye know of na? She¡¯s the Elysium Bearer of my time . A grand woman, a spectacle to behold . A beauty stacked with muscles that puts even the crazed men to shame . I¡¯ve fought her hundred times over . . . never won, but also never lost . Was it not for her . . . I¡¯d have stood a chance, little Empyrean . A chance to end the deplorable cycle before it stretched into infinity . s, it cannot be done . Most of the world deems Writs dangerous . . . immoral . . . bloodthirsty . . . vicious . . . cunning . . . they are, after all, beings predating us, predating life itself . How can they understand us, ay?" " . . . " "All Seven of Us were cast aside like the broken poultry . . . can ye believe it? Nay . . . yer time¡¯s probably different . Better . Ay, better . That I choose to believe . All the while . . . they never bothered to learn about the Writs . Even them others, who have surrendered to that whore," Grazynth¡¯s voice grew colder and fiercer for a moment . "I respect ¡¯em more than I¡¯ll ever respect these morons of war . Come tomorrow, they will be back again . And again . And again . Little Empyrean . . . see the sun set and enjoy the nightly gale . The Moon is my mistress, for only in her cradle have I ever felt safe in this world . " Though quite sympathetic of Grazynth¡¯s circumstances, Lino still failed to understand the point of it all . What, indeed, was Writ¡¯s point of showing Grazynth¡¯s story to him? Lino couldn¡¯t tell . Though Grazynth clearlycked the same hostility Lino felt toward the Writs, it wasn¡¯t as though he was remarkably respectful of them either . Lino felt more anger toward the world¡¯s misunderstanding of Writs rather than actual defense and awe for the Writs themselves . As though, by extension, his own existence is being marred through the misrepresented Writs . Night soon fell upon the valley and a full moon rose in the ce of the sun, surrounded by a swath of glistening stars, somerger, some smaller . It was a beautiful cascade of night, unblemished by a mortal hand in any kind . Grazynth, seemingly, didn¡¯t have a habit of sleeping as he remained sitting cross-legged and staring into the sky . "I oft¡¯ wonder of what lies up there," Grazynth spoke, beginning his drinking binge yet again . "Are those stars truly there . . . or are they just dots brushed onto the nightly canvas? Does the moon truly shine? Is there a Goddess truly watchin¡¯ over us all from up there? Even when I ask Ataxia, though . . . he never answers me," Grazynth said, smiling faintly . "He only ever tells me it¡¯s not within my scope to understand . And I believe him, at the end of the day . What do I truly know? What do any of us truly know? Nothin¡¯ . We know what surrounds us . I¡¯ve never left this continent, same as all others . What lies beyond that oceanic gulf? Perhaps . . . an entirely different world . If that¡¯s the case here, then what of stars so far away?" " . . . " "I think I¡¯ve figured out why Ataxia chose me of all Bearers, now," Grazynth said, ncing down at the valley . "Just as those before me . . . there¡¯s no doubt there would be those after me who would have inhibitions about him . His way of ¡¯thinking¡¯, of ¡¯understanding¡¯ and perhaps most-importantly, of putting it all into reality . " Lino finally shook for a moment, perking his ears to listen carefully . "Little Empyrean . . . I can¡¯t say if you have doubts of him, and I can¡¯t say if you should or shouldn¡¯t . We¡¯re all our own people . However, I can tell you . . . I¡¯ve never held doubts . Not because he¡¯s always right, not because he made my life into something far greater than I could ever imagine . . . nay, not at all . Perhaps, to others, it may be a foolish reason . . . " Grazynth paused for a moment as he took out a small, copper bracelet from his void storage and held it gently in his hand . "But, I listen to him . . . simply because I respect him . How many . . . dead, alive, or those yet to be born . . . will ever be able to im they held onto their convictions for eons past? How many will be able to stake the im to being indomitable, unbreakable, unbendable, unbroken for all eternity? For the sake of those who suffer the most . . . and for the sake of those who hate him the most?" " . . . " Lino frowned inwardly . He was no longer an uneducated, narrow-minded teenage boy that he was before . To him, Grazynth sounded . . . simply naive, more so than anything else . "I shall show ye, little Empyrean," Grazynth said . "I shall show ye when dawnes . And I shall show ye when it is all felled by the hand too greedy to ever understand what it is doing . When Seven Writs first came to be, they were united with a single goal: preservation of this world . They nurtured it with all their might . . . till that whore spawned and turned it all into hell . Ye wille to see . . . to know . . . just how hollowly broken our world truly is . " Dawn soon arrived and just as Grazynth said they were there again, at the gates, mounting another offense . His wounds were still bleeding from thest night, tiredness no doubt seeped into every one of his muscles, yet he still arose to his feet and leapt off the tower and into the valley . He weed another swarm with arms wide open and a grin stered on his ever-aging, ever-scarred face . He killed and killed, facing one fallen soul after another, yet it seemed to not impact his heart or his will at all . Lino simply observed it all, remarking just how can someone do all of this for thousands of years without losing their sanity entirely . Save for bitterness andrge amount of regret, Grazynth seemed perfectly fine . It¡¯s as though he wasn¡¯t spending his days cleaving men and women apart like wheat, and nights scowling inwardly over scars and wounds piling on top of each other . Lino still couldn¡¯t figure it out, the purpose of this Record . Though Grazynth spoke of Writ¡¯s convictions, Lino was already aware of them and even he himself had to admit it was remarkable . The rest, though, seemed more like ramblings of an aged, senile man who had turned befuddled with the years of bloodshed under his feet . No matter how pure the intentions are, Lino felt, means of achieving one¡¯s goal has to be ounted for . Especially so when the entire world gets tangled into the mess that has nothing to do with them . How many would ever trulye to know about the Writs beyond some shallow knowledge were it not for the fact that Seven of them decided to duke it out through their Bearers? How many would care who they were, or even who Gaia was, if they hadn¡¯t forcibly involved the rest of the world to do their bidding and fight their wars? None of it ever seemed truly necessary, at least as far as he was aware of the history . From little bits and pieces he¡¯d collected over the years, he was fairly confident in his knowledge over how all of this transpired . At the very start of it all, Seven Writs lived in unison alongside the First Scripture while trying to sow life upon the world . First Scripture would then suddenly disappear and shortly after Gaia would gain sentience . It was also then that the Scripture¡¯s Army of Angels would begin being corrupted, which was then marked by theplete Fall of the Angelic Order . It was on the brink of two different eras that the first rifts between the Writs began urring, and it was only after Gaia fashioned new forms of life -- inherently superior to anything Writs made as far as Lino was aware -- that there truly began the division into two sides . The Writs, then, would ¡¯convert¡¯ themselves over to Gaia over the course of years, with only the Empyrean Writ remaining in the end, defending their ¡¯original purpose¡¯ . The problem was that Lino had no clue what that ¡¯original purpose¡¯ was . Or even how Gaia was able to tempt other Writs to join her side . Nothing Lino ever learned pointed to the Empyrean Writ being in any way superior to the rest of the Writs - be it in regards of power or intellect . One small snippet, however, that he considered as that breaking point was the short conversation he had with Nt, where she alluded to Gaia and the other Writs pursuing the ¡¯Truth¡¯, which Lino figured to be the First Scripture that disappeared, while the Empyrean Writ - and Devils, now at least - tried fighting against it . However, in the end, he didn¡¯t know enough; rather, he knew so little he felt a banging headache ovee him every time he trieding up with the answers to the holes present in that understanding of the events . Not only did he not know why the First Scripture disappeared, he had no clue what it even was in the first ce . He also had no idea as to how Gaia and other Writs were attempting to find it, or at least break past that elusive ¡¯barrier¡¯ that¡¯s holding them back, or howck of the Empyrean Writ yed a role in that, or even why it seemed as though Gaia, through eons of time, purposefully antagonized the Bearers of Empyrean Writ despite also seeming to need them at the same time . In the end, though, all of this doesn¡¯t matter to the inhabitants of the world itself, those tightly wound in the conflicts that spawned from it . Even Lino, who at least in a way figures into that story himself, doesn¡¯t know much about the break-up and how things came to be as they are today . He would have much rather Grazynth talk about that, the story behind it all, rather than some vague nonsense that Lino couldn¡¯t really care about . This very scene unfolding before his eyes is a ughter of tens of thousands of people that spawned directly as the result of the Writs, Gaia and who-else bickering like a married couple a long time ago, hence creating billions of years of conflicts that remain relevant till this very day . Chapter 128 Chapter 128 CHAPTER 128 GRAZYNTH, GUARDIAN OF THE FAR END (III) Years passed swiftly . . . then it was decades . . . and centuries . In a single mull, a single blend of colors, a single blur, a single blink of an eye, tens of years shed before Lino¡¯s eyes . It felt both breathtaking and terrifying, how quickly can life escape you unless you pay attention to it . All the while, nothing had changed; Grazynth fought, over and over again, obtaining more and more scars on his quickly aging body . From robust, ck hair, he went wholly gray; from handsome, chiseled face of a middle-aged man he¡¯d be a wrinkled, wholly exhausted elder . From a voice brimming with authority, with defiance, with pure passion and desire, he¡¯d be a silent soul, his words scarce and low . From a warrior hellbent on diving into the fray, cleaving apart his foes with reckless abandon, he¡¯d grown slower, more cautious, meeker, wary of it all . Lino, however, couldn¡¯t grasp the depth of that change, no matter how hard he tried; what he was witnessing was a wholesome istion of a man for thousands of years, forever beset on fighting foes and former friends every day, watching the world he was once a part of die out slowly, bit by bit, bleeding like a gashed animal . Just how lonely Grazynth felt? Lino couldn¡¯t say . All he saw was a man slowly waning before his eyes, outliving the tragedy of mankind¡¯s ¡ª or, in his case, angelkind¡¯s ¡ª existence . " . . . hey, little one . " Grazynth suddenly spoke as the wind blew his now waist-long hair sideways . "Yer¡¯ still here, ay?" " . . . " "Ay, you are . I can feel ye . " a rare and faint smile crept upon Grazynth¡¯s face as he took a deep breath . "I can¡¯t say what ye shall take from my little story . . . but, at least, I wish to thank ye . For being here . With me . Sticking it out . Bearing witness to my little story . I have been buried in the sands of time for so long . . . now, I feel I can finally breathe . ¡¯Cause of ye, little one . I should be ashamed . . . ashamed of seeing my sessor witness my de growing duller, my heart meeker, my soul losing its me . But I ain¡¯t . I¡¯m d yer here . " Grazynth loosened his muscles, as though he was freeing himself of a burden that had been weighing over him since the dawn of times . "I¡¯ven¡¯t always been the sharpest of tools," he said . "And it would always take me a long time toprehend what Ataxia was teaching me . Chaos . . . Order . . . Void . . . Eldritch Realms . . . the Beginning . . . Singrity . . . these concepts, till this day, elude me . For a long while, both of us knew I ain¡¯t the man to fulfill his dreams . I wasn¡¯t strong enough . I wasn¡¯t clever enough . I wasn¡¯t driven enough . " I get it now . . . Lino thought, faintly smiling inwardly . "But . . . he stuck with me . Through thick and thin . Through the lows and the true rock bottom . He apanied me all the way here . . . to stand atop this tform and overlook the Edge of the World . The Far End of it all . Of all our desires, all our dreams . " " . . . " Grazynth grunted lowly and slowly got up, barely standing . " . . . till the day I died," he said, his eyes growing slightly moist . "He was here . " he clutched at his left-side chest . "Always . Right here . " he bumped it as his voice grew coarser . "I didn¡¯t care about what he wanted to do with the world . What he wanted to do with Angels, with Gods, Devils, Humans, Dragons, Gaia herself and what have you . " Yes . . . this is it . . . "I¡¯d done all he asked not because I believed in what he believed . . . not because I knew what he knew . . . not because of any of that crap . I¡¯d done it all . . . simply for a friend . " Grazynth smiled freely, almost as though he was once again a young man who was cast out of hisnd and was befriended by an strange entity . "He reached out his arm to me and grabbed me from down below and pulled me up and every time . . . every time I began falling back down . . . I¡¯d feel his hand pressing against my back, pushing me up . If you take anything from my little story, Empyrean, take this: what you give him . . . he¡¯ll repay . More than you can ever imagine . " Grazynth leapt off the tform onest time as only six people arrived at the far edge of the valley . All six were d in different armors, yet all seemed as old and as exhausted as Grazynth himself . Four were women and two were men, and they walked slowly as they approached toward the central point where Grazynth was waiting for them . "Yer¡¯ came . " Grazynth said with a faint smile, rising up his ax which by now had one de entirely gone, the other being clipped in half . "Ye all look like shite . " "You don¡¯t look much better yourself, old fart . " a woman replied, stepping forth . Though Lino was unable to distinguish any of the facial features of six, for some reason he was fairly certain this woman was na that Grazynth mentioned . "Ha ha, always with the flowery tongue," Grazynthughed innocently . "I¡¯m goin¡¯ to miss you the most . " "You don¡¯t have to . " na said, drawing back slightly . " . . . but I do," Grazynth grinned . He reminded Lino very much of Q¡¯vil when thetter was at the far end of his own life as well . Both . . . so readily epted their reality without showing a shred of doubt in their choice . "I was bested . . . but time shalle . . . it shalle . . . " "Every one of you says the exact same thing . " "And by gods do we all mean it! Ha ha ha!" " . . . " "Cheer upds," Grazynth said, taking a battle stance . "How many times in yer lives will you get to say ye felled an Empyrean?! Once, ay . . . once is more than enough . " The battle did notst long; rather, it was better to say that there was no battle . Unlike Q¡¯vil, Grazynth didn¡¯t go out like a dying star, in one final ze . He barely managed to stand on his own two feet before na slowly walked over and stuck a sword through his heart . He fell down, by all ounts looking like an old, enfeebled man, onto his knees . Yet, he was smiling . Broadly . Wholly . Innocently . " . . . isn¡¯t it beautiful, Empyrean?" he mumbled meekly into his jaw, drawing onest, final breath . "To be able . . . to die . . . for a friend . . . " With his fall, Lino felt as though a strange arm reached from theher and grasped at him, pulling him back from the dream into reality . He once again found himself back in the familiar tunnel, surrounded by ghastly things trying to eat away at his mind . He felt slightly dulled for a moment as he tried to recollect himself . He then smiled bitterly and shook his head . That sort of heroism while standing in the face of death . . . Lino was certain he didn¡¯t have it . He very much feared death, though he never openly admitted it; there was an ocean of difference between braving a front . . . and being brave . Both Grazynth and Q¡¯vil were simply two brave men who faced death in the eye and then weed it with smiles of readiness and eptance . Lino didn¡¯t believe for a second that it was because the two of them had nothing worth living for any longer . It was simply that their Wills were strong enough to ovee the fear of death . Lino¡¯s . . . wasn¡¯t . Not yet, at least, he thought . "Master?" Felix¡¯s voice jolted him from his brief dream as Lino looked sideways at the curious expression of this youngster . "Why¡¯d you suddenly stopped?" he asked . " . . . just remembered something . " Lino said, smiling lightly . "Sorry, let¡¯s move on . " "What did you remember?" Felix asked, still curious . " . . . an old friend," Lino said . "And how he died . " " . . . oh . Sorry . " Felix said, feeling guilty over asking . "I didn¡¯t know . . . " "Don¡¯t worry about it . He died . . . happy, I suppose . " "Eh? Is . . . is that even possible?" "Apparently," Lino shrugged . "If you¡¯re dying for a friend . " " . . . oh . " "Eh, his friend¡¯s kind of a dick, though . " Lino added with a faint grin . "M-master . . !!" "You really need to take that stick out of your ass . " Lino said, rolling his eyes . "You take everything too seriously . " " . . . " "Or maybe it¡¯s actually me, making jokes out of anything and everything?! No, it¡¯s the young that are wrong!" "You were having a moment, Master . . . " Felix said, sighing . "What do you mean? I¡¯m having a moment right now . And now . And what do you know, even now! Moments are everywhere and everytime!" " . . . " "What? I think it¡¯s funny . Laugh you bastard!" "Ha . . ha . . . " "Yeah, no wonder you couldn¡¯t make it as a proper Noble," Lino said . "You suck at small talk . You should learn a thing or two from your Master . As the matter of fact, while these ghastly morons are trying to scare us, let your Master teach you the art of tongueshing, the art so beautiful there are no official books to teach you because it needs to be acquired via, you guessed it, tongueshing! Isn¡¯t that just a beauty? Anyway, so, it goes like this . . . " and thus, in less than two hours, Felix woulde to know that his Master . . . really liked tongueshing . Chapter 129 Chapter 129 CHAPTER 129 EXPLORING THE RUINS Althone stood beneath a crumbled clocktower, his expression solemn and somewhat bitter . The light flickered off the small, golden sphere rotating around him, illuminating the ruined surroundings . He imagined it truly appeared grand in the heyday, yet now it looked the part of the copsed slums where the castaways ran to live in . Space around him suddenly warped as a figure appeared; it was an elderly, bald man with chest-long, white beard and rather bushy eyebrows and a pair of purple eyes, much like Althone himself . "Father . " Althone nodded in greeting as the neer focused on the clocktower as well . " . . . fascinating . " the old man said, stroking his beard . "It looks better made than our own in the Capital . " " . . . it really does . " Althone said . "Have you discovered anything?" " . . . only that it¡¯s pretty huge," the old man spoke very casually, which would make quite a few people shocked as he was none other than the Arch Emperor of the Divine Dynasty, Gustav, Althone¡¯s Father . "Roughly three times the size of our Empire . " "Eh?! What?!" Althone eximed in wonder . "Some parts disce the space as they extend out," Gustav exined with a faint smile . "I can¡¯t believe how advanced their knowledge was . Even the best of Formation Masters of our homnd couldn¡¯t do quarter of what they were capable so many moons ago . They managed toyer literal thousands of formation around atop one another and weave them in and out to create a concept without innate potency of space-discement . It¡¯s basically telling space to move further out . " " . . . aren¡¯t they just quasi-dimensional-pockets, then?" Althone asked after a short thought . "Not quite," Gustav borated . "Those ces are still . . . here . In our dimension . Clearly visible without any need to warp ourselves in the pocket¡¯s reality . It¡¯s really fascinating . Even I¡¯m having trouble truly grasping it . " " . . . are you sure you¡¯re not just pretending to be humble?" Althone asked with a slight grin . "Ah . . . I wish I was . . . " Gustav said, shaking his head and sighing . "But, unfortunately, all I said is true . Makes you wonder just how strong their opposition had to be if they were felled in the end . . . " " . . . it was a Battle of the Bearers," Althone said . "I doubt Kingdom itself had a grand role to y in the overall battle . " " . . . it can¡¯t have been that simple, Al¡¯," Gustav said, smiling bitterly . "Bearers are, at the end of the day, just as mortal as the rest of us . Don¡¯t go muddling the Writs with the Bearers themselves . It¡¯s a disservice to everyone involved . " " . . . what¡¯s next?" Althone asked . "Expand," Gustav said, taking a deep breath . "If we entered, it¡¯s certain that Damian had as well . And who knows if there are other parties exploring just the same? Aii, don¡¯t go bringing up your beggar," Gustav said with a faint grunt . "He¡¯s a one man . Powerful, certainly . But one man nheless . " "Have you figured out his strength?" Althone asked, somewhat curious . "Uh . . . no? He beat two Royal Guards without much issue, and that was pretty much the only disy of strength we¡¯ve seen . What do you think I am to figure out everything about him from that?" " . . . " "Then again, I sure as hell would like to go up against him," Gustav suddenly smiled strangely as he flexed his muscles for a moment . "If nothing else, I at least figured out he¡¯s just like me . " "Like you? Oh, you mean a Body Cultivator?" Althone eximed with slight surprise . "Aye . . . a Body Cultivator . Kind of makes you curious, no?" " . . . not really . " Althone said . "Most of you are just crazed, battle-thirsty morons . Who in their right mind would jump into the fray without any defenses outside their bodies? That¡¯s just asking to be killed . " "Hey brat," Gustav pped Althone over thetter¡¯s head, seemingly slightly angered . "You only get the right to spout bullshit once you beat this old man . Huh? What? Did a cat eat you fucking tongue? No, no, wait, it was your old man whipping your ass . Again . And again . I remember when you were a kid, you begged me to let you be a Body Cultivator too . Ah, how simple those times were . . . " " . . . why didn¡¯t you let me, though?" Althone asked, seeming slightly curious . "Eh? Why? You really don¡¯t remember?" "What?" "Dude . . . you literally kept stumbling over nothing and falling down . Your broke your nose like eight times in five years because you tripped over a rock or some shit . " " . . . " "Yeah, that¡¯s the face . " "Let¡¯s . . . let¡¯s just go . I think I finally understand why everyone was so excited when you said you were retiring . " "Ah, those old bastard just didn¡¯t know how to have fun . " Gustav shrugged his shoulders as the two began walking . " . . . yeah . That¡¯s it . It had nothing to do with the fact that you asked a Duke to strip naked mid-court-session because you thought he was a woman . " "Ohe on, give me something here . Did you hear him speak? He could easily be a lead opera singer with that voice!" " . . . " "Fine, fine, let¡¯s just go . . . " Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away beneath the earth, surrounded by the glistening crystals protruding from the ground surrounding a shoddy-looking, crackled altar, a man currently crouched in front of it, inspecting it in detail . The altar itself had strange inscriptions running through its surface, remnants of thenguage long since dead, with the metallic pole upholding a ttened, rectangr, slightly angled surface with a carved out, half-spherical dent at the very center . The surface under fingers was rugged and textured, with traces of soot round the dent . The man slowly stood up and scratched his head as he took out a stack of parchments from his coat and a quill, cing them onto the altar, slowly sketching the altar in great detail - including every character he could see - before jotting down his own thoughts about them on the side . Damian had been exploring the ruins for three days now all on his own whilst sending a few more people to various corners to map out the entire ce . Meanwhile, he himself would simply randomly pick a direction and walk toward it until he stumbled onto something that interested him - like the altar standing in front of him . Though he¡¯d done plenty of research on the Forgotten Kingdom,nguage was a tricky thing to figure out, especially without any framework or any kind of reference . They clearly used letters, and from his research he managed to put together forty-six unique symbols that could have been individual letters . However, past that, he could at most draw assumptions as to what the words meant in conjunction to the picture or image attached to them . Altar, however,cked any frame of reference when it came to the pictures, making it impossible to pinpoint exactly what its purpose was . However, from what little Damian was certain of when it came to the culture of the Forgotten Kingdom, he could safely assume it wasn¡¯t used for a religious ritual . They were bereft of religion entirely, following the philosophy of pragmatism over all else, with the exception of almost fervent reverence toward the Empyrean¡¯s Chosen . A few scattered records referencing them from the time that survived till today usually refer to the Kingdom simply by ¡¯Empyrion¡¯ as a form of mockery due to their pure reliance on a single figure to sustain them . However, those records are usually basked in personal bias, making them hardlypletely factual . Despite Damian weeding through them to the best of his abilities, he still couldn¡¯t formte a whole picture of the once grand Empire . Though he entered the ruins with the purpose of searching for Artifacts and Cultivation Methods, he was also very much interested in the Kingdom¡¯s story as well, their culture, social structure and economy . The concurrent descendants hardly tie in much to what the Kingdom was, and most of their ¡¯oral traditions¡¯ are entirely made up, so they can hardly be used as a source of knowledge . "Ah! I¡¯ve seen this word before . . . " Damian suddenly uttered in meek excitement as he deeply examined a few words he wrote down . "It was . . . ah, yes, notation beneath the painting depicting King¡¯s Coronation . Could this altar have something to do with it? Hmm . . . " After thinking for a few moments and realizing he had too little to go on, he simply put the parchments and quill back into his coat and examined the altar once again, making sure he didn¡¯t miss anything, before once again picking up the random direction and beginning his stroll . Along the way, he¡¯d notice many-a-ruin lying buried beneath earth, with only parts of them protruding outwards . There was no source of light besides the one he cast himself, and it almost appeared as though the ruin existed in an entirely different dimension . It was eerily silent and dark, covered in cobwebs and lingering traces of utter annihtion . Damian found that particr notion quite peculiar; he¡¯d warred quite often himself, and has been a part of conquering armies more than once, yet he¡¯d never seen any armymit aplete, cultural genocide over another . Usually, if anything, it was mainly religious buildings that were destroyed, while tradition itself would be left untouched . Yet, all around him was evidence that these ruins . . . were never meant to be found . Or, rather, even if they were, they were supposed to be found by the time everything was buried deep underground, leaving only barren soil in its wake for curious to trod through . He very much doubted that it was the Holy Lands that consecrated the Kingdom to this point; for all their faults, they very much like preserving any and all knowledge, even if the ¡¯truth¡¯ they release to the public is slightly skewed or outright falsified . The more he looked and the more he thought about it, it appeared as though the Kingdom . . . self-mutted . Or at least tried to . " . . . but . . the question is why . . . " he mumbled, walking further down the road into ever-encroaching darkness . Chapter 130 Chapter 130 CHAPTER 130 LESSONS AND TREASURES Ruins were, indeed, unimaginable in size . At the very least Felix thought so . Even after nearly a full week of exploration and walking, it seemed as though they had only just began . Due to the fact that there wasn¡¯t any overhead source of light, it was impossible to see anything past the distance of a few dozen meters, turning it into a pure imusibility to roughly estimate the size of the ce . Though they¡¯de across numerous strands of ruins, some even with seemingly important, historical value, Lino had never paused to look at them past a quick nce . It confused Felix greatly and he was tempted numerous times to simply let his Master get ahead just so he himself could devote a bit of time to understanding this ce . They, once again, came across an seemingly important relic; it was a quaintly tilted shelf, with a few stacks of paper scattered about . Despite the passage of years, neither the paper nor the wood shelf was built of deteriorated that much, leading Felix to believe it was quite important . Yet, once again, just as all other times, Lino merely nced at the shelf and walked onward, seemingly without care in the world . "M-master!" unable to hold it in any longer, Felix called out as he came to a halt . "Hm?" Lino turned around and cast a curiously nce at somewhat pensive Felix . "D-don¡¯t . . . don¡¯t you think these papers . . . could hold something important?" he asked, avoiding Lino¡¯s gaze . "Important?" Lino suddenly grinned innocently, realizing why Felix stopped . "What do you mean by important?" "Uh . . . you know . . . important things . " "I don¡¯t . Tell me . " "Master . . . please . . . " "Ha ha ha," Linoughed leisurely as he walked back and over to the shelf, picking up a few papers from the ground . "We¡¯re not here to learn how they lived, Felix . " Lino exined . "Though quite interesting that may be . We are not here to learn of their beliefs, their culture, their religion, ideas, desires and hatreds . . . do you know why we¡¯re here?" " . . . for the Artifacts?" Felix ventured a guess, sighing in resignation . "Hm, not quite," Lino said, smiling faintly . "Rather, that¡¯s why I brought you here . To find you something decent . You¡¯ve been my Disciple for a while but I haven¡¯t rewarded you with anything worthwhile . I can¡¯t have that . " "That¡¯s not true! Master has taught me many things!" "Good god kid, just . . . just take the hand I¡¯m offering," Lino rolled his eyes, sighing . "As interesting as all these papers may be, they can¡¯t be counted as gifts . Furthermore, neither you nor I stand a chance of having a whiff of a clue as to what any of this means . We¡¯re talking about anguage that¡¯s been dead for at least a billion years . Chances are, both its parent and childrennguages have died off as well . We have no reference to extract from . So, what you¡¯d be truly doing is staring like a moron at the sheets of paper . Do you really want to stare at the sheets of paper like a moron?" " . . . no . " "Good . Neither do I . Let¡¯s go then . " Lino said, throwing away the papers casually and resuming the walk, Felix following shortly after . "Does Master think there are really any Artifacts or such remaining in usable condition? After all . . . it has been so long . " Felix asked . "They¡¯re called Artifacts for a reason," Lino said . "Besides, majority of Artifactse from the age during which the Kingdom Prospered . Anything made in the current era, even if it was at the very start of it, cannot be referred to as an Artifact . " "Eh? Really?" Felix asked, seeming interested . "Of course," Lino said, shing him a quick smile before borating . "Items attain property of an [Artifact] by basically surviving into the next era . However, there are naturally differences between them . When ites to their individual strength, they are tiered simrly to our own items - Common, Umon, Enchanted, Rare, Epic, Legendary and Unique, respectively . " "Hm . " Felix nodded, signaling that he was following thus far . "Second division is by their age," Lino continued . "Here, Artifacts from thest era - Cultivation Era - do not have any additional prefix . They are just Artifacts . However, one additional era back, New World Era, they gain additional prefix: Ancient . So, they¡¯re called Ancient Artifacts . Artifacts dating back to Titan Era are called Celestial Artifacts, while Artifacts dating any further back in time are simply referred to as Void Artifacts . " "Oh!" Felix eximed in soft wonder; he was truly unaware of the divisions . "That¡¯s to say . . . if we find anything here, they¡¯ll just be called Artifacts?" "Not necessarily," Lino said . "If there¡¯s one thing Kingdoms have inmon universally, it¡¯s that they like to hoard things . Especially precious things . If we get lucky, we might get some Artifacts from further back in time . " "Are they stronger than the newer ones?" Felix asked . "Uh . . . not necessarily," Lino said, scratching his head; even his knowledge when it came to this was rather thin, simply because he hasn¡¯t been a cksmith for all that long . "They are . . . different, however . Until Cultivation Era, where cksmithing methods were modernized and you could say ¡¯perfected¡¯, crafting varied . . . a lot . As did methods and materials and blueprints . Honestly, even I don¡¯t know much when ites to this . " " . . . Master does seem quite knowledgeable about crafting . Is Master a smith himself?" Felix asked . "I dabble . " Lino replied simply, unwilling to borate any further . "Hm?" Lino suddenly stopped, his eyes tracing sideways into the darkness . Felix tried to follow and see what his Master noticed, however only darkness nketed his entire horizon . "What is it, Master?" Felix asked, curious . "There¡¯s faint trace of Qi nearby," Lino said . "Wanna go and check it out?" "Someone else got inside?" Felix asked, immediately growing more cautious . Even if he didn¡¯t have as much life experience as his Master, he knew quite well that people who came here weren¡¯t interested in making friends . "Don¡¯t be so nervous . " Lino said, pping Felix¡¯s back of the head gently . "They¡¯re quite weak . Probably just small parts of bigger groups . Let¡¯s go and see what¡¯s what . " " . . . alright . " Following his Master¡¯s lead, Felix began to walk in a crescent arc, though he himself had no clue where they were heading . However, it seemed his Master could see much further than the edges eyes could touch . Of course, Felix thought, it was his Master after all . Soon enough, Felix himself began hearing faint sounds of shing metals and soft explosions; they were no doubt sounds of fighting . However, seeing as his Mater neither said anything nor stopped, Felix also decided to simply remain silent and follow . After a short uphill climb, the two found themselves overlooking a small crater, no wider than a few dozen meters . At the center, four figures were currently engaged in a battle - two versus two . shes of bright light appeared and disappeared from the darkness, with cold, metallic sheen reflecting eerier colors of blood whenever it was spilled . Just as Felix wanted to ask his Master who they were, the four stopped fighting and looked at the two neers . Or, rather, they looked at Felix; or, even more precisely, they sensed Felix¡¯s approach . It was simply too dark to see who it was, but they felt faint fluctuations of Qiing from that direction, causing them to all halt the battle and collectively look at Felix who felt cold shivers run down his spine for a moment . "Who goes?" one of the men asked menacingly . " . . . " there was no reply, however . Unlike Felix, who seemed quite rmed, Linopletely ignored the four people, his gaze focused at the center of the crater where a small objected rested . It was norger than a palm, made entirely of some sort of ss it seemed, giving off faint, almost unnoticeable Qi fluctuations . In shape of a briolette, if ced in a shop next to other jewelry, it would appear almost unremarkable . However, here, in deserted barrend, it was like the most precious gemstone amidst the sea of dud . Lino focused on it deeply, invoking the Primal Spirit of Blood after a long slumber to inspect it . [?????[Language Unknown] - Artifact] Level: 100 Special Effect: Increases Qi Recovery in battle by 20% Special Effect: Enables ability to breathe under water temporarily . Note: #$!!$#& - Language Unknown - "Hoh?" Lino eximed softly, stroking his chin . "Interesting . . . " "Master?" Felix asked softly, still seeming somewhat afraid . "They¡¯re fighting over an Artifact," Lino exined . "It¡¯s a pretty decent one . Hm, yeah, this is a good opportunity . Go down there, kill them and take the Artifact . Show your Master what you can do . " " . . . eh? What?" "What what? Did you go deaf?" Lino rolled his eyes at Felix as he sat down, took out a gourd full of fine wine from his gourd, and rxed himself in preparation for the show . "Go . They¡¯re pretty exhausted and two of them are quite seriously wounded . If you can¡¯t do even this much, then . . . y¡¯know, you kind of suck . " " . . . " "Go, show your Master a good show . Ha ha ha . Ah, don¡¯t worry, Artifact is yours . No such thing as finders keepers with your Master . " " . . . " I HATE YOU!!! "I heard that . " "EH?!" " . . . just . . . just go . . . please . . . " Chapter 131 Chapter 131 CHAPTER 131 TWISTS OF LIFE Lino sat silently by the edge, eyes focused onto Felix who was slowly walking over to the alert group of four . He was quite interested in the Cultivation Art as well as Martial Arts Felix had up his sleeves, as his Father has long since been considered one of the strongest Dukes in the entire Empire, partially due to the Cultivation Method . Felix, on the other hand, quickly grew serious; though the four before him were all exhausted and wounded, all were actually Peak Purity Realm cultivators, Level 180! He himself was Level 163 and while that didn¡¯t seem like that much of a difference, it was a difference between three stages - Mid, Late and then Peak . He extended both his arms downward and sped them into fists as cyan light suddenly flickered around his fingers like embers of birthing me . He stopped roughly fifteen meters away from the four people and took in a deep breath; steeling his veins, he rammed both his fists into the floor causing it to quake fiercely while a glimmering, blue shadow flew forth from his arms like a river through the earth . "Not good! That¡¯s [Cinder of the Frozen Heavens]!!" one of the four figures eximed . "Dodge!!" Just as the voice erupted out into the open and four figures tried scaling back, earth before them exploded into smithereens as countless icicles shaped like swords burst out from beneath, attacking them . Though all four somehow managed to evade the icicles, they found themselves off-bnce which Felix didn¡¯t pass up on; fluttering light shimmered beneath his feet as he skated sideways as though on ice, bringing the four figures directly into his view . His eyes suddenly lit up lightnterns, glowing in beautiful, ethereal azure with strands of smoke escaping their edges . He bent halfway forward and extended his arms outward whereupon both shook; threads of thin azure coiled around, sinking down to his palms at which point they extended into t, smooth discs . Felix heaved his arms forward, sending the discs flying through the air; they buzzed and whizzed, leaving behind a faint, cyan trail of smoke, barreling toward the four figures . "Oh, not bad!" Lino eximed, taking a gulp of wine . "Decent timing, good aim! Unlucky though . . . tsk, tsk . Why attack so directly? You had created the perfect cover! Why not use it to attack from their blind spot?!" Because I wouldn¡¯t be able to hit them!! Felix wanted to cry out yet held it in . As though the pressure of facing four people - all of whom were much stronger than he was - wasn¡¯t enough, his Master decided to also add in a sidementary . One of the four figures suddenly stepped forth; it was a man in his mid-thirties, built like a wall . He took a deep breath and raised his leg before plummeting it down into the earth . Ground exploded and rose up into a extremely thick wall of dirt . Though it was unable topletely stop the discs, it slowed them down considerably, allowing time for the four to escape . "What¡¯s the meaning of this, Young Master Felix?!!" one of the four figures suddenly eximed . "Are you rebelling?!!" "Hey, shut up!" rather than hearing Felix reply, another voice chimed in . "What do you mean rebelling? Who are you, you fat-ass? Shut up and fight my Disciple . Don¡¯t make mee down!" "But, Master--" "They¡¯re just some lowly bastards . Even if you kill them, Al¡¯ won¡¯t say anything . Don¡¯t worry about it . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "How dare you call out His Divinity¡¯s name so casually?!!" the man erupted into a ear-splitting roar,pletely ignoring Felix as he turned toward the source of the voice . "Your only punishment is death!" "I¡¯ll pass . . . better yet, why have you stopped fighting? Felix, chop-chop-chop! Come on! Show your Master what you¡¯ve got . " Lino acted like one of those cheerleaders during the Colosseum Games, making Felix physically blush in embarrassment . Burying it into his heart, the young man removed all distractions from his thoughts and resumed fighting . He drew Qi out through his palms and brushed a map above him, causing dozens of thin icicles to form before sending them spiraling toward the group . He then backed up slightly before turning around in a swift motion and, with extended palms, shed out streams of frigid Qi, causing the earth surrounding him to freeze up almost instantly . Icicles came crashing upon the four who had no choice but to defend; earth wall was erupted once again, beyond which stream of flickering, golden mes rose up in a t wave, surmounting the wall and shing past the icicles, crashing toward Felix . Still m, Felix sped his hands together and closed his eyes for a moment, rousing winds around him from their slumber . A momentter, earth around him melted into water before forming a nketing screen before him . Fire crashed into the screen and dissipated, yet not before destroying the screen itself and forcing Felix to take a few steps back . Felix grit his teeth and leapt, using the momentum to bounce off the walls of the crater and split sideways, evading the iing boulder which crashed just a momentter at the spot he leapt from . While still midair, Felix spun and began condensing Qi into his fingers, suddenly weaving them out into a massive web which began falling toward the four . Without resting he also bolstered himself downward and crashed into the earth with a massive momentum, causing a resounding explosion and ensuing massive shockwave to emit forward, followed shortly by a blinding heap of stacked icicles which looked almost like a hedgehog from the distance . The further along the icicles spread, the taller and wider they grew, reaching nearly sixty meters in width and twenty meters in height toward their end . Four figures groaned in dismay; not only were they wounded and exhausted, most-importantly, they were extremely short on Qi reserves . Net falling from the sky prevented their escape while the tidal wave of ice came crashing at them . Just as they gave up, they saw a shadow slither from seemingly nowhere and stand before them . It was a man wearing extremely tattered clothes, with long, ck hair somewhat haphazardly tied into a tail, and beard consuming nearly all of his face . The man tilted his head sideways for a moment before nodding and extending his arm . An ordinary-looking sword appeared a blinkter and then it shed, well beyond the speed the four could keep a track of . However, they felt it; that single sh . . . carried at least a hundred times as much danger as the icicles bearing down on them . The resulting sh of the massive formation of ice and a tiny sword wentpletely against themon sense; former copsed into pieces immediately, sttering around into tiny, pebble-sized chunks . The mere after-shock of the swing then cruised into the sky and disintegrated the entirely, leaving not only four figures, but also Felix himself gobsmacked . He himself knew the best just how strong thebination was; he could actually threaten Early Illumine Realm cultivator, yet his Master dealt with it all by roughly swinging a sword . Apletely ordinary-looking sword . . . swung in apletely ordinary-looking way . . . indeed, Felix thought as he smiled faintly, that¡¯s my Master . Four people standing behind Lino, however, had harder timeing to terms with reality . They didn¡¯t care much as to who the man was, but more as to which side he belonged to . Even if they stood some, remote chance while contending against Felix if they burned their Vitality, they stood absolutely none against this man . That was a mountain that was impossible to climb for them; at the very least, they imagined, the man was Peak Numinous Realm, possibly even an Exalted . Naturally, Lino was neither at Numinous Realm nor an Exalted . . . he hadn¡¯t even reached Illumine Realm . He was even weaker than Felix when it came to realms, being only Early Purity Realm . However, Realms themselves hardly ever truly defined one¡¯s strength . And even less so for Lino, Bearer of the Empyrean Writ . If he couldn¡¯t skip dozens - if not hundreds of levels - while contending against people with Cultivation Methods from the Western Continent he may as well stab himself in the foot and call it quits . "Hooh . . . not bad, not bad," Lino praised Felix with a smile, putting the sword away . "That was quite abo . It¡¯s just . . . doesn¡¯t it use a bit too much Qi? You¡¯re halfway done!" " . . . ah, Master is truly amazing," Felix said, sighing . "I¡¯ve been trying to lower the Qi cost for a long while . But . . I¡¯m kind of stumped . . . " "Hmm . . . well, I don¡¯t know the exact way you summon it," Lino said, stroking his chin . "But perhaps you could hollow out unnecessary parts of the tidal wave, sustaining just enough mass to carry the onward momentum?" "Ah? That . . . that . . . that could actually work!" Felix eximed softly, immediately sitting down to do the calctions, afraid he might forget them . Lino, on the other hand turned toward the four still-stumped figures and smiled faintly . "It¡¯s too early to be fighting," he said . "I imagine Al¡¯ already warned you to avoid conflict as much as possible, no?" " . . . " the two men who seemed to be under the Emperor Althone nodded absentmindedly . Seeing how the man before them referred to the Emperor . . . there was a chance he was actually an Imperial!! Such figure . . . they would be lucky to just catch a glimpse of him from the distance, let alone talk to him! Lino waspletely unaware of the mounting misunderstandings and, even if he was, he wouldn¡¯t really care all that much . For all intents and purposes, his actual strengthpared to the rest of those within the ruins indeed ranged around Imperial to Eximious Realms . " . . . you two . . . " Lino then turned toward the other two men; though their faces werepletely unknown to him, their Qi was somewhat familiar . "Who do you work for?" "Uh . . . we . . . uh . . . " "Geez, just spit it out . What are you? A maiden in love?!" "We, we work for Lady Ava . . . " one of the men managed to mutter out, causing quite a bit of shock to Lino . "Oh? Major Ava?" he smiled faintly . "Is she in the ruins?" "Y-yes . . . " "Ha ha, Fate¡¯s really a strange thing . So she¡¯s here, huh? Eh, it only makes it more interesting . Alright, go back you four . Remember, don¡¯t go fighting just yet . It¡¯s too early . " "What about the Artifact----yes, we¡¯re going . " just a single re from Lino was enough to dissuade all four of them from attempting to take back the Artifact . They bowed lightly and bolted away as quickly as possible, afraid the strange man might change his mind; experts are, after all, known to have really . . . fickle tempers . " . . . Master . . . why did you let them go?" Felix asked, feeling confused . "Didn¡¯t you tell me to kill them?" " . . . hm, you¡¯re really quick on the trigger, eh?" "Eh?" "What? Just because I tell you to kill someone, you wag your tail like a dog and do it?!" "M-master . . . ?!" Felix felt rather helpless at the moment, wishing to cry out ¡¯I didn¡¯t want to do it!! You forced me!!¡¯ but having no courage . " . . . don¡¯t go dolling out death punishment so easily, Felix," Lino said, his tone rather serious, surprising Felix who was quite ustomed to ever-goofy Master of his . "Life . . . isn¡¯t so cheap . " " . . . yes . " "Do I really have to spell out my teachings?" the ever-goofy Master was back, which helped Felix rx quite a bit . "You ought to think for yourself! Don¡¯t just do what others tell you!! . . . were you really willing to kill them just because I told you to do it?" Lino asked, looking at Felix somewhat strangely . " . . . yes . " " . . . " " . . . " "You . . . ah . Whatever . Pick up that Artifact and let¡¯s go . Looks like my teachings are still inadequate . . . I have to improve as well!" Master . . . you . . . ah, whatever . Felix simply resigned himself to whatever Fate weed him . He knew for a while his life would be anything but peaceful while serving under Lino; it was, really, just a matter of scale at this point . And it looked like Master had absolutely zero intention of ying a side character or a role of an observer during the exploration of ruins . ¡¯Will I be forced to choose between him and the Emperor? Oh gosh . . . dad, please be here in the ruins!! I really need your advice!!!¡¯ Chapter 132 Chapter 132 CHAPTER 132 BLUEPRINTS APLENTY Felix and Lino hadn¡¯t ran into anyone else for the following three days . Following Felix¡¯s short outburst, Lino would now asionallye to a halt when they ran across something interesting and give Felix some time to explore . Meanwhile, Lino himself wound find a quaint spot and lie down, taking a quick nap to recharge his batteries . The days were quite uneventful, but Felix didn¡¯t really mind . When he wasn¡¯t trying to understand various structures of the ruins, he was attempting to follow his Master¡¯s advice over how he can better utilize his best Martial Art [Frozen Crescendo] . Hollowing out the initial parts and giving them just enough mass to carry on the momentum sounded easy enough, but it required him to pretty much re-write the way he used Qi through pathways in order to utilize it properly . He didn¡¯t mind, however, as he found it quite fun; up until now, he mostly just followed the instructions within the Arts blindly, never having an idea of changing them . It was also now that he finally understood what his father meant when he would tell him to ¡¯make the whole Art his own¡¯ . The reason why his father could use [Frozen Crescendo] so easily was due to enormous Qi reserves, something Felix simplycked - not only because of lower Realm, but also differences in fighting styles . His father was a headstrong type of a man, and it reflected in the way he fought; if he could he¡¯d used the simplest and most effective method over anything else - simply overwhelming the other side with sheer quantity . Felix, on the other hand, was much more of a flexible type; he preferred darting around and firing only when he couldn¡¯t be retaliated against, leading to his Qi pathways being considerably thinner than his father¡¯s, but his general control of Qi actually surpassing his father¡¯s . Lino didn¡¯t meddle any further into Felix¡¯s Art after the initial assessment; it was something Felix had to do himself, as it was Art meant to correspond with who he was . Lino himself was trying to figure out how the whole mess of the ruins would y out . So far, he was aware that at least three big yers entered - Divine Dynasty, Damian and his forces, as well as Major Ava - most-likely as a representative of her n . He was fairly certain there were at least few other forces, and even more individuals altogether, which made it quite a headache when trying to n ahead . There was also the case of Eggor and E - the very reason he rushed over so quickly . If they were still here, Lino wagered they were somece toward the center rather than anywhere else . He wasn¡¯t really worried about their safety; to say nothing of E who has probably gotten much stronger over the past ten years, there was also that old bastard and his items . Those were not something cultivators of Western hemisphere could contend against . . . "Woof!" a familiar bark jolted him back from his thoughts; he casually nced to his left and saw a rather rugged-looking husky with beautiful, silver eyes wagging his tail and tongue at him . Though Lino reacted nonchntly, Felix was shocked immensely . How did this dog get here?!! He wasn¡¯t with us since that inn!! "Eh? You found something?" Lino arched his brows, growing intrigued . "E-eh?! Master, you knew dog was here?!" " . . . huh?" Lino looked at Felix with slight confusion . "He was with us the whole time . . . he left when you sat down to explore a bit . " " . . . what?" "What?" "What do you mean he was with us the whole time?! I didn¡¯t see him!! Once!!" Felix cried out . He waspletely assured his Master was ying a prank on him and he wasn¡¯t willing to have any of it anymore . " . . . eh? You really didn¡¯t see him?" Lino asked, feeling even more incredulous at the moment . "Don¡¯t . . . don¡¯t tell me your Divine Sense is so weak that this dog can evade it? I mean . . . the bastard¡¯s got some talent in being stealthy . . . but . . . still . . . " " . . . just tell me the truth Master . " Felix said . "I can handle it . " "But I am telling you the truth . . . " " . . . fine . " Felix gnashed his teeth angrily . "y your pranks . See if I care!!" " . . . but you really look like you care . . . " "I don¡¯t care!! I don¡¯t!" " . . . " Lino cast another nce at Felix who seemed on the verge of crying and shook his head, thinking how thisd was really quick to tears . He slowly got up and left Felix to that random column they ran across and decided to follow the dog . "What¡¯d you find?" he asked . "Woof, wo-wo-WOOOF--woff!" a whole stream of barks came out, alongside river of spit . Luckily, the dog wasn¡¯t turned toward Lino . "Blueprints?" Lino was even more intrigued now . "Interesting . . . good find, Basketcase . " "Woof woof!" "What do you mean that¡¯s not your name? What¡¯s your name then?!" " . . . w--woof . . . woof?" "You can¡¯t remember? Whatever . We¡¯ll just stick to Nonsense then . " "Woof! Woof!" "Fine, fine, I¡¯ll call you Non then . What does that even mean . . . " "Woof~~" Non led Lino through the numerous winding roads, blocked off with towering boulders and hills, before finallying to a halt in front of a narrow entrance leading into the ground itself . Lino quickly scanned it with Divine Sense and found no trace of life inside . Non was the first to enter, followed shortly after by Lino . Though narrow, Lino was able to wiggle himself through with a bit of effort, finallynding into a spacious room after a few minutes . As there was no source of light, he took out a torch from the void world and lit it up; he couldn¡¯t help but sigh, feeling how cruel it was that he couldn¡¯t externalize his Qi . . . even to just shine some light . The room was actually perfectly squared, with only a few dents in the walls ruining the symmetrical perfection . Itprised of only a bed, a couple of tables and chairs as well as a shelf in the corner . Ignoring everything else, Lino casually walked over to one of the tables that had several sheets of papers spread about . Non himself walked over and leapt onto the bed, snoring sounds filling the room shortly after . Lino examined the first paper in great detail; the sketches depicted a sort of strange device, with two wheels at sides attached to a massive log of wood - shaped sort of like a battering ram . The wheels were attached slightly before one end of the log, with the other end ttened with the floor . Additionalponents were sketched out at the sides, some depicting chair-like structures and one even depicting a massive, thigh-thick cannon made of alloyed, mithril-cast steel . " . . . eh?" Lino eximed softly, confused . "What the fuck¡¯s this supposed to be?" he put the paper into the void world . No matter what it was, it was still a good reference material of nothing else . Moving onto the second blueprint, this one was much easier to understand - it was a shield . However, it was by no means a simple sort of shield . The design was quite tricky, depicting fouryers in total, not to mention that the shield was supposed to be at least fourteen meters tall for some reason . "Isn¡¯t this more akin to a freaking wall . . . ?" Lino mumbled as he traced over the other parts of the blueprint . What interested him, however, far more than the shield were the arrays he came across by the end . He immediately began studying them in great detail, eximing in shock when he realized theirplexity . Arrays that are inscribed on items are generally divided by theirplexity - however many lines andyers they had . From Basic, Advanced, Intermediate, Distinguished, Masterwork and Perfect . Those were at least the divisions Lino was aware of . He himself hadplete mastery over Basic Arrays, and was nearingplete mastery of Advanced arrays . He only dabbled theoretically into Intermediate stage, though he had no confidence of actually inscribing one onto a weapon . Looking at theplexity of arrays depicted on the blueprint, Lino estimated that they were actually a whole tier above Intermediate - being at least Distinguished . There were four in total, all entirely focused on defense as far as Lino could decipher them . In reality, he was only able to recognize a few lines among literal thousands of them . " . . . studying this will be a nightmare," Lino sighed, stocking the blueprint away . "I¡¯ll have to ask that old bastard to give me some references when we meet . Otherwise . . . I might literally die before figuring out anything . " He then quickly picked up thest blueprint that was on the table and was immediately shocked; it wasn¡¯t written in the Oreb Language! It was actually written in a much more modernnguage - though that ¡¯modern¡¯ was really justparatively speaking, as Easton Language was still at least a few hundred million years old . . . meaning it was considered a Lost Language and was no longer in use . However, it was still much better than Oreb Language, as schrs had managed to piece together a few hundred words altogether, making it somewhat easier to understand documents and Artifacts from the Eastonian Kingdoms . However, perhaps the greatest difference was that Easton Language used the same numerical system as the contemporarynguage - meaning Lino was able to more or less figure out the final stats of the item depicted in the blueprint, which was actually a spear, making him somewhat excited . That excitement, however, waned quickly . [Cursed ??? ??? Spear - Ancient Legendary Artifact - Blueprint] Level: 1600 Requirement[1]: Level 1800 Requirement[2]: Strength - 1,000,000 Requirement[3]: Primordial-tier Cultivation Method Requirement[4]: Dragon¡¯s Blessing x4 Requirement[5]: Dragon Guardian, Cursed Child, Warmonger, Sinner of the Seven Seas -- Titles Damage: Strength & Qi amplification --- 6000x (???) +200,000 Strength +20% of Qi added to Strength +1000% to +1000% to +1000% to +1% to +0,001% to -50,000 to Agility -30% to Attack Speed Special Effect: ??? throw ??? ??? 6000% Qi, ??? ??? Special effect: ??? ??? ??? ??? damage ??? 50% ??? Special Effect: Void ??? ??? ??? 500% ??? ??? 20% ??? ??? Special Effect: [SEALED] Special Effect: [SEALED] Special Effect: [SEALED] Note: Spear ??? ??? ??? cksmith ??? ??? era ??? ??? [Hellbound Emperor] ??? ??? ??? to ???? ???? ???? Devils . ???? ???? ???? Lino felt cold sweat break out in droves from his back; this isn¡¯t a spear, this is a weapon of mass fuckin¡¯ destruction!! Forget the fact that Lino had no clue what half the stuff meant when it came to bonuses, just the fact the way damage was calcted terrified him . He¡¯d never seen it before, the fact that the weapon had no base damage in and of itself -- it was entirely derived from one¡¯s own prowess . It meant that the weapon was as strong as its wielder was; for instance, if someone had just 40 Strength and 40 Qi in the numerical values, damage would total out at 480,000!! It waspletely insane!! Then there were requirements . . . Lino simply lost any desire to look any further after seeing the first two - Level 1800 and one million Strength . It simply wasn¡¯t something that he was able toprehend; his own strength, reigning supreme at over 4000 could be considered a heaven-defiant anomaly considering his Level, yet he was nothing inparison . However, Lino quickly gleamed that this wasn¡¯t just another spear, even back then; it was clear that it was pretty much forged for just one person - the Hellbound Emperor, though it was Lino¡¯s first time hearing of such figure . He could only imagine the terror of battles fought on that scale . Just a single swipe of this Spear was enough to probably decimate at least 2/3 of the entire Western Continent, if not to raze it entirely . Simply put - this weapon didn¡¯t belong to this world . Then there were also the strange, Void amplifications; what intrigued Lino the most was the seemingly abysmal increase of 0,001% to . However, his gut feeling was telling him that this option alone was more important than everything else on the listbined . He¡¯d long sincee to realize that anything having to do with the concept of Void was by no means weak; just looking at his own Void World he gained from the Primal Spirit, he knew Void was anything but just ¡¯extra pocket of space to store the stuff into¡¯ . The mystery behind it ran much deeper, however, Lino as he was now was ill-equipped to even begin understanding it . He simply stored the blueprint into the void world and sighed . Thinking back to those items he¡¯d seen in thependium of items, Lino realized that there were some stark differences; this Spear was focused entirely on simple concept of destroying whatevery in its path . It had little to no utility outside of fighting . Most experienced cksmiths would even agree that it was quite crude and simplistic whenpared to some moreplex and nuanced designs, especially the Ancient Hammers which could increase the crafting speed by threefold . Perhaps that was also the reason why items like these weren¡¯t added into thependium; after all, given enough time and proper resources, mostly every good cksmith can create a destructive item meant only for killing . Still, Lino felt this spear wasn¡¯t as simple as it appeared on the surface . Pure destruction was one thing, but pure destruction that could not be withstood? That was a concept well beyond the notion of simply being a ¡¯good weapon¡¯ or an item suited for apendium of crafted items . He sighed lowly and leaned back onto the chair, feeling a sudden itch to craft something himself . After all, it¡¯s been almost ten years since hest crafted an item . In his heart, soul and mind, being a cksmith was always his first and foremost goal and dream . Everything else - including the whole Writ business - came second . Soon . . . I¡¯ll also have to replenish pretty much everything . I¡¯ve got no decent weapon or armor to speak of . . . even my only Soul Creation was destroyed . . . haii . . . that hurt more than being unable to train for ten years . . . Chapter 133 Chapter 133 CHAPTER 133 TERRIFYING EXPERTS It¡¯s almost been a month since Felix and Lino had entered the ruins, yet save for the idental meeting of four people once, they haven¡¯t ran into another living soul since . Moreover, Felix only now began to grasp the sheer size of this ce; it wasn¡¯t simply ¡¯ruins¡¯ as those he read about in texts, that at most had a few dozen buildings . It was a genuine, Empire-sized underground ce of sorts, with signs of numerous, individual cities connected with the winding roads . From time to time, his Master would wander off following the dog, but Felix never inquired as he himself looked forward to those times since they gave him opportunity to study the ruins in more detail . Even if he was unable to understand a single letter of the strangenguage, thanks to mosaics, paintings and asional sculptures, he slowly began forming a notion of Forgotten Kingdom¡¯s identity . Along the way they came across another Artifact which was simrly gifted to him; it had little practical use as it mainly increased Fire Qi attributes, but he could always donate it to his Family¡¯s treasury and take something that suited him in return . From what Felix observed, Lino truly didn¡¯t seem to care about the Artifacts . He only ever bothered if they were somewhere close, and would always have Felix go grab them and keep them without ever even looking at them . Felix, lost in thought while looking at various sketches on an archaic piece of parchment that he picked up, suddenly bumped into something firm and fell backwards . Looking up, he saw that his Master had suddenlye to a halt, hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his face . Following Lino¡¯s gaze, Felix looked forward and spotted another figure ten or so meters away; it was a . . .pletely ordinary-looking man, Felix realized . However, once he looked at the man¡¯s eyes, Felix felt terror akin to hellish punishment creep through his soul . Powerful expert! Damian stood in ce, curious of the strangely-dressed neer standing close to him; it didn¡¯t take even a moment for him to realize that this was the legendary beggar from the City of Sun that he heard so much about . True to the rumors, no matter how Damian looked at the man, he couldn¡¯t gleam anything . . . absolutely anything . It was as though the man before him didn¡¯t even exist; he would be able to discern a thing or two even if the man was just an ordinary mortal, yet, despite his probing, nothing came of it . It felt as though the world was void of everything at the ce the man stood . "Hello . " Lino said with a carefree smile, waving lightly toward Damian . "Hello . " Damian replied in an ordinary, unhurried voice, bowing slightly . "How are you?" "I¡¯m well . You?" "I can¡¯tin . " "That¡¯s good . " "It is . " "How are wife and kids?" Felix watched the two exchange small-talk as though they were old-time friends, yet, he was 100% certain this was the first time two met . Experts are truly terrifying . . . in many different ways . . . "Healthy . " "That¡¯s good . Health is important . " "Indeed it is . Are you blessed with a family?" Damian asked . "Unfortunately no . " "That¡¯s a shame . Family is a good thing . " "Indeed it is," Lino said, nodding . "How¡¯s work?" Hey, hey hey!!! Felix screamed inwardly, utterly gobsmacked . What the hell is this?!! Why are you talking like two friends from work?! "Interesting . I¡¯ve learned many things recently . " "That¡¯s good . Knowing more is always beneficial . " "You?" Damian asked . "I¡¯ve learned plenty as well . " "Do you wish to trade?" "What are we trading?" Lino asked . "What do you have?" "Blueprints . You?" "Three quality, [Rare] otherwise extinct materials per blueprint . " "Agreed . " Felix then watched two men exchange goods as though it was nothing out of the ordinary . They truly operated on apletely different level from him . "Nice . " Lino said, examining the twelve materials he obtained . "You were quite lucky . " "So were you . " Damian said, looking over the blueprints of strange weapons and items that he couldn¡¯t yet fully understand . He figured he¡¯d have to immerse himself in seclusion if he wanted to grasp them truly . "I¡¯m Damian . " "I¡¯m Lino . " "It was nice meeting you . In case youe across more goods, contact me . " Damian threw over a jade-crafted talisman which Lino casually caught and threw into void world . "Ditto . " Lino said, throwing one of his own that Damian caught and simrly put away . "It was a pleasure . " "Likewise . Good luck . " "Same to you . " as casually as he came, Damian walked away, leaving behind gratified Lino and Felix who felt as though his understanding of the world was being shattered . What was that?! No matter how hard he tried . . . he couldn¡¯t process it . "Interesting guy . " Lino mumbled, smiling faintly . "M-master . . . was . . . was that really Damian? The Damian?" Felix asked weakly . "Hm? Yeah . What about it?" Lino asked . " . . . " "Nice guy, right?" "Y-yeah . . . nice guy . . . " "He even gave me a piece of [Refined Moon-cast Iron] . Do you know how rare this thing is?" Lino said, shing a palm-sized, silver-hued object in front of Felix¡¯s eyes . "Rumors are that there are no more than fifteen unused pieces remaining in the world, yet he so casually gave it away . Haah . . . a really generous guy . " " . . . " above everything else, however, Felix felt . . . disappointed . That was a meeting between two powerful experts!! Where was witty banter?! Where were exchanges, respect gained through mutual struggle?! Where was anything worthwhile?!! "M-master . . . did you know him before today?" Felix asked . "Eh? No . I just met him . " " . . . " "He¡¯s much better than that Al¡¯ prick," Lino said, clicking his tongue . "Calling me little beggar . Humph . Bastard . " " . . . " Felix felt cold sweat swarm his back . Master is really unafraid of everything and everyone!! Calling His Majesty a bastard . . . he¡¯s probably the only one on the continent . . . "Ah, anyway, let¡¯s speed up," Lino suddenly said, putting his hands back into his pockets . "That guy will probably circle around and meet up with his forces before converging toward the center . Chances are, Al¡¯s already there as well as few others . We can¡¯t begging behind . What if they take all the good stuff? Humph . I¡¯d rather eat shit than let that guy take anything . " " . . . M-master . . . do you . . . do you have some grudge against His Majesty?" Felix asked meekly . "Grudge? No? Why do you ask?" Lino asked, turning around and looking at Felix with odd eyes . " . . . haaah . . no reason . " "Jeez, get a grip man . Don¡¯t go off creating stories in your head, that¡¯s unhealthy . " Yeah . . . I¡¯m really unhealthy, caring about anything anymore . . . Felix remained quite dispirited as he matched his Master¡¯s slightly elevated pace . They sped past numerous ruins, making Felix sigh in regret . However, he knew there would be time toe back here and explore to his heart¡¯s content once the major powers have swept all the important valuables . Though it may take a while for that to happen, as Empress¡¯ right-hand he felt he would also have at least a small bit of priority . Thinking about it elevated his spirit somewhat, making him more excited . Though his Master and Damian¡¯s meeting was rather . . . uneventful, Felix knew that wouldn¡¯t be the case once everyone converged at the center . However they may behave on the surface, Felix was well aware that this was the dog-eat-dog sort of a world, especially at the very height of power . In order to remain there, one can hardly afford to be soft; if there were benefits to be gained, especially if those benefits were quite important, it wasn¡¯t strange for two sides to enter a long, dreadful war over it all . He¡¯d watched his Father repeatedly go back and forth between the City of Sun and Frontier, growing colder and more distant with each visit . Felix didn¡¯t really understand it as a young boy, even fostering some resentment toward his Father . While other kids his age enjoyed their Fathers¡¯ personal teachings and love, he was lucky enough if he got to see the man twice a year . It wasn¡¯t until muchter that he learned to instead respect what his Father was doing . While other Nobles festered in thefort of their own homes, his Father remained at frontlines repeatedly, year in and out, defending against all sorts of wicked groups . He even began hoping to one day inherit the title of the Duke and substitute his Father at the frontier . This expedition was also quite important to him; not only would it show him the true big yers of the continent, but also provide him with knowledge over just how far behind he was and what he had to do to get up there with the rest . He cast a quick nce at his Master, at this elusive figure that seemedpletely unshakable . Whether it rained blood or thunder, it always seemed as though Lino had it all underplete control . Felix envied that greatly, that lofty freedom . Yet, in his heart he knew that the price his Master paid for it was definitely not small . Perhaps it was even something his Master regretted, as Felix would often catch glimpses of buried sorrows and aches in his Master¡¯s eyes . He wondered whether that¡¯s really what it took to reach the peak . . . to abandon everything and discard fears and anxietiespletely, bing as tranquil as an undisturbedke . Maybe . . . and maybe not . He would certainly learn it one day, he knew; he was just wondering whether he should be dreading or weing that day . . . Chapter 134 Chapter 134 CHAPTER 134 MEETING AT THE CROSSROAD A scene which Felix wouldn¡¯t forget till the day that he died was currently unfolding before his very eyes . Just a few minutes ago, Lino and him ran across a tightly-knit group of protruding ruins, clearly remnants of an actual city from the past . It still even had streets, criss-crossing in-between the tall rocks and the ruined buildings . The two began casually exploring it, with even Lino showing some interest atst, when they came upon a crossroad stretching out into four direction . As though designed by Fate itself, it was also at that moment that three other branches of the crossroad lit up in golden, light flickering in the otherwise boundlessly dark world . Lino and Felix immediately came to a halt as figures began emerging from the visage of light; on their left was a group of roughly 30, on their right a group of roughly 50 and on the opposite end of theirs was thergest group, roughlyposed of 80 people . Felix immediately felt his legs grow limp as his eyes darted around; group of 50 was led by His Majesty, the Emperor - Althone as well as the Arch Emperor himself, Gustav! Right behind them were several of supposedly retired Arch Dukes, among which Felix immediately recognized a familiar figure - his own Grandfather, the titr Butcher of the North! The group of 30 was actually led by Damian as well as another familiar figure, ex-Duchess of the Divine Dynasty - Le¡¯vol! Though Felix didn¡¯t recognize anyone from the group across from them, the terrifying auras swirling about were even greater than those of the other two forces! He truly felt short of breath, quickly ncing at his Master who appeared as indifferent as ever, a faint smile hanging on his face as though he was merely meeting old friends . "Ho ho," it was actually Lino the first one to break the silence as he realized that tensions between three sides were rising . "What a meeting this is . . . haii, Fate herself bound us together here, what are you old guys doing, immediately wantin¡¯ to p each other dead?" " . . . hello . " Damian tore away his gaze from the woman to his own left - she was not the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever seen, but her bearing was truly other-worldly, especially her gaze which seemed capable of tearing through all defenses . "It¡¯s been a while . " "It hasn¡¯t really . " Lino shrugged . "Hehe, old pal Al¡¯, howe you look older than thest time I saw you?" Lino waved with a beaming smile toward the ex Emperor of the Divine Dynasty as though he was talking to an old drinking buddy . M-master!! That¡¯s . . . that¡¯s . . . his-His Majesty!! Felix truly felt fear akin to nothing he ever felt before in his life! Calling an Emperor an old pal . . . his Master truly was . . . extraordinary . "You said you wouldn¡¯t be joining us for a whole year . " Althone replied back with a smile, seemingly unaffected by Lino¡¯s brazen behavior . "Ah, what can I say . . . " Lino sighed . "Being apart from you for so long simply seemed impossible . I just had to rush over to see you . " " . . . " " . . . " "Haii, what¡¯s with those expressions? What? Can¡¯t two guys enjoy their love without a bunch of assholes butting their noses in?" "Khm . . . he . . . you truly live up to the rumors," Gustav broke apart the strange silence that emerged, smiling . "Tongue as sharp as sword indeed . " " . . . oh? You must be Al¡¯s dad . Do you approve of the two of us?" Lino seemed hellbent on making the atmosphere as awkward as possible, all the while still holding onto a faint smile of indifference . "Hey, who am I to stop two young people from loving each other?" Gustav shrugged his shoulders, evenughing for a moment . "Hah, truly a father a man could only hope for . " Lino said . " . . . " of all people present, Ava seemed most out of sorts as she tried to make heads and tails of the current situation . She was quite apprehensive over running into Damian and that old man Gustav this early on, yet, despite the two sides¡¯ numerous forces, there stood a beggar-looking man and some kid who was shaking in his boots,pletely rxed . For some reason, she felt air of familiarity surrounding the strange man . "We¡¯re still good ways off the true heart of the Kingdom," Lino said . "Are you really going to duke it out this early on?" "Heh, I don¡¯t know about the rest, but I¡¯m quite interesting in seeing what you¡¯re built of . " Gustav said, cracking his knuckles . "Old man, save your bones while they stillst . What are you doing, butting into the adventures of young ones? Shouldn¡¯t you be ying cards or chess or something with other one-step-in-the-grave folk?" even Damian felt cold sweat pour down his back when he heard the strange beggar talking to Gustav . Thetter was a legend even Damian didn¡¯t wish to entangle with, let alone fight all-out this early on . Is he a braggart . . . or does he have something to support his bravado? Damian wonder . "Oh? He he, it¡¯s been a while since someone talked to me like that," Gustav said, suddenly leaving ranks and moving toward Lino casually . "Why don¡¯t you test these old bones then?" Gustav said, his eyes turning into slits . " . . . step back, Felix . " Lino muttered lowly, his indifferent smile turning serious . Felix had already turned entirely numb, unable to process why his Master was trying to instigate trouble with the Arch Emperor himself . The reason was quite simple actually - Lino hasn¡¯t been in a true fight for nearly ten years . . . he just wanted to fight for a bit . If Felix knew the truth of the matter, he would probably copse onto his knees and start crying . The reason why he picked Gustav is because he immediately realized the old man was also a Body Cultivator . In addition to stretching his bones, it would also help him understand just where he sat at when it came to the Body Cultivators . "Here Ie!" Gustav announced bravely when he came within twenty meters of Lino, his body bulging till his clothes nearly exploded . Leaving behind a massive gust of dust, Gustav burst forth with explosive speed, carrying with him the surge of wind as he darted toward Lino . Thetter smiled faintly as he also bulged forth and sted off . The two met midway through, both stretching out their fists fearlessly and striking at each other . The ensuing explosion of energy resembled more several dynamites blowing up than two ordinary fists, without a single ounce of Qi, meeting midair . Gustav immediately regretted his decision not to coat his fist in Qi; the surge of pure, barbaric strength that crashed into his fist was akin to him striking a ten times refined piece of legendary [Elven Steel] . Fearing that his bones would really break, just at the point of impact he quickly withdrew his fist, nullifying as much damage as he could . The dust around the two stirred and ensuing shockwave forced the three sides to actually pull up Qi barriers to defend themselves . A figure stirred backwards through the air from the dust storm, doing a backflip in the air andnding quite gracefully . There was a faint smile on Gustav¡¯s lips as he held his hand, moving it around casually to repel the massive throbbing . On the other hand, as the dust settled, people saw Lino standing casually, his hands already in his pockets, a faint smile hanging on his face as well . "Well, old man? What do you think?" Lino asked casually . " . . . ha ha ha ha," Gustav burst out into honestughter . "Interesting . . . interesting brat indeed . " he said, turning around and walking back toward his group . "You won this round . I¡¯ll be seeing you more, little beggar . Don¡¯t disappoint me . . . " "Eh? What nonsense are you spouting old man?" Lino knew what Gustav was trying to do, but decided to mess with the old man a bit . "Being beaten like a wet dog and still trying to lecture me? Heh, if you¡¯d like, I can give you a pointer or two . Perhaps even take you on as my Disciple if you¡¯re honest enough . " Gustav stumbled over his own two feet and nearly fell over, thinking that this brat was really merciless, not leaving him a path of retreat! At all! " . . . tsk, you¡¯re really a hateful brat, aren¡¯t you?" "When did hateful start being honest? Heh, look at you . I bet you won¡¯t even be able to do this and that with that hand of yours for a month . Ah, shame on me . . . to have forgotten no woman would want an old-boned guy like you . . . for me to have forgotten you had to take care of it yourself . . . hah, I really am hateful, it turns out . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " both Ava and Damian actually pulled their hands up and crossed them over their eyes . The two figures who could stand naked in the sky and not feel embarrassment were actually feeling it right now . . . that beggar . . . truly . . . Felix, on the other hand, was actually huddled up in the corner and faintly sobbing . He¡¯d realized something right now; above all his Master¡¯s strengths, one rose to be untouchable: his tongue . That vile, vicious, two-faced tongue! Arch Emperor was probably bleeding in his heart, yet his Master seemed so indifferent . . . it was like a sadist picking on a small, helpless cub . " . . . khm, stay well . " Althone also felt for his father however, unlike most others, he even felt a bit of joy in the old man¡¯s misfortune . Being tortured since his early childhood left a bit of resentment here and there . As filial son, he can¡¯t just go around insulting his own Father, so seeing this strange beggar do it in his stead really increased his favoritism toward him . "We¡¯ll talk some other time . . . " just like that, Althone, Arch Emperor Gustav who was currently holding onto left side of his chest, and the rest of their men withdrew the way they came . "It was nice seeing you again . " Damian said and nodded slightly toward the beggar before turning around and bolting as well, afraid he might be the next target of that tongue . His first impression of the beggar - that of a refined, well-cultured young man - copsed entirely . If the two ever fought, he had to make sure the beggar had no time to spit any vile words at him . Lady Le¡¯vol nced curiously at this strange beggar and even smiled, looking forward to what stirs he¡¯ll cause in the near future . The only ones left were Lino and Ava, as well as her people . Just as she was about to withdraw herself, afraid she might suddenly be a target, she heard the beggar address her . "Hoh? How cold of you,dy Ava," Lino said, smiling . "You won¡¯t even say a hello to an old friend?" "Huh?" Ava stopped for a moment and turned around, taking another look at the beggar . Everything about him seemed strange . . . except those eyes, she realized . Those eyes, she remembered . . . are one of a kind . " . . . Lino?" she mumbled faintly . "Ha ha, to think that you¡¯d remember me after all these years," Lino said, smiling innocently . "It looks like your husband truly stands no chance against me! Hah . . . what can I say . . . my charm is simply something no woman can resist . " " . . . yup, it¡¯s really you . " Ava said, her expression suddenly softening into a graceful, honest and beautiful smile . Felix, who just recovered, happened to look at Ava at this very moment and felt his heart stir, his legs turning wobbly yet again, unable to stand . Meanwhile, people behind Ava suddenly shuddered; they, too, were very much afraid of the beggar¡¯s tongue . Realizing that he was Lady Ava¡¯s old acquaintance . . . meant also realizing he would be joining them, at least for a little while . All swore immediately in their hearts to avoid him as much as possible, lest they were left with bleeding hearts like the poor old man Gustav . Chapter 135 Chapter 135 CHAPTER 135 OLD FRIENDS In the roaring darkness that surmounted the seemingly endless world, one of its corners was currently lit up with dozens of torches and campfires, with nearly a hundred figures sitting around, casually eating and talking with each other within a rather rxing atmosphere . If one didn¡¯t know any better, they¡¯d think the group was on a collective vacation . . . just that their choice of destination was a bit dubious, to say the least . However, if one took a closer look and inspected the way people were stationed, they¡¯d realize that of 82 people present, 80 were perfectly surrounding the remaining two in such a formation that didn¡¯t have any blind spots, where one side could easily and quickly reinforce another in case something happened . At the heart of the formation, two people currently sat around the raging fire while drinking . Ava drank from a rather beautifully carved, ssed bottle - containing no doubt a rather expensive wine - while Lino drank out of a cheap-looking gourd, which, true to its container, held the cheapest type of wine one can buy in the City of Sun . " . . . I didn¡¯t think you escaped . " Ava said, sighing solemnly . After the sudden invasion of the Demons all over the Valley of Sects as well as its surroundings, it took nearly four years of constant battles to quell it all . Several times throughout she tried searching and employing others to search for Lino, but to no avail . In the end, she hade to peace with the fact that he most-likely died; she only felt it was truly a shame that such talented youth perished so soon . "Eeh . . . so little faith in me? I¡¯m quite disappointed . " Lino smiled faintly, a sh of reminiscent pain crossing his eyes . "Ha ha ha . . . it has nothing to do with faith . It¡¯s just that . . . many . . . many have perished under Devils¡¯ des . . . most who were much stronger than you . " Ava said, clearly pained . She had lost many good friends and subordinates during the war . " . . . I¡¯d heard," Lino said, sighing himself . "To think a battle at the edge of the world need a cultivator of Godly Realm to descend . . . " Lino mumbled . Among the first things he did when he left the Necropolis was study what had happened just after he went into slumber - it was the war, coined as Devil¡¯s Massacre . In the end, after nearly four years of constant struggle, a mysterious expert of Godly Realm - those in-between Level 800 and 850 - descended and managed to push back the Devils, ending the war single-handedly . "It¡¯s truly strange," Ava nodded; even now she was confused as to why her Second Martial Uncle himself came over to help . "World¡¯s beginning to change . . . and even ordinary mortals are beginning to notice . " "Heh, what¡¯s that got to do with us?" Lino faintly chuckled, diffusing the heavy air that was descending . "Anyway, what are you doing here? Are you also interested in these fabled ruins?" "Ha ha, of course! Whoever has any interest in history is interested in them," Ava replied . "This ce . . . it¡¯s one of thest few remaining bastions of Forgotten Knowledge on this continent . I¡¯ve heard rumors that there are even few powers of the Central Continent that are keen on crossing over and seeing what¡¯s what . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s heart shook for a moment; even he wasn¡¯t expecting the other continents to take interest in this ce . If they truly did cross over and join in on the expedition . . . chances are, Lino would be left with nothing . "Aren¡¯t you already here? That alone shows the interest . " Lino said, smiling . "Ha ha . . . cheeky . However, I¡¯ve been on this continent for many years," Ava said . "My personal interest hardly have much to do with my Sect¡¯s . " " . . . you¡¯ve gotten much stronger," Lino said, noticing that she had actually managed to cross over the first major barrier of cultivation and reach the Realm of the Exalted, currently being Level 343 . "Did you finally be serious?" "Heh, I was mostly forced to . . . seeing as I depended on it to survive . What about you? Sending Gustav back with a fist . . . just how strong are you, anyway?" Ava asked; her shock, however, was much greater than Lino¡¯s . Thest time she saw him, though he was quite talented and strong, he was at most around Peak Purity Realm cultivator, who also happened to be an extremely talented cksmith . She expected that, if he had survived, he¡¯d be even better at smithing while his cultivation would suffer . That, however, seemed not to be the case . "Hehe, I¡¯m not too shabby," Lino evaded the question, taking a gulp of wine . "What are your ns? You don¡¯t really expect to be able to contend with those two bastards with your current force, do you?" Ava¡¯s eyebrows twitched for a moment; truly, he hadn¡¯t changed . . . a bit . To have gal to call Damian and Gustav bastards . . . even her own Father would think twice before doing it . " . . . I¡¯ve no intention of antagonizing them," Ava said honestly . "I¡¯m merely here to learn a thing or two about the Empyrion . As for the rest . . . whatever Fate Wills, that I shall take . " " . . . Empyrion, huh? So you too know about the background?" Lino asked . "Ha ha, of course . Everyone here does," Ava shrugged her shoulders . "Do you really think just any random Kingdom from an era long since gone would incite so much curiosity within so many different kinds of folk? Perhaps, if there¡¯s one thing that can unite all the Sects and ns of the continent under the same banner . . . it¡¯s anything that has any link to the Empyrean Writ . " Ava added . "Ho ho, you don¡¯t say?" Lino said . "I only know a thing or two about it . . . but it seems people really shouldn¡¯t be bringing up those names so casually . " "Heh, of course not . To be honest," Ava said . "My Sect Elders weren¡¯t too keen about me probing . . . however, I can¡¯t say what their reasons are . At the very least, it seems these ruins aren¡¯t that simple . " " . . . what ever is?" Lino mumbled faintly as he nced up and sighed inwardly . Another one . . . he could only silently pray in his heart . . . pray and hope they aren¡¯t around when it happens . He really liked nearly everyone currently in the ruins, be it Ava whom he knew from long ago, Althone, Damian . . . even that old bastard Gustav . If there was a chance . . . he¡¯d like to avoid having to kill them . "Indeed . . . hah, anyway, enough about the heavy topics . Tell me, are you interested in joining my Sect?" Ava suddenly shifted the topic, glint in her eyes turning serious . "When I showed that beast you crafted for me to my Elders . . . heh, you should have seen their expressions . It¡¯s like someone told them their Sons are Heaven¡¯s Chosen and would be so strong they¡¯d rule the entire world . Of course, we won¡¯t treat you shabbily!" "Ha ha ha, nah, sorry . As enticing as your offer is, I¡¯m more of a free soul . " Lino replied withughter . "Tsk, fine . Can we at least draw up some contract? I¡¯d really like if you could sell us a few more of those . . . we¡¯ll even provide you with the necessary materials . . . " Lino¡¯s ears perked up . Though he had no intention of joining any faction, it didn¡¯t mean he always wanted to remain as piss poor as he was at the moment . He practically had no materials to craft with, and thest few weapons he had in his Void World were . . . well, they weren¡¯t great . To say nothing of the fact that he didn¡¯t have a single piece of armor . "I¡¯m listening . " he said . "How about this? After we leave this ce, I¡¯ll go meet my Elders and ask them what they want . Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t reveal anything about you, no matter what! After that, I¡¯ll contact you and we can figure the rest out . " " . . . alright . " Lino faintly nodded; even if she told on him, he didn¡¯t really care much . If he didn¡¯t wish to be found . . . let¡¯s just say there was no one outside the Holy Grounds that even stood a chance of finding him if he decided to hide with all his might . "In the spirit of cooperation," after a short inward struggle, Lino decided to warn her . "I¡¯d like to offer you an advice . " "Oh? Please do . " Ava said, smiling faintly . "You should leave this ce . The sooner the better . " his words startled Ava for a moment, turning her smiling expression into a frown . "Do you know something?" she asked . " . . . take it as a gamble," Lino said, avoiding her question . "On my character . " " . . . yeah, I think I¡¯ll just stay . " "Hey!!" "Did you forget I was also there on that crossroad?" Ava asked, rolling her eyes . "Oh, that? Meh, that was just me, y¡¯know, ying around a bit . Joking . Having fun . Nothing to do with my character . " " . . . you nearly caused a poor man to have a heart-attack with words . I¡¯m fairly certain it has everything to do with your character . " "I¡¯ll have you know my character is unblemished!! Pure!! Completely innocent of world¡¯s filth!" " . . . yeah, and I¡¯m the legendary Sword Maiden . " "Who knows? You really might be . " Lino said . "Oh, no, trust me, I¡¯m not . " "You don¡¯t know . " "But I do . " "How?" "See? And you¡¯re telling me to trust your character?" "Yeah . " " . . . just . . . hah . . . " "Trust me . . . just leave . " Lino said again . "A few bits of historical knowledge aren¡¯t worth it . " "Worth what?" " . . . your lives . " " . . . . " there was a long silence between the two during which Ava entered deep thought while Lino drank his wine . Even just warning her could backfire, but he decided to gamble . Gamble on the fact that she might take into ount his strength and withdraw, regardless of what she may think the reason for it all is . "Fine . " after nearly ten minutes of silence, Ava faintly nodded and agreed . "I¡¯ll trust you . Take this," she suddenly flung a ring his way which he casually caught . "It¡¯s not much . . . but, I hope it can help you . From the start I knew I won¡¯t be able to entangle myself in the heart of everything . That feeling increased even more once I entered this ce . . . for some reason, ever since we started entering into depths, I had this gnawing feeling that was telling me to go back . I know you¡¯re strong, Lino," Ava seemedpletely serious, prompting Lino to listen rather than to inspect what was in the ring . "And I know you¡¯re clever . However . . . Gustav, Althone, and especially Damian . . . those three aren¡¯t simply super-strong cultivators from this continent . Their ties to the world run much deeper . If you can, avoidpletely falling out with them . I hope you can trust me on this one . " Lino looked into her eyes for a moment and notice that she was truly serious; she probably couldn¡¯t disclose why, but he didn¡¯t really care all that much . He knew that it was nigh impossible for people from this continent to grow to Gustav¡¯s and Damian¡¯s levels of strength without some external help . "I¡¯ll try . " he said, smiling faintly . "After all, I really do like those old bastards . " " . . . c-could you not give strange nicknames to everyone? Now I¡¯m afraid of even asking what¡¯s mine . " "Oh, that¡¯s easy . You¡¯re the Woman That Should Just Dump Her Husband And Marry Me Instead . Fancy, right?" " . . . sigh . " Chapter 136 Chapter 136 CHAPTER 136 WOVEN THREADS OF THE FORGOTTEN TALE Lino stared at the backs of the fading figures, his expression cid . Among them one figure suddenly stopped and turned around, ncing at Lino . Thetter smiled, waving in concert with it, causing Felix to frown . He never expected that his Master would kick him out before the true fun began, but as someone who was raised with traditional values, disobeying Master¡¯s words was akin to betraying his Ancestors to Felix . He could only sigh and silently obey, following Ava¡¯s group out . The only reason why Lino took Felix on this journey in the first ce was because he wanted him to experience a bit of the world . He never had any intention of actually dragging the young man through the entire journey . After all, journey and destination were twopletely different concepts . Lino had absolutely no confidence in being able to protect his young pupil in case all hell broke loose, and he had no intention of ying the role of God with Felix¡¯s life . As thest remnants of the group faded into the darkness, Lino¡¯s mind shed back to his conversation with the Writ - the reason why he sent out Felix and Ava . Empyrion - another name of the Oreb Kingdom - stood tall for generations, and Writ repeatedly chose his sessors from the specific line that was as guarded as the Emperor himself during the Kingdom¡¯s heyday . This allowed the Writ to establish a sphere of dominance, and after each generation he found himself ever so closer to his goal . However, hearts of men were as fickle as weather; Oreb Kingdom stood well above the Holy Grounds in terms of power . While former focused entirely on its military, thetter Seven also had myriad of other sub-groups, and their military strength at the time wasn¡¯t all that great actually . It was especially the case because the entire Oreb Kingdom was swarmed with massive formations that could easily trap even the strongest of cultivators from the Holy Lands . How did the Kingdom fall? It fell slowly, bleeding out like an animal left abandoned on the street . Thest attack of the Holy Lands was merely out of formality, as the Kingdom had already copsed beyond repair . Generation after generation, loyal subjects turned their hearts over and worked against the Kingdom from the inside . It wasn¡¯t a unique or a special tale, nothing ground-breaking in the least, yet it was still chilling to Lino . He¡¯d realized that even the strongest of groups could be crippled . . . so long as there was a link or two that was disconnected . For majority, ruling an Empire was an honor, something they all aspired to do . However, it was only those with the Crowns atop of their heads that truly understood the difficulty of it all . After the Holy Lands invaded and began butchering those still loyal not only to the Emperor, but also to the Empyrean, thest remnants of the Loyalist Faction knew there was no way out . They managed to group a small number of their descendants and send them out, while they themselves escaped to the library - the most treasured part of the entire Kingdom - and lit themselves aze, scorching not only the library, but the entire Kingdom in the process, using the now-extinct Void me - Level 1900 [Titan¡¯s ze] . The me burned for over ten thousand years, till the whole Kingdom was buried beneath the emerging desert and ash . While they were fighting their own battle, thest Empyrean of the Oreb Kingdom fought her own . There were no written ounts regarding anyone named Syvelea; there wasn¡¯t even a dot of ink wasted on who she was within the recorded histories . However, Lino had learned of her not only through Writ, but also ruins themselves on his way over . One of them was a crippled statue that was at the point ofplete ruination . However, even after so many years, so many eons, Lino could still sense the air of reverence and aweing from within the figure . Empyreans within the Oreb Kingdom weren¡¯t merely the strongest warriors or guardians; they were, by all ounts, considered almost at the same level as the Mythical Gods . It was the same with Syvelea . As thest of the Empyreans from the Empyrion, her existence waspletely erased from the parchments . If it wasn¡¯t for the Writ, Lino wouldn¡¯t even know such figure ever existed . ording to the Writ, during herst battle, she managed to unlock the 28th Gate, bing the sixth strongest Bearer that has ever existed since the dawn of time . In her final ze, she managed to actually kill all three Writ Bearers that came after her, in addition to thousands of other experts of the Holy Lands . It was no wonder that she was never mentioned anywhere; any deterrence against the Holy Grounds would immediately be dealt with and erased from existence . One on the level of Syvelea . . . it crippled themon sense for most people . After all, Holy Grounds were considered pinnacle of not only cultivation but every other branch of knowledge as well . They were as sacred as something built of human hand can be . In the end, however, Syvelea died; it wasn¡¯t by the hand of anyone else but her own . She knew she stood no chance after herstsh, so she chose to end her own life . However, in the process, the Writ stored thest bit of her Singrity into her fading ashes in preparation for future generations . It was simr to what happened with Eshen, as Lino¡¯s secondary goal was to assimte thatst bit of Singrity with himself . None of the people here were fools; even if they didn¡¯t know the entire story, they knew that the Oreb Kingdom wasn¡¯t without an Empyrean when it fell . Lino even suspected that not a small amount of those currently inside the ruins came specifically to search for her corpse . Lino knew that he would create resonance between himself and the Singrity when the time came . Should anyone see him, they¡¯d no doubt realize who he was . At that time, regardless of whether they were friends or foes, anyone would target Lino . After all, he was an Empyrean, and, for all intents and purposes, the entire Western Continent served the Seven Holy Grounds . Capturing him or killing him would no doubt massive gains to the point where they could bound the realms of cultivation till they were strong enough to establish themselves on the Holy Continent, the heart of cultivation world . It was especially so for those old monsters that were slowly inching toward the end of their lifespan and had little to no chance of surpassing their current realm . Lino could only sigh . If he was certain they would be unable to find the corpse, he would simply go find E and Eggor and leave this ce, waiting till the rest of the factions left . However, he knew very well that they wouldb this entire ce till not a single inch of it was left unexplored . Them not finding the Singrity was only a pipe dream . Truth be told, if that was all, Lino could simply choose not to even assimte himself . After all, it has been ten years since he assimted Eshen¡¯s essence, yet nothing has changed since then . To even take an inch forward, he would have to reach the Realm of the Exalted for his body to be strong enough . Inparison, Syvelea - who was no doubt miles and miles stronger than Eshen - wouldn¡¯t be any easier, only perhaps hundred times harder . However, there was something Lino absolutely had to have . Syvelea¡¯s Singrity contained something Lino was desperate for - Mythical me . It wasn¡¯t just any Mythical me, it was actually a Void me, Level 460 [Lunar Scorch] . If he could get his hands on it, not only would his crafted items grow stronger by leaps and bounds, but he could use it for dozens, if not hundreds of years toe . While he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it from the get-go -- as he¡¯d have to simrly reach the Exalted Realm -- it¡¯s no doubt the strongest me he can get his hands on for the foreseeable future . With all these factors in y, however, Lino¡¯s confidence was at an all time low . Even when he was facing the two Devils in the Devil Basin he didn¡¯t feel as powerless as he was feeling at the moment . Damian . . . Gustav . . . Althone . . . those were just three people on the surface of things, yet if they ganged up against him, he wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to run . Despite his shameless boasting, he roughly understood his general strength - and he was far from being invincible in the ruins . Furthermore, if he was exposed and he allowed anyone to run away, he could forget ever having peaceful days . Even worse, anyone even remotely associated to him would no doubt be executed down to theirst rtive . If it was him alone, Lino wouldn¡¯t truly care as he could simply hide till things blew over; but, endangering other people for his own benefits . . . that wasn¡¯t something he could bring himself to do . Yet another sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head . Thinking about it didn¡¯t really do anything . He first nned on finding E and Eggor and seeking their help anyway, though even here he was slightly reluctant as he was still unaware of their circumstances . The most he¡¯d learned over the past ten years about E was that she used to be Sword Maiden of the Qe¡¯ll n - one of the current Seven Holy Grounds - but beyond that he knew nothing, including why she was living in the backwater Umbra Kingdom as an ordinary housewife . " . . . when will things ever be simple with you around?" Lino mumbled lowly . " . . . someday, perhaps . " the Writ replied in his usual, robotic voice . "Ah . . . I hate you more than the words can ever begin to describe . " "I don¡¯t sense any resentment in your heart, though . " " . . . for all your wisdom, you¡¯re pretty dumb in the end, aren¡¯t you?" " . . . " Chapter 137 Chapter 137 CHAPTER 137 CONVERGENCE Within the ever-encroaching darkness, weaving in through theplex array of pathways around a small chapel-like ruin, a group of people remained silent . Well up front were three men, walking shoulder-to-shoulder while inspecting the chiseled, aged dome of a chapel to their right . The three were Althone, Gustav and Felix¡¯s grandfather, Butcher of the North - Andrew . "Are we really not going to talk about it?" Althone spoke up, corners of his lips rising up into a faint smile . "Humph, smelly brat," Gustav cursed, instinctively reaching for his wrist which was still aching . "Do you really hate your Father so much?!" " . . . I¡¯m just asking . Sorry . " "How strong is he?" Andrew, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to have same inhibitions holding back Althone and asked inly . " . . . damn bastard," Gustav cursed under his breath . "He¡¯s no weaker than me . " "Huh?!" both Althone and Andrew eximed at the same time . Though neither thought the beggar was weak, they did firmly believe Gustav held back in his attack . In the end, beggar was still a beggar; Gustav was, after all, Arch Emperor of the greatest Dynasty on the Western Continent . "It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t fight with him in the City," Gustav said, ncing at Althone . "I¡¯d be one son short right now . " " . . . no weaker than you?" Andrew picked up on the underlying meaning . "You mean he could be stronger?" "I can¡¯t say," Gustav shrugged . "We both held back considerably . At the very least, in terms of pure body strength, he¡¯s miles ahead of me . But because I don¡¯t know property of his Qi, cultivation method, arts and so on, I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s stronger in an actual fight . " "That¡¯s easy then," Althone said, sighing in relief . "There¡¯s no way he can have better resources than you . He¡¯s also much younger . " "I wouldn¡¯t be too sure," Andrew said . "He had enough confidence to enter this ce all alone, despite knowing that numerous powers could converge here . " "Wasn¡¯t he with your Grandson?" Gustav asked . "He most-likely sent him back by now . There¡¯s no way that kid is strong enough to swat a fly here, let alone anything else . " " . . . as harsh as ever . " "Indeed . " "Are you really the one to talk?" Andrew said as he nced at Gustav strangely . "I distinctly remember you beating this kid every day for decades . At the very least, I never did such a thing . " " . . . what do you mean beating?! I was clearly training him!" "Ah, so that¡¯s why Empress Annya had to take precious medicine after precious medicine to save poor Al¡¯s life?" " . . . fuck you . " Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, a figure was casually walking along the path, seemingly disinterested in everything surrounding it . On his way, he¡¯d passed numerous artifacts and potential ces where cultivation methods were held, yet he ignored them all without exception, as though he was merely taking a casual stroll through the park . Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he looked toward east followed by his lips curling up into a strange smile . "He¡¯s here, huh?" he mumbled . "So he¡¯s finally recovered? I suppose I can lend him a hand . . . just this once . " At the same time, westward of man¡¯s position, currently sitting by a ruined columns piercing out of the earth was a woman wrapped in thick robes and a veil . She was holding onto a thick book and reading through it, her thin eyebrows dancing to the rhythm of her thoughts . " . . . he¡¯s here . " a strange voice suddenly echoed just near her ear, jolting her back to reality . "Eh? Who¡¯s here?" the woman asked . "Relish--no, I suppose he¡¯s back to being Ethwart now . " the voice replied . "What?!! What¡¯s he doing here?!" the thick book dropped from the woman¡¯s hands as she suddenly jumped up, growing alert immediately . "Rx, he hasn¡¯t spotted us yet . " the voice said . " . . . this is bad . Could it be that the Uncle sent him here for investigation?" "Doubtful . It¡¯s most-likely his personal curiosity . " " . . . dammit . This is growing more and more dangerous," the woman sighed after a short thought, slumping back, seemingly listless . "First it was those Echo bastards, and now it¡¯s him . Just how many people have snuck into this ce? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be difficult?" " . . . it¡¯s difficult for those from this continent," the voice said . "As they have no means of forcibly tearing through the spatial barrier . But can something on this level really prevent anyone who wants to enter? You should be more careful . Chances are, there are a whole lot more people here than we initially anticipated . " " . . . shouldn¡¯t we also be asking for reinforcement by now?" the woman asked, frowning . "Even if you do, you won¡¯t get any . They¡¯re still trying to re-establish their footing in the world after that disaster . Besides, there are no functioning portals anywhere near here . What could a pack of small Demons possibly do?" "En . . . " the woman seemed to agree, yet at the same time appeared even wearier than before . "I should have just taken the invitation . . . " "Aye, you should have . " " . . . that¡¯s right . Pour the salt onto the wound . You bastard . " "That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for . " " . . . " Unbeknownst to Lino, Althone, Gustav and even Damian, the number of powerful experts that were currently inside the ruins breached well past three digits . Strangely, though, as though driven by the will other than their own, they all took different passages; the problem was that all those passages led to the exact same location: the very heart of the Forgotten Kingdom, where the ruins of the Empyrion Pce remained half-buried in dust . There, in one of the barely-preserved rooms, a fire was currently zing in a makeshift firece, lighting up the room . Save for the firece, there was only a table, a couple of chairs and a bed inside, despite its ratherrge size . Currently, two figures were sitting on the chairs; a woman was reading a small book, while a man was inspecting a strangely-shaped, wooden tool . "Huh?" the woman softly eximed as she raised her head and looked outside the makeshift window . "What is it?" the man asked, frowning as he got up . "No, it¡¯s nothing," the woman said . "More and more people are piling on in here . " "Haii . . . that bastard¡¯s sure taking his time . " the man grumbled as he sat back down . "What do you mean? It¡¯s only been a few years . " the woman reprimanded . " . . . he¡¯s alright . . . right?" the man asked in a solemn voice, hiding his face . " . . . he is," the woman said, walking over suddenly and hugging the man . "I can feel it . " "Ah . . . I should have never left without him . . . what was I thinking? However clever . . . he was still just a kid . " "You can¡¯t keep ming yourself like this, Eggor," E said, holding his face up by his chin while stroking his hair . "You said it yourself . He¡¯s clever . He would have known to get out . " " . . . I still can¡¯t forget that spear . " Eggor said, sighing . "Not only did he somehow get Rog to craft him something like that . . . what did he do to it to make it impossible to pull out?" " . . . " E¡¯s expression sank for a moment as she got up from her squatting position . "It¡¯s imbued with his Will . " "His Will?" Eggor asked, looking up at her . " . . . hm," E nodded, sighing as she sat back onto the other chair . "To think he was able to manifest it so quickly . . . " " . . . " Eggor remained silent, waiting . "I made a terrible mistake," E said . "By giving him the Writ . " " . . . the Writ?!" Eggor¡¯s expression jerked suddenly . "You . . . ah . . . no wonder that bastard grew so strong so quickly . So that¡¯s it . . . " " . . . I thought he would use it to get through the buffer phase quickly," E continued . "And then focus entirely on the smithing, leaving cultivation behind . s . . . " " . . . you¡¯re really dumb, aren¡¯t you?" Eggor suddenly said, looking at her strangely . "Huh?" "You gave apletely powerless kid the most powerful tool in the world, and you expected him to wash his hands off of it after tinkering it for a while?" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . yeah, in hindsight . . . " "He should be fine then," Eggor said, sighing . "There¡¯s no way the Writ would have allowed him to die so quickly . Especially if he already condensed his Will . " " . . . his is a different world from ours, Eggor . While you and I can always just withdraw from the world and enjoy peace . . . he can¡¯t . Seeing that spear, I realized he¡¯d already entangled himself beyond the point of no return . He¡¯s as much a part of this story as everyone else is now . " " . . . what did the Patriarch say?" Eggor asked suddenly . "He won¡¯t do anything - help or harm," E said . "Not that he can afford to . While that old Jailer may have started this war with intention of masking Lino from the other Bearers, those beneath him all have their own ideas and goals . For the time being it¡¯s merely a prelude . . . however, chances are, it will eventually turn into a Realm War . " " . . . can either side even afford another Realm War?" Eggor asked, frowning . Thest Realm War ended an entire era . . . didn¡¯t those fools learn by now? "I don¡¯t know . . . " E shook her head . "I thought we had another few thousand years before any esction . Ah . . . " " . . . if he¡¯s gotten so far," Eggor said after short silence . "It means he already made his choice, E . He was never dumb . Though perhaps he didn¡¯t understand the true extent of what he was tangling himself with . . . the bastard knew enough . " " . . . he he, look at you . The moment you realized he¡¯s most-likely alive, you¡¯re already beginning to practice your tough-guy persona for when hees . Ha ha ha . . . " " . . . . " Eggor hid his head quickly, feeling his cheeks burn . "Chances are . . . he¡¯s most-likely part of this group," E suddenly said, surprising Eggor . "Though I can¡¯t confirm it . . . my heart¡¯s been restless for weeks now . And it certainly isn¡¯t because of those buffoons . " " . . . Annar¡¯s with them . . . you know that, right?" Eggor asked, arching his brows . "So what?" E replied, suddenly turning toward Eggor and smiling; just for a brief moment, a sh, her housewife appearance vanished, causing Eggor¡¯s heart to freeze momentarily . "Even if his grandfather came, I would still tten them all if they be threats to our little reunion . " " . . . you really have talent for saying terrifying things with the most beautiful expression . . . it¡¯s kind of horrifying, actually . " Eggor said, feeling sorry for the currently traveling folk . "He he, I¡¯m ady after all . I can¡¯t go around behaving like a barbarian . " " . . . ady?" Eggor looked at her strangely yet again . "Yeah . . . sure . . . . " "Is there something you want to tell me?" "There are many things I want to tell you . " "Now that¡¯s just mean . How can you treat your poor wife like that?" " . . . " "W-what?" E asked, flustered, as she saw Eggor¡¯s eyes . "Nothing . . . it¡¯s just . . . I¡¯m wondering how I managed to snag you from all those talented, brilliant and handsome folk from the Holy Grounds . " Eggor said, smiling . "Oh, that¡¯s simple . " E said, smiling back . "You have the biggest muscles and the smallest brain!" " . . . " "Pfft . . . ha ha ha ha," she burst out intoughter as she saw Eggor¡¯s pained and somewhat angry expression . "You idiot . . . what are you asking me that question for now? You¡¯ve found my heart when no one else even bothered to look for it . If it weren¡¯t for you . . . I would have been just another jaded, cold, unforgiving cultivator . I can¡¯t say for the rest . . . but I very much prefer this life over that one . " " . . . we¡¯re living in a rotting dimensional pocket, within a shitty, dusty room with nothing but a single bed and a couple of chairs, in the middle of fucking nowhere, waiting for a brat that I KNOW will make me spit blood the moment we meet up . . . yeah, I think I¡¯d rather be a jaded, cold, unforgiving cultivator living in a freaking pce . " " . . . " E rolled her eyes at him and sank back down in silence, picking the book back up and resuming her reading . This peace, quiet, tranquility . . . his presence across from the table, knowledge that he¡¯s always there . . . that was E¡¯s idea of a perfect pce, though even she was too embarrassed to say it out loud . Chapter 138 Chapter 138 CHAPTER 138 HOME Lino was currently leaping over the small hills and running over therger ones, speeding up whenever he had a chance . The scenery by his side blurred, turning into a blend of darkened colors, shapes indistinguishable from the brushed mess . He cared little for it, wondering still how to y out the whole conundrum that he was facing . Deep inside he knew there was no right choice, yet a choice he had to make, of that he was just as certain . He screeched past the woven roads of interconnecting blocks, causing faint traces of dust to blow backwards as though carried by wind . If there was one remedy to his current situation it was that he knew he would finally be able to go all out yet again . Feeling stuffed for so long caused a pent-up frustration to build; it felt as though there was an iron chain hanging over his heart, splicing into his lungs, causing him to feel suffocated . His brows suddenly furrowed as he came to a screeching halt, causing a small dust storm to rise, shrouding him in ambiguity . A few figures suddenly appeared behind the hill, looking over at him . Lino looked back at them calmly; two men and a woman, all d in healthy white coats and furred shirts . All three had extremely simr features, with chiseled, narrow jaws, sharp eyes and noses as well as light-colored hair . On the left side of their coats was a strange crest that Lino didn¡¯t recognize, which meant that they weren¡¯t from the Western Continent . Lino¡¯s heart tightened momentarily; it appeared as if though his premonitions were right . Luckily, however, the trio wasn¡¯t exactly all that strong . All three were Exalted which was quite impressive considering their age, but posed no threat to Lino . " . . . you should turn around . " one of the men said casually . " . . . " Lino nced backward and then looked at them again, seeming stupefied . "There¡¯s nothing there though . " he could see the brows of the man who spoke visibly twitch as his lips curled up in a strange sneer . "Funny guy . " the man said . "I try . " Lino replied, smiling . "You should also try turning around again, but this time start walking and never turn back . " "That doesn¡¯t sound like something I¡¯d do, though . " "You should . " "Where are you guys from?" Lino asked, curious . "What are you doing, talking with that filth?" the woman chimed in suddenly . "Just kill him . " "See? I¡¯m the nice on here . " the man said, looking at Lino . "Maybe," Lino said, taking a step forward, causing the trio to stiffen for a moment and take battle stances . "But I¡¯m not . " in a sh, Lino barreled up the hill and reached the trio . Before they had a chance to properly process what just happened, the man who spoke saw a pair of hands sp his shoulders, pull him forward into a rising knee, capsizing his lungs in a swift motion . Lino then quickly spun around with one of his legs airborne, cracking it against the other man¡¯s side, shattering a few rows of ribs and causing him to fall backward, rolling down the hill . He then stopped and looked at the girl whose lips were currently trembling, her eyes unable to look away from Lino . Thetter reached forward toward the top of her head, causing her to instinctively close her eyes . However, she soon realized there was no pain and instead a strangelyforting feeling . She opened her eyes and saw Lino gently caressing her hair, smiling at her . "You¡¯re too young and green to be saying ¡¯kill this and that¡¯ . " Lino said . "Jeez," he then sighed as he let go, casually walking by the woman . "It¡¯s almost like you people have some weird sexual fetish with death . I mean, you know, we all have our quirks . . . but they¡¯re supposed to be quirks . Not . . . aah . . . poor youth . . . " by the end, it seemed more as though he was talking to himself rather than the girl, who remained frozen in spot . It wasn¡¯t until almost ten minutester that she realized that strange man had assumed she had found sexual pleasure in death, causing her to scream atop of her lungs before finally remembering that there were two squealing men rolling around in pain . Lino¡¯s rxed demeanour changed shortly after, however; the reality that the Central Continent¡¯s powers have also emerged struck him deep . It meant that there was even a chance that someone might havee all the way from the Holy Continent . After all, teleportation arrays - although rare - weren¡¯t non-existent . He would dare bet his left cheeks that powers of the Holy Continent had more than a few arrays connecting them to the Western Continent . This made this expedition of sorts far more dangerous than he initially anticipated . It would still be fine to a certain degree if there were only one or two groups from the Central Continent; after all, their goal most-likely greatly differed from his in the first ce, and chances of running into them would be quite low . However, he had a feeling that wasn¡¯t the case . "The pocket¡¯s already quite unstable . . . " he mumbled as he looked around . "If fighting on that scale really emerges . . . holy shit . What if I get trapped in a fucking void?! That¡¯d be worse than that cat-urine wine!!" he spoke to no one and nothing, yet it gave him a sense of peace, strangely . He felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he imagined his life while drifting in the infinite void . He really might be forced tomit suicide eventually in that case . Dispelling the strange thoughts, he continued onwards, hoping in his heart that the fighting won¡¯t escte to that degree . While the entirety of the ruins wasn¡¯t stationed inside the dimensional pocket, vast majority of it was . Unless one actually understood the basic concepts of Dimensional Laws, however, they would have no chance of even seeing it in the first ce . Lino, certainly, held no such capabilities; the only reason he knew of them was because of the Writ . He soon found himself drifting into a continuous roundabout of the streets, strutting along the rows and rows of copsing and aging buildings and protruding columns . It didn¡¯t take him long to realize that he¡¯d finally reached the most-central part of the ruins, the capital of the Oreb Kingdom . Though it was mostmonly referred to as simply the ¡¯Capital¡¯, its actual name was Empyrion . Just looking at the remnants Lino could already tell just how grand and imposing it used to be . He slowed down the pace, observing queerly the surrounding aspects . Aged stone had nearly turned dark gray, yet Lino could tell it used to be as white as snow . Hand-crafted columns had long since turned intoparable turds, yet deep within the recesses of years¡¯ disfigurement one could still see traces of magnificence, of awe-inspiring grandeur, traces of dignity piercing the shrouded sky . Lino stopped by a small, arched copse . It had long since cracked into two, both halves leaning into the opposite sides . Straight, oval column shifted into a thick block of granite, superimposed over it, almost half a meter thick, after which it spat a curved stone thinly carved into helical threads resembling branches . He marked the beauty, but he marked more the heart put into it all; even after impossibly long period of time . . . those thin, finger-thin threads were still as smooth as the recently chiseled stone . They no doubt converged at the center at some point, formting an entirely different shape, but Lino had no way of knowing what that shape was . He found himself feeling strangely mncholy; it was an odd paradox of sorts, what with the entirety of Kingdom and all its citizens deriving an imposing sense of pride and dignity from the existence of an Empyrean within their borders, both of which are visibly traceable and noticeable hundreds of millions of yearster, only for that same source of their entire defiant identity to eventually be their crude downfall . A sudden urge to trace back the flickers of time to back before they fell assailed Lino . For one reason or another, he desired to see them both at their highest and also at their lowest . He wanted to see whether their defiant disposition vanished in the face of a foe looming over the sky . He wanted to see whether they held onto their convictions, onto their beliefs, onto their identity till the very end . He seldom resonated with people so fervently devout to external definition of self; he couldn¡¯t fathom how one can be so deeply woven into the story remarkably indifferent about their existence, till the point of defending it till the dying breath . Lino was very much different in that aspect . He could hardly constitute an identity from within, let alone extrapte it from the things surrounding him . He frowned and sighed, shaking his head as though in an attempt to dissolve the strange thoughts . Philosophy of life was never his strong suite, however much he could spit out about it . He only ever truly knew himself . And, in fashion, he wound up simrly believing in the only thing he truly knew . He moved past the cracked archway with sullied mood, unable to shake off a strange feeling . It felt almost as if the fervor of the era long since gone had seeped into his veins, prompting forever doused fire to rekindle . Hardly a superstitious person, he was on the verge of believing ghosts existed for a moment and had actually possessed him temporarily . He smiled bitterly and swore he would forcibly cuff this strange habit he had developed over the numerous years of istion . Moving onward, buildings around him grewrger andrger, even in their ruined forms . They were more detailed, more resilient to the corruption of time . He¡¯d finally arrived at an open space; it was wholly t and square, with a cracked fountain in the spat center of it all . Surrounding it were numerous buildings, some of which actually wholly resisted the charm of death even after so many years . It was no doubt a central za of some sort, Lino realized . He looked around and smiled for a moment, imagining a sea of people revving about their days . He imagined kids dipping their feet into the cold water of the fountain only for their parents to reprimand them . He imagined old folk gathering around and watching the youth scramble to make something of themselves . It is never all that different; it is merely the scale that changes . Since the dawn of mankind till today . . . what all sought was their own little form of happiness . He suddenly shook from inside out as his eyes forcibly tore away from the building he was focusing on toward the other side . There, slithering outside one of the whole buildings was a figure d in gray, tattered dress . She wasn¡¯t all that tall, and appeared slightly aged in appearance, perhaps in her forties . Her dark hair was tied into a single bun, her eyes seemingly tired of watching the same, empty scenery over and over again . It was also then that she suddenly noticed him, her whole beinging to a halt, as though frozen in time by a hand of god . She stood rooted in ce, lips slightly agape, eyes wide . Her hands trembled as though instigated by a quake, her knees weakened as she suddenly fell down, reaching up with her hands and covering her mouth . Those eyes that could pierce through the stars suddenly glistened as a river of timeless tears streamed out . Joy . . . happiness . . . surprise . . . warmth . . . the familiar gaze jolted Lino¡¯s heart . He felt the shackles of unwound time that littered him weaken and crack like enfeebled eggshells and couldn¡¯t help but tremble . She hasn¡¯t changed a bit, he realized . She was still just as beautiful, just as warm, just as kind . Even the wrinkles and bags under her eyes and strained skin over her lips couldn¡¯t hide her beauty . It was the kind that knew no age, one that surfaced from within . The distance between them wasn¡¯trge, perhaps fifty meters altogether . Yet, as though fearing he might slither back into the darkness and disappear, she suddenly bolted onto her feet and ran . She slipped and fell and got back up immediately and ran . Lino felt his legs move on their own, driven entirely by his heart . He ran too, afraid she might disappear in a puff of smoke, afraid his mind was imagining her . He lurched himself into her embrace and felt the sensation his body had long since forgotten . A pair of arms wrapped around his back and pulled him in, holding him mped . The same pair trembled and felt so weak Lino felt his heart bleed for a moment . Even though he was well over a whole head taller than her, he felt insignificantly small within that embrace . He felt like that same kid, snuggling into the warm warp of loving arms . He felt her tears wet his hair, he felt the trembling sensation of her body, he heard the faint sobs as they ravaged his bleeding heart further . " . . . y-you¡¯ve . . . you¡¯ve finallye . . . " a familiar voice trailed into his ears, soft and melodic . Warm . Kind . Loving . "Yeah . . . " Lino replied feebly . "I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m home . . . " Chapter 139 Chapter 139 CHAPTER 139 REUNION Two figures remained in each others¡¯ embrace for nearly ten minutes, doused inplete silence interrupted only asionally with a faint sob and a gasp . Lino slowly came to and raised his head, his eyes being met by a reddened pair . He couldn¡¯t help but let a faint smile escape his lips as E tightened her hold on him . From over her shoulder, he could see another figure slowly leaving the small house . Eggor was still just as Lino remembered him; tall, broad and old . Though he kept his brows furrowed, it was clear it took quite a magnificent effort to do so . He seemed to take a deep breath before beginning to walk forward, stopping only when he reached the two . He spoke with his arms crossed over his chest . "Hello kiddo . " "Hello old man . " Lino replied, smiling . " . . . you look like shit . " "Thanks . " " . . . I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay . " Eggor said, coughing almost immediately after as if to cover up his embarrassment . "You know what I¡¯m going to do right now?" Lino asked, pulling E up and away . "What?" Eggor asked, arching his brow . "I¡¯m gonna give you a bear hug . " "No you won¡¯t . " "Sure as hell will . " "Try and I¡¯ll rip you apart . " "No you won¡¯t . " Lino said, taking a step closer . "Hey, back off bastard!" "Here Ie, old man!" "Fuck off you bastard! I¡¯m warning you!!" Eggor eximed, fervently backing up . "Aww,e on,e here . Gimme that big ol¡¯ hug!" "I swear I¡¯ll shove a sword up your ass if you don¡¯t stop!" "Eh? If you¡¯re gonna cheat on your wife man, at least, you know, pick another woman . " " . . . " "How about that hug, huh?" " . . . " "Ha ha, are you thinking about whether it¡¯s possible to squeeze me to death?" Lino asked, slowly walking over . "Maybe . " "Eh, give it a shot . If it works, I won¡¯t haunt you . " "I¡¯d be quicker to believe stars shit diamonds than that . " Eggor said, grinning for a moment . However, he wasn¡¯t backing up any longer . "Why diamonds though?" Lino asked as he stopped in front of him . Though Lino had grown quite considerably, over 190 at that, he was still at least a head shorter than the giant before him . "Why not?" "Good point . " " . . .e here . " though he tried desperately, Lino was unable to wrap his arms around the thick-bellied giant . On the other hand, it was leisure for Eggor to do so . Muscle atop a muscle, that was truly the only thing Lino felt . "Damn man, you¡¯re so fucking fat . . . " Lino mumbled as the two parted . "Fat? Humph, ¡¯tis all muscle, you braindead kid . All muscle . " "Yeah, that¡¯s what I said . " Lino said, grinning . "All the same, I¡¯d rather be a fatso than a stick like you . " "Oh, please . You should see how women swoon over this stick . " "Perhaps ¡¯stick¡¯ wasn¡¯t the best choice of words . . . " Eggor mumbled . " . . . oh . Yeah . Khm, anyway," Lino swiftly turned around and faced E who was currently staring at the two curiously with a faint smile . "What are you looking at?" "Just wondering if I should be worried . " " . . . oh, please . " Lino rolled his eyes at her . "Unlike you, I¡¯d be crushed if he tried to jump me . " Pa!! Though it hurt, Lino suddenly felt a strange sense of nostalgia surge from within . He then immediately suppressed it from fear of growing to enjoy being pped at the back of his head . The trio soon headed back into the house where E quickly fashioned a simple meal while Eggor took out the finest ale he could find and poured all three of them a cup . Lino grabbed at the wooden spoon and quickly downed the strange soup . It wasn¡¯t exactly due to hunger, but because he missed E¡¯s food quite a bit . "Did you two wait long?" Lino asked . "No . " E replied, shaking her head . "Hell yeah . " Eggor replied, frowning . " . . . so which one is it?" "Mine . " both replied at the same time . "Ah, I get it . So you decided to fuck with me for a while . " "Do you really think I have time to do that?" Eggor asked . "Well, you had time to wait for me here . " " . . . " "How have you been?" E asked while caressing Eggor¡¯s back gently, healing the old man¡¯s wounds . "Honestly?" Lino said, looking at her . "Thinking about whether I should try to kill you when I found you, mostly . It was a very tough decision . " " . . . that bad, huh?" E asked, sighing lowly . " . . . nah," Lino said, smiling . "Had I been smarter, all of this could have been avoided . " " . . . I¡¯m truly sorry, Lino . " E said . "I . . . I honestly never meant to entangle you into this mess . I had no idea it would happen in this way . . . " " . . . I¡¯m sorry to burst your bubble, but you didn¡¯t have a choice," Lino shrugged his shoulders . "If the bastard wanted you to give him to someone, you would have given him to someone . The cunt¡¯s cunty like that . " " . . . are we talking about the same thing? The thing?" Eggor suddenly asked, seeming slightly shocked . "The Writ? Yeah . " Lino replied casually, nibbling on the bread . " . . . you really have the balls of steel calling it a cunt . " Eggor said, a shred of respect toward the young bastard across from him appearing in his eyes . "Oh, that? Pf, cunt¡¯s like a lovely nicknamepared to the shit I usuallye up with . For an entire year, I used to call him Gaia¡¯s unwanted whore . Even he couldn¡¯t endure it in the end and decided to teach me a brief lesson in pain . " " . . . " " . . . khm," E coughed awkwardly . "You¡¯re still the same, I see . " "He he, but of course!" "Oh, right . " Eggor chimed in . "What happened to the others?" he remembered the band he was briefly a part of before he went to look for E . The atmosphere almost immediately dipped into frigid as Lino¡¯s expression darkened . He almost immediately regretted asking, but there was no button to unwind the time and erase regrets . " . . . dead . " Lino said . "Only Lucky¡¯s alive . . . I suppose . " " . . . I . . . I¡¯m sorry . . . " Eggor mumbled weakly . " . . . as am I," Lino said, sighing and leaning back into the chair . "I went my own way for a while before the invasion ¡¯cause I wanted to make some money and buy some resources . . . I was toote ining back . " " . . . that¡¯s why the spear¡¯s there . . . " E mumbled . "The spear? Oh, right . Yeah," Lino said . "As you can imagine," he continued, taking a deep breath . "I was a bit angry about the whole ordeal . So I figured it was a good idea to go and challenge two Devil Variants with my sissy-fit . I somehow wound up shoving my Will into the spear . Killed everyone there, though . Well, except the Devil Variants of course . One day, however . . . I will . " " . . . the Devils killed your friends?" E suddenly asked, frowning . " . . . " Lino nced at her and smiled oddly for a moment . "What? You think everyone uniformly agreed to help out a wet-behind-ears Empyrean dog without any issues with it whatsoever?" " . . . " "As with almost everything, there are splinters," Lino exined . "A group content with invading this dimension, partly because they really like killing humans and partly because they can¡¯t really say no . And then there¡¯s the other group, who would rather not condemn their race to a near-extinction war . " " . . . how¡¯d you learn this?" E asked . "A Devil told me . " "Eh?" "Ay, he was quite a fun guy actually . " Lino said, remembering Linger for a moment . "Didn¡¯t really appreciate me pretty much flipping him, but then again, he didn¡¯t try to kill me either . Good guy altogether . " " . . . this is making less and less sense," E sighed, shaking her head . "Again . . . I¡¯m really sorry Lino . If I had known . . . ah . . . " " . . . why didn¡¯t you tell me what it actually was, though?" Lino asked . "Because I figured you wouldn¡¯t need to know," she replied with a bitter smile . "That you would be like Eggor . Train for a while, and then get too tired of it and focus entirely on cksmithing . " "Hey!!" "Clearly, though . . . I was wrong . You really intend to pursue both paths . You always did . " " . . . it¡¯s not like I really have a choice," Lino shrugged . "It doesn¡¯t matter though . I¡¯ll figure it out eventually . " "I know you will . " E added with a smile . "You¡¯re quite quick in your progression," E suddenly added . "Already Early Purity Realm!" "Pu!!" Eggor suddenly spat out a mouthful of ale, a shocked expression on his face . "W-what the fuck?!! You¡¯re already so strong, you bastard?!" "Huh? What are you spitting at me for, you weak, old bastard?!" Lino said . "By the way," he then ignored reddened Eggor and focused back onto E . "Just how strong have you gotten over the past ten years? You¡¯re at the very least Numinous Realm . That¡¯s even faster than me . " "Ha ha, well, for me it¡¯s mostly just retracing back my old path . " E said with a faint giggle . "But are you sure you want to know just how strong I am? It might shock you quite a bit . " "Oh, please . Don¡¯t be so vain . " "Alright . Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you . " seeing her basic stats, Lino¡¯s world crumbled for a moment as time stopped . He stared in utter disbelief . " . . . " "What?" E asked, seeing that Lino remained silent for nearly five minutes . " . . . fuck my mother . " he took in a deep, cold breath, remembering those few brief lines . [Eleanor Qe¡¯ll - Human - Immortal Sword Maiden] The Ineffable Level: 899 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 CHAPTER 140 CLASH OF GIANTS (I) It has been nearly a week since Lino had reunited with Eggor and E . The trio mainly remained within the confines of the small house, rarely if ever venturing out past the massive za outside . For the first time in a long while, Lino felt serenity ovee him, tranquilizing his worries into a chasm-deep descent . He found himselfughing and smiling more so than ever before as he narrated his stories to them, and they narrated their stories to him . He almost felt as though this little piece of the world was a distorted vacuum existing outside the reality itself, where he found himself washed repeatedly with currents of understanding . s, no peacests forever; on exactly eight day since his arrival, his brows suddenly arched as E also lifted her head up from the book she was reading, both ncing at each other for a moment while Eggor looked on confusedly . The two left outside and looked toward the end of za . Though there was no one there, both felt streams and currents of Qi and life encroaching upon their little home . " . . . what¡¯s with you two?" Eggor asked, frustrated, since the two remained silent . "We¡¯re not alone anymore . " E replied . " . . . how many?" Eggor asked somberly . " . . . a lot . " Lino added with a sigh . "The word¡¯s really spread far and wide, hasn¡¯t it?" "What do you want to do?" E asked him . "I¡¯ve still got something to do here," Lino said, smiling faintly . "So I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to leave for a bit . You two can just hide in the meantime . " "You really expect us to leave you to wander out alone?" E asked with a slightly surprised expression . "I¡¯m a grown man--" "Doesn¡¯t matter . " "I¡¯ve gone through much worse--" "Who cares?" "I do!!" "You don¡¯t count . " E said dismissively . "Anyway, you don¡¯t need to leave . I have what you want right here . " "Eh?" Lino eximed softly as he saw E take out a spherical, ssed object . It wasn¡¯t the object itself that surprised Lino, but what it contained; inside was a swirl of colors and energy, engorging itself toward the edges of the object before condensing back down into a small speck, barely visible to the naked eye . "Is that . . . really a singrity?" Lino asked, seeming uncertain . "It¡¯s a very old, unstable and weak singrity," E replied . "But it¡¯s a singrity nheless . " "Where did you find it?" Lino asked . "Outside," E said with a smile . "On a shore toward East . Buried deep beneath the ravaged troves . " " . . . lovely . So I would have been blindly searching here like a dog . . . hey, didn¡¯t you tell me the Singrity was here?!" Lino suddenly shouted at himself . " . . . but it is here . " the Writ replied inwardly . "But it was here . " E added outwardly . " . . . fuck . Fine, give me . I¡¯ll go somewhere and--" "Just go back in the house," E said, rolling her eyes at him . "And do what you¡¯ve gotta do . We¡¯ll protect you . " "The energy will leak out . . . I¡¯ve no doubt someone will recognize it . " "Do you think my current Level is just for showing off?" " . . . no?" "Don¡¯t worry about anything," Eggor suddenly said, smiling coarsely . "This is our debt . " "Wow, that¡¯s one hell of a self-imposed debt . " "Do you want our help or not?" "Sure do, sure do . " "Then shut the fuck up and go inside . " "Ay, ay, you brain-dead muscled-coated worm . " Lino said, suddenly sprinting toward the house while Eggor was registering his words . "Hey you bastard,e back--" "Just let it slide . " E said as she held him back from running toward the house . "Why can¡¯t you just act like an adult? He¡¯s just a kid . " " . . . he¡¯s twenty-seven . " "So? You¡¯re over two thousand years old . " " . . . I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve been going against me a whole lot more since we met that bastard . " Eggor said . "You¡¯re imagining things . " " . . . you¡¯re imagining things . . . " Eggor feebly mumbled . "What?" "Nothing . So, how many are there?" he asked . "A decent lot . You should pull back and protect nks with the Constructs . I¡¯ll take the head . " "Alright . " Eggor casually walked back and reached out with his two arms upon which small, palm-sized cubes appeared . He flung the cubes onto the floor as they sted out in a brief swirl of energy and light before engorging into a human-sized figures . They appeared made of some sort of metal exuding light-brownish sheen, with thick arms and broad shoulders . Their heads were extruded backwards in an arch, eyes just two empty sockets shing asional crimson, without noses or mouths . With a quick mentalmand, Eggor sent both of them slightly sideways to protect the nks while he himself simply sat just outside the house cross-legged and waited . E, simrly, sat down at the very center of the massive za and waited with her eyes closed . She didn¡¯t care all that much about the people from the Western Continent or even Central Continent . The only one she was worried about were the two figures that came from the Holy Continent - Annar, the Star Child . He was one of the few Chosen of E¡¯s generation, a direct descendant from the Patriarch of one of the Seven Holy Lands - The Children of Gods . Though he could never reallypare with E directly, he did have a massive advantage of nearly two thousand years during which E hadn¡¯t cultivated . If it was him alone, she would still be confident in easy victory, but there was another - Scarlet was her name, as far as E could remember . Much like Annar, she was also one of the Chosen, but it was during the generation following E¡¯s . From what she learned in the past ten or so years, Scarlet was oftenpared to her during the growing period as she also bound realms like empty ins of nothing . Even though she never really matched E¡¯s speed, it wasn¡¯t without reason that many would rather look the other way than pick a fight with her . It also had to do with the fact that she¡¯s part of Necrosis Crypt - 6th ranked Holy Land . Although they were only ranked sixth in terms of strength, very few were willing to fight with them, as that would also mean fighting hundreds, if not thousands and hundreds of thousands of corpses at the same time . Coincidentally, the two were also the first ones to show up on the scene . They walked slightly apart, seemingly indifferent to each other . Annar was a rtively average-looking man seemingly in his forties; he wasn¡¯t all too tall or short, and loose robes draped over him lent credence to the rumor that he was quite fat, though E could easily see that he was at best just average . He had a bald head and a pair of blue eyes, which were the highlight of his appearance . Scarlet, on the other hand, stood out far more; she wore rather showy ck dress with cuts and cleaves nearly everywhere, barely covering anything . She had long, ck hair that was draped over her shoulder forward and then over her exceedinglyrge breasts . Her pair of eyes was ck, encapsted with the oval face, the highlight being a full pair of blood-red lips that were seemingly eternally curled up in a seductive smile . The two came to a halt at the entrance of za, focused entirely on the housewife-looking figure at the center of it . As Scarlet had never seen E, she had no clue who the strange woman was, but Annar was different . His eyes shone momentarily as theynded on her; though he had never seen her with this appearance, he would never forget those eyes . Those eyes captured his soul the very first time he¡¯d seen them . " . . . I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d also be interested in this ce . " Annar suddenly spoke . "If I had known, I¡¯d have offered mypany . " Scarlet looked at him strangely for a moment, questioning his taste in women as he seemed interested in a rather average-looking housewife . It was no wonder, then, she realized, that he had showed no interest in her despite traveling together for over two months . " . . . " E didn¡¯t reply, merely slowly getting up and looking at Annar calmly . " . . . battle intent?" he faintly mumbled . "Did you find something?" "I have . " E replied coldly and indifferently . "Heh, you don¡¯t have to be so invigorated . If you apany me for a while, I¡¯ll simply ignore it . " "You think too highly of yourself, Young Master Annar," E said with a faint smile . "To be frank, I would rather apany a pack of dogs to a hike than you for even a sip of the world¡¯s most expensive wine . " " . . . " Scarlet smiled, musing over Annar¡¯s twitching expression . She was fully aware of just how proud of a person Annar was; for him to hear something like that and still manage to control himself . . . that woman really was something, even she had to admit . "Who is she?" she asked Annar . " . . . your light . " Annar replied dubiously, yet Scarlet seemed to immediately realize what he meant, her gaze hardening and turning frigid as she looked at E yet again . "Sword Maiden, huh?" " . . . Lady Scarlet, long time no see . " E said, smiling faintly . " . . . we¡¯ve met before?" Scarlet asked, furrowing her brows . "I was one of the honorary guests when your mother was birthing you . It was quite a . . . unique experience . " " . . . " Scarlet¡¯s cheeks suddenly shed red as she looked away, but she just as quickly seemed to recover, hardening her expression yet again . "I¡¯m honored . I apologize, though; I still must offend you . " " . . . you can¡¯t defeat her," Annar said, frowning slightly . "What did you find Eleanor? Has it anything to do with the Writ?" "No . " E replied casually . "Then you wouldn¡¯t oppose us inspecting it?" " . . . you really do think quite highly of yourself," E said, sneering . "I¡¯d been absent for far too long, it seems . Did you forget, Annar? If I told you to sit and bark like a dog, you would have sat and barked like a dog . Nothing has changed . Not now . . . not ever . " " . . . " In a moment beneath the length of a second, E withdrew a sparkling sword and swung sideways in one swift, smooth motion, meeting an erged gauntlet head-on . The resulting shockwave sted the tiles beneath her feet upward as well as the dashing figure backwards . Annar flew like a cannonball, sting through the decaying buildings before finally settling down in the dusty storm nearly a mile away . "ATTACK HER!!" he screamed from the dust, surprising Scarlet . She hadn¡¯t expected him to react that violently, even less to be beaten back so casually . "You¡¯re quite---" before Scarlet had time to finish her sentence, she noticed a cold gleam of the de streaming toward her throat, forcing a frown and sweat to emerge upon her forehead . She quickly shifted backwards, turning into a gust of empty, ck smoke . Materializing nearly half a mile away, she called upon a scepter which appeared in her hand; it was over a meter long staff carved out of old-looking wood with a ck skull ceaselessly spitting out blood from the empty sockets up top . She weaved it roundly in a swift motion, causing ground to shake . Soon after, small vortexes appeared all around the za and corpses - skeletal and zombified alike - began appearing in dozens and soon hundreds . Without waiting for them to properly settle, E shed, turning into a stream of brilliant, pure white light as she dashed from one corner of the za to another within eye¡¯s blink, striking out with her sword and leaving behind nothing but destruction in her wake . It hadn¡¯t even been half a minute, and the battlefield was already a greater ruin than it was before . It was also then that Annar finally returned and swiftly joined the ever-increasing number of corpses in trying to restrain E . He wielded a pair of ming gauntlets, ten times asrge as his own hands, built out of metallized [Dragon¡¯s Blood] . His style resembled boxing, mainly relying on quick but powerful jabs to gain momentum over his opponent before exploiting the ws in their defense . However, he quickly realized just how useless his style appeared in front of E; he swung his arms around in ever-increasing pace as E kept ducking and weaving through his attacks, disposing of corpses . When his speed seemingly increased to the point she couldn¡¯t handle, she made but a faint step back and bent her body backwards before shifting the center of gravity in her body, falling back like a leaf . She then propelled herself sideways, evading his attack which barreled down with a fierce firestorm just behind, striking in a thrusting motion with her thin sword . Annar¡¯s fists hit empty air, setting it aze, fire roaring nearly twenty meters into the air before settling . Meanwhile, E¡¯s sword struck at his right-side ribs, his face immediately contorting into a distorted grimace . He not only heard but also felt nearly a dozen of his ribs crack in one swift motion as the exploding force of the impact sent him straight up into the air . E then used her other leg to shift back the center of gravity, jumping up like a bullet, evading the corpses that began piling up at her location, following after Annar . She struck yet again and, as though there was a tform beneath her feet, kept jumping midair, following his ascent . Over and over again, Annar felt bones in his body crack and his skin splinter as blood began gushing out like a river . He was juggled in the sky without being able to do anything; it wasn¡¯t for theck of trying, but E seemed to be capable of perfectly finding the exact moment to hit him in order to prevent retaliation . In the end, unable to handle it any longer, he screamed like a madman as a cluster of energy burst out from within him, forcing E back . His entire body shuffled into the embodiment of fire itself as he sprung toward her like a meteorite . Rather than fighting head-on, E sped up her descent and shifted sideways, covering nearly half a mile of distance in one, simple step, leaving behind a trail of white light . Annar crashed into the ground, causing quakes that shook the entire city, crumbling dozens of buildings in the process . His arms struck down, causing earth to seemingly obey his desires, splitting apart into a massive crater which began spitting out fireballs and zing rocks as though it was a volcano . Within those mes, a figure rose to his feet and looked toward E¡¯s direction . He no longer appeared entirely human, entirely coated in mes . "So what if you¡¯re a Sword Maiden?" he spoke in a distorted voice . "Qe¡¯lls are but children who just had a faint taste of power, just began understanding what it means to stand at the top of the world . Us? We¡¯ve been there for millions of years . You don¡¯t stand a chance, Eleanor . " "Funny . .ing from a guy who just got his ass beaten so bad I¡¯m fairly certain it has turned blue . " E replied, smiling faintly . " . . . enough with the games," Annar said, turning toward her and beginning to walk . "Surrender what you¡¯ve found and apologize . For the sake of your n, I¡¯ll let you go . Otherwise . . . I won¡¯t be as pleasant . " " . . . ha ha ha, you¡¯re really funny Annar," E said as she suddenly withdrew another sword from seemingly nowhere . "Of all the Godly Forms from your Sect . . . is the least impressive one . If it was your Master here and not you . . . granted, I wouldn¡¯t dare utter such nonsense . But, he¡¯s not . What makes you think you¡¯re the only ones with Avatar Forms? Perhaps . . . ay, perhaps it¡¯s high time you learned, Annar . . . just why they called me Immortal Sword Maiden . " She spread her arms apart, two identical swords present . They glistened in faint white, giving impression that they were merely extension of her body rather than the independent tools . With legs close together, she suddenly rose into the air, her hair fluttering madly as winds surrounded her in reverence . She rose up to nearly fifty meters into the air before stopping . A speck of light emerged from her forehead as it seemingly shredded her skin anew; the housewife appearance disappeared and was instead reced by a figure that even Scarlet couldn¡¯t entirelyprehend . Golden hair swayed freely, sea-blue eyes piercing the world itself . She still wore simple, shoddy-looking clothes, yet they hardly retracted anything from the ethereal beauty she disyed . More so than her beauty, though, air of dignity swirled around her, air of sce, of someone standing on a ce no other soul could ever hope to reach . Annar resisted the urge to halt and admire her as he squatted down and suddenly propelled himself in the sky, behind him a stream of fire seemingly spat out of the soles of his feet . He knew it wasn¡¯t a battle he could afford to lose; for the first time in nearly a thousand years, he found himself going all out without holding absolutely anything back, because even a moment of doubt could mean immediate death . Chapter 141 Chapter 141 CHAPTER 141 CLASH OF GIANTS (II) An explosion sted midair, one so bright it sped onward for tens of miles, causing all those who were yet to reach the center to gasp in wonder and halt in motion . Following the bright sh of light was a shockwave toppling over hills, buildings and people as though they were made of paper . Winds reached thousands of miles per hour, sting those unprepared backwards, even killing several in the process . At the epicenter, E deflected Annar¡¯s frontal jab and spun sideways while ducking midair, using the momentum to stab at thetter¡¯s chest . Annar endured the pain and pushed back, gritting his teeth and swinging his other arm at E . A hook with fire sting like a mouth of volcano behind it came from top at E¡¯s back as she spun yet again, crossing her two swords over her chest as she weed the gauntlet directly . Another sting explosion ensued, sending E barreling toward the ground directly and piercing open gigantic hole with seemingly no end . A streak of white light shed through the smoke, cinder and fire and breached into the air as she swiped her swords sideways, forcing Annar to instinctively raise his arm in defense . Sounds of metal shing echoed as sparks gave birth to embers and rioting ze . E struck repeatedly, the speed of her swings well beyond what an ordinary eye can perceive, leaving behind only streaks of blurry white light . Annar felt as though his bones were being broken repeatedly as he poured oceans-worth of Qi into his arms and gauntlets, defending against seemingly infinite strikes that followed no rational pattern . As he was pushed back repeatedly, the battle shifted for nearly a mile away before he tried a counter-attack; the two never broke eye contact, both coldly staring at each other . Seeing the angle of E¡¯s thrust, Annar shifted his left arm slightly sideways, briefly deflecting the strike from the center of his chest to thrust through his armor and into his ribs . Infusing the bones with massive amounts of Qi, he temporarily broke E¡¯s momentum, giving him a breadth of second to reply . However, that breadth was more than enough . A spinning, outlined circle appeared behind his elbow as it scourged out ghastly, golden mes into a massive cone, propelling his arm forward . The gauntletnded squarely against E¡¯s chest, contorting her muscles and forcing her to spit out blood as she felt berserk force st her backward . Streaking from nearly two miles above toward the earth, she saw that the encirclement of corpses and a previouslyid formation awaited her at the bottom . She forcibly swallowed a mouthful of blood as she drove from her Qi reserves and sted a spectrum full of it into her swords till they began resembling mirages more so than physical objects . She shifted so she was falling in a 45 degree angle, beginning to spin with her two arms extended and swords curved behind her back, her knees bent, legs pulled back . Gust of smoke and cinder fell off of her and trailed backward through the sky as she roared through, blighted against the earth . The sound of impact remained stiffened within the confines of distorted spacetime before it all tore to bits . A st of magnitude that Scarlet had never witnessed before in her life suddenly unfolded, burning all her risen undead to nothing but empty ash, filling her sight with blinding light . She had but a mere moment to awkwardly raise up her defenses as the energy copsed upon her . It was the sort of weight surpassing what she understood of the world; it cracked her ribs, crushed her lungs, halted her heart and bisected her limbs into small bits and pieces of flying, shing gore . A gnarly scream denoting hellish sense of agony, pain and torment sounded out nearly as loudly as the explosion itself . Formation cracked . Undead were burnt . She was sent barreling tens of miles backwards along the sifting debris and shattered rocks . She felt a piece of nature in that moment, part of chaos, part of copse that was the consequence of provoking the devil . Smoke and dust married in conviction, hiding the catastrophe that had befallen the Forgotten Kingdom . E stood erected at the center, all around her ruin andnd ravaged beyond description . Visible threads of white Qi were pouring in and out of her, her golden hair standing up right as though there was a wind blowing below her . Her azure eyes turned bright till the point of being nothing but two white glows with steam swaying out into the sky above her . Her tattered clothes were broken further, only a few pieces left remaining, covering her most private parts . She suddenly tilted her head sideways and up, locking onto Annar above who was looking at the scene unfolding before his eyes in ungodly dismay . A funny thought, however, suddenly echoed inside his mind, one that nearly made him burst out intoughter amidst all this ughter . He wanted to shout at her: this had nothing to do with your title of Sword Maiden!! s, he couldn¡¯t . Terror had struck him . . . but, he didn¡¯t cower . He didn¡¯t hide . He didn¡¯t try to run back and escape . His body still aze grew even brighter, mes gaining a tinge of icy colors in their depths . Up above the Avatar of God of Fire, and down below the Avatar of Immortal Sword . It was no longer merely a battle between two cultivators; it was a battle of styles, of ideologies, of beliefs . Rather than waiting for E to climb toward him, Annar screamed into the world, his roar resembling Dragon¡¯s, causing hearts of all those who had heard it to freeze for a moment . He then turned into a streak of mes and dove in a majestic fashion, turning into an object resembling a falling star . mes grewrger andrger, wider and wider, thicker and thicker, till they nketed vast portion of what the others saw . Althone . . . Gustav . . . Damian . . . all those who watched from the outside stood still, frozen, astonished . . . afraid . That wasn¡¯t a battle they could participate in . Rather, nearing it would no doubt necessitate their deaths . That was the battle of gods, battle of beings that had long since abandoned their mortal coil . Annar was crashing into E within blink of an eye; she weed him freely, her two sounds now but streams of light as she swung them repeatedly, sending out billows of skin-cutting Sword Qi into the sky like rain . A massive sun crashed against seemingly small stars, yet they ate away at it, bit by bit . Two ends met atst, the ensuing energy paralyzing time itself . The space around the two distorted and they appeared to have been sucked out of reality, yet the space repeatedly bulged and contorted as though there was a worm trying to get outside . There was no explosion . There was no sound . Yet, but a secondter, they suddenly appeared, and alongside them was the explosion, it was the sound of the world being torn into bits and pieces . Even the mere remnants of the crash were enough to level everything in the surrounding fifty miles into an absolute nd and wastnd, bereft of anything but a single, stationary building nearby which somehow remained standing . As the dust settled, two shadowy figures could be seen within it . One standing and one lying . Both were back to their original appearances, E going as far as bing the ordinary-looking housewife yet again . She looked down calmly at the barely-breathing Annar whose lips were strangely curled up in a smile . Cuts ran rampart across his body, his armor shredded into bits and pieces, leaving him entirely naked to lie on the floor . His right arm was cut off cleanly at his shoulder, the right side of his abdomen split open till guts were spilling out, a massive gash half the thickness of his thigh ran up from it down to his calf . It was a state beyond misery, yet his expression would suggest anything but that . " . . . l--legends . . . did you no justice, Sword Maiden . " he mumbled out faintly . " . . . " E said nothing, merely whipping out another set of ordinary-looking clothes and donning them over her nearly entirely shredded ones . "Truly . . . ay . . . I was a fool . . . fool for ever believing I stood a chance," he said . "That¡¯s what all my nsmen said . You are an exaggerated Legend . You are a myth . You are a story . Ha ha . . . blurgh . . . ha ha ha," heughed madly, vomiting out a mouthful of blood over his already bloodied chest . "Fools . . . we¡¯re all fools . . . " " . . . you shouldn¡¯t talk so much," E said as she bent over slowly, cing her thumb onto his forehead . "Especially if you have nothing clever or witty to say . " Annar soon felt a stream of blissful, calm energy devour his chaotic body . " . . . you aren¡¯t going to kill me?" "I don¡¯t think your Father would appreciate me killing you over something so idiotic . " E replied with a sigh . " . . . ha ha, you mean to say that you¡¯d rather save me than bicker with my hot-headed old man?" " . . . where has all the respect for Elders gone, eh?" E asked, smiling lightly . "Screw them," Annar said, taking a fresh, deep breath as his lungs cleared up . "They fucked the world up and then left the wastnd for us to manage and fix . " " . . . oh . Right . Will Scarlet be okay?" E asked as she looked sideways toward where she remembered Scarlet being sent flying . "She should be . . . you really think it¡¯s easy to kill those crazies? Huh . . . " Annar shivered for a moment . "Honestly, I¡¯d rather fight against you than her . It¡¯s just . . . so annoying . " "You¡¯re annoying, you bastard," a seductive voice joined the duo as space next to them distorted for a moment before Scarlet popped out . She seemed fine, despite the state E remembered her being in . Well, fine . . . save for the fact that two of her limbs were now ck, one of her arms seemed scorched red, and the other almost porcin white . She looked rather strange, when all was said and done . "Can¡¯t believe you suggested the two of us can beat her . Don¡¯t know whether I should call you optimistic or idiotic . " " . . . " " . . . " "What? These were the only limbs I had at hand . . . " Scarlet shrugged as she looked around and noticed the house as well as the man calmly sitting in front of it, surrounded by two constructs standing on guard . "Oh? Could that be the famed Iron of the Dragon¡¯s me?" " . . . eh? People are still calling him that dumb nickname?" E asked as she withdrew her thumb, helping Annar stand up on his one healthy leg . Though she can¡¯tpletely fix him right away, for someone of Annar¡¯s realm, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to recover to peak in due time . "Hah, what do you mean dumb? It¡¯s the most envied nickname among the cksmiths of the Maind," Scarlet said, rolling her eyes at E . "Do you know how many smiths want to be called that?" "Hey, apparently there are a lot of stone-bangers who want to take your old nickname," E spoke to Eggor as the trio walked over slowly . "They seem to like it . " "Oh god!! Really?!! Fucking finally!!" Eggor eximed as he leapt up onto his feet . "I¡¯ve been wanting to get rid of that embarrassment for literal eons!! Who is it? Is it that old shithead Dave? That midget Entoar? Maybe even that pervert Sonya? Fuck, I get shivers even remembering her . Did you know she once tested the quality of ¡¯metal¡¯ by shoving it in---" "Enough of that . " E interrupted him quickly . Annar looked strangely at the two, wondering whether this was really the legendary pair that flipped the Maind a big one before wandering off to do their own thing elsewhere . "Curious eyes are approaching . The three of us are pretty much spent . So, it¡¯s up to you hubby . " " . . . the only time you call me hubby is when you know the next fifteen minutes of my life will be me getting fucked repeatedly . " "You¡¯re imagining things . " " . . . " "Alright, you¡¯re not . So, good luck hubby . We¡¯re cheering for you!" E said, shing him a bright smile and kissing him on a cheek . That seemed to invigorate him and turned the frown upside down . " . . . he really is gullible, isn¡¯t he? Like a teenage boy . " Scarlet added . "Aren¡¯t they all?" E said as the three sat down and leaned against the house . Though both Eggor and Annar¡¯s brows twitched at that statement, neither said anything . They simply decided it wasn¡¯t worth it . Chapter 142 Chapter 142 CHAPTER 142 CLASH OF THE GIANTS (III) While the world outside the little stone house was slowly beginning to copse due to the battle, Lino was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed, eyebrows tightly knit together . He had began absorbing the Singrity the moment he¡¯d entered, yet, unlike with what happened with Eshen, it wasn¡¯t a simple, quick process . The Singrity itself appeared formless, yet Lino could sense boundless energy streaming out from it . He felt as though there was enough to copse half the continent in a one, bright sh of light . Perhaps, he mused, even more than just a half . He slowly began absorbing it under the Writ¡¯s guide, trying to integrate it with his own Singrity . However, the moment the two came in contact, he felt space round him dte, pushing and pulling at him as though it was trying to eat it away . He felt as though his mind was suddenly ripped out of his own body and sent barreling through the boundary of space and time, diving through the vortex of darkness surrounded by bending lights of innumerable stars . It was both the most beautiful and the most terrifying sight that Lino ever beheld, leaving him in the awe of terror beneath the spades of infinity . The journey didn¡¯tst all that long as he felt being spat out into another world . He found himself floating in the clean, blue sky . Turning around, he immediately noticed a figure standing by his side; it was a woman d in crimson armor, strapped full in metal from head to toe . It was beyond majestic, yet also seemed cumbersome, Lino thought . The woman seemed to be in herte twenties at most, with starkly silver eyes and hair encapsting cid expression with which she suddenly looked at him . Those eyes . . . they made Lino shudder . It was as though he was looking at the reflection of himself, when day and night mingle in those few moments of utter loneliness . Where even the greatest of liars turn truthful to themselves . The two stared at each other for a good while, and Lino felt wholly incapable of tearing his gaze away from her . There was something mesmerizing about her figure, about her gaze, about the way she seemed to hold the whole of the world in her palms . " . . . wee . " she said in a strangely soft, melodic voice, aplete opposite of her appearance . " . . . uh . . . it¡¯s, uh, good to be here?" "Do you think it¡¯s odd that a man is trying to absorb my Singrity?" she suddenly asked, seeming genuinely curious . "Huh?" "I mean, if you don¡¯t, neither do I . I just wonder . " " . . . " Lino looked at her oddly, finally realizing who the woman before him was . "Why are all Empyreans mental cases?" he asked . "You have to be mental to stand with him . " Syvelea said . " . . . good point . " Lino nodded . "So you don¡¯t think it¡¯s odd?" "What is odd is that you dragged my soul all the way here to ask me that . " " . . . this isn¡¯t reality," Syvelea said, faintly smiling . "I¡¯m already dead . My age has long since past . " " . . . your Will?" Lino asked, arching his brow . "It¡¯s the Will of me . . . and all those who once stood behind me . " she said . " . . . not following . " "What do you think ¡¯Will¡¯ really means?" Syvelea asked . "Manifestation of our character?" Lino took a guess as he really never thought too much about it, strangely enough . "Parts of it, perhaps," she exined, looking eastward . "It¡¯s a manifestation of reality you chose to uphold . . . to believe in . Your reality is your own . Mine was not . " " . . . " "You are too weak to absorb my Singrity," Syvelea said, expressionless . "It only means he¡¯s helping you . Why?" "He doesn¡¯t have a choice," Lino shrugged . "He put all his apples in this basketcase right here . " he added, pointing at himself . "Is that so . . . " she mumbled faintly . "It¡¯s a shame . Of all the anguished fates Empyreans had suffered, you still somehow managed to draw the short straw . " "Even dead you sure don¡¯t hold back . " "All of my predecessors and I fought knowing that even if we fail . . . our mantle will be carried on . " she said . "You don¡¯t have that luxury . I truly don¡¯t envy your position . " " . . . you¡¯re oddly chatty . " "I¡¯ve never managed to forge friendships," Syvelea said, her lips curling up into a bitter smile . "For most of my days I remained rooted in the training grounds, studying ways to get stronger, isting myself from the rest of the world . By the time of my dying, I realized that . . . I didn¡¯t like being alone, after all . You¡¯re unfortunately the sufferer of it all . " " . . . why unfortunately?" Lino asked . "I¡¯ve not much to offer in terms of a good conversational partner . " she said . "Yet you seem well-versed it in, able to uphold a conversation even with someone like me . " " . . . maybe you express yourself better with actions," Lino said, smiling lightly . "Words are worthless when the sky begins copsing . However, your tiny figure standing there, holding it back so that the people can escape . . . speaks far louder and with much greater rity than a witty tongue ever could . " " . . . what is your name?" she asked . "It¡¯s Lino . " "I¡¯m Syvelea . My mother and father always called me Lea . Apparently, in old Farkish, Syv means ¡¯star¡¯ and Lea means ¡¯sea¡¯ . They thought their little girl would grasp at the sea of stars . " " . . . have you?" "No," Syvelea looked at him and shook her head lightly . "What does your name mean?" "My name? I wouldn¡¯t know," Lino said . "What does Lyonel mean?" "Lyo means ¡¯lion¡¯ in my mother tongue," Syvelea said, smiling . "It¡¯s a good name . " "They¡¯reing . " Lino said . " . . . do you hate them?" she suddenly asked, ncing eastward yet again where silhouettes began appearing . "Them? The Bearers?" "Yes . " "No . I¡¯ve no reason to . " "I do," Syvelea said . "It was a witch-hunt against me . . . yet they wished to erase my entire nation from existence . They¡¯ve done no wrong besides epting me . . . epting those before me . . . and giving us a ce we could call home . Yet, no doubt, they would still im the moral ground after I perished . Vile . . . filthy . . . corrupt . . . evil . They¡¯re evil, Lyonel . " " . . . I¡¯m sorry to hear that . " Lino said, looking down . However, there was no ¡¯down¡¯ . Just sky . There was no earth in sight . "It¡¯s an eternal war that no side can win . At the end of it all, we won¡¯t be the true sufferers . " " . . . " "I don¡¯t know what choices you¡¯ll make in your life," she turned toward him onest time as a crimson-radiating spear appeared in her right hand . "I just hope you¡¯ll live a happy life, regardless . Like me . " she smiled at him yet again before turning around and slowly flying toward the figures who had by nowe into sight . Three led the charge . . . with tens of thousands standing valiantly behind them . Lino learned from the Writ that the three that jointly attacked Syvelea were Bearers of Nihility, Immortal and Aphotic Writs . It wasn¡¯t hard to recognize them; Bearer of Nihility seemingly flickered in and out of existence, their true appearance indistinguishable . Bearer of Aphotic Writ was enshrouded in thick, billowing ck smoke that danced around him like serpents, while Bearer of the Immortal Writ appeared d in silver armor, with threads of golden light flickering around him . Words were exchanged between two sides, but Lino was unable to hear anything . The armies of tens of thousands spread out into an encirclement, leaving the four Bearers directly at the center . It began, Lino realized as a grasping shadow appeared suddenly behind Syvelea and docked a dagger into her back . She grimaced for a moment before swiping her spear backward, hitting nothing but air . Her eyes veered toward the Bearer of Nihility as she smiled . It was a frigid smile, one full of hate, anger, unbridled resentment that could not be hidden . She swept forth like a wave, tearing open a void in space and manifesting directly before the Bearer of the Immortal Writ . She trust forth with her spear, discing the space around the tip till it looked like a contorted ball . The man crossed his fists but it was useless; the spear pierced through and stabbed him as crimson blood dyed Syvelea¡¯s crimson armor in a deeper shade, making it even more radiant . She swiped sideways and halved the man before immediately dashing sideways and striking at the billowing cloud of pitch-ck darkness . It tried to wrap around her, but she didn¡¯t pay any attention to it . Crimson me arose at the tip of the spear, illuminating the darkness till it began wailing like a mournful ghost . She thrust yet again, causing a faint figure to be sent flying from the sky further back before she swept her spear backwards in a swift motion, defending against yet another sneak attack . Her beauty copsed in that moment, turning into a portrait of bleeding anguish . She grabbed forth with her free arm and grasped at nothingness itself . Yet, that concept seemed not to matter before her eyes . She dragged a figure from it, a figure remarkably simr to her . It was a woman Syvelea¡¯s age, made in the stark likeness of thetter, almost a carbon copy . Taken aback, Lino couldn¡¯t grasp the situation in that split second before Syvelea suddenly stabbed at the woman¡¯s chest and ripped it open . She then let go of the spear as it levitated next to her, and used her now freed arm to strike at the woman¡¯s face . And again . And again . Tens, hundreds of times, she struck, till both her fist and the woman¡¯s face were bleeding crimson like rivers . All the while she screamed maniacally, filling the sky up with a mix of angry roars and lunaticughter . Lino shuddered; should anyone without the know look at this, they¡¯d immediately use Syvelea of being psychopathic maniac indulging herself in sadistic ughter . Surely, her image resonated well with that description at the moment . Yet, underneath all that surface anger and pure rage . . . Lino saw what he saw in himself on that day: heartbreak . She didn¡¯t even seem to care when the darkness came back and struck at her back, ripping open a massive gash . Seemingly oblivious to it, she continued hitting woman till she split thetter¡¯s skull open, till her eyes popped out of their sockets, till a mere adjective of ¡¯disfigured¡¯ could do no justice to what was done to her . Lino looked onward solemnly, realizing that this was only truly a beginning . A beginning of hell that would unfold in these skies . A beginning of nightmare that would befall the world before him . Chapter 143 Chapter 143 CHATPER 143 CLASH OF THE GIANTS (IV) Fire zed, scorching the previously sapphire-colored sky . It mingled intensively with the billowing smoke, with the darkness, and with the voids of nothingness and with the glistening light of life itself . It was a panorama of colors unfolding and blending and tearing before Lino¡¯s eyes, and it was as grand of a sight to behold as anything he could ever imagine . Syvelea carried a maddened expression, far different from the way she was when she spoke to Lino . She spiked her spear with blinding mes and swung, tearing open wounds in the sky and beating back the darkness . Without even taking a breath of rest, she bellowed into the sky with a roar of contempt and mockery before the space around her suddenly distorted . The sheer outpour of Qi caused the world around her to destabilize momentarily, gaining her a precious second of peace before she tore it open . Within a single step, she disappeared from the sight; it wasn¡¯t teleportation, Lino realized . It wasn¡¯t breaking the barrier of spacetime and moving immediately to another ce . It was pure, physical movement that approached the speed of light itself . She arrived almost instantaneously in front of the man d in glistening armor . Her spear pierced forth like an unstoppable bolt, shattering through the re-forged armor and shredding the man apart yet again . Gore of guts swindled out into rain, seeming as though the man exploded from within . She then immediately pulled her spear backward and attacked with the blunt end . Before the engulfing darkness behind her even managed to approach her, it was met with a strike it could not avoid . As though the wind sted the smoke away, that single strike scattered the darkness and sent the faint figure barreling through the sky . Syvelea spun in ce, facing once again in the direction Lino could see her expression . Face distorted beyond reason, bloodied all over appeared demonic . She was smiling, exposing the teeth which were certainly white just a moment ago . The smile was wide, causing her cheeks to actually tear open and splinter due to pressure and her gums to began bleeding . In addition to her crimson-colored armor, she looked more like the God of Blood rather than an Empyrean . Lino could only liken her to Eshen, and even thetter seemed quite tame inparison . Q¡¯vil, Grazynth . . . though both certainly had their own pieces of madness in the way they fought, especially thetter, they also denoted a strange sense of grace, of determined, clear path . Syvelea, however, did not; Lino only saw wretched madness emboldened by the spilled blood and guts . She stared at the recovering figure in the horizon . Morphed back into Syvelea¡¯s likeness, she seemed to have lost her mind yet again, screaming out into the sky before bolting in a sh toward her twin . She thrust her spear without mercy, splintering the just-formed figure into bits and pieces yet again, but still continuing to swing afterwards regardless . Over and over, round and round, through and through . Resonating sounds echoed, pressure building up, shockwaves sting whatever clouds tried to gather . Darkness . . . Lino certainly could not understand it . In his understanding, it was merely the absence of light . But, it was much, much more, he knew . It warped and wrapped, it split andbined, it disappeared and appeared . It wasn¡¯t like Nihility, which was nothing within nowhere; it was an existing substance . . . one existing everywhere within that nothingness . The mere concept caused Lino a headache, which is why he decided to drop the thought . It was simply beyond hisprehension . A golden hammer suddenly appeared behind Syvelea and, before she had a chance to deflect it, rammed squarely into her back . Sound of the bones breaking echoed out as she was bent halfway before being thrust forward at immense speed, tearing through tens of miles within blink of an eye . Yet, she recovered almost immediately, forcibly stopping herself and turning around . The broken spine didn¡¯t seem to bother her, only further distorting her expression till the sides of her face tore open into holes, her bleeding gums visible clearly through them . Her clear, beautiful silver eyes had long since turned red, and due to the blood scattered over her face, she appeared to be crying andughing at the same time . Andugh she did; loud, brazen, defiant . In it, Lino noticed; that spark, the unifying conundrum all Empyreans have inmon . The sense of simply not belonging within the world you were born, the sense of being outcast within the group you are supposed to be a part of . . . he felt it in Q¡¯vil, he felt it in Grazynth, and he¡¯s now seeing it within Syvelea . It didn¡¯t seem to hinder her, however . Almost immediately upon recovering, she thrust herself back into the fray . Darkness at one end, nothingness on another, and something that cannot die wherever she wasn¡¯t looking . Over and over she was stabbed, punched, shed at, dismembered, beaten, bruised . . . with every sh, more and more wounds festered . During it all, Lino realized that the three Writs which were sent here seemed to counter her perfectly . Syvelea was a whole lot like Grazynth; she was direct, she was blunt, she was forceful, headstrong . . . she was simple, at the end of the day . She jumped straight and she thrust her spear straight . She used no faints, she used no advanced techniques ofbat, she had nothing going for her aside from pure, brutal, chaotic strength . Yet, what made her who she is, not only as a fighter, but as an individual, was now yed against her . She could not kill what was immortal . She could not kill that which doesn¡¯t exist to begin with . She could not kill that which is everywhere within nothingness . He could almost see frustration manifest around her being into a palpable object . An hour . . . a day . . . the fight went on . Time ceased to matter . The more Lino watched, the more his heart bled . She was entirely defenseless, at least in his eyes . The innate Empyrean regeneration was barely able to keep up with the number of wounds she was receiving . This was no longer merely a fight, Lino realized . . . it was a torture . asionally she would scream out and try to fight back, but even pushing the trio away . . . they would soon return and simply start doing what they were already doing . It was like a pride of lions trying to kill an resilient elephant; you know thetter¡¯s bound to lose, and it¡¯s only a matter of time and the number of wounds and scars . All of a sudden, the battling stopped . There were no more resounding sounds of shing metal, no more sounds of stabbed flesh and gutted body, no more sounds of screams . . . no more sound at all . The light cleared up, and Syvelea floated there, in the center of the three, hunched over . She weakly raised her head and looked toward him . A trail from her eyes down to her jaw was cleared of blood . She was crying, Lino realized . They weren¡¯t the tears of defeat, the tears of frustration, the tears of unwillingness to perish . They were the tears of sadness . Tears of sadness purified of all that hate, anger and torment she seemed to haveshed out throughout the battle . He sighed faintly, not avoiding her gaze . There was no plea within those eyes, there was nothing directed at him in those eyes . It almost simply felt as though she just wanted someone, anyone . . . to see her . "You have lost . " a man suddenly spoke up, surprising Lino . "Join us . . . or die in honor¡¯s way . " " . . . " Syvelea tore her eyes away from Lino and looked at the man who was still donning the glistening armor, unblemished, as though he hadn¡¯t been reaped at least fifty times since the battle begun . "Honor¡¯s way?" she scoffed . "Endar, you ingrate fool . Your Father, and his Father, and all the Fathers before him knew of honor¡¯s way . You? You know not of honor, let alone its way . " "Angry . . . bitter . . . forlorn . . . " Lino could not figure out where the voice wasing from, as it came from seemingly everywhere and nowhere at the same time . "Do you not ever question why all your ends are the same?" " . . . I have," Syvelea said, straightening up . "And I realized it¡¯s because every one of us is an idiot . A whole stream of idiots, ceaseless, endless streams of imbeciles . . . who don¡¯t seem to have it in them to give up . " "You were fooled," Lino¡¯s brows perched up with interest as he saw the swirling whirl of darkness suddenly manifest into a figure that was Syvelea¡¯s spit copy . "But, it¡¯s okay . You merely lost your way . We can help you . I can help you . How can you trust a stranger more than your own family?" "You¡¯re no family of mine," Syvelea replied coldly without even looking at her . "You¡¯ve whored out everything that you were for a power that even the cunt who gave it to you doesn¡¯t understand . Enough with this nonsense," she said, taking a deep breath . "I¡¯ve no more words to exchange with you . I will die today . . . but so will you . All of you . Let me embed a scar that willst for a long while . " It was then that it happened, Lino recalled the history . The moment Syvelea became the fourth strongest Empyrean to have ever lived, as she opened her 28th Gate, a concept well beyond Lino¡¯s level of understanding . It wasn¡¯t a monumental event as he was expecting; there were no crystal clear signs, there was no cosmic-level of disruption, there were no explosions, happenings of the void . No, there was no external sign that she had changed . Yet, much like Lino, the three others immediately realized that she had . Something inside of her changed; or, better said, her mind itself had changed . In that split moment, as though they hadmunicated telepathically, all three immediately rushed toward her . She stood still however, almost akin to a picture frozen in time, forever a reflection of age long since past . For the first time since the fight began . . . Lino saw tranquility inside her eyes . They veered toward him onest time, as though seekingst affirmation that someone was there . That someone was looking . That someone was seeing her . . . for thest time . Chapter 144 Chapter 144 CHAPTER 144 CLASH OF GIANTS (V) Lino opened his eyes slowly, blinking quickly a few times before his blurred vision sharpened . He donned aplex expression, a mix of solemness, sadness and bitterness all cobbled up together in an attempt to express a stiffening feeling . His mind, though back in reality, still drifted back to the scenes which unfolded before his eyes . She managed to kill them at the price of her own life . Perhaps quite an achievement all things considered, yet still a sad tale . He quickly tried to shake off the feeling as a dubious expression appeared, recing the previous one . He smiled faintly, shaking his head, as he seemed to be musing and mulling over something and whether to express it or not . In the end, however, he held back and finally opened his senses to the world around him . He was immediately bombarded with extremely loud sounds of explosion which caused him to nearly topple over in fright . At the same time, a robotic voice echoed out inside his head . [Analyzing . . . ] [Singrity Compatibility: 71%] [Absorption amount: 0,06%] [ . . . ] [Resilience toward Fire increased by 5%] [Affinity with Primal Spirits of Fire increased by 10%] [ . . . ] Lino rolled his eyes for a moment as he could nearly hear the disappointment of those pauses . However, there really wasn¡¯t much he could do . The amount of energy within the faint Singrity was not only overwhelming, but it was also extremely aggressive . It very much reminded him of Lea and herst battle . He slowly got up and decided to check out what¡¯s with all the explosions . The first thing he spotted as he left was a massive dust cloud spreading miles on end and blocking his sight . Thetter then shifted sideways where he saw three figures leaning against the stone, which was also when the three figures spotted him . Annar furrowed his brows, Scarlet smiled flirtatiously, and E sighed in relief . "What¡¯s going on?" Lino asked casually as he sat down, shuffling himself next to E as he pushed the grumbling Annar away . "Eggor¡¯s protecting us . " E replied, smiling . " . . . pfft . Okay . Sure . " "No, seriously," E pouted for a moment . "He¡¯s really strong, you know? He could probably beat your ass!" "You y a wicked game woman . . . " Lino looked at her strangely . "On my side when with him, on his side when without him . " "Gotta keep him on his toes somehow . " " . . . demon . " "Everything okay with you?" she asked as vaguely as she could . "Aye, I¡¯m great . " Lino replied, smiling . "Who¡¯s your friend? Why don¡¯t you introduce us?" Scarlet suddenly chimed in . " . . . " Lino looked at her for a moment and furrowed his brows . "Yeah E . Introduce me to this beautiful angel . " E for a moment finally realized how Eggor felt around this brat; she remembered the days when he used to call her a beautiful angel . "She¡¯s Scarlet," she mulled over quickly . "He¡¯s Lino . " "Scarlet? A daunting name . " Lino said, smiling broadly as he grasped Scarlet¡¯s hand and kissed it gently . "Oh? A gentleman? We sorely miss those in the world . " "I¡¯m here to fill the gaps . " "Gaps? Quite ambitious . " "What real man isn¡¯t?" "Indeed . But . . . are you worthy of those ambitions?" Scarlet asked, smiling vaguely . "I am," Lino replied, smiling back with the same tone . "Are your gaps worthy of my ambition?" E shuddered suddenly as she quickly chimed in and tore the twos¡¯ hands from one another . "Oookay, how about you focus on helping him instead of helping her . Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?" she spoke to Lino . "I¡¯d rather help her though . " "It wasn¡¯t a question . " "Oh, alright . Who¡¯s he fighting anyway?" Lino asked . "How should I know?" E shrugged . "A bunch of weaklings . " " . . . right . And he¡¯s strong . " " . . . I said nothing . " "And nothing I heard . " Lino said, getting up and casually walking toward the dust storm and the source of shing sounds . "I can¡¯t believe you would keep such treasure all to yourself . " Scarlet immediately chimed, seeming somewhat infatuated with Lino¡¯s back . "Eh? You were being serious?" E stepped back in surprise . Though she was certain Lino was one hundred percent serious, she figured Scarlet was just ying around . "Of course!" Scarlet eximed, licking her lips . "Raw, unting, straightforward . . . ah . I want him . " " . . . " "She¡¯s a whore . She wants everyone . " Annar added from the side, looking at Lino with a strange expression . "I don¡¯t want you, though . " "And thank god for that . " "No need to bring in the god for that," she said, her eyebrow twitching . "You can just thank your face . " "Are we really gonnapare faces?" Annar replied in kind, grinning strangely . "When was thest time you didn¡¯t use Qi to hide your actual face? Huh? A thousand years or more?" "You should take in something from me, then . Perhaps, then, your Elders wouldn¡¯t be crying like children every time they see you, because you don¡¯t have children to cry for them . " "You mother--" "Alright, enough," E interrupted quickly, sighing . It seemed that her temporarily-upheld role of a bncing housewife extended to the areas of her life she never thought even existed . "Why don¡¯t you two go back to your corners and back into your own daydreams for a while?" "Eh, good idea," Scarlet said, smiling . "At least I¡¯m fairly certain my daydream wille true . " "What? Sleeping with a backwater bumpkin who probably didn¡¯t see more than two women in his life counts as an achievement?" Annar grunted . "Heh, how does it feel? When even a ¡¯backwater bumpkin¡¯ is more sessful withdies than you? Heh . " " . . . " "You gotta admit," E said . "You walked right into that one . " "Who¡¯s he anyway?" Annar suddenly asked, seemingly deciding to ignore Scarlet¡¯s provocative gaze . "I can¡¯t read a single thing about him . " " . . . eh? Now that you mention it . . . oh, he¡¯s growing more and more . . . amazing . . . " "Eh . . . I suppose . . . he¡¯s kind of my adopted son?" E said casually as both Scarlet and Annar immediately turned toward her with gaping mouth . "Eggor found him sleeping in our backyard one day, and one thing led to another . . . and, yeah . " " . . . well, now I really have to have him . " Scarlet recovered first, adding . "Even if he¡¯s against it . " "Oh, trust me, he¡¯s not against it . " E said . "He has no reason to be . " " . . . hey, wait, back up . What do you mean he¡¯s your adopted son?! Does that mean he inherited Qe¡¯ll¡¯s Martial Arts?! You do know that¡¯s forbidden, right?!" " . . . " E rolled her eyes at him for a moment before replying . "Of course I haven¡¯t . He¡¯s like Eggor . More of a stone-banger than a cultivator . " " . . . oh, so he¡¯s a failure . Sheesh, good . " Pa! Annar felt the back of his head throb though he didn¡¯t dare to look at E wrongly, instead deciding to bury his face away and remain silent . "See? Not that attractive anymore, right Sca---eh? S-scarlet?" E turned toward Scarlet who seemed to have stars shining her eyes . "W-what¡¯s wrong?" "He . . . he¡¯s a cksmith?" "Y-yes . . . ?" "That means he¡¯s . . . really . . . really . . . really . . . muscr . . . right?" " . . . " " . . . " Meanwhile, Lino took out a ring from his void world and rubbed it a few times under his fingers . It was the ring that Ava gave him before the two parted ways . It had some basic provisions like food and water as well as not a small amount of Qi Stones . But, perhaps even more importantly . . . the ring had a few spears and swords of fairly decent quality . He immediately took one out; though it was ¡¯merely¡¯ a Rare-tiered Level 90 Sword, it was better than anything he had and it would suffice until he finally left these ruins and found himself a ce to start crafting without stopping till he dropped dead . At least, that was the n . He listened closely once again to locate the main battle before heading over there . He wasn¡¯t certain as to who Eggor was fighting; after all, it could be Damian, it could be Althone and Gustav, or it could be any other party that happened to walk into the ruins and was attracted by the battle before Eggor¡¯s . Though Lino had no clue how it unfolded, the barren nd through which he walked certainly spoke volumes of the sheer scale . The whole of the ce around him, after all, used to be brimming with ruins and hills . Such ce doesn¡¯t get decimated within less than an hour unless something truly massive happened . Lino quickly found his way to the source of the battle and was slightly surprised . Eggor stood at the center, his arms crossed over his chest . Around thirty meters away from him, he recognized Gustav and Althone battling a strange humanoid made of some metal, while not that far away Damian and a woman Lino didn¡¯t recognize were battling another strange humanoid made of metal . However, what surprised him perhaps more than any of them, was a figure which stood further back, merely observing . The figure seemed to feel Lino¡¯s eyesnd on it and turned toward him, the two pairs of eyes meeting . The man smiled at Lino and waved lightly, while Lino mused that he simply seemed incapable of escaping strange, old men and their attention . Chapter 145 Chapter 145 CHAPTER 145 WOKEN FROM SLUMBER A crimson sh of me erupted momentarily within the chaos as Lino tightly withdrew his breath and grasped at the handle of a short sword . Its metallic sheen vibrated faint red, warmth of mes at its core traversing through its structure into Lino¡¯s hand . A familiar feeling assailed him profoundly, a memory of the time where fighting was his everyday reality . A light smile escaped him as his eyes veered off of the smiling Relish in the distance and onto Gustav . Thetter quickly felt someone¡¯s eyes on him and pushed the construct he was fighting away, turning toward the source . His eyes met a pair of ck ones, and a face hidden beneath the troves of hair . He immediately recognized the strange beggar and couldn¡¯t help but grin in excitement for a moment . Almost immediately abandoning Althone and leaving thetter to fend for himself against the strange machine, he waved through the dusty clouds while holding onto a two-handed hammer rising up at nearly two meters, its head reaching over a meter in diameter, thicker than a grown man¡¯s thigh, with two spiked endings . Lino replied the challenge with the same enthusiasm and kicked forth, leaving behind a dusty silhouette . The tworgely ignored the battlefield atrge, causing both Eggor and Althone to curse at them as they tried to shift the battlefield sideways to avoid interference . Damian as well as the woman apanying him, on the other hand, chose to withdraw from the fray and, much like Relish, observe from the distance . A pair of growls akin to beasts¡¯ bellowed out from the kicked up dust storm as Gustav and Lino met at a halfway point, one swinging his hammer with full force downward, while the other bending his body as though it¡¯s made out of rubber while slicing his sword upwardly . The two heaved past each other and missed, using the recoil of the momentum to shift their feet back and propel themselves at each other yet again almost without pausing . Lino¡¯s style was a bit more refined and bnced than Gustav¡¯s, whorgely relied on pure, brutal strength to overwhelm his opposition . While Lino was nearly the same in his spear arts, he relied a bit more on speed and the flexibility of his body while wielding a sword . As he saw the hammer barreling toward his head - which would no doubt be sttered into brain matter and gore should he get hit - he infused his right leg with sudden surge of Qi, nearly breaking his bones in the process, to sidestep half a meter to the left and thrust his sword with full force, breaking past the speed of sound . Gustav was unable to respond as quickly, merely managing to shift his body slightly as to not get hit in any vital point . The sword stabbed right through the right side of his abdomen, leaving a bleeding hole behind . Lino didn¡¯t linger as he immediately withdrew his sword and shifted back, an arced hammer strike brushing past his cheeks, startling him greatly . Old man, he mused, really wasn¡¯t averse to getting injured if he could inflict injury himself . Lino realized he would have to take that into ount the next time he went on the offensive . The two paused for a moment, distanced around ten meters, as Gustav reached with his hand and wiped the blood from his abdomen, smiling faintly . The faint smile, however, quickly shifted upwards into a massive grin of excitement, as though he was a boy who¡¯s just been given his favorite toy after being apart from it for a long time . Lino smiled in kind, swinging his sword freely around as though to warm his arm . He decided to at least try the forms of to get a feeling for them; though he didn¡¯t understand the underlying forms and techniques, he could at the very least duplicate them somewhat . Perhaps that would allow him to find the crux of the path he should go down in order to understand it wholly . techniques, as the name would suggest, were rather chaotic, as they didn¡¯t seem to have any unifying trace through them; there was no stance through which all were executed, there was no universally shared movement that stood as basis to each form and technique, and there really wasn¡¯t anything tying all of those movements together as a single, coherent Martial Art . Gustav continued to facilitate his greatest advantage - sheer strength - as he burst forth toward Lino . Thetter remained standing, poised, slowly raising his sword and pulling it up in front of his chest, symmetrically crossing over his nose and in-between his eyes . He closed thetter for a moment as his hair ruffled against the non-existent wind, his body seeming topletely blend into all that surrounded him . Gustav gasped for breath momentarily before shifting his focus back onto what he could see, not what he could perceive . He already knew the beggar was more than adequate when it came to hiding his presence, but he still trusted his eyes . He took arge swing, causing his body to spin midair as he barreled toward Lino . Thetter¡¯s eyes suddenly opened as a strange, hellish chill besieged Gustav¡¯s very soul . His instinct screamed at him to retreat, but it was toote . Lino suddenly moved his feet, yet he didn¡¯t - at least in Gustav¡¯s perception . Lino appeared left yet also right, his sword thrusting yet also slicing, piercing and cutting . It came from above and from below, and from both sides, and from in front and back . In the midst of mind-bending confusion, Gustav merely steeled his will and crashed into the beggar . Lino felt strange; his body swayed in ways and means that seemed to disillusion him to reality, rectifying his existence by erasing it, in a strange sense . It wasn¡¯t like Nihility, whereas he appeared everywhere while being nowhere and nothing; no, it was more akin to being that everything . He felt as though he couldmand his sword in any way he wanted, through any means he desired, point it anywhere and anyhow he imagined . He moved forward, yet it appeared as he didn¡¯t; it felt more akin to the world around him moving to his desired location, recing what was there . Gustav crashed behind him as Lino staggered his sword forward, yet appeared at Gustav¡¯s side, slicing apart thetter¡¯s back with a massive gash running up from his lower back to his neck . Chaos unfurled before his very eyes, chaos even he could not understand despite all the wanting; he then curled his sword back whereupon Gustav suddenly appeared hanging over it, the sword stabbed into his rib . Despite however much Lino was confused, Gustav was going mad; one moment, he crashed into the beggar only to feel a sword slicing his back thoroughly and in next he found himself hanging midair with a sword stuck between his ribs . At the very next, he was on the floor with a foot pinned against his neck and a sword pierced into the earth just next to his eye . Even if someone exined to him what happened, he would reject it resoundingly; nothing happened, at least as far as he was concerned . It was almost as though he dreamt everything that happened prior to him being pinned down onto the floor, his life in the beggar¡¯s hands . He wanted to scream in defiance, yet he couldn¡¯t quite pin as to what he was so defiant about; a strange surge of eptance rose within him, as though all of his was par for the course . He was supposed to be pinned down, he was supposed to hand his life over so casually . It was a matter of greater reality than his own . It was what the world around them desired . His muddled mind suddenly encountered a cooling sensation as his doubts were swept aside, he himself gaining rity almost immediately; his hand clutched at the ring on his right hand which was given to him by an Elder of the Nightly Echo Sect from the Central Continent . He roared lowly as he flexed his muscles, allowing him to temporarily push back the foot on him and roll sideways, away from the sword before using his arms to push himself backward, away from the beggar . Hended squarely and immediately turned to his senses out of rm . His eyes quickly found the beggar standing there without moving, looking at him with those same, frigid eyes . Gustav¡¯s heart beat madly as cold sweat devoured his back . Though cultivation itself defiled the natural order of things, it still adhered to limits, to certain framework under which it was structured and developed . However, what he just experienced . . . broke that framework . Because, Gustav was fairly certain, he wasn¡¯t defeated due to speed or strength or even the beggar¡¯s technique being superior to his own . He was defeated by something that didn¡¯t belong under the umbre of cultivation . While discement of space was a well verified art especially practiced by one of the Seven Holy Lands, it referred to literal discement - which was quickly self-regted as all things restored themselves to the natural order . However, what he just underwent . . . was far more than that . It was discement of space . . . of time . . . of very dimensions under which the two lived . And those things did not recover . They were irrevocably shifted in their make, removed from their natural constrictions . This wasn¡¯t cultivation, Gustav realized . No, this wasn¡¯t even the ancient framework of magics which were exploited through eons and were far more powerful than cultivation at their ultimate peak . What the beggar just did . . . he temporarily removed reality from existence, then reced it with another . To an outsider, nothing that strange had actually happened . Lino merely used illusion of spatial perceptions to trick Gustav and gain upper hand . In reality, however, he reced one reality . . . with another, the one that isn¡¯t supposed to exist . More than fear, Gustav suddenly felt terror assail him . He felt his heart twist and turn and his minde to aplete halt . His entire being felt as though suffocated, his teeth crackling like skeleton¡¯s . There was only one thing in the history of everything, through all the eons of non-existence and existence, that could defy the literal everything and do with it what it willed . That thing was . . . Chaos . And there was only one being in the universe that couldmand it . . . an Empyrean . Chapter 146 Chapter 146 CHAPTER 146 PARTS AND PIECES Not unlike Gustav, Lino also attempted to process what had just transpired; however, unlike Gustav, he didn¡¯t have much knowledge when it came to the naturalws, which is why to him it merely seemed as though he moved bits and pieces of space around to win . As he pulled himself out of his thoughts, his eyesnded onto Gustav and saw the man shiver and shake, his eyes growing twice their size, lips trembling, sweat breaking out . It took Lino but a moment to see it in those eyes; terror, fear, confusion . . . his heart skip a beat as he realized he¡¯d shown too much to a wrong person . Without almost a thought, he rushed forward and sliced away with his sword, aiming directly for Gustav¡¯s neck . Thetter barely recovered in time to duck and pull himself back, but before he had a moment to shout for help and to share his revtion, he felt cold death of a de encroach upon his back . Swiftly spinning in ce, he managed to somehow block the de with the shaft of his hammer, pushing Lino back . However, thetter - as though maddened - forcibly cracked a few bones in his body to suppress the backward force and strut himself forward . Without even having a chance to take a breath, Gustav was forced to raise his hammer in defense again . This time, though, the de slithered around almost as though it had muscle, bypassing the hammer and striking at far right side of Gustav¡¯s chest . Blood spurted out as Gustav found himself pushed back, gritting his teeth as he reached with his arm and forcibly halted the bleeding . Still, he didn¡¯t have much time to amodate the newfound wound as de came slicing yet again . His eyes somehow met up with a pair of Lino¡¯s ck; then and there, Gustav realized he had made a mistake . Those eyes were void of emotion, ofpassion, of yfulness that the strange beggar disyed almost always . They were dark, cold, full of resolve and empty of any sort of empathy . It almost seemed as though apletely different person surfaced and was now leading the attack . There was no grace in the movement, there was no yfulness in expression and in style; it seemed the entirety of attacks desired only a singe thing - to take Gustav¡¯s life . The old man repeatedly got pushed back until he realized something was strange; looking around, he once again saw hilly formations and remnants of ruins causing him to gasp as he tended to a wound on his thigh . He was led away from the central battlefield further back, till nobody could see them any longer . Lino suddenly stopped attacking, surprising Gustav . He just stood there, a hint of that yfulness apparent on his expression . " . . . oh boy, I sure chose a wrong opponent . " Gustavughed bitterly . "And I sure chose a wrong technique," Lino replied . "Didn¡¯t know those old bones of yours had seen the world . " " . . . " Gustav nearly wanted to vomit blood; the bastard was not taking him seriously, at all! How could anyone miss the fact that he literally changed thews of nature?! "I-is that so? Khm . . . uh, well, I feel obliged to ask . . . but could we not go directly into a deathmatch? Though you would probably win in the end, it won¡¯te at no cost . " " . . . this I feared," Lino said, sighing lightly . "Who I am . . . cannot be disclosed, old man . The only reason I¡¯m talking with you is because even I¡¯m childish enough to believe in the abstract notion of respect . " "I won¡¯t tell anyone if that¡¯s what you fear!" "Yes you will," Lino said, smiling . "And, frankly, I can¡¯t fault you for it . After all, it woulde with many benefits . If it was me alone that was involved in this . . . I might even let you go on the grounds that I like you quite a bit . But I¡¯m not . There¡¯s more at stake here than just my life . " " . . . " Gustav himself figured as much, actually . The beggar didn¡¯t seem like someone who would kill for any random reason . "Aren¡¯t all Empyreans supposed to be loners?" "So I¡¯ve been told repeatedly . " Lino shrugged . "But, I¡¯d rather not base my social life on a thing that¡¯s never fucked a woman, you know?" " . . . " this, however, Gustav did not figure; he did not expect or anticipate and, even if someone was to beat him to death over it, he would nevere up with it . From his knowledge, all Bearers were reverent toward their Writs - regardless if Empyrean or others . There was awe-inspiring respect within them toward the source of who they were . Or, at the very least, that¡¯s what he believed until now . "Eh, I don¡¯t know . " Lino suddenly said, scratching his hair . "I mean, did he fuck a woman? Or at least, you know, Writ-equivalent to a woman? Maybe he¡¯s gay? I mean, I did notice that since this guy inhabited me, most of those interested in me turned out to be old men . It¡¯s weird, you know?" " . . . hah . . . I¡¯m gonna lose my life to a fool . . . " Gustavmented . "Ah, you¡¯re right . Why am I worrying about his sex life? Who cares, right? Anyway . . . any message you want me to tell them?" " . . . heh, no need," Gustav said, taking a deep breath and brandishing his already half-crumbled hammer tightly . "I just hope, at the very least, you will have enough courage to admit to what you¡¯ve done . . . and to bring my body back . " " . . . I owe up to what I do," Lino said calmly, rising his sword . "That¡¯s the least I can do for sowing chaos in my wake . " He vanished from the spot, kicking up winds behind him as he reappeared above Gustav, striking down with his sword . It swayed madly as did his tattered clothes, his eyes once againcking any emotion . Gustav swung his hammer up as he roared, his entire body flexing madly as his bones cracked . Alongside the hammer, a massive earthen spike erupted, following the hammer¡¯s flow . Lino switched his trajectory and swung sideways, repelling the hammer strike and using the bacsh to avoid the spike . Before evennding back onto the ground, he swung his sword backwards and used its force to propel himself forward . He flew in an arc, eclipsing Gustav who smashed the hammer onto the ground and caused the earth to rumble and rapture . Linonded just next to a crevice and began a lom-like movement over the cracks and holes and spikes, evading them seemingly with no effort . He soon closed the distance between the two and began a relentless onught; wound after wound appeared on Gustav¡¯s body, his clothes torn and tattered beyond recognition . He yed his hammer madly, trying to at the very least dy Lino as much as possible in hopes that someone wille . But, he quickly realized that was impossible; the more they fought, the quicker Lino became, more savage, unrestrained, more beastly in nature . His form, his attacks, his strategy . . . Gustav realized it now, that the so-called ¡¯Writ of Chaos¡¯ was named so not only because of the energy it used . Its name resonated with everything it represented, down to how its Bearers fought . There was no logic or reason or order to the sequence of attacks, to his footwork, to anything; above, below, from front and back and both sides, all around attacks came in indistinguishable patterns, leaving one extra hole or one extra gash on his already wounded body . He was bleeding from every orifice, barely able to cope . It allsted nearly five minutes till Gustav finally copsed, letting go of the hammer and faltering onto his knees, his head hunched down, grayed hair in disarray falling over . His arms were slouched at sides, body full of wounds to the point where it was harder to find a whole section of skin than a wounded one . He bled profusely and, even if Lino never attacked again, he would bleed out in minutes at most . Gustav suppressed the cry of pain and anguish deep within his lungs . He breathed heavily, but didn¡¯t allow himself to groan . . . even less to plead for mercy . Linonded slowly in front of him and squatted, using his free arm to grasp Gustav by his chin and lift his head up . The twos¡¯ eyes met shortly after . Gustav¡¯s were full ofplex emotions, while Lino¡¯s remained rtively pure and simple . Almost like the eyes of a child . "However little you may value my words," Lino said . "I promise . . . I won¡¯t allow them to fall so long as I live and breathe . " " . . . ha-cough-cough," though blood sttered over Lino, he didn¡¯t even blink, calmly looking into Gustav¡¯s eyes . "You may damn them, just the same . . . " " . . . maybe," Lino nodded lightly . "And if I do . . . I¡¯ll redeem them . Dynasty of your forefathers willst Gustav . " "W-what makes . . . makes you think I give a shit . . . about those pricks . . . " he mumbled faintly . "If you hadn¡¯t, you would have long since left this ce," Lino said, smiling lightly . "It¡¯s alright . Though I can¡¯t let your sons and daughters kill me just yet for revenge . . . " he added in a low voice . "I can assure you, my end . . . will make youugh from down below . " "Of course it will . . . you bastard . . . " Gustav grinned, his bloodied and cracked teeth painting a picture of a madman . . . yet his eyes contrasting it with a man who¡¯d epted it all . "Goodbye . " Lino said, still looking into Gustav¡¯s eyes as he shoved a sword directly through thetter¡¯s heart . Ast breath escaped Gustav¡¯s lips as he closed his eyes, ready for eternal rest . Lino remained silent for a moment before sighing lightly and lifting up Gustav¡¯s body, putting it over his shoulder and strapping the sword to his waist before heading back to the distant dust storm where the battle was fought . His steps were brisk, and calm . . . yet appeared lifeless . His expression still calm with a hint of yfulness, his smile still boyish . Only his eyes seemed tock something . . . as though part of what they reflected dimmed and disappeared . Chapter 147 Chapter 147 CHAPTER 147 THREADS OF THOUGHTS The silence hung like a heavy boulder, chastising sounds or even any attempts at them . Lino carried a listless body over his shoulders calmly as he arrived at the epicenter of crossfire, whereupon all battles halted . The dust storm settled shortly after and Lino remained standing along within the sparsely popted circr crowd, with all eyes pointed directly at him . Althone happened to stand opposite of him, his eyes eclipsed in shock and disbelief, unable to tear his gaze away from that familiar body hanging over Lino¡¯s shoulder . Thetter slowly and carefully pulled Gustav¡¯s corpse down andid him respectfully onto the ground, crossing his arms over his chest . It was only then that Althone seemed toe back to reality, furiously bolting toward Gustav¡¯s body and pressing against thetter¡¯s neck . His face shriveled and paled, breathing quickening, gaze dancing between the corpse and the man standing above him, looking down . Lino met his gaze squarely, and Althone could only recognize an oddly peaceful serenity within them, almost ethereal indifference . " . . . you . . . you did it?" Althone asked through his teeth, trying to reign his anger back . He knew that it would do him no good to re out; if Lino was capable of killing his father, killing him would turn to be an even easier feat . "Yes . " Lino replied within hesitation . " . . . why?" " . . . " "Why?" Althone asked again . " . . . " Lino remained silent, though he caught Relish¡¯s strange gaze for a moment . "BE A FUCKING MAN AND ANSWER ME!!!" Althone heaved onto his feet and grabbed Lino¡¯s cor, drawing himself closer till their foreheads were bumping one another . He was gnashing his teeth, barely keeping his eyes from weeping out . " . . . " Lino remained calm, staring back into Althone¡¯s eyes, still not answering . " . . . you . . . you¡¯re pathetic . " Althone said as he realized he won¡¯t be getting any answers today, letting go of Lino¡¯s cor and turning his back . "If I see your face eve gain, I¡¯ll scald it . This isn¡¯t over, filthy beggar . " " . . . it never is . . . " Lino mumbled into his jaw as he watched Althone pick up Gustav and carry him over to his group . Lino remained stationary for a while, staring at that ever drifting and slouched back . He was no better, he realized; and though his mind conjured up hundreds of excuses for his actions, he hardly listened . He had already endowed himself to ept his sins, however grave and trivial they may turn out to be . He knew that reality of his life would result in suffering of many, in the end . He cast onest nce at Althone and turned toward E and the other two, walking over briskly . Eggor stared at his back solemnly, while Damian stared with caution, backing further away . He realized this wasn¡¯t a fight he could win, nor a battle he should be fighting in the first ce . Rather than umting additional loses, it was best to withdraw . Relish smiled faintly and shook his head as he suddenly vanished from the spot, as though he was never there . Numerous curious observers also withdrew temporarily, eyes peering back to behind the hills, leaving the group of five to stand along at the epicenter of chaos that had just urred . Lino wiggled his way in-between E and Annar yet again, causingtter to grumble lowly and dispiritedly back away . Eggor joined them soon after, once again sighing as he looked at Lino . He could venture a guess as to why he killed the old man, though it was probably not the best idea to bring it up . " . . . anyone wants something to eat?" E asked, trying to diffuse the charged atmosphere . "I could eat some meat," Lino quickly said . "Cook it your way, okay?" " . . . what do you mean my way?" E asked . "Inrge portions . " "Oh . I don¡¯t think that¡¯s my way though . " "I¡¯m praising you . " Lino said . "Doesn¡¯t feel like it . " " . . . tsk . And here I thought you weren¡¯t the needy type . " " . . . " E merely rolled her eyes at him before getting up and entering the house, Scarlet quickly recing her and drifting closer to Lino till she was leaning against him, her fingers shamelessly already prancing along Lino¡¯s shoulder . Though thetter didn¡¯t seem to mind . "Even as a cksmith . . . " she mumbled seductively into his ear . "You killed an Imperial so effortlessly . . . aah . . . " "I have ways," Lino replied as he leaned further in and whispered directly into Scarlet¡¯s ear . "To kill godly ones too . " Scarlet¡¯s body shivered in strange excitement for a moment as she grabbed at Lino¡¯s tattered shirt tightly . Annar and Eggor, who sat no further than a couple of meters away, both stared at the strange phenomena with odd expressions . "Is . . . is he always like that?" Annar asked in a whisper . "The day that I met him he dered he would take E away from me . " Eggor replied somewhat casually . " . . . bold man . " "He was fifteen at the time . " Eggor said . " . . . I need to befriend him . " Annar suddenly said, surprising Eggor who realized that no cultivator truly ever seemed all that sane . "Why?" Eggor asked out of curiosity . "Look at Scarlet," Annar said . "He¡¯s known her for less than an hour, and she¡¯s already trembling like a whore in heat . " " . . . " "What?" " . . . nothing . " meanwhile, Scarlet finally managed to bring herself back from the realm of fantasy, pulling her long, smooth hair behind her ear and smiling at Lino . Their faces were mere inches apart, as she could faintly discern the warmth of his breath pressing against her cheeks . "You are a man of many talents . " Scarlet said . "And you are a woman of many more . " Lino replied . "Oh . . . you have no idea . " "I would like to find out . " "You will," she whispered . "Trust me, you will . " Annar from the side watched in wonder as the woman who refused advances of the famed Antur of Elonia for decades, cracked and crumbled beneath the words and presence of a boy who wasn¡¯t even thirty just yet and who looks like nothing more than any other filthy beggar you might run into on the streets . It only further steeled his resolve to pull Lino away and force him to teach and share his techniques . The meal was passed in silence, as all five had quite a bit on their minds . It was after that Scarlet and Annar withdrew as they needed more rest topletely recover, with Eggor joining them shortly after, leaving E and Lino sitting alone outside the house, the former drinking tea withtter gulping down his sixth gourd of ale . " . . . you okay?" she asked meekly . "Not really . " Lino replied, shrugging his shoulders . " . . . at least you¡¯re honest about it . " "What about you?" he asked . "Howe you¡¯re helping people who tried to kill you recover?" " . . . it¡¯s not really that strange," E said, smiling . "There¡¯s this sort of unwritten rule, especially when ites to members of Holy Lands . If there ever is a battle that¡¯s outside the Holy War, we are discouraged from killing one another . " " . . . noble . " Lino said . "Hah, hardly . It is just a way to prevent spoiled children from being killed for saying stupid things . " "Wish all of us had that luxury . . . " he mumbled, taking a gulp . "He found out?" E asked . "Hm . " " . . . sorry . " "It¡¯s alright," Lino said, ncing at her and smiling faintly . "It¡¯s just a bummer, you know? I really liked the guy . " " . . . the more I look at you," E said suddenly, lowering her head . "The more I wish I could go back in time . " " . . . what for?" Lino asked . "To undo what was done . " "It doesn¡¯t need any undoing . " " . . . say that after looking yourself in the mirror . " E said . " . . . I¡¯m not the victim here, E," Lino said with a chuckle, suddenly caressing her hair as though she was the child . "At worst, you offered me a choice . Isn¡¯t that what the reality of living is? Making choices? And I¡¯ve made them . Were they good? God no . Some were outright awful," he shuddered . "But, for better or worse, they all led me to today . I ept that . So should you . " " . . . Eggor was right," E said as she quickly swatted away his arm, smiling lightly . "You really are strong . " "I¡¯ve be strong," Lino admitted . "For the most part, I merely fancied myself strong . But . . . that was all there was to it . " " . . . then, I¡¯m d you found the strength," E said, sighing . "Not all do . " "I feel like there¡¯s a story behind that . " he said . "Ha ha, not a story . . . just . . . stories . " she said . "Though I can¡¯t speak for the rest of the world, I can for the part that I grew up in . Many mes were and are stoked . . . only to be extinguished before ever being given a chance to burn . " " . . . wow," he took a deep breath for a moment . "Soon I¡¯ll start associating your face with depression . I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had a single fun conversation with you since the day I met you . " " . . . screw you . " "I think Scarlet¡¯s already nning on doing that . Sorry . " " . . . are you really interested in her?" E asked, looking at him oddly . "Eh? Did you see her?" Lino looked back with the same, strange gaze . " . . . so what? Do you n on marrying her?" "Eh? Where did thate from?" "Didn¡¯t you just say you¡¯re interested in her?" E asked . "I¡¯m interested in having her send me to a premature paradise, not have her suck out my soul . Jeez . Get a grip . " " . . . you¡¯re corrupted . We need to have a talk . " "We don¡¯t need to have anything," Lino quickly pulled back . "You¡¯ve got your own philosophies, I¡¯ve got mine . Leave me alone . " "Yours will make you be alone!" "Haii, it¡¯s indeed true . . . women can never understand the hearts of men . " " . . . aih . . . it¡¯s my fault . . . I should have raised you better . . . " "You¡¯ve done a fine damn job if you ask me," Lino said . "I mean, can you imagine Scarlet wanting to bang the brains out of any other beggar out there? I think not . " " . . . I¡¯m a failure . " she sighed, seeminglymenting . "To be fair, odds were stacked against you," Lino said after a short silence, smiling . "You did the best that could have been done . " " . . . ha ha ha," E suddenly burst out intoughter, pulling him into into her embrace and ruffling his hair . "You little ruffian . When did you get so self-important? You¡¯re still a cheeky kid in my eyes, you know?" "Hey, hey, hey, let go you demented---creature--let go! Fuck, ugh . " Lino finally managed to pull himself away and ¡¯straighten¡¯ his clothes as he nced at E with a frown . "That¡¯s no way to treat a fully grown man, missus . " "Oh? And what is a proper way?" E yed along . "It is of course to praise him," Lino said, looking up toward the sky that wasn¡¯t there, though that hardly diminished his attempt at a heroic pose . "To utter words of his greatness repeatedly, and to stand in awe of all the things that he had done!" " . . . pft-" "I¡¯m not done!" "Khm . . . yeah . . . continue . . . " "It is to witness a journey," Lino shamelessly continued . "A journey that a man carves out for himself! How he braves the storms, briskly murders death and spits in its face day after day, collecting admiration of heavenly beauties along the way! Soon, toons of fair maidens are streaming in, staring at your behind with admiration and your front with desire, while unimaginable riches pour down from the skies over the man, eventually drowning him in glory that his feeble,plexlyyered shoulders cannot withstand!! Ay, how many great men died under the weight of their own glory . . . tragic! Tragic!" "Ha ha ha ha ha ha . . . . . " while Eughed her heart out, the three inside wondered for a moment whether she¡¯d gone insane, and why was she adamant about making noises so loud it made it impossible for them to get an inkling of sleep and rest . Chapter 148 Chapter 148 CHAPTER 148 YESTERYEAR (IV) Sitting at the edge of a snowy cliff, with a pair of legs dangling over, was a boy seemingly around twelve . He had rtively long, unruly hair and a pair of jet-ck eyes that were currently watching the snowkes plummet to the ground, adding atop an already sizeable amount . Trees around him were withered, snow already knee-deep, yet he seemed to hardly mind the decadent cold despite somewhatcking clothes . He sat with his gloved hands perched back as to sustain him, head angled lightly toward the sky, as though he was wondering when it would stop snowing . He sat so for nearly half an hour, inplete silence, before suddenly sighing and getting up . Leaving behind imprints in the snow, he moved to a nearby forest on a downward decline leading to the small town roofed white . Moving next to a tall oak tree with a thick trunk, he crouched and shoved his arm into the snow beneath, scattering it away before beginning to dig into a half-frosted earth . It took him awhile but he showed no signs of impatience . Beneath the earth, a glint of silver shed for a moment as he hastened his movement, unearthing a short dagger, slightly rusted at edges . He looked over it a few times before tucking it into a furred vest and heading further downhill . He entered the town calmly, with streets mostly deserted . Only asional kid raced andughed amidst the horizon¡¯s white, their rosy cheeks sticking out like blood . The boy moved until he was out of everyone¡¯s view before ducking into an alleyway and stealthily beginning to crawl and sneak through the streets, soon reaching a rather tall and well-endowed building made of stone . ncing over a meter tall fence, he saw a couple of rabid dogs chewing on bones just near the main entrance to the building . He ducked back down and moved around till he reached the back end of the courtyard . Pausing, he pressed his hand against the wall and began to seemingly feel something over its surface as he inched forward . Suddenly stopping, he crouched and began to move away snow which was piled beneath . Soon, the muddy brown of earth surfaced, but he didn¡¯t stop . Rather, reaching into his vest, he took out a small, hand-sized makeshift shovel and shoved it directly into earth . He began doing it repeatedly as the cluster of smoke lifting off his lips rumbled into the sky, his eyshes trembling as the first sign of frost began appearing on them . He dug for nearly half an hour before a hole suddenly opened beneath him, like a pit, justrge enough to fit him whole . A faint smile escaped his lips as he jumped in, but didn¡¯t crawl further . He huddled against the earth and brought his legs into his chest, trying to warm up, his eyes veering up, outside the hole, into the sky . He watched the somewhat gray clouds turn darker and darker as the day descended and night arose from its troves . Though he trembled and his jaw crackled and his nose wept and his limbs grew frigid, his expression remained cid, almost akin to the snow itself . Cold . . . distant . . . aloof in a strange, ethereal way . Seeing the moon crawl out from behind the clouds, round like a circle, casting faint, silver light over the ever expandingndscape of the world, the boy suddenly moved . He got down on all fours and began crawling through a rather narrow tunnel, barely fitting his size . It waspletely dark, as dark as the world without any source of light could get . He didn¡¯t close his eyes, choosing to stare at the darkness in a childish sort of defiance . He crawled for less than a minute before he reached a bump whereupon he took out that same, small shovel and began hitting the earth above him . Over and over, it began slowly crumbling,rge chunks of frozen parts squarely hitting him in the face, even opening several gashes . Yet not a wince of pain sounded out in the brewing chaos . Bit by bit, hole opened up and a faint cascade of light managed to pierce through, revealing his frosted face, chilled with scarlet blood all over . Seeing the first ray of light arrive, he sped up, till a simrly-sized hole to the one he entered during the day opened up, allowing him slowly crawl out . Thatrge fence reaching nearly three meters behind the building was now behind him . He found himself in a somewhat crowded backyard, with firewood scattered amidst the animal bones and unrefined timber . He didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, however, looking at the piled firewood and slowly climbing it, using a extrusion from the wall where the floors broke off to propel himself upward . A low grunt echoed out into the otherwise silent night as he grit his teeth and endured the pain enriching his muscles . He grabbed at a window frame with both his hands quickly and pulled himself up, looking through it . The room was entirely dark, and it didn¡¯t seem as though anyone lived in it . The boy took a deep breath and lowered himself down, suddenly letting go with one of his hands, with pressure increasing greatly on the other . He quickly reached into the vest and took out a small patch of thick, woolen cloth and brought it up to his mouth, holding it with his teeth as he grabbed at the ledge with both hands yet again . He was forced to take deep breaths through his nose, causing him to close his eyes and force a sneeze back . With teeth tightly gripping at the cloth, he pulled himself up again, cing forearm over the ledge and fumbling over to grab at the piece of cloth from his mouth . He then pressed it against the window and took a deep breath before closing his eyes and striking directly with his head . The window cracked almost immediately, and though the sound was loud, it was still somewhat contained . He quickly looked around and waited for a moment, but seeing as there was no sound of anyoneing over, he reached through the hole and unlocked the window from the inside, opening it . He used thest ounce of strength to pull himself over andnd onto the floorboards, immediately leaning against the wall, panting furiously . Holding onto his chest, he rested for a moment before forcing himself to get up . He was already feeling drowsy; he knew he couldn¡¯t allow himself to lull away any further . Though the floor beneath creaked ever so often, it wasn¡¯t too loud . As he reached the doors to the room, he once again reached into his vest and took out the small, rusty dagger, gripping its handle tightly into his right hand . Opening the doors as carefully as possible, he tucked his head out into the hallway and looked left and right . There was no light anywhere to be found, causing him to furrow his brows . He took a careful step forward and left the room . His heart suddenly froze as he noticed light flicker from behind him; he quickly tried to turn around and run back into the room, but a t, wooden pole came diving down, hitting him squarely over his nose . Lino cried out as he felt the force push him down, rolling backwards several times before stopping . However, just as he was about to get up in an attempt to run away, he felt a stinky,rge hand press against his chest and a face heave over his, illuminated darkly by a faint light of thentern . It was a familiar face, face he had seen numerous times throughout the twelve years of his life in the town . Old, wrinkled, double-chinned, with yellowed beard and a breath stinking of alcohol . Lino¡¯s eyes exploded with unbridled rage, yet there was little his tiny, underfed body could do under such pressure . He tried to wriggle himself out until he felt a knee press against his stomach, nearly suffocating him immediately . "Ha . . . ha ha ha," the man suddenly burst out into maddenedughter as he finally got a good look of the face beneath a makeshift, thin hood . "I-I thought it might be some assassin, ha ha ha, but look, ha ha, it¡¯s a scrawny kid!! Ha ha ha . . . though, gotta admire you for breaking all the way here . You really have some talent, y¡¯know?" " . . . " Lino couldn¡¯t reply due to the hand covering his mouth, but he did his best to convey what he had to say through his eyes . "He he, look at you . . . it¡¯s been four years, y¡¯know?" the man said as he suddenly licked his lips strangely . "Aah . . . I still haven¡¯t forgiven you . . . for taking away such pure flower . . . he he . . . she was like a fine ale, boy . Like a fine ale . " Lino once again began thumping furiously to free himself, despite the pain . "Ha ha, look at you, like a little worm . What can you do, eh? Bastard!" the man pressed his knee deeper into Lino¡¯s stomach, causing thetter to gag and gargle for a moment as the corners of his eyes turned tearful due to pain . His arms and legs once again turned limp and no matter how much he forced them, they didn¡¯t seem to respond to his call . " . . . " " . . . eh, now that I look at ya¡¯," the man drew in closer suddenly, merely inches away from Lino¡¯s face . "You ain¡¯t half-bad yourself . Not bad . Fair . Ah . . . fair . " he stuck his tongue out andshed it over Lino¡¯s cheek, causing thetter to shiver and goosebumps to overrun his body . "Tastes . . . like snow . " the man grumbled as his lips curled up into a smile . "What does the rest of ya¡¯ taste like, eh?" Lino suddenly panicked, his eyes turning into eggs as he began wriggling yet again . "Ha ha, you¡¯re---AAGGH!!!" he finally managed to angle his right hand which held the dagger properly and stabbed at the man¡¯s thigh, doing so repeatedly . "AAAGH!! B-BASTARD!! F-FUCK!!" Barry suddenly rolled over as he grasped at his thigh, releasing Lino in the process and letting go of thentern . The mes zed out momentarily, but Lino ignored them . Taking the opportunity, he leaped over to the cradled man who held onto several holes on his thigh and stabbed again, this time aiming at his arms . Barry cried out as he tried to swat away the stick-thin arm, but to no avail . Lino stabbed like mad, screaming to his fullest . Arm . . . stomach . . . chest . . . face . . . neck . . . soon, Barry bled out of every part of his body . As hey listless on the floor, staring terrifying at the bloodied face of a crazed boy, he saw Lino squat next to his crotch . Panic assailed him, yet his body wouldn¡¯t respond . Lino stabbed forth, desecrating and mutting the man¡¯s genitalia till nothing but gore remained . Barry was already whimpering, yet Lino ignored silent pleas for mercy; while fire behind him zed in hellish glory, quickly spreading, he lowered the dagger further down and pressed forth, skewering the hole beneath . Deeper . Rougher . Wider . He shoved it as deep as it could go and slowly got up . Barry was trembling, barely able to keep his eyes open as he stared at Lino in utter terror . The two pairs of eyes met; one jet-ck and one faintly hazel . Thetter could not endure it; it felt like staring into the eyes of the devil himself, the creatures of ye old tales of the eons past, who woulde from clutches of eternal mes to exact vengeance that was due . Barry truly believed in that moment that Lino wasn¡¯t just another child; he believed the boy to be a devil, his fears only further fanned by mes zing behind Lino . They besieged walls, creating this odd sort of a scenario whereupon they seemed to surround Lino from Barry¡¯s point of view, but never stand in his path . Lino would long be gone, but Barry wouldn¡¯t recover from his fear . Not even when mes engulfed him whole and began burning him to a crisp . He didn¡¯t weep, he didn¡¯t cry or scream in anguish . It felt more like a release, being engulfed in hell¡¯s mes, being torn away from the clutches of the devil himself . In his eyes, the fire that melted off his skin like butter was not the enemy - it was his savior . Chapter 149 Chapter 149: 149 CHAPTER 149 GREAT DESCENT Lino remained seated, leaning against the cooling wall, as he watched E stretch and enter the house, smiling at him faintly . His eyes quickly veered off into the horizon, beyond the now t stretch of earth and over to the hills in the distance . After a short silence, he got up with a grunt and began walking briskly, his hands in his pockets . Though quite a lot weighed on his mind in regards to what had transpired in such a short period of time, one which confused him the most was the presence of Prince Relish - or whatever his actual name was . Thest time the two met was very close to the Necropolis, almost ten years ago . Lino, while taking a brief nce at him, was still unable to determine his actual strength . For someone so strong, it felt odd to remain on the Western Continent for so long . As he walked ever further away from the house, he could feel more and more eyes pierce toward him from the distance, as well as hundreds of Divine Senses trying to feel him out . Even he felt somewhat shocked over the sheer number, as it far surpassed his initial estimates . However, he quickly shrugged the thoughts and ignored them, as he knew none stood a chance of figuring out that he was a measly Early Purity Realm kid in the belly of the Exalted and the Imperials and even those above . He reached the dried, wavy dunes quickly and climbed over one, looking around for a moment . Atop a small ledge, not too far away from him, overlooking a set of ruins beneath, he spotted a young-looking man sitting casually and reading a book . Lino turned toward him and began walking, realizing that the scrutiny dropped and outright stopped when he reached the man . Thetter seemed to be unaware of his presence and continued reading the book . Lino leaned over and realized he couldn¡¯t read the characters as it was anguage he didn¡¯t understand . "It¡¯s aption of the Empyrion Folklore," the man suddenly said, startling Lino who immediately began looking around . "Rx, even if they had ten billion times the courage, they wouldn¡¯t dare listen in . " " . . . " Lino gulped and looked again at the man, who didn¡¯t seem all that out of ordinary - especially not so much that he¡¯d inspire so much fear in so many . "Long time no see . " he recovered quickly, however, and decided to go with the flow . "What do you mean? We saw each other not even two hours ago . " the man said, still reading . "Funny . Is the folklore that interesting?" Lino sat down next to the man and took out a gourd of ale . "It is quite fascinating," the man said, closing the book suddenly and ncing at Lino from the corner of his eyes . "It is one of the few Western Cultures to ever mention the Lineage of Dragons . Apparently, the far northern penins used to be a home of a Dragon named Ok¡¯tah . He was reportedly over two miles in length and half that in height, his wingspan nketing the sun itself . In folklore, he would feast on human sacrifices that the nearby tribes would bring annually . One day, though, a young man came forth with a sword and a shield and challenged Ok¡¯tah, saying that he didn¡¯t wish to see his sister be given off as a sacrifice . " " . . . " Lino listened while drinking, as he was quite curious himself . Though he knew quite a bit of history of Oreb Kingdom, he hardly knew their customs, traditions and myths, if at all . "Ok¡¯tah found him rather silly, the story goes, but also courageous . He granted the young man a Primordial Fire, and the first forefather of the Oreb Kingdom was born . " " . . . children of a Dragon, huh? Well, they certainly weren¡¯t humble . " Linomented . "Can you me them?" the man asked, smiling lightly . "They¡¯ve risen from the ashes of this cursednd and united it, even going as far as to be the quasi-Holy Ground for the Bearer of a Writ . No matter where, that feat ought to be celebrated in and of itself . " " . . . who are you?" Lino asked . It was clear that the man knew Lino was an Empyrean - probably having learned the very first time they met - yet he also didn¡¯t seem to care much about it . "My name¡¯s Ethwart," the man said, extending his arm for a handshake . "It¡¯s an honor to meet you - again - little Empyrean . " " . . . " Lino returned the handshake with an odd smile . "Nice psychological warfare right there . " "I merely believe roles ought to be established immediately if a rtionship is to sprout in the future . " " . . . well, you won me over," Lino shrugged, withdrawing his hand . "Want a drink?" "If I did, I certainly wouldn¡¯t be drinking that filth . No offense . " Ethwart replied, still smiling . "Haii . . . what can I say? This is all a lowly guy like me can afford . " " . . . years have chiseled you well . " Ethwart said . "Better than I expected, at the very least . " " . . . uh, thanks?" "I¡¯ve found out why I let the invasion happen, by the way," the tone in his voice suddenly shifted, darkening considerably, surprising Lino . "Are you still interested in knowing?" " . . . yes . " "It¡¯s because of power," Ethwart said . "As is often the case with people . Two years ago, I learned the unfortunate truth that sixteen of my brethren were colluding with the Holy Grounds over your situation . " " . . . I feel like I need a lot of background info to understand what the hell do you mean . " Linomented . "The relic that I had given you . Where is it?" Ethwart suddenly asked, surprising Lino . Thetter mulled over it for a second before withdrawing a strange, star-shaped wooden object from his void world . "This?" "Ah . . . as I suspected . " Ethwart sighed . "It¡¯s one of the corrupted ones . Apologies . " "I wanna say you¡¯re losing me, but you¡¯ve lost me a long time ago . " " . . . I¡¯m part of the sect of sort; it¡¯s really more of amunity, or perhaps a collective enforcer . " Ethwart exined, taking the object form Lino¡¯s hand and fiddling with it . "We go by many names, depending on where you ask . This relic would have acted as an invitation when you reached Mythic Realm, sending you toward one of our recruitment grounds . " " . . . eh? What?" Lino was quite startled, as it truly came out of left field . "Ha ha, don¡¯t be surprised," Ethwart suddenlyughed, flicking the relic and throwing it into the stretch of darkness . "A few billion years ago, it was quite a custom for Empyreans to have honorary seat next to us, or even be full-fledged members . After all, it was one of the few ces in the world where nobody dared to bother you guys, no matter how great a grudge they bore . Have you ever heard of Great Descent?" " . . . " Lino thought for a second but then shook his head . "It¡¯s not all that strange, actually . After all, Western Continent isn¡¯t really that interesting in the grand scheme of things . Every few generations, one of us is sent here to see if there¡¯s any newly emerging talent, but other than that, we hardly evere here any more . Truth is though that, even when the entire world is considered, no more than a couple of thousand people know about us . " " . . . " "I can¡¯t tell you much as I¡¯m bound by an oath I swore," Ethwart said, turning toward Lino and looking thetter straight into his eyes for a moment before continuing . "But, I can guarantee that it¡¯s the best ce for you to go after settling all the remaining ounts here . " " . . . why?" Lino asked, frowning for a moment . "Bearers oft get self-absorbed in their ¡¯Holy Crusade¡¯," Ethwart said . "Forgetting that their conflict is also world¡¯s . When they fight, those who worship them fight too . Every time two or more Bearers fought, a series of wars would erupt all over the world . It¡¯s sort of like when you see two people of different races duking it out in the middle of the street . . . it usually never ends with just the two of them, but a full-on pile-on . It¡¯s just . . . bound to happen . " " . . . oh for the fucking clouds of cunt¡¯s drought," Lino suddenly exploded, surprising Ethwart . "Can¡¯t any of you fucks that I meet ever be direct?! Do you know how many times I stood on sidelines listening to you fucks speak in some fucking cryptguage, while literally TRYING to exin something to me?! Why does everyone fucking assume that I have ability to decipher your nonsense and fill in all the gaps?! Fuck!" " . . . " "Khm, uh . . . sorry . . . y¡¯know,sting issues . . . " " . . . right . Anyway," Ethwart decided to ignore it and continue . "The point is that Great Descent is not only a ce with abundant, verified knowledge, but it¡¯s also a ce where you can grow in secrecy rather than out in the open . We are usually tasked with maintaining bnce at all costs across the Central and Holy Continents - by any means necessary . You forgo your identity and be a number, making it impossible for others to identify you so long as you don¡¯t expose yourself . Doesn¡¯t that sound like something that you¡¯re perfect for?" " . . . no fruit given to you is that sweet . " Lino said, squinting his eyes and expecting that ¡¯but¡¯ . "Of course not," Ethwart said, smiling . "If you want to gain ess to anything more than basic, shallow knowledge, you¡¯d have to climb up the ranks . And that¡¯s not done throughpleting missions . " " . . . but?" "Through killing your superiors . " "Eh?" "You find someone who ranks higher than you," Ethwart said . "You challenge them and then you kill them . Afterwards, you directly inherit their position as well as their sigil . The one that I gave to you . . . it belonged to my Master . " " . . . yay, I made friends with a psychopath . " "There are no grudges," Ethwart shook his head . "Outside the arena, the two who are fighting may be the best friends in the world . But inside . . . all of that is forgotten . " "It¡¯s quite a fucked up system . " Lino said . "Perhaps," Ethwart said, smiling . "But it works . If you can kill someone who¡¯s been grooming you patiently for over a decade . . . and still manage to sleep at night . . . what else can¡¯t you do?" " . . . that¡¯s the part that scares me," Lino said after short silence . "Especially because I don¡¯t think I could do it . " " . . . truth is, neither could I," Ethwart suddenly said . "It wasn¡¯t me who challenge my Master, but the other way around . " "Eh?" "When the duel started, I froze . . . I couldn¡¯t move an inch . My Master looked at me for a few moments and smiled faintly before he took out a dagger and slit his own throat . " " . . . shit . " Lino mumbled . "While it is true that we don¡¯tck psychopaths who would stop at nothing to climb," Ethwart said after taking a deep breath . "The duels are much rarer than you think . I¡¯ve been out and about for nearly a hundred years, and have never gotten challenged . The reason I¡¯m telling you this Lyonel," Ethwart added, his voice deepening . "Is because your situation is . . . quite unique . Your eyes still glisten with demons . . . so many that I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯ve managed to assimte them so perfectly with who you are . However, if you think your current mental state will carry you onward till the end . . . you are far dumber than I gave you a credit for . " " . . . " "Western Continent is like a child in the cultivation world," Ethwart exined . "There are conflicts here and there, but no matter how cruel they may be, they really are like a kid pushing another into a muddy pond whenpared to the Central, and especially the Holy Continent . If what you¡¯d seen and lived here is enough to cleave you . . . then I suggest you never leave this ce . " Lino¡¯s mind suddenly shuffled through his memories as Ethwart¡¯s words began echoing through his mind . "I¡¯d had hoped that you could use Great Descent to cleave at your demons, one by one, and remove them slowly . There is no ce at the world¡¯s stage for someone who offers pity to his opponent just because thetter didn¡¯t deserve to die . " " . . . you listened in?" Lino asked . "Hm . " " . . . I¡¯ve been told the same thing many times over," Lino said as he took a gulp of ale, few drops escaping his lips and trickling down his beard, glistening faintly . "By people that I trust far more than I trust you . However . . . just as you¡¯d all learned the way of life from your perspective, I¡¯d learned it from mine . What can I achieve by bing the part of the madness, Ethwart? Look at all my predecessors," he continued . "They¡¯ve epted the rules of your world and they lived by them and none managed to aplish much in the end . . . what was then the point of it all? That vain struggle? I¡¯d promised myself a long time ago . . . that even if I were aplish nothing in the end and die as just another failed attempt . . . I wouldn¡¯tpromise . I will never shy away from killing, but I will also never allow myself to get entombed into madness and normalize it . To you, and others like you, and especially the Writs . . . most lives are worthless . But . . . they¡¯re not . " Lino nced sideways, his eyes strangely calm . "I¡¯ve lived those lives, and I¡¯ve seen those lives many times over . Even if you strike me now and kill me because you think I won¡¯t be able to aplish anything with such a childish mindset . . . I¡¯ll stand by it . " " . . . " Ethwart stared into those calm, jet-ck eyes for a moment before his lips suddenly curled up in a smile . "You really are different, Lyonel . However . . . there were many Empyreans who were just as different as you before . Can you endure through what they could not?" " . . . I don¡¯t know . Worth a try, at least . " "Here," Ethwart suddenly flicked his sleeve and handed Lino another star-shaped object, except this one was made out of metal rather than wood . "When you¡¯re ready to leave this ce, inject Qi into it and follow the guide . It was a pleasure to share a few words with you, Empyrean . I hope that, in my lifetime, I¡¯ll see the long-forgotten grandeur of your nora shine away in the void of darkness . Farewell . " his voice still echoed faintly by the time Ethwart disappeared, leaving Lino alone to sit by the cliff . He held onto the object for a moment before putting it into the void world, looking up toward the sky . " . . . there¡¯s really just one more thing to do . " he said, sighing as his eyes glistened for a moment . "I sure hope I can do it though . . . " Chapter 150 Chapter 150 CHAPTER 150 FAREWELL Days swam across the span of time, though its passage seemed meaningless to Lino . He remained seated, seemingly frozen in the same spot, ever since Ethwart left . He would asionally take out a gourd and drink some ale or wine, but he would mostly meditate or sleep . Nobody came up to him yet and nobody asked him any questions, despite numerous pairs of eyes and Divine Senses asionally scanning him . He didn¡¯t seem to care for them, however, instead looking as though he was waiting for something or someone . His eyes would asionally dim as they peered into the distant dark, yet not for too long . What he awaited, though, only he knew . Spending days in such a simple manner caused time to ceased to bear a meaning . It was always all the same, with infinite darkness cascading over the hilly dunes and ruins, and asional eyes glistening on the surrounding hilltops . Yet, he didn¡¯t seem to mind, seemingly capable of sitting there almost motionless till the end of days . He waited and waited until a whole month had passed . Lino woke from a short nap and stretched, yawning lowly in the process and suddenly extending his arm sideways . A darkened sh bashed against his palm, a strange sound echoing as though it was a metallic sh rather than something cutting into flesh . He slowly turned his head sideways and smiled at the seeming nothingness in front of him and, just a momentter, he extended his other arm backwards and clenched his fist as a wisp of smoke tried to cut into him . An invisible force seemed to struggle to pull back from his grip, yet he held it firmly . "That¡¯s not the way," he spoke in a tone of strange warmth . "You have to be more decisive . " he added, pulling his hand back . A faint shadow flickered behind him and withdrew into the nothingness a momentter . " . . . " no sound responded, as though he was madly talking to the air itself . He remained seated, his lips curled up in a faint smile, as he began to hum a low tune, seemingpletely defenses . Without halting the hum, he slightly tilted his head whereupon the faintest of flickers brushed past and disappeared into the distance . "Close," he said . "But too slow . " " . . . you¡¯re still a pain in the ass . " a cold, sunken voice spoke out from somewhere . Lino¡¯s heart sank for a moment as he sighed . " . . . you¡¯re not . " he faintly mumbled . Next to him, colors suddenly began to blend and space almost seemed to have glistened as a figure formed, sitting just like Lino . She had jet-ck hair and eyes and skin as pale as snow, clothed in ck, leather armor . Her expression was cid, eyes void of emotion . "How long have you known?" she asked after a short silence . "Known what?" "Who I am . " "When Al¡¯ told me . " Lino said . "Though I had hoped secretly he was wrong . " "Why? Disappointed?" she nced at him . "Disappointed? No," Lino shook his head, smiling bitterly . "Mostly just sad . . . and sorry . " " . . . " Lucky stared into his eyes for a moment before withdrawing her gaze . "You don¡¯t have a reason to be . " " . . . hah, really now?" Lino chuckled oddly as he looked up . "Yet . . . I still am . " " . . . " "What haven¡¯t you Sealed yet?" he asked . " . . . you . " " . . . you should have crossed that one out first . " "Agree . " "Ouch . " " . . . why did you kill Gustav?" Lucky asked . " . . . can¡¯t tell . " Lino nced at her and smiled mischievously . "You really haven¡¯t changed . . . or grown up . " "How did they treat you?" Lino asked . "Well enough . " "You¡¯ve made a name for yourself . ¡¯Shade¡¯ is slowly bing a new boogeyman . " "It just means I¡¯m good at what I do . " Lucky said . " . . . " " . . . what? Nothing else to say?" she nced at him yet again, still expressionless . "I¡¯ve many things to say, L¡¯--" "Don¡¯t call me that . " "--but I suppose I should answer what you want to ask me," Lino said, ignoring her slightly angered expression . "I won¡¯t kill you . No . . . rather, I won¡¯t even fight you . " " . . . what makes you think I wanted you to do it?" "Because you haven¡¯t sealed me yet," he nced at, smiling . "Perhaps you think it a cathartic sort of ending, or maybe even poetic or something along those lines . Or you just want to punish me . . . or just to liberate yourself . Whatever the true reason, I can¡¯t do it . " "Can¡¯t or wont?" "Can¡¯t," Lino said . "Don¡¯t ask that of me . " "You¡¯ve done many worse things," Lucky said, grunting . "Is this really where you want to draw your moral line?" "Who said anything about morals?" Lino looked at her . "If that¡¯s the case, I should want to kill you . " "Then what¡¯s it all about? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re sentimental . You¡¯re too young for that crap . " " . . . it¡¯s because I care about you . " Lino replied simply, causing Lucky to shudder for a moment before recovering . "Call it sentimentality, weakness, whatever you may . . . in the end, it all means just one thing: I care about you . " " . . . if you cared about me you would do what I ask of you . " Lucky said . " . . . let¡¯s go for a walk . " Lino suddenly leapt off the ledge andnded on the road down below, waiting for Lucky to follow . " . . . " seeming somewhat reluctant, she in the end decided to join him and jumped down as well, walking side by side . The two remained silent as they pushed forward, rounding several corners and hilltops and ruins . Two stood slightly apart, with Lino walking down through the center of the road and Lucky at the very edge, seemingly unwilling to get any closer . " . . . what happened to you?" after nearly half an hour of silence, Lucky decided to break it and asked . "I got . . . crippled . For a while, at least . " Lino replied . "Did you get your revenge?" " . . . hardly . " "Will you?" " . . . no . " Lino said calmly . "That¡¯s disappointing . " "Why?" "If nothing else, I thought you¡¯d at the very least work your hardest to avenge them and bring them some peace . " Lucky said . "They¡¯re dead, L¡¯," Lino said . "That¡¯s the most peaceful they¡¯ll ever get . " " . . . you¡¯re really an asshole, aren¡¯t you?" Lucky said, seeming disgruntled . "I¡¯ve made my peace with their fates," Lino said, ncing at her . "I¡¯ve embraced the pain, the loss, the hell of it all, and I¡¯ve entombed them into who I am to rest there till the day I die . What have you done?" " . . . " "I¡¯ll tell you," Lino said . "You¡¯ve culled them from your heart," his words seemed to have shaken her for a moment, temporarily breaking her frosty exterior . "And you¡¯ve made them into pointless memories . We all deal with pain in our own little ways," he added . "And I can¡¯t really me you for the path you¡¯ve chosen . I just hope . . . it was worth it . " " . . . what would you know?" Lucky suddenly stopped walking, prompting Lino to turn around and face her . "What the fuck would you know?!!" she suddenly screamed out, her jet-ck eyes glistening silver for a moment . "You weren¡¯t the one who spent every waking hour of every fucking day with them!!! You weren¡¯t the one who knew them inside out, their fears, their dreams, everything that they were!! You weren¡¯t there to see them get butchered in ways that shouldn¡¯t be fucking allowed before your very eyes!!! To see them all die in agony . . . to see them sacrifice theirst breaths just to let you get away . . . what the fuck would you know about worth?!! You¡¯re a selfish piece of shit!! You¡¯ve always been one, and you haven¡¯t changed!!" " . . . " Lino remained standing and calmly stared into her glistening eyes which by now had already grown teary . "You say you entombed them? You entombed shadows of who they actually were!! Tell me . . . what did Ae want to be? What was Freya afraid of the most?!! Why did Smite joke around all the time?!! Can you even tell me who the fuck Shaneine was?! Why did Fish drink all the time?! Fuck . . . can you even tell me what was Kraval¡¯s favorite food? No . . . you can¡¯t . Don¡¯t you dare . . . don¡¯t you dare tell me what¡¯s worth and what¡¯s not . . . you don¡¯t know . You¡¯ve never fucking known . . . " by now she was crying openly, her entire body trembling . " . . . you¡¯re right," Lino said, smiling faintly as he walked up to her and suddenly pulled her into his embrace, startling her . She tried to fight back, but found it impossible to escape the arms that seemed more like chains rather than things made of flesh and bone . "And you have every right to be angry with me . But . . . why are you also angry with them?" " . . . " Lucky didn¡¯t say anything, simply pressing her head harder against Lino¡¯s chest . She could hear the calm beating of his heart, the warmth of his body, a feeling of safeness suddenly surging from within her . "Don¡¯t be afraid . . . " he mumbled faintly into her ears . "Of facing your demons . Sealing them . . . only ever dys the inevitable . " his eyes suddenly flickered with dangerous sentiment as he extended his right arm sideways and opened his palm, catching an arrow that was aimed at Lucky¡¯s head . He quickly realized it was coated with poison, but didn¡¯t seem to care instead moving his eyes toward the distant darkness where the arrow came from . "Your bosses are here . " he said . " . . . you expect me to fight?" she mumbled faintly . "I¡¯ve just destroyed ten years of my cultivation because of you . " "It¡¯s lucky then that you have me here with you . " Lino suddenly said with, giggling boyishly . "Fucking hell . . . will you ever stop?" that frigid voice that she was so ustomed to began slowly melting, and the voice that Lino remembered began to return . "Luckily for you, I won¡¯t . " "Go eat a dick . " "Right after I deal with the nuisances," Lino said, pushing her back suddenly . "Go back and rest . " "Will you kill them?" Lucky asked, seeming somewhat reluctant . "Nah," Lino shrugged . "I¡¯m just gonna spank them once or twice to teach them a lesson . " " . . . " Shadows and tantalizing smoke slowly began morphing into figures bathed in the faint, fluorescent light of the levitating spheres which illuminated nearly the entirety of the surrounding area . Lino immediately recognized a few familiar figures, including Althone, Evelyn, Felix¡¯s Father and Grandfather, as well as Felix himself who stood on the back end, a conflicted expression on his face . They didn¡¯t choose to encircle Lino, rather besieging him from the front entirely . Lino stood calmly in front of Lucky, looking at them with a faint smile . He waited mostly for Lucky, but he also hopped her entourage would show up alongside of her . He didn¡¯t want to leave an unfathomable shadow in their hearts when he left; he¡¯d rather leave something more substantial . Instead of Althone, it was Evelyn who slowly stepped forward . Lino couldn¡¯t help but nce at the former for a second; it was, after all, a perfect moment to entomb the fact that Evelyn was now their Empress rather than him . Even in such a situation, old fox sure knew how to y political games . "Release Shade . " Evelyn spoke, her purple eyes glistening in strange anger, half-pointed at Lino while the other half aimed at herself . "I¡¯m not holding her a prisoner . " Lino replied calmly . "And her name¡¯s not Shade . " "Are you defying me?" Evelyn asked, frowning . "Defiance would imply subordination . " Lino said, grinning lightly . "Which I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever showcased . " "Are you willing to repent?" " . . . roses bloom and wither," Lino slowly spoke up as he withdrew a sword from his void world, ncing at it with a strange glint in his eyes . "¡¯Neath the Shades of Sky; As sun and moon dance; Heavens asunder cry . " " . . . " "A tomb awaits all; Kings and Beggars alike; Death to all a Foe; In its grace all is alight . Do you know the poem?" Lino asked . "No . " Evelyn replied coldly as she also withdrew her sword, which was followed by everyone else behind her - including Felix - preparing for a battle . "It was written by King Everick IV . " Lino said taking a short step forward, the sound of his footsteps echoing out amidst the silence . "He was a small King of a small Kingdom who dreamed of bigger things when he¡¯d fallen ill . On his deathbed, the story goes, he recollected all his dreams . . . all those aspirations . . . and realized he¡¯d wasted the life he was given by dreaming of the life he could never have . " " . . . " "Three days after he¡¯d finished writing the poem," he added, now merely twenty meters apart from the rest . "He died . " "Profound . " Evelyn said, grinning mockingly . "Hardly," Lino shrugged as he stopped, his eyes slowly veering over everyone present at the scene . "If it takes death to realize just how insignificant you are . . . there¡¯s nothing profound about it . " " . . . your sins can only be redeemed in the afterlife . " Evelyn said, lifting the sword and pointing it at Lino . "You are charged with treason, murder, theft, colluding to raise a rebel army and defiance against the Crown . I sentence you to die!" " . . . sorry," Lino smiled lightly as he whirled his sword momentarily . "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to refuse . " He sprinted forwards, his feet coated in thick bolts of azure lightning, leaving behind the story of their wake . He blew past Evelyn, seeming to wholly ignore her and dove straight at the heart of the crescent formation, where Althone, alongside his two personal guards drafted from the Sons of the Damned Legion stood, both of whom were d entirely in ck armor . When they spotted Linoing after Althone, they braced their swords and shouted, thick, ck energy blistering off the surfaces of their armor . They swung forth in concert, trying to intercept Lino on his anticipated trajectory . Yet, thetter seemed to somehow defy the veryws of nature as he heaved over the two swords, arriving directly in front of Althone . Thetter frowned immediately, realizing that Lino was far, far faster than anyone else in his own army . He quickly channeled Qi through his passages and used the billow of the wind to shift himself sideways, evading the piercing sh which caused a massive explosion followed by arousal of dust . Lino withdrew the sword in the meantime and took out a spear; though it wasn¡¯t the best of the kind, nor even all thatpatible with him, he was still better versed with it rather than swords . And as he couldn¡¯t use due to fears of being exposed again, there really was no point in continuing to wield the sword . Althone had barely managed to stabilize when he saw a flicker of light approach him at the speed he couldn¡¯t possiblyprehend . Growing flustered, he gritted his teeth and extended both his palms in a parallel, squatting down squarely into a sturdy horse stance . Qi shifted from his palm into reality, fusing with the nature of wind and creating a massive storm which extended over half a mile across and just as much above . Lino weed the sharp cuts of the wind and grinned madly as gashes began appearing over his body . He ignored the burning bits of pain and thrust his spear directly at Althone¡¯s palms, breaking thetter¡¯s feeble defensive formation and piercing one of the palms directly, causing blood to gush out . Althone held back the cry of pain and used his free hand to grasp at the spear before forcibly tearing his prated palm away . He then pulled the spear with all his might in an attempt to offset Lino¡¯s footing only to realize thetter wouldn¡¯t budge an inch . Althone¡¯s eyes veered over the to strange beggar and met thetter¡¯s jet-ck pair . As though a voice suddenly whispered into his mind ¡¯you cannot win¡¯, he was a moment away from retreating before he realized that there was a whole toon of soldiers just behind Lino, finallyunching his attack . Lino grinned at Althone in a strangely boyish fashion, even going as far as to wink at the man, before turning around and facing the avnche . Amidst the fires, the winds, therge chunks of earth, the lightning and even some disfigurement of space, Lino recognized a few battlements of ice heading his way . Three cascaded next to one another, with the tallest and sturdiest-looking at the center, and two smaller surrounding it . He quickly found the one Felix cast and shed forward, heading directly at it, ignoring the besieged sky that came crashing at him . Though he was hit quite a few times, his Singrity spat out Qi in droves, quickly healing every wound before it had a chance to turn into anything serious . He cleaved directly through the Felix¡¯s icy avnche with a simple swipe of his spear . Ice was cold and frigid yet also soulless, Lino realized . It was weak, heartless, almost as though it was merely there for show rather than anything else . His eyes quickly located Felix at the back, two somewhat elderly men at his sides . Lino ignored the twopletely and heaved through the sky in a magnificent sh of lightning . There wasn¡¯t a soul surrounding him that could catch even a glimpse of his figure . They all briefly stood in awe before realizing their goal was to strike the beggar down rather than to admire him . Evelyn was perhaps the most frustrated one; not only did she notnd a single hit on him, he seemed to havepletely ignored her and disregarded her as an opponent, firstly striking at her Father - which she could still somehow rationalize - but he was now going after Felix . . . arguably the deadweight of this army who was mostly here as an attempt to make the beggar emotionally unstable . Two massive icicles came hurdling over at Lino whonded with a st and spun in circle as he slid over, causing the spear to bend halfway through in the process and deflect the iing icicles . He came to a halt squarely in front of the frozen Felix, who stared at the figure surrounded by dust without being able to utter a sound . His Father and Grandfather had already withdrawn as closebat wasn¡¯t their forte, only to realize that Felix still stood there . Though both wished to immediatelye to his rescue, they saw him flick a finger as a signal to just wait . " . . . what was that attack?" Lino asked, frowning slightly, seeminglypletely ignorant of his situation . " . . . " "That was embarrassing," Lino said, suddenly pping Felix across thetter¡¯s head gently . "For you, for your family, but most importantly -- for me . How can you disgrace me like that?! Huh?! How can I go around proudly eximing you¡¯re my pupil if you keep doing disgraceful shit like that?" Felix barely held himself back fromughter; his Master, regardless of the circumstances, Felix realized . . . was always the same . Even here and now, where he was opposing the strongest force on the entire continent, he still acted carefree . " . . . sorry Master . I promise it won¡¯t happen again . " Felix said, bowing slightly . "Ah, good, good!" Lino said, patting the boy¡¯s head and smiling . "Now, you better straighten your ass and attack me properly from now on, alright? What, do you really think you can actually hurt me or something?" " . . . pfft . . . " "Heh, just keepughing and see if I don¡¯t shove my foot up your ass . " "Khm, sorry . " "Alright . I¡¯d love to chat more," Lino said, sighing lightly . "But these bastards won¡¯t let me . " " . . :" Felix didn¡¯t say anything, merely taking a deep breath to calm down and beginning to summon all of the Qi he had . His Master was right; he stood no chance of harming him . Wasn¡¯t this, then, the perfect opportunity to test the extreme limits of his strength? Perhaps even achieve a breakthrough? At the very least, experience just how strong his Master was? Felix mused inwardly as he slowly began preparing to pour everything he had into his next art . Lino on the other hand spun around and began cleaving through the monsoon of attacks that came barreling at him every second it seemed . For all their attempts, though, most quickly grew dispirited; the boy, even if hit, didn¡¯t seem to even notice, as though they merely tickled him for a moment . None were more frustrated than Evelyn and Althone, though; had they known at the start just how strong the beggar was . . . this all could have yed out much differently . Lino danced the strange waltz of death, escaping it seemingly at thest second . Yet, no matter how much he attacked, he only wounded . . . and never killed . Everyone quickly realized that which emboldened them slightly, but only for a moment . It felt more like he was teaching them a lesson rather than participating in a life-or-death struggle . It was half an hourter that the attacks stopped and Lino stopped moving . There were some low groans of pain echoing out around him, and most were either lying down or sitting, with only a few still standing, yet seemingpletely discouraged from attacking him yet again . Though his clothes were even more tattered if at all possible, there wasn¡¯t a single noticeable wound that they could attribute to themselves, despite numerous scars criss-crossing over the beggar¡¯s body . If there was one good thing that came out of this, it was that they finally realized he was fairly young, at least judging by his stature . However, this only dispirited them more as they realized the beggar couldn¡¯t have been older than thirty . Lino, on the other hand, was feeling somewhat angry; there were so many of them, and yet he wasn¡¯t even out of breath after fighting for so long . Truth be told, he was feeling slightly bored . "Hey!" a low, coarse voice bellowed out into the darkness, causing Lino to shift his head slowly . "If you don¡¯t drop your weapon and surrender, I¡¯ll kill her . " " . . . " Evelyn¡¯s eyes shifted away from one of her Father¡¯s guards holding Shade by her throat back onto Lino whereupon her entire body froze . She only glimpsed at those eyes for but a moment . . . yet, what she¡¯d seen she was certain she would never forget . "Let her g--------o . . . . " it was toote . There was but a sh and the freezing of the time . The temperature dropped till everyone felt as though they were in apletely frozen hell . Their bones, souls and hearts creaked and croaked, crying and begging at the same time to be let go . The stuffy silence was followed by a thud and spur of blood whistling through the air . Headless body fell and sttered across the soaked sand, above its head still hanging, held by bloodied fingers . Lino slowly shifted his head and looked back, causing everyone to immediately stop breathing for a moment . Evelyn felt her sword suddenly shake as its soulpletely suppressed its presence . Althone¡¯s entire body screamed for him to run, yet he didn¡¯t dare to . He could only stare at those jet-ck eyes as though mesmerized, unable to look away . " . . . you should leave . " Lino spoke calmly as he let go of the head, letting it roll down the dune, stopping right next to Evelyn¡¯s feet . " . . . " as though given a pardon for their crimes, everyone quickly scrambled and slowly began leaving, afraid the strange beggar might change his mind . Lucky on the other hand nced at Lino with intention of praising him when she saw a strange grin on his face . " . . . fuck, you really are like a kid!!" she eximed, hitting him . "Eh? What do you mean?" Lino asked, wiping the grin off . "You don¡¯t let a single opportunity to show off go, do you?" "What man would?" Lino scoffed . "Especially in front of such a prettydy! You¡¯re lucky to have front seats to such a show!" " . . . suck my dick . " Lucky rolled her eyes and sat back down . "I¡¯d rather not . " "Looks like one dude didn¡¯t buy your show . Ha ha, must feel pretty retarded now!" Lucky spokeughingly as she pointed her finger . "What a ballsy fucker . Who is he?" Lino frowned and followed her finger only to see a familiar face walking up to him . "Eh? Felix? The hell are you still here?" " . . . " Felix seemed to swallow something, perhaps ast shred of his pride, as he replied . "I want to learn how to be as cool as Master . " " . . . " Lucky¡¯sughter froze as her finger trembled . "Oh?" Lino quickly assumed his ¡¯heroic¡¯ pose and began stroking his chin . "You have finally been exposed to light, haven¡¯t you?" " . . . yes . " " . . . good, ha ha ha ha, good!" Lino eximed and walked over, grabbing Felix¡¯s shoulder before suddenly pulling him over to Lucky, forcing her up onto her feet and grabbing her shoulder with his other free arm, forcing the two to walk with him . "You two . . . ah, you two! It has been worth the wait . . . oh, right, it¡¯s not just you two . That fucker¡¯s here too . " "What fucker?" Lucky and Felix asked, seeming confused . " . . . that . . . fucker . " Lino pointed his finger in front of the trio whereupon Felix and Lucky suddenly eximed in fright as they came to a halt . There, where nobody was just a second ago, now a silver-eyed husky walked briskly . "W-when did that dog get here?!" Felix asked . "Eh? What do you mean? He¡¯s always been here . " Lino replied, looking at Felix as though he was a fool . "He¡¯s been cheering me on the whole time . " " . . . " the two looked at him with strange eyes, saying nothing . "Ah, you wouldn¡¯t understand," Lino shrugged as he pulled them forward once again . "The bond the two of us share . . . " "Woof!! Woof-woof woof woof!" the dog suddenly barked at Lino, baring his fangs at thetter . "Fuck your mom too, you sick, sadistic fuck!!" Lino replied in kind . "If it was just the two of us, I¡¯d have ripped that fucking tail of yours and shoved it so far up your ass you¡¯d be coughing up hair till the day you croak, you ugly excuse of a dog!" "Woof-woof---woof woof!" "%!##$!#&&/" " . . . " " . . . " words were said which left both Lucky and Felix more scarred than anything else they¡¯d witnessed in their lives . It wasn¡¯t a fight between a dog and a man, they¡¯d realized; it was a fight between two shameless cretin who both were wastes of air they breathed . The two, however, felt a sense of strange tranquility besiege them after they walked for a while . As though a monumental burden was lifted off their chests, it came to a point where they couldn¡¯t even keep their eyes open, slowly slouching sideways and resting both their heads on Lino¡¯s shoulders . Thetter stopped arguing with a dog and nced at the two, smiling warmly as he slowly put them down and leaned them gently against the rocks . He sat opposite of them and took out a gourd of ale, reluctantly taking out another gourd and throwing it at the dog who started whining . He slowly indulged in his favorite past time, asionally ncing at Lucky and Felix who both already had drool manifesting at the corners of their lips . " . . . are you sure you wish to bring them along?" the voice he hadn¡¯t heard in a while resounded inside his head . "Aye . " Lino replied simply, without any hesitation . " . . . " "What? You think I haven¡¯t learned my lesson?" Lino asked, faintly smiling . " . . . I was mistaken," the Writ said . "As all of us were, really . I don¡¯t think . . . no matter what we do . . . that we¡¯ll ever seed in breaking your heart entirely . " "Oh, wow . Apliment . Shit . I think I¡¯m blushing . " " . . . I promised you long ago that I would no longer meddle in what you do," the Writ continued, seemingly oblivious to Lino¡¯s jab . "But I did it merely out of fear you really mightmit suicide . " "Fucker . " "Today I swear to you the same oath . . . I truly won¡¯t meddle in any one of your decisions lest you ask me for an advice . I trust you, Lyonel . No . . . I trust that, no matter what, you will always find a way . And if there¡¯s none . . . you¡¯ll create it . " "While I appreciate the trust," Lino said, taking a sip . "I¡¯ll still need you to be my infomania . " "Infomania?" "Ah, yeah, I¡¯m testing out my linguistic talents," Lino said . "It¡¯s apound, you see? Information plus mania! Since you¡¯re full of information, and you¡¯re an absolute fucking maniac, I decided to call you infomania . What do you think?" " . . . " "Yeah, I feel it too . Doesn¡¯t really sit all that well . I¡¯ll keep thinking and get back to you . " "I¡¯d rather you don¡¯t . " "But I will . " " . . . I know . " "Anyway," Lino took in a deep breath and looked upwards for a moment . "I¡¯ve still got ount to settle with those girls waiting up there . I should probably also visit Damian before leaving . Oh, right, you¡¯re awfully quiet about the whole Great Descent ordeal . Anything to add?" "You should join . It¡¯s a good choice . " "Not the only one?" "Certainly not . One of the downsides in joining is inability to pursue personal interests if they interfere with the Sect¡¯s grand ns . " "Yeah, we¡¯ll see about that . " Lino grinned mischievously for a moment . "You shouldn¡¯t y around with them too much, Lyonel," the Writ suddenly spoke in a rather serious tone, startling Lino . "Even I was never able to get any information about the true core of their Sect . " " . . . that¡¯s a new one . " "Just be careful, is all . " "Thanks . . . I will . Maybe . If I feel like it . Probably . I mean, you know, how bad could it possibly be?" END OF VOLUME VI - FALL OF THE EMPYRION Chapter 151 Chapter 151 BOOK II VOLUME VII - BEYOND WEST CHAPTER 151 ALISON (III) Southern wind blew gently across the grassy valley, swaying it ever so barely . Crickets sang within its depths as birds roamed the clear blue sky above . Valley stretched for miles on end, shaped somewhat like a strange boot if looked from above . At the spot where the heel ought to be, valley splintered sideways and gave way to a rtively smallke . Theke itself hounded water from the waterfall falling off a nearly hundred meters tall cliff upon which a strange, green-colored river flew . The very green of the river spilled over into theke, making it appear oddly exotic . Currently, by the edge of theke, a woman was performing odd forms, asionally striking with her hands and feet . She had golden hair tied up into a ponytail and was wearing simple clothes, a tank-top cut beneath her breasts and shorts barely down to her knees . She had well refined facial features and chiseled jaw which spilled into extremely muscled body which would put almost any man who knew her to shame . Her azure-colored eyes remained focused as she began kicking yet again, moving forward and backward in the process as though she was reenacting a rhythmic sort of a dance which was inspired by martial arts . She was quickly pulled out of her focus and slipped and fell as she heard some movement behind her . Lying down, she heaved her head back and angrily looked at the source only to see a familiar, smiling face hanging above her . "Eh? H-hannah? What are you doing here?" she asked the neer . Thetter had endearingly beautiful green eyes which seemed to shimmer under the cover of shade and a smile that could disarm nearly anyone . Strands of her seemingly unnatural crimson hair fell down with the rest being neatly tied back . She was wearing ornamental clothes, wide and baroque, aplete opposite of hers¡¯ . "Shane told me you were training," the woman said, smiling, as she sat down . "I wanted to see your progress . " " . . . weren¡¯t you supposed to be attending that ball or something?" "Really Ally? You think I¡¯d ever attend that crap?" " . . . point taken . " Alison said, sitting up as well and taking out a towel from seemingly nowhere, wiping off sweat . "So, what do you think?" "Crude . " Hannah said with a slight frown . "There¡¯s no flow to it . You¡¯re just kicking and hitting and forming sounds that ought to never leave woman¡¯s mouth . You¡¯ll never find a husband like this . " " . . . yeah, I see you¡¯re really here only to mess with me, aren¡¯t you?" "Oh, you¡¯re finally getting it . " Hannah said, grinning . "Couldn¡¯t you have chosen someone else to mess around with? I mean, I¡¯m not the only one here, you know?" "Yeah, but the rest have tendency of crying," Hannah suddenly sighed, as though she wasmenting over something grave . "It¡¯s not fun that way . " "Aren¡¯t you the reason they¡¯re crying?" "Just because I say a thing or two doesn¡¯t mean they should immediately burst out in tears . " "I distinctly remember you telling Anton that you would rather literally let a goat impregnate you than ever let him touch you when he asked you for a spar . " Alison said with a tinge of anger in her voice . "How¡¯s that a reason for him to literally start bawling like a newborn?" Hannah rolled her eyes quickly . "I was merely testing his willpower . " "Right . . . of course you were . " "Are you saying that I wasn¡¯t?" "Yup, pretty much . " "Ah, Ally . . . you used to be always on my side . . . " Hannah leaned sideways and rested her head on Alison¡¯s shoulder . "Who brainwashed you to hate me so?" "No, nobody, it was pretty much me realizing that my big sis wasn¡¯t as cool as I thought she was . She was mostly just mean . " Alison replied, smiling lightly . " . . . that hurt, you know?" Hannah mumbled, pouting as she nced at Alison from the corner of her eyes . " . . . pfft ha ha ha . . . yeah, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything or anyone who can actually hurt you . " Alison said in-between theughter . "I used to envy that about you . . . still do, actually . " "It¡¯s not even a matter of being hurt," Hannah said, sitting back up . Wind grazed her cheeks softly and lifted the few strands of her crimson hair backwards till it looked like she was bleeding from her temples . "It¡¯s -- or at least it should be -- a matter of who¡¯s trying to hurt you . " " . . . and none of us are enough, huh?" Alison mumbled, looking away for a moment . "Owe on, you¡¯re way too old to be still seeking my approval . " Hannah chuckled and gently ruffled Alison¡¯s hair . "You¡¯re the Chosen One now, Ally . It¡¯s time to step outside my shadow . " " . . . I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve earned it, though . . . " Alison said, ncing at Hannah with strange gaze . "It felt more like you let me . . . no, like you let everyone and stepped aside . " "Is that so wrong?" Hannah asked, smirking . "Big sis letting the young ones shine, eh? She sounds like a rather nice person, if you ask me . " " . . . you said yourself that I¡¯m already old enough," Alison said, keeping the serious tone in her voice . "Don¡¯t I deserve at least a little bit honesty?" " . . . " a faint smile still hung on Hannah¡¯s lips as she returned Alison¡¯s gaze . "I was never meant to participate in the Holy War, Alison," she spoke only after nearly a minute of silence . "I only happened to be the best they¡¯ve got . However, luckily, we were quickly blessed by generations far more talented than I¡¯ll ever be . And you, sweetcakes, took the throne by a goddamn mile!"psing from a somewhat serious topletely exaggerated tone was something Hannah did often, Alison realized as she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her into Hannah¡¯s chest . "I mean, it was like a frickin¡¯ bolt from the sky, you know? Put the rest of us to real shame . " " . . . ugh, can you stop being so touchy all the time?" Alison quickly wiggled herself out of Hannah¡¯s arms and stepped back further . "You should really find a husband and stop harassing everyone around . " "What if I want a wife instead?" Hannah winked at her . "Then find one!" Alison eximed, seemingly lost with the undertones . "Besides, what happened to that boy you used to visit?" Hannah¡¯s eyes suddenly shone in a rather strange light, but she recovered before Alison noticed the difference . "Oh, him?" Hannah said with a yful tone . "Haah, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯d grown too tired of me and ran away . I haven¡¯t been able to find him . . . for a long time now . . . " "Humph, serves you right! Didn¡¯t you learn the lesson?" "Yeah . . . I did . . . " "I--I didn¡¯t mean it like that--" "Ha ha, what are you getting so flustered over?" Hannahughed quickly as she patted Alison¡¯s head gently, getting up . "Where are you going?" "To harass someone else," Hannah replied as she began walking away . "Your form . . . it¡¯s good . It¡¯s too fast, though . isn¡¯t about speed or power or bedazzling of the eyes, Ally . It¡¯s about steadiness, indomitable will, unbending heart cleansed of worldly desires . That¡¯s where I faltered, you know?" she stopped for a moment and turned toward Alison, smiling faintly . "I could never whisk away hi--- what made me who I am . You¡¯re almost there, Ally . Keep at it . " Alison watched the fading figure for a moment before her expression mellowed . After all, since she knew of who she were and what the world was, Hannah was with her . She taught her everything she knew, and would always patiently answer Alison¡¯s inquiries regardless of how relentless thetter got with them . Alison had long since learned why Hannah stepped down from the spot of the Holy Maiden for the uing Holy War shortly after Alison began cultivating, but she always thought she didn¡¯t do it out of desire . Today, however, she learned she was wrong . There was no regret, at least to Alison¡¯s spotting abilities . Only strange peace . Meanwhile, in a tower looming over the entire valley and the surroundingndscapes, within a room locked away from the eyes of the world, a man and a woman were sitting on simple, wooden chairs, drinking red-colored tea and observing Alison in the distance . The two¡¯s expression turned somewhat reluctant as their eyes veered over to Hannah who was on her way out of the valley . " . . . is there really no hope?" the man asked . "I suppose there¡¯s always hope in everything . . . " the woman replied weakly with a sigh . "She chose her own life, Alfred . Leave her be . " " . . . it¡¯s just such a shame . " the man called Alfred said, shaking his head lightly . "But, as you¡¯ve said . . . leave her be . What about Alison? Is everything fine?" "Yeah," the woman nodded, smiling lightly . "The ritual went without a hup . She¡¯spletely forgotten him . " "It¡¯s really like seeing twopletely different people," the manmented after a few moments of silence . "Just how big part of her that boy actually was?" " . . . it¡¯s better this way . " the woman said . "She¡¯s really like any other youth, now . Oh, right, what of the rumors?" the man¡¯s brows furrowed almost immediately upon hearing the question, his hands reaching over toward the table as he put the cup down . "Wasn¡¯t able to confirm them or deny them . " " . . . that¡¯s new . " the womanmented . "It indeed is . " the man sighed, taking a deep breath afterwards . "However, it¡¯s not really that strange; if an Empyrean really appeared, do you think he¡¯d be found that easily? Especially this early on in his growth cycle?" "You have a point . . . " the woman mumbled . "Should we start nning ahead in case the rumors are true?" " . . . I don¡¯t know Anna . " the man sighed yet again . "I¡¯d go with rather safe than sorry . . . but, will it even make a difference?" " . . . we can at least remove some seals from the teleportation arrays connected to the other Holy Grounds," Anna said . "Would make it easier to contact them in case he shows up someday . " " . . . I¡¯ll talk with the Elders . Let¡¯s just hope we¡¯re not the target of a grudge this time around as well . . . " " . . . a gamble always taken, huh? . . . " Anna faintly mumbled as her eyes veered toward the sky . She secretly mused that it wouldn¡¯t be all that bad if the Empyrean really came into existence . His appearance would pretty much freeze all the current Holy Wars and unite the Seven Holy Lands for at least a few centuries . Then again, it only ever works out for the Holy Grounds that remained unaffected directly by the conflict . Seventy-six, is it? Let¡¯s hope we aren¡¯t seventy-seventh, then . . . Chapter 152 Chapter 152: 152 CHAPTER 152 ODDBALLS Lino spread his arms wide, angled slightly toward the sky from which sun shone its blistering rays over the hilly dunes of the desert . It has been a long time since he felt the warmth of the sun, the fresh air of the outside world, andck of darkness everywhere he¡¯d look . It was a refreshing feeling to say the least, as he¡¯d nearly forgotten the pure joy of something as simple as constant light . Standing not far behind him, Felix and Lucky were staring at him strangely, as hepletelycked disposition of someone who¡¯d just recently beaten back the strongest cultivators of the strongest Empire on the continent . "Uh . . . do you . . . do you mind if I ask you a question?" Felix spoke up meekly; the newly joined member was somewhat odd, he mused . The two had known each other for almost a week, yet had barely spoken a word between one another . "I do . " Lucky replied . " . . . I¡¯ll ask anyway . " Felix said . "Then why ask if I mind?" Lucky asked, ncing at him . "Courtesy? Common decency?" " . . . yeah, keep telling yourself that . " "Anyway . . . was Master . . . always like this?" Felix asked, gently nudging his eyes toward Lino who still remained embodying the same pose . "Why do you call him ¡¯Master¡¯ anyway?" Lucky asked . "Because he¡¯s my Master . " "Just because nobody else wanted to take you in as a Disciple doesn¡¯t mean you should settle for literal horseshit . " "Are you insinuating my Master is horseshit?" "I¡¯m not insinuating anything . " "Good . " "I¡¯m telling you he is . " Lucky said with a slight grin . "She¡¯s right, you know?" without either of the two noticing, Lino suddenly appeared right in front of them, startling both for a second . "My dad identally fucked a horse when he was drunk, and here I am . " "You do realize that makes no sense, right?" Lucky added . "It does if you ignore everything you¡¯ve learned about the world . " Lino said, grinning . "Anyway, what are you two doing, standing around here? We should be on the move . " " . . . you feel like punching him?" Lucky asked Felix who merely nodded and sighed . "Every day?" "Sometimes more than once . " "I think I like you . " Lucky said as she suddenly wrapped her arm around Felix¡¯s shoulder and dragged him forward . "You know what they say? Enemy of my enemy is my friend . You¡¯re my friend from now on Flex . " "It¡¯s Felix . " "Yeah, I don¡¯t care . " Lino stared at the two¡¯s back for a moment with an amusing grin before following . He¡¯d already located where Freya and the other girls were at, and couldn¡¯t help butugh for a moment as his Divine Sense scouted them . "Anyway, where are we going now? You didn¡¯t tell me anything . " Lucky suddenly turned around and asked Lino . "We¡¯re going to pick some girls up . " Lino replied casually . " . . . " Lucky stopped walking as Felix sighed and wondered why his Master always seemed to intentionally misuse words or phrases just to stir trouble . "Really? We¡¯re not going to, I don¡¯t know, find me a cultivation method, or try to get some money to survive or - or even just go out for a fucking drink, but go and watch you try to find someone desperate enough to fuck you?" "He . . . he means literally pick them up," Felix quickly butted in before Lino had a chance to stir the trouble further . "We had prior arrangement with them, but they stayed outside when we went into the ruins . " " . . . khm, what he said . " Lino added, barely holding himself back fromughter . "Ha ha . Funny . Asshole . " "Ah, they¡¯reing toward us," Lino said, ncing into distance . "They¡¯re all quite hot . Don¡¯t get too self-conscious about it . " "Who are they?" choosing topletely ignore Lino, Lucky asked Felix instead . "Members of the Kvalend Tribe," Felix replied, smiling bitterly . "Well, ex-members technically . " "Eh? How¡¯d you guyse across them?" Lucky asked, seeming somewhat surprised . "It¡¯s a long story," Felix replied . "In a nutshell, they hired us to escort them back to their Tribe so they can gain ess to the Ancestral Grounds to bury someone . " " . . . he isn¡¯t that noble . " Lucky immediately spoke out, ncing at Lino . "What¡¯s the catch?" "Master will most-likely enter the Ancestral Grounds as well . " " . . . opportunistic bastard . " Lucky mumbled . "You¡¯re just as odd as him, though . " Felix subconsciously spoke out, immediately regretting it when he saw Lucky¡¯s re . "You have a death wish?" "He¡¯s not wrong . " Lino seemingly once again teleported next to the two when they weren¡¯t paying attention . "F-fuck! You have to stop doing that!" Lucky eximed . "And what do you mean he¡¯s not wrong?!" "You are just as odd as me," Lino borated, stroking his chin . "In a slightly different way, ye, but just as much of an oddball . Haven¡¯t you noticed the pattern?" "The pattern?" Lucky arched her brows . "Everyone who sticks to me tends to be either an oddball or apletely insane maniac . " "That¡¯s true . . . " Lucky nodded . " . . . " Felix on the other hand spoke nothing, but merely nodded his head . He¡¯d realized he had long since abandoned sanity andmon sense, which one should not try to hold onto if they wanted to spend a considerable amount of time around Lino . "Oh, girls, you¡¯re here!" Lino eximed as he smiled widely and waved his arm broadly, causing both Lucky and Felix to immediately roll their eyes at him . "Damn, I can¡¯t tell you how much I missed you . " bolting in-between the two he immediately appeared next to Freya, his arm already around her shoulders, pulling her away from the other three who kept ring at him with fiery eyes . "Mr-Mr . Lino . . . I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe . . . " Freya meekly mumbled, lowering her head in hopes of hiding her blushing face . "Ha ha, you shouldn¡¯t have worried about me," the two - or better said - Lino had already moved onward, dragging Freya alongside him and leaving the remaining five behind . "I¡¯m indestructible, you know? Ha ha, how are you, huh? Was there any trouble? If there was, be sure to let me know, okay? I¡¯ll beat them senseless! So . . . " "I¡¯ll fucking skin him alive!!" Jane grunted through her teeth, barely holding back . "Let¡¯s go . . . " Felix sighed, following Lino and Freya with slouched shoulders . "Wait . Who¡¯s she?" Jane stopped him and asked, pointing at Lucky . "She¡¯s---" "I¡¯m Lino¡¯s fourteenth wife," Lucky eximed in joy, startling Felix . She quickly walked over and grabbed Jane¡¯s hand, shaking it fiercely . "I¡¯m so d to meet you! Are you my husband¡¯s fifteenth wife? Or is it that girl he¡¯s walking with? Ah, I remember him telling me he¡¯d be getting fifteenth one soon . It was a long timeing, you know? I¡¯d already borne him nine kids! There¡¯s only so much a girl¡¯s womb can bear, you know? I¡¯m so happy for them!" Lucky relentlessly continued, ncing at Lino and Freya . "Don¡¯t they look perfect for each other or what?" " . . . " Felix stared stunned as he suddenly felt shiver run up his spine . He realized Lucky wasn¡¯t among the ¡¯oddballs¡¯ group . . . she was a part of the ¡¯insane maniacs¡¯ group . "B-BASTARD!!! WAIT RIGHT THERE!!!!" Jane red out with all her might and ran out of Lucky¡¯s tight hold, bolting toward Lino and Freya . Lucky grinned in self-satisfaction as she put her hands behind her back, anticipating a good show . "Let¡¯s see you tongue your way out of this one, bastard . " " . . . you¡¯re not his wife, are you?" one of the two remaining girls asked . "Fuck, don¡¯t even mention that ever again!" Freya red out, suddenly shuddering . "I honestly don¡¯t know how I didn¡¯t vomit my bowels out saying that . Grrr . . . " "Do you have some grudge against Master?" Felix asked . " . . . grudge?" Lucky nced at him for a moment . "No, not really . " " . . . why then?" "Eh? I mean . . . it¡¯s just . . . sort of the rtionship we have, I guess?" Lucky replied after a moment¡¯s thought . "I mean, tell me . . . wouldn¡¯t you be pissed if he kept making puns out of your name . . . every day . . . since the day that he met you?" "Yeah, that would be unlucky . " Felix replied subconsciously, only realizing his slip when he saw that fierce re . "Uh, I-I didn¡¯t . . . didn¡¯t mean it that way . . . I swear . . . " " . . . pfft, ha ha, rx, rx," Luckyughed almost immediately upon seeing his reaction, walking over and pulling her arm around his shoulder, dragging him forward yet again . "I¡¯m not that aggressive, you know? You can joke around with me . " " . . . ha . . . ha ha . . . of course . . . " "But," she leaned closer to his ear and whispered . "If you ever do make a pun out of my name, I¡¯ll make a soup out of your balls . " " . . . . " Felix gulped loudly as he shivered yet again . Lucky, on the other hand, swallowed augh, barely holding back while realizing she would be having quite a bit of fun for the foreseeable future . Chapter 153 Chapter 153: 153 CHAPTER 153 KVALEND TRIBE Seven people stood atop a rather tall sandy dune which allowed them to overlook a ratherrge swath of empty desert toward north, south and east . Westward, however, was apletely different sight to behold . Though they were ssified as a tribe, Kvalend¡¯s ¡¯tribal grounds¡¯ were anything but . The city was fashioned through terracing which allowed them to install a rather impressive irrigation system, making it possible to grow wheat, corn and even some fruits and vegetables despite the rather dry climate . There were in total nineyers, the widest being one at the bottom, slowly closing inwardly the further up one looked . From the distance it looked like a bizarre sort of a tower with horizontal breaks made of mud and sand and ¡¯floors¡¯ stacked with wooden and stone-built carcasses liken to strange dwellings . Even from nearly two miles away, Lino was able to spot a considerable amount of people walking in-between the terraces through the set of stairwells whichy adjacent to the artificial river fashioned as such through the irrigation system . He couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly impressed as it was no easy feat to create such a bustling city in such inhospitable conditions . He nced at Freya for a moment from the corner of his eyes . She sported a ratherplex expression, a mix of longing, joy, anger and insecurity . Jane and two other girls weren¡¯t much different; Lino could only imagine how it felt like to see your own ancestry, which you were denied since the day of birth, for the first time . He patted Freya gently on thetter¡¯s shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile . She seemed to finally stabilize her emotions, smiling back and nodding lightly . "Our deal still stands," Lino said, giving her a gentle push . "Your life will never be endangered . Go convince them if you truly believe in it . " " . . . I do . " Freya spoke through her teeth, taking a deep breath . "You don¡¯t need to convince me," Lino chuckled, following immediately after her . "I¡¯m already on your side . " " . . . thank you, Mr . Lino . " Freya paused for a moment, turning toward him and bowing slightly . "For going out of your way to help me . " " . . . you said it yourself," Lino said, ruffling her hair gently . "We are bound by Fate, no?" " . . . you - you believe in Fate?" Jane scoffed from the side as she shoved Lino¡¯s hand off Freya¡¯s head as thetter seemed too flustered to do it . "What gave you the impression I don¡¯t?" Lino asked as the group resumed walking forward toward the tribe . "Uh . . . everything about you?" "Now that¡¯s just mean . " "I was going for truthful . " "No reason it can¡¯t be both . " Lucky added from the side . "Implying that I believe in Fate," Lino said, smiling faintly . "Means that Fate is like those fake gods peasants pray to . Fate doesn¡¯t necessitate belief . . . as far as I¡¯m aware, anyway . " " . . . you¡¯ve adjoined with its threads?!" Jane eximed in shock, nearly stumbling over nothing . " . . . it¡¯s more that I danced with its threads," he said . "And got burned . " Lucky nced at him for a moment and quickly lowered her head, turning silent . Felix also didn¡¯t add anything, merely continuing to walk in silence . Though Jane - and even Freya - wanted to ask for more, upon realizing the behavior of those two they chose against it . "What¡¯s the n anyway?" Lino chopped the awkward silence before it had a chance to develop, asking Freya . "I should first meet with the Head Shaman," Freya replied . "So she can confirm my Bloodline . After, if all goes well, she will most-likely call for a congregation of Elders to discuss what to do with me . Then--eh, Mr-Mr . Lino, w-what are you doing?!" Freya eximed, startled, as she felt quite a staunch grip at her arm which suddenly pulled her back . Lino ignored her cries as he squinted his eyes and looked toward the sky, slowly stepping forth in front of the others who all quickly came to a halt . "Lie down . . . " he faintly mumbled as he extended his arm, quickly summoning a spear into it . Felix and Lucky obeyed immediately, ttening their heads with the sand, while Freya and other girls took a moment but also followed suit . Not a few second passed before they suddenly heard a whizzing sound of the wind as it seemed to bear down upon them from above . While the rest remained lying, Lino on the other hand squatted for a moment and shoved a mass of Qi into the soles of his feet before propelling himself into the sky, leaving others to curse him under their breaths as their mouths and nostrils suddenly got filled up by sand . Lino arced through the sky well beyond a capacity of a body of an average cultivator, heaving the spear back as he held it with both his arms, slowly gathering momentum . Opening his eyes wide for a moment, he grunted lowly and swung the spear sideways while also injecting it with Qi . The spear suddenly collided with something upon which a massive explosion ensued, sending Lino flying back toward the earth and shattering his spear . He nced at the battered shaft and whined lowly for a moment before sighing and controlling his body tond squarely on his feet . He then threw away the shaft while cursing under his breath and turned westward, toward the tribe . Not even twenty meters away from him, four women stood in line . They all appeared rather young, at most in their thirties, yet the mix of bloody crimson hair and a dash of silver proved otherwise . They all scrutinized him with strange frowns, seeming indecisive over what to do . "Who are you?" a male voice arose suddenly, surprising Lino somewhat as he arched his brows . The women seemed just as surprised as they parted sideways, opening up a path in-between them . A youth not older than twenty walked through, bearing semnce to any other member of the tribe; crimson hair and eyes and rather handsome features . He was quite tall but also lean and slender, seeming tock muscle . " . . . me?" Lino quickly recovered, smiling and putting his hands back into his pockets . "Merely a bodyguard . Nobody important . " "Bodyguard?" the man smiled faintly as well, arching his brows . "I wonder just which legend are you escorting then?" " . . . " Lino realized that nobody was stepping forward and were actually hiding behind the just created sandy hill . His eyebrows twitched as he kicked his leg back, crushing the hill as though it was made of paper and revealing six other figures squatting there . "As you can see, they¡¯re quite shy," Lino said, turning toward Freya and ring at her for a moment . "But, can you me them? They¡¯re reuniting with their family, after all . " Four women and the man¡¯s eyes quickly found Freya and the girls . Shock was more than apparent on their faces as they scrutinized the girls deeply, over and over . Yet, no matter how many times they did it, the results were always the same: those four were indeed the members of the Kvalend Tribe . " . . . who are you?" the man stepped forward yet again and asked Freya and others, seeming to have epted Lino¡¯s exnation . Freya choked and froze momentarily as her eyes quickly veered off the man and back onto Lino who gave her yet another encouraging smile . She took a deep breath and braved forth, getting up and bowing slightly toward the man . "My name is Dame Freya O¡¯ltvald," Freya spoke out . "Granddaughter of the previous Matriarch of the Tribe, Queen Annabelle O¡¯ltvald . " " . . . " " . . . " silence immediately emerged upon the small part of the desert . While Lino, Lucky and Felix seemed rather rxed as they didn¡¯t really understand the impact behind that statement, everyone else seemed to have just frozen in time . The man and the four women stared at Freya with mouths agape, their eyes like eggshells, fingers twitching . Though Freya managed to keep her eyes locked with the man¡¯s, Jane and the other two were unable, quickly lowering their heads . " . . . alright, seriously, how long will you keep up this rather awful theatrical y?" Lino jumbled them out of the stasis . "We--we . . . we need to . . . a-are you . . . are you really . . . Queen Anna¡¯s Granddaughter?!" the man¡¯s reaction startled Freya, as she was expecting hostility . However, the man wasn¡¯t hostile or even angry; he even seemed ecstatic, jubnt, even relieved . "Y-yes?" Freya replied meekly, feeling somewhat awkward under that gaze . "Praised be K¡¯va!!" the man and the four women eximed, startling even Lino who was even more confused about the whole ordeal . "F-forgive me my Lady, but . . . w-would it be possible if you allowed us to asses your bloodline?" the man asked . "Uh . . . yes, of course . " Freya replied, seeming somewhat numbed . "Uh, but, if you¡¯d allow it . . . I¡¯d like him to escort me . " she added quickly, pointing at Lino . "Of course, of course . " the manpletely ignored Lino and raced toward Freya, pulling her hand as though he couldn¡¯t wait another second . "Great Elders, go inform Lana to prepare the ritual . " "Y-yes . . !" the four women eximed as they suddenly vanished from their spots . " . . . uh . . . they don¡¯t seem like they need your protection?" Lucky walked up to Lino andmented . As there was no reply even after nearly a minute, she nced at his expression and saw something rather odd . "W-what? What¡¯s wrong with you?!" " . . . tsk," Lino clicked his tongue, looking toward the sky for a moment . "I though I¡¯d seal the deal by acting all badass and stuff when they attacked her . Fucking hell . What is this shit?! Why aren¡¯t they attacking her?! Tell me Lucky!!" he grabbed at Lucky¡¯s shoulders who was currently wondering whether it would have been better to just die rather than to follow him . "Why am I so unlucky when I have you with me?!! You¡¯re a jinx! Your name is a jinx!!" "Fuck, your whole family¡¯s a jinx, you bastard!!" Lucky eximed angrily . " . . . ah, you¡¯re right," Lino quickly switched his mood as he let go of her and turned around on his heel rather mboyantly . "My life is truly a jinx . I havepanions named Lucky and Felix . . . yet I¡¯ve neither luck nor a phoenix . Dear Fate . . . ah, how thine arms are cruel . . . " " . . . " " . . . " Lino quickly found himself flying through the sky and over the stacked walls of the tribe, quickly catching up to Freya and the man who began climbing up the stairs of the terraced city . Maybe they really aren¡¯t faking distaste when I make puns out of their names? Strange . . . I thought they¡¯d have some sense of humor . . . oh well . . . Chapter 154 Chapter 154 CHAPTER 154 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT Lino came to an abrupt halt, causing Felix to crash into his back . Thetter grunted for a moment as he backed off, almost ready to scream . He paused, however, when his eyesnded on Lino¡¯s expression . It was an expression of . . . pure joy, Felix realized . Completely real,pletely grounded, heartfelt joy that Felix had never seen Lino express since the day the two met . Lucky also cast a curious nce at the suddenly frozen Lino, but she quickly understood as the rhythmic sounds of shing metal reached her . Her lips curled up into a faint smile as she saw that shine in his eyes . If there¡¯s one thing that can rekindle that dead soul, she mused, it would be hammering a bunch of metal and stones in a dark, smelly room . " . . . e-eh? M-master, where are you going?" Felix realized that Lino suddenly began walking left whereas Freya and the man headed straight . "Eh? Right over there . " Lino pointed randomly toward the direction he was facing . "What about Freya?!" Felix asked, pulling Lino¡¯s sleeve back . "What about her?" "Didn¡¯t you promise to protect her?" "She¡¯s gonna be fine . " "You don¡¯t know that!" "Sigh . . . what a worrywart," Lino rolled his eyes at Felix before turning toward Freya and the man who¡¯ve yet to leave his shouting distance . "Hey, the odd anomaly of the tribe!!" Felix could swear he¡¯d seen the man nearly stumble over his own toes as he came to a halt and slowly turned around, his eyebrows twitching . "If anything happens to her, I¡¯ll wipe out your entire tribe . Good? Good . We¡¯re cool! See ya¡¯ around!" without sparing them another nce, Lino resumed his journey, leaving Felix to stand there, frozen in ce, as heartless wind began carrying a strange, almost mockery tune . "Don¡¯t worry about it," Lucky pped him back into reality as she also turned to follow Lino . "If he¡¯s confident enough to leave her alone, nothing will happen to her . " " . . . h-how are you so certain?!" Felix mumbled as he stumbled to follow Lucky and Lino . " . . . I just do . " she said in a rather mellow tone apanied by a tinge of mncholy and even sadness . Felix knew better than to pry any further so he simply followed along . The streets were paved with strange, greenish-gray stones, wide enough for two horse carriages to pass one another easily . On both ends buildings rose like cards, spilling into each other in an endlessly circtory motion . Though Lino and Luckypletely ignored the string of strange gazes from the people, Felix wasn¡¯t as thick-skinned . Anywhere else, the people staring at them would be the ones sticking out like sore thumbs in the crowd, yet here, it was Felix that stuck out like one . That revtion somehow rubbed him the wrong way . Lino skillfully weaved through the crowds for nearly fifteen minutes beforeing to a halt in front of a somewhat simple-looking building . It was made out of simrly greenish-gray stone as the street and was two stories tall, decked in simplistic designs which made it hardly worth a notice amidst the sea of of the simr-looking buildings . The only thing which made it stick out from the masses was a sign hanging slightly over the street, rectangr in shape and made out of some dark wood . The sign bore no letters, but had a simple engraving of a thin hammer across its surface . "Eh? A . . . smithy?" Felix mumbled as he nced at the building . "Right . . . Master did say he knows a thing or two about cksmithing . " Lino paused merely for a moment before going through the front door, with Felix and Lucky following shortly after . Insides weren¡¯t all that different from what Felix expected to see; the waiting room was quitepact, with only a small, wooden bench in the corner, a counter, and a few items hanging on the shelves . The exception to the dryness was a woman standing behind the counter . She appeared to be in her mid-teens, and much like all other members of the tribe, she sported a pair of crimson eyes and the crimson hair, with hers having been cut somewhat short . When the trio entered, she was slouched over the counter, seemingly taking a nap . It was only when Lino walked up to the counter and gently knocked against the wood that the girl was startled open, a faint trace of drool at the corner of her lips . "A-ah, customer, I¡¯m so sorry, please forgive me, I¡¯ll---eh, who the fuck are you people?" "Wow, what a shift in personality!" Lino eximed seeing the girl twist from being apologetic and flustered to outright frigid . "Respect!" " . . . you¡¯re outsiders . Shoo . We don¡¯t serve outsiders . " the girl dismissed them quickly and slouched over the counter, seemingly ready to take another nap . "What do you mean I¡¯m an outsider?" Lino appeared genuinely hurt as he dragged the girl up and over the counter, holding her by her cor and pressing his forehead against hers . "I¡¯ll have you know that if I wasn¡¯t a proper gentlemen, I¡¯d have already made you a couple of little brothers and sisters, little kid!" Lucky and Felix, unwilling to be the part of whatever was transpiring, went to the corner and sat onto the bench, appearing exhausted . "Pu! A beggar-looking shit like you? In your dreams!!" the girl replied just as viciously, but despite her struggle seemed incapable of tearing herself away from him . "Haii, you really have no respect for your elders! Maybe I should spank some sense into you?" "I dare you!!" "What¡¯s the ruckus? Are you giving a customer trouble again, Sena?" a gruff voice beckoned from behind the counter as a ratherrge, topless figure appeared . "Eh? What are you doing with Sena? Are you looking for trouble you ba--ba---" "It¡¯s bastard!! Call him a bastard!!" the girl called Sena eximed angrily as the voice behind her turned quite . "A cksmith?" the gruff voice once again echoed whereupon Lino casually let Sena go as she rolled back and fell over the counter, groaning in pain . "Aye . " Lino nodded as the strange flicker emerged in his eyes, as did the figure from the shadows . It was a man nearly a whole head taller than Lino, with shoulders broader than mother nature should ever allow and, much like Eggor, with muscles stacked atop the muscles . The man extended his arm over the counter as though challenging Lino to a round of arm-wrestling which thetter epted . The two grabbed at each other firmly as veins bulged over their arms, and the poor, wooden counter beneath their elbows cracked and creaked . "Firm hands," the man spoke out as his lips stretched into a massive grin . "Scarred, blistered, yet unbending . Texture of metal spanning the skin, muscles as though defined by gods, stance of a true, master smith . Kid . I want you to marry my daughter . " "I only wanted to borrow your smithy for a while," Lino replied . "But I don¡¯t mind checking out what you¡¯re offering, old man . " "She¡¯s quite delicate," the man said . "Completely unlike the stone you¡¯re used to . It¡¯s more like when working with ss . " "Ay, ss is delicate, but it is also beautiful . " "It is indeed beautiful . Especially [Hywogard ss] . " "Maybe, but it pales inparison with [Tyvoin ss] . " "Ha ha ha, youngd, you sure know your sses . " "Almost as well as I know the wine in them . " "Come, let¡¯s drink . " "Let¡¯s drink, old man . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " It wasn¡¯t just Sena who stared at the scene with utter befuddlement, it was also Felix and Lucky who would have most-likely copsed onto the floor had they not been sitting already . The two of them hugged over their shoulders and left the smithy inughter, crossing the street and entering the pub as though they¡¯ve been the best friends for hundreds of years . While the smithy suddenly turned silent and awkward, the atmosphere between the two of them was anything but . "Ha ha, what a surprise!" the two sat in the corner, barely discernible from dozens of other patrons currently drinking in broad daylight . "For an outsider to be as outstanding cksmith as you are . . . ha ha, looks like my goddamned old man was wrong!" he raised the massive cup and shed it against Lino¡¯s whereupon both downed it all in one go . "I¡¯m surprised as well, old man," Lino said . "To think I¡¯de across a treasure here . I thought I¡¯d only see a whole toon of women unwilling to sleep with me . " "Ha ha ha, don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s plenty of that as well . What¡¯s your name youngd?" "Lino . Yours old man?" "Chwek!" "The fuck¡¯s with that name?" "Are you really the one to say anything about it?!" "Fair point," Lino nodded . "Anyway, Chwek--can I just call you Feck--alright, alright, stop with the death stare . Anyway, Chwek, how long have you been a cksmith?" "Ay, it¡¯s been twenty-nine tides, youngd!" " . . . " "Two ¡¯undred and eighty years . " "Ho ho, you¡¯re really dedicated to it! I respect that!" Lino said as the waitress came about and filled their cups yet again . "Of course! Once you fall in love with the hammer, it¡¯s like you marry a dead woman! Even if you divorce her, would anything be any different?!" "I have so many questions . . . " "Pah, screw questions! Drink! Drink!" "Ay! Ay!" the two quickly became quite a sensation as they had drank over fifteen cups of a fairly strong, local ale, and were neither passed out nor outright dead . Though they have be quite drunk . "S-so, why did youe to, to my smithy?" Chwek asked, trying - unsessfully - to lift his head off the table . "W-wanted to craft somethin¡¯ . . . " "Ay . . . I can do that . . . " "I know . . . you¡¯re a cksmith . . . " "Ha ha, yeah, I am, ha ha ha . . . " "Ha ha ha . . . will you lend me your smithy?" "Eh? Why?" "Uh . . . wait . . . I¡¯m sure I had a reason . . . " Lino mumbled . "To craft something?" "Ay, that¡¯s it!! Ha ha, old man, you¡¯re really smart!!" "Ha ha ha, yup, after all I¡¯ve almost finished three grades of school!" "Wow, impressive!" "Ha ha, I know!" Chapter 155 Chapter 155 CHAPTER 155 NORTHERN FROST "Oh, Felix? You¡¯re finally here . " a familiar voice jolted Felix out of his thoughts . Just a moment ago he had walked into a rather strange and odd scene . In the back end room of the smithy, lit up by orange sapphire stones, two men stood side by side next to an anvil . Both were topless, and despite the fact that their statures were different in terms of volume, both sported muscles that appeared as though they were chiseled by hands . "Ah, y-yes . Why did you call for me, Master?" Felix asked, looking away yet also looking back at them, unsure as to what exactly to look at . "Well, you¡¯ve been my disciple for a while," Lino said, smiling lightly as he nced at him . "But I¡¯ve never gifted you anything . So I figured I¡¯d craft you a weapon today . " "E-eh? Really?!" "Yeah . " Lino nodded . "I was thinking gauntlets . " " . . . what?" "You know? Gauntlets? Like gloves, except bigger and made out of metal . " "Do I look like someone who punches things to death?" Felix asked, seeming somewhat dispirited all of a sudden . "Ah? Ha ha ha, you misunderstood me," Linoughed lightly . "They¡¯re not going to be dueling gauntlets . Anyway, just trust me on this one, ¡¯kay?" " . . . fine . " "Where¡¯s your ink and paper?" Lino asked Chwek . " . . . don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re just designing it?" Chwek asked, looking somewhat stumped . "Nah, not really," Lino shook his head . "I¡¯ve had the design mapped out for a while, I just want to jot it down to see whether there are any screw-ups . I could also use an unbiased party¡¯s opinion . " " . . . here . " Chwek took out a few pieces of paper and handed it over alongside a granite pencil, surprising Lino . Thetter nodded softly before sitting down near a window, focusing entirely onto the paper in front of him . It has been so long since he¡¯d designed anything that he was unable to entirely calm his hand, causing him to draw quite a few . . . interesting lines . With every stroke his happiness seemed to spike, and by the end he found himself subconsciously tapping his feet against the floor . Proudly lifting the paper, he examined the design closely; though he called them gauntlets, it really was simply for the ease of reference . The weapon he had in mind for Felix was more of a mix between a gauntlet and a glove; after all, as mostly external-user, Felix relied heavily on channeling Qi and shaping it while also switching its property to ice . Because of it, his close-quarter defenses were rather shabby, which is why Lino hadn¡¯t simply designed a pair of gloves . "What do you think?" after ascertaining there was nothing too amiss with the design, he handed the paper over to Chwek and waited thetter¡¯s assessment . " . . . huh . " Chwek drew in a cold breath as he closely examined the designs; while the so-called ¡¯caster gauntlets¡¯ weren¡¯t exactly extremely rare, Lino¡¯s design was especially ambitious . "Are you sure [Mithren Glue] can hold the inneryers together?" "Eh, it probably could . But as I don¡¯t want to risk it, I¡¯ll inject the array through them as well . " "Wouldn¡¯t that make it a bit too rigid?" Chwek asked, frowning . "That¡¯s the point," Lino exined . "The main purpose is to establish circtory tubes that will work as filters . As Felix¡¯s Qi is frost-based, flexibility would really only increase the chances of the weapon rusting quicker . In addition, it will help bolster the barrier as it¡¯s a fixed material . " "If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be better to use [ck Steel Ingot] rather than [Sapphire Steel]?" "I thought about it," Lino nodded . "But ck steel isn¡¯t the greatest conduit . While [Sapphire Steel] is a bit less resilient, it¡¯s far more conductive and flexible in terms of modifications and arrays . " "Ah! That¡¯s true . . . " Chwek nodded, stroking his beard . "The outer rings are quite a neat idea . You think you can pull it off?" "Eeh . . . honestly I¡¯m still not that confident . I was kind of hoping you could help me with them . " " . . . let me think for a second . Ah! I¡¯ve some [stic Matter] stored . Ah, but its level is fairly low . . . " "Oh, that¡¯s great!" Lino eximed . "I can mix it with a drop of [Basilisk Blood] . " "Yup, that should do it! Ha ha ha, you¡¯re pretty good at designing things! I¡¯ve always had trouble withing up with original designs . . . " "Right, and those Chakrams are definitely just anotherpletely unoriginal design, eh?" "Hmm . . . I baited you right into it!" "It really is true . . . " Lino sighed, seeminglymenting over something . "Therger the man is, the smaller his brain . . :" "Suck a dick . " "Anyway, my best me¡¯s Level 85 . " "Mine¡¯s only 70 . " "Alright we¡¯ll use mine then," Lino nodded . "Can you prepare materials while I start the me and prepare the arrays?" "Want me to invite Sena? She¡¯s the best in the city when ites to modules, especially motion-rted ones . " "Oh? That kid? Sure . I¡¯m still not too confident in crafting rotatory rings . " "Mind if I invite some of my colleagues? We¡¯ve never seen how outsiders craft before . It could help them break past the barriers . " "I don¡¯t mind so long as they shut up . " "You shut up, you bastard!" Chwek spat out as he slowly left, leaving Lino alone . Thetter immediately went over to the forge and started throwing in pieces of reinforced coal before stoking mes . Felix still stood in the corner, yet could only do exactly that . To the two, he seemed to have vanished from the existence, as they only seemed to have crafts on their mind . It was the first time he¡¯d seen his Master like that; while Lino always appeared to be carefree and aloof, Felix realized that he was actually always on guard and especially alert . That¡¯s why it was almost impossible to actually surprise-attack him no matter the circumstances . Yet, here and now, he waspletely open . Felix was certain that if he attacked, his Master wouldn¡¯t actually be able to defend in time . "Your first time seeing him craft something?" Lucky¡¯s voice brought him back to reality . When¡¯d she get here?! "Yeah . . . " he replied, nodding lightly . "If he always looked like he does while crafting," Lucky said, sighing . "His dream of having a toon of mature women chasing after him all day every day might evene true . What a waste . . . " " . . . " "See these?" a pair of exquisite daggers suddenly shed before Felix¡¯s eyes, leaving him utterly stunned - especially so when he saw their stats . "He crafted them for me ten years ago . Till this day, I¡¯ve yet to see a better weapon . It¡¯s on par with Evelyn¡¯s treasured sword . " " . . . he¡¯s . . . he¡¯s really that good?!" Felix eximed softly . "You might not believe this," she said, smiling lightly . "But crafting is what he really wants to do . Any time he¡¯d start talking about it . . . his eyes would light up likenterns . He¡¯d be like a kid who¡¯d start talking about his favorite toy . Ah, they¡¯re back . Let¡¯s retreat a bit and just watch . " Chwek returned rather quickly with Sena - and around ten other people, eight of whom were men and two women, all simrly built to him - and a ring full of materials . He quickly shoved the ten smiths into the corner and dragged Sena over to where Lino was . She still seemed rather grumpy over what happened yesterday and refused to even look at Lino . Thetter, though, seemed to not have noticed it . "You got everything?" he asked Chwek . "Yeah . What do you want to do first?" Chwek asked back . "I¡¯ll do the main frame," Lino replied, stroking his chin . "You should focus on supporting beams for the time being . We can leave the connectors to be thest . " "Should Sena start right away with the modules?" "Yeah, that¡¯s fine . " Lino nodded, turning towards her . "Can you craft 8 in one go? Possibly with as little differences as possible . Ah, here¡¯s the design . " he handed the paper over to Sena who, despite her grumpiness, couldn¡¯t help herself and took it, quickly inspecting it . "Hoho, the eyes of the craftsman . You raised her well!" he gave Chwek thumbs up who nodded quickly, seeming rather proud of the fact . "T-this is amazing!!" Sena eximed . "I¡¯ve never thought you could do circtory motion this way!! Inserting arrays through the connectors that control gear spin through Qi while also being able to expand and contract depending on which outer ring is active . . . hah! This is a gold mine!!" "Can you do it?" Chwek asked as well . "Yes, yes! Principle is simr to what I usually do," Sena nodded quickly . "It¡¯s just applied a bit differently . It¡¯s just . . . the arrays . . . " "Ah, leave those to me . " Lino said, smiling lightly . "Just make sure that sizes go around 1,5 asrge as the previous two . " "Alright! Leave this to me!" "Shall we, then?" Lino asked . "Let¡¯s do it!" Chwek replied, both grinning like little kids . [Sapphire Steel] was rather easy to melt which is why Lino didn¡¯t keep it over the mes for too long . He¡¯d prepared three averagely-sized ingots altogether which should result in a slight excess, but he figured it¡¯s better thancking in the end . He immediately began fashioning the main frame of the ¡¯caster gauntlet¡¯ . The weapon was closed in, opening only around the palm area, and its main frame was really only oneyer of conduits as well as being the backbone of the whole structure . The entire principle of the weapon revolved around the circtory rings that expand from the main frame outwardly when infused with Qi . There were four main stages, each responsible for different sorts of casts; quick, long, small andrge, as well as the possible mixtures of them . The main frame is also where the gears responsible for the rotatory movement of the gauntlet would be stored, guided through the intricate series of arrays . The entire structure is threeyered in essence; the main body, which is directly connected to the arm . The supportingyer which connects the main body and the external rings, which are the thirdyer . The three work in concert to properly filter Qi and guide it, condensing itpletely through repeated bashing of gravitational force produced by the circtory motions of the rings before expelling the purified and condensed version through the open palm . Because of the materials Lino chose to use, the pair of gauntlets would be rather light, unlike the traditional, full-sized martial-arts-oriented gauntlets . Lino quickly finished shaping up the main frame and immediately began inscribing the basic arrays while waiting for Chwek to give him the first batch of support beams, connectors and conduit-tubes . He¡¯d barely finished inscribing the firstyer of arrays before they arrived, forcing him to speed the inscription somewhat . Unlike before, however, Lino¡¯s Qi reserves were massive now . He was fairly confident in being able to work for at least three-four days without any breaks without ever running out of Qi, which is why he wasn¡¯t exactly cautious in his expenditure . Quickly finishing up the arrays, he took the first batch of the gear and slowly began melding it into the main frame . Sena also arrived shortly after with the first pair of rings and gears, causing Lino to nod happily as they were actually far better than what he himself could craft . Not only were they scaled perfectly, she even clearly outlined the area where the inscriptions would go, making his job much easier . The trio worked tirelessly while everyone else observed . Unlike Felix and Lucky who could at best appreciate the hard work, the ten smiths that Chwek brought over were repeatedly stunned . While they knew very well of Chwek¡¯s and Sena¡¯s skills as they were locals, the unknown, rather hairy youth shocked them . Any time there was a group of people crafting a single item, there would be a clear leader, while everyone else would merely y the role of supporting cast . It was usually up to thetter to ensure the coordination goes smoothly, but this strange youth flipped that tradition upside down; he clearly observed both Chwek and Sena¡¯s progress, matching his own with theirs as to ensure he never got too ahead or behind the two . This was in addition to the seemingly inhumane speed of array inscription he disyed as well as master-level control of mes . There was no wasted movement in his actions, and he seemed to always be aware of the exact progress, of where everything was and how long will it take for the next set ofponents to be ready . His overall crafting also gave them a bit of a start; while they all preferred to work with double-faced hammers, his was a straight-peen . He used the t end to hammer in the general shape and the other to define it further beforepleting the details with a set of chisels . Strokes with hammer were also different; while their style leaned more toward strength and precision, he seemed to prefer speed . In the end, it took nearly eight hours in total for the weapons to be finished . When Felix looked at the final product, he had to do a double take just in case he¡¯d seen it wrongly . However, it was indeed simply a pair of gloves; while they were a bit thicker than the usual gloves, and were made out of steel, nothing about them resembled a weapon . It was only when he looked at the stats that he¡¯d finally understood . [Northern Frost - Legendary Unique] Level: 200 Damage: *13 Defense: 2680 Durability: 100,000 +25% to Intelligence +10% to ¡¯Ice¡¯-rted Arts +50% resistance to Ice +10 to Hand-eye Coordination -10 to Hand Speed Special Effect: Form-type weapon . Changing forms consumes Qi and takes 1 second . Lowers changing speed by 0,1 second per 800 intelligence . Can¡¯t go below 0,5 seconds . Increases cast speed of small-arts by 100% Increases damage of small-arts by 25% Lowers Qi consumption by 50% Increases cast speed ofrge-arts by 25% Increases damage ofrge-arts by 100% Lowers Qi consumption by 25% Increase cast speed of all Arts by 50% Increases damage of all arts by 50% Increases Qi consumption by 20% Decreases cast speed of all arts by 20% Decreases damage of all arts by 20% Decreases Qi consumption by 95% Increases proficiency of defensive arts by 300% Note: Crafted by three incredibly talented smiths, the weapon is the utmost pinnacle of continental crafts, unmatched in make and creation . Chapter 156 Chapter 156 CHAPTER 156 A SILENT NIGHT Lino sat slightly dazed, subconsciously sipping a few gulps of rather strong mead now and again while looking at the starlit sky . [Northern Frost] was by far the best weapon he¡¯d ever created and though it wasn¡¯t his make alone, he still couldn¡¯t help but grin with pride . One thing that worried him, though, was whether the news about it would spread; while he still trusted Chwek and Sena, that wasn¡¯t the case for the other smiths . He didn¡¯t care all that much if people went after him, but Felix was a different story . Chwek did reassure him repeatedly though that he¡¯d see to it that the weapon¡¯s existence doesn¡¯t leak to anyone outside the room which eased his mind a little bit . He wasn¡¯t all too focused on the weapon, though . Even Freya¡¯s story wasn¡¯t on his mind as he¡¯d already ascertained she was just fine, if not slightly overwhelmed . He was wondering whether he should contact Ava before leaving for the Central Continent . A positive of it was that she¡¯d most-likely offer him a quicker way of transportation, while a negative was that he¡¯d be stuck with her and most-likely her n for a while . One of the reasons why he asked E and Eggor not to directly travel with him was as to not stick out all too much . The two of them, though, were apletely different story whenpared to Ava, whom he¡¯d already made a promise with . While he wasn¡¯t above rectifying a promise, he would rather not do it so cheaply . "What you¡¯re thinking about?" Lucky quickly slumped next to him and took the gourd of mead from his hand, drinking some of it . "Stuff . " Lino replied taking another gourd from his void world . "What are you doing up?" "Couldn¡¯t sleep . " she replied, ncing at him . "Besides, that kid¡¯s causing so much ruckus I have a feeling I¡¯ll stab him dead if I have to listen to him for a minute longer . " "Ha ha ha, yeah, his reaction was pretty funny when I gave him the gauntlets . " "Ha ha, yeah, passing out was definitely hrious . What about that girl?" she asked . "Freya? She¡¯s fine . It seems they¡¯ve agreed to let her bury her grandma and mother in the Ancestral Grounds . We were quite dispensable as bodyguards, no?" " . . . what now?" Lucky asked after a short silence . " . . . it¡¯s time I moved on . " "Where to?" "Are you thinking abouting along?" Lino asked, ncing at her . "I aming along . " " . . . that¡¯s not the best idea you¡¯ve ever had, I gotta say . " "None of my ideas involving you were ever good," she said . "So I¡¯m just keeping up with the tradition . " "If it¡¯s about the cultivation method, I¡¯ll secure one---" "I don¡¯t care about that shit," she said, turning toward him and looking deeply into his eyes for a moment before continuing . "For better or worse, you¡¯re the only family I¡¯ve got left . And while I wouldn¡¯t dare presume on your levels of care for me, I¡¯d assume you at least find me tolerable . " " . . . it¡¯s not about that, L¡¯ . " "Don¡¯t call me that!" "You¡¯ve seen it yourself," he said . "And it won¡¯t ever change . My life will continue to be a road of struggles that will weave in indiscriminately anyone even remotely connected to me . Aren¡¯t you tired of living that sort of a life?" " . . . aren¡¯t you?" "I am . " "Then why persist on it?" she asked . "¡¯Cause I¡¯ve got no other choice," he replied, smiling faintly . "You do, though . And you¡¯re choosing wrongly . " "Are you really the one who ought to be deciding whether what I do is right or wrong?" "I suppose I¡¯m not . " " . . . you didn¡¯t kill me when I was ready to die," Lucky said, suddenly leaning her head over onto his shoulder, closing her eyes . "You can¡¯t run away from that . " " . . . oh my . Are you falling in love with me atst?" "You really ruin every good moment, do you?" she mumbled, chuckling lightly . "Ah, so my charms can¡¯t reach you? It¡¯s unfortunate . . . " Lino sighed . "It¡¯s not about your charms," Lucky said, getting back up as she rolled her eyes at him . "If I met you just today, chances are you¡¯d most-likely break a dam down below . " " . . . wow . That¡¯s one way to put it . " "But, whenever I look at you . . . I don¡¯t only see your smiles and your jokes, Lino . " she said, taking a gulp of the mead . "I see the stories behind them . I see mountains of baggage that ought to be sinking your shoulders . Rather than making me horny . . . it¡¯s more like you inspire me . " "Yeah . . . that¡¯s what every guy wants to hear . " "Oh please," she nced at him smiling lightly . "Turning the woman on is rather easy . Inspiring people to do better . . . to be better . . . that¡¯s a different story . Besides, if you¡¯re that hellbent on it, I¡¯ll let you screw me once or twice to get it out of your system . " " . . . thanks for the offer," Lino turned toward her and ruffled her hair gently, smiling . "But I¡¯ll pass on it . " "Your loss dude . " "You should head back inside," he said, getting up . "You¡¯re not a cultivator anymore . You need sleep . " "Where are you going?" " . . . who knows?" Lucky didn¡¯t immediately go back inside, rather staying, sitting at the same ce and staring at his fading back weaving through the empty streets till he faded from her view . Staring at those slightly hunched back . . . standing behind . . . felt rather safe . It always has, she realized . No matter the ce, no matter the asion, no matter the wall, she felt that so long she stood behind him, nothing would happen to her . " . . . you and the Master sure have an interesting rtionship . " Felix suddenly joined her as he looked toward the distance where Lino just took a turn and disappeared . "Are you finally done fussing over that toy?" Lucky asked, offering him the gourd which he happily took and drank some from . "Aren¡¯t you older than him?" Felix ignored her jab and sat down next to her, asking . "Yeah . " "Then why are you the one being treated like a kid?" he asked with seemingly genuine curiosity . " . . . it¡¯s always been like this . " she replied, shrugging her shoulders . "Back when I first met him, I think he was like sixteen-seventeen years old . Everyone in our group was older than him . . . yet all of us still, for some reason, looked for him to give us the answers . Gimme that . " she took back the gourd from Felix and resumed her drinking session . " . . . what exactly happened to you guys?" Felix finally braved himself enough to ask, unable to push away his curiosity any longer . " . . . " Lucky looked up for a moment toward the sky before replying . "The city we were at got invaded by Demons and Devils," she spoke in a solemn, heavy tone . "While he was away . By the time he¡¯d gotten back, he only found Lady Ae and me alive . From what he told me, she died shortly after he arrived, leaving only the two of us . " " . . . oh . " "You seem to have already suspected something?" she asked, seeing his somewhat understanding expression . "I followed him once," Felix replied . "And I found him standing among a few gravestones, one which had ¡¯Ae¡¯ engraved on it . I already figured something tragic happened, and I even suspected it had something to do with the whole war, just never had enough balls to ask him for a confirmation . " "At least you¡¯ve got enough balls to admit you didn¡¯t have enough balls . " Lucky said, handing him back the gourd . "Don¡¯t worry too much about it . " "Did he always seem as carefree?" Felix asked suddenly, surprising Lucky . "Hmm . . . I suppose?" Lucky replied after a short thought . "Don¡¯t let that cheeky smile fool you though . You do not want to piss that guy off . " "I¡¯ve no intention of pissing him off," Felix shrugged . "Though I did notice you¡¯re trying your damn hardest to do it . " "It¡¯s a game between adults . You wouldn¡¯t understand it . " "You do realize that I¡¯m only like a few years younger than him, right?" "Oho, watch out, we¡¯ve got a grown-up here! What-ever-will-I-do?!" "Yeah, I suppose an old hag like you wouldn¡¯t understand . " Felix replied in same fashion, grinning strangely for a moment . "Oh no, a kid called me an old hag . I suppose I should break out in tears now, as to not hurt his feeble ego . " " . . . m-my ego¡¯s not feeble!" "Really convincing there, you old stud!" Luckyughed lightly, pping Felix¡¯s back who turned away quickly and looked away . "Anyway, I¡¯m gonna hit the bed . I really am freaking tired . Oh, right . Think carefully about what you want to do from now on," she added shortly before entering the inn . "Following him around on this Continent is one thing . Going any further . . . might not be the smartest thing to do . " " . . . like you¡¯re the one to talk . " he mumbled faintly into the wind, thanking the gods she hadn¡¯t begun cultivating again and was unable to hear him . Chapter 157 Chapter 157 CHAPTER 157 ANCESTRAL GROUNDS A horde of people numbering in hundreds stood just outside the massive, elevated tform in the heart of the city . The tform was t, made out of a shiny, white stone, and was decorated with nothing but a single, oval-shaped altar at the very center . The crowd consisted mainly of the young, with a few dozen or so Elders leading the groups up front, their eyes reverently locked at the altar . At the back of the crowd, seemingly out of ce, was a beggar-looking man with a peculiar expression on his face and a strange glint in his eyes . It has been two weeks since he arrived here . It was only yesterday, however, that Freya came looking for him atst after they parted, telling him the whole story with an ashamed and highly embarrassed expression, her eyes always looking as though on the brink of tears . Turns out that her Grandmother wasn¡¯t banished from the n; rather, she ran away with a few of her friends because she didn¡¯t want to be a Matriarch . Ever since then, the members of the n tried their hardest to locate her but to no avail . While he didn¡¯t inquire the details of the story - mainly as to not drive the poor Freya to madness - he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a rather peculiar sensation over the whole ordeal . As an apology, Freya offered him a spot among the crowd who was to enter the Ancestral Grounds - whose opening has been pushed ahead of time as Freya¡¯s arrival disturbed quite more than just an old history . She was, after all, a Direct Descendant of the Hierarchical Matriarch, which was something ns took quite seriously . Lino, however, didn¡¯t really care too much about what they did so long as she was safe . He came quite close to even declining the invitation to enter the Grounds but then he remembered that Lucky still needed a cultivation method, so he figured he¡¯d at least try his luck within the Grounds in case something pops out . Even without it in the worst case he wagered he¡¯d still manage to pry some resources for crafting from the adventure which he wanted to begin hoarding again . After all, though he crafted a weapon for Felix, he had nothing for himself . His peculiar expression, however, wasn¡¯t due to any of that; it was because of a short conversation he just had with the Writ who informed him that there¡¯s an quasi-Dimensional Pocket within the Ancestral Grounds themselves which was a remnant of a previouslyplete Eldritch Realm . Though he had a lot of questions, the Writ didn¡¯t seem that interested in answering them, only telling him to try his luck . It appeared as though the Writ¡¯s approval came both with benefits as well as negatives . Lino only heard of the term ¡¯Eldritch¡¯ once and it was in conjunction with other terms he didn¡¯t understand well after Grazynth listed them out . While he stood out as a sole adult in a line of mostly children aged anywhere between 8 and 15, all of whom would asionally look at him and point their fingers, he remained seemingly impervious to it all with his hands in his pockets . It would be his first time experiencing the magic of Dimensional tinkering, a field of space study he was interested in greatly . Freya was naturally among those who would be entering, but she was well upfront, surrounded by at least ten Elders that were there to secure her safety as well as escort her to bury her Mother and Grandmother . No matter how thick-skinned Lino was, he wouldn¡¯t go over to her and ask her to let him join . She had her own ns when it came to the Grounds and Lino had his own . The current Matriarch of the n was a middle-aged woman who still retained her youthful looks . The moment she set foot on the tform, all the moring and whizzing and bustling ended immediately . She had a rtively indifferent expression on her face as her eyes scoured the mass of people beneath her . They soonnded onto the distant figure who was the only one among hundreds of those present who dared return her gaze, even smiling faintly in the process . It was the strange beggar that Freya brought along as a ¡¯bodyguard¡¯ . The news travel fast, and it had already reached her - though she didn¡¯t divulge it to anyone else as she was too fearful of themotion it would cause . The ordinary-looking beggar over there . . . managed to overpower and even kill Arch Emperor Gustav, eventually forcing back the Elite force of the Empire back with their heads slouched . Though Freya had inadvertently brought the monster inside their ranks, she didn¡¯t mind all that much and was even expectant . After a short thought, she returned the smile and proceeded to hold a brief speech mainly aimed at the youths who would be entering the Grounds . " . . . looks like she knows . " Lino mumbled faintly, his lips still curled up in a smile . "Matriarch Valkyria, was it? Interesting . . . " The speech wasn¡¯t long and the moment she finished, Matriarch Valkyria turned around and walked up to the oval-shaped altar which was decorated with various gems - mainly crimson and scarlet in hue - and ced her hand squarely onto it, pouring in Qi through her palm . The altar lit up almost immediately as space around it grew distorted before it seemingly ripped open behind, a vortex-like spin appearing . Lino had immediately realized that it was a simple teleportation array and that the Ancestral Grounds weren¡¯t a special Dimensional Pocket in and of itself . There wasn¡¯t much dy to the process; as everything was prearranged, the old leading the young soon came up to the tform and began pouring in . Lino didn¡¯t try to squirm him way through and even waited patiently until everyone else had already gone in before walking up to the altar . " . . . what do you want me to do?" rather than going in, he suddenly came to a halt and looked at the Matriarch standing not too far away from him, smiling . " . . . shouldn¡¯t we introduce ourselves first?" she replied with a smile, extending her hand . "I¡¯ll never say no to knowing another beautiful maiden," Lino replied her handshake . "You can call me Lino . " "You can call me Val . " the Matriarch said . "So, Val, what do you want me to do?" "There¡¯s a quasi-Dimensional Pocket inside the Grounds," rather than beating around the bush, she decided to get straight to the point as the beggar in front of her seemed like that sort of a person . "I want you to destroy it . " "Oh? You expect me to destroy something that even the Great Matriarch is unable to? Surely, you overestimate my capabilities . " "Name your price . " "A piece of [Hervan¡¯s Divine Stone] . " " . . . " the Matriarch¡¯s eyebrows scrunched together, her lips quivering for a moment as a rather angry expression assailed her face . "I don¡¯t know what--" "I know I¡¯m asking for quite a lot," Lino said, wiping off the smirk from his face . "So I won¡¯t cheat you, Val . If you can provide me with a piece, I¡¯ll partition it and use a piece to enhance your n Artifact . " " . . . you¡¯re quite an interesting figure, Lino . " after a few moments of thought, she sighed and shook her head, smiling bitterly . "Fine . I¡¯ll take the gamble . However, if you find anything worthwhile in the Realm, I hope you can at least part with a few pieces . " "How about I offer you a piece of advice instead?" "Oh?" "The chance for you n wille soon," Lino said as he moved toward the vortex . "Damian will gather up his most trusted aides and leave the Continent within a year . Evelyn will focus on spreading throughout the maind to snuff out thest remnants of the Demonic presence . The Demonic Battlefield will be . . . quite empty . People will look for a King . . . or a Queen to finally transfer this hellhole into something meaningful . Ponder on it . . . " Leaving the stunned Valkyria behind, Lino briskly walked through the vortex and found himself within the spinning, spatial ze . It didn¡¯tst for long, however, at most a few seconds, before the tunnel spat him out elsewhere . Almost immediately uponnding he whipped out a sword from his void world and pierced sideways with immense speed and precision . A faint wail of pain cried out before a thud echoed . Lino nced sideways and saw a panther-like beast squirming on the ground . It was quite long, nearly two meters at that, and had deep, blue-colored fur and protruding pair of fangs . Though Lino didn¡¯t recognize the species, he was fairly certain it fell under the general umbre of the Night Crawlers, a sub-set of Panthera species which resulted from artificial cross-breeding of Abyss Leopards and Ebony Wolves . The problem was that the entire Night Crawlers species - as well as its offshoots - were supposedly native to the very specific part of the Holy Continent and cannot be found anywhere else . "These panthers are known as the Eldritch Watchers," the Writ¡¯s robotic voice echoed inside his mind . "Looks like the Pocket has grown unstable . You should hurry . " " . . . you mean there¡¯s a possibility it will fuse with the world?" Lino asked, frowning . "It¡¯s not that simple . Artificial Dimensional Pockets generally function based on their Cores . However, in special cases, the entire Pocket can be controlled by a single being . This, however, is usually reserved for very specific realms, such as Hell, Purgatory, Six Paths and so on . " "So to say that this Pocket is controlled by someone?" Lino asked yet again . "And that someone is trying to break out . " " . . . and you¡¯re telling me to go and meet it? Do you have a grudge against me or something?!" " . . . " "At least tell me where to go, dammit!" "Go west . " " . . . I hope you die . " "If I do so shall you . " "Do you know why you¡¯re not funny?!" Lino eximed bitterly as he began running westward at full speed . Though he still had the [Wings of an Archangel] as the only remnant of his previously packed inventory, they were damaged quite a bit and he didn¡¯t want to risk breaking them by using them . "Your timing sucks absolute ass!!" Chapter 158 Chapter 158 CHAPTER 158 TO ANSWER THE CALL Lino didn¡¯t immediately head for the entrance to the Dimensional Pocket within the Ancestral Grounds . Thetter wasn¡¯t simply a tomb for the deceased members of the n -- it was also considered the top-grade training grounds with a variety of beasts roaming about the vastnds as well as numerous natural resources scattered about . By inviting him in, it was a sort of an implicit eptance that he would sweep some things in his wake and Lino wasn¡¯t that nice of a person to decline the offer . Following his quick encounter with the panther variant, he scouted the surroundingndscape - which consisted mainly of river valleys and mountains - before slowly heading West in a zig-zag fashion . His first encounter following the panther was another strange variant that clearly didn¡¯t belong here -- Shadow Lycan . It was a creature which usually ran on all four but had the ability to do the same on the hind legs, with rather impressive agility and speed . The Shadow variant differed mainly in the fact that they were categorized under the ¡¯Ethereal¡¯ branch of the beasts . All beasts within the group sported incredible resilience to any non-physical attacks and were usually extremely difficult to kill as they technically didn¡¯t posses a corporeal body . Lino observed the beast for a moment while noting down a few things about its appearance inside his mind before poising himself for an attack . As there was no danger of being made out he decided to use the sword and practice the arts rted to it as well as the most basic forms . The beast zipped toward him true to its name, moving beneath the grass itself as a shadow, circling Lino and emerging from the back end, trying to get in a surprise attack . Lino, however, didn¡¯t seem to pay much heed to it as he made a basic - but swift - cutting motion backwardly, easily parrying the beast¡¯s ws, before spinning around in ce and thrusting the sword forth through the shadowed being . The sword quickly came across a firm object but Lino didn¡¯t pause, pushing even harder, breaking it apart . A wailter and the beast slowly drifted into the wind, leaving behind a few broken pieces of a spherical stone which seemed to have lost its luster . Lino picked it up and studied for a moment, musing that the world truly harbored strange things . "Probably only the weaker ones managed to escape . . . " he mumbled faintly as he turned westward yet again and resumed his zig-zag style of travel . On his way over he didn¡¯t forget to search every nook and cranny for any sort of a material, whether it was rare ormon . He was truly dried up - especially after crafting Felix¡¯s weapon - which forced him to wee practically everything . Though he didn¡¯t have much expectations, the results still disappointed him as the best he got so far was a piece of [Frosted Ore], a rtively umon ore . The problem was that it was merely Level 40 . Cursing his luck, he decided not to move through the night and chose to camp at the edge of a small forest which acted as a sort of a border between the outer edge of the grounds and the inner parts . The burial ceremony must have finished by now and chances were that the youths had already dispersed in search of their destinies . However, he was fairly certain that they were expressly told not to go near the location of the Dimensional Pocket so he wasn¡¯t worried about running into any hot-headed maniacs too thirsty to prove themselves . " . . . the battle might turn out to be quite difficult . " just as he was about to have his beauty sleep, the familiar, robotic voice echoed inside his mind . "What¡¯d you find out?" Lino asked casually . "Though the Realm is rtively smallpared to others, it currently houses roughly sixteen thousand beasts, with the weakest being around Level 150 and the strongest around Level 400 . " "Difficult? That¡¯s fucking suicidal!" Lino eximed . "The beast that¡¯s trying to break out is one of the rarest Vampire variants -- Crowned Dhampyre and is roughly Level 600 . " " . . . hmm, I suppose I don¡¯t need that piece of [Hervan¡¯s Divine Stone] . My life¡¯s a bit more precious I think . " Lino mumbled already formting stories he would tell after leaving the Grounds without fulfilling his promise . "It¡¯s not as though you stand no chance . " the Writ, unsurprisingly, decided to encourage him . "I can lead you to some of the rarer resources around . If you can craft items properly, you should be able to defeat it . " " . . . from what I remember, Dhampires are children of vampires and humans, right?" Lino chose to ask instead of confirming or denying anything . "Not necessarily . " the Writ said . "Though such variants are the mostmon . They are simply the ¡¯impure¡¯ descendants of the Vampires . " "So mix of any other race?" "Yes . " "This one is?" "A child of a Devil and a Vampire . " the Writ said . " . . . well, I am thoroughly fucked, aren¡¯t I?" "Though the cross-breeding further increased the innate strengths of the two Races, it also further increased their weaknesses . If you can exploit that, victory isn¡¯t impossible . " "You keep dancing around with the words," Lino mused with a smile . "Can¡¯t you just be honest with me?" " . . . if you are to defeat the Dhampyre and close the Pocket, you would gain its Fragment . It is one of the ingredients you will need to be the Exalted . " "Fine, keep your secrets . " Lino shrugged and sighed . "Anyway, what should I craft?" "The Crowned title isn¡¯t easily earned by any species, let alone one as rare as a Dhampyre . It means it haspletely mastered one of the 72 Laws -- the ¡¯Governance¡¯ . Inbination with the vitality from his Vampire Lineage and Devil Qi maniption, it would make for a perfect Eldritch Servant . However, exactly because of that, you can be its opponent; however, I can¡¯t disclose any more information as youck authority . You need to think of what to craft yourself . " " . . . ¡¯s that so?" Lino didn¡¯t expect to learn even that much; he had long since learned that the reason the Writ didn¡¯t just spill out the whole truth was due to the concept of ¡¯authority¡¯ . Despite its strengths, even the Writ was bound by somews . He could not disclose specific things so long as Lino didn¡¯t gain authority to know them by bing strong enough . While vague, he could still extrapte quite a few things from what he had been told . Both Vampires and Devils were extremely weak to mes and any element that imbued light within its nature . In addition, Lino even knew a few things about the 61st Law of the Universe -- Governance . Though he couldn¡¯t even venture a guess as to what it meant topletely master it, the basic principle of the Law was that all living beings could both be Governed and Govern through the influence of Will . Shortly after, the Writ ryed the information about the rare resources throughout the entire Ancestral Grounds . Lino mainly focused on those that had four specific properties: fire, light, mind and life . Though it didn¡¯t leave him with many options, he figured it would be enough to create a new sword and an essory . He immediately decided to leave all the materials in any way connected to the ¡¯mind¡¯ aside for crafting an essory; not only would he need to be careful of the Law of Governance itself, but both Vampires and Devils were well versed in illusions, and he would expect Dhampyre to be the same . He also considered it a chance to truly test himself . As the days went on, there were fewer and fewer people left on the Western Continent that could even put up a fight against him . Though it did boost his ego by quite a lot, it also made him realize that he would undoubtedly stagnate in progression . One of the reasons why he developed so quickly aside from the Writ feeding him like there¡¯s no tomorrow was the fact that he repeatedly threw himself into the situations that seemed quite dire for him . This appeared to be exactly that sort of a situation; though he could easily just say no and leave, he chose not to . It wasn¡¯t really because of the Writ¡¯s ¡¯you must get the Fragment¡¯ speech . He never had an intention of leaving so long as there was a chance of victory . Meeting E again had woken him up perhaps even more than hisst-ditch effort during the fight against two Devils . Nobody was standing still in time, which included other Bearers . Not only were they progressing with all their might, their circumstances were far more favorable than Lino¡¯s . They had unlimited supply of resources, unconditional guidance from others, and the setting within which they could thrive . Lino, on the other hand, only had himself . Though the Writ certainly didn¡¯t spare any effort to strengthen him, in the end it was all within specific set of limitations . Furthermore, the issue ran even deeper than that; Lino didn¡¯t want to be entirely reliant on the Writ in order to get stronger . He didn¡¯t want to be dependant . Most of all, he didn¡¯t want to be just ¡¯another Bearer¡¯; he didn¡¯t want that calling, that title, that chance of fate to define him till his dying days . He wanted to have something of his own to leave a mark upon this world, something entirely independent of the Writ, of everyone who ever had and would offer him aid . Something that would make people go ¡¯oh, this was because of Lino¡¯ rather than ¡¯oh, this was because of the Bearer¡¯ . He knew very well that if anyone else heard he had intention of challenging a Level 600 racial variant while being barely Level 160 they would most-likely p him squarely till he wailed . Even he felt it was a bit insane, yet couldn¡¯t help but resonate with that deep madness which still resided within him . That calling, the heed which would boil his blood and suppress all fears and doubts about himself . The voice which would push him into the walls he had no chance of climbing . The primal desire to ovee . His very own Will . Chapter 159 Chapter 159: 159 CHAPTER 159 ARMED AND PROUD Hushed sounds of the crunched leaves faintly melded into the sounds of the wind, only sign that any life persisted over them . Within the shadows of the overarching trees and grass half a meters tall, a figure slithered about like a snake, weaving through the small gaps and ensuring he made no sound on his way over . Lino¡¯s face was stered against a rather wet earth, his already dirtied facepletely unrecognizable, his clothes beyond filthy . He wasn¡¯t sneaking around to steal something or to take a monster by surprise . He was forced to crawl on all four as close to the ground as possible in order to find one of the herbs that he needed for crafting . The herb¡¯s name was [Soil¡¯s Ailments] and it was less than a centimeter tall, it exuded no life force or Qi outwardly - which meant it was impossible to locate it through the Divine Sense - and the only way to find it was to ster your face as close to the ground as possible and look for it . Even the Writ was unable to pinpoint its exact location, only being able to give Lino an estimate as to where he could find it . The problem was that that estimate covered roughly three squared miles of surface, which Lino had to w through on all fours without losing concentration even for a second lest he missed the herb . It has been a while since he got down and dirty in work but it still felt quite familiar . His current position especially reminded him of one summer during his orphanage days where he used to crawl for hours searching for worms to eat under the blistering sun of a dry season . He didn¡¯t mind it all that much as he didn¡¯t hold himself to the same standard most cultivators did . Pride, dignity and such held little value to him if he was unable to get what he wanted with them . Though he did regret a bit not asking for Felix and Lucky to join him as that would speed the process up considerably . Six hours hourster a rather loud and joyful scream bellowed out of the grasnd prairie whereupon a figure emerged from the mass of swaying grass like a fish dove out of the water . One of his arms was stretched out toward the sky, his featurespletely covered in dirt and mud . However, admist those was a widely stretched smile showing off two rows of white teeth in addition to jet-ck eyes which stared at that stretched arm with pride . After all, inside the mped hand was the herb he searched for for so long - the [Soil¡¯s Ailments] . Its shape was reminiscent of clovers though yellow in color instead of green, and it gave off a rather pleasant, aromatic scent . From fear of dropping it identally, Lino quickly shoved it into the void world and wiped what he believed to be sweat off his forehead . Sun had already began sinking beneath the horizon whilst castingst few rays of light over thend, quickly prompting Lino to find a ce to rest and sleep at . He decided upon a rather old, oak tree the size of a three-story building, climbing up roughly three meters off the ground and lying down gracefully onto a rather thick branch . It wouldn¡¯t be right to say he was exhausted as, after all, he was a cultivator, but he did feel an odd sense of tiredness . It seemed as though for the first time in a while he wouldn¡¯t need to force himself asleep . Dawn came quickly as Lino woke up and stretched out, yawning lightly . There was a bitter expression on his face as he scratched his nose; he was having a rather pleasant dream which involved this and that which was unfortunately cut short by the sun¡¯s first rays sting directly into his face . Regardless, regret wasn¡¯t something he would dwell on for too long; he only had onest material to find -- [Crying Stone] -- and he would be set to begin his preparations for facing a wall he shouldn¡¯t be able to climb over . Unlike the [Soil¡¯s Ailments], the [Crying Stone] didn¡¯t need him to crawl like a dog for hours . It wasn¡¯t even hidden all that well, as it was simply a stone that had been refined through rain for ages . While not spectacrly rare, it did take a while to be made as creating it artificially was impossible . After picking it up, he found a secluded cave halfway up the mountain which was only a short valley away from the entrance to the Dimensional Pocket, and took out all materials he gathered - twenty-eight in total . There were all sorts of weird-looking things lined up in front of him, from a baby-faced piece of bark to the fist-sized marble weighing over sixty tons . While he didn¡¯t have a full-scale smithy, he did have almost all necessary tools for crafting inside his void world which he ¡¯borrowed¡¯ from Chwek . He took all those he figured he¡¯d need out and slowly began spacing them out, designating four spots in total which would be used separately for different actions . If his main push when it came to fighting and cultivation was that silent madness that he inherited, then his main push when it came to crafting was the madness of his own ilk . Once he put his mind to crafting something, the rest of the world would silently vanish as all sounds would cease to exist and all things beyond those he needed for crafting would turn into distant blurs . The first thing he chose to craft was a sword . He had some experience in crafting them because of the brief time he spent supplying Ava¡¯s shop, and he already had general idea as to what sort of a design he wanted . He quickly whipped out a pen and paper and began slowly drawing . As he relied quite a bit on speed he settled on a mid-sized sword, roughly 1,2 meters long, no thinner than three fingers . As he didn¡¯t really have a style of fighting per se, he decided to go with a double-edge and a hilt that could be used for parrying in the worst case scenario . After drawing up the initial draft, he went on to refine it a bit further but without many changes . There was hardly anythingplex about the sword itself; the de was t, slightly dented in a straight line through center, with simple engravings that were there to mask the passageways of inscribed arrays . The hilt was symmetrical and t with slight upper curvatures at the edges and the rapier-inspired hand-guard at the center, though not quite asrge . Altogether, though, the sword -- at least from the design -- didn¡¯t seem all that powerful, but Lino didn¡¯t care all that much . Once he¡¯d gotten the abundance of resources, he¡¯d craft the truly mboyant items that would scream ¡¯look at me!¡¯ . He didn¡¯t dy the crafting after the finishing touches of the design . He immediately began melting the ore in the makeshift furnace, cooling it into a rough shape before heating it up again and beginning to hammer it into a shape of the de . The sound of the hammer sting against the heated metal was quite pleasant to Lino¡¯s ears, especially so once he got his rhythm adjusted . It almost seemed like a strange melody of a song, the hammering . He didn¡¯t spend too much time on the details of the de, instead immediately grinding down several herbs and melting them into a pot of strange-looking, silver liquid before dousing the entire de with it . The steel sizzled and seemingly cried out as billows of smoke arose from its edges . The previously somewhat smooth surface of the de immediately gained grainy texture, though not much changed visually . Lino quickly picked up a chisel and began carving out the patterns carefully as sweat already began umting on his forehead . After he was done with the patterns, he took out a random piece of cloth and tied it over his forehead before moving onto crafting the hilt . Because of its somewhat full shape, the hilt was moreplicated to craft . Not only did it have more details than the de, it also had curves which he couldn¡¯t produce simply by hammering . While it was easy to bend the heated metal through various mps, adjusting it to just the right angle -- and making it symmetrical -- was quite a hassle . The same process -- but perhaps even slightly moreplex -- had to take ce after he came to the central guard . Rather than the standard half-spherical shape of the guard, Lino settled on a shape reminiscent more of an umbre, wider at the edges . Before crafting the handle, he chose to connect the hilt and the de in case he made a mistake somewhere . Luckily, though, the process went smoothly, especially so after he injected additional connector, natural oil which almost welded two parts together . Satisfied, he moved onto the handle which was the easiest part . Despite that, though, as he¡¯d already spent almost six hours of extreme concentration crafting, he was quite exhausted mentally despite his Qi reserves barely having been touched . It was definitely different than crafting alongside other people who could temporarily relieve you in case you got tired . Nheless, he crafted the handle rtively quickly and wrapped it into a simple piece of a deer¡¯s processed leather before joining it with the rest of the sword . He heated the de up once again and began striking at the edges, thinning them out even further before applying some finishing touches and dousing the sword once again into the water . As the smoke billowed, Lino visualized the arrays he¡¯d nned for the sword before slowly beginning to inscribe them through the de¡¯s surface . He also attached one to the central guard of the hilt as well as the bottom of the handle itself . In total, he inscribed 7 arrays, five of which were of grade which took him twice as long as the crafting itself - twelve hours in total . Though he was still fine in terms of Qi reserves by the time he was done, he was mentally drained . After all, it¡¯s been ten years since thest time he exerted his mind so much without any rest . While he was crafting Felix¡¯s weapon, Chwek and Sena were present to help along, greatly reducing the burden on him . This time around, however, he was entirely alone . Still, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the surging headache and instead picked up the sword and swung it around a few times to get a feel for it . There truly was no better weapon than the one he can craft for himself . After all, Lino adjusted nearly everything to his own liking, paying almost no attention to the fact he may want to sell the sword sometime in the future . The handle fit his hand perfectly, the central hilt of the guard loomed over the top of his fist like a true guardian, the sword was just the right weight and length . . . it all fit as though it was an extension of his own arm . [Lunar Beheader -- Unique Epic] Level: 160 Damage: 9180-13310 Magic Damage: 2180-4600 +100% Damage to ¡¯Light¡¯, ¡¯Fire¡¯ and ¡¯Life¡¯ Arts +20% ¡¯Light¡¯ Damage +15% ¡¯Fire¡¯ Damage +5% ¡¯Life¡¯ Damage 25% of Physical Damage converted to Holy Damage +200% Resistance to Dark-affiliated Arts +200% to body¡¯s base Vitality Regeneration Special Effect [1] -- Each time enemy¡¯s blood is drawn, inflict a ¡¯Holy Blessing¡¯ upon the foe, lowering their resistance to Holy-rted Arts by 2% . Stacks up to 15 times . Special Effect [2] -- Each attack has 15% chance of unleashing one of the three sts: ¡¯Baptism of mes¡¯, ¡¯Baptism of Light¡¯, ¡¯Baptism of Life¡¯ . Special Effect [3] -- Parrying an attack with the hilt reflects 200% damage as ¡¯Fire¡¯ damage Note: A unique Masterpiece of a now experienced smith, made with specific idea and desire in mind as a counter to all-things-dark . Lino suddenly reached up and scratched his nose, coughing lowly . A strange feeling inside of him swelled which converted into a voice screaming ¡¯why isn¡¯t there anyone around so I can show off!!¡¯ . He quickly suppressed it though, but still couldn¡¯t help letting a prideful grin emerge on his face . After all, the weapon was absolutely stacked with stats through the roof . Even if they were specifically concentrated, there¡¯s still probably nobody on the entire Western Continent with the budget to buy it . While falling slightly short over pure strength whenpared with Felix¡¯s weapon, whenever Lino went against anyone who practiced dark-rted Arts, he would be the bane of their existence merely through this weapon alone . Still, he didn¡¯t have a lot of time to gloat . There was still one more item to craft and he didn¡¯t want to dy it for too long . Before lying down to rest for a while, he decided to quickly scramble a draft design for it . He settled on the ne as the essory¡¯s form and unlike with the sword he decided to go the ¡¯mboyant¡¯ route with it . He decided upon the circr base shape, stacked above with a thin, metallic cross with an embedded gem at the center and the strange engravings of mind-rted matters within the four open slots between the cross and the disc . After tinkering with it a bit, he also decided to engrave the golden halo into the central gem that would shimmer with light each time he woulde near any powerful monster or person who practiced mental-type Cultivation Method . He nodded in satisfaction after finishing up and quickly plummeted onto the ground with sounds of snoring emerging shortly after . He didn¡¯t sleep for long, around five hours, but woke up rested and ready . Unlike the sword, there wasn¡¯t much crafting when it came to the essories; most of it lied within the minute details and chiseling and array-inscription . The process altogether took roughly two hours and it was only so because Lino paid extra attention to the engravings and the arrays which ran through the cross, the gem as well as the base disc . In the end, the ne indeed turned quite mboyant; the disc itself was crimson in color with the cross over it shining in startling silver with the gem at its center being amethyst-colored in addition to the engraved, golden halo . It stuck out like a sore thumb against his tattered clothes but he didn¡¯t care all that much . [Spirit Bulwark - Epic] Level: 145 Defense: 0 Magical Defense: +400% +20% to ¡¯Divine Sense¡¯ strength +100% to ¡¯Spirit Resilience¡¯ Special Effect [1] -- Wearer¡¯s ¡¯Divine Sense¡¯ is undetectable unless the difference in Levels is toorge (250) Special Effect [2] -- All Dead Spirits will be naturally wary of the Wearer and won¡¯t approach him unless provoked Special Effect [Eye of the Phantom] -- The Wearer gains Mid-tier Ethereal Grade Art -- Eye of the Phantom . The Art can be extrapted from the Ne for the permanent ownership . Note: An artistic marvel, the ne was crafted from a variety of resonating materials, creating nigh-perfect stand against that of Spirit . "Eh?" Lino eximed softly after he read through the third special effect . Even without it the ne turned out better than he expected, with this new addition being merely icing on the cake . "Wait, I can learn it directly?" "Yes . " the Writ replied quickly after . "Didn¡¯t you say I won¡¯t be able to learn any ¡¯outsider¡¯s¡¯ Martial Arts?" "You can¡¯t," the Writ said . "But this isn¡¯t the ¡¯outsider¡¯s¡¯ Martial Art . It¡¯s one of your own make . " " . . . right-the-hell-on!!" he quickly checked out the Art and, without a second thought, extrapted it from the ne and inherited it directly . [Eye of the Phantom -- (Mid) Ethereal Grade] By infusing Qi into one¡¯s eyes, see into another spectrum of reality . Obtains the ability to see through the invisibility-rted arts, stealth-rted arts, illusion-rted arts and hallucination-rted arts . Any art beneath this one¡¯s grade can be seen through . Consume one of the following to upgrade the Art¡¯s grade: ¡¯Heart of the Harpy¡¯ ¡¯Heart of the Daemon¡¯ ¡¯Soul of the Duhan¡¯ ¡¯Essence of the Wendigo¡¯ ¡¯Eye of the Pesta¡¯ Chapter 160 Chapter 160 CHAPTER 160 CHAOS AND RUIN (I) The entrance to the Dimensional Pocket could not be seen with a naked eye . Were an ordinary man to stand before it, he would spot absolutely nothing and merely identally enter if he were to head in the right direction . Someone with slight proficiency in space-rted arts might notice faint distortions if they paid close attention . Lino, however, could see the exact reality of it all . It wasn¡¯t because of his own insight but rather the newly acquired art: . The world before his eyes was rather bizarre; one end was a far-spreading meadow of green grass and red roses, sandwiching apletely different reality within itself . At the boundaries between two realities, the space repeatedly distorted and contorted, weaving around as though guided by a painter¡¯s brush . Lino could see a strange, half-cleaved arched entrance of sorts beyond which only darkness spread and cries of anguish andment repeatedly echoed . He took in a deep breath and calmed his nerves before slowly heading over . The pressure crashing against his chest was quite spectacr . Even before entering the pocket he felt like simply turning around and walking away, yet knew he couldn¡¯t . The closer he inched to the crossroad between two realities, the more he realized just how dubiously different the two were . Soon enough arge swath of specter-like creatures with crimson-dyed eyes began dancing around him, their whispers ranging from soft and seductive to wrathful and agonizing . Cries splintered through his ears into his mind in an attempt to erase his consciousness, but even without the help of the Lino was able to ignore them rather easily . The moment he crossed the boundary, he felt a strange feeling awash him, nearly causing him to vomit . He felt as though all of his organs got temporarily misced while blood in his veins froze into pure ice for a moment . They really were twopletely different realities; one had warmish, spring climate, while the other was frigid beyond measure . It wasn¡¯t the sort of cold one experiences in the winter or within the realms of ice; it was the sort which pierced past all the barriers, assailing the mind and the soul directly . A pathway stretched before him, strangely lit up bynterns hanging by the its sides . Thenterns colored cold cyan, faintly flickering ever so often . They painted aid out path which led uphill in a sharp curve toward the top of a lonely, ghastly cliff . Lino nced at it for a moment and immediately realized that¡¯s where his opponent resided, but couldn¡¯t gleam anything more as the entire cliff was clustered within a thick fog that even his Divine Sense couldn¡¯t pierce through . He stood at the very beginning of a path for a moment before taking a step forward . It felt heavy, almost as though there were tens of thousands of arms trying to hold him back from walking forward . However, he pressed, ignoring them all . An ordinary-looking scabbard hung by his waist, asionally releasing a faint gleam of golden light, with the ne having been neatly strapped around his neck with a silver chain, continuously sending streams of warm energy to cruise through Lino¡¯s body, not only repelling the cold but also keeping all the illusions at bay . His footsteps echoed loudly throughout the entire realm, as though he was walking in heels against a marble floor . Lino didn¡¯t even try to mask his presence as there was no point to it -- everyone and everything within the realm realized there was an intruder the moment Lino took his first step inside . The path seemed to stretch for several miles onward, marred with strange-looking, flickering shadows and tens of thousands of pairs of crimson eyes all focused on him . asionally a shadow would dart out of the darkness and attack him but Lino disposed of them quickly with his fists as they were quite weak . He proceeded onward steadily, yet a cluster of tension wrapped around his heart the closer he got to the path¡¯s end . Past the halfway point of the road no more strange-looking creatures came to attack him, merely observing his climb . Lino smiled faintly and sped up somewhat, realizing that the host was weing him in full . It took him almost half an hour to climb to the top of the cliff . It was no longer masked behind the curtain of the fog and Lino was able to clearly see the arena . It was a massive castle built out of jet-ck bricks, with several dozen towers rising up into the sky . Though in the past it must have been quite lustrous, it now showed grave signs of age . The walls had cracks spreading throughout with entire portionspletely missing, and nearly every tower was nibbled from the top, leaving it open like a chimney . The castle gates, however, were shut, jetted in ck not unlike the walls themselves . A pair of silver fangs was engraved on each end with blood running down their tips, spilling into the earth beneath and causing its hue to shift to rather dark, muddy crimson . Without a signal or warning, a creak sounded out into the world as the walls and the gates trembled momentarily . A shift urred as the two sides slowly began parting on their own, moving inwardly . Lino stood no further than ten meters away and could feel the tremble of the earth beneath his feet and even the quaking of the air itself . A clear path opened before him which led directly into the castle itself . Two rows of extremely armed Knights stood at each end, both their arms holding onto ck ymores pointed toward the sky, their postures straight and erect . Not unlike everything else in the strange realm, their armor was also dyed entirely in ck with only crimson sparkle visible where their eyes were -- or should be, at least . A grand weing ceremony seem rather amusing to Lino; he wasn¡¯t courteous and briskly moved forward, passing the Knights without even looking at them . The castle doors were already open, leading him into a massive hall which spread out further at sides with the central point being entirely upied by red-carpeted stairs leading to the upper floor . Lino didn¡¯t dilly-dally and moved up the stairs slowly . The walls around him were decorated by portraits of numerous figures with sharp jaws and fags crossing over their lower lips as well as horned men and women of grayed skin . As Lino began climbing the stairs, candles etched onto the handrails began lighting up in rhythm with his pace, illuminating the hall clearly . As he reached the upper floor the massive chandelier lit up right above him in cold cyan like thenterns outside,pletely extinguishing the darkness which had bathed the castle just a moment ago . Another door appeared before Lino, slowly opening as he approached it . Above it hung a portrait of a young-looking man with rather handsome features that could put many women to shame . He had crimson eyes and a single horn protruding out of his forehead as well as a pair of sharp fangs extending from his mouth . Lino merely nced at it for a moment before proceeding onward, passing through the doors which closed immediately after . "Wee, Honored Guest . " a melodic and soft voice broke the silence as the previously dark room lit up quickly . Lanterns, torches, candles, chandeliers, even gemstones embedded in the walls . . . they all worked in concert to illuminate a rather grandiose-looking hall upheld by dozens of stone pirs that stood at the very edges . Red carpet was unfolded beneath Lino¡¯s feet, stretching forth for nearly two hundred meters and ending just beneath the elevated throne . The throne was extremely mboyant, with hundreds of differently-colored gems shining in brilliant luster throughout its surface . The throne¡¯s st stretched nearly fifty meters into the air, surrounded by two crimson-dyed banners whose surface was decorated with golden threads, their main attraction being a pair of silver fangs on each of the two . The man sitting on the throne fit the scenery rather well as he could simply be defined as ¡¯mboyant¡¯ . A crimson robe etched with the golden threads spilled off the throne and onto the stairs leading up to him, with lustrous vest beneath . The man was a paintinge-to-reality of the portrait hanging outside the hall; he had snow-white hair splitting over his shoulders and onto the crimson robe, with extremely extravagant crown hanging above . It was silver-made with mainly ruby gems adorning its surface, exuding an air ofpleted royalty to all those who would nce at it . However, as Lino never put much thought toward the concept of royalty, of nobility and of such grandeur, it practically had no effect on him . The man smiled faintly as he snapped his fingers tenderly; suddenly arge table appeared before Lino, nearly fifty meters long, filled to brim with various exotic foods and drinks . At each side of the table fifty maids now stood, their heads humbly lowered, eyes closed as they seemed to wait for Lino¡¯smand . "It has been so long since I was graced by the presence of another living," the man spoke out . "Please, allow me to y the role of the gracious host . " " . . . " Lino was truly stunned and at a loss for words; he expected many different reactions, but this certainly wasn¡¯t one of them . He¡¯d already confirmed that all of these things -- including the maids -- were genuine and, perhaps even more confusingly, neither the food nor the drinks were poisoned . "Eh . . . you do realize I came here to fight you, right?" Lino asked as he nced at the man with an odd gaze . "So? A duel is a duel," the man replied nonchntly . "It does not necessitate that we cannot be civil to one another, no?" " . . . I guess . . . not?" Lino mumbled faintly still finding it hard to ept all of this . He fancied himself rather odd, but whenpared to the man in front of him . . . he waspletely and utterly normally average . "This one¡¯s humble name is Erkhaan . May I inquire Sir¡¯s name?" the man asked with some curiosity . "It¡¯s . . . Lyonel . " Lino replied . "Lyonel, is it? I find it rather strange," Erkhaan said, suddenly rubbing his chin . "Your vitality is rather meek, yet I still cannot read a single iota of information about you . I am rather curious . " " . . . " it appeared as though the man truly didn¡¯t care that Lino came here not only to fight him but also to kill him . "You havee rather prepared, though," Erkhaan said with a faint smile as he nced at the scabbard by Lino¡¯s waist . "Even my heart cannot help but cry lowly when Iy my eyes on that wonder . " " . . . thanks . I¡¯m rather proud of it . " Lino said, smiling as well . "Oh? It was you who crafted it? Ha ha, rather impressive! Impressive indeed, human Lyonel! You have piqued my curiosity!" "Should I be honored or terrified?" "I am afraid we will have to skip the pleasantries," Erkhaan spoke as he flicked his fingers yet again, causing the table -- and the food and drinks on top of it -- as well as the maids to vanish just as they had appeared previously . "You stir my blood, Lyonel . It has been a long time since someone managed to do it . " " . . . " Lino remained silent, repeatedly calming his nerves . Though he¡¯d expected it, visualizing it anding face to face with it were twopletely different matters . Just standing before Erkhaan was enough to cause his instincts to scream at him to run away . The sheer amount of heaven-imposing energy that the man exuded simply by being was not something that Lino should be able to contend against just yet . . . yet all the same he had to . "Though I had never before dueled inside my Throne Room," Erkhaan slowly got off the throne, letting the crimson robes slip off and fall down . "Today I shall make an exception . " he extended both his arms sideways whereupon two des -- one crimson and one jet-ck -- appeared . Both exuded fumes of light, leaving behind trails wherever they moved . "Erkhaan Forthwit, Eight of His Name, Heir to the Antras¡¯ Throne and Servant of the Eldritch God Adabbith challenges Lyonel, First of His Name, the Heir of the Chaos, the Vassal of Ataxia, the Apotheosized Empyrean . Shall thee ept?" " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyes flickered in dangerous glint for a moment as his hand reached for the sword within the scabbard, drawing it out . "You know?" "s, the Whispers of the Moon had spoken to me," Erkhaan smiled faintly . "There breaths only a single creature within the expanses of creation which can wake the Slumbering -- the Harbinger of Chaos himself . " "You¡¯ve given me a lot of titles I do not possess," Lino said as he smiled faintly, rising his sword and pointing it at Erkhaan . "But, the duel, I ept nheless . " "Wonderful," Erkhaan said, his lips curling up into a grin, further revealing a pair of fangs . "Let it be known by Eldritch¡¯s Command --- Chaos and Ruin shall contend on this day . " The fight that would leave the mark on the world atrgemenced quickly, without any wasted word . Beyond simply being a fight between two men, it was a fight between two different ideologies . A fight between two concepts that even the bravest of the brave dreaded the mention of -- the Chaos - father of all and any and everything -- and the Ruin - the end of all and any and everything . Chapter 161 Chapter 161 CHAPTER 161 CHAOS AND RUIN (II) The air was dark and brooding, weighing heavily onto the shoulders of those present . It was a brief flicker of silence, of stillness that very few would get to experience in their lives whereupon the whole of the world shuts down, the nature of time copses, the space itself freezes in that momentary lull, the breaths of the living grow dampened, and all matter -- dead or alive -- as if unified begets the discontinuation . Lino had experienced such a feeling a few times over throughout his life, yet it never weighed as heavily as it did at this very moment . He held onto the sword in his hand tightly as droplets of sweat quickly began formting, his mind forcing him to blink repeatedly . The aura around Erkhaan exploded into a zing mass, shifting space freely, its indistinguishable colors visible to the naked eye . On the other hand, Lino held it all in; after all, he was fully a Body Cultivator, while Erkhaan was a mixture of the two . Lino calmed his breathing quickly and forced the Singrity that was seething in his soul to wake from its slumber . Soon enough, a wave upon a wave of Qi stormed every inch of his body causing his muscles and veins to bulge . The time came immediately after; Erkhaan unleashed a massive force which propelled him forth, crashing into Lino within a blink of an eye . Thetter replied instantaneously, rising his sword as to parry the strike . The crash of the two extremes brought about an explosion which resulted in the entire hall scrambling into pieces . The floor was uprooted into huge chunks as the dust sted out, with numerous columns and pirs supporting the hall copsing . The two howeverpletely ignored the destruction of their surroundings; Erkhaan held onto the sword which had shed against Lino and struck with the other one as he used the momentum to bound Lino from the side . Thetter rotated on his pivot foot and raised his leg in a tall arc, crashing it against Erkhaan¡¯s side and sting him like a cannonball through the hall and into the wall . At the same time Lino felt a massive singe of pain assail left side of his chest where Erkhaan managed to slice open a massive wound . Lino stilled the breathing through Qi and shoved a mass of amounts of it into his feet whereupon lightning crackled like a woken beast, further demolishing the already copsed floor . By the time Erkhaan stabilized his body he sensed a torrent of energy swarm over him, forcing him to cross his swords over his chest and defend against a massive sh . Another burst of energy exploded,pletely shattering the outer wall of the hall, exposing the courtyard in front entirely . Ekrhaan flew in an arc through the sky as his lips curled up in a savage grin which was followed by a maniacalughter . A pair of bloody wings spurted out of his back as he used them to diminish the momentum,ing to a halt before he let go of both of his swords which then continued to hover next to his body . He then roared toward the sky and raised his arm up whereupon a massive, sphere-shaped clump of liquid blood appeared, wiggling and sizzling repeatedly . Lino felt immense dangering from the lump and instantly shoved even more Qi into his feet as he switched to the backhand stance . His body trailed almost at the speed of light and quickly caught up to Erkhaan . Thetter smiled once again and brought his arm down . The clump of blood pulsated for a second before thousands of tentacle-shaped, crimsoned arms exploded out, all converging into a wall-thick shield into which Lino crashed . Erkhaan underestimated the sheer force of Lino¡¯s body and was rather shocked to see cracks immediately spread throughout the shield . His wings fluttered once as he immediately backed off -- just in time as the shield exploded into billions of droplets and fragments . A figure of a haggard-looking beggar stormed through and still pressed on toward Erkhaan . Thetter realized he couldn¡¯tpete in the bodily strength or even speed against the beggar-looking man; his advantagesy in the difference of Realms and the fact that Lino couldn¡¯t externalize his Qi, meaning he couldn¡¯t attack from the range . Erkhaan¡¯s wings fluttered yet again as he rose up nearly a whole mile into the sky, spreading his arms wide . Shortly after the space around him distorted as the spinning vortexes began appearing one after another . Entirely ck in color, it didn¡¯t take long before they started spitting out energy which formed into bolt-like, piercing clumps of Devil Qi that then began slithering down onto the ground like rain . Linonded forcibly, creating a mile-wide crater and immediately looked up toward the sky only to see itpletely nketed in ck bolts . Startled, he pushed his Singrity once again to release more Qi, shoving it all into the simple-looking sword . Thetter hummed in a seemingly melodic tune whereupon the inscriptions running across its surface lit up like stars in the golden resplendence . Roaring like a maddened beast, Lino¡¯s feet crackled with lightning yet again as a strange, seemingly empty yet boundless streaks of smoke surfaced from his skin, dyeing him in obscurity . He sted off into the sky, directly into the heart of the rain and began shing his sword which he still held backhandedly . One sh . . . two . . . ten . . . fifty . . . a thousand . . . Within a blink of an eye, he shed out hundreds of thousands of times, triggering the sword¡¯s second special effect: ¡¯Baptism¡¯ . Coral-colored sts of mes, golden streaks of holy light and purely white beams of life itself were unleashed in thousands, illuminating the sky yet again in a mystical and beautiful stream of colors . Two ends met quickly and crashed like two divine beasts, sting apart space itself . Thetter cried out in a ear-piercing screech as the torn bits found it impossible toe back together . Rueful storms were birthed within the sh as winds carrying the air of destruction itself bellowed out into all corners of the small realm . Holes streaking into the limitless void of the universe opened up repeatedly, some asionally unveiling a flickering light of the distant stars for a moment . Lino suffered a massive bacsh as the energy from the chaotic collision sted him back into grounds; he was unable to stabilize his body in time and crashed directly into the earth, sting it open as though it was a mere body of water . The entire cliff upon which the castle loomed copsed into utter ruin and rubble, with a crater covering the entirety of the realm appearing with Lino at its center . His entire body was bleeding profusely, hundred of cuts intersecting, his muscles and bones torn and broken . Yet, he merely howled out like a beast before streams of Qi began repairing his broken body . Not even a secondter and he arose, his image a pure reflection of death itself, two jet-ck eyes seemingly holding the might of the whole universe within them . His quickly located Erkhaan¡¯s figure which was simrly in a sorry state . Both of his wings were clipped and his clothes werepletely ruined, with one of his eyes having been pierced dead . Much like Lino he was bleeding profusely from every corner of his body, yet simrly had insane regenerative abilities thanks to his Vampire bloodline . He was currently donning a serious expression as he had gravely underestimated the Bringer of Chaos; despite the massive difference in Levels, their Qi reserves seemed to actually be about the same . Naturally, Erkhaan was unaware that Lino had already formed a Singrity, something all other cultivators only did muchter on in their path of cultivation . His white hair fluttered madly within the winding storm, his one remaining eye shining in a brilliant light . There was noing back, he realized; from now on, it was a battle of life and death and whatever the two held back beforehand would now be unleashed . As such, Erkhaan didn¡¯t hesitate before he suddenly grasped at one of his swords and sliced one of his arms off immediately at the shoulder . The arm fell off but before it touched the ground it turned into ash that had then turned into a bleak flicker of gray light before vanishing entirely . "Answer my Call, o¡¯ Great One . " he mumbled faintly into his jaw . "Grant this Servant the might to defend Thine Grandeur!" The world suddenly rumbled as Lino¡¯s eyes glinted in dangerous color; he looked up only to see a massive, gray pir of light shuffle through the boundaries of the realm and copse entirely onto Erkhaan . Lino naturally didn¡¯t think someone hade to give him aid and kill off the man, yet found it impossible to even take a step forward in order to at least attempt to prevent whatever was happening . The gray pir¡¯s energy was not something that Lino couldprehend at the moment; he only felt it twice in his Life -- once when he first entered the Realm of the Primal Spirits and the second time when he inherited his first Primal Spirit of Chaos . The aura was ancient, ageless, endless . It seemed as though a mere ounce of it would be enough to copse the entire world unto itself . The pir didn¡¯tst long, at most a few seconds . Yet, as it disappeared, the atmosphere shifted from the previous one . Erkhaan¡¯s one eye turned dimly gray, his entire body billowing out smoke in thick droves which caused space around him to repeatedly distort . Lino felt as though the sense of pressure increased twofold, but he didn¡¯t think Erkhaan himself had grown twice as strong . After all, one¡¯s body could only handle so much -- overexerting it would not lead simply to ¡¯instability¡¯, butplete disintegration . There was no doubt however that Erkhaan had grown far stronger . While ignoring the repeated rms of pain that were screeching at him from all ends, Lino took in a deep breath and lowered his stance, closing his eyes for a moment . Erkhaan¡¯s pupils constricted as he quickly grasped at one of his swords before streaking forward at his maximum speed; rather, it was better to say that he directly teleported in front of Lino as he hadpletely ignored the limits of worldlyws . He immediately struck in a narrow arc as his intention was simply to break Lino¡¯s concentration rather than to inflict any damage . The next moment, however, Lino opened his eyes . Chapter 162 Chapter 162: 162 CHAPTER 162 CHAOS AND RUIN (III) Gray motes of light suddenly began umting near Lino, causing his body to shudder strangely for a moment as his sharp eyes turned dull for a second . His mind capsized and the world around him morphed eerily . Yet, before he had a chance to sink in entirely, the gem embedded into his ne suddenly shone in conjunction to his sword, covering his body in a strangely ethereal, golden light . Within the seething darkness of the world he appeared reverently holy as his eyes regained their sharpness . Erkhaan hadn¡¯t anticipated Lino would free himself of the illusion so quickly, causing him to frown . However, it mattered little; if Lino was so weak as to give into the illusions, he would have never pushed Erkhaan to the point of no return . Although Erkhaan now possessed only a single arm, Lino didn¡¯t dare underestimate him . The energy which had swirled within him had changed considerably, causing Lino to frown and wonder; it felt familiar, almost friendly, yet he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger onto what it was . Erkhaan grasped the sword tightly and held it out, taking brisk and confident steps toward Lino . Thetter -- still enveloped in the holy radiance -- rxed his posture as he once again tried to use the . Erkhaan¡¯s movement and attack had all been an illusion, but thanks to the ne as well as the he was able to free himself quickly . Taking the posture yet again, Lino¡¯s eyes radiated with supreme, archaic light . His body melded into the void around him, causing the space to distort and dance and bend to his whims like a child . Erkhaan, however, smiled faintly and confidently raised his sword before plunging himself forward, causing a massive explosion to froth out where he just stood . Lino weed the challenge and swung his sword in an upward arc as he lowered his posture; Erkhaan came flying above and the two swords shed, though there was no massive explosion -- just a muffled groan . Time slowed and turned chaotic as the dance between the two of them began . Erkhaan vaulted over andnded behind Lino immediately thrusting his sword forward while thetter spun in ce and parried the attack with a swift cut . Seeing his sword was deflected, Erkhaan choose to use the repelling momentum to spin around and kick out in a wide arc at Lino¡¯s head . Thetter raised his free arm and blocked it while trusting the [Moon Beheader] at Erkhaan¡¯s throat . Unlike before, however, the two weren¡¯t moving at the speeds that couldn¡¯t be perceived by any living creature . Rather, they seemed to move in slow motion, as though they had suddenly turned into old cripples with one and a half foot in the graves . Erkhaan bellowed lowly as his cut arm suddenly exploded with gray matter and a tentacle-like extension covered in ck soot exploded, forcing Lino to retract his sword and use it to defend . By now, Lino¡¯s heart was beating profusely as he hade to realize something -- that gray matter that was swirling throughout Erkhaan¡¯s body . . . was reminiscent of his own Qi . Rather, it felt so familiar Lino nearly wanted to kiss it . What startled him even more was the fact that his seemingly had absolutely no influence over Erkhaan . When he was fighting Gustav, thetter couldn¡¯t even understand what was happening; yet, this youthful-looking man before him seemed wholly unaffected, adjusting to all drifts and distortions and battling Lino at his own game . Seeing his attack being blocked, Erkhaan once again groaned, spitting out a mouthful of gray blood as his sword suddenly shimmered in ck . A mere blinkter and a sound of flesh being pierced sounded out within the silence as a stir of crimson blood cried out . Lino grit his teeth and held the groan in his throat as he nced at the massive gash on the right side of his abdomen . The sword seemingly escaped the chains of Lino¡¯s reality and used it against him, immediately attacking before Lino even had the chance to retaliate . With the first drop of blood having been spilled, Lino¡¯s already dark eyes turned even darker as his veins pulsated as though alive . That madness which usually hid within his soul swirled yet again, immediately dispelling all the pain, doubt and fear that had begun festering inside his heart . As though entirely crazed, Lino swapped the [Moon Beheader] into his left hand with a swift motion and used his right one to grasp Erkhaan¡¯s sword directly, preventing him from taking it back . Though the hand began bleeding immediately as that ck energy began corroding his flesh and bones, it seemingly had no impact on Lino who instead grinned like a lunatic . Erkhaan¡¯s heart suddenly jolted as he sensed an insurmountable amount of Qi swell into Lino¡¯s arm which was holding onto the sword; suddenly, thetter¡¯s hand sped further and began making a fist as wails and cries bounded out from within the sword . The sounds of the metal being bent followed and despite Erkhaan¡¯s repeated attempts, he was unable to withdraw the sword, in the end forced to let go of the handle . Almost immediately the sword cried itsst wail and was brought toplete ruin by that arm, turned into ash . Lino ignored the pain and stopped using the , bncing out the reality . As Erkhaan was unprepared, Lino took the chance and rushed forward, slicing horizontally with his sword . Erkhaan barely managed to tilt his head slightly backwards as he felt his chest and chin churn out blood and pain assail his senses . A humongous swath of gray energy once again condensed around his body as he sped backwards, but Lino didn¡¯t want to let him go, chasing after . Rays of brilliant light flew off the Lino¡¯s swords and crashed repeatedly into the barrier Erkhaan formed as resounding explosions returned once again . The whole realm had already begun trembling as it neared its utter destruction . Erkhaan, however pained, couldn¡¯t do anything but put his all into defending against the relentless onught, waiting for Lino to tire out . However, it was fruitless; Lino had already been consumed by the madness, losing his rational thought . His body¡¯s instinct had been shut down and even if he was forced to sack his bones and organs, he did so in order to increase his momentum . Soon, Erkhaan was cornered and a massive, golden arc of fire burst out yet again from the Lino¡¯s sword, copsing Erkhaan¡¯s barrier and engulfing him . Just as he was about to give up, his body jolted as he felt the warm current flow throughout his body . The gray energy dimmed and turned nearly ck as it surged out yet again, extinguishing the mes . Lino, too, suddenly came to a halt against his own will, his mind woken from the madness . Almost immediately he felt ever inch of his body cry out and he barely held back from cursing into the sky, continuously sending droves of Qi to the most damaged areas . "You have chosen a fine seed," Erkhaan spoke, yet it was not his voice; it was a voice far more archaic, far more rusted, far more indifferent and cold . "But that is all he is--a fine seed . Nothing will change . " "Your standards are still quite high, Adabbith . Yet, still not quite high enough . " Lino, too, spoke out yet his voice it wasn¡¯t; it was one of simr ancientness, simr coldness and indifference, aloofness beyond this world . "Indeed: my Vassal has shamed me," the voice spoke out yet again . "Though he is only one of the many . What do you have besides the half-broken boy who cannot even withstand the Matter without the external means?" "Though my Eye had grown dull and old Adabbith, it still reigns supreme over all others," Lino¡¯s counterpart replied . "What I see others cannot; what I understand others will not . Why do you think Yuel trusted me so?" "You still dare utter Her name shamelessly?!" Erkhaan counterpart¡¯s voice turned even colder with a trace of anger that could copse the world unto its feet present . "Indeed, she trusted you with Her whole heart -- yet, what has it brought Her?! Had it not been for you, none of the shameful history would weigh on any of us! If only your ¡¯eye¡¯ wasn¡¯t beset with arrogance, you would have seen what you were doing more clearly!" "Your hate is yet to diminish," the voiceing out of Lino suddenly turned gentler and even warmer . "Have you truly loved her that much?" " . . . we all have," Erkhaan¡¯s voice replied . "Even though you steered her heart astray toward that filthy Angel, we were still willing to listen . To obey . But--" "I . . . have never touched Yuel¡¯s heart," Lino¡¯s voice spoke out with a low sigh . "I have never touched any of your hearts . Since your dawns, all of you had been given free reign over your fates . " "LIES!!!" a massive surge of catastrophic energy bellowed out of Erkhaan yet was easily diminished by a much stronger surge that bellowed out of Lino . "She was Holy!! She was the Chosen!! She would have never submitted to that filth of Her own Will!!" "Whatever you may think of me Adabbith," Lino¡¯s voice suddenly seemed to have aged and turned even more archaic . "I have never desired to drag any of you into my own battles . I have chosen to Defy -- you had not . The only reason Yuel departed on that day was because of Asmodei . The Angels were falling one by one as Gaia began rising the army of the Fallen . The Age of Bnce wasing to an end, and Yuel knew that what followed would result in all races either submitting to Gaia or dying off . In her heart . . . she would never allow either fate to besiege Asmodei . That was her own Will, Adabbith . Her own Heart . If you all love her as much as you im . . . how can you deny everything she fought and died for?" " . . . " there was no reply for a long time, leaving the entire realm to seethe in strange silence . "You could have stopped Her . " "I could have done many things in the past . . . but, whether you believe me or not, I also couldn¡¯t have done many things . Surely, by now, you realized why am I fighting this war, Adabbith . If you hadn¡¯t, you would have long since joined with Gaia . " "You can continue to uphold your high moral ground as much as you want . . . but, what worth is it? You are all alone . There is not a single Titr Bearer that wishes to stand on your side . Devils? They will devour you the moment the opportunity presents itself . The Fiends? They will listen to anyone who feeds them . What force you have to rely on besides that mortal trash? Do you think he can stand against the entire world on his own? Don¡¯t make meugh . " " . . . you have always underestimated my Chosen," Lino¡¯s voice spoke out with strange confidence . "But, it will be different this time around . He will make it . " " . . . your are old," Erkhaan¡¯s voice spoke with a sigh . "You have fought and fought . Come and join us . Let Gaia and others do as they wish . " " . . . you know I can¡¯t do that . " "You really are set on choosing the World over your own Children?" the voice asked with the same traces of anger appearing yet again . " . . . " Lino, however, didn¡¯t reply . "It is so, then . . . " after realizing that the other side wasn¡¯t answering, Erkhaan spoke out with strange loneliness . "We won¡¯t disturb your chosen . If he falls too, we wille to your aid . " "No need," Lino¡¯s voice spoke out thest time . "If he falls, it will signal my own end . Let it be, Adabbith . Another will rise in my stead . " " . . . " " . . . " the two no longer spoke and, a few momentster, their auras retracted back, as though they were never there . Lino and Erkhaan regained controls over their bodies . Thetter sighed as he shook his head while Lino stood with his mouth agape . "You fucker had such awesome kids this whole time and never asked them to help me?!!" Lino held onto his head as he fell onto his knees . "And you--you---oh my god no wonder you fail every time!! You¡¯re too fucking stupid!!" and so Erkhaan quickly learned that this strange-looking beggar was rather unique . His anger and hatred toward the source of everything he was . . . was quite real; he also realized that the Empyrean Writ never stood a chance if all its Bearers were so hateful . s, he didn¡¯t know Lino was an abnormality rather than the norm . Chapter 163 Chapter 163 CHAPTER 163 GENEROSITY Erkhaan stared dubiously at Lino wondering just how had he lost the duel to this man . After all, he now looked like a child throwing tantrum rather than an expert capable of running him over like a boulder . Had his Master not intervened in the end Erkhaan knew he would have most-likely died there and then . Yet, despite it all, he still couldn¡¯t help but admit he couldn¡¯t hold a candle to an Empyrean . "Congrattions on winning the duel . " Erkhaan spoke out as he saw that Lino calmed down and stood up . "Eh? You¡¯re really persistent about the whole duel business," Lino replied simrly confused by Erkhaan¡¯s behavior . "Are you a Knight or something?" "No . " Erkhaan shook his head . "Oh . So you¡¯re just insane . Got it . " "Calling the kettle ck . . . " "Hey, at least I¡¯m not denying I¡¯m insane . " Lino shrugged . "You should . " Erkhaan added . "Why? Insanity is beautiful . " "It really is not . " "Whatever you say, lunatic . " "Are we really going to start calling each other names?" Erkhaan asked, frowning . "What do you mean, oh the crazy one?" "Are you a child?" "You¡¯re a child . An insane child that is . " " . . . . " "I¡¯m just messing with you dude," Lino rolled his eyes at him and sighed, wondering why do people take him so seriously so often . It¡¯s definitely my godly acting . . . "Anyway, could you like scram from here so I can get that fragment or whatever?" " . . . " Erkhaan¡¯s eyebrows twitched at how casually Lino asked him to pretty much move out of his home . "I will, don¡¯t worry . Before that, as a winner of a duel you can ask one thing of me . So long as it¡¯s within my power I¡¯ll do it . " " . . . " Lino truly felt there was something wrong with this man¡¯s head; however, Lino was never the one to shy away from extorting others, especially when they offered so freely . "Alright . Give me ten billion gold coins . " " . . . I-I don¡¯t have them . . . " Erkhaan spoke through gnashed teeth . "Eh? So you¡¯re pretty poor, huh? Alright, whatever . Give me an Origin-tier Martial Art . " "WHY?! YOU CAN¡¯T EVEN LEARN IT!!" "But I can sell it for ten billion gold coins . " Lino shrugged . "Y-YOU WOULD S-SELL O-ORIGIN-TIER . . . FOR . . . FOR . . . " unable to scream anymore, Erkhaan plummeted onto his knees, realizing he had much to learn . " . . . " I-is it my face? My voice? Why is he still taking me so seriously?!! "Dude, hey, dude . Are you alright?" " . . . . " "So I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t have Origin-tier Martial Art," Lino ignored the sobbing Erkhaan and continued his shenanigans . "Can you give me a Kingdom--no an Empire then?" " . . . you can stop messing with him . " the Writ¡¯s voice echoed out inside of Lino¡¯s head; it seemed that even the immortal being had enough of it . "He has a pet . Ask him for it . It will be helpful to you . " " . . . " Lino grinned oddly before coughing for a moment . "Uh, can you give me your pet?" " . . . y-you want Andy?" Erkhaan¡¯s eyes grew twice their size as he stared at Lino . " . . . you named your pet Andy? Hell no . I¡¯d rather eat my own shit . " "How dare you insult Andy?! I challenge you to a duel!" " . . . " Lino was tired . Truly, truly tired . "This is enough, isn¡¯t it?" he mumbled as he looked at the sky, his ego being fed like a fattening goose . "Just give me your pet . " " . . . f-fine . " Erkhaan mumbled through his teeth on the verge of tears, taking out a small, leather-pouch and carefully handing it over to Lino with shaking hands . "Y-you have to promise, alright, promise? You got it? No, you have to swear on your honor--on your everything-- you will treat her well?! Swear!!" " . . . " Lino took the pouch and yfully tossed it around for a moment while looking at Erkhaan¡¯s reaction . "You were saying?" " . . . you¡¯re a disgrace to the name of an Empyrean . " Erkhaan spoke out . "Oh, thank you!! That was my intention!" Lino eximed, smiling . " . . . you¡¯ve no honor, have you?" Erkhaan asked as he finally managed to calm himself down, realizing that Lino was merely having fun . "Honor? What do I need honor for?" Lino asked with a slight grin as he put away the pouch into his void world, deciding to check out this ¡¯pet that would help him¡¯ter on . "The only people who have honor are those who can afford to lose it . Tell me, then, can I ever be a part of that group?" Lino asked back seriously . " . . . even if you seed through some miracle in the end," Erkhaan said . "You would have won nothing but the right to be an empty shell for all eternity . " "Nothing is eternal," Lino said lowly as he looked away from Erkhaan . "And if it is, there¡¯s no point to it . Part of the reason why we fight and strive for all the things we do is because we know we have limited time . If someone told you tomorrow you could never die no matter what, that you would live forever as the strongest existence, there would be nothing left . If I do one day be that," Lino¡¯s eyes veered back onto Erkhaan whose image of Lino shifted somewhat . "I may as well die right here and now . " " . . . then what do you fight for?" Erkhaan asked after a short silence . "It¡¯s clearly not for personal honor and glory, and it certainly is not because you respect the calling of an Empyrean . I highly doubt you are so noble as to desire to save the world from the eternal war . Is it simply for riches?" " . . . you¡¯re selling me short there," Lino said, smiling faintly . "Even I have people I care for, you know?" "I suppose you do . " Erkhaan sighed . " . . . why do you fight?" Lino asked . "For my Master . " Erkhaan replied without hesitation . " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyes shifted for a moment, a trace of disappointment within them . Erkhaan didn¡¯t miss it, causing a frown to emerge on his face . "What?! Are you now going to disrespect my Master?" " . . . no . " Lino shook his head . "I¡¯m well aware of how great a figure your Master is . " "Then what¡¯s with the gaze?" "I¡¯m just disappointed . " Lino said . "That your dreams orbit another . Suddenly . . . winning against you doesn¡¯t seem as grand an achievement . " " . . . we all fight for what we believe . " Erkhaan replied, smiling faintly . "Perhaps you have never believed in someone or something so much that you¡¯d devote yourself to it, but most of us have . You¡¯ll eventuallye to realize that believing in something grants you more strength than you can even imagine . Perhaps you should simply look around . There are those who believe in you -- not as an Empyrean, but as you -- which is why they fight . " " . . . I¡¯m well aware of it . " Lino replied, his shoulders sinking somewhat . "I don¡¯t like that either . " "What? You can¡¯t shoulder a faith of a few of your friends? Are you really that weak?" " . . . I¡¯m not the sort they should put their faith in . " Lino said . "That¡¯s not for you to decide," Erkhaan smiled yet again . "The least you can do is let them know their faith wasn¡¯t for naught, no?" " . . . " "My business here is finished," Erkhaan said, stretching yet immediately groaning out in pain, forcing him to halt his movements for a second . "You really did a number on me . It will take a couple of years to recover to my peak . Oh well . I¡¯m not sure whether we¡¯ll see each other again in the future, but I¡¯ll wish you best of luck nheless . You aren¡¯t as bad as you¡¯re letting others see . Take good care of Andy, though . You hear?! If you do so much as--" "Dude, just get out . " " . . . " Within a blink of an eye, Lino found himself back on the meadow, a small, spherically-shaped object dyed entirely ck with bolts of gray lightning flickering around floating in front of his eyes . He stretched his arm out and casually picked it, his hand immediately assailed with trickling feeling that he barely managed to ignore . [Fragment of a Dimension -- Unique] Level: N/A Components: 1/100 Void Familiarity: +0,0001% Special Effect [1]: ??? Special Effect [2]: ??? Note: A special fragment of a copsed Dimensional Pocket . Gathering enoughponents can be used to forge apletely new Dimensional Pocket . Lino didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it as all this was still far off into the future for him . He merely nced at the stats and stuffed the fragment into the void world; after all, ording to the Writ, he would be using it simply to cross over from one realm to another . He neither had intention nor the reason to ruggedly run around and collect 99 other fragments to create his own Dimensional Pocket . He simply deemed it a waste of time . He also decided to quickly check the ¡¯Andy¡¯ . The Writ wouldn¡¯t have told him the creature would be helpful without a reason, after all . Taking out the pouch from the world, he decided to check its stats as well before summoning out the pet . [Pet Dimensional Pouch -- Void Artifact] Level: 2800 Storage: 1/15 Special Effect [1] -- Can be used to store living creatures for prolonged periods of time . Special Effect [2] -- The pouch can store limited amount of things regardless of their size . Note: A naturally-made Dimensional Pouch that was refined by Void Refiner in order to allow living creatures to be stored . Lino paused and nearly fell on his butt . After all, this was the highest-level item he had seen in his life -- even higher than the spear depicted in the blueprint he found within the ruins of Oreb Kingdom . Level 2800 was such an astronomical number that Lino didn¡¯t even dareprehend it properly . What¡¯s perhaps even more astonishing was that the pouch was a Void Artifact -- meaning it has been built at the very least in the Skyhaven Era . While its effects might seem underwhelming, Lino knew better; after all, even Eggor stood absolutely no chance of creating a Void Item that could store living things even for a breath, let alone for prolonged period of time . Rather, ording to everything Lino learned, there is not a single person in the entire world at the moment with ability to craft a Void Item that can store a living thing . He immediately realized, however, that the differencey in fact that the pouch wasn¡¯t technically a Void Item -- it was a Dimensional Pocket in and of itself, simply refined to such a degree that it turned into an item with the capacity of storing living things . Lino sucked in cold breath but chose against testing it on himself . If he identally got stuck inside the pouch, wouldn¡¯t that be the greatest tragedy ever? "D-did . . . did he know?" Lino mumbled faintly as he felt his hands shaking while holding the pouch . " . . . what do you think?" he could almost imagine the Writ rolling his eyes at the dumb question . In Lino¡¯s heart Erkhaan¡¯s position suddenly skyrocketed; he now loved him almost as much as he loved himself, which was an achievement he firmly believed nobody could ever match up to . "Aaagh!!" he screamed out in frustration . "If I knew that bastard was this generous, I would have asked him to stay in contact . . . fuck, I would have even faked my entire personality to match up his standard!! Aaah, what a miss . . . " Chapter 164 Chapter 164 CHAPTER 164 GRIM Lino was currently dubiously staring at the creature before his eyes that he had summoned from the Dimensional Pouch . The creature was nearly five meters tall and Lino estimated it weighed at least a ton altogether . It had the head of a bird exceptrger, with two round, crimson eyes dancing effortlessly as they took in the surroundings . On top of its head was a goldenb that appeared rather majestic, its neck spilling into a feathered cape dyed beautifully scarlet . At the creature¡¯s sides were a pair of beautiful wings, simrly dyed scarlet, spanning so far out they could nket the sun and provide Lino with perfect shade . The creature had four wed feet -- two at the front and the other two at the back -- that exuded a metallic sheen and three, feathered tails springing out its backside proudly and gracefully . "H-hippogryph?" Lino mumbled as he recognized the creature . It was one of the subspecies of the Pegasus Lineage, a hippogryph . Except, from what Lino read, they shouldn¡¯t be this big . . . and they certainly shouldn¡¯t be as red as blood . . . and they most definitely should have neither the goldenb nor the three tails . Really, only the creature¡¯s head and wings somewhat resembled what he thought hippogryphs looked like . "Caaw-caw!" the creature actually replied to him, nodding its head lightly as it continued looking around, asionally fluttering its wings as though it was stretching after a long sleep . " . . . what the heck?" Lino studied the hippogryph in detail yet, no matter what, at the end of the day it was still a hippogryph, despite the numerous . . . anomalies . "No wonder he didn¡¯t want to part with it," Lino shook his head, smiling faintly . "It¡¯s a mutated species . Most-likely with extremely pure Bloodline . " in reality, however, the main reason Erkhaan didn¡¯t want to part away from his pet was because he enjoyed sleeping against thetter¡¯s feathered body . "Anyway, your name¡¯s Andy, right?" a cold glint suddenly shed through the hippogryph¡¯s eyes causing all of Lino¡¯s hairs to stand up . You idiot!! Because you named him like he¡¯s a harmless worm, now he¡¯s taking it out on me!! "Khm, yeah, that stupid name doesn¡¯t suit a magnificent bastard like you . " "Caw caw!" the creature fervently nodded, that cold glint passing away simrly to all the feelings it had for its previous owner . "How about . . . hmm . . . Crimson Nightmare?" Lino blurted out randomly . "CAW CAW CAAAW!!" the creature rose up to its hind legs and bellowed out into the sky proudly . He seemed to like it . "No, wait, that¡¯s way too long . Imagine if I had to keep calling you that in front of others? Geez, I¡¯d rather you just kill me now . Hmm . . . we gotta keep that crimson somehow . Let¡¯s see . . . crimson . . . crimson . . . huh? Crim-son . . . crim . . . oh, right! How about I call you Grim?" "CAW CAW CAAAAW!!" the creature replied in even greater fervor than before, suddenly barreling at Lino and hugging him with its wings, stroking its head against Lino¡¯s chest while thetter stood frozen in ce . I-it¡¯s probably best I don¡¯t tell him I was making a pun . . . "Hah, good, good! From today onwards I baptize you as Grim!" Lino spoke throughughter as he stroked the creature¡¯s head . "W-woof, woof! Woof!" a familiar bark interrupted the beautiful bonding scene, causing the warmth that Grim was exuding to turn frigid as he dangerously looked at the neer . "C-caw? Caw caw caw!" "Woof woof!" "Caw?" "Woof woof!" Non nodded . "Caw caw caw!!" Grim nodded fervently . " . . . you . . . khm, I must have misheard . Ha ha, after all, there¡¯s no way I can actually understand what you guys are saying . It¡¯s all in my head . All in my head . Yeah, it¡¯s all in my head . " "Caw caw . " "Woof woof . " "No, shut the fuck up! It¡¯s all in my head!! There¡¯s no way you two are blood-rted!!" "Woof woof woof!!" "Caw caw caw!!" yet the two seemed rather certain that Lino definitely understood their conversation properly . " . . . fuck everything . " Lino mumbled faintly as a strange image appeared inside his mind, scarring him for all eternity . It would be a while since he¡¯d befortable with doing this and that again . At the same time he withdrew Grim back into the Pouch, also forcing Non into it . As he had nothing else to do inside the Ancestral Grounds, Lino tailed back toward the entrance . His appearance, however, was more rugged than after he fought Erkhaan . He simply couldn¡¯t shove out that image inside of his head . . . what¡¯s more . . . it began . . . moving . A furred creature . . . mounting . . . "AAAGRRH!!!" he copsed onto his knees as he held his head, tears nearly streaming out of his eyes . He remained so for nearly half an hour, even beginning to shake . "E-eh?! Mr-Mr . Lino, are you okay?! What happened?! Did someone attack you?!" a familiar, melodic voice woke Lino from his stupor . He raised his head and looked sideways only to see Freya -- apanied by several dozen others -- rushing at him, concern written on her face . "A-ah . . . an . . . angel . . . " her concerned expression managed to erase that moving picture . He swore he would make a shrine for her once he had the time . "E-eh? Mr . Lino . . . a-are you alright?" Freya asked as he crouched down, blushing madly as she heard Lino¡¯s words . "Ah, I¡¯m alright . I¡¯m great . " Lino replied, smiling widely as he suddenly patted her . "You . . . you are great . A blessing . Never change . " "A-ah?!" unsure as to what to do, Freya merely stood frozen as she felt the warmth of Lino¡¯s hand on her head . "Right . What are you doing here?" Lino asked as he came back to his senses . "E-eh? We . . . we heard a scream so ran over to see what happened . . . " Freya replied . "Oh? I was that loud? Damn . . . " Lino said as he stood up, stroking his chin . "Maybe I should be a Commander if my voice can get so loud?" " . . . " " . . . " it was also then that the others approached and managed to hear thest of Lino¡¯s mumbling, nearly tripping over nothing and falling down . "Ah, whatever . It¡¯s too much work . What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t even know how to ride a horse . Those bastards are scary . " Lino said, dispelling his brief interest . "Are you headed out?" " . . . y-yeah . " Freya replied meekly . No matter how hard she thought about things, ever since she met Lino she was unable to figure this strange beggar out . "Great! I¡¯m also on my way out!" as though there wasn¡¯t a couple of dozen pairs of eyes staring daggers at him, Lino put his arm around Freya¡¯s shoulder and guided her forward . "Eh, tell me, did one of the guys catch your fancy? I¡¯ve seen quite a few handsome studs in that lineup behind us! He he, you sure don¡¯t hold back! Ah, but even if he must be handsome, you have to choose carefully, alright? Most guys are just wolves ready to pounce on poor sheep and mount---AARRRGH---oh, good, it¡¯s gone . Whooh, almost self-destructed there . . . anyway, as I was saying, you better . . . " All of those who followed behind quickly learned what it meant to have a Tongue of Gods . It had nothing with theplicated and hard-to-learn words, nothing with how eloquent one was in expressing themselves or how one can use words to trick their opponents . It all had to do with someone being able to talk utter nonsense for nearly three hours straight without as much as taking a single break . Jumping from a topic like beautiful surroundings to cow dung within a single sentence shouldn¡¯t be possible -- nor allowed -- yet the beggar by Freya¡¯s side did it . . . more than once . Freya waspletely exhausted by the time they reached the exit; following Lino¡¯s train of thoughts was simply impossible . She could at best pick up on a few questions and answer them to the best of her abilities, but from their conversation whichsted nearly three hours, she at most remembered a few seconds of it . It was just a constant stream of words after words, never-ending torrent of sentences and topics, an overwhelming wave of destruction . Mother . . . sticks and stones truly may break my bones . . . but today I¡¯ve learned words can end up outright killing your will to live . . . The group departed from the Ancestral Grounds in a rather dubious atmosphere and immediately scattered when they reached the tform, afraid they might be the next target of that tongue . However, Lino didn¡¯t pursue them; waiting by the spacial vortex was the same woman he made promise with and her eyes were currently looking at him with expectation, wonder and even a dash of intrigue . After saying a few words to Freya, she sent her off with Elders . Within a few minutes, only the two of them remained standing on the tform . "Did you have fun waiting?" Lino probed, grinning . "You jest, Mr . Lino," Valkyria replied, smiling . "I was merely standing on an ocean of needles . " " . . . " "This isn¡¯t the best ce to converse . Why don¡¯t we move into my chambers?" she spoke out as she waved her hand gently, opening simr -- albeit somewhat smaller and slower -- vortex . " . . . " Lino merely smiled as he stepped through, feeling the space around him warp for a moment before the tform was reced by a rather simple-looking room . There was nothing that spoke ¡¯leader of a n¡¯ around save for a single painting hanging over a bed, depicting a crimson-haired woman as she held onto a strange-looking book . It was only a momentter that Valkyria appeared next to him, her eyes alsonding onto the painting . "She¡¯s our Mother," Valkyria spoke out with reverence and respect well beyond the little she showed to Lino . "Story has it that she had made a deal with a Devil to grant her the power to avenge her husband . After killing her husband¡¯s murderer, the Devil came to collect, and she killed him too . While I¡¯m certain the actual story is most-likely different, it¡¯s quite humbling . " "People selling their souls to avenge the loved ones . . . " Lino mumbled . "The tale as old as mankind itself . " "Indeed," Valkyria nodded . "But, it isn¡¯t only mankind who is averse to it . All races are . " "I imagine . " Lino said, smiling lightly . "Now . . . " Valkyria said, taking a deep breath . "Did you do it?" Chapter 165 Chapter 165 CHAPTER 165 CRIMSON SKY Valkyria stared intently at the beggar-looking youth sitting across from her with eyes of doubt, expectation and worry at the same time . It wasn¡¯t hard to understand why, though; the Dimensional Pocket within the n¡¯s own Ancestral Grounds has been a source of the n¡¯s worry for generations . Nobody who entered it returned alive, and they couldn¡¯t destroy it or move it no matter what they did . The trouble escted especially so recently as the Pocket began spitting out strong and strange beasts one after another, even showing signs of whatever was guarding it wishing to break out . In reality, Erkhaan could have broken out whenever he wished but the price he would have to pay to simply dissolve the Pocket was too high . It was only after Lino defeated him in a duel that he swallowed the bitter pill and left, leaving behind even the Fragment . His losses this time around due to Lino were simply magnitudesrger than what thetter thought . "It¡¯s done . " Lino nodded lightly and smiled, understanding just how big of a deal this was not only to Valkyria but her entire n . "R-Really?!!" she jumped onto her feet and nearly over the table to hug Lino as her eyes shone like brilliant gems . "Y-you¡¯re not fooling me, are you?" " . . . jeez, does everyone really have so little trust in me?" Lino questioned . "So . . . so it¡¯s finally done . . . " she lumped back into her chair and breathed out a breath that seemed to have been corroding her soul for hundreds of years . What surprised Lino even more that she actually managed to increase her cultivation --- jumping from the Peak Imperial to Early Stage Eximious . What the hell?!! Even this is possible?! "Looks like your rewards are bountiful . " Linomented . "Congrattions . " "Ha ha, thank you . I¡¯ve long since hit the bottleneck . . . but due to my restless soul, I was never able to cross it . Thanks to you, now not only do I don¡¯t have to worry about the Pocket, but can further secure my n¡¯s standing in this world . You¡¯ve really been a huge help this time around . " "Ha ha, don¡¯t mention it . No, wait, mention it . I still want my rewards . " Lino quickly corrected himself afraid Valkyria might renegade on her promise . "Tsk, who¡¯s not trusting whom right now?" she clicked her tongue and looked at him with contempt for a moment before fishing out a fingernail-sized piece of stone from her void storage . On the first nce, one might think it¡¯s nothing more than an ordinary pebble, but when Linonded his eyes on it he couldn¡¯t help but let literal drool spill out the corners of his mouth . [Hervan¡¯s Divine Stone] . . . even if one scoured the earth and the sky, only luck would enable them to find even a grain-sized piece . It was by far the most precious treasure Lino had obtained so far -- it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that everythingbined so far couldn¡¯t actually make up the value of that small piece . Lino even expected to receive much smaller one, yet it was actually fingernail-sized . No matter how self-contained he was ordinarily, he nearly jumped at it like a wolf . "It¡¯s . . . i-it¡¯s calling me . . . " Lino slowly extended his hand toward the stone,pletely ignoring Valkyria . "Wow! You really are a smith, aren¡¯t you?" she shed him a smile but didn¡¯t dare y tricks with the stone . She was afraid the beggar would explode and copse her entire n . " . . . aaah, it¡¯s . . . it¡¯s mine . . . " Lino moaned profusely -- causing even Valkyria to blush briefly -- as he held the stone in his hand . He coddled it as though it was his daughter, kissing it gently, rubbing it with both his fingers and against his cheeks . . . Valkyria was simply unable to look at him anymore as she felt the image of a peerless expert she built of him copsing faster than the house of cards . "I know . . . it¡¯s precious . . . but, seriously . . . " she mumbled out . "Precious?! This is god-defying!! I¡¯d have fucked a dog just to get a chance to look at it!" Lino exploded . " . . . " "Khm, thank you . " realizing what he had spoken -- as that mortifying image nearly appeared in his mind yet again -- he quickly shifted the subject . "You¡¯ve no clue how much this means to me . " "Oh, I think I¡¯ve realized a bit . " Valkyria said, looking at him strangely . "Now onto the second part of our promise . How confident are you in being able to enhance our n¡¯s Artifact?" as the time for games and jokes was over, her tone shifted abruptly . n¡¯s Artifact was its bloodline -- there was simply no room for humor there . " . . . eighty percent . " Lino replied honestly after a short thought . This was something he calcted over and over as he thought about just how strong n¡¯s Artifact was; even if it was only slightly stronger than what he expected, his chances would drop down to measly thirty percent . " . . . eighty, huh?" Valkyria mumbled, entering deep thought . Even though it was probably more than any other smith on the entire continent could guarantee . . . it was still not a certainty . Should anything go wrong with the process, damaging the Artifact, the repercussions would be such that Valkyria shuddered at the mere thought of it . "I won¡¯t cheat you," Lino said as he saw the struggle in her eyes . "I can with a guarantee promise I won¡¯t damage the Artifact . However, in addition, should I fail I¡¯ll gift you this . " he took the rather simple-looking sword from his void world and put in the table, unlocking its stats . When Valkyria looked at it, she couldn¡¯t help but draw in a cold breath . This was a Legacy-level treasure!! Even if one looked for it for their entire lifetime, they¡¯d be lucky enough to hear a rumor about it let alone actually see it! "Alright . " Valkyria immediately nodded . "Follow me . Of course, I trust your discretion . " "Don¡¯t worry," Lino smiled faintly . "I swear an Oath of Soul to never speak of the Kvalend Tribe¡¯s Defensive Artifact to another soul -- living or dead -- lest I die immediately after . " " . . . " Valkyria stared at him for a moment, shocked; very few people in the world were willing to even swear an Oath of Heart, and those willing to swear an Oath of Soul could be counted barely in double digits . "You really are a strange beggar, aren¡¯t you?" she shed him a brilliant smile before opening up another vortex and leading Lino inside . As he put the foot inside a massive hall, Lino felt a massive pressure descend upon him . This wasn¡¯t a pressure of difference in realms or strength, but a primal pressure of Heaven itself . After all, Defensive Artifacts weren¡¯t products of any one¡¯s hands -- they were creations of Nature itself,ption of entire n¡¯s Wills into a singrity from which the Artifact is birthed . Lino quickly located the source of the pressure; it hovered above a beautiful, hand-carved tform . Its bottom end over fifty meters in diameter, it blossomed out into a flower-like shape of swords toward the end, opening up a clearing . At the very heart of that clearing, a blob of crimson danced around like a body of water, asionally trembling and shaking . The Artifact hovering before him was miles stronger than the one he destroyed previously; after all, Su n didn¡¯t even have a single Exalted, nor did they have a history as long and as prosperous as Kvalend¡¯s . Artifact wasn¡¯t nurtured through materials and resources, but through the n¡¯s prosperity, and Su n and Kvalend Tribe stood miles apart from one another . "This is my n¡¯s Defensive Artifact," Valkyria spoke with absolute reverence and awe as well as pride in her voice . "Crimson Sky . " Lino nodded lightly, wholly understanding of the pride . After all, the more imposing the Defensive Artifact was, the more prosperous the n was . It was a game of mirrors, a symbiotic rtionship thatsted till one end died . If the n died, so would the Artifact . There was simply no way to steal a Defensive Artifact of another n . Simrly, if the Artifact was destroyed . . . the n would cease to exist . No amount of struggles and strength would ever allow them to create another one . That is why Su n was doomed to eternal demise . Even though they still had numerous members alive and could easily increase in number, they would never be recognized as a form of unity by the world itself . At best, they would be a n in name . But a n without a Defensive Artifact was like a self-proimed Noble . " . . . it has already reached a Second Awakening . " Lino sighed, marveling at it . His chance of sess immediately dropped down to forty percent . "You¡¯ve really surpassed my expectations, Matriarch Valkyria . " " . . . as you have mine . " Valkyria looked at him in shock . "Nobody besides me in the entire n knows that the Artifact had recently underwent its Second Awakening . How did you know?" " . . . it spoke to me . " Lino said with a solemn expression . "Its heart resonated with mine . " " . . . " more so thank shock, what Valkyria felt at the moment wasplete befuddlement . Even she was lucky to only once experience the synchronization to a such a degree between her and the Artifact . Yet, this beggar had merely been here for a few seconds and he¡¯d already experienced it . Not only that, the Artifact even spoke to him . What the hell?! Is he the leader of the n or am I?! "Ha ha, don¡¯t stare at me like that," Linoughed for a moment as he looked at her . "Rather than with me, it¡¯s probably better to say that it resonated with my mes . After all, its sentience is like child¡¯s after the Second Awakening and it understands the concept of evolution beyond simple, instinctual desire . It realized it had a chance of it because of my mes . " " . . . mes?" what Valkyria didn¡¯t know, though, that the Artifact didn¡¯t reply to Lino¡¯s standard me -- Level 85 one -- but rather his recently acquired Void me, Level 465 [Lunar Scorch] . Haii, you¡¯re quite greedy, Lino smirked as he focused on the Artifact for a moment . Looks like I¡¯ll have to trouble that bastard once again . . . "It would go a long way to securing my help if you stopped calling me a bastard . " the Writ¡¯s voice resonated inside Lino¡¯s head . Instead of replying, he focused his eyes to determine the Artifact¡¯s stats . After all, only through aplete understanding would he even stand a chance of upgrading it . [Crimson Sky -- Defensive Artifact] Level: N/A Damage: N/A +100% to Cultivation Speed of all members of Kvalend Bloodline +300% to Cultivation Speed of all members of Purified Bloodline +1000% to Battle Attributes of all members of Kvalend Bloodline when defending n¡¯s Tribal Grounds Form of Ceaseless Sky -- Enrobe the World in Crimson,mence Rain of Blood, inflict Sanguine Curse, decrease Vitality Form of Haunted Heavens -- Devour the World in Darkness,mence the Illusion of Dread, inflict Terror Curse, decrease Sanity Form of Consumed Firmament -- Devour the World in Agony,mence the Baptism of Anguish, inflict Curse of Throes, decrease Will Vault of Heaven -- Devour the World in Hell,mence the Infernal Baptism, inflict Demonic Curse, decrease Soul Celestial Sphere -- Devour the World in Loss,mence the Baptism of Death, inflict Wailing Curse, decrease Heart Final Form -- Crimson Sky -- Devour the World in End,mence the Baptism of Sacrifice, inflict Acquiescence Curse, decrease Heart, Soul, Will, Sanity, Vitality Chapter 166 Chapter 166 CHAPTER 166 WINDS OF CHANGE While Lino was tinkering with his mind trying to figure out how to go about evolving and upgrading an Defensive Artifact, the world atrge was experiencing a massive change, one unseen in the current half of the Warring Era . Even though the Holy Continent has been wrapped in one or more wars at any point in time throughout the era, they were mostly isted battles . Now, however, it has changed . In the past ten years or so the number of invasions by Devils has increased to the point that they were impossible to ignore . The battles also usually involved tens of millions of people and millions of casualties . Such a loss couldn¡¯t even be easily ignored by the world¡¯srgest and most popted continent . Currently, in one of the forbidden areas of the Holy Continent known simply as ¡¯Dreaded Road¡¯, dark and cold winds blew horrifically . The entire stretch ofnd which went on for hundreds of miles was simply a barren ghosnd, bereft of any life but withered trees and rotting skeletons which ranged anywhere from a few meters in size to thousands of meters . Atop one of the rare teaus of the Dreaded Road, which oversaw arge swath of the deadnd, two figures could be seen . One was currently lying broken and bleeding on the floor, disfigured beyond the point of recognition; a face of the old man was currently wreathed in crimson tears while every single one of his limbsy separated from his body . He barely had a breadth of life in him, yet even so what terrified him far more than death itself was the youth before him . The youth had a rather handsome -- yet eerie -- appearance . He had short, ck hair and eyes and snow-white skin, slender in build and averagely tall . He also wore a ck coat and boots and a casual nce at the youth would lead one to believe it was simply an ordinary, slightly sickly young man . Yet the elder currently lying an inch away from death had learned a hard way that the youth in front of him was far more terrifying than anything else throughout the stretch of the Dreaded Road . After all, he was one of the Elders of one of the Holy Grounds -- Eternal Paradise Sect -- and was Level 1368, titr Void Realm expert that the entire continent knew as the Thousand Illusions . Still, despite his near inexhaustible strength and trickery, he barelysted a few breaths against the youth currently crouching next to him . No, to quantify it within the limits of time would render his defeat useless, for time was a stretch of extremes, both of which he got to experience in his brief encounter with the youth . "I--I swear . . . I swear . . . " the old man mumbled meekly yet again . "I don¡¯t know . . . I don¡¯t know anything about an Empyrean emerging . . . just . . . just kill me . . . please . . . " the old man begged, unable to show an iota of arrogance someone of his standing would usually have . "How can you not know?!" the ck-haired youth exploded and suddenly stabbed a finger in the old man¡¯s remaining healthy eye, causing thetter to scream out in pain . "It has been ten years since His Majesty has awoken!! Do you really take me for a fool, old fart?! Ten years and not a single Holy Ground -- nay, not a single Bearer -- has managed to even catch a whiff of His scent?!" "I--I SWEAR!!" the old man screamed with what little energy he had remaining . "Although we-we know he¡¯s awakened . . . we . . . we are unable to locate him . . . " "Tsk, useless shit," finally growing tired of listening to the same old information, the youth merely swiped his finger over the old man¡¯s throat, instantly killing him . The youth remained crouching for a moment before getting up, cracking his neck once or twice in the process . "Your Majesty . . . he he, no matter how hard you hide, I¡¯ll find you . You¡¯ve promised me . . . promised . . . " the youth spoke into the wind with ted expression . "We would sow Chaos where Order is revered! Together!! Aaah . . . " ** Beyond the limit of what an eye could see, beyond the stretch of rainy clouds themselves, in the vast expanse of heaven, a simple pce hovered amidst the stars . It was neitherrge nor extravagant, yet despite its simplicity it had imposing attitude of the Ancient . It seemed as though not even the crack of Heaven¡¯s Lightning could squash it . Not even the long-forgotten gods could destroy it . Within one of its small rooms decorated merely with a praying mat and nothing else, an old looking-man wearing nothing but a simple cotton pants was currently sitting cross-legged . The man himself appeared even older and more defiant than the entire pce itself, as though he was its heart and soul . Suddenly, the space in front of the old man tore open as a figure walked through . It was another old man, albeit far less imposing . Thetter immediately knelt down and lowered his head, his entire body shaking . " . . . seeing as you¡¯vee to me," the old man¡¯s eyes opened by an inch as he nced at the kneeling figure before him . Yet, even so, thetter suddenly felt the pressure of the entire universe descend upon his back, making it impossible to breathe . Luckily, the figure before him closed his eyes a momentter . "The Empyrean has entered the stage?" " . . . n-no," the kneeling man replied meekly . "M-much . . . worse . . . " "Much worse?" a tremor ran through the space, one which sent the kneeling man barreling backward into the wall, sound of the breaking bones echoing out . Yet the man didn¡¯t dare cry out in pain, enduring to the best of his abilities . He knew that the figure before him had no intention of harming him . "What could be much worse?" "T-The Devils . . . R-realm War . . . " the old man barely squeezed through his teeth . "A Realm War? Has the old Jailer gone insane atst? Interesting . . . " a faint trace of a smile appeared on the old man¡¯s wrinkled face . "Looks like he truly wishes to go against the Mother this time around . However . . . has he already forgotten his sorry figure at the end of thest Realm War? Ha ha . . . very well . You can leave . " "Y-yes . . . " ** Deep within the reaches of the earth itself, well beyond the eyes of even the world¡¯s greatest experts,y a pavilion . It was neitherrge nor small, made of white jade stone, standing surrounded by the world¡¯s most beautiful and rarest herbs, trees and critters . Nearby arge body of water swirled and surged asionally, entirely colorless like a child¡¯s tear, yet its bottom still entirely invisible as though endless . Within the pavilion three figures sat around a small table, all three of them cross-legged; two of the three looked to be in their forties, eachplete opposites of one another . The figure on the left had a stalwart build and squared jaw which, in conjunction with short, crimson hair and eyes, made him appear rather imposing . Yet, even so, not an iota of life force could be detected within or without the man, rendering him both dead and alive at the same time . The man sitting opposite of him, however, was of a slender build, with sleek jaw and eyebrows and azure-colored eyes . His hair was starkly golden and long and unlike the man sitting opposite of him his life force was so exuberant that it shook the space around him involuntarily . The two were currently ying a game of chess; though there was nothing strange about that in and of itself, the strange part that the game has been going on for eighteen thousand years . . . and neither of the two had gotten up even for a second throughout the whole ordeal . The man sitting in-between the two appeared much older . He was far thinner than the slender-looking man, yet had far greater life force bursting out from his soul . At the same time, though, he appeared even more lifeless than the stalwart-looking man . The old man suddenly opened his eyes and looked up for a brief moment before his lips curled up in a faint smile . "You two ought to finish up rather soon . " he spoke slowly and briskly, as though every word of his could shatter the world around him . " . . . hm?" the stalwart-looking man looked at the old one with a frown on his face . It was his turn and he was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts after nearly six hundred years . It would take a long time to retrace back his thoughts . "Old man, I¡¯ll rip your guts out . " "That young boy Ethwart has run into the Old One . " the old man said with a chuckle, ignoring the threat . "Oh?" the slender-looking man eximed in a soft surprise . "No wonder old Jailer is running rampart recently going as far as to beg us not to intervene just yet . " "Ho ho, it¡¯s about time!" the stalwart-looking man suddenly punched the chessboard thereby ending the ny-eight longest match between the two of them with a resolute draw . Though he knew he would have lost . "Tsk . Cheeky bastard . " "It¡¯ll soon be our time to step onto the stage again, huh?" the stalwart-looking manpletely ignored thement, speaking out with a solemn tone . " . . . it¡¯s toote," the old man spoke out, sighing lightly and shaking his head . "A little Empyrean youngling can hardly do much by now . The best time would have been with the Eshen girl . Ah . . . such a shame . . . " "Heh, not necessarily," the slender-looking manmented with a faint smile . "The little one is rather peculiar . . . and it looks like Ataxia has decided topletely devout himself to the boy . Chances are, if the boy bes Titr . . . Ataxia will simply surrender himself over . " " . . . wouldn¡¯t that be a sight?" the stalwart-looking man spoke out with a grin . "A little human boy bing the Beholder of Chaos . Ah, how the Heavens would weep . . . " "Weren¡¯t you also a little human boy at the start?" the stalwart-looking man rolled his eyes as he asked . "He he, I was quite tall, though . " "I remember specifically that you were not . " "You remember wrong . Ah, you¡¯ve already grown so old . . . a little longer and you would catch up to Shin . . . " "How about I speed up your aging as well, ha ha ha? After all, we can¡¯t have yougging behind . " "Ah, I¡¯d rather you don¡¯t . I quite like my young looks, you know?" "Alright, stop it you two," the old man sighed yet again . "It¡¯s too early to specte . We¡¯ll know more once the youth joins the Great Descent . Though his character indeed is a bit interesting . " " . . . leave it to Ataxia to always find the most fascinating ones . . . " the slender-looking man spoke out . "If the other Writs had tenth of his vision, this war would have long since ended . . . " "For once, I agree with you . . . " "There has been quite a lot of ¡¯for once¡¯s . You really are growing senile . . . " "Let¡¯s do something about that aging process of yours after all . " "I¡¯d really rather you don¡¯t though . . . " Chapter 167 Chapter 167 CHAPTER 167 AS THE HEAVENS ROLL ONWARD Lino was currently holding onto the Defensive Artifact gently, asionally stroking its surface . The actual shape of the Artifact was that of a t, smooth mirror with tinges of crimson-dyed liquid dancing within it . Though the Artifact appeared rather weak and quick to break beneath his fingers, Lino knew that even if he exerted all of his strength he wouldn¡¯t even be able to leave a crack let alone actually destroy it . He had many things to consider beyond just how to help the Artifact evolve; he alone couldn¡¯t control the [Lunar Scorch] . If he attempted it he knew it would devour him whole . Although the Writ had said that it would help him, Lino wouldn¡¯t easily use it because on the off chance someone discovered the traces of Chaos around him . . . he¡¯d be screwed . Valkyria wasn¡¯t his friend, and neither was she his ally . She was a passerby with whom he got identally acquainted and made a deal . As a Matriarch of a rather old n, there was no doubt that she was informed of at least what the Empyrean Writ is and how to detect it should shee across it . Even if she swore an Oath of Soul like he did, it would be rather easy for someone experienced in Soul Arts to absolve it -- and the Holy Continent hardlycked such personnel . He had initially nned on using his Level 85 me to only do some minor modifications as casting a whole newyer onto the Defensive Artifact was simply impossible even for Eggor let alone him . However, now that the Artifact has discovered the slumbering me within him it was certain he would be unable to use any other except the [Lunar Scorch] . He was even tempted to go back on his promise, or even simply return the Divine Stone to Valkyria . Yet, how often would he get a chance to actually work with a Defensive Artifact as a cksmith? He¡¯d long since hit a bottleneck -- especially when it came to arrays and runes -- that couldn¡¯t easily be broken . If he had the opportunity to tinker with the wonder of Nature itself he had absolute certainty of crossing over the massive gorge . " . . . how is it?" Valkyria asked after she watched Lino inspect the Artifact for nearly half an hour . "Hmm . . . it¡¯s possible . " Lino replied absentmindedly . He, naturally, couldn¡¯t ask Valkyria to leave; there was a higher chance of world ending right this very second than that happening . "I¡¯m, however, baffled by a problem . " "What is it?" Valkyria asked, curious . " . . . I¡¯m afraid rather unpleasant ending awaits me if I unveil my secrets in front of you . " Lino smiled bitterly as he nced at her for a moment . "I won¡¯t ask for much, just a promise . " " . . . a promise?" Valkyria was growing even more curious . "Do and say what you wish about me," Lino said . "But don¡¯t mention or do anything to those who followed me here . " "I don¡¯t understand?" "You will . Just promise me . " "I promise . " though confused, Valkyria still nodded . "I¡¯ll hold you onto that word . " Lino took in a deep breath as he held the Artifact in his left hand, extending the other further out . A somewhat improvised smithy suddenly appeared before him with several tools that he¡¯d need . He ced the Artifact onto the anvil and took out the piece of the Divine Stone before using Qi to shave away a small portion . That alone took him nearly an hour and by the end of it he found himself doused in sweat . He¡¯d expended as much Qi as he would if he had crafted for four days straight, array iying included . It¡¯s as hard as the legends say . . . the only reason Lino was able to cut it in the first ce was because the stone wasn¡¯tpletely pure, hence the connections between the stone¡¯s molecules had weakened . Otherwise, even if he¡¯d expended his entire lifetime he would have been unable to shave even a small sand-sized grain . He portioned a part of his consciousness to observe Valkyria; if even for a second she showed signs of doing anything, he was ready to rush over . He had no ns on killing her, though; after all, he¡¯d put himself into this conundrum by miscalcting . No . . . Gustav was the same . . . I can¡¯t be that hypocritical . At least not anymore . . . After splitting up the stone he put his piece away into the void world before focusing on the remaining one . He had no choice; all he nned was simply to iy the Divine Stone over the Artifact¡¯s surface in an array-shaped pattern . He took another deep breath and calmed himself before his right hand suddenly zed out . [Lunar Scorch] was a one of the numerous variations of [Lunar me] . Though it referenced the moon, the me itself was hardly linked to it; it was named such due to its silver hue and rather chilly, almost ghastly sound . On one hand Lino could feel the chill of the me trying to permeate into his soul, yet the sensation dulled shortly after as he felt even a greater one . Chaos -- within the books Lino has read -- was always referenced as unbridled, destructive and world-ending . Very few attached it the title of the ¡¯beginner¡¯ -- the source of all matter within the world . Even Gaia herself was birthed from the Chaos . What many misunderstood -- as had Lino in the past -- was that the Writ wasn¡¯t the embodiment of Chaos; no, like all other things, it was merely its product . The differencey in the fact that the Writ retained the properties of Chaos entirely while others either discarded it or modified it . Lino was exposed to the feeling he was currently experiencing only once -- when he epted the Primal Spirit of Chaos . Even though the Chaos sprawled out from within his very own Soul to coat the me and calm it, it hardly mattered; he was ill-equipped to deal with the pressure . If it weren¡¯t for the Writ who repeatedly blocked the Chaos¡¯ influence on Lino¡¯s mind, thetter would have long since gonepletely numb -- not even insane or mad or crazed, just numb . He would have returned to the Origin . Lino slowly watched the silver me melt away at the stone bit by bit as it formed into a small, glistening droplet of liquid . It was horrifyingly beautiful though Lino could hardly afford to admire it; like a moon it hung midair, growing slightly bigger every second, yet never growingrger than half a fingernail . Even so, the dense concentration of Qi within its core left Lino stunned . He¡¯d never experienced such dense manifestation of Qi to the point it visualized into a spectacrly small singrity within the droplet . He hurriedly ran over to the anvil and pinned the Artifact to the stone with his free arm before slowly using everyst inch of his mental fortitude to bring the droplet down and use the faint connection he established with it to carve out thinly veiled pattern across the Artifact¡¯s surface . It was arduous process and he was even forced to stop paying attention to Valkyria; whether she was admiring his skills or shaking in terror over who he was he couldn¡¯t say . It was a simr situation to when he was in the Ruins; he could hardly care less if she told the whole world if he was alone, but he wasn¡¯t . Forget merely Lucky or Felix, chances are that the entire Western Continent would be purged just in case Lino formed a secret sect or something . He banked on Valkyria also being aware of that -- of being unwilling to sacrifice her own n for a distant concept that had never done anything for her . However, he finally understood why the Writ always warned him that he would end up alone . It hardly had to do with his personality or strength . Even if he had to be so guarded here, what about the Central Continent? He¡¯d practically have to kill every person he ever showed his powers to . He also faintly understood why every one of the Empyreans he¡¯de in contact with so far boomed with murderous aura . Why their very souls seemed to have been stained red and ck . However, now was not the time to think about it; dispelling the thoughts, he shifted his entire focus onto the Artifact beneath his fingers . Should something go awry . . . even if he sold himself off as a ve for all eternity he would be unable to make it up to her . Inch by inch Lino slowly carved a repeated, circr pattern over the Artifact¡¯s surface; rather, it wasn¡¯t really ¡¯carving¡¯ . It was more akin to tracing over with a permanent brush more so than carving . Even so, just the concentration required burned his mind like fire, to say nothing of the exuberant Qi mass . An hour . . . two . . . ten . . . soon enough, nearly a whole day had passed since Lino begun . It was also then that he finally traced thest line, immediately copsing backwards, panting as though he¡¯d just ran around the world twice over . He was as wet as though he¡¯d just left a bath, as tired as he¡¯d even been in his life, as hateful of himself as he was the day he epted the Writ . He¡¯d gone well and beyond his capacity and capabilities and part of the reason was because he wanted to show off . I really need to reign in this part of me . . . sigh . . . right, Valkyria! Lino immediately sprinted onto his feet and looked sideways to where Valkyria stood . She was still standing there, having not moved even an inch from her spot, her eyes doused inplex array of emotions as she looked at him . " . . . I bet you¡¯ve never made a heavier promise in your life, have you?" Lino asked through his hurried breathing, grinning . " . . . I really haven¡¯t . " Valkyria smiled faintly . "Now, I finally get to fulfill my Ancestor¡¯s greatest desire . " "Eh?" Lino eximed softly, confused . "Valkyria Kvalend, Fourth of Her Name, Matriarch of the Kvalend Tribe, Descendant of the Antoan Oreb greets You . " she suddenly knelt on one knee and bowed her head down, startling Lino to the point he began believing he¡¯d exhausted himself to death and was now living in a brief dream before shutting down . "Wee home, Your Majesty . " Chapter 168 Chapter 168 CHAPTER 168 AN ENDLESS ODYSSEY Lino stood frozen in ce, gobsmacked into silence, confusion and outright madness . He certainly expected many things to happen and he¡¯d nned for all of them, yet not even once did he imagine Valkyria would suddenly kneel in front of him and call him ¡¯Your Majesty¡¯ . He was many things, Lino admitted, but King was not one of them -- of that he was certain . "Good god I need a drink . . . " he mumbled after almost five minutes of tepid silence, taking out an entire gourd of mead before blowing through it in a single breath . As it wasn¡¯t enough, he took yet another one out and began drinking it without any reservation . "Get up!! What the hell are you doing?!" he eximed when he realized she was still kneeling . "Thank You, Your Majesty . " Valkyria spoke out humbly, keeping her head low, as she got up . "Alright, you need to end this majesty crap . " Lino spoke sternly . "And the hell are you staring at floor for? Is it more interesting than me?" "I-- I can¡¯t . " she said softly . " . . . I . . . order you?" Lino gave it a shot . " . . . " Valkyria slowly raised her head and looked him into the eyes for a brief moment before averting her gaze sideways . "Well, this certainly isn¡¯t how I imagined the end of this story . . . " Lino mumbled with a sigh as he continued drinking before fishing out yet another gourd . A sweet taste of mead had already soured his throat yet he couldn¡¯t care less at the moment . "Let¡¯s go back . You can check the Artifactter . " "Yes, Your Majesty . " "If you call me that one more time I¡¯ll rip your heart out . " " . . . a-alright . " Valkyria said meekly, flicking her fingers twice before opening up yet another vortex through which the two of them walked . They found themselves back in the Valkyria¡¯s room whereupon Lino immediately sat on a chair afraid he just might faint . "Speak . " Lino said . " . . . about what?" Valkyria asked, still standing in front of him, seemingly afraid to move an inch . " . . . I think I¡¯ve finally figured out why all those Kings go mad," Linomented . "They get so pissed off their minds literally stop functioning and they decide to just kill everyone . " "Your---uh, I mean, Lino?" "Just sit down and exin . " "Oh . Alright . " Valkyria nodded and sat opposite of him . "Forgive me . . . I¡¯m having a hard time controlling my emotions at the moment . " " . . . " Lino refused to make ament and merely continued to listen . "As I¡¯ve said previously, I¡¯m a descendant of the Main Lineage of the Antoan Oreb, or rather Maria Oreb, the woman depicted in that portrait . " she pointed at the picture hanging on the other end of the wall . "To be more specific, the entire Tribe is a branch family of the original founders of the Oreb Kingdom . " she took a deep breath before continuing . "The original tale of her ¡¯making a deal with the devil¡¯ to avenge her husband is based on the actual story," she exined . "At the time, Maria and Antoan were merely just a part of one of the many Chiefdoms that dominated the Demonic Battlefield . During one of the battles, her husband was killed which is when she identally ran into a young man and asked him to avenge her husband . That young man was -- as you¡¯ve most-likely guessed -- an Empyrean, Ion Kwall . Rather than just avenging, he helped Maria¡¯s Tribe unify over thirty nearby Chiefdoms into a Kingdom whose first Queen became Maria herself, hence naming the Kingdom as she did -- Oreb Kingdom . " " . . . " You still hid so much from me . . . huh . . . Lino almost wanted to curse out at the Writ but chose to still remain silent and listen while drinking . "She also appointed Ion as the Guardian of the Kingdom and gave the Empyreans their future home . " Valkyria exined . "After her death, her descendants reclined into the shadows and remained rtively quiet for the remainder of the Kingdom¡¯s days, mainly focusing on searching for the future Empyreans and helping them reach the Oreb Kingdom . They also fanned the mes of awe and respect the citizens felt toward the Empyreans, which they themselves had long since adapted . Since then they hadn¡¯t served the numerous Kings of the Kingdom, but the concurrent Empyrean until the Kingdom fell and my Ancestors fled . We resettled this part muchter in hopes of eventually finding another Empyrean and returning to our Origin . " " . . . " Lino stared at Valkyria¡¯s shining eyes which stared right back at him with reverence he recognized; he¡¯d seen it in those statues . . . in those murals . . . in those sculptures and carvings . . . it made his soul and heart stir with ufortable guilt, with desire to flee and run and hide . "¡¯s that so?" he mumbled faintly as he looked away, unable to hold her gaze, drinking . "History really is an endless odyssey of twists and turns, huh?" "It really is," Valkyria said, smiling widely . "To think I of all my Ancestors would be graced with Your presence . " " . . . why do you seem so genuinely fanatic about me?" Lino asked abruptly . "Huh?" "I¡¯m not your majesty Valkyria, and neither I am your savior . I didn¡¯t help you with anything beyond just simple removal of the Dimensional Pocket . While I would understand your gratitude, I have a feeling your idea of me goes well beyond that . " " . . . you are the reason I am here, Your Majesty," Valkyria spoke humbly . "Without you, the Oreb Kingdom wouldn¡¯t have existed . " " . . . I¡¯m not the Empyrean Writ, Valkyria," Lino retorted . "I¡¯m just . . . me . Just a beggar-looking idiot who asionally makes perverted jokes . " " . . . You are still denying it?" Valkyria asked . "What¡¯s wrong with that?" Lino asked, smiling lightly . "I don¡¯t want to exclusively be remembered as just another Empyrean in an eternal cycle of ¡¯em . What¡¯s wrong with wanting to be remembered and known as Lyonel Qa¡¯yi rather than just another Empyrean?" "You misunderstand," Valkyria chuckled faintly . "I don¡¯t respect you because of something as vague as the Writ and your connection to the past Empyreans . I respect you because of what that title says of your character . Far and wide, however different they were, Empyreans always shared the same, core values Lyonel . And I can already tell you¡¯re hardly different . To stand lonesome against the world . . . and bear your heart out to them . . . who else can do that?" "Hah, you¡¯re the same too," Lino chuckled faintly, taking a sip of now bitter mead . "You¡¯ve romanticized the idea of an Empyrean far too much, Valkyria . We are not lonesome, brooding heroes standing tall in the midst of the destructive waves of the world . We aren¡¯t the saviors upholding the heavens nor are we the titans shouldering the burden of salvation . Well, at the very least I¡¯m not like that . Do you know I nned on killing you should you have had any intention of outing me?" "You had every right to . " Valkyria said . " . . . no, I really didn¡¯t . I killed Gustav for that reason, and I settled my heart with the same excuse," Lino said . "But . . . what¡¯s it matter in the end? I can make up stories in my mind that excuse all my shorings, but it¡¯s irrelevant . And, truth be told, I don¡¯t want to be the lonesome symbol," he added smiling meekly . "Loneliness is cold, Valkyria . It¡¯s emotionless, frigid, daunting, worthless . . . empty . I can¡¯t say with certainty what it is exactly you believe me to be, but I can say with certainty I¡¯m wholly undeserving of your reverence . " " . . . forgive me . I haven¡¯t realized Your chest felt so heavy . " Valkyria said as she lowered her head yet again . " . . . whenever I visit a big town or a city," Lino spoke out after short silence . "My favorite thing to do is to just . . . walk around . Look . Observe . And I always end up feeling the same envy, the same jealously, the same resentment toward the people living there . For all my strength and knowledge, I envy their weakness and ignorance . I wish I could be like them . Live a few somewhat peaceful decades of life and drift away into the annals of history to forever be forgotten . I, too, want to have family . . . to have friends . . . to have people who woulde to my funeral and perhaps sing a song or two in my name . Yet, chances are the world will have forgotten me all the same as it forgets an ordinary farmer, despite all my struggles, battles and ¡¯heroic¡¯ dreams . It¡¯s gravely unfair . " " . . . it is," Valkyria assented . "But, you still continue your journey . If you hate it that much . . . why?" " . . . why?" Lino nced at her and smiled faintly . "I¡¯m thirsty . " "Thirsty?" Valkyria asked, confused . "Thirsty for knowledge," Lino borated . "I want to know every why and where and how and who that led to me bing who I am . I¡¯m thirsty for seeing the world . . . for meeting all sorts of weird and wacky people on my journey . I¡¯m curious to see whether meeting them, befriending them and getting to know them will inspire that same me that other Empyreans felt in their lifetimes . I¡¯m curious to see just how far I¡¯lle before faltering . And, perhaps, to change the world . . . at least a little bit . For better or worse to carve my name out amidst the masses . Heh, you never expected your oh-so-revered symbol to be anything like me, have you?" " . . . You are more than I could have ever asked for, "Valkyria answered, smiling as she reached out and grabbed his hand gently, sping it . "And I can¡¯t imagine how hard it is to cleave out Your own path in the midst of this madness . . . but, I know You can do it . While I can¡¯t speak for everyone and especially so about everyone, I can speak for myself; You are more than just a symbol, Lino . Every Empyrean was . Ion was steadfast, honorable, just, fierce yet calm . Eyna was a loud, brave general, incredibly motivated, terribly tempered . Tyvel was a withdrawn, solitary, cold and distanced mastermind who yed the world like a flute for thousands of years . Swor was a beyond just man who spent more time hunting criminals throughout the Kingdom than he spent fighting for his Title . Fardel was a man who reveled in and enjoyed murder, and he traveled there where he could smell blood . Syvelea was like the clouds; either they merely pass by without doing anything or they drown the world in rain and thunder . " " . . . " "All of them were different, and all fought for different reasons and in different ways . They weren¡¯t just symbols of something greater than them; they were people who channeled that symbol in various different ways, while still fighting for the same thing . And just like them, you are the same Lino . You are brave, steadfast, self-aware, funny, charming leader who makes it easy for others to trust you and follow you . Not because you promise them a safe world, but because for them you shine brighter than the sun . " " . . . damn, your hand is really soft . " Lino eximed suddenly . " . . . " Valkyria couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at him and groan, quickly realizing what she¡¯d done and apologizing . "Ah-! I¡¯m-I¡¯m sorry!" "Ha ha ha . . . " Lino burst out into a short fit ofughter as he continued drinking . "So . . . I¡¯m charming, huh? I wonder if we could---oh, god, no . Go away!!" he suddenly sped his head and shoved it into his bosom as strange images began moving in his mind . "No!! N-nooo, stop, stop jumping and mounting and pping your tongue like that!! Arrgh!!" "Y-your Majesty?!! What¡¯s wrong?!! Is it a Soul Attack?!!" In a sense it is . . . the Writ thought as it observed a rather peculiar meeting that he hadn¡¯t anticipated . Chapter 169 Chapter 169: 169 CHAPTER 169 A FATE¡¯S FOOL Sea¡¯s waves rolled underneath the clear, blue sky, endlessly in their own rhythm, indifferent to the world¡¯s currents . Here and there a majestic-looking fish would leap out in a ssh and glory before diving back down, waiting for the sea to calm yet again . Well above it, several thousand miles at that, arge object flew at great speeds, a dome-like barrier surrounding it, causing the hissing winds to slip over its smooth surface and ignore the insides of the barrier . The object was reminiscent of a ship, decked with all the things you imagine one ship would have; a deck, masts, a hull, even a figurehead shaped into a fair-looking woman with her arms spread out wide open, her dress and hair bellowed backward as though by wind . The ship was made out of light-colored wood with a singr cabin opening leading into its lower decks . Atop the utmost one, though, at the moment were four people who were sitting atop the quarterdeck, two of whom were engaged in a card game, with the other two sitting by side and observing . The four were none other than E, Eggor, Annar and Scarlet . They had departed from the Western Continent nearly a month ago and had almost reached the Central Continent by now . Without the teleportation arrays, crossing the distance between the two continents may as well be a distant dreams -- but one of the Eggor¡¯s own designs, the ship they were currently using to traverse the mass of water, enabled it . Eggor¡¯s ship crossed over four thousand miles in an hour, and due to the endless, intricate system of arrays, not only are those on it safe from the winds, but as the ship doesn¡¯t shake at all are capable of doing anything and everything they would do onnd . " . . . I¡¯m still bitter . " Scarlet suddenly mumbled into her jaw, but just loud enough for E to hear . Thetter turned toward her and looked at her oddly, wondering whether there was something wrong with her head . "Don¡¯t look at me like that!" Scarlet eximed defensively . "He was a perfect guy!" " . . . ay . Sorry you lost that very important, life-defining opportunity . " Emented, thinking back to the day the four of them left and how unwilling Scarlet was because Lino suddenly vanished, a memory which prompted her to smile bitterly . "Tsk, of course you wouldn¡¯t understand," Scarlet clicked her tongue . "You clearly have no taste in men . " "Hey!!" both E and Eggor eximed at the same time, staring daggers at her . "You weren¡¯t actually being serious about that kid Scarlet, were you?" Annar questioned . "Humph, of course I was . Didn¡¯t you see him?" "Ay, I did . Which is why I¡¯m wondering whether I should ask Father Endor to exorcise those demons inside of you . " Annarmented, smiling wryly . "Jealous bitch . " Scarlet said . "Open-borders whore . " Annar didn¡¯t hold back . "What¡¯s wrong with wanting to live a pleasurable life?" " . . . not again . " Eggor and E sighed and mumbled as they tried to turn their conversation into white noise . "Anyway," Scarlet decided to preemptively end it and switched the subject . "Where are we going anyway?" "We¡¯re going to the Titan Empire," E replied nonchntly . "Your parents have already contacted me and gave me the permission to use you two as I see fit . So you better prepare to work . " " . . . " " . . . " "Eh, don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not as scary as stories make her out to be . " Eggormented, seeing rather terrified expressions on Scarlet¡¯s and Annar¡¯s faces . "Oh, good . " "Yeah . " "She¡¯s much more terrifying . " "Fuck you!" "Ha ha, don¡¯t worry about it," E said . "It¡¯s going to be just a tiny-tidy-bit-dangerous . Nothing you two can¡¯t handle . " " . . . " " . . . " "It¡¯s not . " Eggor added from the sidelines but immediately shut up as he felt a pair of eyes burning through his skin . Back on the Western Continent, within the confines of the Kvalend Tribe, Lino was currently sitting cross-legged and drinking from a gourd of mead as he observed a sparring session that was transpiring on a slightly elevated tform in a courtyard of his new home that was given to him by Valkyria . Felix and Lucky were currently engaged in a battle, with the former having suppressed his cultivation to Lucky¡¯s level . As Lino promised, he¡¯d found Lucky a Cultivation Method -- or, rather, Valkyria had given him one, [des of the Thousand Illusions] . While by no means a super-rare one-of-a-kind sort of a method, it was still a pretty decent starting point, being Superior-grade Ethereal Cultivation Method, which were hard toe by even on the Central Continent . One of the advantages humans had over other races exactly had to do with this; due to the natural structure of human bodies, they were able to cultivate different methods simultaneously . While there were some restrictions -- mainly having to do with the elements -- other races were confined exclusively within their own element . For instance, Devils can never cultivate any other art but Devil Arts that are derived from the Devil Qi, just as the members of Angel Race can¡¯t cultivate any art besides the arts derived from the Holy Qi . While there are some exceptions, it¡¯s a standardized rule across the entire world . In return for their ability to cultivate numerous methods, however, humans are innately the worst off of all races, and they require the longest while to actually utilize their strengths properly . As this was Lucky¡¯s second time cultivating, she¡¯d already reached Level 40 within a single weak, standing strong as a Mid Core Realm cultivator . Despite that, she still had an upper hand in her scuffle against Felix . Lino figured it was only normal as she had far, far morebat experience than thetter which yed the greatest role in determining the oue should two people be roughly the same strength in terms of cultivation . However, Lino spared only about a quarter of his mind to the sparring session, while he dedicated the rest to trying to figure out what to do next . He had nned on leaving the Western Continent after settling his ounts here, and moving to the Central Continent where he¡¯d go and join the Great Descent . His ns now, though, were scrambled; Valkyria had already offered to safeguard him here until he¡¯d gotten strong enough to survive in the outside world . By staying here he would also be able to focus on the cksmithing and fulfill his promise to Ava . Yet, deep inside his heart, Lino wanted to move on . To cross the vast ocean and experience apletely new world . While he didn¡¯t doubt that he¡¯d be rtively safe if he stayed with the Kvalend Tribe, he knew that it was also a risk . Not only were there Althone and Evelyn who, while remaining indifferent for now, wouldn¡¯t leave him alone . Worst case, they might even use their connections to summon someone far stronger from the Central Continent or even the Holy Continent . No matter how much he thought about it, he was unable to make a decision -- at least not just yet . It wasn¡¯t because he was indecisive per se, but more because he felt this decision alone would define his future atrge . If he stayed, he could fulfill -- to some extent, at least -- his childish dreams of forming a family . He would have a permanent home surrounded with people who he cared for . If he left, on the other hand, it would mean surrendering that dream, steeling his heart to forever chase ghosts that he may never end up catching . While he fervently defended that desire when he spoke to Valkyria, in truth, he¡¯d long since buried it deep inside his heart, realizing it will probably nevere true . Still unable to decide, he did what he does best: drink and postpone it until time no longer allowed him to postpone it any further . It just so happened that at that exact moment Lucky and Felix¡¯s spar came to an end, with the former sting thetter off the stage, striking a triumphant pose shortly after . Grumbling, Felix got up and walked toward Lino slowly as he held onto his nose which was bleeding . "Lost again?" Lino asked him, smiling faintly . "Sigh . . . she¡¯s way too ruthless, Master . . . " Felixined . "It¡¯s just that you are too weak . " Lucky replied, smirking . "You¡¯re too weak!" Felix retorted . "You fight dirty! Where¡¯s the honor in anything you do?" "Humph, who cares about honor so long as I get to beat your ass?" Lucky said . "You--" "Alright, enough . " Lino interrupted their little theatrical y that they got ustomed to performing over the past week . "Felix, go see Gran and have her patch you up . I swear, I think I owe that woman a Kingdom by now . . . " "M-master!!" "Shoo, shoo," Lucky pped at him as she sat down next to Lino . "Go get your milk and have a nice, dandy sleep . " " . . . " "You should probably leave insults to the Master . " Felixmented before leaving while Lucky remained seated, staring daggers at his back . "You should give him a break," Lino mumbled as Felix left . "He¡¯s not used to your pace . " "He better get used to it, quickly . Otherwise, he might die . " Lucky shrugged . "Wow, you¡¯re like a cruel mistress . " Linomented . "Except without any good parts of it . " "Heh, thanks for thepliment . " Lucky said, chuckling lightly . "By the way, when are we leaving?" " . . . I don¡¯t know . " Lino sighed, shaking his head . " . . . don¡¯t tell me you want to stay?" Lucky asked, arching her brows . "Wait, you didn¡¯t fall in love with that gorgeous Matriarch, right? I mean, I can¡¯t say I me you, but . . . y¡¯know, abandoning dreams for a woman--no, wait, that sounds exactly like something you¡¯d do . " "Hey! What kind of a man do you take me for?!" "The kind that makes it his first priority to visit a local brothel whenever he enters a new City?" " . . . that¡¯s just a sound principle to follow . " Lino scoffed . "The quality of the City can easily be gleamed from the quality of the women in their brothels . " " . . . did you seriously just say that?" Lucky rolled her eyes at him . "Don¡¯t believe me?" Lino smirked at her . "Try it once or twice, and you¡¯ll be convinced . No pretty woman willing to sell herself will go into some backwater city full of ugly men . " " . . . wait, that actually does make some sense . " "Of course it does . It¡¯s a tried and tested method of determining the true value of the City . " " . . . you . . . you¡¯re just sick . . . in so many ways . . . " "Say what you will about it, but it works . " "Yeah . . . whatever . . . oh, wow, you¡¯re really good at smoothly manipting the flow of the conversation! Damn, even now I get caught off-guard!" " . . . no--no, I mean, yeah, I am . But this time it was you who did it . " Lino said . "I don¡¯t mind if we don¡¯t leave," Lucky said . "But . . . are you really satisfied with just staying here infort? That hardly sounds like Lino I know . " "Oh? What¡¯s the Lino you know like?" he asked, smiling lightly . "Hmm . . . let¡¯s see . . . " Lucky tapped her chin for a moment before continuing . "He¡¯s dumb, rash, idiotic, self-centered, dumb, self-important, headstrong, dumb--" "Hey, hey, hey!! Isn¡¯t once enough?!" Lino grumbled . " . . . you¡¯re like a storm," Lucky said, ncing at him . "You go where you want, and there¡¯s nobody that can stop you . " " . . . hmm, I like that . " he nodded . "Henceforth, call me Thundercaller the Great!" " . . . and you¡¯re obviously very, very, very dumb . " "I assent to that . " "Anyway," Lucky slowly got up and stretched as she turned to leave . "I¡¯ll follow whatever you choose to do either way . But . . . I know you¡¯re not the sort that dilly-dallies over dumb things like that . You just follow your gut and heart and let them lead you . Which is what makes you dumb . . . but also interesting and inspiring . " Lucky strolled out immediately after, leaving Lino alone in silence of contemtion and drinking . He smirked widely as he thought back to Lucky¡¯s assessment of him, wondering just how many people he¡¯d fooled so far in his life . In the end, however, she did get one thing right; he wasn¡¯t the sort to sit around and wait for things to happen that would allow him to just follow the flow . Ever since he knew of himself, he was the kind that created that flow . I suppose . . . it¡¯s time to say goodbye, huh? Chapter 170 Chapter 170 CHAPTER 170 THE ENDS AND THE BEGINNINGS A torrential rain fell so freely it showed no signs of stopping, even after pouring for nearly a week straight . The streets of the city appeared barren of life, sucked into an entirely different reality than what they were used to . While everyone else wondered why it was raining in desert, Lino figured it had to do something with the ruins -- as they¡¯ve most-likely copsed entirely by now . He currently stood atop a tall tform inside one of the towers within the city, overlooking not only the city itself but also the desert . His gaze veered onward toward the horizon, thetter nketed by gray and ck clouds and endless thunder and lightning . Hearing the footsteps behind him he turned, his eyes glistening strangely . Valkyria stopped a few meters away from him and bowed lightly, causing him to sigh . "I¡¯ve decided to leave . " Lino said as he shifted his gaze off of her onto the sprawling, now wet, desert . " . . . I see . " Valkyria said, trying to control her voice . "Is there nothing I can do to change Your mind?" "You could be my wife . " Lino chuckled . "Very well . " " . . . it was a joke . " "Regardless . " "There¡¯s no need for you to be a part of my world," Lino nced at her yet again and smiled freely . "And even less of a one to drag your entire tribe into a conflict well beyond you . " "It is the reason we exist in--" "It¡¯s not," Lino interrupted . "Just like anyone and anything else, you¡¯ve no reason for existing . You make one . " " . . . it was made so . " Valkyria persisted . "Perhaps . . . a long time ago," Lino said . "Not anymore . You have a new reason Val . One far more honorable than indulging my whims . " " . . . " "You¡¯ve an entire Tribe to look after," he added as he took a gulp of a rather sweet wine, a local product . "You shouldn¡¯t betray their hopes of surviving and prospering in this world . " " . . . why are you projecting?" Valkyria asked directly with a somewhat harsher voice . " . . . because saying I don¡¯t want you to serve me sounds a bit harsh, doesn¡¯t it?" Lino chuckled oddly for a moment . "Anyway, this isn¡¯t a ce for me . It¡¯s time to let the old legend go, Val . " " . . . your battles and wars will be endless . " she mumbled . "They may cost you far more than what you¡¯re losing here . " " . . . perhaps . " Lino said . "No matter what you say, Lino, I haven¡¯t chosen to kneel before you because of my Ancestors . " Valkyria said . "I¡¯ve done it of my own heart and mind . It¡¯s painful . . . your rejection of both . " "What would you have me do, then?" "You made a correct choice," Valkyria continued . "To leave . Your growth would be stunned here . However, you told me you don¡¯t want to be another Empyrean, no?" " . . . " Lino merely nodded . "Then answer me this . . . when did the Empyreane the closest to achieving their dreams?" " . . . " "When they had someone behind their back," Valkyria said . "And that¡¯s what I¡¯ll give you . Don¡¯t fight the world alone, Lino . It¡¯s a hopeless battle . " " . . . here . " Lino flickered his sleeve and sent a couple of talismans flying in her direction . "One¡¯s to contact me, the other is to locate me . If you truly made this decision of your own mind . . . I¡¯ll be expecting you . " "Good luck on your journey . " " . . . I¡¯ll visit . " " . . . liar . " Lucky and Felix were currently sitting on a porch, thetter indulged in reading an old-looking book while the former drank, seemingly bored with staring into the horizon . She nced in short bursts at the tower rising above all others at the center of the city, sighing from time to time . "What¡¯s the matter?" Felix asked . "Nothing . " Lucky replied . " . . . I¡¯ve realized you¡¯re a lot like the Master . " Felixmented, grinning . "Maybe that¡¯s why you seem to hate him so much?" " . . . I hate him because he never makes the right choice," Lucky said . "Before I had the chance to do so . " " . . . are you in love with him?" Felix questioned, looking at her oddly . " . . . " Lucky nced at him and suddenlyughed, startling him for a moment . "What makes you think that?" "I don¡¯t know . Just a guess . " " . . . no . Not anymore at least . " she said . "Anymore? You were?" Felix asked, seeming stunned . "Hm," Lucky nodded . "It was while we were still young," she continued . "Well, I wouldn¡¯t exactly say I was in love with him . It was more of a case of the angry infatuation blinding one¡¯s judgment . " " . . . I can sort of understand it . " Felix smiled . "He can be . . . quite infuriating . When did you stop?" " . . . when I saw his heart die . " Lucky replied . "And realized I¡¯d never be loved back . " " . . . " Felix suddenly bit his lower lip as his eyes veered downwards . "I . . . I¡¯m sorry . . . " "Eh, don¡¯t worry about it," Lucky said . "We were young and all . Those mes rarely ever survive . What about you hotshot? Any luckydy waiting for you in the City of Sun?" "Ha ha . . . no, no such thing . Well, I imagine my parents had already arranged someone and are simply waiting to inform me of it . " "Eh, whoever she is, here¡¯s to her . " Lucky raised her gourd but, realizing Felix wasn¡¯t drinking, shot him a murderous gaze before emptying the contents of hers . "Will . . . will you follow him?" Felix asked . "Yeah . " Lucky replied without hesitation . "What? You¡¯ve made a decision as well?" " . . . heh, it was never really even a dubious question . I¡¯ve always known I¡¯d go where he went . " "Sounds like you¡¯re the one who¡¯s in love with him . " "Call it what you will . . . but he showed me an entirely new world, and I feel like following him will lead me to more experiences like those, rather than just staying cooped up in a safety of a random corner of the old one . " "That¡¯s inspiring . " " . . . yeah . " "Hey, wannae back to my room?" Lucky asked suddenly, shooting Felix a strange gaze . "Hm? Why?" Felix looked at her innocently . "Do you need help with something . " "Oh, yeah . Something like that . " "Huh . Alright, sure . " Lino suddenly came to a halt as he nced inconspicuously and dubiously at his temporary residence . Shaking his head and smiling wryly, he turned left and headed toward the city¡¯s exit, walking casually while ignoring the sting rain . Here and there he spotted lights flickering within the homes, their noises drowned out in the rain . Lost in thoughts, he ventured through the calm, empty streets of the city without truly paying attention to anything . It was only when he reached the end that he came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening in surprise and shock . Just outside the city walls stood a figure d in ck, doused in rain from top to bottom . She appeared even more majestic and daunting within the darkness of the raining night, with her ck hair falling freely down her shoulders, her eyes almost like shining stars . They quickly spotted him and locked their gaze onto his, not letting go . After a brief shock, however, Lino came to and slowly walked over before stopping in front of her . " . . . hi . " he said, smiling lightly . "I didn¡¯t expect to see you here . " "I didn¡¯t think I¡¯de here . " Evelyn said . "Why have youe here?" he asked . "I needed to see you . " "What for?" "I¡¯m not too sure . " "Well, I¡¯d invite you over to my house," Lino said . "But it¡¯s currently upied by two rather . . . engaged individuals . " " . . . let¡¯s take a walk, then?" Evelyn proposed as he turned around, extending her arm . Lino sighed briefly and locked his with hers, following in her footsteps as they descended down the hill into the wet desert . "How are you?" he asked . "Swarmed . I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in a month . " she replied . "That¡¯s tough . " "It is . But it¡¯s worth it . " "I imagine . " Lino said . "How¡¯s Al¡¯?" "Probably not too thrilled that you still call him Al¡¯ . " "Ha ha . . . yeah . I guess I lost that privilege . " " . . . he¡¯s locked himself up," Evelyn said somewhat somberly . "Refusing to leave, cultivating every day all day long . Can you imagine why?" "I think I can . " Lino said . " . . . does he stand a chance?" " . . . no . " Lino replied . "Hah . . . " Evelyn sighed, shaking her head . "I told him so . But . . . well, he was never the one to pay much heed to the advice of others . " "Let him indulge," Lino said . "Anger is oft¡¯ the greatest fuel of man¡¯s heart . " "It seems more to me as though you¡¯ve ruined him . " shemented . " . . . heh . If he were that weak . . . he would have never reached the heights he had . " Lino said, ncing at her from the corner of his eye . "You . . . on the other hand . . . " "What about me?" "You don¡¯t seem to be handling it all that well . " "What? Can¡¯t a girl try and avenge her Grandfather when so close to his murderer?" she said, smiling widely . " . . . I suppose there¡¯s nothing wrong with trying . But . . . can¡¯t you see it¡¯s impossible for you?" Lino said, smiling back . He¡¯d long since felt Evelyn trying to infest his body with her Qi, though all her attempts were at best just futile . She didn¡¯t even manage to break through his skin . "You¡¯re still far stronger than our estimates . . . just who the hell are you?" "I¡¯m just a lonely beggar taking a midnight stroll with a beautiful Empress, hoping she would stop trying to kill him . " "I¡¯m ttered you think so highly of me . " Evelynmented, retracting her Qi . "What do you n to do now?" "I¡¯m leaving," Lino said . "So I guess your timing was impable . " "What about Felix?" "He seems to rather enjoy following me . " Lino said . "Don¡¯t worry though . I¡¯ll return him in one piece once he grows tired of it . " " . . . I¡¯ll never forgive you for what you¡¯ve done . " Evelyn suddenly said as she stopped walking, loosening her arm from Lino¡¯s . "And . . . if I ever do get strong enough to kill you, I promise you I will . " "I know . " Lino said, smiling . "So don¡¯t go dying before that . " Evelyn said, her eyes fluttering underneath the wet hair covering them . " . . . that¡¯s one promise I can¡¯t make, though . " Lino chuckled . "But, I¡¯ll do my best . It¡¯s been a pleasure meeting you and getting to know you Evelyn . You¡¯re a fascinating woman . As I¡¯ve made a promise to your Grandfather," Lino fetched out another talisman from the void world and handed it over . "You can have this . " "Hm?" "Should there evere a storm you can¡¯t withstand," Lino exined . "Give it a flicker . " " . . . howforting . Indeed, you¡¯re the most not-beggar beggar that I¡¯ve met in my life," Evelyn said, smiling faintly . "Good luck, Lyonel . " "Godspeed . " Lino watched as she stormed like a ck bolt, streaking through the sky with a thunderous roar matching those of the distant clouds . He stood in the same spot, his hands in his pockets, rain freely falling over him . He remained staring and standing for a while, seemingly carving out a spot in his memory for this very moment . He only left when the sun finally showed its brief flutters from behind the clouds, leaving behind only a faint chuckle and a set of footprints in the sand whichsted but an hour, soon buried as all others ¡¯neath the streaking wind . Chapter 171 Chapter 171 CHAPTER 171 CROSSING THE WEDGE Lino enjoyed a rather peaceful, yet somewhat awkward, atmosphere as he sat atop the back of his own hippogryph as they cruised through the tall skies above the clouds . The wind ruffled his hair and the strange feeling of it hitting his shaven face lent value to the thought it wasn¡¯t his own . He groomed himself, atst, in preparation for the journey, changing himself so much that nobody was able to actually recognize him . He both took pride and felt hurt over the fact, but hardly let it hinder his ns . He took Lucky and Felix, said farewells to Chwek, Sena, Valkyria and a fewdies of the night he¡¯d met there before finding a somewhat secluded, hilly area in the desert and taking out his new pet . Suffice to say both Felix and Lucky were rather adamant in refusing to ride the beast, though Lino convinced them eventually . Mostly through force . Though the awkward atmosphere behind him in-between the two somewhat ruined his rather elevated mood, he didn¡¯t pay them much heed, mostly asionally ncing backwards to see the shifts in their expressions . Lucky¡¯s reminded him of someone eternally on the verge of bursting out intoughter, while Felix¡¯s was hidden beneath theyers of redness Lino hadn¡¯t seen ever before . "First time, huh?" Lino spoke out, interrupting the silence . Surprisingly enough, the hippogryph herself - he checked - had the ability to fence off the area on its back, shielding the riders from the harsh winds . "Eh?" Felix eximed, jolted out of his thoughts while Lucky stiffened herughter . "Don¡¯t worry about it," Lino waved it off . "We¡¯re adults here . Well, you became one just recently but, hey, it counts . Right?!" he shed him a grin . "M-master . . . please . . . " Felix mumbled meekly as he nced at Lucky before quickly looking away . "Ha ha ha," Linoughed freely unlike Lucky, who was still holding it in . "Ah, I remember when I was just like you . " "Eh? You were?" Felix asked hopefully . "Ay," Lino replied . "I was fifteen . " "Gruh . . . " there was a strange sound that came out of the Felix¡¯s mouth, but Lino ignored it . "This lovelydy and I just broke out of a damnable ce full of Demons, and I¡¯d gotten banged on the way so much I remainedatose for a whole month . She tended me with grace, with love unbound to these mortal chains . " Wait . . . what does that mean? Lino wondered for a moment before shaking off the stray thought and continuing . "s, by the grace of the lord, she humbled herself and took my first . Ah, those were the magical moments . . . " " . . . " Felix¡¯s head was by now buried in his chest, his entire body shaking . "You think it¡¯s too much?" he nced at Lucky, asking . " . . . khm, y-yeah . Pft . . . khm . " she barely managed to get it out . "Tsk, tsk, tsk," Lino clicked his tongue a few times as his eyes went up and down Lucky¡¯s figure . "I didn¡¯t think you swung so young . " "He¡¯s not really young, though . " Lucky questioned . "Mentally . " "Ah, right . Yeah . . . I suppose I¡¯m a bit of a sinner . " "Lust . . . ah, what a cardinal sin it is," Lino said, the two seemingly ignoring the silent pleas of Felix sitting next to them . "Yet, such a pleasurable one . Hey, remember that Lady Natasha?" he suddenly asked Lucky . "Natasha? Oh, you mean Nat from the Wordwell Inn?" Lucky arched her brows as she red at him . "Hey! She was so fair and pure!" "Hoh, I can tell you she was anything but," Lino shrugged . "Anyway, the brag wasn¡¯t the point, just, you know, a subtle incline . " "Alright, continue . " "Turns out she was running the underground prostitution ring in the City of Sun," Lino said . "And, oh boy, did she take me ces . " "Eh? Wait--wait . Those ¡¯Pleasure Cells¡¯ establishments . . . were hers?" "Yeah--wait, how do you know about them?" "Oh, Eve asked me to investigate them and report the location," Lucky said, grinning strangely . "Unfortunately . . . my skills werecking . I was simply unable to find them no matter how hard I looked . " "Tsk, really unfortunate," Lino grinned back . "The whole ce was like a cesspool of the filthiest, most degrading, most inhumane fetishes you---" "SHUT UP YOU TWO!!!" Felix suddenly screamed out from out of nowhere, yet the two merely nced at him, smirking . "Finally broke, eh?" Linomented . "He¡¯s more resilient than I thought . " Lucky added . " . . . please . . . you guys . . . " "Alright, we¡¯ll stop . " Lucky said encouragingly, stroking Felix¡¯s shaking back . "I¡¯m sorry . " "Yeah, you¡¯re doing great buddy . Keep it up . " Lino fanned the mes . Just as he was about to add something else, he felt a prickleing from the void world, causing him to curiously look inside and see that one of themunication talismans was vibrating and glowing . He took it out and examined it, trying to remember who was the one that gave it to him; after all, over the years he¡¯d collected many of them, from any random Rando that fancied it a good idea to give him one . Shrugging his shoulders in disinterest, he pressed it faintly and injected a sliver of Qi into it whereupon the talisman burned up into ash and a st of faint light, forming a rather realistic looking screen in front of him . Eh? Ethereal-tiered talisman? Who¡¯s the spendthrift throwing these around? "Eh? Where are you, Lino?" a familiar voice sounded out form the other end as the image sharpened and focused, turning into a face of a rather beautiful, middle-aged woman who gazed at him in wonder . "Hoho, Lady Ava," Lino spoke out . "You sure have enough money to waste . " "What do you mean? Oh, the talisman? Well, seeing as you¡¯re a VIP, I figured I¡¯d treat you as one . " she shed him a smile before continuing . "Where are you? W-wait . . . is that a sky?!" "Oh, yeah! I¡¯m flying!" Lino eximed, smiling . "Ah, let me introduce you . " he shifted a bit till both Felix and Lucky came into frame . "To my right is Lucky, a quasi-disciple of mine . To my left is Felix, an actual disciple of mine . The reason they look so awkward is because they made bed sheets togetherst night, so it¡¯s still a bit awkward . " "M-master . . . !" "Pfft . . . made bed sheets . . . " "Hm? Made bed sheets? What does that mean?" Ava asked, seeming confused . " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "W-what¡¯s with those eyes?! Why are you looking at me like that?" "Nevermind," Lino sighed, shaking his head . "Anyway, why are you calling me?" "I¡¯m calling about our deal . The Elders agreed to it, but they want to meet you in person . " Ava smiled awkwardly, realizing that it was probably impossible . "Oh, yeah, no problem," Lino, surprisingly, agreed . "I¡¯m on my way over to the Central Continent, though . Do you have a way station there or something where we can meet up?" "Oh, you¡¯re moving over here? We actually have a branch Sect settled here," Ava spoke with a slight joy in her tone . She seemed rather relieved she would no longer have to travel back and forth between the two continents . "It¡¯s one of the smaller ones as we didn¡¯t really invest much into it, but it¡¯s still quite influential . You can find it on the southern penins," she exined . "A fifty or so miles offshore . It¡¯s called Skies of the Wayfarers . I¡¯ll head straight over so you can just ask for me once you get there . " "Alright," Lino nodded, embedding the name into his memory . "Oh, right . I¡¯m going in blind here so can you give me some tips about life over there?" Lino asked while Felix and Lucky looked at him stunned, quickly wondering whether they actually made a right choice . "Eh? Really?" Ava looked at him somewhat dubiously . "I mean, most of the information I know is at least a few years old at best," Lino shrugged his shoulders helplessly; it¡¯s not like he enjoyed going in blind, but that the information about the Central Continent was really scarce . "So I could use some help . " " . . . hmm . Well, there are really only two things you need to look out for," Ava said . "That is the two leading powers of the continent -- Titan Empire and Unholy Calling Sect . The former is a theocratic absolute monarchy while thetter is . . . uh, just insane, really . The Emperor of the Titan Empire is also its theocratic leader, or how they see it as a ¡¯projection of the Titan Gods¡¯ onto this era . They¡¯re very . . . adamant about their beliefs, so you should be careful about what you say . As for the Unholy Calling . . . they¡¯re, uh . . . really . . . just insane . They do anything they want so it¡¯s best to avoid them if you can . If you can¡¯t, remember that in their world might makes right, so always make sure you¡¯re on the stronger end of things, not the wittier or cleverer one . " "Aye aye captain!" Lino saluted, causing Ava to roll her eyes . He already knew these two powers who had been reigning over the Central Continent with iron fist for thousands of years now . "Alright, we¡¯ll try to stay out of the way of everyone else and just make our way over down to you in one piece . However . . . should you hear the stories of the handsomest man alive suddenly being found dead, grieved by literal millions of fair maidens who questioned heavens over his early passing, offer a prayer for me, will ya?" " . . . I¡¯ll see you, Lino . " rather than indulge his antics, Ava merely shed him a smile before the screen suddenly disappeared and, with it, her too . "Tsk," he clicked his tongue angrily . "Just you wait woman . I¡¯ll make you mine . " "Yeah, I don¡¯t think you stand a chance here . " Lucky added . "She . . . she seems rather powerful Master . . . " even Felix tried to persuade him . "Maybe, maybe it¡¯s a good idea to just drop it . . . " "Drop it?!" Lino red out at him . "Humph, what do you know? What? Just because you lost your virginity you think you understand how the dynamic between a man and a woman works? Hah, you braindead disciple! You know nothing! Unless you consistently shove your charms down her throat, how will she ever understand just how charming you are?!" he didn¡¯t seem to realize that Felix had turned beet red yet again . "Just because you lucked out -- he he -- doesn¡¯t mean that¡¯s how my world works too! I¡¯ve to put in effort--" "-- and by effort you mean just throw gold at them until one smiles back at you?" Lucky stabbed back for the pun . "--effort far surpassing your imagination and understanding of the world! I¡¯ve been courting her for ten years! Well, admittedly, we talked like four times in total and we¡¯ve seen each other like three times in total, but it¡¯s still been a long and exhausting process! You see . . . " while Lino went onto another one of his rants, Lucky took out a gourd of wine and began slowly drinking while shutting his voice off, while poor Felix had to endure the barrage of a few monologues through which Lino attempted to convey the sheerplexity of coupling dynamic, adorned with various, rather graphic depictions of certain those and that-s which poor Felix had to find a way to forget, lest he be celibate till the end of days . Chapter 172 Chapter 172 CHAPTER 172 THE GRAND HALLS A set of rowdy, metallic footsteps resounded through a wide, winding corridor decorated with the mural walls and the arched ceiling over which a body of a long, coiling Dragon was carved out . The whole of it was illuminated by a set of cyan gemstones on the edges of the ceiling and the walls as well as hanging, oilnterns decorating the passage in a warming, orange hue . A mystifying, smooth carpet rolled onward throughout the corridor, decked out in abstruse and ambiguous patternsposed mainly of strange, interconnected swirls . Every so often a pair of symmetrical statues would pop up at the sides, emboldened knights armored to the teeth hoisting a long sword before their breast, stuck between their feet, their heads humbly lowered . The man leading the charge of roughly dozen or so walked briskly and confidently with even steps, adorned in bejeweled, silver armor with an enshrined scabbard of gold hanging from his waist, reaching nearly the floor itself . The man was quite tall, just over two meters, and even the armor did little to hide his towering and bulwark figure . He had straight, squared jaw and rugged features of a battle-hardened veteran with several scars tainting his face . His pair of eyes was differently colored, giving him an air of mysticism and dauntlessness, with one being purple-dawn colored and the other being ethereally white, as though it¡¯d turned blind . Above them hung a pair of bushy, full eyebrows which always seemed to be pointing downwards, causing the man¡¯s resting expression to appear quite darkened regardless of his mood . Further above them was a head full of strange, azure-dyed hair with sharp locks crossing over onto his forehead . Adorned further the hair was with the glistening crown, hollow at the center, with peaks and falls continuing in a full, circr motion . At the forefront was a kite-shaped protrusion within whichy an embedded ck opal shimmering like an open, nightly sky . At the man¡¯s back a crimson cape fluttered in the rhythm of his steps, made of a pure, hand-woven purple velvet, embroidered in gold and lined at edges with the best ermine . Round the man¡¯s neck it connected to a full scarf made out of Direwolf¡¯s white fur . Behind him, within a respectful distance and ordained in a defensive formation, followed a set of dozen guards all d in full, te armor from head to toe, simrly armed with swords hoisted into scabbards -- though less adorned sort -- hanging from their sides . The entourage soon encountered an iron door with wolf¡¯s head where a handle would be which split open before they came into its reach . A st of warm, yellow light briefly flickered yet neither the man nor his followers flinched or stopped even for a moment, continuing onward through the arched exit . "All hail to His Majesty, the Holy Emperor!" a brisk, melodic and youthful voice echoed soundly throughout the entire hall as the man stepped forth into it . Before him a carmine carpet rolled onwards, splitting the throne hall in two, on each end a set of pirs cleaving out into the high, dome-like ceiling made out of green limestone . The hall was entirely lit by a row of hanging chandeliers casting brisk, yellow light over the hall¡¯s entire surface . At the far end of the hall stood an uplifted tform atop which a throne rested, surrounded with massive, hanging banners both depicting a humanoid head made of stone with eyes crimson and smoke billowing out from the tops . From one end to the other, on both sides of the carpet, hundreds of people were kneeling with heir heads bowed down to their knees, their breaths sternly tucked into their breasts . None dared even flinch, let alone look up to the man who was walking before them . Much like them, the man spared no nce to anyone, his eyes firmly fixed on the throne resting atop the tform; a stone-molded chair adorned with glistening diamonds heaved up into the sky, crossing through the center of the two banners, at the top converging into a single point and moulding into a massive fist which then spilled directly into the ceiling . A white cushion rested upon the throne, two armchairs hand-carved into extrusions ending in open palms upon which two, small spheres rested . Climbing up a short set of stairs, the man quickly seated himself on the throne while his entourage remained down below, guarding it on both ends . Only then did the man cast the nce across the entire hall and noted how many visitors there were . A smile nearly escaped his lips, yet he managed to hold it in . "You may all rise . " though his voice was silent, it freely resonated throughout the entire hall so much so that even the person on the far end heard it as clearly as if they were standing right next to him . The men and women of all sorts slowly got up, ensuring they made no loud sound, with their heads still lowered into their breasts however . "Carthas," seeing that everyone was standing, the man¡¯s eyes veered off of the crowd onto the small plot near the throne and a middle-aged, slightly chubby man enrobed in simple, monk-like attire . "I assume you have a valid reason for calling upon Us during Our campaign . " "Your Majesty . " the man called Carthas stepped forth from the crowd and bowed lowly before walking over to the carpet and stopping before the stairs, slowly looking up, dread and awe both mingling in his eyes . "I assure You it is of utmost importance . " "Speak, then," the man said after a short consideration . "Lest We turn into an old grave-gripped . " "You jest, Your Majesty," Carthas lowered his head quickly . "Your Grace is eternal and--" "Spare Us the ttery," the man interrupted him . "Speak your mind or forever remain silent . " "Yes, Your Majesty . " Carthas bowed once again before taking a deep breath and continuing . "Your lowly subject has spent the past decade meditating upon the Mother Fate along with my Apostle when, justst night, our connection had been severed . I thought little of it at first as bonds with Mother Fate are fickle things, but after investigation I had realized that the reason for severing of the bonds was external -- it was due to the advent of Devil Qi upon our Holy Lands . Due to its interference, it is impossible for us to restore our bond with Mother Fate any time soon . " " . . . " low and cushy murmurs quickly took over the silence of the hall as people gasped and shook their heads fervently, as though unwilling to believe the words spoken . However, the man seated atop the throne remained calm as he stared at Carthas intently for a moment . "Silence . " though he spoke mellowly, the sound of his voice hadn¡¯t even fully vanished before everyone came to abrupt silence . "They have been vying Ournds for decades now, but firmly remained hiding in the holes . What has changed?" "I do not know, Your Majesty . " Carthas replied . "We have ignored them thus far as they have not done anything," the man spoke with a tinge of anger in his voice, causing Qi fluctuations in the air to force a few people to stop breathing for a moment . "But, if they desire a war with Us, war We shall give them . Carthas, take Our Seal," the man flickered his sleeve and caused the Royal Crest to fly out of his hand toward Carthas who caught it carefully . "Go visit the Guardian¡¯s Site and plead in Our name for him to descend and lead His Legion to any and all corners of Our domain where Devils and Demons may fest, and to eradicate them all without exception . They seemed to have forgotten Our might," the man¡¯s brows furrowed, his voice growing deeper . "The Holy Titan¡¯s might . Go at once, Carthas . The rest of you are dismissed . " Across the marsnds of the Central Continent, further toward the eastern end, within the scope of a massive mountain range expanding from the far northeast to southeast, within a well-hidden valley cutting in-between, a massive number of tents made out of white, deer leather hid the green grass beneath . Smoke billowed out into the sky from numerous corners, hubbub present within the every crossing pavement as hundreds of thousands of people split into countless groups and chatted . Within the innermost tent -- thergest of them all -- a man was currently sitting cross-legged, a set of scrollsid open on a low table before him, with several others in his hands currently being read . His thin brows were scrounged, ck eyes shining in a strange glint, lips puckered up in a faint smile . The man wore rather simple, yet elegant nheless, set of emerald, loose robes . The man¡¯s eyes quickly veered sideways off the scrolls whereupon a faint tinge of ck smoke scurried through the floor and shaped into a figure d wholly in ck, from head to toe with only a pair of cat-like, yellow eyes visible . "Hm? Elundia, what are you doing here?" the man asked with a slight presence of surprise in his voice . "Were you discovered?" "No . " a soft, feminine voice drowned the somewhat stifled atmosphere of the tent out as it melodically echoed out . "What is it then?" the man asked with faint interest . "Rex has called upon the Guardian of Light . " " . . . is that true?" the man¡¯s rather nonchnt disposition quickly changed, his brows furrowing into a deep frown . "It is . " Elundia confirmed . "He wants the Guardian to assemble the Titan Legion and lead the Crusade onto the Devils and Demons within the Empire¡¯s borders . Apparently the density of Devil Qi increased to the point that the Order of the Holy Monks are no longer able to bond with the Fate . " " . . . interesting . " the man smiled faintly as he stroked his rather long, yet well-groomed beard . "Looks like he¡¯s really going all-out this time around . Do you know why the Devils suddenly became so aggressive?" "No . " Elundia shook her head . " . . . it¡¯s really strange," the man mumbled . "First it happened on the Western Continent . . . and now even here . " "What about the Holy Continent? They¡¯ve been the worst off over the past decade . " "There were always scrabbles and battles and wars over there," the man sighed faintly before he continued . "After all, considering the sheer number of Holy Sites over there, it would be strange if Devils didn¡¯t try to take at least a couple for themselves . While we had an asional Devil Invasion, it was never on this scale . . . let alone the Western Wastnd . Something else is unfolding behind the curtains . . . but we are not being informed of it . Looks like it¡¯s bigger than us, then . " " . . . are they really looking down on us so much?!" Elundia¡¯s voice turned frigid and brutal for a moment, prompting a man to chuckle for a moment before replying . "There are many things which we need not get involved in Elundia," the man said, shaking his head . "While we can im to be the heads of this corner of the world, we really are nobodies on the grand stage of it all . Look at us and the Titans;bined, we have only five Titrs altogether . Yet, ten times as many die in every war between the Holy Lands . Just a single branch Sect is enough topletely wipe us out . If they aren¡¯t asking us to regte this, it only means it¡¯s beyond our capacity . " "Beyond our capacity? What could it be?" Elundia asked, calming down . "Many things," the man shrugged . "Ancient m revival, a birth of the Mystical Beast, discovery of a yet-to-be-sentient Prime or a Fiend, hell, it may as well be advent of the Empyrean Bearer for all we know . Regardless of whichever one of those things it is, our role to y is minuscule at best . . . non-existent at worst . Don¡¯t worry about it too much," the man added when he spotted Elundia¡¯splex gaze . "You should resume your task for now and inform me of Rex¡¯s movements . " "Yes . " Elundia quickly nodded . "Who knows? Maybe this advent of the Devils will finally give you the opportunity to gain your Title . " " . . . hopefully . . . " Elundia said before disappearing in smoke just the same as she arrived, silence once again epassing the room . "Hah . . . " the man sighed lowly . "I suppose I can only hope it¡¯s anything else but the Bearer of the Empyrean Writ . . . this Continent wouldn¡¯t be able to bear that burden . Heh . . . bear . . . ha ha ha ha . . . khm . Right . Back to work . . . " Chapter 173 Chapter 173 CHAPTER 173 HELLENGUARD SMITHY A vast valley tucked in-between dry, sand-colored mountains stretched onward into a cid and tranquilke, its surface only disturbed by asional animaling to its edge to drink from it . Lino stood with his arms at his hips, breathing in deeply the fresh air of the spring-grown flowers that surrounded him while Lucky and Felix were currently sitting down and panting, asionally even gagging . Lino nced at them once and shrugged; the hippogryph hasn¡¯t apparently been trained innding softly, which led to an unfortunate crash and andslide for the two of them . Since Lino¡¯s body was harder than steel, he was better off at the end of it save for the now muddied clothes . He took yet another nce at the world around him; had he not known himself where he hadnded, there was nothing about it that would suggest he had entered an entirely new world . Mountains stretched east and north and south, spilling into tall cliffs at the very edges of the west-most penins . It was the picturesquendscape one can witness within every corner of the world, but the differences still existed -- namely in Qi . Not only was it far more abundant than on the Western Continent, but it was also far denser and purer . Just a single breath revitalized Lino¡¯s entire body, causing the Singrity resting within his soul to pulsate like the heartbeat . He quickly realized that it was no wonder the Western Continent was so far behind in the world of cultivation; rather, they never truly stood a chance . "You two done groaning yet?" he asked, ncing back at the two who managed to somehow sit up . "Fuck you!!" both of them eximed in unison, ring at him . "Hey, it¡¯s not my fault you guys are so weak . " Lino shrugged . "Anyway, giddy up . There¡¯s a town nearby where we can hopefully buy some horses . " " . . . we can literally crawl faster than them . " Luckymented . "Heh, I¡¯d love to see that . " Lino smirked, not borating further . The two got up shortly after and dusted themselves off, following Lino down the cliff side and through the valley toward the sand-colored mountains . The valley was rich in fragrance of flowers each mingling together to form a rather powerful one; were an ordinary person to take a full breath here, they¡¯d most-likely approach the point of suffocation . Strange growls and howls and cries of the beasts asionally broke the chirping of the birds, and Lino even spotted several flying beasts asionally crossing the sky in orderly fashion -- clearly either subdued or mounted by people . Though they were spotted, Lino didn¡¯t care much; after all, they were still far off from the Titan Empire¡¯s Capital and even more so from the Unholy Calling Sect . Across theke a simple pine forest awaited them, beyond which they finally reached the first sign of the civilization . Walls rolled tall and wide, yet still too short to cover the high-rising buildings within . Even as far as a mile out the trio could clearly hear the sounds of human voices and the grinding of the horses¡¯ hooves . While Felix and Lucky tensed somewhat, preparing to fight at any moment, Lino merely put his hands into his pockets and calmly walked toward the town¡¯s gates . Even though the town was at the very edge of the entire Continent, it was still quite marvelous;yered squarely, with numerous cross-sections running through its rather abundant surface, despite the somewhatrge number of residents the town was quite orderly . The streets were cleanly divided between the parts for the horse carriages and people, and Lino spotted scarcely a beggar anywhere . The gates themselves were guarded by at least a dozen people, though nobody approached Lino and merely inspected the trio with Divine Sense . As to not arouse suspicion, Lino leaked enough Qi to make himself appear as just another, ordinary Early Purity Realm cultivator . As soon as the guards realized that the strongest person in the group -- Felix -- was merely a Late Purity Realm cultivator, they lost all interest in them, even turning to look at them with disdain . Lino ignored them entirely and entered the town, ncing around with some anticipation until he finally figured out where it was stationed -- or, rather, where they were stationed -- six in total . "Alright you two," Lino turned toward them, yet his eyes remained glued to the other end . "Go and find us a lodging . I¡¯m gonna . . . uh, explore a bit . " " . . . just say you¡¯re going to a brothel . " Lucky rolled her eyes at him as Felix looked at him dubiously . " . . . but I¡¯m not going there," Lino replied, presenting a hurtful expression . "What kind of a man do you take me for?" "The kind that will visit the brothels of new towns and cities immediately upon entering them?" "No, no, that¡¯s the secondary objective now," Lino said . "It¡¯s still a day . Jeez, I don¡¯t want toe off as truly desperate . You wait for well past midnight, spill alcohol all over yourself and then walk in . It¡¯s like you guys had never done it before . " "We didn¡¯t!" "Yeah, whatever . Off you go . I¡¯ll find youter . " Lino ignored the hateful gazes and took a right turn . The houses rose in two rows, streets paved with cobblestone in-between, asional streetntern standing indifferent, extinguished for the time being . People of all sorts mingled, though Lino realized that majority were rather tall and dark-skinned sort with seemingly universally beautiful, emerald eyes that caused even Lino to feel some envy . Not unlike other towns thisrge, everyone seemed to be hurrying somewhere, their heads up in the clouds, causing shoulder-to-shoulder bumps to be a regr urrence . Lino had to consciously limit his strength as to not break someone¡¯s shoulders up and stir trouble where it need not be . It didn¡¯t take him long to reach his target -- a three-stories building constructed out of grayed limestone rose in what appeared to be a business district . Up top were several chimneys repeatedly spitting out ck smoke, with the sounds of hammers shing against the metal resounding as profoundly as any gospel song Lino had ever heard . It was beautiful, he mused, taking a deep breath; each time it sounded out, he felt his heart and blood stir, an odd sort of thirst assailing his now parched throat . His fingers shook, his arms almost reaching forward, legs ready to break out into a sprint . Lino quickly calmed himself down and smiled bitterly; from a hobby he was interested in to a calling, it now turned into an obsession it seems . He slowly walked over to the smithy and opened the front doors, causing a bell to sound out . The insides were rather spacious, sides lined up with glistening items of all sorts and kinds, and at least a couple of dozen people currently seeking to enrich their strength through external means . Naturally Lino didn¡¯te here to buy something, but rather to find work . Anywhere outside the Western Continent, the main currency used in transactions were Qi Stones . Though he had a decent amount from the ring Ava gave to him, it was hardly enough . As they¡¯ve decided to stay a couple of weeks on the border town before rushing down south, he figured he may as well find work in the meantime to upy himself . Despite the numerous customers, there were still a few sellers loitering around, yet after paying him a quick nce, none approached him . After all, his attire hardly lent credence to his riches . Though he no longer looked like a side-street beggar, he merely moved up to an ordinarymoner . He didn¡¯t mind it, though, approaching one of the freer walls stacked with items, inspecting them with his eyes . "Hoh . . . " he eximed softly into his jaw . "A rather fine one . [Frosted Steel] alloyed with [Dragon Ore] . . . what did they use for a conduit? [Liquid Gold]? No . . . the sheen is different . . . . ah! [Falcon¡¯s Blood]! Yes! It¡¯s resistant to the freezing effects of the steel, which allows it to absorb parts of it and negate the effects of [Dragon Ore] binding the two . . . hoho, looks like I¡¯vee to the right ce . " as Lino left his dreand, he momentarily shook as he nced sideways . A rather short man, barely up to Lino¡¯s thighs, draped in simple, cksmith attire, looked up to him with starlit eyes . The man was rather chubby, his nose seemingly toorge for his face, with thick, bushy beard covering even more of his face than what Lino used to be like with his . Realizing that the man was staring at him without saying anything, Lino frowned before asking . "Unless you have a sister three times your size,pletely hairless -- well, save for hair, gotta have something to pull onto--I mean to decorate her pretty head -- I¡¯m not interested . " "Huh?" the man seemed to have been jolted from his daze as he looked at Lino oddly . "My sister is 48 years old and she has eleven grandkids . You sure you want to after that?" " . . . beggars can¡¯t be choosers . " Lino gritted his teeth and smiled . "Hey, I ain¡¯t gonna judge, but that¡¯s sick . " "You just said you ain¡¯t gonna judge . " "Did I? You must have heard wrong . " "Yeah, it¡¯s my hearing that¡¯s impaired, not your brain . " "Exactly, kiddo!" the man eximed, his lips straining into a full smile . "You¡¯ve got a promising future . " "And if you keep this shit up you won¡¯t have one . " Lino said, smiling kindly . " . . . ah . You¡¯re the devil sort with fiendishly handsome smile . " the man chuckled . "You lot are the most dangerous! I constantly warn my daughters to avoid you like a gue, but . . . eh . They¡¯re young . They don¡¯t listen! Two of ¡¯em married a devil like you and yearter came back to my house with four kids in tow -- each! Can you believe it?!" " . . . sorry, what?" "Eh, whatever, personal taleseter," the man stroked his beard as he nced between the sword on the shelf and Lino . "You¡¯ve got a good eye for the materials . A smith?" "More so than you, at least . " Lino replied with a smile . "Hah, a cocky one too? Heh, I take more pleasure in striking cocky bastards like you down than anything else in my life . " " . . . maybe you should rephrase that sentence . " "Heh, I take more pleasure in striking cocky bastards like you down almost as much as other things I enjoy doing with my life . " "Good boy . " "You interested in a job, kiddo?" the man asked . "Aye . That¡¯s why I¡¯m here . " Lino said . "I gotta test you first, though . " "Test away, old man . " "Are you a virgin?" "No . " "Good, you¡¯re hired . " " . . . you¡¯re not gonna exin that?" Lino asked . "Eh, it¡¯s nothingplicated," the man spoke out as he led Lino out of the store and to the second floor . "But thest kid we hired was an up-anding star who spent most of his youth barred between the four walls . We have a few female assistants working with us, and because it can sometimes get really hot, they tend to dress scarcely -- if at all -- which, as you can imagine, wasn¡¯t really the best working environment for a green kid . " "Huh . Wait--" "No, they¡¯re not dwarfs like me," as though reading Lino¡¯s mind, the man quickly interrupted him . "But keep your kinks when you¡¯re out there somewhere . Here, we¡¯re all professionals . " "Eh, I don¡¯t know about that," Lino said . "I¡¯ve never heard of other professionals that strip naked in front of other people because it got kind of hot . " " . . . so you¡¯d rather work in a smithy full of sweaty, topless men who stink of pig shit?" "No, I¡¯d really rather not . This is paradise . " "Ha ha, you know it . " the man winked at him as they reached the second floor which was sectioned off into small portions out of which sounds of continuous ringing of hammers and metals echoed . "Anyway, my name is Edward . " the man turned toward Lino and said . "And my brother and I are owners of the Hellenguard Smithy, the number 1 smithy in town! You¡¯re lucky you came to us kiddo! Your talents would have been wasted elsewhere!" "Why do I have a feeling every single one of them would have said the same thing?" "It¡¯s because they would . " Edward shrugged . "Anyway, even though I¡¯ve hired you already, I still gotta know your exact limits . So, choose one of the three tests: knowledge, practice, guidance . " "Practice . " Lino replied without a second thought . "Ho ho, we have a bold one over here, no? Alright, practice it is . As you already seem rather familiar with [Frosted Steel], I¡¯ll give you a chunk alongside a few pieces of [Hardening Stone] and, well, I¡¯ll watch you make magic! Well, not just me . . . we have this tradition where each time we¡¯ve got a neer, we all gather on the third floor and constantly chirp in while the neer¡¯s crafting to test his patience and resilience to the outside factors . You¡¯ve no problem with that, right?" "For all I care you guys can start an orgy . " Lino shrugged . "Ha ha, goodd! Heh, anyway, wait here . I¡¯ll go gather the rest, and we¡¯ll see just where your cockiness stems from, alright?" Lino faintly nodded, already ignoring Edward¡¯s words . He inwardly mused that there was nothing more beautiful than having other people provide you with materials for free . In his head, he already began figuring out what to craft; he, naturally, had no intention of holding back . He was here to make a name for himself -- but, even more so, he hated holding back far more than anything else . Looking at an item that he had crafted knowing that he could have done ten times better . . . he found it rather depressing and hypocritical . Looks like that old bastard¡¯s teachings are really kicking my guts . . . haah . . . Chapter 174 Chapter 174: 174 CHAPTER 174 HEAVEN PIERCER Lino was currently inspecting the tools on the third floor as the army of variety of people gathered up, standing near the edges of the vast smithy and observing him while also passing somements over . They entered one and left the other ear peacefully, as Lino was far too immersed in his inspection . After all, the tools here were far and above better than anything he ever encountered on the Western Continent, especially hammers, tongs, a variety of hardies, and even a couple of bellows that Lino rarely encountered on the Western Continent -- at least ones capable of being used with the Mythical mes . He grabbed the hammer first and held it tightly; it was much heavier than the ones he encountered before, yet also fit his hand far better as well . He swung it a few times, getting a feel for it, before simrly checking out other tools . The forge rested as the centerpiece, and was beyond massive Lino evenmented the waste of the precious stone that went into building it . It wasrge enough that it was split into four sections, each capable of providing a single smith with more than enough room to operate freely . He didn¡¯tment, though, as this was amercial smithy after all; they had more than just a couple of cksmiths employed who worked around the clock to provide weapons to the shop on the first floor . After ensuring that everything was there and that he could work with it, Lino turned toward the audience which had grown quite considerably, extending past fifty ording to his quick estimates . Though slightly surprised, he merely smiled at the variety of gazesing his way . Edward suddenly huddled his way through the crowd and arrived next to Lino, huffing and puffing, while holding a head-sized chunk of [Frosted Steel] and a few pieces of [Hardening Stone] . The former had a brilliant, cyan sheen glistening across it surface and was shaped almost like a perfect rectangr . This was actually Lino¡¯s first time ever seeing [Frosted Steel] as he knew about it purely in theory . "Is it enough?" Edward asked after he recovered his breath . "Aye," Lino nodded, taking the chunk and ying with it for a moment to get a feel for the weight, sturdiness, age and purity . Rather durable . . . about six times the ordinary steel? Not bad . . . "Is it free crafting?" he then asked as he nced at Edward . "Hmm . . . I suppose," Edward nodded as he battled to reach the table and put the [Hardening Stones] onto it . "But, the main rule is that it needs to be marketable, that is that it needs to sell . So, no creating some weird weapon that not even Dhralls can wield, alright?" "What are the requirements for passing?" Lino inquired . "Item cannot be below Level 150 and it has to be at least of [Rare] quality . Naturally, we don¡¯t expect you to forge such items on consistent basis, but as this is a one-off test, we at least need to see that you¡¯re capable of doing it . There are no time restrictions, but the longer your take the less favorable your grade will be . " "Oh? There are grades?" Lino mumbled, smiling faintly . "That¡¯s cool . I¡¯ve never been to school so this should be exciting . " "So, what are you gonna craft?" Edward asked . " . . . a spear," Lino said in a low voice as he nced at the [Frosted Steel] yet again . "No, perhaps it¡¯s better if I forge ance . Though there¡¯s some flexibility, the spear would be too rigid . Is there a demand fornces?" "Ha ha, but of course!" Edwardughed as other people in the room chuckled and looked at him strangely . "You really ain¡¯t around here, are you?" "Nope . " Lino replied honestly . "The Empire¡¯s second-strongest Legion isposed entirely of cavalry . Half of them are archers, while others arencers . So, yeah, there¡¯s quite a bit of demand fornces . " "Not bad . " Lino¡¯s lips curled up in a smile as he put the chunk down . "Can I use my own me?" "It can¡¯t be a Void me . " Edward cautioned . "It¡¯s not . " "It¡¯s alright then," he nodded . "Anything else?" "You don¡¯t happen to have some ink and paper?" "Oh! Right! The design," Edward eximed . "I forgot you might be such type . Hey, any one of you here carry any?" "Here . " a rough voice quickly sounded out from the crowd as a rather old man stepped out . His face bore wrinkles of at least seventy years, yet his body was remarkably sturdy and bulky . He gave Lino a quick nce before handing over a parchment and some ink over and withdrawing back into the crowd . "Alright, here it is . " Edward then hobbled over to Lino and gave them to him . "Anything else?" "Nah, I think this is enough . " he smiled . "Just sit back and enjoy the show . " "Ho ho, quite confident, are ya¡¯? Alright, show us what you got kiddo!" Edward withdrew back and joined the rest of the people present as Lino slowly sat down and began scribbling the design onto the paper . The crowd -- led mainly by Edward -- quickly broke off into chatter, almost as though they werementators, despite the fact that Lino had done practically nothing so far . He was, however, already in apletely different world, one where voices and noises of the outside one didn¡¯t exist . It would be his first time crafting ance, but he was fairly confident . In his eyes it was simply a denser, sturdier and less flexible spear, and as he was crafting it without any leather, he would have to waste at least one [Hardening Stone] on the handle before inscribing an array that would make it harder for hand grabbing at it to slip . Designing itself didn¡¯t take him long; breaking downponents, he decided to go with duality;nce head and the guard would be a single part, with the other being the handle . Asnces were generally considered less of a battling weapon and more as an anti-cavalry ¡¯de-mounters¡¯, he decided to experiment a bit and add a projectile array at the top which would convert injected Qi into sort of metallic-like needles with freezing properties due to the baseponent . He quickly finished up and picked the [Frosted Steel] chunk before bringing it over to the forge . Due to the material¡¯s nature, one had to be really careful during the melting process as one mistake would lead to defrosting, which would ruin the whole chunk irreversibly . The mes could not be too hot and they could not ever reach the core area of the chunk . However, so long one knew what they were doing, it was easier to work with than ordinary steel as Lino didn¡¯t need to melt it all too much -- merely enough to roughly fix its shape as [Frosted Steel] can easily be further refined with hammers and chisels . He first experimented a bit with the free hand and the me¡¯s force before reaching the satisfactory point and bringing it back toward the chunk . The melting processsted less than ten seconds before Lino was satisfied; using tongs to sp at the chunk carefully without applying too much force, he brought it over to the anvil and rather than use the hammer, he used a wide chisel to mould the chunk roughly into ance-like shape . As he didn¡¯t want it to be merely a ceremonial weapon, he limited its length to roughly 3 meters . While still muchrger than other weapons of thrusting type, it was somehow manageable especially for elite, cavalry unit . After getting the rough shape in order, he extinguished his mes and began to slowly chisel and hammer the edges to define its shape further . He first extruded the guard portion at the bottom into a half-dome shape -- simr to the [Lunar Beheader] with the main difference being that he left far more room for maneuverability within this one . "Hah, what do you think Jack?" Edward asked with a certain tone of pride a man standing next to him; the man was roughly Edward¡¯s height and size, though appeared slightly older . "He¡¯s good . " Jack replied, nodding . "His control of the me was crucial . The me should be near the very edge of the Void mes, yet he showcased aplete mastery of it . His speed is also nothing to scoff at . He¡¯s only slightly slower than the two of us, but pretty much on par or even better than the rest . " "I told ya¡¯ I had eye for this sort of a thing," Edward bragged . "Now . . . I only hope he knows some of more advanced arrays . Otherwise . . . nobody¡¯s gonna buy it, no matter how good it is at base . " "I¡¯m just wondering why¡¯s he making the guard part of the head," Jack mumbled, stroking his brownish beard . "It would disrupt the bnce of the weapon . . . unless . . . !" "Unless?" Edward nced at him with curiosity . " . . . unless he¡¯s aiming to craft a General¡¯s weapon . " " . . . he¡¯s not that insane, is he?" " . . . " Lino, meanwhile, was still hammering and chiseling away at therge chunk of the [Frosted Steel] which was slowly beginning to take a proper shape . I¡¯m lucky that dwarf gave me a good quality one, he mused inwardly . Otherwise I¡¯d have to section it off into at least four parts . . . He was hammering and chiseling almost mechanically as he portioned off arge part of his concentration on trying to figure out which arrays to use . Unlike swords or even spears,nces were generally a one-job sorts of weapons, but he was unsatisfied with that . While he couldn¡¯t really change the core nature ofnces no matter how many or even which arrays he inscribed, he would be able to slightly skew it and make it more applicable . Shortly after he seemingly connected the dots in his head, he let go of the hammer and the chisel and rushed over to the table where the paper stilly; he quickly began scribbling arrays like mad in fear he might forget them, then looking over potential mistakes and fixing them -- doing so for nearly two hours in total . After finally being satisfied, he raced back to thence and began finishing up the final details . Leaving the rueful trail of patterns for the arrays, he went on to quickly craft the handle from the remaining piece of the [Frosted Steel] before slowly melting the [Hardening Stones] and applying them onto the handle, guard, and the center-most point of thence . He appeared rtively satisfied before taking a deep breath and settling his mind and excitement . Rather than using his finger, he used a gouge to be even more precise in the array inscription -- a custom-crafted gouge that was a direct Qi conduit at that . He inscribed bit by bit, forgetting the minutes and hours he was spending on a single item . Rather, he even forgot about the test; the only thing on his mind was crafting the best item he could from what he had, leaving behind no regrets to eat away at him . This wasrgely his principle whenever he crafted something . It nearly wounded his pride permanently when he had to hold back for Ava¡¯s shop, swearing inwardly that he would never do it again even if he had to starve . After finishing up with the arrays, his lips curled up in a magnificent, brilliant smile . He quickly added his own sigil onto thence -- just above the guard -- which shone in brilliant gold against the chilly blue of thence . Wings each had three curved lines, connected with a straight, sword-like line in-between . Finally done, he exhaled a deep breath that he seemed to have been holding in for years and picked up thence, inspecting its stats, causing his smile to grown even more brilliant . [Heaven Piercer - Epic] Level: 240 Damage: 60% of Wielder¡¯s Strength Requirements: 20,000 Strength +10,000 to Strength when Thrusting -90% to Hand Speed -50% to Agility Durability: 2,000,000 Special Effect [Boulder] -- each straight Thrust has 100% chance to increase the weight behind the impact by as much as 100% of wielder¡¯s Strength Special Effect [Piercer] -- chance to pierce through any equipment that has less durability than the weapon increased by 10-60% (depends on the difference) Special Effect [Whirlstorm] -- swinging thence in a full circle creates an outwardly explosive shockwave of wind, effect based on 60% of wielder¡¯s Strength Special Effect [Cannon] -- injecting Qi into the handle allows wielder to shoot [Frozen Needles] from the topmost point of thence, up to 100 within 30s, with recharge time being 10 minutes . Each needle deals 10% of wielder¡¯s Strength as damage with a chance to freeze the target Note: A marvelous creation that has re-shaped the original purpose of a weapon into a multi-dimensional one, offering the wielder a flexibility ordinarynces do not posses . Chapter 175 Chapter 175 CHAPTER 175 CHANGE OF PLANS While Lino remained slouched in the back over a chair, panting and heaving as though he were a boar of a man who¡¯d just ran a cross-country marathon, the audience quickly converged onto his creation, inspecting it with a rather prevalent delight in their eyes . Edward¡¯s eyes danced between thence and Lino, while Jack¡¯s also included Edward in a strange, triangr rtionship his eyes had developed . "This is truly magnificent!" a voice eximed among many others . "A perfect General Weapon! If we market it properly . . . it could go for as high as five hundred mid-quality Qi Stones . " "Might go up to a whole thousand if we auction it after marketing . " another voice chimed in . "Screw that, I want it for myself!" another voice chimed in . "You? You can barely wield a freaking spoon without getting the soup all over yourself!" "M-marie!! It-it happened just once guys, I swear!!" "Indeed . Once a day . . . " "Ha ha ha . . . " " . . . what do you think Jack?" Edward asked the man standing next to him . "A nice find--nay, a magnificent find," Jack said, smiling faintly . "He¡¯s so young yet so well-versed in the crafts . " "What about thence?" "We¡¯ll put it up for the Annual Disy of Arts and Crafts in the Capital . " Jack¡¯s words seemed to startle Edward whose eyes quickly widened into eggs . "A-are you serious?! Weren¡¯t we going to skip this year?" he asked in a hushed tone . "Alright, alright, calm down . Let¡¯s go talk with your protege . " Jack said as he quickly hobbled over to Lino who was still recovering . Is there really no way to lessen the drain during array inscription? He contemted with a frown . This sure is one hell of a masochistic profession . . . sounds of approaching footsteps startled him from his short dream . He somehow managed to strain his neck and look forward but couldn¡¯t find anything, slowly lowering his gaze until it met two pairs of eyes . One he recognized -- Edward¡¯s -- but the other man was unfamiliar, though Lino quickly guessed that it must be Edward¡¯s brother . " . . . you know," realizing that the two were not saying anything, Lino decided to break the silence . "I don¡¯t mind if women ogle me till the sun burns out, but I do have some pensiveness over men looking like they wanna chain me in the dungeon and have their way with me . " " . . . ah! Sorry!" Edward quickly recovered from his stupor, apologizing . "It¡¯s quite rude of us . This here is my older brother, Jack, the best cksmith of our smithy . " "Hoh? Really?" Lino mumbled with a faint smile as he saw Jack extend his arm for a shake, replying . "It¡¯s an honor . " "Honor¡¯s old man¡¯s youngster," Jack said with a smile . "To think someone of your quality would walk into our humble smithy and apply for a job . Forgive Edward for his rudeness -- as well as mine . We have failed to recognize your true aptitude . " "Yeah, would be kind of hard without me crafting anything . " Lino said . "How about we move to my office and talk?" Jack asked as he realized the rest of the audience was growing slightly restless . "Edward, secure thence and join us after . " "Yes, brother!" Lino merely nodded and forced himself onto his feet, following Jack . Much like his brother, Jack also barely reached Lino¡¯s thighs, but was simrly stout and wide in his build, with slightly grayed hair and beard and far more wrinkles to ount for . "Are you a Dwarf or just a really short human?" Lino asked innocently . "Hoh? You really don¡¯t pull your punches, do you?" Jack asked back, ncing at Lino and smiling . "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m just a really short human . To my knowledge, the Dwarfs had long since withdrawn from the contemporary world into mines and mountains . " " . . . I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s been easy to start this whole thing up, then . " Linomented lowly . "It wasn¡¯t," Jack nodded as he led Lino back to the second floor . "Both Ed and I grew up on the streets for the most part . Ah, right, he¡¯s not my real brother . But, I¡¯ve known him since he was six . For all intents and purposes, he was the only family I¡¯ve ever had . " " . . . sorry to hear that . " "Hah, don¡¯t worry about it," Jack spoke out dismissively . "Harsh reality taught us early on that we won¡¯t get anywhere in life if we wait for an opportunity . So, one day, I came across a smith who was looking for someborers . While working for him -- mostly carrying stones, weapons, materials and such -- I observed him to the best of my ability and practiced whenever I had free time . Eventually, he realized it and apprenticed me . . . and Ed after I asked him . " " . . . sounds like a decent man . " Linomented as Jack stopped in front of a rather ordinary-looking doors, taking out the key and opening them . "He was," Jack nodded . "He was tough and firm . . . but fair . He taught us earnestly until he passed away . . . leaving Ed and me his name and pride . " " . . . Hellenguard Smithy?" Lino asked with a soft exmation . "Aye . It was named after his wife," Jack said . "After his passing, most of the staff left as they didn¡¯t believe Ed and I could run it . It¡¯s been forty years since then . " "You sure showed them wrong . " Lino entered a rather sparsely-popted room; save for a desk and a couple of chairs, there were only a pair of bookshelves on each end of the wall with the window on the other end being the only source of light . "Ha ha, you could say that . Please, sit . " Jack pointed to the chair while he himself sat on the other one . "I just hope I did him proud . " " . . . I¡¯m sure you did . " Lino smiled faintly . "Anyway," Jack took a deep breath as he took out a parchment from the desk . "I will be honest with you--" "Lino . " "--Lino . You are far too talented for our little piece of heaven," Jack said earnestly . "You¡¯re young -- from what I¡¯ve noticed not even thirty yet -- you¡¯re talented, already have a masterful foundation and knowledge most lifetime smiths can¡¯t even hope to reach . When Ed told me about you, my initial n was to take you under my wing regardless of how you did, as someone so young and with so much potential is rather hard toe by . However, it didn¡¯t take me long to realize you already have a Master," Jack added with a bitter smile . "One that¡¯s skies and skies beyond of what I can do . Rather, I wager that within a couple of years you will already surpass me, and then some . " " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t butt in, merely listening . "So, if you still insist on working with us, I can really only give you one position . " "Hm?" "Custom Crafter," Jack said, pushing the parchment over to the Lino¡¯s end of the desk . "Currently, only Edward upies the position as I¡¯m too busy with management to be able to craft full time . Though it¡¯s not a fancy title, the position is rather lucrative . Rather than doing mass-produce items, you¡¯ll be tasked with specific orders . Say, someone wants a sword that¡¯s perfect for them -- theye to you . They tell you their preferences, their battle style, cultivation Qi and so on, and you design the item based on that information . " " . . . interesting . " Lino mumbled as he quickly looked over the parchment; it was just a contract, he quickly realized, and a rather lucrative one . "These terms really don¡¯t give you much, do they?" "It¡¯s a standard Custom Crafter Contract," Jack said . "All smithies in town at least have a couple of them and they aren¡¯t really a source of ie, but more of a promoting tool . " " . . . " "It¡¯s simple, really," Jack smiled, noticing Lino¡¯s confusion . "The better items a Custom Crafter can craft, the more lucrative the smithy he belongs to bes for ordinary people . After all, very, very few people on the entire Continent are able to afford thatnce of yours . If we put your crafts into the general shop, they¡¯d mostly just hang on the wall as an eye-candy . Anyway, the Contract¡¯s mostly designed to offer the Custom Crafter enough incentive to remain with the smithy . " " . . . you¡¯re rather honest . " Lino said, smiling . "Ha ha, it¡¯s alright, you can say I¡¯m a fool . " Jack smiled back . "However, if it was someone much older than you, I would be far more shrewd . To me . . . it¡¯s of greater sin to limit someone as talented as you than it is to lose some potential customers . The entire industry of cksmithing had grown rather stagnant . . . even on the Holy Continent . Save for a few legendary figures that had long since withdrawn from the world, we haven¡¯t had a true star in a long while . Most smiths are just replicating the efforts of their ancestors, rather than striving to create something new . You . . . rather, in you I see that potential . " " . . . I¡¯m ttered . " Lino said as he took the quill and quickly signed his name at the bottom . " . . . you¡¯re quite honest yourself, aren¡¯t you?" Jack asked as he looked at him oddly . "No need to exploit people who offered such generous terms without any pretense," Lino smiled . "I may be a rather corrupt person morally, but I do have some base principles, you know?" "Ha ha ha, very well! I¡¯ll dly ept it!" "Right, I overheard something about the ¡¯General Weapon¡¯ . What¡¯s that mean?" Lino asked out of curiosity . " . . . hah, you really aren¡¯t from around here, are ya¡¯?" "Nope . " "It¡¯s self-exnatory, really," Jack said as he suddenly reached into his desk yet again and took out a bottle . Though Lino didn¡¯t recognize what alcohol it contained, he was immediately drawn to it . "Weapons are called ¡¯General Weapons¡¯ when only really strong people -- hence ¡¯General¡¯ -- can wield them . For instance, the requirements on thence are simply impossible for any old street cultivator . Even those brats in the Sects and the Titan Empire stand absolutely no chance of meeting the requirements any time soon . " "Ah . So that¡¯s it . Brats, though? I hear you can be hanged around here for that sort of anguage . " Linomented as he took the offered ss and inspected the drink; its scent reminded Lino of aged wood and vani . "Ha ha, I suppose it¡¯s true . Though, to be fair, people have been hanged for far less around here . However, I do have some fame, you know? Both the Empire and Sects severelyck top-tier smiths, which is why they¡¯re a bit more lenient with us when ites to what we say . . . so long as we don¡¯t yell it in their faces . " "What about if we whisper it?" Lino asked, taking a sip as a fiery sensation quickly began sweeping through him . "Ha ha, I can¡¯t imagine them enjoying it all that much either . Anyway, here," Jack raised his ss . "To our new partnership . " "Aye . " Lino nked and quickly emptied the rest of it . "What¡¯s the general situation like on the continent?" he asked, figuring Jack might know a thing or two . " . . . hmm . I¡¯m not too sure either, any more," Jack said, sighing . "Things are a whole lot more tense recently . There are more soldiers patrolling the streets, a few toons even came here a few days ago and began ¡¯searching¡¯ for something -- well, not something, I learned they were searching for Demons and Devils . " "Huh?" Lino eximed softly as his gaze hardened . "Aye, I couldn¡¯t believe it either," Jack shrugged . "I mean, I did hear there was some mess over on the Western Continent, but it¡¯s been eons since Devils dared to stir anything big over here . Hah, who knows if even that is true . . . " " . . . aye . " Lino nodded faintly, his thoughts spinning . "Anyway, I still haven¡¯t checked into an inn, so I¡¯m gonna go and do that . I¡¯lle here tomorrow morning . Is that alright?" "Aye, aye," Jack nodded . "I¡¯ll see if we have any custom orders and let you know . Oh, right, are you fine with us disying thence during the Annual Disy of Arts and Crafts?" " . . . uh . . . sure?" "Great! I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then!" "I¡¯ll see ya¡¯ . " Lino left quickly,pletely ignorant of the gazes directed his way . Though he had already suspected as much, it really seems as though the Devils are hellbent on following him wherever he goes . He had barelynded on the continent and they¡¯d already begun plotting and scheming . Thest time, however, left Lino with quite a bitter taste when ites to their helping hand; rather, even till this day, he had hardly sated the anger in his heart . While Jack seemed rather dismissive of the idea of Devil Invasion, Lino wasn¡¯t as certain . If they¡¯re beginning to crop up left and right, it means they¡¯re fairly certain of what they¡¯re doing . The Devils are many things, Lino had realized, but morons isn¡¯t one of them . Looks like we can¡¯t stay here as long as I had hoped, he sighed inwardly as he raced through the packed streets . Ava will probably kill me, but . . . south¡¯s not an option anymore . Great Descent . . . here Ie . . . END OF VOLUME VII - BEYOND WEST Chapter 176 Chapter 176: 176 BOOK II - GREAT DESCENT VOLUME VIII - HELL-FORGED CHAPTER 176 CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH A rather warm, southern wind blew, caressing the building tops of the lively town, yet seemingly invisible to the eyes of the passerby . While the town drowned in its daily liveliness, in one of therge-standing inns, Lino currently sat by the window, drinking and looking out into the sky . It had been a week since he¡¯d arrived here, yet he hardly felt as settled as he thought he would . His thoughts were interrupted quickly with the doors of the room opening and Lucky and Felix walking in, both seemingly exhausted and parched . They stared at him dangerously for a moment while he merely shed a smile before reaching into the desk and taking out two sses of wine, one for each . "You guys had fun?" Lino asked, taking a sip . "Fun? No," Lucky replied . "I was merely reminded as to why I hated your sorry,zy ass so much . " "Ah,e on now . It can¡¯t have been that bad . " Lino said . "Yeah, have you left the inn today?" Felix asked . "It¡¯s literally ten billion degrees outside . And you asked us to go to the mountain ranches -- full of horses who shit all the freaking time -- and expect us to have had a fun time?!" " . . . yeah, alright . Maybe you don¡¯t deserve to be made fun of . " Lino said, turning toward them . "Did you buy it at least?" "Yeah," Lucky nodded . "But . . . are we really moving to a ranch? Seems rather dumb . " "Not we," Lino said . "You two . " "Huh?" both Felix and Lucky eximed at the same time . "I¡¯ll be leaving soon," he borated, withstanding the twos¡¯ murderous gazes . "To a ce . . . neither of you can follow . Whilst I¡¯m away, I figured I¡¯d secure you guys a permanent residence . " " . . . is that it?" Lucky asked after a short silence . "Just . . . ¡¯hey, I¡¯m leaving . Here, have a house! Goodbye!¡¯ . Really?" "What do you mean a ce we can¡¯t follow you to, Master?" Felix asked . "This ce will soon be plunged into a war," Lino said . "I¡¯m merely leaving to make some preparations . " " . . . ain¡¯t that familiar-sounding . " Lucky said, quickly downing the bottle . "Yeah . . . life really is quite ironic like that, isn¡¯t it?" Lino said, smiling faintly . " . . . " Lino suddenly lifted his arm to shield his head as a bottle came flying at him; ss shattered with a loud bang, creasing over his arm and face, gashing several wounds across as wine sizzled over them . "You¡¯re a fucking piece of shit, you know that Lino?" Lucky spoke in a dark and hardened voice as Felix felt as though strained between two realities . "I--" "You¡¯re doing the exact goddamn thing as thest time!!" she yelled at him, interrupting . "What¡¯s this time, huh? Is it resources again? Maybe you fancy some fat ass? Or . . . are you just running away? Is that it? Are you that much of a coward?" "L¡¯--" "Felix, stay out of this!" Lucky red at him for a moment before shifting her gaze onto Lino . "Answer me . What is it? Or are you going to be cryptic, saying some stupid shit you think is charming?" " . . . well, I was going for thetter one but you ruined it . " Lino said . " . . . Lyonel," Lucky said . "If you leave . . . I swear to god you won¡¯t find me when youe back . Or ever again . " " . . . maybe that¡¯s for the best . " Lino mumbled faintly as he took a sip . "Really . . . now?" Lucky¡¯s eyes shined momentarily as she slowly walked over to Lino and leaned into his face . "At least look me in the eye when you¡¯re throwing me away you cunt . " " . . . " Lino looked up, meeting the already teary eyes . "You¡¯ve seen--nay, you¡¯ve experienced the hell back there, Lucky," he continued . "Tell me . . . what part do you believe you have to y this time around, huh? I can¡¯t protect you two . " "Nobody asked you to protect us!!" "I dragged you over," Lino sighed . "Of course I have to protect you two . " "Why?!" "Because you two are the only ones I¡¯ve got fucking left!!!" he roared angrily for a moment . "Fuck," he sighed as he saw Lucky¡¯s and Felix¡¯s startled expression, getting up and walking over to the window, leaning against the ledge . "I . . . I truly wanted to stay here with you for a little while longer . I wanted to see just how awkward Felix can get around me whenever I smile at him dubiously, I wanted to see how far the two of you will be able to make it in this world . . . I wanted to witness all of this myself . " he turned around and nced at them, smiling . "But the world doesn¡¯t seem to give shit about what I want . And about what you two want . Hey," he walked over to the two of them and put his hand on their heads, caressing gently . "I won¡¯t be gone forever, you know? Besides, you¡¯ve got each other now, and all that without me to pester you . " " . . . go to hell . " Lucky swatted his arm away and angrily stomped out of the room . "Right . Well, I¡¯m gonna pay for that dearly eventually . " Lino said, sighing as he sat back down and began drinking again . " . . . I¡¯ve learned many things from you," Felix spoke out after a short silence . "And one of them was to always be free . . . to be open to possibilities . To never let the world dictate my thoughts, my ideas and even less so my actions . I wholeheartedly believed you stood behind that belief . Looks like I was wrong though . " " . . . " Lino nced at him and saw it in his eyes -- the disappointment, sadness, even tinges of pain swirling about the sea of honesty and innocence . "I¡¯ve told you many times before Felix, but I¡¯m quite a hypocrite . " " . . . no," Felix shook his head . "Hypocrites are merely cowards who don¡¯t practice what they preach . " " . . . you¡¯ll watch her for me, won¡¯t you?" " . . . goodbye, Master . " Felix shifted on his heel heavily and left, his back slouched . Lino stared at his fading figure for a moment before sighing; though he very much liked to y the role of a bad guy, it wasn¡¯t as pleasant when he was doing it to the people he cared for . Yet, he remained firm in his conviction . He knew couldn¡¯t involve them into whatever was toe . " . . . you¡¯re maturing . " a robotic voice quickly chimed in, causing Lino to scoff and evenugh for a moment . "You can say it," he said, taking a sip . "I¡¯m turning into you, bit by bit . " "Is that so bad?" the Writ asked . "The mere fact that you have to ask tells me you haven¡¯t been paying much attention, have you?" " . . . you¡¯ve realized it, haven¡¯t you?" the Writ continued, ignoring Lino¡¯s jab . "What? That I have to be aplete twat to two people I care about because I want to keep them safe? Ay . I¡¯ve figured it out . " "It¡¯s a thankless upation . " the Writ said . " . . . why did you pick me?" Lino mumbled . "Why not some loner who hates everyone else as much as he hates himself? Why not some narcissistic whacko who would happily go around and kill people on your behalf?" "The mere fact that you have to ask tells me you haven¡¯t been paying much attention, have you?" "Hah . . cute . . . real cute . " "You could have chosen to tell them the truth . " the Writ said . "It wouldn¡¯t have changed anything," Lino said . "They would have still decided to follow me . The only difference would be that the chances of them dying would increase exponentially . " " . . . then you did what you had to do . " "Do you know Hannah?" Lino asked suddenly . " . . . I do . " "Hah, so you really have been scooping around my memoryne, haven¡¯t you?" Lino scoffed for a moment before continuing . "After Ally left, I pretty much lived to kill those involved in all her misfortunes . I figured I¡¯d be like those avengers in the stories she used to read to me . . . I¡¯d fan the mes of fury till they unkindled and I became just another needle in the heap of corpses . I knew she woulde back for me one day, so I wanted to leave her with a final message . I wanted to let her know that I¡¯ve never given up . . . and that she shouldn¡¯t either . " " . . . " "After Hannah helped me kill Barry," Lino took a deep breath, staring at the bottle in his hand . "She refused to help me kill anyone else, saying I wasn¡¯t cut out for it . I¡¯d have done it anyway, but . . . " " . . . she never left you out of her sight . " "Yeah . . . " Lino chuckled . "She was rather stubborn like that . I¡¯d have probably died long ago if it wasn¡¯t for her . " " . . . is that why you hid from Alison when she came to look for you? Because you didn¡¯t want her to think you¡¯d given up?" " . . . no, it¡¯s the opposite," Lino said, taking a sip . "I wanted her to think I had . Or, rather, that I¡¯d already fizzled out . Hannah had told me long ago that Ally was having a hard time adjusting . . . and I knew I was that crutch, the boulder holding her back . It was time she let me go . " " . . . isn¡¯t it time you let go the other one as well?" " . . . I will . Eventually . " Lino said, taking a deep breath and putting the bottle down . "For now, though, it¡¯s high time I looked into Ethwart¡¯s offer, don¡¯t you think?" " . . . indeed . " "Great Descent . . . huh? I really do wonder what kind of weird whackos I¡¯ll meet over there . . . " Chapter 177 Chapter 177 CHAPTER 177 YESTERYEAR (V) Lino limped through the dead of the night, his entire figure shaking, lips trembling, frozen in cold . Ever so often a cry of the crows startled him away from his thoughts which had entirely turned crimson . Barely enduring the pain, he scuffled through the narrow and dark alleyways full of nigh-unbearable stench, asionally whimpering and wailing, almost in ord with the low howls of the stray dogs . Whenever he would grow too tired, he¡¯d lean against the wall and take a breath or two before moving onward . He knew that if he fell asleep in the middle of the street in this cold, he¡¯d never get to see the dawned sun -- which he would very much like to see . However, in the end, he was barely twelve; he had eaten once in the past three days, forcing his body to believe that it wasn¡¯t being drained by asionally eating some dirt . Several of his ribs were cracked, muscles in his right leg torn, a forearm bone in his left arm broken . He slumped despite his efforts not to, despite the urging of his mind to move forward . He couldn¡¯t . He sat down atst and leaned back against the wall in the alleyway behind the local bakery . Panting and whimpering, he couldn¡¯t even bring his legs and arms closer to his chest as it hurt . He knew it was reckless to go at Barry so early, yet he had to; he couldn¡¯t endure it any longer, seeing his face in the orphanage ever so often, knowing that Ally had merely been the cold beginning of the nightmare . In just two years, five girls and three boys in the orphanage hadmitted suicide . Yet, all the while, all he c ould do was sit on the side and watch . . . watch it all unfold like some hellish game designed to torture him . He didn¡¯t regret it -- not even now when he was finally beginning to ept he would be a dead corpsee dawn . He somehow managed to tilt his head sideways and look back at the road he¡¯d taken, where in the distance ck smoke and shes of mes rose into the sky . His thin, trembling lips curled up in a smile . . . and his whimpering turned into lowughter . Exchanging his life -- something that hardly had any worth -- for a life of that monster . . . he fancied it a victory . " . . . you really went after him, haven¡¯t you?" a familiar, youthful voice suddenly sullied his mood as his smile turned into a frown, his eyes shifting away from the distant smoke onto the figure standing just above him . " . . . " even if he wanted to reply, he realized he couldn¡¯t . He had no strength remaining for anything but to stare at her . "Is that all the resolve you¡¯ve got?" he heard a trace of mockery in the voice, causing him to growl out . "Hah, look at you . Like a dog . What have you aplished, huh? Nothing . What, you think that fatass is the only one in this town alone? You¡¯re pathetic . " " . . . y-y-y . . . " "Yeah, yeah . Save it for when you¡¯re body¡¯s not falling apart . " as though she was picking up a bird¡¯s feather, Lino felt a thin and slender arm wrap around his armpit and lift him up, tossing him over her shoulder . He found himself staring at that slender and bony back as the world surrounding him slowly began melding into dark colors till the buildings were no more . His mind grew weary and dull and his eyes turned empty as his consciousness faded . The girl nced back at him and sighed as her beautiful, green eyes shed in aplex array of emotions . She then tossed his body back into her arms and held him gently against her chest as she slowly carried him out of the dark alleyways and toward the far end of the town where a small, wooden cabiny empty and hollow . She walked in without hesitation and took him to a nearby woolen bed, carefully lying him down before reaching into a pocket of her leather vest and taking out a small, yellow pill of sorts and putting it into his mouth . She then reached for the bucket by the bed and took a gulp before sowing her lips to his and letting the water trickle down his throat . After ensuring that he had swallowed the pill, she retreated from the bed and walked back into what seemed like a kitchen . She lit a small candle on the table and sat onto a chair, seemingly tired . She seemed roughly fifteen-sixteen years old and had a rather unnatural-seeming crimson hair running down one side upfront . Her skin, though rather pale, was muddied here and there, and even dyed in blood at several spots . Her eyes quickly veered off the mes of the candle and onto the boy lying on the bed, still whimpering . She waited, minute after a minute, an hour . . . two . . . soon, the me of the candle vanished as light of the dawn pierced the windows, unveiling her still open eyes from the dark . They hadn¡¯t moved an inch from the bed all night long, and she seemed to have ignored the sun as though she didn¡¯t even realize it was the dawn . As though startled, she quickly jolted onto her feet and raced over to the bed, straightening her hair, clothes as well as her expression . Lino opened his eyes slowly, feeling headache besiege him strongly . Groaning in pain, he reached with his arm and held onto his temple, barely forcing his eyes open . The first thing he saw was light cascading through the window, breaking apart when it reached the figure standing over the bed, looking at him . His headache seemed to have amplified at that moment as he groaned yet again, not in pain but in frustration . " . . . so it wasn¡¯t a dream . " he mumbled faintly as he sat up, steadying himself . "No . " the girl replied . "Was kind of hoping that it was . " "Sorry to disappoint you . " " . . . why did you bring me here Hannah?" Lino asked as he finally took a moment to look at where he was . " . . . where else would I bring you to?" Hannah asked as she dragged the chair from the kitchen and pulled it next to his bed, sitting down and handing him a ss of water . Despite the reluctance in his eyes, Lino epted it and drank a handful before replying . "The orphanage," he said . "Or, better yet, nowhere . " "Oh . Right . So I was supposed to leave you in that alley to die?" Hannah asked with a faint smile . " . . . doesn¡¯t sound all that bad . " Lino mumbled . "See?" her lips curled up in a rather harsh smirk, causing Lino to frown . "I told you weren¡¯t cut out for this . Yet, , you keep saying you are . " "I killed him, didn¡¯t I?!" he retorted . "Yeah, and you would have died yourself had it not been for me . " "Doesn¡¯t matter . " Lino said, looking away . "Why¡¯d you save me anyway? You told me you were leaving yesterday . " "Because I knew you would be stupid enough to go after him the moment I left . " Hannah said . " . . . I don¡¯t need your help anymore, Hannah . " "Oh, clearly . " "What part of just leave me alone don¡¯t you get already?!!" he yelled out, yet she seemed to have expected it, not even flinching . " . . . you finally looked me in the eyes . " she said, smiling lightly . "Why . . . why do you keeping back?" Lino asked, biting his lower lip in frustration . "I told you, I--" "Yeah, yeah, you wanted to see how much I¡¯ll fuck up my life," Lino interrupted . "Haven¡¯t you seen enough already?" " . . . do you n to go after the rest?" she asked . "Yeah . " "Then I haven¡¯t seen enough just yet . " she chuckled faintly . Lino suddenly shifted his eyes sideways and reached out, grabbing her by the cor of her vest and pulling her closer in . "Hoh? Oh my . I didn¡¯t know you¡¯ve reached that age yet . " she smiled yfully . "Leave . Me . The . Fuck . Alone . " he slowly enunciated before pushing her and looking away . " . . . I can¡¯t do that Lino . " she said after short silence, sighing . "At the very least, let me teach you something so you don¡¯t end up begging on the streets once you leave the orphanage . " " . . . I already know what I want to do . " "Oh, please . Not again with the smithing! You literally don¡¯t know anything about it!" "What of it, huh?! I just need to see it properly once and I¡¯ll know as much as all the Divine Smithsbined! Humph! You¡¯re just too blind to see the depths of my talent!" "I honestly have no fucking idea where do you pull this confidence from . " Hannah rolled her eyes, sighing yet again . "At least I¡¯m better than you," Lino nced at her with a mocking smile . "You keep criticizing me, but have you taken a look in the mirror recently? Instead of chasing after your dreams with all the advantages you¡¯ve been given, you keeping to this hellhole and pestering me . " " . . . heh . . . you¡¯re right . . . " Hannah smiled bitterly as she lowered her head . "Regardless of what, you still know what you want to be . I . . . I¡¯m just lost . " " . . . didn¡¯t you tell me you were selected to be a Holy Maiden or something?" "I¡¯ve given up the title . " "Why? You got bored?" Lino asked . "It was never meant to be mine," she smiled . "I was just a stand-in anyway . Ah, good news! They chose Ally to inherit the title!" " . . . so . . . she¡¯s doing well?" Lino mumbled . "Yeah, she¡¯s doing great . Well, aside from the whole ¡¯angry wolf mode¡¯ she goes into whenever I mention you . " " . . . w-what?! Why the hell do you mention me--ah, right . " Lino recovered as he saw Hannah trying to stifle herughter . "You¡¯re joking . Of course you are . " "What? You¡¯ve practically taught me how to do it . You can¡¯t be surprised that I¡¯ve started using it as well . " "Hmm . . . you¡¯re still too green," Lino said . "I mean, when you want to change the subject, you stay on the joke! Got it? So, noughing, no looking like you¡¯re about to take the biggest shit of your life--" "--hey! I¡¯m still ady!" "--right, sure . And, as I said, always look them in the eyes . Keep at it till they¡¯re looking at you like you¡¯re insane . " " . . . hah, that¡¯s the hard part . For you it¡¯s easy ¡¯cause, you know, you are insane . . . " "Yeah, of course . I¡¯m the insane one here . " "Well, for starters, you did justmit a murder, you know?" "You¡¯ve beenmitting murders since the day that I met you . " " . . . what are you talking about?" "You¡¯ve been murdering my desire to live . " "Ah . I see it now . You look like you really mean it!" "That¡¯s because I do . " "Damn, you¡¯re really good . I still got a long way to go, so keep teaching me, alright?" she shed him a beautiful smile . "For the love of god just leave me alone already!!!" "No can do~~" "Then just kill me . . . " "I like you way too much to do that . " "Then tell me what to do so you can like me less . " "Let me stay forever and ever!" " . . . fucking hell . . " Chapter 178 Chapter 178 CHAPTER 178 SEVENTY-TWO Lino stood atop a ledge looming over a tranquilke hidden beyond the curtain of the surrounding mountains and forests . Lush green surrounded it, its hue tainted faintly emerald, theke hardly seemed out of ce standing there in peace . He slowly reached out into his pocket and took out a star-shaped object that Ethwart gave him . Suddenly a spark of luminescent light bolted out of the object and drew an arc from the cliff into the center of theke, diving in carelessly . The object shook violently in his hand as it seemed hellbent on diving after the light, but Lino¡¯s grip hardened, keeping it in ce . " . . . are they insane?" Lino mumbled, smiling bitterly as he nced backwards . There, roughly a mile and a half away, hovering magically in air was a massive pce made of white, marble stone and golden adornments with several towers rising like swords around and a domed roof made entirely of silver over the central building . "They stationed the branch in the backyard of the Empire¡¯s core ce . . . " he added with a sigh, shaking his head before veering his eyes back onto theke . Perhaps, he mused, this was the perfect sort of veneer; who would ever expect them to be here, after all? Even Lino, if he had not had the star-shaped object, would have absolutely no clue that there was any sort of importance to theke before him . He dove off the ledge with a chuckle as the wind fluttered his knee-long coat and unruly hair which he forgot to tie . He seemed to have no inhibitions as he dove straight into theke with a massive ssh . Yet, neither the chill nor the warmth of the water weed him, and he didn¡¯t even feel his clothes turning wet . Rather, amidst the myriad of strange feelings he was besieged with, he quickly realized he was thrown into an illusion . The water around him danced and swirled and blended around as though with a brush, inked across the surface of the massive canvas that his world became . It allsted but for a few seconds before he was hurdled into an empty street of a seemingly empty city with no end . A cobblestone-paved road rested beneath his feet, surrounded by small and shabbily-built brick buildings all of which had cracked windows . Lino smiled faintly, seemingly amused, as he took a step forward . He could have easily broken the illusion if he had used , but decided against it as he wanted to see what they had in store for him . Perhaps it was sort of a test, and forcibly breaking out would be considered cheating . He walked about a hundred meters forth when two people suddenly stepped out of the surrounding buildings -- a man and a woman, both seemingly in their mid-twenties . They were rather ordinary-looking and wore shabby clothes, both having jet-ck hair and eyes and several scars over their arms . Lino couldn¡¯t recognize them, yet still felt strange familiarity . Neither of them spoke and Lino didn¡¯t pause his steps, casually walking by the two as though he had wind in his back . He hadn¡¯t crossed much further before more and more people slowly began stepping out . It didn¡¯t take him long to realize that it was a rather ordinary illusion, yet also one of the most potent ones in the world . Whichever name it took, the illusion simply dove into person¡¯s deepest memories, driving them all out in association with emotions that apany them . For instance, when Alison showed up as her eight-year-old-self, she med him for what had happened to her as a direct response to Lino¡¯s emotions . On the other hand, when Barry showed up, he immediately raced to kill him without saying anything . Soon, he had seen hundreds of faces, some of which he recognized and some of which he didn¡¯t . Yet, his expression didn¡¯t change since the start, his lips seemingly forever curled up in a slight smile, hands in his pockets . He hadn¡¯t paused his steps once as he crossed the massive street of the seemingly infinitelyrge city . He mused that while it certainly wasn¡¯t easy to cross through the illusion, it hardly merited the seeming reputation the Great Descent had . Anyone who had some emotional and mental control would be able to cross it with a bit of effort . Thest person to show in front of Lino was Lucky -- her expression a spitting copy of the one she had when she stormed out of the room a month ago when he¡¯dst seen her . His smile turned bitter for a moment as the memory was still rather fresh and it felt as though someone just pped him in the face with his own reality . However, he didn¡¯t pause, pressing onwards all the same . The illusion then shattered like ss into countless pieces as he found himself in the endlessly dark abyss . He didn¡¯t try to spread out his Divine Sense or even try and figure out where he was; he knew that the illusion simply evolved in some way, and he anticipated the next test . However, even after a full minute, nothing happened . He shrugged his shoulders for a moment before sitting down and taking out a gourd of ale, slowly drinking it . Another minute . . . then ten, an hour, and soon an entire day passed without a single sound beside his gulping echoed throughout the darkness . " . . . I can¡¯t figure out whether you¡¯re emotionally dead or just really good at hiding it . " a rather old voice finally echoed out a whole weekter, at least by Lino¡¯s rough estimate . A single spot of light suddenly besieged his eyes, blinding him for a moment . The next time he opened them, he suddenly found himself inside a seemingly infinite room stacked with white floor and ceiling without any blemishes . His eyes quicklynded on the source of the voice; it was an old, bald man sitting behind a desk, wearing a rather old-looking and tattered robes, currently writing something on a parchment of paper while being surrounded by piles of others . "Or maybe your just aren¡¯t as skillful as you believed . " Lino said, smiling faintly as he remained seated, still drinking . "All is possible," the man replied without looking up from the parchment . "Except that . " "Looks like I¡¯vee to a right ce . " "Have you?" the old man finally looked up, his eyes meeting Lino¡¯s; thetter eximed softly as he realized the old man¡¯s eyes were entirely white without pupils, as though he was blind . "If you wish to join,e forth and kowtow before me . " "How about Ie over and kill you instead?" Lino smiled faintly as he tilted his head . "Arrogance is a path leading to damnation . " "I¡¯m d you¡¯re aware of that . " Lino said, still smiling . "Do you believe yourself strong enough to bear the mantle of the Descended?" the old man asked . "It¡¯s been a while since someone came here, hasn¡¯t it?" Lino asked suddenly, finally getting a reaction from the old man . "Hah, bullseye . If you wanted to talk that badly, you could have just asked . " " . . . you are a rather disrespectful type, aren¡¯t you?" "Why? Because I didn¡¯t kiss your feet immediately upon meeting you?" "Who rmended you?" the old man asked, ignoring Lino¡¯sment . "Ethwart . " Lino replied nonchntly . "Oh? So he¡¯s finally got rid of his Master¡¯s sigil?" the old man eximed in a soft surprise as he stroked his chin for a moment . "Good child has finally moved on, then . " " . . . " "There is no turning back if you choose this path, Lyonel," the old man¡¯s voice turned much deeper and more serious as he spoke out following a short bout of silence . "Once a Descended, always a Descended . Once you mantle the digits, you may never carve them out of your skin no matter what you do . Are you willing?" "Yes . " Lino replied calmly . "Then may you fall forever downwards," the old man slowly raised his arm and streaked some letters across the air itself, causing white sparkles to fly out . "And reach the deepest reaches of the infinite abyss of madness and disillusioned suffering . Henceforth your name is Seventy-Two . " the letters suddenly molded into the circle and flew over toward Lino, splitting into two as they reached him . One raced into the strange medallion in Lino¡¯s hand which quickly switched from the star¡¯s shape into a winged one, gaining somewhat golden, even angelic, luster, while the other end of the light flew into Lino himself . Though he was unable to see it, he knew that something appeared on his back at that moment . "If you wish to switch it," the old man continued . "Be stronger and better and challenge others . Note that you may only challenge others within the Main Headquarters . Once you inject your Qi into the medallion now, it will only lead you to the Main Headquarters and nowhere else . " " . . . " "As this is your inscription, you may refuse to ept a mission for the first ten years . On the other hand, if you wish to test yourself . . . I have one for you . " "Oh?" Lino eximed softly in surprise, arching his brow . "If youplete it," the old man said . "I shall answer one of your questions -- no matter what it is . " " . . . what¡¯s the mission?" Lino inquired . "I am afraid details cannot be divulged unless you ept it . " the old man said . "Shall you ept it, you will be bound by two Oaths: one that will forbid you from divulging information about it beyond certain threshold, and second which will bind you toplete it . Think carefully . " " . . . I ept . " Lino said after a short thought . "Very well . " the old man nodded lightly as he picked up the parchment he was just writing on and injected it with Qi, sending it flying over to Lino who casually caught it . "Eighteen Legions of the Hell¡¯s armies had invaded the Central Continent," the old man said . "Each is led by a Sin-Devil Variant as a Commander . Your task is to unite the powers of the Continent and act as the Commander in the uing war . As a form of assistance, the parchment holds the detailed information on the Hell¡¯s forces as well as the forces of this Continent in addition to numerous war strategies that you may employ . " " . . . you knew I¡¯d ept it, huh?" Lino mused with a smile . "No indecisive fool would ever be permitted to bear the title of a Descended . " " . . . what¡¯s the time limit?" Lino inquired . "There¡¯s none, technically . Your mission will be qualified as failure if you lose three or more consecutive battles . At that point, someone else will be sent as your recement and your benefits as the member will be taken away for five years . " " . . . may I use this identity?" Lino said as he lifted up the winged medallion . "Which other one would you use?" the old man looked at him, smiling faintly . "From now on, you are Seventy-Two . . . and nobody else . " "Heh, alright . " Lino shrugged as he got up . "Look forward to the good news . " "Good luck to you . " "Aye, aye . . . " The old man flicked his finger gently whereupon Lino suddenly disappeared from the white room . Just a momentter, two holes in the space open as two men walked through -- one rather stout in his build and the other one quite slender -- looking at the spot where Lino stood . "What do you two think?" the old man asked with a faint smile . "He threatened to kill you . " the bulwark-built manmented, smiling . "I like him . " "That was the most indifferent I¡¯ve ever seen another person behave in front of you, Master . " the slender-looking man said . "I like him too . " "Y-you two brats!! Looks like I need to teach you two a few more lessons!!" "Think of how much you love us . . . " "Yes, we are your dear Disciples . . . " "Ugh . . . " "Anyway," the slender-looking man said . "What are his chances?" "He¡¯s too weak, so pretty low . " the muscled man answered . "He seems like a rather cunning type, though," the old man said . "Plus, he knows that the Devils are invading because of him . I have a feeling he¡¯ll fuck them over so hard soon that even that old Jailer will be spitting blood once he learns of it . " "Oh, good point . " "Yeah . " "Now I suddenly feel bad for that old guy . " "Yeah, true, true . . . " "You two go back . I¡¯ve heard that the Holy War between the Eternal Paradise and Aeonian Soul has escted . Both had their Holy Children engage in a battle recently, and it seems they¡¯re nning to awaken the Fiends . " "Should we tell them to stop?" the slender-looking man asked . "No need," the old man replied . "Just limit the destruction . " "Oh? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to weaken the Holy Grounds for that Empyrean kid?" the slender-looking man asked further with a faint grin . "Ho ho, is that so Master? You like the kid that much, huh?" the muscled one fanned the mes . "Hah, it seems I really do need to y you two back into submission . . . " "Please no, Master . Remember how much you love your two dear Disciples . . . " "Yes Master . Your love for us is like the universe . . . boundless and rtively warm at certain ces . . . " " . . . ugh . . . " Chapter 179 Chapter 179 CHAPTER 179 PEACE OFFERING Lino enjoyed the somewhat awkward atmosphere for a moment as he observed the colorful expressions of Lucky and Felix who both couldn¡¯t tear away their eyes off of him . While thetter still practiced condensation of his main Martial Art, the former was dipping her toes in a small pond while observing a strange specimen of a horse -- numbering in hundreds -- running across the vast, fenced-off field . Though it took him a month to find the branch quarters of the Great Descent, it took him but two days to return to the town on the edge of the continent and, in extension, to the ranch Lucky and Felix were living at . While he would have very much liked to observe their hrious expressions for a little while longer, he hardly had the time for it . "Yo!" he eximed with a beaming smile . "You guys made me a grandkid yet?" " . . . " " . . . " "Haii, what¡¯s with those faces? Get on with it! I¡¯m tired of waiting!" " . . . what are you doing here, Master?" Felix asked somberly . "Hm? What do you mean? This is my home, you know . " "No it isn¡¯t . " Felix said . "I paid for it . " " . . . ugh . " "Hey, L¡¯~~ can you be a dear and fetch me--- I suppose not . " Lucky red at him for a moment before bolting into the ratherrge, brick-built mansion, leaving behind her a mild dust storm . "How have you guys been?" he then turned to Felix and asked . " . . . did you know you would be returning this quickly?" Felix asked, frowning . "Nope!" Lino eximed, shrugging his shoulders . "If I had, do you think I¡¯d have pissed her off that much? Haii, dear Disciple of mine, this is unjust!" Lino quickly wiggled his way over to Felix and wrapped his arm around thetter¡¯s shoulder, mping him firmly so that he couldn¡¯t escape . "You have to butter her up for me, alright? When you¡¯re lying next to her in the dead of night after this and that whisper those sweet-nothings in her ear and jab my name somewhere in-between and say just how sorry the Master is and how he wishes to make peace with her . " although Lino did notice that Felix¡¯s cheeks were blood-red, he simply ignored them . "M-master, please . . . it¡¯s . . . it¡¯s embarrassing . . . " "What is? That you¡¯re having se--" "Master!!" "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t talk about the two of you having sex anymore . " " . . . " "Oops . Just slipped, you know? Like how it slips when she¡¯s riding---" "MASTER!!" " . . . " Felix cleaved himself out of Lino¡¯s grip and ran into the house, his eyes appearing teary . Lino smiled blissfully as he watched at the fading back, nodding with a strange feeling of pride . "Ah, how quickly they grow . Don¡¯t forget about those grandchildren, alright?!" he yelled at the house . "Ah . . . to think I¡¯d be a grandpa so soon . . . " "GO TO HELL!!" Lucky¡¯s voice shook the mansion and the earth beneath it, yet Lino ignored it, walking over to the pond where Lucky was sitting and copying her, dipping his legs up to his knees into the pond as he took out the piece of parchment that the old man had given him and began studying it again . Though he had seemed nonchnt about the whole thing, in truth he was quite nervous and rather angry with himself over how readily he epted the mission whereas he simply should have taken the freedom to ignore it . Even if somewhat knew that the mission would have to do with the Devil Invasion, not once did he think that he¡¯d have to unite all powers across the Continent and act as their literal Commander until the end of the war . The parchment in his hand held far more information than what a single piece of paper might lead one to believe; by simply injecting a sliver of Qi into the parchment, the current information would be wiped out and new one would present itself . It was sort of like flipping the pages of the book, except there was no book, and there was no flipping . The information itself was quite detailed to the point that it left Lino stunned; detailed numbers of the invading army, their Commanders, Generals, and even the information on their Lieutenants, the strengths and weaknesses of all those individuals as well as the Legions atrge, their current positions as well as their predicted pattern of movement as well as conjectures over where they might strike from . On the other hand, there was even more information on the friendly-to-be forces of the Continent . Lino was fairly certain that by the time he memorized the whole thing, he¡¯d know more about everyone on the entire Continent than anyone else -- well, probably except for that old man . At the very end were hundreds of war formations, strategies, tactics and techniques over how to wage a massive-scale war . There was also a list of geographically-fit points to build a castle or a battle fort, and even ces that could act as good choke points and myriad of other things that quickly caused Lino a massive headache . Rubbing his temple, any attempt at distilling his frown in vain, he tried slowly fitting his tasks into a proper order . Yet, he could hardly n a few steps ahead before too many variables came into y for him to be confident in any more nning ahead . Sighing, he shook his head and put away the parchment for the time being . For now, he figured, he would go around and try befriending the factions using his identity as a Descended . Hmm . . . most probably won¡¯t recognize it . . . I suppose only big-guns will, and I can use them to sway the rest . . . "Hey you two . Come out here . " he called out calmly yet was certain the two inside could hear him . After a few minutes, he realized they had no intention of showing up and called out again . "It¡¯s important . " realizing that it truly was important from the tone of Lino¡¯s voice, Lucky and Felix reluctantly left the mansion and joined him near the pond, yet still refused to look at him . " . . . hah, to be so hated . . . " Lino flipped his hair mboyantly . "Is nothing new to me, you know?" " . . . " " . . . " "Anyway, there¡¯s been some change of ns," Lino said, smiling faintly . "So now I¡¯m gonna offer you two a choice . " " . . . hm?" both finally nced in his direction yet still held their frowns . "You can either stay here," Lino said, fiddling with a lock of his hair . "And live out the war . I¡¯ll reinforce the entire ranch with a set of massive formations that should keep the two of you safe no matter what . On the other hand . . . " he paused for a moment and shifted his eyes away from the pond, looking at the two of them . "You can choose to still follow me . I can¡¯t guarantee your safety, in that case . If you die . . . you die . You¡¯ll have no right to haunt me afterwards . " " . . . " Felix and Lucky nced at each other for a moment and quickly replied . "We¡¯ll follow . " " . . . of course you will . " Lino sighed . "Why am I so enchanting?" hemented, looking sideways as he stealthily unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his muscr chest partway . "So irresistible? So . . . goddamn . . . charming? Ah . . . what a curse this life is . . . " "Enough with the nonsense," Lucky interrupted him with a deadpan expression . "Can you exin to us . . . anything?" "I wasn¡¯t lying before," Lino shrugged, yet ¡¯forgot¡¯ to button his shirt back up . "I really left to prepare for the war . In case I truly couldn¡¯te back to you two, I¡¯d have asked E and Eggor to watch over you while I¡¯m away . " ignoring their deadly stares, he continued slowly . "This one¡¯s very much different than what the two of you have experienced before," Lino said . "You could even go as far as to say it¡¯s a Continental War . To be honest, even I can¡¯t make heads or tails of the whole thing . " he added lowly as he thought back to some familiar faces he¡¯d seen as he inspected the Hell¡¯s forces . "Anyway, you two will mostly just be following me around while training . I doubt you¡¯ll have many chances to join the battles . " " . . . that¡¯s all?" Lucky frowned . "You¡¯ll have to make me a grandkid if you want to learn more!" Pa! A slipper flew across the air and hit Lino squarely on his forehead, pulling him back and down . "When are we leaving?" Lucky asked . " . . . t-tomorrow morning . . . " Lino remained lying for a little while, staring at the wide blue sky . He naturally hid many, many things from the two, but there was really no reason for them to know . He was even reluctant over them joining, which is why he didn¡¯t even offer them a choice the first time around . Sighing bitterly, he decided to check in with Jack and subtly suggest they move their shop over into the Capital if at all possible . He reckoned there would be a massive need for cksmiths soon enough . Meanwhile, on the second floor of the mansion, within a rather spacious room, Lucky and Felix sat across one another, former drinking wine whiletter drank tea . Lucky¡¯s gaze remained glued to the window and the lying figure down below on the ground . " . . . how much did he hide from us?" Felix asked after a short silence . "Everything important, most-likely . " Lucky replied, taking a sip . " . . . he really doesn¡¯t trust us, huh?" he sighed, seeming somewhat pained . "With our strengths," Lucky nced at him and smiled lightly . "Would you?" " . . . " " . . . he¡¯s always been like this," she said . "Unless he can¡¯t help it, he¡¯ll do it alone . It was a lucky coincidence that I reacted so hysterically thest time . . . otherwise, he might have not even let us follow him . " " . . . w-wait . . . that was an act?!" Felix eximed, shocked . " . . . of course it was," Lucky rolled her eyes at him . "Do you think I¡¯m some emotionally-unstable bimbo or something?" " . . . n-no?" "Looks like you really hate having sex with me . " "No, I lo---khm . . . " "Go on~~" Lucky grinned . "N-nothing!" " . . . right . Anyway, we definitely won¡¯t be able to help much with the fighting itself," Lucky said, fiddling with the ss of wine . "But, we don¡¯t need to be entirely helpless . " "What do you mean?" Felix asked with interest; though he never voiced it out because he was afraid of Lucky, he actually wholly understood why Lino left them behind the first time around . "I don¡¯t know yet," Lucky shrugged . "We¡¯ll just follow him around for now and figure something out . " " . . . " "What? Do I have to be both the brain and the brawn here? Can¡¯t you think of something for a change?" " . . . I-I can!" "Yeah, that sounded convincing . " " . . . well, to be fair," he mumbled . "You cast a pretty scary shadow . " "Ah, what¡¯s that saying?" Lucky said, smirking oddly . "Right! Man up or die out? Yeah, that¡¯s the one . Haah . . . just imagine a truly grand man swooping in and carrying me off in his arms, rendering me speechless with his confidence--" "Can I ask you something?" Felix asked, braving his heart . "You just did . " Lucky grinned . "Why me?" "Hm?" " . . . I mean . . . isn¡¯t it odd?" Felix continued, though not daring to look her in the eyes . "Even if no one else . . . there¡¯s still the Master . Why choose me over him?" " . . . are you seriously asking me that?" Lucky looked at him strangely, wondering just how he was raised . "--ah! I-I¡¯m sorry--" "You seriously need to get a pair . . . it¡¯s fucking embarrassing . " " . . . I already have it . . . " he mumbled . "What? I didn¡¯t hear you . " "I said I already have a pair!!" Felix eximed, causing Lucky to suddenly burst out intoughter while his cheeks burned . "Ha ha ha, yeah, I know . I¡¯ve seen them . " she grinned . "Besides, who said that I¡¯ve chosen you? Nothing is still set in stone . You gotta keep fighting!" "I-I will!!" "That¡¯s the spirit!" " . . . . " "Sigh . . . fine . . . " looking at those confused and pleading eyes, Lucky couldn¡¯t help it, putting down the ss of wine and ncing out the window . "It¡¯s rather simple, actually . Call me selfish, but I¡¯d rather not tangle myself into the emotional mess that is Lino . " "E-eh?" "I honestly don¡¯t envy even a tiny bit the woman who eventually gets all his shit unloaded onto . . . " " . . . " Felix didn¡¯t say anything in response, merely taking a sip of the tea and also ncing out through the window . Though Lino had already left, Felix could still imagine the figure lying on the grass,zing around with a carefree smile . Though he couldn¡¯t understand it as much as Lucky could, he too felt simr . In addition, however, he also felt a downpour of guilt overwhelm him as he knew he¡¯d most-likely never be strong enough to at least attempt and lessen the burdens off of those broad and scarred shoulders . Chapter 180 Chapter 180 CHAPTER 180 READINESS Lino silently observed from the side as Jack and Edward worked together to craft an armor set made from [Refined Titanium Steel] . As he rarely had the opportunity to witness those better than himself craft, Lino tried to embed each and every movement and strike into his mind to study itter . Though he had no idea as to why they were putting so much into crafting a single item, that didn¡¯t mean he would stupidly interrupt them midway through the session and endanger the entire process . He sat in the corner and drank in silence, his eyes working beyond their capacity to imprint every movement they could follow . As the material was different from what Lino usually worked with, Jack and Edward used additional set of tools often referred to as ¡¯carvers¡¯; as the [Refined Titanium Steel] was difficult to work with even when heated, a special set of tools was required that was also built out of the same material, most-often consisting of curved knives, spiked hammers and hinged chisels . As it was the entire set, Lino watched the two work for three days without a second of rest . He came to realize that hecked profusely when it came to endurance and staminapared to the truly amazing sort . After the whole three days, the set was finallypleted, consisting of a chest te, pauldrons, leggings, arm-guards, a helmet and boots . Each piece exuded a particr, silver sheen and appeared rather majestic with golden linings running through their edges . Both Jack and Edward copsed into the chairs, panting and sweating profusely, as Lino approached slowly and inspected the pieces . He didn¡¯t take a look at the stats as it was considered extremely rude to do so without the crafter¡¯s explicit permission . However, even without looking directly at the stats, he could still gauge approximately the value of the armor set -- and it was definitely priceless . There was most-likely nobody who could afford it on the auction save for perhaps the true top masters of the entire Continent, which included the Emperor himself and those Sect Masters . "What do you think?" Jack was the first to recover, walking over toward Lino and asking with a proud grin . "It¡¯s amazing . . . " Lino mumbled . "So precise . . . smooth . . . fitting . . . and all done so quickly . I¡¯ve still much to learn . " "Ha ha ha," Jackughed with a slight flush, patting Lino¡¯s back . "You¡¯ve got good eyes on you, Lino . However, even for us this is extremely difficult . Just one part of it all was to abstain from crafting for at least two months prior to this one . " "Eh? You do this often?" Lino nced at him, slightly confused . "Hm," Jack nodded . "Annually, actually . " "For the festival?" Lino guessed . "No," Jack shook his head . "The festival is reserved solely for the young and up-anding smiths . What would the two old farts like Ed and I be doing there?" "Then what¡¯s it for?" Lino asked . "It¡¯s a gift . Annual gift to the Emperor . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s heart suddenly stirred as a massive feeling of jealousy overwhelmed him . Just for a second there, he wanted to overthrow the Emperor and take the throne himself . "Lucky bastard . " he mumbled faintly though just loud enough for Jack to hear him . Thetter, however, sternly decided to ignore what he heard; people were hanged for far less . . . should someone learn that this youth called the Emperor Himself a bastard . . . Jack couldn¡¯t imagine the consequences . "Ah, does that mean you¡¯ll be going to the Capital for the festival?" Lino inquired . "Of course . " Jack nodded . "Both Ed and I will go . Usually it¡¯s just one of us, but as we finally have an item to present during the festival, we figured we may as well go and not be embarrassed anymore . " " . . . right . " Lino said, smiling faintly . "Want an advice?" "An advice?" "While there," Lino said . "Look for a plot ofnd -- any, anywhere -- and buy it regardless of cost with smithy residing there in mind . " "Eh?" Jack eximed, looking at Lino with clear confusion in his eyes . "Trust me on this, alright?" " . . . I¡¯ll see what I can do . " seeing Lino¡¯s seriousness, Jack nodded heavily . As the youth was mostly a carefree type -- and as Jack had never seen him as serious before -- he realized the reason behind it all must involve something much greater than what he imagined . "Good . " Lino nodded, smiling lightly . "Anyway, when will you two start traveling?" "Tomorrow morning," Jack said . "As this little town doesn¡¯t have the Teleportation Array to the Capital, we¡¯ll have to go to the nearest, border-city further east before using the array there to arrive at the Capital . " "Is it okay if a couple of my Disciples and I join you?" Lino asked . "W-what? You have Disciples? No, right . I mean, you are quite skillful--" "They¡¯re not cksmiths . " Lino rolled his eyes at Jack who grew even more confused . "What are you looking at me like that for? I¡¯m quite strong, actually . Strong enough to ept a couple of Disciples of my own . " " . . . " "So it¡¯s cool, then?" " . . . it is . " "Great! I¡¯ll meet you in front of the smithy before dawn?" "Yeah . " "See ya¡¯ then!" Lino strolled out briskly, leaving the confused Jack behind to brood over what Lino meant . Thetter, however, didn¡¯t put much thought into it . He first intended to use the hippogryph to travel around as he did so far, but if there was quicker and better alternative, he wouldn¡¯t reject it . All things considered, it would be better to start putting his n into action sooner rather thanter . Time is the greatest hole-buster in the nning; the more of it passes, the greater chances of various variables rising in ce of still facts . For instance, if a single more Legion of the Hell¡¯s forces appeared, Lino would have to scrap majority of his general ns and start from scratch, which is something he desperately wanted to avoid . For the most part of his life, whether before he met E and Eggor or after, he remained mostly alone when it came to nning itself, only ever bing a part of small groups . He had never nned even a small-scale skirmish involving a couple of hundred folk, let alone anything on a much, much grander scale . His first n of action was actually to meet with the Emperor of the Titan Empire which is why he wanted to speed to the Capital . Regardless of everything else, the Titan Empire was the geographicallyrgest power on the entire continent, subordinating the most peopleparatively speaking to the other powers . Establishing the contact with the Emperor would also allow him to usemunication channels of the Empire which would be far quicker than establishing his own . In addition, he wagered he could also supplement his current knowledge with more up-to-date one as shifts tend to ur daily, and the information he currently possessed would only serve him properly so long as he¡¯d mainly use it as a reference more so than a de facto source of everything . Returning to the ranch just outside the town, he saw both Felix and Lucky practicing atop a makeshift tform . Lucky had already managed to reach Soul Realm, while Felix was merely a slight push away from reaching Illumine Realm . While their progress was quite staggering, Lino mused, he then recalled E and her monstrous rise from being at Mythic Realm all the way to being a Level 899 Ineffable . Every time he thought back to it he couldn¡¯t help but shudder; he ever secretly suspected at times that she was also a Bearer, but realizing it made no sense, his sanity-saving excuses would quickly crumble . Discing the depressing thoughts, Lino recalled something and reached for the Dimensional Pouch currently holding two beasts -- the hippogryph Grim and the dog with the name Non being settled on . Calling out thetter, Lino¡¯s mood immediately soured when he saw the tongueshing, drooling monstrosity of perversion that appeared before his eyes . "Woof~woof!!" the silver-eyed husky barked immediately, bearing his teeth at Lino, clearly displeased with being kept inside the pouch for so long . "Shut up, you goddamned piece of shit," Lino trounced the dog with a swift kick which lifted his mood up somewhat . "I have a job for you . " "Woof woof!" "What do you mean why do you have to listen to me? ¡¯Cause if you don¡¯t I¡¯ll crush your regressive brain into mush and make me a nice soup of it . " " . . . woof~" "That¡¯s more like it," Lino grinned . "I want you go south," Lino continued as he tied a piece of parchment around the husky¡¯s neck . "Find the Skies of the Wayfarers Sect somewhere over there and Lady Ava in it and then hand her the parchment . If you do well I might feed you something good . " "Woof, woof!!" "Yeah, yeah, you can do whatever you want on your way over there, just don¡¯t dy too much . She¡¯s probably already pissed at me . . . again . . . " "Woof, woof wooooof!" the silver husky wiggled his tail for a moment and nodded before bolting off into the distance . Neither Lucky nor Felix noticed him, and Lino began to feel truly strange over the whole ordeal . After all, even Valkyria failed to notice the dog . "Are you curious as to why he can hide so well?" "And look whoes out of the woodworks like a fattened troll . . . " " . . . what does that mean?" "Nothing," Lino shook his head . "So, why?" "It¡¯s for the same reason he can¡¯t hide from you . " the Writ replied . " . . . oh, wow . That exins so much . Geez, thanks old man . Whatever in the god-fucking-hell would I ever do without you?!" " . . . he has a sliver of Prime Qi . " the Writ had already gotten used to Lino¡¯s explosions, making it easy to ignore them . " . . . " "It¡¯s a distilled version of Chaotic Qi . " "Eh?!" "I¡¯ve no idea where down the line of evolution did he pick it up," the Writ continued . "But even that sliver is enough for him to evade almost everyone¡¯s Divine Sense . The reason you can easily find him is because . . . well . . . you get it . " " . . . hmm--no, wait a second!" Lino eximed as he felt a sudden headache besiege him, forcing him to rub his temple . "You¡¯re saying he has a sliver of Prime Qi?" "Hm . " "And that the Prime Qi is like a child-like version of Chaotic Qi?" "Hm, something like that . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "What?" the Writ asked, seeing Lino¡¯s rather ugly expression . "D-don¡¯t tell me . . . that . . . that dog is technically your descendant?" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . n-no . . . " for the first time since Lino had gotten the Writ, he felt a brief fluctuation of a strong emotion and a considerable crack in that robotic voice . On one end, he was proud of his aplishment; on another, he realized he won¡¯t be having any sleep for a little while longer . . . Chapter 181 Chapter 181 CHAPTER 181 THE ROYALS Lino felt a strange wave of nostalgia wash over him as he marched by foot with boots nking against the dry earth beneath through a winding, paved road . It has been a long time since he¡¯d departed in the old-fashioned style with a band of rowdy souls to apany him . Though he¡¯d suggested they use horses for the easier travel, everyone -- including Jack and Edward -- refused it . There was still a couple of months till the festival and as they weren¡¯t in a rush, they wanted to do some cross-country journeying . Having no heart to reject them, Lino epted as their journey would still only take around a week which was the length he could spare . In addition to themselves, Jack and Edward brought with them six other people, four of which were yet to even hit their twenties and two who were rather experienced, Master cksmiths . Altogether their little group numbered eleven, a number far higher than what Lino expected . It also meant that the moments of silence were far few and between . "The Nephelm March?" Edward looked at Felix for a moment before nodding faintly . "Hmm, I do remember reading about it a long time ago . It was thest battle that sealed the Holy Emperor¡¯s dominance over the Continent . " "Is it true that the Empire¡¯s forces were actually outnumbered ten to one?" Felix asked excitedly . "It is," Jack chimed in from the side . "The Emperor dispatched his proudest Legion, the Holy Titans Legionmanded by the now-Legendary Guardian of the entire Empire, titr Guardian of Light . " Lino¡¯s ears perked up momentarily as he listened in . So . . . the Empire has at least two Titr Void Cultivators, huh? Lino mused inwardly as he stroked his chin . That¡¯s far from enough, though . . . "They fought the battle on the open fields of Nephelm without either side using any tactics, just a brutal face-off . " " . . . haah . . . " Felix sighed enviously . "What a sight would it be to witness . . . " "Oh, shut up . " Lucky rolled her eyes at him . "You¡¯d have pissed your pants just due to sound alone . . . " "Hey!! That¡¯s a lie and you know it!" "Do I?" Lucky grinned . "Now, now youngsters, there¡¯s no need to fight . . . " Edward tried to pacify the two with a strange smile . "Why don¡¯t we fight you instead, then?" "Eeh, please, just calm down . . . " "That¡¯s what you get Ed for trying to y a fiddle . . . " "Yeah, stop fiddling with our business . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "What?!" Lucky eximed angrily . "He can do it but I can¡¯t?" she pointed at Lino who walked behind everyone else innocently until he suddenly got dragged into the middle of it all with all eyes shifting over onto him . "Hah . . . you¡¯re lucky I¡¯m such a good mood so I¡¯ll let it slide . You truly lucked out . Your luck stat must have been blessed by heavens themselves . It¡¯s astonishingly luckluster how you try to steal my jam . It¡¯s pure luckery, these feeble attempts of yours---alright, I¡¯m done . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " While everyone else attempted to process the astounding numbness that besieged their minds, Lino merely grinned at the blushing Lucky and ignored the atmosphere . Naphelm Fields were situated roughly a hundred miles northward from their current position and were pinched in-between two mountain rings and cut off in south by River Ro . Lino jotted the name into his mind as he suspected another crucial battle would be led there quite soon . The atmosphere was soon restored and the conversations once again sullied the silence, but Lino withdrew from them, walking several paces behind everyone else . Ever so often he¡¯d feel an overwhelming Divine Sense wash over him and the others, though it appeared only he was able to feel it . After all, neither Edward nor Jack were all that strong -- barely Early Illumine Realm cultivators -- to say nothing of the rest . Recalling the information from the parchment, he could roughly guess who it was that was scanning them which stunned him even more . What¡¯s she doing here of all ces? He could guess as to why she repeatedly scattered her Divine Sense over them -- Lino wasn¡¯t currently projecting any Qi, so outside of some basic visual aid, it would be pretty much impossible to even confirm his existence . Oh well . I suppose meeting her here should make things easier once we reach the Capital . His lips curled up in a smile as he stretched sideways . Though everyone noticed his sudden departure, Lucky and Felix signaled the rest not to pay it much heed . The two knew his purpose for visiting the Capital most-likely had little to do with Jack¡¯s and Ed¡¯s, despite Lino¡¯s rather obvious tendency for doing things which fed his ego . As soon as he put enough distance between the group, he suddenly took out two items from the void world . The first was the winged crest with 72 etched on its surface . It was a badge of sorts which confirmed him to be a member of the Great Descent . The other was the mask that he found in his pocket after he departed from the branch headquarters . The mask was rather simple, made out of white material, encapsting his entire face save for chin and mouth, with two holes for the eyes . He donned it slowly and suddenly felt the stray of Qi stagnate considerably around him . It turned out that the mask was a worse version of his own hiding ¡¯technique¡¯ . Lino unleash a smudge of Qi momentarily yet the person behind the Divine Sense seemed to have noticed it as the space around him suddenly moved and disced, forming a spatial vortex . Grinning, Lino casually stepped through and felt the familiar pull . After a few moments of traveling through the space, he was spat out into a rather luxurious room . Over a hundred squared meters in size, it stunned Lino with the sheer number of items hanging like coffers on the walls . Paintings . . . mosaics . . . weapons . . . armors . . . dresses . . . shields . . . there was everything one could imagine to use for a decoration, with even an asional statue making its presence known . Lino didn¡¯t let his eyes wander off too far, however, as he quickly shifted them forward where three figures stood staring at him . The two on the side were Royal Guards, easily recognizable not only through their tinum armor but also through the crest embedded on their chests, a golden fist of all things . The one who used her Divine Sense to scout them out stood in-between the two, donning a rathervish, ornamental dress . She was on the shorter end of things, quite slender and currently barefoot . She had a strangely dyed hair, a mix between aquatic blue and emerald green, both colors reflected in the pair of wide and round eyes that were warily staring at him . Lino¡¯s lips suddenly curled up in a smirk; to the public eye, this was none other than the spoiled First Princess of the Empire, Annabelle . In reality, however, she was a Commander of the Empire¡¯s third strongest Legion, Sacred Swords Legion, and was in reality a Level 930 Cultivator, having already formed her own Singrity . "May I ask as to why the supreme Princess herself has gotten so interested in my little group?" Lino asked casually as he suddenly sat down and took out a gourd of ale . Seeing this, the two guards by the Princess¡¯ side reached for their weapons without uttering a sound, with Lino silently acknowledging their actions . However, before they could fully draw out their swords, Annabelle stopped them with a gentle wave of her hands . "What does the Mister mean?" just based on her appearance, one would think she was around sixteen years old; however, she was well over a hundred years old by now . "One of my servants picked up something strange and did something, and the Mister suddenly popped into my chambers . " " . . . " Lino looked deeply into her eyes for a moment and realized that her intention was merely to just test him and leave it at that, but Lino wasn¡¯t as ready to say goodbye just like that . He reached into his pocket and took out the winged crest, fiddling with it with his fingers . "You should recall them . " he mumbled faintly, though just loud enough for her to hear . Her eyes instinctively moved onto Lino¡¯s fingers whereupon she suddenly froze, her entire heart washed over in frigid cold . Her lips quickly trembled, sweat charging out of her skin . "Hey . " a faint voice jolted her from her stupor . "Leave us alone . " losing her yful and innocent demeanour, she called out to the two guards . "But Princess--" "Do not worry . Leave us alone . " the two guards bowed reluctantly and left, leaving the whole, massive room to Lino and Princess alone . As the doors behind her nked close, Annabelle quickly fell to one knee and lowered her head, her whole body beginning to shake in fear . "Forgive this lowly one for presumptions attitude . Had I known--" "Just get up," Lino groaned lowly; he inwardly worried whether everyone else will greet him simrly . Though it felt nice, he had to admit, it was also slightly ufortable . "I¡¯m not here to unt . " "Y-yes . " Annabelle got up slowly, yet didn¡¯t dare to look Lino in his eyes, squirming silently . "So, why the interest?" Lino asked again with a faint smile . "Ah . . . that . . . " she lowered her head in embarrassment for a moment . "At first it was truly an ident as I¡¯m in charge of scouting the westward swath of the continent . But, I was wholly unable to sense you through my Divine Sense despite seeing you with my eyes, which is why I tried repeatedly . " " . . . hoh?" Lino eximed softly as he put the crest away . "Don¡¯t tell me your Father had alreadymenced the War State?" "Only partially," she replied honestly . "He did not wish to disturb the state of things too much as of yet . " " . . . a wise man," Lino mumbled faintly as he got up . "I¡¯m on my way to the Capital," his words seemed to startle her and no matter how much she fought to conceal it, Lino spotted it, sighing inwardly . "Inform your Father and those still privy to my identity . We¡¯ll talk more then . " "Y-yes . . . " "I hope you won¡¯t be too afraid to let me see those beautiful eyes the next time we meet . " Lino added casually as he stepped through the vortex and walked out, leaving Annabelle alone . She was unable to tear away her gaze from the still spinning vortex for a long while, an indiscernible number of thoughts colliding with one another inside of her mind . So far, the situation on the Continent was treated rather casually, both by her Father and his vassals . However, she thought, her brows furrowing . If they are involved in this . . . the situation must be far graver than we realize . I should also thank my Father for telling me about them . . . had I not known . . . I¡¯d have most-likely died . . . On the other end, Lino found himself back in the open field from which he stepped into the vortex . Quickly locating the group, he headed slowly toward them while thoughts too spun inside his mind . I can already feel the meeting with them will be a pain in the ass . . . he thought with a frown . Royal Members? More like Royal Screw-ups . . . he he . . . khm . . . row, row, row your boat . . . Chapter 182 Chapter 182 CHAPTER 182 THE HOLY CITY Although Lino had seen it once before he still couldn¡¯t suppress the surging awe in his heartpletely . The Holy City was massive -- and even still Lino considered it an understatement . Unlike other cities he¡¯d visited so far, it had seven sectional walls which broke the City down into seven unique districts . Furthermore, rather than being built with a singr theme in mind, the city seemed almost cascade-like . Its southern end was dominated by the continentsrgest river -- River Ro, which ran all the way down to the south, draining into the ocean, its source hidden somewhere in the massive Northern Spears mountain range . Along the river within the city, regardless of the district it seemed, farms sprung out left and right . Across on the northern side,rge swaths of the city were built near the mountain with severalrge deposits of coal and copper, which was also the north¡¯s greatest advantage . Because of these factors, aside from the difference between the districts, there was also a sectional difference between the north and south in terms of culture, tradition, lifestyles and even values . Architecture itself ranged anywhere from themon, wooden cabins to spire-chiseled colossals rising ever so often in the distance, to even moreplex array of buildings which used baroque designs to the absolute hurt . During his first visit here while he was searching for the branch quarters of the Great Descent, Lino didn¡¯t pay much attention to the world around him, but now couldn¡¯t help but . The massive walls, guards adorned in full te, wagons upon wagons of merchants, the sheer density of popce and the buildings themselves whereupon they seemed stacked over one another even within the furthest district from the center, the chatter of the thousands of strangers rendering the concept of silence itself dead . . . Lino could hardly begin to even describe it . "We have a rented house within the Third District," Jack approached Lino and said . "Ed and I intend on waiting there for the festival . What about you?" " . . . hmm," Lino stroked his chin for a moment . "Is there enough room for the three of us?" "Of course . " Jack nodded . "Alright . We¡¯ll settle there as well for the little while," Lino said . "Well, it¡¯ll mostly be those two, but still . " "You n on going somewhere?" Jack asked, somewhat surprised . "Not exactly," Lino shrugged . "I¡¯ll be out and about . I¡¯ll also visit at least once a week to craft something . Especially now that I have to arm myself and those two imbeciles--why are you looking at me like that?" Lino noticed Jack¡¯s strange gaze and asked . "Oh . They¡¯re right behind me, aren¡¯t they?" "Yup . " "Hello, my two wonderful Disciples," Lino shifted on his heel quickly and shed disgruntled Felix and Lucky a beaming smile . "I have secured us a warm house for the winter!" "It¡¯s summer!!" Felix and Lucky eximed . "But . . . it¡¯s winter in my heart . . . " " . . . Uncle Jack, let¡¯s go . " Felix and Lucky ignored Lino and stepped behind Jack who smiled awkwardly . Though the youth before him was many things, tactful wasn¡¯t one of them . "It¡¯s alright," Lino smiled faintly . "I have some business to attend to . Just draw me a map of where your ce is within the district and I¡¯ll find you . " "Oh, I already did . " Jack reached into his pocket and took out a crumpled piece of cloth before handing it over to Lino . "It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find . However, just to be sure, here¡¯s a talisman in case you get lost . " " . . . " Looks like I¡¯m still in the business of getting talismans from old men . . . haah . . . "Thanks . " despite his thoughts, he still smiled widely and waved the entourage as it moved along the massively crowded streets surrounded by massively crowded buildings . "Now then . . . " he mumbled as he looked toward the eastern sky . Far off in the distance, well beyond what even his eye could see, was a Pce in the Sky as the locals called it . Resting upon the floating rocks, it was the pride and treasure of the entire Titan Empire . Even Lino had to admit it was a spectacr way to appear cool to the masses, though he did know it wasn¡¯t built by the Empire; it was rather a remnant of the Titan technology, which is also why the Empire developed with the ideologies it did . Lino quickly scurried away from the masses and donned the simple mask . Though he was fairly certain that the Emperor could locate him even this far out, he was slightly worried over whether exposing his Qi would basically be telling him that Lino was yet to even break past the Realms of Rebirth . "Don¡¯t worry," having read his thoughts, the Writ¡¯s robotic voice quickly resounded . "Even the other Writs would be unable to discern your Realm, let alone an ordinary Emperor of a small Empire . " " . . . did you finally recover?" Lino asked . " . . . please . " "Oh, you¡¯re begging me not to talk about it? Well . . . this is rare . . . " "Please . " sensing the panic in the Writ¡¯s voice, Lino decided to relent with a smile . "Fine . I¡¯ll trust you then . " He briefly condensed a sliver of Qi within his palm, yet not even a momentter he felt a rather powerful and domineering Divine Sense sweep over him . And then again . And again . It did so for nearly ten times before the space in front of him disfigured and the vortex opened . Lino grinned oddly for a moment before sighing and stepping inside . Unlike with Annabelle, it was clear that the Emperor had nned the meeting with a better care . Lino found himself in a well-lit yet still small room without any decorations . Opposite of him was a small army of people, something even he didn¡¯t expect -- fourteen people in total . His eyes quickly found Annabelle standing just off to the side of two men both of whom stood at least a whole foot in front of the others . Lino recognized one of them quickly -- Emperor Rex, the so-called Divinely Chosen ruler of the Titan Empire for hundreds of years now . He was extremely tall and broad man, donning royal robes which fitted his body perfectly . Even Lino had to admit that the man¡¯s features were quite . . . unique . A scarred face with well-defined features spilled into muscr body that could contend even Eggor . Furthermore, his eyes were differently colored; one eerily purple and the other even more ghastly white . To add more to the whole rainbow-presentation was his azure-dyed hair . All in all, he really did resemble those heroes Lino used to read about as a kid . Next to him stood a far more ordinary-looking man, yet for one reason or another he gave Lino a much greater sense of danger . Over a whole head and a half shorter, wearing simple robes, ck-haired and eyed with slightly aged features, Lino recognized the current strongest cultivator of the Titan Empire -- Guardian of Light . Besides the two of them who retained some measure of calmness, the rest appeared rather startled uponnding their eyes -- and Divine Senses in extension -- on Lino . " . . . isn¡¯t it a bit rude?" Lino molded his voice slightly, causing it be a bit deeper and rougher as he spoke, smiling faintly under the mask . "Even without buying me a dinner, you want to strip me naked . " " . . . " Lino guessed that they most-likely anticipated many things, but him making a joke immediately upon arriving certainly didn¡¯t appear to be one of their envisioned ideas . "Everyone . " the moment the Emperor spoke, the entire room went silent . Lino finally realized what the true Emperor represented; he could only bitterly smile when remembering Althone and Evelyn . Both had a whole lot more to learn . "If it is not too much," the Emperor then shifted his attention away from others onto Lino . "We would like to inspect your identification . Forgive Our rudeness, but Our Royal Daughter is quite inexperienced . " " . . . alright . " Lino still held onto a faint smile as he fished out the winged crest from his void world, allowing it to levitate slightly above his palm . It didn¡¯t take long for either the Emperor or the Guardian to recognize the crest as the genuine article . Their expressions stiffened, gazes hardening . "Though I very much like the weing party you¡¯ve thrown me, I¡¯d rather much talk with you two first . " " . . . " the Emperor said nothing, merely waving his hand gently . Within a blink, everyone save for him and the Guardian was gone . Lino, then, immediately recognized the movement of their muscles as a thousand resounding ¡¯what a pain in the ass¡¯ echoed throughout his mind repeatedly . "Take the creed of your title seriously," Lino spoke out before the two had the chance . "The Emperor isn¡¯t someone who bows . Not to heavens themselves, and certainly not to men . Alright, let¡¯s sit down . " ignoring their slightly confused gazes, Lino inwardly wondered just what the hell did his predecessors do to make seemingly everyone terrified of the mere identity . "You¡¯ve most-likely figured out that my arrival isn¡¯t exactly synonymous with good news . " Lino quickly spoke out as the trio sat around a simple table . Both the Emperor and the Guardian still seemed quite ufortable, though Lino ignored it . "Indeed . " the Emperor nodded . "Can We--I mean, can I ask why has someone as Noble as Yourselfe here?" Oi, oi, seriously, what the heck did you guys do?! Did you enve the whole world at one point to make everyone shit their pants upon the mere mention of your name?! Though Lino cursed inwardly, he remained calm on the surface . "Have your men had any sess?" Lino ignored the Emperor¡¯s question and nced at the Guardian . "We¡¯ve been unable to root them out just yet . " the man replied with a bit moreposure than the Emperor . "Recall your Legion," Lino¡¯s words startled the two men whose eyes quickly seemed to be begging for the answers . "Though your decision was correct," he then turned toward the Emperor again . "It was quite rash . Do you really think it¡¯s as simple as a small army of Devils invading?" " . . . meaning?" seeming to have understood the undertones, their eyes quickly turned murderous . "Meaning that this is a full-scale invasion," Lino exined . "The army you were after would have most-likely dragged you further into their formation till you were trapped . Chances are, however, you¡¯d have discovered it well before . Still, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry . " Lino smiled faintly . "I suppose now¡¯s the time I inform you of my objective here," he added, tapping his finger against the table . "I¡¯m to unite the scattered forces of the entire Continent and assemble them into a war machine to contend against the Eighteen Invading Legions of the Hell¡¯s Army, each of which is led by a Sin-Devil Variant as a Commander . This means their forces number at minimum around 2 million . " "W-what?!!" losing what littleposure the two had, they started on their feet, their eyes trembling in terror . "Calm down," Lino said . "There¡¯s still some time before they invade . I imagine they are still opening up the portals and solidifying their bases . " " . . . " " . . . I assume You are to act as the overall Commander of our forces?" the Guardian was the first to recover and asked Lino with a serious tone . "Something like that," Lino nodded, smiling faintly . "Though I imagine you understand just how impossible of a feat that is . While I will coordinate the overall movement, every formed Legion will still retain autonomy and make decisions based on the situation-to-situation basis . Right . How many Titr Voids does the Continent have?" Lino asked with slight interest . "I am aware of five so far -- you two, Patriarch Chenghiz of the Unholy Calling Sect and their Guardian, and the reclusive Sky-bearing Monk . " " . . . those are all, as far as we¡¯re aware . " the Emperor seemed to recover atst, confirming Lino¡¯s list . " . . . " Lino sighed inaudibly . Though far more than he expected before leaving the Western Continent, it was also far fewer than he had hoped after reading through the information . "I¡¯ll be honest with you," he said after a short silence . "I will not participate directly in the battles of the highest order -- that is not unless the entire Continent is facing extinction . " Lino still felt sliver of hatred in his heart; the parchment actually asked him to repel the Titr Voids of the Devil Army . He truly wished to kill that old man . "With that in mind," the twos¡¯ expressions didn¡¯t change, seemingly already aware of it . "I¡¯ll give you a week to gather as many leaders as you can . Don¡¯t include my identity in the invitation; I¡¯ll personally visit those who refuse . " the two gulped simultaneously, seemingly already imagining the dreaded ends of those who refused it . "I¡¯ll arrange the general formation and battle n then . You can also invite the most trustworthy war-nners to the meeting . After all, you guys know the Continent far better than I do . I know it doesn¡¯t need to be said, but still, make sure my appearance here remains a secret . Who knows what the Devils might do if they find out . " "Of course . " the Emperor quickly nodded . "Well then . See you guys in a week . " Lino smiled lightly and got up, leaving the room . The vortex closed quickly after him, leaving the Emperor and the Guardian sitting in silence for a short while . "What do you think Jean?" the Emperor asked the man sitting next to him who appeared deep in thought . " . . . I think . . . this will be the war to determine whether we continue to exist or not, Rex . " " . . . what about the man¡¯s strength?" the Emperor asked . "Humph, you¡¯re just slightly weaker than me . What makes you think I¡¯d be able to pry him open?" the Guardian scoffed in mockery for a moment, forcing a bitter smile onto the Emperor¡¯s face . "However . . . seeing his confidence when he mentioned he¡¯d only intervene if the Continent faced extinction . . . he should be quite strong . " " . . . he¡¯s only number 72, though . " the Emperor said . " . . . they haven¡¯t admitted anyone new in centuries," the Guardian said . "Actually, this is the longest they¡¯ve ever gone without full 72 members . Even with that selectiveness and indifference, he still managed to be admitted . This should also be his first mission . . . and with the full knowledge of the entire background, they still willingly assigned it over to him . What do you think?" " . . . " "Don¡¯t think too much about it," the Guardian stood up slowly . "Let¡¯s do as we are asked for the time being . If the Hell¡¯s Army truly numbers around 2 million . . . this is going to be a true war for survival . . . " " . . . " Chapter 183 Chapter 183 CHAPTER 183 HAMMER OF THE HEART Droll wantonly ran down the corners of Lino¡¯s mouth as the beautiful sounds resounded through his mind . A row of topless, sweaty men hammered away at the stone and steel yet it hardly dampened Lino¡¯s mood or his own idea as to how just beautiful the scene was . The shadows wiggled back under the siege of the forges¡¯ mes, the sounds of the world outside drowned by the hammers and grunts . Lino quickly spotted Jack and Edward who were sitting in the corner, waving at him . Walking over briskly as his eyes danced in-between the dozens of anvils currently upied by dozens of items in the process of being crafted . Even the rather repugnant stench couldn¡¯t kill his excitement . "Hey guys!" Lino eximed with a beaming smile as he reached Jack and Edward who were standing by the most luxurious-looking forge in the massive room . "Thanks for doing this!" "Ha ha, no problem, no problem," Edward said . "I¡¯ve long since wanted to ask you to craft something with me!" "Indeed," Jack nodded fervently . "This will be a good experience . " "Have you guys brought the materials I¡¯ve asked?" "It¡¯s all here . " Jack whipped out a ring from his pocket and handed it over to Lino who quickly inspected it before nodding in satisfaction . "Yeah, it¡¯s all here! Great! How much? I most-likely can¡¯t pay all at once, but I¡¯ll craft some things for freeter on if you want . " "Ha ha, don¡¯t worry about it," Jackughed too suddenly . "So long as you don¡¯t abandon us for some other smithy, consider it a gift . " " . . . he-he he he," Linoughed sciously . "A-alright . Let¡¯s . . . let¡¯s start crafting then . " "What do you want to do first?" Edward asked . "Hmm . . . " Lino took a second to think it through before replying . "Both Lucky and Felix already have good weapons so I can skip that . I suppose I¡¯ll leave Felix¡¯s robes for when I find some decent leather-worker . . . so we can go over Lucky¡¯s armor first . " " . . . isn¡¯t she more suited for leather or cloth armor as well?" Edward asked . "Hmm . . . I don¡¯t n on crafting everything for her just yet," Lino said . "For now just a ring that will serve as her secondary weapon and a pair of light-steel boots . " "Do you know how to craft jewelry?" Jack asked . " . . . I was hoping you do . " "Nope . " " . . . shit . " "Ha ha, don¡¯t worry," Jack said as he suddenly whipped out a talisman . "I¡¯ve a friend here that¡¯s pretty good at it . Want me to invite her?" "Sure thing!" Lino rejoiced . "Alright, in the meantime, let¡¯s start crafting boots . " Lino had long since desired to gear both himself and Lucky and Felix with something decent, and the need increased only more and not less after he¡¯d realized what he was getting himself into . As he stood absolutely no chance of having any remarkable impact on the war through his cultivation alone, he¡¯d nned on gearing himself beyond continent¡¯s capacity as well as designing and crafting some siege weapons down the line . The problem was that both Felix and Lucky much preferred lighter armor which he wasn¡¯t exactly good at crafting; he himself, in opposition, much preferred steel, mail and even te . Luckily, though, it wasn¡¯t yet a truly imperative necessity to arm them immediately, so he could take it slow . He decided to craft Lucky¡¯s boots out of a rather lightweight steel called [Crystalized Sea Steel] . While definitely less durable than most other types of steel, it was far more flexible and light on the feet, having inherent capacity to increase wearer¡¯s movement speed . Lucky¡¯s cultivation method danced between the standard ones and the Body Cultivation which made these sort of boots perfect for her . He soon joined the rest of the smiths in the room, with the help of Edward and Jack who acted as his supporters, in hammering and chiseling away . As he¡¯d already imagined the whole design in his head down to thest detail, and had already written out the arrays he would use, he didn¡¯t need to spend time on the design and could immediately dive into the crafting process itself . As there was no reason to adorn the boots too heavily, he went with a simple, straightforward design through which the boots would automatically model themselves after the wearer¡¯s feet, ensuring that they wouldn¡¯t identally slip out of them . He still, however, sectioned them into three parts for even more flexibility and maneuverability . Shining in faint silver, it didn¡¯t take long for the trio to craft the general shape and then fill its inneryers with segmented, sheep wool . Lino then proceeded to slowly inscribe the arrays; two on the soles, and two on each side of the boot, for eight arrays in total for both boots . Just as they were about to be done, a person approached them, startling Edward from a deep thought and causing Lino to also look away from the boots onto the neers . Surprisingly it was a woman, seemingly well into her forties . Though, despite both of those characteristics, Lino realized she was built as a boulder, her muscles even more prominent due to her extremely dark skin tone . She had short, boyish ck hair and a pair of strangely enchanting yellow eyes, almost like cat¡¯s . She donned rather simple clothesposed of a short-sleeved top and regr leather pants, both tailored to fit her body perfectly, only further enhancing her bulwark figure . I-is she really a jeweler?! Lino thought inwardly . She¡¯s more robust than me!! "Oh, Sarah!" Jack eximed as he spotted the neer and gave her a hug -- or, more precisely, gave her legs a hug as she towered him over at nearly three times his size -- with a big smile . "Thank you foring so soon! I know you must be busy!" "Ha ha, don¡¯t worry my favorite little midget," I like her! Lino thought . "How can I resist your call?" "Aah, I see you¡¯re still a meanie . . . " Jack seemingly pouted . "And you still like to feel out my legs whenever we met . Does anything really need to change?" Sarah grinned widely . "No, indeed . You are quite right . By the way, have you worked them out even further?" Jack asked as he once again hugged her legs . "They seem even more . . . stony than before . " "Oh, good spotting! I¡¯ve recently ran a cross-continental marathon against some of my disciples as a way to promote leg-work in them . Suffice to say, only Ipleted it!" . . . I am ashamed . . . "Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to this hunk over here?" "He he," Jack sniffled proudly as he spun on his heel and theatrically pointed at Lino . "This, my dear, is the newest member of my smithy! A yet-to-be-thirty Grandmaster cksmith whose work I¡¯ll be disying during the festival!" "Oooooh!" Sarah eximed as her eyes glistened in interest, quickly shuffling over and grasping at Lino¡¯s arms and then his bear chest . Though roughly his height, Lino suddenly felt extremely small . "You¡¯ve really struck gold this time around Jacky! Not only is he good, boy he¡¯s also good!" as though noticing Lino¡¯s rather awkward gaze, Sarah suddenly grinned as she lifted his arm up . "What? I felt you so you wanna feel me?" " . . . " "You can, you know? I won¡¯t mind . " "Really?" Lino asked somewhat dubiously . "Of course . " "Alright . " epting the invitation, Lino¡¯s hands quickly ran over Sarah¡¯s body . Every so often he softly eximed in wonder and joy, all the while the standing trio seemingly stunned by his actions . " . . . uh . . . he . . . " Edward mumbled awkwardly . "Ha ha ha ha ha . . . " Sarah instead, however,ughed, puffing her rather bountiful chest out . "You¡¯re quite a bold one, aren¡¯t you?" "Eh? You said it was fine though . " Lino said, quickly withdrawing his hands . "Heh, true, true . I guess you can¡¯t be held liable for defaming this pure maiden . " " . . . don¡¯t you have at least two kids already?" Lino said with a frown, causing both Edward and Jack to look at him with dubious wonder . "E-eh? Did you two tell him?" Sarah asked the two . "No . " the two quickly shook their heads . "Ha ha, they don¡¯t need to," Lino shrugged as he puffed his chest out proudly and hammered them with his fist . "I¡¯ve studied woman¡¯s physique in the greatest detail to the point I can tell whether someone¡¯s pregnant or not before even they know! This little bit of knowledge is nothing!" " . . . this . . . that isn¡¯t really something to be proud about . . . " Jack mumbled awkwardly . " . . . haii . . . Lino . . . why . . . " Edward said, looking away . " . . . " Sarah, on the other hand, suddenly grinned widely, inspecting Lino yet again with different eyes . "Damn kid . If I didn¡¯t love my husband as much as I do, I¡¯d fuck you right here and now . " "And I¡¯d dly be fucked by you right here and now!" Lino grinned back . "But, as that¡¯s off the table, how about we craft a ring together? It can be the token of our never-explored love . " " . . . this . . . this tongue . . . " Jack had by now buried his head in his chest . " . . . " Edward, on the other hand, could even utter a word due to embarrassment . "Indeed, that is a good idea," Sarah, on the other hand, smiled sweetly . "You¡¯re quite a charmer, aren¡¯t you?" "I try . " Lino said abashedly . WHY ARE YOU GETTING BASHFUL FOR NOW, YOU BASTARD?! Edward and Jack red at him hatefully . "Ah, right . I still haven¡¯t checked how the boots came out . " [Wind¡¯s Harriers -- Epic] Level: 160 Requirements: 4000 Agility +300% to Movement Speed on Open Fields +400% to Movement Speed if running with Wind (stacks) +20% to Agility Special Effect [Sea-runner] -- Enables running on water¡¯s surface for the wearer for up to 5 minutes . Note: A singr-oriented item designed to fit a specific style, a shining example of extreme pursuit of speed . "Ooh, not bad," Lino nodded, stroking his chin . "Movement bonuses are greater than I expected . " " . . . doesn¡¯t it seem a bit too extreme, though?" Jack asked, frowning . "It¡¯s fine," Lino shrugged . "It will fit her role well in the future . " Lino said vaguely . "What do you want to do with the ring?" Sarah suddenly asked, her eyes shining in excitement; Lino then realized that she¡¯s truly a smith, as nobody else could hold that crazed gaze as well . "I want to turn it into a secondary weapon . " Lino said . "Eh?" "My friend¡¯s Cultivation Methodcks overtly direct and physical attacks," Lino exined . "But she¡¯s well-versed in throwing weapons . However, rather than mass-producing them for her, I figured I could use a Ring as a conduit through which phantom throwing knives would be formed . " "Ooh!" Sarah eximed in realization . "That actually sounds quite interesting! I¡¯ve never crafted an essory like that before . It should be fun . " "The stuff Ie up with is always fun . " he winked casually . " . . . p-please . . . Lino . . . " Jack mumbled meekly . " . . . " Edward still remained silent . "You¡¯d think I was the old one here . " Lino shrugged, seeing the two¡¯s reaction . "Anyway, let¡¯s get started on that ring . I can¡¯t have mydies wait too long to see my greatness! Hey, that rhymed . Maybe I should be a poet? Let¡¯s see . . . hmm . . . khm, the sounds of the hammer and the sounds of the mes, stoke me and my babes . . . yeah, better not . . . better not . . . " Chapter 184 Chapter 184 CHAPTER 184 CRAFTING SPREE Lino¡¯s eyes glistened in bedazzling light, focused entirely on the shining ring sitting atop the palm of his hands . It exuded deeply violet sheen, smooth to the touch, with a one-winged crest carved out of ruby gem being the centerpiece of the disy . For the majority of the smithing involved, Lino had actually done quite little, with Sarah bearing the bulk . He only helped inscribe arrays toward the end and smooth out the surface . Even so, however, he couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly prideful over the creation as it was derived entirely from his own design . However, perhaps the most important thing that he derived from the crafting process was the realization over just how different jewelry crafting actually is from crafting a weapon or a piece of armor . "Satisfied?" Sarah suddenly asked . The already tight clothes she wore now stuck even closer to her skin, doused in sweat . She was heaving deeply at the moment, clearly exhausted, yet still bearing a brilliant smile . "He he, beyond satisfied!" Lino eximed . "You¡¯re really a genius at this!" "But of course . " "Damn, now I want to put it on your finger even more . " Lino said with a grin . "Ah, you little ruffian!" Sarah smiled, ruffling Lino¡¯s hair for a moment before sitting down . "You¡¯re toote . My heart is already captured . " "Tsk . " Lino clicked his tongue inaudibly . "First Ava . . . now you . . . why are all the charming women already taken . . . ah . . . what injustice . . . " "Do you want to rest for a bit before continuing?" Jack quickly asked in order to prevent the conversation from derailing any further . "Ah, I¡¯ve brought us some ale," Sarah eximed as she took out four jars from her void ne before taking out a massive barrel . Lino¡¯s eyes immediately shone as his nose perked . "Hm? You recognize the smell?" she asked, seeing Lino¡¯s reaction . "Is that legendary Dwarven Ale?" Lino asked expectantly . "Ha ha, right on . " "Dear god, this day keeps getting better and better!" "You¡¯re really not pulling your punches today!" Jack eximed, unable to hide his excitement . "Ah . . . Dwarven Ale . . . " Edward mumbled with a dreamy expression . "Alright, alright, pour yourself someds," Sarah said . "And enjoy!" "Don¡¯t mind if I do!" Lino was the first to scoop the jar and fill it to the absolute brim . He then sat down and stared at the bubbling foam for a long while before taking a sip . It tasted . . . bitterly sweet . He¡¯d only read about the ale, yet all his dreams about it hadn¡¯t been betrayed -- they were even surpassed . "So this is what heaven tastes like . . . " "Hey, don¡¯t insult my ale!" Sarah eximed, taking a sip herself . "Heavens suck asspared to this . Anyway, Jack, what are you guys going to be disying?" "He he, it¡¯s a secret," Jack replied, savoring the taste himself . "However, I promise you you¡¯ll be surprised . " "Indeed," Edward joined in, his hands shaking as he held onto the jar . "Lino¡¯s really a heaven-sent gift for us . . . " "Jeez, as if my ego wasn¡¯t already inted . . . " Linomented . "But, what can I say? It¡¯spletely true . I¡¯m unlike everyone you met before!" " . . . yeah, I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯re quite a narcissist . " Jackmented . "To the point that if the mirrors could speak they would tell you to leave them alone . " Edward added . "Ah, let the youth be," Sarah chimed in . "It¡¯s better to love yourself too much than to hate just as much . " "Indeed, listen to this beauty," Lino said with a serious expression . "When did a little bit of self-love ever harm anyone? Oh, I mean self-love as in love not as in going to town with myself . " " . . . yeah, we got that . " Jack said . " . . . " Edward sighed and shook his head . "There¡¯s a child living inside of you, isn¡¯t there?" Sarah asked with a rather queer smile . "That¡¯s against thew, though . " ": . . " " . . . " " . . . " "Yeah, very few people can handle my brilliance indefinitely . " Lino said . "It¡¯s both a gift and a curse . " " . . . khm, what do you n on craftingter?" Sarah asked, switching the topic quickly . "An arsenal for myself . " Lino replied with a grin . "An arsenal so overpowered that I¡¯ll make people die out of jealousy alone . " "We only have enough materials for four items, though . " Jack said . " . . . I-I know . . . it . . . it was a joke . . . " "Eh, you can¡¯t swing and hit them all . " Sarah said . "Khm, anyway, I¡¯ll crafting a thick-ded zanbato, a spear, a war-hammer and a chain sickle . " Lino said . "Wow, that¡¯s quite ambitious . Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s for yourself?" Sarah eximed after a short thought . "Can you even use that many weapons?" "He he, the easiest way to beat someone is to drown them in money . " Lino said, licking his lips . "No need to bleed blood or Qi . Just drown the bastards into the grinder of doom!" " . . . you¡¯re insane . " Jackmented . "Aplete lunatic . " Edward nodded . "Yup, there¡¯s something about you . . . " Sarah said . "I just hope they turn half as good as the ring . . . " Lino once again went over the ring¡¯s stats, still unable to truly believe it . [Ring of Liberation - Epic] Level: 180 Requirements: 2000 Agility +40% to Agility +50% to Hand Speed +30% to Melee Martial Arts Special Effect [Liberator] -- momentarily edify physical constitution, improving all body-rted stats by 400% for 5 seconds (offense and defense) Special Effect [Snipe] -- directing Qi into the ring creates a [Phantom de] which can be thrown at will, dealing damage equal to 60% of total sum . Each sessive conjuring consumes more Qi . Note: A bnce-oriented essory, offering a boost both to melee and rangedbat; especially useful in the hands of craftybatants . However, seeing the stats again, suddenly inspired Lino . A feeling swelled inside his chest, one he couldn¡¯t resist . He quickly downed the contents of the jar and got up, bellowing sharply before shifting over to the furnace and starting the mes again . While the mes bellowed, he quickly took out numerous parchments and began designing the weapons wantonly; in just an hour, he¡¯d designed at least twenty variants of each, before slowly condensing his desires into one design for each weapon . Finally satisfied, he sectioned off the materials to use for each before getting to work . Deciding on the spear first, he melted the ingots and elongated them, partitioning them into three parts and adjoining them through internal, metal conduits for increased flexibility . For the de he decided on a bnced approach, aiming to create a spear appropriate for thrusting, swiping and shing . He also alloyed the shaft twice over to be able to use it as a shield without it breaking apart . Drawing out the arrays slowly and carefully across the surface while Jack and Edward sharpened and alloyed the de, he also decided on decorating it slightly, adding a feathered end at the shaft¡¯s bottom and carving out spiraling patterns across its surface, filling them with a slight, golden glitter . By the time he was done, it was already night . Taking a quick look around, he realized that the other cksmiths had already left, yet that hardly impeded on his mood . Immediately shifting over from the finished spear he decided on creating the war-hammer next . As he hadn¡¯t crafted one before, he employed Jack¡¯s and Edward¡¯s help a bit more . While he prepared the shaft, the two worked on the head in ordance to his design, Lino joining them only by the end, chiseling out the arrays and patterns . Both the spear and the war-hammer were quite massive, taller than him at that, impossible to wield for practically anyone except the Body Cultivators . Since he atst decided to finalize his battling style and detail it out a bit more, he designed weapons in a diversifying way -- or, to be more precise, they were designed with a specific purpose in mind . The same thing urred once he began crafting zanbato; as he was very picky about the details, he himself handled the entire process with Jack and Edward merely acting as a supply depot for the materials . Thick, wide and long, he had no intention of making it a cutter which is also why he didn¡¯t bother sharpening the edges all that much and instead focused on repeatedly reinforcing the de¡¯s endurance through numerousyers . Moving onto thest one, Lino had long since forgotten the passage of time; it had already been three days, actually, since he¡¯d begun crafting . The story about the crazed smith in the local smithy had already spread throughout the city, and every day the number of observes increased exceptionally, though he himself failed to notice it . Chain sickle was a rather unique and rare weapon, one even Jack and Edward didn¡¯t have much experience crafting which is why it took them the longest to craft . Simrly to the other three, Lino specialized it to the mid-range as hecked any form of ranged attack besides throwing stuff at people . With that image in mind, he focused on making it quick and silent as well as durable rather than imagining it as a killer weapon; he imagined using it more as a supportive tool than a weapon, but he believed it suited him perfectly . [Jailing Wail - Unique Rare] Level: 140 Damage: 13,644-14,311 +60% to Drawing Speed +60% to Projectile Speed -60% to Damage +200% to Durability Special Effect [Jailer] -- entangling the chains immobilizes the victim for at most 3 seconds, preventing the channeling of Qi . Special Effect [Reaper] -- sessfully killing someone of the same Realm with the weapon permanently increases its damage by 1% (grade increase every 100 kills) Note: A growth-type weapon, suited only for those who live and die by the hills and dunes of the battlefield . Begins on the weaker end with nigh-infinite potential . Chapter 185 Chapter 185 CHAPTER 185 THE DIVINE ARMORY Putting away the chain sickle, Lino still couldn¡¯t quite quench his excitement . Ever since he¡¯d learned crafting and began cultivating, he had a dream of stuffing himself with weapons of all sorts and kinds as a way to prepare himself for every situation imaginable . Though the dream kept being dyed, he¡¯d finally gotten around to it . Picking up the war-hammer, he swung it once or twice to get a feel for it; it was slightly lighter than he anticipated, but still in metric tons nheless . The war-hammer¡¯s surface exuded a peculiar bronze sheen, a rectangr concave in its head stuffed to brim with interlinking arrays to the point that even just a whiff of Qi caused a slight mist to arise from the hammer¡¯s surface . [Hell¡¯s Belittlement - Epic] Level: 200 Requirements: 6,000 Strength Damage: 80* the Wearer¡¯s Strength +600% to Destructibility against Armors -70% to Hand Speed -60% to Attack Speed +200% to Terrain Destruction +800% to Blunt Force of the Impact Special Effect [Fury] -- if the attack is blocked, wielder can inject Qi into the weapon to repeatedly attack until the defense is broken . Recharge time - 6 minutes . Special Effect [Law-bender] -- repeated injection of Qi into the weapon causes innerbustion, increasing Attack Speed by 400% for 10 seconds in addition to setting all the weapon touches aze Note: A destruction-oriented war-hammer that is nigh impossible to wield sessfully for prolonged periods of time; a Grand Masterpiece that would always find an owner . Even he himself still had trouble fully epting the war-hammer¡¯s properties; though he indeed did focus almost entirely on destruction, it still seemed to go slightly overboard . The weapon was practically pure perfection for a Body Cultivator as it aims to overwhelm the enemy through pure brutality alone . Chuckling like a madman for a moment and putting the war-hammer away under the envious gazes of Jack and Edward, Lino then picked up the sword -- zanbato . As thick as a grown man¡¯s thigh, the sword was practically a massive hump of death . Its ded parts slightly dulled, it weighed almost as much as the war-hammer, yet was half as cumbersome to wield . Silver sheen permeated its surface with an asional flicker of cyan, and it fitted Lino¡¯s hand perfectly -- as it was specifically designed by him for him . [Earth-Scorcher - Unique Epic] Level: 200 Requirements: 6,500 Strength Damage: 95* the Wearer¡¯s Strength +400% to Charging Momentum of each strike +200% to Impact Force of each strike +2000 to Strength -600 to Agility -40% to Attack Speed Special Effect [ze] -- each sessful strike has a chance to cause a phantom de with 300% of the Weapon¡¯s stats to strike through the same trajectory, setting the surroundings on fire Special Effect [Berserk] -- sacrifice one¡¯s Vitality to the de awakens it; the wielder receives 300% to ALL his stats; 50% of wielder¡¯s damage cannot be blocked; 50% of the damage wielder receives cannot be blocked; Attack Speed restriction temporarily removed -- based entirely on the wielder¡¯s constitution; each strike unleashes a barrage of scorching arrays that require [Holy Water] to be put out artificially; there¡¯s a slight chance for the wielder to temporarily lose their mind and attack everyone in their surroundings Special Effect [Bloodied] -- killing anyone at least two Large Realms above the wielder will cause the weapon to consume the victim¡¯s Vitality, permanently empowering the weapon as well as the wielder, transferring 10% of the victim¡¯s vitality to the wielder Note: A sword apt for the name ¡¯Sword of Madness¡¯, it cannot be swung by anyone other than Body Cultivators; a Continental Creation crafted to bring about the ruin to all those unfortunate enough to encounter it . Lino sucked in a deep, cold breath as he forcibly calmed himself down . Despite the fact that it was "only" of ¡¯Epic¡¯ tier, Lino believed this to be his best creation so far -- even better than the [Northern Frost] he crafted for Felix . After all, one could say that the sword was perfect for Lino, who had a slight tendency of going mildly mad upon the sight of blood . In addition, during the [Berserk] effect, Lino wagered he could contend against anyone beneath the Titr Void Realm for at least short while -- and he wasn¡¯t even Level 200 yet . It wasn¡¯t only because of the sword, though; it mainly had to do with his already ridiculous base stats which the sword worked off of . Not a single weapon Lino ever possessed had an option to remove Attack Speed restriction -- except this one . Though he¡¯d never tested the limits of his body, he could vaguely guess it wouldn¡¯t be something just anyone could counter . Stuffing the sword away as well, he then picked up the spear . Lino held it in his hands with a gentle care, his lips curling up into a warm smile . The spear was, after all, his first true weapon, and he had the most experience fighting with it . One thing which disappointed Lino, however, was that the spear was unlike the three other weapons he crafted -- while all three of them weren¡¯t all that great in their current statesparatively speaking, all had potential to follow Lino for a long, long time . The spear, on the other hand, was far, far, far stronger than any other weapon currently in Lino¡¯s possession, but he¡¯d eventually grow out of it as it would simply be too weak . Eh, whatever, I can still sell it . . . it should probably fetch a pretty dangerous price . . . [Spear of Salvation - Legendary] Level: 220 Damage: 660,380-685,335 Durability: 20,000,000 (cannot be Repaired) +200% to uracy while Thrusting +400% to Thrust Speed +300% to Thrust Impact +40% to Attack Speed -90% Damage when targeting Multiple Entities Special Effect [Judge] -- the Spear marks the target, issuing a challenge; so long as the wielder is attacking the marked target, thetter¡¯s Defensive Stats are decreased by 20% Special Effect [Jury] -- each sessful hit against the marked target shaves away at their mental barrier, increasing the chance of inflicting any form of Mental Attack by 5% (stacks infinitely) Special Effect [Executioner] -- consume the mark as well as all [Jury] stacks from the target to deal massive damage in a single thrust that cannot be blocked or evaded by anyone less than three Large Realms above the wielder . Consumed marks increases damage by 600% and each consumed stack by additional 50%, up to 20,000% Note: An uniquely dueling spear, it can do little but weep against multiple foes, yet is unmatched in a singr battle; a Grand Masterpiece unmatched within its range . Lino sighed ruefully and shook his head before putting the spear away . If only the Damage wasn¡¯t numerical . . . however, if it wasn¡¯t, Lino was fairly certain he¡¯d have been unable to craft it in the first ce . After all, all of the three weapons pushed the limits of his body well and beyond anything else he was capable of . If Edward and Jack weren¡¯t helping, he was fairly certain he¡¯d at most have been able to craft he sword and the spear -- at least a much worse version of thetter . Bidding farewell to the stunned Edward, Jack and Sarah -- of whom the former two now despaired that they couldn¡¯t show off Lino¡¯s new creations during the festival -- Lino headed back to the inn where Felix, Lucky and he were staying at for the time being . Though he¡¯d spent a long time in the smithy -- almost five days -- there were still two until the promised meeting with the Emperor . With the items in tow he now felt far more confident over the uing war . Though hecked any form of armor, materials didn¡¯t exactly fall out of the sky for him, so he had to be patient . He¡¯d long since began designing what he hoped to be a sessor to the [Bisected Armor Set], and was in the final proceedings of thest details of the designs . He located the inn rather quickly and went up the stairs to the fourth floor . Even he felt slight embarrassment over all the contemptuous gazes due to the sheer volume of stench his body emitted . Without bothering to stop, he shuffled the doors open and was weed by a rather peculiar sight . Felix jolted from the bed with a screech like a little girl caught experimenting with branches, while Lucky sighed and rolled over after Felix fell, pulling up the nket over her chest . "C-can¡¯t you knock, Master?!!" Felix eximed, scrambling to hide behind the bed . "Well, I can¡¯t," Lino grinned . "But someone¡¯s certainly knocking . KNOCKING-UP THAT IS, AMIRITE?! Ha ha ha ha ha . . . " the expectedughter, however, didn¡¯t arrive; Lucky rolled her eyes at him and Felix flushed even in a deeper shade of red . Lino was fairly certain that if he would breathe out onto thed¡¯s cheeks, they would begin bleeding . "Tsk, a tough crowd I see," Lino shrugged, ncing at Lucky . "Why do I have a feeling you¡¯d be a real talent at horseback riding?" " . . . and why do I have a feeling you¡¯d win the award for the biggest prick of the decade by andslide?" Lucky shot back . "W-wait, you really think so? Yasss!!" "Anyway, how long are you gonna stand there? Do you want to see me naked that badly?" "I¡¯m never opposed to seeing naked women," Lino shrugged . "But, not today my love, not today . Because of your embarrassment -- no matter how hard you try to hide it -- you failed to notice the absolutely rotten stench in the room . " "What emba---OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS?!!" Lucky gagged as she quickly pinched her nose, an expression of disgust on her face . "That¡¯s my natural aroma, m¡¯dy," Lino grinned as he walked toward the bathroom . "Anyway, you two can go back to bumping heads and holes, I¡¯ll just pretend I don¡¯t hear anything . " " . . . GO DIE!!" both Lucky and Felix yelled out as his back faded behind the closed doors . Lino smiled oddly for a moment before shaking his head and taking his clothes off . Looks like she¡¯s really smitten, huh? Chapter 186 Chapter 186 CHAPTER 186 MIND OF THE WAR " . . . " Lino opened his eyes with great difficulty, his expression terrible . For the past three hours, the talisman in his void world was trembling non-stop . Despite him ignoring it, it never stopped . Over and over . And over . Like a beat of the drum it bellowed into his mind . Even if he was a hundred time as sleepy, he¡¯d still remain wide awake as he was now . His mood soured, he sat up onto the bed and lit up the beside candle, cursing what ought to never be cursed as he took out the talisman from the void world . His brows furrowed as he recognized it was actually the Emperor¡¯s . Quickly donning the mask he lit it up whereupon a projection screen suddenly filled half a room, behind which a familiar face stared at him . " . . . what?" Lino asked in a grumpy tone . "Apologies for disturbing you thiste," the Emperor said, bowing his head slightly . "But it is an emergency . " "What is?" Lino asked . "The Hell¡¯s Army had made its first move," the Emperor said . "An entire Legion, to be precise, has been spotted on the Southern Shore moving ind . I have dispatched Jean and the Holy Titans Legion to intercept them . They should meet within one of the Southern Seafaring Valleys . " " . . . alright . Summon me . " Lino grumbled lowly, yawning and unleashing a smidgen of Qi . Barely a blinkter a vortex appeared next to his bed, through which he casually walked . He was met by quite arge audience this time around too, at the very least ten times asrge as the previous one . While most stood at the side of the centerpiece of the room -- a massive, round table made out of old-looking stone -- six figures in total sat around the table itself, with the Emperor sitting at the mostvish-looking chair . Lino nced around the masses for a moment and inspected their overall strength before walking over to the table and sitting down on one of the chairs . Considering the sudden murderous gazes thatnded on his body, he realized that the Emperor hadn¡¯t told them anything . His lips curled up into a faint smirk as he nced at the Emperor . Testing me, huh? Can¡¯t even drop these childish games as the war is breaking out . . . sheesh . . . "Anyone who hasn¡¯t reached the Realms of Godhood," Lino spoke in a mellow and casual voice, ignoring the freezing atmosphere . "Get out . " " . . . " " . . . " a rather long moment of silence unfolded as the people present seemed incapable of processing what Lino just said . Even after nearly a minute, nobody as much as took a breath, let alone anything more . "Was I unclear?" Lino said, lifting his gaze off the table and looking at the mass of people standing around him . "Or do I need to personally throw you out?" "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THI---" a whizzing sound stirred the winds as a youthful-looking man found himself bleeding through the clear air and crashing into the wall behind, causing a massive explosion to bellow . The man felt a sudden urge within his throat and within a single cough he felt as though he¡¯d bled out half the blood in his body . It was only then that his mind managed to catch up with the pain he received, causing him to scream out in agony . Lino, on the other hand, stood where the young man used to stand, his right leg lifted up, soles of his shoes seemingly spitting out smoke, with hands in his pockets . "You really think you can win the war with fucking around?" Lino suddenly shifted his eyes away from the youth onto the Emperor, thetter suddenly feeling as though doused in the coldest water in the world . "One more fuckery, and I¡¯ll crack your skull open and let your entire Empire fall before moving a single finger . Got it?" " . . . " " . . . " though many wished to sound out a voice, nobody dared to; those eyes hidden beneath the porcin mask terrified them all to the very cores of their beings . After all, even though majority of the people in the room had higher Cultivation Realms than Lino, none -- not even the Emperor himself -- had cultivated the Will as overbearing and as powerful as Lino¡¯s . So long as it was a match in the overbearing attitude, Lino was certain very few were his match . " . . . everyone beneath the Realms of Godhood, please leave . " a few full minutes into the suffocating silence, the voice of the Emperor suddenly sounded out . However, Lino didn¡¯t move his eyes away from the Emperor, forcing thetter to hold the gaze despite wanting to pull away . Lino knew very well that Emperor Rex was not a fool; otherwise, he would have never inherited the throne . Had it been any other circumstance, Lino might have even yed along with the charade, but there was no time for it . There were only two people besides him in the entire room who had realized Lino¡¯s identity, both of whom were sitting with their eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to the reality of things . All the rest, while perhaps strong enough to influence the war, certainly couldn¡¯t attribute much within this room . Tsk, Lino clicked his tongue inwardly . What a wasted opportunity . . . if Sarah or Ava saw me just then . . . he he, their husbands wouldn¡¯t know what hit them . . . Soon, one by one, people began leaving . Some nced at Lino with anger, some with hatred, some with agitation, and some even with fear . Within a minute, the previously packed room felt eerily empty, having only eleven people inside -- including Lino . Looking around, besides the six already sitting, only four stood -- three elderly men and a girl . Lino quickly recognized her -- Elundia, the secret card of the Unholy Calling Sect, just a single level away from obtaining a Void Title . ording to the information he received about her, she wasn¡¯t even a hundred years old yet . The world¡¯s truly filled with the monsters of all sorts . . . ncing casually at the remaining three, he turned around and walked back to the chair, sitting down before taking out a gourd of cheap ale and drinking some . Nobody else spoke out in the meantime, seemingly all waiting for him to say something . "Now that the nuisances are gone," Lino said after a few sips . "Which Legion is invading?" " . . . we are not too certain . " the Emperor said, biting his lower lip . "Did you scout out the Commander?" Lino asked . "Yes," the Emperor nodded . "He is a Sin-Devil Variant, as you have informed us . Tall, white hair, six horns, doesn¡¯t seem to wield a weapon . " " . . . En¡¯kav?" Lino mumbled, stroking his chin . "They¡¯re starting out fairly weak, it seems . Are these all that you¡¯ve managed to pull in without revealing my identity?" "Yes . " the Emperor nodded faintly . "From what I recall, the Southern ends of the Continent are led by the Anyua Family, correct?" "Yes . " "Why are they not here?" " . . . they . . . they said their Leader was busy . " " . . . busy, huh . . . " Lino mumbled, tapping his finger against the rather coarse surface of the table . "Anyway, let¡¯s hear your guys¡¯ suggestions . What do you wanna do?" Lino said after a short thought . Though he had his own ns, it is possible he might have overlooked something; in the end, he didn¡¯t have any experience withmanding suchrge-scale battles . " . . . if I may . " one of the two who kept his eyes closed all the while suddenly opened them . Lino nced at the man and smiled faintly . He was none other than the Sky-bearing Monk, perhaps even the strongest man on the continent . As the Emperor and him never fought, it was hard to really make predictions . Even if nobody else arrived, it would have been enough for Lino if this man alone did . As most other Monks, the man donned a simple robes, his head entirely balded, eyes and lips thin and narrow, his face even somewhat menacing . "Go on . " Lino nodded faintly . "I first wish to confirm my suspicion," the Monk said, bowing slightly . "Is it alright if I divulge your potential identity to those in the unknown?" Lino merely nodded . "Are you a Descended?" "I am . " Lino replied casually, yet that casual remark suddenly stirred those who still appeared somewhat agitated . " . . . so you really were," the Monk suddenly smiled faintly, nodding . "I found it suspicious that Little Rex suddenly decided to invite so many people over because of a small-time Devil invasion . " " . . . " " . . . " though the chatter quickly filled up the silence, Lino ignored it and focused onto the Monk, as he very much doubted that was all that the man wanted to say . However, the man patiently waited until everyone quieted down before continuing . Aah, this is why the Monks are such a pain in the ass to deal with . . . "I assume that this is only the beginning then?" the Monk asked . "Yeah . " Lino nodded . "In total, you can expect at the very least 18 Legions of the Hell¡¯s Army, each Commanded by an individual Sin-Devil Variant . n ordingly . " perhaps even more than the deration of his identity, Lino¡¯s words stunned everyone within the room into silence -- even the Monk himself . After all, only the Emperor thus far was privy to that information, and yet even he had a hard time processing itpletely . It stung even more as so many people who could have at least contended with the Sin-Devil Variants had refused his invitation . " . . . hoooh, I see . . . " the Monk took a deep breath and quickly calmed himself down before everyone else, his somewhatzed eyes shining in a glint . "This will be a Continental War, then . " "Precisely . " Lino didn¡¯t deny it . " . . . it also means it couldst for years, if not decades," the Monk said . "So--" "It won¡¯t," Lino shook his head . "If you don¡¯t achieve a victory -- either bypletely annihting the Hell¡¯s Army or pushing them back into their dimension -- within five years, you will all be stripped of your honors and exiled into the Desert of Madness for ten millenniums . " "W-what?!!" "That¡¯s impossible!!" "Within five years?!" "Pipe down, won¡¯t ya?" Lino quickly ended the chatter; it does feel quite good to drop bombs like this onto people . . . the reactions are priceless . . . Lino snickered inwardly . " . . . p-please, tell us your n then," the Monk stuttered; even he couldn¡¯t quickly calm himself down . "So we may react ordingly . " "It¡¯s simple," Lino said . "If the Devilsbine their Legions, you¡¯ll die . If more than four battles break out simultaneously, you¡¯ll die . If any single person in this room dies, you¡¯ll all die . If you dare run away, I¡¯ll make sure you die . So, to win, just make sure you don¡¯t do any of those things . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "For the first battle," Lino said, ncing at the Emperor . "There¡¯s no need for the Guardian of Light to Command the Legion . Inform him to halt in his current position and build a battle fort, regardless of where he is . Second Prince can lead the Titan¡¯s Children Legion and sh against the En¡¯kav¡¯s . However, Southern Seafarer Valleys are a terrible choice," he continued, ignoring the mixed expressions . "En¡¯kav is a Sin-Devil specializing in the Gate Law . He had designed a method unique to him that he uses to fight: anything that can be stored within a void world, he has stored, and he can spit it out at a moment¡¯s notice . In reality, if his Qi is sufficient, he could bombard the entire continent by Ancient Artifacts and bury you all before you even have a chance to understand what¡¯s happening . Luckily, because of the uniqueness of his cultivation method, he¡¯s pathetically weak -- especially so in the duels . " "However," Lino¡¯s eyes narrowed momentarily . "If you meet him out in the open field, even if you hurl twice as many men at him, the oue would still remain the same: you would die . Second Prince will split his Legion into three; the main force should intercept En¡¯kavs just past the Valleys, within the narrow enve of the Southbearing Mountain range . In the meantime, the other two groups should be armed with any flying-type beast that you can find and nk the main force from the two sides . Second Prince is more than strong enough to duel En¡¯kav alone, so long as thetter isn¡¯t protected by his own forces . If you have any questions, feel free to ask . " " . . . I have . " Lino nced toward the source of the voice and saw a young man sitting next to the Emperor Rex -- Second Prince On¡¯yal . A spitting image of his father, one could say that the only difference besides the age were their eyes, with the Prince having an eternally-bored look on his face . "Go on . " Lino smiled faintly . "What makes you think I can contend against the Sin-Devil Variant?" "Usually, nothing," Lino shrugged . "But, you¡¯re pretty much the only person here specializing in the Spatial Law which makes you his best counter . " " . . . you know of my specialization?" the Prince asked with a seemingly bored voice . " . . . " Lino merely smiled before speaking out yet again . "We¡¯ll go with the N-S-E-W defensive formation . In the south -- for the time being, at least -- Second Prince will take the Vanguard position with the Guardian Jean acting as a support behind him . Inform thetter that it¡¯s like putting out fires -- if he hears about a movement from the Hell¡¯s Army, he goes toward it until a backup arrives . " "Patriarch Chen, I hope you¡¯ll allow Elundia to take the Eastern Vanguard, with your Guardian taking the supporting role . " " . . . alright . " the man in question nodded, smiling faintly . "The three of you," Lino then nced at the three men standing next to Elundia . "Will take the Western Vanguard, leading one of the Empire¡¯s Legions . Talk with the Emperor about which one . Revered Monk, if I could bother you to act as the support . " "It shall be done . " the Monk nodded, also smiling faintly . "The North will be abined effort," Lino continued . "Send all those close to the Godhood Realms to act as a Vanguard for the time being . The Emperor and I will take the supportive role for the time being . Also," Lino added, taking out a few talismans . "Each of you should bind a few to this room as it will from now on act as a War Room . In the meantime, bring your best charted maps andbine them and then hang them on the walls . Each major force, in addition, will need to start mass-producing long-range Communication Talismans, at least 5,000 per day, with minor forces contributing at least 1,000 . The Logistics Legion of sorts will be formed from each force¡¯s best scouts and assassins . I assume there¡¯s no issue with Princess Annabelle acting temporarily as the Commander?" " . . . no . " the Emperor said, piecing together the n inside his head . "For the time being, shift your focuses south," Lino said as he got up . "And observe the beginning of the war . " "What if it is a diversion?" Second Prince suddenly asked before Lino had a chance to leave . "Diversion?" Lino nced at him and smiled faintly . "Looks like you¡¯ve truly never met a Devil before . Have fun entangling with one . I have high hopes for you . " Lino left the previously calm room in disarray . He was certain none of them would be getting any sleep anytime soon . While he didn¡¯t exactlyy out the entire n, it was never his intention . He simply chose to organize a defensive formation that could endure multiple battlefronts without falling apart . There was no reason yet to proactively seek engagements as the Continent certainly wasn¡¯t yet ready for an all-out war . Just the formation of the Logistics Legion, Lino imagined, would take at least a month, and then at least half a year before they¡¯re anywhere close to decent . He¡¯d also devised a contingency n in case the Hell¡¯s Army sent out someone else to act as a vanguard, but it seems that they had simr ideas to Lino . En¡¯kav, while by no means weak, was definitely the weakest of all the Commanders . If the Devils were truly interested in immediately engaging into a massive war, they¡¯d have never sent him to act as the main force . "This is a good chance for you to get stronger . " the robotic voice suddenly echoed inside his head as hended back into his bedroom . "Or to die . That¡¯s also a possibility . " "Indeed it is, though there is no reason to be pessimistic . If you manage to craft the armor you¡¯re designing, your chances of survival will increase exponentially . However, the first thing that should be on your list is to reach Illumine Realm . You¡¯re only a few Levels away anyway . " "Will I get something good if I do?" Lino asked with a grin . "You¡¯ll be able to further assimte the two singrities, and will have authority to select a Primal Spirit . " " . . . I guess I should cultivate instead of sleep, then?" Lino grumbled boorishly . "A few days should be enough . " "Yeah, yeah . . . god, which freak designed cultivation to be so boring . . . just sitting around all day like a freaking statue, doing absolutely nothing, watching the precious days of youth pass you by . . . what more proof does anyone need that intelligence means insanity? I mean, just how power-hungry you need to be to design . . . " and so Lino grumbled as he got into the cross-legged position, deciding not to leave his room before reaching Illumine Realm . Chapter 187 Chapter 187 CHAPTER 187 SIXTY-EIGHT The sounds of the whizzing air echoed out through a small, squared martial room . Around the center, Lucky was currently performing what Lino could only describe as gymnastics, twirling and whirling around as though her body didn¡¯t have any bones . He silently watched on, drinking in the process, while simultaneously breaking a part of his concentration onto the war itself . He hadn¡¯t reached the Illumine Realm as he wanted to; he did reach Level 179, just a sliver away from crossing the boundary . Yet, bounding the Realms wasn¡¯t simply a matter of Cultivating Qi and sitting around doing nothing . As the Writ remained silent on the issue, Lino figured he¡¯d just take a few stabs in the dark until something sticks . In the meantime, however, he¡¯d concentrate on the issue of war . He had even cut back on his favorite past-time -- sleeping -- in order to stay on top of every possibility . He figured he¡¯d fill up theck of experience and knowledge with readiness and preparedness rivaling any and all . There were still a couple of days before the first two battling Legions would meet in the South, so in the meantime Lino decided to limit his interaction with the Continental Forces . The less they could learn about him, the better . Just as he was about to shuffle onto the next scenario, he felt a faint pull of his shirt, snapping him out of the half-dazed state . ncing sideways, he noticed Felix sitting down next to him with a slight blush on his face . As he was about to tease him, Lino saw a new look on the boy¡¯s eyes as he nced at Lucky who was still spinning around like a dancer . " . . . what¡¯s up?" Lino asked with a somewhat mellow tone . "I . . . " Felix mumbled . "I . . . I think I¡¯m falling in love, Master . " "With who?" "W-with Lucky of course! Who else?!" Felix eximed angrily, realizing Lino was just messing with him . "Eh, lucky you, youngd . Good luck with that . I wish you two luck out--" "Please, I-I didn¡¯te here to hear you make puns about the name of the girl I like . . . " "Sorry," Lino fumbled, scratching his head . "It¡¯s just hard to resist, you know?" " . . . are you telling me that?" Felix red at him angrily for a moment . " . . . why are you telling me this though?" Lino asked . "Shouldn¡¯t you be confessing to her?" " . . . " "You¡¯re terrified, aren¡¯t you?" "Yup, pretty much . " Felix nodded . "I . . . I don¡¯t know how she feels . What if she¡¯s just having fun?" "What would you then?" Lino asked casually . "Kill myself . "Urgh . " nearly choking on the gulp of rather bitter ale, Lino forcibly spat it out, coughing several times after . "Dude, you¡¯re not fifteen anymore . Jeez . " "So you too think she¡¯s having fun?" Felix asked with a rather pained expression . "I never said that . " Lino replied . "But you suspect it?" " . . . I don¡¯t suspect anything," Lino said, smiling faintly . "One thing I do know, though, is that Lucky is many things . . . but not someone who would so casually y around with the feelings of others . " " . . . ah, these are the times I wish I had Master¡¯s confidence . . . " Felix mumbled . "You can just approach any woman you fancy and ask the most embarrassing thing without flinching . . . and I can¡¯t even tell the one woman I love that I do . " " . . . " I¡¯m your Master, not your love guru!! Whye to me with this?! Lino shouted inwardly, yet kept his expression cid . He knew just how much Felix looked up to him, and if he came to Lino with it, then it meant he was quite serious . "Somebody once told me that asking for a woman¡¯s love is more terrifying than dying . " "Who?" Felix asked . "Nobody, I just made it up," Lino said . "The point is, so what if you¡¯re scared? You think I was always capable of approaching random women and asking them this and that? Of course not . The point of fear isn¡¯t to eliminate it entirely . . . it¡¯s to press onward in spite of its presence . " " . . . have you ever been in love, Master?" Felix asked . " . . . in love?" Lino mumbled, taking a sip as a strange expression surfaced on his face for a moment . "I . . I can¡¯t say I have . Though, I suppose, I have loved . " "Eh?" Felix eximed softly . "What¡¯s the difference?" "Loving someone is a conscious effort," Lino replied . "Falling in love . . . well, that¡¯s just your brain being an idiot . " " . . . y-you sure have an unique view of it . . . " "Ha ha, hardly," Linoughed for a moment, ncing at Lucky . "Answer me this . If Lucky suddenly found herself in danger, what would you do?" "Help her, of course!" Felix eximed immediately . "But her opponent is a hundred times stronger than you . " "T-then . . . I¡¯d buy enough time for her to run away!" " . . . and that¡¯s why your brain is being an idiot," Lino said, grinning . "Love overrides your most basic instinct -- survival . Though, I suppose, it¡¯s also a reason for all the babies popping out, so, y¡¯know, it¡¯s not all bad . " " . . . I see . Even Master is afraid of falling in love!" Lino looked at him dubiously for a moment but said nothing . Eh, if it gives him confidence . . . "Thank you, Master! You¡¯ve helped me a lot!" "You¡¯re not going to do it now, are you?!" "When else? Time waits for no one!" Ah! The light in his eyes! Shit, I¡¯ve corrupted my disciple . . . "W-wait! At least wait until I leave!" "There¡¯s no need, Master," Felix said, pumping his chest . "I want you to witness your Disciple¡¯s progress!" "I¡¯d rather not however!" "It¡¯s fine! There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed!" Felix then turned on his heel and rushed toward Lucky . Lino remained sitting, his body trembling ever so often, corners of his lips twitching . He didn¡¯t stay, however . Should they one day retell this story to their grandkids, Lino would rather avoid being the weird, stalking creeper in the story; he¡¯d much rather be the cool Master who encouraged Felix to finally confess . Leaving the dojo, he decided to roam the streets at random as it has been a while since he¡¯dst done it . Even while still living in the orphanage, he always liked just mindlessly walking around and taking everything in . The passionate expressions of people bantering for goods, the seductive poses women in front of the brothels would make, the kids chasing one another around while pissing off every adult they encountered, the asional brawls in front of the taverns and pubs, the asional woman screaming at her husband because thetter decided to spend all their money on booze . . . these everyday realities always fascinated him . It was even more so after he left his little corner of the world where he grew up . It was only then that he¡¯d truly realized just how simr people are, west, east, north or south . All of them share the same, little quirks however different the cultures and traditions may be . Just before he had a chance to immerse himself in his own little dream, however, he felt a vibrationing from within his void world . Reaching in and taking out the object, his expression soured, a sigh escaping his lips . He held the three-winged crest, which was not only vibrating but also exuding a faint, golden sheen . This could only mean one thing, he realized: another member of the Great Descent is near . . . and he could already guess they weren¡¯t just touring around and came across him by ident . Finding a small, dark and empty alleyway, he donned the mask and followed the ¡¯feeling¡¯ which was telling him where the source of the connection was . He soon found himself outside the district¡¯s walls, in the in-between area that was mostly barren of life, filled mainly with small hills and asional forest and ake . Which was exactly where the feeling led him . Ruggedly circr, theke was ced at the very heart of a small forest . Its water was majestically clear, making it possible to see the bottom -- which was barely two meters deep -- and all the life living inside of it . Sitting by theke¡¯s edge was a woman¡¯s figure, her legs dipped into theke up to her knees . Much like Lino, she donned a mask, making it impossible to see her facial features . Save for the strikingly green eyes and eerily crimson hair, and slightly pale skin, Lino couldn¡¯t discern much else . Yet, that mere nce at her had shook his heart for a moment before he forcibly calmed it down . He didn¡¯t dilly-dally, walking up and sitting next to her, dipping his legs into theke as well . The water was quite chilly, and it almost felt as though someone was massaging his muscles . I need to map this ce out carefully . . . " . . . so," Lino was the first one to break the silence after nearly five minutes of it . "You here to oversee me or to tell me I¡¯d already failed?" "You failed . Your sentence is death . " the woman turned toward him and stared into his eyes, her expression serious . Yet, Lino could still notice the faint twitch of her lips . "No, my sentence is: don¡¯t make jokes if you can¡¯t hold yourself back fromughter . " Lino said, smirking . "Ah, a man of bad puns," the woman said . "You have a great taste . " "I am a man of culture, after all . " "Yet, your clothes would tell an entirely different story . " "It is my charisma that makes all eyes veer toward me," Lino said . "Not unnecessarily mboyant clothes . " "Quite a confident one, huh?" the woman smiled lightly . "Half a man¡¯s fortunes lie in his confidence to bullshit himself through every situation . " "As do half the woman¡¯s . " "Don¡¯t you guys just have to make your boobs bounce and you¡¯re good to go?" Lino asked nonchntly . "Ah, some do," the woman nodded . "But, as you can see, I¡¯m not exactly superbly endowed in that area . " "You¡¯re full enough . " Lino said after giving them a moderate stare . "I appreciate the sentiment, but you don¡¯t have tofort me . I have resigned to forever being known as the averagely-tittied one . " "I¡¯ll be stealing that phrase, just so you know . " Lino said . "Be my guest . " the woman chuckled for a moment . "Anyway, will we continue to talk about mycking breasts for hours toe, or should we take things a bit more seriously for a moment?" "Hey, you¡¯re the one who started this charade," Lino shrugged . "I merely followed suit . " "Ah, sorry . I just assumed it would have been difficult for you to talk with a woman without stammering your way through, so I wanted to rx you a bit . " " . . . well, if I were the type of a guy to stammer my way through to the woman¡¯s heart," Lino said . "Talking about your boobs certainly wouldn¡¯t have helped me . " "Good point . " "Anyway, who are you?" Lino asked . "How rude of me," she suddenly extended her arm for a shake . "It¡¯s nice to meet you, Seventy-Two . I am Sixty-Eight . " " . . . d-do I seriously need to call you Sixty-Eight from now on?" Lino replied the handshake yet still asked . "What do you want to call me?" "I¡¯ll call you S, then . " Lino said . "I¡¯ll then call you M . " " . . . " " . . . what?" "Even if we do happen to indulge into bondage y, I¡¯m taking the S . " "You don¡¯t look the type . " "That¡¯s the beauty of it . Anyway," Lino quickly interrupted the derailment of the conversation any further . "You here to tell me what?" "To observe and help," the woman said with a chuckle . "After all, it is your first mission, and it¡¯s a pretty overwhelming one . " "Oh, what? You mean acting as a Commander of the Continental War between Cultivators and Hell¡¯s Forces? Psh . A piece of cake . Breeze in the wind . Easier than being a fast shooter . More--" "So you basically have no idea what you¡¯re doing?" "Yeah, yeah, pretty much . " "The formation you¡¯ve chosen is a pretty good one, though . " the woman said . "If not a bit too passive . " "Better safe than sorry . " Lino said . " . . . I¡¯m very interested in how you handle the whole ordeal . " the woman suddenly smiled freely, causing Lino to nk out for a moment . That smile . . . he could never forget it . . "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be breathing down your neck all day and night long . I¡¯ll just be lurking around, like a good, sweet stalker . If you ever do feel like you could use a helping hand, just follow your heart . " " . . . why do you have to make it weird?" Lino asked with a dubious expression . "He he . . . " "Right . It¡¯s ¡¯cause you are weird . " "That¡¯s a rather rude thing to say, no? Even if it is true . . . " "Ah, you¡¯re not just weird . . . you¡¯re the sort who likes being acknowledged as weird because it boosts your ego . . . I suddenly like you way more . " Lino said, getting up as well . "Kindred spirits indeed . " the woman smiled as she began walking away . "I¡¯m looking forward to talking with you more, Wing . " "Likewise, Thunder . " Lino replied, ncing onest time at the woman¡¯s fading figure . The reason he chose upon the name Thunder is simr as to why she called him Wing -- because of their crests . While Lino¡¯s were wings, hers was a bolt of lightning . His lips momentarily curled up in warm, ethereal, joy-filled smile, as though he¡¯d found something he¡¯s been looking for far too long . Meanwhile, the woman walking away was questioning herself over the sense of familiarity she felt . She rarely, if ever, talked with someone she just met like that . The man she just met felt rather familiar, yet also distinctly distant, as though merely a part of him exuded closeness she felt . Wing, huh? Maybe I can sweeten Moon to procure his information . . . ugh, no, she¡¯s gonna request something weird again . . . I suppose I¡¯ll just find out on my own . . . Chapter 188 Chapter 188 CHAPTER 188 HELL AND HELL Extremely sharp screens lip up even more an otherwise already lit up room, lined perfectly next to one another, stoutly defying the gravity by seemingly standing in the air of their own volition . Ten or so pairs of eyes were focused on them, all images depicting the same scene -- merely from the different angles . Lino watched with faint curiosity, as he truly admired the advanced technology of the Empire . Using automaton birds and intricate formations, they were able to transfer images in motion from such a vast distance at such quality . He wagered, however, that it wasn¡¯t cheap; yet, all the same, it was necessary . It was, after all, depicting the very first battle that was about to transpire between the Continental Forces and the Hell¡¯s Army . The central screen was thergest, almost two meters diagonally, and was currently focused on the front of the Titan¡¯s Children Legion and their Commander, Second Prince On¡¯yal . Thetter was currently donning a starkly jet-ck robes enchanted through numerous arrays; even Lino felt a tinge of envy when looking at him, as he wagered the item must be of at least Legendary tier, Level 600 at that . That sort of crafting was still well beyond Lino¡¯s realm . However, it¡¯s not as though items like the robe can be found just anywhere; chances are that the Emperor was paying extra attention to the first battle as to garner momentum for the Continental Forces . "They¡¯re approaching the enve," Patriarch Chen spoke out in a mellow tone, gently tapping against the table . "Are you certain they shouldn¡¯ty down any formation?" he asked Lino . "It¡¯s pointless," thetter shrugged . "En¡¯kav may be proud, but he¡¯s not an idiot . He¡¯ll never rush in and attack first . " " . . . and that¡¯s why you settled on the coordinated attack?" the Empire¡¯s Guardian, Jean, asked . "Partly," Lino replied . "It wouldn¡¯t be hard if it was merely a matter of snuffing his Legion out . It¡¯s also a matter of hiding as much strength as we can . " "Don¡¯t they already know our strongest forces?" the Emperor asked . " . . . if wars were entirely dependent on those on top," Lino nced at him and spoke with a faint smile . "Why would ordinary men ever need take arms? Besides, chances are that only a few Commanders will fall throughout the entire war . It¡¯s better to focus on shaving away their numbers . " "On¡¯yal seems excited . " the Unholy Guardian noted, his facial features masked behind a ck hood . "Youth ought to be . " the Sky-bearing Monk said, smiling faintly . "It¡¯s not only a chance for the young to get stronger, but also to make a name for themselves in a short period of time . Such an opportunity rarely presents itself . " " . . . what¡¯s he doing?" Lino mumbled faintly yet everyone present in the room heard him easily, their eyes shifting back on the screen and Prince On¡¯yal . Thetter, rather than splitting his forces ording to the n and consolidating defensive position, pressed onward past the enve, entering the mountains¡¯ deeps . "Hah . . . " "I¡¯ll contact him--" "No need," Lino interrupted the Emperor . "Jean, go ahead and ensure we don¡¯t suffer too many losses . " " . . . aren¡¯t we just sending them to pointless deaths?" the Emperor raised his tone slightly . Lino nced at him slowly and smile faintly . "Our entire army was scrambled together within less than a month," Lino borated . "Composed of forces that used to fight until recently . Mostly stacked with young people -- most of whom had never even experienced Demon¡¯s aura, let alone Devil¡¯s . You could babysit them for as much as you want, but what when all of us are tied up with fighting Commanders?" " . . . thousands will die . " even Jean said, seeming unwilling . "And by the time the war is over, millions will," Lino used the Writ¡¯s help to forcibly keep hisposure . Nobody knew the price of hismand better than him . "But, if you think mymand is wrong, I¡¯m not going to stop you from doing whatever you want to do . " " . . . to fight hell, you¡¯ve to suffer hell, eh?" Patriarch Chen spoke out, ncing at Lino from the corner of his eyes with a strange glint in them . "It¡¯s still too early, I think . It might deter the army more than you imagine . " " . . . ¡¯s that so?" Lino nced at him, smiling . "Very well . From now on, each time someone defies a direct order, we¡¯ll forgive them because it might deter them from fighting . " " . . . " " . . . " "You all seem to have a misunderstanding about this war," Lino continued . "I am not trying to lead you to victory . . . but to survival . " If their intent was truly to overrun us and kill everyone . . . do they really think they¡¯d be able to stop it? Lino thought inwardly, sighing . He truly felt being torn asunder inside; had he decided not toe to the Continent, chances are that the Devils would have still waited with their attack . Their division is really the only reason the Continent even stood a chance in the first ce; some want to obey the orders from above, and others want to kill Lino more than anything else . "But, fine . Order him to retreat . " Lino added in the end, mostly due to the Emperor¡¯s pleading gaze . On¡¯yal, after all, was the child he was most proud of; chances are, if they went with Lino¡¯s intention, he¡¯d be a broken man today . And it was a question whether he¡¯d recover by the time the war was over . "Thank you . " the Emperor quickly thanked him, getting up and taking out a talisman . "D-do . . . do they really stand no chance in direct confrontation?" a voice trying to mask itself with confidence resonated through the room, the eyes of those sitting veering sideways toward the standing figure . Even Eluinda, a mere level away from getting a Title herself barely managed to withstand mere gazes of the Continent¡¯s superpowers . "The Noble Descended is right," Unholy Guardian said . "Those who¡¯ve never tangled with the Devils . . . will never understand them . If they weren¡¯t as proud as they are and marched toward us in broad daylight, chances are we¡¯d have already suffered irrecoverable losses . " "Indeed," the Sky-bearing Monk nodded solemnly . "I still remember my first encounter with the Devil . Not unlike young On¡¯yal, I imagined most rumors about them to be mere hyperbs . Short an arm, leg and an ear a few minutester, I¡¯d realized the harsh reality of it all, all too well . " "I¡¯m just wondering why they stacked their Commanders purely with Sin-Devils . Shouldn¡¯t variation be more sessful?" Guardian Jean asked . " . . . " " . . . " everyone¡¯s eyes quickly shifted over onto Lino who smiled bitterly . Even he had no clue as to why that was the case . "Not all Sin-Devils are same," he replied vaguely . "Law of Sin . . . is boundless, after all . And, considering that the entire continent is stacked to brim mainly with Humans, who have quite a close rtionship with ¡¯sin¡¯, you can imagine it all . " though the exnation sounded reasonable, Lino rejected it immediately . If that were the case, Death-Devil Variant was even more deplorable for Humans . "Looks like the Emperor managed to talk some sense into his son . " Lino switched the subject as he spotted On¡¯yal retreating back to the enve . Currently, On¡¯yal was donning a terrible expression; he never had intention of following the n, as there was no glory in just standing still and surviving through the battle . His Father made a name for himself through conquest, always pushing onwards, and On¡¯yal wanted to do the same . He didn¡¯t think much of the Sin-Devil he was supposed to fight; after all, just for today¡¯s battle, his Father had given him one of the Empire¡¯s Seven Treasures, [Robe of Divine], a Level 750 Legendary Unique item that¡¯s perfectly suited for maniption of matter -- whether it be of fire or of space, which he was proficient in . However, he still had to relent before his Father¡¯s words, though he suspected it wasn¡¯t his call in the first ce . His mind immediately conjured the image of the masked figure, a trace of hatred and anger bubbling inside his heart -- he quickly pushed them down, though . Even if he was a thousand times as hot headed, he¡¯d never dare do anything about it . Even if, by some miracle, he managed to kill that masked man, the end of their Empire would be etched in stone -- no amount of treasures and powerhouses would be able to prevent it . Taking a deep breath to calm down, he split his forces as per n and began forming defensive formation around the enve . ording to the timeline, the Hell¡¯s Army ought to be arriving in less than an hour . Shouts of men and women quickly drowned out the chirping of the birds in the nearby forest as everyone raced about to set up traps, supply lines, supportive formations in the back, barricades and Vanguard Shieldbearers . It took the rather effective army less than twenty minutes to set everything in order; after all, as Second¡¯s Prince Legion, they were trained from before they were even ten, most having at least two decades of experience under their belts . Standing surrounded by his Guards, On¡¯yal stared toward the horizon where two mountains crossed paths . As though on clock, before an hour passed, he saw a swarming mass of ck emerge; some were slithering along the ground, some were flying, and one flew above all others . Two spiraling horns extruded from the man¡¯s rather pronounced forehead, surrounded by long and t violet-dyed hair spilling over his broad shoulders protected by spiked pauldrons . The full-body armor the man donned was dyed in jet-ck, with only traces of silver luminescence asionally flickering here and there . En¡¯kav¡¯s purple eyes stared at the swarm of flies on the ground with contempt; he was in an extremely sour mood, after all . Being sent out as a vanguard to y with the humans was beyond humiliating for him -- even more so because he was forbidden from pressing beyond the humans¡¯ defensive line . Quickly locating the strongest person in the mass, his already terrible mood turned far worse -- the kid standing there and looking at him wasn¡¯t even a Titr . . . "Are you the Sin-Devil En¡¯kav?" On¡¯yal shouted at the man hovering in the air, somewhat shocked inwardly . Even without any conscious effort, En¡¯kav seemed to exude pressure that was beyond On¡¯yal¡¯s estimates . " . . . " En¡¯kav didn¡¯t even bother replying . He merely flicked his finger forward, signaling his army to go and ughter whatever they may . He found it beneath himself to even join the battle; victory would mean absolutely nothing, and if there was nothing to be won in the battle, why bother battling in the first ce? The thought of losing didn¡¯t even cross his mind . " . . . I asked you something . " On¡¯yal¡¯s brows furrowed as he extended his arm forth, his palm open before closing it into a fist . En¡¯kav suddenly felt space around him copse unto itself, hurrying out of the area of attack . ncing at the distorted space, his lips curled up into a faint smile, his purple eyes ncing at On¡¯yal in new light . "No wonder they haven¡¯t sent a Titr," En¡¯kav said . "Looks like someone¡¯s done their homework on me, huh? However . . . do you really think you can fight me just because you¡¯ve learned a couple of tricks?" "Tricks?" On¡¯yal grinned grimly, ascending into the sky as well, standing opposite of En¡¯kav with a couple of miles of distance between the two . His robes fluttered freely, shimmering in strange ck ever so often . "If it was a trick, why did you evade it?" "He he," the Devil chuckled oddly and licked his lips with a sharp, almost knife-like tongue . "Even though someone¡¯s homework on me is quite good, they still decided to send a greenie my way . They either think quite a bit of you, or quite little of me . And your expression tells me it¡¯s not the former, eh?" " . . . is talking the only thing the Devils can do?" On¡¯yal said somewhat angrily, feeling his emotions stir . "Now, now," En¡¯kav said, nonchntly waving his arm . "Don¡¯t go losing your shit after what can barely be called exposure to my temptations . I need you tost at least a couple of minutes . . . otherwise, it¡¯s no fun . " " . . . " On¡¯yal suddenly sped his hands together, causing En¡¯kav to chuckle and retreat backwards . The space where he just hovered at copsed like On¡¯yal¡¯s palms, scars trembling momentarily before fixing themselves . "Let¡¯s see just how far away can you run . " On¡¯yal grinned, extending both his arms, closing them into fists and smacking them sideways against one another . Without waiting any further, he opened his hands and twined his fingers together before pushing outward and then bringing his palms against his chest . All the while, En¡¯kav found himself swarmed with spatial distortions aiming to eat him . No matter how he seemed to sidestep, the bleeding void seemed to follow him . His heart beat for the first time in excitement; the human kid¡¯s spatial understanding was enough to prove a threat . Chuckling still, he raised his right arm and extended his index finger before bringing it down; space above him opened up into a slit, suddenly spitting out a massive sword, over forty meters across and nearly a hundred in length . On¡¯yal¡¯s expression turned serious as he smacked his chest with a fist before being swallowed whole by space, spat out a hundred meters to the side, evading the sword . "Let the dance with the Devil begin now . . . boy . . . " he heard a malicious tone bounding the sky and pressing into his heart, ready to suffocate him . Chapter 189 Chapter 189 CHAPTER 189 WAR OF THE MADMEN (I) On¡¯yal crossed his arms over his chest as space before him turned into a lotus-like shape, exploding outwardly toward the oing, mile long hammer . He then immediately pped himself back onto the chest and teleported back a whole kilometer behind, just barely being out of range of the explosion . Despite the sweat collecting on his forehead, he had no time to wipe it off; he extended his left arm t and opened his palm, pushing forcibly forward . En¡¯kav clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction as he swiped both his index fingers in opposite directions, tearing open a mouth-like hole in the space which then spat out two glistening swords . The contorted space and two swords met at the halfway point between the two, causing yet another explosion . All the while, both were weaving about the sky at speeds that very few could hope to follow; On¡¯yal through the discement of space itself and En¡¯kav through the use of his Gates -- connecting two points in space and opening up a tunnel between the two . Suddenly gaining a couple of miles of distance, En¡¯kav came to a halt, roaring from the depths of his lungs . Both his arms quickly began swiping like swords across the space as the world above him copsed, hundreds and soon thousands of mouth-like tears seemingly wailing into the universe . On¡¯yal¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he forced his Singrity to spit out even more Qi, shoving it all into the palms of his hands which he raised just above his head . Feeling it was enough, he coughed lowly whereupon a trail of blood cascaded down the corner of his lips before bringing both palms down . Even further up in the sky, above the mouths, a t ne of space seemed to disconnect with the reality itself before plummeting down . Lino observed the battle with a solemn expression, one entirely hidden by his mask . Whatever little confidence he had gathered by crafting his weapon arsenal had beenpletely destroyed in just ten minutes . He stood absolutely no chance against either one of the two fighting on the screen . Even if his body could regenerate hundred times as quickly, he still couldn¡¯t do anything about the two shuffling through the space itself . "They should be nking right about now," Lino mumbled casually, calming his stirring heart . "Switch the main screen over onto them . " "Yes . " the Emperor quickly nodded; it¡¯s not as though he wasn¡¯t worried about On¡¯yal, but the battles of cultivators at such Level could take hours to reach the utmost climax . The battle beneath them was far more important . The screen shed momentarily in a faint cyan before the image switched . Nearly everyone -- including Lino -- immediately frowned . The first line of defense was already overran; thousands of corpses - both human and demonic -y sprawled over the enve, its just recently overgrown grass already toppled into crimson strands extending barely an inch off the earth . Dozens of craters, trees still on fire, thousands of arrows . . . several even sucked in a cold breath upon witnessing the sight . As On¡¯yal¡¯s Legion -- initiallyprised of 50,000 men -- was split into three, 20,000 were left to defend before the nkers arrived . Yet, of those 20,000, barely half still lived and were constantly forced in retreat . Vanguard Shieldbearers did their best to prevent the sheer onught of the Demons who had little care for their lives, yet they were simply unable to . This forced infantry to repeatedly press onward as to prevent the Demons from reaching the back line . In addition, Continental Force was also outnumbered in the air battle; to say nothing of the 10 Devil Generals, there were also at least a couple of hundred of High-Tier Demons who were besieging the formation from the skypared to just a few dozen trying to defend . However, it was exactly in times like these that the heroes are born -- a woman seemingly in herte twenties, who so far remained in the back, sending flickering bolts of mes in an arc -- stepped forward . Lino¡¯s eyes quickly focused on her; she was one of the Generals -- the youngest on the field, actually -- but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to her information past that . She had jet-ck hair and was wearing rather loose, cyan robes shimmering in deep coral . She suddenly heaved into the air, her whole being epassed in mes, appearing like a sun even in broad daylight . The mes quicklyposed a spherical shape around the woman, repeatedly rotating at massive speeds while increasing in temperature, distorting the light itself surrounding it . Within a blink, the first tonguesh of mes erupted, soon followed by dozen and hundreds of others, each extending like whips and breaking off from the sphere before bombarding the heavily concentrated area of Demons . Hellish inferno quickly besieged the Hell¡¯s Forces, forcing them to scatter like brainless chicken and allowing the Shieldbearers to resume at least a pretense of control over the frontline . After nearly a minute of ceaseless torrential inferno, the woman seemed to have ran out of Qi, clearly exhausted as shended back on the ground . " . . . their morale is copsing," Patriarch Chenmented with a serious expression . "There¡¯s a high chance many of the survivors will withdraw from the military temporarily . " " . . . they underestimated the Devils, and especially so the Demons" Sky-bearing Monk said, sighing . "Fear of death is the greatest divider of our races . " "In addition to that," Unholy Guardian said . "However distorted they are, Demons are still humanoids . They bleed when cut and their guts spill out when drilled . It¡¯s quite a deterrent . " " . . . we¡¯ll have to reconfigure the Legions," Lino said, forcing all eyes on him . "If the Commanderes to be busy each time with the Sin-Devil, we need someone else to take charge on the ground . They don¡¯t necessarily have to be strong, just experienced and resilient . Look at them," he pointed at the screen . "Their formation haspletely copsed . Luckily, the Demons seem hellbent on just charging the front . Their nks are open, they forgot to rotate the ranged attackers so now their firepower is running out, the Shieldbearers never opened a slight path for Demons when being overwhelmed and let infantry take care of them quickly . . . it¡¯s a miracle they haven¡¯t beenpletely eradicated . Are these really the best trained soldiers you guys have?" " . . . " " . . . " nobody replied, as they didn¡¯t know how . Everything Lino said was right -- and even if it was easier for him as an observer to spot these things, some of them were too basic to be missing -- such as rotation of ranged attackers . While one group attacks, the other one recovers their Qi; that way, even if the overall firepower is lowered, at least it¡¯s consistent . "The good news is that even the weakest of them seem to be able to take on 2-3 Demons all on their own," Lino dispelled the heavy atmosphere; there was no reason to kill the morale any further . "If we put a good leader into every group, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for us to match them Legion for Legion, even if theirs number twice as many forces . " " . . . thest major war that our continent had was over two hundred years ago," the Emperor said . "There¡¯s nobody in the Empire¡¯s entire army that¡¯s older than hundred and fifty . " " . . . then find the retired Generals," Lino said casually . "Doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re old, weak or crippled . Feed them whatever pills necessary and give them whatever benefits they want . Unless you n on attaching two Commanders to every Legion?" "I¡¯ll ry the task to Annabelle . " the Emperor said . "No . She is still setting up the logistics," Lino said . "Not to mention she¡¯s already short of people, even if she wasn¡¯t, creating supply tunnels is far more important for the time being . The only reason this battle in particr is so heated is because it¡¯s the first one . Most won¡¯t be this hellish . Just make the list of people and I¡¯ll send someone . " "Alright . " the Emperor nodded, quickly whipping out the piece of paper and beginning to write down the names he remembered; he wasn¡¯t alone, though . Nearly everyone in the room except Lino began fervently writing the names . All of them were old monsters who were well aware just how important a seasoned veteran is to a group of mostly youngsters who¡¯ve never seen, let alone lived, a war on this scale . " . . . hm?" Lino mumbled into his jaw, his expression souring . "Keep monitoring the battle and make sure none of the Generals die -- especially the Prince . I have some matters to attend to . If anything crops up, you know how to find me . " Without even allowing others to ask what¡¯s wrong, Lino disappeared . Opening his eyes, he found himself inside his room in the inn, a familiar, silver-eyed husky lying on the floor next to his bed . Lino quickly took off his mask and put it back into the void world whereupon the husky jumped and wiggled his tail madly for a moment . "What¡¯s wrong?" Lino asked . "Woof--woof woof, WOOOF, woof woof!!" the dog barked and growled with a seemingly enraged expression . Lino¡¯s heart froze momentarily . " . . . a-are you sure?" he whisked through his grinding teeth . "Woof! Woof woof!" Non nodded his head fervently . "Shit!!" Lino eximed, suddenly grabbing at dog¡¯s cor and jumping out of the window, climbing onto the roof and whipping out the [Dimensional Pouch], summoning Grim immediately . "Go south . Don¡¯t hold anything back!!" before the bird even had a chance to greet him, Lino jumped onto its back and roared at it . Though Grim seemed displeased, as though hearing the urgency in Lino¡¯s voice, he merely screeched for a moment before lifting into the sky and swiping across it to the south . Why has no one reported it? Lino screamed inwardly . It¡¯s not a small-scale raid . . . shit . I just hope I can get there in time . . . Chapter 190 Chapter 190 CHAPTER 190 WAR OF THE MADMEN (II) She remembered it as idyllic; stretches of limestone-paved road weaving in-between the gardens of roses and fields of grass, and streams cascading down the terracedyers of her home, and theke surrounded by tall and colorful trees looming over the deathly still water like guardians . She remembered it as loud, yet strikingly melodic, the tunes of youth and expectations mingling together in a symphony of life . It was all gone now, she realized . The lime-stone paved roady crimsoned, bloodied in its cracks, and the gardens of roses were now tombs of listless and carved, and the fields of the grass were but dull, reddened weed, and the streams cried in bloody red as they carried onward the message of death, and theke was entirely gone, only a corpse-filled crater left behind it . Ava stared at the scenery before her with dulled mind and heavy heart . Though the loudness still remained, it was different; it was filled with the warcries, with agonizing wails of thest breaths, with the somber tethering of the broken hearts . Yet, she couldn¡¯t remain dull forever; she was supposed to lead them out of the madness that had besieged them, not be overwhelmed by it . "How¡¯s our core?" she asked a middle-aged man standing next to her atop the highest tower within the sect¡¯s grounds . "Still standing," the man replied with a solemn expression . "However . . . at this rate . . . we¡¯ll be done in within a couple of hours . . . " " . . . we¡¯re out of Qi Stones?" Ava asked, frowning . "Down to ourst batch . " " . . . " she couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she nced at the dome-like cyan screen wrapped around the sect¡¯s ground -- thest bastion for all those within it . Outside, hell had already turned the world gray; Demons and Devils alike cackled andughed as they bashed against the screen repeatedly, trying to break it . Ava had long since ceased counting their numbers, as it was entirely pointless . "Ldy Ava . . . you can still make it . . . " the middle-aged man suddenly said . "If we take the remaining Qi Stones and activate the array, we should be able to transform you into the Empire¡¯s Capital . Once there, you can ask for help . " " . . . I¡¯ve rejected it when we had abundance of them . . . what makes you think I¡¯ll ept it now that we¡¯re on our dying breath?" Ava nced at him and smiled faintly . "But--" "No buts," Ava interrupted him quickly . "I¡¯ve made my peace with it . I . . . only regret being unable to say goodbye to them . . . " " . . . " "Bring all the kids into the Shelter," shemanded after taking a deep breath . "And give them each a single [Mortus Pill] . Tell them to eat it once we fall . . . " "Lady Ava . . . yes . " seeing the determined gaze in her eyes, the man nodded and withdrew, leaving her alone . She closed her eyes momentarily, enjoying the gentle caressing of the wind as it guided her long hair backward in a flutter . Ever since the battle begun, she knew they had no chance . Yet, she couldn¡¯t leave; she knew she had to stay, even if she were to die in the end . She knew it wasn¡¯t a grand sacrifice she wouldmit, nor would it be world-changing choice to make, but it resonated within her . As though a dam broke within, for the first time in her life she was able to sense it . . . the ever-elusive Will . Her eyes suddenly jolted open, a brilliant glint shing within their depths; she extended her right arm outwardly and called out a staff seemingly made out of gold . It streaked in brilliant colors even amidts the falling darkness of hell itself . She felt a surge of confidence overwhelm her, as though she could conquer the whole of the world so long as she had it in her hands . Even if she knew it was but a fool¡¯s dream, she held onto the feeling . Though she may fall, she mused, she would make it a grand one, one she could proudly tell her ancestors . She leapt off the tower andnded on a path passing through the entire sect before ending next to the front gates . Rather than avoiding it all, she decided to take it all in; to take in all the suffering, all the pain, all the death and all the anguish . She would entomb all the images inside her heart and will them into her staff . She, too, had underestimated the miseries of the war . Despite having witnessed it once on a smaller scale, she was never as near it as she was today . To take a full breath meant to inhale the death itself . It was suffocating . . . yet eerily freeing, as though that chain wrapped around her heart which was holding her back had finally snapped, corroded by the torment itself . She walked calmly and slowly, and without even realizing it had gathered dozens -- and soon hundreds -- of followers . As though aware of her intent, they all wore unified expressions -- fearless, determined, angered . It was an elect sort of a feeling which swells up once a person realizes their days are numbered . . . that no matter the struggle, death was inevitable . They¡¯d all epted it without even realizing it, merely following the footsteps of the woman who chose to remain by their side regardless of the oue in spite of the fact she could have just as well chosen to leave them behind . They gathered courage behind those now bounding shoulders and marched . By the time they¡¯d reached the front gates, their numbers had swelled to thousands . They waited as the cracks across the shining, dome-like shield began sprawling . The light soon dimmed and the winds grew colder and sharper, and the air itself grew heavier, making it more difficult to breathe . Ava stood upfront, her legs slightly parted, holding onto the golden staff at her side, her eyes focused on the enormous ck mass above her . There had to be hundreds of thousands of them, she mused . . . all apanied by a Sin-Devil Variant, contemptuously staring at them from the high sky . She wanted nothing more but to swirl into the sky and wipe that smirk off the Devil¡¯s face, yet she knew she was not strong enough . Chances are that any of the numerous Elemental Devils present here could easily kill her . Yet, she had to try . She couldn¡¯t topple over and fall without putting up a fight . The cracks over the shield¡¯s surface grew more pronounced, louder, heavier . Then, like ss, it shattered . The sound echoed within each heart standing inside it, yet it only served to steel their nerves further . Then, like an ocean, Demons of all sorts and kinds pushed onward . They rolled over the trees and toppled them, and crushed whatever stood beneath their hooves . It was beyond a ghastly sight, yet Ava didn¡¯t flinch, defiantly weing the horde . She took a deep breath and roared, her voice tearing apart the thunder that was the horde¡¯s march . It eclipsed the cackling and dementedughter and it swayed the winds themselves away . Stirring the already boiling veins of others further, they followed her lead and roared . Like beasts, disregarding their lives, they followed her . Swords, axes, spears, polearms, staffs, hammers, fireballs, earthly mounds,nces of ice, streaks of thunder . . . like a rain of gods it all sted in an arc and toward the horde . Ava led charge with a tranquil heart and a demented expression; all the grief which had mounted her heart for the past three days had gushed out . She suddenly swiped her staff down, using it to vault into the sky as she suddenly chanted a low hum and sped her free hand into a fist, striking downward . Her already tall leap suddenly elerated as she propelled herself further into the sky . Just as she was about to lose momentum, she shed her staff downward and used the recoil of it to bound further up, despite breaking several of bones in her arms in the process . She was finally within the Devil¡¯s reach, she realized . Just half a mile of distance between the two . . . the broken bones were worth it, she mused . While still in the upward trajectory, her muscles suddenly swelled as a torrent of Qi sprawled around her body like smoke, milky white in hue . Streaks of it slithered into the staff whose golden hue grew even more brilliant, almost like a sun in the boundless darkness of the gray clouds . Behind her massive circles began appearing, arrays in the sky, each with moreplex patterns than the previous, glistening in startling, silver hue . They almost seem to form a constetion in and of themselves, linked by thinnest of threads of Qi, barely visible to the naked eye . She roared once again, channeling whatever Qi she had within her now broken body into the staff before using her shredded muscles to swing the staff forth . The arrays shuddered and trembled and cried in the ceaseless sky, their light eclipsing the darkness . Along with the staff¡¯s forward motion, each array began spitting out a brilliant beam of milky white light, all converging into a singr point before exploding forth like a massive tidal wave, heading for the Devil . It was the most powerful attack she had ever unleashed in her life, one well beyond the capacity of her realm, which was why her body was now in true tatters . The Devil, however, merely smirked; Ava saw theplete disregard in her eyes, the sort of contempt as though she was looking at thest struggle of an ant . The Devil suddenly reached for her waist and whipped out a ghastly-gray spear before throwing it toward the beam of light . Under Ava¡¯s heartbroken expression, the beam of light copsed, barely putting up a fight . The spear pressed onward and reached Ava who couldn¡¯t even put up a simple barrier in defense . Like a snake it pierced through her lower abdomen, the momentum of it suddenly barreling her down into the ground like a falling star . She streaked over and crashed into the ground, leaving behind a massive crater . Blood gushed out of every part of her body, her hair disheveled, clothes torn and tattered, and spirit all but broken . Her dulled eyes were barely open, her sight but a faint blur of colors . Even so she was able to see that same Devilnd in front of her, and was able to distinguish the smirk on thetter¡¯s face . Ava wanted to get up, wanted to stretch her arm out and strangle the Devil . . . yet couldn¡¯t . Not a single muscle in her body would listen to her . "You¡¯re quite a brave one, I¡¯ll give you that . " a voice full of mockery soon entered Ava¡¯s ears, grating her heart . "A mere Numinous kid daring to attack a Sin-Devil? Heh, it¡¯s been a long while since I¡¯dst seen it . " " . . . " "Oh, right . You probably can¡¯t speak, ha ha ha, silly me . " even theughter resembled swords piercing Ava¡¯s heart further . "Sorry about that . I truly intended to finish in you in one blow . After all, unlike some of my friends, I don¡¯t particrly enjoy torturing humans . Indeed, you lot break all too quickly . Anyway, seeing as you were brave enough to attack me, I¡¯ll be courteous enough to send you off . Tell your ancestors with pride that you were felled by the hands of the Sin-Devil, he he he . . . " Ava was unwilling; not because she would die, but because she couldn¡¯t even scratch the Devil in front of her . No . . . she couldn¡¯t even force her to use her full strength, Ava realized . She was merely a ything, a small speck of dust . Just another weak human among probably thousands that the Devil in front of her had killed . It was pointless to struggle, she thought . At the very least, she mused, her end wouldn¡¯t be the worst of sort . The Devil took a step forward and slowly began walking toward Ava, whipping out another spear from seemingly out of nowhere, a seemingly exact replica of the one that struck Ava . The Devil¡¯s expression was that ofplete indifference, as though what she was doing was akin to taking an afternoon nap . Suddenly, however, her eyes widened as a streak of blood trailed down the corner of her full lips . Though blurry, Ava could see something -- something falling from the sky like a star and shing directly through the Devil¡¯s chest . It was a massive sword, shining in faint cyan, thatpletely cleaved through . Dark, red blood gushed out in streams as the Devil gurgled a few times, choking on her own breath, trying to live, desperate to live . Yet, the sword didn¡¯t care; it split right through her, turning one into two . Organs fell out one by one, sshing over onto the ground, the Devil dying with a confused, resentful, unwilling gaze in her eyes . Ava¡¯s eyes lifted off the Devil into the sky, her heart freezing for a moment . There, levitating above her, was a figure enshrouded in gold -- no, even through her faint vision, she could see that those were wings . A pair, each streaking at least ten meters across, glistening in beautiful golden, feathered at the far ends, and a figure in-between the two . Like a Guardian Angel, she mused . . . even believing for a moment it was a desperate dream conjured up by her broken mind on herst breath . Yes . . . just a dream . . . she thought, passing out . Chapter 191 Chapter 191 CHAPTER 191 WAR OF THE MADMEN (III) Lino¡¯s chest heaved up and down, droplets of sweat cradling his face gently, his veins still bulging . Several things factored into his ability to instantly kill a Sin-Devil Variant despite the vast difference in strength, yet even he had quite a bit of difficulty still epting it wholly . He was rushing over like a madman for the past few minutes as the Writ informed him of the situation, even going as far as to unfurl his wings -- which he was ready to tear to bits despite the fact they couldn¡¯t really ever be entirely destroyed, merely broken down until repairing them would be a nightmare -- increasing his speed to nigh that of the light . Just as he arrived at the skies above the Ava¡¯s sect, he saw the Devil walking toward her . Without stopping -- and using the full brunt of the momentum -- he whipped out the [Earth-Scorcher] from his void world, utilized every bit of Qi he could gather and even managed to infuse a sliver of his own Will into the de before hurling it toward the Devil . Besides that, several other factors having to do with the Devil yed a major role; Lino recognized her the moment he saw her, which was also why he was partially confident in his attack -- her name was Akava, and she had by far the worst defensive capabilities of all the Sin-Devil Commanders currently on the Continent . In addition, he had Writ hide his presence all the way through, which was why she never even sensed the attacking at her before it was toote . If any single one of those factors was missing, it was likely he would have been unable to do what he just did . Still, he neither celebrated nor continued to enjoy the delirium; shooting like a star toward the ground, hended next to Ava as he withdrew his wings . Reaching out his arm forth, he froze as his eyesnded squarely on her body . There wasn¡¯t an inch that wasn¡¯t bleeding or broken, he realized . Though her eyes were closed and her body listless, Lino could still sense a whiff of life force within her . If he left her lying here like this . . . she would undoubtedly die within ten minutes at best . Yet, his body wouldn¡¯t move an inch, trembling as though whipped by colds winds of the winter . He didn¡¯t let it stop him for too long, though, as hit bit his tongue, forcibly ripping himself out of the frigid state . He walked over and slowly leaned down, gently lifting Ava¡¯s body before sending a shine of Qi to inspect her entirely . " . . . shit . " he gritted his teeth and cursed lowly . "You better tell me you have a way to save her . . . " "I do . " the Writ replied . " . . . what¡¯s the price?" Lino asked . "You¡¯ve just crossed into Illumine Realm," the Writ replied . "With the help of your items and my gifts, you should be able to fight on the frontlines . " " . . . is that really all?" Lino asked, somewhat doubtful . "That is all . " " . . . what should I do?" "Let me control your body for a bit . " "Go ahead . " Lino¡¯s very soul seemed to jolt at that moment as his mind levitated outside his own body, looking down at it . However, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it; it wasn¡¯t the first time the Writ had taken over him . While thetter was healing Ava, Lino looked around and saw that the battle had turned somewhat sluggish . After all, the fall of the Commander -- even for the Demons -- was a mighty blow . "It is done," a voice quickly called out to him as he felt being pulled back into his body again . "She should wake up in a few days, but it will take a number of years to heal fully . " " . . . thank you . " Lino grunted meekly . " . . . " "Hey, you," Lino suddenly called out to a nearby middle-aged looking man who was staring at him ever since Linonded . The man jolted, seeming startled, yet still daringly walked forward . Lino quickly whipped out a simple cloak from his void world and covered Ava¡¯s body with it . "Stay here with her . Anyone -- anyonees, use this and sever their fucking heads off . Got it?" Lino threw the [Moon Beheader] at the man who clumsily grabbed it . "Y-yes . . . w-will . . . will the Lady be okay?" the man gulped down a mouthful of saliva before embracing enough courage to ask . "Yeah, she will," Lino nodded, getting up and grasping at the [Earth-Scorcher] still embedded in earth . "Take good care of her . " "Y-yes . . . w-what about you?" the man asked, standing next to Ava and gripping the sword¡¯s handle tightly . "I¡¯ll go and show those shitheads the true hell . . . " Lino mumbled into the wind as he unfurled his wings yet again . The man stared in awe at the creature he had long since considered something far greater than just human; a pair of golden wings stretched twenty meters across altogether, white feathers covering their surface, glistening in what can only be described as light holy . The wings suddenly fluttered once, bringing with them cascading winds as the figure ascended into the sky, holding onto the bloodied, massive sword . The man was the seat-in Patriarch of the Skies of the Wayfarers and he wouldn¡¯te across as arrogant if he were to im to be quite an influential figure across the entire Continent, especially so due to his Sect¡¯s backing . He always lurked around Ava toward the battle¡¯s end as he wanted to ensure that even if she were to die, she would do so with dignity . He, however, never expected to see the Sin-Devil, a being well beyond his understanding, be cleaved in two with a flying meteorite of a sword . Lino looked at the world down below with his jet-ck eyes within which a swirl of unbound anger was currently brewing . If he were only a single minutete . . . no . . . even just a few secondste . . . ncing up into the sky, he saw several dozen Hell Army¡¯s Generals flickering toward him, seemingly in business of avenging their fallen Commander . " . . . I might go a bit inser," he mumbled as he heaved the sword into his arm up . "Bring me back if that happens, ¡¯kay?" " . . . fight to your heart¡¯s content . " the Writ replied . The golden wings shone momentarily in a blinding light, fluttering like bird¡¯s, before carrying Lino forth like a bolt of lightning . Disregarding everything, Lino immediately activated the weapon¡¯s [Berserk] effect, the sudden surge of strength nearly overwhelming him . Within a blink of an eye he streaked across nearly ten miles of distance in the sky and crashed in the group of nearly one hundred Generals, tearing his muscles with each swing of the massive sword and regenerating them almost instantly . The sword became but a blur, a link of afterimages that were impossible to discern . Each strike unleashed a torrent of zing mes which soon reced the darkened nket of the world above . Lino swung like a madman, tearing apart any and all and everything who would approach, disregarding who or what they were . Cleaving through the Generals, he followed the falling mes from the sky like rain and rammed into the heart of the Hell¡¯s Army, crashing in like a zing boulder thrown from the sky . He quickly withdrew his wings and whipped out the [Hell¡¯s Belittlement] from the void world . Wielding the [Earth-Scorcher] in one and the war-hammer in the other, his entire body nearly toppled over, but he pushed his Singrity even further, breaking out into a bellowing roar of a beast . Veins on his necks popped till they nearly jumped out of his skin, his muscles bleeding profusely -- yet, he didn¡¯t care . He heaved the hammer over his shoulder and trashed it against the earth, splitting it open upon the impact, creating a slithering crevice nearly a mile long and fifty meters wide, swallowing up hundreds of wailing cries in the process . He continuously swung his sword around, reaping souls with mes seemingly not belonging to this world . He suddenly injected a surge of Qi into the war-hammer, setting it aze in the process, before swinging it around as though it were made of cloth . His voice had grown coarse and dull and archaic, yet he hadn¡¯t stopped roaring like a beast besieged by death from all ends . Coating his legs in lightning, he streaked across the ravished battlefield of the ins covered with blood and gore, heaving about like a maelstrom, splitting open skulls and chests and devouring all life within the hell¡¯s ze . The mes raged like an ocean, streaking into the sky like a sign from gods; both the remaining Devils and Demons had long since abandoned any notion of fighting . They all attempted to flee to the best of their ability, for the fear inscribed within their hearts had even overwhelmed their most basic instinct -- to fight till death . Lino, however, had no intention of letting them go; golden of the wings, azure of the lightning and crimson and coral of the pair of mes on each of his weapons mingled into the mass of brazen light; but an array streaked through the world as he seemed to meld into the reality itself, crossing hundreds of kilometers of distance within a sh, capsizing those who would flee through the air with a swift cleave and devouring those who would flee by the earth with a decimating smash of the hammer . Crater after crater sprung out from the ground like mushrooms after the rainy day, all entirely devoured in an ungodly ze seemingly unwilling to perish no matter what . Fires burned loudly, yet still couldn¡¯t douse out the screams and cries and wails of the dying . Parts and pieces of tens of thousands of Demons and Devils were scattered across what ought to be a battlefield -- but was turned into execution grounds . From the far distance, within the Sect¡¯s grounds, remaining survivors all stood in a massive circle surrounding Ava, their eyes glued to the visage in the distance, that streak of light that they had no hope of ever catching up to . Wherever they¡¯d look, there¡¯d be a head flying up in gore and, before it even came close tonding, there would be hundreds more . Despite the ghastly sight, not a single of them felt even an ounce of fear or dread . All they saw within that streak of blinding light was someone who seemed capable of changing the world . Chapter 192 Chapter 192 CHAPTER 192 WAR OF THE MADMEN (IV) The first thing she¡¯d heard was the shuffling of clothes and distant shouts ringing one over another . Forcing her eyes open despite the pain and seeming tiredness, Ava was assailed by blinding light for a moment, forcing her to repeatedly blink to adjust herself to it . It was then that her entire body began screaming in pain, yet she held the cry inside her lungs, merely letting out a low groan . She¡¯d quickly realized she was entirely wrapped in bandages and that she was unable to move even a single one of her muscles . Yet, despite all of this, she was most shocked about the fact that she was still alive; as her memory before she passed out was quite blurry and indistinct, she was unable to recall as to what exactly happened and why was she still alive and -- all things considered -- even well, and why are there so many people shouting . "Aah!" a low cry came from nearby yet she was unable to look sideways at its source despite trying . "Ldy is awake!! Lady Ava is awake!!" the woman¡¯s voice rung out again, this time apanied by even more fervent shouts as swath of people quickly filled up the room . "Ah, Ldy, you¡¯re awake!!" a familiar face leaned over the bed, one she was able to recognize -- Patriarch Shen, her Father¡¯s longtime friend . "Thank the gods!! Sisters, quick, bring the Lady some [Purified Dew] to drink! And you lot, get out! You¡¯re making the room stuffy!!" "Out, out!" more cries came following . "It¡¯s good that she¡¯s awake . . . " "She¡¯ll be fine . . . " "Ha ha, she is Lady Ava after all! Not even death could conquer her!" "Indeed, indeed, ha ha ha . . . " Ava listened to the distancing voices as warmth swelled within her heart, corners of her eyes turning moist, her cheeks growing hotter . She¡¯d recognized some of those voices as those of the kids she¡¯d sent into the Sect¡¯s depths just before the final battle . If they were still alive, she realized, it meant that they had won . . . at that moment, she didn¡¯t even care how or why, she was just d that they were safe . "Patriarch, here¡¯s the dew!" a feminine voice that first rang true in the room quickly cried out again . "Ah, thanks Patty," Shen grasped at the ss gently andid it on the bedside table . "Can you help me sit the Lady up?" "Of course!" "Gently!" "I know!!" As though she were made of ss, the two held her as loosely as possible as they helped her sit up and lean against a ratherfortable and fluffy pillow . The whole of the room -- and not just the ceiling -- came into her view . It was her own room within the Sect¡¯s grounds, decoratedrgely with paintings and books scattered over numerous tables and shelves . The difference, though, was that the wall that was supposed to be there opposite of her bed was now gone, reced by a sprawling terrace, fenced off faintly at the edges . "Here, Lady Ava . " Patriarch Shen brought the ss closely to Ava¡¯s lips and leaned it over . She took a couple of sips before he withdrew it, cing it back on the table . The water was quite cool and refreshing, seemingly awakening Ava¡¯s slumbering muscles and organs, perishing her drowsiness . "H-how are you feeling?" " . . . l-like a mountain . . . fell on top of me . . . " she managed to weakly mumble out, yet still felt her strength returning bit by bit with every passed second . "Ha ha, so long as you can joke, it¡¯s good . " the Patriarch heaved a sigh of relief as he sat down . "Patty, go inform everyone that Lady¡¯s still in recovery and that they shouldn¡¯t bother her for a while . " "Yes, right away!" the woman called Patty skipped away with a beaming smile on her face, ncing once or twice at the lying Ava before leaving the room . " . . . h-how long . . . was I out?" Ava asked weakly . "Three days," the Patriarch quickly replied . "We were really worried, you know? You looked--ah, never-mind . All that matters is that you¡¯re alright . " "Heh . . . I-I wouldn¡¯t say . . . I¡¯m alright . . . " even without inspecting her body with Qi -- as she was unable to even sense it -- she knew very well just how broken it was . " . . . yes, I¡¯m sorry . " the Patriarch quickly lowered his head . "But, the Lord has said you will make a full recovery! It will indeed take some years, but, you¡¯ll be back to where you were sooner rather thanter!" "The Lord?" Ava¡¯s eyshes perched . "Is Andrew here?" "Ah, forgive me -- no . I didn¡¯t mean Lord Andrew," the Patriarch said . "I meant the Lord who came to our rescue . " "R-right . . . c-can you tell me . . . what happened?" though slightly disappointed, Ava quickly recovered and asked the burning question in her mind . "I . . . I¡¯m not too sure myself," the Patriarch smiled bitterly as he scratched his head . "In one moment, we were losing terribly . . . and in the next, he showed up out of nowhere . He first killed the Sin-Devil that had wounded you before . . . before eliminating the rest of the enemy¡¯s Army . . . " "H-huh?" " . . . ha ha, I¡¯m quite the same, Lady Ava . . . even though I¡¯d seen it with my very own eyes, I still have a hard time epting it . Such a massive army . . . gone . . . just like that . . . oh, right! He told me to inform him when you woke up!" " . . . " before Ava had a chance to ask any more questions, the Patriarch quickly bolted out of the room, leaving her alone . A faint image returned to her mind, the world blended in blur, the golden light hovering in the sky like a majestic sun . Though she was fairly certain it was merely a mirage, she couldn¡¯t help but long to see it one more time . It didn¡¯t take long for the Patriarch to return, this time leading with him another figure . Ava¡¯s eyes quicklynded on the youth, her heart thumping furiously for a moment . It wasn¡¯t a mirage, she realized . Thest image before she passed out sharpened, and she could see them . . . a pair of magnificent wings fluttering in the sky, the sword that came out of nowhere and cleaved the Devil in two, the light that appeared more holy than anything else she¡¯d seen in her life . It was all real . "Ho ho, finally awake?" Lino chuckled faintly as he came and sat on the bed, smiling widely . "You sure took a sweet nap, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m actually kind of jealous . . . . aaah . . . " "I-I¡¯ll leave you two to it . " the Patriarch awkwardly said, then as though remembering something, returned just as quickly as he left . "Right, Lord Lino, your sword--" "Keep it," Lino said dismissively . "Consider it my gift for keeping her safe . " "But--but I didn¡¯t do--" "Hey man, when someone¡¯s giving you a gift, just take it . Especially if it¡¯s as awesome as that sword, got it? Don¡¯t ever act all humble-dumber in those situations!" Lino rolled his eyes at the Patriarch, causing thetter to smile awkwardly before once again leaving the room . "Hey," turning his eyes back onto Ava, he smiled once again and grabbed her hand gently . "How are you feeling?" " . . . " words were stuck in Ava¡¯s throat; despite the fact she knew it was real, she still had trouble epting the reality -- the boy whom she was ready to protect due to his immense talent in crafting . . . grew into a man that she still couldn¡¯t see the depths of . Even back in the Ruins, she suspected Lino was by far the strongest individual there . . . and now she realized she¡¯d underestimated him quite terribly . To fell a Sin-Devil in a single strike . . . she wondered even if her own Father could do it . "Haii, I know that I¡¯m the handsomest man you¡¯ve ever seen, but there¡¯s no need to stare so intensely . I might lose my inhibitions and just go to town, you know?" " . . . t-thank you . . . " Ava mumbled weakly as tears began streaming down her cheeks, her lips quaintly trembling . "T-hank you for saving them . . . thank you . . . thank you . . . thank you . . . " repeatedly mumbling ¡¯thank you¡¯, Ava truly didn¡¯t know what else to say . She had neither the intention nor the desire to ask Lino as to why and how he¡¯d gotten so strong, nor to inquire how he knew she needed his help . It was all irrelevant, in the end . " . . . sorry," Lino smiled faintly, caressing her hair for a moment . "I was a tad bitte . " "N-no . . . no . . . t-thank you . . . " "Well, as much as I¡¯d love to hoard you all to myself," Lino chuckled as he got off the bed . "There are a few people who are quite keen on seeing you . It even took bribery from a special someone for me to be here first . " "E-eh?" Ava mumbled in confusion . "We¡¯ll have to put our promise on hold . . . again . . . " Lino said as he began walking toward the room¡¯s exit . "But, as the say, Fate binds us," he stopped for a moment and nced at her with a faint smile . "We¡¯ll meet again . " just as Lino left the room and as Ava was about to call for him, thundering footsteps echoed as several kids suddenly stormed into the room, the youngest being fifteen with the oldest being nearly thirty, yet all with crocodile tears in their eyes . "Mom!!" "You¡¯re really awake!!" "Moooom!!" Outside the room, Lino stared at the face of a man he¡¯d met yesterday -- Ava¡¯s husband, Andrew . He was quite handsome, Lino mused, despite the asional wrinkle on his face . Clear, violet-colored eyes coupled with sharp facial features and striking, silver hair truly made him appear somewhat ethereal . Yet, despite that, all Lino saw was a man sumbing to the tears of joy . The two stared at each other for a moment before the man suddenly leaped forward and wound his arms around Lino, burying his head into thetter¡¯s chest, his entire body trembling . "T-thank you . . . again . . . so . . . so much . . . thank you . . . " while it was a perfect moment to make quite a few jokes, Lino held back, merely patting the man¡¯s back . "Shouldn¡¯t you go and hug your wife now, though?" in the end, however, Lino was still Lino . "If you ever need anything -- anything!! -- even my life -- I¡¯ll do it . Whatever it is . I . . . I don¡¯t know how else to repay you . . . " Andrew said, slowly letting go of Lino, uncaring of his disposition . " . . . just go and be with your family man," Lino said, smiling lightly . "It¡¯s a beautiful thing to have . " Lino didn¡¯t stay and observe the joyful family reunion . He walked slowly through the familiar corridors, returning to his temporary residence rather quickly . As happy as he was that he made it in time -- sort of -- he was even more worried about what the attack itself meant in the grand scheme of things . The Devils, who usually operated in the open once they gathered their forces, ensured that the attack on the Sect wouldn¡¯t be known . If Lino hadn¡¯t sent Non by ident, and if thetter was unable to bring him news in time, and if Grim hadn¡¯t literally torn itself apart flying faster than ever before, Lino knew he wouldn¡¯t have made it . Lucky timings are beyond rare in this world, he knew, which was why he never tried relying on luck when he did things . The battle from three days ago reinforced that belief even more than before . He suddenly reached into the void world and took the Dimensional Pouch, summoning both Non and Grim . Thetter immediately lied onto the floor, still gravely injured and exhausted . The light in the bird¡¯s eyes had dimmed quite considerably . Non scurried over and licked the bird¡¯sb gently, whining in a low tone with a quite pitiful look in his eyes . " . . . you two really saved me this time around," Lino crouched as he took hundreds of Qi Stones from his void world and put them down in front of the two creatures . "I don¡¯t have your favorites on hand at the moment, but . . . I promise you, I¡¯ll get so much both of you will go fat from them . " he extended both his arms out and petted the dog and the bird gently . "Woof, woof!" Non quickly gobbled up a couple of Qi Stones, but rather than devouring them himself, he walked over and used his paws to open Grim¡¯s beak before shoving the stones inside . He then repeated the actions several times before taking a few for himself, contently lying next to Grim and snuffling against thetter¡¯s feathers . "Caw!" Grim cried out as the energy within the Qi Stones began swelling up inside its belly, quickly replenishing the dried reserves . "Caw, caw!!" "Ha ha, alright, alright," Lino sat down onto the floor and leaned against the Grim¡¯s other side, admitting inwardly that it was indeed extremelyfortable . "I¡¯ll get you a whole ocean of [Two-headed Herrings], I promise!" "Woof, woof!" "Right, right, I¡¯ll also hunt herds of ins Buffalo for you, don¡¯t worry . . . " "Caw caw!" "Woof!" " . . . w-what do you mean right away?!" Lino cried out as he felt his eyelids closing down on their own . "Fuck that noise . Let me rest guys . . . I¡¯ve been up for nearly four full days . . . I deserve some goddamn rest . . . " it wasn¡¯t too long before the trio found themselves in their own respective dreands, whisked away on the journeys only their minds could ever conjure up . Chapter 193 Chapter 193 CHAPTER 193 WAR OF THE MADMEN (V) In the moment that Lino threw the sword that had in the Sin-Devil Commander, he¡¯d also broken the dam barring him from ascending further into the Realms of Cultivation, officially reaching Level 180 and Early Illumine Realm . His own ascension wasn¡¯t much different than the rest, as the pre-requisite was exactly what the name itself implied -- to be illuminated over something . It didn¡¯t necessarily had to be a Martial Art, though that was how majority of others ascended . For Lino, however, it was his Will; though just faintly, he¡¯d understood how to imbue it into reality, take abstract and make it corporeal . What startled him, though, was that he¡¯d already reached the next bottleneck of the cultivation -- Level 239, just a level short away from Numinous Realm . It wasn¡¯t all that odd, though, as he had managed to kill a Sin-Devil Variant of all things . Chuckling bitterly, he extended his right arm out and flicked his index finger . A sudden warmth encapsted it as a whiff of golden light entangled itself around the finger, low whines and criesing out of it . It was the Primal Spirit he had chosen after reaching Illumine Realm -- Ashta, the Primal Spirit of Light . Lino was rather surprised that a Primal of Spirit of light had offered her service; after all, his affinity with Dark Spirits was much greater . Nheless, he¡¯d chosen her almost immediately, though her description was just as dubious as any other . [Primal Spirit Ashta -- Supreme-tier Divine Spirit of Light] -- The first Tear of the Sun, cast onto the world . The Light that can never be extinguished, and the Light that shall always glow holy . -- He was currently high in the sky, riding Grim yet again since thetter had recovered enough for casual flight . Wind grazed his cheeks gently, his spirit free and full . Next to him Non was ying with a bone, asionally growling if Grim took a sharp turn or dive, scenery which had turned Lino¡¯s heart warm . It has been a long while, he realized, since he¡¯d felt as at peace as he did at the moment . He took it all in, entombed it into his memory, every ounce of every emotion and every action so that he may never forget it, for he knew the moment would be short-lived . Even if the Writ hadn¡¯t proposed that ¡¯condition¡¯, Lino himself would have done the exact same thing . All that was left was to create his armor, and off to the frontlines he would go . "You are awfully excited over going to the war with the entire world . " the familiar voice echoed inside his head, causing Lino to smirk . " . . . just imagining it," Lino said . "Standing lonesome . . . against it all . . . while wome--I mean people watch on from the side . . . and see my badas--I mean my honorable defiance . . . haii . . . " " . . . your ego is full enough already . " "I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you something . " "I know . " the Writ said . "Of course you do . . . " Lino sighed, inwardly cursing since he knew the Writ could hear it anyway . "So? You think I¡¯m qualified to know just yet?" "Far from it," the Writ replied . "Even Titr Voids aren¡¯t by default qualified to know of the Fate¡¯s workings, hardly a newly emerged Illumine brat . " " . . . ouch . So . . . why do I have a feeling you¡¯ll still tell me?" Lino smirked . "Because you need to know," the Writ replied . "Though she was always keen on my Bearers, it seems she has taken a rather deep interest in you . " "I¡¯m honored . " "You shouldn¡¯t be . Truthfully, in some aspects . . . she is even worse than Gaia, all things considered . At the very least thetter has always acted openly and cleanly . " " . . . you sound like you¡¯re actually afraid of her?" Lino eximed softly . "I had always disregarded her due to our conflicting natures," the Writ borated . "The Fate in and of itself does not posses any power; rather, the very concept of ¡¯fate¡¯ is quite misleading . There is no such thing as a ¡¯predetermined event¡¯ to begin with as the future itself doesn¡¯t exist . That is why even the Law of Time, regardless of mastery, can never allow one to travel further than their current present . " " . . . hmm . So to say . . . that the entire world¡¯s future is being made up as we go along?" Lino asked . "Yes, something like that . " " . . . then what is fate?" Lino asked . "It¡¯s ability to predict future based on the chain reactions," the Writ said . "For instance, if a King¡¯s daughter is suddenly assassinated, it¡¯s not difficult to predict the next set of actions . However, Fate can determine the entire lifetime based on the choices made . " " . . . ah, so that¡¯s why you said you two have conflicting natures," Lino eximed in realization . "She works through understanding and dispensing patterns, while you are the very definition of pattern-defiance . " "Hm," the Writ mumbled . "So far it was easy for me to simply ¡¯mute¡¯ her predictions on whatever I wished . " "What¡¯s changed?" "You . " " . . . what? She¡¯s, like, really into me or something?" "No . As I¡¯m repeatedly trying to hide your aura in addition to feeding you as much as possible, I am unable to fully expel her eye off of you . " " . . . she sounds like a really bad case of a stalker . " Lino shuddered . "Wait . . . when you said that what Fate wants is a ¡¯choiceless world¡¯ . . . is this what you meant?" "Hm, partly . It¡¯s more that she desires to maintain the illusion of choice, while knowing the end result regardless . That¡¯s all you will get for today . " "Tsk . . . cheap bastard . " Lino grunted lowly . "Though, I suppose . . . I¡¯ll probably be meeting her one day, one way or another . " Realizing that the Writ had really decided it was enough, Lino shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, lying down on the Grim¡¯s back, enjoying the rather sunny day . Non quickly snuggled over andid his head onto Lino¡¯s chest, with thetter surprisingly not cursing out at him . Astha traveled over from Lino¡¯s finger to his face andy on his cheek, quickly falling asleep . Living . . . like this . . . Lino though momentarily . Wouldn¡¯t be so bad . . . ** N¡¯khtur, a four-horned Devil of extremely paleplexion and terrifyingly ck eyes, currently sat on the top seat of the meeting hall for the Hell Army¡¯s invasion of the Central Continent . Acting as the overall Commander of the war, he was the only Commanding Devil present that wasn¡¯t a Sin-Devil Variant, but rather a God-Devil Variant, second only to the Origin Children . He had an indifferent expression on his face, a stark contrast to those sitting beneath him who seemed to be split into two camps . N¡¯khtur listened to their bickering and fighting in silence, asionally sighing . Even before departing he knew it would turn out like this . The Hell was too divided for a sessful invasion of the Continent, especially one on such a short notice . However . . . they couldn¡¯t say no -- the word came down from well above their eyes and minds, from the Father himself . Regardless of their struggles and differences, when the Father spoke, all Devils would turn meek and listen and obey . " . . . that¡¯s enough . " a mere sound of his voice was enough to immediately silence the entire room, sixteen pairs of eyes turning toward him . "It is unfortunate that Akava has fallen, but she has chosen to attack of her own ord, defying my direct orders . Whether felled by the Empyrean or anyone else is besides the point . En¡¯kav is having some trouble," he continued, disregarding defiant stares . "Lymmir, take your Legion and move out . You don¡¯t have to engage with them too hastily -- just open up the Western Front for the time being . Amma, Endoah, Kult and Issiah -- four of youbine and hit the North . It¡¯s the area with the roughest terrain, so it¡¯s most-likely guarded by the Emperor and another Titr with minimum forces . Each of you should only take around a thousand-strong force, and leave the rest to Handuur who will open up the Eastern Front with a direct attack on the Evande Castle . You are to take it within two days . There is no room for failure . Understood?" "Understood . " all who were called out quickly stood up and bowed before leaving . "The rest of you also start making preparations," N¡¯khtur sighed . "Looks like the Empyrean has chosen to speed up the war . " " . . . do we really have to y to his tune?" one of the Devils sitting upfront suddenly asked in a soft yet rather seductive voice . Hair as white as snow spilled down to her knees like skill, her full, red lips curled up in a faint smile . "We¡¯re even helping him out . . . yet he¡¯s gone out and screwed with us time and again . " "And thus the whore speaks . " the man sitting opposite of her spoke out before N¡¯khtur could, sneering . "I bet you want nothing more than to mount him for eternity . " "He he, you know me so well hubby," the woman chuckled . "He¡¯s quite . . . bold, no? What woman wouldn¡¯t be attracted to that?" "Call me hubby one more time and I¡¯ll snap your fucking neck off, you hear me?!" "Oh, into rough y . . . I see . Not that I mind~~" "You are dismissed . " N¡¯khtur, growing more tired from the nonsense, said his farewells and left . Leaving the room and walking down the corridor toward his chambers, however, didn¡¯t go as well as he had hoped as he realized a single figure had followed him . Turning around he recognized a familiar face -- perhaps the greatest anti-war member of all the Commanders currently present, Rothar . A rtively handsome Devil of all things, what made him different from the rest, however, was the single horn on his head coated in scales -- a mixed Sin-Devil Variant . Usually looked down upon, the mixed races weren¡¯t exactly wee in Hell -- but, as with everything, there were exceptions, and Rothar was one of them -- a son of the Dragon Queen and a Sin-Devil, his potential eclipsed most others that were climbing thedder . "What is it Rothar?" N¡¯khtur asked . "I request permission to go and visit the Empyrean . " Rothar bowed respectfully before answering . " . . . and why do you want to do that?" "I want to exin to him why his current behavior is foolish . " Rothar replied honestly . " . . . in my life," N¡¯khtur said, smiling faintly . "I¡¯ve met in total six Empyreans . And do you know what all of them had inmon?" "What?" "All of them were fools," N¡¯khtur said . "You can¡¯t reason with them, Rothar . Especially so if they felt personally attacked . " " . . . what do you mean?" "Twice now we had gone after someone the Empyrean cared about," N¡¯khtur exined . "And while we can make as many excuses as we want, nothing is going to change that fact . While Empyreans that aren¡¯tplete loners are rare . . . they are also far more terrifying . However, if you are still keen on talking with him . . . just join the frontlines . He will probably be showing up there quite soon . " "What I don¡¯t understand is why is he fighting us," Rothar, still seemingly unconvinced, said . "Doesn¡¯t he know this is also for his benefit?" " . . . why don¡¯t you go and ask him?" after a short thought N¡¯khtur spoke words that surprised Rothar . "You are the most reasonable of the bunch and, at the very least, you probably won¡¯t instigate a battle . " "Thank you, Lord N¡¯khtur! I won¡¯t disappoint you!" Rothar quickly bowed before departing, leaving N¡¯khtur in a strange state . Thetter had absolutely no hope of anything like reconciliation resulting from the two meeting . Rather, more and more he began suspecting that the Father¡¯s ns ran much deeper than what the rest believed, and he was certain he wasn¡¯t alone in thinking such . The Father hadn¡¯t participated in thest Realm War, but N¡¯khtur did . It was hell beyond hell . . . something he never wanted to see again in his life . It was also that war that had killed any ambition he may have had about ascending to the world¡¯s true heights . Yet, more and more it felt as though all of this was just a prelude to the Realm War . . . repeated invasions, skirmishes, battles, wars, tensions, rebirth of hatred and anger . . . it was almost exactly the same as it was prior to thest Realm War which had ended an entire era . Yet, no matter how brave he was, he dared not voice out his thoughts . He felt guilt even just thinking them; rather, even if the Father wished to instigate the Realm War . . . was it something that N¡¯khtur had a say in? Certainly not . If the Father wished every Devil to kill themselves the very next moment, none would dare hesitate, N¡¯khtur himself included . Even with all that, however, he couldn¡¯t help but feel slight bitterness in his heart . . . especially when he thought about the Empyrean . He watched his battle against the Akava¡¯s Legion and realized that the boy wasn¡¯t even thirty yet . . . and that he hadn¡¯t even left the Realms of Rebirth . In every definition of the word . . . he was still a child . Yet, irregardless, he was still forced on the world¡¯s stage so early on . Even with all that, however, N¡¯khtur couldn¡¯t voice his thoughts . Couldn¡¯t give words to the restless feelings in his heart . Chapter 194 Chapter 194 CHAPTER 194 WAR OF THE MADMEN (VI) Lino stood at theke¡¯s side, his eyes hidden beneath the cid mask and glued to theke¡¯s tranquil surface . The sun¡¯s position in the sky caused the trees surrounding theke to cast a rather eerie shadow over its surface, leaves seemingly deste with holes, shadows distorted due to the angle . Yet, it hardly painted a horrific scenery . He was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps, causing him to veer away from theke onto the source . Today she wore a rather simple silken dress, Lino noted, coated in embroidery of white roses over the cyan surface . The dress ran down to her knees, and she was barefoot for some odd reason . Hidden behind that mask were still the piercing eyes Lino couldn¡¯t shake off all that easily . Though her movement appeared nonchnt, there was certain grace to it, Lino realized, almost as though she was eternally walking on water . "I¡¯m honored," Lino smiled . "Very few cute women answer my calls . " "I¡¯m not cute . " she said . "Oh . " "I¡¯m beautiful . Please get it right . " "Eh, cute, beautiful, what¡¯s the difference?" Lino shrugged "Indeed," she nodded, smiling faintly as well . "In the end it¡¯s saying the same thing: I¡¯d like to tip you over the bedframe and make you scream thunder till you copse . " "That¡¯s one way to put it, I suppose . " "Oh? You have a better one?" "I¡¯d like to pin you down onto the floor so hard that it would stark cracking merely from your moaning cries . " "Not bad . You have potential . " Thunder smiled at Lino as she walked up and sat down next to him, dipping her legs into theke . "So? What have you called me for?" "What? Can¡¯t I have just had a desire to chat up a beautiful maiden?" "You don¡¯t seem the type to chase after hopeless adventures . " "Ouch . " Lino chuckled, sitting down next to her . "Shut down before even expressing my interest . " "Your interest is too fleeting . " she nced at him and smiled mischievously . "Oh, a dreamer are you? How . . . cute . " "Then why do you look even more eager now?" " . . . perhaps to prove you wrong . Perhaps to just have my way with you and prove you right . Who knows?" Lino smirked . "Anyway, I just wanted to run something by you . " "What?" she asked . "I¡¯ll be going on a rampage soon," he said . "And it ain¡¯t gonna be pretty . " " . . . are you asking if it¡¯s allowed?" "Nope . " " . . . what happened?" she asked with a rtively warm tone, to Lino¡¯s surprise . Thetter nced at her from the corner of his eyes, still shaken by that gaze . " . . . all my life I believed I¡¯d make it if only I was given a chance," rather than answering her, however, Lino steered the conversation elsewhere . "That so long as I got lucky once, the rest was merely a matter of time . I got lucky once," he said . "I was perhaps the luckiest bastard in the entire world at that moment . Yet, since then . . . time and again . . . I¡¯ve been nothing if not proven wrong . " "So you were a dumb kid . Nothing wrong with that . We all were . " " . . . I still am . " Lino smiled bitterly . "Just like you, I¡¯m still a dreamer . It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t dream of charming, perfect men devoting their souls to me . " "I¡¯d be far more interested in you if you did . " "We¡¯d have something inmon, huh?" Linomented . "We¡¯ve plenty enough things inmon as it stands . Any more . . . and I would seriously consider taking off my mask . " she said, smiling lightly . "You still haven¡¯t answered my question, though . As much as I love random tangents, I also like straightforward answers . " " . . . straightforward, huh? At the core, I suppose . . . it¡¯s guilt . " Lino replied . "Officially, though, it¡¯s ¡¯cause I want to look badass in front of all the royaldies . " "Who doesn¡¯t?" "I know, right?" "Guilt, however, is a terrifying fuel, Wing," she said . "If you don¡¯t let it go . . . sooner orter, it will consume you . " "Oh? A Master in the area?" " . . . a little bit . Anyway . . . what you actually wanted to tell me was to stand out of your way?" "You really get me . " Lino grinned . "Well, I¡¯ve always been good with kids . What can I say . . . motherly instincts and all . " "And right back we go . " "You started it . " "I¡¯ve never been good with emotionally charged moments," Lino sighed . "Especially if they involve a cutely beautiful girl . " "What a greatpromise . " "I¡¯m a greatpromiser, after all . " "I¡¯m fairly certain that¡¯s not an upation . " she said . "And I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯m gonna make it one . " " . . . do as you see fit," Thunder said, getting up slowly . "It¡¯s your mission . " " . . . hey . " Lino suddenly called out to her as she began walking away, causing her to halt her footsteps and turn around . "What¡¯s the cost of that mask?" Lino asked . " . . . what¡¯s the cost of yours?" she asked back . "You¡¯re free to take it off any time you want . " Lino grinned . "I appreciate the sentiment," she smiled back . "But mine¡¯s not worth the price, I assure you . " " . . . that¡¯s not for you to decide, now is it?" "My mask, my rules . " " . . . not even gonna give me a chance, huh?" Lino smiled awkwardly . "A chance is not given, Seventy-Two," she said, turning around and beginning to walk away again . "It¡¯s always earned . " " . . . eh, I suppose that¡¯s not a definite ¡¯no¡¯ . " Lino mumbled as he watched her silhouette fade out in the distance . "Now . . . to settle my ounts with the other guest . Where is he?" "In your bed . " " . . . well, I¡¯m changing the room the moment he leaves . " Lino quickly vanished, as though never there, running off back to the inn . Meanwhile, Thunder was currently floating in the sky, staring at the dashing figure in the distance which, even to her, was all but a blur . She stared at him till he vanished beyond the ins and her sight, releasing a faint sigh . " . . . he¡¯s a lot like you, you know?" a robotic voice echoed out inside her mind suddenly, startling her . "Where were you the whole time?" she asked angrily . "Twice now you vanished when I met him . I already told you I can¡¯t see through the mask . . . yet you still refused to help . " "I thought I¡¯d try and see you in your natural element . You¡¯re quite a charmer, aren¡¯t you?" " . . . screw you . " "Now that¡¯s just rude . Where is that eloquently-spoken girl with all her unearthly charms? I quite liked her . " " . . . it¡¯s something about him," she sighed, ncing once again toward the distance . "That makes me want to impress him . " "Oh, wow . I can¡¯t believe you actually realized it on your own . I¡¯m impressed . " "Seriously, go fuck yourself . Can¡¯t you just be supportive this once?" "I believe I¡¯ve been nothing short of extremely supportive toward you since the day you and I joined together . " "Wow, someone¡¯s lying through their teeth like a maniac . What about that time when I went to look for Lino and you refused to help me?" "Why would I help you look for a guy who would take you away? I just want you all to myself . " " . . . there is something definitely wrong with you . " "You¡¯re realizing that just now?" the voice even seemed to chuckle -- albeit extremely eerily -- for a moment . " . . . so, can you at least tell me why you refused my plea twice now?" "I suppose I can . " "Oh, great! Finally doing the right thing!" "But . . . are you sure you want to know?" the voice questioned mysteriously . "What do you mean?" she asked tentatively . "Knowing why might change your life in ways you can¡¯t even begin to imagine, you know? This sort of knowledge is even more dangerous than our childish attempts at feeble defiance against that whore . " "Well, let¡¯s see," she mumbled . "If Gaia finds out that I¡¯d like nothing more than to shove a spear so far up her ass she would be vomiting metal for what little days she would have left . . . I¡¯d be erased from existence . So, I can confidently say that knowing the identity of some random guy is definitely less terrifying than that . " " . . . oh, wow . I think I¡¯m going to enjoy this even more now . It¡¯s seriously going to be priceless . " " . . . " "I was trying to hide, to be honest . " the voice said . "Eh? Hide? From him?" "Though . . . I imagine my attempts were quite futile . Seeing as both you and I are still unharmed, however, it seems he hasn¡¯t told the boy . " " . . . what do you mean?" she seemed to have picked up on something, yet dared not go any further with her assumptions . "I said it before -- he¡¯s a lot like you . . . in more ways than one . " " . . . n-no way . . . " she mumbled . "You¡¯ve just flirted with the honored Empyrean, Hannah," the voice said with a faint chuckle . "And I¡¯ve just learned that Ataxia really hasn¡¯t changed since thest time we talked . " " . . . n-no . . . that¡¯s . . . that¡¯s fucking impossible . . . " "Ah, denial . You make even that adorable . An Empyrean and an Elysian having a meet-cute by theke . . . oh the horrors . . . cute horrors that is . . . " "H-he . . . he¡¯s the Empyrean? NO FUCKING WAY!!" Chapter 195 Chapter 195 CHAPTER 195 SHAKING HANDS WITH A DEVIL Lino entered his room in the inn with a rathernguid expression, his mood somewhat sour . Had there not been a Devil waiting in his bed, he¡¯d certainly have gone out drinking until he passed out . Still, that mere thought of the Devil in the end made him shudder, and he prayed the Writ was merely ying a prank on him . He opened the doors carefully, trying to calm his heart as much as possible . Then, sudden thought hit him; wait, maybe she¡¯s a woman?!! Lino took up the pace and stormed into the room, his eyes shining like gems in excitement . There, on the bed, wrapped in thin, cotton nket draping over the well-defined curves of a slightly paled body, with sun stuttering faintly through the curtains and illuminating those keen eyes was a single-horned Devil watching him . . . and it was no woman . Lino gagged for a moment, quickly taking out a whole barrel of ale and beginning his drinking spree . His heart couldn¡¯t adjust to such a roller-coaster of emotions . . . from low of lows, to high of highs, back to the bottom of the barrel -- which he quickly reached in a single breath . "What are you doing in my bed?" Lino asked angrily . "Oh, I see . " the light in the Devil¡¯s eyes suddenly dimmed as he sighed and got up . "You do not swing that way . " " . . . I¡¯ll swing you away, you bastard . Even if I were, what did you think would happen?!" "I¡¯ve been told that humans have low tolerance of the Devilish charms . " "You¡¯ve been told?" ah, another idiot . How in the god¡¯s name hasn¡¯t this world copsed yet with all these idiots on the top?! "Anyway, who are you?" "It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Empyrean . My name is Rothar, and I¡¯m a Sin-Devil Commander . " Rothar quickly donned a simple garment before bowing slightly through his introduction . "I havee to make a bargain . " "Not interested . Go away . " Lino replied without hesitation . "You haven¡¯t even heard my terms . " "I¡¯m not interested in your terms though . " "Are you always this stubborn?" Rothar asked, frowning somewhat . Though he¡¯d expected the Empyrean to be hot-headed, he still believed he would be able to make it so long as he was polite enough . "Do you drink?" Lino asked . "No . " Rothar shook his head . " . . . yeah, this meeting is over . Get out . How can anyone trust a man who doesn¡¯t drink? Fuck . What¡¯s wrong with your head? How can you live through the life entirely sober? Are you a masochist? W-wait . . . d-did you pleasure yourself in my nket in anticipation of being found by me?!! Give me back my sanity, dammit!!" " . . . !" WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?! though he was certainly the most patient and most reasonable of the Devil bunch currently on the continent, even Rothar felt like cracking his own skull open and erasing the past few moments from his memory . "Hey, can I ask you a question . " seeing Rothar¡¯s reaction, Lino¡¯s previous demeanour suddenly shifted, surprising the former . "What?" "Why is everyone in this world so dumb?" Lino asked, seeminglymenting over something as he sat onto the chair nearby . "I mean . . . when I was a kid, and I was dreaming of the higher world, I¡¯d always imagined the cunning and sly people with straightforward expressions who couldn¡¯t wait to stab each other in the ass -- figuratively, I mean . That¡¯s what I thought, you know? That it would be a bunch of people who can keep their cool and smile regardless of what was happening, people so clever and sharp some brat like me would never even stand a chance against them . " . . . " sensing there was more to the rant, Rothar remained silent . "However . . . I¡¯ve learned something over the past ten years of my life . All of you . . . are stupid . You are borderline moronic . So long as I don¡¯t follow the ¡¯proper¡¯ etiquette or whatever, and just randomly say some stupid shit . . . all of you lose your shit immediately . It¡¯s like none of you can cope with the fact that someone wouldn¡¯t use a flowery-whatever-the-fuck sort of anguage with you . Are you people really that sheltered? Have you never had an honest conversation in your life?" " . . . " Rothar anticipated many endings and conclusions to the rant, yet still couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around the one he heard . "S-so . . . you¡¯re . . . you¡¯re frustrated?" "No . . . I¡¯m sad . . . " Lino said with a genuinely saddened expression . "I¡¯ve long hoped to meet someone to match my wit, tit-for-tit -- look, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!! You want to suck my soul out for getting the idiom wrong! Why can¡¯t no one match my pace?! Am I really that much of an oddball?!" " . . . I refuse to make ament on that in regards to thepromise I wish to make with you . " " . . . coward . " Lino clicked his tongue . "Surely you don¡¯t think name calling will agitate me?" " . . . is that a challenge?" Lino¡¯s eyes shined in tremendous glint for a moment; Rothar, otherwise fearless Commander of the Hell¡¯s Army, suddenly felt a chill bear down into his soul . "N-no, please, no . Indeed, I am a coward . " Rothar said quickly, believing his instincts . " . . . eh, whatever . " Lino shrugged . "So, why are you here?" "I wish to make a deal with you . " Rothar said, quickly changing over into his business-like demeanour . "Alright . So the condition on my part is to not intervene, right?" "Indeed . " "What¡¯s the offer?" Lino asked . "I will personally ensure no one from our side attacks you again!" " . . . " Hey, does he really think he¡¯s actually making a good offer here?! What¡¯s with that self-satisfied smirk?! Lino asked inwardly . "Indeed he does . " the Writ replied . "Hah, left speechless, huh? Indeed, it¡¯s a loss on my part, but because of my respect for you--" "Get out . " Lino said with a stunned expression . "Huh?" "Seriously, get out . Get out before I lose what little sanity I¡¯ve remaining . " "E-eh? Does that mean you ept my proposal?" "Holy shit, I think I¡¯m actually losing it . To think it wouldn¡¯t be an epic battle that would be the end of me . . . but an epically stupid Devil . Hah . . . " "W-what do you mean? I don¡¯t understand you!" Rothar protested with a frown . "I¡¯m not interested," Lino said after calming down . "Before you go on trying to think any longer, let me rephrase that: humans . . . devils . . . angels . . . gods . . . other Bearers . . . I don¡¯t really care who, so long as I can work with them, I will . Rather, I already gave you fucks a chance . Twice . And twice you¡¯d gone and fucked me over . Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit shameless to ask for apromise?" " . . . both of those instances were outside the centralized n," Rothar said . "The individuals who had harmed you did so outside their orders . I promise you that much . " "Which faction do you belong to?" Lino asked Rothar . "Let me ask you something instead, first," thetter, instead of answering, asked a question of his own . "Do you believe humans are better than Devils?" "I believe unconditionally that both of us are idiots . " Lino replied without a hint of hesitation . "Why are you even invading the World of Gaia? I know it¡¯s not to protect me, so . . . is it really just good-old-conquest?" " . . . I . . . I¡¯m not too sure myself," Rothar said, suddenly biting his lower lip . "The Father has merely ordered us to . We can never hope to see through His brilliance . " " . . . this is why I hate this world," Lino mumbled . "How far up do I have to go before I find someone who thinks for themselves . . . " "Aren¡¯t you the same, though?" Rothar asked with a frown . "You¡¯re merely executing the Will of another, no?" " . . . I suppose that¡¯s true," Lino grinned . "Which is why I say we¡¯re all unconditional idiots . However, even if I wanted to ept yourpromise, I can¡¯t . " Lino smiled bitterly; however much he projected outwardly, he hardly wanted to wage the war against literally everyone . If he could, he would rather just let the Continent¡¯s and Hell¡¯s forces duke it out on their own . "What do you mean?" Rothar asked . "This," Lino whipped out a winged crest from his void world, causing it to float above his palm . "I¡¯m bound by the duty . " " . . . ah . I should have expected it . " Rothar sighed after a few moments . "Ever since the start I thought there was someone feeding your side information as you seemed too well prepared . Turns out . . . it wasn¡¯t a traitor . . . just the world¡¯s biggest headache . However, as you were that honest with me, I suppose I can be honest with you in return . " "Hm?" "Although I have no knowledge of why we are fighting the world-scale war, I do know why we were sent to this continent . Our primary objective are the Titan Realms . " "Titan Realms? What are those?" Lino asked quizzically . "A set of Dimensional Pockets," Rothar answered . "The true remnants of the forgotten Titan Era . Rather, to be even more specific, we don¡¯t need the realms themselves -- just a single item within them . Long ago, it was taken from us by Titan Hosh, and we absolutely have to retrieve it . Even if the Great Descended and the Empyrean himself stand in our way, it doesn¡¯t matter . " " . . . so the war is just a pretense?" Lino asked, frowning . "I . . . I don¡¯t know . . . " Rothar shook his head . "It¡¯s true that it would have been a lot easier just to send someone from the Main Family to simply take the item . . . but . . . " " . . . I¡¯ll make thepromise -- but mypromise," Lino said after a short thought . "I¡¯ll still act as the overall Commander of the War and will pull no stops in trying to defeat you guys . However, I¡¯ll limit my personal activity to the Northern Front . However you do elsewhere, even if you manage to capture the Capital, I will not interfere . How¡¯s that sound?" " . . . you¡¯re actually a reasonable sort, aren¡¯t you?" "What gave you the impression I wasn¡¯t?" Lino asked, tilting his head in confusion . "Uh . . . everything?" " . . . now, that¡¯s just rude, don¡¯t you think?" "I don¡¯t know what the future has in store for us," Rothar said, getting up and extending his hand for a shake . "But I certainly hope this is not the end of our friendship . " " . . . when did we be friends?" Lino nced at the hand though was seemingly unwilling to ept the shake . "Urgh . . . h-heh . . . you still like to y around--" "Oh, you¡¯re one of those awkward ones who has to confirm friendships because they¡¯re never too sure how others view them, no?" " . . . " "Bullseye . I¡¯ll be seeing you Rothar . Now get out . " " . . . y-yes . . . " Chapter 196 Chapter 196 CHAPTER 196 HEAVEN-CAST ARMOR SET (I) Two days had gone by since Lino had made apromise with the Devils -- at least apromise of sorts . Though he indeed had intention of fulfilling it so long as they did, it didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d also hold back where he fought . There was only one thing left for him to do before departing north -- craft his own armor . Over the past two days he¡¯d exploited every connection he¡¯d made, spent every Qi Stone he had and even custom-crafted additional few pieces of equipment exclusively for materials in return just so he would have enough . Today he had assembled the full squad -- Edward, Jack, Sarah and all their assistants currently living nearby for the total of 15 people . They rented one of the best smithies in the entire City, rivaling even those in the Noble¡¯s District, so even with the massive numbers it wasn¡¯t crowded . Even before beginning the crafting process there were still quite a few things to take care of . Designating specific tasks to specific people, exining to everyone the designs, ensuring everyone had enough room to work in freedom, ounting for possible failures, recounting the materials . . . everyone presently within the smithy knew very well that this wouldn¡¯t be a jobpleted in hours -- but in days, possibly even in weeks . Creating a whole set of armor required eight items: helmet, breastte, pauldrons, armguards, leggings, graves, a belt and even the cape . Though Lino would very much like to create Soul Armor, he knew it was impossible; the entire set of the Soul Armor would take anywhere between a few decades to a few centuries to create, and as he was in a pinch with time, he had to make apromise . In the end, however, he knew that his designs stillcked something, though he couldn¡¯t just yet say what, which meant that they were wed, lowering the chances of creating a Soul Armor piece even more . He set aside the thoughts of it for a time being and calmed his mind as all the preparations wereplete . Edward, Jack and Lino were tasked with crafting helmet, leggings and breastte respectively, with Lino and Jack in addition being responsible for iying all the arrays . Sarah was tasked with creating a belt, while the rest of the pieces were split between everyone, with Edward, Jack and Lino mostly being responsible for the mainframe of the piece as well as the finishing touches . Lino cast a quick nce at the array of materials lying around the tables, even he feeling some pain over having to use them soon . [Night-cast Steel], [Dead Dragon¡¯s Bone], [Tendons of the Phoenix], [Crimsoned Stalks], [Northern Dark Ingots] . . . each and every piece was at least Level 150, and most were extremely rare . Even Jack and Edward dipped into their reserves again and pulled some pieces Lino couldn¡¯t find on the market . He was now eight custom-crafted pieces in-debt with them . Soon the sounds of the roaring mes and the beatings of the hammers quelled over the silence as everyone began doing their jobs . Lino, Edward and Jack worked with their own furnaces, while others shared remaining four in the room . Lino repeatedly nced at the designs as he slowly began melting down the steel and shaping it up into a breastte . Lino set upon crafting the armor set on the lighter side, avoiding full te despite the fact that due to his body¡¯s strength he could most-likely have used it without any issue . However, as he wished to avoid it being cumbersome, he settled on a mixture of steel and leather . He even set aside a small grain of the Divine Stone that Valkyria gave him to embed into the breastte, truly going all out with the set . For the first time, too, he paid a bit more attention to the looks themselves; though he hadn¡¯t gone full-on mboyant, he did decide on dyeing the armor in slightly more attractive colors in addition to having a few specr gems embedded here and there to give the armor even more grandeur . This was especially the case with pauldrons that he designed rather extravagantly considering both ended with spiked tips for absolutely no reason other than to look slightly cooler than they otherwise would . " . . . the tips are done!" "I¡¯ve refined the leather!" "Here¡¯s the conductor!" "Throw me those mps!" Lino, aside from crafting the piece, also paid attention to everything else going around him; it¡¯s not as though he didn¡¯t trust others to do their tasks properly, but more so that it was in his veins to always be in control over the entire room when crafting . He almost subconsciously always took the role of the leader, adjusting his own pace to the rest and pointing out whatever needed pointing . "Jack, make the thigh area slightly wider," Lino said as he nced at Jack¡¯s process "And hollow out the ends as it falls to the knees . It¡¯ll make it easier to link it with the greaves . " "Won¡¯t there be too much wiggle-room then?" Jack asked . "It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll iy the array to make it stationary . " "Alright, leave it to me!" "Sarah, how goes the belt?" "Do you really need all these pouches?" Sarah asked back, frowning . "What¡¯s the problem?" "It¡¯s not exactly a problem . . . it¡¯s just that the belt¡¯s durability will decrease for each additional pouch I attach . " "Alright, cut them down to four, two on each side . Ah, and also make sure there¡¯s a hole for the scabbard on each end as well . " "Alright . " Carefully overseeing the situation and realizing that everything was going ording to the n, Lino took a deep breath and focused back onto the breastte . The top parts of the piece were cast out of steel with leather inside, crafted entirely in one piece . At the center was a amnesty gem within which the small grain of the Divine Stone resided . The breastte stretched over to the shoulders, connecting with the pauldrons through the leather belt . The lower ends were a mixture of the [Night-cast Steel] and the [Tendons of the Phoenix], thetter making the former extremely flexible but also less durable . To make the piece more attractive, Lino carved out a pair of wings over the top part, iying them with a faintly golden color; though it served no practical purpose, it looked incredibly cool -- at least in Lino¡¯s eyes -- against the dark - almost entirely ck - color of the armor . The theme of the whole set relied mainly on a few colors: ck, which most main parts were dyed in, golden which was used for the highlights and sunset orange which mostly came from the embedded gems . Hours quickly piled on as did tiredness in everyone¡¯s eyes, so Lino decided to take a break with everyone . It was simply impossible to finish everything in one sitting even if everyone here had Lino¡¯s stamina, as even he wasn¡¯t even a whole quarter done with his piece to say nothing of others . The fifteen of them gathered around in the center of the room as Lino took out some refreshments -- mostly booze and beef jerky -- from his void world and put them on the table . "How can you not be as tired as the rest of us?!" Sarah asked Lino as she began pecking at the piece of the beef jerky while dousing her dry throat in ale . "Why do you look like you¡¯re still able to run a marathon around the entire Empire?" "What you really want to ask me is whether I have the same stamina in bed, huh?" Lino asked cheekily, grinning . As Jack and Edward were somewhat ¡¯used to¡¯ his usual behavior they merely sighed, while others nearby who heard him nearly choked on whatever they were drinking or eating . Sarah was notorious around the City as someone who nobody should mess with, so they expected a severe beating tomence . Except it didn¡¯t . " . . . damn, it¡¯s unfair . No one as good-lookin¡¯ as you should be as smooth with thedies . " Sarah sighed dejectedly, having her intentions exposed . "Eeeh . . . I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that handsome . . . " Lino faked humbleness as he felt his ego being stroked . "Hm, you¡¯re not that handsome in traditional sense, I guess," Sarah said seriously, causing that inted ego of his crash even quicker . "It¡¯s, I dunno . . . the way you carry yourself, you know? That look in your eyes that tells me you¡¯re stripping me naked even now . The fact that you have muscles that seemed chiseled for the sore eyes, yet are still as strong as any other . Oh, and that cheeky grin! Good god, I can¡¯t imagine how many girls had to change their underwear seeing it . . . " " . . . wow, even I nearly blushed there . " Lino eximed genuinely . "Are you into me or aren¡¯t you, woman?" "Of course I am! But more like, you know, the hunk I dream about when my husband¡¯s away for a while, you know?" " . . . yeah . . . yeah . . . " Lino mumbled, fighting back the tears . "Ha ha, don¡¯t be so dejected," Sarah punched his back yfully,ughing . "I¡¯m sure there are tons of girls out there ready to pick up my ck, you know? Eh, what about Jenny here?" she suddenly pulled a shy-looking girl from the side and shoved her next to Lino . The girl cried out as her cheeks flushed in cherry red . "Justst night she was telling me that she might be unable to concentrate if she worked in a station just next to yours!" "L-ldy Sarah!!" Lino nced at the girl called Jenny with a faint interest; she appeared to be in her early twenties, hardly having a look of a seasoned cksmith . Her skin was still quaintly fair if not slightly tanned, her cheeks puffed like hamsters as she pouted, body sleek with only a faint traces of muscles here and there . "You¡¯re quite cute . " he spoke out after his quick assessment, smiling . "How about you and I go drinking when all this is done, away from all these sweaty men?" "You¡¯re one of us, goddammit!!" the rest were quick to point out . "Shut up! Unlike yours, my sweat is juicy and sweet!" "Like all hell!" "Wait, Jenny, didn¡¯t you get back together with Brock?" Edward suddenly asked . "Humph, I caught him fooling around with that whore Jessica!" Jenny eximed, her previous bashfulness nowhere to be found, only scorn visible in her expression . "That bitch, just because she has slightlyrger tits, thinks she can go around and unt them and every guy will just kneel in front of her and suck them dry! I swear, I¡¯ll fucking crucify that whore when I get the chance!!" "Heh, hear that Lino?" one of the men eximed with a sneer . "You¡¯d just be a revenge-bone in the end . " "So?" Lino nced at him nonchntly . "What¡¯s wrong with that?" " . . . y-you really have no self-respect, do you?" "Hmm . . . let¡¯s see . . . self-respect versus someone as adorable as Jenny . . . " Lino said, smiling as he wrapped one of his arms around Jenny, bringing her into his embrace . Her scornful and angry expression quickly vanished as her cheeks once again got sted red . "Tell me, oh the self-respecting one, which to choose? Huuuuh . . . " " . . . go to hell . " "However, if you want to make him jealous," Lino said, stroking his chin in contemtion . "It should be somewhere where I can walk around almost entirely naked . So he can see that even dreamy hunks like me are interested in a cute rabbit like you . " " . . . . " " . . . . " " . . . . " " . . . . " "What? Too much?" Lino grinned sheepishly . "No!!" Jenny eximed with a dreamy look in her eyes . "You¡¯re exactly right! We should go at it right in front of his house!" " . . . . " " . . . . " " . . . . " "Damn, I think I might just steal you for myself!" Lino eximed after a short shock . "Khm, alright, alright, everyone¡¯s had enough fun for now . . . " Jack eximed, worrying over just how sane exactly Lino is . "Let¡¯s get back to work . " "Ay, ay, back to work . . . " "How beautiful it is to be so young . . . " "He looks like an old man perving on a young girl . . . humph . . . " "Oh my, isn¡¯t someone jealous~~" "Suck it!" "I bet you would love that!" Ah . . . Lino thought as he got up as well, returning to his station . I have weird friends . . . he thought so without realizing exactly why, which all of them would be willing to point out should he ever voice out his thoughts . Chapter 197 Chapter 197 CHAPTER 197 HEAVEN-CAST ARMOR SET (II) Sounds of the bellowing mes echoed in the midst of constant shouts, with the harmony of the hammers¡¯ strokes against the steel mingling in as a backdrop to the orchestral symphony . It has been nearly five days since the group had begun crafting the armor set, yet they were barely halfway through the entire process . Lino had slept in total for four hours over the past few days, only ever resting long enough for a drink or two . Most had long since copsed, requiring a good night¡¯s rest to continue, but Lino hardly paid any heed; once again he had submerged himself in the delirium of the soundless, faceless, empty world of ecstasy . He¡¯d leave it only asionally to investigate how others were doing, but even that was only for a few moments at most . His clothes had dried themselves on him dozen times over, the cloth he wrapped around his forehead having been exchanged at least a few tens of times in total . However, even with all the inconveniences constantly nagging at him, a grand smirk had barely left his face . His eyebrows jumped around like children, eyes glistening in an eerily lustful glint, the ears perking up and down in the rhythm of hammer¡¯s strokes . . . others had long since realized he looked quite a lot like the not-to-be-named visitors of the certain not-to-be-named ces . He wasn¡¯t alone in feeling so, though; even Edward and Jack, both seasoned cksmiths, were acting quite a bit like children themselves . After all, it has been a long time since either had indulged in such aplex and longsting job that their somewhat buried love for the crafts had been rekindled . Even Sarah, as tempered as she was, couldn¡¯t help but indulge herself in the atmosphere of pure joy, having barely slept herself over the past four days . Materials strewn across the room slowly began to dwindle while what were previously seemingly random bits and pieces began slowly taking a more discernible shape . Windows had long since been flushed open as the stuffy air became unbearable even for Lino, and rations had to be renewed twice over by now . Yet, not a single one of those who worked on the set voiced out theirints; for all the difficult work they had to do, they came to realize that they were a part of something much greater than what they¡¯d initially anticipated . Even without that tofort them, they were able to see how truly talented craft; those interested in jewelry and intricate details observed Sarah during their breaks, while those interested in molding hunks of metal into an amazing design observed Jack and Edward . On the other hand, those interested in the Arrays quickly found their home as well as they watched Lino engrave one Array after another, all done so through speed they believed impossible . His hand etched about freely, seemingly unrestrained, and he looked more like he was painting with a brush onto the canvas rather than iying aplex set of Arrays one over another . What shocked them perhaps even more was that Lino hadn¡¯t chosen to inscribe a single Basic Array; all were at least Intermediate, while a good deal of them was also Advanced . All seemed miraculously drawn into the ambiance and the mood, their fatigued bodies seemingly recovering with each passing second . Only few, however, managed to dig a bit deeper beneath the surface of things, realizing that the whole process was far more amazing than what they thought at first . Lino, mostly in concert with Jack, worked as the Leader of the team; what this usually entailed was that he would be the one to confirm each piece, set the pace for others to follow, and give outmands whenever he saw fit . However, Lino went well beyond that; rather than setting the pace, he artificially inted and deted it depending on everyone¡¯s fatigue levels, speeding through the easier parts and slowing down when it came down to detailed work . In addition, he seemed perfectly aware of every single detail inside the room and everyone¡¯s individual progress, constantly adjusting everyone¡¯s tasks so they don¡¯t suddenly have to wait for others to finish theirs before continuing . Furthermore, he did all this while crafting the whole breastte individually as well as inscribing every single Array required within every other piece . Jack, on the other hand, yed a supportive-Leader of sorts role, as he¡¯d pick up Lino¡¯s tasks if thetter was dealing with intricate process himself and couldn¡¯t spare even iota of attention to the rest . The chemistry and understanding between the two almost resembled that of two veteran smiths who had worked together for decades, but Jack knew far better than the rest . Even he was merely following Lino¡¯s pace, dragged into that cauldron of insanity, asionally forced to take a peek at its insurmountable depths . Just picking up Lino¡¯s job for half an hour was enough to entirely exhaust his mental capacity, and he himself couldn¡¯t help but stare in shock and awe at the grinning youngster doused in sweat . " . . . he . . . he¡¯s a tad bit insane, isn¡¯t it?" Edward suddenly asked, wiping away sweat off his forehead . "Tell me about it . . . " Jack sighed, deciding to take a brief break as well . " . . . I get a bit terrified when I think of him a couple of dozen years into the future," Edward shuddered . "Won¡¯t he have created an array of mass-extinction weapons by then?" "Who knows?" Jack mumbled . "I guess we can count ourselves as lucky having met him this early on . Otherwise . . . just a chance to nce at him working would probably be a miracle in and of itself . . . " "How far along are you?" Edward asked . "Almost done with the piece . You?" "Same . If we keep this pace . . . we can probably finish within four-five days, right?" "Hmm . . . " Jack thought for a moment . "I don¡¯t know . If he can keep iying arrays as quickly as he is at the moment, then probably . " " . . . oh, right . There was also that . " Edward sighed in dismay . "Forget us, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of anyone inscribing arrays that quickly before . . . even just the Basic Arrays . " "Yeah . . . it¡¯s a bit insane . . . " Jack said dismissively, though his mind was in aplete contrast to his words . Simr conversations streaked through small groups that had formed over the past five days, though Lino himself waspletely unaware . He was, after all, far too immersed in the creation, barely stopping himself from drooling over what the possible end-result might turn into . He was also quite surprised with Jack¡¯s, Ed¡¯s and Sarah¡¯s assistants, as all of them were rather skilled . Of all the pieces that they brought to him for inspection, he only ever had one slightly fixed while the rest were almost as good as he would have created them himself, if not even better . It was also thanks to this that he begun dreaming of the end-creation, as his previous estimates were well off the mark it seemed . Days quickly slithered by, and another five days had passed within the blink of an eye . Lino was currently sitting on a chair, panting as though he¡¯d just ran a cross-country marathon without a break, his entire self doused in sweat as though he¡¯d just taken a bath . Yet, even so, his eyes shined in extreme excitement and pride as he watched the assembled pieces on the rack in front of his eyes . Save for him, only Sarah and Jack were awake, the rest having fallen asleep a good couple of hours ago when Lino began inscribing thest arrays and doing the finishing touches . Both Jack and Sarah seemed to have aged at least a few years, with bags beneath their eyes protruding further than their cheeks . However, just like Lino, their body¡¯s state hardly diminished their emotional rampage . Both their gazes were fierce and glowing, their lips curled up in a smile full of pride . "We really did it . . . " Jack eximed with a sigh, his voice terribly coarse . "I can¡¯t believe we finished it within just ten days . . . " " . . . yeah, thinking back . . . we were a bit insane," Lino replied, sighing himself . "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into me back then . . . " "A bit insane? Screw you! Give me back my youth!" Sarah eximed . "Yeah, I wasn¡¯t the one who stole it though," Lino replied . "Ask your husband for that . And your kids . " "Fifty is still young! You made me feel two hundred years older!" Sarah persisted . " . . . wow, the lies people tell themselves just to feel a bit better about the approaching coffins and funeral songs . . . " "Oh, go to hell . . . " "Alright you two, I know we¡¯re all a bit cranky, but there¡¯s no reason to ruin this moment because of some squabble, right?" Jack quickly interrupted the things from escting any further . " . . . yeah, I suppose . " Sarah said . "Yeah," Lino nodded absentmindedly . "Uh . . . can . . . can one of you check its stats?" "Huh?" Sarah and Jack eximed at the same time, ncing at him dubiously . "W-what?" Lino shuddered . "I . . . you know . . . I¡¯m just slightly, not even that much, just a tidy-tiny-bitty terrified . " " . . . " " . . . " "Oh, yeah, judge me now . Go to hell!" "Doesn¡¯t matter who checks them," Jack said . "They¡¯re already set in stone . " "Oh god, that hurt . . . " "Why?!" "I don¡¯t know, it just did . " Lino said . "Alright, whatever . Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s the creation of gods or just another dud in the brick wall . " " . . . " " . . . " Chapter 198 Chapter 198 CHAPTER 198 ORTUM LUCIS Lino stood atop a stone bridge which used to connect two mountains together, heaving as high as a whole mile in the sky . One end now stood somewhere deep within the gorges abyss beneath, the still-standing one cracked at the edges like spiderwebs . The wind blew cold and stout, swinging Lino¡¯s hair and the cloak weaved into a scarf around his neck and back, frigid snowkes flickering around the snow-dusted mountain tops and long-eroded winding roads . He donned his expressionless mask, his ck armor and hair in stark contrast with it, almost as though he had gone entirely faceless within the snow¡¯s reaches . Non stood on all four next to him, perfectly fine in the bone-chilling cold of the far north, his silver eyes gazing at the distant end of the other mountain, where four figures stood up front, backed with thousands others . The pressure birthed from within the group grew corporeal, Lino realized as he stared at the wincing, ck smoke above them reminiscent of a cloud . He bitterly smiled inwardly, regretting his previous bravado when he assigned the Emperor to the Eastern Front as the Vanguard defender against the Devils¡¯ attack on the Evande Castle . Lino chose to take up the Northern Front on his own, not only without a Titr Void to back him up, but also without any army . Call it confidence due to the [Heaven-Cast Armor Set], or even a form of childish arrogance and pride, but whatever it was, he now deeply regretted his decision . One or two Devil Commanders would already be slightly too dangerous for him to fight alone, to say nothing of four, with thousands smaller Devils and Demons stacked behind them . Yet he couldn¡¯t just call for reinforcements; at the very least, not just yet . He cared little for the concept of pride, but he cared a lot for appearing cool . And it would be undeniably uncool to ask for help just after he said he didn¡¯t need any . It wasn¡¯t as though he was entirely hopeless, though . He didn¡¯t necessarily need to kill the other four, merely prevent them from moving further ind . Northern Front was the easiest to defend and the hardest to attack due to its rather terrible terrain, swarmed with mountain ranges, swamps, gorges and a whole other swath of terrain deformations running deep ind . However, this also meant that movingrger army around was simply impossible . The only reason Devils could do it was because they didn¡¯t rely as heavily on provisions and due to the fact that they were innately resilient to the cold weather . Humans, on the other hand, would be too encumbered due to carrying clothes against the cold in addition to provisions, armors and whatnot . This made it nearly a perfect ce for those of higher Cultivation Realms to duke it out, as practically nobody lived this far north . Part of the reason why Lino chose to go alone was due to Rothar; he figured that they would be slightly lenient on him and send just a single Devil to entertain him . . . not four . "To think the Great Descender would wee us," a mischievous voice broke past the barrier of distance and loud winds, seemingly speaking directly into Lino¡¯s ears . "We are quite honored . " Oh? They don¡¯t know yet? Lino arched his brow in wonder; it¡¯s been quite a while since Rothar left the Capital . He should have long since informed his higher-ups . . . Perhaps they didn¡¯t inform these blockheads? " . . . four Commanders, huh?" Lino put up a strong front; half of the victory relied on pretending, or at least that was his philosophy . "Should be fun . " he smiled faintly . "He he he, aren¡¯t you underestimating us a bit, oh the Great One?" a rather seductive voice chimed into his ears, but the feeble attempts to charm him were only that -- attempts . "Hey, if you¡¯re that interested in having fun," Lino seemingly nced at her . "Come over . I¡¯ll give you plenty of reasons to switch sides, you know?" "I thought direct involvement wasn¡¯t the Descent¡¯s Creed . " a serious voice beckoned out from the mass . "Oh, rest assured -- this has nothing to do with my background . " Lino said, smiling . "I¡¯m just blowing a personal fuse over here . " "What? Too bored with the Royal Ladies?" the same seductive voice echoed . "No," Lino shook his head faintly . "Too interested in what Devils¡¯ innards look alike . Are you all the same? Or are there some differences? Now isn¡¯t that a fun experiment?" "I heard that the Descent¡¯s interestsy above the personal ones . " the serious voice spoke out again . "Are you certain you should be doing this?" " . . . nothing stands above my personal interests . " Lino said sternly . "That¡¯s enough talking," a mild, inconspicuous voice joined in -- Lino quickly located the source, thest of the Commanders and also the one Lino felt threatened the most by . "Regardless of who you were prior to this moment, you¡¯re our enemy now . " "Well spoken," Lino smiled lightly as he suddenly whipped out [Earth-Scorcher] from his void and swung it aggressively in an arc . A thunderous explosion drifted out of the halfway point between the two sides, crimson of the mes erupting together with the billowing ck smoke further up the sky . "Let¡¯s have fun, then . " Lino¡¯s expression hardened as he took a deep breath, his shoulders contorting for a moment before a pair of golden wings suddenly sprung out . They had grown considerably, now extending for nearly fifty meters altogether, shining even more brilliantly than before . Heeding the Writ¡¯s advice, Lino used thest remnants of the Divine Stone he had to not only fix the [Wings of an Archangel], but also further upgrade it . Though it pained him to use his most valuable resource, he truly held nothing back when it came to preparations -- after all, his life was far more valuable than any material possession . The wings appeared remarkably holy, especially in juxtaposition to his ck armor . The wings fluttered suddenly, carrying him above the bridge as he sucked Non into the Dimensional Pouch . However unique the dog was, after all, he had no business participating in the uing battle . Lino, stered against the gray clouds and white snow shone almost like a sun, nearly an image of the Archangels from the Beginning of Time . However, he knew he was long ways off; even the weakest of them had at least six wings spanning miles from one end to another . [Wings of an Archangel - Unique Legendary] Level: 250 (+Growth) +25% Affinity to Light Element +15% Affinity to Fire Element +23% to Elemental Defense +500% to Flight Speed Special Effect[1] - While flying, increase Agility by 10%, Strength by 12% and Vision by 20% Special Effect[2] - Indestructible Special Effect[3] - Can be turned into a spherical shield briefly, which will reflect iing attacks worth of 800,000 durability . Recharging time is 1 hour . [Unique Special Effect -- Penance] - Repeatedly fire arrays of light in random directions within the frontal cone for 30 seconds, each array dealing 100% of the Host¡¯s overall damage with a chance to instantly kill any Unholy [Unique Effect] - The Wings will grow alongside the host; basic stats are increased each 5 levels, while further abilities require specific conditions to be fulfilled before bing avable . Note: The Wings of the First Archangel, forged in Fires and Light of the First Scripture, from materials never known to the mortal world . Their radiance forever banishes the darkness, yet, within their seed lies one, dormant . " . . . Wings of an Archangel?" the calm voice¡¯s tone changed momentarily . "Who are you?" "Seventy-Two . " Lino replied simply, tightening his grip on the massive sword . Just like he did with Akava, he infused a torrent of Qi into the sword before also stuffing a tinge of Will into it, heaving his arm back and around before flipping the palm open with the forward momentum, sending the sword barreling like a shooting star toward the ground . "DODGE!!" a panicked voice barely eclipsed the sounds of the sword seemingly piercing through the shell of the world itself; by the time the first echo begin to dance around the mountains, the sword crashed, copsing the other end into ash and dust as though nothing was ever there, piercing deep into the mountain while causing one explosion after another, creating a massive crater over one side of the mountain, nearly destroying it entirely . Lino sighed inwardly, somewhat disappointed, but it really couldn¡¯t be helped . After all, he attacked from the front; someone at the level of the Sin-Devil Variants had more than enough time to dodge, though almost all of their army had been wiped out . Realizing there was no time for regrets, Lino whipped out both the [Hell¡¯s Belittlement] as well as the [Spear of Salvation] holding one in each one of his hands . Spinning sideways as the wings fluttered, he heaved the spear in an arc as it shed against another metallic object, sending the wielder barreling backward like a cannonball . With a grunt he then heaved the war-hammer around in a circle for a moment causing his muscles to contort and his veins to pop out like worms before throwing it in a seemingly random direction . The clouds and mist standing in the hammer¡¯s path quickly copsed, revealing a starkly dark figure behind who immediately unfurled its wings and flung herself sideways . Still, the hammer¡¯s sheer momentum caused such strong wings that she was unable to resist them, quickly beginning to fall toward the earth . "Is it really wise to be throwing away your weapons?" the calm voice echoed out again, from in front of Lino this time . Thetter finally took a good look at the former; it was a three-horned devil with gray-ash skin and a massive tail dancing behind him . A pair of seemingly dead eyes stared at Lino¡¯s with a tinge of anger and hate hidden behind them . "Throwing?" Lino smirked as he put the spear away, extending his arm whereupon the [Earth-Scorcher] suddenly appeared within his palm again . "Oh, wow . Your expression right now is priceless . These really are the moments I lived for . . . " Lino chuckled faintly, shooting a quick nce at his armor . He mused that, really, it was quite insane the way the whole thing turned out to be . Chapter 199 Chapter 199 CHAPTER 199 COLLAPSING SKIES The sky remained besieged by the dance of the light and the dark, by the golden and the gray, the snow-tops of the mountains melting away underneath the heated winds of the explosions while the deep abyss beneath repeatedly echoed out their sounds . The world seemed to both marvel at and dread the crescendo in the clouds, stilled in the moment of perturbation . Lino heaved his wings forth as his body swayed, the spear in his hand shifting backwards while the chain-sickle whipped forth in an arc, quickly entangling around Endoah¡¯s waist, pulling the young-looking Devil of short stature and reddenedplexion toward him . She grunted in defiance, sping at the chains with her harms which suddenly attained bark-like texture . The spear hit Kult squarely over his chest, sending the tall and muscr Devil back yet again through the scape of the winding sky . Withdrawing the spear quickly into the void world, he tucked at the chain in his hand and pulled Endoah with greater strength while also taking out the [Earth-Scorcher] and using its wide de to block the iing bolt of darkness . A jolt of energy crushed his shoulder, the pain reaching all the way to his chest . The crippled muscles quickly repaired themselves as he grit his teeth and endured the soul-wrenching pain . The bolt¡¯s dark energy dissipated as Lino suddenly swung the sword in a downward arc, aiming at Endoah¡¯s head . Thetter panicked for a moment as she forcibly tore her bat-like wings out of the chains and wailed loudly, her scream distorting the air itself as it crashed against Lino, causing his ears to bleed . All the while, he hadn¡¯t forgotten to pay attention both to Issiah -- who had sent the bolt at him -- and Amma, who had yet to engage him directly in a battle, repeatedly trying to create illusions to distract him . Unable to hold onto the grip, Lino let go of the [Jailer¡¯s Wail] as Endoah quickly escaped, gaining some distance between the two . Though her wings were shredded, they were also quickly repairing themselves, yet the pained and angry expression let Lino know it wasn¡¯t as painless . He was briefly reminded of the fight he bore witness to -- Syv against the three Bearers . Their tactics against her were eerily simr to the Devils¡¯ against Lino . Though they didn¡¯t inherently counter him, they used their strengths to attack at Lino¡¯s weaknesses, the major one being that he couldn¡¯t attack efficiently from the long-range, mainly relying on luck and the chain-sickle which still had limited range . Because of this, Endoah, Amma and Issiah mainly attacked and hassled him from far away while Kult tried to keep him tied down . While he had managed to inflict some injuries in return, he also wasn¡¯t doing all too well; he had already gone through the quarter of his Qi reserves, most of which was spent simply repairing his body before it was broken down further by repeated attacks . For the time being, he realized he had to stop being so passive -- even if his n was to simply prevent them from moving further ind, just passively replying to their attacks wouldn¡¯t aplish anything . The only reason he was even still standing was due to the [Heaven-Cast Armor Set], and while it still protected him, it was far more efficient to move on the offensive . In that vein he chose to immediately ignore Amma and Endoah; their attacks were mostly Soul and Mind-oriented, something Lino didn¡¯t really fear . They were at best a nuisance, and while Kult was definitely an issue, Lino could contend with him for a while -- the main problem was Issiah, who not only attacked from a range but also never revealed his position . His attacks weren¡¯t random, they were timed almost perfectly whereas Lino wouldn¡¯t have time or means to set up proper defenses . I should have really crafted a fucking shield while I was at it . . . Taking a deep breath and settling his mind, he quickly scouted out the positions of other three before approximating Issiah¡¯s . Noting everything, he withdrew the chain-sickle and took out the war-hammer; wielding the sword and the hammer still strained his muscles so he knew he couldn¡¯t do it for too long . Spotting Kult from the corner of his eyes, Lino¡¯s wings fluttered once again as they expanded into seemingly t, rigid nes . A mere moment the wings began spitting out bolts of pure, holy light, blinding the sun itself with the light . Using the brief second of peace, Lino suddenly flung his war-hammer in a seemingly random direction while continuing to spin around in the ce, causing the bolts of light to fall down like rain in a full circle around him . Endoah, Kult and Amma scrambled to avoid as many as they could, blocking those who couldn¡¯t, and suffering some minor injuries from thest few that manage to break through everything . However, Lino didn¡¯t pay them any attention; his eyes and Divine Sense remained fixated at the war-hammer . Just then, he spotted a brief change; though slight, the hammer changed its trajectory seemingly at random, and if Lino wasn¡¯t so fixated at it, he would have never realized it . His eyes turned into brilliant gems for a moment as a dangerous glint shed through them, his entire body growing stout for a breath as though he was nocking an arrow before suddenly unleashing it . The golden wings regained their flexibility as they stopped spitting out bolts of light, swaying once in a massive surge of wind as they propelled Lino forth at the speed inching to that of the light itself . None of the four even caught a glimpse of him before he suddenly appeared nearly four miles away from where he stood, his sword already in a swinging motion, muscles strained, veins squeezed out to the point of puncturing at several spots as blood began gushing out, his eyes pure, jet-ck voids of nothingness . It wasn¡¯t through his eyes or even his Divine Sense that Issiah realized that Lino was above him; it was through his body¡¯s most basic instinct -- desire to live . He suddenly felt cold ws of death chill his soul as his entire body shook, yet he found himself still unable to move . In that brief spite of a moment, his mind shed thousand times over, trying to think up a way to retaliate, but no matter how hard he tried, the only answer he ever received was that he would die . . . and there was nothing he could do to stop it . Discontent with it, however, he calmed himself down forcibly, stilling his fast-beating heart . He quickly poured as much Qi as he could into the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet, spinning toward a cycle, his limbs leaving behind a trail of ck behind them . Just as the sword reached inches away from his face, Issiah grabbed at the de with his hands as he used the expulsion of Qi from his feet to match the momentum of the sword so he wouldn¡¯t get crushed . Though a breathter he knew he would live, he also realized he wouldn¡¯t be fighting this battle . . . and wouldn¡¯t be fighting again in the war itself . It was only then that he realized that the sword the Descender held wasn¡¯t sharp, that it was never meant to cut him in half . It was more like a sword-shaped blunt weapon, as its only purpose was to act as a conduit . . . to take Qi, momentum and weight andbine them into a singr attack that superimposed various elements which made up the overall damage of a strike . . . and unleash it all upon the receiver . It felt like a mountain -- nay, like the entirendmass of an entire continent -- suddenly crashed into his chest . He felt his lungs rapture, his ribcage break, his very heart implode inside out, both his arms disintegrate into minuscule bits of blood and gore, both his eyes pop out of their sockets due to sheer pressure on the rest of his body, his meridians expand and explode like overly-stretched pieces of cloth . . . he finally understood what it meant to be dismantled from your very core, for he was feeling it . His body, mangled and seemingly beyond repair,bined with crimson droplets and disfigured bits of what used to be his body as they all uniformly crashed into the earth deep down below . He wheezed through the sky still unable toprehend the sheer volume of that single strike, realizing that they had all vastly underestimated the Descender . At that moment, Issiah didn¡¯t regret starting the battle -- for the battle had to be fought either way . . . he just hoped that the single strike which took him down drained the Descender as well . It was only through that that the other three stood any chance of winning . His orders were simple -- open up the Northern Front and upy the Emperor and another Titr Void to ensure better sess rate over the other Fronts which were far more important . However, not only had they failed to upy the Emperor, the four of them were trashed around like children by a single person . Though he may survive this attack, if Endoah, Amma and Kult died, so he would he . Past the crashing into the earth and leaving a massive hole in it behind, the only thing he would be able to do was lie in there and hope, perhaps even silently pray, for others . A slightly terrifying thought suddenly permeated his mind; he remembered the man introducing himself as the ¡¯Seventy-Two¡¯ . . . which, Issah realized, meant that he had joined the Great Descent only recently . . . which also meant that he wasn¡¯t specifically trained by those above him . This may as well actually be his first mission . All this strength . . . was his own . In just a decade . . . no, perhaps even fewer years, he realized, the man would be able to contendfortably against the God-Devil Variants . With that thought, he finally crashed into the earth deep below, forming a massive crater nearly fifteen miles across and over a mile deep . Chunks of rocks and dying trees blistered out of the earth and flew for hundreds of meters into the air, almost like an eruption of a volcano . Lino breathed heavily as he stared at the cataclysm down below . He sighed inwardly for he too realized that Issiah didn¡¯t die . He was close to it, though, but thatst-ditch effort saved him, Lino realized . He couldn¡¯t help but admire the quick thinking as he knew if he were put in the same situation, Lino would have been unable to think of that way to defend himself . He would at best just try to grab the sword and endure the best he could . Still, even though alive, Issiah¡¯s role in the battle was done -- probably even the war itself . While it was great that his greatest threat was out ofmission, Lino had vastly underestimated the amount of Qi and stamina he would have to sacrifice for it . He had burned over half of Qi reserves he had in that single attack, to say nothing of the fact that every muscle in his body was aching and throbbing as though freshly cut . Even his mind was nearing the point of exhaustion, as a sense of sleepiness and tardiness tried to assail him while he was at his weakest . All the same, however, he still had to put up a front; if he was going to act brave, he would act so until his dying breath . Stifling his quickened breathing, calming his racing heart and freezing his pained expression, he slowly twisted his head sideways and looked coldly at the three remaining Devils whose gazes danced between the massive hole in the ground and Lino . They, too, had realized they have vastly underestimated their opponent . Their expressions shifted quickly, from mild amusement and yfulness to dreaded seriousness . This was a war, they remembered, not a game . Chapter 200 Chapter 200 CHAPTER 200 AN ELYSIAN AND AN EMPYREAN Lino felt a strong push on his back, creaking sounds of his bones reminding him further that he was hit . The sheer volume of the energy forced him into an unbnced position, and no matter how much he pped with his wings he was unable to stave off being cannoned toward the ground like a falling star . Though his armor remained whole, it was beyond dirtied with crimson red, what little that could be seen of his skin clearly tattered and scarred . His breaths were short and quick, droplets of sweatbining with his blood to form streams trickling down beneath his mask and over his jaw . Every inch of his body hurt, and every thought in his mind screamed at him to stop . The only reason he was yet to pass out was due to the Writ, as he himself was well beyond burning his reserves . Even if the three Devils still in the sky weren¡¯t in their best shape, they were still far better off than him . He momentarily though about giving up, too, yet pain even greater than the one he was feeling singed him from the depths of his soul . Grinding his teeth together he crashed into the ground, causing rocks and trees¡¯ roots to bellow out and the dust storm to stir amidst the chaos . He soon found himself embedded deep within the earth¡¯s crust, a body-shaped hole behind him and a whole lot of open space before him . Hey there for a moment, his dulled gaze looking at the cleared sky . There wasn¡¯t a cloud to be seen up above, all blown apart due to their battle . Within the scape of blue, he saw three ck dots slowly growingrger . Though his mind was screaming at the body to get up and move, thetter wouldn¡¯t listen . " . . . well . . . I¡¯m fucked . " he grumbled . "You¡¯re doing well enough if you can still crack jokes at the times like these . " a familiar, charming voice startled him for a moment as a masked figure appeared before him, donning almost ceremonially-adorned robes . "What¡¯s up?" she asked, smiling faintly . " . . . you¡¯ve been watching the whole time?" Lino asked . "Yup . " "Suck a dick . " "Oh my, how can you utter such perverse nonsense to a maiden such as myself?" she faked hurt and surprise, her lips still curled up in a faint smile, corners twitching . "I hope no man or woman ever loves you . " "You like hitting where it hurts, huh?" "As you can see," Lino grinned . "I¡¯ve lot of experience in it . . . so I know just how much it hurts . " "Shouldn¡¯t you be begging me for help right about now?" she asked wryly . "I mean, they¡¯re just a few seconds away from skewering your bottom . " "Nah, I¡¯m cool . " Lino said in defiance . "You can leave . " " . . . " " . . . " "Oh, wow, you¡¯d rather die thank ask for a girl¡¯s help?" "No, not girl¡¯s," Lino barely managed to shake his head slightly . "Just yours . " " . . . ouch . And here I thought we had something special going on . " "N-no, seriously, they¡¯re like right there," Linomented hurriedly . "How long are you gonna entertain my nonsense?" "And thus he cracks,dies and gentlemen!" "I really fucking will if you don¡¯t do something!!" "Sit tight--" "--more like lie, but who cares, right?" "--and die . What the fuck dude?!" " . . . " Lino only caught a faint glimpse of a smile as she turned on her heel, extending her arms to her sides as blinding, cyan light besieged the world atrge . All around him, Lino realized, were snake-like bolts dancing, vibrant in shapes and hues, scorching the already dead earth all around . Above him and her, a spearhead appeared, one so massive Lino was unable to see its whole from where hey . It shook and trembled momentarily, like an arrow prior to being loosened, before flying off into the sky toward the three dots that were barely a mile away from the duo . The spearhead blew apart the surrounding space, causing the void storms to emerge and swirl about, causing rousing and sharp winds to bellow outwardly like lions . It quickly crashed in a dark sphere made up by the trio, exploding into smithereens before the hit itself even registered . It proceeded onward and devoured the three tiny dots, cruising quickly into the sky itself and well above, beyond what the human eye could ever hope to see . Lino caught a faint trail of three arrays sting away to the opposite end, crashing nearly ten miles away from his own location, though he immediately confirmed they were still alive . His brows suddenly furrowed as he immediately sensed another anomaly approaching from the further north; he quickly realized it was another Devil, though one far stronger than even the four he just foughtbined . " . . . oh my . " Thunder mumbled for a moment as she also nced at the direction of the neer . "Looks like a God¡¯s paying us a visit . " " . . . wow . They can¡¯t even lose with dignity . " Lino grumbled as he finally recovered enough to bolt himself out of the earth¡¯s bed and onto his feet . "So, how about you buy me like five minutes to recover, and then we can fight together?" "What makes you think I need your help?" she nced at him, smiling . Lino smiled in return before replying . "Alright, so I¡¯ll just go then . " "And abandon your mission?" "Who gives a shit about that?" he shrugged . "I¡¯d rather live . " "So you¡¯re admitting you can¡¯t take him on yourself?" "Of course I fucking can¡¯t . I barely took on four Sin-Devils and still lost . What makes you think I have either the strength or the balls to fight a God-Devil?" "Tsk . A coward . " "Yup . " he nodded, grinning . While the two were talking, wind full of Devil Qi swept over them, a figurending just opposite of them . Lino immediately felt weak in his knees, yet endured to the best of his abilities . It truly would be way too uncool if he suddenly knelt down . He stood defiantly, just behind Thunder . "Hello there! Good weather we¡¯re having up here, eh?" "You have breached the agreement," N¡¯khtur said coldly . "Descender should not interfere with any war until the very end . " "It must be a misunderstanding--" "It¡¯s not," Lino interrupted Thunder as she tried to exin awkwardly, pulling her by her shoulder and pushing her back as he stepped in front . "I¡¯m gonna go out on a limb and say you¡¯re the overall Commander of this nonsense, right?" Lino asked with a grin . " . . . " "Hey, hey, ring at me isn¡¯t really aplishing anything," Lino said . "But, you¡¯re right . Descender really ought not to interfere, you know? Then again, you¡¯re just another underachieving God-Devil . . . so, you know, who cares what you think?" "You should," N¡¯kthur said . "Because you living or dying now depends entirely on your attitude . " " . . . ¡¯s that so?" Lino said, cracking his neck slightly as he slowly began walking toward N¡¯kthur . "By now you should probably know who I am," his voice grew deeper . "And you should have known what I meant bypromising with you," Lino¡¯s body suddenly seemed to vibrate, melding in and out of the surrounding space itself, as though both there and elsewhere . "Yet, you still chose to send an actual attack force at me . Perhaps it was a test, perhaps you believed it was a good way to train me or something else dumb your infidel brain thought up," by now Lino was right next to N¡¯kthur; though he was at least two heads shorter than thetter, Lino appeared taller at the moment . "But, at the end of the day, you attacked with the intent of killing me . And, quite frankly, I¡¯m growing sick and tired of your good intentions repeatedly fucking me and those around me . So, hear me now -- and hear me well . " Lino leaned in further until his lips were close to N¡¯kthur¡¯s ear . "Not only is thepromise off the table, a new one is born, one where I¡¯ll quite literally wipe every single one of the Devils who attacked the Continent, where I¡¯ll hang your bodies down the main road to stew in sun, and where I¡¯ll make cups of your skulls . And when I¡¯m bored of all that, I¡¯ll visit ye good ol¡¯ Hell of yours . And I¡¯ll ensure you lot never again in your lifetimes conjure up a thought ¡¯We ought to help that kid¡¯ . You got it?" " . . . careful little one," N¡¯kthur said, holding back the best he could . "You already have enough enemies . " "Who needs enemies when I have friends like you lot?" Lino smiled at him . "Now, there are two choices you can make: you can either kindly fuck off back to wherever your ass crawled out of, or you can die . " " . . . you gravely overestimate yourself if you think you can kill me -- even if you two stand together . " N¡¯kthur chuckled . "Oh, wow . Apparently you really don¡¯t know who I am . " " . . . you¡¯d really go that far just for me?" N¡¯kthur smiled as well . "Always . " Lino replied . "Astrum," the Writ¡¯s voice suddenly left Lino¡¯s lips, startling everyone around . "Seal the area . " "Tsk, you really haven¡¯t changed at all," strangely enough, at least for Lino, a simr yet entirely different robotic voice replied . "Still thinking everyone¡¯s beneath you . " despite the grumblings andints, Lino felt Qi around him disperse and convert,bining in strange patterns as even stranger arrays appeared around them, quickly forming a spherical shape covered in azure sheen . "Bearer!! What¡¯s the meaning of this?!!" N¡¯kthur growled angrily as he shifted his attention from Lino onto the girl behind him . Lino shook, swiftly turning around . "Eh? Why are you pointing at me?" Thunder spoke innocently . "Clearly it wasn¡¯t me who did this . " "Who else could it be then?!!" N¡¯kthur bellowed angrily . "Clearly the one living in me, duh . " she said as a matter of fact, shrugging her shoulders . "Pfft . . . " Lino¡¯s lips parted briefly as he stifled theughter, yet quickly recovered . "What the fuck?! Why didn¡¯t you tell me she was a Bearer as well?!" "I thought you knew . " the Writ replied inside his head . "Knew your mom!! I swear, one of these days, I¡¯ll have that dog breed with a chicken so we can extend your familial line!" "P-please no . . . anything but that . . . " "W-wait, you really didn¡¯t know?" Thunder called out to Lino in surprise . "What the hell? Does your Writ hate you or something?" "Oh, yeah, let¡¯s ask that question," Lino fired right back . "Instead of why in the god¡¯s fuck are you helping me instead of trying to kill me as well?" "Oh, that . I¡¯m a good guy now, te he!" "Te he my ass!! Give me back my now shattered world view!" "If you two are done," the Writ within Thunder sounded out yet again . "Perhaps you can now go about killing him, as I can¡¯t hold the field for too long . " Lino swallowed whatever words he wanted to shout, withdrawing from N¡¯kthur and joining Thunder in the back . He quickly took out the [Earth-Scorcher] and nced at her . There was a whiff of envy in his gaze -- innately due to many reasons -- but primarily because his role in the uing battle is to just stand there, get beaten and not die . Thanks to the Writ¡¯s help he managed to recover a considerable amount of Qi and heal his body a decent amount, but he was still eons behind his peak strength . He wondered whether he¡¯d even be able to endure for a few seconds . All his bravado rested on the fact that he knew the Devil Daddy or whatever they called him had forbidden all high-ranking Devils from directly attacking him, only allowing them to retaliate . Taking a deep breath, he stepped up front, holding back the tears, while Thunder behind him barely held herself back fromughing as she saw the hint of the expression behind that mask of his . Lino quickly led the charge, whipping out both the [Hell¡¯s Belittlement] and the [Earth-Scorcher] from the void world, immediately activating the effect as well as the . He could already sense the massive build-up of energy resonating from behind him, thunder creaking and crying out into the sky like a recently woken beast . The brown of thend around him attained strange, spectacr azure sheen, causing him to click his tongue in envy once again . N¡¯khtur was still quite startled; he had long since realized that the woman behind the Empyrean was the Elysian Bearer, which is also why he wasn¡¯t worried whether the Empyrean would attack or not as he imagined the woman would already do it herself once he exposed the boy . However, the sudden turn of the events had stirred his heart considerably . He initially had no intention of interfering with the battle, whether the Empyrean won or lost . He merely decided on observing the Empyrean¡¯s progress, but when the Elysian stepped on the stage, he did as well as he had intention of saving his Commanders first and foremost . He wasn¡¯t even interested in battling Lino, merely scaring him off for a bit . Now, however, all his initial thoughts had to be thrown out the window; two Bearers, however much individually weaker than him, were a considerable threat . He immediately approximated that the barrier blocking others from realizing what was happening inside and him from sending messages outside would hold up for at most twenty minutes . He either had to survive for twenty minutes or somehow break through the barrier -- thetter, however, was a pipe dream . Even above his own life, the ramifications of Elysian joining with the Empyrean were far too grave for him to evenprehend . It had a chance topletely reshape the structure of the world as it was, and he couldn¡¯t afford to die here . The Elysian¡¯s sudden betrayal also considered vast implications over the other Bearers and the Writs . N¡¯khtur didn¡¯t even want to think about the brutal consequences the world would suffer should he die here today, alongside this secret . Seeing the masked Empyrean approach him and the tantalizing Dragon made up of lightning bolts growling behind, N¡¯khtur took a deep breath as he shed his arms sideways, summoning a bizarre assortment of weapons around him . The streaking ck smoke bellowed out of his palms and fingers as the Qi surrounding him contorted and converted directly into Devil Qi . He shuffled the roughly hundred weapons with his mind, dedicating thirty to the Empyrean and seventy to stopping the Elysian¡¯s cast . In the meantime he also doused his feet in shimmering array of silver light, propelling himself backward into the sky . However far above in terms of realms he was whenpared to the Empyrean, thetter reveled in the hand-to-handbat . It was simply insanity to get caught up in that bloodied madness . As a response, Lino suddenly unfurled his wings, stretching them like shining gems before taking to the sky, following N¡¯khtur . He also immediately threw the war-hammer sideways at the seventy or so weapons weaving around him toward Thunder while he used the sword to swat the remaining thirty with a single swing . effect didn¡¯tst long which is why he also didn¡¯t want to waste any time . Shoveling Qi into the Wings, he also exerted his mind to its limit by diluting it through the Will itself, causing a small sliver of his consciousness to merge with the Wings¡¯ . He used the sliver to temporarily remove severalyers of limitations imposed upon the Wings due to his levels, raising them all the way to Level 2000 . The pair suddenly expanded into four, sting rays of holy light in a full sphere, growing till they appeared like castle¡¯s towers from far distance . N¡¯khtur didn¡¯t expect Lino¡¯s sudden burst of speed as thetter pped them once, breaking through the void itself to appear behind the former, swinging the [Earth-Scorcher] at speed well beyond the limitations of his body . He felt his bones immediately crack and his muscles tear, yet he paid them no heed . His expression turned maddened, eyes growing entirely ck . N¡¯kthur heaved his arm sideways in a sh as he whipped a storm of tentacles from the void itself, causing them to wrap around Lino . A purple-shaded, massive sphere stood there in the sky but for a blink of an eye before the torrent of gore and sizzling blood exploded outward, a ethereally golden figure bursting through, the swordnding against N¡¯kthur¡¯s arm . Thetter, beyond the immediate pain, also felt his soul suddenly shiver . As his eyes widened in shock, he used Lino¡¯s attacking energy to st himself backward and away while dealing with the sliver of foreign Will that entered his mind . Lino, however, didn¡¯t stop chasing . Simrly, Thunder had finally stopped preparing her attack; a Dragon made entirely of thunder, spanning nearly ten miles in length and fifteen across hovered in the sky majestically, causing even the golden light of Lino¡¯s wings to dim somewhat . The Dragon roared, causing the air to reverberate before plunging downward . Though much slower than Lino, thetter quickly calcted the distance between the two and the time it would take the Dragon to arrive before nning his next course of action . Though aware that pushing his body like this could very well result in the simr scenario to the one ten years ago, Lino swallowed the bitter pill and decided to advance . Even if he didn¡¯t know as much as N¡¯kthur about the world atrge, he could just as well imagine the ramifications of today¡¯s actions . Though it wasn¡¯t the first time Bearer of another Writ joined with the Empyrean, for one reason or another Lino felt it was far, far graver this time around . Even losing ten or more years of cultivation was worth preventing this information from spreading out . Hannah¡¯s thoughts, however, were much simpler than the other two¡¯s; she merely wanted to kill N¡¯kthur . Even if he escaped, however, she wouldn¡¯t be as worried . Though the consequences would be quiterge, she still felt capable of dealing with them in the long run . Entwined within their own individual thoughts, the trio all had their own ns and intentions when it came to the fight; Lino had finally caught up to N¡¯kthur who prevented himself from crashing into the ground forcibly . He had also barely managed to extinguish that sliver of Will in his soul, his very being still trembling . Though many people group ¡¯Will Attacks¡¯ under the general umbre of the ¡¯Soul Attacks¡¯, the two couldn¡¯t be further apart . Soul Attacks merely attacked the mind, contrary to their name; Will Attacks, on the other end, attacked every single fiber of one¡¯s being, trying to take over the individual as a whole . They were also the rarest sort, as for one to attack another with Will, they would first have to have a considerable grasp over it and insurmountable confidence in the Will¡¯s capabilities . Otherwise it was far too easy for the attack to backfire . What startled N¡¯kthur was the fact that a mere boy younger than thirty was capable of executing such attack, even if it was its most primitive form . Even N¡¯kthur had no way to externalize his Will and impose it on others through any other means but through Divine Sense, and even then it was barely a minuscule amount . However, he had no time to worry . He saw both the boy and the dragon descend upon him, the former however much quicker than thetter . N¡¯kthur suddenly repeatedly shed his arms about, opening a massive gate behind him the size of a small mountain in addition to condensing billowing, Devil Qi into tens of thousands of weapons . The gate slowly began spitting out one ghastly, jet-ck tentacle after another until they were like branches of the World¡¯s Tree swirling in the sky . Like arrows they began falling, converging on Lino while the weapons aimed at the Dragon . Lino nced at them momentarily before throwing more Qi into the Wings, causing a pair to suddenly break further off his body and condense a Halo in-between them, shifting it up toward the falling tentacles . A swirl of golden light quickly condensed at the Halo¡¯s center whereupon a concentrated beam of pure light shined onward into the sky like a ray from the sun . It tore through the tens of thousands of tentacles as though they were made out of paper, creating a perfect, circr hole in the formation . It was also then that Lino caught up to N¡¯kthur, with the still active . While using every bit of the remaining Qi to repeatedly heal his body before it broke downpletely, Lino trashed the [Earth-Scorcher] about like a madman, his roars adjoining with those of explosions caused by the sh of the weapon and array of defenses set up by N¡¯kthur . From the walls formed from steel-shining tentacles to the domes of ck smoke, Lino didn¡¯t care what it was as he broke through them all . Thendscape repeatedly changed as piles of rubble were disced left and right, up and down, creating one mountain after another before copsing yet again . The Dragon streaked bolts of lightning repeatedly like the punishment from the Heavens themselves while Lino darted about in the golden array of light, tracing after the one enshrouded in thick shadows . It was a battle that an ordinary eye could not follow; there weren¡¯t even any blurs, merely asional arc of golden or ck light appearing within the roaring and raging dust-storm . "GODDAMMIT!!" realizing that N¡¯kthur was merely buying time, only using Arts to try and tie Lino down while the remaining time for ticked down, thetter roared in frustration . He switched the [Earth-Scorcher] into his left hand as he whipped out the [Spear of Salvation] . "COME ON!! GROW!!!" he used thest bit of consciousness he had within the Wings to force them above another stack of seals . As his skin repeatedly tore open, bleeding beyond profusely, and regenerated, and his veins atop his muscles began stacking on top of one another, and his bones repeatedly breaking out of their ce and his body, additional pair of Wings appeared on his back, totaling in six altogether . Spanning nearly twenty miles across, even N¡¯kthur felt the chill of death bear down on him . After all, Lino had finally resorted them to their starting point -- they finally lived up to their name, [Archangel¡¯s Wings] . Even the weakest of the Archangels had at minimum six wings, and though they had them innately, it took Lino more than he should ever give to temporarily reach that point . "!!" he shouted maddened, his jet-ck eyes spitting out fumes like smoke, his teeth bared while his gums bled like waterfalls . "SHATTER FORM! ENCLAVE OF LIGHT--REFORGE!!" the sword in his hand suddenly turned into a brilliant array of light as it spiked above him, erect in-between the six wings perfectly, nearly ten miles tall . The six pairs of wings converged in a half-spherical shape, around the sword, as thin threads of light converged from them into the [Earth-Scorcher] causing thetter¡¯s radiance to grow more blinding . "CHAOTIC REBIRTH--COMMENCE!!" he roared yet again as he took to the sky . "!!" The world suddenly hummed a low melody as the every source of light vanished . Temporarily, all was stunted in corporeal darkness, ephemeral in its make . Even the Dragon itself was swallowed up in the ensuing darkness . Within that short-lived, streaking, eerie silence, a beam-sized flicker emerged . In and out it went, seemingly fighting to survive . Every time it shone it cried, and bit by bit it grew; though eons passed to the darkness that observed it, it allsted a brief breath in reality . N¡¯kthur no longer had mind to stay, fight or defend; he turned toward the barrier keeping him inside and tried to break out . Up above, in the darkened sky, a single point of light appeared . Within the ever-expanding silence, a single hum sang out . Bigger and bigger . Wider and wider . Brighter and brighter . It grew to the size of the sun in the sky and beyond, and quickly blended into the shape of the de, vertically spanning the sky itself . It cleaved, the sword splitting the darkness of the world away and the first of the light was born . It descended like the judgment of the Creation itself, converging toward the Devil now doused in the chill of death . Realizing he had no chance of ever escaping alive, his eyes shifted away from the death itself in the form of light onto Lino . Thetter sat on his knees, his arms sttered on his sides, head heaved low, his entire being doused in red . His armor had vanished, reced merely by tattered pieces of cloth . Cuts, scars, wounds, holes, all kinds and sorts of disfigurements scaled his body throughout . He appeared far worse off than if he were an actual corpse . The only untouched part of him was the mask covering over half his face, though his eyes had switched their hue from jet-ck into crimson-red, repeatedly bleeding from the corners . Though Lino was conscious, he hardly felt tion over managing to produce an attack on such a scale . He had sacrificed too much in the process; however, the silver lining still existed -- at the very least he won¡¯t have to sleep for ten years to recover . Merely a month or so . The problem was that he had damaged the Wings yet again, just after repairing them . [Earth-Scorcher] was alsopletely destroyed, though Lino had extrapted the art and learned it directly, simr to the in thest second . His newly formed armor, though not destroyed, was also damaged and repairing it will cost a considerable amount . In addition, his body had now obtained additional two hundred and seventy-eight scars that he would be unable to remove no matter how much he tried . Sitting there, on his knees, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder for a second whether any of it all was worth it . He was currently in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t even voice out a groan . His body was simply paralyzed from it, and he was even unable to pass out as the pulsations kept waking him up . "You¡¯ve surprised me," though he heard a voice from afar aimed at him, he neither had the strength nor the will to look up . He knew that it would take at least a couple of seconds for the attack tond, which was more than enough for N¡¯khtur to -- if not kill him -- wound him even more . "I never expected this . . . " the Devil had a solemn expression on his face . Even more so than Elysian¡¯s betrayal, he wanted to ry the information that the Empyrean was capable of recreating Births of Matter, however much it cost him . ¡¯Births of Matter¡¯ was a name others had given to the unique ability only the Empyreans had -- they could, in theory, replicate the creation of anything and everything, and use it however they wished . While uniquely Empyrean Art, it was also oftentimes considered the only Art in the existence with the grade above Origin -- Creation . To create something from seemingly nothing . . . no other Art in existence, even with other Writs in the equation, had that capability . Because of this, however, he was now convinced more so than ever before that the current generation¡¯s Empyrean had to die . Otherwise, what he would cause would make even the Realm Wars seem like children ying tag . As he still had half a breath before death, he slowly raised his arm to conjure up thest attack of his life and end the Empyrean¡¯s as a sort of poetic catharsis . However, just before he could, he felt massive pain breached through his chest; looking down, he saw a shimmering bolt of azure lightning dancing there . A bitter smile emerged on his lips as he heard the voice trickle in his ears . " . . . that attack even made me wet . " Hannah said as she observed the beyond huge sword of pure light cleave the Devil in two without any resistance . She had a rather peculiar expression hidden beneath her mask . Though she prided herself on being stronger than the boy now kneeling like a wet dog, if she were the target of that sword . . . her fate would be no different . In reality, she had barely done anything throughout the entire battle . While her whole intention from the start was to make the Devil forget about her and attack from stealth when the opportunity presented itself, and even though she had done just that . . . she felt sour . " . . . looks like I really chose the right generation . " the robotic voice beckoned inside Hannah¡¯s head . "To think that brat can even Birth Matter . . . huuuh . . . " "Look at him though," Hannah scoffed . "Even a kid can kill him right now . " "There¡¯s no need to be jealous . " "So I can eventually do it as well?!" Hannah asked excitedly . "Ha ha ha, yeah, no . Not even close . " "Screw you!" " . . . alright . Go and help him . I¡¯ll remove the barrier once we leave this ce . " " . . . " Hannah slowly descended from the sky andnded near the still-masked body . Even she couldn¡¯t help but frown when she looked at his body; it was shriveled up as though void of blood and muscle, scarred and wounded beyond count . . . he looked more like a corpse than a corpse did . It was then that he also slowly managed to raise his head, his eyes meeting hers . Hannah looked down as her cold facade slowly broke . For better or worse, she knew he had gone so far out partly for her, aplete stranger at this point . Just as she was about to call out to him, the mask on his face cracked . Bit by bit, like spiderweb, it spread out before reaching the point of no return . It shattered into hundreds of pieces and fell, revealing behind a tired and exhausted face void of expression . Yet, with the mask¡¯s crash, Hannah¡¯s mind followed suit; for however much that face had changed, had grown and had aged, she would still recognize it no matter what and no matter where . Except she could have neither predicted nor anticipated seeing it here, and could now neither react to it or reason with it, for she found her world crashing down as she stared at the face of the boy she could never forget . Stared into the eyes of the boy who had changed her whole world . END OF VOLUME VIII - HELL-FORGED END OF BOOK II - GREAT DESCENT Chapter 201 Chapter 201 BOOK III ORDER AND CHAOS VOLUME IX FROM ASHES CHAPTER 201 YESTERYEAR (VI) The silver moon hung seemingly loose on the high sky, surrounded tenderly by the swath of burning stars, some of which were hidden by a scarce cloud or two . The world was doused in silence in the hours of deep night, only asional barks of the local dogs and local drunkards to be heard . Alleys spun around the small town in their narrow make, connecting the main streets often, and connecting one another even more so . Slithering about the various alleyways was a short figure d in tattered clothes, half his face hidden beneath a smudged piece of sheep¡¯s wool, his feet bare, eyes glistening in strange light . He was quick and nimble, asionally even scaling walls and rooftops where possible to cross the main street undetected . Linonded silently into one of numerous alleyways, peeking behind the corner onto the main street beyond whichy a terribly fenced-off courtyard of to him a rather familiar building . Even now a single light flickered from one of the rooms causing his heart to contort viciously . Just as he was about to bolt out and forth, he felt a strong grip on his shoulder . " . . . shit . " he groaned lowly and in defeat, sitting down as he looked back . There, standing above, was a girl slightly older than him, smirking while striking a victorious pose . Even in the deepest reaches of night her emerald-green eyes shone and her vibrant crimson hair streaked through glowing edges defiantly . "That¡¯s . . . what? Fifty-sixth consecutive victory for me?" Hannah grinned . "Fifty-fifth!!" Lino growled at her as he got up, retracing back his steps through the alleyways with Hannah quickly following . "Oh, wow, I thought you said you weren¡¯t keeping the count . . . " Hannah said sheepishly . " . . . " Lino suppressed the blush as his steps quickened, though he knew he couldn¡¯t lose her either way . "Ha ha ha,e on, don¡¯t be like that," she heaved her arm around his shoulder and forced him to slow down, a few strands of her hair hitting his eyes . "It¡¯s just a friendlypetition . . . in that you¡¯re trying to kill someone and me trying to keep you sane . You know, standard stuff . " " . . . aren¡¯t you getting tired?" Lino rolled his eyes at her . "You¡¯ve barely had a whiff of sleep in the past few months . " "Eh, sleep¡¯s for the pussies," Hannah replied casually . "I¡¯d much rather see just how many exasperated expressions you¡¯ve got . " "Aaah . . . you¡¯re so goddamned tiring . . . " "Aww, don¡¯t say that . Usuallyds like it when a cute girl like me stalks them . " " . . . there¡¯s so much wrong with that I¡¯m not even gonna . . . " "Anyway . . . what do you want for breakfast?" she asked . " . . . can I instead ask for an early birthday gift?" Lino asked in return . "Oh? What is it? You¡¯ve never asked me for one before?" " . . . I¡¯d like you to leave . " Lino said, hiding his face . "And miss out on your puberty?" Hannah joked . "No way!" "I¡¯m serious Hannah," Lino suddenly came to a halt, ncing at her . "Do you really think I¡¯m that much of an idiot?" " . . . " Hannah stopped as well, letting go of him and facing him directly . "Hah, I suppose you¡¯re not . . . but . . . " she added after a short pause . "Do you think I¡¯m one too?" " . . . I suppose you¡¯re not . " Lino said begrudgingly, beginning to walk again with Hannah following quickly . "Though, I can assuredly say your problems are much bigger than mine . " "Howe?" she asked . "Well, for starters," he nced at her, grinning . "I¡¯ve seen you do some weird magic-thing, which I¡¯ve never seen done before by anyone . " "T-that wasn¡¯t magic, it was just, uh, you know, light acting and--" "Hey, I don¡¯t really care," Lino shrugged . "It just means that whatever your problems are . . . they are actual problems . " "Unlike yours, so to say?" " . . . yeah . " Lino nodded faintly . " . . . and I¡¯d argue your problem is far more important than mine," Hannah said, sighing faintly . "At the very least, mine are external and limited in scope . " " . . . " "The more you close your self off Lino," she said . "The worst it¡¯ll be when you inevitably find yourself opening up to someone . " "Oh, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that . " he shot her a snidement . "Why? Because you¡¯ll stay like this forever? Distrusting, cold, and whatever else you are? Just the fact that you believe that¡¯s even possible tells me that you really are still just a kid . . . " " . . . why can¡¯t I?" he nced at her, his gaze startling her for a moment . "Yeah, I¡¯m a kid . And, yeah, you¡¯re even probably right . But . . . so what? Besides, what is your n here Hannah? To make me care for you, to ¡¯open myself up¡¯, so that once you inevitably leave I can still at least keep the memory of the ¡¯good times¡¯?" " . . . what¡¯s wrong with caring for someone?" she asked . "I care for you . What? Do you think only you would be down in the dumpers when I left?" "I . . . I didn¡¯t say that . . . " "You¡¯re right," Hannah said as the two left the paths of the alleyways and entered one of the buildings, with Lino quickly lighting up a few candles . "Objectively, my problems certainly are greater than yours . " "Told you so . " Lino grinned . "My Master and Elders have been repeatedly calling me, telling me to end my ¡¯hissy-fit¡¯, and to go back and be ¡¯who I¡¯m supposed to be¡¯ . " she continued, sitting down . "And, if I do go back, I¡¯d have anything I could ever want . I¡¯d have any food I¡¯d want, any drink I¡¯d want, a Pce to live in, and possibly a stretch of men bounding this entire Kingdom lining up to marry me . " " . . . " Lino held back thement as he realized just how serious she was . "I¡¯d get to live a life many can only ever dream of, and for literal thousands, tens of thousands and even possibly millions of years at that . I could not only outlive you and this Kingdom, but this entire continent and every single person currently alive on it all while bathing in whatever I want . " " . . . so why don¡¯t you?" Lino asked . "Because . . . I don¡¯t want to . " Hannah smiled bitterly, shaking her head for a moment . "But . . . do you think my opinion matters? Of course it doesn¡¯t . My entire life has already been determined even before I knew what I wanted out of it . Being here with you, however tiring and boring and annoying it may be to you . . . is everything to me, Lino . Because, once I go back this time, they¡¯ll never let me leave again . And I¡¯ll never see you again or have a chance to pass days simply . Oh, and of course -- most-importantly, I wouldn¡¯t be able to inform you about your dear Ally¡¯s situation . " " . . . heh, you really are throwing a hissy-fit . " Lino chuckled strangely . "Bo ho, I can have literally anything in the world except this one thing . And gosh darn it, I just happen to want this one thing . Do you even hear yourself?" " . . . " "You keep saying I¡¯m a kid, but at the very least I try, for better or worse . You, on the other hand, just want to be special . Oh, look at me, I¡¯m not like those others who do enjoy life to the fullest . I¡¯m different because I¡¯m babysitting a kid in the middle of fucking nowhere while trying to teach him life lessons without having figured out any myself . Ooh, aren¡¯t I just so special? Pathetic . . . " " . . . that hurt, you know?" Hannah said in a low tone . "Maybe, maybe not, I don¡¯t know . " Lino shrugged . "All I know is that both of us would be happier if you just went back . . . for good . " " . . . do you really think that?" she asked . "I do . " "So you¡¯re fine with never seeing me again?" she persisted . "We were never meant to be anything, Hannah," Lino said . "You¡¯re this strange being capable of using magic or whatever, and I¡¯m just some random orphan boy surviving by eating dirt from time to time . " "I see . . . " Hannah sighed lowly as she got up . "I guess you¡¯re right . " she suddenly smiled at him, tilting her head sideways somewhat . "Even now, I guess, we¡¯re mostly just strangers who happen to live together, aren¡¯t we?" " . . . exactly . " "I¡¯ll leave, then," she slowly walked over to Lino and crouched down as their eyes met, barely inches apart . "And go live that perfect life that¡¯s waiting for me . And you can stay here and do whatever you want . Kill, don¡¯t kill . It¡¯s up to you . " "It is . . . " he nodded faintly . "Regardless," she suddenly inched closer as their foreheads touched . "One day, Lino, someone¡¯s gonna crawl their way into here," she poked the center of his chest causing Lino to blush as he didn¡¯t want her to realize how quick his heartbeat was . "And they¡¯re gonna mess you up so hard you¡¯ll have to go figuring out who you are all over again . And it¡¯s gonna suck, and it¡¯s gonna hurt, and you¡¯ll feel as though telling them that the best choice for both would be separation," Lino¡¯s heart beat ever so faster, yet he was unable to move, feeling almost frozen within Hannah¡¯s gaze . "But . . . don¡¯t . You¡¯re stronger than that . I know . You¡¯re stronger than whatever demons you believe you¡¯re facing . You¡¯re better and bigger than them . " " . . . " "It¡¯s alright," her voice turned into a soft whisper as her face trickled ever closer to him, with thetter closing his eyes almost instinctively . "While good doesn¡¯t always win, it always survives . . . " he felt a sudden warmth on his lips apanied by a soft feeling which electrocuted his entire body . His eyes quickly opened, yet there was nothing and no one there . He looked around frantically as his finger traced his lips, a remnant of that warmth and softness still present . Yet, no matter how hard he looked, she was gone, he realized . And he knew deep in his heart that this time it was for good . Chapter 202 Chapter 202 CHAPTER 202 AFTERMATH The sun stood lonesome atop the dimly blue sky, its radiance spanning the vast world beneath . That itself would not be strange if not for the fact that it was the far North of the Central Continent, the region most famous for short-lived summers and cripplingly long winters, Emperor Rex mused . Perhaps even more worrying to him -- and several others who came with him -- was thendscape, or ratherck thereof . Mountains were gone, gorges were filled, the whole spans ttened into destroyed valleys . Piles of shattered rocksy mounted on top of one another creating a bizarre sort of abyrinth spanning for literal thousands of miles onward . And perhaps most-importantly, there were four bodies scattered about without a breath of life in them, and the signs of the fifth one . Emperor Rex, the Patriarch Chen, both Guardians, and the Sky-bearing Monk stood in line, all observing thepletely terraformed north with peculiar expressions . There was a tinge of awe, a hint of respect, a sliver of confusion and most-dominantly a glimmer of terror within their gazes . In part it had to do with the fact that at the very least five high-ranking Devils had met their doom here, and in part with the sheer scale of the battle whispering that it wasn¡¯t merely a battle between just Sin-Devils and a few Titrs . They all knew who was solely responsible for the North, and they all expected for the Northern Front to merely turn into a fabrication of the battle -- they thoroughly believed that the Devil Army had no intention of instigating conflict against a Descender . Yet, the veryndscape they were seeing proved them otherwise . . . and it also proved that the Devils had made a huge mistake . " . . . well, this front was short-lived, eh?" Patriarch Chen tried to ease the atmosphere awkwardly . "Conflict of this scale," Unholy Guardian chimed in . "Shouldn¡¯t be allowed on this Continent . Rather, thend itself or the world around it isn¡¯t fit to sustain it . " "How long do you think it will take for the North to recover?" Emperor Rex asked . "Without external influence . . . several tens of thousands of years . " Guardian Jean replied with a strange glint in his eyes . " . . . haaah . " the Emperor sighed; after all, North as it was existed as such for a reason . "Isn¡¯t nobody going to bring up the fact that the Seventy-Second Descender managed to fight off at least four Sin-Devils all on his own?" the Sky-bearing Monk joined in . "Why bring it up?" Patriarch Chen said . "I believe, on one level or another, we were all aware that no ordinary person can ever join them . Whether they be low or high in number, they aren¡¯t the sort that we can dare to challenge . If anything, this may have dissuaded some of us from having any delusions . " "Are you insinuating something?" the Emperor turned toward the Patriarch and red . "I get it," Patriarch Chen shrugged, meeting the re squarely . "You¡¯ve ruled with iron fist, unchallenged, for so long . Yet, all of a sudden a random kid pops out of nowhere and destroys whatever image you were fashioning yourself into . I¡¯d be pissed off too, if I¡¯m being honest . That is, if I was as vain as you are . " "A kid? You really believe this was the work of a kid?" the Emperor scoffed . "He¡¯s no older than thirty," the Unholy Guardian spoke out instead . "There are a lot of ways to hide the age, but he wasn¡¯t using any . Rather, it¡¯s better to say that the sheer quantity of Vitality in him would be nigh impossible to hide in the first ce . " "A Body Cultivator?" the Sky-bearing Monk eximed softly . "That¡¯s rare . . . " "None of this really matters," Jean suddenly interrupted . "The Northern Front will close and this will most-likely force all current battles to stop as Devils withdraw temporarily and regroup . No matter how strong the Descender may be, he will have not escaped the battle unscathed meaning we won¡¯t be seeing him for some time . All the while we¡¯ll have to conjure up our own strategy and prepare for a most-likely full-blown invasion that will follow . " "What makes you think he¡¯s incapacitated?" the Monk asked . "Because he fought the God-Devil . " Jean replied . "What?!!" everyone except the Unholy Guardian eximed as they nced at the Guardian of Light who remained impervious despite the stares . "T-that¡¯s . . . that¡¯s impossible . . . " the Emperor stuttered . "He¡¯s right," the Unholy Guardian joined . "The remnant aura does have faint traces of Divinity . It was most-likely a God-Devil on the weaker end of things . . . " " . . . but a God-Devil nheless . " Guardian Jean finished . "It¡¯s safe to assume that he was also the overall Commander of the Hell¡¯s Army, so the Descender already rid us of our greatest headache . We should take this gift and honor it properly . " "Pursue the Devils¡¯ forces?" the Monk asked . "No need," the Patriarch Chen said, chuckling bitterly . "Just fortify one of the fronts and go all-out in defending it . Whichever we chose, that one they¡¯ll attack . " " . . . indeed . As proud as the dome of the world . . . " ** A hall which would usually be filled with shouts and snidements and bickering was now doused in silence; heavy atmosphere hung over every shoulder present, their expressions dulled and confused, eyes constantly ncing about waiting for another pair to speak up -- yet nobody did . Rothar appeared the most dismayed; his head was hung low, held up by his fists as he stared at the cold and dead gem embedded in the table . He was confused, he was angry, disappointed and terrorized . No one here knew the full truth -- they just knew that the four of them fell in the North, and that even the God-Devil Commander himself had died by the Empyrean¡¯s hands . This was all but a passing loss; in the end, there were only so many God-Devils currently alive, and even Sin-Devils weren¡¯t too thick in numbers . What haunted him the most, however, were the moments where he met the Empyrean, and overall disdain he still felt toward him until today . The initial idea was indeed to simply turn the Northern Front into a form of disy, but he too agreed with N¡¯kthur that they ought to test the Empyrean¡¯s limits, at least for a little bit before retreating . Yet, it was an abject failure -- the whole y went from a sham to a bloody reality . . . one within which the already strained rtionships between the Sin-Devil Commanders now had no overall glue to bind them together . "War isn¡¯t over," a voice finally sounded out within the room as everyone¡¯s gaze turned toward him . Handuur, however, seem unaffected by it, continuing calmly . "We can either continue to wallow in whatever it is right now for the years toe, or we can wake up and do something . " "Go and die too?" Lymmir asked, frowning . "By whose hand?" Handuur scoffed . "However terrible the Northern End is, it has also provided us an opportunity . Therge reason why we held back was due to the presence of the Empyrean as we didn¡¯t wish to get too deeply entangled with him . However, he¡¯s now out ofmission -- at least for a while . It would be foolish to sit on this chance . " "Out ofmission? Are you certain?" someone asked . "Even if all of us banded together and attacked Commander N¡¯kthur, nearly all of us would die, and the rest would need years of recovery . No matter how strong the Empyrean is, he struggled against the four of us meaning that the only reason he managed to snatch the victory was due to some unforeseen circumstance . . . which most-likely cost him a lot . Of course, I can¡¯t be fully certain, but I¡¯m confident enough to take the responsibility over the decision . " " . . . Handuur¡¯s right," Rothar joined after a few moments of silence . "While the way was less than desirable, we have managed to iste the Empyrean and remove him from the equation . We can now turn toward the actual war . Combine our forces and attack . " "They¡¯ve still got enough Titrs to keep us busy for a while, so we have to rely on our numbers to overwhelm them," Handuur echoed . "We need to obtain the victory before the Empyrean wakes . Thest outing clearly showed he has no intention of ying by some arbitrary rules . He hates us, and that hate is stronger than whatever arguments we can conjure up . " Rothar kept a cid expression, yet sighed bitterly inwardly . He knew first-hand that the Empyrean wasn¡¯t as bloodthirsty as everyone made him out to be . . . yet he couldn¡¯t voice it out . He knew that the only way to band the rest of them together was to provide a unifying goal and the timeline . The meeting quickly finished and Rothar got up, leaving without mingling with anyone . They have miscalcted this time around, he knew, and the only way to salvage the entire enterprise was to quickly sweep the Continent and grab her, hidden within the Titan Realms . All of this before the Empyrean wakes . Even at Rothar¡¯s best estimates, he wagered they would need at least a full month before managing to aplish it all . In the end . . . he could only pray -- pray that the Empyrean stays out, and that the Great Descent doesn¡¯t send a recement in the meantime . Chapter 203 Chapter 203 CHAPTER 203 IN A CABIN ¡¯NEATH A TREE (I) A river valley stretched onwards, cutting a path in-between two looming mountains and stretching into the horizon . Trees were scarce save for at the edges and elevations, its t surface entirely reserved for a plethora of differing flowers and a rather wide river which cut across in a winding fashion, shallow and rapid . Near the extended bank, beneath a tall, solitary tree standing in the field of red flowers, stood a simple yet elegant-looking house, fenced simply around with a small garden to one side . It was built entirely of wood, decorated with four windows in total and a ted roof . The solitary chimney currently billowed out thin, gray smoke into the sky, yet it hardly took away from the serenity of it all . Interior of the house reflected its exterior -- simple yet elegant . The sole hearth was a centerpiece, built out of granite and limestone, extruded gently from the wall . Several pieces of firewood currently burned away, shining off a peculiar yellow gleam across the room . On one end was a table and a chair surrounded by bookshelves, while on the other was a solitary bed currently upied by a sorry-looking figure . Lino growled lowly from his throat, a deep grunt escaping shortly after as he slowly opened his eyes . Though he found himself in a cozy bed, pain nheless quickly struck at every nerve in his body . Holding back a cry, he repeatedly took deep breaths until he got somewhat ustomed to it . ncing around he realized he was in a small, otherwise empty, room . Battling back his mind¡¯s advice, he crumpled his hand into a fist and forced himself up, a thin nket slipping over and revealing his naked upper torso . ncing down, a bitter smile escaped his lips; wounds had all but healed, yet he truly seemed less a man and more a corpse . He heaved his legs across the bed and onto the floor and held onto his head with his hands . He quickly realized that the hair once shaven had grown out again, tickling his fingertips . It also didn¡¯t take long for him to realize he stank terribly, yet it took everything he had to simply sit up; he neither had the strength nor the motivation to bathe even though he knew there was a river just outside . Tiring out, he nted back and leaned against the smooth, wooden wall behind him . The memory of the few moments before he passed out was fuzzy, yet enough to fit the whole picture; he remembered the faint sound of cracking as his eyes grew heavier, the mask soon vanishing from his face . He didn¡¯t care much for it, though, as he knew only the Thunder was there to see it and -- seeing as he was still alive -- it seemed he didn¡¯t piss her off at one point in his life . Using the faint traces of recovering Qi in his body he essed the void world and took out a gourd of wine, opening it up and slowly taking sips, dousing his parched throat . The somewhat sweet taste assailed his senses and slowly woke him, that post-sleep drowsiness slowly disappearing . For the following hour, he did nothing but sit and drink, asionally coughing a mouthful of two of ck blood which made him feel quite better afterwards . He also didn¡¯t recognize the room, nor anything within it; wherever the Thunder took him, it seemed to be well outside any town¡¯s or city¡¯s bounds as even with his considerably weakened Divine Sense Lino was able to roughly map out the surrounding area . Despite how much he studied the geography of the Central Continent, he still couldn¡¯t recognize the river valley within which he resided . The doors suddenly creaked open as he nced toward them, a figure dressed in a simple, one-piece white dress walking through . She still wore a mask, her hair cascading like waves down to half her back, the piercing pair of eyes seemingly shining . She didn¡¯t seem surprised when she saw Lino half-lying and drinking, merely ncing at him and smiling . "I¡¯ll fix us a lunch quickly . " she said as she put down a basket and walked over to the hearth, using it as a quasi-stove of sorts . Lino observed with interest as she nonchntly moved about, stripping the chicken off its feathers before cleanly cutting it and roasting it while at the same time fixing two loafs of fresh bread . " . . . you a wife?" Lino asked as he took a sip . "What makes you think that?" she asked back, smiling lightly . "A woman who¡¯s a good cook also needs to be a wife, eh?" "Nah, I was just checking if you were free . " Lino smirked . "Oh! A smooth one . " "Eh, I try . " "Shouldn¡¯t you be focusing on recovery rather than getting drunk, though?" "This is me recovering," Lino said . "Don¡¯t you know? Fine wine is the best medicine ever designed . " "Ah, color me doubtful . " shemented, chuckling . "Eh? You don¡¯t drink?" Lino asked, arching his brow . "Oh, I do drink . I just drink to, you know, cripple my memory and mind, not fix them . " "Eh, so we do have something inmon . " he said, smiling . "Besides, you know, the whole Writ thing . " "Ah, I was hoping you¡¯d have forgotten that part . " "Yeaaah . . . it sure does sound like the thing I ought to forget, no? Wait, should I have forgotten? You¡¯re not gonna club me or something, are ya¡¯?" "I¡¯m thinking about it . " she said, smiling as she took out two tes from seemingly nowhere and quickly filled them full . "Can you walk?" "I wanna . " "Not what I asked . " "The answer¡¯s implied . " Lino said . " . . . wait . Are you ashamed to say you need my help to walk?" " . . . eh, a bit . But probably not for the reasons you¡¯re imagining . " " . . . hmm?" she looked at him with curiosity . "Are you sure you want to know?" "It can¡¯t be that harmful . " " . . . eh, whatever . It¡¯s simple," Lino said as Thunder shuffled her arm through his armpit and over the other shoulder, lifting him up . "So, you know, it¡¯d be like you imposed your kindness onto me, and me identally touching this and that was in no way, shape or form the intention . " " . . . wow . That¡¯s quite possibly the most desperate I¡¯ve ever heard a man sound . And one wailed for six hours in front of my room begging me to marry him . " "Hey, shoot all you want," Lino said, smiling . "You can never kill my confidence . " "Yeah, and that¡¯s the problem . " she slowly and gently helped him sit down as she took the chair on the table¡¯s opposite end . "You need some self-awareness . " "Why? I¡¯m perfect . " Lino said quickly nibbling at the chicken . "Of course you are . " "So, are we gonna talk about it or are just gonna keep flirting till I literally forget?" "What¡¯s there to talk about?" she nced at him . "Uh, I dunno . . . why¡¯s another Bearer helping me, for starters?" "¡¯Cause I hate Gaia . " " . . . that¡¯s it?" "Yup . " she nodded innocently . "Eh . Works for me . " Lino shrugged . "How long?" "About a year after Astrum chose me . " she replied, taking a sip of Lino¡¯s wine . "She went ¡¯Hey, wouldn¡¯t it be totally crazy if we rebelled?¡¯ and I thought it would be really crazy if we rebelled so, you know, we chose to rebel . " "See, that is just beautiful!" Lino eximed with some frustration . "You two are really on the same wavelength! Making uniformed decisions, talking, discussing things . . . I swear, you can make even the heavens jealous with that story . " "Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed you don¡¯t get along with yours . What¡¯s the deal with that?" she asked with a bizarre sort of curiosity . "What¡¯s the deal with it?" Lino nced up . "He¡¯s a cunt, that¡¯s what¡¯s the deal with it . " " . . . " "Are you waiting for me to borate or are you still processing it?" " . . . " "Right, so processing it . " Lino said, sighing . "Where the heck did you even take me?" "B-back up a second there," Thunder said as she took a deep breath . "Did you just call him what I think you called him?" "Eh? Yea, I called him a cunt . " " . . . and you¡¯re still alive?" " . . . alright, seriously dude," Lino eximed . "Just what in god¡¯s name did you and the rest of the Empyreans do to earn this reputation? Everyone I know who knows had the same reaction as her . It¡¯s not cool!" " . . . why are you talking out loud? Why not just telepathically ask him?" Thunder rolled her eyes at him . " . . . w-wait . . . you . . . you can do that?" Lino¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits as he questioned . " . . . why did I save you?" "I¡¯d have lived either way . " "You really think you¡¯d live long in the Emperor¡¯s clutches?" she asked with a smirk . "Oh, yeah, that bastard . Yeah, you¡¯re right . I¡¯d be long dead . " Lino nodded lightly . "Anyway, what¡¯s with the mask?" "What do you mean?" she asked . "Well, you saw mine so, you know, show me yours . " " . . . forgive me . I did not know you treated your glory rod with such importance . But I cannot strip naked for you . " " . . . don¡¯t know what¡¯s more disturbing," Lino shook momentarily . "That you¡¯d call my dick a ¡¯glory rod¡¯, or that you¡¯d even think for a second that¡¯s what I meant . " "So you don¡¯t want to explore my holy garden?" "I¡¯d like to explore what goes on in that weird head of yours instead . " " . . . is that some sort of a euphemism?" "Yeah, it means I want to crack your skull open and see whether you¡¯ve got a brain or not . " "I assure you I do . " she said . "Prove it . " Lino said . "How?" "Take off the mask . " "How would that prove anything?" "It wouldn¡¯t," Lino said . "I just wanna see what you look like . " "I can show you my well-made self-portrait . " "Are you ugly?" "Eh?" "Well, I can¡¯t really think of another reason," he shrugged . "But, don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no need to be self-conscious . Whatever you look like, I¡¯ve probably fucked worse . This chicken¡¯s quite good actually . " " . . . you really have changed a lot . . . yet not at all . . . he he . . . " a faint quickly filled the room as Lino looked up . "You know me?" he asked, frowning . "I do . " she nodded . "And I know you?" "You knew, at the very least . " she said . "Eh, that makes it easier! We¡¯ve already boned so I¡¯ve seen everything anyway!" " . . . eh, I¡¯d like to y the guessing game, though . " she said, ignoring his jab . "A game?" Lino frowned . "Hm," she nodded . "With proper rest, you should recover roughly in a month . So, you have a month to figure out who I am -- and, you can¡¯t just go on guessing randomly . You have one chance -- just one to guess my name . " " . . . what do I win if I guess right?" Lino asked, seemingly interested . "I¡¯ll help you fix your Wings . " "And if I don¡¯t?" Lino asked . "You¡¯ll be my servant for a year . " "So, I win either way?" Lino mumbled with a faint grin . "Alright, we¡¯ll y . " "Good luck~~" "Heh, why would I need luck?" Lino said . "I¡¯ll have you know, I remember every single woman down to her finest detail, so there¡¯s no way . . . " as he went on rambling, Hannah stared at him dubiously wondering just when did that shy boy he used to be die and was reced by . . . this . Chapter 204 Chapter 204 CHAPTER 204 IN THE DARK (I) It wasn¡¯t the first time she found herself in such a situation, Lucky mused silently as she hid further behind a set of boxes . She was surrounded by them yet, despite that, it seemed almost as though she herself had be one . ncing ever so often at the open field of the strange warehouse she¡¯d found and people currently walking about, she cursed herself more so than anyone else for following the trails all the way here . The warehouse was stationed well inside the ¡¯Prime District¡¯, the innermost point of the entire Empire, buried beneath a looming cliff, directly inside of it . It was wide and tall and lit well by the embedded crystals in the dry walls, spaced perfectly with stacks upon stacks of boxes lined neatly in a half-squared fashion opposite of the gigantic entrance . As she was hiding she was unable to use her Divine Sense to listen in on the conversations developing well down below, yet could still infer more than most would in such a situation . It was mainly done through gestures, lip movements, expressions, mannerism, walking pace, every bit of unintended muscr movement never escaped her eye . She had been sitting behind the boxes for nearly four hours now but she had never seen a familiar face . Before leaving somece, Lino had handed her over a list of names and faces she ought to pay attention to, though as per usual he hadn¡¯t exined anything beyond that, merely stating she ought to be careful . It¡¯s been over a week since he left, and he hadn¡¯t even used a talisman to check in . It wasn¡¯t a surprise, though, as this was too much like him it almost seemed poetic . ncing out once more, Lucky¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment as she quickly withdrew it; for the first time she¡¯d seen a face she recognized -- First Princess Annabelle . She was apanied by a set of well-armed guards and was currently talking to an elderly man, the only person who hadn¡¯t left the warehouse the whole time she was here, Lucky noted . She knew right then and there that it was time to leave; not only is Annabelle much, much stronger than most others who¡¯vee here today, Lucky had already obtained all she could from the warehouse . Though she didn¡¯t dare look inside the boxes and see what they contained, it was irrelevant . While she was doing her job for Evelyn, she rarely if ever investigated something or someone to the tiniest detail; oftentimes it was much better to simply infer things from the clues . Even if she happened to be wrong once or twice, it hardly deterred her from doing the same thing the next time . She waited until the Princess and the elderly man moved away from the entrance and off into the distance before slithering through the narrow spaces in-between the rows of the boxes, slowly moving toward the sole entrance and exit into the facility . She suppressed both her Qi and life force as much as she could, barely breathing all while moving without making a single sound . There was about twenty-thirty meters of open space in-between the nearest set of boxes and the exit, so she waited for a little while until the Princess and the elderly man reached the very edge of the warehouse before sprinting out from her hiding and dashing for the exit while still ensuring not a single iota of her presence was leaked . Just as she broke past the exit, she enrobed herself in an illusion to prevent the numerous guards stationed near and around the cliff from seeing her . Bounding the steep cliffside, she quickly climbed on top and sprinted away from the entire area, maintainingplete calm andposure all throughout . She didn¡¯t stop once she left the First District and continued running until she reached the Third; by then the dawn hade about, first signs of the sun appearing in the far east . The district seemed to wake alongside the sun as the silent streets were quickly filled with hubbub of noises, chatter and shouts . Lucky slowly blended in with the crowd and began casually walking about as she headed toward the ranch . The atmosphere of the district -- and the city as a whole at that -- had turned up over the past few days as the Annual Festival of Arts and Crafts was fast approaching . Though Lucky didn¡¯t quite understand just why was it so important, she could hardly chastise the masses as chances are they had quite little to look forward to on daily basis . It took her a couple of hours to reach the ranch stationed somewhat off the main road, halfway up the mountain . Even before walking up to the fence she could hear the neighs of horses echoing in the distance; she had stolen some soon after Lino left, taking thetter¡¯s advice . Felix had generously offered to take care of them on his own, though it might have had something to do with Lucky¡¯s theatrical sting of the ¡¯miserable life¡¯ . Rather than opening the fence she heaved over it, entering the sprawlingnd of absolute nothingness . In the distance ten or so horses were currently running about; they were actually a mutated species of an ordinary horse, artificially bred with one or the other species of ox -- she couldn¡¯t remember . The Ox Horses were quite simr to the ordinary ones, save for being slightlyrger, endowed with much bigger legs that could pull stronger and faster . "You¡¯re justing back?" a familiar voice jolted her back to reality, one slightly filled with anger . Lucky grinned as she turned around and met Felix¡¯s gaze . "Why? You worried I¡¯m cheating on you?" she asked, walking over . "I¡¯m worried you¡¯re doing something shady . " Felix sighed, unable to hold onto his stoic expression . " . . . eh? Are you implying cheating on you isn¡¯t considered ¡¯shady¡¯?" Lucky asked . "It¡¯s not shady," Felix said, smiling lightly . "It¡¯s scummy . " "Eh, I guess you¡¯re right . You slept well?" she tiptoed for a moment as she kissed him gently . "I always do," Felix replied, ncing at the horses . "Well, I would if those idiots wouldn¡¯t wake me even before the sun did . You went investigating again?" "Aye . " Lucky nodded, ncing at horses as well as the two slowly headed over toward the small-sized mansion . "Found anything?" "Found the First Princess roaming about that shady warehouse . " " . . . so it goes all the way to the top, huh?" Felix grunted . "Shouldn¡¯t we stop now and wait for the Master to return?" "Who knows when that bastard wille back?" Lucky rolled her eyes at him . "What if they relocate or something?" "We¡¯ll find it again . " "You trust my skills way too much to do all that shit again without being found . " " . . . aaah . So, what¡¯s the n?" Felix asked after a deep sigh of resignation . "During the festival," Lucky said, sitting down on the porch . "I¡¯ll sneak back into the warehouse and check the boxes . " " . . . we already know they¡¯re most-likely full of corpses, though . Do you have to risk it?" Felix asked, frowning . "It¡¯s not about the corpses," Lucky shook her head, taking the cup of mead Felix was handing over . "I want to see whether I can figure out what are they used for . " "Some scummy shit no doubt . " Felix said, taking a sip . "And considering that the whole thing has remained under wraps all this time, it¡¯s most-likely instigated by the Emperor himself . Haah . . . even Master is helpless with this . " " . . . he¡¯ll think of something . " Lucky smirked . "He always does . Oh, right, I might have figured out where he went . " "Hm?" "I¡¯ve heard some rumors that the north is literally ttened," she said . "And I mean, like, literally ttened . No mountains, no icebergs, no nothing but nd full of trash . " " . . . yep, sounds like him . " Felix nodded after a short though . "Shouldn¡¯t he havee back by now though?" "Well, if you didn¡¯t interrupt my story, you might have figured it out already . " " . . . sorry . " "I¡¯ve heard there were some Sin-Devil corpses over there . " "E-eh?" Felix nearly jumped out of his seat, staring at Lucky in confusion . "A-are you sure? I . . . I mean, I know Master¡¯s strong but . . . is . . . is he really that strong?" "I¡¯ve checked repeatedly," Lucky shrugged . "His talisman says that he¡¯s still alive . However, he¡¯s most-likely either exhausted or wounded . Either way, you can probably find him in one or the other brothel, ¡¯recovering¡¯ . " " . . . he¡¯s really full of surprises . " Felix mumbled, sitting down . "You don¡¯t seem shocked that he might have possibly killed not one, but several Sin-Devils . " "You haven¡¯t learned yet?" she nced at him dubiously . "Don¡¯t ever go about setting standards for him . He¡¯s insane . " ": . . yep . Good point . " "Anyway, enough about him . " Lucky said . "What¡¯s for breakfast?" "I thought you could make it today . " Felix said casually . "Ha ha ha ha, yeah, good one--wait, you¡¯re serious?" "Yup . " "Are you nuts?!" Lucky growled . "I¡¯ve never made a breakfast before in my life!" "Then learn . " Felix shrugged . "Neither have I before you started ordering me to make one . " " . . . I think it¡¯s a bit toote for you to embody the whole ¡¯macho¡¯ non-sense . " " . . . you really don¡¯t hold back, do you?" Felixmented bitterly . "That¡¯s not it . I . . . I just want to eat something, you know, you made . " " . . . well, that¡¯s the most girly thing I¡¯ve heard in my life . " "Oh,e on!! What¡¯s ¡¯girly¡¯ about wanting to eat your food?! What, is every husband in the world a ¡¯girl¡¯ all of a sudden?" "Oh my . Are you practicing on being a husband?" Lucky grinned . "Exactly! And you should practice being a wife!" it took Felix a moment before he heard his words . "T-that¡¯s not what I mean and you know it!!" " . . . I didn¡¯t say anything . " Lucky said with a stoic expression, barely holding backughter . "It¡¯s just weird that you want me to cook as a practice . Food is easy to find, you know? How about we instead practice some bed stuff?" " . . . you¡¯re a fiend!! A fucking fiend!! Four times! Four timesst night! What do you think I am goddammit?!" Felix exploded suddenly, surprising Lucky . "Wasn¡¯t it five, though?" she asked innocently . "W-what?! I passed out after the fourth, you goddamn nympho!" " . . . oopsie . Pfft . . . " "Oh, right, of course . It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it?" "Nah, what¡¯s funny is that," she got up and walked over slowly, cing her hand on his chest and tracing her index finger downwards . "You¡¯re pretending you¡¯ve grown tired of screwing me . " she leaned closer in and bit his ear, whispering . "And we both know you were as passed outst night as I¡¯m dry right now . " " . . . e-extremely . . . dry . . . " Felix mumbled as he felt a hand grip his crotch . "Wrong . " " . . . oh gods help me . . . " he shrieked lowly as Lucky dragged him inside . Chapter 205 Chapter 205 CHAPTER 205 IN A CABIN ¡¯NEATH A TREE (II) Lino sat on top of a half-way bridge looming over the river that he himself had built, his legs heaved over the edge, a fishing rod in his hands extending into the rapid current beneath . He wore only pants reaching down to his knees, ripped by the edges, letting the somewhat chilly wind augment the sun¡¯s blistering warmth . He hummed a low tune freely, looking at the distant mountains stretching into the sky¡¯s mist . A sense of serenity had washed over him, causing him to even drop his usual alertness . It truly felt for a moment as though he was free from everything, from every linking chain leading back to the Empire, to the Devils, to the Writs and Bearers and Gaia and the Holy Grounds and the rest of the world atrge . Living inside a self-imposed bubble made his breaths calm, full and free, washing away the worries from his mind . Yet, deep down, he still knew it was but a temporary tranquility -- like all others which life generously gifts from time to time . Behind him, still donning the mask, Hannah left the house with two pots of stew, walking toward the somewhat loose-looking bridge . Despite having seen them before, the scars extending over the rather wide back still startled her . Though most of them were from the recent battle, she also saw more than a few dozen that were over ten years old at least . She took a small breath and walked over, slowly sitting down next to him, heaving her legs of the edge as well and handing him a pot . Lino only then awoke from his daydream, putting the rod down and taking the pot and the spoon, eating it slowly . "Oh, it¡¯s spicy today . " he eximed softly . "What¡¯d you put in?" "Red chili," she replied . "You like it?" "Yeah, it¡¯s really good . Gives quite a bit of a kick . What do you want to drink?" "Ale . " "Here . " Lino reached into the void world and took two gourds, handing one over . " . . . just how stacked are you with booze?" she asked, taking it . "Let¡¯s just say I could live for a long-ass time here without ever running out . " "Damn, you have a problem . " "Problems . " "Hm?" "Not a problem," Lino nced and smirked . "But lots and lots of problems . " "What do you want? Pity or encouragement?" she asked, smiling back . "Yeah,ing from you? Neither . " "Aww, that¡¯s just mean . " "Have you ever heard yourself speak?" Lino rolled his eyes at her . "You know, words hurt . " "Are you really the one who should be saying that?" "My hypocrisy is half of my character . You can¡¯tpare us . " "Of course I can¡¯tpare us," she said . "You¡¯re insane and I¡¯m the greatest woman in the world . " "Oh, wow," Lino eximed, chuckling . "Your back must have some deep dents considering how much you were patted on it throughout your life . " "Eh, what are you trying to say? That self-love is your exclusive thing?" "Naturally . I own the patent on it . " "Yeah, sure you do buddy . " Hannah finished the pot of stew and put it down, slowly sipping the ale . "It¡¯s a very nice day . " " . . . yeah . " Lino said, taking a few sips too . "Have you been living here the whole time?" "Yeah . " " . . . you just made me crazy jealous . " "What? You like this ce?" she nced at him . "But the nearest brothel is like two hundred miles away . " " . . . it feels very dehumanizing that you¡¯d assume I care for brothels so much . " "But you do . " "How¡¯d you even conclude that?" "Because for the past three days you¡¯ve done nothing but "think" out loud all the ¡¯faire maidens¡¯ you¡¯ve bedded in hopes of seeing me react to one of the names . " " . . . oh . So I was found out?" he chuckled lightly, ncing at her from the corner of his eyes . "Oh, no, no way . Your scheme is too clever for someone as lowly as me to uncover it . " "Heh, that¡¯s what I thought . " Lino said . "Truth is, half of those names were made up . " "I know," she chuckled . "I mean, I know a lot of people who hate their children, but I¡¯ve never heard any single one of them saying they hate their children enough to name them ¡¯Boozedslutana¡¯ . How¡¯d you evene up with that shit?" "Justbine my two favorite hobbies into one . " " . . . so, like the most gorgeous woman in the world," she said . "Who, instead of milk, has tits full of booze-on-demand?" " . . . . . " "Why do you look like someone who¡¯s trying to think really hard about how to make that a reality?" "Because every man alive would immediately dere me their god?" Lino red at her for a moment . " . . . I¡¯ve never understood it, you know? The guys¡¯ whole obsession with women . We aren¡¯t an entirely different species . We¡¯rergely just like you . " "Except, you know, in ces in which you¡¯re not . " Lino said . "Which makes you an entirely different species . " "Oh, right, so my tits draw a line between me being a human and not being one, huh?" " . . . eh, honestly, it¡¯s hardly ever that simple," Lino said, lowering his head and gazing into the river . "Sure, swaying your hips like your legs are constantly walking through an earthquake makes our heads spin, and bouncing tits can bring the dead back to life . . . but, you know, all of that¡¯s just the eye-candy . " he smiled lightly . "You bewitch us with your bodies, but you entrance us with the small things . " " . . . like what?" Hannah asked with a faint curiosity . " . . . eh, you know, simple stuff . Smiling at our stupid jokes," he said . "Validating our grossly inted egos, always encouraging us to do our best despite the fact that we keep repeatedly fucking things up . . . and, you know, asionally stripping naked . " "Ouch . You almost had it . " Hannahughed briefly, lying down onto the bridge . "Be honest, what¡¯s the first thing you see in a woman? Tits or ass?" " . . . neither . " Lino said, lying down as well, soaking in the cloudless, blue sky . "Yeah, yeah, you don¡¯t have to lie, alright? This is a safe space for honesty and no judgment whatsoever . " "None of what you just said is true . You¡¯ve done nothing but lie and judge me ever since you dragged my ass here . " "I never said all those things apply to me . " "Fair enough . " Lino chuckled . " . . . so? What is it then?" "Not telling . " "Eeeh? Why?" "¡¯Cause I know you¡¯re gonna use it to bewitch me . " " . . . there¡¯s so much wrong with that statement I don¡¯t even know where to begin . " Hannah grunted . "See? Nothing but judgment . You¡¯re like my mother," Lino said . "You know, if I ever had one . " "Aww, poor boy, do you want to lie on myp so mom can caress your hair and whisper how special you are?" "You had me at lying in thep!" Lino eximed as he shifted his head over quickly andid it onto Hannah¡¯s thighs . "Ha ha ha, w-wait, ha ha ha," she burst out intoughter, quickly sitting up and trying to push him away through mild effort . "Fuck, you saidp! Where do you think you¡¯re trying to stuff your head?!" " . . . uh . . . the jungle? Or maybe the well-paved za?" " . . . your body tells me you¡¯re an adult, but every single thing you say convinces me otherwise . " "Oh? So you like my body, eh?~~" Lino chuckled . "You¡¯ve got nice legs . . . " " . . . uh . . . thanks?" she said, smiling bitterly . "Have you ever thought about cutting your hair?" she asked as she saw it spilling over onto the wood beneath in arge amount . "My hair is my defining feature! How could you even say that?!" " . . . you sure as hell have got a lot of defining features . If I wasn¡¯t rolling my eyes I¡¯d actually be impressed . " "You should be impressed regardless," Lino said . "Men like me are quite difficult toe by, you know?" "Hm? You mean drinking sleazebags who sleep around with any woman who says ¡¯sure whatever¡¯? Yeah, sorry, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that special . " "Oh, and women like you are?" Lino questioned back, shifting his head over until he was directly looking at her masked face from below . "Of course we are," she replied confidently . "Where else can you find such a charming, funny, smart, humble, drop-dead-gorgeous, strong, well-intentioned maiden such as myself?" " . . . well, I sure as hell don¡¯t know what woman you¡¯re talking about, but I¡¯d very much like to meet her . She sounds perfect . " "I am indeed . " "Really? ¡¯Cause I just imagined some with farrger assets . " "I¡¯ve got quite a few mansions to my name, though . " " . . . your deflection game is sure on point," Lino grinned . "But, I¡¯ll crack you . Just you wait . " " . . . I¡¯m not sure whether that¡¯s euphemism for killing me or, you know, killing me . Either way, I¡¯m feeling very ufortable at the moment . " " . . . hey, I know it¡¯sing a bitte," Lino said after a short silence . "But, you know, thank you . For saving my life and all . " " . . . nice try . " she grinned, causing Lino to groan lowly and sit back up . "Seriously, just how far up are your defenses? I¡¯ve had easier time killing the God-Devil for crying out loud . " "Want an advice?" "Yes, please!" he eximed . "Charming and funny guys are great," she said as she slowly got up, straightening her dress . "After all, they¡¯re good at making the world seem a bit better than it actually is . But, from time to time, everyone likes seeing the world for what it is . . . and, in those moments, charming and funny guys just . . . don¡¯t fit . " " . . . so, uh, you want me to be gloomy, broody and overall sort of pathetic?" "Hey, on the off-chance you figure it out one day," she said, slowly walking away . "You¡¯ll have finally grown up, Lino . And that day, ah, I imagine a whole lot of people will pop open the bottles of their most expensive champagne and celebrate . " " . . . " Lino watched her disappear into a small house in silence, a faint smile on his face . He shook his head lightly and chuckled, picking the rod back up and throwing the hook into the river . "Honesty, huh?" he mumbled faintly into the wind . "You¡¯ve really grown, haven¡¯t you . . . " Chapter 206 Chapter 206 CHAPTER 206 IN THE DARK (II) A limestone-paved za stretched for over a mile across, surrounded by thick, stone wall bending inwardly toward the tops into a embroidery-like weave connecting all extrusions and bending down into a set of dozens of stone statues of topless giants holding onto a variety of weapons . The entrance to the za was arched, the utmost top adorned with a massive, head-sized ruby shimmering faintly and casting crimson shade onto the surrounding area . Lined up against the wall was a beautiful garden of white roses, thorns sticking in and out of the walls, creating a rather dazzling scene . The za was currently jam-packed, people climbing one over another to get inside, cursing and swearing eclipsing all other sounds . Despite the blistering sun hovering in the high sky nobody seemed unwilling to stay out, including Felix and Lucky who were currently enjoying the sensation of utmost despair, shrunk in-between dozens of people exuding smells that ought to nevere from another human being . The two held hands as to not get separated, doing their best to ignore angry curses and screams; luckily they had arrived a bit earlier and were able to find a ce inside, yet that hardly helped as what used to be at least a small square of breathable space had turned into a tiny dot . Even with this, however, the wave seemed to have no stopping point . Just as they were both about to explode into shouts and join the cursing, a sky-splitting roar screeched across the entire za, causing all and any sounds to cease . Lucky and Felix raised their heads, looking toward the very front of the za; there, a spinning vortex opened midair as several dozen figures slowly began walking about and ¡¯sitting¡¯ neatly in the air itself . Thest one to leave was the Emperor himself, adorned in golden armor; his presence caused everyone else to immediately kneel, and Lucky and Felix -- unwilling to stand out that much -- followed suit . Not even a fly dared to move its wings under the divine supremacy . The Emperor smiled amusingly for a moment, contrasting the treatment he was receiving with one the Descender gave him . Shaking himself out of those thoughts he nced at an old man standing down below on top of the za¡¯s main tform and nodded . The old man nodded back and got up, moving toward the very edge of the za . "All hail His Divine Might, the Son of the Titans, the Diviner of the Titan Gods and the Majesty of our Empire -- the Holy Emperor!" the old man shouted on top of his lungs with an expression of utmost devotion . "All hail the Holy Emperor!!!!" the entire za exploded into shouts . "All hail the Holy Emperor!!! All hail the Holy Emperor!!" the shouting went on for nearly a minute before stopping, causing both Felix and Lucky to look around dubiously while joining in the shouting . "Your Majesty," the old man spoke out again, turning toward the sky where the Emperor had joined the others in ¡¯sitting¡¯ . "Your lowly servant expresses his utmost gratitude for allowing us to bear witness to Your Grandeur, Your Light, Might and Holiness . If Your Divinity could grace the lowly us with a few words of wisdom, You would make us all incredulously joyous for a whole lifetime . " " . . . " Emperor Rex nced at the expectant audience and faintly smiled before getting up . "In the name of the Titan Gods, their unparalleled Might and Wisdom, and Light which had consumed the Dark; the Titanium Codex teaches Us all that We are the Chosen Children -- We are the Children tasked with continuing the Titans¡¯ Will, and the Will of Aeagnap, the Lord God of All . His words oft reach my heart, and it is by His words that I lead -- and His Might had informed me personally that He is pleased with Us, His Children . Not me, but Us . All of Us . We did well . In the name of the Holy, the Mighty and the Wise -- a prayer . " " . . . " everyone around Lucky and Felix quickly knelt down and pinned their heads as close to the floor as they could, causing the former two to join . All around soft whispers of indiscernible words echoed till the whole za was consumed by them . "In Their Names We Forever Pray!!" "Atanum!" the Emperor shouted . "Atanum!" the crowd replied . " . . . " the Emperor nced at the old man who was currently in tears and nodded, sitting back down . "Thank You, Your Majesty!" the old man cried out . "Thank You, Your Majesty!!" the crowd echoed the sentiment . "Now a prayer for His Chosen Divinity, the Chosen among the Chosen!" " . . . " both Lucky and Felix grunted inwardly yet had no choice but to copy everything others were doing . Both gravely regretteding here as they realized everyone within the entire City and all its Districts could probably hear all this . "Atanum!" the old man cried nearly a minuteter . "Atanum!" "Monthly Dogma is now finished," the old man said . "His Majesty has asked me to inform you that the Annual Festival of Arts and Crafts will begin a week from now; for all the participants, please submit your items in two days¡¯ time if you hadn¡¯t yet, and for all others who are only interested in seeing the most talented our Great Empire has to offer, ess Permits will be sold in every Holy Church until the day before the Festival¡¯s Opening . Dismissed!" Felix and Lucky followed the crowd as it dispersed, quickly moving toward the ranch to get away from everything . Inside and out both felt beaten like wet dogs . Neither uttered a single word on the way back, immediately instead going inside to take a bath for a good hour before stepping out onto the porch and opening a bottle of wine . " . . . that was . . . terrifying . . . " Felix mumbled, taking a sip and shuddering . "Religions really are scary . " " . . . hm," Lucky nodded faintly . "But, I suppose this is the difference when ites to the rulers, no? Evelyn . . . hah, I don¡¯t think she will evermand such presence . " " . . . yeah," Felix agreed after a short thought . "She certainly has the air of the ruler about her but . . . Emperor Rex is on a whole different level . " "Meh, whatever," Lucky shrugged . "At least something good came of our suffering . " "You¡¯ve figured it out?" Felix asked with interest . "Not specifically," she rubbed her temples in frustration . "But there was quite a thick condensation of Death Qi among those in the air . Whatever it is, it seems it involves the entire upper echelon of the Empire . " " . . . this is getting dangerous L¡¯," Felixmented, frowning . "It¡¯s one thing if we just sniff around the edges, but . . . Master has often warned me that anything having to do with corpses is well above my pay grade and that I should just ignore it . Apparently there¡¯s currently an active Holy Ground entirely built upon the Art of Corpse Reforging . " " . . . this world¡¯s so fucking sick . " Lucky sighed . "But, I don¡¯t think the reach¡¯s quite that wide . " "Why?" "It all seems just . . . too sloppy," she exined . "I mean, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m the best assassin or the spy around, yet I still managed to sniff out quite a bit . If I took this to the Unholy bastards, for instance, it would most-likely instigate the Civil War within the Continental War itself . If the Holy Ground was involved, there¡¯s no way in hell I would have learned anything . This just reeks of people trying to do fucked up shit for the first time and thinking some basic formations and guards will keep it all under wraps . " " . . . can you think of anything they would need literal millions of corpses for?" Felix asked . "Millions of things," Lucky shrugged . "Pill-refinement, humunculus-creation, a massive-scale Death Formation of sorts, literally anything . " "Yeah--eh!!!" "W-what is it?!" Lucky asked, startled, when she saw Felix jump from his seat . "It¡¯s Master!" "Huh?" "Master¡¯s trying to reach me through the talisman!!" "W-what?! Well answer him, goddammit!" "Yes, yes!!" Felix quickly whipped out the talisman and burned it up, causing a small screen to form in front of the two . On the other a familiar face slowly popped out, smiling faintly while drinking . "M-master! You¡¯re fine!" " . . . eh? Of course I¡¯m fine," Lino shrugged . "Why wouldn¡¯t I be fine?" "Because you fought a God-Devil and apparently won?" Lucky questioned with dubious expression . "Oh, right . N¡¯kthur bastard . " Lino sighed . "He really did a number on me . I barely killed him . " " . . . " " . . . " "He he, wow, this was so worth it just for those expressions alone . " Lino chuckled . "Yeah, we should probably stop feeding his ego . If we go on any more, he just might explode . " Lucky was the first to recover,menting . "Ah, anyway, I can¡¯t chat for too long," Lino interrupted suddenly . "What¡¯s going on over there? What about the war?" " . . . " " . . . " "What?" Lino asked, seeing their dubious expressions . "You¡¯ve been gone for a whole week now," Felix said . "And you just now remembered there was a war?" " . . . I refuse to make an official statement . " Lino said . "Ah, fuck it," Lucky shrugged . "Anyway, we found something odd . " "Odd?" Lino asked, arching his brow . "A few million corpses hoarded by the Empire," she exined . "It seems pretty much everyone on the up-end is in some way linked to it . Do you have any clue what¡¯s it for?" " . . . corpses?" Lino thought for a moment as the conversation he had with Rothar shed through his mind . "They figured it out too . . . ?" "What?" Felix and Lucky asked . "Nothing," Lino shook his head . "Drop it until I return . " "And when¡¯s that?" "Three-four weeks at most," Lino said, his expression turning serious . "I¡¯m not joking here, Lucky . If I¡¯m right, then this involves both the Devils and the Empire . For now just hide on the ranch; I¡¯ve reinforced it with several formations . The Core is in my bedroom, so if you ever need to activate them do it from there . Don¡¯t leave the ranch at all if possible . " " . . . yup . I know as much as I knew before you called . Thanks a lot, asshat!" Lucky growled . " . . . " Lino looked at the two of them for a moment before sighing and shaking his head . "Apparently, the reason why the Devils invaded the Continent was due to an item currently inside the Titan Realms, the source of the Empire¡¯s growth . I imagine their next assault will be directly on the Capital as they¡¯ll try to get through before I return . The corpses could do with the fact that the old Emperor is trying to refine the item or awaken it or something like that . That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to stay on the ranch; an item worthy of sending a God-Devil as the Commander isn¡¯t something a few ordinary Titr Voids can do anything with . So stay out of it . " " . . . fine . " Lucky nodded lightly as she realized there was no wiggle-room any longer . " . . . Master, what if they start killing ordinary people because theyck corpses? This could be the Empire ensuring another card before the continuation of the War . " Felix said after a short thought . "Could be," Lino nodded . "And no, you¡¯re not allowed to interfere -- especially you Felix . However much bravado that hulk next to you is trying to showcase, she¡¯s at the very least trained in this and has learned to be careful . " "What do you mean hulk, you bastard?!! I¡¯m perfectly fit!!" Lucky growled out . "Anyway, stay put . I¡¯ll try and get back as quickly as I can and deal with everything . Until then, I¡¯m still expecting that grandson, you know?" "Go fucking die, you piece of shit!!" Lucky eximed . "Who are you talking with, Lino?" a rather melodic and charming voice startled both Felix and Lucky as a realization hit them . "Oh, just my Disciples . Look at them," he pointed forward . "Aren¡¯t they adorable? They¡¯ve promised me a grandson soon . I can¡¯t wait . " "Oh my, they¡¯re really quite adorable," a masked woman showed up on the screen, pushing against Lino¡¯s face . "Hello guys! Remember, when making a child, it¡¯s best if thedy lifts her legs over the man¡¯s shoulders while she lies down, rising her buttocks slightly off the bed . The man can help by holding her hips, and this position ensures he can reach quite deep, and I hear it¡¯s also quite pleasurable for both parties . Have fun!" "Hey, how the hell do you know all that?" Lino asked with a quizzicallyical expression . "Fuck, do you have a kid?! Oh my god you have a kid! Just tell me if you have a kid?! Am I wasting my time here?! Do you have a husband? Fuck, you definitely have a husband! Is he handsome?! Why the heck are all the women around me already wedded and bedded! What¡¯s wrong with me?! . . . " " . . . " Lucky and Felix stared at the screen long after it had disappeared, their minds spinning . They finally realized why would Lino take three-four weeks to ¡¯recover¡¯, and they also realized meeting any person even remotely close to Lino would drive them mad for he¡¯s the embodiment of insanity, and is quite contagious . Chapter 207 Chapter 207 CHAPTER 207 IN A CABIN ¡¯NEATH A TREE (III) A fairly quaint atmosphere devoured the small cabin by the river¡¯s bank as night outside devoured the world . A fewnterns and gemstones lit up the inside, asional howl of the wind dying out before reaching in, sounds of flipping pages repeatedly echoing out . Hannah and Lino both sat on the bed, their backs leaned against one another, each reading a book in silence . They were neither informative nor historical, nor any sort which would inspire one to think deeply of it; Lino¡¯s was an entirely fictional tale of the Band of Knights who overthrew an evil King while Hannah¡¯s was about a young adventurer exploring a fictional continent called Artia . Neither said a word as the hours passed, asionally shifting in their positions, asionally chuckling and taking a sip of the drinks lined on the table next to the bed . Though both could easily read the entire books in a single sweep of their Divine Senses, they read them page by page instead, burning through the words slowly . It was yet to dawn when they finished, stretching out and putting the books down . "You have a very bony back . . . " Lino mumbled . "That¡¯s probably because there are bones in there . " Hannah replied with a faint chuckle as the two sat upright, leaning against the wall . "We should take them out . They¡¯re not good for you . " "Thanks for the offer, but I quite like them actually . " "Eh," Lino shrugged, smirking . "Your loss . " "Thanks for being the bedrock though . " she said, grasping at the small bottle . "Didn¡¯t wanna break you . " "Ah, it¡¯s cute that you think you could . " "Oh, I so could . I mean, as long as you don¡¯t use Qi . " " . . . humph, well, unlike some people that I know whom I shall not name I take care of my body so it doesn¡¯t go out of control . " "Oh please," Lino rolled his eyes . "Every time I¡¯m wearing a shirt I can practically see the disappointment in your eyes . " " . . . no reason ady can¡¯t enjoy some eye-candy from time to time . " "Not at the expense of my dignity . " Lino took a pillow and pulled it over his chest, backing away slightly from her . "You don¡¯t have dignity . " Hannah said, ncing at him . " . . . yeah, that¡¯s true . " he sighed . "I¡¯m still wondering what the hell happened to it . " "Wanna take a walk?" "A walk?" "Yeah, there¡¯s a niceke nearby we could go to for a day," she said . "We can have a pic out there and all . " " . . . alright, sure . " Lino nodded . "However, if you have any ns of drowning me, I¡¯d rather you skip it and just blow my head up . " "But I¡¯d very much like to watch you suffer before you die . " "And thousands of years from now, I¡¯ll make sure to indulge that fantasy . Just endure until then, okay?" "It¡¯s a promise?" "Of course!" "Alright, let¡¯s go . " "W-wait, right now?" "Yeah, when did you think?" she asked . " . . . let¡¯s go then . " The two heaved off the bed and cruised out of the small cabin quickly . The sun had just broken past the distant mountain peaks, casting its first rays of light onto a new day . Hannah headed northward toward the mountains as Lino followed in silence, taking in the surroundings . He hadn¡¯t left the cabin¡¯s immediate area ever since he arrived a week earlier, mostly just sitting by the river and fishing . It was a t valley spanning miles onward, besieged with tall grass and weed and asional flower that managed to break out . The area was quite windy all day through, swaying the grass reaching up to his knees constantly . Though he was there for a few days Lino had just at that moment became aware of the pure serenity of mind and heart . An old me rekindled inside his soul, one he had thought to have buried a long time ago -- his almost childlike longing for a much simpler life . His lips curled up in a wide smile as he stopped walking for a moment and looked up toward the sky, taking a deep breath . Hannah turned around and nced at him, looking curiously . "What are you doing?" she asked . " . . . I grew up wanting this, you know?" he said . " . . . what? To stand in the middle of nowhere and look a fool?" "Oh, I look a fool regardless of where I¡¯m at," Lino chuckled as he began walking again, catching up to her . "No, this . . . peace . No battles . No worries . No new, earth-shattering revtions . No dead or dying or those still wishing for it . Just . . . this . Day after day of simplicity, of that boredom everyone seems to hate for some reason . " " . . . ah . So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m boring . Gotchya . " "Well,pared to me, you know, who isn¡¯t?" Lino grinned . "So don¡¯t feel bad . " " . . . so you regret bing a Bearer then?" she asked, ncing at him, her expression hidden beneath her mask . " . . . honestly?" Lino mumbled . "Every day of my life . " "This way, though, you have a chance to change the world . " "Heh, I don¡¯t think you honestly believe that," Lino smiled bitterly . "Every change is temporary . It seems the world has this bizarre ability to gravitate back to pulling out the worst in us regardless . " " . . . a cynic, huh? Ah, and you looked so hopeful on the surface . " she chuckled . "What about you? Do you regret it?" Lino asked . " . . . not really . I mean, I¡¯d have gotten involved in the world¡¯s affairs regardless of what I did . This way, at least, I can pretend to have some control over it all . " " . . . yeah . I suppose that part is true . " " . . . so you really think you can¡¯t change the world? Isn¡¯t that the Empyrean¡¯s sole job?" Hannah asked . " . . . first you should ask me whether I want to change the world in the first ce . " "Do you?" "Not particrly . " "Why?" " . . . because the world is fine," Lino said . "It¡¯s those inhabiting it that are fucked up . I mean, I¡¯ll be the first to admit that I know next to nothing about our history, and why are we so conflict-driven, and I very much doubt that nobody else in the history of the world realized it yet, all the same, the chaos continued . It almost feels like it¡¯s always meant to be that way . " " . . . that¡¯s a unique way to look at it . Ah, up this path . " she said as the two pushed past the thin forest and up a mountainous road . "Though I guess the Bringer of Chaos himself thinking that is only natural, actually . " "What about you, then? You want to bring the order to the world?" Lino asked . " . . . not really," Hannah said in a mellowed tone . "I just want to learn . . . why . " "Don¡¯t we all?" The two went to walk the rest of the way in a somber silence, climbing up a rather steep, winding road before reaching a halfway point of the mountain whereupon Hannah took a side turn rather going further up, soon reaching a massive cleave in the mountain on the side leading to a circr valley of sorts with ake at its center . Lino was rather stunned when heid his eyes on the scene for the first time; theke was eerily coral-dyed, surrounded by tall, plum-colored flowers of sorts which then further went on to spill into almost an artificially-made garden of ck roses which climbed up the steep walls of the surroundings . "You like it?" Hannah asked with a chuckle, noticing Lino¡¯s expression . " . . . it¡¯s at times like this I wish I picked a brush once or twice and learned the damn thing . " "You look the sort whocks patience for that intricate art . " Hannah said . " . . . I¡¯m a cksmith . " Lino replied firmly . "Eh?! No way!!" Hannah eximed with a genuine wonder . "What do you mean no way?! How in the fuck do you think this body you drool over got made, huh?" " . . . I-I don¡¯t drool over it . . . " "Yeah, and I¡¯m not ncing at your tits and ass whenever I get a chance . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . pretend that never happened?" Lino suggested . "Deal . " Hannah nodded firmly . "Anyway, yeah, I¡¯m a cksmith," Lino said as the two walked up to theke, sitting at its shore . "I got lucky when I got kicked out of the orphanage and met a great cksmith whose wife talked him into adopting me . " " . . . okay, you just made that up . " "It does sound made up when I say it out loud," Linomented, stroking his chin which was already devoured in beard . "But, it¡¯s true . That¡¯s also when I became the Empyrean . You could say that year really turned my life around . " " . . . you really could . " Hannah mumbled faintly . "What are they like?" "Who?" "Your parents . . . ? I guess . . . ?" "Oh . Ha ha, they¡¯re quite . . . unique," Lino said, smiling warmly . "I¡¯ve yet to meet someone with hearts as big as theirs, to be honest . Who else picks a random kid off the street, who by the way repeatedly insulted them and made it difficult to even stand him, then proceed to feed him, clothe him, teach him and give him a wholesome home? I mean, however you think about it, it takes someone special . " " . . . perhaps they just saw in you something worth pulling out . " Hannah said with an honest smile, getting up . "Wanna go for a swim?" " . . . what? This water¡¯s actually clean?" Lino asked in wonder . "Of course it¡¯s clean," she replied, rolling her eyes at him as she pulled her one piece dress off, left with only her underwear on . "What¡¯s with that look of disappointment?" " . . . don¡¯t ask if you know . " "I just want to hear it . " she smiled . "I was hoping you¡¯d identally pull your mask off as well . " Hannah¡¯s cheeks suddenly flushed red as Lino grinned, getting up and leaning into her face . "And what did your perverted mind think about?" " . . . shut up . I hope you drown . " "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll save me . " "Try me . " she whipped out her tongue at him before running off into theke and taking off . Linoughed for a moment as he took off his shirt and pants, with only underpants remaining . He quickly followed her and swam out into theke as well . The water was rather warm, he realized, and even had some healing properties . His heart swelled as he realized she must have been looking for ways to help him whenever she went out for hours at time . She stopped somewhere around theke¡¯s center, waiting for Lino to catch up . He stopped just before and looked on at her in silence, his eyes glistening strangely . Her wet hair almost seemed like draining blood as it slithered about theke¡¯s surface, her eyes terrifyingly beautiful . "What? Is there something stuck on my face?" she asked as she realized the two hadn¡¯t spoken for nearly a minute, merely staring at one another . "No," Lino said, smiling . "I¡¯m just thinking about how I actually wished you had no underwear on . " "See, I knew it you---" before she had a chance to speak any further, Lino closed in quickly and grasped at her back, hugging her and pulling her lips against his . They were warm and soft, he mused inwardly as he closed his eyes, taking a simple, yet the most difficult leap of faith he ever would in his life . Chapter 208 Chapter 208 CHAPTER 208 IN THE DARK (III) Curtailed fog splintered the asional sight of the firm earth, making it seem as though the whole surrounding world was floating in an endless void . There was neither the sky nor the sun up above but the perpetual darkness asionally ripped by a bolt of bleak, scarlet lighting . Whatever the world held was hidden from the curious, yet the curiosity was a persistent feeling . Emperor Rex, alongside the Guardian Jean and the Holy Monk of the Empire were currently standing at the very edge of the realm, an arched gateway made entirely out of gold standing tall behind them spitting faint, golden light onto the realm¡¯s entrance . It was the trio¡¯s sixth timeing here in the past several years, each time giving them nothing but pain and suffering in return for their curiosity . The Emperor led upfront, d entirely in ethereally white armor, almostpletely without any blemishes, radiating out pure, milky light . The Monk and the Guardian stood a few paces behind him, simrly d in white though less pure versions . "You ready?" the Emperor nced back at the two whereupon they nodded faintly, their expressions growing stern . "Remember to maintain the formation at all times no matter what happens . " He gave out thestmand before taking a breath and stepping forth . This realm was identally discovered within one of therger Titan Realms hidden deep beneath thend where the Pce hovered over ten thousand years ago . Since then there had been numerous expeditions into it, some leading to solemn returns while others to no returns at all . Nearly all past Emperors who had died before passing on the Crown had died within this little realm, their bodies never to be recovered . No one was quite certain as to what the realm was or even how it got there; it almost seemed like a quasi-Dimension within the separate reality, connected to the Titan Realms through odd spatialws nobody quite understood . They had even summoned some experts from the Holy Lands over the course of centuries, all of whom were well versed in the Law of Space and Law of Void, but all of it to no avail . They either returned trodden or hadn¡¯t returned at all; however, despite the ever-increasing number of casualties, the sessive line of the Emperors had never given up on further investigating the realm . Whatever was hidden deep within its heart must be of extraordinary origin -- perhaps even an unknown and an un-awakened Prime, a single entity which could elevate the Empire to the same level as the Holy Grounds . The trio walked slowly and cautiously, reacting to any and all sounds; their three armors were all Legendary Artifacts collected from the Titan Realms throughout the Empire¡¯s existence, all almost exclusively gravitating toward the immunity to the Arts of Illusion, Darkness and such . While it was never ascertained that the realm was inhabited by them, it was the most logical conclusion toe to . The Emperor suddenly jumped back, his entire body shaking; the Monk and the Guardian held his back quickly, their expressions darkening as they nced toward the front . There a monstrosity beyond description drearily morphed in the air like a melting candle, its body stacked with lizard-like eyes, the centerfold being a gaping hole full of sharp, pointy teeth and a tongue the size of a grown man¡¯s arm . The trio¡¯s senses were quickly assailed by a pungent stenching from the creature who almost seemed to be mockingly staring at them, twisting its long tongue yfully about . The creature was almost entirely ck save for the hazy, silver eyes and the blood-red tongue, and after a few moments of dreaded silence, it disappeared into the mist, leaving behind a cacklingughter which continued on to echo for nearly a full minute . " . . . l-let¡¯s go . " the Emperor swallowed a gulp of his saliva as he steeled his heart and resumed walking forward, followed by the other two immediately . Seeing simr creatures wasn¡¯t a rare urrence; harrowing abominations appeared left and right, but never directly interacted with the trio . Long, skeletal arms wrapped in tattered skin arched over their heads, unkempt fingernails scratching the distant, ssy surface, screeching wails adorned with gutturalughter, eerie -- almost perversely so --ughter of children, streams of repugnant blood, eyes like clocks on the towers looking from the air, a red slit casting a faint radiance of blood, nting altogether into a mocking gaze . . . it felt like they were walking through a nightmare which came to life, embodying all their fears . One of the reasons they suspected it was a sort of an Illusion was exactly this; each time they arrived, regardless of who came with them, things would be slightly different . Strange creatures would simrly often appear, but would always embody partly whatever they dreaded the most at the moment . The sudden appearance of a mask held up by a shadow-wrapped arm only went to further confirm their suspicions . It was clearly the mask that the Descender wore, almost its exact replica . Seconds passed infinitely slowly, their hearts thumping audibly, footsteps mixing in to create a rhythmic sort of a melody . Droplets of cold sweat flooded their bodies, anxiety crumbling them . The Emperor was the worst for the wear as he led the small group; he had practically frozen his jaw in ce as to not continuously nk with his teeth, his eyes webbed in red, wide open, nostrils ring asionally . He had long since unconsciously tightened his hands into fists, cracking several fingers without even realizing it . It wasn¡¯t the sort of fear and dread that strikes one from the external means; after all, the three of them had lived for a long time and had seen all sorts of sights . In reality they should have been hardly -- if at all -- affected by this much, yet, for some reason, they all felt like breaking down and running away in tears . It was the sort of horror that came from within, overburdening one¡¯s senses and controlling one¡¯s primal instincts . It was almost as if the mind actively worked against itself, trying to sabotage any attempts at the logical thought . The mist suddenly dispersed as the trio was thrown into a small, underground cave . The only source of light were their ever-dimming armors, and everything past the extension of their arms was flooded in darkness . Led by the Emperor, the trio took a moment to regain their senses as the feelings of overwhelming anxiety that had nearly crippled them slowly dissipated . After a minute or so, having regained their most basic agency, they bravely stepped forward . They had barely taken a few steps before stopping; the cave wasn¡¯t terriblyrge, even on the smaller side . Held up against the opposite wall was a transparent coffin made out of strange, to them unknown, sort of a crystal . It was small, barely child-sized, already rooted in the earth itself . It shone in a faint, peculiar violet and white, yet its light never breached past the first inch away from the coffin itself, seemingly self-contained . However, it wasn¡¯t the coffin that had stunned the trio into silence; it was what rested within its confines, or rather who . A young girl, seeming no older than seven,y calmly in the coffin with her eyes closed . She was enrobed in a spectacrly white dress, echoing the long, straight hair that appeared too white to be real . Just looking at that may not be all too strange, but the fact that she had four arms crossed over her chest, and that her skin was sickly pink, and that she had holes in both her cheeks that seemed like eye-sockets, and that she didn¡¯t have lips or a mouth put her as far away from being a human as possible . Though the trio wanted to return immediately as they realized they had stumbled upon something that should not be woken, it was toote; the little girl¡¯s eyes suddenly jolted open . Almost immediately crimson tears spilled out from the milky-white eyes, flooding her skin . A mere gaze had frozen the trio into the perpetual state of petrification . They couldn¡¯t move, look away, breathe or even think . Had a doctor inspected them in that moment, he would have proimed them dead . ** Lucky and Felix were currently tending to the horses, both seemingly sleepy as it was still early morning . The moment they¡¯d seen the mere inclination of the visitors in the distance, however, they dropped what they were doing and sprinted away . When they arrived at the ranch¡¯s entrance they¡¯d realized that the visitors were Jack and Edward who were carrying with them several jugs of something . The two of them had rather odd expressions but neither Lucky nor Felix paid much attention to them as their eyes were entirely focused on the jugs . "Good morningds!" Jack eximed with faint excitement as he put the two jugs he was carrying down . "Is Lino around?" " . . . no, he¡¯s still gone . " Felix replied almost salivating as the scent of the alcohol attacked his senses . "Oh . Well, anyway," Jack said . "We got a hold of some special booze so we figured we¡¯d share some . You guys want it?" "Yes, please!" Felix eximed . "Ha ha, alright," Jackughed as Edward put the jugs down . "Have a jolly time fes!" "Oh, we will!" Felix said, his eyes almost shining . "Ha ha ha . . . " Edward and Jack departed almost immediately after, theirughter resonating for a moment . " . . . " Felix, unable to hold back any longer, tried to leap forth when he realized there was a steeled arm holding him back . Somewhat disgruntled, he nced at Lucky who was standing next to him, ncing between him and the jugs . "What are you doing?" "What are you doing?" Lucky asked back . "Trying to get to the gifts?" " . . . let¡¯s hold off on that for the time being . " Lucky said . "There¡¯s something off about this . " "Huh? What are you talking about?" Felix¡¯s tone quickly turned angry as he tried to rip himself away from Lucky¡¯s grip . "Hey, let go you bitch!!" " . . . eh, I¡¯m sort of digging this ¡¯you¡¯," Lucky grinned . "But, I don¡¯t appreciate being called a bitch . " she suddenly heaved her leg up and squarely hit Felix¡¯s crotch, causing thetter to immediately pass out and fall onto the ground . "Especially by the man I love . . . " she mumbled as she picked him up and threw him over the shoulder, using threads of Qi to also pick up the jugs and bring them inside, all the way contemting over what was going on . "That asshole had to have called yesterday . . . of course he did . . . " she cursed lowly, frowning . "That was ourstmunication talisman and he didn¡¯t even tell us where he was at . Ugh . . . it seems like the War will be the least of our worries soon . . . " Chapter 209 Chapter 209 CHAPTER 209 IN A CABIN ¡¯NEATH A TREE (IV) Lino was currently rubbing his cheek tenderly with a frown on his face, eyes scrutinizing the masked woman standing in front of him . There was a faint trace of dissatisfaction in his eyes, almost pouting . Both had just left theke¡¯s water, translucent droplets slipping down their bodies and hair, still in their undergarments . " . . . now, tell me again, do you know what you did wrong?" Hannah asked with a halfway firm tone . " . . . I honestly don¡¯t get it," Lino sighed . "It¡¯s clear you¡¯d like nothing more than to jump me and stab your nails into my skin . And not in the ¡¯oh I¡¯ll skin you alive with my nails¡¯ sort of a way either . " "You¡¯ve got some grand delusions there . " "Do I?" Lino nced up, grinning . "Or am I hitting the sore spots?" " . . . you go in to talk to every woman with the expectation that she would just be unable to resist you, do you?" she asked . "Oh? Is that what this is?" Lino chuckled . "You¡¯re thinking you might just be ¡¯another¡¯ woman?" "I¡¯d always known you had quite a big ego," Hannah said after a short pause, sighing . "But this . . . this is taking things to a whole new level of insanity . " "You can try to dodge your way out of it as much as you want, won¡¯t work . " "You don¡¯t even know who I am . " "So?" "What do you mean ¡¯so¡¯? What¡¯s with that sheepish expression?" " . . . what¡¯s it matter if I know your name, or if I remember you or not?" Lino questioned with a serious gaze . "Shouldn¡¯t it be more important that I¡¯ve gotten to know you over the past week well enough that I¡¯d go for it?" " . . . oh, wow . Well, that¡¯s one way to weasel yourself out of this . " "Besides, I think the bar is way too high . " "What do you mean?" she asked . "I mean that I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯ve never even kissed you in my life, let alone slept with you," Lino said . "How in the fuck am I supposed to remember who you are then? Do you know just how many people I¡¯ve met?" " . . . " "I saw a twitch there," Lino said . "Wait, don¡¯t tell me I actually failed to remember the softness of the woman¡¯s lips?! Aaagh . . . yeah, you¡¯re right . I don¡¯t deserve this . I¡¯m too much of a scumbag . I¡¯m despicable . The worst . Atrocious . " "Listing out your character¡¯s ws won¡¯t earn you any free points, you know?" she chuckled faintly, shaking her head . " . . . just be honest with me . " Lino suddenly said as he turned around and looked at her again . "I know you¡¯re attracted to me . So . . . why?" " . . . are you sure you want to know?" Hannah tilted her head . "Ah! So you admit you¡¯re attracted to me?" "Of course I am," she shrugged . "Any woman who doesn¡¯t think ¡¯oh, yeah, I¡¯d like to bury my face in those abs¡¯ probably streaks the other way . " " . . . heh . " Lino smirked in satisfaction . "But, it¡¯s just a fleeting attraction . Nine out of ten times, it would practically copse the moment they got to know you . You¡¯re impulsive," she continued . "Indifferent, fake down to your bones, uninspired, arrogant, emotionally broken, self-centered, apulsive liar, a womanizer, a drunkard, a battle-maniac, and though I can¡¯t know for certain most-likely a casual thief who does it for shits and giggles . Tell me, then, does that sound like someone I¡¯d be attracted to?" " . . . oh, wow . That actually hurt . " Lino said, taking a deep breath . "But, yeah, why not? I mean, I always tell people: I¡¯m aplex young man with numerousyers that require deep inspection . " "No, you¡¯re just a walking denial wrapped in a bubble of insecurities that¡¯d wear down an entire freaking toon of us, let alone just me . " she persisted . " . . . yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right . " following a short silence, Lino spoke out with a faint, bitter chuckle . "I took a leap of faith . . . didn¡¯t pay off . Can¡¯t fault the guy for trying, right?" " . . . " after saying so, Lino turned around and picked up the clothes sitting on the ground, slowly putting them on with the clear intent of leaving . "Is that it?" "What?" he nced at her, putting the shirt on . "No back-talk? No counter-psycho-analysis?" "Oh, sorry," Lino smirked . "I just wasn¡¯t as obsessed with you as you were with me to the point of being able topletely analyze your character . " " . . . a charming tongue can only go so far . " "Further than you might think . " he winked . " . . . man the fuck up already . " she growled through her gritted teeth . "Hm?" "I said man the fuck up already!" she eximed, jolting over toward him and pushing him onto the ground . "Not everything is a goddamn joke!" " . . . if you keep sitting on me like that, a part of me will sit up too, one you¡¯ve clearly rejected so you might get a bit ufortable . " " . . . heh," Hannah chuckled after a short silence, her lips curling up in a smile . "That¡¯s how it is, huh? Forever a joker?" " . . . " " . . . you¡¯re not a joker, Lino . You¡¯re just a joke . " she got up, walking over and putting on her dress . "Nothing more and nothing less . " " . . . how¡¯s Ally been doing?" Lino asked suddenly, causing Hannah to freeze in spot and turn on her heel, staring at him with eyes wide open . " . . . w-what . . . who¡¯s Ally?" she managed to spit out, stuttering . "Oh, you know," Lino smiled, leaning back against the rock . "That cute little girl I helped you recruit that eventually took your position in the Sect . " " . . . I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about . . . " she mumbled . " . . . I¡¯d seen her from afar over ten years ago," he said . "It seemed like she¡¯de back for me . Has gotten quite strong, to be honest . Was already an Exalted back then . She killed all the nuns that you¡¯ve banned me from doing back then . I, however, doubt you were smart enough to n that far ahead . Must be a coincidence . " " . . . " " . . . though I can¡¯t know what," Lino continued, ignoring her silence . "I imagine something must have happened to her . Knots in the heart are quite a deterrent for cultivators, and that visit probably made hers worse . What was it? Memory wipe? Emotional disconnect? Or did she really manage to ovee it on her own?" " . . . e-emotional disconnect . . . " Hannah gave up, crumbling onto the wet stones . "Heh, it¡¯s the safest one, after all," Lino chuckled . "Though it¡¯s a shame . She grew up to be quite a beautiful one, hasn¡¯t she?" " . . . yeah . " "What about you?" Lino asked . " . . . what about me?" she asked back, ncing at him . "Well, geez, I don¡¯t know," Linoughed lowly, getting up and walking over to her and crouching next to her . "Are you still a beauty I remember you to be?" " . . . " " . . . you, too, are impulsive," he said as he put his fingers on her chin, lifting her face up and forcing her to look him in the eyes . "You¡¯re too kind-hearted," he continued, tracing his finger over her lips . "Too defenseless, too naive," the tip of his finger met with the bottom of the mask . "Too invested . . . too caring . . . " he slowly pressed it and slowly lifted it off an inch . "Too stubborn . . . " he lifted it up further, exposing slightly flushed cheeks . "You¡¯re a trickster who can¡¯t y tricks, you¡¯re just as insecure as I am if not more, you¡¯ve once sexually assaulted a twelve-year-old boy," he grinned as her eyes popped from beneath the mask, ethereally emerald in their hue, piercing . "You¡¯re too self-conscious, a walking paradox . . . " Lino put the mask down next to the two, thest barrier vanishing . The blood-crimson hair spilled wet over her forehead, creating a rather peculiar contrast to her somewhat pale skin . "But . . . " he mumbled, caressing her cheek gently with a smile . "You¡¯re . . . Hannah . " he chuckled . "Even if you were a hundred times worse, you¡¯d still be ten thousand times better than anyone else I¡¯d ever met in my life . " " . . . when . . . when did you figure it out?" she asked timidly, her lips trembling . " . . . when we first met by thatke," he smiled . "Red hair . . . green eyes . . . the gaze that could disarm the Devils themselves . . . you did leave quite an impression on me back then, you know?" " . . . I . . . I didn¡¯t recognize you, though . . . " she tried to avert his gaze yet he stubbornly followed . "Ha ha, of course you didn¡¯t," Lino grinned . "Back then I used to be some scrawny, broody, listless, weak brat . Now I¡¯m a handsome, brave, perfect stud . Quite an evolution, no?" " . . . the only evolutionary thing about you is your ego . " she smiled faintly, shaking her head . "But, yeah . . . you¡¯ve changed . . . quite a lot . " " . . . I was right . " "About what?" she asked . "You¡¯ve grown to be far more beautiful than her," he smiled . "Far, far more beautiful . " " . . . when did it be apetition?" she rolled her eyes at him, chuckling, seemingly having recovered from the initial shock . "You¡¯re right," Lino said, pressing closer . "It never was . " he stopped a mere inch away from her lips, staring piercingly into her eyes . " . . . really?" she asked, grinning . "Hey, gotta pay your dues . " he replied, grinning back . "I am older than you, you remember that, right?" "Oh, yeah, you¡¯re quite an old one . " "Hey!!" " . . . " " . . . ugh, fine . " she rolled her eyes yet again . "You¡¯re still just a kid, I see . " she crossed the final inch and pressed her lips against his, her arms slowly wrapping themselves around his neck as his rested on her back . Like stone statues they remained embraced for a little while, shutting out the world around and beyond them, entirely wrapped in a small bubble surrounding the two . Chapter 210 Chapter 210 CHAPTER 210 IN THE DARK (IV) Dark clouds loomed over the Holy City, nketing the vast swath ofnd in shade and shadow, blocking the sun entirely from casting its light onto it . There was a strange sort of eerie stillness to the whole city, to all the streets and little alleyways, and expansive farnds and riverbanks, and even the usually extremely popted zas . Endless, almost corporeal, shadows danced about the edges of the walls and streets, asional disfigured eye perching out and blinking once before disappearing . Every so often an arm-sized tentacle would reach out from the cracks within the paved roads and wiggle for a second before disappearing . The world was infinitely besieged by oddities beyond its realm, a set of strange abominations proudly disying themselves for a moment before hiding in the dark . The now-endless streaks of thread-thin shadows mingled into webs and copsed, spilling like ink over the streets, filling up the cracks and traveling onward . Well outside the city, stationed halfway up the nearest mountain, hidden within the realm of the massive forest, Felix and Lucky were currently sitting on top of an abandoned scout tower . The signs of age were evident across its surface, even more so with the vegetation that had nearly taken it whole . The two had hid themselves here shortly after escaping the ranch a couple of days ago, not daring to even peek their heads out of the thick branches and leaves . " . . . it¡¯s still growing . " Felix sighed, his face contorted into a frown . "What the fuck is it anyway?" " . . . whatever it is," Lucky said, her expression that of mncholy . "We have no business tackling it . . . and chances are neither does Lino . " "What is the Empire doing anyway?" Felix mumbled, agitated . "Why aren¡¯t they trying to clean up the mess?" " . . . they probably are," Lucky shrugged . "But, clearly, they¡¯re not doing all that well . " " . . . just looking at that shit makes me ufortable and angry . " "It¡¯s kind of like Lino, isn¡¯t it?" Lucky chuckled . "Yeah, except I doubt he¡¯d ever suddenly turn to cannibalism and try to eat us . " "Eh, you can never know with that bastard . " she said . "Maybe it¡¯s one of his numerous fetishes . " " . . . why does it suddenly sound possible?" Felix sighed . "Wait, could this have something to do with the whole corpse-business?" " . . . you just figured that one out? Damn, you¡¯re so fucking slow . " "Hey, excuse me if I was a bit distracted!!" Felix grunted, blushing faintly . "Could be, though . " Lucky said . "It certainly does stink of Devil business . But, then again, it¡¯s been two days and I¡¯ve yet to see even a sign of a Demon, let alone a Devil . Something¡¯s terribly off here . " " . . . why does it sound like you¡¯re about to say something utterly moronic?" Felix asked suddenly, ring at her . "I¡¯m gonna go and explore . " "Like hell you will . " he retorted without hesitation . "Aww, what are you gonna do? Chain me up?" "I¡¯ll fight you to myst breath . " "Wouldn¡¯t that just attract whatever the hell that is and kill us both?" " . . . you keep saying Lino¡¯s insane," Felix said . "But, you¡¯re just as, if not more . " "Heh, why do you think we get along so well?" she winked as she got up . "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try and be careful . " "L¡¯," Lucky felt a strong grip on her wrist, holding her back for a moment . "I know you¡¯ve realized it yourself -- which makes your choice seem even dumber -- but there¡¯s no ¡¯hiding¡¯ and ¡¯being careful¡¯ when ites to that thing . " " . . . I¡¯ve got a theory," her tone mellowed as she crouched down . "And I think it¡¯ll work out . But, in case I don¡¯te back, feel free to live on and fuck everything that walks, alright?" " . . . " she tried to walk away yet even stronger force pulled her back, causing her to slip over a small stone and fall onto Felix who held onto her tightly . "Come back . " " . . . I¡¯ll try . " she said, smiling faintly . "I¡¯m not asking . " she nced back and met a hardened, cold gaze which quickly pierced past her feeble barrier, causing her lips to tremble momentarily . "I will . " she nodded faintly, closing in and kissing him softly . "Wait for me . " "I will . " They stared at each other for a moment longer before Lucky pulled up and swiftly left, cloaking herself in the shadows of the forest, descending the mountain far quicker than the two climbed it two days prior . She naturally wasn¡¯t rushing toward her death, and was instead fairly certain in her conjecture -- whatever the creature was, its realm was limited within wherever its shadows roamed . She suspected that the creaturecked anything akin to the Divine Sense, meaning that it was practically blind to everything going on outside its immediate realm . She couldn¡¯t ascertain itpletely, but ording to her observations ever since Jack and Edward visited her, she had gleamed as much . Though the spread was fast, she noted, it also felt very artificial; for nearly four hours at one point there were several, massive holescking shadows deep within their realms . It seemed, at least to her, that the creature necessitated the hosts to expand its domain . Reaching the mountain¡¯s bottom swiftly, she traced across the vast, empty fields, circling the extending realms of shadows and rushing toward the First District, where she suspectedy the source itself and possibly even the struggle . For all their shorings, Lucky very much doubted that the entire upper echelon of the Empire simply rolled over and died -- especially so because the creature seemed to work its magic through unconventional means rather than direct battles . She wasn¡¯t certain as to what she expected to do even if all her conjectures came true, but at the very least it was better knowing than not; there was still quite some time before Lino returned, which is also why Felix and her hadn¡¯t fled any further, nning on reuniting with him before doing so . As thendscape surrounding her blurred, she found herself running parallel to the shadows, barely a few kilometers away from their edges yet still unnoticed . She was more and more assured of her conjecture, causing her somewhat shaken heart to calm, realizing she would keep her promise . Yet, at the same time, that realization had shaken her heart just the same, if not more, causing her to curse briefly under her breath, yet still being unable to wipe the smirk off her face . She ended up running for nearly eight hours at full speed before reaching the edge of the First District; almost immediately she realized she was right as she saw a massive, gaping hole at the center of the District, especially so around the Pce, with asional shes of light escaping past the darkening shadows and into the sky . She, however, had neither the desire nor the means to sneak inside and confirm anything; she had already tested her luck enough, she mused, wondering when she¡¯d gotten sofortable with her name she too started making puns out of it . Slowing down her speed, Lucky became more cautious as she neared the edges of the shadows, ready to leap back and flee at a moment¡¯s notice . The outer walls of the District were already consumed in shadows so she could at most roam the outside edges, hoping to gleam something more from her short excursion . It was also then that she¡¯d spotted a sh of light st past the shadows, seemingly expelled out of the realms of the dark, arching through the sky beforending just a few hundred meters away from Lucky . Well, to call it anding would be a bit generous; whoever it was crashed lopsidedly, and was then dragged further through the rubble and earth, leaving a trail for nearly a hundred meters before stopping . Lucky took a deep breath before carefully walking over, unsure of who it was or perhaps what it was . As the dust settled, she saw a sorry figure lying down, missing an entire arm and half his right leg . Despite the serious disfigurement, she quickly recognized who it was -- Second Prince On¡¯yal . Though alive, he was heavily wounded at the moment, barely conscious . Speeding over, Lucky fetched a few healing pills she had stored and forcibly fed them to On¡¯yal whose eyes oozed desperation and terror . Though he tried to move, Lucky prevented him as going any further might genuinely break every single bone in his body . She waited for a few minutes till the healing pills began working their magic; well, rather than magic, it was at most some basic assistance -- they could neither grow back the lost limbs nor could they simply heal the numerous cuts and scars, or recover his strength . The pills merely closed up the wounds and stopped the bleeding, but that was more than enough for someone of On¡¯yal¡¯s Realm to survive . " . . . r-run . . . run away . . . " he managed to stutterer through his nking teeth, staring at Lucky with terrified gaze . "Yeah, yeah, I probably should," she nodded, ncing back at the City . "But, how about you tell me what happened instead?" " . . . r-run! You . . . damned . . . woman!!" "Oi, oi, how are you treating someone who just saved your life?" Lucky red at him . "Don¡¯t worry too much . Whatever that thing is, it doesn¡¯t even know we¡¯re here . " "H-huh?" "See the shadows?" she pointed at the edge of the darkness . "Anything outside of them, it¡¯s kind of blind to it . " " . . . r-really?!" the Prince eximed softly as a faint trace of hope surfaced inside his eyes . "Really," Lucky nodded, smiling lightly . "So, tell me what happened . " " . . . I . . . I don¡¯t . . . know . . . " the Prince suddenly frowned as his body shook, terror returning to his gaze . "It . . . it just appeared . . . out of nowhere . . . killing . . . devouring . . . mutting . . . b-by the time we realized what was happening . . . we were, were trapped . We . . . we¡¯ve been fighting for . . . I don¡¯t even know anymore . But . . . no matter . . . no matter what we do . . . we can¡¯t kill . . . it . . . " " . . . how many of you are in there?" Lucky asked, frowning . " . . . there¡¯s . . . there¡¯s maybe fifteen people left . . . " "Can you message them?" "I-I have my Sister¡¯s talisman . . . " he spoke meekly, fetching a golden piece of paper and handing it to Lucky . "I . . . I can¡¯t activate it . . . " " . . . alright," Lucky nodded, sending a sliver of Qi into the talisman . "Inform them to try and leave no matter what and exin to them what I just told you . From what I¡¯ve figured, whatever that creature is, it uses hosts to spread itself so it can¡¯t expand naturally, meaning we¡¯ll be safe so long as we don¡¯t get too near it . Also tell them not to eat or drink anything within the city and to leave it all behind, even if it was within their void storages . " " . . . a-alright . . . " Lucky quickly tuned out as On¡¯yal desperately tried to exin the situation to the seemingly crumbling voice on the other end . Her eyes quickly look toward south, a strange expression and a surge of emotions besieging her . She felt pathetically weak and, perhaps even more so, simply angry with herself . Even in a moment like this, where she knew in her heart of hearts that he couldn¡¯t change anything, she had still hoped for him to swoop in and fix everything through some miracle . Sheughed at herself inwardly, with bitterness surging to her throat; it was this dependence, she realized, that caused her to be weak andcent in the first ce . She realized that she was doing disservice to the both of them; should something happen, regardless of how or why, he would me himself, even if he repeatedly tried to get her and Felix to simply settle and train in peace . At that moment she made a vow within the depths of her soul to change, to grow, to outlive the unhealthy faith in him . For the first time, truly, did she understand why Lino always seemed disappointed when people fought for the dreams of others . Chapter 211 Chapter 211 CHAPTER 211 PRIMAL AWAKENING A fishing rod stretched over a small bridge over a stream, swaying left and right gently due to the current . Lino hummed a low tune, seeming detached from the world, one of his hands holding onto the rod while the other was gently caressing a bundle of crimson hair on hisp . Hannahid still, her eyes closed and breathing calm, enjoying the warm touch . The tender wind would asionally graze the two, chilling them momentarily . Neither spoke a word nor made a distinguishable sound past the low hums; they seemed ethereally detached from the world around them, as though they lived in an entirely different dimension, cut away entirely from the reality . Lino suddenly looked down and met a pair of shining, emerald-green eyes which curled up lightly in the motion of Hannah¡¯s lips into a smile . He smiled back and lowered his head, kissing her forehead gently . " . . . damn, your lips are really dry," she frowned . "Do you bite them?" "Why would I bite my lips?" Lino asked . "I don¡¯t know, a habit? I¡¯d seen some people do it . " " . . . not following . " "Apparently they do it when they¡¯re nervous," Hannah said . "To calm down . Are you nervous?" she smirked strangely . "Not exactly nervous," Lino replied, grinning . "More so horny than anything else . " "I¡¯d told you already: no . " she said firmly . "Yeah, yeah, I get it . Doesn¡¯t make it any less difficult, you know?" "If you¡¯re a man you¡¯ll endure . " " . . . you clearly don¡¯t know a first thing about men, do you?" "And you do?" " . . . I sure hope I do," he said . "I¡¯d been one for nearly thirty goddamn years . " "I said a man, not a kid . " she chuckled . "Tease away," he shrugged . "Just don¡¯t be surprised when you see me hunched over behind that shack, trembling . " " . . . . " her cheeks faintly blushed as she sighed . "I . . . I didn¡¯t need to know that . . . " "Oh, I know . Just wanted to save you an awkward questionter on . " "What makes you think I¡¯d ask?" "You always ask," he said . "It¡¯s like your thing or something . " "Ah, whatever . Do what you want with your dick, it¡¯s yours after all . " " . . . aww, it¡¯s no fun if you give me permission . " he chuckled . "I sense some attempts at guilting me into doing something I¡¯ll regretter," she smiled dubiously for a moment . "Do you really think so little of me?" "Not guilt per se," Lino said, stroking his chin for a moment . "More like trying to make you pity me . " " . . . and that makes it better . . . how?" "Oh, I didn¡¯t say it makes it better . It¡¯s still a scummy thing; I just wanted to rify the exact specifications of the scumminess . " " . . . ha ha ha ha," she suddenly burst out intoughter as she rolled over, causing Lino¡¯s face to contort . "You really are something . " "Uh, you . . . you should probably stop shoving your head in there . " "Huh?" "My dick . Stop shoving your head onto my dick . " "Oh . Sorry . " she coughed lowly, hiding her blush as she got up and sat next to him, wiggling strangely for a moment . "You did well not to scar me for life . " " . . . . " "I-I didn¡¯t mean it like that!! Dammit!" " . . . khm, I suppose I could go celibate," Lino mumbled, his head lowered . "I mean, whatever, you know? I¡¯ve handled worse stuff in my life . " " . . . ugh, fine, alright? I¡¯ll tell you . " "Tell me what?" Lino nced at her, confused . "Why . . . you know . . . " " . . . you won¡¯t blow my brains out the only way brains ought to be blown out?" he said . " . . . you can never say something like a normal person would, can you?" "It¡¯s all about showcasing I¡¯m different . " he grinned . "What¡¯s my use if I¡¯m just like everyone else?" "Yeah, yeah, whatever . So, anyway, the reason is . . . it¡¯s . . . because I¡¯m---you can¡¯t ignore it any longer, can you?" a robotic voice suddenly superimposed over Hannah¡¯s, startling Lino till he nearly fell off the bridge . "I had hoped they would manage to contain her," Lino¡¯s voice turned robotic as well, causing him to roll his eyes inwardly . "Clearly not . " "Can you tell who it is?" Hannah spoke out . "It¡¯s Umbra," Lino¡¯s voice replied . "I hadn¡¯t expected her to awaken so soon . " " . . . Umbra, huh? It¡¯s not the worst possibility," Hannah¡¯s voice said . "Should at the very least be easy to contain if not outright put to sleep again . " "How much strength can that boy exert?" "About half of his peak," Lino¡¯s voice replied . "Though if he fixes the Wings and the Armor he should be better off . " "Alright, Hannah can provide him with materials . How long will it take him to repair it, though? We can¡¯t dy much further . " "He can repair on the way over . " "A mount?" "Sanguine Hippogryph . " "Oh, not bad," Hannah¡¯s voice eximed . "It¡¯ll get us there quickly enough . " " . . . " " . . . " Hannah and Lino stared at each other for a moment, both disgruntled . "Hey, next time warn us you pieces of shit!" Lino growled . "Getting my soul ripped out of my body isn¡¯t exactly the most thrilling experience, you know?!" " . . . are you really angry about that or because I got cut halfway through telling you something you really, really wanted to hear?" Hannahmented, grinning . "You can keep some of your revtions to yourself, you know? Save me some dignity and all . " Lino said, chuckling bitterly . "Yeah, sure . " she nced at him dubiously . "Anyway, did you get any of what they were saying?" "Something woke up," Lino shrugged . "And if my instincts are correct, it¡¯s this bastard¡¯s child or something like that . " Lino pointed at himself . "W-wait, you mean a fucking Prime?!!" Hannah suddenly eximed as she bolted onto her feet, her expression that of terror . "Don¡¯t even joke about that shit, Lino!" " . . . well, it¡¯s good to see you¡¯re more terrified of whatever that is than having sex with me . " Lino remained as calm as he was ignorant . "Kind of a confidence booster, actually . " " . . . this isn¡¯t really time for jokes," Hannah forcibly calmed herself down, breathing in deeply . "Do you even know what a Prime is?" " . . . this bastard¡¯s child?" Lino pointed at himself again . " . . . they¡¯re the first of Creation," Hannah exined, barely holding herself back from pping him squarely across his cheeks . "Practically as old as the entire World itself -- older than Gaia herself at that, even older than Fate . They were the first life forms to inhibit the world besides the Writs and the Scripture . " " . . . . " "What¡¯s with that sheepish look?!" " . . . I¡¯m just not following . " he shrugged . "So what if they¡¯re first? Seeing as they¡¯re not ruling over the world, isn¡¯t it safe to say that, you know, they¡¯re kind of pathetic?" " . . . did you eat a strange fruit or something?" "I¡¯m kidding," Lino chuckled as he saw her aggressive expression . He slowly got up and walked over, patting her . "I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯ve already met one of these Primes, and I¡¯m still alive . So how bad can they be?" " . . . it¡¯s not that they¡¯re incapable of taking over the world," Hannah exined patiently . "It¡¯s that they¡¯re in a perpetual state of sleep . Since they¡¯re the Empyrean Writ¡¯s direct creations, they are almost entirely made of Chaos; and due to the passage of time, the Chaos grew more diluted, especially so once the Empyrean Writ was no longer near them to provide them nutrition . That¡¯s why they fall asleep, billions of years at the time, as they instinctively store as much Chaos as they can within themselves so when they wake they won¡¯t flop over and die . One of the greatest taboos in the entire world is waking a Prime; practically every Holy Land has at least one in their Defensive Reserves, yet waking one means automatic expulsion from the Holy Lands, and most-likely extermination of the entire Sect or the n . " " . . . how the fuck do you know all this shit?" Lino asked, somewhat aggravated over how he¡¯s still being kept in the dark in regards to most of these things . "I grew up in a Holy Land, duh . " she shrugged . " . . . lucky bastard . " "Do you understand the gravity of the situation now?" she asked, somewhat agitated . "Nope!" Lino eximed with a beaming smile as he whipped Grim out of the Dimensional Pouch; the bird cried out joyfully into the sky to the point one could almost see the tears festering in its eyes . "Anyway, we¡¯re wasting time just sitting around here and sucking our thumbs . Give me those materials so I can fix my shit and so we can go over and fix that shit . " " . . . you sure are confident for someone who barely lived just over half a month ago . " "If you want to survive in this world, I¡¯d learned," Lino said as he climbed on the hippogryph¡¯s back . "You need confidence more than anything else . Self-doubt is practically a suicide . " " . . . aren¡¯t you worried about your friends in the city?" she asked, climbing on top of the bird as well . "Of course I am," Lino said . "But, I trust them . " "Really?" "Nah, their life talismans are still lit up like my certain desire . " he grinned, turning around and facing her . " . . . jackass . " Hannah mumbled, sighing and taking out several rows of materials which immediately caused Lino¡¯s eyes to light up likenterns . "Wow . . . you really are a cksmith down to your bones, aren¡¯t you?" though she said it in a somewhat mocking tone, she couldn¡¯t hide a tinge of warmth in her voice . "And you¡¯re a fucking treasure trove!" Lino leapt with excitement and hugged her tightly, repeatedly kissing her despite her feeble attempts to set herself free . "You¡¯re a freakin¡¯ angel, you know that? Nah, no! You¡¯re a goddess! A cksmith Goddess! No, wait, you¡¯re more like a Material Goddess . Wait, that just makes you sound cheap . Uh . . . you¡¯re . . . you¡¯re . . . ah! I know! You¡¯re my personal Guardian Angel! Heaven-sent one at that!" " . . . ha ha, stop you asshole! It tickles!" she pushed him away as gently as she could, still unable to control herughter . "Fine, I¡¯ll be your Guardian Angel . Now show me just how good you are, alright?" "He he, just sit back and enjoy the show . I promise you you¡¯ll change your mind on blowing my brains out after the fact! Oh, right, by the way, what¡¯s the reason?" he seemingly suddenly remembered the very important detail he¡¯d forgotten . " . . . are you sure you want to know?" she asked somewhat bashfully . "Very much so . " Lino nodded expectantly . " . . . ah, whatever . " she smiled contently . "I suppose it¡¯s the right thing to do . " "It is, it really is . " " . . . it¡¯ll be my first time . " "First time what?" "You know . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . oh . " Lino eximed softly as he withdrew, his expressions switching faster than Hannah could keep track . "And . . . I bragged about all . . of . . . " " . . . yeah . . . " " . . . ¡¯cause I wanted to impress you," he spoke to himself more so than her, trying to rationalize everything . "And let you know, you know, I¡¯ve got experience and all that . Hah . . . ha ha . . . yeah, see youter . " Hannah screeched for a moment as she bolted forward and grabbed at his arm before he managed to throw himself off . "Let me go!!" he whined like a child . "This is too embarrassing! I want to die! I will never live this shit down! I can¡¯t!" "Oh my god, stop being a fucking kid!" she pped him angrily, finally waking him up from the interpersonal madness . " . . . I¡¯ll just start the repairs . " he said dispiritedly . "Yeah . . . that¡¯s the . . . spirit . . . " she chuckled awkwardly, shaking her head and wondering when would it be the next time she¡¯d see him as flustered . Chapter 212 Chapter 212 CHAPTER 212 CAPACITY FOR EVIL Hannah had a rather peculiar expression as she inspected a rather simple yet elegantly decorated armor set that had caused a tinge of jealousy to surface even within her . It¡¯s not as though she had never seen a set as good -- for she had seen much, much better ones -- but it was due to the fact that Lino was extremely youngpared to those old monsters who have crafted the Sets for her own Sect . Even the set she was holding wouldn¡¯t be discarded, but most-likely awarded to the young generation¡¯s best Disciple . Still, chances are that nobody would even want to wear in the first ce, as the entire set is practically molded to fit Lino and his battle style . . . which very few in the entire world were willing to replicate . [Heaven-Cast Armor Set -- 8/8 -- Legendary Unique] Level: 450 Requirement[1]: 10,000 Strength Requirement[2]: Art Requirement[3]: Primal Qi (any form) Requirement[4]: Resistance to ¡¯Fear¡¯ Defense: 3,655,892 Durability: 60,000,000 (damage shared between all individual parts) +300% to ¡¯Base Strength¡¯ +300% to ¡¯Base Defense¡¯ +300% to ¡¯Base Vitality¡¯ +300% to ¡¯Base Damage¡¯ +300% to ¡¯Base Resistances¡¯ +100% to ¡¯Status Resistances¡¯ +40% to ¡¯Elemental Affinity¡¯ +??% to ¡¯??¡¯ -- Progress [Level 280/281] +??% to ¡¯??¡¯ -- Progress [Level 280/851] +??% to ¡¯??¡¯ -- Progress [Level 280/1000] Special Effect [Ironborn] -- 20% of iing ¡¯Damage¡¯ can be stored, up to Strength*30, which can be used to enchant any and all attacks Special Effect [Heaven¡¯s Son] -- Gain bonus +40% to ALL Stats per an enemybatant no weaker than 50 Levels; stacks up to 25 enemies Special Effect [Master of Void] -- mark up to 10 items in your possession; regardless of where they are, you can summon them back into the void in your possession Special Effect [Legend] -- your Will is exceptionally strengthened when in an unfavorable situation; bacsh effects from everything reduced by 50%, Qi expenditure reduced by 50%, chance to inflict Fear-rted effects on the enemies through Will alone Special Effect [Hell-Forged] -- each time the Wearer survives overwhelming odds, increase all Base Stats by 10%; stacks infinitely and persists even when the Armor Set isn¡¯t worn Special Effect [Defiance] -- Ignore ALL innate suppression from Realms and Levels; gain bonus 5% to ALL Stats for each 100 Levels of difference (if against multiplebatants, only the strongest is counted) Special Effect [???] -- ??? [Progress - Level 280/281] Special Effect [???] -- ??? [Progress - Level 280/851] Special Effect [???] -- ??? [Progress - Level 280/1000] Note: An unprecedented Divine Creation, unmatched far and wide in its make, created for those whose heart thumps with the drums of battles, those who tire not of death and chaos and those who never bow before their enemies . " . . . fucking shit," Hannah eximed, taking a deep breath . "No wonder you¡¯re so strong despite not even having be and Exalted . . . " "Right?! Right?!" Lino eximed with glee, his lips curled up in a beaming smile of pride . "This is insane, right? Even I couldn¡¯t believe it when I first saw it! And then when I fought . . . goddamn, this shit is fucking awesome! Getting punched by a Sin-Devil practically tickled!" " . . . but pretty much only you in the entire world can utilize the setpletely," Hannah said after a short thought . "So, past the collection value, you probably couldn¡¯t sell it for all that much . . . " "Who said anything about selling it?" Lino shrugged . "Do you not see the kind of shit I have to deal with all the time? I mean, for fuck¡¯s sake, I¡¯m Level 280, and here I am, fighting Titr Voids . Tell me, where else in the world does that happen?" " . . . yeah . . . " Hannah mumbled faintly; she had to admit that when she was Level 280, she stood absolutely no chance of fighting even someone at Level 500-600, let alone a Titr Void . "Why are you stuck at Level 280, though? Shouldn¡¯t it be easy to cross the wedge?" she asked, somewhat curious . "Hmm . . . " Lino thought for a moment before replying . "It¡¯s ¡¯cause the bastard said that I should first collect a few items that will help me condense Will into a corporeal form or something . " " . . . you want to go for the Exalted Soul?" Hannah asked dubiously . " . . . " "You have no idea what that is, do you?" "Nope!" " . . . haaah . . . how the hell did you even survive up until this point?" shemented for a moment before exining . "Usually, when people are crossing into the Realm of the Exalted, the only requirement is pretty much just to externalize your own Will -- it doesn¡¯t even matter to what degree . It can even be by sheer luck, it still wouldn¡¯t matter . However, there were some people throughout the history that had gone well beyond that, which is why the crossing is now divided into three ¡¯variations¡¯ -- the ordinary one, upon which you be an Exalted, the version in which you actually gain control over a sliver of your Will like you already do whereupon you be Chosen Exalted, and the one you¡¯re attempting -- to condense the Will into a corporeal object and stuff it into your Soul to nourish, after which you be the Exalted Soul . " " . . . what are the differences?" Lino asked . "The higher up the Realms you go, the more important does the Will be," Hannah exined . "Think of it as . . . hmm . . . right, a projection of yourself; for instance, the reason why most people can¡¯t go against those of much higher Realms like you can has very little to do with Qi, actually, as it¡¯s all rtive in the end -- a great part of it is due to Will . They feel suffocated by just even contemting the fight, let alone engaging in it . Aah . . . it¡¯s really difficult to exin . Even I don¡¯t get itpletely . " "What Level are you anyway?" Lino asked, curious as he whipped out two gourds of wine and handed one over to her . "1491 . " " . . . fuck off . " "I¡¯m serious, ha ha ha," sheughed freely, seeing his distorted expression . "After all, I¡¯ve been repeatedly cultivating since I was like 13-14 years old, and with all the resources my Sect shoved into me believing I was cultivating their Art, well . . . it¡¯d be embarrassing if I didn¡¯t reach the Level I did . " " . . . seriously, fuck this shit . " Lino sighed in defeat, taking a sip of now embittered wine . "First E, now you . . . inparison, I reallye off as an untalented hack . " "Ha ha, don¡¯t feel that bad about it . Every Empyrean ever pretty much alwaysgged behind the rest, it isn¡¯t anything unusual . The reason Empyreans have always terrified everyone isn¡¯t even because they were super strong; it was usually because they were the bitch of the highest order to kill . For instance, if you wore this armor, I¡¯m fairly confident that I¡¯d stand absolutely no chance of killing you . Your regeneration is practically fucking out of this world . " "Yeah, yeah, thanks forforting me," Lino chuckled . "Oh, right, what¡¯s your title?" "Officially?" she smirked . "Exalted Queen of Life . " " . . . wow, that¡¯sme . " "Yup . " she nodded in agreement . "But, my actual title is pretty cool I think . " "Oh?" "Elysian Crucible . " " . . . yeah, that¡¯s pretty cool . " Lino nodded . "Wait, does anyone even know your actual Level?" " . . . nope . " she said, somewhat bashful . "You¡¯re the first . " "Well, what a high-grade honor this is . " "Are you making fun of me?" "I wouldn¡¯t dare . " "Asshole . " she snorted . "Ah, anyway, you¡¯ll be the one taking the vanguard role now . " "Yeah, sure . Of course I will . " " . . . I sense sarcasm . " "And you sense correctly!" she eximed with an innocent smile . "Besides, do you really think we¡¯ll be fighting anything directly? We¡¯d be ttened before we even knew we were fighting in the first ce . The first priority is to try and put the Prime to sleep . " "Any idea on how we¡¯re going to achieve that?" "Nope!" "You¡¯re awfully cheery for someone who¡¯s about to walk into the disaster far greater than the Devil¡¯s Invasion . " Lino shrugged . "Well, Astrum exined that the circumstances aren¡¯t that dire . Didn¡¯t Ataxia exin anything to you?" " . . . hey, asshole . Mind exining why you didn¡¯t exin anything to me?" Lino angrily roared as Hannah did her best to withholdughter . " . . . I was merely pondering over how far you¡¯ll go before asking for some answers . " the Writ replied shortly after, causing a twitch in Lino¡¯s lips . " . . . a-alright . . . so . . . how about you provide some answers, then . " "As I¡¯m sure the Elysian already knows," the Writ voiced out through Lino¡¯s lips . "Umbra is a Prime of Illusions, Shadows, Darkness, Misdirection and such . She has little to no direct battle strength, but breaking her defenses in a direct confrontation is simply impossible for you two at the moment . She works through corrupting any sentient beings, who serve as her hosts and further spread her influence . As she has awakened just recently, she¡¯s still technically in a half-asleep state and is functioning purely on instincts which is why her expansion will be very limited . " " . . . " the Writ grew silent for a moment to let Lino process everything . "If she¡¯s allowed to awaken fully and enter the rapid-expansion mode, she would make the entire Continent her domain within a single day . The drawback, however, to such strength is that it¡¯s necessary for her to expand all the time, since if she doesn¡¯t her influence withers . The best way to fight her is to use her period of being in the half-sleeping state to evacuate every form of life -- or to kill every form of life -- as far away from her as possible, and then to roam around her domain and prevent her agents from slipping past . " " . . . " noticing Lino¡¯s strange gleam, Hannah¡¯s heart suddenly shuddered as she had a bad premonition . "W-what are you thinking?" she asked fearfully . "He . . . he . . . he he he he . . . " a chuckle bordering between maniacal and outright evil escaped Lino¡¯s lips as his face scrounged into the most menacing grin Hannah had ever seen . "We gon¡¯ light up the world Hannah, ha ha ha ha, we¡¯re gonna light up the fucking world!!" and thus began Hannah¡¯s daily struggles to understand what Lino meant, though even her wildest imagination woulde to disappoint her eventually . Chapter 213 Chapter 213 CHAPTER 213 FOR THE FUTURE Though they were plenty afar and up, both Lino and Hannah had easily spotted the great swamp of darkness well down below . By now it spanned all districts, only limited by the outermost walls . It was a terribly ghastly sight as asional wail and howl would echo from within the dark, shaking the world around it . Both had quite ugly expressions on their faces, standing on the Grim¡¯s back, rather unsure as to what to do momentarily . Lino shook the feeling first as he¡¯d already had experience with the direct exposure to the Prime¡¯s aura when he fought Erkhaan . Though the general feeling was familiar, the difference was still deplorably obvious; while Adabbith, whom Erkhaan served, merely sent a tinge of his consciousness from who-knows-where, the primal pressure was thousands of times greater than what Lino was experiencing at the moment . That, however, didn¡¯t make him think that Umbra was weak by any means; even in her current, half-asleep state, she still exuded pressure leagues above that of the God-Devil variant -- rather, the two were iparable from the very start . Even Lino was swayed both mentally and emotionally for a moment, to speak of nothing else . " . . . wake up . " he shook Hannah gently, causing her to finally leave the stupor as she took a deep breath . "She¡¯s dangerous . " shemented . "Nearly got pulled inpletely . " " . . . the Writ would have saved you either way," Lino chuckled . "But, yeah, looks like I¡¯ll really have to put on my serious-boy pants . " " . . . wait . You have those? When did you n on telling me?" "Never," he said, grinning . "But, s, we can¡¯t have all the dreams, now can we?" " . . . your friends are surprisingly close-by," Hannah said, ncing northward . "Do you think they have any idea what¡¯s going on?" " . . . I suppose a few have some wild guesses," Lino shrugged, inwardly confused as to what Felix and Lucky were doing with the Empire¡¯s lot . "Looks like the Emperor and the Guardian aren¡¯t there . " "They could be the ones who woke her . " Hannah suggested . " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t say anything though his mind immediately drifted toward the Titan Realms and whatever the Devils were looking for inside . They couldn¡¯t have thought that taking the Prime was a good idea, right? Lino thought for a moment with a dubious expression, shaking his head . "Looks like the Devils at the very least have figured out what¡¯s going on," he said, ncing southwards . "I suppose it¡¯s good that they¡¯re sticking around . " " . . . alright, seriously, what the fuck are you nning? You¡¯re scaring me . " "Eh, telling you would ruin the surprise," he chuckled . "So, you know, just sit back, rx, and expect a good show . " " . . . " "Alright, let¡¯s go and see what my friends are up to," Lino said as he donned the mask, followed shortly after by Hannah . "shy entrance?" "shy entrance . " she nodded quickly with a grin . Linomanded Grim to fly a bit further until they were just above the group currently camping within the deep reaches of a mountain range . Withdrawing the bird into the Dimensional Pouch, the two quickly entered the free fall from nearly fifteen miles up in the sky . Cold winds chiseled against Lino¡¯s cheeks, yet he found them rather pleasant; his somewhat shoddy-looking clothes that he saved from his beggar¡¯s days fluttered against his chest, the feeling of ephemeral freedom assailing him momentarily . They slowly began gaining speed as they fell, still holding each other¡¯s hands and only letting go just before reaching the ground . The two had long since been spotted by the group down below who immediately grew alert and quickly dispersed into a half-circle, not daring to attack the blurring shadows directly . Hannah and Linonded squarely without stopping, causing a massive ruckus as a crater the size of a mediumke formed,pletely copsing the half-circle and the entire surroundings . Dust storm bellowed immediately after as the group of twenty or so people scrambled to get back into formation, their expressions ghastly . The two slowly walked out of the mess they¡¯re created, seemingly unaffected by it, and casually strolled within the ¡¯entrapment¡¯ . A quick nce around confirmed what Lino already knew; save for the Emperor and the Guardian of Light, pretty much every other member of the Continental Army¡¯s upper echelon was here, including Patriarch Chen, the Unholy Guardian as well as the Sky-bearing Monk . First Princess Annabelle, Second Prince On¡¯yal, Eluinda, Entarda, Asfeer, Seemer . . . They also quickly recognized the masks, their vignce dropping into exhaustive release, lips curling up into a smile as they all fell on their knees . Those unaware looked on bewildered, unsure on what to do . The two who felt the weirdest were Lucky and Felix who stood well in the back; they naturally recognized Lino, and even that girl next to him as they¡¯d seen her thest time they talked, but couldn¡¯t figure out why either wore a mask or, more importantly, why did everyone suddenly smile as though their mother just came to sing them a luby . However, merely a nce from Lino was enough to let them know to keep their mouths shut and pretend they didn¡¯t know the two . " . . . Patriarch, Guardian and Monk,e with us for a moment," Lino voiced out calmly . "The rest go about fixing what we¡¯ve just ruined and reconstructing the camp . " After seeing everyone they considered strong suddenly follow this stranged¡¯s orders, those in the dark didn¡¯t dare question anything and merely followed the orders as well . Patriarch Chen, the Unholy Guardian and the Sky-bearing Monk quickly distanced themselves from the rest and followed Lino and Hannah further out . The reason why they stayed so close to the mess was exactly because they were waiting for the Descender -- though they never expected two to suddenly show up, which gave them quite a bit of a start . "How long has that thing been spreading?" Lino asked casually as they reached the top of the mountain overlooking the massive city down below doused in shadows . "A couple of weeks now," the Patriarch replied with a somewhat pale expression . He was still far from forgetting the excruciating fight he participated in before escaping the City¡¯s bounds . "Showed up out of nowhere . . . and no matter what we did, we couldn¡¯t really do anything to it . . . " "Of course you didn¡¯t," Lino shrugged, smiling faintly . "She¡¯s a Prime . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " it took a few moments for the trio to register Lino¡¯s words whereupon they collectively shook as their legs gave out, their whole bodies trembling like thin branches in the wind, eyes besieged with terror and fear of soul-deep kind . "Rx, rx," Lino chuckled as she saw three of the Continent¡¯s strongest people tten on their knees due to a single word . "She still hasn¡¯t fully awakened . " "--t-this is . . . this is her half-asleep . . . state?" the Monk manage to stutter out . "Oh, yeah, she¡¯s pretty meh," Lino downyed it while Hannah held back herughter . "Kind of expected more . " "What he¡¯s trying to say," Hannah quickly chimed in as she saw the trio¡¯s gobsmacked expressions . "Is that not all is lost . We can contend against her while she¡¯s in a half-asleep state, but we¡¯ll still need your help . However, if you n on folding and pissing yourself each time you think about her, perhaps it¡¯s best if you left this ce . " " . . . w-w-what will happen . . . happen if we leave?" the Patriarch gritted his teeth and asked . "If we¡¯re lucky," Hannah exined . "The two of us should be able to contain her before some useful help arrives . If not, eventually the whole Continent will be consumed . " " . . . w-won¡¯t . . . won¡¯t anybody help?" "Help?" Hannah nced at the Patriarch dubiously . "Do you think just anyone is willing to tinker with a woken Prime?" "Y-you two are . . . " the Unholy Guardian appeared the most calm of the three as he said . "Yeah, but that¡¯s because we¡¯re insane," Lino replied, smiling . "You can¡¯t count on too many other insane people being as strong as we are, though . So, instead of shaking in your boots, how about you instead help us?" " . . . what . . . khm, what can we do?" the Unholy Guardian bit his tongue as red blood trickled out from beneath his hood while he got up onto his feet . "Well, first, don¡¯t tell anyone else that thing over there is a Prime," Hannah said . "If the three of you reacted that way, you can only imagine how the rest will . " " . . . of course . " "Secondly," she continued . "Take the few fastest from that group and have them go around in circles around the city and evacuate -- or kill if necessary -- everyone and everything . Humans, beasts, critters, doesn¡¯t matter . She¡¯s a Prime that works off of host bodies, so we can¡¯t be giving her free real estate . Again, evacuate or kill; so don¡¯t pick the soft-hearted ones . Splinter the group further and have them go around finding literally anyone above Level 600 and have them join us here . If they refuse, kill them to set an example . " "The three of you," Lino took over . "Will stay here with us . Pretty much all nts can also act as hosts -- even if only temporary ones -- so you¡¯ll help us do something about that . " Hannah¡¯s eyes suddenly glistened for a moment as she nced at Lino, a look of realization born inside her eyes as her lips curled up in an interest smile . "Then, the five of us, Eluinda, Entarda, Asfeer and Semeer as well the Prince and the Princess and anyone else in the Realms of Godhood will stand our ground and fight the bitch once she realizes she¡¯s got nothing to posses . " " . . . " audible gulps echoed as Lino chuckled inwardly . "Don¡¯t worry about it too much," Hannah exined . "We won¡¯t battle her directly -- that way we wouldn¡¯t be able to kill her, but she couldn¡¯t kill us either . We¡¯ll simply fight off her temporary creations from escaping out in search for any host . In order to remain awake, she needs to continuously devour and spread her presence, so if we limit that, so long as we hold her off, she¡¯ll go back to sleep as though nothing happened . " " . . . w-what about those . . . already possessed?" the Monk asked with a worried expression . "They should wake up naturally," Hannah said . "So long as they didn¡¯t receive any other wounds that would kill them . So, if they were only possessed, they should be just fine after the fact . " " . . . alright," Patriarch Chen took a deep breath, forcibly calming himself down . "We¡¯ll organize the groups and deploy them as quickly as possible . What about the two weak kids?" "Just leave them be," Lino said casually . "So long as they don¡¯t try to do something stupid . " "Yes . " the trio quickly departed, feeling more hurried than ever before in their lives, leaving Hannah and Lino to loom over the shadow on their lonesome . "I¡¯ve figured out your n, you know?" Hannah said, ncing at him . "Oh? You did?" Lino nced back at her, smiling . "What do you think?" "We¡¯re gonna light up the world . " "He he," Lino chuckled, worming himself over as their masks nked together . "No . We¡¯re going to light it up like it was never lit up before . " " . . . stop poking my inner pyromaniac," she mumbled weakly . "It¡¯s unfair . " "A twang here, a pull there . . . soon, you¡¯ll match my insanity, you know?" "Oh, sorry . I honestly think that¡¯s humanly impossible . " she chuckled . " . . . well . . . that fucking hurt . " "Ha ha ha . . . alright . Anyway, don¡¯t you want to go and exin shit to your friends?" she asked him with a smile . "Eh . . . " he shrugged . "Let them stew in confusion for a while . " " . . . you really like torturing them, don¡¯t you?" "You will too once you see their reactions," Lino said as heughed briefly . "Honestly, it¡¯s more fun than drinking . " " . . . no way . " "Oh, very much . Just wait and see . Trust me . " " . . . now I¡¯ve got two things to look forward to," she said, resting her head on his shoulder . "You¡¯re spoiling me terribly, you know? What if I turn rotten because of it?" "Are you implying that you already somehow aren¡¯t rotten?" "Yeah, that¡¯s what every girl wants to hear from the guy she likes . " "Just the same way every guy just loves hearing about how insane he is repeatedly by the girl he likes . It¡¯s a vicious circle, I know . " " . . . you scared?" she asked after a short silence . " . . . scared? Hah, strangely . . . " he mumbled . "I honestly can¡¯t remember thest time I felt scared . Oh, wait, I can . Nevermind . Let me rephrase that . I can¡¯t remember thest time any battle made me feel fear . " " . . . well, I suppose you are the Empyrean," she said . "You lot are notorious for plunging yourselves into hell with a fucking grin on your face . Honestly, during some of the Archaic Records, I genuinely felt terrified of those grins you people make . You¡¯re the same by the way . It¡¯s like you live to just fuck shit up . " " . . . oh? I like the sound of that," Lino chuckled, stroking his chin . "That¡¯s my new motto, I think: Born to just fuck shit up!" " . . . yeah, words of wisdom to live by . " "Are you implying that it somehow isn¡¯t the purest form of joy?" "Implying? No, I¡¯m saying it isn¡¯t . " "Oh, you¡¯re just mad . There¡¯s nothing more romantic than setting the world on fire just for shits and giggles, and you know it . " "Hah!" she suddenly eximed, pointing a finger at him . "I knew there was some hidden agenda!" " . . . I . . . I never tried to hide it though," Lino looked at her, confused . "Rather, I¡¯d say that ¡¯shits and giggles¡¯ was always my prime reason for wanting to light up the world . " " . . . " " . . . . you just got a little bit wet, didn¡¯t you?" Lino grinned as he asked . " . . . n-no . " "He he he . . . " " . . . shut up . I¡¯ll kill you . " " . . . ha ha ha, alright, alright, I¡¯ll shut up . . . " Chapter 214 Chapter 214 CHAPTER 214 FROM ALL SKIES Several figures hovered high in the sky, looking at the epassing domain of shadow in the distance . The Sin-Devil Commanders all had rather ugly expressions on their faces, eyes glistening in worry and a tinge of terror . Rothar¡¯s was even more so, as he knew they would be getting visited rather soon which is also why he only asked six other Sin-Devils to join him in the sky . An hour or soter, their eyes veered off the domain of shadow toward the distant horizon where a flicker of gold sped through the thickened clouds, leaving behind a brilliant arc of light . Before they could even register it properly, they found themselves blinded and burning, instinctively pulling back and covering their eyes . Rothar was the first to recover, squeezing his eyes open barely; he immediately noticed a winged figure hovering some fifty meters in front of them, donning a simple yet imposing mask and a set of rather shabby-looking clothes . His ck hair fluttered with the wind, the massive, golden wings asionally pping and causing the whirlwind to form beneath them . " . . . hellods . " Lino grinned as he saw a set of rather ugly expressions and dangerous eyes focused on him . Though they did their best, they were unable to wholly hide their hatred . "I hope you¡¯ve been well . " " . . . h-hello . " Rothar spoke out awkwardly as he realized nobody else would . "We hope you¡¯ve been well too . " " . . . ah, can¡¯t say I have," Lino sighed, deciding to push some buttons first . "Your friends really did a number on me, you know? I almost died . " " . . . " the temperature dropped to frigid within a moment¡¯s notice, the seven pairs of eyes uniformly squinting and staring at Lino fearlessly, their muscles bulged, hands curled into fists, barely holding back . " . . . not bad," Lino, however, only smiled faintly, nodding . "You guys are showing some real growth . You¡¯ll get ces, I believe . Anyway, enough with the forey . Did you know it was a Prime?" " . . . yes . " Rothar replied, taking a deep breath . "You had a way to relocate her without waking her up?" " . . . yes . " " . . . you do realize that if I¡¯d found out, you¡¯d have a better chance fucking the sky than taking her away, right?" " . . . " "Well, no use crying over the spilled milk," Lino shrugged as he sensed the Devil Qi around him growing thicker . "All Commanders and Godhood-equivalent Generals will join me . " "Are you insane?!" Lino recognized the voice as well as the man behind it -- En¡¯kav, who against all odds was still somehow alive . "You want to fight a Prime?!" " . . . did it sound like I was asking for your opinion?" Lino used a sliver of his Will to superimpose over his Divine Sense, causing the seven Devils to suddenly feel as though the sky was falling onto their shoulders . "Do what you have to do to convince everyone else," Lino remarked casually as he turned around . "And be at the southern end of the Domain within two days . If I don¡¯t see you there," he nced back, his eyes void of emotion . "I promise that the Prime will be the least of your worries . " Leaving behind thest words, Lino¡¯s wings fluttered madly as he turned into a blurring beam of light, streaking through the sky and out of the Devils¡¯ vision . Though his breathing was quickened, Rothar forcibly calmed himself down; the sh of Wills he¡¯d just engaged in would perhaps merit the oue it did if it was Rothar alone . . . but it was seven Sin-Devils versus a single person . . . and they all looked as though they¡¯d just engaged in a month-long battle for survival . " . . . what should we do?" Rothar turned toward the other six and asked . Though he¡¯d assumed pseudo-leader position, he hardly had any actual power over the others . "I¡¯m assuming he doesn¡¯t actually n on fighting Umbra," Handuur said in a low tone . "Most-likely just putting her back to sleep through the usual method . " " . . . can we use the Flute after the fact?" En¡¯kav asked . "We can," Handuur nodded . "The question is . . . do we want to take that chance?" " . . . we should at least give it a shot," Rothar said, forcing a conviction to be born within him . "Though he appears fine, I¡¯m sure he still hasn¡¯t recovered to his peak . At worst, a few of us will have to die to hold him back while the rest take Umbra to the nearest portal . " " . . . I¡¯ll set it up . " En¡¯kav said in a serious tone . "Hm . " Rothar nodded faintly, his eyes narrowing for a moment, veering off toward the distance where the golden shine had disappeared in . Meanwhile, Lino had already returned back to the temporary ¡¯base¡¯ within the mountain range just outside the Umbra¡¯s Domain . Currently, only four people were present there -- including him -- as the rest scrambled to do whatever they could to prepare . Lino quickly located Hannah who was sitting on top of a tree and reading a book while humming a low tune . Down below, around a small campfire, Lucky and Felix were sitting in awkward silence, asionally ncing up . "Hey, these two seem rather into you . " Lino shouted toward the tree, startling Lucky and Felix onto their feet . "How about you indulge them for a moment . " " . . . " Hannah nced down and smiled faintly before putting the book away and joining them on the ground . "I was merely waiting for you to make the introductions . " "The wanna-be-badassdy, and the wanna-be-cool kid . " Lino pointed at Lucky and Felix respectively, grinning . "The actual badassdy and me, the actual cool guy . " " . . . " " . . . " "You¡¯re right, we¡¯ll really get along . " while Lucky and Felix rolled their eyes at Lino, Hannah chuckled briefly before taking off her mask . "Hello you two," she extended her arm out . "I¡¯m Hannah . " " . . . L-lucky . . . " Lucky stuttered as she awkwardly epted the handshake . " . . . F . . . F . . . " "Felix!" Lucky angrily stomped at the boy¡¯s foot, causing him to scream out in pain for a moment . "Right! Felix! That¡¯s my name!" he quickly shook Hannah¡¯s hand before retreating back and burying his head in his arms . "There¡¯s no way you two are together!" Lucky suddenly turned toward Lino who¡¯d also taken his mask off . "She¡¯s way, way, way, way, way too fucking hot to ever be interested in you . " " . . . I think your subjective bias is clouding your judgment right there," Lino frowned . "After all, I¡¯m the epitome of greatness that can¡¯t be found even if you searched the seven seas and oceans . It¡¯d be stranger if she wasn¡¯t gunning for me with all she¡¯s got . " " . . . " Lucky¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she shifted her focus on Hannah who was merely smiling . "Y-you . . . you two aren¡¯t together, right?" "Well, he is the epitome of greatness that can¡¯t be found even if you searched the seven seas and oceans, after all . It¡¯d be stranger if I wasn¡¯t gunning for him with all I¡¯ve got . " " . . . " " . . . " "Hey, is this gonna be a thing? You stealing my cool lines and appropriating them?" Lino asked . " . . . it¡¯s kind of adorable you think that was a ¡¯cool line¡¯ . " Hannah retorted . "And it¡¯s beyond adorable that you think you can fake it out with me . " Lino fired back . "We both know it was a cool line . " "Agree to disagree, I suppose," Hannah shrugged, sitting down next to the campfire . "Be useful and whip out some booze . Look at what you¡¯ve done to these poor things . " " . . . did I just get downgraded to the booze-supplier?" Lino mumbled, sitting down next to her but still taking out four gourds of wine . "But, I ain¡¯t done shit to the two . Felix over there is too embarrassed to look you in the eye all due to his own insecurities, Lucky over here is wondering whether passing up on me was really the best choice she¡¯d made, and I¡¯m just wondering what¡¯d you think of the book?" "Oh, it¡¯s really fun," Hannah eximed softly, taking a sip . "Especially the part when Ashka dumps Endoran . By far the best scene in the book . " " . . . did you miss the underlying tones or are you trying to tell me something?" " . . . who knows?" she grinned, shifting away her attention from him onto Lucky who was currently in the process of downing the whole gourd in one go . "So, did you guys make any babies yet? Though I¡¯m young, I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯d make a great granny for the young ones . " "YOU¡¯RE NOT EVEN A MOTHER YET!!" Lucky yelled out in frustration; she was reminded once again that looks are beyond deceiving; anyone who gathers around Lino is no good . They are fundamentally insane . "How can you say that?" Lino eximed, faking hurt . "Don¡¯t you know she can¡¯t have kids?!" " . . . w-what?" Lucky stuttered, nearly falling back; ncing at Hannah, she saw a rather heartfelt and hurtful expression, causing her heart to contort . "I . . . I¡¯m so sorry . . . I . . . I didn¡¯t . . . " " . . . pfft . . . " "Fuck!" Lino red angrily at Hannah who broke . "You seriously need to work on your endurance! You suck literal ass!" "Fuck you right back! Perhaps start with some lighter fun! How can you expect me to hold back on that?!" "Tsk, this is why I said I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to entertain while you just stand next to me and look pretty . " "How about I stand next to you and shove a spear so far up your ass you¡¯ll be spitting steel for the rest of your life?" " . . . not gonna lie, you saying it . . . kinda makes it hot . " Lino said, taking a sip . "Though I¡¯d much prefer if I was the shover and you were the receiver . And it wouldn¡¯t be a spear . Nor the ass . Wink wink . " " . . . did you just say ¡¯wink wink¡¯?" Hannah asked, drawing back a bit . "YOU TWO ARE FUCKING MENTAL!! COMPLETELY INSANE!!" Lucky¡¯s roar -- one full of frustration, anger, disappointment and genuine depression -- bellowed out throughout the mountain, echoing for a good minute after . Yet, even with it, she was still unable to let go of the demons festering in her heart; she knew that the future was grim . . . and it had nothing to do with that creepy shadow surrounding the city, but with the two morons currently sitting across from her and pridefully grinning . Chapter 215 Chapter 215 CHAPTER 215 WORLD ON FIRE Eluinda was currently standing atop a cliff overlooking a narrow passage through a mountain valley, staring at the stream of people passing through it, all huddled together in confusion yet not daring to voice it . She would perhapsugh at them if she knew what was going on, but as the things stood she was just as much in the dark about the things as the rest . When her Patriarch returned from the small meeting with the Descenders, he merely sent her in one direction and told her to gather every living thing -- sentient or not -- and either evacuate it as far as possible in that direction, or even outright kill them if they don¡¯tply . Though confused, she didn¡¯t ask any questions due to a rather maddened gaze in the Patriarch¡¯s eyes; whatever it was that the Descenders told them, Eluinda knew she was far too weak to be included in it . Her case wasn¡¯t an isted one; everyone save for the Sky-bearing Monk, Patriarch Chen and the Unholy Guardian were kept in the dark to the true nature of the overwhelming shadow that most of them had experience fighting . None even for a second thought it was actually a Prime, as the fear of the species was so embedded within their hearts they didn¡¯t even dream of escaping from one should they cross paths . Streams upon streams of people and animals were shoved out from around the City, pushed to go as far as they could outwardly . It was a mass migration on the scale none of those involved had ever even anticipated . Among those asked to leave were Eggor, E, Scarlet and Annar who instead of joining with the caravan of people simply went around those escorting them . The four had noticed a strange atmosphere quite a while ago, but decided on staying put in case Lino called them for help . "What do you think¡¯s going on?" Eggor asked while the four stood at the flying ship¡¯s forefront while the world around them blurred . "Can¡¯t be anything big seeing as he hasn¡¯t asked for our help yet, right?" Scarletmented, seemingly somewhat excited . Annar merely rolled his eyes at her and sigh before giving his input . "A mere Devil invasion can¡¯t have this much of an impact," he said . "It has to be something else . " "It is something else," E said, frowning . For a while now she felt rather unsettled, as though something unspeakable had cemented its eyes into the sky, watching everyone down below . "Can¡¯t you guys feel it?" " . . . you mean that voice in the back of my mind that keeps screaming at me to leave?" Scarlet said, chuckling . "Yup, I can very much feel it . " " . . . are you sure Lino¡¯s fine?" Annar asked, frowning . "His life talisman is as bright as ever," E shrugged . "It¡¯s not really him that I¡¯m worried about . He¡¯s quite crafty . It¡¯s everyone else . " "Why not just contact him?" Scarlet asked . " . . . I suppose we should . " Eggor said, sighing as he whipped out a talisman . "At the very least to let him know we¡¯re headed over . " Quite a distance away from the four, Lino and Hannah were currently skimming around the domain of the shadows, drawing something on the ground below with their Qi . Both had a rather expectant expressions on their faces, their eyes flushed with anticipation and a sliver of madness . Felix and Lucky, who were watching them from the side, for reasons still unknown were feeling terror abound their hearts and mind, and even a scarce hint of fear toward the two . Lino suddenly came to a halt, his expression quizzical as he reached into the void world and whipped out a shing talisman . He quickly recognized it was E¡¯s and Eggor¡¯s, taking off the mask and withdrawing some distance from the trio . " . . . I suppose it¡¯d be stranger if they hadn¡¯t noticed it by now . " he mused lowly as he answered the call . The screen lit up before him as it slowly showcased four figures; E and Eggor upfront with Scarlet and Annar just behind them . "Hello strangers!" Lino grinned foolishly . "Hello . " Scarlet was the first one to reply . "I missed you~" "I missed you too . " Lino said as he felt a pair of cold eyesnd on him . ncing sideways, he saw Hannah staring at him as though questioning . He sheepishly smiled for a moment before turning his attention back on the screen . "I assume you¡¯re calling because you¡¯re on your way over, right?" "Yeah . How did you know?" E asked . " . . . ah, migration should be well underway now," Lino mumbled, stroking his chin . "Anyway, I¡¯d rmend you halt around one hundred or so miles away from the Capital and enjoy the view in the little while . " "What are you talking about?" E questioned, sensing that something was wrong . "Oh, it¡¯s not a big deal," Lino said . "It¡¯s just that some idiots in the Capital woke up a Prime, so now I¡¯m trying to figure out how to ensure the whole Continent doesn¡¯t go, you know, to shitters and stuff . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " though it wasn¡¯t the first time, Lino still rather enjoyed seeing the vast array of expressions on their faces . "W-what do you mean a Prime woke up?!!!" E suddenly eximed in a crazed fashion, darting to her feet . "Do you even know who Primes are to begin with?!!" "Oh, geez, calm down . I¡¯m an idiot, not an imbecile," Lino shrugged . "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a host-type . I¡¯m not in any danger . " "Not-any-danger my ass!!" Eggor yelled out as well . "Get your ass out of there before Ie over and fucking murder your dumb-ass!" "They¡¯re right, Lino," even Scarlet chimed in quickly . "Whatever type a Prime is, it¡¯s not something any one of us can contend against . You¡¯ve already done better than most, so it¡¯s alright to withdraw . " Lino¡¯s smile softened for a moment, a stream of calm warmth surging through his heart . He then turned and stared at Annar, willing thetter into the awkward position . "Y-yeah . . . you . . . you should get back . We¡¯re worried fo--" "Ha ha ha, don¡¯t worry about anything guys," Lino interrupted halfway through, causing Annar to frown in frustration . "Just sit back and enjoy the show . I¡¯ll meet you lot up there with some friends . Oh, right, I¡¯ve got to introduce someone to you . Anyway, remember what I said: a hundred miles away at least! Got it?" "Lino--!!" E eximed, but was quickly interrupted . "Do you not trust me?" Lino asked with a serious tone . " . . . of course I trust you . " she sighed in defeat, sitting down . "Then let me do my job . " he winked mysteriously before ending the call . " . . . " on the other end of the line, the four sat in strange silence, contemting . "Should we actually listen to him?" Eggor asked with a frown . "Of course not," Scarlet eximed . "It¡¯s a Prime! I¡¯m even surprised he knew to recognize one to begin with . . . " E and Eggor nced at her and then each other, smiling bitterly . "He told us to stand back and enjoy the show," E said, taking a deep breath . "Seeing as he worded it like that . . . it¡¯ll probably be something rather spectacr . " "W-we¡¯re really not going to help him?!" Scarlet asked . "Stop meddling," Annar jeered at her . "Though I can¡¯t be hundred percent certain, he seems far stronger than everyone here except E . " "You¡¯ve noticed too?" E nced at him, smiling proudly . "Oh, you mean that voice in the back of my mind telling me he¡¯d probably make a meat pasta out of me? Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed . " Annar replied, smiling bitterly . "Anyway, let¡¯s just listen to him for now . " E said . "And see how it goes . " Meanwhile, Lino was currently still receiving questioning looks from Hannah, ones with a tinge of hostility . Smiling bitterly, he put the mask back on and walked over . "So, you miss her, huh?" "I thought you weren¡¯t the jealous type . " he fired back right away . "What gave you that impression?" Hannah asked as the two went back to tracing Qi over the ground . "The fact that you told me you didn¡¯t care that I screwed, y¡¯know . . . " "I don¡¯t," Hannahmented . "I didn¡¯t imply I wouldn¡¯t care if you continued to do so . " "What gave you the impression that I would? Anyway, we gotta hurry up and finish this . My adoptive parents of sorts are on their way over and I want them to see a good show . " " . . . y-your what?!" Hannah eximed, jolting on her feet . "Oh, you¡¯re gonna love them," Lino chuckled . "He¡¯s you¡¯re standard ¡¯I¡¯m a dude, I¡¯ve got no emotion, stoic, muscle-head¡¯ and she¡¯s this whacky ¡¯cool mom¡¯, you know? They¡¯re kinda adorable, though . " "When did you get adopted is what I was asking!!" "Oh, right out of the orphanage, actually," Lino chuckled as he remembered the day . "Literally, the very next morning . He found me sleeping in his, khm, ¡¯backyard¡¯, and, well, one thing led to another . . . he taught me cksmithing, actually . Well, still is to be honest . Anyway, hurry up . We can catch upter . " " . . . " Hannah remained staring at him for a little while before also continuing to trace the Qi over . The two finished around an hourter, quickly picking up Felix and Lucky and taking to the sky, bounding nearly fifty miles up and away before stopping . Hannah and Lino nced at each other while unable to hide the greatest of grins on their faces, their bodies practically itching for the answer as to whether the n would work . They¡¯ve already ensured that nobody was near and around before both took deep breaths and began tracing aplex array in front of them, spanning hundreds and thousands of threads . The finished product was a circle-shaped array which lit up into ze, mimicking sun¡¯s radiance, as it began spinning around until it turned into a blur, slowly spitting out threads which bounded fifty miles over andtched onto the ginormous formation surrounding the Holy City and the shadow domain in the extension . The array suddenly lit up simrly to the one in the sky as Hannah, Lino and even Lucky and Felix looked on in anticipation . The very next breath, a ze spanning thousands of miles around altogether sted out, consuming everything in its wake and rising to nearly half a mile into the sky . Infernal mes danced with the surging wind, hue of the golden orange lighting up the world around . The whole manifestation was visible nearly halfway across the entire Continent, as all those who could looked on toward the direction, mostly confused . Sky-bearing Monk, Patriarch Chen and the Unholy Guardian also looked on toward the inferno, shaking their heads . Only madmen from the Great Descent could even figure to burn away thousands upon thousands of miles of life, and not even flinch in doubt while nning for it . Chapter 216 Chapter 216 CHAPTER 216 FROM ASHES E, Eggor, Scarlet and Annar stared at the distant mes roaring toward the sky, consuming huge swaths ofnd in their wake, their expressions eerily simr . Eggor sighed and shook his head, hiding his face from the sky in embarrassment, while E smiled bitterly, unable to think of what else she could possibly do . Annar, much like Eggor, hid his face away, remembering how he nned on asking the strange cksmith for an advice . He mused he did himself proud by holding back, as he would never live down this moment to himself rather than anyone else . Scarlet, however, had a starlit expression, her eyes shining in high fervor, breathing quickening . Annar sneered silently at her while E questioned her own perception of Lino, wondering whether thetter truly had so much pull or whether it was just Scarlet that was insane . The ze hurdled on and on, consuming the world and driving the rest of the Continent into silence . Very few witnessing the event had ever seen anything on that scale, let alone directly at the heart of the Empire . "You guys like it?" the four got startled as a voice broke them out of their stupor; ncing sideways, they saw Lino on top of a rather beautiful scarlet hippogryph, with three more people sitting behind him . He had a rather sheepish grin on his face, one full of pride and joy . "Personally, I love it . " "E-eh?!" Hannah and E suddenly eximed at the same time, both point fingers at each other . "nor?! Why are you here?!" "Hannah?! I should be asking you the same question!" Lino¡¯s grin disappeared as he looked quizzically at the two pointing fingers at one another . Even Eggor seemed unaware as he too stared dubiously at E . "You two know each other?" Lino asked Hannah . " . . . well, yeah," she scratched her head awkwardly . "She was the one keeping an eye out on me back when I stayed with you . " "Eh?! Your ¡¯friend¡¯ was Lino?!" E eximed, turning her eyes toward Lino . She found herself even more confused than over the whole Scarlet issue . "Ha ha ha," Lino, however, merely shrugged the coincidence andughed . "What a small world, eh?" " . . . j-just a second," Hannah suddenly seemed to have realized something, lowering her head and pressing against her temple . "Your . . . adoptive parents?" "Ah, yeah, these two," Lino nodded, smiling . "Eggor and E, the musclehead and the weirdo, the loud and the corny, the stupid and the--" "Isn¡¯t that enough of an introduction?" Eggor growled lowly, his eyebrows twitching . "Wait, how do--what are the two of you doing together?" E asked quickly . "Oh, we¡¯re together . " Lino replied casually . " . . . together?" E quizzed . "Hm? What¡¯s confusing about that?" Lino retorted . "Together as in, you know, she-rubs-me-I-meet-a-god-together . " " . . . " " . . . " "You couldn¡¯t have just exined it normally, couldn¡¯t you?" Hannah sighed . "But then I wouldn¡¯t get to witness all the various reactions," Lino grinned . "Like E¡¯s absolutely terrified gaze, Eggor¡¯s confused one where he seems to be questioning the reality itself, Felix burying his head into the chest, Lucky rolling her eyes once again, Annar itching to ask me how in the fuck I wooed you, and Scarlet seemingly re-examining her value as a woman . And, oh, of course your blush . Worth way more than all the restbined!" "It¡¯s rather amazing how observant you are," Hannahmented . "Even I didn¡¯t catch every single one of them . " "That¡¯s because you¡¯re nice," Lino exined . "As someone whose profession is to piss people off, I¡¯ve gotta know to read their expressions in the finite detail within a nanosecond as to extrapte pleasure from it . " " . . . please tell me that¡¯s not your fetish . " "Oh, no, nothing sexual," Lino shook his head . "Though, you¡¯ll probably wish it was . " "Hey!!" Hannah angrily eximed . "Anyway, let¡¯s board the ship," Lino said as he caressed Grim gently, causing the bird to cry out in joy, before putting it back into the Pouch and boarding the flying ship with the rest . "How have you guys been?" " . . . I¡¯m not done questioning you!" E suddenly eximed, her eyebrows twitching as she grabbed at Lino¡¯s ear and dragged him away from the rest, putting up a soundproof barrier that no one on the ship dared listen through . Others stayed outside, reveling in the awkward silence . "Are . . . are you really together with her?" she asked, seeming even excited to Lino¡¯s surprise . "Yes . . . ? Why are you so weird about it? It¡¯s not as though it¡¯s never happened before, you know?" "Oh, trust me, I know," E sighed . "But that¡¯s not the point . Do you even know who she is?" " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyes turned into slits for a moment as did E¡¯s . "Which of the three identities you mean?" " . . . you know all three?" E asked back . "Is that a trick question?" "I don¡¯t know, is yours?" "You¡¯re an adult here, so out with it . " "You¡¯re her lover, so you know her better . " "You used to watch over her," Lino persisted . "So you go . " "I¡¯ll list out initials," E said, taking a deep breath . "B-GD-HL . " " . . . fuck, you know all three too?!" Lino eximed . "Right, isn¡¯t she a total badass?" he suddenly grinned, ncing at Hannah who, unlike the rest, embraced the silence at sat on the ship¡¯s ledge, enjoying the wind . "I mean, a Bearer, a Descender, and some super important member of the Holy Land . I can barely match her!" " . . . wait, back up!" she eximed suddenly . "You know she¡¯s a Bearer and you still got together with her?!! Are you insane?!" " . . . " Lino smirked mysteriously . "Ah, I wouldn¡¯t worry about it . Anyway, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here . I¡¯m gonna need all your guys¡¯ help . " "Huh?" "The Prime within the City is called Umbra," Lino borated . "Do you know about it?" " . . . yeah . " E frowned . "No wonder you burned everything around the city . " "Right . But we still have to prevent her from finding any hosts further out of the city and wait it out till she falls back asleep . " " . . . yeah, that¡¯s probably the best n possible . " E nodded in agreement . "Surround it and wait?" "Yeah, that¡¯s the n," Lino sighed . "But, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve got enough people . I mean, the entire Continent now has only three Titrs left . The three of them, Hannah and I, and you four can probably take at least two sides, but what about the remaining two?" " . . . why do I¡¯ve got a feeling you¡¯re about to propose something insane?" E asked, looking dubiously at Lino . " . . . I¡¯ve got wings . " "So?" "They¡¯re fast . " "And?" "They allow me to cover a lot of ground . " "Yeah, sure, like I¡¯m going to let you defend an entire side all on your own," E chuckled oddly . "Keep dreaming boy . " " . . . I killed a God-Devil . " Lino proudly eximed, though hiding some facts . "I don¡¯t care if you caged him and then raped him for centuries, I¡¯m not letting you guard an entire side by yourself . " " . . . you just said something extremely out of character right there!" "How strong is Hannah?" E asked, ignoring Lino¡¯s probe . "Fairly strong . Even stronger than me, I believe . " Lino replied . "I¡¯ve had a n to employ the Devils for one side, but I¡¯m fairly certain they still n on taking Umbra once everything chills out . " " . . . yeah, you can¡¯t trust them," E shook her head . "But . . . you could, you know, still make use of them . . . " " . . . are you volunteering?" Lino asked . "Nah, I¡¯m better served off fighting directly . Let Eggor handle them . " " . . . " "What?" E asked, seeing Lino¡¯s pained expression . "I . . . I kinda feel bad for the horned guys . . . I mean . . . you know, they¡¯re shit and evil and all that, but . . . " " . . . pfft, ha ha ha ha ha," E burst out inughter, unable to hold it for a long while Lino began to wonder was what he said really that funny . "Ha ha, don¡¯t . . . don¡¯t worry about that . Just let him handle it . " " . . . aah, fine, like I can say no to that smile . " Lino said, chuckling . "Anyway, how have you guys been?" "Oh, great . Just sitting around, waiting for you to call us without ever doing so, even to just check in and say you¡¯re okay, it¡¯s been fantastic . " " . . . are you drunk?" Lino asked, backing away a bit . "You . . . talk . . . like a weirdo! What happened to you?" " . . . honestly?" E mumbled, smiling warmly for a moment . "I¡¯m happy, Lino . Happy for you . " "Huh?" "Hannah is . . . an amazing girl," she said, ncing at the crimson-haired girl still sitting on the ledge . "Though I can¡¯t say how, she had never sumbed to the magic of the cultivation . She was never maddened by the pointless glory of pursuit of the unreachable . She didn¡¯t chase titles or heroics or legends, and she didn¡¯t give in . For as long as I¡¯ve known her, she was always level-headed, albeit slightly odd . In a world distraught with deceit and lies, she always remained true to herself . You could learn a lot from her, you know?" " . . . I have been," Lino chuckled, ncing back as well . "She made it a lot easier to admit to myself I¡¯m beyond fucked . . . but that I¡¯m still not past the point of no return . I¡¯m getting there . . . bit by bit . " "As you should," she reached her arm over and caressed his hair gently, smiling . "But, if you mess with her, I¡¯ll be the first to whip your ass back into oblivion . You understand?" "Hey, whose side are you on here?!" "Hers . " "Hey!!" "What? I know she¡¯s an angel, and you¡¯re a little devil . Can you me me?" " . . . yeah, I guess not," Lino chuckled . "I¡¯ve no intention of messing with her, though . Do you know how happy I was when I met her again? For the first time in a while . . . I was genuinely stered . Almost at a loss for words . That doesn¡¯t happen to me, you know?" "Oh, trust me I do . " " . . . just as she did back then," he said, getting up slowly . "She still leaves me feeling breathless every day . And she¡¯s also one hell of a badass! You should have seen her fighting . . . damn . And she was just ying around at that! I so want to see her going all out . . . " "Alright, alright, your obligatory ¡¯I have emotions but they¡¯re only the cool ones¡¯ moment was wholly unnecessary . " "You should ask your hubby if those moments are unnecessary . " Lino red at her for a moment as he headed out . "You women and your---" "What?" "Nothing . " "I asked ¡¯us women and what¡¯?!" "I SWEAR NOTHING! FORGIVE ME!!" "Get your ass back in here!!" hearing the ruckus, Hannah turned around and saw a scene she would never forget; a fully grown Lino trying to run away from E who clutched at his arm and pulled him back, then propped him against the wall and continued to lecture him on something for a literal hour . All the while, she couldn¡¯t help but grin, deciding to ask E on how and what she did, for future reference . Chapter 217 Chapter 217 CHAPTER 217 NATURE OF CHAOS Lino was currently standing inside a throne-like room enrobed in tepid, drape-like shadow folding over the colossal pirs piercing the darkened sky, the whizzes and wails of all sorts of abominations surrounding him crying together in the most distorted symphony he¡¯d ever heard . Right in front of him, stacked on top of the seat of thorns, a throne dyed jet-ck stood erect, chains shackled in spikes and ded edges wrapping around a little girl¡¯s limbs and throat, piercing into her skin and causing ebony-colored blood to drip out slowly . By her looks, Lino estimated, she couldn¡¯t be older than eight, ten at most . She had milky-white hair dripping over her slender shoulders and five eyes, three of which were entirely closed -- one where eyes ought to be, and one on her forehead, with two extruding from her cheeks being half-opened . She had no mouth, but a strange, paper-thin skin draped over a hole where lips ought to be . It was ghastly yet eerily sad sight, and Lino couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly . Just as they¡¯d surrounded the domain, a voice tore open through the void and spoke into his mind -- chilling, soft, melodic tone of a young girl backed up by a choir of distorted muffles and groans . He didn¡¯t even need to ask the Writ as to who it was or what he was supposed to do, as he simply walked through the open void and found himself standing where he stood now, in front of a bleeding, shackled child of sorts . Rather than feeling ufortable, he strangely felt at ease, as though he was home . Every breath enlivened him, clearing his mind up better than anything ever could . His cultivation within the domain of darkness skyrocketed, with him needing the assistance of the Writ to prevent himself from crossing into the Realm of Exalted by ident . All these shadows . . . abominations . . . the cries and wails . . . he felt warmth from them rather than chill . Like they were a family . " . . . hel-hello, Father . " a young voice echoed out, yet she made no visible move . "I-I missed . . . missed you . " "Hello, Umbra . " the Writ replied in the same, robotic tone, through Lino . "How have you been?" " . . . g-gorgy . . . and tired . . . so . . . so tired . . . " "You shouldn¡¯t have woken just yet . " "I . . . I did-didn¡¯t want to," her voice quivered and broke slightly . "But . . . b-but bad men found me, Father . They were . . . . were going to do-do bad . . . bad things to me . " "I¡¯m sorry . " "Y-you don¡¯t, don¡¯t--don¡¯t have to, apologize . " Lino recognized an array of emotions in that voice; longing, desire, pain, loneliness . . . she really was like a little child, Lino thought, who hadn¡¯t seen her dad in a while . "Umbra . . . Umbra is just happy . . . happy she finally-finally saw you . . . saw you again . Is the Big Brother o-our new, new friend, Father?" "Yes," the Writ replied . "His name is Lino . Why don¡¯t you two get to know each other for a while?" though Lino wanted to scream at the bastard for basically shuffling over the responsibilities, he held it back . "H-hello Lino . I-I¡¯m Umbra . It¡¯s, it¡¯s nice to meet you . He he . " "It¡¯s . . . it¡¯s nice to meet you too, Umbra . " Lino said, chuckling lightly as he sat down into the shadows freely, whipping out a gourd of ale from the void world . "How are you?" "I¡¯m . . . sl-sleepy . . . " "Yeah . . . bad people woke you up . " "They-they did . . . th-they woke me up, a-and . . . I . . . I had to, had to defend myself . " "Of course . " Lino nodded lightly, feeling a slight twinge in his heart . "I-I know . . . F-father said, he said not-not to harm o-others . . . b-but . . . they were, they were going-going to do bad, bad things t-to me . . . " "It¡¯s only natural you¡¯d defend yourself," Lino said . "Don¡¯t feel bad about it . " "He he . . . L-lino . . . you¡¯re . . . nice . " "Ha ha, thanks . You¡¯re nice too . Tell me something about yourself . " "L-like what?" "Uh, I don¡¯t know . What do you like to do?" "I . . . I like . . . dreaming . " " . . . dreaming?" Lino arched his brow as he asked . "Y-yes . . . b-because, in dreams . . . I . . . I can be any-anyone . I¡¯m not . . . not Umbra . I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m not . . . a Pr-prime . I d-don¡¯t sleep a-all the . . . all the time . I . . . I¡¯m any-anyone . . . anything . . . I wan-want to be . . . d-do you, like dr-dreaming, Lino?" she asked . " . . . I do," he chuckled . "I, too, can be anything I want in there . I¡¯m not an Empyrean . . . I¡¯m not anyone special . . . I¡¯m just . . . another person, just another guy trying to live until he dies . " " . . . i-is it fun?" "It is, yeah, heh," Linoughed freely, tinkering with the ground without drinking any . "But, that¡¯s what dreams are supposed be, right? Fun . " "Y-yes . . . I-I think so-so too . . . " the little girl chuckled as Lino once again sighed inwardly . The whole ordeal was bing too convoluted for him . "I-is it . . . hard, being Big-Big Brother?" " . . . a bit, yeah," he replied, chuckling . "But, it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle . Don¡¯t worry about it . " " . . . o-other B-Big Brothers . . . said . . . said the same thing . . . " " . . . and I¡¯m sure they all meant it just as I do . " Lino said . "B-but . . . they . . . all went far, far a-way . . . to a p-ce Umbra . . . can¡¯t foll-follow them . . . " a tinge of mncholy draped through the girl¡¯s mumbling voice . "E-even Big Sister . . . Eve . . . d-disappeared . . . " though Lino didn¡¯t recognize the name, he imagined he¡¯d hear it sometime in the future . "Do you miss them?" "I do . . . " "I¡¯m sure they miss you too, you know? Wherever they are . " Lino said, taking a sip . "But, don¡¯t say they disappeared, Umbra . How can they? We¡¯re all parts and pieces of a big world, and when we run out of time . . . we simply return whence we came from . Whence you, and I, and even your Father came from . " " . . . a-ah, Brother O¡¯th t-taught me th-this! N-nature of C-chaos, he called it!" the little girl eximed jubntly . "It-it¡¯s, he said, that all-all things, a-all matter, energy, e-every word and th-thought and touch and even whispers," her stutter due to the drowsiness seemed to have disappeared temporarily . "Every rainfall, and wind and storm, and every bolt of thunder . . . every breath we all take . . . naturally turn to Chaos, to be given to someone else . . . " " . . . " Lino listened attentively for a moment, musing over the theory . "See? They aren¡¯t gone . As the matter of fact, they¡¯re closer to you than they¡¯ve ever been . " Lino continued to tinker with the thoughts silently, unsure of a lot of things . He very much didn¡¯t understand the Nature of Chaos, or either of those terms as the matter of fact . He still continued to fumble and tumble in the dark, assuming a lot of things he very much knew weren¡¯t true . Gaia . . . Fate . . . Chaos . . . Order . . . all these seemingly intangible concepts, ideas beyond life, seem more and more corporeal the further along he went . Whether they were -- are -- self-realized manifestations of themselves, or artificially made ones . . . he couldn¡¯t say, nor did he deem the answer to that question all that important . The more he had learned about the world, the more he began to doubt as to what he was supposed to do in the first ce . He had long since began suspecting that his ¡¯mission¡¯ had little to do with other Bearers, with the Holy Lands, or even with Gaia, that all of them were simply curtains hiding something else, or perhaps distractions . . . or even guides . He¡¯de to believe that whatever he had to do had nothing to do with him as the individual -- but rather what he represents . All things, he¡¯de to learn, orbited the idea of Chaos one way or another . And he, the crowned beholder of it, was at the center of the unfolding story; no, rather than to say he was, or even that the Writ was, it was better to say that what they represented was at the center . "Don¡¯t think too deeply about it, Big Brother," as though having read his thoughts, Umbra spoke out with a chuckle . "All truths, regardless of how hard they¡¯re to unveil, are in the end fairly simple . Ordinary . Even boring . " " . . . you know what I¡¯m supposed to do?" Lino asked . "No," the little girl denied . "Nobody does, not even Father . My Brothers and Sisters always said that Father was a fool for trying to find the truth behind all the lies, that it was a wasted effort that just led to one heartbreak after another . " "You don¡¯t?" Lino questioned, smiling faintly . "What they never realized," her voice turned warm and even shy for a moment . "Is why the Father was doing it . " " . . . " "It was for us," she exined . "We, the aptly-named Eternal Sleepers . He wanted to know why the amount of Chaos diminished, forcing all his children to sleep . But, he couldn¡¯t do it alone . He needed Big Brothers and Sisters to help him . Just like you are . " " . . . yeah . " "Will you promise me something, Big Brother?" "What?" "I know that the Father always appears indifferent, distant from the reality of his decisions," Umbra said . "But, just like you, he feels and fears, Big Brother . Just like how you feel mounting guilt over every new life you take, over every love you lose, over every mistake youmit . . . so does he . It¡¯s just that you¡¯re much worse at hiding it, unlike him who had quite a few eons of practice . " " . . . " "I know you¡¯ll be fine," she said . "You¡¯ve met a lot of people who will help you chip away at your demons, bit by bit, until you¡¯re entirely free of them . But the Father . . . has no one, Big Brother . . . no one except you . We can¡¯t share his fears . That is why most of us grew distant from him . . . not from anything but due to shame we feel . Can you promise me, Lyonel . . . that you¡¯ll help him?" " . . . " Lino¡¯s lips curled up in a faint smile as he realized he¡¯d been yed . He shook his head and disregarded the thought, finally taking a sip from the gourd . "Is this what life is all about once one reaches the absolute summit? Just a big game of chess?" " . . . a little bit, he he . " "Tsk," he clicked his tongue a few times, shaking his head . "I suppose I ought to get used to it before I dive headfirst into the whole cesspool . " "You ought to . " " . . . I promise, though . " he said . "I¡¯ll pester and bemoan him well into madness . " " . . . thank you . " all five of her eyes suddenly opened, startling Lino . "I will help you be an Exalted, and help your friends with their own little problems . You¡¯ll have at most a few hours to figure it out, and I won¡¯t hold back anything . Afterwards, I¡¯ll go back to sleep . I ask that you put me in the Pouch, so that my nap won¡¯t be interrupted again . " "W-what do you mean?" Lino started on his knees, somewhat frightened by the implications . "Prevent me from sending out my Agents," Umbra chuckled . "Isn¡¯t that what you were nning all along?" "Oh, you little devil . . . " "Aren¡¯t they going to help you as well? Right, do you want me to teach them a lesson?" " . . . heh, no need, I¡¯ve got that covered . " Lino shook his head . "It was pleasure meeting you, Umbra . " "Likewise, Big Brother . " " . . . it used to be endearing . . . now it¡¯s just creepy . . . uh . . . " "What, you don¡¯t like when cute little girls call you Big Brother?" "Yeah, you¡¯re sick . I¡¯m out . See ya¡¯ in a couple of billion years when you¡¯ve napped enough . " "Good luck, Big Brother!" "Fuck! You realize you just ruined that phrase for me?!! Now every time anyone calls me Big Brother, I¡¯ll get the chills down to my soul?!" "He he~" "He he my ass!!" Chapter 218 Chapter 218 CHAPTER 218 BIRTH OF AN EXALTED (I) Lino hovered far up in the darkened skies, the wings stretching behind him asionally fluttering to keep him afloat . His expression was hidden behind the mask, his eyes void of much unlike the eyes of the rest who were surrounding the shadow domain . Despite the protests from many people -- namely E and Hannah -- he was adamant about taking the entire northern side all on his own . He knew that Umbra wouldn¡¯t actually try and break past him, and would simply send everything directly at him . It wasn¡¯t the matter of whether he was quick enough to bound left and right, but whether he was strong enough to remain standing by the end of it all . Taking a deep breath, he took out the sword he forged quickly just a few hours ago just so he¡¯d have one . He also donned the [Heaven-Cast Armor Set], his confidence growing exponentially . The shadows began to mingle, he noticed, like the boiling water within a cauldron . Bubbles spawned atop the massive surface, arms stretching out into the reality beyond and quickly being burned away by invisible energy into ash . However, every time they stretched a bit further, a bit closer to leaving the domain . It wasn¡¯t long before the hell was unleashed, and even Lino couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly nervous . " . . . she wasn¡¯t kidding when she said she wouldn¡¯t hold back . . . " he mumbled . "This is the best way to push you to your limits . " the Writ replied . "Good luck . " " . . . yeah, yeah . . . " Lino didn¡¯t dive down and instead chose to make the sky his battleground of choice . One after another, shadows began spawning, thin, bony arms stretching out toward him in a half-circle with thousands upon thousands of tentacles following right behind alongside one disfigured abomination after another . His mind shed back briefly to his encounter in the Umbra Capital, where a simr sensation -- only on a much smaller scale -- besieged him . He immediately activated to resist all the illusions and hallucinations, but held back from activating . He¡¯d save thetter for the moment of desperation that would no doubt assail him eventually . It was around the time that he activated the Eye that the first arms reached at him in a grasping motion, causing him to wake the Singrity resting within his soul . Qi splintered into streams and traced through his body into his muscles, causing them to bulge and the silver sword in his hand to shimmer in faint crimson . The de vibrated as Lino immediately activated . The space around him shuffled as he vanished, the stretched arms piercing nothing but empty void; he appeared right above them, slicing the sword downward in a mad rush of colors and splitting several dozen arms in the process . Wails cried out into the sky as a heap of blood and gore gushed out, staining his armor in dark red . Without pausing he fluttered the wings and swayed down, avoiding the array of arms attacking him and flipping over, throwing the sword at them before immediately using the [Master of Void] option of the Heaven-cast armor . He rotated in circles as he darted around the army of tentacles, whipping out both the sword and the [Hell¡¯s Belittlement]; despite the fact that thetter was not the best option for battles in the sky, it was better than nothing . He swung it around madly as he held back the abominations from striking at him, causing zing inferno to erupt in the sky as he blended into an array of light . Though he was still far from understanding it -- at all -- he¡¯d realized that using became easier through the passage of time . There wasn¡¯t as much strain on his mind and body, but he¡¯d still often miscalcte and arrive far away from where he intended . The sky quickly turned into the mix of shadowed edges bound by spitting smoke and a shing blur of holy light; the world around the two often blended and shattered, realities mixed and disced; despite that, however, Lino found himself repeatedly wounded, with darting shadows shing away at the exposed areas of his body repeatedly . He bled though he just as quickly regenerated, repeatedly pushing the Singrity to spit out more and more Qi in the process . The nervousness he felt prior to the battle slowly seeped away, reced by the rekindled feeling of belonging; the fire inside his soul had finally began burning again, eating away at his fears and reservations . He continuously spat out one array of holy light after another, causing the sky to cry dark rain of blood and gore, and cries and wails of the fallen to bound into a melody of demise . Reaching with his right arm, he swatted away the bolt of darkness with the sword before suddenly lifting up his head; there, not too far above, a massive, gaping mouth full of sharpened teeth stood, inside the spinning vortex of darkness . It was well over five miles across and Lino could already sense the huge amount of Chaotic Qi gathering in the eye of the storm . He swung the [Hell¡¯s Belittlement] madly, trying to break away from the sudden siege of the abominations; dog-shaped shadows bit and chewed at his legs, their jaws seemingly frozen, while swaths of thin, child-sized arms wrapped around his arms and waist, pulling him in the ce . Seeing the bulging ball of darkness within the mouth, Lino panicked momentarily as he let the me take over; he pulled apart his arms and tore away at his muscles, immediately regenerating them as he shed away at his own legs, decapitating the dogs in one swift process . Just then, however, he felt something from above strike him . A beam of jet-ck darkness pressed against his back, causing him to scream out in pain as he felt his back burn and singe . He immediately activated the Wings¡¯ shield effect, pushing away the beam for a moment before using the to rece the reality of his own . No longer was he in the path of the beam, but right above the mouth, bloodied and bruised and maddened, grasping at the sword with both his arms and shoving it right down through the mount¡¯s center . A magnificent cry spanning the whole sky caused even him to momentarily freeze in ce, blood in his veins freezing . The cry seemed to have called forth even more shadows and abominations; ncing down, Lino saw a beyond-blinding ocean of darkness swelling toward him . He found that it was even impossible to count them altogether with Divine Sense, let alone with his own eyes . Just as he was about to activate despite the unwillingness, he felt something snuggle into his armor and through his chest, the small head popping out of the opening . Looking down, Lino saw the holy light ring like a gem, quickly recognizing the source . " . . . Ashta? What are you doing out?" " . . . " the little creature nced at him for a moment and even seemed to have grinned . The very next moment, it slithered through the reality itself and entered the sword in his right hand . Lino found himself nearly pulled down from the sky due to the new-found increase in weight; he nced at the sword and saw that its previous, dimmed shine was gone, instead reced entirely by light that kept growing and growing, seemingly unwilling to stop . Soon enough the de of light spanned for nearly five miles altogether in the sky, entirely dispensing the darkness around . Lino grinned in pride despite the fact that it was hardly his effort, veering away from the de onto the ocean of darkness down below . Grunting lowly, he used every fiber of his strength, pushing the Singrity further, to swing the sword in a downward arc . It fell slowly, yet beyond quickly, tearing apart the world itself and casting magnificent light over the reality . It splintered into hundreds of thousands, millions and even billions of arrowheads, tearing away through it all at the speed of light, quickly falling upon the ocean of darkness . Hole after hole was spawned in the nket, cry after cry blending in the symphony of the hellish agony; light slowly, but surely, consumed everything, even Lino¡¯s capacity of belief . Though he¡¯d always suspected that Ashta was far beyond a simple Primal Spirit, he never expected her to be this strong -- strong to the point that his attack right then almost rivaled the one he used to kill the God-Devil Variant . What¡¯s perhaps even more depressing that for thetter one, Lino had literally used everything he could and was entirely spent following that attack . He crushed both his armor and the wings, and sacrificed his best weapon in the process, just to barely execute one of the techniques within the scripture . While it is true that the attack he unleashed can¡¯t even qualify properly to be called , he was still quite proud of it regardless . Yet, it was nearly toppled by a simple Primal Spirit, without any build up or a massive sacrifice . Abomination after abomination fell, shadowed arms crumbling into bones and ash, blood and gore, clearing away the stream almost entirely . ncing down, Lino saw that Ashta had returned to his bosom, the light surrounding her slightly dimmer than before . " . . . holy shit . . . " he mumbled in disbelief . "That was so badass!! When did you learn to do that?! Damn, you¡¯re a really sneaky one, aren¡¯t you?!" " . . . he he, I did well?" " . . . " " . . . " "Y-you can talk?!" Lino eximed dubiously, picking up the small ball of light and stretching it over the palm of his hand . "Just how many surprises you hide?" " . . . " "Yeah, yeah, you did well," Lino quickly realized that he had a long way to go open up this bubble of shyness, which is why he didn¡¯t push . "Go rest now and leave the rest to me, alright?" "Okay!" the little Spirit eximed before vanishing directly into Lino . Thetter slowly gazed down at the magnificent hole that she¡¯d created; yet, even now, that hole was slowly being filled up with darkness yet again . For the first time he truly realized how terrifying Umbra was -- if her intent was to spread throughout the continent, he knew no one stood a chance of stopping her . He once again realized just how naive he was, especially when it came to things he knew little about . Swearing inwardly he¡¯d know better the next time, he once again grasped at his weapons tightly and readied himself for round two . Chapter 219 Chapter 219 CHAPTER 219 BIRTH OF AN EXALTED (II) Hannah relentlessly soaked the sky in thunder, thetter¡¯s crackling startling even the abominations pouring out of the darkness . However, her mind seemed to be split, eyes often veering away from the battle down below and toward the north . Even still, she managed to practically control a whole side by herself, while Patriarch Chen scrambled to get to the leftovers, feeling somewhat dismayed over just how much stronger she was . Sensing a disruption in Qi, Hannah steered her attention away from the north onto the darkness deep down below, her eyebrows furrowing . She quickly estimated that the uing attack rivaled someone around her level, surprising her greatly as most of them danced around Level 1000 . Taking a deep breath, she flickered her sleeves whereupon thunder suddenly encased her arms, stacking all the way to her shoulders, dancing and burning in deep azure . Sensing the iing attack further, she pinpointed the exact point of origin before quickly rising her arms, drawing aplex array over her head within a mere blink of an eye and feeding it the thunder directly from her hands . The array grew, spanning half a mile across at its peak, flickering with thigh-thick bolts and glow washing away the surrounding, darkened clouds . Patriarch Chen took a mere nce at the array before he quickly withdrew, realizing he too would be zapped dead if he stood in its path . Finishing up the array, Hannah once again spread her arms, coating them in thunder -- crimson one this time around -- creating a strange, almost ethereal contrast of colors . The array above suddenly spat out one thunderbolt after another, each the size of a trunk of a massive tree, and each striking at exactly the same point . Meanwhile, Hannah herself repeatedly yed her arms forth in a pping motion, each time producing a booming sound, and conjuring up hundreds of thousands of crimson bolts, causing them to fall like the rain upon the darkness below . Seemingly unaffected by the Qi¡¯s expenditure, she ceased the attack only to suddenly cluster her hands together and intertwine her fingers, pushing them out and pping down toward the ground . The sky above split open momentarily, a gap in the void of reality nearly devouring life itself before a beyond massive bolt of lightning emerged from it . It was the size of a small mountain, illuminating the entire eastern end of the Holy City, causing darkness to cease . With a massive crackle and boom, which deafened everyone within a thousand miles radius, the bolt descended and cut directly through the darkness, splitting apart the earth and then shimmered onward like a river, cutting directly through the entire city itself and splitting the domain of darkness in two . At the very end of its journey, it crackled once again and exploded into a shower of smaller bolts which formed an umbre-like shape above the city¡¯s walls, rotating so fast they blurred the space around them before piercing down like needles, causing endless wails and cries to emerge . Patriarch Chen stared in daze, his hands still on his bleeding ears; though he very much knew that he was weaker than the Descenders, he still assumed they were at least around his Level if nothing else, given their low numbers of Seventy-Two and Sixty-Eight . Yet, the attack he¡¯d just witnessed wasn¡¯t something that someone in the early stages of the Void could ever conjure up . After all, blending two realities together to create a dysfunctional mixture of matter, causing the vtile bolt to appear, wasn¡¯t something people were capable of withoutprehending at least several Laws to a certain degree . "I¡¯m gonna check up on the others," Hannah said quickly . "They should slow down for the time being so you should be able to handle it alone . Alright?" "Y-yes!" the Patriarch quickly eximed, biting his tongue . "Alright, thanks and good luck . " he remained silenced, staring at the fading sh of azure streaming through the sky like a falling star . His already terrified dispositions grew hundredfold in that very moment; he swore up and down he would never, ever go against anyone even remotely associated to the Great Descent . The rumors that they were as human as dogs are . . . he just confirmed them himself . Hannah slowly gained speed as she raced through the clouds, heading straight for the north . She, naturally, had no intention on checking upon the other side; the west was being handled by E, and there was no way in hell anything was getting past that wall, while the south was being handled by the Devils whom she couldn¡¯t care less for . And even though she trusted Lino, she felt something was off about the whole situation; all the while she fought, whatever abominations spawned never seemed to have any intention of trying to get past her, but all were almost uniformly rushing at her . Thanks to her speed, it didn¡¯t take her long to reach the north; her heart immediately froze for a moment as she realized her suspicions were spot on . The north was . . . a mess, to say the least . Thousands upon thousands of cratersy filled with dreaded corpses of all sorts, blood and gore flowing about like rivers, the amount of casualties counting in millions just on the quick estimate . It didn¡¯t take her long to spot the golden shine amidst the horde of ckness; off in the distance, within the sky, a pair of golden wings stretched, carrying a somewhat bloodied and bruised body around, thetter madly swinging about an assortment of weapons, throwing them repeatedly and rather than trying to lead a guerri warfare, diving straight into whatever the hell threw at him . Even from so far away, she could still immediately recognize the madness in his eyes; no, it wasn¡¯t madness -- it was excitement . He whipped around like a child in the sea of his favorite toys, beheading and slicing apart whatever maye, taking in the whole of the hellish environment he¡¯d created . Just as she was about to leap over and help him, she realized her body wouldn¡¯t listen to her . " . . . what are you doing?" she mumbled in a low growl angrily . "Stopping you from ruining the whole thing . " the Writ quickly replied . "What thing?! He¡¯s gonna get himself killed!" Hannah eximed . "Oh, would you rx . Even if somehow he was bound to lose, there¡¯s no way in hell those kids could ever hope to kill him . You seriously underestimate Empyrean¡¯s vitality, Hannah . " " . . . what do you mean ¡¯even if he was bound to lose¡¯? Are you saying he¡¯s winning?" "It¡¯s not about the victory or defeat . He¡¯s chiseling his Will and Soul . " "Huh?" "He¡¯s trying to cross into the Realm of Exalted . " " . . . " " . . . yup, pretty much only Empyreans are insane enough to try that sort of a thing in circumstances like these . " " . . . huh . Can he do it?" "How the hell am I supposed to know? Anyway, just sit back, rx and enjoy the show . Your boyfriend is about to go apeshit on those bastards . " "He¡¯s not--he¡¯s not my boyfriend . . . " "Ouch . You guys didn¡¯t confirm it yet? Sucks . He¡¯ll probably dump your ass . " " . . . " "Yeah, sorry . I¡¯ll shut up . " Lino had noticed Hannah arrive, but he didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it; he was too engrossed in the delirium he was experiencing . As the bloodbath unraveled before and around him, drowning him in the sea of crimson, he felt both his Will and his Soul growing more and more corporeal, and even his Singrity growing more firm, pure and dense . His Divine Sense expanded to twice its size, covering over ten thousand miles in a single, quick sweep and up to a hundred thousand if he concentrates . Every inch of his being was experiencing rebirth as hepletely ignored the pain and the exhaustion; bing the Exalted was the first major crossroad in the path of cultivation, one which defined whether one can ever truly be someone greater than life . It wasn¡¯t just about aptitude or talent, as being an Exalted had little to do with the innate body properties . It had, however, almost everything to do with one¡¯s Will -- internal and external . Thanks to the battle, he was slowly but surely beginning to understand the vestiges of Will -- something he had experience with since long ago . It was that voice that was barely audible at the beginning, one which always pushed him further and onward, causing his rationale to seemingly grow corrupted momentarily as he entertained some rather insane ideas . It was back, but it was no longer silent, and it was no longer a stranger¡¯s voice -- it was his own . The voice, though still not too loud, was rather powerful, almost booming . It became an inspiration of sorts, even fuel, consistently causing Qi to surge in and out of his veins, clearing up his breath and even his mind . The bloodied madness that used to reside was reced by rity as his Will expelled the demons guing his heart temporarily, sending him into apletely new world that he¡¯d never experienced before . The colors blended together perfectly, he was aware of every movement, every sound, every single streak of Qi flying about, every single hostile intent aimed at him . . . he saw the world down to its tiniest details, and, perhaps most importantly, for the first time in his life, he¡¯d seen himself beyond the mirror¡¯s vestige; he¡¯d taken a brief look at his own soul, and for the first time he knew . . . he would be just fine . It was at that moment that an Exalted was born . Chapter 220 Chapter 220 CHAPTER 219 HEAVENLY APTITUDE Lino was currently panting, seated atop the pile of debris scattered around the ravaged ins; stone, rocks, weeds, trees, and most of all guts and gore splintered everywhere around . Though exhausted and pale, and seemingly on the verge of passing out, his eyes shone like starlit diamonds . The darkness had slowly began receding, a faint, melodic whisper carried by the void congratting him and reminding him to pick her up . It took every bit of what he had to emerge partly victorious, and he was truly terrified of how he¡¯d handled it if Umbra had actually gone all out . He might have had to cripple himself all over again, which seemed to be a recurring theme with him and his insatiable desire for doing insanely impossible things . Regardless, he had finally be an Exalted -- and the highest tier at that, an Exalted Soul . The entire feeling of his own existence had changed, he mused inwardly; breathing was lighter, and even the tiredness and exhaustion he felt due to the fatigue was being washed away with each passing moment . The dulled world had obtained faint traces of color, and all that was unseen before could now be seen -- like numerous Spirits floating around freely, swimming in the sea of reality . " . . . congrats . " a warm voice spoke out from behind him, causing him to heave his head back . Hannah stood just above, looking down at him, her lips curled up in a gentle smile . "Damn, you¡¯re cruel," Lino grinned . "You watched the guy you supposedly care for nearly get beaten to a pulp . " "Wouldn¡¯t you feel bad if you got saved by a girl? You always go on and on about ¡¯men this¡¯ and ¡¯men that¡¯ . " "Oh, no way," Lino shrugged, getting up . "If some random chick could just swoosh in and take over all my responsibilities, she¡¯d literally make my day . " " . . . ugh . " Hannah rolled her eyes and sighed, ncing at the mayhem around her . "So?" "So what?" Lino asked, faking confusion . "Care to exin it, or should you abstain from sex?" "Can¡¯t abstain from something you¡¯re not having . " Lino frowned momentarily . "For additional 2000 years on top of 500 that you have to wait . " " . . . " " . . . what?" " . . . y-you¡¯re gonna make me wait 500 years?" Lino stuttered . "What? Am I not worth the wait?" " . . . " "You really want to say no, don¡¯t you?" Hannah suddenly burst out intoughter, walking over and kissing him tenderly . "Come on, just tell me what happened . " " . . . ah, whatever," Lino shrugged . "I guess I can be a fucking Monk or something in the meantime . I mean, you know, how hard can it be to not touch a woman for 500--I can¡¯t fucking do it! No way!" " . . . wait . D-did you really just think you¡¯d have to wait for five fucking centuries just to see me naked? And you genuinely thought about it for a moment?" " . . . p-perhaps?" " . . . " " . . . what?" Lino asked, noticing Hannah¡¯s dubious gaze . "Nothing . Just got a bit wet, is all . " she shook her head . "Anyway, exin . Don¡¯t keep dancing around the topic . " " . . . wait, so I don¡¯t have to wait 500 years?" "No, of course not you moron . I¡¯m kind of hurt that you thought I could do it either . " " . . . good . That¡¯s good, yeah . " Lino coughed lowly, trying to y it cool for a moment . "Anyway, I sort of kind of maybe befriended Umbra and she made a fool out of me for a moment before promising to help me cross the barrier and be an Exalted . " " . . . and . . . and you just happened to forget to mention that to the rest of us?" "Hey, I made a deal . " Lino shrugged . "Besides, with E and you around, I knew everything will be fine . " " . . . you little fuck . " "Anyway, let¡¯s go and meet up with the rest . I¡¯ve got a bone to pick with the Emperor and his bean-sized fucking brain . Oh, and I also promised Umbra that I¡¯d pick her up and put her in my Dimensional Pouch so she can nap in peace . " "Yeah, it¡¯s better--wait just a goddamn second!!" Hannah eximed as Lino called out Grim, the two quickly climbing the ted bird . "You just said Dimensional Pouch?!" "Huh? Well duh . Where the fuck do you think I keep this bird? In my ass?" " . . . good point . " she assented . "Anyway, how are you feeling now that you¡¯ve finally begun to join the big boys club?" " . . . eh, it¡¯s fine . " he shrugged indifferently . "Oh, right . Forgot to tell you but I reached Level 1900 during the fight," Hannah eximed, hugging him from the back . "Those abominations were quite strong . " " . . . weren¡¯t you like not even 1500 just a few days ago?" "Yup . " "Go fuck yourself . " "Oh my, are you jealous? What? Ataxia won¡¯t allow you to level up quickly? He he . " " . . . ugh . " Lino held back a mouthful of blood his wounded pride was about to bleed . "Eh, don¡¯t get too upset by it," Hannah smiled . "E¡¯s way worse than me . It¡¯s like that woman¡¯s on goddamn steroids or something . " " . . . huh? What Level is she now?" Lino asked, frowning . "She was around 1600 before the fight," Hannah said . "Don¡¯t know where she¡¯s at now . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s heart thumped furiously, recalling that she wasn¡¯t even a Titr back in the ruins . He¡¯d finally realized what it meant to have a monstrous talent -- even the two Bearers couldn¡¯t hold up to that level of insanity . "How in the shit is she that talented?" "Hm? You don¡¯t know?" "Know what?" Lino asked . "She has an Immortal Origin Soul . " " . . . " " . . . you¡¯ve got no clue what that is, do you?" "Nope!" "I¡¯ll seriously have to force you to start taking sses with me on the most basic shit of cultivation . You¡¯re simply embarrassing me over here . " "When I get the time . " Lino chuckled . "So? What¡¯s it mean?" " . . . exactly what it says," Hannah said . "She¡¯s one of the few rare mutations that ur naturally within the Human Race . We¡¯re pretty much on the bottom shelf when ites to innate aptitude, but, every once in a while, someone will be born that simply shouldn¡¯t . E leaving pretty much crippled Qe¡¯ll n for centuries and put a huge question mark on their future . Before she left, she had practically mastered every single Martial Art that the entire n had, and to say she was unrivaled within her generation would be an understatement . To give you a reference, when she reached Soul Realm, she reportedly had Divine Sense spanning literally two million kilometers across . " " . . . fuck that noise . " Lino shuddered for a moment, a look of disbelief on his face . "It¡¯s true," Hannah chuckled . "Qe¡¯ll n was practically guaranteed a spot as a Holy Land so long as she stayed there . But, of course, they had to fuck it up so, you know, now they¡¯re barely surviving . " "How in the god¡¯s name did that fat fuck manage to snag her?" Lino thought out loud . "Well, look at us," she said, ncing sideways at him, her hair fluttering in the passing wind . "Is it really that much different?" " . . . well, yeah . I mean, I¡¯m a freaking Empyrean . He¡¯s, you know, a stone-banger . " " . . . you¡¯re a stone-banger . " "Yeah, but I¡¯m also good-looking . " "Yeah, you really are . " " . . . ugh . " Lino nearly choked on his own saliva, his eyes veering toward Hannah in disbelief; for the first time in his life, someone actually validated the im that he was good-looking . "He he, I didn¡¯t think you were so weak topliments . " " . . . I can wait for 500 years, you know? If it¡¯s really important to you . " "Oh my god, not with this shit again . " "No, no, it¡¯s fine . Look, I have my right hand and my left hand, they can be mypanions for a while, you know? I¡¯ll manage . " "I¡¯ll manage your fucking brain if you don¡¯t shut it," she growled lowly at him . "We¡¯re fucking soon and it¡¯s final!" " . . . " " . . . oh . Right . It¡¯s you . " Hannah sighed, seeing the sneer creep up onto Lino¡¯s face . "You¡¯re really good, you know? I mean, terribly devious, outright maniptive, entirely apathetic, but good . " "Hey, I¡¯m very much an empathetic guy . I just happen to rte more to people who are suffering . Because of me . " " . . . haaah . . . why am I attracted to you?" "Because I¡¯m good-looking . " "Yeah . . . oh, there they are . They look fine . " "Of course they¡¯re fine," Lino shrugged . "I mean, E could probably tten the whole City all on her own . They¡¯re just like some basic essories dangling from the side; kinda cute to look at, but the centerpiece are the huge tits . " "Yeah, it¡¯s kinda like your attempts to be charming," Hannah snickered . "When all you have to do is just undress . " " . . . that hurt . Like, deep-hurt . I¡¯m more than my perfect muscles Hannah . " "And I¡¯m more than my holes, Lino . " " . . . touche . " Chapter 221 Chapter 221 CHAPTER 221 THE NAIVE ONES [Lyonel Qa¡¯yi ¨C Human ¨C Level 281] Titles: Adept of Writ (???), Empyrean Soldier (???), Continental Crafter upations: Beggar (Level 68), cksmith (Level 200 - Continental Master), Cultivator (Level 8) Martial Arts: Empyrean Will (Level 1), Peerless Empyrean Spear Scripture (Level 1), Sword of Chaos (???) Primal Spirits: Ra, Ye, Gu, Li, Glog, Tet, Astub, Ashta Damage: 1,840,000 Defense: 18,000 Named Creations: Celestial Rod (Unique), Celestial te (Unique), Bisected Soul Set ((Chest) Soul Armor), Cleft Shadow(Epic), Twin Shadows (Legendary), Hell¡¯s Belittlement (Epic), Spear of Salvation (Legendary), Jailer¡¯s Wail (Rare), Earth Scorcher (Epic), Heaven-Cast Armor Set (Legendary Unique), World Defender (Epic), Celestial Crusher (Unique), Phantom des (Unique), Northern Frost (Unique Legendary), Lunar Beheader (Unique Epic) Gates Opened: 4/72 Lino stared at his status window sheepishly, his eyes shining like small diamonds . It has changed quite a bit since thest time he checked, and if he ever needed a way to know just far he¡¯de, the letters and numbers he was seeing were it . He, however, couldn¡¯t stare at it for too long; he still had two major headaches to deal with, the Emperor who no doubt would not simply wait for him toe knocking, and the Devils who will soon try and get ess to the Titan Realms in order to take Umbra . Though Eggor was watching over thetter, Lino had told him not to do anything too out there, as he simply wanted to see what methods they¡¯d use . As for the Emperor Rex, he was the first priority . Since nobody could ever quite know what a maddened man will do -- especially one as powerful as the Emperor -- Lino had asked Hannah, E, Scarlet and Annar to gate the city, while he, the Unholy Guardian, Patriarch Chen and the Sky-Bearing Monk headed off toward the Pce and the entrance to the Titan Realms . Lino would have simply allowed the three of them to take care of things if he bothered to trust them enough not to do exactly what the Emperor wanted to do; while he still couldn¡¯t quite grasp the ultimate importance of a Prime to a n or a Sect, he was fairly certain that it wasn¡¯t tiny, and that most would do quite literally anything to obtain one . The once grand-looking Pce was now in a sorry state, its walls and most of the buildings crumbled and toppled over by the corpses, its previous golden and holy shine nowhere to be found . Lino was, however, still quite apprehensive; even if he had three Titr Voids on his side, the Emperor still had his own Guardian, to say nothing of the Defensive Artifact . Chances are that they¡¯d have to have a battle of attrition, if not even invite help from others, if they wanted toe out on top of it . Entrance to the Titan Realms was beneath the floating rock on top of which the Pce stood, over ten miles deep underground . They, however, didn¡¯t have to travel that far to meet the Emperor, as he seemed to have been waiting for them, standing near the entrance alongside the Guardian of Light, holding a tattered-looking scroll emitting golden shine in his hand . " . . . " Goddammit, why can¡¯t you just surrender?! Lino groaned inwardly, realizing that the battle was inevitable . "So you choose extinction?" skipping the small chat, Lino went to the crux of the issue . "I choose to fight . " the Emperor replied calmly . "What makes us different than those on the Holy Continent who all posses a Prime?" "Well, for starters, they¡¯re forbidden from awakening it," Patriarch Chen replied with a frown . "We were lucky that the Descenders were here with us this time around, Rex . Otherwise, you could have caused the copse of the entire Continent . " "Save the speeches for someone who doesn¡¯t know you, Chen," the Emperor replied in kind . "You stand on that end now, but if you were in my shoes, you would have done the same thing . " " . . . I¡¯ve asked you a question," Lino interrupted the two, exuding a slight ounce of Will outwardly, causing the air to grow ten times as heavy . "Will you surrender and receive punishment on individual basis, or will you fight and sentence your entire Bloodline to eternal grave?" " . . . are you saying you¡¯re going to go after my family?" the Emperor suddenly frowned, ncing at Lino with piercing eyes . "I see that Great Descent is as thorough as ever . You people are nothing but beasts donning human skin . " " . . . while you piece of shit pissed your royal diapers inside," Lino growled . "I¡¯ve had to ensure your goddamn stupidity didn¡¯t cause the extinction of the entire Continent . Goddamn right I¡¯ll skin you lot alive . What if I am a beast? At the very least I¡¯m not a vehement moron incapable of rational thought, sucking on the people¡¯s bent beliefs and stroking my own ego like it¡¯s my cock . You¡¯ve repeatedly pissed me off ever since I came here, yet time and again I¡¯ve given you a way out . And you want to take some retarded form of a high morality with me?! Look inwardly, you obstinate piece of shit . Fucking dog¡¯s shit has more integrity than your broken ego . " " . . . " Patriarch Chen and the Unholy Guardian nced at Lino in disbelief, wondering where that tonguesh came from . Though they very much wanted to say something, they could hardly im to be able to put it as eloquently . "So I¡¯m going to ask you onest time," Lino leapt off Grim andnded squarely on the ttened valley, around fifty meters away from the Emperor . "Are you going to bow or defy, you sub-human corpse?" "HOW DARE YOU?!!" rather than the Emperor, it was Guardian Jean that reacted first, his expression distorted and dark . Spreading his arms, he spawned a mirage of light behind his back in the ilk of wings, ascending to the sky before beginning the bombardment . Array after array lit high up, spinning like wheels, before spitting out beams of golden light repeatedly . Each beam was as thick as a grown man¡¯s thigh, as long as an average spear, and was heading straight toward Lino¡¯s head . Thetter looked through his mask, meeting the Guardian¡¯s eyes . Lino was truly tired; not of fights, not of constantly dancing the fine line between the living and the dead, but from meeting ipetent fools on each stacking floor of the cultivation world . He had truly wondered numerous times by now how was the world still going forward with idiots like these acting as some sort of rulers . He truly couldn¡¯tprehend it; how can someone develop such abominable devotion to another human being that they¡¯d lose their mind over a simple, almost childish, name-calling . The two weren¡¯t even rted, Lino mused, still standing in the same ce, seemingly weing the beams onto himself . Time and again everyone kept telling him that he¡¯d understand one day, that it¡¯s the very belief which he mocks that holds the people up and helps them when they stare into the abyss . However, Lino had already realized that would never be him . He doesn¡¯t need to project his dreams onto another to stand on his own two feet . If abyss stares, he¡¯d stare back, whatever he may find in there . " . . . it¡¯s just . . . so sad . . . " he mumbled faintly as he whipped out [Spear of Salvation] . "That the world is ruled by absolute idiots . . . " A pair of wings suddenly unfurled behind his back and conjured up a spherical shield around Lino, absorbing rather than deflecting the holy beams of light . Expressionless, Lino fluttered his wings and took the sky in a straightforward manner, entirely ignoring any possibility of a strategy -- he headed directly toward the Guardian of Light, holding tightly onto the spear . Just as the Guardian was about to flush backwards, Lino took out the chain-sickle from his void world and swung it once, wrapping it around the former¡¯s leg and forcibly pulling him toward Lino . Rather than using the spear, Lino put it away and clutched his fingers into a fist, taking a shot directly at the Guardian¡¯s jaw; thetter screamed in agony once as he felt his entire skull break, a force like a mountain pushing him from the sky into the ground . He fell like aet and sted apart a huge crater before continuing to roll and cascade onwards for nearly a mile . Lino then turned toward the Emperor, who remained expressionless throughout the whole ordeal . "With the Artifact," Lino said casually . "I alone can¡¯t kill you . Chances are that even the three of usbined can¡¯t kill you . But . . . so what? Do you really think you can flee? And, even giving you the benefit of the doubt and saying that you could miraculously survive and then escape, what of it? Where would you go? If We as much as whisper your name, even the afterlife won¡¯t be a safe house . Just surrender and spare us all the uing headaches . " " . . . you smirch my ego, but have you taken a look at the mirror?" the Emperor suddenly chuckled after a few moments of silence . "While it is true that not many would dare defy the Descenders, do you really think anyone would listen to you? For all your eloquence, you are still but a child with naivety practically shining in your eyes . You know little of the world, little of the people and, most-importantly, little of the absolute disgust everyone feels toward you lot . You can preach to some children however much you want, but I¡¯ve lived long enough to learn many things . " " . . . I see," Lino merely smiled, putting the spear away . "Alright . You¡¯re free to go . " " . . . eh?" practically everyone suddenly turned toward Lino and looked at him in disbelief . "You heard me," thetter merely shrugged though . "Go . Leave . Find those who are ¡¯disgusted¡¯ by us and hide . You say that the world is on your side . Go on . Prove it . Prove to me my naivety and your supremacy . Prove to the world that it, indeed, can stand up and flip us off . " " . . . " " . . . " "Why are you staring at me like a sheep? Get that broken butler of yours and get out . " " . . . w-what about . . . what about my Family?" the Emperor asked . "I promise I won¡¯t kill them," Lino replied . "I may lock them up, and poke them here and there, and maybe get them to fight some exotic beasts, but they¡¯ll continue to live so long as you manage to stay safe . But, the day that I catch you, I¡¯ll bring them all in front of you and behead them in front of your eyes, one by one . How¡¯s that sound?" Lino grinned innocently, causing both Patriarch Chen and the Sky Monk to shudder; that innocent smile seemed far more terrifying than the entire Devil army at this point . " . . . heh, this only proves your naivety . " the Emperor said, slowly backing off, but still not letting go of the tattered parchment . "This isn¡¯t over, Descender . " "Bye bye!" Lino waved . "See you soon guys!" Withdrawing the wings, Linonded on the ground and summoned out Grim and Non . Everyone focused on the bird and missed the dog; Lino merely nced at the silver husky whereupon thetter¡¯s eyes lit up likenterns, his maw turning up into a mischievous grin . The dog merely nodded before casually running in the direction of the leaving Emperor . Chapter 222 Chapter 222 CHAPTER 222 INTO THE TITAN REALMS Though the city woke up, it was woken into madness; everyone started scrambling to get back to the reality of things, and as Lino didn¡¯t exactly feel like up-ending the Empire¡¯s entire system of belief, he mostly let the Emperor¡¯s descendants run things for the time being . There would be a good while before everything goes back to the way it used to, but they would eventually . Altogether, there were in total eight hundred and eleven casualties,paratively nothing to the City¡¯s entire poption . And even if didn¡¯t feel all that great, Lino had long since epted that he could neither be the savior nor the hero of everyone, and that should he ever mantle that cause, he would go mad before ever even figuring out hows and whys of it all . He was currently enjoying a simple lunch inside the Pce, in its tallest spire, overlooking the entire city from the clouds . The table in front of him was stacked with boar, chicken and pork meat, with several tters of various sauces there to enrich the vor . He wasn¡¯t alone, though, as the entire gang decided it would be a great idea to have lunch together; Hannah sat just next to him, with E and Eggor sitting on the opposite end of the table, Annar and Scarlet to the left, Jack and Edward right next to them, Lucky and Felix on the right side with Princess Annabelle and Prince On¡¯yal right next to them and even the Patriarch Chen, the Unholy Guardian and the Sky-Bearing Monk mixing in the background . Thetter two were entirely unaware as to who Lino and Hannah were, and they simply assumed they were guests of Eggor and E . "How long do you think before Devils attack?" Annar asked Eggor while chewing on a chicken¡¯s leg . "Eh, I give ¡¯em a week or two," Eggor replied while devouring boar¡¯s ribs . "If at all . " "Why if at all?" Scarlet asked, candidly eating a small piece of bread just for the show . "Well, namely because they¡¯re terrified," E said, stealthily ncing at Lino and Hannah who seemed to be lost in their own little world, entirely indifferent to the world around them . "I very much doubt they expected the Descenders to be able to defeat a Prime . " "Oh, yeah . " Scarlet mumbled, stealing a nce at Lino . "Hey, Lino," Jack said, gulping down a cup of ale . "Are you ever nning on introducing us to thedy?" "Why? Will you try and steal her from me?" Lino smiled, taking a sip of wine . "Hello," Hannah rolled her eyes at Lino and scoffed, turning toward Jack and Edward and shing them a smile . "I¡¯m Hannah . Lyonel¡¯s crutch . " "Oh my . " Jack snickered, shaking Hannah¡¯s hand . "Good luck, youngdy . I¡¯m at my wits end on how can anyone reign him in . " "Especially that tongue of his . " Edward chimed in . "It is a vicious tongue, indeed . " Annar chimed in . "Hurts more than some whipshings . " E stoked the mes . "I suggest we cut the problem at its roots," Eggor suggested . "By just, you know, cutting the bastard out . " " . . . you lot certainly do seem carefree," Lino mumbled, ncing at them dubiously . "What do you mean my vicious tongue? My tongue¡¯s made out of gold and heaven¡¯s sprinkles . Whatever I say bes practically a word from the holy scripture . You ought to listen to me more rather than justin . " "Aww, don¡¯t listen to them," Hannah pinched his cheek gently . "I love that tongue of yours . " "You just love sucking on it," Lino shrugged . "But wait till you find out---" "Aaaalright, how about we switch the topic?" E quickly interjected, predicting the future of the conversation . "To literally anything else . " "Right . " Lino nodded faintly, suddenly ncing at Lucky and Felix who felt shudders reach their souls . "You two have been awfully quiet . Are you waiting for the proper time to tell me I¡¯m gonna be a granddad? ¡¯Cause this is a great moment for it . " "Suck a dick dude . " Lucky flipped him off, angrily ring . "Whoa, whoa, where¡¯s all this hostilitying from?!" Lino jolted on his feet, trying to hide a grin . "Have I been nothing short of supportive? I¡¯ve even gone as far as to ignore your moans that kept me up at night because of how much I care for you!" he slowly walked over toward the two, with Felix¡¯s head having already found his bosom, and even Lucky¡¯s cheeks beginning to burn . "In reality, I¡¯m nothing short of supportive for all of you!" there was but a single thought that suddenly popped inside everyone¡¯s heads: oh no . "Lino, wait--" "No, no, this is fine," Lino interrupted Hannah, smiling lightly . "Like, for instance, I¡¯ve never mentioned anything about these two suddenlying up with fifty chores when they wanted to get down to business," he pointed at E and Eggor, the former quickly sighing and holding back thetter from jumping up . "What? I was fifteen . I wasn¡¯tpletely retarded . Or, or, how about the fact that I never mentioned how Scarlet, who was seemingly so much into me she¡¯d burn the world just to touch my ass, was actually just trying to make this little guy jealous?" he pointed at Annar, grinning . "Or how he, for theck of any balls inside his pants, decided that the best way to win her heart over was to be aplete asshole toward her . " "Lino--" "My tongue may be vicious," Lino smiled faintly at everyone . "But at the very least it¡¯s fucking honest, no?" " . . . " " . . . " while everyone began cooking in awkwardness, Annabelle and On¡¯yal began to doubt their sanity; this seemingly random boy suddenlyshed out at everyone present, with even Patriarch Chen and the Unholy Guardian feeling the awkwardness of the situation despite the fact that they were just outsiders looking in . "Damn, that felt good to get off my chest," Lino chuckled and took a deep breath, ncing at Scarlet and winking quickly before sitting back down next to Hannah who was doing her best not to burst out inughter . "Isn¡¯t it great? Doesn¡¯t everyone suddenly feel much closer to one another, huh?" "Khm,e on, let¡¯s give them some space to properly process that closeness . " Hannah quickly got up and pulled Lino¡¯s arm . "That¡¯s not actually the reason we¡¯re leaving," he said quickly . "She¡¯s really just about at her limit, and even a few seconds longer would result in her cracking open withughter . " "Goddammit . . . " Hannah pulled even harder, barely stifling herughter before the two left the room . " . . . well, we did poke the bear . " E chuckled faintly, taking a sip of the wine . " . . . I just wanna know how he knows so much stuff . " Edward said, looking oddly at the four who were hit the hardest . "Can he read minds or something?" "He¡¯s probably just really good at reading people," Jack chimed in . "Or, well, really, really good at reading them . " "Anyway, you two," deciding not wait on the sleeping giant, Eggor turned toward Annar and Scarlet who were both currently as red as blood in their faces . "Isn¡¯t it a wonderful asion, huh? There¡¯s nothing quite as beautiful as theing of two hearts . Truly a wonder . . . " " . . . s-shut up, you brainless muscle . . . " Annar stuttered . "Huh?! What¡¯d you call me, you coward?! Can¡¯t even be honest about your feelings! What kind of a fucked up man are you?!" "Alright honey, pipe down . . . " "Imagine if I was like that!" "You were . Remember that I had to chase you around for years before you caved in?" "All I remember is that you followed me around on your knees and begged for my forgiveness, and I eventually took pity on you . . . " " . . . that hurt . " "Sorry . " While the atmosphere inside slowly recovered, Lino and Hannah stood above the entrance to the Titan Realms . They neither had ns nor desires to sit around and wait for the Devils to arrive; even beyond simply picking up Umbra, Lino wanted to explore thest remnants of the Titan Era, as he had a queer sort of interest in it . Even Hannah didn¡¯t know all too much about how Titans lived, which was also the main reason behind her joining the excursion . "Alright, what¡¯s the real reason you went off like that?" she asked . "I know for a fact that making yoush out like that takes far, far more than what they said . " " . . . it¡¯s simple, actually," Lino smiled faintly . "For Lucky and Felix, I simply wanted to distract them . For all their courage, they were sitting at a table that they would otherwise never have a chance to . For Scarlet and Annar, it was even simpler: I was just fucking tired of them . Just . . . so goddamn tired . " " . . . yeah, I feel you on that one . " Hannah nodded . "You noticed too?" "Yup . Wasn¡¯t that hard . " "Right . " he nodded . "What about E and Eggor then? Don¡¯t you kind of see them as your parents?" "Oh, I do," Lino said . "But, I had to make them realize they can¡¯t be there for me all the time," he continued, smiling gently for a moment . "Force them, at least partly, to understand I¡¯ve got my own role to y on this stage . While hardly enough, it¡¯s a step in the right direction . " " . . . I don¡¯t care much for others," Hannah said as the two slowly walked into the underground tunnel leading to the entrance of the Titan Realms . "But, if you ever y those mind-games with me and I find out . . . I¡¯ll be very sad, you know?" "Then I should probably ensure you never find out, huh?" "Hey!!!" "Ha ha ha ha, alright, alright . Oh?" "What is it?" Hannah asked as she saw Lino¡¯s eyes light up . "Got a word from Non;" he exined . "It looks like our dear Emperor found a way to the Holy Continent . " " . . . haaah . . . that fool . I still don¡¯t understand why you didn¡¯t just kill him, or call us to help you . " " . . . why kill off an useful chess piece preemptively? He¡¯s still got a role to y, and not to be a drama-queen or anything, but it¡¯s a quite crucial one . " " . . . and when will I be let in on this n?" she asked as the two suddenly came to a halt, standing in front of a seemingly normal wall; yet the two quickly noticed the small distortions and disfigurements . "Why¡¯d I do that?" Lino asked, ncing at her and smiling . "I¡¯d much rather surprise you many times along the way . " " . . . alright, alright . y your hymn . Be careful inside, though . For now, we should just stick to the charted areas and proceed outwardly with caution . " "Yeah . . . let¡¯s see who the Titans really were before they fell . . . " Chapter 223 Chapter 223 CHAPTER 223 NEW WORLD Both Hannah and Lino were currently standing beneath a cracked statue, yet one still so tall even craning their necks wasn¡¯t enough to see the top . The two of them together added up not even to the toe¡¯s height, to say nothing of anything else . The cracked statue wasn¡¯t alone as it was just one of many scattered about a city-like structure whose walls were as tall as the mountains . The world the two walked into after crossing the wedge between the two dimension was apletely new one, practically the furthest thing from everything they were familiar with . They felt like small ants in the presence of giants, and even dead and gone, it seemed as though the spirits of such greatness still dwelt in the air . One thing Lino immediately noticed was the density of Qi -- or, rather, that it wasn¡¯t as diluted as it is in the outside world . Over the course of eons, the basicponents broke up further to form many new elements, Lino had learned; just a few billion years ago, for instance, there was no Shadow Qi as it was yet to be naturally formed . Inside the Titan Realm, most-importantly for Lino, the presence of Chaos was far more prominent than on the outside . He could practically catch a whiff of it every few minutes, which was impossible to do on the outside . The two had remained rooted in their spots for nearly a whole hour now, unable to move even an inch whilst taking in the grandeur of everything around them . " . . . damn, now I kind of wish I was born a Titan . . . " Hannah mumbled, sucking in a cold breath . "Maybe we could find someone really good in the Law of Time to send us back . " Lino said . "Although that¡¯d be cool, it¡¯d also be impossible . You can¡¯t go back into the past, Lino," she said . "You can only look at it . " " . . . well, that¡¯sme . " "Not really," Hannah shrugged . "Chronomancers are pretty much impossible to kill, you know? The only records of them dying are either due to suicide, or because an Empyrean killed them . So I suppose you do stand a chance . " "Why¡¯s that?" Lino asked, ncing curiously at her . "Because they¡¯re a lot like Fate," Hannah said . "Except with the ability to manipte time in small increments . You should already know that even half a second is sometimes enough to decide the battle¡¯s oue . If you had the ability to turn that half a second into a full second, or even more, you can always prevent any attack from actually reaching you . " " . . . damn . I only ever keep hearing about the cool Laws," Lino sighed . "And I¡¯m stuck with this moron whose only ability is to send me straight into the inferno and wish upon a star that I live . " "Oh, shut up," Hannah groaned, hitting his shoulder lightly as the two finally began walking . "You¡¯re like an anti . . . anti-fucking-everything . Why else do you think Empyrean lineage survived on for so many generations, in addition to practically everyone fearing your ass?" " . . . yeah, that¡¯s cool and all, but what of it? I can¡¯t bend time," Lino sighed even deeper,menting . "I can¡¯t bend space or void, can¡¯t shoot mes out of my eyes, can¡¯t create stuff out of thin air and throw it at people, can¡¯t freeze an entire ocean, can¡¯t cause continental earthquake . . . all I¡¯ve got is thisme body that can¡¯t be killed . Which, you know, is cool and all . . . but just not cool enough . " "God, you sound like a fucking rich kid who has everything except just one thing and then believes his life is just garbage because of it . " " . . . yup, I heard it . Can¡¯t believe I sounded that whiny actually . Anyway, this ce is amazing . . . " he eximed in awe as he saw a massive, decked spire rise in front of him, broken off into sections still upheld by faintly shimmering arrays of light . "I literally feel like an ant . . . " " . . . yeah," Hannah assented, looking around and up, still unable to trulyprehend the actual scale of the ce . Even the smallest of buildings were at least a hundred meters tall . "There¡¯s a good reason why Titans were unrivaled during their Era . . . " "What happened to them anyway?" Lino asked . " . . . nobody¡¯s quite sure," Hannah replied, frowning slightly . "All records about them dating to thest 40 million years of their existence are just . . . well, non-existent . The best we got are assumptions of those who¡¯ve lived underground andter formed the Four ns Era . ording to them, the most-likely scenario was that they were wiped out by the Origin Prime . " " . . . you keep throwing around all these terms and expect me to know them . I¡¯m not even sure whether you¡¯re doing it intentionally at this point just to hurt me . " "Oh, I am . " " . . . good, good, yeah, good to know . Anyway, what¡¯s the Origin Prime?" "Eh, it¡¯s just a fancy name for the First Prime to ever be created," Hannah exined . "Why don¡¯t you just ask Ataxia if you¡¯re that curious?" " . . . he¡¯s just gonna say I¡¯m not authorized to know or some shit . " "Anyway, nobody even knows who the First Prime is, or even if there¡¯s such a thing, but it¡¯s the mostmonly epted answer . " " . . . I¡¯m still having a hard time processing the sheer depth of the world¡¯s history . . . " Lino mumbled as they slowly began climbing massive stairs by jumping onto each new one . "I mean, I¡¯ve yet to live even thirty years, yet it feels like such a long time . . . and for the most of the stuff, we¡¯re talking in scales of at least millions of years . I can¡¯t even properly process what that timetable means . " " . . . nobody who hasn¡¯t lived it can," Hannah said . "The oldest person in my Sect, the original founder of it actually, is currently nearly two billion years old . " "Holy fuck!!" "Oh, yeah, when I first heard, I shat my pants . " " . . . literally?" "Of course not literally you goddamn moron!" "Uh . . . sorry . Please continue . " Lino quickly apologized, smiling sheepishly . "Khm, anyway, I had a chance to meet him once when I was like twelve years old or so, that year when we first met actually . " "Oh . " " . . . he seemed like . . . just another normal, old guy with bushy beard and white hair . At one point I summoned enough courage and asked him how it was like to live so many lifetimes and he then just stared at me for like five minutes before saying just a single word: ¡¯long¡¯ . " " . . . so he said nothing, basically?" "Yup . Gosh, sometimes I really hate old people," Hannah grimaced, her tone carrying a tint of anger . "They like talking in these weird, vague ways, like they ¡¯re trying to tell you something important but never really saying anything, you know?" "Yes!! Hell-to-the-fuck-yes!! Finally! Finally someone who understands!! Fuck old people! Seriously, fuck their wisdom, fuck their vagueness and, quite frankly, fuck them whole . They stink . " "Ha ha ha ha ha . . . yeah, I guess they do kind of stink . They have that ¡¯old people smell¡¯ to them, don¡¯t they?" " . . . yeah, ha ha . Aah, damn, that felt good to get off my chest . " "Where are we headed anyway?" Hannah asked . "Umbra told me that she¡¯s around forty miles east off the entrance," Lino replied . "Wanna head over immediately?" "Yeah, let¡¯s go and take care of that before exploring . " "Sure thing . " Meanwhile, within the depths of the Titan Realm, inside a crimsoned mountain stacked with bones, hollowed on the inside, stood a massive throne of skulls and spikes, upon which sat a massive giant, beyond tall . The giant¡¯s pair of eyes suddenly shed open, deep crimson in hue, shing in a strange glint . His jaw cracked for a moment, the whole mountain shaking in the process, as Qi within hundreds of miles around the mountain seemingly sprinted toward the throne and to the giant; had Lino been there to witness it, he¡¯d have be gobsmacked to realize that the amount of Qi equaled to him emptying his reserves at least a million times over . The giant took a deep breath, causing winds to gulf out of the hollow mountaintop which then began spitting out volcanic ash into the sky, cascading down slowly toward the earth . The giant¡¯s eyes slowly veered toward northeast, well beyond all the natural barriers which ought to prevent him from seeing anything . The eyes quicklynded on a pair of young humans who were currently taking a casual stroll through the Agdhar¡¯s Ruins, moving eastward in the process . " . . . so, heeth atst . . . " the giant mumbled lowly . "And with a friend at that . . . " the voice echoed lowly into the wind yet vanished thinly before leaving the mountain¡¯s enclosure . "I¡¯ve lived . . . Father . . . Mother . . . I¡¯ve lived long enough . . . to carry on your Wills . Watch me . . . from Valha . . . where soon Your blood shall join you . . . very soon . . . my kin . . . " Chapter 224 Chapter 224 CHAPTER 224 INTO THE FRAY Shortly after leaving the ruined cityscape, Lino and Hannah found themselves on yet another magical adventure as they reached the edge of what turned out to be just a single ind in the sky, floating seamlessly above the clouds . All around them the two spotted dozens of simrly-shaped sky inds floating about, and those were only the ones they could see with their naked eyes . Lino took out Grim as the two mounted the bird who soared through the sky, bounding from one ind to the nearest one toward the east . Unlike the previous, which hadrgely been dominated by ruins and mountains, the one theynded on was a different sort of paradise; lush forest of violet trees stretched in a crescent shape, surrounding a series of inter-connectedkes each doused in thick mist . At the very heart of the ind stood an obelisk, its entire surface carved out with runic characters that neither Hannah nor Lino recognized . Though the runes were dim, it was easy to extrapte that once upon a time they glistened brightly against the obelisk¡¯s jet-ck surface . Tipping over the very end of the obelisk was a ssed sphere, rotating rings surrounding it . Grim took to the sky and led the two just next to the sphere, allowing them to get a better look on what was inside . A single ring spun within the sphere, though ¡¯ring¡¯ may be an understatement as Lino was fairly certain he couldn¡¯t even wear it on his thighs . It seemed entirely made out of stone save for a singr ruby gem as the centerpiece which shone faintly, though its light was contained within the sphere . Lino reached out cautiously and touched the sphere, realizing quickly it was quite chilly to the touch . Pressing harder, rather than the expectant cracking of the ss, Lino nearly toppled over Grim as his hand simply passed through the surface; Hannah barely managed to catch him in time, quickly pulling him up . The ring within the sphere suddenly shook once, contorting as though molded by hands until it fit Lino¡¯s palm neatly . Thetter quickly pulled his hand out of the sphere, his expression expectant, checking the ring¡¯s stats . [Imperator Ring] 1/100 Note: The most valued treasure of the Xav Titan n, the Imperator Ring was destroyed in the Wars of the Fallen, shattered into a 100 pieces which scattered throughout the world . Legends say that bringing all the pieces back together will resurrect the Ring¡¯s Will, giving birth to the Void-Tier equipment . " . . . " Hannah barely stifiled herughter as she watched Lino¡¯s expressions dance like the bride and the groom during the wedding . From anger to confusion to wonder to unbridled rage . . . "Fucking piece of shit," Lino growled lowly, yet still put the ring away into the void world . "What do you mean a piece? It¡¯s clearly the whole ring . If Titans weren¡¯t already extinct, I¡¯d have hunted them all down myself, those motherfuckers . " " . . . why are you so disappointed?" Hannah asked . "Can¡¯t you just craft whatever treasure you want?" "That¡¯s besides the point!" Lino eximed as Grim took flight yet again, bounding toward another ind . "Who doesn¡¯t like finding a treasure, huh? It¡¯s the sense of surprise, of joy, of the adventuring spirit that causes all those otherwise rational people to jump straight into an inferno just in hopes of finding something cool they can use . There¡¯s a reason why treasure hunter is an upation, Hannah! Don¡¯t make fun of the people¡¯s dreams!" "You really love unloading random shit on unsuspecting innocent, don¡¯t you?" "That¡¯s what I live for . " he grinned widely, turning his attention to the ind they were about tond on . Both their expressions suddenly darkened as Lino withdrew Grim into the Dimensional Pouch, unfurling his wings and forming a massive, golden shield around him and Hannah . The two quickly donned their masks as, seemingly out of nowhere, hundreds of bolts of darkness struck at the shield, barely managing to shake it momentarily . Looking down onto the ind, Lino saw numerous shadows darting through the rocky formations, running away from them . "Let me . " Hannah held his arm back as he reached to draw out a weapon . Suddenly leaping off, Hannah began gliding through the sky as thundering bolts began crackling and dancing around her body . Slowly gaining speed, she quickly caught up to the shadows and came to an abrupt halt, spinning about and using her arm to guide a condensed bolt of lighting before spitting it forth toward the ground . The bolt turned into a massive sphere as she sped her hands together, causing the sky above her to dim, drifting in clouds, as they cleaved open a mouth, sucking in a mass of Qi before transforming it into pure, white lightning . The streaks danced about like rain for a moment before bolting downwards, striking at the ground and causing massive explosions to erupt one after another . It was also then that the spherended squarely at the center of the ind, suddenly expanding into a massive surrounding the whole floating rock and barring everyone temporarily from leaving . Several of the shadows quickly turned to ash, but Lino in the end managed to catch one before thetter managed tomit suicide . Holding up the Demon, Lino sighed inwardly; though it was a High-Tier Demon, it was still but a pup in his eyes . Yet, that very pup defiantly stared at him, fearless down to his bones . "How¡¯d they sneak in?" Hannah mused out loud as she joined Lino on the ground . "Eh, they have their ways I imagine . " Lino replied . "They¡¯re really starting to piss me off with their antics . " "What do you want to do?" "What do you think?" "It¡¯s easy enough to root them out," Hannah said . "But, we don¡¯t know their numbers and I highly doubt this kid will squeal . " " . . . their numbers are irrelevant," Lino said, sighing . "What worries me are their ns . This almost feels like they¡¯re purposefully telling us they¡¯re here . " " . . . it does . " Hannah assented after a short thought . "So? Are we going to dance to their tune?" "Their target¡¯s probably not me but you," Lino nced sideways and suddenly smirked, causing Hannah to shudder . "After all, however ballsy they are, they wouldn¡¯t dare actually kill me . You, on the other hand . . . " " . . . are you seriously implying I go out and act as a bait?" "All I¡¯m saying is that you¡¯d make a fantastic one . " "Isn¡¯t this the point where the man bravely steps out and says it¡¯s too dangerous and tells his girl to back off so he can go and deal with it?" Hannah said, seemingly somewhat panicked . "I trust you . " " . . . don¡¯t . " "But I do . " " . . . you¡¯ll owe me . " "Big time, I know . " " . . . haaah . . . fine . . . " Hannah nodded, disgruntled . "What will we do about him?" she then pointed at the cid Demon whose throat was still clenched by Lino . "Eh, we killed the rest of his friends . He might be sad for a while so let¡¯s save him from that misery . " pressing tighter, snapping sound quickly echoed as the Demon¡¯s head heaved sideways . Lino nced at the dead eyes for a moment before throwing the body away, sighing in the process . "You think they bought it?" Hannah asked, ying with her hair . "Of course they bought it," Lino shrugged, taking out Grim yet again . "They¡¯re hall-of-fame morons . " "We nk?" she asked, climbing the bird . "Yeah," he replied as the two took to the skies yet again . "You take the western point around the ind, and I¡¯ll go to the northern one and ¡¯hide¡¯ . When they draw out to attack me, jump in and fuck shit up . " " . . . oh? I¡¯m allowed to go all out?" "If you wanna wake up Umbra, sure . Go ahead . Set the world on fire . " "Tsk . Stingy . Will you be okay, though?" "Of course I will," Lino chuckled . "I¡¯ll just y around with them for a little while and see what they¡¯re made of . Let¡¯s not drag this on too much . We¡¯ve still got a whole lot more to do here . " "Alright . Hit me up if anything unexpectedes up . " "Will do . " the two kissed before Hannah jumped off Grim, coating her body in lightning and streaking ahead of Lino . Thetter gazed in her direction for a while while his lips curled up in a warm smile . His eyes then veered off, away from the east where Umbra was, and toward what he believed to be the center of the Realms . Ever since he entered here, he¡¯d sensed a peculiar presence far, far away; he couldn¡¯t even ascertain as to whether the feeling was real or simply a small case of paranoia, but he certainly felt as though he was being watched . "Don¡¯t worry about it too much," the Writ¡¯s voice suddenly echoed inside his mind . "You¡¯re still some ways off from heading over there . " " . . . so I¡¯m not imagining shit?" Lino asked . "No . But there¡¯s no reason to focus on it . After taking Umbra with you, head off to explore every ind . From what I recall, these should be inter-connected ruins of the sixst Titan ns before their Fall . Only after that will you head off toward the center . " " . . . you do realize that you¡¯re just making me more curious?" "I¡¯m motivating you . " "Oh, nice one . You¡¯re finally getting a grip on how things work in reality . " "Thank you . " "Haah . . . anyway, let¡¯s first focus on the task at hand: some overdue kicking of Devil butt . " Chapter 225 Chapter 225 CHAPTER 225 DAUGHTER OF ORDER Lino was currently ¡¯hiding¡¯ on a small, floating ind, the one nearest to where Umbra was . He was casually sitting on top of a tip-ttened rock, enjoying the view of the running critters . Grim satzily next to him, crying out from time to time and snuggling against Lino¡¯s side . Thetter merely waited for the Devils toe to him so that Hannah can go and wreak some havoc . He didn¡¯t exactly know how much he¡¯d have to wait, but he didn¡¯t fret; he had enough booze tost him for decades stored inside his void world, and if he ever got bored, he mused, he¡¯d just take a nap . Looking on toward the distant skies, he once again thought about whaty at the Realm¡¯s very center; or, rather, whoy in wait there . Though the Writ had told him not to think too much about it, his curious nature got better of him in the end . Of all the Eras, save for perhaps the Origin Era, Lino was the most fascinated by the Titan Era . Emerging from seemingly nowhere, the towering race conquered the entire world within a span of a few centuries, forcing all other races either into extinction or underground, before ruling with iron fist for over a billion years altogether, and disappearing just as quickly as they came without leaving any records behind . Though some parts of their culture had been deciphered due to the remnants they¡¯ve left behind,rgely ruins of their massive cities, a vast majority of information about them remains a mystery to this day . What piqued Lino¡¯s curiosity the most was their origin -- and though he¡¯d asked the Writ numerous times, he¡¯d always gotten the same reply ¡¯you are not authorized to know¡¯ . At the very least, however, Lino mused, it meant that the Writ knew of Titans¡¯ origins, and as long as Lino kept getting stronger, he¡¯d eventually get the answers . Pulling himself out of the deep thoughts, he curled his lips up into a faint smile, gazing forward . He quickly spotted a massive Hell Army emerging from the shadows out into the open, all their eyes focused onto him . The one leading them was none other than Rothar, the one Devil of those present Lino was familiar with . He had a ratherplex expression, seemingly unwilling to do what they were about to do . "Ow man," Lino cried lowly . "How?!" "Nothing has to happen," Rothar said . "As long as you simply rx here for a little while longer, we can end this . " " . . . to think you peeps thirsted after the Prime," Lino chuckled, slowly getting on his feet . "And to think you¡¯d still have enough balls toe back . " "Who the hell-" "Shut the fuck up you imbecile," Lino interrupted one of the remaining Devil Commanders, his tone growing heavy and dull, void of emotion . "What do you think will happen now Rothar? You¡¯re gonna leave some of these cunts behind to stall me for as long as possible? Or do you think you can actually kill me? I genuinely want to cry over how almost innately moronic you lot are, a perfect reflection of what it means to be a brainless jackoff . Rather than people selling their souls to the devils for power, you idiots ought to sell yours for some intellect . You¡¯re embarrassing even me, and I¡¯m at most a random stranger to you . " " . . . if you consider intellect to be an ability to spout profanities like a child," Rothar refuted, angered . "Then I¡¯m happy to be a moron . " " . . . I¡¯m tired, you know?" Lino smirked for a moment as he whipped out [Hell¡¯s Belittlement] from the void world . "Tired of constantly bickering and moaning with you . Tired of having to eat my own words because not a single one of you has an iota of integrity . . . iota of dignity . . . iota of pride . You are just a bunch of miscreants, delusional narcissists who think that anything beyond the Hell¡¯s boundaries . . . isn¡¯t worth jack shit . I don¡¯t even know why I try, in the end," sighing, he jumped off the rock as he withdrew Grim . "I know it will always turn out the same; I¡¯ll cry over how naive I was to extend a hand, and you¡¯ll snicker over how ¡¯smart¡¯ you were to bite my ass back . I¡¯ve made a promise to yourte-Commander," he continued, taking a slow step forward while the Devils and Demons retreated . "A promise I wasn¡¯t going to keep . But, time and again, you kept removing my reasons as to why I shouldn¡¯t . Now . . . I¡¯ve got no more reasons to remove . " " . . . you cannot win this war," Rothar warned as he signaled the army behind him to get into a formation . "Even if you were ten times as strong . " "Heh, who said anything about winning the war?" Lino chuckled, ncing beyond the Hell¡¯s army causing Rothar to suddenly freeze . "I said it already, haven¡¯t I? You . . . are just imbeciles . Nothing more . Maybe something less . " "RETREAT!!!!" Rothar suddenly shouted as he unfurled his wings . "BACK TO THE ISLAND!! HURRY UP!!" "Stay and y for a while," Lino said as he sent a sliver of Qi through the sole of his boots, activating the ind-wide trapping formation . Though it was quite primitive, it can hold on for at least 5-6 seconds under the siege of everyone here . "I promise you¡¯ll have fun . " Meanwhile, several tens of miles away, Hannah felt a talisman vibrate within her void treasure, causing her lips to curl up . ncing around, she met each Devil¡¯s gaze currently observing her squarely, causing thetter to also realize something was amiss . " . . . I can finally go all out . " she mumbled faintly "It¡¯s rather worrying that you¡¯re hiding so much from him . " " . . . I don¡¯t want him to get dispirited . " she shrugged . "Hannah . . . he¡¯s a kid who¡¯s known nothing but those bounding him since he began cultivating . Unless you can shit gold, I¡¯m fairly certain he won¡¯t care . " "Eh, all in due time . . . " she mumbled . Her eyes suddenly red in bright cyan, devouring the whole eyeball with a shine as simrly-dyed smoke billowed out of them . A range of arrays linked around her body lit up in concert, shimmering in stark coral like mes . Thunder woke around her, bolts dancing like tiny serpents as frigid winds chimed in, causing an elementally breathtaking scene to take ce . A mirage appeared behind her, one towering over nearly two whole kilometers, transparent in its make, in the image of her . It mirrored each of her movements, down to her slow and steady breaths . "Code of Order--" she mumbled gently, lifting up her arm and extending her index finger, pointing toward the ind . "Law of Command -- Avatar of Order Form . " The mirage behind her contorted and distorted until it warped into a small sphere of brilliant, green light . Hannah grabbed it gently and ced it on her forehead as a shining, emerald gem appeared where the light disappeared . Her outfit quickly changed, robe shifting into an ethereal one wrapping around space itself rather than just her, two chakram-like rings appearing above her shoulders, rotating quickly and causing friction, just enough to set them aze . A shining, breathtaking armor formed itself over her body, adorned with ripping gems, tied together with seemingly nothing but her own body . Her crimson hair suddenly turned entirely white, like snow, growing to twice its usual size . "Qi Deconstruction -- Augmented Discement -- Shatter . " space around her suddenly copsed, consumed with the raging storm of hundreds of different elements as theybined to form winds visible to the naked eye, streaks of fire and ice and earth and light and shadows bounding the vast skies . The Devils currently watching suddenly froze as they finally recognized who they were up against -- it wasn¡¯t merely another Descender as they¡¯d thought previously, it was also another Bearer! And the Bearer of Order at that, second only to the Bearer of Spoken Word when it came to bending reality as they see fit . Hannah suddenly sped her hands, causing all the elements dancing around to st outward into a huge tsunami-like wave of absolute destruction; everything in their wake turned to ash or froze over or was consumed whole, as the sky above splintered into millions of small, dimensional rips which began spitting out everything and anything, drowning the whole world around in absolute ruin . She danced amidst the riveting chaos, whisking sideways as her robes fluttered in concert with her hair, her eyes still shining in brilliant cyan . Whenever she¡¯d extend her arms in an attacking form, another element would form on top of her palms . She seemed tomand the entirety of the world within a ten mile radius, bending it to her will with a mere flick of a finger . Extending her arms sideways and clutching her hands into fists, she punched forth, causing the space above her to tear open as two massive, fire-raging fists emerged from the void and struck at the meek barrier protecting the ind . The barrier didn¡¯tst a single breath before copsing as the fists struck squarely, causing hundreds and thousands of cries and wails to bellow out into the sky simultaneously, almost consuming the sounds of the raging elements . Realizing she might have overdone it a bit, she pulled her arms back as the wanton destruction of the ind reversed, the two gigantic craters formed by the fists suddenly reverting back to the nd . However, save for thendscape, those dead could only wail on from the realms of beyond, as their fate had been sealed . Looking around, she realized that there were only a few small-time Devils and Demons left, and as she was currently burning through her Qi faster than ever before, she quickly ended her Avatar form and reverted to her ordinary appearance, the only difference being the slightly paleplexion and a tired look . Taking a deep breath, just as she was about to give chase to the remaining survivors, she froze, her eyes meeting Lino¡¯s . " . . . babe," he mumbled, seeming stupefied . "What in the shit was that?" " . . . w-what in the shit are you doing here?!! Aren¡¯t you supposed to keep the main army busy?!" Hannah cried out, feeling wronged . "Oh, that . Well, I whooped most of their asses and locked up the survivors in the Pouch," he exined . "So I figured I¡¯d head over and see whether you could use help . Turns out, I should have given them a helping hand . Dear god, just how fucking strong are you?!" " . . . " to Hannah¡¯s surprise, the array of emotions she spotted within Lino¡¯s eyes were nothing like those she expected . She saw joy, awe, curiosity, happiness, warmth . . . not envy, not fear, not coldness . . . "Y-you . . . you¡¯re not . . . angry?" "Eh? Angry?" he asked, confused, flying over with Grim and helping Hannah up as he ordered the bird to chase after the currently escaping Devils and Demons . "Why would I be angry? Oh wait . You didn¡¯t tell me because you thought it¡¯d ruin my confidence or something?" " . . . maybe?" "Ha ha ha ha ha, oh god, you¡¯re a fucking st," Linoughed, caressing her hair wantonly for a moment . "Do you really think so little of me?" " . . . no, of course I don¡¯t . . . " Hannah chuckled bitterly, shaking her head and wondering inwardly why she even thought as such in the first ce . "I¡¯m sorry for not telling you . Or showing you . Or hinting at that I might be quite stronger than you think . " " . . . eh, I don¡¯t care about how strong or whatnot you are," Lino suddenly said . "It¡¯s how cool you looked! Damn! All these things were like flying, whoosh, swoosh, bam, boom, dang, sliiiish, and shit was exploding all over and those fucking huge fists when they boomed, and then you fixed the ind somehow like what the fuck was that . . . goddammit Ataxia!! Why can¡¯t you be as cool?! We are as cool as shitparatively speaking!" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " Hannah, Ataxia, Grim, Astrum, and each of Lino¡¯s Primal Spirits collectively suffered from temporary brain freeze as they tried to follow Lino¡¯s thought process, only to realize they got lost before even getting to the first quarter . They also learned that trying to walk a mile in Lino¡¯s shoes would not be a good idea . . . and they also felt somewhat envious, wondering just how mentally strong he was to not allow such thoughts to cripple both his sanity and his intelligence . Lino, on the other hand, continued cursing lowly, truly depressed . He vowed more now than ever that he¡¯d create the coolest-looking set of armor with the coolest special effects ever to somehow try and remedy the absolute uncoolness of the Empyrean¡¯s fighting style . END OF VOLUME IX FROM ASHES Chapter 226 Chapter 226: 226 VOLUME X - TITAN REALMS CHAPTER 226 ALISON (IV) What used to be a straight nd was now a ravaged canyon of cracked and twisted stones, the entire hollowed sections littered with corpses, some whole and some not . The darkened clouds mirrored the burdensome atmosphere down below, upholding the eerie and ghastly silence that had enveloped the world . On one edge of the ravagednd stood erect a grayed castle of stone, epassing quite arge swath ofnd, surrounded with thick and tall walls hoisting four massive towers altogether . On one of the towers, three people were currently standing still in silence, overlooking the damaged reality before them with darkened expressions . Alison felt her throat burn, yet couldn¡¯t wince a sound; though her eyes were slightly moist, she refrained from letting the tears flow . Holding it all in, she felt as though she¡¯d explode, the only barrier between that end the two people standing next to her -- Emma and Sae, her personal guardians . " . . . Lady Alison," Emma was a young girl in her early twenties with boyish, ck hair and a pair of hazelnut-colored eyes and a build on the taller, slender side . "We should go back inside . " " . . . how many have we lost?" Alison took a deep breath and repressed her emotions . " . . . altogether 2,683 . " Sae had a rather child-like appearance, with curled, blonde hair falling over her slender shoulders . The pair of green eyes held seeming indifference to the world around her, as though it was an empty room of nothingness . "They¡¯ve lost 1,966 . " " . . . dammit . " Alison cursed lowly,menting her own ipetence . "This is a third loss in a row . We can¡¯t take any more of this . " "You will figure it out . " Sae said . "How?! How am I going to figure it out?!!" Alisonshed out in frustration, gritting her teeth nearly till her gums began to bleed . "I don¡¯t know how tomand an army! I don¡¯t know how to lead people and get them inspired and motivated to literally throw their lives away for a cause!! At this point they are just dying for no reason!!" "They¡¯re not dying without a reason, Lady Alison . " Emma chimed in . "They know very well that this is your training, and they¡¯ve no doubts about their calling . " "What calling? To die so I can figure out how to fight a battle? Haah . . . why¡¯d I ever agree to this . I should be the one down there fighting, not standing here and watching thousands of people die . This is pathetic . . . " "Lady Alison," Sae said as her green eyes red red for a moment . "You¡¯ve been summoned to the headquarters . " " . . . alright . Go and assess the morale," Alison said as she turned around to leave, her golden hair fluttering momentarily . "As well as who can still fight . " "Very well!" It has been nearly a whole year since Alison had begun actively participating in the current Holy War between two Holy Lands -- her own Eternal Paradise and Aeonian Soul . Though no one has said much of her performance so far, she knew the best how horrid it was, particrly so since she was forbidden from fighting directly, restricted only to ordering troops about . Quickly into the war she realized she wasn¡¯t the Commander-kind, or an inspiring leader -- what¡¯s worse, perhaps, was that she couldn¡¯t lead through an example . While she remained on the sidelines, watching the chaos unfurl before her eyes, others went ahead in her stead, dying in droves . . . over and over . The swirl of emotions festered in the depths of her now-broken heart, bit by bit devouring her inside out . Time and again she¡¯d lock herself up in her chambers for days at a time, crying her soul out, but it hardly ever helped . She had pleaded numerous times to be reced, to be either sent back to the Sect so she can cultivate, or to be sent directly into the battle so she can at least do something, however meaningless it may be . The replies, however, were always the same: keep doing what you¡¯re doing . Without even realizing, she had found herself in front of therge door leading to the castle¡¯s main hall where people would gather to n strategies for the war or to hold meetings . Taking a deep breath and swatting away tears at the corners of her eyes, she walked up and opened the doors, entering a beautifully-lit, massive hall upheld by stone pirs concentrated in a circle around a squared table currently hosting dozens of people . All eyes turned toward her, yet she could but simply stare ahead into the nothingness, too afraid to reply any of the gazes headed her way . Walking up as calmly as she could, she stopped on top of the small tform at the very center of the squared formation of tables, as though she were a criminal on trial -- at the very least, she felt like one . "Alison answering the Summons, Honored Ones . " she quickly bowed to each of the four tables surrounding her before focusing her attention to the least popted one where only three people were currently sitting -- two of which were Arch Elders of the Sect, and the figure at the center being her current Master -- Arch Patriarch, Titr Beholder of the Fallen . The man appeared entirely harmless on the surface, with gentle appearance toppled with short, brown hair and a pair of honest-looking ck eyes . Yet, no one aside from Alison in the whole room dared even nce at those eyes from fear of their hearts simply stopping . "How do you feel?" Alison¡¯s heart started as she heard her Master¡¯s voice; though she¡¯d stood at this exact spot numerous times before, it was the first time he spoke out to her . " . . . ipetent . " Alison replied honestly, lowering her head in shame . "Defeated . Ashamed . Sorry . " "Why?" "Why? . . . " she mumbled, chuckling bitterly . "Because I have failed all of Your expectations, Master . And I have failed all of my brothers and sisters who have died for nothing . " "You¡¯ve failed no one¡¯s expectations, Alison," the man spoke out again, smiling warmly for a moment . "None of us sitting here ever expected you¡¯d sweep away all battles and begin your climb to glory . " " . . . " "Do not weep for the fallen," he continued . "For they shan¡¯t weep for themselves . None of those who marched out under your name had done so under force, Alison; they did it of their own hearts¡¯ desires . To them, this Sect is the homnd they ought to defend with everything they have; and, to the Sect, you are the shining light of hope . By helping you realize the World, they are helping the Sect realize its ce within the same World . " " . . . it . . . it just feels . . . wrong . . . " Alison mumbled, biting her lower lip . "Nobody said it isn¡¯t . None of us here are happy to see so many of our children go," the man continued in the exact same tone . "But, we also know that their deaths are not in vain, unlike you . Though I¡¯ve been trying to teach you slowly, it seems you still fail to see: in order to survive in this world, Ally, you cannot have such rudimentary concepts of ¡¯right¡¯ and ¡¯wrong¡¯ . Right is whatever those holding the Soul of the World say, as is the wrong . You can fight it, you can deny it and defy it, but nothing will change on its own . If you feel it¡¯s wrong, then embrace it and be someone who can change what is considered ¡¯right¡¯ and ¡¯wrong¡¯ . " " . . . yes . " "No, I don¡¯t need your acknowledgement or the submission of your Will . What I need you is to open your heart and soul, and look those who are marching under your name in the eye . By fumbling around and drowning yourself in indecisiveness, you are betraying all they stand for, Ally . Honor those dying breaths of theirs by oveing walls that their bodies are building the stairs for . Don¡¯t bury them and then pray for them . That is not what they¡¯re for . " Alison remained silent for a long while before merely nodding and leaving the hall . Nobody else said anything to her, and she knew there was no point to it; it wasn¡¯t something they could forcefully change about her, as her whole staggered climb had to do with her very own Will . Memories, abilities, voice, eye-color, even emotions . . . all of those things can forcibly be changed and modified, but Will cannot . It¡¯s a metaphysical manifestation of everything that an individual is -- and, by extension, it can only ever be changed gradually by the said individual, if at all . Her mind suddenly shed back to the distant memory from when she was still a child . It hadn¡¯t even been a year since she had joined the Sect, and she was still overwhelmed with the whole new reality she had found herself in . The only friend she had back then was Hannah, who was more away than around altogether, which led to Alison oftentimes spending months at a time in deep cultivation with barely any progress . One day, upon returning back to the Sect, Hannah found her and beat her -- not merely yfully, but beat her an inch away from death . Thinking back, Alison realized she should have been much angrier about it than she was, and that the words Hannah uttered seemingly didn¡¯t matter as much as she for some reason believed when she was young . She spoke of some random boy and indistinct dreams, and how being wishy-washy will only leave more people hurt when it is all said and done . It was the exact same thing she was doing right now, she realized; she was dancing around the reality, touching it yet not ever quite leaping into it . Her indecisiveness merely helped prolong the current struggles, increasing the death toll to what it was . She knew she couldn¡¯t remain so hapless and weak -- she was, after all, the Eternal Maiden -- Bearer of Immortality, and the shining beacon of hope for the Eternal Paradise Sect . Chapter 227 Chapter 227 CHAPTER 227 YOUNG HEARTS Lino and Hannah were currently standing inside a gigantic hall bounding over three kilometers in height, supported by beautiful and gracious hand-carved pirs . A tiled floor lied beneath them, yet the twobined were narrower than a single crack between the tiles . The whole of the hall felt overwhelming and even Lino couldn¡¯t help but stop breathing for a moment . Here and there the two spotted cracked tables and chairs, even their small remnants still the size ofrge hills . Unable to tear his gaze away from the distant mosaic on the ceiling depicting a Titan battling a full-fledged Dragon, Lino felt an iparable sense of awe surge from within his heart . "Hey, I recognize that thing . " Hannah suddenly said whilst pulling Lino forward, bounding over the boulder-sized debris and onto what appeared like a tform edging out of the wall . "This thing?" Lino pointed at the strange wall in front of them . "Yeah, I¡¯ve read about it in one of the books from the Sect¡¯s library," Hannah said, tracing her fingers over the wall¡¯s surface . "Yeah, this is definitely the Titan¡¯s Library . " "Huh?" Lino questioned . "Well, most of the texts we¡¯ve recovered during the Titan Era were actually written mainly either by mavericks or small-sized ns . All of the top echelon throughout the entire era actually used this device to record their information!" Hannah eximed, her smile wide and joyous . "Damn, do you know how much shit we can get if we report this ce to my Sect?" "It¡¯s that important?" Lino walked up, touching the wall as well; it was coarse and rather chilly, yet even with his vast knowledge on natural materials he was unable to tell what it was made out of . "Yeah, not only because of the records they contain, but also because of the technology . I mean, we¡¯re not even close to figuring out how they did it, yet we¡¯ve been it at it for hundreds of millions of years . " "Do you know how to use it?" Lino asked . "Yup," Hannah quickly nodded . "But, it needs a whole boatload of Qi Stones to operate . I¡¯ve only got about a few hundred million . What about you?" " . . . a few hundred million? Only a few hundred million? You know, sometimes it feels like you¡¯re just throwing shade at me . " "Yeah, I am . " she chuckled, walking over slowly . "Doesn¡¯t it make you feel good that you struck gold? Or, well, in this case, struck stones?" "Oh, yeah, it feels great to be as poor as dirt . " Lino rolled his eyes at her . "It¡¯s the best feeling ever! Why don¡¯t you give me everything you own so you can experience my joy?" "I¡¯d rather not . " "Of course you wouldn¡¯t . " "Still interested in finding out what¡¯s on it?" "You bet . " "Alright, take Grim out and fly a bit further out and I¡¯ll meet you there when I set it up . " The two had spent nearly a whole month inside the Titan Realms by now, exploring every ind they found while inching closer toward the center in a circr motion . He¡¯d asionally receive talisman messages from E informing him of the state of things outside, but as there was no need for the two of them, they decided to take their time in the ruins . Shortly after killing most of the Demons and Devils, and locking others up in the Dimensional Pouch, Lino also picked up Umbra -- or rather her coffin which he realized was practically unbreakable -- before heading off to explore the rest of the world around . This was the seventh ind they came across that had remnant ruins, but these were by far the most preserved of all save for the first city theynded themselves in . He flew as far as ten miles away to get the whole of the wall into his sight and waited for Hannah to be done . His eyes quickly found her fiddling with something while pouring literal mountain of Qi Stones all over the ce . "Your frustration isn¡¯t good--" "Shut the fuck up," Lino immediately interrupted, smiling widely . "I¡¯m not having that conversation with you . " "Why?" "Well, for starters because I don¡¯t want to have that conversation with anyone," Lino said . "And, secondly, I feel like if I do I just might want to stab a sword through my heart . " "Your cultivation is slowing down . " the Writ said . "Oh, you don¡¯t say . I haven¡¯t noticed being, you know, the one cultivating . " "Just ask her to consummate the rtionship . I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll agree . " "Are we still talking?! I told you I won¡¯t be having that conversation with you!!" "What conversation?" "Aaaah!!" Lino screamed and nearly fell off Grim as he heard Hannah¡¯s voice trickle in from behind . "H-hannah? When . . . khm, when¡¯d you get here?" "Right around the time you were telling Ataxia about some conversation . What conversation?" she asked with innocent curiosity . " . . . he told me I need to massacre the entire continent to immediately be Level 4000 and I don¡¯t wanna do it . " "He¡¯s a mean bastard, isn¡¯t he?" "Yup, he¡¯s a maniac . Anyway, what now?" "Now we wait," she said, snuggling up next to him and leaning against his shoulder . "I set it on automatic so it should y images chronologically . " "Oh, neat . " Lino said, taking out two gourds of wine . While calming his inner demons, Lino focused onto the massive wall that suddenly lit up through the cracks . Simr to the long-distance high-tier talismans, a massive screen suddenly blurred into existence in front of the wall . The random shes quickly molded into shapes and colors until a picturesque scenery appeared before the two of them . Voices soon echoed out but neither could understand a word of what was said as they didn¡¯t know thenguage; the screen depicted a massive gorge adorned with high-sky spires like a maw of a massive beast, with thousands of gigantic creatures seemingly made out of rock and metal standing lined up at the very edge . "Hey Grim," Hannah suddenly spoke out . "Get us over to that tform . Yeah, yeah that one . " "What¡¯s up?" Lino asked, tearing his gaze away from the screen . He¡¯d realized it was most-likely a pre-battle speech of sorts . "Nothing, I just don¡¯t want him to get tired . " Hannah said . " . . . should I just pretend to buy that lie?" "Yup . " "Oh yeah, good idea . We wouldn¡¯t want him to get tired . " What to the Titans was probably just a decoration on the wall was a massive balcony for Lino and Hannah as they leaned against the edge, still focusing on the screen ying out images one after another . The two drank in silence, watching the thousands strong force leave the gorge and head out toward the distance while thousands more emerged at the edges of the gorge, cheering them on . " . . . they weren¡¯t so different, huh?" Lino mumbled . "Most things are often cross-racial," Hannah replied . "It¡¯s actually kind of romantic how simr we all are . " "So you think there was a Titan version of Hannah somewhere out there?" "Eh, probably," she shrugged . "I¡¯m not that special . At the very least she¡¯d have been a better version of me . " "Howe?" Lino asked . "Imagine tits and ass on her dude . " " . . . " "You¡¯re imagining it?" Hannah asked . "I¡¯m trying not to, dammit!" "Eh, I don¡¯t mind . " "You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?" Lino growled lowly . "Took you long enough . " she rolled her eyes at him, chuckling . "So, you want to do it?" " . . . " " . . . " "You know, if you¡¯re gonna say it out loud," Lino sighed . "At least practice beforehand so you don¡¯t blush . " " . . . I did practice . " "Wow, that¡¯s just sad . " "Hey, shut up! Not all of us have lined up a continent worth of women and had our way with them!" "I kinda wish you did . " "So you¡¯d prefer if I was interested in women?" "Why not both?" " . . . ugh . Seriously, you wanna do it or not? The offer¡¯s expiring soon . " "Stop worrying about it," Lino chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and bringing her into his embrace . "There¡¯s a great show over on the screen . Let¡¯s watch that . " " . . . they¡¯re literally just walking . " "Yeah, but do you see the earth shake beneath them? Now you can¡¯t tell me that ain¡¯t the coolest shit you¡¯ve ever seen!" " . . . touch me . " she softly mumbled, burying her head into his chest . " . . . khm, I¡¯m already doing it . " "No . " she shook, her hand tracing over his chest . "No you¡¯re not . " " . . . " Lino looked down and met her eyes, his heart stopping momentarily . Slightly moist on the edges, they seemingly glistened, piercing past whatever barriers he believed he had, striking directly at his soul . He leaned down gently and pressed his lips against hers, soon feeling her awkward and innocent attempts at wiggling her tongue about . Cracking a smile, he pressed his fingers against her chin, staring longingly into the pair of eyes that stared at him with anticipation, fear, weakness and warmth . He almost felt like a young boy once again, sitting back in that drafty kitchen, riveting in the silent dinner, staring at the sleeping face of the girl he was in love with, wishing the moment would never end . Chapter 228 Chapter 228 CHAPTER 228 ONE A tender hand grabbed at Lino¡¯s neck, fingers digging an inch into his skin . His lips trembled momentarily due to the softness pressing against them, his hands instinctively reaching for Hannah¡¯s back and pulling her closer in . He ran them up and down, leaning forward and gently kissing her neck as she bit his ear . He moved one of his arms upfront and grasped at her chest, embracing the full feeling underneath his fingers . A low moan escaped her lips, spurring the mes in his heart further as he turned more forceful, pulling her up onto hisp and parting her robes over her chest, exposing a pair of bountiful breasts before burying his head into them . Hannah¡¯s cheeks flushed further as she bit her lower lip, trying to keep her voice contained as she held onto his shoulders . The feeling was strangely electrocuting and overwhelming, far more so than almost everything she¡¯d ever experienced; unable to hold back, she let out a moan as she hid her head in his hair . Yet Lino seemingly hadn¡¯t heard it, pulling her robes off down to her waist and slowly running his lips down the rest of her body . As she was tense, Lino¡¯s tongue went up and down the bulges of muscles as he realized she¡¯d be able to put to shame most of the guys he knew . He held her by her hips and looked up, meeting a pair of intoxicated eyes who stared at him dreamily . Unable to hold back any longer, he pushed her down onto the floor and took off her robespletely, leaving her lying stark naked on the floor . He froze as he loomed over her, pulled in by the ethereal beauty in front of his eyes; she almost appeared sculptured in his gaze, as though a mere act of touching her was a sin against the gods . She, however, slowly lifted her arm up and wrapped it around her neck, pulling him down and pressing her lips against his, her tongue trying to ssh about his mouth . Reciprocating, Lino moved one of his arms over onto her breasts and the other down between her thighs, pressing gently as he suddenly felt a burst of pain shocking him from his tongue, with Hannah having bitten it in the heat of the moment . Suppressing the painful groan, he slowly took off is coat and shirt, gently kissing her neck afterwards . Hannah ran her fingers gently over the numerous scars, her heart pained further for each new one she¡¯d encounter . She propped herself slightly up and hugged him, grasping tightly before reaching again for his lobe . Feeling the teeth grip at his flesh yet again, Lino held back fromughing as he took one of her arms and led it down his chest and to the belt . Flustered, Hannah quickly hid her face as she fumbled about the buckle, only managing to get it off with Lino¡¯s help . " . . . good god, you¡¯re flooded . " Lino mumbled identally, immediately regretting as he saw Hannah¡¯s blush deepen . "Hey, hey, don¡¯t hide your face . " " . . . shut up . " "Come on," he chuckled lightly, pulling the hand she held over her face away . "You¡¯re flooded, I¡¯m wooded . . . we go right together . " " . . . that was a terribleparison . " Hannah chuckled lowly . "Eh, I¡¯m sure it works in some way my brain currentlycks blood toe up with . " " . . . pfft, ha ha ha . . . " " . . . you¡¯re beautiful . " he said . "So beautiful I¡¯m actually jealous of myself for seeing you naked . " " . . . and you¡¯ve got a lot . . . a freaking lot of muscles . You¡¯ve got muscles in ces I thought muscles were impossible to develop! What¡¯s up with that shit?" "Oh, you¡¯ve yet to see my most impressive muscles . . . " "Dude!!!!" " . . . I meant my calves . " Lino smirked . "What were you thinking of, you pervert?" " . . . I¡¯ll fucking kill you . " "Go ahead," he muttered, pushing her down once again as he took off his pants . "Death by you sounds exhrating . . . " Nails quickly dug into his back as he saw her wince, closing her eyes and biting her lips for a moment as she held back a growl of pain . Lino held steady, caressing her cheeks gently and kissing her . He held for a while before moving yet again as she embraced him whole, holding onto him as though he¡¯d fly away any moment now . He quickly lost himself in her arms, in a pair of emerald eyes he could stare at for eons in silence . Her crimson hair spilled over the gray stone beneath almost like fire, zing strong underneath the clear sky . Soon the muffled groans were reced by low moans as her arms loosened around his back and went searching throughout the rest of his body . Although she rather awkwardly fumbled around, trying to figure out what to do, he found it beyond endearing; her slightly awkward lips, flushed cheeks, arms that could never settle, legs she had no clue what to do with, breasts she seemed to constantly try and hide from his gaze, and her own that looked everywhere but at him . " . . . you alright?" he asked her while caressing her hair, while shey in hisp . " . . . yeah . " Hannah replied lowly . "I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m sorry . I know I wasn¡¯t that good--" "Oh just shut up," Lino groaned . "The confident bitch persona suits you way more than whatever this whiny thing you¡¯re going for . " "But I¡¯m gonna get better!" she eximed suddenly, sitting up next to him . "One day, I will rock your world . " "You already had . " "Aww, that¡¯s sweet . It¡¯s good that you can lie like that," she said . "It¡¯ll help my ego recover a bit quicker . " "By the way," Lino tried hard to hold back hisughter . "What was that on your left butt cheek?" " . . . nothing . " "Really?" "You saw nothing!" "But I saw an ¡¯L¡¯ there, I¡¯m pretty sure . " " . . . being seen naked by you just isn¡¯t embarrassing enough, right? Why not pile on that a bit more, huh?!" " . . . " "Ugh, fine, stop giggling like a little girl . " "I¡¯m not giggling . Well, out loud . " " . . . yeah . Whatever . " Hannah sighed . "I . . . uh, I may have been a bit down after you kicked me out, and because I thought I¡¯d never see you again . . . I wanted to, you know, immortalize you . " "So you got a tattoo on your butt?" "Hey!! I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be a fucking Empyrean of all things ande riding in like freaking thunder yearster! That little tattoo was all I had left of you!" "You could have just done what I did . " Lino said . "What did you do?" she asked . "Thought of you every time I yed with myself . " " . . . " " . . . " "So? Did getting to see me naked in reality crush your dreams?" "Oh, no," Lino shook his head . "It actually enhanced my material . Your tits and ass have developed nicely since when I first saw you naked . " "Yea--what?! W-when did you see me naked?!" "It was during the summer before you left," Lino said . "When you were taking a bath . Oh boy, I gotta be honest with you: that rocked my world . Changed my view on naked girls forever . " " . . . eh, you¡¯ve grown too," Hannah shrugged, giving up . "In more ways than one . " "Oh? When¡¯d you get to meet my little friend?" " . . . like every morning?" Hannah rolled her eyes at him . "Remember? You¡¯d get up, go to take a piss, but because you would still be drowsy you¡¯d sometimes forget to pull your pants up . " "Oh yeah . " Lino smiled . "Damn, I used to be so free-spirited back then . What the hell happened to me?" " . . . hey, thanks for taking it . . . you know, slow . It actually felt pretty good a couple of minutes in . " "Yeah, we¡¯ll have to do something about you blushing each time you bring up sex . " Linomented . "Otherwise it¡¯s just embarrassing . " "Oh, you making fun of me now? Well no more sex for you mister! Hah!! I can finally say that! Aaah, that felt so good . . . " " . . . you¡¯re fucking weird . " Lino said, his eyes narrowing slightly . "Eh . I know . " "Oh, yeah," Lino eximed as though he¡¯d suddenly remembered something . "At least you handled doing it with the Writs watching well . Pretty cool . " " . . . " " . . . oh . You forgot . " "Oh my god!! My first time was seen by at least two others?!" " . . . " " . . . what?" "Uh, well, you know," Lino said, trying to slither away . "No, no . You know what? Primal Spirits don¡¯t count, right?" " . . . you have a Primal Spirit?" "Spirits . " "Huh?" "Primal Spirits," Lino said . "As in plural . " " . . . I¡¯m going to kill you . " "Hey, hey, look, I¡¯ve been seen too! It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it . " " . . . how¡¯d you get over it?" Hannah said as she quickly put her robes back on . "Get over it?" Lino chuckled evilly . "Ataxia told me once he didn¡¯t like it very much when I had sex, so, you know, I started doing it more -- and that is definitely not something I should be telling you! What do you say we go back to exploring, huh beautiful?" " . . . " " . . . what¡¯s that gonna cost me?" Lino asked, sighing and avoiding Hannah¡¯s murderous gaze . "A few bangings and we¡¯ll be good . " "Ah, no blush! Damn, you¡¯re getting better at this . " "Well, apparently I¡¯m learning from the biggest whore west of . . . well, everything . " " . . . ouch . " Chapter 229 Chapter 229: 229 CHAPTER 229 IMPERISHABLE GUARDIAN [Talisman of Void] Effect: Instantly teleport anywhere within 100,000km of the current location . Lino casually stuffed a whole stack of the talisman -- and many simr to it -- into his void world . There were shielding talismans, speed talismans, flying talismans, attacking talismans . . . all neatly stacked within a warehouse-like building made out of jade stone . Though they looked like stacked tforms, just by touching them he was able to scale them down till they fit the palm of his hand . Looking around the dusted room, he nodded smilingly before leaving, finding himself back at the central square where a giant, red g fluttered in the faint wind . Realizing he¡¯d gone through all of the buildings around, he sat down and took out a gourd of wine to wait for Hannah as his mind drifted off onto his next crafting project: a shield . He¡¯d only ever crafted one way-back-when in the Umbra Kingdom, and most of hisst battles had shown him there were a lot of situations where he could use one . The problem was that he was stripped of materials as he had virtually nothing inside the void world save for the smallest flickers of the [Divine Stone] that he was saving for the future project he had in mind . Just then a fluttering figure appeared in his view, seemingly cascading down the sky with the wind, her robes and hair fluttering back . Shended gently next to him and sat down, taking the gourd away from him in a swift motion . "What¡¯d you find?" Lino asked, taking out a new one . "Talismans mostly," Hannah said . "This ce looks like it was ripped from the Sect Grounds, as it¡¯s eerily simr to the Talisman District within my own sect . You?" "Same," Lino replied . "They¡¯re fairly good, but I was expecting a bit more, you know?" "I know!" Hannah eximed in frustration . "This shithole has yet to be discovered, yet what do we get? Some protective talismans for children? Man, Titans were sure as hell cheap . " " . . . you do realize that those talismans could probably fetch a huge price if we sold them to peeps under Level 900, right?" "Eh, I¡¯ve got enough money, I don¡¯t need that . " "Speak for yourself . " "Right . I forgot you were as poor as dirt . " she smirked . "I had actually nned to open my own smithy here when I first arrived," Lino said, smiling bitterly . "I was gonna hole up and just . . . craft . And, you know, earn some gold . I still want to do it somece . If only the world would leave me the fuck alone . . . " "Eh, smithy¡¯s a whole lot moreplex than just guys crafting," Hannah said . "I mean, you have to find contractors for the materials, you have to always keep up with the crafting equipment, you need to be able to both mass-produce goods and deal with exclusives, you need a lot of departments dedicated to a lot of things . . . honestly, if I were you, I¡¯d just be a maverick smith . " "Yeah, you¡¯re probably right . But, you know . . . there¡¯s still something about having the ce, you know? To have people lined up outside for miles just to get what I created . . . right, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you, you got any extra materials I could use for crafting?" "What do you want to craft?" Hannah asked, turning toward him . "A shield . " " . . . aren¡¯t you unkible enough?" "Can never be that, dear . " " . . . sigh, I pity the fools who fight you," she said as she reached into the void ring on her finger and started taking out piles of materials while Lino¡¯s eyes bulged, nearly popping out of their sockets . "These are all my spares, the rest I¡¯m saving for myself . I¡¯m waiting till you get a bit better . " " . . . filthy bitch . " Lino mumbled under his breath as he reached into the pile and started throwing stuff about, trying to figure out the bestbination . "Hey, aren¡¯t you the one always saying ¡¯if you got it then unt it¡¯?" she asked . "Yeah, but I meant stuff like, you know, ass and tits, not empire-deep pockets of freaking wealth! This is just heartbreaking! You¡¯re not even a damn smith!" "What kind of a shield do you n on crafting?" "Probably a vanguard one," Lino said, already having settled on a few materials nad having them put away . "As I¡¯m quite awkward while fighting with a shield in hand . I¡¯d much prefer a huge wall I can whip out and defend against whatever they throw at me . " "So I won¡¯t be able to wield it?" Hannah asked . "Uh, I don¡¯t know . How high is your Strength?" Lino asked curiously . "Around 13,000, why?" she asked back . " . . . " " . . . w-what¡¯s with that look in your eyes? How high is yours?" "Around 35,000 . " Lino replied . " . . . you are like thousand Levels below me, aren¡¯t you? What the fuck?!" "If that¡¯s how you react to my Strength, then you don¡¯t want to hear my Vitality . " Lino chuckled . " . . . you know I do . Mine¡¯s 6,000 . Yours can¡¯t be higher than 20,000 right? I mean, back in my Sect, one of the Elders is a Body Cultivator and he¡¯s Level 1360 with Vitality of 25,000 . Yours can¡¯t be higher than that!" " . . . try three times as high . " " . . . oh, go to hell . That¡¯s just unfair . " " . . . hehe, feels good to be on this side for a change . Alright, I¡¯m gonna start crafting now . Do you wanna watch or explore further?" "I¡¯m actually quite interested in your process . Need any help?" "Nah, it¡¯s my time to show off . Just sit back, rx, and get horny . " "Hah, it¡¯s cute you¡¯re thinking I¡¯m already not . " " . . . yeah . " Lino slowly took out the whole improv-smithy from his void world, carefully putting parts around until they were lined up perfectly for him . Putting a whole swath of materials -- eighteen in total -- on three separate tables, he quickly started fire in the forge using his strongest me, [Lunar Scorch], that he became able to use by himself after bing the Soul Exalted . The fire burned brightly and warmly as he began melting away at metal while drafting out arrays on a few pieces of parchment and grounding several herbs into a liquid reminiscent of water, only slightly thicker . He also did a quick design of the shield despite the fact that he already had it inside his head just to look at it with an outside eye and see whether he could fix anything; the shield came up to nearly three meters in height and half that in width, but he quickly realized he¡¯d have to be careful with the material distribution as he couldn¡¯t let the weight grow toorge . However huge his Strength stat was, only he knew the sheer amount of weight his weapons and armor imposed upon his body . If he stacked too much on top of what was already there, he¡¯d most-likely end up burying himself . Meanwhile, Hannah observed the process from the side; although she hadn¡¯t told him, she¡¯d often look-in on the smiths back in her Sect, and she was currentlyparing the two, quickly realizing that despite the fact that Lino was much lower level than them, he was actually better . His movements were quicker and smoother, his awareness was more than a fewyers above theirs, and his overall speed could put them to shame . Her shock, however, grew hundredfold once Lino began inscribing arrays . Hannah understood Array Inscription almost like an exclusive branch of the cksmithing that some of the smiths in her Sect specialized in, yet Lino seemed almost as though he was just randomly doodling on the material¡¯s surface rather than inscribing arrays . His hand moved freely around as though he wasn¡¯t worried about making a mistake, brushing away at the shield with such confidence that Hannah finally found the source of that boundless ego he had . Her expression mellowed as she looked into his eyes which burned with endless passion, with drive she¡¯d never seen in him before today . While he certainly looked maddened and excited while fighting, the feeling he gave off right now was entirely different; it was of true happiness and joy derived from doing something he loved, something he wants to do rather than something imparted upon his shoulders . Unlike the smiths she grew up around, who merely looked like anyone else doing their job, Lino almost seemed like a child with his favorite toy in hand, dancing about the item, hammering away, inspecting thest inch of the creation for any w he mighte across . His face suddenly lit up as he inscribed thest array, and Hannah quickly closed her lips together as she still had some remnant of dignity to keep in front of him . "And finished!" Lino eximed looking at the massive hunk of rectangr metal in front of him, seemingly too huge to be held up by a single person . "Come, you check out its stats and grade it from 1 to 5 . " " . . . that¡¯s weird, but alright . " Hannah shrugged and walked over, grazing the shield¡¯s still-cooling surface gently before looking at its stats and eximing softly . [Imperishable Guardian -- Epic] Level: 400 Requirements: Strength [26,000] Requirements: Vitality [15,000] Requirements: [Will] Durability: 500,000,000 Defense: 30% of base ¡¯Vitality¡¯ of the Wielder +300% to Vitality +250% to Strength -60% to Speed Special Effect [Guardian] -- infusing Qi directly into the core triples the shield¡¯s size, giving the ¡¯Reflect¡¯ option to it for 30 seconds -- the shield¡¯s weights doubles for the duration Special Effect [Imperishable] -- if Wielder¡¯s life is in danger, the shield will automaticallye out and create a spherical barrier with 10,000,000,000 durability for 2 minutes . Half of the damage done to the barrier goes into restoring wielder¡¯s Vitality Note: A Continental Masterpiece on the brink of making a wielder an immortal, yet reserved only for those who can see past the concept of weight . Chapter 230 Chapter 230 CHAPTER 230 ETERNAL PARADISE Ruins that were vacant for millions of years prior were currently being rummaged through, the noise of footsteps and asional shouts canceling out the eternal silence that the Titan Realms had been enveloped in . A massive tower stood erect at the central square of a small-sized town, cracked nearly down to its foundations; roughly dozen people currently stood around it, some examining the surrounding ruins, some chatting, and a few mapping out their exploration so far . "Damn, those few million of Qi Stones sure paid off," a young man seemingly in his early twenties chortled, his ck hair tied neatly into a tail . A pair of ck eyes vivaciously stared at the massive tower and the surrounding area, realizing that boundless riches soon awaited him . "Dan, how far along with mapping are you?" "We¡¯re over halfway through, Young Master," Dan was among the older within the group, seemingly middle-aged with graying hair and beard covering his somewhat wrinkled features . "We should be done within a few hours at most . " "Good," the young man nodded, smiling . "You¡¯ll all be bountifully rewarded foring here with me . " "Young Master, I¡¯m sensing something strange . " a girl standing next to the young man suddenly spoke out with a frown; she had rather delicate, youthful features, yet her eyes spoke an entirely different story . Her somewhat short, brown hair was tied up with colorful hairpins, a long,vish dress the crown jewel of her appearance . "What is it Melly?" the young man asked, his tone turning serious . " . . . roughly fifty miles west, I¡¯m sensing three sources of Vitality . " "Aren¡¯t they our scouts I¡¯ve sent ahead?" "No," the girl called Melisa shook her head quickly . "They are very distinct . Although one is familiar, I can¡¯t quite pinpoint it . " "Are they headed here?" the young man asked, frowning as well . "Yes . " "Well, let¡¯s go and wee our guests," he smirked viciously for a moment before rying orders to a few who would remain on the ground while taking eight people with him to the sky . "Did that bastard sell information to another Sect? Heh, thinking he can swindle the Eternal Paradise? He¡¯s dead meat once we get back . " Meanwhile, approaching in a rather tranquil atmosphere were Lino, Hannah and Grim . The former two had also sensed the signs of life east of them which dumbfounded them for a moment which was why they decided to head over and investigate . They decided against wearing their masks as this wasn¡¯t exactly excursion ordered by the Great Descent but more of a personal endeavor for the two . "Hmm?" Hannah eximed softly as she raised her head off of Lino¡¯s shoulders, fluttering her eyes open . "They seem familiar . . . " "They do?" Lino asked . "Yeah," Hannah nodded as her face suddenly lit up strangely . "Oh, they¡¯re members of my own Sect . " "Eh? The Holy Land?" "Yup . " "What the fuck are they doing here?" "Eh, how am I supposed to know?" Hannah shrugged, stretching and standing up, followed shortly after by Lino . "Looks like there are more entrances than just one for the dimension . " " . . . ah, I¡¯m gonna get bullied, won¡¯t I?" Lino eximed softly as he seemed to have realized something . "Yeah, probably . Want me to step in?" she smiled sweetly -- on the surface at least . "Nah, it¡¯s been a while since someone bullied me . It should be a good reminder that the rest of the world is just full of morons waiting for their asses to be kicked by none other but yours truly . " " . . . yeah . Who are you telling these things to?" Hannah asked . "It certainly isn¡¯t me . Are you just self-feeding your own ego?" "If I won¡¯t, who will? Self-love is best kind of love, babe . " " . . . " "Self-love is second best kind of love, babe . " " . . . so much for standing up for yourself . " "Hey, I¡¯d rather have sex than have pride . " Lino shrugged . " . . . why am I attracted to you?" Hannah mumbled as Grim suddenly stopped flying . Lino nced up and saw eight people standing on top of a small, flying battleship . The leading man was clearly the youth up front with long, ck hair and a pair of eyes which were currently bulged, focused on Hannah . She, though slightly shocked, merely smiled sweetly and waved . "Hello Eddy," she eximed with such purity that caused Lino to gag . "Long time no see!" "L-ldy Hannah?!! I-is that you?! Is that really you?!!" Lino grew startled as he saw the young man flip out . "W-what . . . how . . . when . . . " "Ah, I see the rest of the gang is here as well," Hannah nced over the rest of the entourage who simrly had trouble processing the reality at the moment . "Ah, Melly? You finally had a kid? How wonderful! Oh, Sven, I see you¡¯ve worked really hard at cultivation! To think you¡¯re so close to bing a Titr!" " . . . who the fuck are you and when did you rece Hannah?" Lino¡¯s genuine question was met with an elbow jab reminding him to keep his mouth shut . Realizing that he was being treated like a ghost, he shrugged, took out a bottle of ale, sat down and began drinking . "It¡¯s really you, Lady Hannah!!" the young man called Edward eximed joyfully . "The Elders have been looking for you for weeks now! It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve returned! We can finally start turning tables in the War!" "Oh, sorry," Hannah smiled sweetly . "I did not return, I¡¯m afraid . On my adventures, I¡¯ve picked up a Disciple and I¡¯m currently in the process of apanying him, I¡¯m afraid . " Lino immediately felt like weeping for he could practically foresee the future . "Huh?" Edward wince for a moment, ncing at Lino who was currently exuding the aura of someone within the beginning stages of Exalted Realm . "If he¡¯s that important to you, Lady Hannah, why not refer him to the Sect Elders? If he¡¯s worthy of being picked by you, I¡¯m certain he¡¯s talented enough to get into the Sect directly . Though, barely Exalted at thirty . . . " "He he, what can I say . . . I just can¡¯t resist his charms . " realizing that Hannah was plunging him further down into the inferno, Lino finally put away the ale and got up, walking up and standing next to her, ncing casually at her . "I am sorry for hoarding the Master," Lino bowed suddenly as Hannah¡¯s eyes shed in a strange glint . "I was unaware she was required to return . Please, Master, you have taught me enough already . I will forever hold your teachings close to my heart, and should Fate ever will us together in the future -- then it be so . But it is time we parted . " " . . . certainly a Lady¡¯s Disciple," Edward said, nodding satisfyingly toward Lino¡¯s words . "Thank you very much for your understanding, young man . " "It is only natural . " Lino smiled faintly before bowing once again, sitting back down and taking out the bottle of ale yet again, beginning to drink with expectant gaze stered on Hannah¡¯s back . Realizing she danced too close to the fire, she sighed bitterly, shaking her head . "How are things at home, Eddy?" " . . . they aren¡¯t good, Lady," Edward replied, frowning . "Lady Alison has been made amander of the Secondary Regiment, but as shecks experience, we have been unable to secure any victories on that front . The First Regiment under Young Master O¡¯on is currently in a stalemate, but we are being pushed back ever so slightly . " "Eh? They put Ally in charge of an army?" Hannah titled her head in confusion, with even Lino eximing inwardly in wonder . "Who made the call?" "It--it was her Master . . . " Edward replied meekly . "That old fart?" Hannah frowned, while the eight standing on top of the ship shuddered . "What the hell did hee out for anyway? To stir things up for no reason? Haah . . . whatever . I¡¯m sure he has a n, whatever it is . What are you doing here, though?" "We have secured information allegedly leading to the yet undiscovered Titan Ruins," Edward¡¯s excitement returned as he replied . "It turned out, however, that they weren¡¯t just ruins -- it was an entire dimension of them! We have informed the Elders but as they are too busy with the war, they allowed us to explore the outskirts at our discretion . " "Hmm, yeah, that sounds about right . " Hannah nodded, stroking her chin for a moment . "Anyway, I --" Hannah, Lino, as well as Edward and the rest suddenly all frowned and turned their heads sideways as the space suddenly raptured . Void spun into a vortex, the band quickly realizing it was a teleporting array . Lino moved Grim closer to the ship as they all faced toward the tear through which a massive warship suddenly came gunning, helmed with a sigil of a golden shield . "Shit," Edward suddenly cursed . "Melly, go and secure those on the ground! The rest, prepare for the battle, now!!" "Eh?" Lino eximed, still sucking onto the bottle . "What¡¯s wrong?" he asked Hannah . "There¡¯s gonna be a huge battle soon," Hannah replied hurriedly, her eyes darting about . "Please, keep them safe . Just dart around and save them if they¡¯re in trouble . Can you do it?" "Sure . " Lino nodded, quickly jumping onto his feet . "But wouldn¡¯t it be better if I fought directly?" " . . . right, let¡¯s pin the Exalted kid against the Titrs," Hannah replied, rolling her eyes at him . "And watch that kid whoop their asses, because that makes sense . Just keep them safe and leave the fighting to me, alright?" "Alright," Lino walked up and smiled, grabbing at Hannah¡¯s behind for a moment . "Knock ¡¯em dead babe . " " . . . sigh, in more ways than one, you have absolutely no intention of ever growing up, do you?" Hannah asked, smiling bitterly . "Nope!" Lino eximed cheekily before jumping off Grim and disappearing within the ruins, darting about like a shadow, ready to rescue all those who needed it . Chapter 231 Chapter 231 CHAPTER 231 HOLY GROUNDS A huge warship ripped through the fabric of space and time, sending ripples out into the sky through its sheer mass . It loomed over the entire enclosure within the ind where the ruins rested and beyond, spanning for whole five kilometers in length . Its hull was oveyed with hundreds of shining arrays, alloyed with reinforced steel twice over, making the ship seem more like a fortress rather than means of transportation . The ship¡¯s deck was stacked with thousands of people at the moment, at its helm a youthful man towering to nearly two and a half meters, muscled even beyond Eggor . His bald head shone against the faint sun, a pair of sunken, green eyes narrowed into slits, staring down below at the small group of what amounted to children in his eyes before smirking . "Oh how the Heavens favor us," he spoke out in a hoarse and deep tone . "To think we would encounter eternal cowards right as we entered the dimension . " "Antone?" Edward mumbled with a frown, taking to the skies with the small group behind him . "What are you doing here?" "Oh? Is that little Eddy? My, my . This day just keeps getting better . " "Hello there . " a soft, melodic voice suddenly echoed into the wind, yet within that brief moment, every single soul boarded on top of the ship suddenly froze, their souls shaking from within . Antone¡¯s eyes veered up from Edward, meeting a pair of green eyes and a smiling face of the death itself . "H-h-h-annah?!!!" he shrieked pitifully, nearly toppling back over . "No!! No, that¡¯s impossible!!!" "It is nice to see you too, Anny," Hannah smiled still . "You seem to have developed even more muscles since Ist saw you . Maybe, dear, it¡¯s time to stop . You look like a boulder wearing human skin . It¡¯s disgusting . No woman will ever bed you like that . Grow up already . " Lino listened in from down below, nodding his head silently . " . . . Lady Hannah," an elderly voice spoke out from the far end of the ship . "Just because we can, sometimes we shan¡¯t speak certain things . " "Ah, Rev . " Hannah¡¯s smile crumpled slightly as her eyes found the man in the distance . Not unlike Anton, the man called Rev was a mountain, yet seemed at least a thousand times more imposing than the former . "Haah . . . and to think today¡¯s battle would be a child¡¯s y . You really do deserve your title, Dream Crusher . " "What are you doing here, Lady Hannah?" the man called Rev took to the skies slowly and meet Hannah up above the ship . "Your home is on the losing end . Shouldn¡¯t you be helping them?" " . . . helping them?" Hannah smiled widely . "If they are so ipetent as to lose to a swath of brainless muscles, then they may as well be written out of reality . I should be asking you that question, Rev . Seeing as you have time to babysit those children, does that mean you¡¯ve finally cured Selena?" " . . . !!" Rev¡¯s eyes widened and grew maddened for a moment, his jaw nking as he tried to hold back . "You¡¯ve yet to learn proper etiquette, Lady Hannah . The difference is . . . there are no Elders here to protect that filthy tongue of yours . " " . . . I did hear that you¡¯ve been bullying my juniors recently," Hannah wiped the smile off her face, recing it instead with a frigid indifference . "I suppose I may as well dish out some retribution to honor their souls . " Qi surged like a storm around her, capsizing the ship before Rev quickly used his own Qi to stabilize it . "Leave none of them alive!!!" Rev roared into the sky before whipping out a massive greatsword and dashing toward Hannah . The chaos quickly unfurled as hundreds of people began jumping off the ship and charging toward Edward¡¯s small party . Thetter quickly ordered a retreat, as they simply stood no chance of direct confrontation against the Aeonians -- the only Body Cultivating Sect of the Seven Holy Grounds . Retreating and attacking was the tactic both Edward¡¯s group as well as Hannah herself employed . Over the past few weeks that she had spent with Lino, the two had sparred quite often to try and make up for the ws in their styles . While she was never able to properly stop Lino from approaching her, she knew that Rev was nothing like the former -- especially when it came to the insane Vitality . Streaking back and leaving the arc of lightning, she repeatedly turned around, shooting one bolt of lightning after another . She was yet unwilling to engage into a full-on battle before creating some distance; she entrusted Lino with Edward and his group, which made the whole ordeal much easier as she could focus entirely on fighting Rev . Thetter, despite knowing Hannah¡¯s intentions, dismissed them as he was more than confident in the victory -- even with even numbers, his Disciples could easily overwhelm the Eternals, to say nothing of the advantage they currently held . He followed Hannah briskly, asionally dodging or deflecting a bolt of lightning . Meanwhile, Lino was darting around like a shadow, entirely hidden from all perceptions of those around him . Even if he stood right next to someone, so long as he didn¡¯t say anything or make too sudden of a motion, nobody would be able to discern his presence . He used this to mostly help along the stragglers from Edward¡¯s group who fell short of the pace thetter set . Although they were well-coordinated, Lino quickly realized that they stood no chance of actually defeating the other side as a small, few hundred of them were up against thousands . He didn¡¯t wish to interfere directly into the battle, though, as that would create far moreplications, so he simply resigned to ensuring Edward¡¯s group remained alive until Hannah returned . He had no doubt about her victory; even if he knew practically nothing about her opponent, he knew her all too well . He had never managed to defeat her during their spars despite the fact that he always managed toe close enough to her to attack . It was also then that he had learned that Hannah was a different sort of a fighter than he was; whereas he was a straightforward duelist who looked to overwhelm and overpower his opponents, she was far more methodical and goal-oriented . She was rather simr to Lino when he was crafting in groups;pletely aware of their surroundings, of every action being taken, of every breath being drawn . She had no blind sides, was practically impossible to ambush, had a huge assortment of discing arts that bewildered even his senses temporarily, and even her outright firepower was nothing to scoff at as his body had experienced all the pains firsthand . Hannah was currently fighting the same way Lino imagined she would; although she could permanently keep distance with Rev, she chose against it and instead drew him into her own tempo, asionally letting hime close enough to her to strike before weaving through the small openings and taking advantage of his own . Dodging an overhead strike sideways, she charged a sphere of lightning before dashing forth and striking Rev at his side, sending him flying backward like a cannonball as smoke trailed after him . She then immediately coated herself in crimson lightning before streaking through the sky, her speed temporarily increasing hundredfold; she was neither a blur nor a trail nor even a set of afterimages . . . she effectively became invisible to all and any senses . Gaining quickly on Rev, she spun midair to garner more momentum, her arms extended, the spin creating a helix-like shape before extending up into a spearhead and arcing down, striking Rev who barely managed to lift up the greatsword to defend . The ensuing explosion splintered the clouds and sent him flying down, all but one of his ribs cracking, his left lung imploding till each one of his breaths resulted in spitting out a mouthful of blood . He revved his Qi immediately, repairing the copsed meridians and organs as his body suddenly caught aze . He managed to spin over andnd squarely on his feet, but before being buried into the earth, the soles of his boots spat out tongues of me, roaring outwardly in a ring-like fashion, consuming all greenery around, before propelling him upward as though he¡¯d sat on top of a geyser . He shed the greatsword repeatedly, sending out one de light after another in a-like fashion, trying to create an enclosure from which Hannah couldn¡¯t escape . Thetter, however, shrugged before suddenly sping her hands together as a massive rip in space appeared above her, jet-ck in make . Startled, Rev tried to forcibly halt his momentum but was unable to do so in time . A ripping sound of thunder boomed throughout hundreds of miles around as a gigantic, golden, straightced bolt inched out of the spatial rip, shredding apart all de lights into ash before bursting down like a falling star . Rev roared loudly, his muscles tightening as he grasped at the greatsword fiercely, tugging at his Singrity and causing a tidalwave of Qi overwhelm every inch of his body . The greatsword burst into rippling mes, dancing about freely as he flew directly into the giant, golden bolt¡¯s path, shing away with his sword . The coral and golden colors meet in the sky as both Hannah and Rev immediately ripped open a mini, quasi-dimension separate from reality to contain their sh . All one could see up in the sky was a bubble-like protrusion, its edges repeatedly edged further out and brought back in as though something was trying to break out of the cocoon . Chapter 232 Chapter 232 CHAPTER 232 THE FORMER HOLY MAIDEN Edward had realized there was something odd about the current battle a long while ago, yet he was still unable to pinpoint exactly what that something was . His rtively small group has been chased for almost two hours by now, running away from thousands, yet they hadn¡¯t suffered a single loss . Time and again, those in danger seem to magically just . . . escape it, without any rhyme or reason . When he asked them, they only stared back in confusion while some of the more self-loving ones proimed they had been touched by Divinity which had inspired them . Even Edward himself had experienced a strange feeling just recently; by the time he realized he was being encircled, he also realized it was toote, and just as he was about to stay and hold his ground to buy others some more time, he magically found himself out of the circle, running away yet again . Once or twice, perhaps, he could overlook as a miracle, but no ephemeral god is as gracious as whatever was currently giving them a helping hand . On the other end of things, Antone and everyone else was simrly confused, yet also going slightly mad by this point . Time and again they were close to offing many-an-eternal, yet, through one miracle or another, they¡¯ve yet to fell a single one . Antone, especially, had nearly gone blind with anger . Not only was he made fun of in front of all his Juniors by Hannah, he was now unable to even vent out his frustration on those he could, instead chasing around like a headless chicken without catching anything . The source of joy and frustration, collectively, was currently yawning as he pulled yet another unsuspecting youth from the mortal danger he was about to find himself in . Lino had by now grown quite bored, barely able to suppress his desire to engage into a battle as well . He¡¯d realized there was nothing more dull than standing around and watching others do things . Yet, he knew he couldn¡¯t just announce himself and start killing people; even if he hadn¡¯t made a promise to Hannah, he still wouldn¡¯t have done it as he was far from prepared to etch himself into the eyes of the Holy Grounds . He was still years off, if not decades, from being able to do that confidently enough . So, for the time being, he simply chose to wait for Hannah . Luckily, however, he needn¡¯t have waited for too long; merely half an hourter, the entire chase stopped as the space above them rippled madly for a moment, soon spitting out two figures -- one of which was rather sorry-looking . Hannah had heaved Rev over her shoulder, thetter being battered, wounded and bruised and also very much unconscious . She was still smiling brightly, however, as though she was helping a drunken friend find a way home . "Hellods," she waved toward Anton who immediately felt his heart freeze . Although he very much doubted Rev would be able to actually defeat the previous Holy Maiden of the Eternal Paradise, he certainly didn¡¯t expect their battle to be over with so quickly . "Rev¡¯s, uh, slipped and fell . Please ask Selena to take good care of him, alright?" rather than gently handing him over to Antone, she tossed the hulk of a man from the sky and looked away from the Aeonians onto her Juniors . They were all there, ounted for, she quickly realized, not a hair missing from their bodies . Her eyes quickly found Lino sitting in the far off corner, sipping booze nonchntly with a faint smile on his face . The keel in her heart vanished as shended in front of Edward and the rest, who simrly to Antone were quite confused as to why the battle was finished so quickly . They had fully expected to be running for at least a couple of days . " . . . c-congrattions, Lady Hannah, on your victory!!" the young girl Melissa was the first toe to her senses, quickly eximed the phrase that went to be repeated by everyone else . "Thank you very much," Hannah smiled back . "It was quite a taxing endeavor, if I may say so myself . Almost broke a sweat, actually . " " . . . ha ha ha, good thing Antone isn¡¯t hear to hear that!" "That old bastard Rev is lucky he¡¯s unconscious, otherwise Lady Hannah would probably murder him with words alone!" "He he, nobody can match up to our Lady!" "Oh, right," Edward suddenly eximed in worry, seemingly remembering something, as he began looking around frantically . "Y-your Disciple, Lady Hannah . . . I . . . " "Eh? Lyonel," Hannah frowned as she turned toward the end of the group, where a man was sitting and drinking casually . "What did you do to my beloved Juniors?" "W-what . . . h-how . . . when?!" Edward wasn¡¯t the only one confused -- they all practically were . They considered Lino to be an ordinary Exalted, certainly not someone who could follow the pace of that chase, let alone survive in the process . "He he, sorry guys, I sort of hid with you . I hope you don¡¯t mind!" Lino replied, smiling apologetically . "No . . . no, of course not . " dismissing Lino as he had the story of miracle survival, Edward simply chose to etch this day into his memory as the day of oddities and leave it at that . He dared not entertain a brief thought that surged inside his mind . "You guys should probably go back now and inform Elders of what happened here . " Hannah said suddenly . "E-eh? You¡¯re . . . you¡¯re noting with us?" Edward asked expectantly . "I¡¯m afraid not," Hannah smiled faintly . "I¡¯ve still some business here . I can¡¯t always be the one lighting fires under your asses, guys . Sometimes looking up at the sky and expecting someone to save you isn¡¯t the best choice of action . Take charge yourself . . . and prove to the Aeonian pigs that you are so far above them they shouldn¡¯t ever entertain the idea of victory against you . Don¡¯t worry," seeing their disappointed expressions, her expression mellowed out somewhat . "If things get really bad . . . I will be there . You know that . " " . . . we do," Edward said, sighing . "It¡¯s just . . . don¡¯t get me wrong, Lady Alison is great and really sweet . . . but . . . she¡¯s not like you . " "That¡¯s right," another one chimed in . "She doesn¡¯t seem to know how to lit fire under our asses . " "She¡¯s very passive, yes . " "Seems afraid to tell us to go out there and die while killing some Aeonian pigs . " "Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough," Hannah sighed . "Ally¡¯s just trying to root herself . I¡¯m sure that if you give her a chance, she¡¯ll eventually surprise you . She¡¯ll soon be farrger than I ever was or ever will be guys, so . . . just believe in her, alright?" " . . . alright . " "Yeah . . . " "Great!" she eximed, putting the smile back on her face . "Now go and brag about having kicked some Aeonian butt, alright? Don¡¯t let me hear any more news about you lot losing battles, alright? Otherwise you may force me to disown you!" "For Lady Hannah!" "No--" "For Lady Hannah!" " . . . ah, whatever . " Hannah waved her hand dismissively, walking toward Lino . "I¡¯ve no patience for this shit again . . . " The two watched Edward and his group quickly assemble the rest of the crew and some of the artifacts they managed to dig up before disappearing from the realm, leaving it in the same silence they found it in when they first arrived . " . . . thank you . " Hannah said as she took the gourd of ale from Lino¡¯s hands, drinking it quickly . "Are we talking the literal asses-on-fire here or what . . . ?" Lino smirked wryly, asking . " . . . oh shut up," she rolled her eyes at him . "Sounds like Ally is having a really hard time . . . " "I imagine she¡¯ll be just fine . " Lino said, smiling faintly . "Maybe I should have popped in just to see how they¡¯re doing . . . " " . . . yeah, maybe . " not having picked up the hint immediately, Lino felt regret swell up in his heart when he spotted Hannah¡¯s re . "No, no, of course not, that¡¯s what I actually meant . I mean, I couldn¡¯t have possibly survived without you here, you know? I need you far more than they do!" "Toote chump . " " . . . how about this," Lino said after a short silence . "After we explore the Dimension, we can both pop in quickly and see how she¡¯s doing . " "She doesn¡¯t remember you, though . " Hannah said quickly . " . . . wow, jealousy really suits you," Linomented . "That fiery look in your eyes is quite hot, actually . " " . . . I really had sex with you too soon . You¡¯d gottenzy . " Hannah sighed . " . . . what do you meanzy?" Lino frowned . "I give it my all every time we do it . You also seem to enjoy it quite a bit!" "Ha ha ha," she burst out intoughter, leaning against his shoulder . "Just how many people do you fool with that ¡¯I¡¯m so oblivious¡¯ act of yours? It can¡¯t be that many, right?" " . . . I just don¡¯t try hard with you . " Lino replied . "Oooo, is that so? My, my, is that a challenge?" " . . . oh dear gods . . . " "No, don¡¯t go praying now," she said, getting up . "I really want to see you trying, khm, ¡¯hard¡¯ to fool me . Come on, you drunken whore! Show me what you¡¯ve got!" "I really don¡¯t appreciate being called either drunk or a whore," Lino said, getting up as well . "Especially both at the same time . " "Ow no, did I hurt your feelings?" she grinned . " . . . looks like I really did find someone who can match me tit-for-tit . " Lino said, smiling back . " . . . and like for like . " she said . "And eye for an eye . And tooth for a tooth . And--" "I get it, I get it already," Lino groaned . "You read more than me . Geez, I bet you¡¯d be perpetually wet if I was made out of fancy words . " " . . . oh, wow . You¡¯re right . " " . . . aaand there goes my heart . Look at it, ripped right out and fed to the dogs . " "Fed to the words, dear, to the words . " Chapter 233 Chapter 233 CHAPTER 233 THE AFFAIRS E was currently standing atop the Eternal Sky teau, the prized Void Artifact of the Eternal Paradise Holy Ground . It was a swirling tform with connecting bridges, enclosed within a dome-like barrier that can withstand virtually every attack from anyone . Though it wasn¡¯t her first time seeing it, it was no less impressive than before . At the very center of the tform was a small, hand-crafted garden of white roses, topped with a simple yet elegant water fountain around which a set of benches were built . She stood right next to one, observing the fountain before her where a flower-shaped top spat out crystal-clear water ceaselessly . "It¡¯s been quite some time, Sword Maiden," a soft, clear voice jolted E out of her thoughts as she turned around . Standing right behind her was a seemingly ordinary-looking, honest and gentle man of ck eyes and brown hair . Yet, even E currently felt a faint sense of dangering from him . "I see you have regained your Title . " "Long time no see Alex," E smiled, nodding faintly . "I see you still quite enjoy ying the role of a harmless rabbit . " "Old habits die hard, I suppose . " the man shrugged, smiling faintly . "What brings you to my humble abode?" "I willed to visit the old Murook," E said . "But, the stubborn fool said he doesn¡¯t wee anyone who bears no gifts . So, I¡¯ve no choice but toe to you . " "One of these days I really hope to shove a spear through his rotten heart and teach him some manners . Wherefore have youe to me, though?" he asked, curious . " . . . to implore you at the very least freeze the war for the time being," E said, her expression turning serious . "This is no time for it . " " . . . I can¡¯t do that, E . " he quickly replied . " . . . I¡¯ll personally train your Bearer for three months," E said, seemingly having expected his reply . "And give you a single talisman to summon me for whatever future battle you wish . " " . . . quite tempting, I¡¯ve to admit," Alex smiled lightly . "But, you overestimate your value, E . Perhaps, had you not vanished for many moons, your words would still hold some weight . I¡¯m afraid . . . you have fallen too far behind to matter . " " . . . and you¡¯ve gonecent, Alex," E smiled back, letting a sliver of her Will enshroud the whole garden, causing Alex to suddenly frown . "For two eyes you have, yet can¡¯t see a single thing with them . " " . . . Origin Soul . . . is indeed something," Alex sighed, forced to repel E¡¯s Will with his own . "I can¡¯t tell you how many times I¡¯vemented you weren¡¯t born an Eternal . I, however, still can¡¯t halt the war, E . Do you even know why it was started in the first ce?" " . . . why?" E asked . "Sixteen assassination attempts at Hannah¡¯s life," Alex replied . "Even after she gave up her title of the Maiden . And while, naturally, all of them failed, sixteen is already fifteen too many, E . If I suddenly ordered my people to withdraw, what would be of our dignity?" " . . . I imagine all those assassins are dead," E said . "Isn¡¯t it way more embarrassing for old Murook than you? Having been unable to kill a single girl?" " . . . aah, you really are persistent," Alex said, sighing and sitting on one of the benches . "I¡¯ll agree with one additional chip from your end . " "What?" E asked . "Your dear husband¡¯s talent, for a personal weapon for Alison . " E frowned for a moment, thinking . "And I don¡¯t mean his hard-working creations, I mean the arsenal he¡¯d given you . A minimal Creation-tier, growth-style pair of swords with properties of Body Enhancement and close-quarterbat as well as reliance on speed . Naturally, we¡¯ll provide all materials necessary . " " . . . he hasn¡¯t crafted a Creation-tier item in hundreds of years Alex," E said, sighing faintly . "Despite his pride, even he would tell you it¡¯s impossible . " "I didn¡¯t mean right now, E," Alex smiled . "I just meant eventually . The sooner the better, of course, but I¡¯m no idiot; I understand very well just what goes into creating something so high-tier . I¡¯d have asked for a Void-tier, to be honest, if he also hadn¡¯t vanished for so long . " " . . . ha ha, your ambition certainly isn¡¯t easily sated," Eughed bitterly for a moment . "You do realize that there are currently only two people, save for the Descenders, who can actually equip the [World Beheader], right?" "Never stopped me from dreaming about it, though . " Alex smiled as he replied . " . . . very well . I¡¯ll talk him into it," E agreed dejectedly, turning around and preparing to leave . "Give me a call once you¡¯re ready to hand her over, and I¡¯lle and pick her up . " "Will do . " ** Lucky and Felix were currently enjoying a rather bountiful supper within the Pce¡¯s Diner Room, where they shared a massive table with the Empire¡¯s greatest figures . Though they very much felt out of ce, the old hulk of muscles Eggor, who sat besides them, eased their minds slightly . The two, in addition, had grown quite close to the Princess Annabelle and Prince On¡¯yal, despite a ratherrge difference in strength and age . What the two didn¡¯t know was that it was by Lino¡¯s design, both them staying in the Pce as well as being sofortable . He may have identally let it slip while wearing a mask that he felt Lucky and Felix were rather charming and that he considered taking them as Disciples, all while ¡¯not knowing¡¯ that the Princess was listening . Rather than rxing, however, the two were hard at work, cultivating day in and out, even asionally sparring with the Royal Guards and even the Prince and Princess herself . Time and again they felt nothing short of worthlessness, despite the stubbornness they disyed toward Lino when thetter questioned whether they wished to follow him . They didn¡¯t wish to admit he was right, yet more and more it seemed he was . " . . . you two look like you haven¡¯t slept in weeks . " Eggormented through the chewing sounds as he hoarded all of the chicken on the table . "Training is good and all, but nothing beats a good night¡¯s sleep when ites to getting stronger . " " . . . " Lucky and Felix nced at him dispiritedly before returning to munching on food they were too tired to eat . "If you really want to get stronger quicker," Eggor looked at the two for a moment as his expression mellowed out, a bright, youthful, smirking face shing through his mind . "There are other ways than just stubbornly cultivating, you know? I¡¯m barely Level 100, yet I¡¯m quite confident I¡¯d be able to kill everyone in this room, alone, while they banded together to attack me . " " . . . " the two pairs of eyes of youths lit up likenterns as they fiercely red at Eggor for a moment . "You¡¯re willing to teach us smithing?!" "Oh, god no," Eggorughed . "You two ain¡¯t cut out for that . " "If Lino is, so am I!" Lucky eximed, Felix fervently nodding . "Just because you say it out loud, doesn¡¯t mean you actually believe it," Eggor grinned . "It takes a special kind of idiot to truly pursue smithing, and neither of you two looks the part . " " . . . " "But," Eggor said, drinking a whole chunk of ale from the cup before continuing . "Smithing isn¡¯t the only option, you know? Formation Masters, for instance, are actually more respected than cksmiths atrge . Talisman Masters can find a home anywhere they want, and can create some genuinely terrifying stuff if they¡¯re patient . Even I want nothing to do with those maniacs . Then you have engineers, the crazed sort that create the most insane things . Alchemists and their pills are indispensable, practically a whole realm above smiths in importance . There¡¯s plethora of ways you can be useful to that jackass, you know?" " . . . what do you suggest we pick up?" Lucky asked, interested . "Well, I can¡¯t say what you should do -- it¡¯s up to you after all," Eggor said . "But, if your husband over there can learn Dual Qi of Frost and me, it¡¯d be quite useful for Alchemy . And you seem nimble enough, I imagine; Formations oftentimes decide the end-result of a battle, you know?" "He¡¯s not my husband!" Lucky eximed lowly, her cheeks faintly blushing while Felix¡¯s were already bloody red . "Right . . . that¡¯s the most important part . . . " Eggor grinned . "Anyway, as I said, it¡¯s up to you . Do what you wish . I¡¯m just speaking nonsense here . Oh, right," Eggor had finally felt that soul-deep sensation that Lino was talking about, the itch in one¡¯s heart when it came to tongue-whippings . "I know quite a few good jewelers," he said to Felix . "In case you ever grow a pair and ask, you know?" seeing the two reddened faces unable to look at each other was quite wonderful, Eggor mused inwardly and then trembled as he¡¯d also realized another thing: that little runt and his tongue had influenced him atst . . . something he promised he¡¯d never allow . He shuddered, unwilling to admit it, festering the bubble of denial within his mind . Chapter 234 Chapter 234 CHAPTER 234 TRIALS OF ASCENSION Lino and Hannah were currently standing within the mouth of thergest mountain they¡¯vee across, at its dead center where a round clearing extended for almost five miles across . Thend beneath their feet was t and the clearing was void of decoration, but the walls were an entirely different story . Embedded in them, as though they were born of them, were seven massive gateways, arched up top, each made seemingly out of the same material -- some sort of steel that Lino was unable to recognize . The gates exuded peculiar, silvery sheen, their rugged surface bearing numerous scars of age . The centerpiece of each of the gateways was the sole decoration upon their surface; carved out in dead-center, each gate held a different symbol, though Hannah and Lino had quickly realized what the gates themselves represented -- Seven Passages for Seven Bearers, as each symbol resonated with a projected element of a Writ . Chaos, for instance, was denoted as a swirling pattern of white and ck lines, mingling seemingly at random, while Order was represented through a pair of angled, parallel lines . The two stared in wonder but for a moment when both, almost at the same time, felt their Souls bound outside their bodies . " . . . did you know the Trials were here?" Hannah¡¯s voice spoke out, though heavily morphed until nigh unrecognizable . "No . " Lino replied in a robotic voice . "Last I heard they fell during the Ashening . " "Aah, the memories . . . " Hannah¡¯s voice said . "Do you think they can pass them?" " . . . he has to try, at least . She can be a bit smarter about it . " Lino¡¯s voice said . "No one¡¯s ever climbed a mountain by yelling at it . She may as well realize exactly where she stands before bing corrupted by your little pupil . " "Good idea . " " . . . " Lino and Hannah returned, their expressions darkening . "I swear, these fuckers do it on purpose each time," Lino growled out . "Not even a word of warning . " " . . . just let it go . " Hannah sighed in resignation, realizing it was pointless to be angry . "Did you get anything from that besides the fact we¡¯ll be testing our luck with some Trials?" " . . . the Ashening," Lino mumbled . "I think I¡¯ve heard about it from somewhere . . . " "It¡¯s amon term," Hannah said . "Describing the extinction of a particr race, or a particr group within the said race . " "Oh . . . " "You literally heard it from me," Hannah sighed . "Like, two weeks ago at best . " " . . . wait . Was this during that lesson where you didn¡¯t realize your nipple slipped halfway through so it became pretty much impossible for me to concentrate on anything else but that?" " . . . I hope you die during the Trial . " Hannah¡¯s cheeks flushed red for a moment as she turned around, just about to walk toward her gate when she felt a pair of arms hug her from behind and pull her in; she hadn¡¯t even bothered to resist . "Even though I know you never mean it," Lino whispered softly as he bit the tip of her ear . "A little bit of me rots away each time you say it, you know?" " . . . so stop making me embarrassed . " she said . "And I won¡¯t wish you dead . " "You¡¯re asking me to give up ever seeing this," he gently turned her around, forcing her to face him . "And, frankly, I¡¯d rather die . " " . . . how in god¡¯s name can you possibly say that with a straight face?!" Hannah barely held back from theughter . "Oh, this is nothing," Lino grinned . "I can literally say anything with a straight face . " "No, no way . " "Really?" he smirked . "I¡¯d literally like to bury my face in your tits and never leave . " " . . . ha ha ha, stop, alright, alright--" "For some reason you fart a lot whenever you fall asleep on my chest . " "Ha ha--wait just a goddamn second--" "And I was definitely awake that one time you thought I was dead-out . " "T-t--" "And I have a feeling if I don¡¯t stop you might actually drop dead, right here and now . " " . . . " "Good luck with the trials!" Lino chuckled faintly as he ted a quick kiss before turning on his heel and moving toward his gate . " . . . I oftentimes ¡¯identally¡¯ let this or that show," her voice caused him to stop . "Because seeing your infatuated face as though you¡¯re a fourteen year old boy seeing a woman naked for the first time is beyond priceless . Good luck with the trials!" Lino turned around and nced at her, though she was already at the gates, pressing her palm against the symbol . Smiling warmly for a moment, he turned back around and walked toward his own, mirroring Hannah¡¯s movement with his own hand . "So, what can I expect inside?" he asked . "Mostly fighting," the Writ replied . "The Titans, after all, were not revered for their intellect and wit . " " . . . great . So I can¡¯t even use my greatest strength . . . how depressing . . . " "You¡¯ll very much appreciate it, I believe," the Writ responded . "You always mor about stupidity of those around you who get flustered with whatever you say; the Titans, however, were by andrge very straightforward creatures . Much like you . " " . . . too bad I wasn¡¯t born a Titan, then, huh?" The gates didn¡¯t open; rather, Lino felt a familiar sensation overwhelm him as his entire body got pulled right through the currents of space and time, bending through the rifts of reality for a good hour before stopping . Wherever hended, he mused inwardly, it certainly wasn¡¯t on the Central Continent . Opening his eyes, he was met by a massive table stationed inside a gigantic room -- at least gigantic from his own perspective . Realizing he was unable to see anything, he whipped out his Wings and took to the air,nding on the table . It was the first time he¡¯de face-to-face with something so . . . big, to the point that he¡¯d nearly fallen back over due to getting startled . There was a Titan¡¯s head on the table, right in front of him, as he seemed to be dozing off . The head, Lino quickly measured, was at least twenty-thirty meters long,rger than even some mansions and pces Lino hade across . As though sensing someone nearby, the Titan suddenly shuddered as a pair of eyes opened . They were very much like humans, except their skin seemed to be built entirely out of marble stone -- a rugged kind, at that . There were a lot of uneven edges running down their bodies, though they did share almost all features of humans -- they had only two eyes, a single nose and mouth, a jaw, neck, four limbs, two ears . . . though theycked a dashing hairline, Lino mused . The Titan lifted his head up slowly and looked around, seemingly confused . Ascertained there was someone around, he woke up only to find . . . nothing . It shook him a bit, as he felt he was growing old . "Hey man, down here!" a meek voice echoed . The Titan¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits, as he once again scanned the room, but still finding no one . "Seriously?!! Down here! The goddamn table! Don¡¯t make mee up there, you hear?!" finally obeying the voice, the Titan looked down and saw a very small, winged creature angrily ying his arms about . "Geez, finally . Hi there, how are you doing?" " . . . what . . . are you?" perhaps more startling than the Titan¡¯s size to Lino was the fact that the giant seemed to understand the contemporarynguagepletely . "Eh? I¡¯m a human dude . Are you blind?!" " . . . a human? When did humans grow wings?" " . . . " Straightforward, huh? Lino¡¯s eyebrows twitched . You cunning whore . . . "We didn¡¯t . " Lino quickly withdrew his pair . "This is, uh, just me, you know, ying around . " "Ah! How did you get in here? Only Empyreans are allowed to enter here!" the Titan¡¯s voice was loud, rocking the whole room for a moment . " . . . take your sweet time, big guy . " Lino sighed and sat down, waiting . " . . . " " . . . " and still waiting . "Ah!" " . . . and there we go . " "You¡¯re an Empyrean!" the Titan eximed . "Right on big fe!" Lino replied, grinning . "Ah, my apologies, Your Majesty!" to Lino¡¯s utter shock, the Titan suddenly stood up and then heaved back down on his knees, bowing to Lino who quickly raced toward the edge of the table only to see the giant hunk of stone kneeling right there like a small mountain . "Ekkly bids Thee wee, Harbinger . Are you perhaps here to undergo Your Trial?" " . . . why are you kneeling?" Lino asked, frowning . "Ah, forgive me! Should I kowtow instead? It¡¯s not quite wide here . . . but I suppose I could if I---" "No, no, god fucking no, just get up!" Lino hollered angrily . "Who asked you to kneel, huh?! Who the fuck asked you to call me your majesty or whatever?! You¡¯re the first Titan I¡¯ve ever met in my life, and you¡¯ve already hit the rock bottom of first impressions! Just get up over here and let¡¯s talk eye to an eye!!" Lino fumed still, unable to vent the keel in his heart . He had a dreadful feeling, deep down in his core, that this sort of a scene . . . will reply quite often in the future . Chapter 235 Chapter 235 CHAPTER 235 HARBINGER OF CHAOS (I) "The First Trial -- Gauntlet of Entropy -- is fairly simple," a staunch, deep voice echoed throughout the chamber at whose center Lino was currently standing, sheepishly looking around . The chamber was rather spacious, round in the making, with mosaic-filled walls depicting various forms that appeared more like blurs to Lino rather than anything else . The ceiling was domed well above, nearly ten miles to be precise, while the floor was tiled in circr fashion . "For ten minutes," the voice continued, ignoring Lino¡¯s childlike curiosity . "You will be forced to defend the stele at the center of the circle," the earth beneath Lino¡¯s feet suddenly rumbled as he was forced to jump to side; at the spot where he stood, the earth opened and spat out a five meters tall stele, filled to brim with unknown, golden-radiating runic characters . "From all sorts of beasts as well as members of other races . But . . . Lord Empyrean, are you certain you wish to undergo the Trials right now?" the voice asked with some concern . "After all, they were designed for the Titr Empyreans . " "Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t worry about it," Lino mumbled dismissively as he tried to study the stele in detail . "So long as you don¡¯t start sending some Titan Gods to whoop my ass, I think I¡¯ll do well enough . " " . . . very well . " the voice added with a sigh . "You have ten minutes to make preparations . After that, the only way to leave the Trial is to either pass it, or to be brought on the brink of death which is when I¡¯ll rescue you . " " . . . " Linopletely ignored the voice, too immersed in studying the stele; though he couldn¡¯t read a single word off of it, the runic characters gave off a familiar sort of a feeling, only feeding his curiosity further . Tracing his fingers over the surface, he mused the characters,pared to the rest of the ck stone, were rather warm to the touch . "It is the Chaotic Creed written in the Primordial Tongue," the Writ¡¯s voice beckoned inside Lino¡¯s head . "I believe this one was written by E¡¯ntuh, the Prime of Time . " " . . . what does it say?" Lino inquired . "Will of Chaos is Will of All, yet Will of All is not the Will of Chaos; untamed, unbridled, unafraid; kneel beneath those that sow it, worship those that preach it, kiss the feet of those who walk through it, respect those felled by it . " " . . . huh, not as cryptic as I expected," Lino mumbled, scratching his head . "Fairly simple, actually . " "Shouldn¡¯t you be preparing for the Trial? Despite what you may believe, it won¡¯t be easy . " "Prepare what?" Lino sighed . "I¡¯ve already got my armor on, the weapons and the shields are a thought away, and in case you forgot, I¡¯m always mentally prepared to kick some ass . So what¡¯s left? Maybe I should lick the floor as a way to make it slippery?" "You will encounter mostly Holy Continent contained species of beasts and races," the Writ exined . "So most of the current knowledge you have will be practically useless . " " . . . and from your tone I¡¯m sensing you have absolutely no intention of sharing anything with me, huh?" "The best way for you to get strong is through straightforward experience . I will warn you, however, if you begin fighting someone particrly tricky, don¡¯t worry . " "Oh goodness me, ain¡¯t that just great?" Lino snickered as he sat down and popped open a bottle of one his finest wines . "How many times have you been through these Trials?" "Only once before . " the Writ replied . "Eh?" "It was during the brief life of Angus," the Writ exined in a somewhat somber tone . "He had managed to convince two other Bearers to join forces with him, which is why he had ess to the Trials . He¡¯d gotten to the third stage before being unable to proceed any further . " " . . . what happened to him?" Lino inquired . "He was felled shortly after, his body stacked on top of a mountain for thousands of years as an example . " " . . . riveting . " Lino mumbled . "Just how many more depressing stories can I expect to be told by you?" "As many as you¡¯re willing to ask for . " " . . . that¡¯s a lot . . . " " . . . it is . " Lino spent the remainder of the ¡¯preparation time¡¯ in silence, lost in his own thoughts . He wasn¡¯t unustomed to hearing the depressing ends of the Empyreans¡¯ glory-strung lives, yet it hardly ever got easier to listen to them . However, he was never truly toppled over by them; he¡¯d seen fates far worse than dying in a ze of glory whilst fighting for someone and something you believe in . He¡¯d long since epted the notion that his ending had a high chance of being quite simr, but he¡¯d never surrender himself over to it as a certainty . He was unwilling, now less so than ever before . He crawled his way out of the childhood that left him scarred, wed up through numerous trials, oftentimes met with walls he had no hopes of climbing, getting all the way to today, a day he was not alone . Giving up would not only betray his own heart and Will, but also the faith others had in him . He¡¯d finally began embracing, bit by bit, the role others have given him, one he had always staunchly rejected -- to be the bearer of others¡¯ dreams . While he knew he¡¯d never quite give up on believing that everyone should forge their own paths in life, he had also realized not everyone can do that -- rather, a majority can¡¯t . His own life story, perhaps, was the biggest giveaway of it; huge pits of luck yed a major role in getting him where he¡¯s at today, and luck is never something one ought to rely on . He drank in silence, reminiscing of the childhood he hadn¡¯t thought of for a long time . Even with all the hell he was thrown into over the past ten years, he still prefers it over those first fifteen years of his life . He was jolted awake from his thoughts by the faint rumble of the earth, his eyes focusing on the distant walls surrounding that had gone from being stoned to being edgeless, blurred beyond existence . Slowly getting up, the put the wine away and withdrew the [Hell¡¯s Belittlement] from the void world, slightly regretting he hadn¡¯t crafted a better sword before entering here; the ones he had in the void world were rather average, even the ones that Hannah gave him . Holding onto the hammer tightly, he considered also taking out his newly-crafted shield, but decided to reserve it for when things got a bit scrappy . As he was never a passive one, the moment he spotted the shift in the world around him, he focused onto it and ran, coating his feet in thunder, zing through over fifteen kilometers of distance in a sh . Just as he arrived, he saw several dozen creatures seemingly emerging from nowhere; he hadn¡¯t recognized a single one, though he wasn¡¯t surprised, already expecting it . He heaved the hammer with all the strength he had and struck -- not at the creatures -- but at the floor in front of them . Thetter quickly cracked, splintering into hundreds of bits and chunks as they flew onward toward the creatures . A few wails and howls beckoned out, as Lino spotted several beasts evading his strike; a bear-sized wolf with strikingly cyan fur, a six-legged panther with rabbit ears and a string of spikes running down its thin, dented back, and a pack of creatures that Lino couldn¡¯t associate with any he¡¯d seen before -- they were rather crummy, their bodies scaled in dark emerald, a single eye protruding lonesome off their bodies that seemed to float slightly above the earth rather than walking on it . Quickly switching momentum, Lino whipped out a couple of swords as he put the hammer back, increasing Qi output in his feet as he skidded forward, first chasing after the massive wolf who, rather than escaping, bent its body rather unnaturally as it made an attempt at Lino¡¯s neck . Thetter, simrly, bent his body midair and spun, swinging both his swords in a single motion, swiftly cutting through the wolf¡¯s body, splitting it in half . Even beforending squarely he shifted his body further and turned toward the panther, who was running toward the stele; flexing his calves further as hended and pushing the Singrity to its extreme, floor beneath Lino¡¯s feet exploded in ze as bolts of lightning overwhelmed it . Lino heaved across the sky as a mere trail of azure, quickly catching up to the panther, switching to the [Spear of Salvation] whilst in the air, and shoving it down through the panther¡¯s throat, embedding the spear into the earth and using it to halt his further momentum, cracking his wrists slightly, before vaulting around it as though it was a pole and flying sideways toward the pack of strange creatures, taking out [Hell¡¯s Belittlement] again and smacking at them with full force . Amidst the cries and wails, swath of gore flew out into the sky, quickly dyeing the floor beneath crimson . Lino then came to a halt, realizing he had taken care of everyone, taking a deep breath in the process and calming his adrenaline-pumped heart . However, before he even had a chance to collect his thoughts further, he sensed the space and time shift and distort on the opposite end of the chamber, causing him to groan . Though he knew it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as just clearing a few random creatures, the reason he went all-out from the start was because he had been hoping he¡¯d secure enough time to rest afterwards . Looks like the Trial wouldn¡¯t give him such courtesy, which forced him to change his ns considerably as he¡¯d now have to do what he hates the most when ites to fights -- pace himself properly, lest he dies of exhaustion first before everything else . Chapter 236 Chapter 236 CHAPTER 236 HARBINGER OF CHAOS (II) Lino stood near the central, stone stele, his body bent over, arms pressed against his knees, panting heavily . It¡¯s only been seven minutes, yet it felt as though he¡¯d been fighting for weeks . Every muscle in his body felt strained despite the fact that he knew his body was perfectly fine as his innate regeneration was simply inhumane . It was the mental side of things that made it difficult; after the first few minutes, the creatures came from more than one side, which forced him to always split his attention in two, then in three . . . four . . . all the way up to seven . He didn¡¯t even wish to know how many wereing the next time . Appreciating the quick breather, he whipped out a gourd of ale and downed it whole, also taking out a bottle of water and spraying it all over himself . Just as he finished, he heard the stumping sounds, causing him to groan and stand up straight . Taking out a pair of swords from the void world, he took a deep breath and unleashed his wings . A pair of golden, feathered beauties streaked out form his back, shining away the gold at the silver tiles beneath . Lifting himself up in the air, he quickly scouted the edged walls and saw eleven groups in total, causing him to nearly blister and burn; barely holding back a scream of frustration, he once again stirred his Singrity and pped his wings once . To increase his speed further, he coated his entire body in azure lightning, the mix of two colors creating a strange, eerie blend streaking through the sky . Hended within the group of bear-like creatures walking on two hind legs, armored to tooth, with straight horns protruding from the sides of their massive heads . The group roared at him, exposing spiked teeth within their massive, gaping maws, as theyunched themselves at Lino . Thetter quickly flipped in the sky, withdrawing the wings, and descending directly into the heart of the group, slicing about the two swords as mes broke off their edges, creating a massive whirlwind of mes consuming everything around and above him . The whirlwind spread out tly in a ring-like pattern around him, falling over from top like the water from a fountain, bleeding away the scorch throughout the tiled floor . The creatures roared in pain, bing even more terrifying as their clear, beige fur turned zed . Ducking to avoid a swipe, Lino used one of the swords as a propeller to whiff himself into the air, vaulting over the three bears which had encircled him before whipping out his wings . Realizing he had made a mistake in choosing the first target, he took to the air once again and scouted around, realizing that two groups were already halfway to the stele . Groaning lowly, he pped the wings and rushed over without a pause, fishing the two swords out upfront and stabbing directly into the floor, disrupting the group of ordinary-looking foxes save for their ck fur; he then withdrew the wings and pushed more Qi into his legs, thickening the bolts of lightning as he darted around and swiped at their necks, beheading one after another as gore and guts spilled about . Disregarding the bloody and gory scene, he heaved into the air once again, quickly crossing over two kilometers of distance and arriving in front of the stele just in time as a flock of sheep -- of all things -- was approaching . Though, to be fair he mused inwardly, it would be quite forgiving to call the ck-wooled, red-eyed, three-meters-tall-looking, hooved, horns-adorned creatures sheep . He withdrew the two swords and took out [Hell¡¯s Belittlement], repeatedly injecting Qi into it, activating [Law-bender] effect . The weapon suddenly turned lighter as brisk mes shot out of its surface, consuming it whole . The hammer stood zing in his hands as Lino¡¯s expression distorted, his gaze turning maddened momentarily . Roaring, he sted forth, leaving a gaping hole in the floor where his feet used to be, jumping directly within the flock while swinging the hammer about . Everything the weapon touched caught fire, thetter quickly consuming the entirety of grounds around the stele . It raged on like an eternal inferno, within it a singr devilmencing a ughter for remembrance . Lino heaved about whilst ignoringpletely wears and tears of his body, the splintered skin, the protruding bones, the bleeding veins, the torn muscles . . . even the outward color of his armor changed to deep crimson from mostly ck, giving him even more demonic appearance; his hair yed madly about in strains, his jet-ck eyes dancing about their sockets, constantly finding new victims . The flock was quickly dealt with, yet Lino wasn¡¯t done; he turned the stele¡¯s surroundings into his own domain, into his own little yground . He ran through the mes as though they were a part of him, wailing about the hammer with reviled freedom . He heaved and jumped, and rolled and ran, darting about in the bolted streaks of coral and azure and crimson, smashing away at heads and bodies of various creatures . The surroundings of the stele quickly turned into a literal nightmare, stacked to roof with various body parts and countless puddles of blood . There wasn¡¯t a whole corpse in sight, all entirely mutted and messily dismembered . At the center of it all stood he, leaned slightly forward whilst using the hammer as a cane, panting heavily, his ck hair wet through blood, stered across his face, a pair of maddened eyes peering through . He was beyond exhausted, an inch away from passing out, and he was fairly certain that the only reason he hadn¡¯t already toppled over was because the Writ was supporting him . He still felt somewhat proud, though, as he¡¯d gone through everything without once activating , relying entirely on his everyday strength . Finally unable to stand any longer, he fell t on his behind and lied back, disregarding entirely the fact that he was lying in the pool of mushed gore and guts . Despite the nauseating stench, he simplycked any willpower to get himself up and over to somece clean . " . . . now that I think about it . . . " he mumbled faintly . "Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to just . . . trap the first wave without killing them?" "Yes . " the Writ replied . "But, only Outsiders ever did it that way; this was the only way for you to gain the respect . " " . . . you . . . you can go and suck a whole bowl of fat, ugly, smelly cocks," Lino, despite his internal anger, was too exhausted to externalize it properly . "Because, by god, I think this is the most I ever hated you . " "Even more than when I indirectly caused deaths of your friends?" " . . . forget the bowl . You go and suck an entire ocean of rotting dicks, you gigantic dick . " "Congrattions, Lord Empyrean!!" a cheery voice echoed throughout the chamber as a human-sized and human-shaped stone appeared in front of Lino . "You passed the first Trial wonderfully!" " . . . did . . . did you suddenly be small," Lino muttered in confusion . "Or is one of the rewards for passing me turning into a fucking giant? ¡¯Cause if so, turn me back! I don¡¯t think my girlfriend would appreciate a dick that¡¯s about two hundred times bigger than her!" "Ha ha, no, no, as I¡¯m merely a spiritual manifestation, I can change my size at will . " the stoned creature spoke out, causing Lino to sigh in relief . "Stop scaring me like that man," he mumbled, sitting up . "But . . . there is a reward still, right?" "Of course -- you have several options at that, actually . " "I like the sound of that . " "You can either choose a weapon, a Martial Art, or a book . " ": . . " " . . . " " . . . that¡¯s it?" Lino asked, frowning . "All of them are top-tier, don¡¯t worry . " " . . . can you just give me like some materials so I can craft my own weapon?" "Oh? You are a smith?" the Titan asked with some interest . "Yes . " "Well, as there¡¯s no one here to regte me -- because the Titan race is extinct, ha ha ha -- I suppose I can bend the rules once . Is there any specific material you desire?" " . . . yeah," Lino just ignored the supposedlyughing matter of racial extinction and moved on . "It¡¯d be great if you had some [Fragmental Chaotic Steel] . " "Oh, you¡¯re in luck! I do have two small pieces! I assume you¡¯d like the rest to be the supporting materials?" " . . . yeah . " Lino yed along as he really just wanted a small piece of the Chaotic Steel; however, if he was being offered more stuff, he wouldn¡¯t say no . "It¡¯s no problem . I¡¯d offer you to use our own smithy, but, well, who knows where it is? Ha ha ha . " " . . . that¡¯s quite alright . I¡¯ve got my own . " "That¡¯s fantastic," the Titan said as he suddenly handed Lino a small ring . "All the materials are in there . Do you mind if I watch your process of crafting? I may not look like it, but I do have some knowledge . Maybe I can give you a pointer or two . " "Oh, yeah, thanks . " at the mere mention of the stored materials, and with the knowledge that he¡¯d soon be crafting, it seemed as though all his previous exhaustion simply . . . vanished . He nimbly got on his feet, quickly scanning through the ring while his lips curled up in the biggest, childlike smirk he could procure . His eyes gleamed in joy, entirely recing the madness, his body trembling not due to pain and tiredness but blissfully innocent excitement . . . all because his mind had immediately conjured up a new project based on the materials present within the ring, especially so because he, once again, decided he¡¯d experiment . . . quite a lot . Chapter 237 Chapter 237 CHAPTER 237 HARBINGER OF CHAOS (III) Chilly mes roared within the furnace, free-spirited, as the sounds of hammer shing against the heated metal filled the whole, massive chamber . Lino stood above the anvil topless, a ripped shirt tied over his forehead, eyes glistening brighter than the sweat running down his whole body . Hammer fell over and over, shaping up a lumpy mold into a broadsword bit by bit, sizzling away at the curved edges . On a table next over a whole swath of materials, from strangely-shaped and colored rocks to ratherrge herbs,y freely, right next to a massive parchment filled to brim with a design of a single sword in addition to roughly a dozen arrays . Roughly satisfied with the shape, he briefly sunk it into the barrel of water before setting it aside for the time being and slowly turning over to crafting the handle; as he had a rtive abundance of materials, Lino decided to go for the childhood fantasy he harbored when it came to a sword -- the guard stretching on both ends symmetrically, weaving thickly in a helix-like shape and ending with dragon¡¯s maws on each end spitting fire ceaselessly . At the guard¡¯s center he imagined a beautiful gem embedded, traced over with purely visual array responsible for those mes; the handle also spilled right out, visually appearing scaled in design before widening at the bottom into a full dragon¡¯s head . As for the de, the outer edge would be t and sharp, with the inner one being spiked like a row of monster¡¯s teeth, cradled in fashioned crimson . Though he very much cared for the sword¡¯s overall quality, he also cared quite a bit to make it look as good as he could, so much so that it would attract the attention of everyone . He had gone a bit mad, but was unwilling to admit it; after all, for nearly all of his career as a smith, he always held back when it came to theplexion of a design, deeming the usage far more important than the visuals . Nobody ever said, though, that those two couldn¡¯t mix . The spiked edge of the de wasn¡¯t there to simply look like a dragon¡¯s maw; it¡¯s purpose was to act like sort of a mace when it came to fighting shields, as well as a rather good way to parry attacks . The guard wasn¡¯t shaped so simply to look good; the mes on the edge also carried corrosive properties, which made them great for prolonged, even fights . And even the scaled-looking handle had a purpose -- well, at the very least he believed so; in reality, it didn¡¯t . It was just like any other handle . . . with scales painted over . He didn¡¯t opt out for the actual scales, as he imagined it would be quite ufortable to hold, so he decided upon the next best thing . After fiddling a bit with the guard¡¯s general framework, he returned to work a bit further on the de, asionally bouncing between the two . Hours, and soon days, passed by in a sh, but he hardly noticed; he¡¯d long since abandoned the sense of time, entirely giving himself over to the feeling of creating something -- feeling he found beyond exhrating . It was a form of drug to him, as he was unable to live up to it doing anything else except crafting . Fourth day in, the de was finally finished; it was fairly long, roughly a meter and a half, as thick as three fingers put together . Satisfied, Lino put it away for the time being before going back to finishing up the guard which took a whole lot longer as it was far moreplex in design; eventually, however -- which turned into exactly two weeks -- he was done . He¡¯d barely slept, eaten or drank anything in thest rush, but he was done with it . Unwilling to stop there, while ck bags rose beneath his eyes, he fashioned a handle and slowly beganbining all the three parts together before taking a quick nap and preparing for Array Inscribing . Meanwhile, Ekkly stared from the side, quite dizzy and confused . Not necessarily because of Lino¡¯s technique, which though quite simple was effective and, more importantly, mastered, but because of the sheer drive and passion the little human had disyed . He had the outright demeanour of a smith -- and a crazed one at that . He¡¯d personally met quite a few Titans back in the day who would go on what he called ¡¯crafting benders¡¯ which wouldst upwards of decades, barely sleeping, eating or drinking, all the while grinning like morons . Yet, it was also that which had initially made him curious and interested in the art of crafting . What was it about it that made them go so crazed and mad that they abandoned reason while pouring out their hearts and souls into crafting something? He never dared ask, however, as he was merely a lowly Spirit, but his curiosity was never settled . Just before Lino began describing arrays, he stopped him . "Lord Empyrean, wait a second . " "What?" Lino replied, seeming somewhat cranky over having been interrupted . "Can I ask you a question?" " . . . " " . . . uh," Ekkly coughed awkwardly before braving his heart . "What . . . what is it about crafting . . . that¡¯s so amazing to you?" "Eh?" "I mean, why do you lose yourself so much in it that you forget about the rest of the world?" "Oh, that . It¡¯s simple," Lino shrugged . "It¡¯s about creating something new, about giving life to something that used to be just . . . nothing . It¡¯s about taking bits and pieces already present in the world and making themrger than life . You know how some women lose their shit when they get pregnant? It¡¯s pretty much that . Crafting, among other things, is pregnancy for dudes . " " . . . that¡¯s . . . quite an exnation . . . " Ekkly mumbled . "But, then again, that¡¯s just me," Lino said, chuckling . "The beautiful thing about crafting, about rune inscription, formation mastery and myriad of other things . . . is that people lose themselves within them for their own little reasons . Some do it to escape the world, some to make it better, some to make it worse, some to just show off, some to provide for their family . . . we¡¯ve all got our own little reasons why it¡¯s so important to us . Mine just happens to be way better than anyone¡¯s, is all . " " . . . ha ha ha, I suppose you¡¯re right," Ekklyughed freely for a moment . "You will start inscribing arrays now, right?" "Yeah . " "I¡¯ve got a book about Arrays here," he said, whipping out an old, tattered-looking book as thick as a grown man¡¯s thigh . "All the way up to Grandmaster Tier, if you¡¯re interested . " " . . . " " . . . u-uh . . . w-why . . . why are you looking at me like that?" "I think I¡¯m in love with you . " Lino mumbled, stumbling over toward shaking Ekkly; thetter could swear Lino¡¯s pupils went from normal-looking to heart-shaped . "The book . Gimme . " "H-here, just take it!! Don¡¯t do anything to me!" Ekkly screeched like a kid as he threw the book at Lino, taking a few steps back . "Heh," an evil-sounding chuckle broke out . "He he, he he he he he he," the chuckle soon turned into maniacalughter, prompting Ekkly to take a few more steps back just to be safe . "This . . . this is better than sex . . . he he he -- khm, khm, thank the shit lords that trials are separate . " brieflying to his senses, Lino mumbled out a few words while sweating before being charmed by the book in his hands yet again . "Thank you Ekkly . . . he he he . . . thank you . . . " "No--no problem . . . L-lord . . . Pervert . . . " However, as Lino already had a clear-cut n when it came to arrays, he decided to first finish up the sword before studying the book . He felt that his array knowledgegged behind quite a bit from the rest of the smithing-rted issues, especially so after Eggor refused to give him a book on arrays, saying that it was time Lino found his own way in the world . Lino chugged the book into the void world as he pressed his face as close to the de as possible, beginning to inscribe the arrays . He settled on eleven in total, which would sound like insanity to most other smiths as, usually, a whole group would be exclusively hired to do eleven arrays, yet there he was, doing them all alone with a massive grin on his face as though he was enjoying the torture . The truth was, though, that Lino loved arrays -- while most smiths followed the already recorded ones rigidly, Eggor had long since taught him to always experiment, to mix and match, to add and deduct lines at a whim; arrays to him were like vast canvases to painters, the tform where he can express his creativity to the full without being held back by theck of materials . It took him nearly fifteen hours to finishing inscribing arrays, which left Ekkly feeling rather . . . well, many things . He, too, hade to conclusion that array inscription was a boring, long, exhausting process that can take days even for a group of people; yet, there stood a young human boy who¡¯d done them all within a day with a massive grin on his face . Ekkly was now sure more than ever that the Empyrean was merely insane; after all, that conjecture exined practically everything . After finishing the inscriptions, Lino picked up the sword and swung it around a few times, unable to wipe the grin off his face . It was done, he mused, and it was better than he imagined it would be . [Dragon yer -- Legendary Unique] Level: 600 Requirements: Chaos Qi / Strength: 20,000 Damage: 120* Wielder¡¯s Strength +300% to ¡¯shing Damage¡¯ -100% to ¡¯Piercing Damage¡¯ +100 Vitality for each 200 points of Strength +100 Defense for each 200 points of Vitality Immunity to all mes below Level 800 Special Effect [Bloodbath] -- for each opponent in during a battle, gain 10% to Vitality and Defense; stacks infinitely; consume all stacks to temporarily increase Strength by 10(+number of stacks) -- after the buff expiration, enter ¡¯Weakened¡¯ state for 10 minutes -- ALL stats lowered by 50% Special Effect [Child of Skies] -- all sweeping attacks from air gain 1000% to effectiveness; all attacks aimed at wielder from air lose 90% of their effectiveness Special Effect [Dragon yer] -- Locked -- y a Dragon to unlock -- Special Effect [Dragon King] -- Locked -- y a Primal Dragon to unlock -- Special Effect [Dragon] -- Locked -- Get a recognition of an Origin Dragon to unlock -- Note: A Divine Creation, unique in its make, reserved for the bravest of souls willing to hunt the World¡¯s Proudest Creation . Chapter 238 Chapter 238 CHAPTER 238 HARBINGER OF CHAOS (IV) Lino took his sweet time re-charging after crafting the [Dragon yer]; after all, he¡¯d begun doing so shortly after the already exhausting battle, with little to no downtime, which only further crippled his ability to exist . He crashed for full three days, sleeping away the tiredness, before begrudgingly waking up for a single meal and then crashing yet again for whole two days . At the end of his sleeping bender, though still feeling somewhat drowsy, he felt re-awakened in a sense -- namely because he¡¯de close to another great barrier of cultivation, Aeonian Realm . Only mere ten levels short of crossing the barrier, currently sitting at Level 360, he was somewhat excited as Aeonian Realm signaled something quite tempting to a lot of people -- practical immortality . While no true immortality existed -- as even the Writ had told him he had an expiration date -- there were ways to extend -- really extend -- one¡¯s lifespan considerably, and the most desired of them was the Aeonian Realm . Bar no idents, just getting to Level 370 means one can live for just over a billion years, a concept Lino simply had no ability toprehend . Despite the fact that he wasn¡¯t nearly as enticed by the concept of longevity as some others, it didn¡¯t mean that he waspletely indifferent to it . In addition, it signaled that he was slowly catching up to the pack -- albeit extremely slowly . After all, his weapons and armors can only go so far in evening out the ying field and he can¡¯t rest hisurels on them for all eternity . One day or another, he¡¯ll have to step up himself and catch up . Shortly after gorging himself in a meal and a barrel of ale, Ekkly showed up next to him out of thin air . The Titan Spirit had a somewhat dubious look in his eyes as he looked at Lino, wondering when did cultivators require sleep, food and drinks to function, but decided against asking . "Lord Empyrean, are you prepared for the Second Trial?" he asked . "What¡¯s it about?" Lino asked . "Fighting . " " . . . of course it is . " Lino sighed, stretching . "What¡¯s it called?" "Duels of Fate . " Ekkly replied nimbly . "It pertains to sessfully dueling those above your realm . " "Oh?" Lino¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up . "Are we allowed to use external items?" "Yes, you are allowed to use weapons and armors," Ekkly chuckled . "Otherwise, I¡¯d have already suggested you leave . " "Why?" the lit eyes dimmed almost immediately . "The weakest opponent you¡¯ll face will be Level 1500 . " Ekkly replied . "After all, I did say these trials were designed for Titr Voids . " " . . . yeah, yeah, you did mention that . Huh . Fighting someone over thousand levels above me . I remember when my greatest problem was whether I¡¯d find something else to eat besides dirt and grass¡¯ roots . I kind of miss those days, to be honest . " "Furthermore--" "Oh, it¡¯s not over . . . " "--as the trials were designed for Titans, you too shall face Titans . " " . . . as in, you know, giant, walking mountains?" Lino asked . "Yes . " " . . . is there a way for you to scale them down to, you know, reasonable height?" "No . " " . . . huh . ¡¯s that so . " "In addition--" "Okay, you seriously have to stop pausing midway through your exnations! You¡¯re giving me a migraine here dude!" Lino protested in frustration . "Forgive me, Lord Empyrean . " "Yeah, yeah, in addition to what?" "In addition," Ekkly spoke slowly . "Besides the Primary Duel, you will also face the hordes of enemies that apany the Titans as servants . " " . . . what numbers are we talking about here?" Lino, strangely, didn¡¯t seem that upset . "Thousands . " "Oh . " " . . . " Ekkly looked on and saw that the indifferent expression slowly turned into excitement, despite Lino¡¯s best attempts to hide it . "Is everything okay?" "O-okay? Pfft, no, I mean, of course not everything¡¯s okay! I-I mean, I have to, you know, fight a freaking Titan and then a host of his minions, that¡¯s just--just terrible . . . pfft . . . khm . . . " " . . . very well . There are in total three duels," Ekkly said . "You only need to obtain victory in the first one; the second one entails you to additional reward, and obtaining victory in the third entails you to choose a single item from the remaining treasury . " " . . . what¡¯s the catch?" Lino asked . "Second duel is against a Level 3000 Titan, and the third is against Level 5000 . " " . . . of course it is . " Lino sighed . "If you ever decide to give up, just voice it -- no matter how loud or silent -- and I¡¯ll end the trials . However, remember that if you choose to give up during the First Duel, you¡¯ll have no chances left for taking the Trials ever again . " "Alright, sounds reasonable . " Lino took in a deep breath, readying himself . "Send me to my death, Ekkly!" "Lord Empyrean--" "It¡¯s a saying . . . it¡¯s . . . it¡¯s a goddamn saying . . . " "Oh . Very well then . I shall send you to your death, Lord Empyrean . " " . . . " Ekkly slowly vanished, leaving Lino alone in the empty chamber . Just as he began suspecting something went wrong, space next to him vibrated and shook, forcing him to look sideways . There stood a spinning vortex -- the size of a small mountain -- causing Lino to bitterly smile . Though he was excited to test out the [Dragon yer] against a small army of enemies, there was also the Titan he¡¯d have to face . Not only did he know next to nothing about Titans¡¯ physique, he also had absolutely no idea on how the Titans fought . It was also then that he realized that he¡¯d have to do what he opted out of doing ever since the Trials began: begrudgingly ask the Writ for the advice . " . . . so?" Lino mumbled faintly, still refraining from entering into the vortex . "Just remember that time and speed are rtive," the Writ replied . "But that the blunt force of impact is pretty squared out across the board . I¡¯d suggest you avoid getting hit at all cost, even with the armor on . Roughly ny-eight percent of Titans practiced Body Cultivation, which is also where the vast majority of Cultivation Methods for Body Cultivatione from . You¡¯ll finally face someone who has all your strengths, but none of your weaknesses . Good luck . " " . . . my weaknesses? Pshh, I don¡¯t have any weaknesses . " "Your Level, Realm,ck of Martial Arts--" "Dude! You can read my freaking mind!" Lino grumbled . "You know I didn¡¯t mean it!" " . . . " "Alright, so don¡¯t get hit . Great advice . Great . . . advice . . . " Taking another deep breath, he slowly walked through the vortex, enduring the spatial drag for a few seconds before being spat out on the other end . He found himself standing within a gigantic hall, sorge that Lino waspletely gobsmacked and at a loss for words when it came to describing it . It was simply . . . big . So big, as the matter of the fact, that he was unable to clearly see the ceiling . So big that even the rug¡¯s thickness beneath his feet . . . was three times as big as he was . The hall was so big, actually, that Lino contemted for a second whether he¡¯d be an ant . . . or some even smaller insect . It took his mind quite a few moments to focus upfront, where a massive, over two hundred meters tall humanoid-shaped piece of rock sat . Unlike Ekkly, who was just stone, the Titan before Lino also wore a set of armor dyed entirely silver . By his side was a ginormous spear, which Lino at first though was yet another pir supporting the massive hall -- but it wasn¡¯t . The Titan¡¯s eyes slowly opened, and just like with Lino, it took him awhile to move his eyes from front to down, only to spot a small dot in the distance ring at him . Confused at first, he leaned a bit closer in and snickered . " . . . adorable . " a coarse voice shook Lino¡¯s eardrums for a moment . "Will you . . . be my pet? I promise to feed you every day . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyebrows twitched, yet he was also half a wit away from bursting intoughter . "Funny . I was gonna ask you the same thing . We don¡¯t have anything this big anymore in my time; you¡¯d make all thedies I meet swoon and go over the moon for me . " "Oh? You can talk? Now I want you as a pet even more . " "Well, you¡¯ll first have to whoop my ass!" Lino eximed as he whipped out the [Dragon yer] from his void world . "And I promise you, this little pet has some pretty sharp ws!" "I . . . I can¡¯t fight you," the Titan sighed . "You are too adorable . " " . . . dude, do you want me to start insulting you? Because I kind of like you, actually . It¡¯d do no good for either one of us if you suddenly decided you don¡¯t want me as a pet, but as a carcass you can decorate your room with . " "Hehe, words can¡¯t hurt me, little human . " "Really?" Lino suddenly grinned evilly . "Then, I suppose, you won¡¯t mind if I point out that your eyes look like two suns . . . " "Aww . . . " "Who hate each other so much they constantly have to look away from one another . " " . . . " "And, I suppose," Lino continued . "You won¡¯t mind if I point out that you¡¯re by far the smallest Titan I¡¯ve ever heard of . Or, because words can¡¯t hurt you, I suppose you won¡¯t mind me saying that the size of that spear is definitely ovepensating for something . I can¡¯t say what, but, you know, definitely something . " " . . . . " "And, you definitely won¡¯t mind me saying -- because, you know, words can¡¯t hurt you -- that you have by far the weirdestly-shaped head I¡¯ve ever seen in my life! What¡¯s that?! Is it a pear? Is it a tear? Is it a peni--" "I am Agguv Ook," the Titan interrupted Lino, suddenly getting off his chair, the previous amicable demeanourpletely vanishing . "Third of his Name, Titr Spear of the North . I have lived for many moons, little human, but have never met anyone who disrespected me so . You shall pay!" " . . . oh . So I guess words can hurt . " " . . . " "Well, whatever," Lino shrugged, taking a battle stance . "Swords hurt even more . " Chapter 239 Chapter 239 CHAPTER 239 HARBINGER OF CHAOS (V) A pair of golden wings unfurled with a boom, capsizing the tiled floor and nearby columns, pping and taking their bearer to the sky . Just a blinkter, a spearhead tipped into the ground and ripped it open, causing a small earthquake to shake the whole hall . Lino winced temporarily, somewhat stunned by Agguv¡¯s speed; had he reacted a mere momentter, he¡¯d have been turned into minced meet . "Servants,e!" the Titan roared as he slowly moved, each one of his steps shaking the ground . "Behead the heathen!" Rather than fear, there was a strange sort of glee in Lino¡¯s eyes as he saw hundreds upon hundreds of smaller Titans -- still at least thirty meters tall giants, though -- swarm out of the void itself and slowly march in front of Agguv toward Lino, leaping into the sky like cannonballs . Lino grinned, grasping tightly at [Dragon yer] as he felt excitement overwhelm him; he slowly felt abundance of strength overwhelm him as his [Heaven-cast Armor Set] began working its magic, his basic stats all increasing by just over 1000% as he effectively grew to be ten times as strong . In addition, as he was attacking from the air, the [Dragon yer] gave each one of his attacks 1000% to effectiveness -- which included speed, damage, piercing . . . practically everything . Taking a deep breath, he waited till the small army of Titans rushed within twenty meters of him before pping his wings once . His excitement turned into poised determination as he streaked in gold forth, shing quickly and repeatedly against the stone-cold rock; soon, a shower of rubble and debris turned into a massive rain as one Titan after another fell, Lino¡¯s Defense and Vitality increasing madly . Realizing something was wrong, Agguv removed himself from the backline and stretched forth as well, grasping at the massive spear and thrusting in toward the golden glimmer in the air . Lino nimbly dodged one strike after another, each p of his wings sending him into a burst of speed closing in to that of light as he shed away at the ever-increasing number of Titans . Hundreds soon turned into thousands as they filled up the entire hall, jumping at the nuisance fluttering about the air . Lino looked for their most concentrated spot before shuffling his Singrity and causing Qi to overwhelm him, turning into mist surrounding his body which then became coated in azure bolts of lightning . "Ashta, awaken!" he roared as he begun his descent . A small, golden glimmer of light appeared by his chest, quickly charging into the sword and setting it aze . Alongside the vibrating sword, Lino¡¯s armor soon shook, seeminglying to life as its ck-jet surface attained a crimson sheen . He felt his soul revving like a maddened beast, each fiber of his being seemingly working in concert with another to perform something that he never thought possible . After he became the Exalted, he also unlocked one additional [Special Effect] of the [Heaven-cast Armor Set]: Special Effect [Baptized in mes] -- Charging a powerful strike triggers the Heaven¡¯s Might stored within the armor; for each 1,000,000 projected points of damage, increase the end result by a double From being as high as fifteen thousand miles in the air to being an inch away from the massive head of a rather small Titan --paratively speaking -- took less than a second . Roaring madly from the depths of his lungs, Lino held at the handle of the [Dragon yer] with both of his hands, still barely able to keep it rtively still, as the sword roared with him, the Dragon¡¯s might adjoining his own Will to form a spectacr mirage behind him -- that of a massive Dragon, its maw spreading wide open to swallow the entire world . At that moment, a faint regret shed past his heart -- the fact that he hadn¡¯t activated . He couldn¡¯t even fathom just what sort of a scene he¡¯d cause if he did, but he had no doubt in his mind it would be at least more than twice as cool as the current one . . . and the current one was practically the highlight of his fights -- save perhaps for the Birth of Light . Agguv didn¡¯t even have time to react from missing one of his piercing attacks to seeing that sh of light descend upon his servants . The sheer abundance of Qi present in that attack terrified him -- not because it was unleashed by a human, or because it was unleashed by someone many-a-realm beneath him . . . but because it was ten times his total reserves . He¡¯d have to charge a Talisman for over ten thousand years in order to reproduce an attack on a simr scale . In that brief sh before the little human boypleted his attack, Agguv contemted something he had seemingly forgotten -- the little boy, despite being a human . . . was also an Empyrean . It all clicked, all of a sudden; he was no longer terrified . . . but proud and in awe . Those jet-ck eyes were no longer harbingers of death, but the shining light within the endless darkness . But, then, the darkness was no more . Lino¡¯s sword cut through the Titan¡¯s head as though it was tofu, piercing all the way through and absolutely decimating a fifty-meters-tall rock into nothing but literal ash, yet he didn¡¯t lose a single iota of speed or momentum . He crashed into the ground, stabbing the sword directly; a storm erupted beyond what the hall could ever hope to handle . A swirl of thunder, mes, light and unbridled chaos formed into a tornado reaching as far as five thousand miles up, spinning tens of thousand of miles an hour, swallowing and annihting everything in its path . The swirl expanded in a ring-like fashion, further digging up a massive crater that covered the entire hall within a second . Pirs and columns upholding the far-end sky cracked, creaked and broke, torn away by winds too sharp to exist; mes roared into an inferno, with thunder repeatedly crackling within them like a crazedughter of a maniac . All the while light spurred the two, fanning further the mes and turning the thunder even wilder . Within the incarnation of hell itself, Agguv felt a tinge of something -- a tinge of something so distant . . . so faint . . . entirely forgotten . . . yet something so familiar he¡¯d nearly shed a tear . Within the heart of the obliterating storm, he sensed an iota of something old . . . archaic . . . eternally Primal and untamed . His whole body shook as he shot to his knees instinctively, letting go of the spear as his arms fell by his side, his face bearing the expression of befuddlement . In the eye of the storm, the epicenter of the absolute destruction, a boy now stood upright, his legs slightly spread apart, the roaring winds fluttering his cloak and hair in concert, entirely avoiding him as though serving him . Between those jet-ck eyes, slightly elevated above the somewhat bushy and wild eyebrows, at the center of the forehead, stood a small gem -- no, to call it a gem would be a lie; it was the size of a grain of sand, perhaps even smaller, barely visible at that . It was jet-ck in its make, within it a single iota of pure-white liquid swirling about freely . Though it was small and appeared insignificant, and even sensing it directly through the Divine Sense wouldn¡¯t trigger any rms, Agguv knew it better than perhaps anyone currently alive; that little thing . . . should not exist . Or, rather, it hasn¡¯t existed since the Origin Era, since well before his own time, and the time of his ancestors . . . since before the life as the world knows it came to be . In billions of years of Empyreans fighting, through tens of thousands of Empyreans rising and falling, through events that words could never give justice to . . . it has never appeared . . . until today . " . . . P-primal . . . Primal Chaos . . . " Agguv mumbled, unable to stop his body from shaking . Though the world now may be entirely ignorant to what the Primal Chaos is, Agguv wasn¡¯t; as one of the Guardians tasked with training Empyreans, he had among the best understandings of the calling . Just being able to use Chaos directly without filtering it into different elements would already constitute one as one of the strongest Empyreans to exist, to say nothing of actually conjuring up a sliver of Primal Chaos, the only Pure form of Qi whose existence was eventually proved . Many times he, as well as most of those who knew of Primal Chaos, even doubted its existence . . . as its sheer existence created a quintessential paradox of creation: if the theory is correct, the Primal Chaos is the source of everything . . . including the First Scripture, as it is the most primitive form of energy . However, if that was the case . . . then why was the Empyrean Writ merely one of the Seven Servants of the Scripture, rather than its ruler? The lifelong question of existence was answered right here and now, but the paradox was not; rather, it was merely confirmed . Though Agguv couldn¡¯t even begin to venture a guess as to what this means to the Myth of the Origin, he understood too well that if this knowledge were to be made public, it would capsize all other theories in a heartbeat . . . and it would definitely destroy any form of illusion that others hold over the Chaos . Just as he was about to get wrapped into the baseless thoughts, he saw that sliver disappear from Lino¡¯s forehead as thetter suddenly copsed on his knees, breathing heavily . The storm disappeared immediately after, leaving only destruction behind as the evidence of its existence . Agguv raced over and crouched down, gently and tenderly picking Lino up and cing him on the palm before lifting it up . He carefully inspected the boy¡¯s body only to realize that he had merely passed out -- and that he waspletely out of Qi . His body was like a nt in a desert, in desperate need of water . He slowly and carefully injected a small sliver of his own Qi, with Lino¡¯s body devouring it all like a greedy drunkard . " . . . you¡¯ve realized what it was, Agguv?" a swirl of nothing and everything appeared next to Agguv¡¯s head, causing him a startle . "L-lord At-Ataxia . . . " he mumbled, quickly bowing his head . "Yes . . . I have . . . " " . . . everyone who has met him," Ataxia spoke in a somewhat mellowed tone . "Told me I had chosen wrongly . . . that I had wasted myst ditch effort . Do you think so too?" " . . . if I did, I¡¯d be no more than the world¡¯s biggest fool, Lord Ataxia . " Agguv chuckled bitterly . "If he¡¯s the wrong choice . . . then there isn¡¯t the right one . Did you see iting?" "No . . . not in the least . I was far more shocked than you when I sensed it," Ataxia said . "For the first time since my birth . . . I had heard the calling, Agguv . That voice . Now more than ever I¡¯m reassured of my path . Oh? Ha ha . . . looks like your cousin has also noticed it . " "Ah . . . poord," Agguv said, smiling . "I both envy and pity him for being chosen to sit upon that chair and wait . I¡¯ll tell him to wait outside till the Empyrean finishes his Trial . Right, should we do anything about the Elysian girl?" "No . . . " Ataxia mumbled . "Astrum, too, has made a fine choice . She¡¯s headed down the Path of Creation . " " . . . ha ha, so they need each other?" Agguv said, slowly getting up as he gentlyid Lino down onto the floor . "My, I¡¯d say Fate brought them kindly together, but I very much doubt that whore really wanted this to happen . " "Oh, she doesn¡¯t know . " "Good . I only wish I could be there when she finds out . That expression . . . aah, I¡¯d live through the Ashening all over again just to see it . " " . . . no, you wouldn¡¯t . " " . . . I couldn¡¯t," Agguv said, his voice turning hoarse . "I don¡¯t think even the Liberator could . " "She couldn¡¯t . " " . . . I shall wait for the boy to wake up," Agguv said . "What should I tell him?" "Just tell him that he won and stroke his ego a bit," Ataxia said . "He¡¯s going to love it . " " . . . you . . . ah, fine . But, seriously, you couldn¡¯t have used your wit to make this one a bit more humble?" " . . . " "Yeah, you¡¯re right . That tongue of his . . . it¡¯s going to serve him well . Farewell, Lord Ataxia . It has been honor . " "Sleep well, Agguv . You¡¯ve expended a lot of Spirit . Perhaps, if the time is right . . . you just might recover enough to witness it . . . " " . . . I¡¯ll breathe and dream for it . . . " Chapter 240 Chapter 240 CHAPTER 240 DOWN THE LINE Eggor was currently staring at E with a mixture of anger, confusion and a tinge of happiness . Yet, thetter was almostpletely drowned underneath the former two . E, simrly, had a rather mixed expression; bitterness, disappointment, and a sliver of self-loathing . " . . . I¡¯m sure you already know this," Eggor said, sitting down . "But . . . you know she¡¯s eventually gonna stand in Lino¡¯s way, right?" " . . . yeah, I¡¯m aware of it . " E replied, sitting down as well . "And you still want me to craft her a Creation-tier Weapon?" " . . . it¡¯s the price of the mile . Besides," she said . "By that time, I¡¯m sure Lino will have already grown far too strong for her anyway . " " . . . it¡¯s a Creation-tier Weapon, E," Eggor said . "The few I¡¯ve created are literally the reason your n was able to stay the Holy Land with you gone . " "I know, I know," E sighed, chugging her head onto the table . "I don¡¯t know what I was thinking . I . . . I just wanted to stop them from fighting, but that old fuck wasn¡¯t biting anything I was offering . . . so I had to offer him you . . . Lino and Hannah aren¡¯t back yet?" "No," Eggor shook his head . "I still can¡¯t believe it though . I was half-expecting you¡¯d actually ask me to create Lino one . " "Oh, I was going to," E replied . "I was just waiting for him to get a bit stronger . " " . . . he¡¯s doing the impossible, E," Eggor said . "Being a cksmith and a cultivator . Let him . " "Not at the expense of his life!" "Oh would you rx," Eggor rolled his eyes at her, taking out two gourds of ale and handing her one . "You have to remember that besides just being the little scrawny, annoying pain-in-the-ass Lino, he¡¯s also an Empyrean . Didn¡¯t you always used to tell me those crazy stories about the Empyreans surviving the impossible? Like . . . like that story about, uh, what¡¯s-his-face, the Immortal Entropy Titr . " "Ughfur?" E asked, arching her brows . "Yes! God, that dude had a weird name . Anyway, didn¡¯t you say he once survived a direct hit from the Heaven¡¯s Chosen Primordial-tier Weapon and lived . . . while one half of the Holy Continent went into perpetual winter for about eighteen million years?" "Well, yes, but--" "Or that Undying Empyrean Titr--" "--Alduar . " "Alduar, right, I knew that . " " . . . sure . " E rolled her eyes . "Didn¡¯t he fight all six other Bearers for like four centuries straight, and in the end the six of them had to give up because they were too exhausted to continue?" "Yeah, but both of them -- all of them -- were in thousands when it came to Levels," E said, sighing . "They had hundreds, if not thousands of years of experience fighting, escaping, surviving . They all had a lot of time to prepare before entering the main stage . . . but Lino . . . he¡¯s a year shy from thirty, Eggor . He doesn¡¯t have all that experience . . . all he has is his fake bravado and ego the size of Mt . Koogen . " " . . . isn¡¯t that just an averagely-sized mountain?" Eggor asked . "I¡¯ve met a lot of narcissists in my life," E said, groaning . "He¡¯s still got a long way to go . " "Look, I¡¯m worried too," Eggor said, reaching over and caressing her cheek gently with a smile . "But, he¡¯s already told us . . . he¡¯s all grown up, El¡¯ . I mean, he¡¯s already fighting battles that he in no way, shape or form should . . . and he¡¯s winning them . Do you remember how he was like when we first met him? That was the spitting image of the false bravado . Now? There¡¯s only a smidgen of it left in there . The rest? It¡¯s confidence gained through victories that would have been impossible for anyone else in his shoes . Say what you will, but the biggest thing about that kid ain¡¯t his ego . " " . . . yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right," E chuckled, grabbing at his hand and kissing it softly . "I guess . . . we just missed . . . a lot of his journey . Makes me kind of sad . " " . . . I thought you said no to the kids in the ¡¯evil world that we live in¡¯?" Eggor nced at her dubiously . "Did I? I don¡¯t really remember . . . " "Funny thing . Neither do I . " "So Lino¡¯s finally gonna get a younger brother or sister, huh?" " . . . you do realize--no, yeah, yeah, Lino¡¯s finally gonna get a sibling . " Eggor quickly backed off after a deathly re . "And he definitely will not torment neither us nor that poor kid till his dying days . " " . . . yeah, I love him and all," E said, frowning . "But we probably should never leave the two of them alone . " "Yup . " Meanwhile, on a small ranch currently empty of any horses, two sorry-looking figures sat on the porch, drinking in dismay . Felix¡¯s usual well-groomed hair was a mess, his clothes full of soot and holes, half his face jetted in ck . Sitting next to him, Lucky looked no better; her hair was like a porcupine, eyes held up within a pair of ck, thick bags,plexion as pale as snow . The two drank in solemn and exhausted silence, barely moving another muscle besides their arms¡¯, as even the thought of such actions hurt them . " . . . is . . . is he worth it?" Lucky mumbled lowly . " . . . I . . . I don¡¯t know . . . " Felix replied simrly . " . . . today . . . today that old hag forced . . . forced me to memorize," she shuddered . "A set of sixty-four arrays arranged in a concave principle into a basic Detection Formation . Do . . . do you know how . . . how many lines that is? Tens of thousands . That¡¯s tens of thousands of lines, Felix . " " . . . that old fogey forced . . . forced me to eat herbs, Lucky," he said, shuddering as well . "Herbs that, by god,mit suicide because of how ugly in every way, shape and form they are . The tastes . . . the scents . . . L¡¯ . . . I . . . I¡¯ve tasted and smelled hell . . . and I don¡¯t, I repeat -- I don¡¯t, ever, ever, fucking ever, want to go back . . . " Scarlet and Annar looked on at the two from the doors, wondering whether they¡¯d been a bit too harsh on the two . The truth is, they really were; after all, the two went off of their own experience, not taking into the ount that Felix and Lucky, not being from the Holy Continent -- and especially a Holy Ground -- had very, very different experiences growing upparatively speaking . The two had been asked by Eggor a couple weeks back to teach Lucky and Felix some basics when it came to Alchemy and Formation, and as they didn¡¯t have much to do -- and awkwardly sitting around without ever bringing up that dinner wasn¡¯t exactly a time well-spent -- they agreed . They learned quickly, however, that the task would be much more difficult than they anticipated; not only did Lucky and Felix had stamina of a child from the Holy Grounds, they also knew next to nothing when it came to two massive fields . They had also misunderstood Eggor¡¯s intentions -- he indeed meant only basics, the most basic of basics, just an overview of the fields that would provide Lucky and Felix with a correct direction to follow . Scarlet and Annar took it to mean basic as in everything that is not advanced . . . which included a lot of theoretical knowledge . . . a whole lot of theoretical knowledge . Surprisingly, though, Lucky and Felix endured against all odds, even slowly growing ustomed to the insane pace and even more insane amount of knowledge they were forced to absorb quickly . "Hey, guys," Scarlet spoke to the dispirited two with a smile . "How about we take a day off, huh? And just . . . rx . Talk -- not about Formations or Pills . . . just something random . " " . . . " Felix¡¯s and Lucky¡¯s eyes suddenly shed in a strange glint, the two quickly ncing at each other to confirm the intentions before Lucky spoke out . "Oh, yeah, that sounds great . Do you guys want a drink?" "Sure!" Scarlet said, sitting down, followed by Annar shortly after . "So, how did you two meet?" "Lino introduced us," Lucky said quickly . "What about you two?" " . . . oh . We go a long way back . " Scarlet chuckled awkwardly . "Childhood friends?" Felix asked . "Something like that . " Annar replied . "Uuh, that must be awkward . " Lucky spoke, sucking in a cold breath . "H-huh? Why . . . why would it be awkward?" Scarlet asked . "Well, I mean, you know? You guys practically know everything about each other," Lucky said . "Except, you know, what it¡¯d feel like to bone the other . " "H-huh?!" both Annar and Scarlet eximed in unison, their cheeks flushing slightly red . "Yeah, that can be tough," even Felix joined in . "I mean, it¡¯s scary, right? What if, despite the fact that everything else fits . . . that part just . . . doesn¡¯t? I mean, if you try it and it doesn¡¯t work, boom goes the friendship! This way, you know, you can keep the mystery alive for a little while longer . " "N-no . . . that¡¯s . . . that¡¯s not--" "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry," Lucky said . "We¡¯re not judging . Felix and I were exactly the same at the start . " "Really?!" the two eximed in unison again, somewhat excited . "No, one day I just felt like boning him so I boned him," Lucky said . "And it was . . . fun . So I decided to keep doing it . " " . . . why do you make it sound as though I had no choice in the matter?" Felix asked, ncing at her . "Oh, please . Like you ever wanted to stop . " " . . . yeah, that¡¯s true . Anyway, the point is, you guys just need to bone . Or, to put it delicately, you guys need to fuck each other¡¯s brains out . " "How¡¯s that putting it more delicately?!!" Annar eximed, using anger to try and cover up his embarrassment . "Oh, did I say delicate? I meant more embarrassingly . After all-" "Wait, Felix," Lucky suddenly said, her expression turning terrified . "Do . . . do you realize it?" "What?" "We . . . we . . . we are turning . . . into him . . . " "Him? What hi--- oh my god . . . you . . . you are right . . . " Annar and Scarlet stared in confusion as the two people sitting across from them went on a deep and seemingly hauntingly terrifying expedition of self-examination . . . whose journey did not go well, and destination didn¡¯t appear to be pretty because those exhausted expressions were soon reced by self-loathing ones . Chapter 241 Chapter 241: 241 CHAPTER 241 REWARDS Lino slowly opened his eyes, a hair-raising groan of agony quickly escaping his dried, trembling lips . Aside from the exhaustion which had overwhelmed his entire body, the parched throat and the bare-bones ability to breathe, the biggest concern was the splitting headache . He felt as though someone was repeatedly hammering his skull, caving it in over and over while it regenerated . Barely holding back a scream of pain, he sat up and whipped out an assortment of booze, quickly downing the contents . Though it hardly helped with the headache, it revitalized his body with some freshness it needed . Looking around, he felt slightly confused; sitting inside a gigantic crater whose ends he could barely spot in the distance, thest thing he remembered was stabbing the [Dragon yer] into the ground . After that . . . nothing . However, looking around, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight sliver of pride surge from within as he was fairly certain the cause of the massive crater was him . Yet, that pride quickly vanished once headache grew stronger, even causing him to cry out in pain momentarily, clutching at the sides of his head . He didn¡¯t know why -- the attack he performed, while draining, certainly was neitherrge enough to make him pass out and especially cause such a massive headache . "Goddammit dude, can¡¯t you do something about this?!" he cried out angrily into the world . "No . " the Writ replied simply . "You can¡¯t or won¡¯t?!" "Can¡¯t . " " . . . eh?" Lino eximed, somewhat surprised . "Did . . . did you lose your powers or something?" "No . " " . . . I¡¯ll choke you to death . " "I can¡¯t divulge the source of your headache," the Writ said . "But, I can tell you it¡¯s not bad . It¡¯s the good kind of headache . " " . . . forget choking, I¡¯ll set you on fire and then have you oiled up and over till every inch of your goddamn body is scalding . " "Just endure it," the Writ said . "It will pass soon . " Lino went silent begrudgingly, waiting for it to pass soon . That ¡¯soon¡¯, however, quickly turned into an hour . . . then two . . . then ten . . . and ¡¯soon¡¯ the two days had passed, during which he hadn¡¯t had a wink of sleep . He felt cranky, angry, betrayed, but couldn¡¯t voice out the frustration as he spared no focus on maintaining his sanity that the headache tried to take away . Atst, almost three full dayster, he was free from it . He felt . . . alive . Free . Inspired . He had realized just how short life was, and that he didn¡¯t need to change anything about his as he was already doing everything right . Though not exactly having learned a lesson of sorts, he dide out of the scalding pain somewhat more brightened and mature . " . . . one day," Lino mumbled faintly and angrily, sping his fingers into a fist . "I¡¯ll strap you to a chair, tear hooks into your skin, and then dismember you limb by limb while still letting you live, before shoving tiny, poisonous needles into every inch of your body . . . still keeping you alive . . . before finally, ten years -- cent-- ten thousand yearster, I¡¯ll set you on fire and end your suffering . " "Is anything the matter, Lord Empyrean?" Ekkly¡¯s voice brought him back to the reality . " . . . no . Everything¡¯s just dandy . " Lino forced a smile on his face, yet Ekkly merely shuddered in a response . "U-uh . . . d-do you wish to continue this Trial or receive your award?" "I¡¯ll take the award . " Lino decided to stop and not test himself any further, as he very much believed he was simply unfit to face a Level 3000 Titan . "Very well," Ekkly smiled faintly . "As Lord Agguv was very pleased with your showing, he¡¯s allowed me the right to give you an additional reward . The first reward is an Unique item; though it had little value during the Titan Era as it was rather easy to craft, I imagine it¡¯s very much one of the rarest materials currently known to a man . " Ekkly took something out of the void world and handed it over to Lino who took it rather happily . It was a small, egg-sized sphere, jagged by the edges, made seemingly out of the mixture of stone and metal . There was a finger-sized wide hole tracing from top through the bottom, exposing the heart of the sphere with was a small, barely visible glimmer of cyan light . Lino dubiously checked out the stats . [Titan¡¯s Heart - Unique Artifact] Level: N/A Damage: N/A Defense: N/A Durability: 263/??????????? Special Effect: Loses 1 Durability every 24 hours; once it reaches 0, it is destroyed Special Effect [Heart of the Titan] -- socket the Heart into the breastte to give it the following: +1000% to base Defense +1200% to base Vitality +600% to base Strength +100% to base Elemental Resistances -- immediately heal all wounds, physical and mental - costs 40% of total Qi reserves; recharge time 7 days -- gain temporary, Absolute Resistance to all control effects; 50% chance to reflect the effects back onto the caster; duration - 15 seconds, recharge time 1 day -- gain 1% to base attack speed for every non-Body Cultivator enemy present (stacks up to 50%) Note: One of thest remaining hearts of the Titan Race; treasure bounding age, it is something that everyone searches for, yet very few find . Shortly after reading over the stats, Lino plopped onto the ground, his eyes vacant . He had a terribly tough timeprehending just how something so . . . ugly-looking could be so beyond powerful . Just the ¡¯absolute heal¡¯ effect was already beyond insane, to say nothing of the utterly ridiculous increases to Base Stats of the armor, and perhaps the most insane thing of all - Absolute Resistance . ¡¯Control effects¡¯ is an umbre term for a massive array of things, including illusions, slows, freezing, basically anything that even in the tiniest bits inconveniences the body -- and this even includes spatial deformation . In his many years as a cksmith, he¡¯d dreamed numerous times of creating an armor with a special effect of giving temporary Absolute Resistance to a single element . . . never anything close to this, though . "From your expression I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s to your liking . " Ekkly said, feeling somewhat proud as well at the moment as it was the first time his actions had trumped over Lino¡¯s mind rather than the other way around . " . . . you . . . you got any more of these?" Lino asked with a greedy expression . "Apologies, no . " Ekkly said . " . . . fuck . " "But, I do have your second reward here . Although it may not have the same value as the [Titan¡¯s Heart], I am fairly certain you will appreciate it greatly . " Just a mere nce at the object had Lino reeling as he immediately recognized it -- it was a Singrity! A small globe of light hovered above Ekkly¡¯s stretched arm, with small bolts of lightning crackling about . Lino grasped and took it with shaking hands; these rewards were simply insane, he mused inwardly . [Singrity of Oom -- Unique] Level: 8,600 Requirement: Level 4,000 ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? Note: ??? That excitement, however, quickly dwindled as he realized he can¡¯t use it . . . and won¡¯t be able to use it for most-likely centuries, if not thousands of years . He gave a quick stink eye to Ekkly who smiled bitterly before exining . "While it is true that you can¡¯t actually consume the Singrity and make it your own," Ekkly said . "You can use to it constantly feed your own Singrity, enriching it in the process and, if luck is on your side, even prompting the Evolution . " " . . . well, I certainly got someone close to me who¡¯s lucky . " Lino grinned sheepishly at his own joke, while Ekkly wondered whether he¡¯d gone insane . "Aah . . . I suppose it¡¯s fine . The [Titan¡¯s Heart] is already beyond generous, I can¡¯t have asked for more . Wait, it says here that the item¡¯s level is 8,600 . Does that mean that Oom was the same level?" Lino asked, his brows furrowed . "No," Ekkly shook his head as Lino sighed in relief . "Lord Oom was over Level 18,000 at the time of his death . However, due to the passage of time, the Qi within the Singrity leaked enough to downgrade it . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . Level 18,000 you say?" Lino chuckled moronically, feeling tears encroach upon his tired eyes . "What in the hell am I doing with my life? Feeling so proud over bing an Exalted, and soon to be an Aeonian . . . what worth is my weak ass? I should just off myself and let the Level 18,000 guys handle this shit . . . " "Aah, don¡¯t be dispirited, Lord Empyrean," Ekkly chuckled . "Lord Oom, after all, was nearly a billion years old when he fell . He was rather untalented, and was considered among the weakest even in his prime . " " . . . you¡¯re not helping man . " "The point is that, with your age, you are merely slightly behind the average curve of Cultivation speed . Furthermore, Lord Empyreans have never really prided themselves with high levels; to them, Levels hardly ever meant anything, as it¡¯s simply an average of all the person¡¯s stats . For instance, Lady Empyrean Villen was Level 1,900 when she fell, but she was able to go toe-to-toe with Level 10,000 and over foes . By your very nature, most of your innate stats go into Strength and Vitality, with dozens of others remaining rather . . . weak . If just Strength and Vitality were taken into ount, for instance, you¡¯d be almost Level 8,000 right now . " " . . . thanks . " Lino, indeed, felt somewhat better . He¡¯d alsoe to realize a long time ago that Levels didn¡¯t really ount for much when it came to the actual battle strength . As Ekkly said, there are dozens of stats, and Level is just an average number of them all . It didn¡¯t ount for how the stats apany the fighter¡¯s style, or the Martial Arts, or even the purity, density and quantity of Qi . It was just a number, after all . "But . . . but . . . it would be ten thousand times cooler if my Level wasn¡¯t so low . . . " he still whined and cried, though . At the very least outwardly . Chapter 242 Chapter 242 CHAPTER 242 GATEWAY OF ENTROPY (I) "If you can clear this Trial," the Writ¡¯s voice echoed inside Lino¡¯s mind . "You¡¯ll ascend to being an Aeonian, undergo the next evolution and open the 5th Gate . " " . . . eh? You know what the trial is?" Lino asked, furrowing his brows . " . . . I already told you that I do . " " . . . alright . Ekkly, what¡¯s the third trial about?" Lino turned toward the Titan and asked . "The Third Trial is called ¡¯Gateway of Entropy¡¯," Ekkly spoke slowly . "And it¡¯s perhaps the simplest of all Seven Trials -- it¡¯s another duel, but this time it¡¯s the true one -- without any additional minions . " Lino¡¯s enthusiasm dropped somewhat but he continued to listen calmly . "You¡¯ll fight one of the Will Remnants of past Empyreans -- not necessarily Titans, but any Empyrean who had ever stored their Will into the Archaic Records . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyes widened a bit, a mixture of expectation and desire brimming within his gaze . "As to not make the Trial impossible," Ekkly said . "Their Level is limited to two hundred above yours, they cannot perform any Arts that you cannot, and their weapons¡¯ and armors¡¯ Level will match yours . Their Base Stats are also limited to your own ceiling, as well as their total Qi reserves . However, their experience, the purity of Qi, as well as knowledge obtained through opening additional Gates will all remain . Are you willing to undergo the Third Trial?" " . . . yes . " Lino nodded faintly, his expression turning serious . "Note that the selection of your opponent is entirely random; even I have absolutely no say in it . Good luck, Lord Empyrean . " "Thanks Ekkly . " A portal opened soon after just next to Lino, with thetter only taking a quick, deep breath before braving forth . After a few seconds of spatial distortion, he was flung out into a massive arena spanning over twenty miles in a perfect circle . It was reminiscent of a diator arena, with the center caged in beyond which rows upon rows were lined up . Well up above, looming over the whole arena, were four fanged pirs curving inwardly toward the center of the arena, sandwiched in-between them a sun-like sphere rotating repeatedly . Torches hung over the arena¡¯s walls, burning brightly despite the sun high up in the sky . Just as he was taking in the whole of the arena, space roughly two hundred meters across from him ripped open, a brief spatial storm even causing him to flinch . However, it ended as quickly as it came, leaving behind a figure stirring the dust . Lino quickly sighed in relief as he realized his opponent wouldn¡¯t be a Titan, but that feeling onlysted for a little while as he saw four golden wings glimmering behind the figure¡¯s back . As the dust settled, the features came into focus, causing Lino to frown even deeper; it was a woman -- at least he was fairly certain it was . She had high forehead with thick, arched brows and a pair of teal eyes void of any emotion staring at him . Long nose, thin lips, sunken cheeks, fairly tall, with white hair tied up into a ponytail falling behind her . She wore thick, ted armor with silver linings circting about in strange patterns . What confused Lino further was a tail whipping behind her, scaled with a solid arrowhead as a tip . " . . . what the shit is she?" Lino mumbled faintly, digging through his memories of various races of the world . "I¡¯m a half-bred," the woman spoke in a deep, entirely-not-melodic tone . "Elf Dragonkin, to be more specific . " " . . . would it be unpleasant if I asked--" "My father was an Elf . " she replied before Lino could ask . " . . . a brave man . " "A fool . " " . . . a brave fool of a man . " "My name is Etvenya Oortuh, Queen of the Noodum Empire, the Betrayed, a Titr Empyrean -- Draconic Madness . " " . . . ¡¯ello there," Lino waved casually . "I¡¯m Lino, a scrub nobody, the nothing, just an Empyrean trying to do the impossible . " " . . . I¡¯m surprised you made it to the Third Trial with your strength," Etvenyamented casually . "Is Ataxia helping you?" " . . . if he was you really think I¡¯d be a scrub nobody, the nothing, just an Empyrean trying to do the impossible?" Lino¡¯s eyebrows twitched while the fakest of smiles remained stered on his face . "Anyway, I get the Elf and the Dragon part -- but what about those Wings? They¡¯re simr to mine . " Lino said as a pair of wings unfurled behind his back . " . . . oh?" a tinge of curiosity surfaced within her eyes as she looked at the golden pair of feathered wings behind Lino¡¯s back . "Yours . . . are actually the original . " "The original?" "Hm," she nodded . "The genuine Archangel¡¯s Wings . Mine? Just a cheap knockoff I re-created from encounters within the Archaic Records . " "They¡¯re a damn fine ¡¯cheap knockoff¡¯," Lino said . "You got two more than me . " "At my peak, I had eight," she smiled faintly for the first time . "Were Titles possible to change, I¡¯d have renamed mine to a Winged Terror . " " . . . eh, both are cool in their own little ways . " Lino said, smiling back . "I haven¡¯t heard of you before, though . " "Why would you?" she mumbled . "There are tens of thousands of Empyreans altogether . Even for fourteen thousand years of my life, I¡¯d barely learned of just short of a thousand . Most are short-lived and obscure, and you¡¯re only able to learn of them through the Archaic Records . Unfortunately . . . there¡¯s a finite number of times you can visit them . " " . . . indeed . " Lino said, sighing . "At my peak," she said as she suddenly took out a pair of weapons -- chakrams, to be exact, both of which were perpetually aze . "I had managed to open Eleven Gates, gaining insight into Three Laws -- Law of Fire, Law of Wind and Law of Insight . I will utilize them all to defeat you . " " . . . I¡¯d expect nothing less," Lino chuckled, taking out the [Spear of Salvation] and the [Dragon yer], holding each in one hand . He was also struck with a small bit of inspiration from seeing Etvenya¡¯s weapons, and had already begun picturing some future projects . "I¡¯d barely touched the edges of the Law of Thunder and Lightning, but I suppose I¡¯ll try my best . " "May the more maddened one win . " Just as she spoke out thest word, the four wings behind her fluttered as she took to the sky, flipping her arms forward and firing off both chakrams toward Lino; the pair of weapons left behind a zing trial as they descended toward the still-standing figure on the ground . Lino paused for but a breath before also fluttering his own pair of wings, charging straight through the tiniest of openings in-between the two weapons, chasing after her . Just as he passed the weapons, however, they turned seemingly of their own will and charged at his back; seemingly having expected this, Lino remained calm and summoned out [Imperishable Guardian] shield, stationing it behind his back and using it to deflect the chakrams while he pushed forward, coating his entire body in the tiniest flickers of lightning . Etvenya remained calm as she saw the pair of chakrams briefly stopped by the shield, taking out a spear of her own; it was roughly Lino¡¯s size, double-ded, entirely white in texture . She pinned it forward and met Lino¡¯s pierce with a parry, deflecting his spear sideways; just then, however, a sword came hurling at her from the upward angle, yet she seemed entirely indifferent to it, just gently pushing her spear sideways and using the recoil to bounce herself backwards, evading the sword¡¯s strike entirely . By then, the pair of chakrams had broken past the shield, once again racing toward Lino . He withdrew the shield into the void world and re-summoned it, cing it behind him yet again; Etvenya frowned for a moment, seemingly having not expected that Lino could do something like that . Still, her confusionsted for but a moment before she fluttered her wings, stirring the wind around her into the ded chaos . Metallic sounds bellowed in the sky as the wind shed with Lino¡¯s armor, sparks flying about, several bleeding wounds propping up . As they were minor, however, Lino simply pressed through the wind, somewhat happy that Etvenya seemed to have epted his head-on challenge . He thrust the [Spear of Salvation] forward, while using to distort the realm of reality with his [Dragon yer]; though he very much doubted it would have any impact on her, it was still worth a shot . Just then, however, his heart froze for a moment as his eyes widened; quickly withdrawing the [Imperishable Guardian] into the void world and re-summoning it; the shield¡¯s second option, , suddenly activated, creating a milky-colored sphere around Lino . A mere blinkter, one explosion after another sounded out as Lino found himself bounced through the sky like a ball . The siegested for nearly ten seconds, but the sphere endured, barely showing a single crack . Sighing out in relief, he recovered and looked down, realizing that Etvenya was still on the ground, seemingly not having moved an inch since the battle¡¯s start . " . . . your instincts are on point," shemented . "Your insight, however, iscking . I imagine so far you¡¯ve grown ustomed to straightforward battles, but that¡¯s rarely the case once you¡¯ve entered the world¡¯s main stage . Rather than fighting and risking death, most times they¡¯ll try to instigate you into a figure-fight -- not exactly an illusion, which is why you hadn¡¯t realized it from the get-go -- more akin to a separate reality . . . feeling very much real, but still fabricated nheless . " " . . . " Lino listened in silence, taking it all in . "You¡¯ve been submerged in it since the moment I spoke my first word," she added with a faint smile . "Had you, just for a moment, externalized your Will briefly, you would have realized it . Always make it a habit to do so . " " . . . thanks . " Lino nodded with a serious expression, somewhat frustrated that he¡¯d already burned through one of his secrets -- also wasting one of his best recovery tools, as the amount of excess Vitality he¡¯d absorbed through the shield¡¯s effect was enough to recover him fully three times over . "I¡¯d love to teach you more and better," she said, sighing dejectedly . "But, unfortunately, my time here is limited . There will be no more pauses, no more breaks, no more lessons . Learn what you can from what we do; what you can¡¯t . . . you were never meant to learn . " Chapter 243 Chapter 243 CHAPTER 243 GATEWAY OF ENTROPY (II) Lino thundered across the sky, leaving behind a zing arc of azure lightning mixing with the golden trail of the wings, stabbing his spear forward with a thrust breaking past the barrier of sound, even managing to stifle the surrounding space momentarily . Etvenya met him tit-for-tat, matching his thrust with a downward sh of her spear whilst coordinating two chakrams to nk his sides . Feeling his spear being deflected, Lino spun in the air and shed outwardly with the [Dragon yer] deflecting two chakrams and forcing her to take a step back; the two quickly tangled, with her having spurred her four wings further into the golden screen seemingly born with its own mind, repeatedly circling her and deflecting Lino¡¯s strikes . Whilst the two chakrams also seemed to attained the mind of their own, she whipped out a scythe in addition to the spear, using it to pressure Lino further until he was forced to also take out his shield andtch it onto his back . The scythe struck directly at it as the booming sounds of the explosion bellowed out; Lino felt as though a massive star crashed into his back, all his organs momentarily discing, his body ying downward in an uncontroble spiral . Gritting his teeth he shoved the [Spear of Salvation] down and used it to deflect his momentum, propelling himself back over and swiping the [Dragon yer] in a full circle during his rotation . The floor beneath broke from the spear¡¯s impact while two chakrams were sent flying back by the sword . Just as he was about to propel himself back into the sky, he saw the four golden wings stutter aze, burning away like the prideful sun; Etvenya suddenly streaked down, well past the speed Lino could matchfortably, forcing him to momentarily pull the [Dragon yer] into the void world and use his freed hand to hold the shield like a massive monolith of defense . She stabbed her spear straight into the heart of the shield, causing a massive shockwave to resonate outwardly, ripping up the tiled floor further and brisking away at the walls surrounding the arena, cracking them . Lino felt a sudden shove of momentum he could not suppress, causing him to lose the already loose foothold he had and crash directly into the ground beneath; the pressure of the shield being pushed back cracked his arm over, pressing directly into his ribs and soon puncturing both his lungs . The regeneration quickly kicked in as he cried out in agony, using the left arm that was holding onto the spear to stab back into the earth and push himself up against the momentum; unwilling to lose in the direct conformation, he gritted his teeth and endured the cringed sounds of the crackling bones and bursting muscles and veins, the innermostyer of the shield being showered in his own blood . After nearly ten seconds of gruesome struggle, he managed to halt her momentum and push her away, forcing her to to the sky yet again; feeling somewhat angered, he flipped over onto his feet as lightning crackled beneath them, causing soot to emerge on the already crumbled floor . The wings behind his back fluttered as he suddenly heaved the spear into the sky, using every one of his muscles to increase its speed to the maximum . Without even looking at the result, he withdrew the shield onto his back and took out the [Dragon yer], holding it both arms as he shelved forth . [Legend] effect of the [Heaven-cast Armor Set] activated, reducing his Qi consumption by a whole half . Funneling Will into the Singrity, his jet-ck eyes momentarily obtained a milky-white worm before thetter vanished; matching -- and even surpassing her previous speed -- he exploded into the sky, leaving behind agged sound of a boom and the copsing floor . An azure-golden streak sted toward Etvenya who had just evaded the hurdled spear . Leaving her without too much time to prepare, she muttered something lowly as winds round her grew ded, traces visible to the eye catching aze, soon epassing the whole sky . It took Lino but a second to realize she wasn¡¯t doing this through Qi -- but through Will, externalizing it and using it to manipte reality . He braved forth into the shower of raining me, shing away with the [Dragon yer] directly at her and forcing her to cross the spear and the scythe together to defend . A somewhat dyed explosion distorted reality beyond the world¡¯s capacity to endure it; it cracked like a vase, space copsing into puzzle-pieces, reality bending in and out of existence . The two briefly found themselves within the void of non-existence, where their very own beings were rejected, seemingly on the brink of extinguishment . Lino recovered first, somehow managing to rip himself out of the nothingness and back into the copsing reality; he had wounds sttered all over his body that even his insane regenerative capabilities were unable to heal momentarily; one of his eyes had simply vanished from its socket, leaving behind but a nd hole of ckness and jetted blood . Despite the pain assailing every inch of his being, he merely screamed it out on top of his lungs, the wings fluttering again as he sted through the distorted reality and met Etvenya on the other end; she, too, was in shambles, her armor cracked all over, one of her legspletely missing . She, too, however seemed unruffled by the whole ordeal, quickly matching his strike with the two of her own . Explosion after an explosion ensued within the high skies as the two darted around as mere blurs in the clear sky, copsing the reality over and over . Scar after scar appeared, and though many were barely a few inches wide, it was enough for the spatial storms toe through and cause further destruction . Lino felt a cold feeling of steel digging through his liver; ncing down, he found a shiny tip of the spear embedded into his side . Rather than withdrawing, he used his free arm to grasp and it and hold it tightly, preventing Etvenya to pull it back out . Using his Will, then, he tried to do what she did -- externalize it to the point of being able to affect the surrounding reality . Unlike her, however, he decided to go even further down the path of madness; rather than simply trying to affect the moremon Laws of Nature, such as Fire and Wind, he chained himself to the sliver of time, further linking it with the Law of Death . Etvenya¡¯s soul suddenly froze as the most bizarre feeling she¡¯d ever experienced overwhelmed her for a moment; her body, her mind, her heart, soul and Will all told her uniformly that she was dead -- that her time had ended, that the world around was but thest sh of reality . She, for that brief second, genuinely believed she had died, somehow . By the time she came to, she saw a cold tip of the de chasing after her neck; startled, she cried out and let go of the spear, lifting her arm and reinforcing it with as much Qi as she could before propelling it into the de¡¯s path . The two shed, and her arm managed to endure but for a second before being sliced off clean, with a burst of blood gushing out into the sky . That second, however, was more than enough for her to retreat and avoid the de strike . She nced at Lino with perplexing emotions; the boy was currently panting, hunched over, his one healthy eye decorated in the genuine article of madness -- she had only saw it reflected in a few more eyes, all within the memories and Wills of the Archaic Records . Theck of that, she mused for a moment, was what would eventually lead to her own fall . She couldn¡¯t do what the boy just did -- the impossible . Only a very few, select people could ever crawl into madness and make it their own -- most who descend into it . . . never return -- and if they do, they are never whole . Lino rested but for a moment before channeling Qi into his wings again, shing forth with undisputed desire, passion, a want walking beyond the mere embryo that was his Will . Thetter was slowly evolving, within that moment, changing, growing stronger, more mature . For one reason or another, he was able to freely control his current state of mind; he was able to dive into the madness and force his body to shut up, yet not lose his reason . He didn¡¯t think too much of it at the moment as he was too preupied trying to figure out a way to win . While his recent showing may have struck Etvenya, he knew all too well how much it cost him . Even with the Qi expenditure halved, he was burning through the reserves far more quickly than he wanted . Comparatively, her Qi was simply far purer than his, meaning she could use it for much longer even if their quantities were exactly the same . Their dance resumed, the six wings perpetually fluttering, the streaks of golden, azure, crimson and cor mingling as though they were forever meant to be . Explosion after explosion ensued, further copsing the arena which by now had turned into a pile of rubble and debris, with no whole structure in sight . There were no walls, no floors, no seats, no fences . . . just those four dome-like fingers stretching out toward the singr point where the light still shone, seemingly unaffected by the storm unfolding beneath it . Lino ate away at his Qi reserves with clear abandon, seemingly discarding any notion of prolonged battle -- it was his only choice . He couldn¡¯t let it drag out, as he¡¯d never win . With that thought in mind, realizing that she had gone on defensive, seemingly letting him wail away at her at his will, he paused but for a moment and took a deep breath before activating -- practically hisst card for a victory . His exhausted body exploded with energy, his muscles contorting, veins popping out like tangled worms, eyes turning crimson as his ck hair grew out a few strands of white . This mere explosion of raw energy distorted the space around him as his presence grew at least hundredfold, his Will epassing every inch of his body, and nearly a meter outwardly in a sphere . This was the strongest he ever felt, the freest he ever felt, the bravest he ever felt . It was also hisst ditch effort; if she managed to scuffle her way until the ran out, he¡¯d have no option but to end the Trial, forever condemning himself to his current results . He was unwilling . Chapter 244 Chapter 244 CHAPTER 244 GATEWAY OF ENTROPY (III) Explosion cast zing nket over the sky as a smoked trail ttened out; shortly after, a golden st fizzled past the barrier of light, encroaching on the impossible . Lino held tightly onto the sword, every fiber of his being screaming with energy, as he whipped out the [Spear of Salvation] in addition . Etvenya was currently flying back uncontrobly, doing her best to slow down the descending momentum to no avail . There was a massive gash over the right side of her chest, bleeding profusely with seemingly no intention of healing . Gritting her teeth, she unchained her Will and circled herself with it, rousing winds and fires in unification of Laws . A barrier broke down like ss as she infused the energy directly into the spear, feeding it with frenzy . A metallic sh resonated fiercely, with both of them feeling as though they¡¯ve hit an imprable wall . Lino roared freely, feeding the madness dousing his heart as he retracted the spear and used it to y about up front . It wasn¡¯t a mere sh of weapons, but the sh of outstanding Wills; behind the two, inching close to the ten meters of length, appeared mirages . Etvenya was more subtle, silver in hue, with clear, milky eyes and edges enshrouded in mist . Lino¡¯s, on the other hand, seemed topletely contrast her; jet-ck in color, with eyes burning fierce crimson, it seemed like an incantation of death and hell itself hade to life . It was more visible, more corporeal, and vastly more direct . Pushing every inch of himself to its fullest capacity, Lino atst broke past the barrier and managed to strike her, piercing the side of her body with a spear . Crying out in pain, Etvenya shuffled sideways and avoided the [Dragon yer]¡¯s sh while returning fire by summoning sixteen chakrams in total and bending them into a nking formation . Lino entirely ignored the circtory objects cutting into his skin, epting the wounds like they were badges of honor as he pursued her in unlimited capacity . The sky was repeatedly being ripped open in a continuum of utter, wanton destruction . Scars ran rampart, visible even to the most naked eye; yet, neither of the two had mind to pay attention to their surroundings . Realizing her counter-attack yielded little result, Etvenya switched tactics yet again, deciding to once more stimte her Will . Although she was never the true creme de crem, she was -- as most Empyreans -- unwilling to bend and bow to someone else . Her heart was ignited with a spirit of the battle, her eyes briefly flickering in the same madness that Lino¡¯s possessed . Meeting him tit-for-tat, she abandoned reasoned fighting and went into the full-on exchange of wounds . Blood flew like a waterfall from both of them, limbs cut and regrown repeatedly, cuts and gashes and holes filled and ripped open time and again . There were no screams of pain, no agonizing cries, just roars of absolution, as though two Primordial Beasts had engaged in a territorial battle . Each explosion sent a collective shockwave which rippled for thousands of miles, epassing both the earth and the sky and ripping apart everything in its wake . The world had surrendered to the two and begged silently for it all to be done; yet it continued . A day . . . two . . . soon, a whole week had gone by, and the two were still engaged in a fierce struggle . Lino had long since burned through his Qi reserves and was running on fumes . He fought through the numerous withdrawals, he¡¯d fought through his weakest and strongest, and he pushed and was pushed back . It was the most taxing fight he had ever been involved in and it had given him a brief insight into what every battle he¡¯d engage in would be eventually -- a lengthy struggle that should never be encouraged . He never let himself grow or even feel remotely tired, remotely unwilling; his evolved Will slowly but surely was polished, forged through the mes of thesting struggle . It was well beyond the point of admitting surrender for, now, if he did, he¡¯d have reversed all the progress he¡¯d made over the past week . The change happened on the ninth dawn; once again Lino had activated , pushing himself well beyond his body¡¯s capacity . His muscles ruptured, bones broke, tendons ripped apart, veins popped like balloons, eyes bulged like a pair of saucers; every inch of his body was screaming at him that it was impossible, yet he ignored it . He ignored the pain, the agony, brief disassociation of his body and soul, even the brief revolt of his Will . . . he went against himself till the point of no return, whereupon he felt a sudden gush of revitalizing energy surge from within . It was freeing, liberating, all-epassing sort which almost immediately healed all of his wounds . He felt reborn within that brief second, even indestructible to a degree . Etvenya stood to the side and let it happen; the moment she¡¯d sensed that familiar energy, she too felt a sort of release -- for she had realized she¡¯d lost . Her lips curled up into a liberating smile, her lungs breathing out a breath she¡¯d seemingly been holding for nine days, her whole body rxing into the perpetual state of freedom . " . . . it has never been more beautiful to witness the birth of an Aeonian . " she spoke in a softened, melodic tone for the first time . " . . . and it has never been more beautiful to witness someone¡¯s veneer falling apart . " Lino said, smiling back as he did his best to control almost unsustainable energy fiercely digging through his body . "How does it feel to effectively be an Immortal?" "Eh, I felt better . " "As one does," she says . "Congrattions, Lino . And thank you . " "Thank me?" he tilted his head in confusion . "Thanks to you, I¡¯ve at least had the chance to experience what I was missing during my years as an Empyrean," she said . "And consolidate my regrets before burning them away . But, you have it . You have what Eve had . . . you have what Dawntone had . . . you have what Rygone had . . . what Eldon had . . . and, I¡¯m certain, you¡¯ll soon be standing on the same sky as they did . " " . . . I¡¯m honored?" Lino mumbled as he only recognized one name in there - Eve - and it was because Umbra mentioned her once . "Ha ha, it seems you don¡¯t yet know who they are . It¡¯s fine; but, just so you aren¡¯tpletely in the dark over thepliment . . . they are some of the individuals who had managed to open at least 30 Gates . " " . . . holy crap . " "Ha ha, yes," Lino mused inwardly that her demeanour hadpletely changed, once again facilitating his somewhat broken theory that the source of happiness is being at peace with who you are first and foremost . "They were close, Lino . I hope . . . with all my heart and soul, that you will manage to cross the bridge they hadn¡¯t . I hope you will rectify us, and once and for all cement our lineage of madness and scar the world permanently with it . " " . . . well, that¡¯s one fucked up request . But also one I¡¯ll happily oblige . " Lino had finally managed to control the surge of Qi and settle down, at least for the time being . "Why were you never able to open as many Gates?" he asked quizzically . " . . . opening the Gates has little to do with your Level or your cultivation realm," she exined with a somewhat nostalgic expression . "In reality, it has far more to do with everything else . For instance, during our fight, when you linked Laws of Time and Death -- do you think you touched them because of your cultivation? No . . . you touched upon them because of your Will, because of the consolidation of factors . That, in part, was what Icked . To take the impossible . . . and still do it . I¡¯ve never managed to reverse my Fate, yet you seem to have done it more than once already . That confidence in yourself . . . I, instead, was oftentimes filled with doubt, with wondering whether I was capable . Just as it cripples other cultivators, it does the same to an Empyrean . Never, ever, ever allow doubt to be your crucible, Lino . " "Well, if there¡¯s one thing I really get," Lino chuckled . "It¡¯s self-love . I¡¯ve known hell that is self-doubt, and it¡¯s not pretty . If you can¡¯t believe in yourself . . . then how can you expect others to do it?" " . . . yeah, Ataxia told me that one often . " "Yeah, what¡¯s up with that?" Lino mumbled, frowning . "He seems to have repeatedly encouraged every single one of you, but all I get is either some form of silent treatment or ¡¯suffering unto yourself will make you stronger¡¯ . He said like three nice words to me since the day I met him . " " . . . that only means he trusts you unconditionally," she suddenly burst out intoughter as though she suddenly remembered something . "Ah, you remind me a lot of Eldon . " "Who was he?" Lino asked . " . . . you will definitely partake in his Archaic Record, so I¡¯d rather not spoil the surprise . I have a feeling, though, you might possibly hate him in the end . " "Eh, that¡¯s not really all that hard to predict," Lino shrugged . "I hate most of the people I meet . " " . . . that¡¯s hard to imagine . " Etvenya smiled faintly, looking up toward the slowly restoring sky . "My time has run out, it seems . I am somewhat d that of all the possibilities, I was chosen to face you . Because . . . for the longest time . . . I had always wanted to ask the likes of you . . . how do you do it? How do you make the impossible . . . possible?" she nced at him with interest, her eyes brimming with desire to know . Lino thought for a brief moment before replying . "It¡¯s simple," he smiled . "Just never let yourself believe . . . anything is impossible . Because, the moment you do, you create the barrier that is nigh impossible to dissolve . If anything is possible, then it¡¯s doable . However hard, however tiring, however challenging . . . it can be done . And it will be done . Over and over . Until you prove to the world, to all those who think like you, to all those who give up because something is impossible . . . that they are just scared . And that they only need a bit of courage . . . not courage given to them by others, but courage to believe in themselves unconditionally . " " . . . it really is simple . " she smiled widely for a moment as he figure grew more transparent as seconds passed . "Anything is possible . So . . . it was possible for me to win?" "It was . " "And to do all the things I¡¯ve always wanted to do?" "It was . " " . . . good . That¡¯s good . Thank you . And farewell, Lyonel . May the Chaos forever shroud you in infinity . " " . . . farewell . See you on the other side . " he mumbled with a faint smile as Etvenya disappeared from his sight . "Wherever that may be . . . " Chapter 245 Chapter 245 CHAPTER 245 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES [ . . . Analyzing . . . ] As soon as Etvenya vanishedpletely, a familiar, robotic voice echoed inside Lino¡¯s mind as he turned his attention over to it, temporarily putting her face into the back of his mind . [Achieved the Aeonian Ascension . . . ] [Fifth Gate Opened . . . ] [Gained ess to the Law of Soul in addition to the Laws of Lightning, Time, Death and Perception . . . ] [ . . . Analyzing . . . ] [Eshen¡¯s Essence Assimted Further . . . ] [Calcting . . . ] [Current Rate of Assimtion: 22%] [Bearer¡¯s Strength is permanently increased by 15%] [Bearer¡¯s Endurance is permanently increased by 15%] [Bearer¡¯s Soul¡¯s Strength is permanently increased by 20%] [Bearer¡¯s Divine Sense range increased by 50%] [Bearer¡¯s resistance to Illusions permanently increased by 40%] [Bearer¡¯s resistance to Dark Element increased by 10%] [Bearer¡¯s affinity to Darkness increased by 60%] [Bearer¡¯s affinity to Light decreased by 15%] [Bearer¡¯s affinity to Spirit World decreased by 15%] [Fewer Primal Spirits will be willing to ept the Bearer as their Master] [ . . . ] [ . . . Analyzing . . . ] [Obtained two Martial Arts: and ] [ . . . Analyzing . . . ] [Four Primal Spirits have answered the call . . . ] [ . . . Two Primordial Spirits of Darkness have answered the call . . . ] [Bearer will be sent into the Primal World to make his choice . . . ] Lino sighed inwardly for a moment as the tried to process all the information he had received, yet before he even had a chance to go through the first few lines, he felt his soul being sucked out of his body and thrown into an entirely new reality . As he opened his eyes, he was met with soul-stirring darkness, frigid beyond description . His whole body shuddered as an onset of fear crippled him for a moment . It has been a while since he¡¯d felt a genuine sense of fear, which is why he was startled further . He almost withdrew his weapons from the void world and readied himself for a battle, but managed to hold back in the end . However fearful he may be, the reason within him told him that the Writ wouldn¡¯t have sent him here just to die . Just then, two slithering shadows wrapped in smoke approached him . Looking down, Lino realized he couldn¡¯t distinguish their overall shapes, merely distorted shadows . He remained staring for a moment before pulling himself out, deciding to inspect the Primal Spirits . [Primordial Spirit Un -- born shortly after the forty sixth Prime, Un is one of the oldest Primordial Spirits of Darkness . Being apanied by it results in tenfold increase in affinity to the Darkness and its associated elements, but also heavily decreases affinity to the opposing elements . The Beholder has to assimte Un further in order to learn all its secrets] [Primordial Spirit J¡¯ok -- one of the youngest Primordial Spirits of the Darkness, J¡¯ok¡¯s existence isrgely unknown . Being apanied by it results in a mild increase in affinity to the Darkness and its associated elements, but results in no decrease in affinity with the other elements . J¡¯ok¡¯s initial affinity affords the Beholder a single question in regards to its capabilities a year; further assimtion will result in better understanding] Lino didn¡¯t need to contemte any further as he almost immediately chose J¡¯ok . While having a rather old Primordial Spirit on his side would definitely be beneficial, he was simply unwilling to devote himself entirely to a singr Element . He¡¯d already learned through Ashta how powerful Primal Spirits of Light can be, and he liked to keep his options open for the future . Un disappeared back into the surrounding darkness immediately after as J¡¯ok darted and entered into Lino through thetter¡¯s forehead . After a brief state of dizziness and a rather substantial headache, Lino was thrown out of the Primal World back into the reality, finding himself back in the vast, ruin-decorated world of the Trials . He almost immediately searched for J¡¯ok to ask him a question, but to no avail . Growing confused, he dug even deeper only to find the Spirit resting directly inside his Singrity . "Don¡¯t bother," the Writ¡¯s voice resonated inside Lino¡¯s head as thetter tried poking and probing the Spirit carefully . "This is J¡¯ok¡¯s first time being assimted with someone . As it had never been nourished by Qi, it requires excessive amounts of it in order not to die . " " . . . yo . Maybe you could have told me that prior to the fact?!" Lino growled angrily . "Would that have changed your choice?" " . . . no, but--" "Exactly . " " . . . fuck, you¡¯re irritating . " Lino sighed, deciding to give up and just wait . "How long will it take?" "Depends . If you stay at the current realm, roughly sixty thousand years . " " . . . yeah, go fuck yourself right in the dirt . " "Every subsequent increase in realms will decrease that wait time," the Writ said . "As the matter of fact, if you reach the Realms of Godhood, it would take less than a day . " " . . . hah, good to know . " Lino scoffed, deciding to drop the subject . "Alright, leave me alone now . I need to inspect all my rewards properly . " Disregarding the Writ, Lino went back over the whole lot of information he had gathered . As for the increases in stats, he immediately realized they were simply modified numbers from the initial increase when he first assimted Eshen¡¯s Essence -- they didn¡¯t stack . Though slightly disappointed, even small increases in percentage for him was monumental . Looking over his base stats now, he¡¯d realized that his Strength was actually nearing six digits -- this was without wearing any armor or wielding any weapon, just his pure, raw strength . Hannah¡¯s face immediately popped in his mind as he tried imagining her reaction once he told her . However, as he didn¡¯t wish to ruin his own surprise, he held back and instead went on to inspect the two new he¡¯d gotten . It was one aspect of his that he sorelycked; relying entirely on just basic Spear and Sword arts, and auxiliary boosts like left him feeling rather empty . To his dismay, however, neither of the two Martial Arts were actually attack-oriented . -- Passively increases body¡¯s base regenerative capabilities by 200% Passively increases body¡¯s base resistances to the Elements by 25% Passively increases body¡¯s base Defense by 50% Passively increases body¡¯s base Stamina by 60% Activating the Art will temporarily grant immunity to ALL effects, increase Defense, Resistance to Elements, Regeneration and Stamina by 600%, and will immediately heal ALL wounds . Lasts for 15 seconds; requires two hours for re-charging . The effects, though beyond wonderful, left Lino wanting more . Once he etched [Titan¡¯s Heart] into the chest piece, in addition to the , his defensive capabilities would be uniformly insane . He wagered that someone would have to be at least 400 Levels above him, in full gear, with at least a Legendary Weapon, while Lino stood still and let it happen for them to even move him an inch . Using the Activeponent of the art would render him virtually immortal; he very much suspected that even if E, Eggor and Hannahbined and attacked him at the same time, they would be unable to harm him for those short 15 seconds . Still, even with all that . . . he was just a really good punching bag . And being a punching bag has never and will never be cool . -- removes ALL restrictions on the user when ites to weapons; weapons¡¯ stats, however, are subsequently lowered for differences in Levels between the two Passively increases damage with ALL weapons by 20% Passively increases attack speed with ALL weapons by 15% Passively decreases weight of ALL weapons by 50% Activating the Art will temporarily grant the user an increase of 300% to damage of ALL weapons, 100% increase to Attack Speed, and entirely remove weapons¡¯ weight; in addition, Soul Weapons will relinquish their Willpletely to the user . Lasts 3 minutes, requires 6 hours re-charge period . Simrly to the , the -- annoyingly so -- fit Lino perfectly . Yet, he was still feeling rather dissatisfied . He shouldn¡¯t be, though, and he knew it; after all, if he activated , , , [Ironborn] effect of the [Heaven-cast Armor Set] and the [Bloodbath] effect of the [Dragon yer], he could effectively battle someone roughly a thousand times stronger than base him . By all ounts, he was currently a powerhouse who could go tit-for-tat against the Chosen Children of the Holy Grounds . He¡¯d also slowly began to understand why Hannah often told him that the reason others hated fighting Empyreans was not because of their overwhelming strength but rather the fact that they simply couldn¡¯t be killed . He was very much bing the same, despite not wanting to . In the end, his battle style remained entirely the same -- charge in, y about, and exhaust them to death . The only remotely useful ability he had was ¡¯ ability to warp himself about, and his Wings¡¯ special effects . It was extremely limiting, he grunted inwardly, as even a child could see through him within a first few minutes of the battle . Most of the people he¡¯d face in the future wouldn¡¯t be Body Cultivators -- they wouldn¡¯t be restricted as he was . And while, for now, he can make up the difference through sheer stats alone, eventually it won¡¯t be enough as of his opponents will also grow in grade and strength . Just fighting Hannah, who held back, was already a nightmare; her ability to warp about at will forced him to always push his body to the extreme just to catch up, to say nothing of her wild array of attacks . He was never able to predict what she would do next as she simply had too many options, unlike him . Realizing that this w most-likely won¡¯t be remedied by the Writ any time soon, Lino realized he only had one choice: make up for theck of diversity . . . by literally making diversity . Although he felt bad about it, he decided to extort some more materials from Hannah after the Trials and craft himself an arsenal of items that will make up for everything he wascking . Chapter 246 Chapter 246 CHAPTER 246 ORDER OF ETERNITY Hannah was currently sitting inside the massive hall containing the seven gates for seven different Trials, reading an old, worn-out looking book with half a mind on the words and half a mind on the gate of Chaos . She¡¯de out almost a month ago after spending a whole two inside, and when she didn¡¯t see Lino, she figured he was merely taking his sweet time . Yet, bit by bit, as days began to pass, she also grew worried . She had half a mind to tear the gate down and just go in and look for him, though she managed to hold back somewhat in the end . Her body shook suddenly, her eyebrows crumpling; reaching into her void treasure, she took out a talisman, her expression distorting somewhat . Reluctantly sending a sliver of Qi into it, she also quickly whipped out the mask and donned it . " . . . greetings, Sixty-Eight . " a masked figure showed up on the screen, golden 44 etched on the right cheek of the mask; it wasn¡¯t Hannah¡¯s first time seeing the man, so she replied in kind . "Greetings, Forty-Four . " "Neither you nor Seventy-Two had returned to hand in the report regarding your mission . " the man said stoutly . "During the mission we have discovered the remnant of a Titan Era, which we are currently investigating . " "That wasn¡¯t your mission, Sixty-Eight . " "And neither is yours to be a pain in the ass, but what are we gonna do about it?" Hannah grumbled . " . . . I understand youe from an upbringing throughout which all your demands were met unquestionably," he said . "But, this isn¡¯t your home . You are an agent -- not the chosen child . It has been eight years; you ought to begin acting like one . " "I¡¯ll do my best, I suppose . " Hannah sighed . "Why did you contact me?" "As you have failed to hand in the report on time, your rewards have been automatically relinquished, and as your mission is over, you two are being assigned a new one . " " . . . both of us?" Hannah frowned . "We have received reports of the Order surging back on the surface," the man said . "And you two happen to be the closest to it . Not to mention your expertise wille in handy during the mission . " " . . . you¡¯re really asking me to sniff out my Brothers and Sisters?" Hannah asked, arching her brows . "You are Sixty-Eight -- you¡¯ve neither brothers nor sisters . You have missions -- and your mission is to track the Order of Eternity and capture or vanish its members . Your time limit is one year; should you fail to eitherplete the mission or hand in the report, Seventy-Two will be barred from epting missions for a decade while you will be jailed inside the headquarters for the same amount of time . " " . . . fine . " Hannah said after a short thought, sighing . "Send in the information . " "Dude, you gotta tell me your secret," a familiar, amused voice suddenly echoed from behind Hannah¡¯s back, startling her . "How do you hound her in like that?" "Eh? L--- what are you doing here?" Hannah nced back and recognized the masked face, crying out . "Seventy-Two . . . why have I been unable to contact you?" the man on the screen asked Lino who had been standing behind Hannah silently almost since the start of the conversation . "So, who¡¯s the dude with the really bad haircut?" Lino asked Hannah, ignoring the man . " . . . he¡¯s the mission-handler of the Descent," Hannah exined . "So, pretty much our boss . " "I have asked--" "Yeah, yeah, shut up for a sec, I¡¯m trying to have a conversation here," Lino growled at the screen before turning his attention back to Hannah . "So, does he really have the right to not give us our rewards?" "Yup . " "Bullshit!" Lino cried out, crouching down and nearing the screen as close as possible without passing through it . "I¡¯m lodging aint, you hear me you asshat?! Call that baldy and his two weirdly-haired henchmen --- by the way, are bad haircuts like our congregation¡¯s staple or something? Just asking! Anyway, call that baldy who gave me the mission, and tell him I¡¯m very agitated at the moment! Oh, and if you could, as a reward for the mission you just assigned us, I¡¯d like a mound of materials! Alright? Great talking you mate! Catch you some other time!" finishing what he had to say, Lino quickly cut the talisman in two and nced at Hannah who was currently staring at him with a baffled and a startled expression . "Dude!!" she shot to her feet, crying out . "Y-y-you-- what--" "Eh, just rx," Lino shrugged, chuckling . "He wasn¡¯t the guy who gave me the mission . " "So?! He¡¯s the mission handler!" " . . . alright, let me rephrase that," Lino felt somewhat amused over how startled Hannah was and decided to calm her down instead of ying it up further . "The guy who handed me the mission promised me a reward so long as Ipleted it within the time limit . Also, despite the fact that he tried to hide it, his number? Single digits . " " . . . " "Now, call me crazy, but I imagine that some rando numbered 44 doesn¡¯t exactly have authority over the baldy, right?" " . . . y-y-y-you . . . you met one of the Fallen?!! AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME?!" contrary to his expectations, rather than calming down, Hannah seemed to be flying off the handle . " . . . alright, I¡¯m lost . " "The Fallen! The Descender with the single-digit numbers! The leaders of us all! Hello?! What number was he specifically?!" " . . . uh, seven? I think? Might have been four, though . Seven or four, definitely . Maybe eight . " " . . . " "Alright, when your brain stops frying itself," Lino said, sitting down . "You can join me for some fine wine that Ekkly gave me as a parting gift . By the way, what¡¯s Order of Eternity? Somehow connected to your Sect?" " . . . I . . . I really envy you," Hannah, eventually, settled down and smiled bitterly as she took off the mask . "Your . . . just . . . your casual attitude about everything and everyone . Now, I know it stems from godlike levels of stupidity, but it¡¯s really inspiring . " " . . . is it me or did you just call me godly stupid?" "No, it¡¯s not you . I did just call you godly stupid . But it¡¯s good! You know? This way, I can freak out, and you¡¯ll be there to calm me down so at least when I¡¯m being fucked in my head, I¡¯ll be calm about it . " " . . . why are you so scared of that dude anyway?" Lino asked, handing her a bottle of wine . " . . . because, believe it or not, I did not be a Descender out of good will," Hannah said . "But becausepleting missionss you awards -- big, exclusive, cannot be found anywhere else sort of rewards! And he, well, he¡¯s the guy who says whether I get a reward or not . And I really like getting those rewards Lino . I really, really do . They make my day!" " . . . ugh, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get your fucking rewards," Lino grumbled . "Anyway, what about the Order?" " . . . hmm, yeah, you were sort of right," Hannah said . "Some half a million years ago or so, there was a massive dispute over who was supposed to be the Sect¡¯s next leader . As it often happens, two factions emerged from the ruckus, and, eventually, they splintered entirely . The dissenting faction was formed and they named themselves Order of Eternity . Ever since then, they¡¯ve been out and about, trying to poach our members and, you know, do bad stuff . " "Like what?" Lino asked . "Oh, I don¡¯t know . Mostly a lot of murders . . . robberies . . . some piging . . . and hunting the Descenders because the Great Descent backed the other faction during the conflict . " " . . . so we¡¯re hunting them mostly because of thest one, right?" Link asked . "Yup . " Hannah said . " . . . world is really fucked . " "Right again . Damn son, you¡¯re on fire!" " . . . you¡¯ve never said that before in your life, have you?" " . . . eh, there¡¯s a first time for everything . Anyway, how did the Trial go? Right! Why the shit did it take you so long?! Do you know how worried I was?!" " . . . b-but . . . you have my life talisman?" Lino nced at her quizzically . "That only tells me you¡¯re alive! It doesn¡¯t tell me whether you¡¯ve still got all your five, functioning limbs!" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . I had to . . . " Hannah said . " . . . yeah, so, from now on, your left boob is named Jasmine and your right boob is named Ang . Two girls and I will have some fun times without you . " " . . . isn¡¯t this like the eighteenth time you¡¯ve named my tits?" Hannah asked . "Soon, you¡¯ll start running out of names, you know? The Trial! Stop changing the subject!" "Oh, it went pretty great . " Lino said . "Cleared first three . . . and only almost died like four times altogether . What about you?" "Heh, cleared five . " Hannah said, smirking . " . . . why are you like this?" Lino mumbled, sighing . "Also crossed Level 2000," she said . "So there¡¯s that . " "Oh, so you¡¯re really happy?" Lino asked as an idea popped into his head . "Of course I am!" Hannah eximed, yet suddenly felt a cold chill traveling down her spine . "Wait--" "But I¡¯m not; I mean, you¡¯re clearly so much better than me that I feel entirely emascted by you to the point it physically hurts," Lino began to babble, not allowing Hannah to put a word in . "So, obviously, so I don¡¯t get made fun of, I need to catch up, right? Of course I do! So d we both agree! So, dive into that treasure trove of yours and whip out some more materials for me to work my magic with!" " . . . I hate you . " Hannah cried lowly, yet still reached into the void treasure and began picking like a beggar, feeling ache over each new piece she handed to Lino . "I hate you so much . So . . . so much . . . " " . . . really?" Lino smiled faintly, brushing the wavy, crimson hair behind her ear . " . . . yeah . " she sighed dispiritedly . "On the other hand," he said, packing all the materials into his void world . "I love you . What a conundrum, huh?" "Huh?!" Chapter 247 Chapter 247 CHAPTER 247 FOREVER The wind blew silent and chilly, yet not cold; it swayed the thin branches of the tall trees, and cluttered grass and shrubbery, and stray pebbles and stones scattered about the massive floor . Save for its asional whizz, there was temporary silence that had triumphed over the world, as two pairs of eyes settled onto one another . Lino stared at Hannah¡¯s expression with a faint smile of amusement, his hand still gently caressing her cheek . Meanwhile, Hannah¡¯s expression seemed to have frozen halfway between shock, joy and embarrassment, unable to settle on any one particr feeling . " . . . you alright?" though very much content with seeing that expression of hers, Lino decided to check in with her after solid five minutes of silence . "A-a-alright, of-of course I¡¯m alright," she mumbled with an awkward chuckle . "I, I mean, I just identally misheard something there--" "I¡¯m fairly certain you didn¡¯t . " " . . . " " . . . what?" " . . . you gotta give me a warning dude!" she cried out . "Like, you know, drop a hint or two prior to just outright saying it! I could have died!" "How?!" "Because my heart literally stopped beating for like three minutes there!" " . . . yeah, there¡¯s something really wrong with you . " Lino said . "No, no, don¡¯t pin this on me! How can you just, you know, so casually drop it into the conversation like it¡¯s not a big deal?!" " . . . because it¡¯s not a big deal?" Lino said . "It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t know . " " . . . delicacy, Lino . Delicacy! You know? You build up the moment! Maybe, maybe fix me a fine dinner, pop open the best bottle of wine you have--" "I did that, though . Well, the wine thing at least . " "And you lead into it!" Hannah sighed, doing her best to steer forth despite knowing she had gone too far already . "Oh, like your first time telling me that you love me was so romantic . " Lino rolled his eyes at her . "What? I never said that!" she eximed hurriedly . "Oh,e on! Do you know how much you talk in your sleep?!" "That doesn¡¯t count! I wasn¡¯t of sound mind!" " . . . you wanna drop it?" Lino asked, smiling faintly . "Yes . . . please . . . " she sighed, nudging her head into his chest . "Oh . Your heart is beating really quickly . " " . . . of course it is," he said, gently kissing her head . "I¡¯ve just said something really important, and the girl I¡¯ve said it to had the most major freak-out of her life . Kinda hurt, actually . " " . . . I¡¯m sorry," she mumbled . "You . . . you just caught me by surprise, you know? I mean, I already sort of, kind of, maybe, probably knew that it was perhaps, most-likely, generally implied . . . but those are twopletely different things, you know?" "Oh, I know plenty things," Lino said . "Just happen not to know one more . " "What¡¯s that?" "Do you n on saying it back or just stuffing that whole moment into the awkward drawer?" " . . . you really have no delicacy, you know?" Hannah said, sighing and looking up . "Delicacy? Are you sure you¡¯re the one to talk about ¡¯delicacy¡¯?" Lino scoffed . "I don¡¯t even dare imagine the unspeakable things you¡¯ve done to my chump, let alone share them with anyone . And then there¡¯s you who goes into the battle; you¡¯re like this cold, calcting sociopath that¡¯s always thinking of the most evil ways to either humiliate or kill someone . You¡¯re as delicate as a mountain of iron is . " "Ugh, fine! You want to hear it, huh?!" she shot up on her feet . "Yes!" "Are you sure?! ¡¯Cause you can¡¯t un-hear stuff like this!" "I¡¯m sure!" Lino shot up with her . "Give me the worst!" "I love you too!" she cried out with a faint blush . "I love you so much I want to punch you in the face for saying I¡¯m not delicate! Do you know how much that actually hurt?!" "Uh--I--I¡¯m sorry, but, you know--" "I know I¡¯m not delicate, goddammit!" " . . . whoops, who called out the crazy one, ha ha -- ha?" "Oh, you think I¡¯m crazy now?!" " . . . no . " Hell-to-the-yes-woman! " . . . I know I¡¯m not delicate," she said, shimmering down . "I . . . I don¡¯t know how to dance . I don¡¯t know how to properly drink tea, or stack sixteenyers of shit on top of myself just so my dress would look puffy and pretty . I don¡¯t have smooth, snow-white skin without any scars . I know I curse a lot . . . I know myughter probably scares you from time to time . . . I know I snore when I sleep which is why I always desperately try to get you to sleep first . . . " " . . . is this why you try to get me drunk every time we want to sleep?" Lino mumbled more so to himself than her . "And, and I know I¡¯m very greedy when ites to rare materials even though they¡¯ve been literally sitting in my ring for like ten years! Ten years Lino! For ten fucking years I¡¯ve been saying I¡¯m gonna take them to a smith and have him craft me something! For ten whole goddamn years! You know what really happened?" " . . . you didn¡¯t go to a smith?" "Never went to a smith! We have one of the best cksmiths literally two minutes away from my house in my Sect, but I never went! I, I don¡¯t know why, you know? I just always imagine there¡¯s someone better, you know? But there¡¯s no one better . I have to ept the truth . . . I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m a hoarder . I¡¯m a not-so-delicate, loud, snoring, in-dress-wearing, cursing, greedy hoarder Lino . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . wow . " Lino took a deep breath, unable to look away from the blushed, puffed cheeks and somewhat moisty, emerald-green eyes . "I thought I had issues, but goddamn woman . " " . . . when you said it," Hannah said, smiling . "Do you know how happy it made me? I . . . I just froze . " "Yup, been there, witnessed that . " "And then, I started thinking . . . which parts of me does he actually love? What about all of my ugly sides? What if he stops loving me once he discovers them?" " . . . you sound very needy now," Lino said, his eyes turning into slits . "And very whiny . This doesn¡¯t sound like you at all . " " . . . well, it was either this or me repeatedly asking you ¡¯hey, would you say you still love me even if I do this and that¡¯, so, you know, I went with this one . " Hannah shrugged . " . . . why does it even matter though?" Lino said . "I mean, not to, you know, piss on your whole self-deprecation parade because I love it, but I¡¯m the royal emperor of fucked up Hannah, and, against all your better judgment, you still fell in love with me . " he chuckled faintly, walking over toward her . "Do you really think I care whether you¡¯re delicate or not? If I wanted someone delicate, I wouldn¡¯t be going around with a fucking Bearer, but some farmer chick who¡¯d never picked up a weapon in her life . These past few months that I¡¯ve spent with you . . . it was like I was twelve all over again," he stopped right in front of her, wrapping his arms around her lower back and pulling her in . "Watching the girl I was crushing on hard make us a dinner while asionally giving me a stink eye for refusing to help her . Back then, though . . . despite how much I wanted you to stay with me, I knew I had nothing to offer . I knew that, if I would ever have any right to stand by your side, I had to make something of myself . And, truth be told, I¡¯m still not that confident . " " . . . ha ha, you really are . . . insane . " Hannahughed, pressing her head into his chest gently . " . . . fancy dresses, sipping tea, wearing puffy dresses that make you look fat . . . " Lino said . "I¡¯m sure that a lot of guys and gals out there dream of those things . But, to me, those literally sound like the most boring activities possible aside from like dying or something . Standing by your side while we whoop some major ass and flip the world off? Now . . . that sounds like one hell of a party if you ask me . " " . . . ah, yeah, you¡¯re right . " Hannah said, wing her head out of his chest and looking up, meeting his gaze . "If I can love you with your huge pile of issues farting in my direction repeatedly, I¡¯m sure you can handle a few of my kinks, right?" " . . . that was on purpose, wasn¡¯t it?" "Yeah, a little bit . " " . . . and that¡¯s one of the reasons I love you . " he smiled . " . . . we¡¯re gonna be fine, aren¡¯t we?" she mumbled . "Fine?" he leaned in closer . "We¡¯ll be great, Hannah . Best there ever was . A prime example--" "You should have stopped after the first one . " "Yeah, it felt like the right thing to do but then I wanted to make it more special and it just sort of spiraled, you know?" "Ah, I know sweetie . . . I know . . . now give me that kiss before you keep spouting shit and ruin the whole thing . " "Good idea!" Lino quickly pressed his lips against her, clutching her closer to him . The warmth of her body seeped into his, filling him tenderly . Among many defining moments he¡¯d experience in life, he¡¯d always recall this one as the centerpiece; it was the moment when his will, heart and soul molded briefly into a singrity, and he became whole . It wasn¡¯t a life-altering moment, or a world-changing one, but it was the moment he would remember whenever he needed hope . Chapter 248 Chapter 248 CHAPTER 248 UNCEASING LIGHT A rectangr,pact room was tiled and walled entirely in white, pure without a single blemish to be seen . Light st off its every inch, covering the whole space in blinding radiance, one where whoever dared open their eyes should also dare to live without them from then onward . Within the swirl of light, faint edges of a body could be seen, tingling in and out . At the center of the room, sitting cross-legged, was a young-looking woman, stark naked . Her hair was purely golden, as long as half her body, freely let go like a waterfall down her back . Her cheeks were rosy, lips full and blithe, eyes currently closed . Above, running straight across her forehead, was a convoluted set of patterns tattooed into her skin, golden in make . She was fairly tall, slender in build with faint outlines of muscles across her body . Her breasts were full and plump, waist narrow with wide hips beneath . A pair of legs stretched long, also covered with a swirling set of golden patterns radiating pure, golden light . Above her rested a wide, circr halo, and beneath it she appeared starkly holy, untouchable, ineffable in make -- entirely ethereal, as though not belonging to the world . Her eyes suddenly jolted open, revealing behind a golden pair, with irises in a shape of a cross, rotating slowly within her pupils . A radiant shine burst out, dominating over all other light currently present in the room for a moment . With a still indifferent expression, she let go of the breath she was holding and slowly got up, turning toward the room¡¯s exit . She walked with even and brisk steps, each additional one seemingly summoning additional pair of clothing; from her underwear all the way to her incandescent armoryered marvelously with carved out runic patterns connecting each piece . In addition, behind her back, a set of stacked crescent des rested, at their center a spherical ball of warm, golden light, seemingly reminiscent of the sun repeatedly rotating . As she left the room, she had found herself sitting among the clouds, overlooking the western descent of the sun as it began to fall beneath the mountains in the horizon . She took a brief, full breath before looking down and leaping off the edge of the tform atop of which her single-roomed house rested . Piercing through the clouds, she fell on freely for nearly thirty minutes before atst hitting the solid ground . She hadnded on a t, mountain-top, chiseled away clearly by a hand . Almost immediately upon hernding, hundreds upon hundreds of people who were standing knelt down and stered their heads to the paved earth beneath . She looked around for a moment until spotting a familiar face, a faint smile creeping up on her lips, moving forward . "Seya, follow me . " her voice was barely audible, yet it seemingly stirred all those currently kneeling, as they seemed to have shoved their heads even further into the ground . "Y-yes!" a young, jovial-looking girl shot up to her feet . She seemed no older than fourteen, and had a boyishly-cut, ck hair and a pair of honest-looking purple eyes . She wore somewhat tattered clothes, with seemingly the only thing of value on her being the ne strapped around her neck . It was eerily reminiscent of the bejeweled object behind the woman¡¯s back . "We are going on a trip . " the woman nced back at the girl who followed closely by, smiling freely . "Really?!" the young girl eximed, her lips parting into an honest, innocent smile . "Yes, really . " the woman nodded faintly . "Yaaay!" Seya eximed freely, running up and grabbing the woman¡¯s hand, holding it tightly . "The Mother spoke to you?" she asked . "She did indeed . " the woman nodded, sping at the small, bone-fragile hand in her own tightly yet gently . "I have to report to the Elders first, though, but then we¡¯re off . " "He he he, I can¡¯t wait! Where are we going? Somewhere far away?" "Ah, yes, it¡¯s quite far away actually," the woman chuckled . "I hear it¡¯s a nice ce this time of the year . " all the while the two walked and talked, all those they¡¯ve surpassed on their way down the steep mountainous road bowed and remained so until the two were well out of their sights . "But, you have to promise me you won¡¯t run off like thest time!" "Eeeeh-- but I met Stinky like that!" Seya pouted for a moment . " . . . ah, that poor boy will never live that name down, will he?" the womanughed bitterly for a moment as a face of a young boy covered in mud popped inside her head for a moment . "Where is he anyway? I can take him too if you want . " "Ah, I hear Master Anvel had taken him on an expedition . " Seya said after a short thought . "Hm? Ah, yes . He did have fine affinity with fire . Making him an Apothecary can¡¯t hurt . Wait for me here . I¡¯ll be back soon . " the two parted shortly after reaching the mountain¡¯s bottom whereupon the woman suddenly disappeared . A majestic hall spread far and wide, adorned with gold-shining chandeliers, hand-carved pirs, variety of mosaics spread over its walls and domed ceiling as well as a variety of beautiful, hand-woven rugs . Hundreds of stone tables and chairs were seemingly randomly spread about, all orbiting the hall¡¯s far end where a golden set of the twoy stoned to the elevated tform . Above, hanging from the wall, nearly a hundred meters tall, was a painted piece of cloth depicting golden sun, with crimsoned surface beneath . The woman nced at the massive banner for a moment before shifting her eyes over onto the elevated tform where six present, yet not-quite-corporeal, people sat in chairs . Their faces, features, and even their ages or genders were entirely indiscernible, but the woman approached calmly and went up the stairs leading to the tform, sitting onto one of the free chairs . "I am sure the Mother has already told you," the woman said with queer indifference, her demeanour aplete contrast of what it was like while she was with the young girl . "But I will be absent for the following few months . " "She indeed has," as it was always the case, she had no way of determining who spoke out, as seemingly all of them did in a unified choir at the same time . "But, Eos, these are really turbulent times . Remember not to stay out too long . " "It should not take too long," the woman, named Eos, replied calmly . "Mother has merely asked me to check up on Hannah . She has been running incognito for a few years now . " " . . . . . humph, that little brat again . " the voices said . "She has been nothing if not trouble, entirely undeserving of the honors . " though Eos said nothing, her eyes shed strangely for a moment, yet quickly returned to their prior indifference . "She is the youngest, after all . " Eos said calmly . "She only needs some time to adapt . If you recall, I was not much different . " " . . . very well," the voices spoke out after a short silence . "Try to locate her quickly and return . Although we do not know why, there is currently a ceasefire order between the Eternals and the Aeonians . Our spies tell us that the Sword Maiden visited that old rabbit Alex, but even if she did convince him to end the war temporarily, we do not know what for . " "Hm? nor has returned?" Eos¡¯ eyes flickered with interest . "Isn¡¯t that more interesting than her reasons for stopping the war? It is most-likely the simplest exnation; had the war went onward for much longer, her n would have been forced to assist the Eternals . And, no disrespect to them, but if Qe¡¯ll¡¯s engaged in a war right now, their removal from the Holy Grounds would be all but guaranteed . " " . . . possibly," the voice said . "Though we cannot know for certain . Hers surfacing back, though, is indeed very interesting . While you search for Hannah, try and see into the Maiden as well . " " . . . is it true that Erebus had mastered the 20th Law?" Eos asked before leaving . " . . . it is," the voice replied, a faint hint of anger within them . "We do not know how he managed it . . . but he has, nheless . " " . . . who thought that the Crypt would have underwent such an evolution within a single generation? From nearly going extinct . . . to bing second only to the Sons . . . haah . . . life is really full of mysteries, all around . " "Do not get dispirited, Eos," the voices said . "Mastering a few more Laws matters little in the grand scheme of things . And, regardless of how talented the boy may be, he will have no choice but the wait for the rest of you to join him on that pedestal . " " . . . yeah . " Eos said, getting up . "If you could inform the Master I¡¯ll require more [Sun Drops] when I return, I would be thankful . " "We shall . " "Farewell, Elders . " Eos walked off the tform with a calm visage, yet her mind was in quite a turmoil . For someone chosen by the Light itself, she had never felt more enshrouded in dark as she did at the moment; first it was the appearance of the two new Eternals as bearers that to this day no one could exin, then the appearance of the Empyrean, then it was the Devil¡¯s invasion, then it was the Dark Child uprooting the whole continent in search of the Empyrean, the esction of the war, surfacing of the now mythologized Sword Maiden . . . the world was spinning on and on, yet she seemed to have stopped spinning with it, still living in the ages gone by where she could see the whole of the story clearly . She had also decided she would not only search for Hannah and information about the Sword Maiden, but also try to look for the undercurrents of the rapidly progressing story she is currently unable to make heads or tails of . . . even if she clearly is not supposed to, for some reason . Chapter 249 Chapter 249 CHAPTER 249 THE LAST TITAN Lino and Hannah were currently standing in front of the tallest mountain either had ever encountered in their entire lives . Far from being able to see the mountaintop, they were unable to even see the halfway point of the mountain which was already well over thirty thousand kilometers tall . Standing at the mountain¡¯s bottom felt as though they were staring at an entirely new world, as the sheer size of it easily epassed the size of a fairlyrge ind . Entirely new species of flora and fauna could be found throughout the mountain that were non-existent elsewhere within the Titan Realms . The purple-domed trees of trunks as thick as entire buildings, shrubbery that made both of them feel like the tiniest of ants, and strange herbs whose petals would flutter, asionally closing up and opening, radiating different colors each time they did so . It was a spectacr sight to behold, especially so once they realized that the mountain contained even more diverse biome, the bottom end being forest-like, yet just above it a scorched wastnd of ck rocks and soot and volcanic ash . Nothing living inhabited it, just a line of rising hills of sorts . Due to the sheer size of the mountain, the uphill climb was eerily t, as though they were climbing a small, house-sized hill rather than an entire mountain . Beyond the scorched wastnd lied frigid tundra, with iced spikes shooting out of the ground for over a hundred meters up, and frozen bodies of water asrge as medium-sizedkes elsewhere . No matter where they stepped, they felt incredibly small; the two had, uniformly, began doubting as to how the world actually fitted the entire Titan Race within its confines . The reason why they were climbing up thergest mountain they¡¯d ever seen was due to Ataxia, as he¡¯d finally told Lino it was time he headed toward the Realms¡¯ center, following his instincts . It was exactly this mountain that stood at that center, and his instincts told him that whatever he needed to see was inside the mountain itself . Rather than digging his way through, Lino decided to slowly explore with Hannah and find a natural entrance . "Ataxia hasn¡¯t told you what we¡¯re looking for, right?" Hannah asked suddenly as they slowly began living the frozen biome . "No . Yours?" Lino asked back . "She¡¯s eerily quiet . . . " Hannah sighed . "Usually she never shuts up, but right now? Nothing . Zip . " "Eh, whatever it is, we¡¯ll handle it . " Lino shrugged, looking around . "But seriously . . . this mountain . . . I kind of wish to turn it into a Flying Artifact and make it my permanent home . Can you imagine?" "You ruling over something thisrge? No . " "Eh? What do you mean?! I¡¯d make a great ruler, I¡¯ll have you know!" "You know nothing when ites to ruling, Lino," Hannah rolled her eyes at him . "You¡¯d not only cripple the economy before it even, well, developed, you¡¯d most-likely instigate every war possible within the first year, and every single one of those you ruled over would grow to resent you and would eventually band to overthrow you . " " . . . that¡¯s one grim estimate of my leading capabilities . " Lino frowned . "Leading and ruling are two different things," Hannah chuckled . "Why do you think Kings need Generals? If charging forward was all there was to leading, couldn¡¯t they do it themselves?" "Aren¡¯t Kings mostly just cowards?" Lino asked . "You¡¯d be surprised," she replied . "But, no . To rule, ites from here . " she poked his head . "But, to lead . . . ites from here . " she poked at the center of his chest . "And, I¡¯m sorry to have to point this out for god knows which time, but you¡¯ve got very little of this," she once again poked his head . "But excess of this . " she ran her finger down his face and pressed it gently against his chest, smiling . " . . . ah, I see you¡¯ve mastered the art of the underhandedpliment . Very nice, very nice indeed . " "Eh, I learned from the best . " "I am the best, aren¡¯t I?" Lino grinned, suddenly stopping to look around as they¡¯d finally left the frozen tundra, having entered an eerie sort of a marsh . Bones, skulls, carcasses, skeletons . . . of all the things to decorate thendscape with, Lino mused, this was by far the worst . "Then again, I could leave the ruling to you, and you can leave the leading to me . " "Hoho, that¡¯s the best idea you¡¯ve had yet . " Hannah chuckled . "I¡¯m an excellent ruler . " "I¡¯ve no doubt . So, while you sit back in a roomy chamber, sipping fine wine while wrapped in silk, I¡¯ll be out leading brainless idiots to their deaths on a campaign of wasted dreams . " "Sounds dreamy . " " . . . here it is . " Lino pointed as he stopped in front of a massive cave of sorts; rather, it seemed more like a gigantic, gaping hole in the side of the mountain leading down, at least in his eyes . "I sure hope whatever it is, we at least won¡¯t need to fight it . " Lino sighed bitterly . "Huh? Aren¡¯t you always ready for some brawl?" Hannah asked, seemingly confused . " . . . I¡¯ve done nothing recently but fight . . . and fight . . . and fight . . . " hemented . "I . . . I just wanna sit down, drink some fine ale, and enjoy life for a little bit, you know? Even the maddest of crazed war-machines eventually tire out . " "It¡¯s alright," she said . "If ites to down fighting, you just sit back, drink some fine ale, and enjoy the sight of me eradicating whatever need be eradicated . " "Aww . . . " The two proceeded down the cave¡¯s ttened, straight path in silence . Though doused in darkness, neither paid it much heed as they could clearly see everything surrounding them . The cave¡¯s walls were tall and stacked with dimmed stgmites, with asional deposits of strange materials pruning out of the slightly wet walls . Though tempted, Lino in the end decided against digging it; if all went well, he decided he¡¯d do it on his way back . Their trek turned into a long one, as they¡¯d been walking for over a day with seemingly no end in sight . asionally sitting down to rest and recuperate, in case fighting broke out, they paused little, and moved at a rather quick pace . It was only after the end of the third day that they¡¯d spotted the exit, moring in joy for a moment before stuttering to silence . Just beyond cave¡¯s exity the hollowed out center of the mountain, and they¡¯d quickly realized they were just a tiny part of one of the millions of tiny holes . Their gazes, however, were quickly dragged toward the bottom; there, a throne of skulls and spikes rose out of the other end, spitting out into the sky for tens and hundreds and thousands of kilometers . Sitting on it, however, was what truly gave them a start; jet-ck body, with unidentifiable amount of cracks spread throughout, heaved well above them to the point they were roughly around the giant¡¯s knee . Lino couldn¡¯t even begin to estimate the size of whatever it was as his instinct suddenly kicked in; grabbing Hannah¡¯s arm as she cried out, he tried to dart backward yet suddenly realized he couldn¡¯t even move . As sweat poured down his back, he turned his head and looked up where he saw two crimson suns staring at him . They were like saucers, spinning eerily, with ck-inked sphere at their center . The world around them was misted through the ash and distance, and Lino didn¡¯t dare try and peer through it with his Divine Sense . It wasn¡¯t that he was too afraid to move, or paralyzed due to sheer terror; his body was actually physically locked in ce by the giant¡¯s Will, and even Lino¡¯s -- however robust and unwilling -- was unable to break the chokehold . Even with Hannah¡¯s assistance, the two were entirely helpless, only able to stand in ce and stare at the blood-colored doom hanging far up above them . The two suddenly felt their feet lift off, their bodies slowly cruising through the sky -- again, Lino found himself beyond shocked as he realized that the giant was using his sheer Will alone to move them against their own Wills . It was at that moment that Lino realized that whoever -- or whatever -- this was, the two stood no chance, no matter what they did . He still, however, trusted Ataxia, which is why he could remain calm even in these circumstances . They flew up slowly, as more and more of the giant¡¯s body began revealing itself; massive waist of stone and rock covered up with a ck-jetted belt, a humanoid torso with seemingly muscle-shaped rocks which were sorge a single breast was already over three hundred meters across, short yet wide neck, and eventually the head -- it was a Titan, Lino mused inwardly as his suspicion was confirmed . The Titan had a pair of enormous, crimson eyes which were currently staring at the two with emptiness that one can only achieve moments before death . " . . . I shall allow," though the Titan¡¯s lips didn¡¯t move, his voice shook the entire mountain inside out . "For you to inspect me . I bear no ill will, honored Bearers . " Lino swallowed a massive gulp, but unlike Hannah who hesitated over whether to inspect the Titan, Lino went for it taking a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever he may see . Yet, he immediately realized, even if he took ten thousand more of them, it wouldn¡¯t have changed a damn thing . [Alst R¡¯ggav -- Titan -- Level 48,933] Titles: The Last Titan (Universal), The Chosen (Void), Ashened Survivor (Realm), Forged in mes (Realm), Former Descender (Void), Harbinger (Level 999), The Last Champion (Continental) Titr Creator: The Immortal Titan Chapter 250 Chapter 250 CHAPTER 250 RISE AND FALL Lino and Hannah stared at the crimsoned eyes with gobsmacked expressions, their eyes saucers, mouths gaping pits, bodies shaking involuntarily . Neither had half a mind toprehend what they¡¯d just seen, their minds spinning into a whirl of madness and ssic denial . Yet, no matter how many times they checked, the Titan¡¯s information remained exactly the same . " . . . you should not be surprised," Alst spoke out in a mellowed tone . "I¡¯ve had over three billion years of life . . . most of it cooped up inside this mountain, restlessly wreathing in silence and sce . It does little for one¡¯s sanity, but leaves a lot of free time to cultivate . " " . . . yeah, dude, no matter how you put it, it¡¯s insane!" Lino was the first one toe back to his senses, crying out . "I thought I was some big-shit for finally crossing into the 500th realm of levels, but you--goddamn you-- holy shit . . . just . . . holy motherload of shit . . . " "Strength is rtive to the beholder," Alst said, his Will still holding the two in the air in front of his eyes . "As are all the numbers constituting it . At the end of the day, Levels are merely a depiction of numb nothings; while within them one can find egotistical notion of strength and power, they segment the truly strong and weak . For example, the Last Titan Empyrean was merely Level 4000 when he died, yet he was twice as powerful as I am right now . " "Can you just break it down for me?" Lino asked, seemingly spirited as his mood took a quick shift . "Everyone keeps saying that the numbers arergely irrelevant . Why is that?" "Because beyond numbers is where you find the foundations of strength and power," Alst said . "Wills and Laws . They are constituents of the world, whereas numbers are just . . . numbers, young Bearer . The higher up you venture, the less meaning they have . It is especially so for people like you, those who focus entirely on a single mantra . Despite the difference in levels between us, your Strength and Vitality are almost exactly the same as mine . " " . . . yeah, I guess I¡¯ll never understand it . " Lino shrugged after contemting over the Titan¡¯s words for a moment . "Ha ha ha, yeah, Empyreansrgely ignore the numbers, because they charge with their hearts . " "That¡¯s a cute way to call someone dumb . " Lino moaned in dissatisfaction . "No, far from it . " Alst shook his head faintly, but quickly stopped as even the simplest of his movements stirred winds strong enough to nearly blow Hannah and Lino out of the air and into the mountain¡¯s walls . "Fools are those who rely on numbers, on talent, on vocation of good fortune and such to determine one¡¯s capacity for strength . A mother who charges against a thief to protect her child, an ordinary man who charges into the war to defend his beliefs, a young child who holds back their tears despite the scraped knee . . . strength can be found everywhere, young Bearer, and in no ce is it virtued through numbers . " " . . . I suppose so . " Lino said, sighing faintly . "Think of your own life -- your own experiences -- your own memories . Think of the moments in your life when things were truly difficult . . . those moments that truly matter . Was it strength depicted in numbers you sought . . . or something else entirely?" " . . . that¡¯s good and all for the everyday life," Lino said . "But, I don¡¯t think I need to tell you my battles are rarely fought through wit alone however much I¡¯d like that to be the case . " "And . . . did that striking difference in numbers ever hold you back froming out victorious?" " . . . " "We had this old saying," Alst said after a short silence . "Dating back to the days of our Origin -- may the fists shake the world . . . while the hearts shake the souls . If numbers ounted entirely for the strength, young Empyrean, then the world wouldn¡¯t be nearly the way it is now . Especially for you, Humans; a young, fledgling race of misfits with no inborn, numbered worth . . . yet, right now, the strongest individual in the world is a member of your race . " "Eh? Gaia is a Human?!" Lino shrieked in surprise . "Gaia? No . . . Gaia was never the strongest, little one," Alst chuckled . "She¡¯s even weaker than me, at least on individual basis . But, despite that, I could never defeat her in a battle . No, the strongest individual belongs to your race, of all the possibilities . But . . . my heart tells me that one day you will meet him, and that, perhaps on that fateful day, you will fully understand my words . " " . . . is that what my Master tried to exin to me?" Hannah, who remained silent thus far, suddenly chimed in . "That strength is entirely binary, denoted entirely through creation and destruction, neither of which can be summed within the numbers?" "It is, indeed," Alst nodded faintly . "But, I have not summoned you here to debate over the virtues of strength; my days had grown numbered, young Bearers -- and it is time I departed for Valha, and joined my kin in the eternal rest . " " . . . " "When I was elected to live beyond the Ashening, I despaired; to sink my teeth into death¡¯s embrace alongside my brethren was an honor, yet I was being denied it . But, eventually I understood that someone had to stay -- and me being deprived of that honor meant somebody else needn¡¯t, I can graciously uphold my role . And I have, until this very day when you finally came to me . " " . . . you . . . waited for us?" Lino asked, furrowing his brows . "Every Era, no matter how prosperous, how long, how defiant to the end, eventually sumbs . We, too, at one point believed ourselves immortal -- impervious to any and all disasters that had befallen those before us . Yet, in the end, Titans, and our world with us, were felled . " "How did that happen, anyway?" Lino asked quickly . "There are absolutely no records of you guys for like 40 million years before the Era¡¯s end . " " . . . you can call it a collective suicide . " Alst answer shocked both Hannah and Lino into silence as they awaited for an boration . "To understand our end, you first need understand our Beginning, young Bearers . " Lino and Hannah listened with fervent attention as Alst ounted brief -- yet very eye-opening tale of the Titan Race . The birth of the Titan Race, it turned out, was entirely idental, as they were the creation of the leftover Primal Chaos . For billions of years prior, throughout the four Eras predating the Titan Era -- Origin Era, Fiend Era, Prosperity Era and Skyhaven Era -- the so-called ¡¯Primordial Elements of Creation¡¯ werergely disappearing . Some were absorbed by Gaia and transformed into the Qi Elements, some dissipated naturally, some were used by the Father of the Devils to reverse Qi of the World and create the Devil Qi, some where then overused by humans during the Skyhaven Era in the practice of magic, and by the Titan¡¯s Era, of the known Primordial Elements, only Primal Chaos remained as it was the original element of creation from which all other Primordial Elements came into existence, namely Primordial Elements of Life, Death, Creation, Destruction, Light, Darkness . . . The creation of the Titan Race was the Primal Chaos¡¯st breath, as it too disappeared from the world alongside other Primordial Elements . This, however, even within the Titan societies,rgely remained a tightly-held secret as each individual Titan actually carried a whiff of Primal Chaos within their hearts . Those small bits were their substitute for other races¡¯ Souls, and also the originator of their inborn Will . Throughout the Titan Era, however, rather than defying the past, they toorgely seeded it -- the conflicts escted as the Titans splintered intomunities; some joined Gaia and inherited the Writs, some formed an opposing faction, some remained neutral, and ever-so-often one would be an Empyrean . Throughout the chaotic maundering, whatever was the original sentiment of their creation was washed out from their conscience -- and they simply became one of the races striving for world¡¯s dominance . A part of what Lino and Hannah already knew also came into y, but was vastly different than what they believed; roughly around the time any records of Titans simply cease to exist, they were visited by the Origin Prime -- the very First Prime and, in extension, the very first creation outside the Seven Writs, the Scripture, and the Archangels . The Origin Prime, however, did not cause their destruction -- it¡¯d simply reminded them of something that Ataxia had no heart to do -- that they¡¯d strayed . . . and that they were well past the point of salvation . It was also then that the Ashening of the Titan Race had been decided upon, not through the war or such . . . but through the collective suicide . All the alive Titans, whichever faction they belonged to, to whomever they served and pray, whatever beliefs they upheld . . . joined together for the first time since the early days of the Titan Era, came together as one, and used their bodies to reconstruct the ravagedndscape of the world, dying out in the process . For the following forty million years, it was only Alst who roamed the world¡¯s surface, ensuring no one else came out from the Underworld . He waited until the bodies of his brethren could no longer be distinguished, and there were only mountains and rolling hills andkes of clear water . . . before withdrawing himself in the small pocket realm, which was thest reminder of his own culture . His mission was fairly simple -- it was to wait for the Empyrean who will find his or her way to him, however long that may take . Millions, tens of millions, and even billions of years in the end, forever seated in solitary istion . Every time an Empyrean awakened, he became hopeful; yet, Ataxia never led a single one to see him . Until four months ago, when Hannah and Lino entered the Titan Realms for the first time . " . . . whoa . . . " Lino eximed softly, still trying to process everything . "That¡¯s . . . intense . " " . . . that¡¯s really intense," Hannah chimed in . "I imagined a lot of ways this story went, but holy crap . . . " "Right, I¡¯m here now!" Lino eximed . "So, what¡¯s the big secret you were supposed to tell me, huh? Maybe a way to get super-strong real quick? Eh, that¡¯d be real nice!" "Ha ha ha, no, that¡¯s certainly not it," Alstughed gently, musing inwardly over the young human¡¯s strange behavior . "Or, rather, there is no big secret -- what I was supposed to tell you . . . you had already achieved . " " . . . I have?" Lino mumbled, frowning . "While you were here, actually," Alst said . "The Primal Chaos created us as a self-preserving measure, as it too would have vanished had it been left up to the time . We inherited thest bits of it, and my mission was very simple -- that, on the day that I meet you, I rip my beating heart out of my chest and give it to you to absorb it . " " . . . not following . " Lino groaned . "No matter what we did, throughout the entire Era, we were never able to utilize that small bit of Primal Chaos resting within our hearts, young Bearer," Alst exined . "The reality is that only an Empyrean, in theory, even could . But, not even the Titan Empyreans were ever able to summon it out and use it . It was simply because we¡¯d forgotten . . . we . . . were never meant to use it . . . because, if we did, we¡¯d die . " "Yeah, that makes sense . . . " Lino mumbled . "Our collective mission was simply to pass it on . . . but, we¡¯d forgotten . And, that is why I was waiting for you, young Bearer . " " . . . wait, didn¡¯t you say I already achieved it? When the hell did that happen?" "During your duel with Aggav," Alst exined . "For the life of me, however, I cannot even begin to exin how you achieved it; but, one way or another, you did manage to Will Primal Chaos into corporeal existence, for however briefly it was . Ataxia . . . was right to put his heart in you, young human . As I am right to put mine . " "Eh? You¡¯re still giving me your heart? Nah, no need," Lino shook his head . "How about instead you join me, and we go and kick some ass? And by that I mean Hannah and I watch you as you destroy the world!" "Ha ha ha, I¡¯m afraid that however tempted I am . . . I unable toply . This body . . . is not fit for fighting, young Bearer . Rather, this body has died . . . many, many moons ago . However endowed one¡¯s Vitality is, it is never infinite . We all have our expiration date . For hundreds of millions years now, I have willed myself to live, waiting for you . And my wait . . . is over atst . While old, cracked, and weakened . . . my heart still beats . Unlike the one you currently posses, it is not one meant for armor -- but one for your Singrity . And, while it will be somewhatckluster at the moment . . . over time, I believe it will help you . " " . . . " "While I know you have many more questions . . . I am afraid I¡¯ve no answers left, young one . What little I knew of the mysteries you¡¯re so curious about, I¡¯ve already said . All else . . . you will have to find out some other way . . . as you have found your own purpose, beyond what the world assigned to you . " " . . . ey, big guy, any advice for her?" Lino suddenly asked . "I mean, I feel like I¡¯ve hogged you a bit too much . " " . . . she¡¯s here with you," Alst said, smiling lightly . "Anything I say . . . can never topple that . " It was a peculiar moment that followed, for Lino and Hannah remained floating in the air while Alst¡¯s body, bit by bit, began cracking and thundering, slowly turning into ash . All the while both his lips and eyes were smiling, every bit as free as of those of a newborn babe . There was no reluctance on his part, no unwillingness, no fear or anxiety -- just unbridled eptance . . . and joy . By the end of the least damning death Lino had ever witnessed, only a small rock, the size of Lino¡¯s palm, was left there, hovering in front of him . It glimmered in faint red, it was cracked, yet it ever-so-often thumped in a beat . Lino grabbed at it and held it tightly for a moment, musing over how warm it still was . And while he still had many questions, at least he also obtained quite a few answers; for the first time in his life as an Empyrean, he felt as though he wasn¡¯t entirely in the dark . . . that, however far it may be, and however fogged, the truth of it all is out there . Waiting for him . END OF VOLUME X TITAN REALMS Chapter 251 Chapter 251 VOLUME XI - THE LIGHT CHAPTER 251 THE FORGOTTEN TALE (I) [Analyzing . . . ] The moment Alst¡¯s Heart entered Lino¡¯s Singrity, thetter felt a mind-numbing pain assail every inch of his body as he cried out to the point he nearly didn¡¯t hear the robotic voice inside his own head . [ . . . Alst¡¯s Heart Consumption Commencing . . . ] [ . . . ] [Absorption Rate: 0,001% . . . ] [Increased Strength by 5%] [Increased Vitality by 5%] [ . . . increased affinity with Death; understanding of Law of Death grows] [ . . . Level increased to 564] [ . . . ] [Analyzing . . . ] [Bearer gained ess to an Archaic Record . . . ] [Analyzing . . . ] [Archaic Record -- The Forgotten Tale unlocked . . . ] [ . . . ] Lino didn¡¯t even have a split second to voice out hisints before his Soul was ripped directly out of his body and sent on a spiral through the spacetime, winding up in a strange, eerie, borderline nightmare-inspiredndscape . Strange, purple mushrooms stood as tall as trees, the surroundingndscape reminiscent of a swamp, with asional bubbles bursting out onto the surface and releasing acid-green spray of liquid into the air . Dark gray mist shrouded the above and beyond, tinkering closely with the ground that was covered in dead and dying roots and strange, almost de-like grass . It was beyond the point of being able to distinguish night from day, so Lino quickly gave up, pulling himself back to reality . " . . . hm?" a soft hum parted out into the world . "Ataxia chose me?" " . . . " it was a woman¡¯s voice, Lino realized . From the overall understanding, she appeared to be of the average build and size, with amnesty-colored boyish hair and a pair of milky white eyes . . . she was blind, Lino realized -- at least when it came to the most ordinary of the sights . " . . . then he must have found my sessor," the woman mused with a faint smile . "Ah, a champagne-worthy moment . Shame I don¡¯t have any . " " . . . " "My name is Eve . " Lino¡¯s mind raced quickly as his ears perked up . "Just . . . Eve . I can¡¯t recall my birth name, or if I even had one . It¡¯s the name Ataxia gave me, and the name I bore till my dying breath . And it¡¯s the name the world remembered me by . . . for some time, at least . " " . . . " "If he¡¯s sent you to me," she said . "It must mean that you¡¯ve done that which I could not -- and, not toe out too pompous -- there is only one thing I ever failed to achieve in my life . Well, two things, really . Surpass Eldon . . . and summon Primal Chaos . " " . . . " another familiar name popped into the conversation, but as Lino was unable to utter a word ofmunication, he was left to be led by Eva¡¯s remnant Will . "And forgive me for doubting you, but the likelihood of anyone surpassing Eldon . . . is minuscule, which means you summoned the Primal Chaos . Congrattions . " she added with a mumble, sighing as she looked up to the sky . "I was born blind," she said . "During the Four ns Era . I was a mutated child of a Devil and an Angel, unwanted and despised by both . As chance would fancy it, I inherited only the weaknesses of the two races . . . but none of the strengths . But, I think you¡¯ve already figured that out from the fact I was an Empyrean . " I really didn¡¯t . . . Linomented inwardly . "I grew uprgely on the streets till my tenth year when I realized I could earn a lot of money by selling myself . . . so I did . Time and again; and, however ugly it might have been, I moved out of the streets . Bought a small house, started growing a farm, and was content dying there . It was on my twentieth birthday that I met Ataxia, and my life changed forever . " " . . . " "As life had ripped any emotion I might have had as a babe from me, I did whatever he asked; I killed, I ughtered, I robbed . . . by the first year¡¯s end, I was the most wanted criminal across the entire Central Continent . Eventually, I went over the ocean, and joined the cults of the truly strong . It was there that I¡¯d found my home . Wars . . . wars were led everywhere, by everyone, against everyone else . It wasn¡¯t just racial wars . . . but inter-racial wars as well . Women were forced to have upward of fifteen to twenty children during their lifetimes just to remotely make up for the dead ones . " " . . . " "By my twenty-second birthday, I became a Titr," Lino almost wanted to scream out in agony, but realizing he couldn¡¯t, he just cried inwardly . "Or, at least, what was the equivalent of one back then . See . . . the world was in an awkward transition between Magic and Cultivation; while Magic was rather old, veryplex and oftentimes didn¡¯t even work . . . it was also extremely powerful . Transformative Theory of Magic, they called it -- by taking raw elements of the world and, unlike Cultivation, simply forcing them to be something else rather than filtering them . One massive Magical Explosion was enough to sink arge ind . And hundreds went off by the day across the world . . . " "By my twenty-fifth birthday, I had met all other Bearers and killed them at least once," she said . "And Gaia¡¯s repeated attempts to kill me were entirely futile as she was alsoing off the Titan Era during which her influence -- and in extension her strength -- was sapped dry . I ruled the world, single-handedly . They called me the Blind Nightmare . . . and the world you¡¯re seeing now, is where I died . " " . . . " Lino awaited patiently for the exnation . "At the height of my power, however . . . I had stopped listening to Ataxia . " she said . "I became my own demon, doing whatever I willed, ignoring any possible consequences . I deemed myself immortal and indestructible . But . . . there¡¯s always a higher tree and a deeper ocean . " " . . . " "I imagine that you must have heard of Great Descent," Eve said with a bitter chuckle . "So have I, back then . . . but I ignored them . I simply took them as an elitist sect, the ilk of the emerging Holy Grounds . But . . . one day . . . a man showed up in front of me . He wore a simple, porcin mask with two holes for eyes, and 8 dotted on the masked cheek . By the time I realized he was a foe, I found myself here . . . within the rotten vision of what the world saw me as . " " . . . . " "It became my prison," she continued,menting . "And I died . . . right after leaving my Will . I forcibly burst my heart, Soul and Singrity at the same time, thereby ending my reign . Unlike most other Records you have gone through, I won¡¯t show you myst moments; they are ugly, depressing, and I¡¯d rather you remember me as someone else than the broken wreck I would be . " " . . . " Lino was still trying to contemte the fact that Great Descent was around during the Four ns Era, which means they are at the very least around 3 billion years old as an organization . "I will let you see three moments of my life--" Eve continued after a short pause . "The day I became a Titr . . . the day I ughtered four other Bearers . . . and the day I met Eight, who imprisoned me here . " " . . . " "None of these three moments will offer you profound insight into things, my sessor," she said . "And, there is very little I can teach you as you¡¯ve already done one thing I couldn¡¯t have . Take away from my life what you will, but know I¡¯ve died filled with regrets and shame . Even still . . . almost till my dying day . . . I spent every waking hour screaming and ming Ataxia, yet he never spoke back . Rather, he never spoke to me after I was imprisoned . He was still there . . . I could feel him, nestling inside the very depths of my being . But . . . he was silent . I was once again the young girl, lying in a cold bed after warming another . . . facing nothing but the voices inside my own head . And, well . . . if there¡¯s one thing we all universally fear, it¡¯s the voice inside of us . . . our own echo . . . when all else grows silent . " " . . . " " . . . for some reason," she mumbled suddenly . "I can sense a faint presence of Umbra on you . If you ever get the chance . . . apologize to her for me . I¡¯ve let many people down in my life . . . but letting her down is one I never forgave myself for . " " . . . " "Without any further ado, my sessor . . . wee to my life," she said with a faint chuckle, closing her eyes . "No doubt a Forgotten Tale of shame . . . for all parties involved . " Chapter 252 Chapter 252: 252 CHAPTER 252 THE FORGOTTEN TALE (II) Cracks like spiderwebs ran rampant across the dried earth, some turning into massive crevices as though carved out by a knife, reaching as far as several kilometers in width . Lino stared at the surroundings in silent awe; not necessarily because of the sheer destruction, as he¡¯d himself done far worse, but because it all looked . . . so clean . As though every sh mattered, as though every move was precisely calcted . Because, if one looked from far above and observed the dried nd beneath, the cracks and crevices and craters formed a spiral shape, representative of Chaos in many of the world¡¯s most prominent cultures . " . . . I loved theatrics," Eve suddenly spoke out; she stood at the very center of her masterpiece, donning nothing but ordinary-looking, teal robes and a crimsoned sword in her right hand . Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, her two eyes wide open, white as snow . "As I believed they were the way I could get the world to stand behind me . All of the Archaic Records I observed up until this point . . . mostcked the worldly charisma . They were leaders in heart, but they were not unifiers . " " . . . " "I imagined that, given enough exposure, people woulde to question the Empyrean Narrative, that they¡¯de and stand by me once they learned the truth . " But they didn¡¯t . . . "But they didn¡¯t," she sighed faintly . "If anything, they grew more fearful . Who is that crazed, maddened bitch destroying the world? Why is she carving evil sigils into the Mother¡¯s Crust? How can she do all she does . . . while blind?" " . . . " "It was just after this battle," she said . "That I¡¯d realized something: world . . . can never be unified . Not by me . Not by Gaia . Not by Fate . Not by anyone alive, dead, or yet-to-be-born . We are all too different, too deeply embedded into whatever faith we were instructed to learn, too . . . foolish . There is no right answer, I¡¯d realized . But . . . I never stopped my theatrics . I carved out more and more, I took the corpses of those I had in and arranged them and then disyed them in Capital Cities . " " . . . " Lino, for a second, got shudders as he finally understood why they nicknamed her Blind Nightmare . "I deeply enjoyed the entropy of it all," Eve suddenly sat down and crossed her legs, stabbing the sword next to her . "It gave my life a meaning . . . as, from my heart of hearts, I believed it was my duty, my mission, my calling to sow chaos wherever I walked . I believed it was what Ataxia wanted, and I believed that was what every Empyrean before me did . But . . . Chaos . . . is ever-changing . It¡¯s as much destruction as it is creation; it is as much death as it is life; one can never entirely endow it by walking the crusades of the extremes . " " . . . " "I had realized that truth muchter in life," she added, closing her eyes . "Here, in this moment, I simply embraced what the world had donned over my shoulders: the very name I would choose as my Void Title, the Blind Nightmare . I¡¯ve let the hissing voices in and I swallowed them whole and epted . . . that was who I am . Not because the world said I was, but because . . . that really was it . " Lino didn¡¯t even need to discern her tone further to dismantle it whole; there was a lot of bitterness, a lot of shame, a lot of regret packed in those few words . It was the voice of someone who had re-examined their whole life and found out they¡¯ve made all the wrong choices . Except, for most, there is always time to turn around, to make something of those mistakes . . . for her, however, there never was . "When you, one day, don the mantle of the Void," the solemn silencested for quite a few minutes before she broke it . "Understand . . . that the title stays with you forever . Rather, it¡¯s not just a title -- it is what will define you . People, all over, are very shallow, very primitive . They won¡¯t bother trying to learn more about you -- whatever your Title denotes is what they¡¯ll believe you are . " " . . . " "For instance," she said, chuckling bitterly . "During my early crusade, the Elysian was Trellor, and his chosen title was ¡¯The Star of Order¡¯ . And everyone believed him to be a saint, a hero, a savior, the prophet of utopia . What was he really like? He enjoyed torturing people, ravaging women, witnessing the lives of others crumble before his eyes . . . in many aspects, he was far worse than me . But, nobody cared . His title said he was an upstanding man . . . and thus that he was . " "It¡¯s a bitter reality you¡¯ll no doubt face one day," she said . "If you already hadn¡¯t . You don¡¯t win people over by being stronger, you don¡¯t win them over by being smarter, you don¡¯t win them over by promising them better lives . . . you win them over by lying to them, by telling them what they want to hear and promising them things you certainly will never be able to deliver on . Because, then, you¡¯re a visionary -- and not a coward . " If he could, Lino would be nodding his head fervently, as he too hade to understand that reality . It is a saying that goes that those who fly too close to the sun will get burned, and while it is real, the more apt undertaking of it would be that those who pretend to fly too close to the sun will be sessful . It is hardly ever about the reality of things, it is entirely about the hand-woven narrative -- whether that be within the world of the ordinary people or cultivators . Rather than about brevity, it¡¯s all about eloquence; ¡¯The world is dying¡¯ and ¡¯The world is singing itsst hymn¡¯ depict the same idea . . . but in very different ways . " . . . I always thought I¡¯d dread this moment," Eve spoke out suddenly . "Because I knew that whoever I guided with my Will . . . would be better than I ever was . I thought I¡¯d be jealous, angry and bitter . . . but now that you¡¯re here . . . I really wish I could see you . . . talk to you . . . advise you and teach you and tell you everything I know and don¡¯t . Because, from the depths of my heart, beyond all other regrets, the one that I truly wish I could unwind . . . was the fact that I had failed . " " . . . he¡¯s very much like you," a robotic voice suddenly trickled out into the world, startling both Eve and Lino; the former shot up on her feet, looking around frantically while thetter once again realized that Ataxia never tells him anything and just springs on him stuff that usually need some prior warning . "He¡¯s headstrong, willful, coarse . . . a blood-maniac to his bones . But, the most important thing, Eve, is where the line is drawn . " " . . . can you let him talk to me?" Eve stuttered out . "I can¡¯t . His Will isn¡¯t strong enough yet to endure it . " Ataxia replied . "But, if it helps, even I do not know how he managed to do it . . . or why . " " . . . ha ha ha ha," Eve suddenlyughed out, freely and seemingly innocently, as though a heavy burden on her chest had finally vanished after so many eons . "It doesn¡¯t matter, really . " she chuckled . "In the end, he managed to do it -- whys and hows are irrelevant . He did something that neither I, nor Eldon, nor Anastasia, nor Aldurn, nor Varren were able to do . . . he rose above us all before he even became a Titr . If anything, he¡¯s proven once and for all that strength really is a vague, abstract term . " " . . . " Lino listened on, but secretly began concocting a poisonous array of insults and curses he¡¯ll hurl at Ataxia once he¡¯s back in the real world . He also made a mental note to ask him just how many functions he¡¯s recovered already . " . . . however, I believe I can still teach him something," she added, smiling . "Most notably . . . other Bearers . I¡¯ve no doubt that you¡¯ll cross swords with them, so, allow me to show you what they are like . What they do . What their strengths are . . . what their weaknesses are . . . and how all of them tend to be pious, high-moral morons who believe themselves beyond holy and chosen . Really, I fancied that us Empyreans always had problem with narcissism, but I didn¡¯t really get the extent of it all until I met other Bearers . At the very least, you know, we got something to back our ego up, right? I mean, we¡¯re all badasses who throw our bare bodies in inferno ande out of itughing . They?" " . . . " "They just, I dunno, chug a cup of fucking tea and believe they suddenly piss rainbows . Don¡¯t know, never really cared enough to ask one of them what they do for leisure . I just imagine it¡¯s looking themselves in the mirror constantly and nodding their heads in approval . Or, you know, they just might be licking portraits of themselves . That¡¯s how I imagined them anyway . " " . . . " Lino very much wanted to burst out inughter, yet he also felt somewhat wronged as one of ¡¯them¡¯ was Hannah . . . yet that wronged emotion was wrung out quickly by images of her winking at the mirror and praising herself repeatedly . He decided, however, to keep that image to himself . . . lest he became blind, just like Eve . Chapter 253 Chapter 253: 253 CHAPTER 253 THE FORGOTTEN TALE (III) A stone-paved road stretched wide across a nd, void of life, with turned offnterns hanging by its side . Within the distance, Lino saw the rising walls of stone and the dome-like barrier above the whole city, exuding a cyan sheen . Eve walked evenly, humming a low tune, donning nothing but cheap-looking robes and a sharp-looking, teethed sword . She walked with confidence that even surpassed his own, as though there was nothing in the whole world that could shake her . Up above, looming at the dome¡¯s edge, he spotted six figures hovering, all staring in her direction -- four men and two women, all bearing ugly expressions, mixture of anger, scorn, repulsion, but all still masking just a single one: fear . For the first time Lino had begun to understand the sheer value of Eve¡¯s name, of her posture, her very own being -- merely walking slowly, as though she was checking out the scenery, had rendered the six Bearers silent and fearful . She, however much simr, was also very different to other Empyreans; unlike Eshen, she didn¡¯t let the madness depress her dead, and unlike Q¡¯vil she didn¡¯t stand for something bigger than her . . . Her shoulders were broad and imposing, her eyes piercing and honest, the lips curled up into the faintest of smiles denoting confidence rather than arrogance . The attention she demanded by merely walking had rendered the world around her silent, causing the sounds of her wooden sandals nking against the stone to echo out wide into the world . She had stopped only a few dozen meters away from the wall and casually looked up, assessing each of the six floating in the sky briefly before moving on . None -- Lino noticed -- dared meet her gaze squarely . Rather, they came closer together, almost huddling in a bunched-up hug, as though to ward off the cold . " . . . this is what the Bearers are like," she mumbled softly into her jaw, speaking to Lino . "On any other day, they¡¯d be shimmering with pride, with ego, with inted sense of self . But . . . put them where they can¡¯t unt the title they didn¡¯t earn . . . and they crumble . Like children being scorned by their parents . " " . . . " "The Bearers for the Empyreans who make something of themselves," she continued . "Aren¡¯t the wall; they are like a rite of passage . It is inevitable you will conquer them . Because, for the billions of years, unlike Ataxia, they¡¯ve done nothing to improve . Take him, for instance . " she pointed at the leftmost man; he was bald, tall and muscr, wearing a peculiar, green-dyed armor set . Yet, despite the imposing stature, he still now looked like a small child . "Bearer of Immortality -- the only other Bearer besides us who specializes in Body Cultivation . Is that . . . the frame of an indomitable one? Someone who¡¯s ready to throw their bodies through inferno ande out smiling?" " . . . " "No, it most certainly is not," she scoffed . "They always act like shields for others . They cannot harm you -- even if they are literally tens of thousands of levels higher than you . Their job is to keep you distracted and keep others safe . Just ignore them . Let them punch you or stab you or kiss your ass . Won¡¯t make a darn difference . The woman next to him?" she looked further to the right where a hooded woman was floating, a few strands of her shining, cyan hair fluttering outside into the world . "Bearer of the Spoken Word . . . a Carnonian . What to do about them?" she smirked for a moment . "Just . . . ignore them . " "Eve," a woman d in silver armor suddenly stood in front of the rest, her golden hair fluttering back as she looked down at Eve . "If we fight here, a lot of innocent will be entangled . " " . . . and how¡¯s that my concern?" Eve smiled widely . "I¡¯m the Harbinger of Chaos, right? And youds are the holy saviors . So, by all holy means, save ¡¯em from this Harbinger over here . Hey, look at it in a positive light," she added . "At the very least all those stories you¡¯ve been using to brainwash those innocent will finally have some shred of truth to them, you know? I mean, it can¡¯t have been that easy just lying your asses off all this time . Oh, what am I saying . Of course it was . " "If you kill us all, Mother won¡¯t leave you alone . " the man Eve introduced as the Bearer of the Immortal Writ cried out . "Oh, jeez . For a grown man, you sure are a tattletale . What? Are you gonna tell on me to your mommy? Ring her up and ask her to whoop me dead? Dead idiot, that whore cane down here and lick me good and then I might just reconsider not shoving a sword up her swollen cunt . I mean, it is swollen right? She did, after all, give birth to a whole lot of parasites . That must have taken some toll on her poor old coochie . " " . . . this is all pointless," the woman who spoke out first sighed, shaking her head before suddenlynding in front of Eve . Upon closer inspection, Lino quickly realized that she was the Bearer of Order as her aura was eerily simr to Hannah¡¯s . "You may say whatever you want about us, but you¡¯re just as far gone Eve, if not more . Whatever we have ever felt and said about the Empyreans, at the very least we always knew they reigned their lives with honor and dignity . " " . . . " Eve said nothing, still smiling . "You? You . . . are just a mad, crazed beast . Today it¡¯s us . . . but what of tomorrow? Will you hunt the children the Mother chooses to seed us? Will you hunt our rtives, our friends, our Brothers and Sisters? Where does the chain of hatred actually end? When no one who isn¡¯t shivering in fear before you is left alive?" " . . . I don¡¯t know Lara," Eve said, lifting her sword and pointing it at the woman . "War never ends, haven¡¯t you heard? Today it¡¯s me who¡¯s fucking you over, but what of the hundreds of other times you¡¯ve fucked my predecessors over? Where was that holistic attitude then? When, the moment you¡¯d learn of the Empyrean¡¯s identity, you first ughtered everyone who¡¯s ever as much as brushed shoulders with them before finally hunting the source of your ¡¯problems¡¯? We¡¯ve all yed the morality card before, but, in the end, the mortality card is always the ¡¯at least I¡¯m dying while thinking I was right¡¯ nonsense . This way, no matter what the world says of me, at least I¡¯ll ease a bit of regrets of all those who came and went before me, and before they even had a chance to be someone . s, words are just words . And words are for idiots who can¡¯t pick up a sword . My name¡¯s Eve . . . and today I¡¯ll be your nightmare . " Just as she finished thest word, Eve ignored Lara who stood befuddled on the ground for a moment and instead shot up toward the sky . Her feet heaved off of the ground, causing rumble and earth to shake and crack into a massive crater; she was in front of the five looming in the sky within a sh, slicing her sword sideways directly at the balded man at the far left and cleaving him in two . The remaining four quickly scattered while crying out, trying to gain some distance from her while shemenced her hunt . Down below, Lara¡¯s face contorted, eyes steaming in bloodshot red, as she sped her hands together . A massive mirage, reflecting her own appearance, appeared above her, calling with it the elements of the world to converge . Fire, wind, water, lightning, earth . . . the bellow of the world sounded out as Eve came to a halt and turned around . Staring at her was a ten-miles-tall visage of a transparent woman shimmering in light blue, the pair of eyes milky white and shining, hands sped in front of her chest while the world around her bowed and obeyed . The steep mountain in the distance cleaved itself in half and flew over at hermand, the deep and rapid river just beneath it rose from its roots and drizzled over, the fire came to life from seemingly nowhere and cried out in her name, the clouds above bunched and scrunched and screamed, spitting out bolt after bolt of lightning while the thunder hummed the world to silence . " . . . Bearer of Order is always the most troubling," Eve mumbled . "You most-likely know of the Avatars, right? Nearly every Cultivation Method of Primordial-tier and above has the Avatar Form as itsst technique . Well, the idea of it stemmed directly from the Bearers of Order . Just on a much, much smaller scale, of course . " " . . . " Lino listened intently while the images of Hannah going ape-shit in the simr Avatar form shed through his mind . "Every Bearer of Order innately has aplete mastery of the Law of Command and Governance; they canmand winds and clouds, and govern queens and kings . The Origin Philosophy states that Chaos and Order lead, while the other five support . While I can¡¯t tell you how true that is as the book was a written by a loony who believed ghosts used to posses his shit, the book at least says one right thing: Order . . . is the first thing the Chaos spawns, which means it inherited the most . " "Avatar of Creation ---" Lara suddenly cried out, rising slowly into the sky as her body attained strange, ethereal cyan glow . "First Form -- Elemental Creation!!" "There are six Avatars they can embody," Eve exined . "But can only ever master one . And each Avatar has seven stages -- but, it¡¯s a pyramid-like structure . In order to activate thest stage, they have to go through all others . So, whatever you do, do not ever -- ever -- allow the Bearer of Order to achieve the Seventh Stage - Genesis . . . unless, of course," she chuckled suddenly . "You can match it with something of your own . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyebrows arched as he saw Eve perform simr movements to what he did once . "Sword of Chaos--" she mumbled . "Create Form -- Birth of Matter; Augment--" the reality around Eve suddenly blended unto itself, existing and not at the same time . "Chaotic Birth -- Commence . " the whirl of savage, world-ripping energy suddenly exploded out of her in the form of ghastly, reddish shadows, consuming everything in their wake . "Sword of Chaos -- Twelfth Form -- Cyclic Rebirth . " Within the span of a single breath, Lino witnessed something that both terrified him, yet also made him feel hopeful; the shadows exploded from Eve like a swarm and devoured everything within a mile radius, rendering it essentially a void . While Lara used her form to shell out a bombardment of elements, the reddish shadows simply swallowed it all . And then, through a miracle Lino did not understand, those shadows slithered about and cleaved themselves into a straightced de, superimposed over Eve¡¯s sword . " . . . this is the Matter of Creation," Eve exined . "One of the hardest forms of to master . While not the most powerful, it is the most flexible; devour whatever . . . create whatever -- that¡¯s its essence . And when I say whatever, I truly do mean whatever . " she sliced her sword in a slow manner as the reddish, de-like reality stacked with blurbs and orbs of light exploded like a star, giving birth to a Dragon -- a life-like, two kilometers long, scaled, fully-on-fire Dragon whose roar shook the world once over and made Lino realize something -- the Empyrean Writ isn¡¯t uncool . . . it was just that he was too weak to do any cool shit with it . That realization, in turn, made him feel very, very depressed for a moment . Chapter 254 Chapter 254: 254 CHAPTER 254 THE FORGOTTEN TALE (IV) All Lino heard was the sound of the buzzing and a low hiss, like snake¡¯s yet even lower, and all he saw was the blending of reality, heavy distortion as though someone ripped it open with their nails, before it all changed . One moment, Eve was standing on top of the spire overlooking a massive chasm in the earth from which the city stood erected, and the next she was within the misted, fogged, inaudible nightmare . It was for a sh, but Lino had spotted the masked figure she mentioned with number 8 etched into his mask . He was tall, Lino forged his image, with short, spiked blonde hair and a pair of clear, azure-colored eyes, on a thinner side of things . She was right, he realized inwardly; before she ever realized it was happening, she was ripped away from her reality and into this one, stillposing herself and readying for the battle . "Huh? You gonna y the hiding game now, cocksucker? Come out here and face me fairly you little bitch!" she growled angrily, holding tightly onto her sword . "We won¡¯t fight," a calm, even voice, almost with no distinguishing features to speak of, replied to her . It was also then that the man appeared, standing right in front of her, over a full head taller, looking down into her eyes . "As that was not my mission . " "You coc--huh? What¡¯s going on?" Eve stuttered out in confusion . "Why . . . where is my Qi?!! What did you do to me?!!" "Ensure the Empyrean passes on peacefully," the man replied instead . "That was my mission . The setting? Ah, my personal creativity . Nobody said you can¡¯t have some fun while working . But . . . you know that one too well, don¡¯t you . " "Answer my question fuckface!! Ataxia, what the shit is going on?!" "You have wronged the world," the man replied, still calm . "And the world . . . is tired . Tired of you, Eve . Of your madness . What I did . . . was simply recreate your reality, one within which you are not an all-powerful Empyrean . . . one where you are not the threat to the existence itself . " " . . . so, what? This is an illusion? Ha ha, you really think you can keep me contained within an illusion?" she spoke out, smiling condescendingly . "Illusion? No, no, of course not -- it¡¯s nothing cheap like that . " the man chuckled . "Ah, I should introduce myself first, I believe . My name is Eight, Fiendish Titr -- Creator of Realities . I have mastered all Laws pertaining to creation, maniption and destruction of the Reality -- and you are witnessing some of my finest work at the moment, if I may be abstain from humbleness for a moment . " " . . . I¡¯ve never heard of you . " Eve frowned . "Of course you haven¡¯t . Even Gaia doesn¡¯t know me . . . well, aside from the fact that I most-likely exist . " " . . . heh, this has been fun," Eve chuckled, pressing her forehead against his by standing on her toes . "But, fun¡¯s over . Let me out of here or I¡¯ll do things to your balls that even the men of most insane fetishes wouldn¡¯t like . " "We have observed you for two years now," the man replied, still smiling . "And we were waiting all the while . We knew your rampage would eventuallye to an end; some of us even fancied a bet over which one of us would get to do the honors . I bet on myself, naturally, and I¡¯ll be getting Twelfth¡¯s chessboard -- the oldest chessboard in the world . I mostly demanded it just to piss him off, to be honest . He¡¯s a bit of a bully . " "Who the fuck are you?" "I already said -- ah, you must mean what organization I belong to?" "No, I mean who the fuck do you think you are to threaten me and spit bullshit into my face like you¡¯re some lubed up ass ready for deep-shoving . " " . . . well, I do suppose your tongue is yourst weapon at the moment," the man chuckled . "And -- I mean this with all my heart -- it¡¯s a vicious and stingy weapon . . . but, it also has one major w . " "Oh? And what¡¯s that?" "It¡¯s ineffective on anyone whose brain has matured past the age of fifteen . " the man said . "Then we have a whole lot of children running around in old farts¡¯ bodies . " "That we certainly do, sadly . " " . . . you know I won¡¯t just sit down and ept this, right? I¡¯ll find a way out of here . " Eve said . "Do you even know where is ¡¯here¡¯?" the man asked her, smiling . "I . . . I have some theories . . . " "Ah -- I¡¯m being summoned back . They really don¡¯t like me wandering about too much; they get giddy, you know?" the man said, looking up toward the invisible sky . "Eventually, Ataxia will exin everything to you . Or he won¡¯t . He¡¯s after all, you know, embodiment of Chaos . Can¡¯t exactly predict what he¡¯ll do . He might even help you get out of the ce he asked us to put you in . Oops . I guess I shouldn¡¯t have said that . Oh well . Cat¡¯s out of the bag now . " " . . . at least do it, you know, with some wit and charm . " Eve sighed . "And of course I already realized that shit . Otherwise, how could have a ¡¯reality bitch¡¯ actually distort the reality of an Empyrean?" " . . . ah . You¡¯re a smart one . Shame . " " . . . suck a dick, pusshole . " " . . . well, I don¡¯t know what that means," he said, turning around . "But, also I have a few words for you . " he nced back and seemingly gazed past Eve¡¯s eyes, staring directly into Lino¡¯s Soul . "There are two general truths to Chaos -- Creation and Destruction . We have supported every Creator, and even a few Destructors . . . but we very much like this world, Eve¡¯s sessor, and we¡¯ll hardly stand by and watch as someone bathes it into the oceans of blood repeatedly . Just the fact that Ataxia allowed you to witness Eve¡¯s Records tells me you are more than just another Empyrean, and that without a doubt one day we¡¯ll meet . I just hope that, when that dayes, you¡¯ll have learned from her mistakes and not have repeated them . Otherwise, our meeting might be a bit awkward . . . and held in a ce very much simr to this one . ¡¯till next time, then . " Both Eve and Lino stared off into the man¡¯s back until he vanished, blending into the world and simply . . . disappearing . Lino felt his heart attempting to burst out of his chest, while it even seemed to take Eve quite a few moments to recover . She sighed bitterly and sat down, looking up toward the sky . " . . . Ataxiater told me about him," she mumbled softly . "And, if all cards align, you too will most-likely end up meeting him one day . Although a bit mischievous . . . he¡¯s a good person . Unlike me . " she added, smiling faintly . "Did you know he learned to manipte reality at the age of eight . . . just so he could give his little sister a better reality to live out thest few months she had? I . . . I¡¯d have never done anything like that . Everything I learned, everything I did, everything I said . . . it was all entirely for me and no one else . I¡¯ve never loved in my life, never found a husband or started a family . One time, I even considered it -- having a kid . But . . . I never did . Because I couldn¡¯t stand the idea of some snot waking me up in the middle of the night . " " . . . " "When he was twelve," she continued . "He fashioned a whole new reality for his entire vige . . . one within which they weren¡¯t starving and dying from preventable diseases . That left him bedridden for three decades . . . longer than my whole life . . . including thest years I spent here . From all the stories Ataxia told me, I had eventually grown less resentful of him locking me up here . . . and started to even smile whenever his name woulde up . " " . . . " "And, whatever the world may say of me, they can never say I¡¯ve never loved," she added, smiling wider . "Even if brief, and probably crafted out of a pure illusion I built him of inside my head . . . I had created a singr attachment to my life here . I only wished I¡¯d listened when people told me there was more to life than my mission, than the calling, than battling whatever foe I marked that day . Perhaps, then, my life would have gone differently . Even Eldon . . . the only other person I¡¯ve ever looked up to, told me exactly that . . . and he even showed me what that life looked like . . . but, I ascribed it to him being soft . . . and the reason he never finished the mission . " " . . . " "Everything -- and everyone -- in the world is part of a massive puzzle," she said, closing her eyes . "And sometimes pieces just don¡¯t fit . That doesn¡¯t mean we need stop looking for those that do . Howeverrger than you the story you¡¯re writing is, however bigger than life the things you do are . . . in the end, those aren¡¯t the moments you¡¯ll remember when breath begins to fade . You won¡¯t remember your battles, or how you made someone cry just by using words . . . and you won¡¯t remember how many boxes you¡¯ve checked out on the mission board . . . you¡¯ll remember little moments . Moments that truly defined you . They won¡¯t all necessarily be happy or good . . . but that doesn¡¯t matter . No story is ever built purely from happiness and joy . That¡¯s a dream I wouldn¡¯t wish even upon my worst enemies . When you stumble, you learn to get up . When you fall . . . you learn how to rise up . When you fail . . . you learn how to avoid mistakes . Those are the moments you¡¯ll remember . . . and whether your death is peaceful or not . . . whether you cross with a smile or with a cry . . . you have a whole life to decide . Don¡¯t be like me and lose yourself in things that don¡¯t matter . " Lino listened to the whole speech with a slight frown on his face; he truly wished for a moment he could pop out of her and scream at her that he¡¯s nothing like her -- well, aside from enjoying the rush from fighting a bit too much . Andshing out with his tongue quite a bit . And looking cool when doing stuff . But, he certainly wasn¡¯t anything like her, he swore inwardly . And then he also realized he was only thinking about himself while someone else was going through some really heavy stuff . I sure hope Hannah doesn¡¯t leave me when I unload all this shit on her . . . was thest thought he fancied before being ripped back into his own world and into his own reality . Chapter 255 Chapter 255 CHAPTER 255 REALITIES The first thing Lino saw as he opened his eyes was a drooling face looming over him, her eyes closed yet twitching asionally, lips mumbling indiscernible words . He felt a tight tug at his chest, fingers digging into his skin, yet relentless calm of it all, as though he was standing in the eye of the storm as it was blowing the whole world apart . His lips curled up in an involuntarily smile as he raised his arm and caressed her slightly wet cheek . He got up gently and slowly, holding back a grunt, sitting down and pulling her into his embrace . Heaving his head up, he realized they were still in the hollowed center of the mountain, with the same throne of bones and skulls stretching into nothingness up above, with the same stench of faint decay assailing his nostrils . Yet, he wanted to be nowhere else in the whole world; there was a pull he couldn¡¯t quite describe, tying him to this very moment . "Ugh . . . god, I gotta do something about that drooling . . . " Hannah mumbled as she opened her eyes, taking a second to realize what was happening . "Oi!! Shit . You saw me drool, haven¡¯t you?!" she shot up on her feet and looked at Lino, wiping away at her mouth . "Oh, sweetie, it¡¯s adorable you think I didn¡¯t see it a billion times by now . " Lino smiled cheekily, getting up as well . "And, yeah, it¡¯s a little bit disgusting, but, you know, it¡¯s mostly cute . " "This conversation is not over!" she eximed, frowning . "When¡¯d youe back?" "Right now, actually . " Lino replied . " . . . how was it?" "It was . . . unexpected," Lino said . "Met some girl called Eve . " " . . . t-the . . . the Nightmare Eve?" Hannah stuttered out . "T-the most insane . . . Empyrean ever?" " . . . you know her?" Lino asked . "Of course I know her! Everyone knows her!" she eximed . "Every Bearer literally ever is shown at least one Archaic record containing her to teach us how insane you guys are!" " . . . " Lino sighed lowly, feeling a sting of bitterness . "S-so . . . you know, did . . . did you fall in love with murder-y stuff . . . more? ¡¯Cause, you know, I love you . . . and I totally support that . " "No, I haven¡¯t . " "Oh, thank god! I mean, I love you, but I¡¯m totally against that!" " . . . ha ha, yeah . . . " "What¡¯s wrong?" she asked, seeing Lino¡¯s strange expression . " . . . I don¡¯t know," he mumbled, sighing . "I mean, you saw an insane woman going on a rampage . . . " "Right . " " . . . and I saw someone so broken I actually managed to convince myself I¡¯mpletely sane for a moment there . " he said . "Well, of course you did," Hannah said . "I mean, we¡¯re selectively shown specific moments that make the Empyreans look as bad as possible . You, you know, are shown moments that make them seem . . . less insane . " "No, no, I get that," Lino chuckled . "I pretty much discovered it during the first Record . But . . . this was different Hannah . It was Eshen all over again . . . but, and I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, probably even more insane . " "Eshen? Who¡¯s Eshen?" she asked . "Oh, I suppose she¡¯s the failed one of sorts," Lino said as he reached into the pouch and took out Grim, causing the bird to cry out in joy before climbing with Hannah on top of his back and ascending to crawl out of the hole through which they came in . "With both of them . . . it was the ¡¯damned if you do and damned if you don¡¯t¡¯ scenario . No matter what they did . . . they could have never won . Eshen . . . was simply a normal girl forced into the path of relentless ughter . And Eve? Eve was a broken girl who was given all the tools she could ever ask for to remedy all the pain she felt in her life . It¡¯s just . . . bitter, you know?" " . . . aren¡¯t you the same, though?" Hannah asked . "However tough their lives were, Lino, I very much doubt yours can¡¯t stand on equal grounds . " "It¡¯s not about lives, Hannah . It¡¯s about who we are," he said . "I mean, yeah, I didn¡¯t have the prettiest of childhoods . . . but, through every period of my life that mattered, there was someone there for me, you know? First it was Ally, then it was you, then there were Eggor and E . . . do you believe even for a second that if it weren¡¯t for you guys . . . I would have stood any chance at all of making it all the way here on my own?" " . . . " though she very much wanted to say yes, Hannah knew she couldn¡¯t; had she not been there to stop Lino, there was no doubt he would have gotten himself killed one way or another . "But, neither Eve nor Eshen . . . ever had anyone . They felt abandoned by the world . They merely took two different paths; Eve descended into madness, externalizing her anger . . . and Eshen made herself into an image of a holy savior to remedy all that she had done . They . . . never truly, really stood a chance . " " . . . no," Hannah sighed . "I suppose they didn¡¯t . But . . . you do . " she added, wrapping him in her arms and pulling him into her tight embrace . " . . . Valkyria was right . " "By god you know a lot of girls dude . " Hannah sighed bitterly . "I know I said I¡¯m cool and everything, but it doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t sting, alright?" "Oh, don¡¯t worry . I haven¡¯t slept with any of them . " Lino chuckled . "No, I know . I just wish that one time when we¡¯re having a serious discussion, you¡¯d say ¡¯Oh damn babe, I used to know this Bob dude and he really had some great ideas that I think we should discuss¡¯ . Just, you know, to bnce things out . " " . . . ha ha ha ha," Lino burst out intoughter, madly unable to contain it as even Hannah was unable to resist joining in after a few moments . "Sorry, I promise the next time I bring up something serious, it will be definitely that Bob next door who prompted it . " "Well, it doesn¡¯t have to Bob, you know? What about Felix? He . . . he seems like a, uh, youngd who¡¯s got things figured out, you know?" "Felix?" Lino nced at her oddly . "Yeah . . . " "Isn¡¯t he your disciple dude?" "Well, yeah, but he¡¯s not here, you know? God, that dude¡¯s one indecisive fuck . But, to be fair, he¡¯s also quite brave . I mean, he did follow me all the way here . Couldn¡¯t have been easy . " " . . . eh, it was probably the easiest decision he ever made in his life . " Hannah said . "Right . Because of Lucky . " "No, idiot . Because of you," she rolled her eyes at him, pping back of his head gently . "You both make our lives harder and easier . It¡¯s a paradox I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll never figure out . " " . . . tell me about it . " he mumbled into the void, his eyes dimming for a moment . It has dawned on him through conversation with Hannah that they had very different perspectives on past, as they had seen twopletely different versions of it . He¡¯d seen Empyreans being hunted down like beasts, taking theirst stands with pride and dignity, while she saw Empyreans running rampart and sowing chaos wherever they walked and in whatever they did . He¡¯d also realized it wasn¡¯t merely limited to the Empyreans of the past, but to all the events that lived and died there . They know two entirely different histories, two entirely different realities . . . as neither is wrong as neither is right . World isn¡¯t made up of events alone, strung together in an order that makes sense; it is made up just as much of interpretations as is of the events themselves . Just like paintings, or ys, or stories . . . it hardly ever is just as it is . The blending of the two realities they lived, Lino realized, is the entire magic of it all . When she sees Holy Grounds, she sees her Brothers and Sisters, she seesughter and joy . . . her home . He doesn¡¯t . Just the same way that when he sees orphanages, dirty slums and ordinary, old people . . . he sees a reflection of who he is . The whole world is made up of these differences that link against all odds; E and Eggor, two people who by all reason should have never even known one another . . . wound up together . Lucky and Felix, stark contrasts in who they are . . . crossed whatever walls stood between them . Billions of other examplesy scattered, Lino realized, that he¡¯s not privy to . Just like Eve and Eshen, who were never supposed to mantle the title of an Empyrean . . . yet did . It wasn¡¯t even that their failures were guaranteed, but more that odds were so stacked against them they virtually never stood a chance . He thought of Fate for a moment, wondering of the infinity of choices she has to disregard for each choice an individual makes . . . and he finally realized why she wished for a world with the pretense of free will . He, too, would very much love it if someone swooped in and gave him all the answers, solved all his problems, and did all the things he doesn¡¯t want to do . But he knew that wasn¡¯t how the world worked; a huge part of the reason as to why he was currently flying on a mythical bird with a woman he was never supposed to even meet let alone see naked more than once of her own free will is that nobody else figured things out for him, but that he bled and cried through every mistake he ever made, through every wrong turn he¡¯d taken . . . all to get where he was now . In paradise . Chapter 256 Chapter 256: 256 CHAPTER 256 IMMORTAL SWORD MAIDEN E was currently floating high in the sky, her face scrounged up into a frown . A one-piece, simple and slightly dull dress fluttered in the high winds, draping perfectly over her body . Her eyes gazed off into a distance, piercing and strict, as though she was looking at something beyond the reality . Sighing faintly, she nced down toward the Pce and beyond, at the entrance of the Titan Realms . It has been three months since shest heard from Lino, and though she wasn¡¯t really worried about him as Hannah was there, she certainly wished the two had left a bit sooner . Space rippled open next to her as a stout figure walked out, sitting on-top of a pair of mechanical wings tinted silver, shaped like an elongated kite . Eggor¡¯s arms were crossed, face contorted into an ugly expressions, eyes veering off into horizon simr to E¡¯s . "You should go back," she said . "Can¡¯t help me with this one . " " . . . yeah, I¡¯ll definitely do that . " Eggor replied yet show no intention of leaving . "Eos isn¡¯t that dangerous," she chuckled . "I¡¯ll be fine . " " . . . it¡¯s been over two thousand years since youst saw her, El¡¯," Eggor said, ncing at her . "Hell, even if you hadn¡¯t seen her in this past decade alone, you would still be reasonable to doubt . " " . . . I know," E sighed . "She must have been sent out because of Hannah . " "That bastard is sure taking his time," Eggor grumbled . "Unaware of others¡¯ troubles, as per usual . " "Hey, it¡¯s fine if you pretend to hate him when he¡¯s around," she said, chuckling . "But you don¡¯t have to keep making up lies just to tell them to me . You know I¡¯m not buying any of them, right? So what¡¯s even the point? ¡¯Cause if this is how you¡¯re gonna be like toward our kid, I¡¯ll smother you to death . " "Humph, of course I won¡¯t," Eggor said, ncing at E¡¯s slightly bulged stomach pronounced through the draped dress . "Our kid will be an angel . . . unlike him . " "Yes, but our kid also won¡¯t have to go to sleep knowing the whole world is out to snuff him out . " " . . . she¡¯s here . " Eggor said, moving back slightly . "You talk . I have a feeling I might say some unsavory things . " "Might? Might? It used to be adorable over how in denial you are . Now it¡¯s just sad . " "I know you love every inch of me," Eggor smirked . "As to why you feel a need to make lies up and tell them to me . . . ah, I¡¯ll never figure it out . " " . . . touche big man . Touche . " E smiled back, slowly turning her attention from him toward the front . A mere momentter, a sh of light brighter than the sun itself blinded them temporarily . Unlike Eggor, however, who was forced to close his eyes and cover them over with his arm, E stood seemingly unaffected, not even blinking while the zing light assailed her . She merely raised her arm lightly and snapped her fingers, causing groaning Eggor behind her to rx as pain vanished . Light subsided as quickly as it grew, revealing behind a beautiful woman with a prideful expression and indifferent eyes, donning golden, holy-looking armor . A pair of angelic-looking wings made entirely out of light fluttered behind her, creating a holistic halo behind her back that spun into a zing ring . Next to the woman was a much younger girl, curiously looking ahead and then ncing at the woman next to her, seemingly wondering why they had stopped so suddenly . Eos¡¯ eyes shifted over onto Eggor for a moment before disregarding him entirely, re-focusing back onto E who stood calm . She quickly noticed the small bulge draped over by the dress, her lips curling up into a smile . " . . . I never imagined the Sword Maiden would bring a child to this world . " Eos said . "Especially his . Whatever could the child have inherited from you has been polluted . Shame . Truly a shame . " " . . . in my memories you¡¯re a young, cheerful girl who knew her manners," E spoke out, sighing . "This . . . is the real shame here . " " . . . I¡¯m very much still someone who knows her manners," Eos replied . "But, not to those who have turned their back on everything and vanished like cowards . Respect isn¡¯t given, Sword Maiden . You of all people should know that . " "Why are you here, Eos?" E asked straightforwardly . "It is none of your business . The question is . . . why are you here? And why are you intercepting me?" Eos replied indifferently . " . . . " E looked deeply into those eyes for a moment before smiling bitterly and suddenly drawing out a thin, needle-like shaped sword . Eos expression quickly shifted as she frowned . "Are you going to defy the Mother, Sword Maiden?" "I don¡¯t remember you giving birth to me, Eos," E said . "You should turn around . You can¡¯t win this battle . " " . . . ha ha ha ha," Eos suddenly burst out into maniacalughter, as though she¡¯d heard the funniest thing in the world . "Can¡¯t win against a washed-up traitor? Your bravado is certainly impressive, though very much folly . " "Then move that child away . " E said . " . . . you are serious about this . " Eos said, herughter stopping . "I very much doubt you have gone insane and forgotten what it means to attack the Bearer, Sword Maiden . However much you once mattered to your Sect, they are already on thin ice . They will not cover for you . " " . . . why would I need them to?" E cracked a faint smile . "Do you think An¡¯, Selvor, Ryne, Crane . . . or any one of them would actually stand up for you? The whines and moans of the Bearers are much less important at the moment than you imagine, Eos . " " . . . very well," Eos said as she waved her hand gently, causing the girl who was standing next to her to suddenly disappear . "It seems you have forgotten who stands on top of the world, nor . Whatever talent you may bear, we¡¯re the Chosen Children of the Mother . And she¡¯s always on our side . " " . . . " E said nothing, merely smiling for a moment before suddenly opening her closed eyes . The Qi from within tens of thousands of miles burst into aplete mania, bending the reality itself as storms quaked and roared well above the clouds . It all darkened, all grew stiff, silent and numbing; Eos stood shocked for a moment before suddenly realizing she had made a huge mistake . Spreading her arms wide, the zing halo behind her expanded into a massive, zing ring spanning far and wide, keeping the torrential and crazed Qi at bay for the time being . She shuffled her gaze over onto E who still stood in the same ce, and met the pair of piercing eyes . Eos felt her soul go frigid, forcing every ounce of her Will to wrap itself around her Singrity and protect it from the self-imposed destruction . It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d felt such sensation, but she still felt it only a few times in her life, and only ever for brief moments as a form of tempered training . Had she not underwent it . . . she was certain her Soul would have imploded unto itself already . " . . . y-you . . . you . . . " she mumbled faintly, pointing her shaking finger at E . " . . . shit . " Realizing she stood no chance, she turned around and attempted to retreat when she realized her whole body wouldn¡¯t move, as though there was an ethereal hand sped around her tightly, holding her in once ce . Her whole body began shaking as she slowly turned around, a maddened shriek escaping her lungs when she saw E floating right next to her, looking down into her eyes, the needle-like sword an inch away from piercing directly into Eos¡¯ heart . " . . . make a vow, Eos," E whispered into Eos¡¯ ear softly . "That not a word of what you witnessed or experienced today will be shared, and I won¡¯t kill you . " " . . . k-k-kill me . . . kill me!!" Eos cried out . "I--I¡¯d rather die . . . die than betray . . . the Mother . . . " " . . . haah . . . " E sighed, withdrawing her sword as the world around them suddenly returned to normal . "I really wish that scoundrel was there . . . " she mumbled . "For all the pain his tongue enlists . . . he certainly is quite persuasive with it . " "Aww, it¡¯s nice to see someone appreciates what I bring to the table . " a jovial voice startled E who suddenly looked sideways and saw a crimsoned bird fluttering about, carrying a masked figure of a man who was currently smiling at her . " . . . right . Of course you¡¯re here . " E sighed after a few moments of silence . "You don¡¯t call for three months but you show up at the most inopportune times . It basically defines your entirely personality . " " . . . I don¡¯t like what you¡¯re turning into," Lino frowned . "Leave the soul-insulting words to me . You go back to being a gentle soul who wouldn¡¯t harm an ant instead of a chick who just forced me to burn through my Qi reserves to ensure nobody beneath saw what was happening . Not cool!" "Oh, that was you? I was kind of wondering why no one came up to see what¡¯s going on . " Eggor suddenly spoke out, nodding . "Good thinking . Finally, using your brain for something other than murdering someone with words . " "Right, anyway," E said . "Can you go on and convince her it¡¯s for the best if he keeps her mouth shut?" "Who¡¯s she anyway?" Lino asked as Grim flew closer, stopping right next to Eos who was still shaking whole, unable to look up . "Oh, right . How rude of me," E grinned . "Meet Eos, the Chosen Bearer of Light . " " . . . " "That! That¡¯s it!" Eggor suddenly eximed as both him and E burst out intoughter . "Finally!! We finally made him speechless! God, I was waiting for this moment for so long!! This deserves we pop open the bottle of Moondew, right?" "Ha ha ha, of course!" E nodded fervently . "And we won¡¯t even be stingy this time around! We both get at least two cups!" "Yes! Fucking yes! Ha ha ha . . . " " . . . you two are idiots," Lino recovered rtively quickly, sighing yet also smiling widely as he saw the two of themughing around like children . "I¡¯m not around for a few months, and you bring a fucking Bearer into my backyard . Real ssy guys, real ssy . " "Not us actually," E winked lightly . "Someone else . " "Oh . Yeah . " Lino nodded, realizing what she meant . "That makes a bit more sense . Anyway, does she know?" "No reason not to . Might make her reconsider . " E said as she and Eggor withdrew on his flying kite and took out a bottle shining in silver which they handled as though it was their child . Linomanded Grim to fly lower until he saw Eos¡¯s face clearly; she was rather beautiful -- no, calling her beautiful was certainly an insult, he mused . She could easilypare to E¡¯s actual appearance, rather than her housewife figure she loved showing off so much . " . . . D-descender?" Eos finally calmed down enough to look up, meeting a pair of jet-ck eyes hidden behind the mask . " . . . how do you do?" Lino grinned, waving . "Ah, sorry, it¡¯s, you know, an expression . Considering you look like absolute shit, you certainly aren¡¯t doing great . " " . . . " Eos frowned yet said nothing, unable to rip herself away from his gaze; there was something about it that chilled her soul even more than E, yet in a much more subtle, nuanced way . " . . . right, introductions," Lino said . "I¡¯m indeed a Descender . Seventy-Two at that, a very young, yet startling prospect that even the old geezers over there were happy to recruit . Geez, have you ever met them? They¡¯re just like the rest, those fuckers . Talking in cryptic ways, talking about some vague shit that doesn¡¯t even matter . . . they really piss me off . But, oh well . The mask¡¯s pretty cool, right? Works wonders with thedies, actually . " " . . . " Eos found herself dumbfounded, confused, and dumbfounded . She had heard the Great Descent, and its members, being referred to in many ways, but never in this one . . . and especially by one of its members . . . either the man in front of her was the bravest soul alive, or the greatest fool to have ever lived . "But, I¡¯m pretty sure my other identity will be of much greater interest to you," Lino grinned, closing further in until he was a mere inch away from Eos¡¯ face . "And might make you reconsider your options . " within the speck of the second, Eos underwent an illusion inside her very own mind; nothingness . . . and everything . . . bound together . . . and ripped apart . . . her very own being saddled with all of the past and present, her heart crippled by every emotion ever felt by everyone . . . her body ripped to pieces by every injury ever inflicted . . . her soul feeling every bit of pain everyone has ever felt . . . she had stared directly into the eyes of Chaos . . . just for a speck of the second . . . yet by the end of it, her eyes were bleeding profusely, crying tears of blood, her whole body numbed as she stared at the jet-ck eyes that had twisted her soul with a mere gaze . Chapter 257 Chapter 257 CHAPTER 257 HISTORY OF THE SWORD Lino sighed audibly, feeling rather bad after seeing Eos bleed out from her eyes . He¡¯d expected her to defend with her Will far more than she did, having forgotten that E had defiantly trampled over it just a few minutes prior . There was no turning back now, though, so he heaved Eos up over his arm and threw her onto Grim, flying over toward Eggor and E . "Where¡¯s Hannah?" E asked . "We parted after exiting the Realm," Lino said . "Said she had to report to her Elders . So . . . keep her from spilling her guts out?" Lino added, pointing at now passed out Eos . "That¡¯s the n . " E smiled . " . . . " it was only now that Lino noticed the faint bulge over E¡¯s stomach, his eyes quickly turning into saucers . "I--I--- I¡¯m gonna be a Big Brother---ugh, fuck," he gagged for a moment, his conversation with Umbra shing through his mind . "No, fuck that noise . No . " " . . . d to see you¡¯re happy for us . " Eggor grumbled . "No, not that . Of course I¡¯m happy!" having recovered quickly he eximed, leaping over and hugging both widely . "That kid¡¯s one lucky son of a bitch! Or a daughter, you know? Whichever!" "What¡¯s important is that I¡¯m still a bitch, huh?" E smirked . "Well, you are pregnant . " Lino winked . "I¡¯m fairly certain he didn¡¯t breathe that kid into you . Congrats guys," his expression mellowed, smile turning warm . "I don¡¯t know anyone else more deserving of it . . . and I certainly don¡¯t know a luckier kid than yours . " " . . . yeah, seeing how you turned out," E said . "We¡¯re kind of terrified, actually . " "Oh, don¡¯t worry about it," Lino said . "This one¡¯s not on you . By the time you go to me, I was already beyond fucked . By the way, if it¡¯s a boy, leave thedy talk to me . " "Yeah, I¡¯m definitely gonna turn my son into a whore," Eggor groaned . "Because that¡¯s the sort of an upstanding person the world justcks . " "Hey, hey, who said anything about turning him into a whore?" Lino frowned, putting on an expression of genuine hurt . "I mean, I know you snatched her, but let¡¯s face it big man -- you and women? You don¡¯t make sense . Me, on the other hand? I get thedies . " "Heh, you really think that?" Eggor chuckled . "Ah, however much I hate to admit it, he¡¯s right honey," E nced at Eggor and smiled apologetically . "You are just a walking bubble of awkward when ites to other women . Remember that one time you tried to show me up by flirting with that tavern hostess?" " . . . . . " Eggor¡¯s cheeks suddenly flushed red as he turned away . "That¡¯s a story I fucking need to hear!" Lino eximed . "And you won¡¯t," E chuckled, turning back toward him . "What¡¯s your n with her, anyway?" "As I said, I get thedies . " "I have no clue how Hannah tolerates you . " "Neither do I . " Lino shrugged . "Right, big news . Met thest living Titan, the guy killed himself and gave me his heart . So, that¡¯s a story . " " . . . I¡¯m not even gonna ask . . . " E sighed, shaking her head . "Be careful around Eos . " she suddenly warned . "While interacting with her Will, I¡¯de to know she¡¯s turned quite . . . maniptive . But, then again, it is you . You and maniption are practically married to one another . " "Hey! That hurt! How dare you call me maniptive?!" Lino eximed . "What? That farewell speech of yours during the lunch was just an expression of good will?" E smirked . " . . . yeah, fair enough . It¡¯s nice to see you¡¯ve listened, for a change . " Lino smirked back . "Listened? No, of course we haven¡¯t . " she chuckled . " . . . ah . So that¡¯s what this unpleasant feeling in my Soul was . " Lino sighed . "Really? Isn¡¯t my life talisman enough?" "When you stop doing stupid and reckless things, it will be . " " . . . so never, huh?" "Yeah, never . " Eggor joined in after recovering . "I¡¯lle with you and help set up the Entrapment Formation for Eos . Honey, go and rest . That can¡¯t have been a walk-in-the-park for the baby . " " . . . you really think I¡¯d let anything happen to our child?" E suddenly frowned . "Huh . So that¡¯s how it is, ha? Alright . Go and set up your Entrapment Formation . And then identally trap yourself . Or don¡¯t . I don¡¯t care . " " . . . yikes . " Lino sucked in a cold breath as he saw E vanish while Eggor¡¯s face turned pale . "You aren¡¯t gonna recover from that one quickly . " " . . . it¡¯s the pregnancy," Eggor was quick toin as they mounted Grim . "She¡¯s determined to go through with it naturally, so she¡¯s affected by it like all hell . Just the other day, in the span of five minutes, she went from batshit-insane-throwing-tes-at-me to crying-in-the-corner . " " . . . yeah . I really didn¡¯t need to know that . " Linomented . "And I really didn¡¯t need to share that . " Eggor coughed lowly, agreeing . "Anyway, you alright?" "Alright?" Lino turned around and faced Eggor, with Eos passed out in-between them . "Yeah, it¡¯s been a while since west saw you . " "Oh, I see . You¡¯re training on how to be a dad . " Lino chuckled while Eggor grumbled dismissively . "Hey, I get it, okay? And thanks for asking, but I¡¯ve been great!" " . . . I haven¡¯t said anything to her," after a few moments of silence between the two, Eggor spoke out in a heavy voice . "But I¡¯m really worried, Lino . " "About what?" Lino asked, dropping the joker act . " . . . about E, about our kid, about you . . . about everything . . . " he sighed heavily . "The world . . . it ain¡¯t right . And, I know, I know, it¡¯s never been right . But it¡¯s different this time . Has E ever told you why she and I left and settled in the Umbra Kingdom?" " . . . uh, not explicitly," Lino scratched his head . "But, I¡¯ve pieced a few things together . Something to do with a Disciple betrayal, banishment and such . . . " " . . . against my better judgment, it¡¯s probably time you heard the actual story," Eggor said, taking a deep breath . "Her Grandfather was the Patriarch of the n at the time, and her banishment was nned ever since her sixth birthday . " " . . . huh?!" Lino eximed . "It was the day they learned she had whatever-immortal-soul," Eggor said . "Well, while everyone unted it to the world, her Grandfather had entirely different idea on her future . About a month before she was banished, he found me stranded in a random cave in the middle of nowhere where I was drinking my sorrows away . " " . . . " "One of the strongest and wisest men in the entire world," Eggor said, smiling bitterly . "Burst out into tears in front of me like a child . . . and bowed to me, Lino . He thanked me over and over, for helping E discover herself . He then spent hours apologizing, offering his life in return for my forgiveness . . . " " . . . why do I have a feeling E doesn¡¯t know this story?" Lino chimed in . "Ha ha ha, no, she knows," Eggor said . "I¡¯ve told her a long time ago . Anyway, in spite of his incessant begging, I was still angry . Mad . Broken . Bottomed out, really . I was unwilling . " " . . . " " . . . but, the bastard kept on pushing . " Eggor chuckled . "He stayed with me for nearly a week, talking so much I swear to god he¡¯d spoken every single word of the Common Tongue . In the end, I gave in . I decided to hear her out . He then told me his insane n, all devised to ensure E left the Holy Continent entirely, crippled . " " . . . why?" Lino frowned . " . . . because of you . " Eggor suddenly smiled, startling Lino . "Me?" Lino eximed softly . "Well, not explicitly you . He just mentioned that the Warring Era is breathing itsst breaths . . . and that the person who¡¯ll end it will be an Empyrean . " " . . . and that¡¯s the part you never told her . " Lino suddenly eximed . " . . . he he, what, can¡¯t a man have a secret or two he keeps from his better half?" "Hey, I keep no secrets from Hannah!" "Sure you don¡¯t buddy . Sure you don¡¯t . " " . . . khm, so, why did he think that?" Lino asked as the two routed to a nearby mountain range and found an isted nd surrounded by thick woods on all ends beforending . " . . . honestly? I don¡¯t know . " Eggor said, sighing . "He just told me that E would be instrumental, and that if she stayed there . . . she would wind up dead, at best . He also told me that war after war would soon break out,pounded in the end by the Realm Wars, and the Wars of Creation or Origin Wars -- whatever the hell that is . " "Are you sure he¡¯s strong enough to know this?" Will¡¯s robotic voice startled Eggor who fumbled back and fell off Grim, cursing lowly . " . . . give a man some warning, dude . " Eggor cursed . "You think he ain¡¯t?" " . . . it doesn¡¯t matter . " "Yea, I¡¯m strong enough or whatever . Speak old man!" Lino quickly spoke out as he realized that his Soul was back in his body . " . . . yeah," Eggor looked at him dubiously for a moment but continued . "As I said, he never really exined anything to me . . . just listed things out . He told me that, if she ever met an Empyrean, it would be my job to, you know, rekindle the mes of cultivation inside of her . Turns out, I didn¡¯t really have to do that . " " . . . there¡¯s a weird spin to this story," Lino suddenly grumbled, feeling a headachee onto him . "And I¡¯m sure the bastard¡¯s gonna share it one day . . . but by god, if I don¡¯t go mad by then, I¡¯d at least have gone insane . " " . . . E¡¯s finally strong enough to tangle in the world¡¯s affairs, at least the surface ones," Eggor said . "But . . . " " . . . don¡¯t worry about it," Lino suddenly smiled, patting Eggor¡¯s back . "I¡¯ll talk to her . " "Heh, you think you can convince her?" Eggor chuckled bitterly . "Well, I did convince Hannah to have sex with me . " Lino said . "How hard can it be to convince a woman who already loves me to just stay still and raise her kid proper?" " . . . attaboy . . . " Eggor, begrudgingly, sighed out as he saw the glimmer of expectation glistening inside Lino¡¯s eyes . "Don¡¯t ask me why, but I have a feeling her grandfather was a Descender . " Lino¡¯s lips suddenly curled up in a smile as he stroked his beard . "Oh my . There certainly is a spin to this story . I really wish I could dy the whole Eos business and go and have some fun . " " . . . what?" Eggor asked, confused . "Old man," Lino mumbled lowly, his smile turning into a grin . "Or should I call you Grampa? Geesh, you better spoil me rotten old man . " Meanwhile, within the small, inconspicuous-lookingke, old, balded man¡¯s eyebrows were currently twitching, while two younger-looking men standing next to him were shaking, trying to hold back theirughter . Chapter 258 Chapter 258: 258 CHAPTER 258 DISILLUSIONED LIGHT Golden gemsid embedded in the rtively small ceiling of a makeshift cave, exuding warm and pleasant glow, showering the entire cave in light . The cave¡¯s floor was entirely covered in strange, crimson runes and patterns rounding up in a massive circle, asionally spitting out faint billows of the smoke . There seemed to be neither the entrance nor the exit to the cave, as it was entirely closed-in with the rugged, dry walls . Within the cave¡¯s center was a steel pillory, carved out with circr runes, a pair of hands and a head veering out . The golden shine of Eos¡¯ hair had dimmed, muddied by dirt, dried up and interlocked . Her head was facing down, still seemingly unconscious, the rest of her body entirely naked . Lino sat just a few paces away on top of a simple, wooden chair, currently drinking from a pouch, his eyes seemingly unfocused on the reality in front of him . His thoughts spun around the conversation he had with Eggor and a brief revtion he had; he was quite tempted to simply drop everything and go to the Descent¡¯s headquarters nearby, but held back for the time being as there were more pressing issues . Such as Eos who suddenly groaned, calling him back into reality . His eyes focused back onto her, running up and down her body for a moment before faintly nodding . She slowly raised her head, clearly still drowsy, and met a pair of jet-ck eyes which froze her once again . She hadn¡¯t even realized she was entirely naked, or that she was locked up without the ability to move . Lino stared curiously into her eyes for a moment before cracking a faint smile, taking out another drink from the void world, and walking over, crouching and helping her to a few gulps . She devoured them with glee, only grumbling after, having realized it was an alcoholic beverage . " . . . not a fan of booze?" Lino asked, putting the gourd away and walking back to the chair . "I can¡¯t go on a day without it . Could be it¡¯s me with the problem, though . " " . . . " Eos said nothing, ncing around for a moment before finally realizing where she was and that she was naked . "A perverted maniac? Why am I not surprised?" she scoffed . "While I won¡¯t lie and say I haven¡¯t looked at you," he chuckled . "Because, by god, I¡¯d have sinned if I hadn¡¯t -- I promise you, I haven¡¯t touched you . . . nor I have any intention to . I¡¯m a man happily in love, after all . " "You all say that . " she said . " . . . we do, don¡¯t we?" Lino smiled faintly . "It¡¯s a shame how little value words ¡¯I love you¡¯ have these days . It¡¯s a powerful sentiment . . . cheaped far too much . " "Oh, a romantic?" she chuckled . "That¡¯s rare, especially for an Empyrean . " "Really?" Lino said, taking the gulp of ale . "From all my Archaic Records, I¡¯d wager every single one was a romantic . Perhaps not ¡¯I have the love of my life in my arms and that¡¯s enough¡¯ sort of a romantic, but more the type to poetically go on about their deaths . Gets kind of annoying after a while, actually . " " . . . why am I still alive?" she suddenly asked . "Why shouldn¡¯t you be?" Lino asked back . "Because I can hardly believe an Empyrean is one with an open heart . " "Ha ha, why not?" Lino chuckled . "You do realize that before I became an Empyrean, I was just another nutjob kid, right? A lot of it stayed with me . " "I very much doubt that . " The room fell silent for a short moment while the two had a brief stare-off . Lino had too much on his mind to truly focus entirely on her; after all, it was not only an entirely unexpected and unnned meeting, he had no clue what she was like as a person . And while it could potentially be fun getting to know her and trying to talk to her properly, he knew it would take too long . From what he gathered, she¡¯s just a few years younger than E . Someone who¡¯s been fed whatever story for that long won¡¯t be abandoning it in a few days or weeks . "Make the Vow . " he spoke out after the silent moment . "Over my dead body . " she replied simply . " . . . I can force you to do it," Lino sighed . "But, I¡¯d rather not . " "Hah, you think you can overrule my Will now that it¡¯s recovered? That bitch took me by surprise thest time . You two won¡¯t get lucky the second time . " " . . . from what E told me," Lino said, slowly getting up . "You should be around Level 15,000 . Quite a tall order for me to swallow, actually . " he chuckled, taking a sip as he walked over . "She couldn¡¯t specify how many Laws you have mastered, but it¡¯s probably quite a few . Your Will stands entirely erect from the self-imposed image that you have of yourself," he stopped next to her and crouched down . "A noble, lofty, out-of-this-world existence levitating above the rest of us . It¡¯s a powerful Will . . . but it¡¯s only an extremely feeble concept of it . Whether you want to admit it or not, the only reason you managed to evolve it to this point is entirely due to the innate protection associated with your identity . " " . . . " "Me?" he cracked a faint smile . "I had to w and crawl, beat and get beaten, snuffed to the inches of death time and again, see and do things that . . . well, let¡¯s just say they didn¡¯t sit well with me . If our Wills were to sh, you¡¯d no doubt be able to suppress me . . . but you could never overwhelm me . Even without the Writ¡¯s interference . I mean . . . even now, the Light remains silent . Snuggled into a corner, trembling . " " . . . " "What would happen to your Will," Lino said, stretching his arm suddenly and lifting Eos¡¯ chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes . "If I were to somehow discolor your entire identity? . To smear it in dirt . To take the Nobility of your grandeur . . . and begrime it to the point where looking into the mirror would show you someone else entirely . " " . . . hah, now you¡¯re back on track . " she chuckled, smirking . "Now you do sound exactly like an Empyrean . " " . . . talismans embedded in your Soul, I imagine?" Lino smiled faintly . "Not too shabby . Makes it a bit moreplicated, but not impossible . " "Give me your worst . " she spoke out defiantly . " . . . I make it a point not to torture people," Lino looked her deeply into the eyes before getting up and walking back to the chair . "You see, I decided to pretend that at least by not being a torturer, the pile of corpses I leave behind somehow lessens in weight . Doesn¡¯t help that much, actually, but hey . . . that¡¯s a lot of corpses to hold . Even a small decrease is magnitudesrge for me . " " . . . ah, the delusional, noble-type Empyrean, huh? Came across quite a few of your type in my own Archaic Records . In the end, they all turned out to just be self-pitying morons who couldn¡¯t deal with the fact that they¡¯re murderers and decided to make up excuses . Not very threatening . " " . . . haii, looks like the word therapy would take some time on you," Lino rubbed his temples in frustration . "I imagine we have at most a week before your pimps start asking questions . " Eos¡¯ eyebrows twitched for a moment but she said nothing . "What? They aren¡¯t your pimps? Sorry . I just figured, you know, since you seem sofortable being naked in front of a stranger, you¡¯d met a lot of strangers . My bad, my bad . " " . . . if you fucking me will get me out of here, go at it champ . " Eos snickered . "Give me your worst . " "Wow, how¡¯d you miss the perfect pun there?" Lino eximed in slight anger . "I mean, dear god . It was right there! ¡¯If fucking me will get me off . . . ¡¯ you suck . You just . . . in suck . Ah, whatever . Sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯ve as much intention of fucking you as I do of shoving a sword through my dick . " "We all have our kinks . " she winked . "That¡¯s true," Lino suddenly smirked . "There is this one thing that my girlfriend never lets me do to her . " he suddenly walked back to her and crouched down yet again . "Oh? And what¡¯s that?" Eos asked seductively . "Well, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing," Lino leaned into her ear and whispered . "But, uh, I¡¯d very much like sometimes if she would allow me to screw her corpse . Apparently, she¡¯s not very much into being dead . " " . . . " Eos¡¯ held back a scream of frustration, realizing she¡¯s being yed with . "Ha ha ha, don¡¯t be so disappointed," he smacked her back lightly whileughing . "I mean, that stuff you¡¯re doing? It would have worked on a lot of guys . And by a lot I mean majority of guys . You¡¯re a beautiful woman Eos," he said, walking back to the chair . "But, despite the fears of sounding a bit too chummy, I say the beauty inside matters far more . Attractive heart is far more difficult to find than attractive hips and tits . " he smiled faintly . "So, if you wish to stand a chance against her, you probably ought to start re-configuring . . . well, you know, everything about yourself . Making the Vow is a great start, though . " " . . . " Eos stared angrily at Lino, doing her best to keep the facade; while trying to stall for time, inwardly she was worried about too many things -- the Sword Maiden having gotten that strong, essentially in bed with the Empyrean, any signs of Hannahpletely gone, Empyrean¡¯s ability -- human ability rather than one linked to the Writ -- to entirely endure her advances,pletely casually at that, and the fact that her own Writ had indeed withdrawn into the reaches of her Soul, entirely unwilling to surface . She knew that however she yed the role in the following story woulde to define not only her own, but the future of the entire world for the long time toe . Chapter 259 Chapter 259 CHAPTER 259 HANNAH (I) Dawn¡¯s light banished the night¡¯s darkness as the sun heaved over the eastern horizon, the golden rays draping over the wavyndscape of the continent like cloth . Chimneys soon began to billow smoke as streets woke, horse-driven carriages departing through the t roads . While men left for work, women carriedrge baskets ofundry to the river banks and began cleaning them, while children departed either to schools or to begging avenues . It was a day like any other for many, though not quite so for the remaining few . Hannah was currently standing on top of a cliff side looming over the gorged out pathway connecting two ends of a city, a deep frown stered on her face, eyes gleaming with anger . Faint, slightly chilly winds of the dawn blew asionally, hurdling her simple, one-piece dress back while spilling her crimson hair over back into the waves . Her chilly gaze prated past the sights of the world to its far end, where her homnd rested, and where those at whom her anger was aimed resided . Jolted slightly, she turned sideways and spotted a familiar figure standing next to her, smiling faintly . She still had trouble adjusting to E¡¯s housewife appearance, as her actual one had such a strong presence in Hannah¡¯s mind . ncing down, she saw a small bulge on her stomach, causing her frown to disappear and her lips to curl up into a smile . "Oh my," Hannah said, chuckling . "Congrattions are in order it seems . I¡¯ll save the gift forter on, though, if you don¡¯t mind . " "Ha ha, don¡¯t worry about it," Eughed as the two shared a hug . "What¡¯s up with the frown?" " . . . ah, I¡¯m being summoned back," Hannah sighed dispiritedly . "Apparently they didn¡¯t take my leaving without uttering a word as kindly as I thought they would . " "Will you go back?" E asked . "Of course not," Hannah shrugged . "Especially now that I know they sent Eos to check up on me . It means that Gaia already has doubts . I¡¯d be tested to all hell and back if I went, and I¡¯d rather not . " "Isn¡¯t it a bit too early for you to expose yourself?" E asked as the two sat down . "I¡¯ll just admit to being a Descender," Hannah replied . "That should buy me a couple of years at least . What about you?" "I¡¯ll stick around for a while," E replied, smiling faintly . "Would rather not engage in the worldly struggle with a kid in my belly . " "Makes sense," Hannah chuckled . "Lino knows?" "He¡¯s already assigned himself a role of thedy tutor if it¡¯s a boy . " E sighed . "Ha ha ha, that indeed does sound like him . " "How are you two?" " . . . too well," Hannah said, unable to hide a smirk from emerging . "That it¡¯s kind of scaring me, to be honest . " "Ha ha, to think I¡¯d ever see the legendarily cold Hannah acting so coy," E chuckled, ruffling Hannah¡¯s crimson hair . "He must have done quite a number on you . " "Haah . . . he really did . I bet my past self is already cursing me out . " "Nothing wrong with being bashful," E said . "And happy . " " . . . it¡¯s an entirely new life for me," Hannah said, suddenly looking up toward the clean blue sky . "Every day I wake up fearing it might slip . . . or I might wake up to realize it was all just a very nice, very long dream . " " . . . " E said nothing, merely sighing deeply for a moment . "You ever talked to him about it?" "Hah, no way," Hannah chuckled . "With all he¡¯s been through, if I spring onto him my ¡¯problems¡¯, I might quite literally never hear the end of it . " " . . . you don¡¯t really believe that, do you?" " . . . no," Hannah smiled lightly . "Rather, I knew it would be the exact opposite . Seems unfair, though, no matter how you look at it . " " . . . when I turned forty," E spoke out after a short silence . "It was the first time in my life that I didn¡¯t participate in the obligatory party . Instead, I locked myself up in the room, held the [Heartseeker] and contemted shoving it into my heart . " " . . . " Hannah nced curiously at her, seeming shocked . "By then I¡¯d been looking for Eggor for a good decade," she continued . "And while in hindsight it doesn¡¯t seem that long, for me back then . . . it was practically a lifetime . That night, for the first time in years, my Grandfather visited me . Of all the people in my life, I¡¯d never expected him toe and try to console me . " " . . . ha ha, yeah," Hannahughed briefly . "From what I read, he was the excessive less-talk-more-action type . " "He very much was," E chuckled . "He walked in, stared at me for a little while, spoke a single sentence and left . All emotions are equal, regardless of circumstance, he said . Of course, at the time I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d already convinced Eggor to talk with me," both chuckled for a moment before E continued . "But, his words really struck me . " " . . . " "I still remember what you were like back then, Hannah," E said, ncing at her with a faint smile . "And I still remember thinking that you too would eventually grow corrupted despite your defiance . " "Ouch . " "Ha ha ha, to be fair I was quite a cynic of human nature back then . I¡¯d believed everyone was prone to the highest form of corruption . But, time and again over my lifetime, I was proven wrong . Never, however, more so than by you . If Lino¡¯s affection for you back then was just a boyhood¡¯s crush over what you meant to him, then now it stems entirely from what he sees in you . He, too, grew up believing the entire world is corrupt -- no doubt especially so for the world of cultivation . You, however, have proven him indisputably that he¡¯s wrong . And, of many things he loves doing, he really hates admitting he was wrong . " " . . . he really does . " Hannah nodded faintly, chuckling . "Every one of our stories is worth telling," E said, slowly getting up . "He¡¯s told you his . Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s only fair you tell him yours as well?" Hannah watched E vanish with a strange look in her eyes, one seemingly lost within the depthless river of time . Her entire childhood shed inside her mind in that moment, since her first memory at the age of four where her Father handed her the responsibility of a Bearer, over to when she was twelve and exploring the world with her Master at the time which led her to the small, backwater Umbra Kingdom where she encountered two people who woulde to define her entire reality, to the happiest days of her childhood that she spent with Lino, to the return to the Sect, conscription into the Great Descent, countless battles and wars she participated in, countless lessons designed entirely to sell her a story she never truly bought . While hardly a tragic tale of Lino¡¯s and Allison¡¯s ilk, it was nheless a tale of her own life, of days, months and years through which who she is today emerged on the surface . It was apelling tale, she mused; neither tragic, yet not quite joyful either . A story like any other, with ups and downs and asional twist of fate she hadn¡¯t seening . Every one of her steps carved out a story that woulde to be known as her life, one she was hardly ashamed of . The tail end of it all, however, was that she was still indignant over sharing her tale with Lino . After all, thest time she did, he pointed out everything she feared someone would say of her years; the world was in her arms since the date of her birth, and she could have always had whatever she willed, yet still remained unsatisfied due to the arbitrary sense of freedom . After that day, she would often find herself lost in the thoughts, wondering whether she would trade her own upbringing with Lino¡¯s; trade the privilege of everything for the cloth of freedom . Though she was still unwilling to admit in on the surface, deep down in her heart she knew the answer . . . and it was that she wouldn¡¯t . She knew that all the freedom in the world wasn¡¯t worth the trodden road one traverses from the bottom up; and however romantic it may sound when it is said that someone wed their way out into the world from nothing, that they rose to prominence from tattered rags, none of those stories ever pay much attention to the upward journey . However depressing it may have been to remain locked up within the confines of her Sect, at the very least she didn¡¯t have to experience the world within which everyone she loved either died or disappeared; however boring it may have been to listen to old people teach her the world¡¯s history, at the very least she didn¡¯t have to experience the absolute cold of the world entirely indifferent to her suffering . However alienated she felt within her own home, she at the very least didn¡¯t have to experience the life of true loneliness . She very much doubted in her heart she would have had the strength Lino had to emerge from it still smiling . She even doubted she would do as well as Allison given the circumstances . And throughout her entire stay within the Central Continent, she witnessed numerous others who came from nothing, steadfast still, smiling all the same . It has put quite arge dent in her confidence, though she very much knew it was irrelevant; all emotions are, indeed, same . . . regardless of the circumstances . Hers too, the pains and aches, the cries and tears . . . whatever reasons they required, they were hers to live and to survive in the same fashion as the rest . Chapter 260 Chapter 260 CHAPTER 260 POWERS THAT BE Entangled within the dazzling linens of light sat a cross-legged figure, surrounded by the virtually endless red threads spilling in and out from the figure like clotted blood, weaving about, some individually some intertwined with others in a cautious web . The red spread into the infinity, sinking other hues that may emerge otherwise; the figure¡¯s features were practically indiscernible save for a pair of red eyes, reminiscent of albino¡¯s . The threads danced like snakes to no music and to no sound, sinking their teeth into one another repeatedly and untangling mere momentster . In parts they spilled and draped into curtailed curtains of senselessness . Ghastly sights, one after another, battered their way out into smoking bubbles of erosion, eventually evaporating into thin air as though they were never there . The pair of eyes shook suddenly, curling up strangely . Within them a sense of aloofness vanished, reced for the imminent breath by a mixture of tantalizing satisfaction and odd ecstasy . " . . . underwater cove," a rippling, distorted voice sted out throughout the entire realm and beyond, unnerving to behold . "Four days, twelve hours, eighteen minutes, five seconds . Eight in total . Cult of Entropy . " ** Elsewhere, beyond the limit of one¡¯s sight and even understanding, nothingnessy within everything; it spanned forever and barely, looping over from one extreme to another, never seeming to stabilize . It was a world of broken color, of shapes impossible to discern, of meaning impossible to extrapte, of sounds impossible to hear; all and nothing blended together into paradoxical infinity, married like a pair of lovers in an eternal dance . The world stretched on, limitless yet seemingly boxed in, continuously breaking past the shackling barriers . Some shapes would asionally sh like mirrors, depicting one faceless stranger, one creature, one event after another . Some would sh-freeze just long enough for a distinct eye to discern a face, but were very few in make; despite the nigh-infinite density of Qi present within every inch of the world, it did not materialize into reality, as though eternally slumbering . One of the distorted ends of what appeared to be a pyramid-like shape breaking apart into its base facets shed in frigid blue for a moment, depicting a woman sitting cross-legged within the world of frost . She had a head full of white hair, spotless in make, and a skin well beyond pale as it even made the surrounding snow seem unworthy of color . A small gemy embedded in-between her eyes, shing in faint cyan, as a pair of azure-colored eyes jolted open, emotionless . Within a mere second, her face contorted into a frown as she begrudgingly got onto her feet, taking one deep breath after another as to not curse out the world . Though she smiled, it was the odd sort, as though she was using her clenched teeth as a barrier of an onught of words she knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to utter . " . . . very well," it was nearly five minutester that she finally calmed down enough to speak with a resemnce of calm . "I¡¯ll hunt them down . But I swear to god, one more time! Just more time and I¡¯m quitting this shit! You hear me?! I¡¯m not your dog, meant to answer your every demand! Fucking hell . . . ah, right, unless you want me to hunt down the Empyrean . That fucker¡¯s already stirring shit up and it¡¯s barely been a decade . Do you know he ripped out at least two of my brothers?! And he even got Ashta! Fucking Astha! That girl literally never left her fucking corner and all of a sudden she¡¯s packing her ass and joining him?! God, fuck that dude . " ** Lino has been sitting on a chair across from Eos for nearly a day, doused inplete silence . It wasn¡¯t that there was nothing the two could talk about, or even that he¡¯s run out of ideas on how to ensure she doesn¡¯t go on bbering about everything she¡¯s learned, but more because he was quite tired of everything and decided to use this as an excuse to just shut himself from the rest of the world for a while . While his life certainly was an adrenaline-heavy ride ever since his short, ten-years-long hiatus, his mental stamina wasn¡¯t infinite, especially now as he felt that the entire world seemed to be staring into the next chapter of whatever story he was thrown into . " . . . tell me something about yourself . " Lino suddenly said out loud, pulling himself back to reality . "Huh?" Eos eximed dazedly, having just recently woken up from her sleep; for someone ustomed to never sleeping, the past-time certainly didn¡¯t sit well with her as Lino had realized she was not a morning person . At all . "Tell me something you haven¡¯t told anyone else," Lino said . "Nothing important, of course . Just something stupid . Like your first crush . Or the first time you flicked yourself or something . " " . . . flicked myself?" Eos asked . "You know, trashed around the treasure cove . " "Huh?" "Split the golden hairs?" "What the hell are you talking about?" " . . . I¡¯m talking about shoving your fingers downstairs," Lino sighed . "You really need to start picking up on my euphemisms . That was quite embarrassing to say, you know?" "Do you want a detailed description or just an overview?" Eos scoffed, looking away from him . "The whole thing¡¯s a bit of a taboo, which I honestly think is the stupidest thing ever, right?" Lino leaned a bit closer in his chair, stroking his chin . "Back in the orphanage, there was this kid named n . He was about a year older than me, and one day I remember practically all the rest of us -- including the Sisters -- walking onto him humping the little boy . Never saw the kid again . Got kicked out of the orphanage onto the streets just because he rubbed one out . It¡¯s not fair, right?" "For all I care he should have been lynched and yed and left rotting in the summer¡¯s sun . " Eos replied indifferently . " . . . alright, quid-pro-quo then, right? I tell something to you, you tell something to me . How¡¯s that?" "Share away and see if I care . " "Shortly after E took me in," Lino said . "We had a pretty cute heart-to-heart chat where she shared her own love story . In the process, she told me she first killed someone when she was eleven and asked me what I thought of it . I told her it was fucked up . " " . . . " "But, I was literally the same . " he chuckled bitterly . "Honestly? I just . . . didn¡¯t want her to think of me as anything more than a sad little homeless boy who¡¯s never done a wrong thing . I¡¯m fairly certain she¡¯s quite over that notion by now, but I still never told her that . All this while, I was always able to use the Writ as an excuse as to why I asionally go on a murderous spree where I look like I¡¯m having the best sex of my life while fighting . . . but if I admit to her that, she¡¯ll always know that, however small, there was always a part of me capable of doing everything I condemned about the world . " "You sound like a coward either way . " Eos scoffed, ncing at him . "I can¡¯t believe someone as pathetic as you inherited the Empyrean¡¯s title . " "You seem very defensive," he mused . "Is it in part due to your closed-off upbringing, the brooding istion which forced you to forever cut whatever ties you had with other people as-- yeah, I can¡¯t do it . Don¡¯t know what the fuck I¡¯m talking about . Come on man, just share something . Anything . If we¡¯re gonna be stuck here for a long time, at least let it be a quality time spent together . " " . . . " "I know you want to . I can see it in your eyes! Come on, give me some gossip!" " . . . uh . . . " "That¡¯s good . Give me some more . " " . . . I . . . uh . . . I thought Mother had consummated the rtionship with me when I had my first period . . . " " . . . . " " . . . " " . . . right . Cool . Nice . Very good . " Lino blurted out whatever words came to his tangled thoughts . " . . . honestly, I¡¯ve got fucking nothing . That¡¯s beyond weird even for my standards . " " . . . it is a bit weird, isn¡¯t it?" Eos chuckled lightly . "Didn¡¯t they ever teach you that stuff?" Lino frowned . "I mean, for fuck¡¯s sake, even I knew what bleeding vagina meant by the time I was like twelve . " "By choice?" "By nightmare that woulde to haunt me for many years toe . " "Of all the things you said, that seems to be the most fucked up part of your entire life . " "It really is," Lino nodded . "And, I mean, I didn¡¯te to learn it through some cute girl my age or something, you know? I had to walk in on a fifty-something woman of canyons changing her underpants . The things I¡¯ve seen . . . " " . . . heh . " "See? This is good!" Lino eximed with a smile . "We¡¯re sharing, we¡¯re bonding, we¡¯re realizing we aren¡¯t that much different . . . right?" "Except I¡¯m naked . " "Hey, if it helps, you can imagine me naked too . " Lino said . "I¡¯d very dly strip but I¡¯m sure neither one of us wants to see the embarrassing scene of you forming a pool beneath your crotch . " "Oh, someone has a mighty high opinion of himself . Howpletely unexpected . " Eos rolled her eyes at him, barely holding back from theughter . " . . . you are selling yourself too short here," Lino smiled faintly . "I imagine many-a-poor-sod would have already fallen for that dreamy face of yours full of flickering expressions . " " . . . hm?" Eos nced at him, seeming surprised . " . . . the secret to hearing someone¡¯s thoughts," Lino walked over and crouched in front of her, looking her directly into her eyes . "Is to ignore what their lips are saying, how their eyebrows are moving, and whatever expression their facial muscles are contorting into . Just look into their eyes . Pierce right through that yful exterior and see someone buying time while trying to figure out how this story ends . " " . . . " Eos sighed, her expression twisting into cold indifference . "You are slightly smarter than I imagined . " " . . . and you are a lot stupider than I thought," he chuckled . "There isn¡¯t a good ending to this story for you, Eos . Not the one you write, not the one I write, or other Bearers, or your Elders, or even Gaia herself . At most, I¡¯ll humor you for a few days and then just do what I was supposed to do the moment we locked you up . However much I hate torture, I am hardly above it if it means keeping people I love safe . Now, you and I can keep ying this childish game, or we can act as a pair of knowing adults and make all of this easier on us both . The sooner it¡¯s done, the sooner you get to go back home and sell your Elders whatever story you make up and the sooner I can go back to collect on my reward and a priceless expression . This? We¡¯re just wasting time . And, unfortunately, I¡¯m not in business of wasting time . Especially mine . " Chapter 261 Chapter 261 CHAPTER 261 LADY OF INCLEMENCY Syvelic Ocean, the northern and southern end point of the Holy Continent, was the deepest ocean in the entire world with the recorded depth at nearly fifteen thousand kilometers . It divided the two ends of the entire continent, in addition parting the furthest, eastern part into a wedge, carving itself out a spot further ind . It created a makeshift ind up above deemed the paradise by many due to the innumerable species of flora and fauna inhabiting it . The sore spot of thendmass was also a host to many underground rivers, tunnels, caves and coves most adjacent to the rugged shoreline . Though quite well hidden from any ordinary eye, they were mainly used as designated getaway spots for the young more so than anything else; yet, one of the smallest and most inconspicuous of the coves lying in-between the two cliff-stackedndmasses cut apart by a rapid, circting phenomenon that was the Cyclic River, where the river both drained into the ocean and got pumped full of the life by the ocean . Within the cove sat eight ruggedly-dressed people of mostly the same bearing -- tired . They floated freely on a mid-sized board made of bamboo which remained still despite the rapid current beneath it . A singr, bright and golden sphere hovered in-between the eight, lighting up not only the board but also the surrounding walls of the cove . Of the eight, five were women and three were men, all seemingly in their mid-forties, bearing remarkably simr features -- ck eyes and hair, broad shoulders and slightly freakishly long arms . All three men had faces full of beard, while all five women had rather explosive and pronounced cheekbones . " . . . the thread . " one of the men said in a somber tone as his eyes shed in blind-white for a moment . "It¡¯s reached us . " "She works quickly," one of the women said . "How long do we have?" "Two days . " the same man replied . "Which dog did she unleash this time?" the woman asked again . "Ananith . " " . . . this isn¡¯t good, One . " another man quickly chimed in as they all frowned . "Bad for us, good for the world," the woman spoke, smiling lightly . "If she¡¯s sending out Ananith it only means that the Lord had already stirred the ho¡¯s nest . " "I guess it¡¯s my time to shine . " the remaining man who hasn¡¯t spoken out before joined in, his beard ruffled due to the smile . "How long do you think you canst?" "I¡¯d wager a couple of weeks, if nobody else joins her . " the man replied . "More than enough for you to return home . " " . . .e back to us . " the seven spoke out loud suddenly in the same, somber tone . "As all shall . " the man briefly cupped his hands together and nodded before disappearing, leaving the remaining seven to sit in heavy silence for nearly ten minutes before also vanishing . Outside the cove, a bit further into the ocean and away from the shore, the solitary man reappeared, hovering just slightly above the water, cross-legged, with his hands sped in front of his chest, eyes closed, breathing entirely stopped . Though the sun above burned away, he seemed unfettered by it, as though it wasn¡¯t even there . After all, he had been preparing for this moment for tens of thousands of years; from thousands, they dwindled down to solitary eight . Some were felled, some fled, and some were corrupted and enved; in the end, however, it was all worth it -- he believed so from the depths of his Heart, Soul and Will . On the dawn of the second day since he appeared above the ocean, his eyes slowly opened as he looked up, just in front of him . The space ripped open like a piece of canvas, spitting out a figure which with her brought a blizzard that froze the ocean for thousands of miles around within a single breath . It was the man¡¯s second time seeing her, he mused, yet he was just as startled and shocked as he was the first time . " . . . just one?" the woman frowned, looking around . "Huh, I guess one of you became a Fate Diviner since west chatted . " "How have you been, Lady Ananith?" the man asked in a rather jovial tone, as though he was meeting an old friend . "Great, until a few days ago when I was woken to deal with you lot . " the woman replied with scorn . " . . . the rest of them, as well as I, were rather honored when we heard that none other than the Lady of Inclemency was sent to deal with us . " " . . . I do not like when people call me that name, Eight . " a frigid smile made appearance on the woman¡¯s face, frosting over even the sun above . "You must have been very desperate for attention to steal the Descent¡¯s entire identity . " " . . . we, indeed, very much admire the Noble Descenders," the man replied, still smiling . "After all, they were the first -- and still thest -- to show the entire world that gods were just fancy names you lot had given yourself . By now, I suspect, your little sister had grown back up considerably . Still, over a thousand generations in a row . . . light has dulled . That one must still sting . " " . . . it does, indeed . But, fortunately, you aren¡¯t a Descender," Ananith smiled emptily . "You are just a broken soul bearing a broken dream for a broken promise that can never be fulfilled . Empyrean will never be allowed to cast the Crown, Eight . " " . . . perhaps . " the man said, looking up beyond her, into the now stormy sky . "But, for some reason, I have a gut feeling . . . it will happen . And it will happen not too far from now . By now you should know, Lady Ananith," he nced back at her, slowly getting up . "Any Empyrean capable of pulling the Primordial Spirits to their side . . . always, without exception, brings the world to its knees . You should be ready Lady Ananith . . . Origin Wars should rekindle eons old tales and secrets that none of us were ever privy to . Perhaps . . . we might finally be able to gleam past the Sheen and see to the other side . That would be . . . fulfilling . " " . . . we might," Ananith said,nding onto the t world of ice frozen over the ocean¡¯s deeps . "You certainly won¡¯t, Eight . Point me, and your death shall be quick . " " . . . to die a long, grueling, excruciatingly painful death at the hands of our foes . . . ay, it almost seems as though you¡¯ve never smitten another Agent of Entropy before, Lady Ananith . It is in our veins to bleed as it is in our veins to defy . " ** Lino stared at Eos with evident frustration in his eyes; he¡¯d already spent two days locked up inside the cave with her with seemingly no progress . By now he had grown to miserably miss the civilization and people whose eyes weren¡¯t infested with murderous intent toward him . He sighed, readily admitting his mastery of tongue was inadequate for today¡¯s mission; atst, he mused, it has failed him . It was about time, he thought . He was beginning to think he would never craft a better weapon than the one gods have already given to him . " . . . you are making this whole thing really, really, really fucking difficult . " he sighed, shaking his head . "I mean, I¡¯ve met difficult women before, but geez . Have a pep in your step, you know?" "You¡¯re wasting your time . Just do what you promised already and try to outweigh my Will . I¡¯d sure love to see how that one goes for you . " Eos smirked victoriously . " . . . hm?" Lino¡¯s eyebrows curled up in a smile as his eyes glistened strangely . "What¡¯s she doing here?" " . . . " "Heh," Lino suddenly chuckled, ncing at Eos . "He he he he, ha ha ha ha ha ha, oh boy . This shit¡¯s going to be priceless . Wait, wait, I need to be ready for this . Huuuuuh . " he took a deep breath, focusing entirely on Eos . "Please, please, show me the most beautiful expression in the world . "What are you talking--" the space rippled momentarily next to Lino, drawing Eos¡¯ attention away from him . The spatial rip spat out a figure d in a simple, yet oddly familiar, one-piece dress . As Eos¡¯ eyes ran up the dress, her expression became odder and odder while Lino stopped holding back on hisughter entirely . Eos¡¯ eyes quickly met a pair of emerald which shone like gems; the familiar, crimson hair spilled like threads of fate, the slightly freckled cheeks giving her even more charm that any one individual should have . An explosive expression awaited Lino who has by now fallen off the chair, rolling around the floor like a little kid . Hannah nced at him and sighed, rolling her eyes and wondering for the umpth time why was she attracted to him . Shifting away her attention from him to Eos, she smiled bitterly when she saw thetter¡¯s gobsmacked expression . " . . . hello, Eos . " Hannah said . "Long time no see . How have----is she naked?" her mellow, bitter expression suddenly red up as Lino¡¯sughter ended imminently . "Lino?!! Is she fucking naked?!!" "Oi-oi-oi!!" Lino quickly darted to his feet and ran to the cave¡¯s edge . "I swear to god I bore no perverted thoughts!! It was a purely practical decision!!!" "Practical decision my ass, you little shitface!!" she screamed at him . "If it was practical, why didn¡¯t you clothe her in some random robes instead of leaving her naked?!!" " . . . oh . " "Oh? That¡¯s all you got?" "No, I just didn¡¯t think she¡¯d pass out . " Lino said, pointing at Eos who was currently foaming from her mouth . "Man, either she¡¯s really, really, really embarrassed that you saw her naked . . . or that one hit deep for some reason . " " . . . I imagine it¡¯s thetter," Hannah sighed, giving up on being angry with Lino, taking out a nket from her void storage and wrapping it around Eos . "After all, she was -- or at least tried her hardest -- to be my Mentor of sorts . Teaching me about Writs, Gaia and that sort of a thing . " " . . . yauza . " even Lino felt a sting in his heart for a moment . "You can be a real cruel bitch, you know?" "Maybe I¡¯ll live up to that name by strangling you the next time you fall asleep . " she smiled innocently, ncing at him . "I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way . " Lino yed along . "Anyway, why are you here? E should have already told you what¡¯s what . " "Yeah, I should have actuallye the moment she told me, but figured I¡¯d give you a chance . " " . . . you knew I couldn¡¯t crack her, huh?" Lino chuckled bitterly . "Eh, I knew you could eventually get it done," Hannah said, crouching in front of Eos and moving away the few strands of hair behind her ears . "Just didn¡¯t want you forcing yourself to do something you didn¡¯t want to . " " . . . you were close?" Lino asked, walking up and crouching next to her, handing her a gourd which she readily epted . "Not really," Hannah replied, smiling . "I mean, I¡¯m sure she thought that way . After all, she had this rather maniacal need to be a proper Big Sister to every girl younger than her, and I was pretty much her dream project . " " . . . you didn¡¯t need toe . " Lino said, caressing her hair gently as she leaned sideways, resting her head on his shoulder . "I¡¯m certain my encumbered soul is able to take on one more sin and add it to a pile . " " . . . I know it could have," she said . "But, this is the only way to drill it in your head it seems . " "Drill what?" "That you¡¯re not alone anymore," she said, ncing at him from the corner of her eyes . "And that you¡¯ll never be again . " " . . . that sounded awfully creepy . " "Oh god yes, it somehow managed to actually sound endearing in my head . " Hannah shuddered . "Something¡¯s wrong with me . " " . . . oh, there¡¯s a lot wrong with you dear . " "Hey!!" "But your ability to make endearing sentiments out to sound like creepy threats . . . that¡¯s a treat I wouldn¡¯t trade in for a whole wide world . " Chapter 262 Chapter 262 CHAPTER 262 HUNDRED YEARS VOW Eos slowly opened her eyes, fighting back the haze and daze of a new dawn as she blinked rapidly a few times before looking around . Thest memory before passing out swiftly prated her mind yet again as a surge of melted pot of emotions besieged her mind . Hoping it was all a mirage, she scanned the cave once again, but Hannah was still there, reading a book, with the Empyrean lying on herp, humming a low tune . She felt her heart crack temporarily as she fought the tears back from dripping from her eyes . Lino shifted his head sideways and met her eyes thoughcking the previous mockery; she saw a mixture of emotions within them, even stark traces of pity hidden beneath it all . Ever since she was captured she has not once admitted defeat, not to him or to herself -- but now, here, she felt it, admitting it or not . She felt it stir in her bones, prating the depths of her being . She was defeated . Hannah put the book down and sighed lowly, pushing Lino off as she walked over to Eos who was no longer either chained or naked, but rather gently ced on top of arge cushion . Putting on the face of bravado, Eos gritted her teeth before screaming and lunging herself at Hannah who easily evaded the flimsy strike and retaliated with her own, sending Eos back down, clutching at her stomach . " . . . don¡¯t do anything stupid, Eos . " Hannah said . " . . . I¡¯ll fucking kill you, you traitorous whore!!!" Eos cried out in maniacal anger . "You made bed with him?! With HIM?!!! That is worse than killing any one of us outright!! You betrayed the one who gave you everything for him?!!! I¡¯ll skin you!! I¡¯ll fucking skin you alive you bitch!!" "Hey, how¡¯d she know we already screwed?" Lino chimed in from the sides as Hannah quickly cated her palm onto her forehead; she knew very well he did it intentionally, yet even she found it slightly funny . "Must be that you look far happier now than before . Sexual tension gone and all . " "Shut up . " Hannah spoke sternly, ncing at him . "Yes m¡¯am!" Lino saluted sheepishly and sat back down, picking up Hannah¡¯s book and flipping it to start, beginning to read . "Why, Hannah?! Why?! Have we not done our best to amodate you?! Have we not given you everything you could ever want?!" Hannah saw the genuine hurt of betrayal cruising through Eos¡¯ moist eyes and felt a sting of pain surging deep within . " . . . you¡¯ve given me everything you could possibly have given," she replied, smiling faintly . "But . . . none of it was what I wanted, Eos . I know it¡¯s hard for you to understand and I don¡¯t expect you to . . . but, at least, believe I had my reasons . " " . . . heh . Reasons?" she nced at Lino . "You turned coat because of that emotional wreckage? Perhaps it¡¯s for the best if that was the case . " "Hey!" Lino eximed, furrowing his brows . "Thread the line finely, youngdy! Some truths aren¡¯t meant to be spoken!" "Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep your mouth shut?" Hannah spoke in frustration . " . . . " Lino chuckled sheepishly for a moment before returning back to the book . " . . . I¡¯ve chosen my bedrock long before Lino came along, Eos," Hannah said . "He just happened to be a happy ident of it all . " " . . . I¡¯d have expected it from Erebus . . . hell, I¡¯d have even expected it from Allison over you . Unlike them, you¡¯ve always been a part of our world . Heh, I can¡¯t imagine how colossally idiotic you are to have aligned yourself against the Mother . Your end won¡¯t be pretty, Hannah, I promise you that much . " "How long do you n on hiding, Aurora?" Hannah¡¯s voice distorted quickly, as Lino nced up curiously . "This hardly suits you . " " . . . despite all of us warning Mother to chain you," Eos¡¯ voice, too, grew heavily distorted as she spoke out after a few moments of silence . "She forgave you, time and again . Astrum . . . the shining beacon, she¡¯d say . The point of recognition to Entropy; the thread that binds the Chaos . I imagine . . . even after this failure, she will still forgive you and take you back into her arms . " "As devout as always," Astrum replied with a cackle . "But, what makes you think it will be a failure?" "Ha ha ha, don¡¯t make meugh . You don¡¯t really think that a human brat stands a chance, do you? The Age of Empyreans has long since passed, Astrum . When Oreb fell, so did any vision of future within which Empyreans were anything more than hunted beasts . " " . . . man, this is the first time that scumbag isn¡¯t jovially bursting out of my soul to join the chit-chat of Writs," Lino heaved onto his feet and walked over with a beaming smile . "Does this mean my time hase?! Ha ha ha! Atst, I¡¯ve a chance to free my soul! Astrum!" "Huh?" "I very much appreciate your sweet whispers about Hannah¡¯s sensitive spots!" Lino gave a thumbs up quickly, winking . "As you saw it worked wonders!" " . . . . " "Aurora, was it?" he then shifted his attention from the stunned Hannah onto Eos . "Can you convince her to just do as we ask so you guys can go? It doesn¡¯t even have to be a permanent vow . Just give us a buck hundred years or so, and we¡¯re set!" " . . . . " "No? What the fuck? I thought Writs were supposed to be wise or something," Lino frowned . "No, wait, I used to think that about fifteen years ago when I first learned about them . Ever since then, I¡¯ve been pretty much exclusively proven the opposite is true . Exalted, revered, respected . . . but as dumb as a bell . Kind of like viges¡¯ local chatans . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . well this is no fun," Lino sighed dejectedly as he realized both Writs didn¡¯t utter another word . "Hey, if nothing else, it was a decent chat . Alright, you can now go back to pointless bickering that literally means absolutely nothing and won¡¯t amount to even less than that . " " . . . I¡¯ll convince her," Aurora spoke out as Lino began walking away . "Any idiot who believes he will be able to contend within a hundred years . . . well, I¡¯ll just leave it at that . " " . . . oof, bad bet . " Lino sucked in a cold breath, winking . "But that¡¯s great to hear . " " . . . she told you my sensitive spots?" a cold, murderous voice forced Lino toe to a halt as he awkwardly turned around and met Hannah¡¯s dead eyes . "Hey, hey, what did we talk about just a few days ago?!" Lino frowned "Don¡¯t cover up your embarrassment with angry re-outs! It¡¯s not healthy!" "How else am I going to cover it up, dammit?!!" " . . . just . . . I don¡¯t know . . . leave?" " . . . don¡¯t look for me for at least three days . " "Wow, that¡¯s one long-ass chill period . " Lino said . "No, that¡¯s how long it will take me to rip her out of my soul and give her the beating of her fucking life . " Hannah mumbled through her gritted teeth . " . . . yeah . Good luck with that . " " . . . " Hannah quickly vanished, leaving Eos and Lino alone again . "So? You convinced yet?" " . . . the next time we meet, I¡¯ll rip you in half with my bare hands . " Eosmented coldly before taking a deep breath . "In the name of my Heart, Soul and Will, I vow to not disclose any information regarding the Empyrean, the Elysian, the Sword Maiden and their concurrent circumstances for a hundred years; shall I break the vow, may the sky smite me dead . " "See? Was that so hard?" Lino chuckled . "Well, I¡¯ll leave you to it . From what I remember, it takes roughly four-five days for the oath to fully chain you, right?" " . . . five days . " Eos said . "I¡¯ll see you in five days, then!" Lino smiled widely and vanished too, leaving behind Eos who merely cracked a faint smile before closing her eyes and sitting upright and cross-legged, meditating . Lino found himself on the outside, atst, his gaze quickly moving toward the distant, floating Pce and then beyond, where a tranquil and seemingly ordinaryke rested . It has been over a year since he took the mission from the balded guy, and it was finally time for him to reap his rewards . Though he was promised an answer to a single question he may have in mind, ever since hepleted the mission he had been concocting a n on how to get far more from it all . The whole n formted just recently, however, when he learned that the old baldy was his family . And however much Lino respected the familial bond, he still had no qualms about ripping the poor old man for all he had before leaving that ce again . He was once again dry on materials save for what Hannah handed over which, though enough for a few pieces he had in mind, wasn¡¯t enough for his next big project . He had three main priorities when it came to the rewards: learn everything the old man knows about the Primal Chaos, obtain at least two books describing the two Laws he put the most time into -- Death and Time -- and,stly, obtain a mountain of materials that wouldst him for years toe . Anything beyond those three, small favors he¡¯d consider a bonding gift and ept graciously, as one should always ept the definitely not backhandedly-extrapted gifts . Chapter 263 Chapter 263 CHAPTER 263 WORLD¡¯S FIRST ANOMALY A massive ssh trounced into the air as Lino bottomed into the tranquilke hiding behind the Pce, swirling through its crystal-clear depths as the world around him warped tepidly . Just a few moments had passed before he found himself standing in the same room as he remembered, lined with white for infinity, hosting only a single table and a chair on top of which the familiar face rested . Lino smiled faintly as the old man grunted, sighing while putting the papers in front of him away and focusing on Lino who didn¡¯t say a word, merely taking out a gourd of ale, sitting down and drinking . Minutes ticked on as neither spoke, intently staring at each other . "You have a problem," the old man was the first to crack . "Well, problems . But the booze tops the charts . " "No, no," Lino shook his head . "I¡¯d have a problem with booze if, you know, I was unable to purify it with Qi so there were nosting consequences . " " . . . but you don¡¯t even do that . " the old man said, looking dubiously at Lino . "Of course I don¡¯t," thetter shrugged . "What¡¯s the point of booze if it does the same thing to my body as water?" " . . . you know, if you were really serious about booze," the old man smirked, suddenly taking out a strange ss and putting it on table . "You wouldn¡¯t be drinking that cheap stuff made by mortals . " "What¡¯s that?" Lino asked with interest, his eyes glistening . "This? It¡¯s called [Fervent Dew], a specialty of my Cl--uh, my, hometown . It¡¯s made from four thousand different herbs all processed on an individual level before beingpounded into the fresh water of ake near, uh, my hometown, known for making even the calmest of beasts go mad . " "Uhuh, uhuh . So, uh, you think I could have a sip?" Lino asked, licking his lips . "Sure . If you think you can handle it . " " . . . " jolting over, Lino quickly picked up the strange-looking ss with a bulge at the bottom, thinning out over to the top, and popped it open, immediately beginning to drink it as though it was water . The old man went from nodding with a smirk to shrieking as he saw Lino down half the bottle in one go, quickly taking it away . "What the hell are you doing?!!" the old man cried out . "This is one myst few bottles!! Y-you--you don¡¯t drink it like it¡¯s water!" "Oh man," Lino burped loudly . "That¡¯s good shit . " "That¡¯s---that¡¯s good . . . that¡¯s---" "Hey, are you having a stroke or something?" Lino asked . "You look purple . " " . . . you win . " the old man said dejectedly, slumping down into the chair and putting away the bottle . "You don¡¯t have a booze problem . " " . . . yeah, whatever . Anyway, what¡¯s your name?" "Why?" the old man asked, creasing his brows . "Well, I figured just calling you ¡¯grampa¡¯ right out the gate would be a bit too familiar, so I settled on, you know, calling you Grampa plus your name . Like Grampa Frank . Still affectionate, but some ways to go, you know?" " . . . I---I¡¯m not your grandfather!!" "Oof, poor E would be heartbroken if she knew you don¡¯t even think of her as your own granddaughter . " " . . . heh, I think I finally understand how all those people felt," the old man sighed, shaking his head . "I used tough at them, you know? I¡¯d see them getting their tongues tied up, and I¡¯d think to myself ¡¯geez, those guys are idiots . Just say this and that¡¯ . But I get it . You can¡¯t say this or that . ¡¯Cause all you want to do is cry . " " . . . wow . I think this is my first confessional," Lino chuckled, walking over and grabbing at the old man¡¯s shoulder firmly . "Don¡¯t feel bad, Grampa . Your old heart simply isn¡¯t built for the pace of the youth . And by youth I mean me, of course . " " . . . what do you want?" the old man sighed in defeat . "Three things . " "Of course you do . . . " "First, the promised reward," Lino said . "To answer my question . " "Ask away . " "What¡¯s Primal Chaos?" clearly not expecting Lino¡¯s question, the old man brow¡¯s tightened as his eyes shone in peculiar light . " . . . I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something you should know even exists at this stage of your development . " "But I do, so, yeah . Spill it . " "Can¡¯t you just ask Ataxia? I¡¯d wager he knows far more than me . " "Oh, yeah, sure . He¡¯s definitely always in the mood to answer things that bear some relevance to my situation, and he¡¯s definitely not in ying the silent game all the fucking time . " " . . . yeah, that sounds about right . " the old man took a deep breath, chuckling faintly and finding a small sense of joy in seeing Lino so frustrated . "Truthfully, I don¡¯t know much about the Primal Chaos either --- none of us do . It predates the concept of space and time, the concept of existence itself . It¡¯s been here, at least we theorize, before even the First Scripture, which means that nobody really knows where ites from . What little we do know of ites mostly from the Titans . " " . . . huh . So you know of their origin?" Lino asked . "And so do you it seems . " the old man said . "But, yes, we do . After all, quite a few of them were Descenders themselves back in the day . The best we know is that Primal Chaos is the first form of both energy and matter to exist; for instance, chance is that both matter and energy in some shape or form existed prior to it, but that the Primal Chaos is the firstbination of the two, the creation of corporeal force of sorts . " " . . . " "As far as we¡¯re aware, it had the same properties as independent matter and energy in addition to a few it obtained through the fusion . It could create life, it could create concepts,ws, other forms of independent energy and matter -- for instance, Chaos Qi that you cultivate is technically an offshoot of the Primal Chaos, but only as a form of energy, while Titans for instance are the form of matter . We¡¯re certain, however, that the Primal Chaos is not responsible for creation of pretty much anything we associate with existence; it did not create concepts of life and death, of time or space, didn¡¯t even create the First Scripture or other Writs . " " . . . " "The concurrent theory," the old man said, tapping his finger against the table . "That the Writs and the First Scripture are the manifestations of different Primordial Matters and Energies . It¡¯s the so-called ¡¯Ordered Creation from Entropy¡¯ theory on the beginning of the world . Chances are, however, that it¡¯s wrong as most of the recent findings go against it, but arge majority of cultivators still firmly believe in it . That before there was sentience, the entire universe -- however small orrge it may have been -- was entirelyposed of independent forms of matter and energy, and that through the course of infinite time -- as time didn¡¯t exist -- and countless interactions, certain frictions caused the first Primordial Matters and Energies to emerge with capacity of creation or at least augmentation . " " . . . " the old man chuckled as he saw Lino¡¯s confused expression . "Think of it like this -- Primal Chaos is the only form of pre-time existence that we¡¯re certain actually existed . It means that even if other matter and energy did exist in concert with it, they did not survive the creation of the universe -- this could mean one of two things: either other matter and energy literally bound together to create the universe, or they were evaporated in the process with the Primal Chaos surviving independently . " " . . . you told me a lot of things, but still failed to exin what Primal Chaos actually is and does . " Lino whined lowly . "Ha ha, goddamn you¡¯re a persistent brat . I did tell you -- we don¡¯t know . We¡¯ve never seen it being used for anything other than the Titan¡¯s Creation . Or, rather, we haven¡¯t seen it, just heard about it . Most of what we know when ites to Primal Chaos is purely theory . That¡¯s why I told you you should probably ask Ataxia . After all, he¡¯s the anomaly . " "The anomaly?" Lino asked . "For eons now, we have deducted that nature works entirely in patterns," the old man said . "Day and night, seasons, cyclic form of existence and so on . You¡¯ll find that most things in nature are binary and that theye in even pairs, with very, very few exceptions that act as sort of mutations . For instance, Primal Spirits alwayse in pairs -- meaning that they¡¯re at their strongest when paired together . A bit paradoxical considering that the pairs are the opposites, but it¡¯s true . Laws alsoe in pairs -- Life and Death, Time and Space, Light and Dark, Wind and Earth . . . life itselfes in a pair, really, as nearly all species known to us areprised of two mates of opposite sexes doing it . " " . . . heh . " "If that¡¯s the case, then, why is it that one of the first things toe into existence . . . doesn¡¯t follow that pattern? Why are there Seven Writs instead of, say, six or eight?" " . . . don¡¯t theye in pairs, though?" Lino questioned . "If so, isn¡¯t Chaos and Order pretty much the closest you cane to a proper pair of opposites?" "It¡¯s different with Writs," the old man exined . "They, too, work the best in pairs, but not the opposites -- for instance, it¡¯s not the Writs of Light and Dark that are paired as much sense as it may make . The Writ of Dark is paired with the Writ of Nihility, while the Writ of Light is paired with the Writ of Eternity . The Writ of Order, then, is paired with the Writ of Spoken Word . That leaves the odd one out . " " . . . the Writ of Entropy . " Lino mumbled . " . . . Chaos is default state of being for everything," the old man said . "However, once you inject order into it, it ceases to exist by nature . The moment you introduce patterned concepts, the entire notion of Chaos copses . By all ounts, the Chaos should have ceased to exist with the creation of the universe . But it didn¡¯t . It came into being, and it lived for a little while alongside others . But, as other Writs, and other Creations began to understand the Laws of Nature, it wasn¡¯t that hard to realize that Chaos . . . simply doesn¡¯t belong . Ataxia was an outsider long before Gaia came into being and formed the anti-Chaos faction . " " . . . w-what?" Lino mumbled, his eyes widening like saucers . "The truth is, however, that most people aren¡¯t aware of this," the old man chuckled . "Rather, not a single Bearer outside of you actually knows about this . Prior to the confirmation of Primal Chaos¡¯ existence . . . most believed Chaos was a visual representation of Evil itself, and many religions started at the time linked it to the Test from Gods; he who shall sumb to Chaos shall eternally suffer in its troves, they used to say . Now . . . well, now you know as much as I do about the Primal Chaos . I bet you love the fact that you asked that question, he he . " " . . . what are the chances of me living the rest of my life in denial, thinking all of this was just your way to enact revenge on me?" Lino asked, bitterly chuckling . " . . . you may live in denial of a lot of things, and it may be your greatest weapon . . . but I very much doubt you can make yourself genuinely believe that . " " . . . " it wasn¡¯t that Lino was particrly disturbed in regards to himself; after all, this revtion hardly affected him in the long run . However, it did clear up a lot of confusion regarding Ataxia himself; why the Primes were so against him acting out in the open and unwilling to help, why other Empyreans fought desperately and above their means to try and uncover the truth, and why the fact that Lino somehow managed to ¡¯create¡¯ Primal Chaos meant so much to everyone . It wasn¡¯t merely that being able to do it made him somehow stronger or better than previous Empyreans . . . it was that it validated Ataxia¡¯s very existence in this world . Chapter 264 Chapter 264: 264 CHAPTER 264 LAWS OF NATURE While Lino¡¯s expression remained entirely confused as he tried to unravel the bombardment of information he¡¯d just received, the old man leaned leisurely in the chair, taking out a cup of warm tea and drinking it with gleeful expression . He didn¡¯t have intention to unload so much on him, but considering the acquired grievances, he felt it was just . Meanwhile, Lino had long since spiraled into a nebulous dimension of thoughts where very few things made sense . Trying to figure it all out independently of asking Ataxia appeared fruitless as he simply couldn¡¯t wrap his head around numerous concepts tied to the whole narrative; the very concepts of the existence, creation, universe and matter and energy were still quite dubious to him as whole, rendering practically the entirety of the story more difficult toprehend . Throughout the years, he¡¯d spent a lot of his free time contemting on the possibilities and theorizing the potential realities, yet the entire house of cards he¡¯d built up from his own perceptions had copsed . Very rarely does one undergo a life-altering moment where everything they believe in shatters and they need to start anew, but he has . Picking up the pieces of his naive, innocent understandings of the world, he pulled himself out of the limbo and nced at the smirking, old man . Above all, he was thankful -- thankful that for the first time someone was straightforward with him . The old man didn¡¯t give him riddles or vague nonsense, but an answer -- direct, brutal, eye-opening one . Lino had also realized that the old man had epted him, for better or worse, as the Empyrean . It was the recognition of someone belonging on the stage above, and it wasn¡¯t the recognition derived from personal reasons . " . . . thanks . " Lino said with a serious expression . "It means a lot . " "You recovered rather quickly . " the old man said . "Or did you spiral back into denial?" "Ha ha, no, I don¡¯t think even I could willfully deny all that . Sometimes the cup really is full . " " . . . well, you¡¯re handling it better than I expected . " "What¡¯d you expect?" Lino . "Well, mainly for you to fall into the pitfall of self-doubt, existential crisis, bawling your eyes out while rolling over the floor for the few years toe . " "Oh, wow, you have a really low opinion of me, huh?" "Can you me me?" the old man chuckled . " . . . that¡¯s a lot to contemte on . " Lino mumbled . "But, some other day perhaps . Now, because you were so mean to me, I think some additional rewards are in order!" " . . . just spill what you want," the old man groaned . "Don¡¯t y the innocent-game with me . " "Eh, if you wanna be blunt, sure . Give me some books on Laws of Time and Death . " the old man suddenly gagged as he spat out a mouthful of tea, staring at Lino wide-eyed . " . . . y-you . . . you chose those two to start with?!" he stuttered meekly . "Huh? Yeah? Something wrong with that? I mean, I already managed to establish a link with them, so I figured it can¡¯t hurt to dive a bit deeper, right?" Lino replied, confused . "Oh, of course, you already established a link . With Laws of Time and Death . Before turning thirty . That¡¯s not odd . Not odd at all . " the old man mumbled into his jaw . " . . . how¡¯s that denial going?" Lino asked, chuckling . "Great, great . You don¡¯t see me shoving my finger through my eye and poking my brain, do you?" " . . . yeah . . . what¡¯s with the reaction? Was I supposed to master some others first?" " . . . aah, it¡¯s not that," the old man sighed in defeat . "In reality, we have little control over which first few Laws we master . " "Howe?" Lino asked . "Because they¡¯re intricately linked with who we are," the old man exined . "So, we generally tend to have this innate pull toward them and subconsciously gravitate toward them . " " . . . old man, I think you just pped me with the worst insult of my life and you weren¡¯t even meaning to do it . " "No, no, in your case it actually makes more than enough sense now that I think about it," the old man said . "I mean, you were surrounded by death since your early childhood and it¡¯s not as though you ever feared sticking your dick in its business . " "Hey!!" "Time, however, is more rtive as it can have numerous interpretations; my best guess is that you feel you never have enough time to do anything, and that it¡¯s escaping you . " " . . . " "There¡¯s a peculiar saying in the mortal world," the old man spoke out after a few moments of silence between the two . "Laws are dead, but people are alive . In essence it means that sometimes followingws to the tiniest detail is wrong, but, the saying can also be applied to us . Laws in and of themselves merely regte the way the nature is -- their default state of being is non-interactive . It¡¯s up to us to actually make something of them . That¡¯s why, depending on your own state of being through life, you will feel more closeness to specific Laws . " " . . . " "For instance, Tribes of the Northern teaus of the Holy Continent are perpetually exposed to almost unbearable chill since their early childhoods which means that vast majority of their children first master the Law of Frost . Simr case, for instance, is for the Cults residing on the Shadow Isles, as they receive very little sunlight due to the surrounding mountains which loom over them . " " . . . so the residents first master the Law of Shadow?" "Yes," the old man nodded . "That¡¯s why the so-called Ancestral Sect Grounds exist in the first ce . It isn¡¯t merely nostalgia that¡¯s keeping them there, but the Law Inheritance . " " . . . " "But, anyway, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have any books on the Laws . " "Huh?!" Lino frowned . "Or, to be more precise, even if you literally had every book on Laws ever written, they would all be entirely useless to you . We all perceive and interact with Laws differently, and we all have our own individual experiences linking us to them . Mastery of Laws is an entirely blind alleyway for everyone, and that¡¯s pretty much one of the few ces where all individuals have equal starting points . " " . . . " "I wouldn¡¯t be worried if I were you, though," the old man chuckled as he saw Lino¡¯s strange expression . "Future idents notwithstanding, mastering Laws ought to be the easiest thing you¡¯ll do in your life . " " . . . huh . " Lino mumbled, stroking his chin . "Should I aim for all 72?" the old man merely rolled his eyes at Lino¡¯s own ramble, unwilling to humor him . "Instead of books on Laws, how about a Martial Art?" "I can¡¯t use Martial Arts . Geez, it¡¯s like you don¡¯t know anything about the Empyreans . " " . . . you really never miss an opportunity to stroke your own ego or shit on another¡¯s, huh?" the old man sighed, shaking his head . "Of course I know that . But you already have Martial Arts, right? It¡¯s not as though nobody has ever created a Chaos-exclusive Martial Art before . And while I¡¯m certain Ataxia has them all, you¡¯re still way too weak to utilize about ny-nine percent of them . " " . . . aww, you and I are so alike, Grampa!" Lino eximed with a grin . "I¡¯m not your gr--!! Ah, whatever . Here . " procuring a rather thick book from seemingly nowhere, the old man threw it at Lino without even looking at him . Thetter grabbed and quickly inspected it . -- Removes body¡¯s limits temporarily -- " . . . that¡¯s . . . quite a detailed exnation . . . " Lino whined lowly . "It¡¯s simple," the old man said . "It has simr properties to your ability and its removal of Attack Speed restriction -- just, you know, on a muchrger scale . Like most of your abilities, it¡¯s a double-edged sword; it temporarily allows you to exceed your potential strength in return for, you know, crippling you afterwards . " " . . . how strong will I have to get till I can use those cool-looking abilities?" Lino asked quickly . "All I have at the moment is body-enhancing techniques that basically tell me ¡¯hey, fuck your body, fuck your mind, go jump in there and let others fuck them up further¡¯ . " " . . . much, much stronger . " the old man said, smiling . "For instance, the First Form of the -- [Brilliance of Entropy] -- requires you to be at least a Void Titr withplete mastery of one Law, at least 200,000 Strength, 300,000 Vitality and -- well, you¡¯ve already fulfilled the Will requirement, you freak . " " . . . yeah, this is fine . " Lino said dispiritedly . "This ispletely fine . I¡¯ll just, you know, keep throwin¡¯ myself at ¡¯em . That¡¯s fine . " " . . . you¡¯re like a woman who repeatedly keeps asking whether she¡¯s really pretty or not," the old man said, his eyes turning into slits . "Either you just want validation or are genuinely insecure . . . whichever one, though, neither makes you anything more than irritating . " " . . . oh, wow . Somebody finally called me out on it, ha ha ha," Lino suddenly burst out intoughter . "Every time I¡¯d whine like it, I¡¯d see people wince and cringe, but nobody ever called my bull . At times, I really wanted to explode over how frustrated I was . " " . . . yeah . I give up . I¡¯ll never understand you . " "To understand me is very simple, actually," Lino said, putting the book away . "Think of how a normal person would react to something, then remove reason, sanity, and sense of disgust from them and, well, you get me -- the soon-to-be-Void-Titr, Primal Jackass!" " . . . you¡¯re not actually going to choose that one as your Title, right?" " . . . eh, I don¡¯t know . I¡¯m thinking about it . It suits me well, right?" " . . . and thus the world wept unto his stupidity, tears filling crevices, cries recing the winds; oh the woeful world, didst thou giveth us a moron for a savior?" " . . . yeah, yeah, I deserved that . " Lino nodded, though his mind had already trailed onto hisst -- and most important -- request from the old man: the materials . Lots and lots of materials . So many materials they wouldst him whole lifetimes . Chapter 265 Chapter 265: 265 CHAPTER 265 YES A peaceful dawn overlooked a small ranch outside the city center, one stacked with drowsy silence of the morning and the wistful calls of the warm, southern winds . The tall grass swayed gently in tune of the wind, and all seemed to be peaceful in the world . Then, like the first cannonfire of the war, a boom followed by ghastly smoke and fire erupted from the rightmost corner of the small mansion, sending scattered and ashened wood and rubble into the air and around . A figure soon darted through the smoke and soot, ckened by ash, trailing over the air for nearly half a mile before sting into the earth, leaving behind a man-sized canal . Felix roused himself quickly to his feet, coughing terribly and taking off the burnt clothes until he was stark naked . His eyes shone in anger and frustration as he grit his teeth, barely holding back from screaming out . His eyes veered sideways from the billowing smoke and spotted the figure casually walking up to him with robes in her hands . Lucky repeatedly nced between Felix and mes, sighing and shaking her head; it was not a new urrence by any means, but it certainly never got easier . " . . . what happened now?" she asked as she handed him over both the robes as well as arge bucket of water that Felix immediately jumped into . "[Fire Stark] and the [Lyme Leaf] didn¡¯t meld together properly," Felix grumbled lowly . "So my control of mes went to crappers and, well, you know, boom-boom . " "How long has it been since you slept?" Lucky asked as she saw ck bags beneath Felix¡¯s eyes . " . . . uh, a while . " "Uhum . " " . . . what? It¡¯s not like you set a good example!" "Well at least I don¡¯t blow myself up every day . " Lucky scoffed . "You should," Felix said . "It¡¯s quite an . . . exhrating experience . " "How do you fail so spectacrly on the simplest of things each time?" a coarse and rough voice startled both Lucky and Felix as they nced sideways where Eggor was holding a pile of ash in his hands, rummaging through them . "I mean, you managed to perfectly extract the molecr essence of [Lunar Stalk], but you fail tobine two herbs together under right temperature? There¡¯s something wrong with your head, boy . " "Don¡¯t be so mean to him," another voice startled him further as they saw E suddenly appear right next to Eggor . "He¡¯s trying his best, you know?" "He¡¯s clearly doing something wrong, though," by the third voice¡¯s appearance, both Felix and Lucky were ustomed to it, barely even surprised . "Perhaps, and this is simply my conjecture, he ought to father a kid?" Hannahmented . "We expect Lino to first murder a joke, then bury it, shovel it out and kill it again, but you? You¡¯re better than this . " Lucky said as her eyebrows began twitching . "What are you talking about? Scarlet and Annar are already bumping heads and trying to popte half the world all on their own . You should look at them as an example . " Hannah said . "What the hell are you saying?!!" two additional people soon joined in as Felix and Lucky sighed depressingly . "If anyone¡¯s popting the world, it¡¯s you and Lino!" Scarlet cried out as her cheeks flushed red . "Eh, not yet," Hannah shrugged . "He¡¯s still too busy with, you know, disappearing for days at the time . " " . . . where is he anyway?" Lucky suddenly asked . "Probably whoring out and about . " Annar spoke out with glee . "Well, he better not be," Hannah said with a faint sigh . "I¡¯d hate it if he contracted something . It wouldpletely ruin our sex life, you know?" " . . . remember the good old days, El¡¯?" Eggor suddenly spoke out as an expression ofment surfaced on his face . "When the people who surrounded us were pure, dignified, proper and morally right? Then you convinced me to house that kid . And now? Now . . . well . . . I weep . " "He¡¯s really good at corrupting others," E mused with a faint smile . "For better or worse . " "Mostly worse . " "Definitely . " "Almost exclusively worse, actually . " "What are you guys talking about?" another surprised visitor suddenly joined them as Linonded on top of Grim right in the spick center of the debate . "I¡¯m not corrupting anyone . You were all terrible, misguided people well before I met you . I¡¯m simply bringing out the real yous out into the world . I should be awarded a medal, not talked terribly of behind my back . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "Ah, whatever," Hannah spoke out as she walked over and jumped onto Grim . "See you guys around . " "The two of us are gonna go and have s--" Lino suddenly paused as sweat began dripping down his forehead . "Some dinner . Khm, that I¡¯ll cook . " "She¡¯s got you by the balls man, ha ha ha . " Annar suddenlyughed out loud . " . . . " Lino nced at him dubiously for a moment before replying . "You¡¯ve no idea just how right you are . " The group quickly dispersed, leaving Lucky and Felix alone again on the whole ranch . The two returned to the mansion -- at least its still intact side -- as Felix went to fix a quick breakfast while Lucky continued reading up on the formations from the stack of books she¡¯s gotten from Scarlet . "Oh right," she spoke out a few minutes in . "What pill were you trying to concoct?" " . . . it wasn¡¯t a pill . " Felix replied somewhat strangely, prompting her to look up curiously at the slightly slumped back . "An aphrodisiac? I mean, I¡¯m not against it, but I¡¯m fairly certain that if we got any more hot-and-bothered we might actually start pumping out babies . " she said as Felix bumped heads with the cupboard, dropping a bowl of water onto the floor . "Wait, don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m right?" "N-no! Of course not!" he cried out in frustration, ncing at her angrily . "How little do you think of me?! Do you really think every man is as perverted as Master is?" " . . . " "No . . . it was, uh . . . something else . " "What then?" she persisted . "Let¡¯s just drop it, okay?" Felix sighed, cleaning up the floor . "I¡¯ll tell you when I actually make it eventually . " "Ha ha, no, no way . I¡¯m way too curious right now to just drop it . Come on big guy, spill the beans . " " . . . god you¡¯re annoying . " "I know that already . Come on, just say it . What¡¯s the worst that could happen?" "I could die?" Felix said . " . . . huh?" "I-it was . . . it was a custom gem . . . " " . . . what?" Lucky asked in confusion . "A custom gem," Felix exined . "Eggor taught me the process a few weeks back . " "Why do you want to create a custom gem?" " . . . god, sometimes you can be beyond oblivious," Felix sighed in frustration, turning toward her . "Because I was going to ask you to marry me . " " . . . . . huh?" Lucky¡¯s expression quickly shifted from yful to gobsmacked, her lips parting into the shape of the ¡¯o¡¯ter, her eyes turning into saucers . "Well, not with the gem, but I was gonna used the gem as the centerpiece of the ring, you know? Because I can¡¯t exactly craft jewelry, I figured I¡¯d at least create a part of it . " " . . . " "So, I asked Eggor to teach me, and after about half an hour of busting his balls, he finally did . That¡¯s why, uh, the explosions grew in frequency recently . . . because, well, I don¡¯t know what the fuck I¡¯m doing, and every time I get close topleting it, I get too excited and screw something up . There? Happy?" " . . . . . " "Eh? Lucky? You alright? Oh, you¡¯re freaked out?" "N-no!!" she cried out, suddenly lowering her head . "Just, uh, surprised . " "Oh,e on . Like you didn¡¯t suspect anything . " Felix chuckled, bringing over two tes of freshly fried bacon, some jam and two loafs of bread and sitting down across from her . "I¡¯m as good at hiding things as Master is at holding back from pissing everyone off . " " . . . y-you¡¯re serious . . . " she mumbled faintly . "Yeah . " he said . "But, well, because of your usual, anal persistence, the surprise is ruined . " " . . . did I ever give you an impression I wanted a ring, or a custom-crafted gem?" she suddenly asked, looking up . "E-eh? You . . . you don¡¯t . . . want to get married?" Felix stuttered out with an expression of horror . "I do," she smiled gently . "But, I don¡¯t want you to blow yourself up in the process of trying to create a random fucking gem for me . You could have just asked, you know?" " . . . whether you want it or not, well, that¡¯s kind of besides the point," Felix said as he braved his heart . "It¡¯s . . . I don¡¯t even know how to describe it properly, heh . I¡¯m not as good with words as Master is, or even you are . . . so, I wanted to show you, in my own way, how much you mean to me, you know? I know it sounds childish and stupid . . . but, I figured that if I could put a piece of my soul into something and give it to you . . . at least I¡¯de tenth of a way of conveying just how much you mean to me . " " . . . you¡¯re doing way better than that right now," she said, grabbing his hand gently . "And with words no less . Heh, despite all the crap he spits, Lino did once say something to me, something which stuck to this very day . He said that, no matter the eloquence, no matter theplexity, the most important of things, the things that truly matter, can all be expressed in the simplest of ways . " " . . . he did?" Felix asked dubiously . "He did," she nodded . "And, against all odds, he¡¯s right . " " . . . do you know when I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you?" Felix mumbled out after a few moments of silence between the two . "When?" Lucky asked . "It was shortly after we arrived on this continent," he said . "Master was out, doing his usual thing of never telling us what he was doing, and you were once again cursing him out . Remember? We were sitting on that stone wall, just outside the town¡¯s central square, near the Angel¡¯s Fountain?" " . . . oh, yeah . " Lucky mumbled . "Then, suddenly, you stopped cursing and I looked over . " he continued . "You were staring at this old couple who was hoarded by some local gangsters . Then, out of nowhere, you sprinted over and proceeded to beat them half an inch away from death . Not only did you terrify the old couple to the point of passing out, you caused the entire ss of children to burst out into tears while the nearby Guards were too terrified to approach you and apprehend you . However, you didn¡¯t notice any of that . You just picked up those gangsters, threw them away, walked back to the wall, sat up, and smiled contently . " "W-wait a goddamn second! Back up! Were people really terrified?!!" "You had your own beliefs," Felix continued, ignoring her question . "And you followed them freely . You didn¡¯t care what others thought, and you freely told them to go fuck themselves if they had a problem with it . Heh, but, in the end, it was that smile that convinced me . I realized, then and there, that I¡¯ve never smiled that freely . . . that Master never smiled that freely . . . that no one else I¡¯ve ever met in my life smiled that freely . . . and then I swore to myself I wouldn¡¯t fuck it up, no matter what . " " . . . howe your most romantic moment of self-realization paints a pretty shitty picture of me?" Lucky chuckled bitterly, rolling her eyes . "You told me to ask, so I¡¯m just going to ask," Felix suddenly got up from the chair and went down to one knee, grabbing Lucky¡¯s hand tenderly . "Will you marry me?" " . . . yes . " Chapter 266 Chapter 266 CHAPTER 266 BACK TO THE ROOTS Hannah was currently staring entranced, leaned against the palms of her hands, listening to the music the hammered metals made and the visual showcase of beautiful sparks shing briefly into the existence before ring out in the temporary glory . Her eyes would asionally ze over the reddish metal onto the topless figure covered in sweat, where she¡¯d have to hold back quite a bit from expressing her inner demons . The moment the two flew away with Grim from the group, Lino headed to the Pce¡¯s smithy and locked the two of them inside, all the way cackling like a madman . Immediately after, he whipped out a storm of materials that even left Hannahpletely bbergasted, but he didn¡¯t exin anything, immediately entering his-very-own crazed state of mind when it came to crafting . He didn¡¯t tell her what he was crafting, why he was doing it, or even why right then and there, just told her to sit down and ¡¯enjoy the show¡¯ -- and she truly did . Every bit of it, the smallest of movements, the craziest of grins, the most maniacal glints in the pair of jet-ck eyes . . . but it was halfway through that she realized something was different . The crazed-levels were a bit . . . more intense than usual . His movements seemed even more sporadic and free than usual, his expressions even livelier, the asionalughter even more livid . From the get-go she realized he was crafting something odd, but could never quite wrap her head around what it was; the centerpiece object seemed rather small to be any form of the ded weapon, too thick to be a shooting-type weapon, and too thin to be any form of a defense measure . It was small enough to befortably held in one¡¯s hand, simr to weapon¡¯s handle, even perfectly matching its width . She almost suspected he was simply too into crafting a sword¡¯s handle that he forgot to craft the rest of the weapon, but quickly shook the thought away as no matter how crazed he got, he always had perfectmand over everything he was doing during the crafting sessions . Lino was currently experiencing the sort of joy only a few smiths ever get to -- the sheer quantity and quality of materials that the old man had ¡¯gifted¡¯ him surpassed even his wildest dreams . The stockpile easily added up to the mansion-sized hill in his void world, and he theorized it would be enough tost him for years toe, as huge amount of them werepletely unusable by him at the moment due to Level discrepancy . He¡¯d even received three pieces of myth-level materials, [Primordial Dragon¡¯s Heart], [Primal Spirit¡¯s Echo] and [Prime¡¯s Ashes], all three being at least Level 6000 materials that he was most-likely decades away from being able to use . For the longest while he had been dreaming about crafting something he¡¯d already crafted before, something he¡¯d very much like to own again -- his very first creation, at that -- [Celestial Rod] . With the abundance of materials, he finally decided to go for it, experiencing the euphoria he hadn¡¯t in a while in the process; he almost felt as though he was back to being just a young teenage boy crafting his very own item for the first time, with the levels of purely innocent excitement overwhelming him . He settled upon the same design as over ten years ago, just upgrading the arrays and overall work-flow of the item to make it more refined . Prior to crafting he imagined at the very least ending up with the [Unique]-tier item again, but as he began immersing himself into the process, such thoughts disappeared from his mind . He merely wished to see the end product be the best it can, so he poured every bit of himself into the process -- he¡¯d long since forgotten there was Hannah watching him, had long since forgotten where he was, what time it was, and even who he himself was . There was only one thing within his vision, the handle-shaped and sized weapon . After crafting the general shape, he immediately began iying arrays, settling on the riskybinations he himself hade up bybining, modifying, augmenting, removing and adding lines . As the surface he had to work with was small, most smiths would suggest he went line by line, but he didn¡¯t even think about it, immediately diving into the iying as though he was drawing a rough sketch on the canvas . His index finger traced left and right and in swirls and diagonal lines time and again, sparks shining off as brightly as fireflies, drawing spirals around his entire body like threads of fate . Hannah¡¯s lips gaped as she witnessed something she had never witnessed before in her life -- world¡¯s elements, all of their own volition, gathered around Lino, growing corporeal, shifting and dancing around him as they adjoined into the surging Elemental Spirits . She¡¯d even spotted a few members of Fae curiously ncing over Lino¡¯s shoulder, their bodies shimmering in faint cyan . Colors mingled within the otherwise dark room, prettier than any fireworks she¡¯d ever seen; each thread traced through the air individually, wrapping about his tall and broad shoulders, streaking into nothingness . Red, blue, yellow, green, silver, white . . . colors beyond description¡¯s range formed a whirl of sorts around him, eventually all twirling around and piercing his body . Underneath the sting light of it all conjured through reality Hannah couldn¡¯t understand, he remained the same; smiling, joyful, heated, as though the world around him was as silent and as dull as ever . Threads soon broke into starlight sprinkling around him like snow before vanishing without a trace, one by one, till none were left . The room once again shifted to dull-colored, dimly-lit one . However, Hannah was yet toe to her senses . Lino, on the other hand, realized something immediately upon iying thest line of his array system . He sensed a faint heartbeat, felt the small rod in his hand tremble, and heard a faint whine trace into his mind directly . This had only urred once before, a long time ago, when he crafted his very first [Soul Armor] . Then and there, he realized, he¡¯d somehow managed to craft a [Soul Weapon] . The short rod repeatedly trembled as the heartbeat quickened and whines grew louder . Lino grasped at it tightly and it calmed, cradled warmly within his fingers . His lips curled up into a bright, warm smile as his heart was momentarily overwhelmed by a surge of emotions . " . . . y-you . . . you done?" Hannah¡¯s strange stuttering voice brought him back to reality as he lifted his head up and looked over . Her eyes were like saucers, whole body leaned forward yet seemingly frozen in that position from being too fearful to move an inch forward . " . . . yeah?" he replied, looking at her strangely . "What¡¯s wrong?" "W-what¡¯s wrong?! Did . . . did you not see it?" she asked hysterically . "See what?" "The colors!" she eximed . "S-so . . . so many fucking colors . . . " "What are you talking about?" Lino frowned . "Be honest with me: did you think you¡¯d grow bored so you popped a few strange pills beforehand?" " . . . I¡¯ll pop your fucking brain out . " Hannah groaned . "So you really didn¡¯t see them?" " . . . " Lino¡¯s nk stare confirmed that he, indeed, didn¡¯t see them, Hannah realized . "Whatever . Show me what you crafted . " she gave up in the end as she simplycked the means to properly describe what she¡¯d seen . "Oh! Right! I should warn you, though," Lino said, handing her the rod . "You might get flooded after seeing it, but I¡¯m too exhausted to take responsibility for it, so you might love yourself for a while to take care of it . " " . . . yeah, dream on---" Lino merely nced down for a moment and shook his head . "It¡¯s a curse," hemented . "How am I expected to live so? Is it a punishment for being too handsome? Too witty? Too charming? Ayy . . . world is so unkind . So unkind . . . " Meanwhile, Hannah was looking over the stats of the ¡¯weapon¡¯, quickly realizing that the colors she¡¯d seen were the least of her surprises today . Of all the things this little piece could be, it was a [Soul Weapon] . Disregarding the slightly strange name, she suddenly spoke out against her will, through sheer instinct alone . "I want it . " "Eh?" Lino turned around, surprised, and saw her infatuated expression . "I--I¡¯m sorry," she quickly came to her senses, giving the rod back to him . "Of course I don¡¯t want it . Don¡¯t worry about it . " " . . . don¡¯t you already have monopoly over the best rod in the world?" " . . . yeah, I set you up for that one . My bad . " "Here," he merely grinned faintly before throwing it back at her . "It was high-time I crafted something for you . " "E-eh? But what about you?!" she questioned quickly . "While it is nice to have an arsenal of items," he said . "The main reason I craft things . . . is to craft them, not to use them . Besides, you¡¯re holding my rod . And every time you hold it, you¡¯ll be reminded of my other rod . It¡¯s my way of ensuring you never dump me for some other rod . " "Well, so long as you don¡¯t dump me for some other watermelons . " Hannah chuckled faintly, walking over and kissing him . "Oh, honey . It¡¯s so sweet you think you¡¯ve got watermelons . " Lino grinned faintly as he caressed her hair while she groaned lowly . " . . . whatever . I¡¯ll be the bigger woman--I dare you to make a joke-- and just say . . . thank you . And I love you . " " . . . I love you too . " Lino said . "Hey, I just realized something! I just, literally, gave you a piece of my Soul!! If that ain¡¯t the most romantic thing you¡¯ve ever lived through in my life, then I don¡¯t know what is!" " . . . aaaaand he ruins it . " "But no, seriously, think about it . You know how many poems out there have one or other iteration of ¡¯I give you my soul, so hold it tenderly¡¯ or some shit, but I literally gave you my soul, and you¡¯re literally holding it tenderly! We¡¯re living out a poem, Hannah! We¡¯re living out a fucking poem! Goddamn, I wonder if some jackass in the future will make a story about us, just to show the world how romantic I am . Hmm, I can already see the title: Hero Lino -- and this really cute chick that follows him around . Or-or . . . " as Lino went on with another one of his long-winded monologues, Hannah smiled gently seeing his excited expression, once again lowering her gaze and going over the rod¡¯s stats which still made her shudder from the core of her being . [Celestial Rod -- ] Level 700(+) Damage: Strength*20 Magic Damage: Intelligence+Wisdom*40 Special Effect: Four-pronged item Special Effect: - injecting Qi into the bottom array sends out a cone-shaped breath of fire from the top, dealing Magic Damage*10 to everyone damaged by it, melting any armor beneath Level 900(+) Special Effect: - injecting Qi directly into the rod elongates it upward to 6,000 meters; injecting Will instead of Qi makes it possible to change the elongated shape at will; has prative effect; deals 50% of overall damage (Damage+Magic Damage) Special Effect: - injecting Qi through the conduits manifests corporeal dart(s) that wielder can aim and fire at will; darts attain the element of Qi used to create them and retain all effects of the said element; can fire 200,000 in session before needing a cooling period; damage is determined by the element in question and wielder¡¯s affinity with it Special Effect: -- injecting Qi repeatedly into the rod through all four openings will expand it vertically into a gigantic, half-spherical shield in front of the wielder; the shield¡¯s strength is determined by the amount of Qi injected and the shield retains the properties of the element; shield cannot be broken so long as it¡¯s supplemented by Qi; requires a considerable recharge time after usage Special Effect: -- grows alongside the user, but asionally requires additional refining to cross specific thresholds Special Effect: -- cannot be destroyed unless the Soul within the weapon is wiped out entirely Note: A Divine Creation infused with crafter¡¯s very essence, giving birth to a Soul; unmatched in prowess of multi-functional weapons, it has the potential to be recorded within the Weaponry Records and permanently leave its trace in the world for all eternity . Chapter 267 Chapter 267: 267 CHAPTER 267 ABYSS OF MADNESS Lino was currently standing within the small cave, staring at the sleeping Eos . By now, he figured, the Oath should have taken root in her Soul which is also why he was ready to release her out into the wild yet again . He had no intention of stirring the trouble just yet by either holding her captive or killing her as that would do little to help him at the moment . Walking over slowly, he shook her briefly before turning around and sitting down . Eos groaned lowly, waking up and looking around loosely until she saw Lino, her expression immediately souring . "Oh, wow . " Lino chuckled . "There are sights for sore eyes . . . and then there are sores for sightful eyes . I just never figured I was thetter . " " . . . the Oath has taken root . " Eos said . "Will you let me go?" "I will, I will, but what¡¯s the hurry? Why not chat for a bit? It¡¯s gonna be quite a while until we see each other again, you know?" "And I¡¯m dreading that moment even now . " Eos scoffed . "Ouch . Very well, I guess," Lino said, sighing and getting up . "I really thought we formed a bond, you know? I mean, I didn¡¯t think we were besties or anything, but I figured we¡¯re at the stage where we can share our sexual frustrations, you know?" he walked over slowly and pressed his finger against her forehead . "Like, for instance, for me--" "Please stop talking . " "What? You aren¡¯t interested in hearing Hannah¡¯s shorings?" Lino grinned as Eos¡¯ expression grew pained . " . . . just . . . stop talking . " "No funny business when we get out there, okay?" Lino said as he removed formations¡¯ restrictions on her . "I may be in a good mood, but us Empyreans are known to quickly flip a switch . It¡¯s both a burden and a curse, actually . " " . . . " Eos didn¡¯t say anything, merely ncing at him indifferently as the two stepped through a small spatial tear, finding themselves outside, on top of the mountain . "Must be nice to see the outside world again, huh?" Lino mumbled, ncing at the cloudy sky above . "Sorry about the weather though . I¡¯d have fixed it, but, eh . " " . . . you are just like the rest of ¡¯em," Eos said lowly . "Cocky, hardy, master at ying a fool . I¡¯d be careful; y the role of a clown long enough, and you eventually be one . " "What¡¯s wrong with being a clown?" Lino nced at her, smiling faintly . "At least I get to make peopleugh, right?" "You get people tough at you . " she replied . "But, I suppose, even that for you would be a blissful form of existence . " " . . . I hope that by our next meeting," Lino said . "You¡¯ll have had a change of heart . If not . . . well, we¡¯re all headed to one ce, single-filed . So you won¡¯t be missing out on anything . " "Heh . . . " "Eh, Lino?" a familiar voice caused Lino to frown for a moment as he nced sideways, spotting Lucky just down beneath, walking out of the forest . "What are you doing here?" " . . . " It was a moment, and he managed to react almost immediately; a st of Qi shuffled the reality around himing from the side, yet he too immediately stirred his Singrity and shuffled enough Qi into his feet to break apart his veins . Golden wings unfurled behind his back as he streaked sideways toward the light . "NOOOOO!!!!!" a shrieking cry shattered the thinly-veiled reality as Lino stretched out his arm and hit Eos squarely on her cheek, sting her sideways through the mountain, creating a massive, human-sized trail running onward for miles . But, it wasn¡¯t only her jaw that cracked in that one sporadic moment . Lino looked down and saw Luckyunching herself over, her face paled and covered in tears . She held onto the dismantled body of a young man, entirely covered in blood . His eyes flipped back in their sockets, blood gurgling out of his holed throat, body twitching relentlessly for a moment . Just behind him, two more dismantled bodiesy, limbless and headless, torn to shreds beyond recognition . He shuddered, his eyes widening into saucers, body shaking as though it was winter . Lucky cried and screamed madly, having lost all her senses, helplessly crying out his name, shaking his listless body . Within that singr second, reason abandoned Lino¡¯s mind, his jet-ck eyes losing their luster as he shifted his gaze over and away from Felix¡¯s corpse, toward the distance . Flying over and leaving behind a trail of dust, he caught up to Eos immediately, grabbing her by the throat before shoving her down, bursting apart earth beneath him and forming a massive crater as the earth quaked and shook, crying in vain . Eos, however,ughed maniacally, her eyes blistered with glee, bloody lips curled up in a vicious grin . Lino used his free hand and reached into her chest, ripping it wide open and grabbing her heart, pressing it firmly and bursting it into a shower of gore that covered his face . Yet, he didn¡¯t even blink . Eos began coughing madly as he used the free arm to reach for her shoulder and rip one of her arms out, still pressing her throat with the other one . However, a mere wince of painter, and Eos returned back toughing . The crackling sounds burst past his barriers and ventured into his heart as the corners of his eyes began shedding dry tears . Unable to hold back any longer, he roared directly into her face, using his free arm to repeatedly strike it, leaving it bruised, crack and bleeding as her beautiful face quickly grew disfigured beyond recognition . Each one of his strikes ravaged the earth beneath, carving out the crater further deep . Over and over, fiercer and fiercer, until he was running out of breath . She was not herself, both eyes popped, nose entirely ttened, innards of her mouth exposed through bleeding holes on her cheeks, her brain matter flowing down her cracked forehead . Yet, she was still alive, breathing andughing despite the pain . " . . . of all the people," he growled in a voice of a beast, gritting his teeth together till his gums bled . "Him? Them? Coward . Fucking coward . Dragging innocent in your vanity . . . " "Ha--guugh--hahaha, s-so w-what? Guughh--kill me, go on, hahahaha, see if t-that brings ¡¯im back . . . ha ha ha . . . " " . . . kill you?" Lino slowly got up, still holding her by her throat, right in front of him . "We¡¯re well beyond the point of kindness . " his lips suddenly stretched into a massive grin, creating -- in concert with his bloodied face -- a demonic visage . "Seya . . . was her name, I believe?" Eos¡¯ughter stopped at once as she nced at Lino¡¯s other arm, his hand grasping at a tiny, fragile throat of a frightened-looking girl shaking whole . Her purple eyes stared in fear and terror at the scene in front of her eyes; the indomitable Eos . . . Seya barely recognized her . "N-no---no---" "Lino . . . " a faint, melodic voice grasped at Lino¡¯s arm holding onto Seya . He shifted sideways and saw Hannah standing next to him, her eyes red, cheeks puffed, expression terrible . " . . . how . . . is she?" he asked in a low tone, ignoring both Eos and Seya . " . . . " Hannah didn¡¯t say anything, turning her gaze toward Eos . "Are you proud of yourself?" " . . . " Eos didn¡¯t say anything, focused entirely onto the clenched hand around Seya¡¯s throat . "Take her," Lino suddenly said as he let go of Seya . "And go knock Lucky out . " "What about--" "You don¡¯t want to be here," Lino said, turning his gaze back onto Eos . "Just go . " " . . . " somewhat reluctantly, Hannah picked still-frozen Seya from the ground and left, asionally ncing back at Lino¡¯s back . " . . . t-thank . . . you . . . " Eos stuttered out faintly . " . . . he was a kid," Lino said in a low tone, his eyes regaining some of their shine . "Blissfully ignorant, yet beyond passionate to do anything he can to help me . To be honest, I could literally do nothing and just wait . You¡¯ve just condemned your Sect to a war that will lead to their extinction . Perhaps, it¡¯s even what he¡¯d want of me . " " . . . " " . . . and she . . . she was just beginning to grow whole again," he bit his lower lip in agony . "To heal . I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll look her in the eyes after today . How will I ever convince her that better things await . How will I ever reason today . " " . . . " " . . . but, it doesn¡¯t matter . " he took a deep breath and looked up once more . "Today . . . I must teach this fucking world a lesson . One they¡¯ll remember . One that will make them shake in their boots when they hear my name . " his voice grew colder and colder as he spoke on, eyes turning empty once more . "One that will never even allow them to think of harming anyone close to me . All this while, I genuinely believed, beyond all differences, in reason; that all people, regardless of everything, upheld it at least to a certain degree . That no matter how inspired by their ideology, they¡¯ll stop for a moment and think . I still want to believe it, you know? That we are better than what we show to the world . That all of us, whatever else we may wish, ultimately want a world where we all get along just fine . " " . . . " "But," he chuckled bitterly . "Eventually, one has to actually take a look at the world properly . We¡¯re never gonna get along just fine . We are never gonna unite and realize everything we¡¯re doing is just biting us back in the ass repeatedly . This is the world of morons, the age of idiots, the era of maniacs . . . and, by god, I¡¯m tired of trying to see the best in everything and everyone . So, today, I won¡¯t . " he slowly raised his free arm and brought it up to Eos¡¯ forehead, pressing his thumb firmly against it . "I¡¯ll just treat the world the same way it has treated me since the day of my birth . " "---Ataxia!!" it wasn¡¯t Eos¡¯ voice that suddenly cried out from her lips, but rather Aurora¡¯s . The panicked cry, however, did little to stop whatever Lino was doing . "A-are you insane?!! You can¡¯t do that!! It will destroy the bnce!!!" " . . . then it will be destroyed . " Ataxia replied through Lino . "As all things shall eventually . . . " "--NOOOO!!!" at that moment, the Light was snuffed out -- and the world was stirred into an abyss of madness that they couldn¡¯t reason with or exin . Sun dimmed and dulled, golden colors turning muddy, the light of all things dying a slow, tepid death . Eos¡¯st breath wasn¡¯t pleasant, yet she couldn¡¯t voice out the pain . She felt every inch of her being growing ripped as Aurora fought her own battle inside Eos¡¯ Soul; bits and pieces scattered and burned, turning to ash, as she felt being devoured inside out, her soul splintering into millions of pieces, her singrity exploding within her, her entire body bloating up into a mess of blood and gore before melting like a candle into a pool of puss . With her death, the Light turned to slumber . Chapter 268 Chapter 268 CHAPTER 268 WORLD ON ITS KNEES A magnificent wail crossed the boundaries of space and time, piercing through its thin veil, echoing out through the millions of hearts and souls, causing them all to cough up a mouthful of sootyered blood . Shadows veiled the sky, turning the bright days into darkest of nights . Far and wide, people looked up in terror, feeling chilled winds bursting through their hearts . Alison was currently shaking terribly like a leaf in the wind, held by four arms tightly as they cried out for help . Her eyes had turned pure, milky white, skin seeming as though sunburned . There wasn¡¯t an inch of her body that wasn¡¯t billowing smoke out into the air, one bearing the stench of rotten corpses . Even Hannah was feeling terribly unpleasant now, her expression distorted as she looked toward the looming mountains in the distance . She forcibly stopped her heart from beating quickly, forcibly held back her soul from stretching out into the wail of solidarity . E stood far up in the sky, her expression a mixture between worry and sadness . There was a faint trace of blood on the corner of her lips, her eyes shining strangely as she focused on the figure standing solitary in the field of red-glowing ash, his shoulders sunken, strands of hair covering his expression entirely . Alison¡¯s Master, Alex, was currently standing on top of a tallest spire, his eyes shining bright purple within the shadows . His body, too, was shaking faintly, yet he remained inaudible, as though he wasn¡¯t even there . Following a few minutes of still-standing silence, he suddenly vanished from the spot . Seven people sat in a circle around faintly cyan me, two men and five women, their expression a mixture of strange exhration and awe . Primal Spirit Ananith was staring at a stone que hanging above her in tepid confusion, her lips trembling faintly, Qi around her terribly restless . Within the world of edgeless mirrors, tears and inconsequential nothingness, tepid whispers echoed one after another, shing against the invisible edges of everything . Red threads shook in the sky, tearing and ripping as though cut by scissors, as their source shook violently, causing the entire world around to quake and rumble . A ck-haired, ck-eyed youth was currently standing on top of a pile of dismantled corpses, feasting on an arm, as his lips suddenly trembled and curled up into a grin of fanaticism . He looked up toward the sky and saw the shrouded edges, ring out into a maniacalughter . Patriarchs, Matriarchs, Elders, Arch Patriarchs, and even some Disciples of the Holy Grounds all uniformly groaned, some of them disappearing from their spots into a puff of smoke . The entire world, for an entire minute, had gone entirely mute . It was then, by the very end, that a pair of jet-ck eyes emerged like suns up in the sky, overlooking the entirety of existence . All looked up and met them, some in terror, some in anger, some in unbridled rage, some in pride, some in awe, some in joy, some with tears in their eyes . The pair of eyes looked down like an overlord, like the judge of everything beneath; though hundreds and millions and even billions wished to leave the ground and bolt into the sky above, they found themselves frozen in spot . They couldn¡¯t move an inch, nor could they utter a sound . They could only stare at the pair ck eyes, a pair so void of emotion they didn¡¯t seem human . Beneath that judgment, soon billions cracked, falling to their knees, shaking . Beneath that gaze, even the most indomitable Wills began to shake . Figures that had already turned into the myths of the cultivation world found themselves fighting with all they had to resist . Within the inconspicuous-lookingke, a ded elder and a pair of opposite-looking men stared through the mirror into the world outside, all three shaking, yet not bending . They stared hard and long, their expressions muddied in shadows, their eyes marred in clouds . An old-looking woman and an old-looking man, sitting cross-legged on opposing mats within a squared room with no decorations suddenly shook as their eyes opened . The Qi around them immediately turned to ash, extinguished from the reality itself . They but nced at the sky beyond for less than a breath, yet Qi within tens of thousands of miles around them was all gone . " . . . wait for me . . . " a resounding, low growl of the thousand voices bellowed through the minds of all those who stared at the pair of now vanishing eyes . Those that endured so far broke and bent forward, crashing onto their knees, bleeding from their eyes and ears . Even the old man within the Great Descent¡¯s headquarters, and the two Disciples standing next to him, found themselves on their knees, unable to endure . Itsted for nigh a second before they stood back up, yet it was all evidenced by the four trails of blood on each one of them . " . . . was that really . . . Lino?" the crimson-haired, stalwart-looking man asked with amenting expression . " . . . it felt even worse than when Eldon did it," the old man said with a faint sigh . "Age of the Empyrean . . . is truly upon us . " Thousands of people were currently standing inside a massive hall decorated with cial gems all around, the centerpiece of it all being seven pirs standing in a circr formation at the very center of the hall . Pirs were made out of ss, their innards transparent for all to see; six of them were currently empty, with only one standing out . A small bulb of light appeared out of thin air, the size of the grain of sand, in one of the pirs, a low cry shaking the hall for a moment before it all settled . Hundreds among the thousands suddenly fell to their knees and broke out into tears, cries killing out the prior silence . Alex stood far up front, right in front of the pirs, his expression terrible . He turned sideways where a few spots down a woman stood tall, tears trickling down her cheeks . They stood far out against her dark skin, the pair of silver eyes bleeding in pain . Then he thought back to the pair of eyes that had caused every single soul inside the hall to kneel for a moment; at that moment, he felt entirely worthless and powerless, as though a mere nce from them was enough to end his life . For the first time in millions of years, well beyond the point he could recall with rity, he felt fear -- genuine, bone-piercing, soul-shivering fear . And he knew that everyone in the hall felt the same, though no one would willingly admit it . "Everyone, leave . " a robotic voice jolted everyone to their feet as a path opened up, exposing a youthful-looking man walking toward the pirs . He was on the taller end, with a pair of beautiful, ck eyes focused entirely on the small bulb of light inside one of the pirs . "Alex, Ete, Vars, Murook, Linda and Y¡¯lov stay . " All but six named people stayed -- two women and four men, all of whom were currently gathered near the pirs . The young-looking man joined them shortly after, briefly touching the pir before turning toward the rest . "All wars, personal grievances, disputes and bad-blood between us ends now . " the robotic voice continued . "This was a deration of war, in and simple . Some of you have lived through thest time an Empyrean had be the Harbinger so you should know all too well what this means . " " . . . so that really was the sign of the Harbinger . . . " Alex sighed faintly, frowning . "How is the Bearer?" the young man turned toward Alex . "Comatose . " thetter replied simply . " . . . I suppose that¡¯s the best possible oue for the time being," the young man continued . "Despite the fact that he had be the Harbinger, it is different than thest time; Eldon was already a massive threat, current Empyrean is not . All our focus for now shifts onto locating him or her . Unfortunately, Mother and Fate are unable to help us, so it rests on us to end this before it even begins . We cannot --- I repeat --- we cannot allow the Empyrean to grow . Thest time ended well, but we cannot count on the same oue this time around . " Everyone nodded faintly before disappearing, including the boy; only Alex and the dark-skinned woman who hadn¡¯t looked away from the pir all the while remained . " . . . there are two possibilities for Hannah," the woman suddenly said in a coarse voice . "Either she¡¯s held captive, or she¡¯spromised . What is your bet?" " . . . thetter . " Alex replied, sighing . "But, I very much doubt she had anything to do with this, Ete . All said and done, she still loved Eos . " " . . . it doesn¡¯t matter," she said . "We¡¯re making the same mistakes again, Alex . The same mistakes we¡¯ve made with Eldon . I¡¯ve no doubt in my mind Eos had done something unforgivable for Ataxia to allow the Empyrean to kill Aurora . And again a fool waltzes in and warns us that we cannot allow an Empyrean to grow any further, as though we were aiding and abetting him all this while . " " . . . " Alex remained silent; save for Heaven¡¯s Y¡¯lov, Ete was the only other person among those who were in the hall that lived through the years of the first Harbinger . "Eldon, however, was much older," she continued . "Much wiser . . . and much kinder . On the principle I cannot justify what the Empyrean did . . . but, a part of me wants to . You must have seen it too; those eyes weren¡¯t the eyes of an old monster who was wronged . Those were the eyes of the child, Alex . The eyes of someone whose heart was broken one-too-many times . " she nced at him from the corner of her eye . "If I were you, I¡¯d be happy for Hannah . " she added before finally turning away from the pirs . "Unlike the old, senile fools, it¡¯s the kids among us that make the right choice . Now more than ever I¡¯m certain: Origin War ising . Don¡¯t be a fool, Alex . The pain¡¯s not worth it . " Chapter 269 Chapter 269 CHAPTER 269 UNITED Ashes, dirt, sttered pieces of rocks and uprooted trees made up the disfiguredndscape which once was a valley stretch in-between two mountains . From full of life, now it seemed deste, empty, silent, void of it entirely . At the epicenter of the destruction, where a massive crater stretched for over five miles altogether, Lino stood, his shoulders sunken . He stared at the nothingness beneath his feet with a dulled gaze, his soul seemingly ripped out of this realm . asional whizz of the wind would bellow his hair and cloak, yet he remained immovable like a statue, forever frozen in the time . It was only hourster that some focus reached his gaze as he lifted his head up and looked at the shrouded sky . His face was dirtied, jetted in mud, lips dried and bursting . The sp that used to hold up his hair together had vanished at one point, leaving his long, ck hair to freely straddle down his slumped back . He found little joy or relief in killing Eos, or even ¡¯killing¡¯ Aurora -- as the Writs were part of the natural order, it was almost impossible to kill them, so Lino settled on the next best thing -- practically ¡¯resetting¡¯ their state of being and forcing them to grow anew . From what Ataxia told him, it would take at least a whole century before Aurora could even be passed onto the next Bearer of Light . None of that, however, came even close to being considered ¡¯reparation¡¯; not even looking down at the whole world and dering the war brought him much joy, as it would on any other day . All he felt was . . . empty . It was an all-too-familiar state of mind, all-too-familiar sense of self . He¡¯de to stare nkly at the sky for hours, through the night and the dimmed dawn . No one approached him, no one called out to him, no one tried to ask him anything . Many-an-eye stared at him from the distance with concern, yet none of the mouths made a sound . Eventually, however, he knew he¡¯d have to move -- he¡¯d have to turn around and face the reality . Standing still there and staring at the sky didn¡¯t freeze the time; it still flowed like a rapid stream . Unlike the past, the present was ever-changing; the former would always be there to look back onto, but thetter had to be grabbed lest it disappears before his eyes . Sighing faintly, he turned around atst and walked away . He didn¡¯t tidy himself up, didn¡¯t tie his hair or clear his face, didn¡¯t even bother washing the dried blood from his tattered clothes . It was just outside the range of destruction that he¡¯d met a familiar face -- he faintly nced up and met Hannah¡¯s eyes . " . . . you okay?" he asked briefly and emotionlessly . " . . . yeah . " Hannah replied . "Where is she?" "At your ce . " " . . . " he began walking slowly, pausing for a moment as he passed her and whispering in a low tone, "I¡¯m sorry . . . " before trudging toward the city . Hannah turned around and watch his back fade into the distance, barely managing to hold back the tears . Once again, the burden fell onto him and there was nigh-nothing she could do past feeling guilt over feeling a tinge of anger toward him and what he did . Yet, she could not me him audibly; she was more than certain that he simply saw no other choice but the one he took . E and Eggor sat on top of the flying ship, looking down at the walking Lino . Thetter still had quite a paleplexion, his eyes denoting even a faint trace of terror as they focused on the youth¡¯s figure . " . . . I have to go back home," E said in a serious tone . "And you -- you can¡¯t let him out of your sight . " " . . . that¡¯s a tall order, right there . " Eggor grumbled but didn¡¯t reject it . "They probably won¡¯t let you leave once they figure out you¡¯re pregnant, though . " "I¡¯d love to see them try and stop me," she replied emptily . "Especially when I¡¯m going to save their asses . " " . . . you won¡¯t talk to him?" he asked . " . . . there¡¯s nothing to say," she said, getting up . "He¡¯s no longer the kid we met, Eggor . He won¡¯t break, at the very least . " " . . . " Eggor said nothing, merely ncing down at Lino who stopped in front of a rather simple-looking, two-story building and remained standing nearly ten minutes before entering . E, on the other hand, appeared next to Hannah, startling her . "You need to go back home . " she said . "Huh?" Hannah eximed softly . "He¡¯s dered war on the world, Hannah," E said, ncing at her . "Go and see your loved ones and try to convince them . Take this," she then handed her a shoddy-looking talisman . "In case anyone tries anything funny, just activate it and you¡¯ll be teleported next to me . By now, the leaders of the Grounds must have dered the hunt on him as a priority . The entire world will be swarmed by high-end cultivators, and I don¡¯t think he has an inclination of ying it nicely with them . Just . . . do your best . " " . . . will he be okay?" Hannah asked just before E left . " . . . why not just ask him?" E nced at her and smiled faintly . "He can take more than you can dish out . Trust me . It seems time hase for you to make a decision . Perhaps a bit earlier than you otherwise would, but, well, the world rarely waits for the perfect timing . " " . . . " Hannah didn¡¯t say anything, knowing full well already what E was talking about . "It¡¯s hardly a decision," she chuckled, putting the talisman away and looking up . "I¡¯ve lost him once . . . and once was enough . " " . . . then you know what you have to do . " E smiled before disappearing . Without pausing, Hannah suddenly disappeared and reappeared inside a dimly-lit room with only a bed and a bedside table decorating it . Lucky was lying on the bed, covered with a thin nket, her expression terrible, while Lino sat in the corner, his head lowered . It was only when Hannah appeared that he looked up . "What are you doing here?" he asked, seeming slightly surprised . "Like I can trust you to handle a hysterical woman," she chuckled, walking up and sitting down next to him . "No offense, of course . " " . . . it¡¯s true," Lino chuckled faintly . "Sassyss? Flirty one? Dangerously maniacal one? I¡¯ve got those covered . A hysterical one, however . . . eh, I¡¯m not confident . " "And for good reason," she added . "But, not to worry, I happen to be an expert in handling hysterical women . " "So, what¡¯s the secret?" Lino asked . "You just feed them a lot of booze," Hannah replied with a shrug . "A lot of booze . " " . . . well fuck, I could have figured that one out too . " "But you didn¡¯t . " "A fair point . " Lino nodded as the silence fell between the two . "Are you angry?" he asked after a while . " . . . a little bit . " she replied . " . . . did I do the right thing?" he asked lowly . "Or just fuck everything up beyond repair?" "I wouldn¡¯t know whether you did right or wrong," she said, wrapping her arm gently around his neck and pulling him into her chest . "But I do know that you pissed off a lot people . Probably more than you can even imagine . " " . . . isn¡¯t that just par for the course with me, though?" he said . "Ha ha ha, yeah, I suppose it is . But, at the very least, you made a great show out of it . You both pissed them off and scared them shitless at the same time . I don¡¯t think many people can pull that off . " " . . . I¡¯m tired Hannah," he sighed lowly . "I know I keep saying that shit a lot . . . but, I think, for the first time in my life . . . I truly, truly mean it . " " . . . I know . . . " "I haven¡¯t thanked you . " he said suddenly . "Thanked me?" "Yeah, for showing up when you did . " he continued . "And saving that girl . " " . . . you wouldn¡¯t have killed her even if I didn¡¯t show up . " Hannah said . "I would . Without a shred of remorse . " he said . "Just so I can ¡¯get even¡¯ . " " . . . " "I¡¯d have killed apletely innocent girl," he continued . "For the stupidest reason imaginable . All the while I believed I was entirely immune to the world¡¯s corruption, that no matter what I wouldn¡¯t turn into one of those murderous maniacs who exterminate entire towns for the simplest of slights . That, no matter how bad things got, I would never involve innocents into whatever shitstorm I¡¯m involved in . " " . . . " "Clearly, though, I¡¯ve overestimated my ability to resist," he added with a sigh, pulling himself out of her arms and leaning back onto the wall . "When you grabbed my arm, back then, I¡¯d realized: I¡¯d already lost . I can bitch and whine about how the world handles shit for however long I want, but what of it if I¡¯m no different?" " . . . so what?" she asked after a few moments of silence, causing him to meet her gaze once again . "In the end, you didn¡¯t . And, just like this time, if in the future you once again feel yourself slipping away, I¡¯ll be there to pull you back . . . because I know you¡¯ll also be there to pull me back . As they say, united we stand, divided we fall . " " . . . they¡¯ve probably figured out that you¡¯re in bed with me, now," Lino said, taking a deep breath . "Well, most-likely they¡¯ve yet to figure out you literally are, but they know you¡¯re with me, so you pretty much have no choice . " "Oh, that¡¯s just terrible . " Hannah stifled herughter . "Now I¡¯m stuck with you no matter what! What will be of my life?!" "Well, you know, a little bit of dancing," he said, smiling faintly . "A little bit of dining, little bit of fighting, little bit of sex . So, you know, the standard affair . " "So there¡¯s gonna be dancing?! I can¡¯t wait!" "You¡¯ll have to teach me first, though . " he said . "And then we can dance to your heart¡¯s content . " "And we will," she said, smiling . "So you better don¡¯t skip leg days from now on . " "I¡¯ll try my hardest, mdy . " Chapter 270 Chapter 270 CHAPTER 270 MYRIAD OF HEARTS Faint whispers of candles¡¯ mes lit up a squared room, giving it gentle and warm radiance . Walls surged in faint coral, their sheen cascading down the stacks . The floorboard beneath creaked slightly as Lino walked over from the corner and sat on the bed, looking at the pale Lucky lying beneath the sheets . A whole day had passed since Hannah knocked her out, and her state hadn¡¯t changed much . Though Lino was very much unaware at the moment of the global consequences his antics had spurred, he didn¡¯t care much for them either; he refused to leave the room until she woke up . He¡¯d also eventually kicked Hannah out as she had far more pressing issues to deal with than being a hand propelling him up when Lucky wakes . Perhaps others couldn¡¯t understand it, but to Lino Lucky represented far more than just a friend; save for E and Eggor, she was among the first to befriend him despite his antics . She was there through everything, and even with all her snidements about him, he knew very well she never once thought about leaving . He¡¯d long since stopped thinking of her as a friend and more as a little sister, a title she would certainly re about as she was a few years older than him . By showing her the world, he exposed her to its vultures; he promised himself he¡¯d protect her and Felix no matter what, even at the expense of his own life, yet he¡¯d failed -- failed so spectacrly that he was half a mind away from getting up and running away from everything, too fearful to face the reality of it all . Following Ae¡¯s and others¡¯ deaths, she barely managed to crawl back -- and now, after she¡¯d finally rekindled the fire in her heart, it was snuffed so abruptly she didn¡¯t even have a moment¡¯s goodbye . Right there in front of her eyes it was cut permanently while all she could do was stand and scream . That was the thing that scared Lino the most; it wasn¡¯t whether she would me him or the world, but that she would beholden the whole burden onto herself . ncing out the window onto the empty streets, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh audibly . For all of mankind¡¯s simplicity, he mused, altogether it formed aplex structure that hardly ever yed the tune of the ¡¯supposed to¡¯ . It¡¯s that eventual uncertainty despite all his ¡¯heart¡¯s wisdom¡¯ that drove dread into his soul like a cold-tipped spear . " . . . straighten your back . " a meek and mellow voice jolted him back from his thoughts as he hurriedly turned around and met a pair of hollow eyes looking at him . " . . . hey . " he replied, almost choking . "Ipensate with other parts, don¡¯t worry . " " . . . disgusting fucker . " she mumbled faintly, sitting up . "I can¡¯t believe you sent your girlfriend to knock me out . Not cool dude . " "It was kind of hot, though," Lino smiled faintly, "She carrying you and touching ces . " " . . . " he chuckled bitterly at the stink-eye . "How long was I out?" "About a day . " he replied . " . . . did . . . you kill her?" she asked, lowering her gaze . "Aye," Lino said . "And in the process pretty much dered war on the world . " " . . . good . " she growled . "It was about time someone did . " " . . . this moment feels eerily familiar . " he mumbled, sighing . "Reminds you of something?" she nced up through the distorted strands of hair falling over her face . "Ah, at leastst time you didn¡¯t have a girlfriend to knock me out, so you had to face me squarely . " "And boy did I fuck it up, heh . " " . . . not really," she said . "Your ten-year-promise was pretty much my fuel back then . Won¡¯t work this time around, though, if you¡¯ve got any funny ideas . " " . . . I¡¯ve failed, L¡¯," Lino said, lowering his head as well . "Failed him, failed you . . . failed you two¡¯s trust in me . This time," he continued, his voice cracking slightly . "I was right there . Right . . . there . I wasn¡¯t miles away . . . but right there, right next to her . " " . . . " " . . . heh," he suddenly chuckled bitterly . "So many dub me a natural leader . . . so much so actually that I¡¯ve begun believing it . But I ain¡¯t no fucking leader . I¡¯m at best an idiot . " " . . . you are . " she mumbled . "But, you were right there, you said it . Right after her . I saw your legs rip, your fist scramble into a mush of bones and gore . Then, I saw the same thing happen to your heart . We tend to throw a lot of me around," she added, looking up at him . "But, for some reason, we never me those actually responsible . It was that cunt that decided to go after him . She didn¡¯t go after you . Or after me . She went after him . And Annar and Scarlet . She went in knowing she would die . I don¡¯t think we need to me anyone else . " " . . . funny, how easy it is to lie," he looked up and faintly smiled before scuffling over and lying next to her, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly . "But, I won¡¯t let you do it, L¡¯ . " " . . . " Lucky said nothing, letting herself be wrapped into the muddied and bloodied arms . She didn¡¯t even say anything of the stench, knowing full well he hadn¡¯t washed since that day . "You ever heard the tale of the Fox and the brave Hero?" he asked, stroking her hair gently . " . . . no . " she replied lowly . "It¡¯s quite a fascinating one," he continued . "Once upon a time, far, far away, there was a vige . And near the vige lived a Fox who regrly stole vige¡¯s sheep, chicken, and even people, who named the fox Sneaky Fox . So, one day, the vige¡¯s Hero armed himself and decided he¡¯d go and end the Fox¡¯s tyranny . He marched alone toward the Fox¡¯s den, cheered after by the vigers, and eventually entered it, meeting the evil Fox eye to an eye . The Fox, however, wasn¡¯t as terrifying as the stories made her out to be; she was small, like a pup, cuddled up in the corner . She was sleeping, but instead of killing it right then and there, Hero waited her until the Fox woke up . " " . . . " "When it did, the Fox was surprised to find the Hero there and asked ¡¯What are you doing here?¡¯? The Hero replied, ¡¯I came to kill you, evil Fox!¡¯ . ¡¯Then why didn¡¯t you kill me when I was sleeping?¡¯, the Fox asked . ¡¯Because that would have been sneaky, and I would be exactly like you!¡¯ the Hero¡¯s reply surprised the Fox . Thinking the Hero rather foolish, the Fox said, ¡¯Instead of fighting, why don¡¯t we y a game? If you win, I¡¯ll never bother your vige again, but if you lose, you¡¯ll be my ve forever . ¡¯ Hero agreed after a short thought . ¡¯What¡¯s the game?¡¯ he asked . ¡¯It¡¯s very simple¡¯, the Fox said, ¡¯You just have to catch me and you win¡¯ . The Hero agreed and put away his sword . ¡¯Fine,¡¯ he said, ¡¯I¡¯ll catch you then!¡¯ . The Hero then ran toward the Sneaky Fox, but thetter didn¡¯t even move; the Hero thought that the Sneaky Fox wasn¡¯t so sneaky after all and quickly picked it up and wrapped it in his arms . ¡¯Hah, I win! Evil fox!¡¯ the Hero eximed proudly . The Sneaky Fox, however, grinned and said ¡¯Idiot . . . ¡¯ before lifting its head and biting the Hero¡¯s neck, killing him . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . eh? That¡¯s it?" Lucky asked as she realized Lino had gone silent for a while . "Yup . " Lino replied with a faint smile . "Are you trying to tell me that, despite your stupidity, there are even stupider ones out there?" Lucky asked, suddenly bursting out into theughter . "Hey!! It¡¯s a beautiful tale of learning, youngdy! Don¡¯t dismiss it just because of my personal agenda!" "Oh, so there was some personal agenda involved?" " . . . I refuse to confirm or deny that . " " . . . ha ha ha, god you¡¯re an idiot . . . " she mumbled, pressing her head deeper against his chest . "Oof, that one hurt . " " . . . he proposed to me . " Lucky spoke out, surprising Lino . "Huh?" "Just recently," she said, her voice cracking as Lino felt his shirt growing slightly wet . "He asked me to marry me . . . and I said yes . " " . . . . " "The stupid idiot nearly blew himself up trying to create some gem to give me," she chuckled through tears . "When . . . when he could have just asked . . . " " . . . " Lino remained in stunned silence, halfway proud that he¡¯d finally grown enough balls to ask, and halfway further broken as he realized what it allpounded to . " . . . and now . . . now he¡¯s . . . he¡¯s just gone . . . " she sobbed silently, her body shaking like a boat on a wave in his arms . "Just gone . . . " " . . . " he didn¡¯t know what else to do but hold her as tightly as he could; his expression growing sour as he held back a curse inside his lungs . She wept freely on his chest, letting go of her inhibitions, as he held her; he couldn¡¯t say anything, couldn¡¯t reaffirm that things would be fine, couldn¡¯t console her, couldn¡¯t even encourage her . Just stay silent and hold on with all his might and ept all she had to let go . Like a house built brick by brick, her criespounded together as she held onto him tightly, afraid to let go . Chapter 271 Chapter 271 CHAPTER 271 WORLD OVER E was currently standing near a crimson-dyedke stacked with starfish, overlooked by tall oak trees looming over it . She had a tranquil expression, her eyes dulled with now-distant memories of the past . It has been so long, she mused, since she stood on this very same spot as a young girl as her Father showed her first stages of cultivation . Sounds of footsteps crackling the leafs and branches startled her back to reality, forcing her to turn halfway and looked behind her . An old, kind-looking man with a face full of wrinkles walked briskly, his hands tied together behind his back, donning a in-looking, brown robe . His eyes were half-closed, thick, white eyebrows arching over them . "Patriarch . " E smiled faintly, nodding, as the old man walked up to her and stopped, also focusing on theke . "Do you know why the color¡¯s red¡¯" he asked . "I do," E replied . "Apparently, [Dried Lull] grows beneath theke¡¯s bed, spitting out red dye ever so often . " " . . . when I was a kid," he chuckled . "I thought this was the ce we dumped all the blood in . Hoh, to be innocent . " " . . . indeed . " "Congrattions, by the way," he said, ncing at her and smiling . "And thank you for letting us know . " " . . . ouch . " E smiled back awkwardly . "I was going to surprise you, you know?" "Oh, sure . Of course . " the Patriarch chuckled faintly before donning a serious expression . "The entire continent is up in arms, El¡¯ . Pretty much the only thing holding it all together is the fact that Anton surfaced . " " . . . is he on the hunt?" she asked with concern . "No," he shook his head . "He¡¯s holding the Seat for the time being . But, it won¡¯t be long . What Level are you?" he asked with a faint curiosity . "I¡¯ve just recently gotten my Fiend Title," E replied . "Not quite there just yet . " " . . . still, over 10,000 Levels in a span of a decade . . . " the Patriarch chuckled bitterly, shaking his head . "The world is truly unfair . But, you¡¯re right . You can¡¯te into light just yet . What happened?" he asked, seemingly finally braving himself enough . " . . . what does always happen?" E asked, sighing . "He was pissed off enough to extinguish light . . . and it certainly wasn¡¯t over an ill-spoken word . " "How strong is he?" " . . . I¡¯m not too sure myself," E replied with a frown . "I do know that at least by Vitality and Strength, he puts all of us to deep-end shame . With Laws, from what I gathered, he¡¯s begun the mastery of Time and Death . " " . . . hah . . . " he sighed,menting silently . "His story eerily parallels Eldon¡¯s . " " . . . they are somewhat simr, if stories are true," E chuckled . "Save for, perhaps, one thing . " "What?" "Eldon was far more forgiving . " " . . . figures . Rumors have it that Elysian has abdicated . Is it true?" " . . . yes . " E replied . " . . . eerily . . . eerily simr . " the Patriarch shuddered . "It¡¯s a shame we¡¯ve no one who lived through the Eldon¡¯s time topare the two Births . " " . . . it can¡¯t really bepared," E said . "I gather that only the top figures of the Great Descent and a few hermits have managed to endure it . Eldon¡¯s was targeted . . . his was . . . raw . " "Did youe to warn us?" he asked . " . . . to warn and prepare," E said . "I don¡¯t hope you will stand with him, I just hope you won¡¯t stand against him . " " . . . I can¡¯t make that decision alone, El¡¯ . " "I know," she added . "I¡¯m not asking you to . But, if we apply the well-being of the n to it, they should listen . " "Hm?" " . . . if we manage to get out of this unscathed," she said . "We¡¯ll be de-facto ruler of the Holy Continent . " " . . . you really think highly of him . " "You would too, if you met him," E chuckled, her lips curling up into a warm and honest smile . "It¡¯s not even the matter of strength . . . just his natural charisma . He has a way of making people believe he can do it, no matter what that ¡¯it¡¯ is . In my heart of hearts, I don¡¯t think I ever doubted his ability to achieve whatever he set his eyes on . It¡¯s . . . eerie . " " . . . it¡¯s eerie because you¡¯re looking at a mirror," the Patriarch chuckled faintly . "I¡¯ll do my best, and I¡¯m fairly certain your parents will have my back . If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t show up just yet -- at least with that big of a belly . My seat is waiting for you, El¡¯ . " " . . . sorry," she smiled apologetically . "I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re gonna have to keep sitting on it . " " . . . aah . But . . . it¡¯s so thorny, and very bad for my back . " the Patriarch sighed . "I guess I¡¯ll have to find another naive youngster who¡¯ll believe it¡¯s an honor above honors . " "Ha ha ha, shouldn¡¯t be too difficult . Crug¡¯s still around, isn¡¯t he?" " . . . eh . " "What¡¯s wrong?" she asked, frowning . " . . . he¡¯s been . . . odd . " the Patriarch said, stroking his chin . "I suspect that if he¡¯s not corrupted already, at least it¡¯s festering . " " . . . he should be fine for a few months," E said, sighing . "I¡¯ll straighten him out . " "And convince him it¡¯s an honor above honors to take my seat?" "Aye, aye, youzy old man . . . " "Ha ha ha ha . . . " Meanwhile, across the entire continent, on its other end, Hannah was currently standing in a field of purple flowers, surrounded far and wide with swaying grass on one end and a rapid river on the other . She slowly sat down on the bank and soaked her feet in rather chilly waters, leaning back and looking at the still-dimmed sky above . " . . . is it true?" a familiar voice spoke out from behind her, causing her to look back . Alison stood upright, just a few meters back, her gaze strange as she looked at Hannah . "Is what true?" Hannah chuckled . "That you¡¯ve somehow grown even more beautiful? If so, then yes, it is true Ally . You never fail to amaze me!" " . . . stop with the games, Hannah," Alison growled lowly, gritting her teeth . "Did . . . did you betray us?! Did you help him kill Sister Eos?!" " . . . I met him by theke," Hannah replied after a short silence, turning her gaze back onto the river . "And thought he was a rather interestingd at first . " " . . . " "Sort of cheeky, terribly charming, funny . . . the sort destined to break your heart," she added, chuckling . "When I¡¯d learned he was the Empyrean, I couldn¡¯t fathom it . The crazy, maniacal, bloodthirsty, world-ending Empyrean? Him? Pssh . " " . . . " " . . . I fell in love with him, Ally," Hannah said, standing up and turning around to face the now pale Alison . "I fell in love with his charm, his cheekiness, his straightforwardness, his honesty . . . his heart . " "--w-what . . . what . . . " Alison stuttered out, taking a step back . " . . . I think you would have liked him, too," Hannah added silently . "In another lifetime, perhaps . . . " "Astrum, what is the meaning of this?" a robotic voice suddenly escaped Alison¡¯s lips as her gaze dulled . "What-ever-do-you-mean Nirvana? It¡¯s just two innocent girls discussing love . It¡¯s quite literally the least strange thing one can witness . " "Mother forgave you time and again, yet you never fail to break her heart; for someone iming to be the origin of Order, you certainly fail to act the part . " " . . . it is inevitable," Astrum replied somewhat solemnly -- as solemnly as a robotic voice can get, that is . "To search for the answers . For there to be Order, light first has to shine on all of things; there can be neither a hidden nook nor cranny, not even a dent in knowledge . " "What purpose is there to understanding the Entropy?" Nirvana questioned . "Its nature is that it cannot be understood, Astrum; or are you truly that naive to believe to be an exception? If so, then perhaps it is not your thirst for knowledge that keeps breaking the Mother¡¯s heart, but your idiocy . " "How can you not want to know?" Astrum questioned . "How it all began? Why it all began? Where it all began? How can you contently ignore your very creation? If something exists, it can by default be understood . " " . . . I am never surprised when Ataxia sells fantasy to the mortals," Nirvana replied . "After all, with the fantasy, he sells them a dream of grandeur, satisfying their vanity in the process . But, of all beings, for you to buy into his broken narrative -- how naive are you, truly? At best, he¡¯s a mutation -- a remnant of state before time -- something that should have never came into existence in the first ce . At worst, he¡¯s an evil seed nted to sow discord among us and to ceaselessly create Chaos off of which he feeds . In either of the scenarios, what value is there to humor his madness? Even if due to pittance, eventually we can just start . . . ignoring him . " "Which is why we have always failed," Astrum said . "You cannot, in your heart of hearts, believe that to be true, Nirvana . If Entropy is where all things begin and end, and if Ataxia is its manifestation, how can you idly sit by and ignore him? If he can indiscriminately help his Bearers literally reset us -- all the rest of us -- how can you say he¡¯s unimportant? There¡¯s always method to madness when he¡¯s involved -- all I wish is to understand that method . " " . . . and betray your birthright in the process?" " . . . I am birthed of Entropy, as are you," Astrum growled . "It is neither Fate nor Gaia, nor is it the Lords, nor any of the Higher Beings that breathe life into us, Nirvana . What do you think is cradling Aurora now and re-birthing her?! Spare me your incessant high morality; you never were the bright sort . " " . . . I can¡¯t believe you actually betrayed us . . . " Alison¡¯s voice returned as she lowered her head, her body shaking . "You -- you of all people!! How could you do it?!! Throw everything away!!" " . . . it¡¯s still me, Alison," Hannah replied, smiling faintly . "The same, old Hannah . I still love you just the same as I¡¯ve loved you before . I still care for this ce, and everyone in it . If there was a path that I could take where I wouldn¡¯t need to stand here and break both your and mine hearts, do you truly think I wouldn¡¯t take it?" ": . . no, you¡¯re not the same . " Alison replied . "Hannah I know wouldn¡¯t throw away her entire life for a man . Now? You¡¯re just an empty whore . " " . . . I¡¯d have stood here with or without him, Ally," Hannah replied . "He¡¯s only a happy ident . " " . . . just shut up . " Alison growled, her eyes glowing strangely for a moment . "Just shut the fuck up!!" just before she could attack, however, she felt a hand pinning her forehead as Hannah appeared in front of her . " . . . from the depth of my soul," Hannah said, biting her lower lip, fighting back the tears . "I hope that a day wille when you¡¯ll forgive me . I truly, truly hope . . . " it was thest thing Alison heard before feeling all energy leave her, her eye growing weary and heavy, her mind nking out . Chapter 272 Chapter 272 CHAPTER 272 DISTRESS CALL Lino was currently standing at the edge of the Pce¡¯s grounds, looking over the city well down beneath . Brisk breeze caressed his cheeks, his slightly loose clothes fluttering on him . He directed his gaze into the horizon, where right about now the sun was supposed to be dawning on the world; yet, far and wide, there were only ashen clouds and asional flicker of lighting . There were too many things at the moment that were ripping apart his ability to think properly; ording to Non, the Emperor had settled in a rather obscure vige near the edge of the Holy Continent for a few weeks now, which either meant he was waiting for someone or that really was his n on prolonging his existence . There was also the matter of Devils he had captured and were currently residing in his Dimensional Pouch and what to do with them; there was also the mission he and Hannah were supposed to be solving by now, tracking down the members of the Order of Eternity . Then there were more personal issues looming over him -- Lucky, for starters, as he was still entirely blind to what he can do there . There was also Eggor who ¡¯stealthily¡¯ shadowed him wherever he went, the matter of what Hannah¡¯s visit home would do to her, and his ce in all of that . He¡¯d made too many promises to too many people, and the tolls were beginning to catch up to him . This was all without even thinking about the fact that he¡¯d be the most wanted person in the entire world -- that, right now, there were probably tens of thousands of people crossing Continents searching for him . All of it seemed too much to unload and unpack, yet he seldom could rx; he hadn¡¯t took a sip of a drink for nearly three days simply because he couldn¡¯t afford to . " . . . you look eerily handsome, gazing off into the distance like that . " a rather settled voice spoke out next to him; he briefly nced sideways and saw that Princess Annabelle had joined him, wearing a rather decorated dress and so much jewelry she could almost rece the sun in the sky . "The rugged, brave sort of soul, a forbidden romance for us Maidens . " " . . . I¡¯m honored . " Lino smiled faintly, putting his hands into his pockets . "You look . . . effervescent . " "Apparently it is easy to bedazzle the minds so long as you bedazzle the eyes," she chuckled . "And we still have quite a lot of bedazzling to do . " " . . . ¡¯s that so . . . ?" " . . . I¡¯ve figured it out, you know?" "Figured what out?" Lino asked . "Who you are . " "Oh? Besides being the rugged, brave sort of soul, a forbidden romance for Maidens such as yourself?" bothughed for a moment before she replied . " . . . you¡¯re the Descender," she said . "The one I met way-back-when . " " . . . you seem to be handling that revtion well enough . " Lino said . "With it, things make much more sense . " Annabelle chuckled faintly, taking a deep breath . "Don¡¯t worry, your secret¡¯s safe with me . " " . . . thanks . " " . . . you have the same look my Father used to have," she said after a few moments of silence . "Right after it, he would lock himself up into his Chambers for months at the time . We never knew what he was doing . . . until, well, recently, when we had to do everything he did . " "Everybody wants the Crown," Lino said . "Nobody wants the title¡¯s burden . " " . . . are you alright?" she asked, concern shing in her voice . " . . . I will be," Lino smiled widely, ncing at her . "You know, you ought to bear a whole lot more hatred toward me . After all, I¡¯ve pretty much sent your Father into exile . " " . . . Father¡¯s a term rather loosely applied here," she said, sighing, gazing off into distance herself . "Besides, even if I were angry, you think I¡¯d dare show it to a Descender?" " . . . your Father¡¯s mistake was that he was too terrified of me," Lino said . "Had he not been, he might have even told me the truth . But, he feared I¡¯d not only take it all away, but possibly execute him in the end . " " . . . would you?" she asked . " . . . probably not," Lino replied . "I¡¯m a softie like that, which, apparently, only tells the rest of the world that you consent yourself to being fucked over time and again . " " . . . I won¡¯t ask what happened to your friend, because I¡¯m fairly certain it is well above my pay-grade," she said . "But, I can offer an ear if you wish to talk about it . " " . . . what happened to him, huh?" Lino chuckled bitterly . "I did, I suppose . I happen to a lot of people . You should be careful; people around me tend to drop like flies . Poof, gone . Just like that . " " . . . I¡¯d met him just a few times," she said . "As I¡¯ve Annar and Scarlet, but I can tell they weren¡¯t here against their wills . People that shadow the light tend tog behind, and eventually flicker out . At least that¡¯s what my Mother used to say . " " . . . I hope you¡¯ll do better than your Father did," Lino turned around, beginning to walk away . "And lead your people to a better ce . They truly believe, Annabelle . However that faith was achieved is irrelevant; their faith in you is nigh impossible to shake . Don¡¯t abuse that . " " . . . likewise, Lino . " Lino¡¯s chuckle faded softly in the wind as he vanished into the Pce, leaving behind Annabelle to stare strangely at his fading back . He aimlessly traced the massive hallways of the Pce, admiring the painted walls and chiseled stones sticking out of them, and hand-woven carpets beneath his feet, and golden chandeliers burning away the darkness . All of this grandeur, he mused, was beyond vain -- yet, even he was not averse to decorating himself in splendor . Image of oneself is a fickle thing, he realized, prone to a quick change depending on how others see you . He eventually found himself inside a basement room, one he¡¯d visited quite often over the past few days . There, beneath the ceiling of crystals, three translucent, crystal coffins werein at an angle . Two were stacked with crimson gems, and the one in the middle with pure silver . He approached them and leaned over, the still faces beckoning back expressionless . Each time he¡¯d look at him, it felt as though he was being given a punch in the gut; though he very much wanted to give him a burial of Kings, Lino knew he couldn¡¯t . Across the vast ocean, he had a family -- a family who deserved to bury him, to mourn him, and to let go of him . Just then, a peculiar sensation escaped through the void world and shook him; furrowing his brows, he reached into the vast emptiness and took out a flickering talisman . As he¡¯d handed out far too many, he couldn¡¯t exactly pinpoint to whom it belonged so he simply answered it . The screen flickered brightly for a moment as a familiar face popped out; to his surprise, it was none other than Evelyn¡¯s . Her usual beauty seemed marred, her expression exhausted, eyes tired-looking and dull, a massive scar running down the left side of her face . " . . . hello . " she smiled weakly and bitterly, seemingly short of breath . " . . . hello . " Lino replied . " . . . your promised favor still valid?" she asked, surprising him . Though he very much wished to say no, seeing her like that, he couldn¡¯t . "Of course," he said, smiling lightly . "Who needs to get beaten up?" " . . . I don¡¯t know," she said, anger present in her voice . "A group of ten just came out of nowhere a few days ago and started bombing the Sun City with . . . well, let¡¯s just say we stood absolutely no chance . I can¡¯t even count the number of soldiers that threw their lives away so I and a few others could escape . I don¡¯t know how much longer we can hide, though . " " . . . where are you?" Lino asked, frowning . "We¡¯re, uh, we¡¯re approaching the border of the Demonic Battlefield," she replied . "We figured we¡¯d stand a better chance over there . " " . . . look for Kvalend tribe and Valkyria," Lino said after a short thought . "Tell her I sent you . She should be able to keep you safe until I get there . Can you at least describe anything unique about them?" " . . . uh," Evelyn frowned for a moment, thinking deeply about something . "They all, uh, wore same coats, inscribed with same insignia . I can¡¯t recall the exact shape, but it was like a circle, I think with only two colors . That¡¯s about it . I¡¯m sorry, I--" "It¡¯s fine," Lino sighed inwardly, smiling on the surface . "Don¡¯t worry about it . I should be able to get there in a few days tops . If the situation changes, Val has ability to contact me . Try and avoid fighting at all costs though, okay? We wouldn¡¯t want that beautiful face scarred any more, would we?" " . . . heh, ply-tongued as always . Thank you . " "No problem . See you soon . " Putting away the talisman, Lino quickly rubbed his temples in frustration; he very much hoped his assumptions were way off the mark, but doubted they were twice as much as he hoped . From what he recalled, there was only one n in the entire world who donned that sigil as no one else dared to -- the undisputed leader of all the Holy Grounds practically since their inception, Heaven¡¯s Chosen n . Chapter 273 Chapter 273 CHAPTER 273 SANCTUARY (I) A driftingndscape stretched beneath the clustered sky, gaps between thick and tall trees filled with shrubbery and dead, fallen branches . There was no clearly visible path in-between, just sunken in portions having been walked over by a myriad of local critters . The forest itself rested within a valley cut running in-between two mountains, shaded over with decrepit, long rock protrusionsing from the mountains¡¯ sides, forming a maw-like shape and acting like an artificial roof . Deep inside the forest, lunged around a faintly burning fire and one of the few clearings were roughly sixty people altogether, scattered within the trees and earth, each finding their own bits of paradise to lie on and sleep . At the center, surrounding the fire itself, Evelyn felt the talisman inside her hand burn out and turn to ashes, causing her to sigh and nce sideways . A familiar yet eerily stranger¡¯s face weed her, entirely expressionless . The four more that sat around the mes said nothing, merely staring at the ze in silence . " . . . he said he¡¯ll be--" "I heard what he said," Althone interrupted Evelyn with a harsh tone . "I am sitting right here . " " . . . I didn¡¯t have a choice . . . " Evelyn mumbled weakly . "You decided to trust a madman who murdered your Grandfather over me, your own Father . " Althone said . "You had a choice, Evelyn . And you made it, loud and clear . " "--do you hear yourself?!" Evelyn, seemingly tired of the arguing, eximed softly . "You would rather condemn us all to death than have him help us?!" "How can he help us?!!" Althone screamed out . "So what if he¡¯s stronger than us?!! Majority of the fucking world is! You saw what I saw Evelyn -- entire cities . . . gone . Just like that . Within a single speck of light, entire cities vanishing in mes! We ran, aye, but at least we could have met our end half-decently . Instead, you chose to kiss behind of a man who murdered your own blood! How am I going to face my Ancestors?! How am I going to face my own Father, huh?!" " . . . if he said he can help, it means he can help . " Evelyn calmed down, slowly making her way over to him and hugging him gently . "Don¡¯t give up hope just yet . " " . . . " It wasn¡¯t easy for her to reach out; after all, it hadn¡¯t been all that long since she¡¯dst seen him in the night and swore if she ever could she would kill him . She still felt the same, despite everything she told him; it wasn¡¯t even the act of murder that bothered her as much, it was the not-knowing -- the why . She had gone through every one of her interactions with the strange beggar who caused her headaches for months, and lest her judgment hadpletely beenpromised by him somehow, she was certain he wasn¡¯t a murderer . Reaching out to him for help took far more than she believed, yet, the moment she¡¯d seen his face, something changed . He hadn¡¯t looked all that different than shest saw him, but his eyes . . . his smile . . . she¡¯d realized theycked that eternal yfulness he carried around like a badge of honor . She¡¯d saw genuine ache and pain in them, the listlessness she was all too familiar with; it¡¯s an expression of someone who has many questions . . . but no answers . Yet, even so, he didn¡¯t hesitate to help her . When he¡¯d handed her that talisman, she had nned on keeping it safe until she was confident enough in at the very least wounding him . Even today, when she took it out, she had to battle a thousand demons in order to light it up . And, even now, she still had to use all her strength to keep her emotions in check . " . . . from what I recall," an elderly man sitting across from Evelyn suddenly chimed in, drawing all attention onto himself . "Kvalend Tribe is stationed eastward, but not too deep in the Battlefield . If we hurry, it should take us less than a day to get there on foot . " "The problem is thendscape following this valley," Althone said . "It¡¯s entirely open and exposed, just a huge stretch of desert as far as the eye can see . If they so much as nce in this direction, they¡¯ll spot us . " " . . . then we just have to bet on the fact that they won¡¯t . " Evelyn said . "It¡¯s not like there¡¯s much else we can do . " " . . . " It was the rest spent in somber silence, atmosphere waning away at the sanity . Yet, they could do little other than just move and hope for the best; they¡¯d made it out of the city, out of the Empire, not because they were clever or strong, but because innumerable soldiers sacrificed themselves . If they¡¯d given up now, it would mean all their sacrifices were in vain . Althone led the column, followed shortly by the other Elders of the Empire, then Evelyn and the Dukes as well as rest of the Empire¡¯s Royalty . The rear was secured by thest few remaining Commanders of the army and the nks were scoured by Althone¡¯s and Evelyn¡¯s personal guards . They surged out of the valley within just a few hours, crossing over into an entirely different world -- one of sandy, hilly dunes . Yet, it wasn¡¯t hot; rather, the temperature was hardly different than the one inside the forest . Looking up to the sky, they realized that the clouds didn¡¯t clear up even this far into the ¡¯scorchednd¡¯; deciding not to question it, they simply pressed onward, deciding not to take any more breaks before reaching their destination . Minutes soon turned to hours, thepletely same scenery hardly inspiring confidence as it almost felt like they were moving in ce; there was no distinction between one dune or another, one stretch of sand or the other -- it was all the same, seemingly just a small world stretching into an infinite loop . It was just short of twenty hours of trek that they¡¯d finally saw an anomaly -- a terraced rock standing in the middle of the desert, surrounded by thick and tall walls and manned to teeth with soldiers carrying bows and arrows . Evelyn¡¯s lips stretched out into a smile before they suddenly ttened as she nced back; well in the distance, far up in the sky, she saw several glimmers of light flickering . "They¡¯re onto us!!" she cried out, shoveling Qi into her feet and running toward the wall . "Run!!" Meanwhile, atop the wall, Valkyria stood with a confused expression on her face; she¡¯d long since noticed a massive entourage moving through the desert, heading toward the Tribe -- an entourage of the maind¡¯s most powerful figures at that . What¡¯s more, they all looked like wet dogs -- even the revered Empress Evelyn and the Arch Emperor Althone . And now they were sprinting toward the tribe as quickly as they could; she knew it wasn¡¯t an act of aggression, but one of desperation -- they were hunted, hunted by someone or something they stood no chance against . Though she very much wanted to help, she hardly wished to endanger her own n in the process . Those sentiments, however, quickly changed as Evelyn¡¯s voice, full of panic and hope, pierced into her ears . "LINO SENT US!!!" Valkyria¡¯s eyes shed momentarily as she nced up, managing to blend out the figures in the sky . "Charge the formation," she quickly ordered, extending her palm whereupon a crimson cloud appeared above it . "Everyone in positions! Prepare for the battle!!" "Yes!!" no one even bothered questioning her decision as they all sped toward their stations while the surrounding air around the entire n¡¯snd trembled, a faint, crimson fog rising from the ground . "Let them in . " she added faintly before suddenly leaping into the sky and disappearing . Evelyn, Althone and the rest charged as quickly as they could yet all suddenly felt their hearts freeze; a massive surge of Qi headed like a bolt of lighting at their backs, soon exploding into the sand like a cannonball, killing everyone in the rear . Propelled by the explosion, however, the rest spun forward quicker, screaming and crying out while passing the thin barrier outside the tall walls and passing through the gate while rolling on the ground . A resonateughter soon filled the sky as the flickers of light stopped, six figures in total emerging right in front of Valkyria who met them in the sky with an empty gaze that soonnded on their chest and the sigil . Momentarily ring out in anger, she managed to calm down and recover her emotionless state . "Ha ha ha, did you see that?!" the youth who spoke out seemed no older than twenty, Valkyria realized; he was rather handsome, donning a beautiful pair of azure eyes and golden hair . "They, ha ha ha, they rolled likeplete idiots, ha ha ha, oh wow, that was priceless . Eh? Who¡¯s this? Oh my, you sure are pretty . Just because your Elders sent someone so pretty to wee us, we¡¯re gonna spare you . Oh, but of course, we¡¯re gonna need you guys to hand them over . And you, of course . " " . . . dogs of Heaven," Valkyria¡¯s cold voice and her words startled all six of them, causing allughter to stop . "You¡¯re long ways from home . " " . . . you know who we are?" the youth spoke out again with a somewhat serious expression . "That¡¯s new . Who are you?" "Judging from the fact you aren¡¯t escorted by an Elder," she ignored his question and continued . "I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re here of your own ord, breaking the Holy Treaty in the process -- quite spectacrly, if I may add . " " . . . I¡¯ve asked you a question bitch . " the youth growled . "And you better answer it . " " . . . still as vain, prideful and moronic, I see . " Valkyria chuckled faintly . "Nothing ever changes with you lot, does it? As for your question," she added, ncing down and seeing that the formation has finished charging . "It¡¯s unimportant . Just consider me a messenger warning you -- if you don¡¯t leave, you may never get a chance to . " " . . . are you threatening us? Us?! Sons of Heaven?!" "Threatening? I wouldn¡¯t dare," she chuckled, withdrawing into the formation . "But, I may know of someone who has no qualms about pissing off the world, and he should be on his way over . He won¡¯t be very pleased to learn what you¡¯ve been up to . From my calctions, it should take six of you roughly four days to break past the formation . The question is," her chuckle turned eerie for a moment . "Will you bet on your speed . . . or his?" Chapter 274 Chapter 274 CHAPTER 274 SANCTUARY (II) The world shook as though besieged by the thunderstorm, earth beneath quaking repeatedly in familiar patterns, yet it all endured; buildings remained tall, people remained defiantly standing, staring at the ring sky full of brilliant yet dangerous colors . The massive eggshell surrounding the small n held together despite the onught and beating it was receiving . Evelyn stared in awe, her lips parted, whole body shaking in the rhythm of the ground beneath . She -- as was her Father -- was always aware of the Kvalend Tribe, but they never took them too close to heart as they were a rather small, isted group living within the Demonic Battlefield . Had that been the case, however, she would not be standing right here and now with a heart that was still beating . Looking around, she realized that nobody was terrified -- not even fearful . They would merely asionally nce at the colors and admire them, spending the rest of the time just going about their day as they would . The steeled veins had more than just shocked her -- they had reminded her how blindsided she was with the mysteries she was not privy to due to her own ignorance and arrogance . "You¡¯re long way from home too, young Empress," Valkryia walked over toward Evelyn, smiling faintly; thetter looked at the former, swallowing an exmation . Though Evelyn indeed considered herself quite a beauty, she felt a surge of shame from within when shepared herself . "We would have offered you a better reception, but we were pressed for time . " " . . . n-no, don¡¯t worry," Evelyn stuttered out . "We, uh, we¡¯re grateful . . . that you saved us . " "I told those guys up there that Lino¡¯ll be here shortly," Valkryia said . "I hope I¡¯m not suddenly a liar . " "No, you¡¯re not . " Althone said, reigning himself in . "He said he wille in a few days . Who are you?" he asked, frowning . "Father--" "No, that¡¯s quite alright," Valkryia interrupted Evelyn, smiling faintly . "We are just a humble tribe, Arch Emperor . Doing our best to survive in a treacherous world . " "A humble tribe wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand that," he pointed up toward the sky . "If exactly that leveled our cities within seconds . So how about we drop the coy act and be truthful for a change? Who are you? And, more importantly, who¡¯s that beggar?" " . . . you should let your people rest," Valkryia said, still smiling . "You and the Empress can follow me to my chambers . " a spinning void appeared next to her; Althone, still doubtful and Evelyn, eerily frustrated, nced at each other for a moment before rying orders to the others and moving through the crack in space, followed shortly after by Valkryia . They¡¯d quickly found themselves inside a cozy and elegant room, divided into three sections . On the far end of the right side they quickly saw two portraits hanging from the wall -- one of an unknown, crimson-haired woman like Valkryia, and the other of the rather familiar face -- Lino . Valkryia ignored their surprised faces and prepared some tea as she sat down, waiting for them . " . . . I¡¯m assuming I¡¯m correct in guessing he¡¯s not just a beggar?" Evelyn asked with a bitter smile, sitting down first . "You are . " Valkryia replied, smiling . "Arch Emperor, please sit . Standing up does you little good . " " . . . " Althone growled lowly before sitting down next to Evelyn, still unable to rip his eyes away from the portrait . "Will the shield really hold out for four days?" "It will, don¡¯t worry," Valkryia said . "But, I doubt they¡¯ll even stick around for that long . After all, I very much doubt they¡¯re supposed to be here . " "You seemed to know who they are," Althone said . "Care to share it?" " . . . it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know," Valkyria said after a few moments of silence . "I am afraid, however, that your age of reign hase to an end . When all this is over, I suggest finding somece else where you can prosper . " " . . . I¡¯m assuming you can¡¯t tell us who Lino is either . " Evelyn said, sighing bitterly . "I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t," Valkryia chuckled . "I understand it¡¯s frustrating," she added . "But, if you could afford to trust me, then trust me when I say it¡¯s for the best . If you gathered enough heart to ask for his help, gather enough mind to not ask any more than that . " " . . . that is quite a loaded proposition you¡¯re selling, barbarian," Althone growled angrily, much to Evelyn¡¯s dismay . "I¡¯m not to sort to ept it all blindly . " " . . . then don¡¯t," Valkryia said . "Ask him when he gets here . Though, I suspect, by then you¡¯d have changed your mind . " Meanwhile, far up in the sky, colors blended in with the reality, bisecting the surrounding void mercilessly . The six currently besieging the small n beneath seemed extremely calm about the whole ordeal, merely holding one of their arms out, apparently entirely dismissive of Valkryia¡¯s threat . " . . . her calctions were right," one of the women said, yawning . "We¡¯ll indeed need at least four days to break through . " "I¡¯m more interested in how a backwater n managed to get their hands on something strong enough to hold us back for four days . " one of the men said, smiling curiously . "Could be one of the Ancient ns that went into hiding," the second woman said boorishly . "Their Realms are rather pathetic, but this formation is a true marvel . It¡¯s strong enough to prevent a direct hit from a Fiend and I don¡¯t recognize the pattern . Must be either extremely new, or extremely old . I¡¯d put my wager on thetter . " "Regardless," the youth who spoke to Valkryia joined in . "I¡¯m most interested in this supposed maniac who won¡¯t care for who we are . It should be fun to finally meet one of those . " "Hah, you really think she was telling the truth? She¡¯s bluffing," one of the women spoke out with a scoff . "She knows we can¡¯t be hanging around here for too long so she¡¯s hoping we won¡¯t stick around long enough to cut through her thin veil . Anyone who knows who we are . . . won¡¯t dare do anything but cower and crawl . " ** Lino was currently sitting on top of Grim, a pair of thin, shaky arms wrapped around his waist . Lucky sat upright, a look of confusion in her eyes; he¡¯d merelye by, picked her up, and flew off on Grim at the top speed without saying anything -- which remained the case for the rest of their trip . Eerie silence, she¡¯d learned, was never a positive with Lino; however much his tongue annoyed those around him, it also let them know that he was within the right mindset . Silence, especially one this dreadful, spoke volumes of the other end . She feared to ask, too, from fear or learning; he hasn¡¯t been himself ever since Felix died, but it was more than that . She¡¯d been there, right next to him, gazing directly into his eyes when Ae died, and he was still there -- his heart and mind were masked within the clouds of anger and pain, but he was there . She knew that he would pull through . But, just as he worried whether she would, she worried whether he would too . Whatever it was that was stirring him, she knew all too well that it was more than just Felix . It was more than Annar and Scarlet -- it was perhaps bigger than any individual rtionship in his life . She didn¡¯t know where they were going, why there were going there or what would they be doing . The only thing she knew was that his eyes . . . were empty . She could neither see him nor the pain or anger; only an empty, unsustainable void of nothingness bearing down upon the world . It was far more terrifying, far more frigid, than all his anger, than all the times he¡¯d seemingly lost itbined . " . . . from the looks of it," she took a deep breath and spoke out . "You¡¯re about to do something insane . Most-likely involving some corpses . " " . . . yeah, pretty much . " Lino said, ncing back and smiling emptily . "You know that I¡¯m always for cracking some skulls, but . . . is this really the time for it?" " . . . I¡¯m the Empyrean," Lino suddenly spoke out as Lucky¡¯s eyes turned to saucers . "Bearer of Entropy, as they say . The woman who killed Felix was called Eos, Bearer of Light . She knew she couldn¡¯t have done anything to me or Hannah, so she went after him . Just to spite me . That¡¯s all . He died because she wanted to spite me . That¡¯s what I¡¯ve learned of the world, Lucky . If they can¡¯t defeat you, they will break you . Bit by bit, inch by inch, repeatedly hammering a nail into your soul till you crack like an eggshell . " " . . . " Lucky remained silent, just beginning to process it all . "It¡¯s an ugly, filthy world of degenerates," Lino added, lifting his arm up and clutching his fingers into a fist . "And, to spite her in return, I¡¯ve nearly killed an innocent, fourteen year old girl . All my life, I¡¯ve fought to be better than those around me, but, I¡¯ve always failed . I failed to escape the loop of chaos with Ally, I¡¯ve failed to escape it with Eggor and E, with you, Ae and the guys, I¡¯ve failed it every time someone offered me a nk on top of which to float . I wanted to believe," he said, chuckling lightly . "I truly wanted to believe that the world is beautiful, L¡¯ . I wanted to believe that it was mystical, that it was fraught with nothing but people willing to do better . " " . . . " "But it¡¯s not . The world has condemned me since the day I was born . It stabbed me time and again and I always replied with a smile and hope it was thest time . I can¡¯t do it anymore . I can¡¯t just stand by and watch as it plucks people I love from me, one after another . First it was Ae, Fish, Smite . . . now it¡¯s Felix, Annar, Scarlet . What about tomorrow? Will it be you? Hannah? E? Eggor? Who among those I care for will be taken from me because they can¡¯t do anything to me? I¡¯ve made my war deration to them, but all they heard was that it was now free-fire on everyone even remotely connected to me . Two can y that game, though . I don¡¯t want to be the nightmare tale that mothers tell their children to make ¡¯em behave, but I have to be . " " . . . w-why . . . why . . . are you telling me this?" Lucky barely managed to stutter out as Lino turned around and lifted her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes . "¡¯Cause you deserve to know it . You¡¯ve blindly followed me all the way to this godforsaken ce, blindsided over and over with the heartbreaks you couldn¡¯t make ins or outs of . Now you know . And, I hope from my heart, you will understand what I¡¯ll do soon enough . And, even more, I hope you can use this truth as a fuel; I don¡¯t need you to turn into someone who can eternally stand by my side, but I do need you turn into someone who can protect everything and everyone she cares for . Because I know you¡¯re strong enough to care again, to love again, to live again . I¡¯ve been dealt a crappy hand, but you¡¯ve been dealt hell, and you¡¯vee out of it, time and again, each time stronger than thest . You are . . . " he smiled, genuinely this time she realized, closing in and stering his forehead against her . "Someone this world needs, L¡¯ . " " . . . and you are insane," she chuckled faintly, shaking her head . "If you think for a second you¡¯re getting rid of me with that nonsense . You¡¯re the light, Lino," she added . "And every light casts a deep shadow . So, remember this and never let it escape that thick skull of yours: the brighter you burn, the stronger the rest of us are . If you¡¯re the Empyrean, then I¡¯ll be your Chthonian . Shadow that will always be behind you . If Hannah stands by your side, helping you carry all that shit, I¡¯ll be right behind you two, picking up the pockets that pass you by . You¡¯re my big bro, remember? My Master . My--well, over the years you¡¯ve imed to be a whole lot of things it¡¯s kind of hard to keep the track of all of them . . . " " . . . ha ha ha . . . " "But, most importantly, you¡¯ve always been my sanctuary . " she heaved her head up and kissed his forehead gently . "So, let me be yours . " Chapter 275 Chapter 275 CHAPTER 275 SANCTUARY (III) It was not for theck of trying that the six flying high up in the sky had failed to break past the massive, crimsoned dome after three whole days of trying . By now, their calm and indifferent expressions had all turned ugly and distorted; it hurt little to break their arms, but far more to break their pride . After all, they were seated on top of the world, the proud children of the leading Holy Ground . If the word got out that they were held back by some backwater n on the Forsaken Continent, they¡¯d never be able to live it down until their deaths . The leading youth¡¯s name was Evon, and besides the five around him, the rest of the group had moved onto the Central Continent, with six of them staying behind just to tie up loose ends . After all, Valkryia was right -- they weren¡¯t supposed to be here . Although the directive was to look for the Empyrean, they weren¡¯t supposed to be interacting with anyone, let alonemitting mass murders in the process . If the word got back that they did, not only would they be withdrawn from the global search, but they¡¯d also be locked up potentially for decades to ¡¯reflect¡¯ on their mistakes . It wasn¡¯t as though their Elders cared much for those they¡¯d killed, but there was still a public image to maintain . The little group felt frustrated as, the more it took them to clean things up, the higher the chances were of them getting caught, or of word getting out of what they were up to . "Let¡¯s just use the g," Evon eximed suddenly, anger evident in his eyes . "I¡¯ll scald those snarky faces until they all cry for their mothers . " "Calm down," a woman called Lara, a white-haired beauty with a peculiar pair of green eyes, spoke out in an even tone . "We¡¯re almost through . If we waste the g here, what if we run into a formation more formidable than even this one?" "She¡¯s right Evon," the other woman spoke out in a simr tone . Her name was Maya, a short, ck-haired girl not yet in her twenties . Much like the rest, this was her first time leaving the n¡¯s headquarters . "Less than a day and we¡¯re done . " " . . . humph," Evon snorted, resuming his attack . "I¡¯ll see that gleeful bitchugh after I¡¯m done with her . " just then, a jolt of booming terror froze them, causing them to stop all their attacks . Their bodies all uniformly shook as they turned their heads to the side and up, still shaking . There, high up where the sun would usually be, a golden glow of massive, radiant wings spread far and wide . Feathered in make, they spanned dozens of meters across, asionally fluttering, rousing winds around them in the process . Quickly shifting their gazes over from the wings, theynded them onto the man standing at the center . He was on the taller end, they realized, wearing an ordinary-looking, bleakly-dyed armor . The pair of jet-ck eyes sized them up from far above, his ck hair freely fluttering in the wind . Thick, ck beard covered half his face, giving him a visage of an unruly man, yet everything else about him spoke otherwise; the gaze, the gait, the bearing . . . all factors pointed to someone of elegant bearing . Had it not been for the suffocating, murderous atmosphere surrounding him, they might have even believed it for a moment . " . . . you are supposed to be looking for me," Lino spoke quietly, yet his his voice resonated like thunder through the group¡¯s ears . "Why are you killing innocent people instead?" " . . . " Evon managed to tear his gaze away from the man and look around, quickly realizing that everyone else still appeared petrified . "You¡¯re the Empyrean?" he scoffed, trying to buy some time for others . "Then the world will be just fine . " "Perhaps," Lino replied, smiling faintly . "But you won¡¯t . " "What? You dare kill us? By now you should know who we are . " Evon said . "Who you are? No one . Nothing . Wastes of space . Why would I care about killing someone who doesn¡¯t matter?" " . . . ha ha, continue to put on your bravado . " Evon said . "But, seeing as you were ballsy enough to show up, I¡¯ll let those beneath us go if youe with us . " " . . . your friends are pathetic," Lino said, his voice frigid . "I haven¡¯t even used my Will, yet they are still trapped inside an illusion . What do you expect to achieve here, Son of Heaven? Stall me until they wake so you can do . . . what? Fight me? Escape? Die holding each other?" " . . . " Evon said nothing, realizing his ploy was seen through . He sighed in relief, however, as he saw that everyone else also woke up, angrily staring at the man above them . "You should have attacked while you had the chance . " "Where¡¯s fun in that?" Lino smiled, taking out the [Dragon yer], holding it in backhand motion . "Spread," Evon whispered softly, beginning to gather Qi . "Trevor, Lara, you two try to go outside his senses and attack him once he¡¯s tangled with us . " "Roger . " the man called Trevor was on the shorter end, slightly chubby, yet as quick as a whistle, immediately disappearing . " . . . looks like you¡¯re ready," Lino chuckled faintly, any and all remnant emotion disappearing from his gaze . "Don¡¯t say I was being sneaky when it¡¯s all over . " Meanwhile, with the Kvalend Tribe¡¯spound, all eyes were pointed toward the sky where the golden flicker emerged a few moments ago . Valkryia¡¯s lips stretched out into a beautiful smile, her eye shining like gems; Evelyn¡¯s expression was rather bitter, while Althone¡¯s was a mixture of shock and pain . The rest of the Kvalend Tribe, most of whom knew of Lino¡¯s identity, suddenly sat down cross-legged, unable to peel their eyes from the sky . When Valkryia informed them of the strange beggar¡¯s identity, they all cursed her out for having withheld that information; now, however, was their chance to re-do the first impressions . Even Freya, who¡¯d always found the beggar to be the strangest creature she¡¯d ever met, had never suspected him to be this generation¡¯s Empyrean . Yet, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense . Whenever she was next to him, no matter how much what he said made her ufortable, she felt eerily safe, as though there was nothing in the entire world that could harm her so long she stood by his side . The very same feeling returned, she realized as she watched him floating high up in the sky . Lino, on the other side, had merely scanned over the Tribe¡¯s ground to confirm everyone was alive . Sighing in relief inwardly when she saw Valkryia and others, he jotted a thought in his mind to ask her about the whole crimson dome as it had even him shook for a moment when he first inspected it -- patterns were far moreplex than any other array he¡¯d ever seen in his life . Now, however, was not the time for it; he had six Heaven¡¯s Chosen to battle, all roughly Level 1500 Void Titrs . It wasn¡¯t that he was not confident in victory, but that he wanted the first battle after his deration to speak volumes to the rest of the world . To cement aw they ought to follow . Though the two from the group ¡¯disappeared¡¯, he was easily able to track them down and keep an eye out on them even if he didn¡¯t have to . Noting that their formation was quite bright, as they elected to go for one frontliner -- the only Body Cultivator in the group -- two nkers, one support and two stealthed attackers, Lino lifted his head up for a moment and took a deep breath, letting the wind caress his cheeks for a second . A flutter of wings sent a booming shockwave from the sky as he disappeared, appearing directly in front of Evon who cried out in terrible shock; by the time he caught up to the process of time, he saw the massive, mawed sword heading for his shoulder . Entirely unable to react in time, all he felt was a massive tang of pain shocking his mind momentarily as his right arm flew right off, a fountain of blood gushing out . Crying out, he immediately lost bnce as the remnant energy of an ordinary strike sent him spiraling down toward the ground, crashing directly into the desert dunes and carving out a massive crater on whose bottom he remainedying, listless and half a breath away from death . Just that remnant energy had crushed his lungs, severed nearly every muscle in his body, broke every bone, dislocated his organs till they could barely be distinguished, and made him effectively crippled for the foreseeable future . Lino¡¯s gaze quickly shifted sideways where he met a pair of terrified, green eyes hidden beneath the swaying strands of white hair . Expressionless, he turned into a golden arc of light and vanished once again, appearing in front of Lara within less than a second . Crying out, she quickly raised her arms as an icy dome appeared around her in the form of a shield, stacked with icicles . Lino punched out with his free arm, crashing past the shield and grabbing her throat as though she merely let him do it of her own will . "P-please!! P-p-please, no . . . " she cried out softly, meeting the empty face that had just been nearly ten miles away from her . "I know you¡¯re watching," Lino hollowly muttered . "And I¡¯m honored, but also insulted, that you¡¯d have sent your children to hunt me in hopes if they found me I¡¯d be kind enough to let them go . " " . . . . " Lara shook whole as she felt his grip tighten, cutting off her air supply . "On my way over," he continued . "I¡¯d spotted fourteen razed cities stacked to brim with corpses and ash . How many dead? I didn¡¯t dare count . However-many-too-much . " Lara quickly began choking, scratching at his arm and ying her legs about, growing blue in the face . "Is evil an answer for evil? Who knows . . . " neck snapped sideways, bulging eyes staring in disbelief as the head curved unnaturally . Lino let go, her body falling down like a drizzle, hitting the ground and turning into a mess of gore . He slowly shifted his gaze sideways and saw the remaining four bunched up together, staring at him in disbelief -- he realized they truly didn¡¯t think he¡¯d kill them, that they were free to do whatever they wished, and that the idental ce of birth would make them immune to repercussions . Smiling faintly, he huddled up for a moment before exploding with an unmatched speed, appearing in front of the four who were too frozen to even cry out . He swung the [Dragon yer] sideways, halving all four into parts as blood cried out . Withdrawing the wings, he crashed onto the ground and walked over to Evon, who was barely holding on; even so, however, his eyes reeked of terror as he heard the approaching footsteps and soon met the pair of dead eyes looming over him . Lino picked him by his throat and held him up, matching the boy¡¯s gaze . Seeing the silver sh for a moment, he chuckled faintly, shaking his head . "It¡¯s a war, war between us," he said, ncing toward the n¡¯s grounds . "They¡¯ve nothing to do with it, as do none of the people in my life . Once more -- just once more -- go after them . I dare you," his voice turned deadly cold as he shifted his gaze back onto Evon¡¯s eyes . "And the world will witness a bloodbath that will leave it scarred until its end . " tightening the grip, he snapped the boy¡¯s neck and watched thest breath leave his lips and thest sh of light vanish from his eyes . Lino¡¯s heart cracked for a moment as he bit his lower lip . There was little satisfaction in being the judge, the jury and the executioner . What they¡¯d done, however unforgivable, can hardly in the end be all med on them; since the cradle, Lino knew, they were taught the rest of the world is irrelevant . Empathy is birthed within one¡¯s heart, and it takes killing it entirely for one to see other people as nothing but empty vessels . They were rid of all the care for the world, through no fault of their own . Nothing would change, he knew, unless the entire world underwent a massive metamorphosis . Children will continue to die, blood will continue to be shed, revenge and anger would continue to be the fuel . . . He walked slowly toward the Tribe, picking up whatever little of the corpses remained and putting them in the void world . Lucky soon appeared next to him, jumping off Grim, her eyesden with grief . Not because of the six that died, but because she¡¯d finallye to realize how much it takes of him to end a life . She¡¯d hardly considered it, even before bing Evelyn¡¯s personal assassin . To her any life lost was just another in the sea of many, so long as it wasn¡¯t one she cared for . To him, though, it seemed that every life mattered -- however corrupted, vile and infected . It was a moment of change inside of her that woulde to define her entire future, seeing through the thin veil of coldness stered on his face, hiding boiling inferno beneath . END OF VOLUME XI - THE LIGHT VOLUME XII - HARBINGER OF CHAOS, CRADLE OF ORDER Chapter 276 Chapter 276 BOOK III - ORDER AND CHAOS VOLUME XII - HARBINGER OF CHAOS, CRADLE OF ORDER CHAPTER 276 HANNAH (II) Chirps of birds adjoined with the sounds of a rapid stream and bustling leafs to cradle the hands of the nature, painting an idyllic scenery one would only evere across in utopian paintings . Yet, it lived, barred in the tall fences spanning on for miles in each direction . Pathsy carved out in-between like a guiding hand for all those who may wish to gaze upon the wonders, sides adorned with throny roses and flourishing, white gardenias . At night, fireflies would join the nature to light it up likenterns, their warm, orange glow washing over every inch of a very concealed garden . During the day, the sun would st its rays across, feeding it whole . Chirpy, jovialughter echoed out from the small paradise¡¯s center where a rapid stream converged into a roundabout, spinning into a spiral before exiting on the other end like a waterfall . Above the spiral rose a spire stacked with gems, acting as a centerpiece of the entire disy . By its edge, dipping her toes into the chilly water, was a young, crimson-haired girl, seemingly no older than nine-ten . Her emerald-green eyes shone as brightly as any of the gems on top of the spire, her colorful dress matching the marvelous garden around her . Dimples adorned her cheeks stretched out into an innocent smile, her hair waving down her back freely much like the waterfall on the other end . Score of small, transparent fish nibbled at her toes, tickling her as sheughed . World around appeared beyond innocent, as though carved out from a dreamer¡¯s dream . The little girl suddenly raised her head up and saw the branches on the tree across from her scuffle, her smile widening . Jumping up, she raced around and leapt over the stream in a single jump, racing over toward the tree and climbing it as though she¡¯d done so thousands of times before . Reaching the top quickly, she reached her rather skinny arm over through the branches and grabbed at something fluffy . Pulling back, a white-haired creature appeared in front of her, reminiscent of a rabbit save for the horns instead of ears . "Hehe, caught you again!" she eximed throughughter, settling herself on a thick branch of the tree and hugging the animal tightly . "You¡¯re really bad at this, you know? By now you should have figured to hide better . " "Kur-kurr! Kur!" the small animal cried out in a high tone . "What do you mean I¡¯m cheating?!" the little girl puffed her cheek, angrily staring at the animal . "Just because you suck at hiding doesn¡¯t mean you can use me of cheating!" " . . kur, kurr . . . " "That¡¯s right, own up to your suckiness, he he . " "Hannah?" a voice that quickly put a frown on the little girl¡¯s face adjoined the other sounds the little paradise made . "I know you¡¯re here . " " . . . over here mom . " the little girl sighed as she let go of the rabbit-like animal, jumping off the tree and racing to the other end of the stream where two women soon joined her -- one she knew and another she didn¡¯t . The former was her mother, bearing simrly crimson hair with a pair of ck eyes instead, tall and as beautiful as any other woman the little girl had seen -- except the woman standing right next to her . "Hey, look how dirty you¡¯ve be," her mother sighed lowly, waving her hand gently and sending a gust of wind over at Hannah, cleaning her up in one fell swoop . "I told you that if you are going to y here, you need to be careful! Besides, shouldn¡¯t you be training with Maestro right now?" "He told me to ¡¯be one with the world¡¯," Hannah said, avoiding her mother¡¯s gaze . "I¡¯m doing exactly that . " " . . . right . Of course you are . " the woman chuckled bitterly, turning toward the one standing next to her . "I¡¯m so sorry, she can be a bit mischievous . Come here Hannah and meet your new Big Sister . Her name¡¯s Eos," she added as Hannah walked up to the golden-haired woman of unparalleled beauty who was currently smiling gently and warmly . "And she¡¯s just like you -- a Bearer . Can you guess which one?" " . . . of Light?" Hannah probed . "Very good," Eos chuckled, crouching down and caressing Hannah¡¯s hair gently . "You are quite clever . " "I will leave you two to it, Lady Eos . If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me . " "Don¡¯t worry Lady Eona," Eos said, smiling . "I have a feeling Hannah and I will get along just fine . " "Very well . Hannah, behave yourself properly, alright?" " . . . yes, Mother . " Hannah nodded meekly as her mother kissed her temple before leaving . Turning toward Eos, she quizzically looked at the tall woman, wondering whether she would ever be so beautiful . "You¡¯re pretty . " "Ha ha, thank you very much . You are far prettier than me, though . " Eos said, grabbing Hannah¡¯s hand and leading her toward the center spire . "All women in your family are . That beautiful hair of yours . . . puts many of us to shame . " "But you hair is golden," Hannah said . "Like the sun . Sun is far prettier than blood . " " . . . why blood?" Eos asked . " . . . that¡¯s what other kids call me," Hannah said, jumping onto the edged tform of the roundabout, bncing herself . "Blood-haired Maiden . I¡¯ve heard even some Servants call me that . " " . . . they are just jealous," Eos said, holding back a pained smile . "That their hair isn¡¯t as pretty . " " . . . I guess . " Hannah mumbled dismissively, dancing around the edge as Eos sat down next to the stream, observing her . "How do you get along with your Writ?" she asked . "Astrum?" Hannah stopped, ncing at Eos . "She¡¯s . . . boring . " "She?" Eos arched brow . "She told me to call her that," Hannah shrugged . "Something about rting more to me than the previous Bearer . " " . . . Andis . . . ah, he was a bit aggressive . " Eos chuckled . "She taught you anything?" she decided to y along . " . . . a lot of things," Hannah¡¯s gaze turned strange for a moment, but Eos ignored it . "I learned a lot more from her than any of my tutors . " "I imagine you did . " "What about you? Do you get along with yours?" Hannah asked . "Very much so . " Eos replied . "Is there something you don¡¯t understand?" " . . . not a lot," Hannah said, smiling faintly . "Mostly about the E--khm, the seventh one . " Eos frowned . "Astrum . . . doesn¡¯t like talking much about him, and she still hasn¡¯t shown me any Record with them involved . " " . . . you are still far too young," Eos sighed, smiling faintly . "But, if you¡¯d like to know something, feel free to ask me . " " . . . are . . . are they really as terrifying as I¡¯ve read?" Hannah asked, sitting down on the edge, dipping her feet into the water yet again . "In the books, I mean . " " . . . they are," Eos said . "Actually, they are far more terrifying than words can ever describe . " "How so?" Hannah asked with interest . "Because they are driven by something the rest of us have long since evolved past," Eos said . "By animalistic anger, bloodlust and fear . They can never be reasoned with because they never listen to reason . With them . . . it¡¯s always their way, and no other way . " " . . . I¡¯ve also read they¡¯re quite dangerous," Hannah said, lowering her head . "That the rest of us usually have to pair up to fight them . " " . . . it¡¯s the advantage of being driven by madness," Eos said . "Acting like cornered beasts at all times . They care for no one and nothing, just for sowing chaos wherever they tread . This means that, unlike us, when they fight, they care little over dragging innocent into the fray and destroying the world . " " . . . that¡¯s scary . " "It is," Eos nodded, chuckling . "But you have nothing to worry about . I¡¯ll always be right there to protect you, against him . . . and everyone else . " "Heh, thank you . " Hannah chuckling, her cheeks blushing faintly . "Always," Eos said, smiling and getting up . "I¡¯ll have to go and settle into my new home and you can continue to y here . We¡¯ll meet for dinner and talk more, alright?" "Of course, Big Sister Eos . " Hannah nodded . "I like the sound of that . " in a sh of brilliant light, Eos disappeared, leaving behind the still-smiling Hannah; that smile, however, quickly vanished, reced by a gaze of distrust and anger . "She¡¯s just like the rest," Hannah said coldly . "Lying, selling stories like a filthy merchant . " " . . . reign it in a bit there, little soldier . " a robotic voice echoed inside her head . "You¡¯re going to get us made, and it¡¯s not the time yet . " "When¡¯s it going to be the time?" Hannah sighed, sitting down . "You convinced me to do this, but then forced me to stay here . Do you know how suffocating it is? How painful it is to listen to my own Mother and Father spouting lies every day?" "Patience," the robotic voice replied . "What can we do right now? A new Empyrean is yet to even be born, and even if he has, we first have to examine his qualifications . Until then, just pretend to be your average, cheerful and curious girl . " " . . . I¡¯ve a feeling this new bitch will drag me all over the world," Hannah muttered after a short silence . "And I will not have fun doing it . " "It¡¯s your chance to learn how they create the reality you were born into," the robotic voice said . "Both the beautiful and terrifying side of it . " " . . . I would have ended up just the same, huh?" Hannah said . "I doubt it," the robotic voice seemed to chuckle, rather awkwardly at that though . "If I were like the other Writs, I doubt the two of us would get along . You like to challenge authority, after all . " "I just don¡¯t like being lied to . Ah, whatever . I guess I¡¯ll go back to my room and y with dolls or something until the dinner . Ataxia, Ataxia, Ataxia, wherever you may be, just hurry the hell up already . . . " Chapter 277 Chapter 277: 277 CHAPTER 277 MEDIATOR Lino and Lucky stopped in front of the tall gates, waiting patiently as they slowly creaked open, showing a familiar path both had taken once already in the past . Light shook their sights for a moment and as they came to, both had rather peculiar expressions; Lucky¡¯s was that of quaint amusement, partway to bursting out intoughter, while Lino¡¯s was of pain, one he expressed audibly through a low groan . "Your Majesty!!!" thousands sank to their knees, stering their heads into the mud without any form of hesitation . The loud cry shook the earth beneath, shocking all members of Evelyn¡¯s and Althone¡¯s party who stared at the spectacle with eyes wide open . Only one person besides them didn¡¯t bow -- Valkryia, who stood by the side, staring at Lino¡¯s expression with a faint, queer smile . He turned toward her shortly after and met her yful gaze as the corners of his lips twitched, curling up into a sarcastic smile . "It seems you¡¯ve failed to pass on my distaste of . . . well, this . " he said, sighing . "Oh, I most certainly did pass on your distaste of . . . well, this," Valkryia chuckled . "I just imagine their hearts are so filled with emotion they do not know of another way to express it . " "Right, of course," Lino scoffed, walking forward slowly as Lucky followed him, her shoulders shaking . "God, please . . . just . . . get up everyone," he growled as he realized nobody was moving a muscle . "Yes, that¡¯s it . Good job . I¡¯m proud of you all . Now go . Shoo . Go away . " as the crowds slowly began dispersing, low chatter filling the air while Lino was forced to endure all sorts of weird and questionable nces, he sunk away and rubbed his temple, turning toward Valkryia . By the end, only five people remained -- including Evelyn and Althone . "Was that your version of revenge since I failed to keep up?" he asked . "Eh, something like that . " Valkryia chuckled . " . . . I may be one evil son of a bitch," he said, smiling bitterly and hugging her as a greeting . "But you are certainly the most maleficent one . " "Oh my, thank you for the praise . I¡¯m wholly undeserving of it . " " . . . of course you¡¯re not," Lino shook his head, turning toward Althone and Evelyn, both of whom wore ratherplex expressions on their faces . "Why don¡¯t you threedies go and catch up in Val¡¯s room," Lino said, turning toward Lucky . "Al¡¯ and I will join you in a bit . " "I¡¯ll fashion a meal for you," Valkryia said, opening up a portal to her room and escorting Lucky and Evelyn, who greeted each other awkwardly . "What do you want?" "Anything with meat . " Lino said dismissively . " . . . so my--" "I¡¯m a happily taken man I¡¯m afraid," Lino chuckled, interrupting her . "So feed your goods to another¡¯s tongue . " "Ha ha, very well . " Valkryia¡¯sughter slowly dissipated as the portal closed, leaving only heavy silence behind . "Your poison?" Lino asked, sitting down onto a rock . " . . . ale . " Althone replied, sitting down as well . "Here," whipping out several bottles of booze, he threw a few them to Althone, opening one for himself in the process . "Those were the only survivors?" he asked . "Aye . " Althone replied . " . . . shame," Lino mumbled, sighing . "I¡¯m sorry . " " . . . so . . . you¡¯re the Empyrean," Althone suddenly chuckled . "I¡¯m right in assuming you¡¯ve killed my Father because he found out?" " . . . he was a very perceptive man," Lino replied . "For better or worse . In this case, well, definitely worse . " " . . . it was a mistake we ever began dancing the tango with you," Althone said after brief silence . "From the get-go, I felt there was something off with you . Should have listened to my gut . " " . . . I¡¯m really sorry for the way things transpired between us," Lino said, leaning back and looking up at the cloudy sky . "I actually quite liked both you and Gustav . You were the royal ilk I genuinely respected . " " . . . I can¡¯t say I forgive you . . . or that I ever will," Althone said, ncing at him . "But, at least now I know why . And I definitely realize I¡¯ll never stand a chance . Your growth . . . is fucking scary . " "Ha ha ha," Linoughed out freely, looking sideways . "You ain¡¯t bad yourself . Give it a couple of centuries and you might earn yourself a Title . " " . . . nah, I¡¯ve no such high aspirations," Althone said, chuckling . "If the reward is being part of this world," he looked outside the walls . "Then I don¡¯t want anything to do with it . " " . . . smart decision . " Lino said . "Thank you, by the way . " "Hm?" "For saving us," Althone said . "I know you didn¡¯t exactly have an imperative to do it . " "Eh, wouldn¡¯t say that," Lino said . "My days have been pretty shittely . It was nice, feeling useful again . " " . . . we all have our bad days . " "Felix¡¯s dead," Lino said, startling Althone . "Well, he was killed actually . I was nning oning back anyway, to bring his body back home . Just never thought it would be under these circumstances . " " . . . what happened?" Althone asked . "Another Bearer got him," Lino said, sighing . "While I failed to save him . That¡¯s really all there is to it . I¡¯ve seen that only his Grandfather survived . Well, if he ain¡¯t nailed in the head yet, it seems I¡¯ll make sure he is . " " . . . he¡¯s a tough brick," Althone said . "But, yeah, good luck with that . " "Any news from the Western Continent, by the way?" Lino asked suddenly . "Nothing, really," Althone replied after a short thoughts . "Our advance scouts say that the whole Eastern Shore is baked in fog and smog . Thest report was about a month ago . " "So the Devils have formed their nests, huh?" Lino mumbled . "God, sometimes I really hate this fucking world . Anyway, wanna join us for the supper?" "No, thanks . " Althone said . "Very well," Lino said, getting up . "Stay here as long as you want . " "Thanks . " A portal opened up next to Lino who walked right through it after smiling at Althone faintly . Disappearing, it took but a moment for him to find himself back in a familiar room, where threedies were sitting and sipping tea . ncing at the distant wall, Lino¡¯s brows immediately furrowed as he realized he may as well have been looking into the mirror . "Handsomed, isn¡¯t he?" Valkryia said yfully, getting up and standing next to him . "I believe I¡¯ve captured him almost perfectly . What do you think?" " . . . at least it¡¯s not a fucking sculpture . " Lino sighed, sitting down . "Oh, we thought about it," Val said . "But, well, I forgot to take your exact measurements . Your arrival really saved us on that front . " " . . . ah, whatever, do whatever you want . " Lino groaned, waving a white g in defeat . "Where¡¯s my meal?" "On its way . " "So, you twodies caught up yet?" he turned toward Lucky and Evelyn who still seemed rather awkward around each other . "Or was it just awkward silence galore . " "Mostly thetter one," Valkryia joined . "So why don¡¯t you break the ice?" "Nah, I rarely see L¡¯ this flustered," Lino smiled wryly . "It¡¯s a sight for the sore eyes . " " . . . yeah, go fuck yourself . " Lucky replied in kind, growling . "Come on, don¡¯t be so embarrassed," Lino chuckled . "Isn¡¯t she adorable?" "Can¡¯t say she isn¡¯t . " Valkryia fanned the mes further with a faint smile . "So, you said you¡¯re a happily taken man . Who¡¯s the luckydy?" "He he," Lino suddenly chuckled, puffing his nose in pride . "You¡¯re gonna be quite proud of me when I tell you, you know?" "Oh? Do I know her?" she asked . "Well, not know her per se, but you definitely heard of her . " "Well, you¡¯ve got me on the bed of nails . What are you waiting for?" she chuckled . "It¡¯s the Elysian . " " . . . . " " . . . . . " " . . . . " "Ha ha ha, god, that expression is priceless, ha ha ha ha," Lino suddenly burst out intoughter as even Lucky was unable to hold it back any longer, seeing Val¡¯s utterly gobsmacked expression . "I¡¯ve aimed for the moon, yet I grabbed the star . Ain¡¯t I a lucky bastard or what?" "W-w-wait! Wait! Does . . . does she know?!" Valkryia asked, flustered . "You mean about how I swing for the Chaos legion? Yeah, it¡¯se up . " Lino chuckled . "And . . . she¡¯s . . . fine with it?!" "To be honest I think it turns her on a bit," Lino said . "You know, taking the whole ¡¯bad boy¡¯ thing to a whole new level . " " . . . wow . . . this . . . " Valkryia took in a deep breath, trying to reconcile it all together . "I . . . I don¡¯t know what to say . " "You¡¯ll meet her one day," Lino said, smiling . "And you¡¯ll understand it . L¡¯ over here practically already worships the ground she walks on . " Lucky groaned, shaking her head . "What do you mean I worship the ground she walks on? She¡¯s pretty much just you with tits and a cunt . Well, yeah, she¡¯s not as bad, but she¡¯s getting there . Give it a year or two and you two will be universally the most hated couple to have ever existed . " " . . . oof . " Lino sucked in a cold breath, smiling faintly . "I don¡¯t think we¡¯re quite deserving of the honors, but, hey, if ites from your lips, there¡¯s truth to those tips . " " . . . oh god . . . " all three women audibly groaned, lowering their heads . "Ah, I can¡¯t help it; my effect on the fairer sex is simply beyond my control . I don¡¯t know what it is, you know?" "I regret inviting you over here," Valkryia chuckled bitterly . "But, it¡¯s good to see you haven¡¯t changed . Still as big of an ass as always . " "Actually I think I¡¯ve flexed my bum quite a bit since west saw each other," Lino said, getting up and shifting sideways, pulling his pants over until they bent over his behind perfectly . "See? It¡¯s more rounded, more firm . Hannah says pping it is like punching a brick with your head, so--" "Just shut the hell up!!" all three eximed angrily, their cheeks flushed . " . . . ha ha ha, alright, that¡¯s enough of teasing for now . " Lino said,ughing and picking up the bottle of ale from the table . "I bet it ain¡¯t as awkward now, right?" he winked stealthily at Lucky and Evelyn who shook their heads, smiling bitterly, as they watched him swagger off into the other end of the room, throwing himself onto the bed and falling asleep . But, he was right, they quickly realized; after seeing a grown man brag about his behind, things certainly became less awkward between the two . Chapter 278 Chapter 278 CHAPTER 278 ENTROPIC RESURRECTION Lino sat on top of the final terrace of the tribal grounds, where Valkryia¡¯s chambers were stationed, just outside of them, heaving his legs over the edge, sipping ale ever so often . He¡¯d asionally nce downwards where life went on, though, from time to time, many would look up and chatter in low mums . His lips stretched up into a smile as he shook his head, wondering whether he¡¯ll ever get ustomed to it . "Your Majesty," Valkryia¡¯s voice caused his smile to turn bitter as he nced sideways where she slowly sat . "Do you require something?" "You¡¯ve taken good care of them . " Lino said . "Of course . It¡¯s my job . " "What¡¯s with the formation?" "Ah, I was wondering when will that be brought up," she chuckled, taking the bottle from him as he whipped out another one for himself . "Just not so long ago, you¡¯d done something kind of insane . " "Oh . " Lino eximed . "You mean the eyes?" "Aye, the eyes," she said . "On that day, every single member of the Tribe had theirtent Bloodline awaken . " "Eh?" "Ah, forgive me, ¡¯Bloodline¡¯ is a bit of a . . . stretch, though the effects are the same," she said . "Though there are no direct descendants of Empyreans here, our Ancestors did serve them . It forms a karmic sort of rtionship that even Fate can¡¯t strip us of . " " . . . and?" "Well, it¡¯s through that rtionship that our rise was fed," she exined . "The more consuming the Chaos was, the more present in the world, the stronger we were . When Chaos waned, so did we . When it rose, so did we . And, well, there¡¯s hardly a higher sky for an Empyrean than bing a Harbinger . Your mere presence here has caused our Realms to . . . well, put it this way: when you first departed, our average Level was roughly 400 . When you threatened the whole world, it rose to 600 . Now? We¡¯re only fifteen people short bing Titrs . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s brows arched as he nced downwards in surprise, inspecting everyone quickly, confirming Val¡¯s story . "Holy shit . . . " "I don¡¯t understand it quite myself," Val said . "It¡¯s just . . . the way things are . We¡¯re simr to Primes in that way . " " . . . well, except a whole lot weaker . " "Ha ha, yeah, except that . But, still, we¡¯d be qualified to actually establish a small Sect on the Holy Continent if we desired . " " . . . so you could have fought those six off all on your own?" Lino asked . "We could have," she nodded . "But, well, how can we deny our Majesty a chance to show off in front of people? That¡¯s hearsay . " "Hah, funny," Lino chuckled, taking a deep breath . "Though, I suppose, you have been building up an army like you promised . " " . . . I was rather tempted to contact you after your deration," she said after a moment of silence . "To offer you our services . Unfortunately, even now, we¡¯re still too weak to be counted on for anything more than asional support . " " . . . despite my eternal bravado," Lino said . "It seems more and more I¡¯m gonna need your help . " "You¡¯re fighting a war, Lino," she said, patting his back whilst smiling . "However strong you may be, each General needs troops . " " . . . I killed one of the Bearers . " "I heard . " "And now they¡¯re sending off a bunch of children to hunt me and those close to me," he added . "And, despite my warnings, I very much doubt they¡¯ll stop . " " . . . they won¡¯t," Val said . "Unless you can put a fear of god in them, they¡¯ll never stop . It¡¯s who they are; misled children led by an army of megalomaniacs . A recipe for a disaster, if there ever was one . " "Oh well, I¡¯ve no intention of stooping to their lows," Lino said, taking a sip . "I may not be a saint, but I¡¯m better than that . We¡¯re better than that . " " . . . are we?" Val asked lowly . "We have to be," Lino replied, ncing at her . "Otherwise . . . what¡¯s the point even if we win? I¡¯m not fighting to rece them, Val . I¡¯m fighting to change the world for better . . . however little I can . If I do what they¡¯ve been doing all the while, how does that make me any different?" "So what? You¡¯re gonna stop killing them?" "Hardly," Lino chuckled . "I never said I¡¯ll stop speaking their tongue . But, we have to draw a line somewhere . I¡¯ve no doubt that, by the time Ie back to the Central Continent, it¡¯ll have been swarmed by people looking for me, looking for Hannah, for everyone close to me . I can handle myself, Hannah can more than handle herself . . . but, there are people who can¡¯t . And I¡¯m just one dude, whatever horrid titles the world attaches to me, I can¡¯t split myself into million clones and save everyone . " " . . . " "You promised me an army," he said . "But, I don¡¯t need an army -- not yet, at least . I do need help, however . A group of people, corp, really, strong and smart enough to be my many arms . " " . . . what are you thinking?" Val asked with curiosity . "Every faction, I imagine, has a small legion that doesn¡¯t really exist, at least officially," Lino replied . "I need one too . For starters, their sole job will be attaching themselves to everyone I know and keeping them safe while rying information to me . Where will they go from there? They say sky¡¯s the limit, but I¡¯ve no intention of stopping there . " " . . . how many?" she asked . "A hundred, for starters," he said . "Put Lucky in charge . Her Realm is still low, but she knows how things go . She¡¯ll be a ry between me and the rest of them . Pick young prospects, separate them into ten Divisions each led by someone more experienced, and make sure they¡¯ve got a quick wit about them . " " . . . " Valkryia remained silent for a while, seemingly deep in thought, before replying . "You¡¯re finally getting serious, huh? It was about time . " " . . . you can do it?" "Of course," she chuckled . "I¡¯ll pick the brightest of the bright . But, I do have more suggestions . " "I¡¯m all ears . " Lino said . "Why stop there?" "Hm?" "You may not need an army just yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t build the foundations of one . " she said . "Set up logistical points behind the enemy lines -- open up shops and whatnot -- and create a world-wide sphere of information . Set up separate departments, smithing, formations, talismans -- I¡¯ve got many talented youths very interested in auxiliary fields . I¡¯ve held back on developing them from fear of standing out too much, but . . . if we¡¯re going to a war, there¡¯s no reason to hold back anymore . " " . . . hold on on that for a little while," Lino said, smiling faintly . "I¡¯ve a feeling Hannah would very much like to preside over it . " "Oh my, are you sidelining me?" "Ha ha ha, you¡¯ll get it when you meet her," Linoughed freely, looking up . "She¡¯d said many times since we met, that I¡¯m a leader, but not a ruler . " "She¡¯s right, you know? No offense . " "I know," he nodded . "I¡¯m confident in standing out there, holding a sword, meeting whatever the world throws at me face to face, fearless . I¡¯m confident in holding a hammer, in battering away at stones and metals and making myself something grand to behold . I¡¯m confident in myself, in my strength, in my Will . " " . . . " "Setting up departments, on the other hand, managing an army,nd, money, all that boring shit . . . ain¡¯t that inspiring to me . To her, however . . . it aligns rightly with who she is . " " . . . you really love her, don¡¯t you?" she asked, sighing faintly . "More than I¡¯ve ever loved anyone," Lino replied . "More than I¡¯ll ever love anyone . " " . . . " "She should arrive in a few days¡¯ time," he added, standing up . "And then you two can work out the kinks of your ns . But, for now, kickstart the small division and immediately dispatch those ready enough to the Central Continent and its holy capital to keep an eye out . If you¡¯ve got means, also build a Teleportation Formation somewhere near the capital . I¡¯ve a feeling I¡¯ll be quite busy in the following few months, going back and forth . " " . . . I¡¯ve a feeling you will," she said, chuckling . "Thank you . " "Hm?" "Though I know you only begrudgingly agreed to my deration of heart," she said . "To me . . . to us . . . it means more than you can imagine to be able to serve you . " " . . . you¡¯re not serving me, Val," Lino said, ncing back at her and smiling . "You¡¯re a friend, helping out another friend . I don¡¯t need mindless ves obeying my every word . I need people just as willing to change the world, just as passionate about making it better . Friends who stand by my side, shoulder to shoulder, facing the world . That¡¯s the weight I can put on my shoulders . " " . . . you must have some big-ass shoulders . " Val said, smiling . "Eh, I¡¯ve been working out . " he said simply before disappearing inside, leaving her sitting out alone, smiling brightly . After so many years, so many generations, so many crushed hopes and dreams . . . the time for Oreb Kingdom to rise again hase . Chapter 279 Chapter 279 CHAPTER 279 SOUNDLESS PYRE A line stretched for nearly a mile onward, secured by rows of people on each end, thousands altogether, creating a pathway rounding the bottom floor of the terraced grounds and leading just outside where a pile of dried woody stacked together . Despite the numbers present, it was eerily silent, only the asional whizz of the wind and caws of the crows breaking it . At the very start of the line, a small group was huddled together in a circle, surrounding a simple-looking yet elegantly carved wooden coffin . Lino stood among them, tepidly silent, his eyes eternally glued to the spiraling pattern resting on the front side of the coffin . While those around him chatted in murmurs -- namely Lucky, Althone, Evelyn, Valkryia and Felix¡¯s Grandfather, Butcher of the North -- he sipped mead in silence, his other hand tucked inside the pocket of his tattered pants . " . . . Lino," Lucky suddenly called out to him, pulling his sleeve . "Are you going to sing?" "I¡¯ve many talents," he smiled faintly, replying . "But singing ain¡¯t one of them . Youdies do it . " "It¡¯s not about the talent," she rolled her eyes at him, sighing . "Everyone will be singing, I was just asking whether you¡¯ll start it . You should . " she added lowly . " . . . alright . " staring deeply into her eyes for a moment, he nodded faintly in agreement . "I¡¯ll start . " "Father-in--ah, sorry," Lucky stuttered, shaking away her flushed cheeks as she spoke out to Felix¡¯s Grandfather . "Do you have anything to say?" " . . . you can call me father-inw," he said, smiling lightly through the yellowed brow . "Rather, I¡¯d like it if you would . And a word or two only . Nothing much . " "Alright," Lucky nodded, taking a deep breath . "Everyone ready?" "Let¡¯s go . " the Butcher -- who hardly lived up to his title at the moment as tears cradled his cheeks -- spoke out, walking toward the coffin and lifting its back end . "If you¡¯d do the honors, Empyrean . " he turned toward Lino and pointed at the front . " . . . let¡¯s send him off . " Lino nodded faintly, putting away the mead and picking the front end, putting it on his shoulder . Althone and Evelyn took the left side while Lucky and Valkryia took the right as the six slowly began moving toward the artificially carved out path . Even with the wood, Lino realized, the coffin was light, like a feather . . . yet also as heavy as an entire mountain . His steps were even, slow and brisk, yet soundless . World around came to a halt, blending away into colors and formless shapes . Sounds morphed into a distant voice, one full of curiosity and strange naivety . He hadn¡¯t thought much about Felix, as he did his hardest to always upy his mind with something else . However much older he may be nowpared to before, it still stung just as much if not more . It coldly probed, time and again, like a sword slicing away at him, bypassing all his defenses . Until now he¡¯d dealt with it by focusing on the anger spawned from his death, ignoring all other apanying emotions -- most notably pain . But, he knew he couldn¡¯t dy it forever . He couldn¡¯t live eternally entrapped in the convulsion of rage . Walking almost by instinct, he didn¡¯t know where he was, how far along the path they were, or really anything else rting to his surroundings . His mind was flooded by a sh of memories, some distant and some recent . Altogether, it hasn¡¯t been all that long since he met Felix -- just a few years -- yet, it hardly mattered . Rtionships are rarely ever defined by the length . A year or ten is irrelevant, at least to him, when ites to belonging . The memories grew more vivid, beginning from the moment the two met in the garden of roses, to the boy¡¯s genuine curiosity of the world, desire to know, to experience, to realize . He still remembered it all clearly -- one of the downsides of being a cultivator, he mused . Purging thoughts . . . purging images . . . memories . . . is hard . Even if it were easy, however, he had no desire to do it . However painful they may be, they¡¯re a necessity . To forget him would be to deny his very existence . Especially so considering just how much it all meant to Lino . It¡¯s an entirely different thing to be a maverick traveling the world lonesome, and being in care of someone, teaching them, watching them grow and change, bit by bit, through your own efforts . By the end, however, Lino mused, he was never able to change the boy¡¯s dream -- perhaps only expand it slightly . It might be that he was a terrible mentor, or the best mentor possible; it didn¡¯t matter, however . Either way, in the end, he was his own self . Finallying to, Lino realized they¡¯d stopped, standing right next to the pile of wood while the people behind broke the two ends and converged into a half-circle surrounding the six at the front . Though his eyes were slightly moist, Lino realized his cheeks were dry . However much he wished to, he knew he was now well past being able to break down like a child and cry . Right now there are thousands of people behind him expecting him to lead them, to guide them, to be their light . They are watching his back, and he can¡¯t bend it, can¡¯t nt or sink his shoulders, can¡¯t turn to tears . It wasn¡¯t with a light heart that he epted the role he never asked for, which was why he¡¯d already also epted that the role came with numerous strings attached -- one being that people he knows and cares for . . . will die . His only hope was that, from now on, they would start from the top of the tree, where wrinkled faces and old bones awaited, rather than from the bottom where youthful dreams would be preemptively snuffed . "You¡¯re up, Father-inw . " Lucky said as Lino felt the weight of the coffin increase slightly . The old man walked around and stopped next to the pile of wood as Lino shifted on his heel and faced the silent crowd . Lucky remained standing next to him while Althone, Evelyn and Valkryia retreated and joined the crowd . " . . . when I¡¯d learned that Felix would be departing the continent with the revered Empyrean," the old man said as Lino groaned inwardly, yet his expression remained the same . "Unlike most of the family, I was happy . I, too, once upon a time wished to leave and explore, but I was never brave enough to do it . That boy . . . however . . . I knew he was . " " . . . " "In my heart of hearts," he continued, lowering his head, his voice growing coarse . "I expected, should he ever return, he¡¯d return like this . I just hoped that, however long his venture may be, he¡¯d live it out fully . He was a brave boy; naive, yes, even slightly foolish, but brave . I¡¯d rather have him die an honorable soul than watch him grow old and turn into one of us . . . crooked, corrupt, proud, ignoble . So, however much it may pain me to see him like this, to bid him goodbye rather than the other way around," the old man¡¯s voice cracked further, interrupted by faint sobs ever so often . "At least he died chasing his dreams, of right mind and heart . I know our Ancestors will wee him with open arms, and sing songs in his praise . Thank you," he suddenly turned toward Lino and bowed, causing thetter to wince . "For giving him a chance, for opening the world to him . However far and wide he may have searched otherwise, I know he couldn¡¯t have ever found a better Master . " " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t know it was a theatricalpliance due to the fact that there were currently thousands of people looking at him star-eyed, or whether the old man genuinely felt the gratitude, but it didn¡¯t matter in the end . "I¡¯ve failed him . " "You have n---" "It¡¯s fine," Lino interrupted him, smiling faintly . "I have failed him . If I can¡¯t ept that, if I can¡¯t live up to it . . . what worth was his faith in me to begin with? Right now, I can only offer my apology and say you¡¯ve raised a fine man . . . one far kinder, far more heartfelt than I¡¯ve ever or will ever be . I know words matter little when ites to the dead, but . . . what else can we offer them?" " . . . thank you . " the old man clutched his hands into the fist, his expression crumpling as tears escaped the corners of his eyes like streams . It felt strange, Lino mused, seeing a wrinkled, old face in delirium of weeping . . . yet also freeing, genuine . "Thank you . . . " " . . . he hasn¡¯t been with us for long," Lino said as he slowly and gently put the coffin on the pile of wood . "But, he¡¯s left a mark on me, on the world, one that will never be erased . " running his hand over the coffin¡¯s surface once more, Lino smiled brightly for a moment before standing up . "Light it up . " A hum and a whizzter, the fire was kindled; warm and golden it soon rose tens of meters upward, consuming the pile of wood and the coffin . It burned starkly in the midday, lighting up nearly all of the tribe¡¯s grounds . People nced at it and eximed softly, some weeping, some holding their children tightly in their arms, some smiling with faint trace of reminiscence in their gazes, and some just standing still, seemingly lost in thoughts . All funerals, however different in scale they may be, are always the same; the rituals, the ways, the songs, hymns, prayers, speeches, colors and means . . . they¡¯re all just a way to say the final farewell . They were never meant for the dead, but for the living, those staying behind . A way to say thest goodbye, to cut thest karmic thread, to shed thest tear . Whether Emperors or peasants, it¡¯s all the same . However grand a ceremony, death is thest, true equalizer of the world, where status, titles, honors, riches and glories don¡¯t matter . " . . . the boyes home," Lino suddenly sang out in a coarse, deep and slightly crackling voice . "From the fields of dreams . . . " "His journey written in tomes . . . "Its pages dyed in tears . . . "Soon it shall all fade," one by one, soon everyone began to join in as a choir of voices, each different and unique, sang into the sky . "Like the night by the dawn "Oh boy, don¡¯t be afraid "You will never be truly gone "And the skies shall sing . . . "Your veryst hymn . . . "And we all shall hear . . . "Your veryst hymn . . . "The boy¡¯s now home . . . "And here shall he stay . . . "Through the rains and snows . . . "Oh boy, light our way . . . " Fire crackled and cracked, sounding out like an apanying instrument, dancing like a dancer, swaying freely in the wind . It bore down upon the world, showering it in light and warmth and a kindling feeling of a new day . A better day . A more hopeful day . Chapter 280 Chapter 280: 280 CHAPTER 280 ONSLAUGHT OF CHANGES Hannah stood at the very edge of the precipice looming over the massive Sect¡¯s grounds down below . Distinct from the rest of the world by the numerous gardens acting like pavement roundabouts and fountains forming criss-crossing sections of streams all bubbling into the waterfalls filling the surroundingkes, Eternal Paradise truly lived up to its name . She¡¯d spent a considerable part of her childhood exploring every nook and cranny of the ce, much to her parents¡¯ disapproval . Gazing over the entirendscape, now, felt considerably different . She knew that all this beauty hid ruin, all the singing of the birds hid cries, all the beautiful streams hid rivers of blood, and all the bountiful treetops hid terror dwelling deep inside . And then there was the centerpiece, the massive, ebony tower with stacked balustrades walled off from the insides, jagged edges extending asionally into finger-like protrusions grasping at the world around . It hardly looked like a Tower of Knowledge and more like air of a Devil . She suddenly shook, turning around slowly and facing the precipice¡¯s entrance where figures, one by one, began walking out of the spacial distortion . Leading them was the Arch Patriarch of the Sect, Beholder of the Fallen and Allison¡¯s current Master . He always sported the kind face, yet, not today; it was exceptionally ugly, Hannah realized, with a dim trace of hurt and fury . Just behind him were numerous Arch Elders, including Hannah¡¯s own childhood Master -- Immortal River -- a beautiful, yet currently frigid-looking, middle-aged woman with graying hair . Just behind them, Hannah spotted two faces that cracked her heart slightly -- her own mother and father, both seeming beyond confused and hurt . The silence reigned between the two ends of the precipice, the asional howl of the wind shuffling the dust . Hannah seemed terribly lonely, standing at the edge, like an abandoned pup looking at the backs of those who once stood by her side . "Don¡¯t . " she mumbled softly, withdrawing the talisman E gave her and lifting it up gently . The Arch Patriarch¡¯s body shook as though he¡¯d suddenly stopped a terribly quick movement as he focused onto the talisman, frowning . " . . . where did you get that?" he asked coldly . "I haven¡¯te here to fight," Hannah said, ignoring his question . "But to talk . " "We¡¯re well past the point of talking, Hannah . " her Master¡¯s voice was quite different than before, Hannah realized . It was coarse and deep, flooded with anger and fury . "Do the right thing and you may still die with a little dignity . Don¡¯t let this charade continue any longer . " " . . . I am who I am, Mas--ah, I suppose I¡¯ve recanted the title of your Disciple," she chuckled bitterly for a moment . "Shame . Of all the people who tried to change me since I was aware of myself, I respected you the most still . " "I don¡¯t want your respect . I want you to do the right thing here . " " . . . I am . " Hannah smiled freely, ncing toward the Sect . "Just not your right thing . " " . . . you have family, friends, everyone you¡¯ve ever cared for here," the Arch Patriarch spoke out . "Are you really willing to abandoned it all for an enticing adventure with the Empyrean?" " . . . ah, I suppose that¡¯s the story the world will hear," she said, meeting his eyes . "That I¡¯m just a love-struck, star-eyed girl who was charmed by the devilish Empyrean and simply couldn¡¯t help herself . It¡¯s as good a lie as any, I suppose . " "If that¡¯s not the reason, then tell us what it is . " he persisted . "There¡¯s no one reason, Arch Patriarch," Hannah replied . "Just stacks upon stacks of lies I¡¯ve been fed, years upon years of attempts to control every single part of who I am, decades of deceit and willfully obscure narratives . I was never the Bearer, the Maiden, you wanted me to be . But, I still care for this ce, deeply . Regardless of everything, it¡¯s still my home . " "So do the right thing--" "I am," she interrupted him, looking up toward the sky . "After today, I won¡¯t being back anymore . Not alive or dead . But . . . he will . " she lowered her gaze once more, squaring against all others . "I won¡¯t stop him or plead him . " "Humph, you think we¡¯re afraid of a child?" one of the Arch Elders scoffed . "You truly have been confused Hannah -- but not by us . " "If you¡¯re not, then you¡¯re far more foolish than I thought," she said, smiling faintly . "He doesn¡¯t need decades or centuries, as you probably predict, before being ready toe here . Hell, I doubt he even needs years . What do you think happened to Eos?" " . . . " "Do you think they engaged in an epic battle thatsted for days and weeks? No, not even a bit . " she chuckled . "He dominated her entirely through Will alone, brought her to her knees, made her . . . mortal . That¡¯s not something a ¡¯child¡¯ should be able to do . " " . . . " "It¡¯s your choice to make, the side you¡¯ll stand on," she added . "But, you better make up your minds . . . fast . It won¡¯t be long now . Good luck . I hope that, if not forgive me, you¡¯ll at least be able to understand . . . regardless of which choice you make . " Burning the talisman, Hannah suddenly vanished from the spot; everyone immediately spread their Divine Sense, yet to no avail . Millions . . . tens of millions of miles across . . . she was nowhere to be found . "It¡¯s useless," Alex said, sighing deeply in regret . "She¡¯s gone . For good, this time around . " "What now?" Hannah¡¯s former Master asked . "Proceed with the current ns," he said, opening a vortex next to him . "I have something I need to confirm first . Ensure that nothing happens to Lady Eona and Sir Atlos while I¡¯m gone . Whoever tries anything, lock them up in the Prism . Understood?" "Understood, Arch Patriarch . " The Holy Continent had undergone quite a transformation over the past week; onught of Disciples of the Holy Grounds suddenly flooded every inch and corner of the world, and despite the unifying goal, conflicts broke out one after another . It was the time of strife as much as it was the time of unity, where, more so than anything, everyone lived in collective, perpetual fear; now, the whole world was aware that the Empyrean was on the hunt . . . and no one wanted to be the hunted . Only fools shouted untingly into the sky, taunting that which was not there; those who stood by and watched them mocked and snickered, thanking that the world still had those who live in wilful ignorance . Be it Kings or Queens, old hermits, Elders of the Sects, Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the ns . . . there was the unifying understanding to just stand on the side and let the Holy Grounds take the first blow . They¡¯ve been the sacrificial pawns far too many times in the fights against the Empyreans; and considering that, this time around, they were dealing with the Harbinger no less, they hardly harbored the fervent heart of the guardians . Even the ever-reclusive sort had surfaced and began paying attention to the world once more; Ancient ns, Godly ns, Angel ns, the Devils, and myriad of other minority races had all perked their ears on the newest of news when ites to the Empyrean . Who was it? Where was he? What was he doing? How strong was he? What was he like? Many questions, but no answers . A few reclusive groups rejoiced while others trembled, as did a few reclusive individuals . A ck-haired, ck-eyed, youthful-looking handsome man sat on the edge of the cliff overlooking a massive city, his thin, pale lips spread out into a massive grin . Cloaked whole in ck, he stood out remarkably against the green surroundings, yet no one seemed to have noticed him . "Ah, Your Majesty . . . " he moaned lowly, salivating . "Are you still not done teasing me? After all this time? He he he, a vicious game you¡¯re ying . But . . . I¡¯ll find you, ah . I¡¯ll find you, and I¡¯ll help you . Ha ha, the stupid imbeciles finally crossed your line, he he . You haven¡¯t disappointed me . . . . aah, you can never disappoint me . Wait for me, Your Majesty . I¡¯ll sow chaos in your name, and we¡¯ll rule the world together once more . " While the world mourned or rejoiced due to his actions, the perpetrator of the storm was currently standing inside a well-equipped smithy, overlooking numerous, scattered materials lying in front of him . There was a weird, queer grin stered on his face as he tapped his foot against the concrete floor . His eyes shone like diamonds, the gaze within them of ecstatic madness and desire . Before Hannah returns and they resume their mission to chase after the Order of Eternity, Lino settled on finally filling up his weaponry once again . He currently only had four weapons he could use, most of them extremely situational and quite underleveled at that, and as he was about to herald the uing war, he could hardly afford to be careless . Design after a design danced inside his mind, each more ambitious than the next, as he readied himself for the marathon of the century . All he needed now were his helpers toe -- namely two friends he¡¯d made long ago here, and everything could be started up once again . He approximated Hannah would take at least four days toe here, even if she hurries up, so he reserved the following 96 hours entirely to crafting -- no sleep, no food, just asional drink . The heart of a smith inside of him was kindled once again, and only a disy of ideas that came to life would be able to quench it now . Chapter 281 Chapter 281: 281 CHAPTER 281 GAUNTLET OF ABSOLUTION Fire bellowed in six furnaces stacked against the concrete walls, crackling and screaming in defiance, beautiful and staggeringly warm . The air itself seemed to spark from time to time due to heat, corners of weak metals bending on their own from the sheer pressure . At the center of it all, Lino was currently standing topless, hammering away at an ingot, his entire body glistening in sweat . His muscles seemed even more defined underneath the faint lighting of the surrounding fires, repeatedly contorting under the pressure . Taking a moment to catch a breath, he wiped his forehead and nced around at all six fires, his expression deadly serious . However rxed he may usually be when crafting, he couldn¡¯t afford to be so at the moment; for one insane reason or another, he decided to craft six items simultaneously, without taking a break . Even for him, it was beyond exhausting, both physically and mentally . Just having to match the fires¡¯ temperatures perfectly on the individual basis was already enough to drive everyone mad, to say nothing of repeatedly getting lost in the absolute swarm of materials, mixed piles supposedly each designated for one specific item . He¡¯s been at it for merely four hours, yet already felt like giving a swift and hard kick to his own demented ass . He quickly resumed the work, however, as he couldn¡¯t allow the ingot to cool, and with the literal row of additional materials he had to process right behind him, he didn¡¯t even dare think -- just do . Instinctively, matching his breathing to the rhythm, he began striking away at the edges, slowly shaping the red-steaming ingot . His gaze seemed to grow dull at that point, as though he¡¯d entered a strange sort of a trance . Away and away he struck, each hit creating beautiful, golden spark which shimmered the light further, till the entire scene began seeming reminiscent of the fantasized paintings of what the smithing was like . In the silence and sce, he¡¯d lost himself in the simple strokes, in the simple movements, in the simplest of sounds that sounded far better to him than any music he¡¯d ever heard . Just then, the doors to the room cracked open, breaking his concentration; just as he was about to re out in curses, he spotted from the corner of his eyes that it was the two helpers he¡¯d asked for . Chwek and Sena had starkly different attitudespared to when hest saw them; both avoided his eyes, scuttling away at the edges of the room, seemingly terrified of even making a sound . Lino watched half with amusement and half with brutal anger; the biggest drawback of having his identity exposed wasn¡¯t that the world was hunting him, or that he became the public enemy number one, or that he¡¯ll most-likely never have prolonged period of peace in his life . . . it was this . That everyone, from his friends to his foes, will immediately take a prejudiced way of treating him . " . . . is the floor more interesting than me?" Lino asked, his smiling lips twitching by their corners . "Ah!" Chwek and Sena eximed at the same time, quickly looking up and then away . "Sorry, Your--" "If you call me your majesty, I¡¯ll take this hammer and shove it so far up your ass you¡¯re never gonna have to smith anything ever again . Instead, you¡¯ll be vomiting items like rainbows . Got it?" Lino quickly interrupted their attempt at bowing and expressing whatever sentiment they wished to express . " . . . yes . " they nodded meekly . "When I asked for you two here," Lino said as he began walking around the room, settling the mes . "It was because I needed help with crafting, not because I wanted to watch the most awkward show since the day I lost my virginity . No, scratch that . This is actually more awkward . Alright, let¡¯s actually get to work," he added, taking a deep breath, trying to exhale the frustration afterwards . "I¡¯ve got six items here, and I was dumb and insane enough to try and craft them all at the same time . Any thoughts?" " . . . if, uh, if anyone can do it . . . " Chwek mumbled . "Bullshit!" Lino eximed angrily . "What do you mean if anyone can do it?! Only I can do it!" "That¡¯s what I meant!!" Chwek quickly eximed . " . . . ha ha ha ha," Lino suddenlyughed, to the surprise of the two . "God, you finally used your actual voice, not whatever that shit was . What role were you trying to y anyway? A teenage girl with a massive crush on a boy? Ah man, you¡¯re too old for that shit . Sena can at least still pull it off somewhat, but you . . . ah . . . " " . . . ha ha, sorry . " Chwekughed freely for the first time since walking in, scratching his head -- barely, Lino realized, as his rather . . . pompous muscles made it quite difficult . "Alright, nice . But, seriously, we¡¯ve got shitton of work to do, so you better get down to it . I¡¯ll take care of the mes and the general framework; Chwek, the designs are on the table over there, you do the metallic conduits and, just likest time, Sena can take care of the gears . Let¡¯s get these babies crafted . I¡¯ve only got like a few days left . " " . . . you want to craft six items in a few days?" Chwek¡¯s expression suddenly dropped as he nced at Lino . "That¡¯s what I said . " "Empyrean or not, go fuck yourself dude . " "That¡¯s the spirit!" Lino eximed with a smile . "Now get to work . " " . . . aye, aye . . . " As everyone got down to it, Lino would asionally nce at the two who seemed to have dropped whatever pretense they were going with at first; he smiled freely and happily . Smithing, he mused, indeed breached past whatever barriers may stand in the way . It doesn¡¯t matter what one believes in outside the cramped room, or who they are, or what they do . . . heart of a crafter is an universal ideal, a universal unifier . Joining the hammering sounds were the sounds of spinning gears, of shing metals, of buzzing, of sparks flickering in and out of existence every other second . It was a symphony none of the three knew they were writing; a talerger than an individual¡¯s desires or skills, something that can only be made when hands join together . Lino had long since learned to rely on others, however much he outwardly rejected the notion; be it for emotional support, for the battles, crafting, or even something as simple as sharing a drink or a meal, a solitary soul always lost out . Bit by bit, as hours slowly passed and days turned into nights and vice versa, the items slowly began taking shape . Only four seemed to follow the general way of the weapons; Lino had finally settled on realizing the idea and dream he had concocted all the way back when he fought Etvenya, taking inspiration from her chakrams as a way tobat hisck of long-distance engaging tools . He expanded on the idea slightly; rather than the standard, circr shape of the chakram, he settled on the crescent, almost scythe-shaped, yet still with the winding momentum allowing weapons to make swift and abrupt turns midair . Besides those two, the remaining weapons were another sword -- a seemingly straightforward rapier, and a single, massive-sized gauntlet with a wide maw as the centerfold, the sharpened, spiked teeth teething in bright crimson . The remaining two items were rather queer and strange, and even Sena and Chwek who worked on them had no clue what they were for, or what they did . The array work on the designs was well past the line of their knowledge, and they even failed to recognize over half the materials that went into making them . Yet, rather than the weapons, Lino seemed to be the most excited over those two items to the point that he spent considerably longer in crafting them, even going as far as to slow down his inscription speed tremendously, ensuring that each brush was perfect . He¡¯d never spent more time ensuring that arrays were perfect, even when it came to his armor-set to say nothing of other items in his possession . He seemed nigh obsessed with perfectionism for a moment, with even his eyes beginning to sweat bullets by the end . However, eventually it was over; just short a few hours of his self-imposed deadline, they were done . Chwek and Sena immediately copsed onto the floor, panting, their clothes sticking to their bodies as though they¡¯d just swam through the ocean waters in them, their eyes full of pain and anger, gazes dulled from exhaustion . They seemed to be on the brink ofpletely copsing, and even Lino looked the part of someone ready to enter a long, very, very long sleep . Yet, he remained on his feet, eyeing the six items sitting in front of his eyes . Licking his lips like a night-dwelling, coat-wearing individual, he slowly began inspecting items one by one, hoping with all his heart that, at the very least, his -- rather insane -- expectations were met . After all, this was the arsenal he prepared for himself, designed for the sole purpose of helping him survive the impending hell he will no-doubt be thrown into . He first picked up the gauntlet -- which weighed so much that even he had to slightly strain his muscles to hold it . It gave off beautiful, metallic sheen by the edges, bending backward into a spiral, wounding around the arm, expanding into a massive, gaping maw upfront . The overall blend of colors was rough yet still pleasant-looking, with a mixture of silver, crimson and orange blending together to create a rather imposing and intimidating weapon that would most-likely cause quite a few children to have nightmares . [Gauntlet of Absolution -- Legendary] Level: 750 Requirements: Strength 90,000/Vitality 65,000/Exalted Soul Subsidiary Requirement: Chaos Qi Damage: 100*Strength--200*Strength (depending on the point of impact) +1500% to Knockback Force +1000% to Strength while attacking +1000% to Destruction when hitting a weapon/shield/armor piece -95% to Strength while defending -60% to Agility -60% to Attack Speed Special Effect [Reality Rift] -- injecting the gauntlet repeatedly with Qi creates subsidiary reality around it, allowing the wielder to masquerade multiple realities andyer them on top of one another -- Requirement -- Chaos Qi Special Effect [Absolute Ruin] - inject Qi into the maw upon contact with inanimate surface to create a massive explosion within a desired radius, prompting inferno to rise from the crevices afterwards, dealing twice the weapon¡¯s damage; cannot use twice within the same region Special Effect [Unwound] -- Requirement, Basic Mastery of Law of Time; absorb momentum of time to change strike¡¯s trajectory at thest moment; in addition, if Attack Speed ever reaches 200% of the weapon¡¯s standard, each strike will create distortion in spacetime; at 600%, save for those who mastered Law of Time, no one will be able to perceive the gauntlet¡¯s strikes Note: Amanding Creation unmatched in its make across the world; while extremely potent and destructive, very specific and rigid requirements bar it from bing part of the creational annals . Chapter 282 Chapter 282 CHAPTER 282 BEYOND EXPECTATIONS Reading over the stats, Lino felt tears gush out of his eyes due to joy; it was everything he wanted, and perhaps even slightly more . He wished a brutal be-all do-all weapon specialized in absolute carnage and onught, and that was exactly what he got . Additional special effects -- especially when it came to perception of spacetime -- were a neat bonus, and due to his abilities he knew he¡¯d be able to easily abuse it, but the straightforward destruction a single punch will be bound to carry was the joyride of it all . He picked it up and held it tightly to his chest, rocking it slightly as though it was a babe, mumbling a luby . Sena and Chwek, who were yet to pass out, looked at the man they wished to worship from the depths of their hearts and wondered just how far gone in the head he was . Lino, however, didn¡¯t noticed their gazes; he was far too enveloped in imagining the scenarios within which he¡¯ll be able to use it, then imagining the scenarios where he pairs it up with another weapon, or perhaps with the shield . . . though, he groaned inwardly, the sheer weight would probably literally glue him to the earth, so his prime objective shifted onto increasing his overall Strength however he could . Putting away the gauntlet into the void world, he turned to the second item -- another sword . As he already had an absolutely destructive sword in his pocket, he went for a specialized variation in the shape of a rapier . Though he had no experience in fighting with it, he figured he¡¯d pick it up easily after a few rounds of failing to utilize it properly . Simrly to the gauntlet, he had a very specific idea in mind when he was crafting it -- every array, every material, every bond was put in ce specifically to facilitate his desired oue as much as possible . He felt his heartbeat quickening, palms sweating, as his anxiety struck at him, fearful he may have failed . Taking a deep breath, he went over the stats . [The Untamed -- Unique] Level: 750(+Growth) Requirements: Chaos Qi / Law of Time Damage: N/A +1000% to Piercing Speed +2000% to Piercing Damage +1000% to Piercing Pration +500% to Strike eleration -- Cannot deal damage any other way -- Special Effect [Skewer] -- possessing no innate damage property, the effectiveness is derived from the pierced part, momentum, and depth; damage is then calcted as though done on a mortal Special Effect [Untamed] -- prevents regeneration on the pierced body parts for the following 60 seconds from all sources Special Effect [Executioner] -- strikes at Vital Points are lethal to anyone 100 Levels lower than the wielder Special Effect [Timebender] -- each strike past the certain Attack Speed value will distort real-time -- not just perceptions; repeatedly bending time within a single point will result in a massive explosion of matter Note: A weapon of pure destruction, the rapier is designed with a sole purpose in mind: to kill and to destroy . Lino stood frozen in ce due to shock for a long while, his hands shaking, lips twitching, unable to hold back the massive grin . He never dreamed of making it a weapon, yet he was beyond joyful that it was, as it was the sort that would most-likely follow him till the end of his journey . If the gauntlet was all about the wanton destruction and carnage of everything, then the rapier was about a single point of failure -- identifying the opponent¡¯s greatest weakness within a single point . . . and just striking it, time and again . The rapier¡¯s strikes would be practically impossible to defend against unless whoever Lino fought could at least almost match his own offensive stats . Speed, eleration, force, pration . . . coupled with the fact that he wasn¡¯t limited in how many attacks he could execute within a sport span of time made the weapon practically unstoppable . The only barrier was his ability to close in and engage in melee against his opponents, something he was yet to figure outpletely, but was confident in nheless . It took him quite a few minutes to recover from the shock, breathing in deeply to recover wholly . Even so his arms still shook, the thin, needle-like cyan de vibrating and buzzing . The guard beneath the de was silver, dome-like, with a beautifully carved out pattern running in a loop . Handle felt like a perfect fit to his hand, as though it always belonged there and nowhere else . Putting the rapier away, he mused inwardly that his gains had already toppled his expectations, yet that hardly meant he wasn¡¯t even more fired up over finding out how the rest of the items turned out -- especially the small cube sitting in the corner that he left for thest . Next up, he reached for the two chakrams and picked them up . Unlike the regr ones, these scythe-like creations felt slightly heavier and more cumbersome to wield, yet that hardly impeded him . The handle was curved, leather-bound, blending directly into the wide but thin de drawn out into a crescent shape, the entire weapon oozing a strange, twilight sheen . Unlike with the gauntlet and the rapier, he didn¡¯t have a singr purpose in mind for the chakrams; while it is true that he wished topensate for hisck of long-range attacks, he¡¯d also hoped they could serve multiple purposes, both as offensive as well as utility tools . Without the same anxiety from before, he checked them out . [Reaping Scythers (2) -- Unique Epic] Level: 800 Requirements: Law of Death, Chaos Qi, Strength 60,000 Damage: 80* Strength + Element* Range: 20km-60km (further distance lowers the control) *Only deals Elemental Damage +400% to Elemental Damage +20% chance to unleash a random Elemental Attack (of same Element) +8% chance to spawn an which reduces everyone¡¯s (wielder included) Elemental Resistances by 50% +600% to Effectiveness of every option if Element of Death is used and additional 200% if Law of Death is incorporated Special Effect [Soul Reaper] -- every direct strike has a chance to inflict Soul Affliction, cutting away at the very least 4 Realms of improvements from the opponent¡¯s Soul (up to 7) Special Effect [Mind-over-Matter] -- both chakrams can be controlled exclusively through Will; depending on Will¡¯s strength, Range, Damage and Effects are improved Special Effect [Burden of Death - Law of Death] -- utilizing Law of Death through Will transforms the chakrams into their Avatar Form; Avatar Form does not posses corporeal form, and each strike bypasses all Defenses, striking directly at the opponent¡¯s Soul; the size, damage and effectiveness of the Avatar Form depend on the Will and mastery of the Law of Death Note: A Creation like no other world over, the pair of chakrams are deeply affiliated with the entire concept of Death; the closer one beholds it, the greater chances of the weapons¡¯ ultimate evolution . By now, even if Lino was very shock-absorbent, he was still unable to entirely process it all within a short span of time; for the first time in his crafting career, the end-product differed greatly from his vision, as though the weapon itself designed itself as such against his wishes . He hardly had a problem with it, though, as the finished product far outstripped his desires and ns . It was also a very unique product, even by his standards, simply due to the way it was intended to be used . It was also the first one of his creations that possessed Avatar Form -- something he didn¡¯t even know was possible for the items . He couldn¡¯t help but once again fall into the dreand, ying out his potential future battles . For the first time, he more than looked forward to the next battle -- not because he wanted to show off his strength . . . but because he wanted to show off his coolness . He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the expressions of his opponents as he activates the chakrams¡¯ Avatar Form and they grow into massive mirages cutting away at their Souls freely, without any obstruction . Unable to hold it back, hisughter turned maniacal, waking up Chwek and Sena who had passed out . They looked at him with terrified gazes as he heaved his head well back and bent his body, roaring out like a madman . The two huddled together into each other¡¯s arms, shaking slightly, afraid that their leader had finally gone insane -- or, well, uncontrobly insane . Lino, however, didn¡¯t pay attention to them; he was too focused on the gleeful joy each one of his weapons brought him, as every single one of them passed his expectations well over . He never felt more prepared or powerful in his life, as he genuinely felt he could take on the whole world alone -- well, at least for a moment, before his sanity temporarily returned . Putting away the chakrams, he focused on thest two items, the ones he put the most time and thought into . One was a simple-looking, silver-cast cube the size of a hand¡¯s palm, shimmering slightly, while the other was a even simpler-looking disk with a hole at the center where a flicker of light constantly shone, rotating unto itself . He¡¯d long since decided to leave the cube for thest, so he picked up the disk; it was slightly wider than the cube, thin as a sheet of paper, and had a metallic texture underneath his touch . His eyes glistened for a moment before turning serious; taking a deep breath, already content yet also slightly expectant, he checked out the stats . [Touch of Madness -- Unique] Level: N/A Damage: N/A Durability: Indestructible Requirement: Chaos Qi Special Effect [Touch of Madness] -- injecting unfiltered, pure Chaos Qi into the disk¡¯s center summons a 60kmx60km ; everyone within, including the wielder, is forced into the state of perpetual madness . Outside the wielder, everyone gets sustained debuff to ALL Base Stats; Domain renders ALL Talismans unusable, lowers ALL Damage bar physical by 80%, and renders Soul-defensive items obsolete Note: Creation of madness, most would agree it had no practical purpose, and was mostly a decoration; yet, those who touch andmand the madness will find themselves immortal within its Domain . Lino smiled faintly, his eyes shining in pure, innocent light . It was an experimental item, simr to the Totem he crafted a long time ago for Ava¡¯s auction . He¡¯d mostly strayed into the realm of weaponry and armory since then, but he¡¯d hardly forgotten the potential that the auxiliary items carried if crafted properly . [Touch of Madness], he mused, was a testament to that; while others may look down on the item¡¯s effects as nothing short ofical, to him it was a perfect supportive tool . Putting it away, he atst looked toward the cube -- perhaps the single most important creation of the entire session . While the weapons, as well as the disk, were extremely useful, they were hardly world-changing; even if perfect replicas of them don¡¯t exist, there certainly should be items with simr effects somewhere in the world . However, when it came to the cube, if his idea was realized, he was more than absolutely certain the item would be the first of its kind . With hope and desire sparking his heart, he looked at the stats . [Primordial Cube -- Continental Unique] . . . Chapter 283 Chapter 283: 283 CHAPTER 283 SHADOWS OF ENTROPY [Primordial Cube -- Continental Unique] Requirement: Empyrean Bearer Special Effect [Singrity] -- creates a single point of destruction within the reality; spacetime, matter, energy, Laws and reality itself cease to exist temporarily . Anything that enters the single point is deconstructed to its base level and erased from existence . Wielder can feed the Singrity energy in order to rece non-existence with whatever they wish; the more energy fed, the greater freedom and range . In addition, wielder has three options to choose from instead: -- ck Hole -- pulsating Singrity will devour ALL Qi within 500 miles radius and will prevent any Qi from entering within the domain for the following 10 minutes -- Primordial Burst -- cause the Singrity to implode unto itself, creating a massive explosion within a 10 miles radius that eradicates ANY trace of life, wielder included; the remnant energy will prevent reconstruction for 10 years; recharge period from usage depends on the amount of avable Chaos Qi in the world -- Currently: 16 years, 7 months, 24 days -- Crown of Entropy -- the wielder can don the cube, which will phase itself into the shape of the Crown, increasing their capabilities temporarily, as well as giving the wielder ABSOLUTE mastery of Laws of Reality, Space, Time and Destruction . In return, wielder¡¯s Vitality will continuously be drained at increasingly higher rate . Recharge time is 1 day . Note: Beyond unique in the make, the item resonates with the Records, forging its eternal stamp within the histories; while its effects are world-shattering, its singr limitation bars it from achieving its absolute potential . Lino stared ck-jawed at the small, slightly-glimmering cube in his hands . It looked so simple, so inconsequential that nobody would most-likely even pay it a second nce if he whiffed it out mid-battle . Yet, without a shred of doubt, it was by far the most powerful item currently in his possession -- even more powerful than the Wings . He froze as did his thoughts; however much he tried to underline that he created it, he still had massive trouble believing it . He¡¯d never once doubted his ability or even his talent as a smith, yet he was also rtively realistic when it came to his abilities regardless of what he projected outwardly . He knew his limits very well, his strengths and weaknesses, and if anyone asked him prior to this whether he was capable of creating something like the [Primordial Cube], he¡¯d naturally say ¡¯yes¡¯ outwardly, but sweat bullets inwardly as he wouldn¡¯t even know where to begin . The initial design simply incorporated the basic special effect -- [Singrity] . He wanted to y with the idea and the possibility of manipting reality on a greater scale than with the current mastery of . In his mind, rather than direct maniption like what he did with the , he changed the overall structure into the loop of destruction and creation -- taking a small part of reality and breaking it down into nothingness, and then using the cube as a conduit to convert his own Qi into another reality . It all went ording to his ns and desires in that department, yet the entire sub-section of the item entirely crippled his ability to understand where it came from . There was also thepletely new concept he was entirely unfamiliar with -- the ¡¯Continental Unique¡¯ tier of the item . He didn¡¯t know what it meant -- but, at the very least, he knew that it was far better than Legendary, as every single Legendary item he created so far is practically a jokepared to the cube . Nearly half an hourter, he finally shook awake, quickly going over the item¡¯s stats as he was absolutely confident he¡¯d either seen wrong or dreamed up the whole thing as a way to cover up the fact that the cube turned out to be a failure . Yet, it was still there -- all of those beyond insane options, from sucking away all Qi within 500 miles, to destroying all life within 10 miles, to crowning himself and gaining absolute mastery of four Laws . The only question remained as to how much exactly Vitality would be drained -- he imagined quite considerably, actually, as he by now was well aware that Empyreans were a huge exception when it came to the Vitality stat . He was closing in to six digits at the moment, just a few hundreds away actually, and he imagined it would most-likely be something like a thousand-point-equivalent per second, which would then increase over time . While he would be rather limited at the start, the stronger he grew, the more potent the ability would get . However, past a certain point, once he starts mastering Laws himself, the cube would most-likely grow obsolete . Until then, however, it immediately became his prime tool of escape, diversion, and murder . " . . . shitting fuck . " he grumbled, quickly putting the cube away from fear of someone stealing it . Paranoia immediately kicked in as he swept the entire room with the Divine Sense, finding only the two helpers passed out on the floor, snoring loudly . Sitting down, he took out quite a few bottles of booze and began unpacking everything his feeble mind had undergone in the past hour . Six items, four weapons and two utility items, each more insane than the other, the pinnacle being the ordinary-looking cube . His battle prowess skyrocketed immediately to the point he was genuinely confident in being able to face off against Hannah and win, and even put up a fight against E he saw for a brief moment when she fought against Eos . He¡¯d hardly be able to defeat her, yes, but she would be hard-pressed to kill him too, especially if he utilized everything in his arsenal . Doing some quick calctions, he realized that fully equipped in armor, with proper weapons, and all his body-enhancing Arts activated, he could push both Strength and Vitality stats into millions, if not tens of millions . And while majority of his other statsgged behind beyond the point of salvation, the highest being Agility at 15,000, it was irrelevant; even he knew the sheer impact of any one, let alone two, stats crossing into the seven-digits and eight-digits territory . Remaining seated for a long while, he still had trouble epting it all . Now more than ever he needed an exponential increase in strength, and that¡¯s exactly what he got . More and more he began realizing how important the items were and why cksmiths were treated as heavenly lords by many . If, in the future, he bes capable of crafting items directly impacting any ground of Laws . . . just how more insane could he be, he wondered . Too entrapped in his own thoughts, he even failed to notice the doors to the smithy opening, and Lucky walking in casually . The first thing she saw were Chwek and Sena happily passed out on the floor, huddled together, their expression halfway blissful and halfway terrified . Her gaze quickly veered on Lino who was drinking subconsciously -- or at least trying, since the drink just kept escaping from his mouth and flying onto hisp . His gaze was dull, empty, distant, lips asionally curling up into a smile, and from time to time into a form of awe . Shaking her head while smiling, she walked over slowly and stood right above him, yet he still failed to notice her . For someone who was usually on high alert, she realized he must have crafted something beyond huge to be this distracted from the reality . She suddenly picked up one of the bottles and, with an evil grin stered across her face, swung it squarely across his head . "GYAAAH!!!" Lino screeched in a high-pitch, jumping up from the chair and rolling back on his behind, crashing a whole table in the process . Growing alert once more, he almost whipped out his weapons and readied for a battle before spotting the still-standing Lucky grinning at him with glee . " . . . uncool . " he mumbled, shaking his head to try and dry the hair up . "I could have died, you know?" "Oh, yeah . That scream of yours was really indicative of someone dying . Not necessarily a guy, but still someone . " Lucky crackled . "Hey, I told you many times," Lino grinned back . "I¡¯m a gentleman of manyyers; one of them just happens to be slightly . . . effeminate . " "Slightly? Yeah, keep telling yourself that . " Lucky chuckled, picking up another bottle and popping it open . "So, Val talked to me . " "It must have been one hell of a conversation if it prompted you toe here . " Lino said, walking over and picking up a bottle himself . "Oh, it was . Apparently, against consulting me, you decided to name me the leader of some phantom-whatever-shitfest that ought to be doing stuff in your name . " " . . . did I? I can¡¯t remember . Might have slipped my tongue . " "I¡¯ve already dispatched twenty or so peeps to the Holy City," she said, sitting down . "To keep an eye out there and report . I¡¯ve also tasked a few with running across the Demonic Battlefield and the Maind here and report if they find suspicious neers . For the time being, the rest are training . " " . . . oh, you¡¯re more efficient than I thought you¡¯d be . " Lino stroked his chin . "And, as always, I¡¯m right . Aah, the burden of the wise . . . " "The burden of the ass!" she hit him lightly, seemingly pouting . "Do you even know what Val decided to name us?!" " . . . what?" Lino asked, his eyes turning into slits . "Shadows of Entropy!!" Lucky eximed, her cheeks turning slightly red . " . . . " " . . . . " " . . . that¡¯s . . . that¡¯s beautiful," Lino smiled wryly . "What¡¯s your motto? We¡¯re always staring at the Empyrean¡¯s bottom?" "Pa!" it¡¯s been a while since someone squarely pped him, yet Lino simply ignored it, bursting out intoughter . "Hey, hey, don¡¯t get so worked up," he cried out . "Shadows are supposed to stay hidden!" "Get back here, you asshole!!" "Ha ha ha . . . " Chwek and Sena suddenly woke to the scene of their Lord being chased around whileughing by Lucky as she cursed him out . All the while he continued throwing words that seemingly infuriated her even more, prompting a very cat-and-mouse chase around the room . They swore to themselves to forget everything that transpired within this room lest they lose the ability to follow the supposed Empyrean of their age . Chapter 284 Chapter 284 CHAPTER 284 THE HUNT BEGINS Lino was currently sitting on the edge of the wall, his legs heaved over, back slumped slightly, eyes peering into the sandy horizon . asional gust of wind howled past him, blowing the strands of hair covering his face and a pair of slightly dulled eyes away . Seeming lost in thought for most of the time, he¡¯d asionally shift his gaze toward the sky with faint expectation before resuming his dulled stare into the distant horizon . Hours swiftly passed by, yet he hadn¡¯t moved an inch from his spot; behind him, on asion, dull roars would bellow out like a war-cry of an army . On asion he would nce back, too, and seemingly peer beyond the terraced earth and beautiful buildings to the other end, where he knew Lucky and her division were practicing . It wasn¡¯t until nearly midnight that he craned his neck wholly back and looked up . Moon hung solemn, surrounded by glimmering stars, before suddenly being seemingly distorted within his sight . Just a momentter, two figures appeared, blocking his view; he quickly recognized them, even though they were merely silhouettes that far up . He leapt off the wall and stood up in front of it as the two figures in the sky parted, one going inside the walls, and the othernding right in front of Lino . Hannahnded squarely, both her dress and crimson hair fluttering in waves . Lino felt a pang in his heart as he met her gaze; the emerald-eyes he remembered shining all the time now bore hurt and hollow pain . Her lips quivered like leafs in the wind as she ran over and threw herself into his embrace . Silently epting her, he wrapped his arms around her back and dragged her in closer, holding her tightly . He felt her body shiver underneath his hold, faint sobs reaching his ears quickly . He said nothing, well aware of why she behaved so, merely sighing inwardly over the limited capacity human hearts seemed to hold for eptance and forgiveness . If even family, the very children beholden of the future were not exempt, who was, he mused . It didn¡¯t take her long to recover, but she still remained leaning against his chest as the two sat down and leaned against the wall . He caressed her silken hair gently, eyes veered upward, while she yed with his shirt¡¯s buttons . It was a queer moment of silence and eptance she longed . " . . . I don¡¯t think they listened to me . " she mumbled faintly . "It¡¯s alright," Lino replied softly . "It¡¯s hard to cure idiocy . " " . . . ha ha, I suppose . " " . . . hey," he suddenly lifted her head up and met her gaze . "Don¡¯t worry . I won¡¯t touch them . " "They¡¯lle after you, though, regardless . " Hannah said, smiling bitterly . "Let ¡¯em," he chuckled in return . "Won¡¯t be the first time . I¡¯ve already got enough to-be-dead on my te . Adding family of this strange creature I¡¯ve fallen in love for some reason . . . I don¡¯t think my wellyered and delicate heart could take it . That doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t beat them, though . Gotta teach them a lesson somehow . " "Ha ha ha, wellyered and delicate my ass," sheughed freely, punching him softly . "I promised them you¡¯de to them, though . Are you nning on making me a liar?" "Oh, hardly," Lino said, stroking his beard . "I still intend to visit your Father and inform him I¡¯ll be marrying you eventually . " "Oh? There¡¯s a lot to unpack there, don¡¯t you think?" Hannah chuckled . "Eh, not really . " "So just inform? Not ask?" "As if I¡¯d give anyone an option to say no," Lino shrugged . "You¡¯re marrying me and it¡¯s final . " "And what if I say no?" "Heh, you saying no . . . to me . " Lino grinned wryly, ncing at her . "That would be a first . " "Hey!!" her cheeks suddenly flushed red, lips turning pouty . "I only did it because you begged me for like three days!" "Say what you will, but for someone who can so easily say no to everyone and everything else, you¡¯re having difficulties with me youngdy . " "Young? Heh . You know, in mortal years, I¡¯d almost be considered a middle-aged washout by now . " she said . "And I¡¯d be considered a jobless drunkard who can¡¯t put food on his family¡¯s table," Lino said . "Good thing we aren¡¯t mortals, eh?" " . . . you should have seen Ally¡¯s face," she suddenly said, hiding her face in his chest . "She . . . really hates me, Lino . I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever forgive me . " " . . . if Ally has half the heart I remember her having," Lino spoke softly . "She doesn¡¯t hate you, Hannah . She just . . . doesn¡¯t understand . One day she will, though . In the meantime, just be patient and give her time . " " . . . hah, wouldn¡¯t it be much faster if you just went over and charmed her with your wit?" she chuckled wryly . "Oh my, no, no . " Lino shook his head . "Even I can see a trap that obvious . You¡¯ll have to do better youngdy . " "How¡¯s Lucky?" she asked . "Hard at work . " "Eh?" "She chose to channel whatever she feels into action," Lino said . "And apparently decided to be our shadow . Whatever the fuck that means . You know, I usually pretend to understand people when they spout nonsense, but shouldn¡¯t it be much easier to understand others?" " . . . she¡¯s my age, right?" Hannah suddenly asked . "Yeah, I think so . " Lino nodded faintly . "Heh, it¡¯s a bit painful topare myself to her . " she said, suddenly getting up and sitting next to Lino, leaning against his side . "While I¡¯m far, far, far stronger than she can probably even imagine . . . look at us . I¡¯m crippled because my family decided to, at least for now, sever their ties with me . . . and then there¡¯s her . Going strong . " " . . . strengthes in myriad of ways, after all . " Lino said, smiling faintly . "She just happens to have the heart of a lion, while you¡¯re more like a rabbit . " "Timid?" "Fluffy as all hell . " " . . . oh fuck you . . . " "Ha ha ha," Linoughed freely, throwing his arm around her shoulder . "It¡¯s true that Lucky¡¯s strong, but . . . in your heart of hearts, do you really want to have gone through the same things she did in order to achieve her strength?" " . . . " "Don¡¯t be envious of others¡¯ strength lest you¡¯re willing to walk in their shoes," he said, cracking a faint smile . "It goes both ways, you know?" "Oh? Do share your wisdom, the sagacious one!" "Eh, mock all you want," Lino said, stroking his chin . "But I indeed am one sagacious motherfucker . " " . . . oh god . . . " "You¡¯re both quite different," he said after a short pause . "In make and perception . She¡¯d struggled most of her life just to survive, while you¡¯d struggled to hide who you are from the world . Those two roads enriched you with different kinds of strengths; neither is more valuable than the other . . . just different . " " . . . " "You both, really, should just band together and be jealous of me, actually," he suddenly said as Hannah groaned audibly . "I posses both your strengths, but not your weaknesses . In short, I¡¯m absolute perfection . " " . . . you¡¯re just an idiot," she chuckled faintly . "But one so adorable it¡¯s hard to stay mad at . " "I am indeed quite adorable . " "What now?" she asked suddenly . " . . . now we turn to our task at hand," Lino replied . "To, perhaps, find you a new home . " " . . . the Order?" "Hm," Lino nodded . "You¡¯ll first have to meet with Val, though, to make preparations . " "Preparations for what?" she asked curiously . "Well, she¡¯d decided to build us an army," Lino said . "And, though I vehemently disagreed--" "--sure you did . Go on . " "--she insisted she do it . I simply had no heart to say no . " "Of course you didn¡¯t . " "From the tone of your voice I¡¯m sensing so little faith it¡¯s literally breaking my soul . " Lino said . "You¡¯re imagining things . " Hannah replied . "Even my imagination isn¡¯t that vivid . " "You¡¯re selling yourself short here, of all ces . " " . . . ah, whatever . " Lino shrugged . "Anyway, since you imed to be a grand ruler, I¡¯ve appointed you to co-assist her in forming our own Chaotic Order Legion!" " . . . you didn¡¯t actually name it that, right?" "What? I think it¡¯s a grand name!" "It¡¯s ame name is what it is . " Hannah said . "Go suck a dick . " "Hey!! Fuck you!" she suddenly shot up to her feet, red in cheeks . "I told you, I only did it ¡¯cause you begged me for three days!! Never again, you hear?! I¡¯ll never do it again!!" " . . . eh?" Lino watched in confusion as she stormed away, taking a while until he finally connected the dots, his lips cracking into a warm smile . "I suppose I should go and prepare for the hunt," he sighed, ncing up at the moon onest time . "It¡¯s certainly going to be a few busy months from now on . . . " Chapter 285 Chapter 285: 285 CHAPTER 285 CONVERGING GOALS A simple-looking yet well-built encampment sat in-between a mountain ridge, cut on one end with a deep stream and on the other by a sharp incline upward . Grasnd stretched in front, spilling into the forest in distance, blending off into the horizon . Several dozen billows of smoke blew upward in unison, swaying from time to time because of the wind, while shouts regrly jolted the silent atmosphere . A quick headcount would put the number of people present at nearly six hundred, yet despite their numbers and somewhat narrow enclosure, they seemed rather orderly . Most wore clothes fashioned of light green with silver belts and sashes and somewhat rugged leather boots . There was a considerable number of children among them, some of whom were currently sitting in neatly-aligned rows and listening to an old man lecture, while others were racing about the other end of the encampment, hiding around the tents and causing quite a few stirs . Though slightly obscured, all tents were generally orbiting a central point in an odd, defensive formation built out of spirals . The tent itself however didn¡¯t seem any different than the rest, made out of brown cloth and held up by ordinary wooden rods, surrounded simrly with wet and muddy roads . Yet, inside, the encampment¡¯s most prominent figures were currently seated around a rectangr table, discussing something rather passionately . "Even if we listen to you," a woman seemingly in mid-forties scowled angrily at the man sitting opposite of her . "How do you propose we find the Empyrean, huh?! Do we just go out and about and shout his name in hopes he hears u?!" "Huh?! What do you mean how do we find him?!" the man replied in kind, gnashing his teeth, his thick eyebrows twitching above his clean, silver eyes . "You¡¯re pretending as though we¡¯ve never found anyone before!" "You bastard, fuck you!!" "Fuck you twice you old hag!!" "Alright, so these two can be ignored," the seemingly oldest man in the tent sighed audibly, turning to the remaining eight besides the man and woman he put a soundproof barrier around . "What do you all think?" " . . . it¡¯s risky . " a middle-aged, silver-haired man said, stroking his chin . "We don¡¯t even know what the Empyrean¡¯s like . " "Surely, though, he wouldn¡¯t reject free help?" a woman sitting next to him, with rather simr features, voiced out . "Or he could just view us as a burden," another woman, slightly older, spoke out quickly after . "We¡¯d have to disclose fully who we are . He¡¯s already dered a war against the world . . . can we really expect him to go after Descent as well?" "Well, if anyone ever would," the youngest man in the room spoke out; he seemed to be in his early twenties, on a rather handsome side with light-green hair and a pair of piercing eyes . "An Empyrean would . And, color me a fool, but those eyes didn¡¯t remind me of someone sane . " " . . . in the end, it¡¯s up to you Av," the middle-aged, silver-haired man turned to the eldest man in the room and said . "We¡¯ll follow your call, no matter what it be . " " . . . we¡¯ll probe lightly," the old man called Av spoke after a few moments of thoughts, his expression rather serious . "Ion can lead a few of other youngsters they have no record of and scout for some information . Don¡¯t actively ask people or interrogate," he turned toward the youngster . "Just listen and pick up whatever information possible . Can you do it?" "Yes . " the youth replied confidently . "In the meantime, the rest of us should probably start looking for a new location," Av continued . "We¡¯ve been staying here for nearly a year; there¡¯s a chance our general location might have already been discovered . " "I¡¯ll divide thebor . " "Good . " Av nodded . "Alright everyone . Dismissed . " ** Lino currently stared at a rather peculiar scene, one much to his liking; Hannah and Valkryia were heads-deep in papers, books, pictures, maps and whatnot, passionately discussing creation of an army, its departments, legions, and a whole slew of things he could hardly care for . What he imagined would be a pair of butting heads who¡¯d neverpromise on anything turned into a beautiful duet that left even him stunned . He simply sat on the side and drank in silence, though his eyes hardly ever focused on Valkryia; though he¡¯d seen quite a few of Hannah¡¯s expressions since the reunion, he couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing her as passionate about something as she was at the moment . A massive, almost childlike smile seemingly never left her face, her eyes glowing likenterns, hands moving about frantically, voice pitching up ever so often . . . he had a hard time ripping his gaze away from it . She reminded him considerably of how he was during smithing sessions -- just lost in his own little world, entranced by it, almost consumed . She seemed almost exactly the same while listing out possibilities for the departments, while figuring out long-distance logistics, re-focusing and regenerating economy, suggesting army ranks, division ofbor . . . it got to the point where Lino¡¯s head begun spinning as he realized just how lucky he got when he was tasked with trying to repel the Devils¡¯ Invasion of the Central Continent . So much more went into building a proper army than just stacking men and women in rows and lies and telling them to go and fight . He¡¯d also finally got the whole picture of why¡¯d he make a terrible ruler . It was truly an eye-opening experience from his perspective as, even if he couldn¡¯t understand half the things they were talking about, he at least peaked into what it meant to rule over what it meant to lead . For thetter, at least in his perspective, he just had to do it -- put his heart and throat into something, and let others follow his example . Ruling, however, was truly less about brevity and more about creativity . Laughing bitterly at himself, he dispersed the thoughts and simply resumed the Hannah-gazing as he¡¯d named it, in process swearing inwardly it was not creepy because he¡¯d already seen her naked . "Alright, I think that should cover the basics . " Hannah¡¯s voice jolted Lino from half-asleep state whereupon he realized ¡¯covering the basics¡¯ took nearly fourteen hours straight . Shuddering, he nced between the two and realized they seemed full of life and energy . Freaks . . . "You got any thoughts?" she then turned to him and asked . " . . . a lot . " Lino replied . "Any in reference to our conclusions?" "Nope . " "Good," she nodded . "Anyway, I hope I¡¯m not asking too much of you Val . If you want, I can just send him off lonesome and stay here and help you . " "Ha ha ha, no need Hannah," Valkryia replied . "You already made it far easier than I ever could have . Go and spend some time with your hubby~~" "H-hey!!" Hannah eximed, blushing slightly . "I only made it easier because you helped me . . . " "THAT¡¯S WHAT GOT YOU BASHFUL?!!" Lino cried out from the side . "Hm? What else?" Hannah looked at him strangely for a moment . "Eh? The whole hubbyment?" Lino mumbled . "But didn¡¯t you practically propose to me just yesterday?" she asked, seeming even more confused . "What was it? ¡¯You¡¯re marrying me and it¡¯s final¡¯? Something like that I think . " "Oh my!" Val eximed with a wry smile . "Congrattions Your Majesty . You really overshot yourself here . " " . . . hey, I know you gals feel emboldened by uniting against me," Lino said, his voice turning slightly cold . "But do you really want to enter a tongueshing contest against me?" " . . . " " . . . " "That¡¯s what I thought," he crackled evilly . "Anyway, so you¡¯re done? If so, let¡¯s go . Time waits for no man . " "I¡¯m going to miss you . " Hannah and Val eximed at the same time, quickly hugging much to Lino¡¯s shock . " . . . fucking weirdos . . . " he mumbled faintly, yet immediately regretted it as he felt two pairs of murderous eyes focus him down like a beast . "I-I-I regret nothing!" he cried out before bolting out of the room, leaving both Hannah and Val shocked for a moment before they burst intoughter . "I imagine that life with him never gets quite boring . " Valmented . "You imagine correctly," Hannah smiled . "You¡¯ll be alright?" "Of course," Val replied . "Except it all to be done by the time you return . You are quite ambitious, though . " "Nobody wants him to win more than I do," she said, smiling widely . "And I¡¯ll do anything to make it happen . But, if you ever tell him that, I¡¯ll crack your tits open, just so you know . " " . . . wow . That¡¯s one specific threat . " " . . . he¡¯s rubbing off on me . " Hannah shrugged helplessly . "Anyway, don¡¯t overwork yourself just yet . We¡¯ve got a long battle ahead of us . " " . . . indeed . " Val mumbled faintly as she watched Hannah vanish, her lips curling up into a warm smile . Chapter 286 Chapter 286: 286 CHAPTER 286 THE HUNTED Within a wastnd inhabited by volcanic ash and tantalizing rivers of magma, cracked and splintered mountains and dead trees half bent over toward their demise, and asional gorge seemingly eaten away at by a massive maw, space suddenly distorted like rippling water, soon after spitting out a massive mechanical wonder . Metallic, silver sheen sted light onto the darkened biome, a pair of ck-jetted, thick wings spreading from the body¡¯s side for nearly a whole mile, stacked behind by a row of spinning propellers surrounded in thick, cyan bolts of lighting . A massive mast arose from the center,yered neatly inpartments, built wholly of steel; at the far top, a g ruffled in the speedy winds, fluttering madly . It bore pure, white background with a sword piercing a reddened, spiraling pattern imposed on top of it . At the far front a statue depicting a faceless woman spreading her arms wide as though in a prayer, her neck craned back, head pointing toward the sky,nguid dress draped around her perfectly sculpted features, stood as the figurehead . Two flickers of light shone in and out of existence just above her palms, her hair draping down and melding into the ship itself as transparent conduits running throughout the entire ship with faintly azure energy trudging through them like blood through the veins, all circling about and piercing into the heart of the ship, deep within the hull . Main deck was eerily void of noise and life, save for the five figures standing at the far front, overlooking the asnd down below . Two were men and three were women, each sporting extremely distinct features; one man towered above the rest, balded, with thick, ck eyebrows arching over simrly jetted eyes . He had deeply wide shoulders and a body full of muscles, donning half-exposing leather armor while two massive cleavers hung off his sides . The other man was a stark contrast, having sleek, ck hair covering most of his face, slender build, sickly-pale skin and a pair of pink eyes . He wore loose, ck robes, leaning against the ship¡¯s side freely . One of the women had extremely tanned disposition, bordering jet-ck, yet it only made her beautiful, silver eyes stand out even more . Though tall, she still fell somewhat short of the balded man; still, she had rather imposing air about herself, her short, ck hair curled into spikes, seemingly gelled with something . Wide shoulders blended into a pair of full breasts, wide hips and thighs, and leather-bound calves seemingly moments away from ripping free . A giant, teethed sword hung off her back, crimson in hue and surrounded in thick, gray shroud . The woman standing next to her painted a massive contrast; short, timid-seeming, with snow-white skin and a pair of sky-blue eyes . She donned tight-fitting, cyan robes stacked with patterns glowing in faint silver . Sporting unnaturally azure hair draped over her shoulders, she seemed rather unimposing in contrast, yet the faintly visible halo rotating behind her back repeatedly spoke otherwise . Thest woman stood at the very front, seemingly the leader of the rest; she had beautiful, golden hair tied into a bun, and a pair of yellow eyes, almost cat-like, with colored dots seemingly orbiting her irises . She had indifferently aloof expression, lips curled up into the faintest of smiles, as though nothing in the whole world could impede her . She wore rather traditional garb, mainly silver in color, with jetted, golden threads spreading about in apendium of swirly patterns . She held her arms behind her back, her chest proudly puffed out . However, the most striking feature of hers was a golden tattoo jetted on her forehead, a circle divided into two, ck and white . She nced about the asnd beneath her for a moment before turning around and facing the other four from the slightly elevated position . "We are here," her voice was soft yet immensely powerful and domineering at the same time . "Does anyone have any questions?" "How are regions assigned?" the balded man asked . "You will take far north," she replied in the same tone . "Vyrove will take west, Ethena will take south, Litha will take east, and I¡¯ll take the central regions . I should warn you, however," she added quickly before anyone else had a chance to ask a question . "Chances are that only Litha and I can sh with him directly; if he has the support of Elysian, it would render even the two of us useless . Do not engage carelessly, even if you outnumber him . Always, at the very least, fight in pairs . " "You could always just show us the Record . " the ck-haired, ck-eyed man, Vyrove, spoke out indifferently, not even looking at her . "There is no reason you would need to see it," her voice turned slightly colder as she nced at him . "If you wish to revel in another¡¯s misfortune due to your perversions, I am sure you can find other outlets rather than blemishing the memories of my Brothers and Sisters . " " . . . " he nced at her indifferently, his eyes barely peering through the thick bangs . "I¡¯ve as much interest in your dead as I¡¯ve in your living . I simply do not wish to begin the hunt without knowing everything about the beast I¡¯m hunting . " "You know what you need to know . " she said . "Do I?" he questioned, still indifferent . "All you¡¯ve told us is that he¡¯s fast, strong, and seemingly impervious to injury . In essence, you ticked the boxes on every Empyrean stereotype ever . " "Because he did not disy anything else," her voice turned even colder, her eyes turning into slits . "Merely his physical prowess . " " . . . your n¡¯s motto used to be that you deal in misinformation," Vyrove sighed, shaking his head faintly . "Not lies, Yennefer . Whatever; have it your way . You always have anyway . " "It¡¯s pointless to bicker," Ethena -- tall, ck-haired and dark-skinned woman joined, her voice rather brash . "Whatever uniqueness he may have of his own, at the core he¡¯s still another Empyrean Vy . Avoid melee, if he gains on you -- run away . Don¡¯t fight to kill him, fight to exhaust him . That¡¯s all . " "That¡¯s his point, I believe," Litha suddenly joined in -- thest of three women, the most timid-looking -- with a rather childish voice . "We know the general strategies when fighting the Empyrean, but I¡¯m fairly certain Yen¡¯s Juniors knew them too . So why have they failed so miserably? Granted, they were barely Void Titrs, but, even so, only a Fiend should be able to so easily dominate six of them . And I very much doubt an Empyrean became a Fiend within a little more than a decade . " " . . . items," Yennefer gave in atst, sighing faintly in defeat . "It was due to the items . He has a pair of wings and a strangely-shaped sword . From our estimates, both are at least of Legendary-tier, the Wings bordering Continental . While we do not know the specifics, we are at least certain that the Wings bolster his speed quite considerably . " "And there it is . . . " Vyrove snickered for a moment . "It¡¯s a fool¡¯s task to believe you¡¯d ever even have a chance at taking them," thest one to speak out was Ritton, a tall, muscr Aeonian . He spoke in a deep, gruff voice, scoffing at Yennefer . "An Empyrean would rather ravage everything he owns and burn it to ash than let us have it . " "That¡¯s enough," Ethena spoke out firmly . "Whoever gets them, gets them . Whether it be one of us or the eternity, that¡¯s not why we¡¯re here . Did the Eternals provide any information on the Elysian?" "They have," Yennefer nodded . "But it¡¯s fairly outdated . Thest they have of her was that she was yet to cross into the Void, though our sources have confirmed that she¡¯s at the very least Level 2000 at the moment . She is not the problem, though," she continued, turning back around . "Unless she remains in close proximity to the Empyrean, we¡¯ll be able to easily subdue her . What we should look out for is the Sword Maiden . " " . . . " " . . . " heavy silence immediately fell over all five of them; everyone here was more than just aware of the name ¡¯Immortal Sword Maiden¡¯ . After all, she¡¯s currently the only living possessor of the Origin Soul, and the entire world breathed in relief when she was banished over two thousand years ago . Just as they breathed in relief before, however, they are stifling their breathing now . "Master Alex has confirmed she is only weaker than the few Arch Patriarchs of our Sects," Yennefer continued . "So, avoid provoking her at all cost . Regardless of everything, she is still the child of the Holy Grounds; she should not indiscriminately start killing us unless otherwise provoked . " " . . . so at least a Fiend?" Litha mumbled faintly, frowning . "Yes," Yennefer nodded in affirmation . "Qe¡¯lls and the Eternals, for that reason, will not be joining us just yet . They are of belief there is still a chance to bring them back . " "Of course they are," Ethena scoffed . "Without the two of them, their positions are in question . While Eternals would still be able to hold onto the spot due to the Eternity, Qe¡¯lls would most-likely be warred against into the oblivion by the rest . The only deterrents at the moment are that volcanic brat and the Maiden . " "We part ways here," Yennefer said . "Stay in touch perpetually; everyone needs to join in on the meeting once a day and report their situation . Do not leave your bounds and trespass . Do not engage alone . Do not -- I repeat -- do not interfere with local ongoings, no matter what . Anyone caught doing so will be banished back home and imprisoned for a thousand years . I hope everyone understands . Godspeed . " Chapter 287 Chapter 287 CHAPTER 287 SERENDIPITY Linoy on top of Grim¡¯s back, Hannah cradled in his arms, sleeping, as they flew across the vast ocean, heading toward the Central Continent . Though still starkly dim, he could spot a few shes of sunlight beaming behind the ashened clouds . It won¡¯t be long, he mused, until partly cloudy would be the norm . He missed the sunshine slightly, the warmth of it upon his cheeks, the beautiful orgy of colors painted across the horizon during one or another odd sunrise or sunset . Hannah groaned suddenly, her eyes fluttering for a moment before opening wholly . She smiled for a moment, snuggling further into his arms, exhaling deeply . "How long was I out?" she asked . "Just a few hours . " Lino replied, caressing her hair softly . "It seems you made peace with me seeing you drool all the time . " "Well, I figured," she chuckled . "If you¡¯ve seen the depths of all my orifices, drool can¡¯t be all that bad . " " . . . wow, I really am corrupting you . " "Ha ha ha, you really are . " she said . "But, it¡¯s not all bad, you know?" "Oh? Please, do tell . " Lino said . "Well, for starters, I¡¯ve learned some very . . . expressive ways of cursing . Never knewnguage could be so creative . " "It really can be," he nodded faintly . "I always find myself surprised over why more people aren¡¯t digging its depths properly . " "I¡¯ve also learned how toze around," she added . "A lot . Still not quite sure how to feel about that one . " "Hey, hey, that¡¯s not fair . I¡¯ve repeatedly told you that wasn¡¯t one of the habits you should be picking up . How¡¯s it my fault you are so stubborn?" " . . . do you think we¡¯ll make it?" she suddenly asked in a slightly lower tone, surprising him . "Hm?" "All jokes, all bravado, all these facades aside . . . can we really win, Lyonel?" she lifted herself up, meeting his gaze squarely . "Or are just burning out till . . . well, we¡¯re out?" " . . . " Lino stared back at her for a moment, smiling lightly afterwards as he moved a few strands of her hair behind her ears . "I don¡¯t know . We might, we might not . One day we maye to stand tall as the Queen and the King of the world, or we might be two nameless graves in the middle of nowhere, never to be remembered by anyone . Or, we might even struggle for eons toe, only to meet the bitter end of the time¡¯s crutch . I hardly care much for the destination, Hannah . This? Right now?" " . . . yeah . " her lips spread out into a wide smile, one Lino considered beyond contagious . "For me . . . all of this is very much new, though . " she added, lowering her head slightly . "All my life . . . I¡¯ve hid myself . Hid behind the smiles, behind thepliance . " she sighed, lying back down next to him . "Really, my ¡¯defiance¡¯ . . . if you can even call it that . . . was just a way to make myself feel special . Different . Unique . Had you note along . . . I doubt I would have ever taken that final step . " "Well, that was never going to happen . " Lino suddenly chuckled . "Hm?" she eximed softly, ncing at him . "A long time ago, Ataxia asked me . . . when would I be ready to let you go," he said . "Back then, I still didn¡¯t really understand my role in all of this . Didn¡¯t understand much of anything, if I¡¯m being honest . So, I lied and said . . . one day . He, of course, knew I lied, but I guess had enough of a wit not to probe . " " . . . " "I¡¯d have found you, one way or another," he added . "If for nothing than to steal that first kiss back . " " . . . you do realize it was mine first as well?" she rolled her eyes at him . "Be that as it may," he chuckled, rolling on the side . "You would have never remained hidden, Hannah . I would have unearthed you even if I had to uproot the entire world in the process . " " . . . god that made me wet . " "Hey!! I¡¯m trying to have an honest conversation here, you horned beast," Lino seemingly pouted, barely stifling hisughter . "And all you can think about is my raw sexuality . Bad, bad, bad girl . " " . . . you chased me away, though . " "I had to," he said . "For both our sakes . " " . . . I know," she said, kissing his forehead gently . "Doesn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt like a bitch . " "Well, you went and became weird," Lino scoffed . "I mean, crushing on a twelve year old boy? Come on . Even I have to admit there was something off about that . " "Hey . . . when we find them," choosing to quickly switch the topic, Hannah donned a serious expression . "You¡¯ll let me talk to them, right?" " . . . it seems to me that you still see me as an Empyrean first and the best guy ever second," Lino¡¯s eyes turned into slits as his lips curled up into an evil grin, causing Hannah to groan audibly . "You know, it genuinely hurts . What? You think I re out in fury every time someone flips me a bird?" "No, no, I just meant, you know, the mission--" "What mission?" Lino questioned, smiling faintly . "What do you mean ¡¯what mission¡¯? We find the Order--" "And we kindly ask them to join us," Lino shrugged . "What? You think I¡¯d willingly pass on a possibly friendly and strong group of people because of those schmucks?" " . . . yeah?" "Nope . " "Hey, we¡¯re already dicking it out with the rest of the world -- let¡¯s please not drag the Descent in as well!" Hannah cried out quickly . "Eh, who cares?" Lino shrugged; though he realized he was poking the bear, her relentless changes in expression were acting almost like drug for him by now . "So what if we add another group of old lunatics?" " . . . oh . You¡¯re just fucking around . " realizing she was being pulled by her chin -- once more, Hannah sighed in defeat . "You¡¯d think I would have gotten used to it by now . How? Just how do you do it?" "Disarm their defenses with a charming wit," Lino said, smiling faintly . "And you¡¯ve got them . " "Yeah, no, I know how charming guys do it . I was asking how you do it . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . oof . " "Good one, eh?" Hannah grinned with pride . "A great one," Lino nodded, smiling . "You are ready kiddo . Ready to stand on your own . You can now rule the world . " "We¡¯re here," she said as the two nced down at the first-appearingndmass in the distant horizon . "How should we go about it?" "I know where they are," Lino said casually . "But, we¡¯ll be going to the Capital first . " "Eh? Why? Wait--how do you know where they are?!" "They¡¯ve sent some guests," Lino said . "Wouldn¡¯t it be rude to--shit . " "What is it?" Hannah asked quickly, seeing his ever-deepening frown . "Grim, head south . " Lino eximed . "Spare nothing . " "Kwaa!!" the majestic hippogryph cried out before sharply turning right and heading south as per Lino¡¯s orders . Though Hannah wanted to ask and learn more, she held back for the time being as she realized this wasn¡¯t a simple matter of hurry -- he was preparing for a fight . Donning a serious expression herself, she steeled her heart, realizing that this was just the first of many such scenes she woulde to witness . While she very much enjoyed the calm and quiet of everyday life, she was bing somewhat restless over having not fought for so long . Her cultivation had also slowed down quite considerably, having barely crossed Level 2500 recently . Moreover, though she couldn¡¯t confirm it directly, something has changed with Lino; for some reason, the silent rm in her head kept sounding out that she couldn¡¯t defeat him -- that she would be lucky to stay alive . She could hardly afford tog behind; it wasn¡¯t Lino alone that had dered the war on the world, she did too . She couldn¡¯t expect him to fight her battles too -- no, rather, she didn¡¯t want him to . The two sped through the sky on top of Grim¡¯s back, leaving behind only a blurry trail of afterimages . Half an hourter, Hannah felt the bird slowing down . "Thank you," he said, gently patting the bird¡¯s head before putting it away into the pouch and unfurling his wings, ncing at Hannah . "Race ya¡¯?" the two grinned at one another for a moment before turning into blurs of light -- one golden and one azure . They streaked invisible, head-to-head, sting past the clouds and burning their Qi reserves wantonly . Thendscape beneath them blended together, bodies of earth indistinguishable within the blur, rivers bing one with the mountains, cities with valleys, nds with hills . It wasn¡¯t until nearly twenty minutester that Lino suddenly came to a halt and donned the Descent¡¯s mask with Hannah quickly following his example . She also sensed a familiar aura a long time ago, prompting her to realize why was Lino in such a hurry -- though to also wonder how he noticed it so fast . Another minuteter and the two found themselves hovering above an encampment, with a huddled mass of people concentrated within a ring, only around ten standing up front, facing squarely the two standing opposite of them, both donning the all-too-familiar masks to Lino and Hannah . The former two suddenly turned around and looked up; Lino recognized one of them, the very same man who introduced him to the Great Descent in the first ce and invited him to join -- Ethwart . Chapter 288 Chapter 288 CHAPTER 288 VICIOUS TONGUE A heavy silence hung over the encampment, curious eyes peaking behind the shroud of fear and terror and gleaming at the two flying up in the sky -- one winged, and the other surrounded by the streaks of thunder . Both wore the same masks as the two standing right in front of them, who¡¯d arrived just a few minutes ago and had sent the whole upper echelon of the Order into the spiral of madness and confusion . Ethwart nced curiously at the two in the sky, quickly noting their numbers, his lips curling up into a smile for a moment . The woman standing next to him, however, didn¡¯t seem to share the same enthusiasm, her eyes like piercing daggers . Lino and Hannah didn¡¯t stay up for too long,nding shortly after and walking up until they were just a few meters away from their counterparts . Fifty-Eight and Forty-Nine, respectively; the former being Ethwart and thetter being a woman Lino didn¡¯t recognize . "What are you two doing here?" Hannah asked casually, looking around for any sign of a battle . "Fixing your ipetence," Forty-Nine replied coldly . "You took too long . " "We were not given a time limit," Hannah continued . "So . . . how could have we taken too long?" "It was a time-sensitive mission, and you were aware of it . " "I don¡¯t deal in implications," Hannah¡¯s mood seemed to sour as her voice grew frigid as well, eyes turning emotionless . "If I did, it would seem to me you¡¯re implying we are unfit toplete the mission . " "And what if?" Forty-Nine replied in kind . "Then we have a problem . " "Alright, alright, chill outdies," Lino joined in, seemingly trying to diffuse the situation . "Geez, we¡¯re all on the same team here, right? What¡¯s with the tension?" "Adults are talking, Seventy-Two . Keep quiet . " " . . . ouch," Lino eximed softly, faking hurt . "Though, I suppose I am honored that someone, for a change, chose to down-age me . Feels kind of good, actually . " "Long time no see . " Ethwart, too, joined in, addressing Lino with a faint smile . "You look great . " "And you look terrible," Lino replied, smiling back . "Can¡¯t me you, though, being stuck with that ever-barking dog next to you . Most of us would have our wills for life drained within months, I imagine . " "I don¡¯t think she appreciated you calling her a dog . " Hannah chimed in with a faint chuckle . "Eh, she called me a kid . Gotta act the part, right?" Lino grinned . "Anyway, we¡¯re here now . So, you know, it¡¯s time you two left . " " . . . I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not the mission," Ethwart said, smiling bitterly . "Forty-Four said--" "Eh? That bastard sent you?" Lino interrupted, startling all three surrounding him . "That guy¡¯s really persistent with his whining . Aah, what I wouldn¡¯t give to just have a minute alone with him . " "Are you defying the authority?!!" Forty-Nine eximed angrily, the Qi around her transforming into an outright onught directed at Lino . Thetter, however, merely nced at her casually, seemingly unaffected . "Authority?" he mumbled . "The day I give the authority of myself over to someone else is the day I¡¯ll put a sword through my heart . Ease down with the intimidation, you brainless speck of sand . Just because you¡¯ve surrendered your cunt to another doesn¡¯t mean all of us had . Individuality and all that, you know¡¯" "How dare--" "Calm down . " Ethwart held his arm out and grabbed her, forcibly stopping her . "That¡¯s not a way to speak about ady, is it now?" "Oh, he never does," Hannah said . "I can confirm . " "Eh, would you look at that . She can confirm . " Lino chuckled, realizing that Hannah had picked up on his intentions . "Now, I didn¡¯t fly all the way over here to bicker and moan with a woman with the emotional control of a ten year old, but toplete a mission . There¡¯s no need to escte this any further, is there?" "You are not allowed to escte it further . " Ethwart said, frowning . "Says who?" Lino quizzed, tilting his head sideways . "The most core rule---" "Ah, rule this, rule that, you and your rules," Lino interrupted, sighing and shaking his head . "If I followed rules all my life, it would have been one quite boring existence, you know? Ah, whatever, whatever . She looks like her brain¡¯s about to burst, and that wouldn¡¯t be pretty . Just tell me what you n on doing with them . " "What else? Killing them, of course . " Forty-Nine scoffed . "Oh . Well, you see," Lino smiled . "I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you do that . " "Wasn¡¯t that your mission?" Ethwart asked . "No clue," Lino shrugged . "All I know is that there¡¯s a group out there with enough balls to stand up against the Descenders . . . and that I¡¯d like to meet them, face to face, to see how they do it . " "That¡¯s it!" Forty-Nine suddenly ripped herself away from Ethwart¡¯s hold and sped her hands together, causing a massive blurb of earth to explode beneath her feet, shredding itself into hundreds of pieces and molding into the des, all sent flying at Lino . "Gotcha . " Lino eximed with a grin, summoning the shield from the void world . The des of earth st against it to no avail, creating a massive dust storm that had blindsided everyone, including those standing behind who cried out in fear, trying to back away . As the dust settled, everyone saw Lino and Hannah standing casually, still in one piece, seemingly entirely unhurt . Forty-Nine, on the other hand, was seething, held back by Ethwart who suddenly had a bad feeling . "You saw it, right?" Lino mumbled faintly, ncing up . "They attacked first . " " . . . " "Ow,e on now," he pouted . "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re gonna take their side here? I was just having fun, and that bitch suddenly decided to blow my brains out . Are you really going to take their side Gra--" "That¡¯s enough," a voice suddenly copsed over the encampment, bringing everyone except Lino and Hannah on their knees . "Forty-Nine, Fifty-Eight, return to the headquarters for your punishment . " "Aww, thanks . " Lino waved up with a big grin as a voice transmitted into his ears . "You are going to be the death of me . . . " "Ah, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that . " Lino chuckled as he and Hannah walked over, passing star-struck Ethwart and the woman whose eyes were by now shaking saucers . "T-that . . . that was . . . " Ethwart mumbled . "Shoo, shoo . Didn¡¯t you hear the old bastard? Go and receive your punishment . Geez, attacking members of the same group out of nowhere for no reason whatsoever . You lot are the worst . " Hannah, meanwhile, was doing her best to not burst out inughter, while the group behind everyone else stared in confusion . ncing back at Lino, Ethwart smiled bitterly and finally remembered that vicious tongue of his; he did find it odd, as he never thought of Lino as an idiot who would stir trouble for no reason . He knew he should have figured out what was happening, yet even he got blindsided with anger in the moment . "Let¡¯s go J¡¯," he whispered to the woman, picking her up . "We lost this round . " "I--I¡¯m going . . . I¡¯m going to rip him to pieces," the woman mumbled, ncing at Lino with a murderous gaze . "I¡¯m not going to let him--" "Yeah, yeah, yeah . You¡¯ll get your revenge eventually . Let¡¯s go . " The space around the two distorted as they disappeared, leaving only Hannah and Lino behind, thetter quickly taking off his mask . Though slightly surprised by his actions, Hannah didn¡¯t follow suit, merely standing on the side as he faced the huddled group and the six standing in front as protectors . "Hello everyone!" he said, smiling widely . "Name¡¯s Lino . And, well, I believe I just saved your asses, no? What¡¯s with the terrified faces? I expected some gratitude by now . " " . . . w-who . . . are you?" one of the men standing upfront -- the oldest of the bunch, Lino noted -- stepped further up and asked with a feeble voice . " . . . eh? I just told you . Lino . L-I-N-O . Geez, did they scare you so much your brains fried?" "Khm, khm . . . " Hannah coughed from the side to cover up herughter . "He, uh, he means no harm . I think . Probably . I wouldn¡¯t bet on it . " "Hey!" Lino eximed, ncing at her angrily . "What do you mean? I always mean harm . That¡¯s my thing . " "You¡¯ve got a lot of things . " "Shame you¡¯re only ever interested in one . " "Goes both ways buddy . " "Correct me if I¡¯m wrong but I¡¯m at least interested in four of your things," Lino said . "There¡¯s quite a discrepancy at y here, don¡¯t you think so?" "If we¡¯re counting everything, then, you know, I¡¯m definitely winning . " " . . . tsk . Me and my damn muscles . " Lino clicked his tongue, shaking his head and turning his attention back onto the old man . "Women, am I right? Can¡¯t help but love them, but all they do is try and cripple your heart and soul on every corner . " "Ego, Lino . I think you meant to say ego . " "There¡¯s nothing wrong with my ego . " he said . "No, of course not . There¡¯s just too much of it . " "Ah, I think we genuinely might cause their brains to fry if we continue, so," he took a deep breath and grinned, ncing over everyone present . "I¡¯ll make it quick: you lot are hunted by practically everyone . Holy Grounds, smaller Sects, Gaia, the Bearers, hell, even the freaking Descent . Let¡¯s be honest: you¡¯ve got very few friends you can trust, and the world of shadows is growing ever-so-smaller each passing day . If we hadn¡¯te when we did, you would have been downsized to those few brats you sent to the Holy City . So, in lieu of that, I¡¯m here to offer a friendly hand . " " . . . heh, you say so, but aren¡¯t you a Descender as well?" the old man asked . "Oh, yeah . But, if I shortened myself to a singr identity, it would beat the whole point of living, no? Besides being a Descender and a great lover--" "--can confirm . " Hannah chimed in . "--she confirms . Anyway, besides being many things, some good and some bad, I¡¯m also yourst bastion of hope, old man . " "Oh? And who exactly is that?" "Thest Empyrean . " Lino said, his Will billowing out form his eyes like smoke, dousing the entire encampment in pressure no one was able to withstand as they began shaking in terror . However, the old man didn¡¯t, Lino noticed; rather than terror . . . in those tremor-filled eyes, Lino saw . . . hope . A genuine article of hope and of rather pronounced . . . joy . Chapter 289 Chapter 289 CHAPTER 289 BIRTH OF THE ORDER Lino sat inside a small tent decorated with a single torch, a bed, and an assortment of old books strewn across the nketed earth beneath . The light was dim, yet bright enough to illuminate the expression of awe on the elder¡¯s face, and the gleam in the pair of honest eyes . He could faintly hear the excited choir of children¡¯sughter over Hannah¡¯s ¡¯magic trick show¡¯, and the muffled chatter of others, all unable to peel their gazes away from the tent . On one of the walls of the tent was an old-looking painting, its frame heavily discolored and chipped . The canvas, however, was perfectly preserved, depicting the sign for infinity superimposed over the golden halo of the sun . A bit on the nose, he mused inwardly, yet inspiring nheless . The old man in front of him, he¡¯d learned, was the closest thing to the leader the Order had -- an old, thousands of years old, washed out, weary mind who¡¯d spent most of his life not trying to enact revenge upon the world, but keep his people safe and sound . It was hardly a cult, Lino quickly realized, an organization threatening the world; they were more like an exiled tribe, shunned by the world . "A drink?" Lino asked, taking out a bottle of ale . "A-ah, yes . Thank you . " the old man stuttered, epting the cup with shaky hands . "Your people are rather blessed," Lino said, smiling faintly . "Having you as their leader . " "Ha ha, hardly," the old manughed bitterly . "I¡¯ve promised them a world once . . . and all I can offer is . . . well, this . " "More than most ever get," Lino said . "What¡¯s your name?" "It¡¯s Av, Your--" "Call me Lino . " he quickly interrupted, fearing the words he¡¯de to despise . "Ah, y-yes . . . Lino . " "To be honest Av, I thought I¡¯d have to do some convincing first . I didn¡¯t think you guys would fold immediately . " " . . . truth be told," Av said, lowering his head slightly . "We have just recently sent some of our youngest and brightest to the Holy City -- which you already know . It was with hopes of locating you . " "Oh? Me?" " . . . you were right . We¡¯ve hardly a friend out there in the world . We¡¯re chased like dogs by whoever fancies a hunt . The world . . . is hardly our home no more . " " . . . I can give you a home," Lino said, smiling faintly . "But, you must know it won¡¯te for free . " " . . . what do you have in mind?" Av asked . " . . . I¡¯m sure you already know I¡¯ve dered the war on the world . What you may not know is that they¡¯ve already sent the hounds to find me . Or anyone I care about, for that matter . I intend to repay in kind . " " . . . " Av listened carefully, his heart shuddering upon meeting the cold gaze . "For the time being, I¡¯d only have one task for you; it¡¯s up to you who you send, how you have them do it and whatnot . " Lino exined . "Afterwards . . . well, you¡¯d have joined a war, Av . I¡¯ll provide a sanctuary for the feeble--" "--but you need our abled to fight?" Av finished the sentence . "Ha ha, no, no, of course not," Linoughed freely for a moment, taking a sip of the ale . "No, the only soldier my army will have is me . What I need are limbs, Av . Many, many, many limbs . Extending all the world over, covering every nook, every cranny, every god-forsaken valley . . . I want to see the entire world, and I want the entire world to hear me when I speak . " " . . . grand ambitions . " Avughed for a moment, taking a sip as well . " . . . ambitions are for the dreamers," Lino said . "But, well, dreams can be rather uplifting . " Av turned to the sound of faint footsteps, realizing that it was the other Descender who joined them -- the crimson-haired woman . "For all my status as an Empyrean, I can hardly expect you to trust me . " Hannah sat next to him, smiling faintly . "So it¡¯s up to you, Av . Whether you take this leap of faith or not . " " . . . what do you know about us?" Av suddenly asked, surprising Lino . "What I was told," Lino said, ncing at Hannah . "A splinter group of the Holy Ground, deemed unworthy sessor, banished and hunted . " "Hah, a fitting tale, no? Hardly the truthful one, though . " "Oh? Do tell . " Lino said . "I was a small child, barely twenty, when my grandfather told me what happened," Av said . "This was . . . hah, I¡¯d long since forgotten the count of years . A long . . . long time ago . Eternal Paradise . . . do you know how they got that name?" " . . . " "The founding father of the Sect . . . was the Bearer of Immortality," Hannah¡¯s eyes turned into slits for a moment, but she said nothing . "And, fittingly, she wanted to create a paradise . . . for all those who didn¡¯t want to be the part of the world¡¯s struggle . That was the creed, carved out into the foundational stone of the Sect¡¯s Ancestral Grounds . For millions . . . tens of millions years thereafter, the creed was upheld . The Eternal Paradise was just a small Sect, obscure, a ce the tired went to rest . Until two generations prior to the split . " " . . . " "The leaders of the Sect at the time decided being an obscure ce wasn¡¯t good enough, so, they fabricated a n to be a Holy Ground . And they did . Despite the protests, despite the splitting views . . . the Eternal Paradise became everything it wasn¡¯t supposed to be . It was no longer an escape; it was the pit to throw yourself into if you wanted to be at the heart of the conflict . And . . . that was how the split urred . We wanted to go back to who we were supposed to be . . . and they didn¡¯t . I imagine you already understand why the Great Descent backed their faction and deemed us the world¡¯s vagabonds . " " . . . that¡¯s quite a tale," Lino said, grabbing at Hannah¡¯s arm and holding her tightly . "But, many tales are out there, Av . Even you have to admit it that a simple power-struggle makes a much more sensible of a tale . " "Hah, it indeed does . And, there¡¯s really nothing I can do to make you believe me . You either do or you don¡¯t . I am telling you this, Empyrean, exactly because I want you to know the kind of sort we are; we aren¡¯t soldiers, fighters, heroes . Shadows, though? We can be that . Aren¡¯t you, though, afraid of offending the Great Descent?" he asked at the end after a short pause . " . . . this Immortal . What was her name?" Lino asked instead . "There¡¯s no name in her records, just her title . " "Wasn¡¯t, well . . . the Immortal her title?" Lino questioned, seemingly confused . "She called herself the Immortal Fae . " Av replied . "I very much doubt there are any records of her left in the Eternal Paradise . Last I heard, their founder had suddenly be this heroic figure who uplifted the ce from ashes into a behemoth . " " . . . they¡¯re getting rowdy outside . " Lino said after short silence . "Ease their minds and tell them to start packing . Also recall those in the City . Tell them to get back here within a day; we departe midday tomorrow, whether they¡¯re here or not . " " . . . yes . " Av nodded, ncing at Hannah onest time and leaving . The moment he left the tent, Hannah¡¯s fist smashed the table in front of her; Lino didn¡¯t react, seemingly having expected it . "He¡¯s lying!" she eximed, taking off her mask and putting it away . "Perhaps," Lino said . "Perhaps not . " " . . . seems awfully convenient that he has this sob-ready story prepared just to buy a few sympathy points off of you . " "Ask yourself Hannah . . . what¡¯s more likely?" Lino said, smiling bitterly while caressing her hair gently . "That he fabricated the entire story, all the while knowing I¡¯d have taken them in anyway . . . or that you were simply fed more lies?" " . . . it isn¡¯t right . " she mumbled faintly . "None of it is . " "What now?" she asked . " . . . we go into hiding . " Lino said . "Eh?" "The entire world is crawling with people after our heads," Lino said . "If it were just the two of us, we would have been fine . But it¡¯s not . Not anymore . Think as a ruler . " "Stabilize, expand, infiltrate, resurface?" she mumbled . "That could take years . " "Yeah . " " . . . are we really going to vanish from the face of the earth for years?" "No, of course not," Lino chuckled . "We first have to arrange the farewell present . " "The farewell present?" she questioned . "The party they sent to this continent," Lino exined . "I¡¯ve promised them a war . I can¡¯t crawl into a hole right after the deration . What would be of my reputation?" "You don¡¯t have a reputation . " "Exactly . " he said, smiling faintly . "So, we build one . One so grand it will withstand the test of years that, by the time wee back, they¡¯ll still share stories about us . " " . . . heh, you fucking maniac . " she chuckled lightly, pinching his shoulder . "But, you¡¯re right . Withdrawal for the time being is a correct y . It should give E enough time to go through with everything, and it should give the Grounds some time to develop the inner conflict . Where are we going to hide? Not in that tribe, right?" "Nah," Lino shook his head . "I believe Val will have a surprise for us when we get back . Until then, however, it¡¯s high time we stretched our limbs, huh?" "It has been a while . . . " "It indeed has . . . " Chapter 290 Chapter 290 CHAPTER 290 CATHARSIS (I) Dark shadows rose from the earth itself, weaving about like threads, forming an ethereal-looking shroud encapsting a small, yet distinctly-decorated room . Skulls hung off the walls, bones holding the fires of the torches, carpets lined with decaying tendons . . . a rather macabre visage existed within the ce upied by a solitary person sitting cross-legged at the center, his eyes closed . Just then, a tremor ran through the room, copsing the bones stacking the walls and disrupting the dancing shadows . The young man¡¯s eyes jolted open, jet-ck in make, his expression distorting as he vanished in a spectacle of bursting ash . A mere momentter he could be found floating in the sky, high above the now-sinking ship that he deemed his temporary home . Fires scorched the hull¡¯s ends, wooden blisters still aze flying like rain, cries and screams shouldering the sky . The flying ship sank as though on the water, splitting and creaking, consumed in an inferno very few were able to flee . The young man swallowed a roar and quickly nced around until he saw a figure floating just slightly away, behind him . It was a familiar face, one he -- and many others -- have studied to thest detail beforeing here . A pair of jet-ck eyes, almost darker than his own, squarely gazed at him, entirely indifferent to the consuming chaos unfolding down below . A pair of golden wings extended behind his back, feathered in make, truly beautiful to behold . The air about the young man, Vyrove mused, was heavy, imposing, yet eerily distant, as though a part of an entirely different reality that he was not privy to . " . . . didn¡¯t think you¡¯d strike me first . " Vyrove¡¯s lips curled up in a grin as he faced the youth . "Really? But you¡¯re a perfect target," Lino smiled faintly . "You aren¡¯t on the top of the chain, but not on the bottom either; if I struck the former first, I¡¯d have scared you lot shitless and most-likely caused you to flee, but if I struck thetter I¡¯d have been branded a coward no doubt . And though just an empty nickname, I¡¯ve quite the aversion to lies . " "So you settled on me . " "Aye . So I settled on you . " "What now?" Vyrove asked . "You must know we have about twenty minutes before I¡¯m joined by another . Are you confident in being able to kill me within such a short span of time?" "Yeah, pretty much . " Lino chuckled . "But I ain¡¯t gonna . " "Oh?" " . . . quite some time ago, I met this girl . . . Scarlet . " Vyrove¡¯s eyes turned into slits as Qi around him thickened . "A rather enchantingdy, a natural flirt, bountiful beauty . I¡¯de to admire her greatly, actually . And, I imagine, beneath that flirty facade, she held some form of respect for me . " " . . . her Life Talisman burned away," Vyrove spoke in a frigid tone . "Just around the time you went apeshit . " " . . . people . . . we never really learn our lessons, do we?" Lino chuckled bitterly, ncing up at the smoldering sky . "The moment something goes awry . . . we resort to violence . Our oldest and best friend . . . yet also our worst enemy . " "What happened to her?!!" losing patience, Vyrove screamed out, causing a barrage of enshrouded bolts of darkness to skitter over the sky and reach Lino who didn¡¯t even move an inch, letting them all squarely hit him . Several dozen holes, though tiny,pletely non-threatening to him, opened up as blood trickled . "I couldn¡¯t save her," Lino said . "Heh, nay, I don¡¯t think . . . in that moment . . . I even pictured saving her . Of the three who woulde toy there in blood, I chose to focus on one . That¡¯s on me . But . . . her death? It isn¡¯t . " " . . . " "Though, in the end, a story has already been spun I imagine," Lino said, smiling faintly . "At least inside your head . The Empyrean went apeshit and indiscriminately killed everyone around him . As luck, orck thereof, would have it . . . she just happened to be there . " "If that¡¯s not the story, then what it is?" "Eos . " Vyrove¡¯s brows scrounged up for a moment . "What of her?" "She killed her," Lino said . "In a desperate attempt to redeem her dignity . . . one I supposedly trampled upon . To be fair to her, I don¡¯t think she intended to hurt her; in the end, thecking-luck story is still, in a way, true . " " . . . heh . Can¡¯t even live up to your own actions . What aplete failure you are . What¡¯s this? A feeble attempt to turn us against one another in hopes you¡¯ll somehow live through this?" " . . . I¡¯ll live through this," Lino said after short silence, his gaze turning westward where he felt a speedy figure approaching . "And through much, much worse in the future . Honestly, if it were just about survival, I could have killed you by now already and fled, increased my chances with the remaining four . But . . . I don¡¯t want that . " he chuckled, turning around as though preparing to go . "You five and your minions . . . have already killed 2,645 innocent people since your arrival here . People that not only are in no way, shape or form connected to me . . . but that probably didn¡¯t even hear about me . " "Ha ha ha, so what? You¡¯re gonna be their avenger or something?" Vyroveughed, his mind spinning over the best way to hold the Empyrean back a bit longer . " . . . no . " Lino grinned . "Just your apocalypse . " Before Vyrove had a chance to put anything into y, however, the winged Empyrean vanished, turning into a blur of light and disappearing into the horizon, far beyond the speed Vyrove was capable of matching . Taking a deep breath, he nced down once more at the ruins of his sinking ship, a pained expression copsing within his eyes, reced with anger . Barely ten minutester, world around him stiffened for a moment as a figure broke past the speed of sound, stopping next to him . ncing sideways, he saw it was the operation¡¯s leader, golden-haired Yennefer . She quickly looked around but, upon seeing that there was no one there, she turned her focus back onto Vyrove . "Where is he?" she asked . "Gone . " "What do you mean ¡¯gone?" "Exactly that," Vyrove shrugged . "Gone . Somece else . " "Why didn¡¯t you stop him?!" she eximed angrily . " . . . splitting up was a mistake," Vyrove said . "We can¡¯t take him in istion . " "You mean you can¡¯t take him . " " . . . " Vyrove nced at the frustrated Yennefer, shaking his head slightly . "He said something that concerns me . " " . . . what?" she asked, seemingly having calmed down . "He ims we -- and our people -- have killed nearly 3,000 people on the continent since our arrival . Is that true?" "Heh, why does that concern you? Adjudicators of Death, concerned about life . How ironic . " " . . . so it is true, eh . . . " Vyrove mumbled, sighing bitterly . "What¡¯s done is done . You can go back . " "What will you do?" she asked . "Salvage what I can and start anew," he replied simply, ignoring her as he headed down . "And hope he¡¯ll leave me alone from now on . " Yennefer remained floating in the sky for a little while longer, her eyes gleaming in strange colors as she stared at Vyrove¡¯s back . Eventually, however, she merely turned around and disappeared, leaving behind only a massive boom and distorted space . Vyrovended among the ruins of his ship, looking around as he noticed something rather . . . odd . Though everything was in utter shambles and ruins . . . there were no corpses . Anywhere . While some may have burned up or evenpletely evaporated in the initial explosion, there should at least be a few of them strewn about the ruined ship . An elderly man, hooded entirely in ck, suddenly appeared by his side, his head lowered . "Status?" Vyrove asked . " . . . uh . Khm . " the old man coughed awkwardly, prompting Vyrove to nce at him in confusion . "What¡¯s wrong?" " . . . uh . I don¡¯t know how to exin this but . . . uh, besides the ship . . . the rest is fine . " "Hm?" "Your people, cargo, rations, virtually everything save for the ship is . . . eh, fine . Khm, yeah, fine . " " . . . I don¡¯t think that¡¯s actually possible . " "Why do you think I¡¯m on the verge of tears, Young Master?!" the old man cried out, startling Vyrove . "None of this makes sense! Those screams?! Cries?! Fake! They were all fake!! Every single one of the crew slept through the entire thing!! Myself included!!" "What the fuck?!" "What the fuck indeed!!" "How¡¯s that even possible?!" "I don¡¯t know!" the old man eximed . "Then find out!" "I¡¯ve been trying!" "For how long?!" Vyrove asked . " . . . uh . . . thest few minutes . . . since I woke up . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "Look, the only thing I can say with certainty, khm," the old man seemingly recovered, taking a deep breath . "Is that the cause of the ship¡¯s explosion was disruption of the array which was funneling energy into the winged propellers . Someone -- or something -- disced it momentarily, which caused a fissure in the entire structure after energy build-up, frying the engine room and, well, causing a . . . kind of, sort of . . . an explosion . I think . Maybe . Or it just shook the ship slightly and, well, pushed us out of the air . " " . . . " what in the shit . . . Vyrove thought, rubbing his temples in frustration; if Yennefer hadn¡¯t shown up, by now he¡¯d ept he dreamed up the whole thing, or even that the ship malfunctioned . But, she was right there, well-aware that the Empyrean visited him . Why, Vyrove mused? He couldn¡¯t gleam past the intentions . . . or even the ways and means the whole thing yed out . Whatever it may have been, he was left utterly confused and gobsmacked for the time being, shuffling through the ruins of the ship in search of answers . Chapter 291 Chapter 291 CHAPTER 291 CATHARSIS (II) Northern coastline wasposed nigh entirely of tall, sharp and steep cliffs looming over the raging ocean beating against it and carving it out bit by bit, through the passage of years . Slightly further north, the ocean itself ceases to exist, turned entirely into a massive icecap the size of a ginormous ind . Following the northern coastline and searching for the continental entrance was futile, but its ravaged terrain full of snowy peaks, frozenkes and frigid valleys made for a perfect bastion of defense . Standing erect surrounded by the frozen hell was a massive castle of ck surrounded with tall, thick, ebony walls imposing over the white snow . Towers rose one after another in a cascade of attempts to pierce the sky, spires decorating corners shaped like screws, faint presence of asional windows exuding warm, orange glow, the only piece of light in an otherwise darkened wastnd . However, for all the frigid silence the castle¡¯s surroundings lived in, the ck structure¡¯s interior was a livid ce . Laughter, screams, shouts and such ilk crashed whatever silence resided beforehand, imposed over one another like a constant, never-ending choir of sounds . In the central hall, supported by tall and thick pirs and a floor carpeted with blood, dozen men sat around the wooden tables filled with cups and tes of food, on each¡¯sp at least a single woman . Most were stark naked, some flirtatious, others terrified, few in abject tears . Sitting at thergest table was Ritton, his hands full, one holding onto a cup of ale and another on the woman¡¯s cup; thetter seemed feverishly young, her skin stained with mud, brown hair tussled out and about until it lost all its luster, a pair of eyes seemingly begging for death that would note . "Lord, Turk¡¯s informed us he found another hundred or so, ha ha ha," a resonantughter crashed through the hall¡¯s massive door as a youthful-looking man burst in, running over to Ritton¡¯s table . "He should have them here within an hour . " "Ho ho, good, good," Ritton grinned, grinning and chewing on the piece of boar¡¯s raw leg . "We were starting to run out of the fresh ones, heh . " "W-will . . . will you . . . kill me . . . finally?" the girl sitting on top of his leg spoke out in a low, quivering tone; Ritton¡¯sughing expression turned grim as he moved his hand away from hear breasts and onto the nape of her neck, pushing her head down against the table with forcerge enough to shatter thetter into wooden splinters . "Aaaah!!" the girl cried out in pain as another round ofughter resonated through the room . "I¡¯d already told you filthy cunts, I won¡¯t kill you," Ritton said . "It¡¯s against the rules, after all . " "And you¡¯re aw-abiding, morally-bound man after all, aren¡¯t you?" a rather low, yet piercing and imposing voice echoed throughout the hall, burying all other sounds . Ritton¡¯s brows scrounged up into a displeasing expression as he shifted his gaze away from the bloodied head up front where he saw a bearded man casually walking up to him, his hands behind his back . A pair of jet-ck eyes stared at him with disgust and anger, prompting him to grin . "s, s, the hero arrives! Ha ha ha," Rittonughed, throwing the girl away and getting up . "And who might you bed? One of these faire maidens¡¯ lovers? An embittered man looking for his devoted love? I must admit, I admire you gravely for reaching all the way to here . I have half a mind to take you in as one of my own . " " . . . " Lino came to a halt as ten or some men stepped up and stood in front of Ritton, all drawing their weapons out, their faces decorated with grins . "I must admit, I do share your love of booze and women . However long we may live, what worth is life without a bit of pleasure, no?" "Ha ha, indeed . The man after my own heart . " Ritton said . "You still haven¡¯t answered my questiond, though . And you better . " "Pleasure is a fickle thing, though," Lino said, ncing around . "Once . . . you start deriving it from the suffering of others . . . you¡¯ve crossed a damning line . A point of no return . " "He he, a hero indeed," one of the men standing in front of Ritton said . "Been a while since I met one . " "What should we do Lord? Kill him . . . or have fun first?" "Fun, fun-- of course . Right Lord?" "It seems to me you¡¯ve no intention of cooperating," Ritton said, sighing faintly . "In that case, I must--" "Kneel . " Lino said simply, indifferently, his eyes squarely meeting every gaze aimed at him . "Ha ha, what are yo---" a tremor ran through the hall as every single person standing suddenly felt their Wills crashing, their own autonomy disappearing; shaking, trembling, their souls beating in fear, all fell to their knees one after another, soon beginning to bleed out of every hole they had . Eyes, ears, noses, mouths -- and those few unspeakable ones -- blood trickled down like river, mixing with the already-drying one on the floor . Ritton, however, still stood, seemingly unaffected by what others are experiencing . However, he knew it wasn¡¯t due to his own resilience -- but by the man¡¯s choice . . . the Empyrean¡¯s choice . He felt the imposing Will, and even just its aftereffects were enough to cause his heart to stop beating . He felt fear, not due to the sh of Wills . . . but due to himself . His eyes turned to saucers as he watched the man approach him, step by step, walking over his men as though they were grass, and stopping right in front of him, holding his gaze . "What I find the most astounding," Lino said, resting his arm on Ritton¡¯s shoulder . "Is that, behind those eyes of yours . . . there are people tens of thousands of miles away, meditating in thefort of a warm, well-protected room . . . entirely ignoring your actions . People who are tasked with ensuring things exactly like this do not ur . " "I---I--" "Shh," Lino interrupted the stuttering and quivering attempts at the reply, smiling faintly . "You will get youreuppance eventually . We all will . It is one thing I genuinely love about this world, about its conception -- that, no matter how high we get . . . there¡¯s still no escape . You¡¯ll die . . . I¡¯ll die . . . those Elders of yours currently shaking their arms around in the bouts of anger that I dared question them will die . . . Writs will die . . . Gaia will die . . . everything we know, everything we love, hate, enjoy and despise . . . all will be gone one day . It gives me pleasure andfort knowing that, even if I fail, even if you lot somehow manage to defeat me, it¡¯s just a temporary taste of victory . All until the entire worldes undone . " " . . . . " Ritton kept shaking and trembling, yet the hand on his shoulder prevented him from copsing . "However . . . that notion is hardly worth anything to these girls," Lino said . "And to many others whose lives you¡¯ve no doubt ruined . And to literal billions and tens of billions who¡¯ve yed one or another puppet¡¯s role in the never-ending search for power . I often wonder . . . why were we wired to derive pleasure from the sense of power? To me, really, it just seems like a perfect recipe for disaster -- no matter how you look at it . " Lino let go of Ritton who immediately fell on his knees, shaking . The former turned around then and began walking, picking one girl after another up and holding them gently for a moment . . . before crushing their hearts, killing them instantly . Smiles crept up one after another on the girls¡¯ faces, smiles of gratitude, of relief, of happiness . " . . . I¡¯ve no ns of letting anyone who came to this continent in the pursuit of me leave alive," Lino said . "As the matter of fact, I fully intend to make your lives living hells before finally taking them . But . . . heh, what¡¯s the point? Sins just keep getting passed on . Guilt and me and the feelings of anger . . . the thirst for revenge . . . it¡¯s like parents passing on something on their children . So long as people fuck, some fucked up part of that generation will persist . I¡¯ve never known my parents unfortunately . . . " he paused for a moment, having killed thest girl present there . "Never got to ask them what fucked up part of themselves they passed on me . What can I me on them, and what I can¡¯t . " " . . . " "Ha ha ha, excuses, excuses," heughed freely for a moment, shaking his head and walking back over to Ritton, pulling his chin up and forcing their gazes to meet once again . "Whatever they passed on me . . . ah . It doesn¡¯t matter now, does it? However terrible they may have been, I guarantee they have nothing on the things I¡¯ve done . Things I¡¯ll do . So, the old Aeonians oceans away, hear o¡¯ hear . " he ced his thumb on the Ritton¡¯s forehead . "N-no--please--no--a-anything but that--no--" "People who live by the creed ¡¯all is far in love and war¡¯," Lino said, pressing the thumb against the forehead, causing Ritton to scream out . "Die by it . With considerable interest . " "AAAAGGHGHGHG!!!!" a blood-curling scream, one that could be heard across the entire Continent, one that startled even the coldest of hearts, broke out of Ritton¡¯s throat . His eyes turned nk, his gaze dull, but the scream didn¡¯t stop . It went on for a full minute, causing the castle itself toe undone and copse unto itself . By the time Ritton came to and opened his eyes, the man was gone -- but the terror he left behind . . . Ritton knew it would never disappear, perhaps not even with his death . Chapter 292 Chapter 292 CHAPTER 292 CATHARSIS (III) The castle¡¯s ceiling suddenly copsed into rubble and dust as two figures stormed in, bringing with them a storm of Qi that disced everything and everyone with the hall, shelling them against the surrounding walls and pirs . Yennefer and Vyrovended squarely, both quickly scouring the hall for any signs of the Empyrean, but quickly learning he wasn¡¯t there . While Yennefer spurred herself and heaved into the sky for a wider inspection, Vyrove remained inside and looked around; simrly, not one of their own was dead . Just a slew of naked girls and women strewn across the floor, most bearing joyous smiles . His eyes turned into slits momentarily as he zed over Ritton and others, quickly shifting back to indifference . Looking at them closely, however, he realized nobody was moving -- well, to say they weren¡¯t moving would be a half-truth, as good deal of them were shaking in fetal positions while mosty still with white foam forming over their lips . It was a ghastly sight of terror, especially so once his eyesnded on Ritton . Thetter remained in a half-kneeling position, being the only one not to be blown away by the Qi surge; a trace of terror ran through each canyon on his face, his eyes stirring with desire to close yet fear from doing so, his lips quivering as though in frosted cold, fingers convulsing, breathing quick and shallow . Vyrove walked over slowly and squatted in front of Ritton, lifting his chin and meeting his terrified gaze . Blood still trickled like tears from his eyes¡¯ corners, dyeing the cheeks crimson, painting a destitute scenery . Vyrove frowned, ncing around and realizing almost everyone else was the same, to different degrees . "What the hell happened Ritton?" Vyrove asked . " . . . . " the silence was the only reply Vyrove got, causing him to sigh . Yennefernded right next to him a mere momentter, frustration clearly painted over her face . Daring not to poke the already angry bear further, Vyrove got up and created some distance . "Exin yourself, Ritton . What is the meaning of this?" unlike Vyrove, she didn¡¯t hold back . " . . . " "I asked you a question!" the tone of her voice grew . " . . . " "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!!" she reached and grabbed him by the cor, lifting him up in the air and imposing her will over his; suddenly feeling it cut, she angrily red at Vyrove who stood some paces away . "What are you doing?" "Are you nning on crippling his mind?" Vyrove asked with a cold tone . "I don¡¯t imagine you¡¯re ignorant enough not to know what would happen if you pushed your Will against his right now . " "So?" she scoffed coldly . "A destitute fool has no more uses . " "Careful, Beholder of Light," Vyrove frowned deeply, his body beginning to exude warped shadows . "There¡¯s a certain line we shouldn¡¯t cross . " "Are you threatening me, you death¡¯s whore?!" Yennefer¡¯s face distorted, Qi around her thickening till it was visible to the naked eye . "Because that is the line you shouldn¡¯t cross . " "Put him down . " not giving her an inch, Vyrove replied in kind . "Or what?" "Or you mighte to know ¡¯chosen¡¯ implies a lot of things . " " . . . hoh?" Yennefer suddenly grinned, letting go of Ritton and focusing entirely on Vyrove, walking toward him slowly . "A little boy . . . wants to grow up?" " . . . " Vyrove¡¯s lips cracked into a grin as he extended his arms sideways . "A little whore who was never taught reason . This should be fun . " "Enough, you two . " a calm and even voice joined on their parade, causing them to shift their attentions sideways to where Ritton was; standing next to him was Ethena . "His Will was almostpletely crushed . As the matter of fact, just a bit further, and he¡¯d have been destroyed beyond repair . " she frowned for a moment, sighing . "As much as I hate to admit it, it seems that the Empyrean has far greater control over his Will than any one of us . This requires greater caution on our part from now on . " "Humph, based on what? On the brain-dead muscle-head being trampled?" Yennefer scoffed, ncing hatefully at Vyrove onest time before walking toward Ritton . "You jest, Yen . As prideful as you may be, you should be fully aware that Ritton¡¯s Will, if not stronger, was certainly not weaker than your own . " Ethena chuckled faintly, ncing up at the hole in the castle¡¯s ceiling . "This wasn¡¯t the case of Ritton simply losing the battle of Wills . From the looks of it, he never even put up a fight . Or, rather, he was unable to do even that much . " " . . . Exalted Soul?" Vyrove mumbled, sighing bitterly . "This is getting more and more out of hand . . . " "My guess is that it doesn¡¯t stop just at that," Ethena said . "While Exalted Souls certainly craft firmer Wills, I¡¯m more worried about the nature of his Will . Even for the Empyrean . . . it appears too chaotic . Have you two even tried sensing it since arriving here?" being reminded of it, Vyrove quickly externalized his Will slightly and felt about the remnants; just a mere touch of it was enough to send a cold shiver down his spine, forcing him to withdraw his Will . " . . . Destruction . " he mumbled . "Remember when I said this is getting more and more out of hand? Well, now it¡¯s entirely out of hand . This isn¡¯t a battle we should be participating in . " "Humph, what are you so scared of?" Yennefer red at him for a moment . "So what if he¡¯s taken the path of Destruction? I¡¯ve said repeatedly we just need to band together and he would stand no chance . The fact that he¡¯s going around and attacking us individually simply proves that . " " . . . is he attacking us, though?" Vyrove questioned, causing both Yennefer and Ethena to look at him quizzically . "Think about it . Neither Ritton nor I suffered any casualties . While he did traumatize them a bit, he didn¡¯t incapacitate them in the long run . Despite two times where he could have easily dwindled our forces, he chose not to, instead just showing up, blowing shit up randomly, and leaving . " " . . . I¡¯ll stay and help Ritton out," Ethena said after a short silence . "You two return to your posts . I have a feeling this is just the beginning . . . " Meanwhile, on the far eastern coast beset with lush green and beautiful waterfalls blowing past the cliffed ends into the ocean, a dome-like structure rested slightly above the ground, encapsted within a cyan sheen . Inside, a makeshift city existed and lived in full throttle, its centerpiece being the central tower which flourished into a petal up top . Lying leisurely on a soft bed, surrounded by girls no older than twelve with cors around their necks, Lithay with her eyes closed, seemingly enjoying the somewhat tranquil atmosphere . Her eyes suddenly jolted open as she cried out and heaved onto her feet, quickly sping her arms together as a torrent of Qi shifted from nothingness into an overhead, shielding dome of bruising mes that encapsted nearly the entirety of the dome-like structure above her . Thunder soon reigned through the thin veil above her, crashing into the mes and eating away at them . The sh of the two forces caused a chain of explosions which shook the earth for almost twenty miles around . Litha bit her lower lip and screamed, channeling more Qi into her arms as a string of tattoos lit up like veins pulsating through her thin arms; her azure-dyed hair turned coral, billowing back like mes, her eyes shifting into two golden halos . The shsted for nearly thirty seconds before ending in another massive explosion which copsed the tower beneath Litha¡¯s feet, causing her to take flight and look up furiously . Hovering above her, d in an ordinary-looking one-piece dress, a familiar face watched her with a faint smirk . That crimson hair waved about freely in the wind, the emerald-green eyes as yful as she remembered them . "If it isn¡¯t little Litha," Hannah said, chuckling faintly . "How have you been?" "A stealth attack? Really Hannah?" Litha smirked back . "I expected so from the Empyrean bastard, but not from you . " "Stealth? What do you mean stealth?" Hannah quizzed . "Didn¡¯t I announce my presence right before showering you with all my love that you so aggressively rejected?" "Humph, glib-tongued as always," Litha scoffed, ncing around and spotting a figure sitting atop a crimsoned hippogryph leisurely drinking and reading a book . "Did you really have to bring your boyfriend with you?" "Boyfriend?" Hannah mumbled, ncing at Lino . "He¡¯s more of a stalker, really . Keeps following me around like an annoying fly . " "That¡¯s not what you saidst night while you buzzed around my fly . " Lino remarked without looking away from the book . "Really?" Hannah sighed . "Can¡¯t you -- just once in your life -- pass on an opportunity to make a pun? Just . . . just once . That¡¯s all I ask . " "That would be so against my character I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯d cease to exist immediately," Lino replied . "So, yeah, no . No can do . " "Haah . . . you see what I have to deal with on daily basis?" Hannah turned to Litha and shook her head . "It¡¯s driving me insane . " "Hah, adorable," Litha scoffed, burning onemunication talisman after another . "You two really do belong together . " "I wouldn¡¯t bother if I were you," Hannah chuckled . "We¡¯ll be long gone before they reach you . Just wanted to say hi, and express my condolences . " "Condolences?" Litha frowned . "For Annar," Hannah felt a surge of Qi driving toward Litha . "Before you lose your shit, for a change, he didn¡¯t kill him . " Hannah¡¯s voice was serious and low . "Rather, he even tried to save him . " "Just keep making up bullshit excuses--" "It was Eos," Hannah interrupted . "In herst, desperate attempt to recover her dignity, she went after Lino¡¯s friend . Annar and Scarlet . . . just happened to be in the wrong ce at the wrong time . Let Vyrove know that if you want their bodies, a double date is in order . " Hannah threw amunication talisman and shifted into a bolt of lighting, quicklynding on Grim¡¯s back . ncing onest time at Litha who seemed on the verge of tears, she sighed faintly . "Don¡¯t be a fool, Litha . Wherever our allegiances lie, you know me . It¡¯s still the same old me . " "Except she¡¯s a sexual deviant now . " Lino chimed in . " . . . god I fucking hate you . . . " Hannah grumbled lowly . "You ruin everything . . . " "They belong back home," Lino spoke to Litha, ncing at her with empathetic eyes . "Don¡¯t let the pointless war bar their souls¡¯ rest . " Chapter 293 Chapter 293 CHAPTER 293 CATHARSIS (IV) Litha was currently observing the surrounding destruction, sighing in relief when she realized there were no casualties . What ticked her slightly was the pattern of ash Hannah had formed just beneath her tower over the cascading roofs of the city-like creation down below . A spiraling form with the tower as the center and a six-sided cross piercing right through -- sigils of Order and Chaos mingled together . Settling down, she took a deep breath and looked at the talisman in her hand; it wasn¡¯t as though she outright believed what the two imed, but even with all said and done, she indeed knew Hannah -- and however yful she may be from time to time, she¡¯d never joke about something like this . The day the eyes crowned the sky, practically everyone in the Sect assumed that the Empyrean had killed Annar alongside Eos . However, Litha thought as she rubbed her temples, it indeed did make slightly more sense if Eos had done it; the only question that remained was how Annar wound up with the Empyrean in the first ce . "We need to talk . " she mumbled softly into a clean sheet of paper which suddenly turned lithe and burned up in ash . A mere momentter, shadows emerged from beneath her feet as she let them swallow her whole . She found herself next to a rather startling scene; a crowning jewel that Vyrove was more proud of than his heritagey there, in front of her . . . in pieces . There wasn¡¯t a whole part to it, as dozens of his people tried their hardest to sweep the carnage away . ncing sideways, she saw Vyrove standing there with a pained expression on his face, on the brink of tears . " . . . I see the Empyrean visited you too . " she said . " . . . what do you want to talk about?" he asked, ncing at her . "As you can I see I¡¯m busy . " "He informed me he¡¯s in possession of Annar¡¯s and Scarlet¡¯s corpses and that if we wanted to retrieve them, the two of us should meet up with him . . . alone . " she cut to the chase . "It¡¯s clearly a trap, though . " "Did he give you a way to contact him?" he asked instead . "Weren¡¯t you listening to me? It¡¯s clearly a trap . " "You must be confident because you easily beat him back, right?" Vyrove smiled faintly, causing Litha to frown . " . . . there were two of them . " she mumbled faintly . " . . . we¡¯ve severely underestimated him . " he said suddenly, sighing . "What do you mean? He appears as strong as Yen predicted . " Litha said . "No, not his strength," he shook his head, ncing up at the sky . "Upon the very mention of the Empyrean, we are practically flooded with assumptions; one of them is that they are morons who don¡¯t know anything and can¡¯t do anything besides throwing their bodies into the inferno and hoping for the best . " " . . . " "That assumption has held me back from seeing it until now . " "Seeing what?" she questioned . "That he¡¯s screwing with us . . . royally," Vyrove chuckled, turning his attention toward her and smiling faintly . "Think about it . He first targeted me, destroying my dearest property, but leaving every one of my people alive . " "Uhm . " "He then went after Ritton," he continued . "But, rather than fighting with him, he nigh-crippled his Will . " "--what?" Litha eximed in surprise . "And then he went after you, offering up our friends¡¯ corpses . " Vyrove finished . "None of his actions make any sense if his goal was to achieve quick victory . He could have easily trimmed down our numbers by now . . . yet he specifically chose to go after something else . Ritton¡¯s Will . . . my vanity . . . and your empathy . " " . . . " "He¡¯s targeting us on an individual level, striking at the most prominent parts of our characters . " " . . . " Litha¡¯s brows scrounged up as she contemted Vyrove¡¯s words . "All that¡¯s left is for him to go after Yennefer¡¯s pride and Ethena¡¯s guilt . " "Heh, you better pray Yen didn¡¯t hear that . " Litha chuckled faintly, sighing after . "But, against all odds, it seems you¡¯re right . Why though? Why go through all that trouble? Is it really just to screw with us?" "We could go and ask him . " "You¡¯re suggesting we just willingly walk into a trap?" "No matter how many times you say it¡¯s a trap . . . won¡¯t make it a reality, Litha . You and I both know it won¡¯t be a trap . " " . . . we should hurry, though . " Litha said . "I¡¯ve contained the fact I was attacked for now, but Yen wille for a visit sooner orter . " she whipped out a talisman and burned it up . "If wee out dead after this, I¡¯ll haunt you beyond the grave . " "Ha ha, feel free . " A mere momentter, space next to them rippled out as a vortex formed; two nced at each other for a moment before braving forth and stepping through . After a bit of a fumble and tumble, the two found themselves in an ordinary-looking room -- one beyond simple they had trouble believing it was real . The sounds of the rapid stream outside . . . the crackle of the fire inside the firece . . . and the chirping of the birds somece out . A simple room with a single bed, a table and four chairs and a pair of windows was not what they were expecting . Looking forward, they saw Hannah and Lino sitting on the chairs, each reading a book while drinking something . As Litha and Vyrove arrived, the two put the books down and poured two more cups, inviting them over . "Look at how starstruck they are," Lino said . "I told you it would be a great idea to invite them here . " "Starstruck? You¡¯ve just embarrassed me in front of my friends," Hannah said . "They¡¯ll think I routinely spend my days and nights here, in this shabby-looking hellhole . My lofty image is forever gone from their minds . " "Whatever image they had of you inside their minds," Lino said, smirking . "I assure you, it was anything but lofty . " "Huh?! Do you really wanna go at it, you bastard?!" Hannah grumbled . "Eh? Oh wow . I didn¡¯t think you were open to this and that in front of others, but sure, let¡¯s--" "---" "--I¡¯m so sorry . " Lino winced down, avoiding Hannah¡¯s murderous gaze . "I won¡¯t do it again . " "What¡¯s up you two?" she turned toward Vyrove and Litha who had rather lost expressions on their faces as they sat down . "You look like saw a ghost . Is everything alright?" " . . . just wondering what the world¡¯s reaction would be if they knew what the lofty and overbearing Bearers of Order and Chaos were truly like . " Vyrove said, smiling bitterly . "I imagine many-a-dream would be crushed on that day . " "Eh, don¡¯t underestimate the human capacity of denial," Lino chimed in . "It¡¯s amongst our finest traits . " "Most loathsome, you mean?" Hannah asked . "Says a woman who¡¯s so wrapped in denial it wounds all the way back to the root and bes adorable . " "Are we really going to talk about each other¡¯s denials?" "Alright, alright, I¡¯m sure these two didn¡¯te here to watch us bicker like a pair of sexually frustrated lovers," Lino said as Hannah sighed and lowered her head in defeat . "Though I did imagine you¡¯de, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be this quick . " "Where are they?" Litha asked . " . . . just outside . " Lino replied, smiling faintly . "So . . . what¡¯s the actual reason you invited us over here?" Vyrove asked . "If it were just handing over the bodies, I can think of a few times you could have done just that . " " . . . though there is indeed another reason," Lino said . "I¡¯d have done just the same if there wasn¡¯t . Annar and Scarlet were friends . It¡¯s the least I can do . " "You im you were friends," Litha said . "And that Eos killed them . But you don¡¯t expect us to trust you outright, do you?" "Of course not," Lino chuckled, getting up and walking out, followed shortly after by the other three . Just as he said, just outside, leaned against the thick and tall tree, two crystal-made coffinsy . "And it¡¯s up to you what to believe . If it eases your pain and moral qualms, you can keep on believing I killed them . " he added, squatting in front of the coffins . " . . . it¡¯s really them . " Vyrovemented, sighing faintly; even until now, he truly thought it was at best just an excuse the Empyrean made . "Were you there?" Litha turned toward Hannah and asked . Thetter merely nodded in reply . "Did . . . they suffer?" " . . . no . " Hannah shook her head, walking over and patting Litha who was well over a head shorter than her . "It¡¯s okay to cry, you know? I know you looked up to him . " " . . . shut up . " Litha swatted away her arm, hiding her face . "So . . . why did you call of us here besides this?" Vyrove asked after a few moments of silence . " . . . a temporary proposition, if you will," Lino replied, smiling faintly . "That will benefit us all . " "Hah, are you seriously suggesting we work together with you?" Litha scoffed . "You really are just as insane as I imagined . " " . . . that¡¯s the reason your side will never be able to win," Lino continued smiling as he said . "Inability to look past whatever idiotic grudges lie on the surface of things . I merely rattled a ho¡¯s nest or two, yet your group is almost at the splitting point; if I decided to push it just slightly further, I wouldn¡¯t have had to do anything but sit by the side and watch you five consume each other . " " . . . huh . So it was to prove a point," Vyrove suddenly smiled as he seemingly realized something . "Of course . " "Don¡¯t worry," Hannah joined in . "We¡¯re not asking you to betray others or anything like that . Rather, it hardly has anything to do with the battle itself . " "What is it, then?" Litha asked . "I¡¯ve chosen you two specifically not just because of Annar and Scarlet," Lino said . "But also because you two are the only ones who haven¡¯t touched anyone since arriving on this continent . " " . . . " "Ritton . . . well, he¡¯s just a horny bastard . You im to be vain Vyrove, but that Heaven chick . . . " Lino chuckled bitterly . "She literally wakes up every morning to thousands kneeling and bowing to her . And that tanned chick . . . quite a bit of a sadist . Took me by surprise, if I¡¯m being honest . " " . . . " "Whatever you may think of me, I grew up an ordinary person," Lino continued . "I can bring myself to do many things, and many more I¡¯ve yet to even imagine, but . . . I genuinely don¡¯t want to wrap the entire world into our own conflict . " "Hah, how noble of you . " Litha scoffed . "The point of your entire speech being . . . ?" Vyrove questioned . "When the fight breaks out," Lino said . "I want you to protect the ordinary people . By now, at least you two should know that in no oue possible will you be standing on victorious side . " " . . . and you call us vain . " Vyrove smirked . "Never said I wasn¡¯t, though," Lino winked . "Just . . . think about it . It won¡¯t be my gratitude alone you¡¯ll get after . I just might surprise you splendidly . " he added as Hannah and he returned to the small shack by the river, leaving Litha and Vyrove alone outside to contemte . Chapter 294 Chapter 294: 294 CHAPTER 294 (CATHARSIS V) Lino and Hannah stood on an open field, grass swaying up to their ankles, the nearby river gushing through freely . A faint trace of sunshine bathed the scene, all encapsted by a tall mountain ridge bounding in a half-circle, capped in snow-white up top . Hannah yed with a small, handle-shaped object while Lino drank in silence . Shouldn¡¯t be long now, he thought, sighing faintly . Though he did choose as distant of and as he could from the civilization, it was hardly a guarantee for anything . Battles on this scale hardly ever remained limited within the confines of their beginnings . Litha and Vyrove, ultimately, rejected his offer, merely taking the bodies and disappearing . Though disappointed, it wasn¡¯t as though he didn¡¯t expect it; colluding with an Empyrean, beyond all else, was a sin no one was willing to forgive . And however much he liked the two, he didn¡¯t like them enough to try and upend their perspectives on everything . Av and others had already departed and met up with Val; all that was left now for Lino and Hannah was to return as well for the Empyrean and the Elysian to vanish from public eyes for a little while . He would also use this opportunity to finally bound another realm, transcending from an Aeonian into an Aeviternal -- a Saint . Every realm past Aeonian had to do with preparations for ascending into the Godhood Realms, and Aeviternal was the first step -- if bing an Aeonian virtually meant he ceased being a human, then bing an Aeviternal truly cut that cord . It was a transformative realm, simr to Purity Realm but on a muchrger scale . He looked up suddenly, woken from his thoughts; in the distance, a massive, sun-bloating ship appeared from the thick clouds . It seemed imposing, and for most it probably was . What Lino saw, however, was simply a massive, steel box held up in the sky by a set ofplex arrays that he was far more interested in . " . . . hmm, they really went all out . " Hannah said . "Besides the five of them, there¡¯s 20,000 more . Oh my . " "The 20,000 don¡¯t matter," Lino said . "Rather . . . I¡¯d have liked to avoid fighting entirely if I¡¯m being honest . " "They most-likely came with something tobat your Will," Hannah said . "Otherwise, however ego-blind Yennefer was, she wouldn¡¯t just walk into a loss . " "Your first time fighting a Fiend," Lino nced at her, smiling wryly . "Nervous?" "Eh? What do you mean my first time fighting? Won¡¯t you take care of the five on your own and leave the minions to me?" " . . . god you¡¯re as mean as ever," he chuckled bitterly . "Can you take Vyrove and Litha?" "Yeah," Hannah replied . "But . . . we aren¡¯t nearly far enough from the civilization . " "I¡¯ve asked for help in that department . " "E or Eggor? Or both?" "Both," Lino replied . "Though the bastards did refuse to just do everything . Something about my problems and such . Tsk . " "Good god you¡¯re mightily spoiled," Hannah chuckled . "Ah, look at those shy and cool entrances . They really want to show off, don¡¯t they?" "Hey, you have something against showing off?!" "N-no, certainly not . It¡¯s what I love about you the most!" "Humph, that¡¯s what I thought . You and your loose tongue . " "I¡¯ll loosen your fucking brain one day," Hannah grumbled . "You and your stupid ideas really just need to go . " the fivended just ahead of them while the remaining force stayed on the ship . Of the five, Ritton entirely avoided Lino¡¯s gaze, Litha and Vyrove hadplex expressions, Ethena was frowning slightly, while only Yennefer had a slight smile on her face as she stepped forward, meeting Lino¡¯s gaze squarely . "Ah, the mighty Empyrean -- we meet atst," she said . "It is an honor . " "Honor¡¯s all mine," Lino smiled faintly . "You sure came a long way for me . " "I¡¯d have gone far further if it meant finding you," she said, her smile turning cold . "After all, you are the first moron to so openly challenge the Chosen . If we just let it slide, people will begin thinking we are no longer the strongest . " "It¡¯s a shame," he chuckled, putting away the gourd . "Such a beautiful face ruined by such a scorned soul . Seems to be a trendtely . " "There¡¯s still time Hannah," Ethena spoke out from behind . "It doesn¡¯t have to end this way . " " . . . it has to, though . " Hannah smiled faintly, her voice calm . "She¡¯s made her bed -- let her sleep in it . " Yennefer said, not taking her eyes off Lino, like a beast stalking its prey . "Now that you havee into open, there is no hiding; at the very least you have chosen a decent ce to be your grave . " "I swore on the day that Felix drew hisst breath," Lino said as the yful smile vanished from his face, a sword appearing in one of his arms and the gauntlet in the other . He slowly began walking forward toward the five . "Games were over . " "Heh, only an Empyrean could get so flustered over the death of someone insignificant . " Yennefer scoffed as Qi began dancing around her madly . "No wonder you are known as emotionally-unstable brats . " "Insignificant?" Lino growled, his gaze turning maddened . "He mattered more than all the Holy Groundsbined, you worthless cunt . " A billowing explosion ensued as he darted forward, crippling the earth beneath into thousands of pieces; Yennefer quickly replied, shing into the sky and within a single breath summoning a rain of light -- tens of thousands of bolts shimmering in bright gold fell upon Lino . Thetter spun and swung the [Dragon yer] upward while hitting the earth beneath with the gauntlet; fire raptured out as though the gates of hell opened, while the winds stirred . Golden and coral intermingled like a pair of lovers as dust sted out; the five scattered, Vyrove and Litha circling sideways where they got intercepted by Hannah, while Ethena and Ritton charged directly at Lino, ensuring he stayed away from Yennefer . Light red from the sky in a blinding shower, all cascading in strange paths toward Lino who stood at the center of the massive crater still wholly aze; within he seemed almost ethereal, his figure a mere silhouette . Grasping the sword in the backhand, he crouched for a moment and funneled Qi into the soles of his feet as a pair of golden wings unfurled behind him . Meeting light with light, he darted straight upward where Ethena tried to intercept him, swinging her massive sword directly at his neck . Lino swung sideways, meeting her directly and spinning in ce, using the momentum to throw a jab at her head . Ritton appeared right there, however, matching him; feeling the light approach, Lino grinned madly for a moment as he channeled more and more Qi into the gauntlet until fire exploded from in into a massive, spraying inferno; Ritton was forced to flicker backwards as Lino pushed the [Dragon yer] ever further, sting Ethena from the sky into the rotting ground beneath before turning to face Yennefer . The light converged into a mirage of a dragon who roared freely into the sky like a crackle of lighting; not to be outdone, Lino roared straight back, entirely snuffing out the former one before sting forth, meeting the dragon¡¯s mirage squarely; just then, thousands upon thousands of arrays of light showered him in concert with the dragon as the remaining 20,000 joined the battle . Unable to withstand it all, he was flung into the earth and burst it open in a massive crater . Seemingly unbothered by it, however, he flipped backward andnded squarely, his whole body crackling with lighting and fire as he spurred the inferno beneath his feet to catapult him into the sky . Rather than charging into Yennefer yet again, he went after the 20,000 who were all entrenched in a series of formations . Ignoring them entirely, he broke through and swung the gauntlet and the sword in concert as cries of pain and agony soon broke out into the sky while he found himself showered in blood and gore . Light suddenly pierced his abdomen, causing a massive hole that, however, quickly regenerated . Withdrawing the wings, he entered the freefall for a moment before spinning sideways and causing gauntlet to spit out fire beneath him, propelling him into the sky suddenly to everyone¡¯s surprise . Yennefer found herself facing him directly as he reached her, still upside down; that grin of his caused a shudder to run through her soul for a moment before she reacted, bathing herself in quaint light as it exploded into a massive nova, sting Lino away . Unfettered, he replied by throwing the [Dragon yer] directly at her at the speed she could not hope to match; the sword pierced right through her left thigh, leaving behind a massive hole trickling with blood . Crying out in pain for a moment, her expression distorted as she steeled a stance, space above her head tearing into pieces as a mountain-sized, golden fist emerged and opened into a palm, spitting out an incinerating beam of light . Lino quickly withdrew the shield and ced it over him, blocking the direct hit; however, the sheer force behind it propelled him for nearly fifty miles backwards before he could stabilize himself . Realizing he couldn¡¯t just win by ying around, he took a deep breath for a moment and looked forward; they resumed the same formation -- Ritton and Ethena upfront, 20,000 in the middle, and Yennefer on the far end . Smiling eerily for a moment, two chakrams suddenly appeared behind his back . Wrapping them up into his Will, he immediately channeled his link to the Law of Death as his entire body quickly got shrouded in the thick mist of darkness before the darkness veered off and entered the chakrams . A secondter, the small chakrams screeched out and shattered into pieces, their mirages appeared behind him, one on each end, each nearly five miles tall . Withdrawing the gauntlet, he whipped out both the [Dragon yer] and [The Untamed] . ying them freely for a moment, he channeled , discing the reality around him . " . . . my Will . . . be done . . . " he mumbled in a low growl as a visage of himself suddenly stood upright in-between the chakrams, holding them each tenderly . His eyes turned entirely ck like chasms, world around him beyond the capacity of recognition; Death and Time adjoined the warp of reality as Lino, for the first time in his life, channeled a Domain of his own ord -- Domain of No Return . Chapter 295 Chapter 295 CHAPTER 295 CATHARSIS (VI) Landscapey ruined and scorched, smoke and ash sprinkled in the midst of crackling lighting . Thunder suddenly blew past, bolts adjoined fiercely, stirring up both the rubble and the dust from the earth beneath . Hannah spun midway through her dash, kicking off into the sky in a vaulting position and throwing one thunder bolt after another down below . Litha was right at her heels, scorched in coral mes, halo behind her spinning like a gear, ceaselessly spitting moltenva around her . Noticing the bolts, she heaved her arms in an upward motion, palms facing up and wide open, as a massive canvas of mes erupted from the ground beneath, swallowing the bolts before swirling together into an upward shower of fire cking at Hannah . Thetter dashed sideways, seemingly in perfect control of her body, spinning as to create momentum before spitting a massive sphere of lightning which broke off halfway through its distance, creating a falling aimed at Litha . At that moment, tepid shadows alongside rotting corpses left a spacial distortion, throwing themselves at the and eating away at it despite being burnt in the process . Looking up, Hannah saw a massive, descending corpse of a strangely-shaped bird entangled in thick shadows of death and decay . Clicking her tongue, she cried out lowly and sped her hands together whereupon the far sky above split open into a vertical slit, just for a brief second, yet long enough to spit out a ten-mile long, golden bolt of lighting which pierced the bird¡¯s skeleton cleanly through, blowing it into pieces . Quickly channeling Qi into her feet, she dashed into a blur sideways yet again, barely evading a ming de that cut down from above at her before striking at the earth, creating a miles-long crevice which began spitting out mes as though it was a volcano . Not to be outdone, Hannah suddenly changed her path and heaved down, appearing directly in front of shocked Litha; while in the process of passing her by, Hannah reached out with her arm and grasped at Litha¡¯s shoulder, jerking her backward while thetter cried out in pain, tiny bolts of lighting covering her body . An explosion sted out with Litha taking the brunt of it, blown backward, flying through the sky like a kite . Hannah didn¡¯t get out unharmed either, though, her one-piece dress destroyed in several ces, with a massive burn smoldering her right arm . Wincing for a moment in pain, she suddenly felt a shudder tackle at her heart as she pushed her Singrity to its limit, summoning a massive domain of lightning around her; one bot after another crackled and st apart the earth beneath alongside the reaching arms wing out from it . During the domain¡¯s short duration, Hannah once again took to the sky where a giant, zing fist weed her; groaning in frustration over how well the two were cooperating, she shimmered slightly sideways and used the distance to swat sideways with her arm, lightning whip forming as an extension and slightly altering the fist¡¯s trajectory upon impact, barely whiffing by Hannah¡¯s side . Sighing in relief, she suddenly took a deep breath as her eyes shone in peculiar gleam; devouring herself entirely in the dance of lightning, she turned into a vtile array that neared the speed of light itself as she dashed about . Every once in a while, she woulde to a brief halt and spit out a bolt, forcing both Litha and Vyrove to dodge constantly while helplessly trying to attack her . "Don¡¯t waste your Qi," Vyrove warned . "She can¡¯t keep it up forever . Focus on defense . " Seeing she wasn¡¯t reaching desired results, Hannah came to a sudden stop, well up in the sky, looking down at the two . Qi around her appeared restless and roused, the Will of the world itself bending slightly to her own . Both Vyrove and Litha frowned for a moment before realization struck the former . "Avatar Form!" he cried out, channeling Qi like mad and rising one aerial corpse after another . "Attack her with all you¡¯ve got!" Hearing his voice, Litha too quickly pushed her Singrity to its limits as an inferno rose around and above her, transforming into one ming boulder after another that flew at ungodly speeds toward Hannah . In addition, screaming Litha suddenly brought the halo behind her to a screeching halt before dismantling it into ten pieces and arranging them in an odd sort of a pattern; suddenly, one zing wyvren after another rose from the burning inferno beneath her feet, each crying out before dashing toward Hannah in the ze of glory . "Avatar of Creation," Hannah mumbled as her crimson hair suddenly turned ghastly white, her eyes shining like diamonds in earth in cyan, the whole of her body lighting up in strange arrays . "Law of Command -- Commence; First Form -- Elemental Creation!!" as though dragged by primal arms, elements conjured up from seemingly nowhere as they began to orbit her . Sky above split open into a massive void of thunder, fury of mes consuming her body whole like a sun, wrath of the earth erecting hundreds of pirs from the ground below, winds, water, light, darkness . . . all elements beholden to the eye were drawn out from the world¡¯s corners and brought down before her . She nced down suddenly and, as though woken, all elements bounding her shuddered and shook before crying out in horror as they bound together into a massive, colorless, shapeless, wordless shield of pure matter and energy; Litha¡¯s and Vyrove¡¯s attacksnded squarely on it, but rather than causing an explosion or bouncing back, they were devoured . Litha quickly withdrew, rearranging her halo, and stopping by Vyrove who had rather ugly expression on his face . " . . . ten minutes," he mumbled faintly . "If we can hold on for ten minutes, we win . " "Question . . . can we?" Litha mumbled . " . . . " Hannah hovered on a higher ne, her gaze catching far more than the world others saw; colors ceased to matter, sounds, shapes, it was all blended together into a distorted image of reality -- the actual reality, that is . Elements alone made up the world, and perceptions made up shapes themselves; what a mountain was to an ordinary human, to Hannah it was an ever-changing blurb of elemental swirls . And though she couldn¡¯t im, at least at the moment, she had both Heaven and Earth under hermand, she came very close . While elements such as Death, Life, even Creation, Destruction, Ruin and so on certainly didn¡¯t fall under hermand at the moment, hundreds of others did, those represented by Laws and those not; she felt beyond powerful, a feeling that she can only ever experience by activating her Avatar Form . A faint smile crept up on her lips as her Will suddenly externalized, epassing a range that left both Vyrove and Litha shook, even less confident in being able to endure for ten minutes . "Qi Formation--" unwilling to waste time, she mumbled faintly, extending her right arm out and pointing the index finger down below . "Augmented Adjoining -- Form . " the reality in front of her blurred and bent, seemingly on the verge of copsing, as Qi swelled up like a balloon before transforming into everything and nothing; shapes ranging from ded to wholly formed dragons created a blend until it all umted into a singr beam of ck and white . Vyrove suddenly grasped Litha¡¯s arm and mumbled something under his breath, burning six golden-shining talismans . A mere breathter, the beam descended from the sky, devouring all and any within fifteen miles circumference; as the blinding light settled, all that was left within the beam¡¯s scope was a colossal pit whose bottom could not be gleamed . Frowning slightly, Hannah nced sideways and saw both Vyrove and Litha still standing, though with the former missing his entire left arm; there wasn¡¯t blood or gore, just . . . nothingness . As though void itself ate up his arm . There wasn¡¯t even a wound, just a bulge of skin, as though he never had an arm to begin with . He nced at it bitterly and sighed; he knew there was no going back from it . He would remain without the arm till the end of his days -- which could very welle quickly if they don¡¯t do anything . Just then he burned six of his Sect¡¯s most-prized talismans in order to escape; within their actual design, the capacity of teleportation extended across the entire Holy Continent -- with six, he could virtually go around the world and arrive at his starting point . Yet, he had to use six of them to break past the shattering reality and merely move thirty miles or so, barely escaping with his life . "Humph," scoffing coldly, Hannah suddenly stretched out her other arm and brought the hands together, forming a triangle-hole in-between the two . "Qi Deconstruction," she mumbled . "Elemental Dissonance -- Consume . " "Oh for the love of . . . " both Litha and Vyrove cried out as thetter took out six more golden talismans, and even the former taking out two . Just as they used them, the earth beneath their feet exploded into a pir of raging elements that rose up to the sky itself, forming a gigantic hole both above and below; it kept on raging madly for a few seconds, leaving behind literal nothingness after it vanished -- no matter, no elements, no energy, no space, time or even reality itself . If someone were to step into it right now, they wouldn¡¯t merely die -- their existence would bepletely removed . Nobody would remember them, or even knew they ever existed -- it would truly be as though they¡¯d never lived . Realizing she missed again, Hannah¡¯s frown turned deeper as she moved her gaze back and saw Vyrove and Litha huddled up together on a mountain top, thetter now missing a leg; however, unlike with Vyrove, she bled -- very much so -- crying out in pain . At the very least, Vyrove mused as he quickly tended to her wound . If we survive, you¡¯ll get your damn leg back . . . Chapter 296 Chapter 296 CHAPTER 296 CATHARSIS (VII) Yennefer groaned lowly as she dissipated into a sh of light, barely evading a scalding sh of the massive, scythe-shaped chakram . Several dozen cuts stained her otherwise ethereal image, crimson blood spilling onto her armor, even muddying her golden hair . ncing down on the ground, she felt a pang in her heart as she counted nearly 3,000 dead souls resting in pieces . The source of it all, she red angrily, stared at her from far above; she¡¯d finallye to realize why she was repeatedly warned about confronting the Empyrean . Thetter, though seemingly unassuming, was simply well beyond what she anticipated; not only was he faster than anyone on her side, even if they managed tond a hit, he just shrugged it off as though she merely patted him on the back . There was also the weird fighting style he employed; if he couldn¡¯t close the gap due to the way she moved the massive formation, he¡¯d simply start throwing his weapons around -- each more powerful than the previous -- and entirely disrobe her of any idea as to how to counter it . All logic pointed to the fact that the Empyrean¡¯s biggest weakness was the fact that they couldn¡¯t externalize Qi -- which made it so that they absolutely had to close the gap . Yet, there stood the reality-bender, who simply decided he had no weaknesses and that was it . Ritton and Ethena were already tired of darting around and chasing him, yet he seemedpletely fresh, as though he was merely taking a stroll . "We can¡¯t win like this," she cried out as she quickly reorganized the formation, suddenly charging at its front . "No point in holding back any longer; use Laws, items, talismans, runes, whatever you have -- throw it all at him!" Lino smiled yfully as he heard her; truth was, he was having quite a bit of fun . The only attack he really had to look out for was Yennefer¡¯s, which greatly expanded his options . If they started acting like annoying flies, he¡¯d simply start throwing weapons at them . He didn¡¯t even have to be all that precise; mere aftershock was more than enough to reap lives of practically everyone outside the top trio . He even had time to look at Hannah¡¯s end, which caused him to shudder deeply as he saw her spitting strange beams that devoured everything they touched . Inwardly he wondered whether he should continue to tease her excessively, lest he became the target of one of those . Sensing the massive uptake in Qi consumption from practically everyone, he too stopped ying around, calling back the [Dragon yer] and [The Untamed] into his hands . Grasping them tightly, he drew a deep breath, stirring both his Will and Qi and fluttering the wings behind him . The two Avatar Form chakrams split sideways, each bounding around like boomerangs and targeting the heart of the formation rather than Yennefer . For the first time since the battle¡¯s begun, Lino decided to go head-to-head with her and truly test the limits of his strength . Yennefer quickly sensed him approach and grinned as she took out a strange-looking book from her void treasure . The book glowed in faint twilight, quickly spurring open to its midway section as strange cries resounded into the sky . Lino easily repelled the mental attack yet still felt a faint sense of dangering from the book . Quickly making the decision not to retreat, he picked up the speed, almost immediately arriving in front of her, swatting at her with the [Dragon yer] and at the same time piercing with [The Untamed]; thetter attack was far quicker, over in practically a sh, yet she seemed prepared for it . The book suddenly spat out a pir of light, bouncing both weapons back and bending forward, turning into an umbre-shape on its way down and cornering Lino . Thetter nced up and faintly smirked, entirely ignoring the attack and striking at the pir itself . "Sinful Paradise--" Yennefer mumbled suddenly closing the book and causing both the pir and the attack to disappear, much to Lino¡¯s surprise . "Hallowed Souls . " the book spun open once more, this time around unleashing a frothing wave of undead souls, each crying out louder than the other . All hairs on Lino¡¯s skin stood up as he quickly drove his Will into his mind to resist the attack before swatting sideways with the [Dragon yer] -- to no avail, though . The ghosts passed right through the weapon and him as he suddenly began feeling sluggish, almost every part of his body halting to a crawl . "Now!!!!" Yennefer suddenly cried out as she dashed back in a sh of light and gained some distance from him before suddenly withdrawing the book and raising both her arms into the sky, summoning an assortment of swords, axes, spears and whatnot, each glistening in faint golden, aimed at Lino . Simrly, all around, talismans, weapons, massive Arts all lit up like stars in the sky, causing the nature of Qi itself to shudder slightly . Everything from mes to thundering orbs ted in beautiful silver came together in a massive shower of attacks all aimed directly at him . "Well, fu--" his bitterint was quickly drowned out in the sounds of thousands of explosions as they lit up the sky like fireworks; all colors imaginable beckoned unto one another, sting apart space into a shredding void . A fire could soon be seen flying backward, out of control, leaving behind him a trail of smoke and blood . Lino truly looked terrible, half his face entirely scorched, missing his left arm up to his shoulder, one of his wings clipped halfway through, a truly terrible gash running all the way from his neck to the left thigh . . . he certainly seemed more dead than alive, and his resounding cry of pain barely contradicted it . He cursed inwardly as he pushed his Singrity to its limits, trying to regenerate his body, yet he didn¡¯t even know where to begin with . In the end, he settled on regenerating his arm first as everything else could wait . It was only after nearly fifty miles of travel that he managed to somehow recover, only to see the army right there, standing above him . Yennefer stared at him with a victorious grin, as though already confirming he stood no chance . "After I am done with you," she chuckled, licking her lips . "I am going to hunt down every single person who ever as much as saw you, and I am going to give them deaths so cruel you cannot possibly even imagine . Once and for all I will tell the world . . . that Empyrean does not belong with the rest of us . " " . . . ¡¯s that so?" Lino chuckled faintly, ncing up at her; considering that half his face was scorched, and the other bloodied, he hardly seemed human -- more like a cross between a devil and a corpse . "Well . . . " Yennefer -- as well as everyone else -- soon realized there was something strange going on; it wasn¡¯t the amount of Qi, or even energy itself -- but rather something far more primal . . . something so primal that their instincts immediately began screaming at them to retreat . "I¡¯ve no intention of waiting . Right now, right here, I will show you, as well as the rest of the world, cruelty the likes of which it has never seen . One that will freeze the blood in their veins and remind them . . . not only does the Empyrean belong in this world, I am its fucking King . " For the first time in a long while, Lino settled on going all out; there were numerous reasons for it, starting with not wanting to seem weak in front of millions of spectators . If they for a second thought he was easy pickings, he would never see the end of them nor their cruelty . Rather than fight and flee and always wonder whether people he cares for are in danger, he¡¯ll mark himself and himself alone as the foe of the world . And the best way to do it was to show everyone watching the lengths to which he¡¯ll go to if they ever piss him off . Secondly, he also inwardly wondered just what his limit was . Since thest time he went all-out, he¡¯d obtained quite a few items and even Arts, and he wanted to see just what state of being can he achieve if he stacks them all together in a singr burst of strength . While it will certainlyst only for a short period of time, and leave him practically crippled for a while, there was no fear inside of him -- only excitement . . . and burning desire . , , [Dragon yer]¡¯s special effect , , , among other effects of his armor . . . heid it all out in a single moment of madness, his body immediately regenerating, his eyes turning milky white, a few strands of his hair following suit . In concert with everything else, he sensed it -- atst; it was faint, distant, hidden . . . but he managed to pull a small strain, managed to pull it to the surface andbine it with himself -- a small piece of Primal Chaos . He was no longer human, he knew; he didn¡¯t look the part, didn¡¯t feel the part, and didn¡¯t think the part . The world around him changed into one of darkness, into one of absolute madness, base entropy . In that moment, he realized what true strength meant, what standing on top of the world entailed . His Will shuddered and exploded out of his body, transforming into a pair of angr eyes in the sky above him, overseeing all of creation . Harbinger had woken in that moment, stirring Chaos from all corners of the world . Those who believed and those who defied, those who loved and hated, those who respected and dreaded . . . in concert, they once again felt the simr shudder in the depths of their souls like the one on the day of his awakening . In that moment, Yennefer, Ritton, Ethena and everyone else who was watching the battle knew . . . no one was leaving that ce alive . All would be consumed and destroyed to its most base form -- that of Chaos itself . That is what it meant to be a Harbinger rather than just an ordinary Empyrean; rather than simply killing, the Harbinger changed the state of the world through it . Taking away other forms of Qi, other forms of energy, and purifying them into Chaos, feeding thetter and growing it . Unlike thest time, few realized, however, there was something different this time around, something far more profound, far more terrifying, far more primordial; something none could quite understand, not even those who¡¯ve seen all there is to see in the world through the eons of their lives . "," Lino mumbled, rising his arm up both slowly and quickly, practically shredding the reality into pieces and transforming it into Chaos, which he immediately consumed . "Eighteenth Form -- Call of Liberation -- Primal Genesis . " and thus, there was light . Chapter 297 Chapter 297 CHAPTER 297 REIGN OF CHAOS (I) A moment of stillness passed as the world held its breath . Beneath the eyes jammed up in the sky, all those looking up felt tiny, small, ethereally insignificant . That feeling only grew beyond the bounds of what an ordinary heart could endure as Lino finished his chant . The world disappeared -- or, rather than disappeared, it became true . It reverted back to its origin form, to what it truly was when stripped of all the embellishments . Everything and nothing . . . light and dark . . . life and death . . . Eighteen Laws of Creation manifested into eighteen gashes of creation far above Lino, surrounding him like ws . There was neither the beginning nor the end to them; they were everything and nothing . Everywhere and nowhere . Laws themselves ceased to matter beneath its nobility; all of creation felt the most primal urge to bow, to kneel, to worship . Yennefer looked at the sky with a horrid gaze, her expression beyond one of despair . Who . . . what could ever stand up against this, she wondered . This was no longer the matter of strength or weakness, no longer the question of Law mastery, levels, Qi, mantras and arts . Beneath this, all of that ceased to matter, she realized . Whatever theories they drew up, whatever ns they had prior to the battle . . . what of them now? Nothing, she knew . Lino¡¯s body rxed momentarily as he yed with the [Dragon yer]; the de was no longer the de, the sword itself something more . Each one of its movements stirred the world around, banishing reality and recing it with whatever Lino willed . Fire, frost, water, death, darkness, light . . . all were within the grasp of his hands . All of creation was right there, right in front of him, ripe for taking . As the stillness ceased, and the world drowned in absolute entropy, he moved . He stepped but once, yet appeared right in the heart of the army . Others hadn¡¯t even realized he was there by the time he swung the sword . It was a casual swing, it was so slow even a child could evade it . Yet, all the same, heads flew, blood spewed, it all happened so quickly that no one even had a chance to cry out . All the while, the eighteen des began moving apart from one another, seemingly encircling the entire world bit by bit . Lino moved yet again, appeared behind Ritton who emptily still stared at where Lino was just a breath ago, convinced he hadn¡¯t moved; thetter casually grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around, and drove the sword straight through his skull, ripping it in half before kicking the body squarely, blowing it into smithereens of blood and gore . "FUCKING RUN!!!!!" Yennefer screamed from the depth of her lungs, yet her voice turned sluggish by the time it left her lips . Realizing this was the end, she quickly activated her own Avatar Form -- yet, it¡¯s an understatement to say it paled inparison to everything surrounding her . A winged angel appeared behind her back, yet its light was almost immediately snuffed out, its wings clipped, head disintegrated into ash . "Graah--" she spewed blood from her mouth due to the severe bacsh, feeling the very life force which upheld her seeping from her . By now, Lino had once again moved, returning to the army; from just over 15,000, they were now at 10,000 . Once more he swung casually, yet that casual swing ripped open the very concept of space and time, allowing him to pull nearly 5,000 souls into a singr spot before drowning them in cuts from which they could not escape . One after another they fell, yet not even their corpses remained . Ethena shuddered suddenly, swiftly turning back only to meet a pair of milky-white eyes staring right at her, not even ten centimeters away . She didn¡¯t scream or cry out, or even try to defend herself -- not for theck of trying . . . but her Will simply wouldn¡¯t listen . She was entranced within the chaos, within the distorted world where mountains were not mountains, where rivers were not rivers, and where sky wasn¡¯t the sky she knew . The pair of eyes appeared almost holy-likepared to the ruin surrounding them . Lino extended his arm and grabbed at her head from above, pressing his fingers into her skull and cracking it seemingly with no effort . The sounds of the cracking bones exploded out into ether, echoing throughout the entire vast world . He then spun sideways and threw her body at the army, turning it into a sting cannonball that took nearly 2,000 lives on its way down . All turned into nothingness; it would be hard to say how much time had passed since he¡¯d begun the reaping, as time itself ceased to exist within the entropy . Yet, to those standing around and witnessing it all, waiting for their turn, it felt like more than just one eternity . They couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t scream, couldn¡¯t curse to at the very least let go of some of the grievances they felt toward him . . . they could do nothing but remain frozen in that single spot, awaiting their doom . One by one they fell, like flies carried onward by a hurricane, until only Yennefer remained . She was halfway over to the realm of dead, unable to even keep herself afloat -- she knew she wasn¡¯t the reason why she still remained in the sky, yet she dared not actually think about who was holding her up . He soon appeared in front of her, standing right there, within her grasp; all the same, she was unable to do anything . She couldn¡¯t even look away, let alone raise her arm . Looking at him once more, she realized he was no longer human-looking; from top to bottom, he was like a creature encased in escaping shadows, his features save for the pair of milky-white eyes indiscernible . More than a human, more than a god, she felt he was akin to something that shouldn¡¯t even exist . The pair of eyes looked at her calmly, seemingly examining the very depths of her soul . She felt starkly naked beneath that gaze, yet also distinctly wounded as the gaze seemed to hold no desire toward her; entirely indifferent, not even cold or harsh, merely as though she was just . . . air . Empty air of nothingness . "--w-what are you . . . waiting for?" she managed to stutter out somewhat after a second . " . . . I¡¯m assuming someone from your family," Lino replied in his usual voice, yet slightly distorted, simr to Writ¡¯s, as he nced past her into the horizon . "They¡¯re speeding over as quickly as they can . At the very least, I can give them a chance to say goodbye . " "--n-n-no . . . no . . . " Yennefer¡¯s eyes turned into saucers, dominated by horror; no matter who it was, she only wished she could scream at them to return . To return and never look back . Perhaps, had she still been her whole self, she would objectively gauge that Lino was by no means invincible; yet, living within that domain of nothingness even for a moment . . . changes a person . Anything outside of it . . . stands no chance . She believed that with every fiber of her being; she was convinced even if every single member of the Holy Grounds, every single Bearer, every single living soul banded together to attack Lino, they would only stream gently into their deaths . "Ah, they¡¯re here," Lino said, walking over and grabbing Yennefer by her neck, forcing her to look into the horizon where suddenly over a hundred shes of light flickered as people began showing up one by one . "My, my . You¡¯re awfully popr for a prideful cunt . World is really a strange ce . " "Release her at once---" "Shut up!!" an older voice interrupted a younger one, as a man seemingly in his mid forties stepped in front of the group; much like Yennefer, he had simr disposition, sharing her pair of azure-colored eyes and golden hair . "You have proven your point, Empyrean . Is there a reason to escte this any further?" " . . . " Lino squeezed her neck slightly harder, causing Yennefer to gag and cough, and others to cry out and attempt to step forward, only to be stopped by the middle-aged man . "There seems to be a misunderstanding here," Lino said . "I¡¯m not escting anything . I¡¯m just matching you . Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, tit for a tit . That sort of a thing . " " . . . there is still time to make the right choice," the middle-aged man said, frowning slightly . "Killing her will bring you no benefits . " "Really?" though the shadow-encased figure had no features besides the eyes, it almost seemed as though it grinned for a moment . "And letting her go will?" "Naturally, I will personally--" "If you could personally do anything, you wouldn¡¯t be here," Lino interrupted, squeezing slightly harder . "It seems to me the world hadn¡¯t taken my deration seriously . I said wait for me . Not hunt me . Furthermore, especially don¡¯t hunt me by sending prideful, vain children to their deaths . . . only to then shuffle all the me onto me . What was she doing here? What were they doing here? You can¡¯t have seriously expected they were strong enough to even kiss my dick, let alone actually kill me . Either you are far stupider than I ever dreamed, or you are looking to kindle the slightly doused mes of hate toward me . " " . . . " "Either way," Lino said, ncing up toward the sky . "It doesn¡¯t matter . Send children, send adults, send old cripples . . . all who maye will meet the same fate . " "Think through this carefully, child . " the middle-aged man said, seemingly running out of patience . "If you kill her, the wrath of heavens will fall upon you . There will be no ce to hide . " "What are you talking about?" Lino said, meeting his gaze squarely . "It seems you haven¡¯t realized it yet . " he added . "I am the wrath . " he clenched the hand around Yennefer¡¯s neck and snapped her head off, holding it in his hand as her body fell to doom . Chapter 298 Chapter 298: 298 CHAPTER 298 REIGN OF CHAOS (II) Hannah sat casually on the edge of a small cliff, eating an apple, while gazing off toward the distance where Lino had begun his ughter . She had a rather infatuated expression on her face, while the two lying in pools of blood behind her were the exact opposites; terror ran through their spines, and they couldn¡¯t even ascertain who they feared more -- the Empyrean over there obliterating everyone and everything, or the Elysian in front of them, both of whom should have ¡¯cruel¡¯ tattooed on their foreheads . "Good god, I¡¯m so wet right now . . . " Hannah mumbled, sighing as she nced back at the two lying behind her . "You two have been awfully quiet . " " . . . " " . . . " "Eh? What¡¯s with those ¡¯are you an idiot?¡¯ looks you¡¯re giving me?" Hannah pouted . "I even went as far as to fix . . . well, what can be fixed . You know, you two should really be a little grateful . Even after refusing our offer, we still had enough hearts to forgive you . " " . . . w-what about them?" Litha mumbled, pointing her shaking finger at the distance where Ritton just died . "Them? Eh, they had iting," Hannah shrugged . "It¡¯s a war, after all . " "--then why spare us?" Vyrove questioned . "It¡¯s not as though we are worth much as a bargaining chip . And I very much doubt you¡¯re doing it due to the kindness in your hearts . " " . . . why is that so hard to believe?" Hannah replied after a short silence, ncing back at them once more, her smile slightly painful . "Just because he¡¯s the Empyrean?" " . . . " " . . . " "Whether you believe me or not, he¡¯s one of the kindest people I¡¯ve ever met in my life," she continued, turning her eyes back on Lino . "If you give him your heart and your trust, he will give you the entire world . If you ask him for help, he¡¯ll help you -- though he might decorate it with a slew of insults . What you¡¯re seeing right now is what he has to be . . . not what he wants to be . Ah, but don¡¯t worry . You¡¯ll be spending a lot of time with us for the foreseeable future, so you¡¯lle to realize it yourselves . Truthfully . . . " Hannah chuckled faintly, taking another bite of the apple . "If he never revealed himself and merely continued to live as another cultivator, he¡¯d have won the whole world over by the time it realized who he was . Don¡¯t be surprised when one day you wake up and realize you¡¯d rather stand by his side than have all the riches the world has to offer . " Litha and Vyrove remained silent, entirely distrusting of Hannah¡¯s im; yet, even they couldn¡¯t help but admit that by just watching him from the distance . . . it felt different than they imagined . Certainly there was terror and fear he inspired, the sort that one simply can¡¯t shake; but . . . there was also something more, something purer . Though unwilling to admit it just yet, both had realized why people gathered around him . They, too, felt it -- that just by standing behind him . . . they were shielded, protected from the rest of the world . The Qi above Lino surged like a tidal wave as over a hundred souls bonded together in externalizing it in mass . Dropping Yennefer¡¯s head, he turned to face them, gripping the [Dragon yer] tightly . Enrobed in shadows, he disced the reality around him and heaved up into the sky where he was suddenly met by a massive sh of light dropping on top of his head; spherical in shape, it was reminiscent of sun . He cleaved up in a quick fashion, unfurling his wings in the process; the sphere split across the middle in two halves, with him emerging through the opening and fluttering the wings as he cruised above them for a moment before dropping down . The middle-aged man met him directly, supported by five more people -- two men and three women -- as they danced into a strange-looking formation . The rest retreated slightly while unleashing a barrage of attacks on him . From up and below, from all ends and sights, all Lino saw were attacks directed at him; arrays of light, balls of me, pirs of void . . . however, rather than retreating, he stepped directly both in the six¡¯s formation as well as the onught of the attacks . Meeting them head-on, he spun forward, withdrawing the wings, and slicing away with the [Dragon yer] . He didn¡¯t have much time left on his buffs, but he wasn¡¯t all too worried; after all, everything he was doing at the moment were just mere theatrics . The eighteen des were yet to position themselves properly . Until then, he just had to survive -- something he knew he wouldn¡¯t have any trouble with . Angry roars, one after another, exploded toward him, apanied by the booming sounds of explosions . His body was like a target practice dummy, epting everything it was thrown at it; yet, seemingly regardless of how much he was hit, he didn¡¯t even flinch . Working through the sky-wide of attacks, he was slowly approaching the middle-aged man who was currently holding two floating orbs of light in the palms of his hands . "!!" he cried out, crashing the two orbs together . "!!" Lino suddenly felt sluggish as the blending darkness disappeared, drowned out in the siege of pure light . Looking around, he realized that all figures had disappeared somece; chuckling lightly, he merely externalized his Will slightly in concert with the Divine Sense to locate all of them -- one who happened to be just behind Lino . Thetter nced back and met a pair of green eyes who suddenly widened in horror as a hand grasped at the skull . The sound of the crackling bones exploded out once more with a cry of anguish as brain matter flew up with blood and gore, absorbed by the ethereal shadow that Lino had be . "!" numerous voices cried out at the same time . "!!" Looking up, Lino saw a massive, simple-looking hammer manifest in the sky . Spanning tens of miles, it slowly began descending toward him, carrying with it a massive momentum of wind . " . . . you still don¡¯t understand," Lino said in a low tone, nocking the [Dragon yer] by his waist . "Just what it means to battle an Empyrean . " he bend forward slightly, seemingly tensing his muscles as the hammer descended . Exploding in a singr burst of speed, he broke well past the speed of light as the massive hammer suddenly exploded into billions of pieces, shattering the Domain of Light in the process . One cry after another bellowed out into the sky as blood and gore mingled with the rain of rubble and ruin that showered the earth down below . The middle-aged man, alongside several dozen others, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood as they were shot out of the domain before it copsed . Everyone nced up and saw Lino in free fall as he aimed directly at them . "All our predictions were wrong," the middle-aged man sighed lowly as he suddenly took out a strange-looking piece of dirty cloth . "Truly, you can¡¯t gauge the Empyrean by his age, his level, his realm . . . his anything . They live on an entirely different ne . " "That-- are you sure?" a woman standing next to him asked, frowning while looking at the piece of cloth . "We cannot kill him," the man said, throwing the cloth up . "But . . . we can stun his progress . The Mother only needs a little bit longer; we cannot allow him to distract her and break her progress . " "Very well . . . " Lino, too, had noticed the cloth; inspecting it, he chuckled bitterly -- truly, if he didn¡¯t have those eighteen des that seemingly everyone had forgotten about, he would have been screwed . The piece of cloth was rather perverted, exactly akin to something he himself would craft -- if he even knew where he would even begin with . [Time-tattered Shroud -- Unique Void Artifact] Uses: 1/3 Special Effect [Ether of Time] -- binds itself to the targeted victim, forcibly preventing them from increasing their strength for a century; cannot be Dispelled, Evaded or Resisted Note: ??? It was truly a . . . strange item . Hardly meant for harm, it was more of a crippling tool that ought to only ever be used due to pure hatred that cannot be fixed in any way, shape or form . He suddenly came to a halt, freely epting the cloth, even holding it in his hand and feeling its rugged texture . He didn¡¯t know whether Ataxia would have been able to repel it, but it was unnecessary; today was his show, his battle, his message to the entire world . Taking his eyes off the cloth, he looked toward the middle-aged man who had a wide smirk stered on his face . "Even if this worked," Lino said . "It¡¯s only a hundred years . It took me less than twenty to catch up to you . So . . . in hundred and ten, I woulde back and wipe the entire concept of the Holy Grounds from the existence . " "If it worked?" the man chuckled . "You are underestimating Artifacts, kid . Even with Ataxia¡¯s help, you should only slightly lower the amount of years . By the time you are free of the curse, the world will have moved on without you . " " . . . you still don¡¯t understand," Lino said, his eyes angling into the smiling position, his voice carrying a slight yfulness . "Or, at least, you do your damn best to forget what it means to fight the Empyrean . " "Oh, please do tell what we do not understand . " the middle-aged man seemingly humored him . "Time . . . space . . . life . . . death . . . Chaos reigns supreme over them all," Lino said, looking up at the sky . "You shouldn¡¯t havee here . In your heart of hearts, you knew I wouldn¡¯t spare anyone . Yet, you still came . It must be because you were confident in battling me . So, if I don¡¯t teach the world a lesson, morons like you will keep swarming in, seeking to enrich their glory and name with a title of the Empyrean yer . I can¡¯t be bothered to fight each time a swarm of flieses knocking . " " . . . " "At least, if nothing else, you¡¯ll finally understand," Lino said, chuckling . "What it means to fight the Empyrean . -- . " as his voice vanished, so did the world -- everything, anything, everyone . . . became the bearers and the sacrifices to the Genesis . Chapter 299 Chapter 299 CHAPTER 299 REIGN OF CHAOS (III) How did the world begin? Since the dawn of time, many had pondered the conception of everything, the distant beginning, the start of everything known . Be it ere old Writs, Spirits, or countless races that rose and fell over the course of eons, they were not exempt from it . However much they pondered, however, no one quite knew the answer; how to understand the beginning when there are no records of it? No remnants whatsoever . Many still, though, envisioned their own versions -- their own tales and stories over how the life came to be, how the sky cloaked the earth, donning the heaven¡¯s crown . Lino, simrly, wasn¡¯t free of the questions; what he couldn¡¯t care for whilst growing up hade to consume a part of his thoughts for thest few years . -- eighteenth form of the -- was the embodiment of what Lino believed happened . Eighteen Elements of Creation, bound together through the Entropy, dissipating into the forms and shapes that woulde to form the universe, and the world itself . The eighteen des that had seemingly orbited the sky suddenly exploded up into curving pirs, encapsting the entire valley within their domain, entirely ripping it apart from the rest of the world . Lino hovered at the center of the domain, surrounded by confused and alert men and women who seemed rather desperate over getting out . Soon, eighteen shimmers of light emerged at the pirs¡¯ bases, slowly rising up like sun on the sky over the pirs, bounding toward the topmost singrity . The world shook and shivered, yet all the sounds remained snuffed out; cries for help started and ended in their lungs, their questions, ponders . . . the middle-aged man soon came to realize they were frozen . They couldn¡¯t move, speak, couldn¡¯t even breathe . He realized they were cut off from the world; this surrounding darkness . . . wasn¡¯t of this world . If he could extend his arm, he could nigh grasp it, take it and embody it . He truly felt as though he coulde to visualize the Chaos itself if only he wasn¡¯t barred . The desire grew, the haunting gaze in his eyes only too simr to everyone¡¯s . They all felt the same, as though the Chaos belonged to them rather than the Empyrean -- rather than to anyone else . The lights of varying colors rose slowly and steadily, eventually reaching the top . No one knew the passage of time, not even Lino himself, as time here didn¡¯t exist; Laws didn¡¯t exist, nature didn¡¯t exist, nothing save for the entropy trapping the eighteen elements . Theybined into one . . . and all ceased . Thoughts stopped, and even Lino wasn¡¯t spared the consequences . Then, a stark pir of milky-white light descended from the singrity, showering Lino and freeing him . The light was warm, tender, caring, almost childlike; he could almost hear the hymn of colorful voices singing into his ears, could almost feel the touch of countless fingers, could almost smell every single scent known to the world, could almost taste every drink, every bread, every meat, fruit and the ilk . . . the light was horrifyingly calm, unnaturally tranquilizing as it washed him clean . It was beyond beautiful to behold -- not just to him, but to everyone else; they couldn¡¯t rip their eyes away from it, a new-sprung desire to dive headfirst into it birthing inside their hearts and minds and recing the faith of bing the beholder of chaos . Yet, they couldn¡¯t; whether it was the fact that they couldn¡¯t indulge in the light¡¯s life, or the fact that the ensuing inferno that the light would use to consume everything as it touched the ground hurt them more, Lino didn¡¯t know . He did know, however, that the light devoured everything within the domain . They couldn¡¯t even fight -- or, rather, they didn¡¯t even put up a fight . They weed the all-consuming light, they weed their deaths with arms wide open and expressions of lustful desires . In their eyes, Lino could see, it was almost as though they felt like they were born to begin with for this moment alone -- that all their lives were just a big lull, a waiting period, until this very moment . By the time the light dimmed, Lino found himself in the realm of pure matter and energy . There was nothing still, no shape, no form, just a mass of purity that he, too, weed with open arms . It breached past his defenses, circling his Singrity before diving in freely in droves . His enshrouded body slowly disappeared as he returned to being who he was all his life . Standing far up in the sky, he was surrounded in blinding light as the dome copsed, its innards revealed to the world . Thetter simply had no means to quickly fix the destruction, and was forced to show the living the gaping wound left in its crust; for nearly sixty miles across . . . there was nothing . Just a single man, floating high up in the sky, shining like the missing sun . [Analyzing . . . ] [ . . . ] [Requirements met . . . ] [Ascending to Aeviternal Realm . . . ] [---Base Stats increased by 40% . . . ] [Efficiency of Qi increased by 40% . . . ] [Qi capacity doubled . . . ] [ . . . ] [Analyzing . . . ] [Requirements met . . . ] [Ascending to Oeuvre Realm . . . ] [--range of Divine Sense tripled . . . ] [Obtained ¡¯Mind Eye¡¯ -- can see through illusions more easily] [Resistance to Soul Attacks increased by 80%] [ . . . ] [Analyzing . . . ] [Requirements met . . . ] [Ascending to Bezaleel Realm . . . ] [--obtained ¡¯Heavenly Aura¡¯ -- Spirits are more likely to be friendly . . . ] [Life expectancy doubled . . . ] [--ability to create Chaos Qi directly from the surrounding Qi obtained . . . ] [ . . . ] A robotic voice soon listed out a string of notifications inside Lino¡¯s mind; thetter, however, was too preupied by a massive surge of strength, of capacity he couldn¡¯t quite grasp just yet, to notice . Everything around him grew seemingly smaller, the feeling of invincibility temporarily taking over . His eyes opened momentarily as Qi in his surroundings suddenly stirred, shimmering like a wave . " . . . not enough . " he mumbled faintly as he suddenly bellowed out into the world, stirring his Will to epass nearly half a mile around him, devouring thest bit of light and Qi he could as he stirred his Singrity more and more . Suddenly, a massive boom sounded out with him as a source, the resulting shockwave shaking the skies . A straightced pir of ck light descended from the darkened sky and hit him squarely, devouring him whole for a moment . Crying out in pain, Lino grit his teeth and endured as every single inch of his body began bleeding, every cut seemingly stirred further by burning alcohol . Inside and out all he felt was pain, his mind shuddering and shivering, the desire to simply crawl into the earth and hide nearly overwhelming him . He didn¡¯t give in, however, enduring with all that he had; nearly thest shred of his Will would copse before the pir disappeared, leaving him tattered and blooded, hanging in the sky . [ . . . ] [Analyzing . . . ] [Requirements met . . . ] [Ascending to Godhood . . . ] [ . . . ] [ . . . ] As though the time itself had reversed, all his wounds healed immediately, his body straightening like a spear . His eyes shone momentarily in blinding white, the world around him seemingly bending and kneeling to his Will . [ . . . ] [Betrothal of the Imperishable -- achieved . . . ] [ . . . Realm of the Ineffable obtained . . . ] [Level increased to 851 . . . ] [Fifth Gate Opened -- connection to Law of Madness established . . . ] [ . . . ] [Rewards: , Primal Spirit] [ . . . ] Lino slowly descended andnded on the ground where he was weed by the smiling Hannah who had a rather peculiar expression on her face, as well as the duo behind her who didn¡¯t even dare look up and meet his eyes for some reason . He quizzically nced over them for a moment before shrugging and leaving them be, ncing back at the destruction that was just slowly now beginning to repair . "--well, at least I proved a point . " he said, chuckling bitterly . "Not sure what kind of a point, but a point nheless . " "So . . . how long are you gonna keep up that facade?" Hannah said, suddenly poking his side upon which Lino grimaced and groaned, growling at her after the fact . "W-what facade, woman? I¡¯m as perfect as I ever was . Untouchable . So don¡¯t touch . Please, for the love of god don¡¯t touch . " "Ha ha ha, alright, alright, I won¡¯t touch," she said, punching him lightly on the shoulder; Lino suddenly shuddered and cried out lowly, falling on his behind in the process . "Oh shit, sorry . " she hurriedly tried to help him up as he screeched and backed away . "I just said it! No touching! All you had to do was abstain! Keep your lust in check! You goddamn nymphomaniac!!" " . . . is this really the sort of face you want to show to our new friends here?" Hannah said, barely holding back fromughing as she pointed at Litha and Vyrove . "I could literally shit on their heads, and they¡¯d still see me as just the guy who kind of ripped a hole in the world . " Lino shrugged . "Why do you always go for most disgusting ends?" Hannah sighed . "I mean, I¡¯m a patient and understandingdy Lino, but I¡¯m still ady . " "--really?" Lino smirked . "Hey, you two, on the scale of one to ten, how batshit insane is she?" " . . . " " . . . " "Say one!!" Hannah yelled at them . "Just say it!!" "Hey, hey, don¡¯t encourage people to lie," Lino chuckled, walking over . "As they say, honesty builds bridges that cannot be burned . " "Who the fuck is they?! Nobody says that! Literally! Well, except you . Are you everybody? Do you suddenly hear a lot of voices?!" " . . . hey, I¡¯m all for the friendly banter, but you¡¯re breaking my heart over here . " "Be happy it ain¡¯t your bones . " "Why are you so angry?! I¡¯ve literally done nothing!" " . . . except call me insane? Khm, sorry, ¡¯batshit insane¡¯?" Hannah smiled coldly . " . . . oh . Yeah . There was that . But, hey, as they say, there is method to my madness, and there is beauty to yours . " " . . . " " . . . there is no ¡¯they¡¯, is there?" Lino asked, sighing . "There¡¯s never ¡¯they¡¯ . Just say things, don¡¯t attribute them to some ghost because you¡¯re afraid people won¡¯t like what you¡¯re saying . " "What did we say about speaking truth in this rtionship?!" "Do it because it¡¯s fun to see Lino trying to patch back up his shattered reality?" " . . . you¡¯re a cruel, cruel mistress, Hannah . " Lino said, chuckling lightly as he nced back at the destruction once more . A lot has happened today, not just for the world, but also himself; he¡¯d gotten much stronger than he anticipated, did things he didn¡¯t even dream he was capable of, and it was still only just the beginning . The true reign of chaos . . . was yet toe . Chapter 300 Chapter 300 CHAPTER 300 THE ETERNAL WATCHER Above the now-repairedndscape of a tiny valley within the Central Continent, hundreds of souls were currently floating, examining, murmuring and questioning . The mere presence of majority of them stirred Qi in their surroundings, even with them consciously holding back . All sorts of sigils and banners rested on their adorned clothes, the varying expressions decorated with gem-like eyes and gazes piercing through the reality itself . Yet, despite everything, the mostmon of the expressions was confusion; no matter how they probed and inspected, there seemed to be nothing odd with the world of the small valley -- yet, they were more than just certain that this was the ce where Empyrean sent nearly a hundred souls to an early grave through a catatonic rebirth of the world . Among those present was Alex, apanied by two women and six young men; one of the two women was Alison, who gazed about half in horror, half in ache . She¡¯d watched the battle partially, and saw Hannah in the distance; yet, despite that, she could hardly focus on her . The Empyrean, for better or worse, seemed to naturally draw eyes toward him . The figure, though enshrouded in shadows and practically featureless, seemed oddly familiar -- especially the pair of eyes, she felt as though she¡¯d seen them somece before, though unable to pinpoint the exact moment . She didn¡¯t have much to do here as she was still far too weak to even try and pick up on the remnants of energy; if those far more experienced than her came up empty, what business did she have trying it? A young man suddenly approached her, smiling faintly; he was roughly half a head taller than her, donning short, ck hair and a cleanly-shaven, rather handsome face decorated with a pair of twilight-colored eyes . He wore the same robes as her, tinted in lime-green by the edges, silver elsewhere, and had a rather calming air about him . "Do you know what the Elders are trying to do?" he asked her in a rather affectionate voice . "Not really," Alison replied, smiling bitterly, fluttering her eyshes gently . "Do you, Senior Brother?" "Hm," the young man nodded . "The connection got suddenly cut as soon as the domain copsed, revealing the nothingness left behind . They are trying to determine the Empyrean¡¯s exact realm through sensing his remnant energy -- it is nigh impossible to determine it directly, as Chaos is an ever-changing element . " "Why are theying up empty, though?" Alison asked . "As I said, Chaos is ever-changing," the young man chuckled . "Unless captured immediately, it tends to . . . blend in . " "You¡¯re partially right," Alex suddenly chimed into the conversation, smiling warmly as he gazed upon the two . "Besides his Realm, we are trying to determine the purity of his Qi . Just as with the rest, not all Chaos Qi is equal . " "Ah, Master!" both Alison and the young man quickly bowed, facing him . "Does it make as big of a difference as with us?" the young man asked . "Bigger," Alex replied, frowning slightly . "Every facet of Chaos grows stronger the purer it is . In theory, if he¡¯s able to purify itpletely, he woulde inches away from transforming it into Primal Chaos . In theory, of course . " he added, chuckling . "But, there doesn¡¯t seem to be much of anything here, to be honest . Just the corpses he left behind . " "Litha and Vyrove still missing?" Alison asked . "They are," Alex nodded . "Ion, why don¡¯t you take Ally and go back to the Sect? Your Trials are just a few days away . There¡¯s no need for you to distract yourselves with this . " "Yes, Master!" both Alison and Ion replied, bowing lightly before departing, their faint chuckles and giggles resonating through the sky . "Ah, to be young," a familiar voice brought up a smile to Alex¡¯s face as he turned around and met the friendly eyes of an old man . "Isn¡¯t that right, youngd?" "Youngd?" Alex chuckled . "From what I recall, I¡¯m at least a few hundred thousand years older than you . " "You certainly don¡¯t look the part," the old man chuckled, stroking his beard . "Could that be why you still have a wife?" "Could be, could be . " "How is Janna anyway?" the old man asked . "I haven¡¯t seen her for thousands of years, it feels . " "Attending to the garden, as always," Alex replied, sighing and smiling bitterly . "I keep asking her to go on these short excursions with me, and she keeps throwing goddamn flowers at me . " "Ha ha ha, she always had a way of controlling you . " "What about you old Cane?" Alex asked . "Any chance of ever hitching yourself and producing an heir?" "Hoh, marriage was never for me," the old man said, flying next to Alex . "Too many expectations and rules . " " . . . can I ask you a question?" Alex¡¯s tone suddenly turned serious . "As a friend?" "As who else could you?" " . . . E . . . has she contacted you?" Alex asked . " . . . she has," Cane replied, nodding . "As I understand, she paid you a visit too not too long ago . " " . . . she tried to warn us, in her own way," Alex sighed . "But, as always, we are blind, old friend . " " . . . if it helps, nowes the period of armistice," Cane added, turning around . "Take the moment to gather your bearings . . . and think, carefully and deeply . " " . . . " Alex watched the fading back for a moment, sighing afterwards as he nced around the entire valley . Though the world does have a tendency of underestimating the generational Empyrean, even he waspletely unable to fathom the depths of Empyrean¡¯s strength . He was beyond certain however, that at least going by the realms, the Empyrean wasn¡¯t even a Void Titr yet -- still, despite that, he managed to kill seven Fiend Titrs with seeming ease, and nigh a hundred Void Titrs . Though not exactly unprecedented, especially when ites to the Empyreans, it does spell a foreboding future; while it may be the case of every cultivator, for the Empyrean it is especially so --- the longer they live, the stronger they get, the more dangerous they be . Empyreans¡¯ weakest period is exactly this one -- the initial growth . They are yet to master any Laws, topletely control their Will, which limits their battle prowess to Qi -- which they cannot externalize . However, the more they be familiar with the former two concepts, the less that weakness applies . Eventually, that weakness ceases to exist altogether; they be something that cannot be fought, let alone defeated . The Empyrean had seemingly already left the initial period of growth, having already used both Laws of Death and Time so effectively, to say nothing of his ability to manipte his Will; what spelled more danger than anything else, at least to Alex, was exactly that -- that he was able to do all those things before even bing a Void Titr . Sighing once more, he nced at the valley for thest time before disappearing . As Cane said, he had a lot to think about, and he knew that the decisions he woulde to make in the following years would either lead to the prosperity of Eternal Paradise, or its ultimate downfall . He had already began regretting living for so long, yet that regret would vanish the moment he¡¯d enter his home¡¯s courtyard . ** Lino was currently staring angrily at an unexpected visitor; a balded man was standing on the balcony of a tall spire within the Kvalend Grounds, just outside Lino¡¯s room, overseeing the world beneath with a yful expression . Lino could hardly do much about it, as he was more than just bedridden -- he couldn¡¯t even use Divine Sense to call someone to kick the old man out . . . not that anyone even could, really . "Hey!!" Lino cried out in frustration . "Are you gonna tell me what the hell are you doing here, or do you just n on bing a bonafide voyeur?!" " . . . do you want me to poke you?" the old man turned and nced at Lino dubiously, thetter shuddering . " . . . that sentence carries a lot of connotations, old man . " "And I imagine you wouldn¡¯t exactly enjoy any one of those . " "I¡¯d enjoy if you could poke me with riches beyond my understanding . " " . . . haah, of course you would . " the old man sighed, walking back into the room . "I sure wish I could show this picture to the rest of the world . Right about now they¡¯re all running around like panicked chicken, wondering just how insanely powerful you are . . . yet, you¡¯re a goddamn cripple . You can¡¯t move a finger . Ha ha ha, oh, the justice . It does exist . " " . . . you¡¯re one hateful grandfather, aren¡¯t you?" "Oh, no, I am a very loving one," the old man said . "To my legitimate grandchildren, that is . " " . . . one day I¡¯ll be stronger than you . And then we¡¯ll have a talk, old man . " "Perhaps, one day," the old man said, smiling . "Until then, though, you¡¯ll be a busy bee . " "Huh?" "I¡¯ve got a mission for you and your little girlfriend . " " . . . " "Ah . Coming here was so worth it . Just for that gobsmacked expression . " "You just said it yourself!! I¡¯m a goddamn cripple!! Are you a sadist?! Tell me, you¡¯re a fucking sadist, aren¡¯t you?!" "Ha ha ha, boy oh boy, this is beyond priceless . " the old man chuckled, suddenly taking out a small, finger-sized bottle . "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m hardly as evil and menacing as you are . Besides, why don¡¯t you hear out what the mission is before you re out like a little child? You¡¯re well in your thirties! Perhaps it¡¯s time you start acting your age?" "Ah, you¡¯re right," Lino said . "But, just know, if I were fourteen by any chance, I¡¯d have said ¡¯go and suck a dumpster of cocks you batshit insane sadist¡¯ . If, of course . " " . . . maybe I should just kill you . " " . . . what¡¯s the mission?" Lino asked in defeat . "Infiltration," the old man said, popping open the small bottle and feeding its liquid contents to Lino who quickly began gagging and coughing over how beyond disgusting it tasted . "You and your little girlfriend will infiltrate a very special ind; once there, you will gather a very special information, and very much try not to get caught in the process . All of this, naturally, will be for a worthwhile reward . " "And what¡¯s that?" Lino probed with interest . "I understand you¡¯re in need of a hiding ce," the old man chuckled . "How about if I offer you a [Flying Fortress] artifact?" " . . . . " "Of course, I¡¯ll lend it to you right away," the old man said, barely holding back from crying out in joy; after all, he¡¯d dealt one blow after another to the ungrateful brat in front of him, and it felt better than most of the things he¡¯d done in quite a few centuries . "After all, you do need it immediately . I¡¯ll transfer its ownership after you¡¯vepleted your mission . How¡¯s that sound?" "It sounds like a job meant for me!" "And your girlfriend . " "It sounds like a job meant for me and my girlfriend!" Lino eximed . "Alright, let¡¯s bargain . " "E-eh? B-bargain?" "Well, duh," Lino shrugged . "What? You think I¡¯m that desperate? I can just refuse the mission, you old, dumb sack, and stay here . We¡¯d figure out a way to stay hidden eventually, we¡¯re not idiots . So, in addition to the fortress, I want more materials---" "YOU ALREADY ROBBED ME DRY!!!" "--oi, oi, watch your tone, I¡¯m still hurt over here!" " . . . " the old man felt like crying, realizing he¡¯d celebrated too early . "So, we¡¯ve already agreed on the fortress, the materials--" "--dude . Come on . " "--and I¡¯ll also want ess to some of your shady, hidden library . " " . . . " "Oh, and also . . . " As Lino went on listing one thing after another, the old man gave up trying to say anything; in the end, he didn¡¯t have to listen to the brat . What¡¯s worse, he was doing all this for him! The mission, the fortress . . . everything so he could help him! Still, the eyes with which he looked at Lino had changed; whatever crap came flying from the brat¡¯s mouth, the old man valued his actions far more . He was not above sparing people, but he wasn¡¯t against killing when necessary either -- and certainly making a show out of it . He was a prizing figure even within the high reaches of the Great Descent; there were those who absolutely adored his ir and somewhat attention-seeking stunts, and then there were those who despised his demeanour, the silver-tongue that was more of a weapon than a de was, and his general behavior . Usually, the Empyreans who follow the Path of Destruction rather than Creation tend to be slightly mad altogether; very few maintain a semnce of normalcy, and only one other ever, at least to the old man¡¯s knowledge, maintained Lino¡¯s indifference to everything . Creation or Destruction, in the end, didn¡¯t really represent anything innately; both were just means for something more, for achieving something greater . They merely differed in execution . At the same time, Hannah sat in the corner of the room, barely holding herself back from theughter, but also screaming at Lino in abject horror; after all, the man he was currently talking to was a mythical figure that even she only ever heard of in the stories and rumors -- the figure of legends was being treated like a nobody, yet he didn¡¯t seem to mind . Hannah could only really praise Lino¡¯s blissful ignorance; if he were truly aware of who the old man was -- No, he¡¯d still act just the same . . . -- Hannah realized inwardly, sighing bitterly . Still, she would expect him to be at least slightly more respectful, and a whole lot more curious . After all, the man he was talking to was one of the founding members of the Great Descent -- Six, The Eternal Watcher and a shadow-creator of every single Holy Ground that would either prosper ore to define an era, a puppeteer who the entire world fears more than Death itself . END OF VOLUME XII END OF BOOK III - ORDER AND CHAOS Chapter 301 Chapter 301 LEGEND OF THE EMPYREAN BLACKSMITH BOOK IV WAR OF WRITS VOLUME XIII LAST BASTION OF MAGIC CHAPTER 301 BEFORE IT ALL BEGAN (I) A dirty road stretched through the thickly veiled forest, dampened by thest night¡¯s rain, yet to dry due to the sun¡¯s rays failing to reach it through the branches . Varied shrubbery rose at the road¡¯s sides, some bearing strange fruit, some even stranger insects, but the path itself was oddly clear of any greenery . Just slightly off the distance, an entourage of roughly forty men and women, surrounding a massive wagon loaded with crates of goods, walked slowly and steadily, asional bouts ofughter and booming loudness interrupting the silent forest . All of them appeared to be the rugged bunch, hardly an expensive piece of clothing anywhere to be found, with any form of jewelry being even rarer . There seemed to be no clear leader, with groupsrgely formed at random, individuals crossing left and right from time to time to join another . If there was one thing that they all seemed to have inmon, it was the thick ent; very few, if any, who would hear them speak the Common Tongue could properly understand them, yet that barrier didn¡¯t seem to exist within themunity . The wagon suddenly came to a halt as someone eximed ¡¯lunch time¡¯; seemingly beyond just practiced, a few individuals began stripping supplies from the wagons, a few others rounding the driest branches they could find -- and supplying the rest from their own reserves -- while others rolled out a massive pot and pulled it over onto a small, elevated tform made out of steel rods . At the same time, thest group began pouring water, strange-looking mushrooms and a few pieces of beef from the wagon into the pot, as thest group began stirring the mes beneath . When the tasks werepleted, everyone sat around the wagon calmly, waiting for the meal . In a small corner, leaned against a thick oak, were five people; two women and three men, all with starkly simr features -- ck hair and eyes and rather yful smiles seemingly permanently etched on their faces . One of the women had a ratherrge bulge on her stomach, while one of the men often did rounds around her to ensure there were no insects . "Oh for the love of hell, give it a rest!" seemingly getting tired, the woman cried out as she pulled the man¡¯s arm and forced him to sit . "If my ass was so weak to die to some fuckin¡¯ bug, I¡¯d have died long before we met you bastard . " "We met when we were four, you lunatic!" the man cried out . "Exactly!" "Alright, alright, you two, don¡¯t start again, please," the other woman sighed and rolled her eyes at the two . "You¡¯ve already exhausted all our patience with your antics . Hold back for the rest of the journey . " "Humph, when did it be a crime to be attentive to your pregnant wife?!" the man mumbled out in a wronged tone . "Humph, get bitten . See if I fucking care . " "Of course you care Lyro," one of the menughed out loud . "Joy is pretty much thest joy you¡¯ve got in your life . " "I swear, if you make a pun out of my name one more time," the pregnant woman, Joy, growled in a threatening tone . "I¡¯ll shove a goddamn spear up the hole where the sun don¡¯t shine . You hear me?" "I bet that¡¯d be a rather joyous asion for him, ha ha ha ha ha ha . . . " while Lyro burst out intoughter, he failed to realize that the four had all began ring at him, especially Joy who suddenly punched his face, knocking him on his bum . "W-what was that for?!" "Oh, sorry . It¡¯s pregnancy . " Joy shrugged . "Oh, of course, how silly of me," Lyro said, smiling oddly . "It¡¯s always pregnancy . It¡¯s pregnancy when you punch me, when you break down crying for no reason, when I wake up in the middle of the night to see you on top of me like you¡¯re practicing horseback riding----uh, too much?" "You think?!!!" Joy cried out, her cheeks flushing red while the remaining three around them broke out intoughter . "Shut up!" she turned toward them . "Go away! Right now!" "Ho ho," one of the womenughed strangely as the three got up . "Looks like she¡¯s about to do some more practicing fes~~" "I¡¯ll practice shoving a sword--" "Alright, alright, they¡¯re gone honey, m down," Lyro held her back from leaping after the trio like a panther, smiling bitterly . "It¡¯s not as though nobody knows, you know? After all, you didn¡¯t just get fat . " "Oh, I know," Lyro stuttered in surprise as he saw Joy suddenly return to normal . "I just wanted to chase them away but didn¡¯t want to seem rude . You know?" " . . . well yed you devil . Well yed . " Lyro pped slowly, nodding . " . . . should be any day now," she smiled, rubbing her belly gently . "Who do you want?" "A girl!" Lyro eximed without hesitation . "Eh?! Really? Why not a son?" Joy asked . "What? You want to condemn our child to the life of eternal solitude?!" Lyro eximed in horror . "W-what?" "Just imagine it --- a son of ours approaches thedy . . . boom, what¡¯s the first thing he says?" "Your tits are blessings from the gods?" Joy muttered, tilting her head sideways . "And pa! pped like a little bitch he would be . " " . . . there¡¯s a lot wrong with you -- but, this by far takes the cake . " Joy said, chuckling bitterly . "If it¡¯s a girl, she at least stands a chance, you know?" he said . "I mean, I¡¯m handsome, you¡¯re beautiful, she¡¯s bound to shake the hearts of many men . So long as she keeps her mouth shut for a while, she¡¯ll make it, I just know . " "Wouldn¡¯t it be the same if it were a boy?" Joy asked . "So long as he kept his mouth shut, that is . " "No, no, no, it¡¯s different for guys," Lyro shook his head . "I mean, he¡¯d only have his handsome face . There¡¯s only so far you can go with just a face; we¡¯re poor as all shit, so charming girls with glitter is out of the question . Since he can¡¯t talk, he can¡¯t be charming or funny . He¡¯ll also be lucky to be able to wear anything half the time, so bedazzling them with fitting clothes is out of the question . He definitely won¡¯t ever know how to cook, clean, and most-certainly won¡¯t ever learn how to fight, so . . . he¡¯s only got his face going for him . At most," he added . "He could be a mute gigolo or something . " "I have a feeling you¡¯ve just cursed our child more than anyone has ever cursed any kid in the history of the world," Joy said . "Now I¡¯m almost certain it¡¯s a boy . " " . . . ah, poord," Lyor said, leaning against her shoulder . "He¡¯ll turn into that creepy old guy who collects snakes and yells at kids . " "I don¡¯t think so . " "Hm?" "I think . . . he¡¯s going to be brave," Joy said, smiling warmly as she nced down . "I think he¡¯s going to be honest . . . strong . . . smart . Kind to people . After all, those are the things that truly matter; whatever his undoubtedly poisonous tongue may spit out, I think the world will see him for who he actually is . " " . . . my question is," Lyro said . "How in the god¡¯s name is he going to be any of those things? We are literally opposite of all of them!" "Hey, you bastard! Speak for yourself!" Joy eximed . " . . . alright, I¡¯ll humor you . Proceed . " "I¡¯m very honest--" "--the hell you are . Tell me, who drank myst bottle of good wine?" "--p-past-pastor . . . " "Of course he did . " "Khm, anyway, besides that, I¡¯m also very strong--" "--and that¡¯s why we have mysterious diseases that prevent us from exerting ourselves too much . " "-a-and . . . " Joy seemed to be on the verge of tears while Lyro kept smirking . "I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m very smart . . . " "Ah, face it honey," he said, kissing her gently . "We¡¯re at most cruel beauties . If we weren¡¯t married to each other, we¡¯d be making twopletely innocent people beyond miserable . " " . . . ah, who am I kidding . . . you¡¯re right . . . I¡¯m just an evil, beautiful goddess . " "Hey, at least you¡¯re a goddess," he added . "More than what most other women can im . " " . . . ah, why weren¡¯t we more careful!" she eximed . "We¡¯ve basically condemned this kid to the most pathetic life!" " . . . maybe we¡¯re just letting our shorings gue our minds," Lyro said after a short silence . "Perhaps he¡¯ll really be all you¡¯ve said . " " . . . . " " . . . . " " . . . . " "Pfft, ha ha ha ha, no way . " both burst out intoughter, holding hands tenderly, wishing inwardly they were wrong . Chapter 302 Chapter 302 CHAPTER 302 BEFORE IT ALL BEGAN (II) "Push!" a hurried cry echoed out into the forest amidst the shrieks and screams that seemed to drown out all other sounds . "I¡¯ll push your goddamn mother, this is your fault!!" an angry growl beckoned back, causing the former voice to shriek out as its bearer seemingly turned to tears . "--y-you didn¡¯t have to punch my face! My face is the only thing I¡¯ve got going for me, and you know that!" "You two, shut the fuck up!" an angry woman¡¯s voice interjected between the two . "We don¡¯t need your goddamn antics right now! Joy, ignore him and focus on giving the birth to this poor kid!" In the midst of the woods, within a rather shabbily-built tent of branches and leaves, three people were currently present, while the tent itself was surrounded by a sea of others, all quietly mumbling something . Inside, Joyy still on her back, her legs heaved up and stretched, her face red like blood, teeth grit together . Lyro sat by her side, holding back a cry of pain over how firmly she held his hand; from time to time, he¡¯d nce down and over the gown and regret it each time as he certainly could not quite grasp what he was seeing . The third person was a middle-aged woman, who had a beyond angry expression as she tried to focus on both helping the kide into the world alive, as well as ignore the two maniacs who would certainly ruin the poord . "Alright, almost there!" the woman cried out, seeing the head pop out slowly . "Give it a shove! A good shove!" "Hear her honey? A good shove! Just like I did--" "SHUT THE FUCK UP!! AAARRRGHH!!!" Joy cried out as she flexed every muscle she had in her body, using the scream to alleviate the pain slightly . Soon, another cry joined in with the rest . "Uwaaa--uwaaa--" the middle-aged woman held a baby boy in her arms, her angry expression swiftly changing into one of warmth . Cutting the cord, she slowly got up and walked over to a small tub of the water where she quickly washed the baby before wrapping him in a clean piece of cloth, handing him over to Joy who epted him with a beaming smile on her face; in that moment, seemingly, she¡¯d forgotten all about her own pain . "It¡¯s a boy, you two . " the middle-aged woman said with a smile, yet the reaction of the two left her stunned; there was pain and ache and pity as they looked at the baby, not joy, happiness and bliss as she expected . "W-what¡¯s wrong?!" she asked quickly . "Ah, it¡¯s alright honey," Lyro said, caressing Joy¡¯s head . "Even if he won¡¯t marry, he can just stay with us until we die . Afterwards, he can just be a hermit . " "Indeed, indeed," Joy nodded . "Such a shame . . . " " . . . poor kid," the woman, seemingly defeated, sighed and turned around to leave . "He never stood a chance . . . " as the woman left the tent, Lyro quickly swiped the boy from Joy¡¯s arms as thetter swiftly fell asleep due to exhaustion . Pulling the nket over her tenderly, he then switched over to the boy who had long since stopped crying, and was sucking on his thumb in sleep . "No matter what, kiddo," he said . "Dad¡¯s never gonna let anything happen to you, you hear? I got lucky with mommy, so I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another insane woman out there that¡¯s gonna be perfect for you . He he, look at you, suckin¡¯ on that thumb . You really remind me of mom . Well, except the thumb part is much bigger in her case . He he . Khm, don¡¯t tell her that, though . Okay? She gets real pissy if you point out just how perverted she is, you know? I don¡¯t get it . I own up to my own perversions . s, some women are . . . " and thus, Lyro went on a long monologue of what men and women and world is like, properly projecting all his knowledge onto a baby who could neither understand him, nor really hear him as the boy was fast asleep . Quite a few hours passed before Joy woke up groggily; though she still felt ache, it was much better and bearable . ncing sideways, she saw Lyro reading something with the small baby sleeping in hisp . Her lips curled up in a tranquil smile, as she fought to sit up; Lyro noticed her only then, quickly shifting over to her and helping her up, giving her a small cup of warm water afterwards . "How are you feeling?" he asked with a worried expression . "I¡¯ll live," Joy replied . "How¡¯s the baby?" "Asleep," Lyro sighed . "He slept through all of my life lessons, poord . " "He just can¡¯t seem to win . " Joy chuckled . "So, anyway, what should we name him?" " . . . we have to give him a proper name," Lyro said, his expression turning serious . "That coupled with his undoubtedly handsome face will at least give him some chance of sess . We can¡¯t scar the poord with a terrible name too . " "So, something strong, awe-inspiring then . " "Hmm, indeed . " " . . . . " " . . . . " "Should I ask the elder?" Joy proposed . "No! Goddammit woman, if we can¡¯t even name our own goddamn kid, how are we ever going to raise him?!" "Ah! Good point!" she eximed . "Indeed, we have to at least do this much . So, uh, how about . . . Lyro Junior?" "Aii, no, no, then he would always feel like he¡¯s living in my shadow," Lyro shook his head . "And he¡¯ll always just try to be like me . " "Oh, yes . We don¡¯t want that . " "Even though I agree, it hurt how emotionlessly you said it . " "So, do you have anything in mind?" "Immoeath . " Lyro mumbled . " . . . what . " "Immaoeth . " "What the fuck!" "As I said, Imma--" "I know what you said!!" Joy interrupted . "You can¡¯t be seriously thinking of literally marking our kid for death!" "What the hell?! I think it¡¯s pretty cool!" Lyro eximed . "It¡¯s short for immortal ster of death!" " . . . oh sweet lord . . . " "It means he¡¯s going to defy the death itself! Is there anything more badass than that?!" "Ah, screw this . Let¡¯s just name him after your dad . " Joy said . "That way at least we know he won¡¯t get any strange nicknames at the very least . " "Eh? Lyonel? Isn¡¯t that a bit . . . uninspired?" Lyro said . "I¡¯ve already heard what your ¡¯inspired¡¯ sounds like, and I¡¯d rather not take any chances anymore . " " . . . haah, you¡¯re right . I suppose Lyonel sounds decent . Do you agree, Lyonel? Ah, right, he¡¯s a sleep . " "And also a baby . " "Yup, that too . " "It¡¯s good that we settled on the name atst," Joy said . "Ah, do you have any booze?" " . . . c-can you drink it? Is it safe?" Lyro asked meekly . "I¡¯ve held back for over eight months because of you," she growled . "So our kid doesn¡¯t get dealt even worse cards . I think I deserve a goddamn drink . " "Coming right up!" Lyro said as he fetched a gourd of wine and handed it to her . "Wanna d--" "No . " she interrupted quickly . "But you don¡¯t even--" "I¡¯m not letting you fuck me . " " . . . ah, and thus it begins . . . " Lyromented lowly . "I can¡¯t believe you even wanna stick it in just five hours after I¡¯ve shat out a whole human out of it . " Joy said, looking at him strangely . "There¡¯s something seriously wrong with you . " "Hey!! How rude!" Lyro said . "There is absolutely nothing wrong with a healthy man expressing healthy interests in a god-endowed body of his wife! Would you tell your son that there¡¯s something wrong with him when he finds himself stroking this and that without knowing why? Or would you properly exin it to him?!" "You may be dumb in every single other aspect," she added, chuckling . "But how in god¡¯s name do you always have an answer when ites to perverted topics?" " . . . how can you not know that?" he asked, ncing at her angrily . "I¡¯ve had to excuse every single one of my yearnings to you ever since I began having them!" "Oh god, you can¡¯t be serious!" she eximed right back . "What the hell do you mean ¡¯you had to excuse¡¯?! You practically stuck it in the moment it could get up! I remember sneaking out of my parents¡¯ house in the middle of the night because of your goddamn ¡¯yearnings¡¯!" " . . . oh shut up," Lyro rolled his eyes at her . "Can you be more selective?! What about the dozens of times you snuck into my room and just decided to go at it while I was asleep?!" "Y-y-you!!" Joy cried out in embarrassment . "Get out!! Get out right now!!" "Oh, yeah, scream, like that¡¯s gonna erase the past . He he . " "I¡¯ll erase you, you fucker!!" "Oooh, scary~~" Chapter 303 Chapter 303 CHAPTER 303 BEFORE IT ALL BEGAN (III) Lyro¡¯s and Joy¡¯s group all burst into cheers as they finally left the damnable forest, finding their way onto the downhill pathway that led toward an open valley where a small, cozy-looking town appeared in their vision . It had been a long journey, but they had made it atst; nearly a whole month of ring through the woods was more than enough for most to begin hating trees and flowers . Rather than heading toward the small town immediately, they instead chose to sit at the forest¡¯s edge and rest for a little while while going over their goods once more; after all, as a traveling merchant group, their livelihood depended on selling their goods . Ensuring that nothing was damaged or missing was just one of the few basic steps they did as a routine every few days, especially so before entering a major trading center . Although Bridge Vige couldn¡¯t really be ssified as a mass-transit sort of a town where a lot of trading went on, it was one of their most important costumers -- for years now they¡¯d traded wheat and cloth for various ores at extremely beneficial exchange ratio . They couldn¡¯t even count just how much profit they¡¯ve amassed by reselling the ore to the stone-deprived ces . As they finished theirmunal dinner, they realized that sun had set behind the mountains as the night descended . Seeing as there was really no rush, they set up their tents quickly to spend the night over and embark on thest trek rested and rxed in the chirpy morning . Full moon hung above them, surrounded by a sky void of clouds, starlit and beautiful to behold . They noted the world here was much different than their homnd, where seeing clear sky was as rare as seeing a Dragon; its vast expanse was almost perpetually covered in thick, ck smoke billowing out in droves . One of the reasons the group departed in the first ce was to escape it, to escape the hell that would undoubtedly fall upon them . Hardly a man or a woman lived past the age of 60, and even if they did, most wished they didn¡¯t as the only thing thete years gave them was long, humdrum and painful death as they watched their loved ones perish one after another . It was a fairly damnable way to die, and by the time Lyro and Joy left, most others were nning on doing the same . Though they didn¡¯t know the exact situation as they didn¡¯t have any contacts inside the city, they hoped and prayed everyone made it out okay; after all, the local rulers weren¡¯t exactly known to be amiable and kind . Otherwise, the city wouldn¡¯t have fallen as far down as it did in the end . Midway through the night, almost all fell asleep; save for Lyro who was reading under the candle¡¯s faint mes, no other soul was awake . It was a habit he developed quite a few years ago, hording any and all books he could find on merchandise, learning tricks of the trade, items, materials and their prices across the world in hopes of making the most profit . Murmuring silently something, he looked up from the book for a moment as his brows scrounged up into a frown; outside was eerily silent, not even a chirp of the birds to be heard . Yet, he could faintly feel beneath him the earth¡¯s tremors; everyone here was extremely good at detecting the shifts in earth as they had to learn from the early childhoods -- if the earth began to shake, it would mean another excavation had begun, which meant that it was best if they didn¡¯t leave their homes for a long while . However, as everyone was fast asleep and hardly alert, no one woke so Lyro went outside himself to inspect it; if it was something like an earthquake, he could just let it be, but if it was a stampede of some animals, he¡¯d have to go around and wake everyone up . Walking outside and ncing around casually, he hadn¡¯t spotted anything unusual -- yet, he could still feel the faint tremors . . . and worse, they were growing stronger, however little by little . A worried expression crossed his face; although he never heard reports of anyrge underground animals around the Umbra Kingdom, that wasn¡¯t to say that they couldn¡¯t exist . The most annoying thing about them was the fact that they could spend decades in hibernation, long enough to be entirely forgotten by the newer generations; more than a few towns back home had beenpletely wiped out because of something simr happening . Still, he was almost certain it wasn¡¯t an underground animal, as the tremors they caused were rather distinct; these, on the other hand, Lyro had never experienced before . A cold shiver suddenly ran through his spine as he turned around; weing him was a hooded face,ced with shadows and clear, ck eyes void of any emotion . Before he even had a chance to utter a sound, he felt the voice inside his lungs stagger as the pain assailed his mind and blood gushed out of his throat . A feeling of weakness overwhelmed him as he copsed onto his knees, unable to even cry out to rm the others; he could only helplessly stare around and watch as one hooded figure after another entered the tents and emerged with bloodied knives in their hands . Tears quickly streamed down Lyro¡¯s cheeks as, despite the pain, he began crawling toward Joy¡¯s tent . By the time he crawled into the tent, he was weed by a scene that entirely shattered his heart; Joy stilly in her bed, and seemed entirely the same as he remembered . . . save for the massive gash around her neck and her still chest . Quickly ncing around, he found Lyonel -- in the hands of a man who seemed to be rather gentle with the baby . Angrily gnashing his teeth, Lyro crawled forth and grabbed at the man¡¯s ankle, trying to do something -- anything -- to alleviate the hell he was feeling inside . The man nced down and eximed softly in surprise seeing that the man was still alive, despite having his throat slit . Crouching down while holding the baby, he met Lyro¡¯s eyes and sighed in defeat . "Forgive us," the man mumbled faintly as he pressed his thumb against Lyro¡¯s forehead . "Rest knowing, however, that nothing will happen to your boy . By the grace of chaos, farewell . " Rather than focusing on the man, Lyro instead chose to focus on the sleeping baby in the man¡¯s arms; knowing he would die, he decided for hisst sight to be his son -- and hisst thoughts to be all the things he imagined teaching the boy as he grew up . There was an indescribable feeling stuck inside his chest, like a ball stuck inside his throat that he was unable to spit, like fire burning inside that he was unable to vent . Frustration, unwillingness, pain . . . he suddenly found himself understanding those old, wrinkled souls back home as they buried their sons and daughters one after another, still somehow living to see another dawn . There was nothing worse, Lyro realized, than having stayed alive for so long; he regretted not dying when his throat was slit . At the very least, then, he wouldn¡¯t have had to seen the sight of the love of his life lying cradled in blood, and his own son being taken away while he could only helplessly re at the perpetrator . Lyro¡¯sst moments were full of bitter and angry thoughts, and if such thing as ghosts existed, there was no doubt he would have been reborn as one . The man, on the other hand, after ending Lyro¡¯s life, sighed once more and stood up, walking out of the tent with the baby inside his arms . The rest of the people quickly gathered, roughly ten in total, and after confirming that the entire entourage was dead, the man chose to proceed with the n . "Twenty, you stay with Neen and clean everything up," he said to the group . "The rest of us will regroup with One . After you¡¯re done . . . you know what to do . " "Yes . " the two called out quickly stepped away and went about cleaning the spot of the massacre while the rest slowly trekked downhill toward the town . No one uttered a word as they reached the small vige, skillfully navigating its streets and reaching a small, inconspicuous looking shack at the town¡¯s southern edge . Walking inside, they were weed by a single figure -- a woman seemingly in her early thirties, a would-be-perfect-beauty if not for a scar crossing over one of her eyes . " . . . it¡¯s done?" she mumbled as she saw the baby, walking over to the man . "It is done . " the man nodded heavily . " . . . " the woman picked the boy from the man¡¯s arms and smiled warmly, caressing his head gently for a moment before shifting her gaze toward the others, her smile vanishing . "Let¡¯s go Fourteen," she said . "The rest of you . . . you know what to do . " "Yes . " "Come back to us . . . " the woman mumbled . "As all shall . . . " the rest replied, bowing slightly and vanishing . The man and the woman went out into the nightly streets in silence, the former walking slightly behind thetter with an expression full of mixed emotions . They soon reached one of therger buildings and courtyards inside the town and stopped in front of its gates . The woman sighed as she turned toward man, her eyes briefly flickering with a distant emotion . "I wish it didn¡¯t have to end this way . . . " she mumbled, smiling painfully . "All thingse to an end," the man replied with a smile . "I am only grateful mine came in the service of the Lord . " " . . . we shan¡¯t be long, my love," the woman said, walking up to the man and caressing his cheek with her free arm . "As all things, we shall be reunited inside the pandemonium of souls . Wait for me . " "Always . " the man closed his eyes and kissed the woman¡¯s hand softly before vanishing as well . The woman bit her lower lip and stifled a soft cry, opening the gates and walking up to the front doors of the building . Withdrawing a small cradle from seemingly nowhere, she ced the boy inside and whipped out a piece of parchment upon which she wrote ¡¯Lyonel¡¯, cing it on the baby¡¯s chest . Then, as though she was never there, she too vanished in thin air, leaving behind only silence and a story that the world would nevere to know . Chapter 304 Chapter 304: 304 CHAPTER 304 NORTHERN FJORDS A story popr and known amongst most of the world¡¯s popce was that, of all the ces in the world, the far north was the most uninhabitable; well off the shores of both the Central and the Holy Continent, another existed, though hardly anyone considered it a continent -- it was mostly referred to as an oversizedndmass with no worth or value whatsoever, a ce where the sinners went to repent their sins, and saints prayed for . While, over time, most rumors of it -- such as that the entire continent was a homnd of the legendary Frost Dragon of the yore -- grew to be more and more insane-sounding, there was certainly some truth to the factual knowledge that the Northern Fjords were simply godforsakennd of mountains, snow and ice -- something that Lino, Hannah and Seya could certainly attest to as they stood on the ¡¯shore¡¯ of thendmass . Hannah and Seya were both huddled inside at least fouryers of clothing, yet were still shaking like leafs in the wind; Lino, on the other end, wore a tank-top and thin pants, and seemed more than just fine -- rather, he seemed to actually enjoy the weather, saying that the ¡¯chill honed his mes¡¯ . There was really a simple exnation for it -- Lino¡¯s Vitality stat was simply beyond insane, well into six digits by now, meaning that in order to lower his core body temperature, he would genuinely have to try to go against his body¡¯s core instincts to do so . Hannah and Seya, on the other hand, weren¡¯t so lucky; after all, they weren¡¯t body cultivators, and were hardly the sort to actively work on their Vitality stat . Seeing Lino like that, furthermore, seemingly only worked to increase the chill they felt, alongside the hate the two felt for him . "Oi, oi,dies, what¡¯s with the eyes?" Lino teased . "What? If it¡¯s cold, why don¡¯t you two just throw yourselves into my arms, huh? I¡¯ve got enough warmth in my heart for the whole world, let alone just you two!" "Go freeze to death, you asshole!!" both of the girls cried out in indignation; life, truly, was sometimes too unfair . "What the hell? Where is our transport anyway?!" Hannah grumbled . "Eh? Transport?" Lino mumbled . "But . . . he just dropped us off . " Lino pointed at the boat that was currently flying away from them . " . . . " Seya¡¯s and Hannah¡¯s eyes turned into saucers as they slowly began to realize what Lino¡¯s words meant . "Y-you . . . you mean . . . we--we have to walk the rest of the way?!" Seya cried out . "Walk, run, fly, tunnel," Lino shrugged . "We¡¯re only as limited as our imaginations are!" " . . . " the two girls truly wished to cry, but were too terrified as the chance of their tears freezing on their cheeks was 100% . "Sheesh, if you two are like this now . . . I can¡¯t even imagine what it¡¯s gonna be like when we move further ind . . . " Lino mumbled under his breath as he slowly recalled the entire story that led to the unexpected trio finding themselves here in this hellhole . Shortly after being offered the mission, Lino was also exined its contents -- his task was to infiltrate one of thest schools of Magic in the world, aptly named ¡¯Last Bastion of Magic¡¯ . The nigh-forgotten form of battle and channeling of nature¡¯s strength, Lino had assumed, only lived in old, tattered books and myths; yet, the old man¡¯s words proved him otherwise . Although the practitioners of Magic were few and far between, they existed -- all over the world . It took even Great Descent quite a long time to eventually track them all the way to the Northern Fjords,nd even they didn¡¯t pay any attention to as it was truly a bastion of death . All their attempts at snuffing out the practitioners, however, were futile, as the entirend was covered in massive arrays that would make even the bravest and strongest of the Descent cower in fear . After all, even if Magic was no longer used, most members of the Descent were well aware of its prowess; the highest tier of Magic, Tier 10, was noted to have capacity of literally leveling a continent the size of a Central one within the span of a few breaths . Granted, preparations, resources and time required to set it up were so insane that no one ever bothered, but the possibility was still there . In the end, it was decided upon that the best way to investigate the ns was to sneak in and be one of them . However, there was no one willing to go of their own volition, and no matter what rewards were put up, the mission was simply ignored due to the fact that whoever selected it would have to live on the Northern Fjords for quite a few years . Enter Lino -- an individual who nned on simply vanishing from the world for a few years . The old man had to promise quite a few things in the end, however, which was the only reason Lino decided to go . To increase his chances, however, it was best that he didn¡¯t leave alone -- enter Hannah and Seya . Just Hannah and him would have been quite suspicious, so they decided to drag the poor girl with them, despite the fact that every time she saw Lino, she tried to kill him . It was decided that they would be a happy family of three on the run from the evil continental forces of Sects and ns . Which, Lino mused, was actually true . Hannah eventually managed to persuade Seya to join them, promising the little girl Lino would let her beat him to her heart¡¯s content after the mission was over, so long as she didn¡¯t actually kill him . Naturally, at the moment, Lino was unaware of this arrangement . Save for Lino, the other two weren¡¯t exactly confident in passing as a family; there was first the fact that Seya looked nothing like the two, then there was the fact that neither Hannah nor Lino wore rings, and also the fact that he seemed rather indifferent to the sufferings of his supposed family at the moment . "Anyway, we have no clue where they might be," Lino said after short silence, turning around and walking toward the two while taking out two coral-dyed nkets and covering them with it . Soon, the two girls stopped shaking as their expressions turned into ones of bliss . "Geez, you sure can¡¯t keep up your act . " Lino chuckled . "Wait! That¡¯s the entire point of this journey! Crap . . . if you can¡¯t keep up your act here, how are you going to do it for the rest of the mission? Aii, I knew I should have gone alone . I could have just said I¡¯m a son of something and the chosen child of Magic . I¡¯m sure I could have persuaded at least a few idiots on my side and use that to start my own faction and eventually overtake the main one and be the leader of the whole thing and have an army of crazed Mages on my side . Tell me again, why the hell did I bring you two with me?!" " . . . . " both Hannah and Seya helplessly rolled their eyes, quite unable to understand how Lino came up with such a story and turn of events . "Is that really a way for a man to speak to his wife and his daughter?" Hannah smiled wryly . "You¡¯re right . Ah, fine . Let¡¯s get a divorce and you, my supposed daughter, I¡¯m disowning you . Shoo . " Lino decided to y along . "I¡¯ll disown your mother, you bastard!" Seya screamed out angrily, lunging over and kicking and punching Lino who merely yawned and let the little girl wail at him freely . "She¡¯s sure lively for someone who¡¯s been nothing if not bitchy the entire trip over . " "Where do we go now?" Hannah asked, sighing bitterly " . . . who knows?" Lino shrugged . "Ind?" " . . . you do realize that this entire thing is asrge as the Central Continent, right?" Hannah said, shocked . "Eh, so what . It¡¯s not like we¡¯re pressed for time," Lino chuckled . "Besides, we¡¯re not allowed to use Qi while here . If any one of you do, I¡¯m seriously turning coat, alright? That old bastard has promised me a lot of shit for this---khm, I mean, uh, it¡¯s a mission very close to my heart--" "--didn¡¯t you say that the rewards were standard?" Hannah¡¯s face suddenly darkened as her voice turned colder than the world around them . Lino felt a cold shiver in his spine, remembering that Hannah was quite a greedy woman; the fact that she so often gave him things had kind of made him forget that she was not exactly happy with it . " . . . ah, me and my tongue . " Lino sighed, sitting down and simply spreading his arms open . "Go on . Join the little girl . Bully the best husband and father in the world! Sin so much your souls turn bleak!" "Punching you in the face would redeem half the sneaky shit I¡¯ve done in my life," Hannah said . "But, not just yet . Seriously, although these nkets are amazing, they won¡¯tst us long . We need to find a permanent shelter for the time being so we don¡¯t freeze to death . " "Nah, I¡¯m fine . " Lino chimed in . "On the other hand, maybe we should just cancel the mission . . . " Hannah mumbled . "After all, most of the penalty would fall upon you . . . " "Shelter you said? Hah, piece of cake!" Lino shot onto his feet . "Leave it to the best husband and father in the world!" Hannah and Seya watched him saunter off as they giggled, following shortly after . Lino, on the other hand, was also holding back the tears; he realized the mission would most-likely be very bad for his heart . . . and not because of the mission¡¯s contents, but his ownpanions . Ah, how unjust can the world get . . . a perfect man such as myself treated so . . . haiii . . . . naturally, he kept many such thoughts to himself . Chapter 305 Chapter 305 CHAPTER 305 INSIDE THE POCKET A track of six footsteps stretched over the hillsides and dipping, frozen valleys, winding around a cliff and eventually ending in front of arge hole in the side, leading into the cave -- the only visible ce within one¡¯s sight free of ice and snow . Deep inside the cave, surrounding a raging fire, Seya and Hannah were rubbing their hands together, clustered as close to the fire as possible without being burned . Lino, on the other hand, stood by the side and watched with a rather dubious expression; they¡¯d barely been traveling for three hours from the shore, yet these two were already almost out ofmission . As far as he was concerned, the weather here was rather pleasant; unlike, for instance, the scorching heat of the Demonic Battlefield¡¯s desert, where he had to actively use Qi to cool his body, here he was at peace . Sighing lowly as he sat down, Lino realized that their trek across the Northern Fjords would be anything but easy; if they were truly only capable of walking for just three-four hours at once, how long would it take them to actually reach ind? And, even if they reached it, how long would it take them to actually locate any sign of a civilization? They werepletely barred from using Qi -- and this even included Lino . One of the more fearsome properties of Magic was that even Ataxia was unable to hide itselfpletely from it; it was fine as long as Lino didn¡¯t utilize Qi, but if he did, the chances are that he would be detected nheless . It simply wasn¡¯t a risk he was willing to take so early in their mission, so all that was left was to hope Seya and Hannah would grow some form of innate resilience to the frost over time . As he waited for the two to warm up enough to do anything but crackle their jaws and shake, Lino went over the information he had on the Last Bastion of Magic one more time . In reality, it was truly pitiful -- so pitiful, actually, that he may as well know nothing . Situated somewhere ind, surrounded by Magic Arrays -- which was unconfirmed, merely suspected -- homnd to thest Mages of the world, numbering at least in a few tens of thousands . . . indeed, he could have guessed most of these things himself in the end . Still, there was one piece of information that was rather interesting -- which was the origin of the school; ording to the old man, they were able to faintly trace some of the remnant Magic to a rather old, but robust school of Magic that used to dominate the world during the Skyhaven Era to the point that even the Skyhaven Dynasty had to show them respect -- School of Duality . As its name implied, the school dealtrgely in the binary nature of the world; the differences between Magic and Qi, however, were at full disy here -- there were hundreds of Sects and ns who were simrly training duality, but it was the difference of the scales -- micro versus macro . It was very, very difficult to create opposing dualities through Qi, something Lino was keenly aware of . For instance, the duality of Water and Fire, in theory, would reach as far as oceans and active volcanoes; yet, there was never an instance of a Cultivator managing to utilize two past the rather basic stage of a small stream and ordinary campfire . Magic, on the other hand, made it much easier to form dualities on a macro scale, which is also why its most popr school -- Creation and Destruction -- had piqued Lino¡¯s interest ever since he¡¯d learned of it . It resonated closely with his own situation; though he himself had embarked down the Path of Destruction, Hannah was pursuing the Path of Creation . Even if they were unable to actually use Magic, merely just learning the theory behind how Mages bound two ends together would be more than simply beneficial . In one of the books on history of Magic that the old man had given him, there was an entire chapter dedicated to the two Mages during the Skyhaven Era -- exactly of the Creation and Destruction School -- and how they managed to bring the Skyhaven Dynasty nearly to the brink ofplete copse . While the details were fuzzy and no doubt exaggerated or even outright fabricated, nearly every unt in the history books could be traced back to an event that truly happened . ncing sideways as he ripped himself away of the looping thoughts, he saw Seya and Hannah were finally back to being themselves, leaned against the cave¡¯s strangely warm walls . Their cheeks had finally turned somewhat flushed as color returned to their faces and life to their eyes . "About time," Lino cackled from the back, walking up to the two and sitting opposite of them . "How are youdies feeling?" " . . . I wanna go home . . . " Seya mumbled . "And I want to own the entire world," Lino said . "But it¡¯s best we kept our stupid dreams to ourselves, don¡¯t you think?" "We can¡¯t go on like this," Hannah said, sighing . "There¡¯s only so many caves out there . What if we don¡¯t find one the next time we¡¯re out? We may really need you to literally cradle us into your arms just to survive . . . " " . . . I¡¯m sorry," Lino replied, sighing as well . "I¡¯d have crafted youdies something, but I wouldn¡¯t have been able to use any Qi, which would mean I couldn¡¯t have crafted anything, really . But, hey, think of this as a test! To nurture your Will!" " . . . . " the two girls merely red at him, causing Lino to awkwardly scratch his nose; he was also out of ideas, after all . They really might have to wrap themselves into Lino¡¯s arms if they had any hope of reaching ind . "What about using Grim?" Hannah quizzed . " . . . . " Lino dubiously nced at Hannah for a moment as he awkwardly coughed . "Uh, no go . " " . . . what did that bitch-bird say?" Hannah asked angrily . "N-nothing, don¡¯t worry about it . Anyway, think of the rewards, alright! Think and let the idea of being showered in gold and glitter warm you!" " . . . aaah, maybe we should just go back . " Hannah said . "I¡¯m sure your glib tongue will be able to somehow trick them into epting you . " "And if not, you can always just beat whatever you need out of them," Seya chimed in with a re . "You seem to be very good at it . " "Hey, oi," Lino spoke with a pained expression . "I¡¯m actually a pacifist, you know? I don¡¯t like going around and killing people willy-nilly! Eh? That¡¯s actually not a bad idea . . . " Lino suddenly mumbled . "What?" Hannah asked . "Everyone, meet Rothar!" Lino chuckled as a figure suddenly materialized next to him; Rothar looked nothing like a noble image of a Devil Seya had in mind . He was rugged, tired-looking, wearing barely any clothes, and too terrified to even look at Lino . "L-lord Empyrean . . . " Rothar quickly bowed toward Lino . "Ha ha ha, enough with the formalities," though Lino said that, both Seya and Hannah could see that ego growing, causing them to click their tongues . "Khm, anyway, my friend here had an idea that might work . " " . . . f-friend?" Seya¡¯s brows twitched; after all, what part of that looked like friendship?! It more looked like a dog who was repeatedly beaten by his master to the point the poor thing forgot how to bark and bite . "What is it?" Hannah asked with interest . "I can shove you two into the Dimensional Pocket while we¡¯re traveling . " Lino said . "And take you out once I find appropriate shelter!" " . . . . . " Hannah suddenly nted a palm onto her forehead, not because Lino¡¯s n was stupid, but because it was so basic she nearly cried because she didn¡¯t think of it . After all, Dimensional Pockets capable of storing living things were so rare to the point that Hannah actually forgot Lino was in possession of one . "Huh? Won¡¯t we suffocate inside?!" Seya eximed . "Eh? Where do you think I dragged this poor piece of sh--I mean my friend from?" Lino pointed at Rothar . "Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be just fine . I mean, you¡¯ll be bored out of your fucking minds, but at least you¡¯ll be warm!" "Hey! No cursing!" Hannah eximed . "She¡¯s still just a child!" " . . . she tried to kill me like four times since I¡¯ve sat down . " Lino said . "I think that pretty much disqualifies her from being a kid . " " . . . ah, whatever . Yeah, let¡¯s do that . Wait -- what if you get found out alone?" Hannah asked in the end . "Wouldn¡¯t that pretty much nullify our need to be here in the first ce?" "Heh, don¡¯t worry . Although Ataxia isrgely useless here, he¡¯s not that useless . . . " "Hey . . . " a robotic voice chimed inside Lino¡¯s mind, but thetter simply ignored it . "Anyway, you twodies have nothing to worry about! Get inside of me and warm yourselves up!" "E . . . " both Hannah and Seya eximed at the same time, though they obediently entered the Dimensional Pocket; thetter was, for each, a small room with absolutely nothing else inside . At least, though, it was warm . "So? Why are you still outside?" Lino asked Rothar who was currently squirming next to Lino, seemingly wishing to ask something . "Uh, oh, umm . . . L-lord Empyrean . . . d-do you think . . . y-you could let us . . . go home? I-I promise we¡¯ve learned our lesson!" "Eh, not just yet," Lino shrugged . "I¡¯ve still got some uses for you . Don¡¯t worry, I promised I wouldn¡¯t kill you guys, and that I¡¯d let you go eventually . I¡¯m a man of my word, after all!" "Y-yes . . . " "Now get back inside before I change my mind . " "Y-yes!!" Lino quickly found himself sitting alone inside the cave, entering deep thought . There were too many things he had to do, but, in the end, all of them could wait . There was a good reason why he chose torgely withdraw from the world for a few years, and there was no need to stir the ho¡¯s nest just yet . Completing the mission came as a first, though, inside Lino¡¯s mind, pleting the mission¡¯ most-likely carried very different connotations than what the old man had in mind . . . Chapter 306 Chapter 306 CHAPTER 306 ONLY SPOKEN OF IN MYTHS Lino was currently trekking the massive, steep mountain side on his quest to move ind . While his speed definitely increased after stuffing Hannah and Seya into the pocket, there was still a limit on how fast he could walk using merely his body, all the while being impeded by knee-deep snow . And though he didn¡¯t mind the fact, he still felt somewhat frustrated; there was little to do, so he often tried to chat with the girls who simply ignored him . He grew so desperate that he even tried to coax Ataxia into chatting with him, but thetter, as always, remained daftly silent . It was rather lonely, Lino sighed inwardly; to appease himself, he mused that such was the fate of a hero -- to forever weave through the world in loneliness that others couldn¡¯t possibly understand . Naturally, those thoughts never breached past his mind as he was certain Hannah would never let him live them down . Excitement came, however . Perhaps not exactly to Lino¡¯s taste or timing, but it certainly arrived the moment he reached the mountaintop . Walking up onto an strangely open clearing, fenced off with ice wall all around, Lino raised his eyes from the floor up and immediately came to a halt . Just a few inches in front of him, he saw something strange . . . he could swear it was a maw of a massive creature . It feathered out into brisk, frozen threads which further blended into scales running up and down, surrounding two dents where a pair of cyan-colored eyes weed him . Indeed, Lino nodded, it was a creature . "THE HOLY FUCK!!!" Lino cried out as he suddenly shifted on his heel and tried to run away, only to find the only exit suddenly blocked by the creature¡¯s massive w . Shuddering, he put on his best smile as he turned around . "Divine god of everything, creator of life and death, how do you do? I am your humble servant, here to pay my respects and immediately leave so I don¡¯t disturb you too much!" " . . . " the creature remained silent, continuing to stare at Lino who grew more and more depressed as minutes ticked by . "I¡¯m lonely . . . " a rather child-like voice replied atst, resonating directly inside Lino¡¯s mind . Thetter¡¯s brows twitched as he thought, fuck, am I going to be his toy?! There were very few things in the world that could drive Lino into terror, but meeting the fabled Dragon Race for the first time certainly was one of them . That¡¯s right; the massive sprawl in front of him was indeed the revered Dragon . Lino quickly calcted that it was nearly a whole mile long, covered in porcin-white scales and a pair of scrounged wings as ity down on the floor . Even if he was allowed to use Qi, Lino would still flee in terror . After all, he was able to briefly catch a glimpse of the Dragon¡¯s stats . [Ennya -- Fledgling Dragon Aspect of Frost -- Level 26,433 . . . ] The rest were question marks, but he didn¡¯t need to see past that . Fighting folk thousands of levels ahead of him -- that he could still rationalize and exin . . . fighting a creature over 25,000 levels ahead of him -- and a Dragon no less . . . that was something only idiots thought was possible in any realm of reality . However, seeing as the creature didn¡¯t kill him on the spot, Lino immediately began turning gears inside his head, thinking of the n . "Please, o¡¯ thee mighty Dragon, do not kill me!" he got on his knees as two figures suddenly appeared by his sides, shaking in their boots . "I am with my wife and daughter; ah, we have just reunited after Fate drove us apart for ten--khm, hundreds of years! I could not bear to see them go!" " . . . " " . . . " both Hannah and Seya stared at the kneeling bastard in front of them with hatred that could not be expressed in words; he could have, after all, chosen to simply keep them inside the pocket where they would have been safe . Instead, he chose to drag them into this mess as well . " . . . I am lonely . . . " the Dragon simply repeated itsst words, in the same, childlike voice . "Lonely? Ah, who is not lonely in this world?!" Lino immediately got up . You!! You just said it!! Hannah and Seya cried out inwardly . "I understand, o¡¯ great Dragon! I understand loneliness!! To drift in snow, to let loose all those thoughts inside your head . . . . aah, is there anything more painful in this world?! Speak, o¡¯ magnificent One! What pains you the most?!" " . . . " " . . . " although Hannah knew Lino had glib tongue, she was wholly unaware of just how big of a kiss-ass he could be at a moment¡¯s notice . She couldn¡¯t determine whether she was impressed or depressed because of it, just yet . "I am Ennya . " the Dragon said somewhat meekly . "I am Lino, o¡¯ wonderful Ennya," Lino eximed, taking a step closer to the Dragon much to Hannah¡¯s and Seya¡¯s horror . "Talk to the lowly me . What pains you? Ah, I will understand!" " . . . I don¡¯t have friends . Or anyone to talk to . " the Dragon said; by now, Lino hade to realize a simple fact -- the Dragon was either the biggest actor in the world, one that could match him . . . or a kid . He decided to brave his heart and bank on thetter being the case . "Ah, how can you say so?! Don¡¯t you have us!" Lino said as he suddenly climbed the Dragon¡¯s nose and walked up to its eyes, suddenly sitting down and smiling . "We¡¯re here . Talk to us! Whatever you want!" " . . . " " . . . " as Seya cowered in horror, Hannah cowered for another reason entirely, afraid certain ce might suddenly freeze over, she shuddered, a faint blush passing over her cheeks . "He he, that tickled . . . " Yup, definitely a kid! Lino¡¯s smile turned into an evil grin for a moment . However, a mere secondter, he felt a pinch on his ear as he cried out, ncing back only to see Hannah ring at him . I let her see too much of me!! "Ennya . . . was it? What are you doing here?" Hannah asked, seemingly having recovered from the initial shock as she sat down next to Lino . Thetter wagered she wouldn¡¯t have as much courage if he told her what Level the Dragon was, but decided against it . "Guarding!" the Dragon eximed with pride . " . . . guarding?" both Lino and Hannah eximed softly . "Guarding . . . what?" Lino asked further, looking around . Snow? Ice? "Eeh . . . what . . . what was it . . . " the Dragon, clearly flustered, mumbled, as both Hannah and Lino nearly toppled over and fell . "Something crystal something . . . aah . . . Mother told me to remember carefully!" M-mother? Lino¡¯s brows twitched . If this kid was Level 25,000 . . . aii, let¡¯s not think about it . . . "What are you two doing here?" the Dragon quizzed . "Mother told me that Writ Bearers haven¡¯t stepped foot on thesends in a long time . . . " " . . . . " " . . . . y-you know?" Lino mumbled meekly . "Uhm!" the Dragon said, blinking innocently . "You both stink . Really badly . If I wasn¡¯t lonely, I would have frozen you just to clean you up!" "I-is that so?" Lino stuttered, clearly having not expected to be made out so quickly . "Will you tell anyone?" "Nope!" the Dragon said . "Ah, but if Mother asks . . . I . . . " " . . . where¡¯s your Mother?" Lino quizzed, wondering . "She¡¯s at the center here," the Dragon replied happily . "She¡¯s helping those poor people with something . " " . . . " Jackpot! Both Hannah and Lino eximed inwardly as they nced at each other . "Are they far away? We would also like to help . " Hannah chimed in with a smile . "Eeeh? What could you two do?" the Dragon looked at the two rather oddly . "If even Mother is having trouble . . . " "Eh? Don¡¯t you know?" Lino chimed in as he realized Hannah was at a loss for words . "We can cheer them on! Half the battle is in the morale! If we can increase their morale, we doub--trip--no we increase their chances of sess by a hundredfold!" " . . . . really?" the Dragon still seemed rather unconvinced, causing Lino to suddenly take out something from the void world . "I¡¯ll give you this . " "They¡¯re really far away but I can take you there quickly!!" the Dragon suddenly eximed as it eyed the item Lino held . Hannah shifted her gaze sideways to see what could suddenly entice a creature like Dragon, only to see an ordinary piece of uncooked meat . What the fuck?! she cursed inwardly . "Ha ha ha, good, good," Lino said as he threw the chunk of meat back; the Dragon suddenly heaved its maw open and extended the tongue, wrapping the chunk of meat and devouring it whole . "How¡¯s it taste?" " . . . aah, like heaven . . . " the Dragon replied, closing its eyes in satisfaction . "He he, I¡¯ve got a whole lot more of where that came from," Lino chuckled, as he nced toward the Dragon¡¯s back, seemingly itching for something . "So, you said you could take us there?" "Ah--b-but . . . M-mother told me . . . t-to stay here . . . " it was clear that the poor Dragon was terrified of its mother, but Lino couldn¡¯t care less at the moment -- there was something monumental, legendary, only-spoken-of-in-myths in front of him . . . and he wasn¡¯t about to let it slip out of his hands . "Don¡¯t worry! When we increase their morale, not only will I give you more meat, your Mother will certainly praise you!" "R-really?" Hannah felt terrible as she saw old, creepy uncle taking advantage of a clearly innocent kid, yet she had no heart to reel him in; she saw that mad passion in his eyes . . . and she would lie if she said she wasn¡¯t imagining exactly what he was . "Of course! I would never lie! Ask her! I have never once in my life told a lie!" " . . . " however much she hated being dragged into his lies, Hannah was helpless . Integrity really was a fickle thing, she realized . . . "He¡¯s . . . telling the truth . . . " she grit her teeth and said . "A-alright!" the Dragon said . "I¡¯ll trust you! Get on my back and hold tight!" Lino barely held himself from screaming out in delirious joy . After all . . . how many souls -- living or dead -- could im to have ever ridden a Dragon? He would be! F-fuck, I can¡¯t use tools to record it . . . shit, nobody¡¯s gonna believe me . Fuck . Fuck . Fuck . Despite everything, he still ached over knowing he would never be able to show off properly . . . Chapter 307 Chapter 307 CHAPTER 307 FLYING FORTRESS Seya was currently experiencing levels of embarrassment that she never experienced before in her life . Even that one time when a boy identally walked in on her changing couldn¡¯t measure up . To make matters worse, it wasn¡¯t even because of something she¡¯d done or said . Rather, it was because of the two idiots standing in front of her; the supposedly gant Bearers, the messengers of Nature itself . . . ah, whatever image of awe she had built up inside of her mind when it came to the Bearers, it was crushed and shattered in one fell swoop . Both Hannah and Lino currently had beyond perverted expressions, their tonguesshed out like dog¡¯s in the wind, their eyes half-closed, cheeks slightly flushed . Seya dared not look at them again, trembling in spot even after remembering those looks and postures . She couldn¡¯t even enjoy the moment -- something that no one she knew, no one in her entire Sect, including all the Elders, had ever done -- ridden a Dragon . Right now, she was on the back of the majestic creature, soaring through the vast skies freely -- yet, she couldn¡¯t enjoy it . She felt that if she started enjoying it . . . she wouldn¡¯t be any different than those two . While the trio soared throughout the sky in silence, the rest of the world they left behind had also fallen into a strange lull . Strange atmosphere enveloped it, as the previously open attempts at locating the Empyrean ceased; on the surface it seemed that the Holy Grounds had heeded Lino¡¯s warnings, but only a fool would truly believe that . They had instead chosen to shift the operations into shadows, sending out experienced and old monsters rather than their youths . Although the number of those looking had lessened, their overall strength couldn¡¯t even bepared; the weakest of the bunch was at least Level 15,000 -- it clearly showed that they had no intention of underestimating the Empyrean again and suffering massive losses . However, no matter what methods they used to search, it almost seemed as though the Empyrean had vanished from the face of the world . They had even searched the Kvalend n¡¯snd, only to find it entirely abandoned, without a soul in sight . All traces of the Empyrean and the n were gone . Naturally, no one could have guessed that the now-mythical Six of the Great Descent had extended his helping hand in the matter, ¡¯gifting¡¯ Lino a massive, flying fortress . The structure was currently floating high in the sky . . . right above the Kvalend n, actually . Even if it was in the sky, had it not been for the enchantments, they would have been found out a long time ago . The one responsible for adding the enchantments was Eggor, who worked tirelessly for nearly a week straight just to ensure they would remain hidden . The fortress itself was indeed gigantic, nearly four times the size of the Pce inside the Holy City . It was separated into four floors of sorts, the higher up the narrower altogether . It was built of a dark-dyed brick, bordering between obsidian-ck and denim-blue . Four towers hung at the corners of the outermost walls, routed together toward the very center of the fortress through staircases wound inside a tunnel-like shape, creating an overall pyramid-like shape as they all blended into the center-most point -- an opaque, ck sphere floating slightly above the central tower that also acted as amanding center . The space around the fortress would ripple from time to time, parts of the structure seemingly disappearing in and out of existence every once in a while, sometimes the whole thing vanishing altogether -- that was the power of Eggor¡¯s enchantments, specifically targeting concepts of Space, Time, Reality and Void in order to create ever-altering reality, making it almost impossible to discover the fortress unless one knew specifically where to look at . Insides of the fortress were divided into quadrants; each quadrant was specialized, serving one purpose alone -- for instance, there were Talisman Quadrant, Smithing Quadrant, Cultivating Quadrant, Armory and Weaponry, Administration . . . Valkyria¡¯s hands were rather busy ever since they¡¯ve obtained the fortress as she tried to properly set everything up . At first she expected at least Hannah to be there to help, but Lino simply dragged her away without saying a single word . As with most other days, she was currently sitting inside the top-most tower of the fortress, swarmed with papers, books and documents, suffering dearly . The doors suddenly creaked open as her spirit fell further; she had barely scratched the surface of what was there, why were they suddenly bringing her more stuff?! "Oh my," an unfamiliar voice surprised her, as she quickly shuffled around some of the stacks in front of her, opening a path up for her eyes to see an ordinary-looking housewife with a slight bulge on her stomach . However, every instinct inside Val screamed that she was actually far more dangerous than even Lino . "You are really swarmed, aren¡¯t you?" "Y-yes . " Val replied after a brief pause due to shock . "And, uh, you are?" "How rude of me," E chuckled, walking over . "I guess I¡¯m that little demon¡¯s mom, in a way . " "L-lino¡¯s mother?!!" Val suddenly eximed, jolting to her feet . "I-I¡¯m so sorry--" "Ah, would you rx," E chuckled, summoning a chair out of nowhere and sitting down as she began scuffling through the stacks and stacks of papers . "Sit down, sit down . How can you work while standing like that?" "A-ah--" Val was currently at a loss for words; her Majesty¡¯s Mother was right there, she didn¡¯t even express courtesy, and was now letting a pregnant woman help her with work . "I-I have failed . . . " she mumbled faintly, slumping into her chair . "Oh, please," E groaned . "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re like those guys out there? They won¡¯t let me do anything!! I¡¯m dying of boredom!" " . . . ah, no . T-thank You for helping . . . " "So? What¡¯s all of this?" E asked . "Aah . . . everything?" Valkyria chuckled bitterly . "Various reports from the Shadows, requests of the Departments, list of our stocks, prospects we could recruit, known members of the Holy Grounds currently lurking about, looking for Lino and Hannah, detailed reports on the movements of Holy Grounds . . . in my flurry, I have failed to organize it all properly . " "Ha ha, can you really be med? Why are you doing all of this alone?" "Everyone else is busy," Valkyria said . "Even Evelyn, Al and their people are barely sleeping and Cultivating, to say nothing of everyone else . Order of Eternity, especially, has been doing so much it has left me slightly shocked; over half of the reports on the table is from them . Most of their young have picked up an auxiliary field while still notgging behind in their Cultivation . I just hope they can keep this fire going for a while . I don¡¯t mind taking on the burden of the paperwork in their stead . " "Eh? But Eggor¡¯s been loitering around for at least a week . Why didn¡¯t you ask him?" " . . . ah? How can I possibly look for Master Eggor for these mundane tasks . . . especially after he¡¯d done so much for us already . " "Ha ha ha, don¡¯t worry about it . He¡¯s loitering around, but he¡¯s too proud to ask anyone whether they need his help, so he¡¯s waiting for others . That man is so boorish; I bet he¡¯s rather depressed at the moment as he has nothing to do . Ah, but now that I think about it . . . perhaps paperwork isn¡¯t exactly a job for him," she frowned for a moment . "He¡¯s more brawn than brain, after all . Eh? Ritton is one of the lurkers?" "Ritton?" Valkyria questioned as she saw E picking up one of the parchments and reading through it . "Aye . He¡¯s better known as the Sword of the Frozen Clouds," Emented . "He used to challenge me in Sword Arts quite often when I was young . A strange fe; I must have beat him ten thousand times over, but he kepting back for more . " " . . . " "Hm?" noticing Valkyria¡¯s questioning gaze, E smiled bitterly before sighing . "I used to be one of those famed Maidens in my youth," she added . "So I know a thing or two . " "Oh . " realizing E wasn¡¯t too keen on talking about it, Val didn¡¯t press the issue, instead procuring a piece of parchment, ink and a pen and passing it over to E before adding, "If You are familiar with the lurkers, do you mind writing them down in order of their threat? If possible, I¡¯d like to categorize them so we can work our way up . " "I don¡¯t mind, but you should probably forget about going against them for the time being . " E said . "Oh, that¡¯s not what I meant," Val quickly corrected herself . "Even I would at most be able to go against the far bottom with the help of the Artifact . I meant feeding them false information . " "What for? It¡¯s not as though they can find Lino or us any time soon . " " . . . Holy Grounds are temporarily in an alliance," Val said with a rather yful smile . "But, just because they have amon foe doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ve forgotten their own grievances . After all, Lino has been around for just a few years, barely killing a few of them . Their own grievances, however, are in some cases thousands of years old; we¡¯d be fools not to exploit them properly . " "Oh?" E arched her brows as she listened to Val¡¯s exnation . "However strong Lino and Hannah are . . . they will never be able to truly go toe to toe with all seven Holy Grounds, even with our assistance," Val said . "To say nothing of the numerous monsters Holy Grounds have, there are also their reserves as well as the Defensive Lines . If worstes to pass, they can still activate the continent-wide Mothend Formation . At the very least, we have to sow enough discord to stop that from happening . " " . . . you know about the formation?" E asked, slightly shocked . It wasn¡¯t the sort of knowledge that can just be picked up by listening in on the chatter; only the utmost Elite of the Holy Grounds was privy to that knowledge . Even E was only told of it on her twentieth birthday . "He he, I know quite a few things," Val chuckled . "But, most of my knowledge is quite outdated I¡¯m afraid . When ites to things such as Mothend Formation, that have been around for some time, I¡¯m confident . But as for the recent information, I¡¯m quite empty on it . . . " "Eeh? Looks like you and I will be quite close," E chuckled . "Let¡¯s do some mischief while the world wonders what is going on . . . " Chapter 308 Chapter 308 CHAPTER 308 LAND OF DRAGONS Lino, Hannah and Seya were currently standing on top of Ennya, surveying a sight that left all three of them equally stunned . They were high up in the sky and far away from the event itself, yet it mattered little because the sheer scale of it was something none of the three had ever witnessed . Even Lino, with all his experiences -- including the Archaic Records -- had never seen something on such a massive scale unfold before his eyes . Two Dragons, each at least ten timesrger than Ennya, were currently wrapped in the skies in a battle that defied all sense of logic . One was remarkably simr to Ennya, filled with white scales, long tail winding up into a spear-tip, a pair of massive wings, and four legs, each bearing ws that could easily tear through the reality itself . The Dragon spanned over ten miles across -- size that can hardly be pictured properly -- with its wingspan half of that . Unlike Ennya, however, the Dragon¡¯s scales weren¡¯t without blemishes; here and there, crimson dye of blood made its way through, asional scorch marks making their appearance as well . The white Dragon suddenly dove down as it roared, sting away all other sounds, causing all three standing on top of Ennya to topple over on their behinds . The Dragon standing opposite of it was, also, aplete opposite of it; starkly ck scales, asionally shrouded in crimson and coral glows, a pair of wretched, zing wings that were brighter than the sun, two tails at the back acting almost as massive, miles long whips, and a pair of burning eyes lodged above a massive maw that seemedrge enough to swallow a mid-sized mountain whole . The ck-scaled Dragon replied in kind, roaring back as putrid mes suddenly spewed out of its maw into a frontal cone, showering the sky above . The white-scaled Dragon pierced through cleanly, its body suddenly summoning chilly winds of frost that turned into a frigid hurricane that swept over the ck-scaled one; in response, thetter roared even louder, its ck scales suddenly lighting up likenterns as its whole body burst out in crimson-coral mes, thawing the frost that had found its way over . The two Dragons shed head-on, summoning a shockwave that had all three cowering behind Ennya¡¯s head, holding onto their dear lives . "Y-yo, c-could you, perhaps, retreat a bit?" Lino stuttered in terror . "B-but, Mother is fighting! I-I need to help her!" Ennya stuttered as well, clearly only putting on a brave front . "N-no, no need," Lino quickly spoke out . "Look, your Mother is doing just fine . Thatd just had to use his super move, and your mom took it casually . She¡¯ll be fine . " "R-really?" How in the fuck should I know?!! "Really!!" whatever his thoughts were, his tongue spoke lies easily . "A-alright . . . maybe we should retreat a bit . . . " As the four of them retreated to a distance, two Dragons in the sky suddenly stopped their fight, hovering neatly in the sky, staring at each other . Each flutter of their massive wings caused winds to rouse and rise; had they not been so far up, they would have most-likely melted all the ice and snow around . "You filthy traitor," the ck-scaled Dragon spoke out in a deep, ancient voice that enshrouded the entire world around him . "How dare you defend the heathens?!! How dare you attack your own Blood to defend the filthy insects?!!" "You are no Blood of mine!" the white-scaled Dragon replied in a simr tone . "You are but a maddened beast . The whole lot of you are!" "Ha ha ha, holler your moral horse for now, Edryss . Unto High Ones I swear you shall not live to see the Birth of the Aspect . " "Humph, if you dare threaten, do you dare continue?! Or are you going to scream like a human infant that you are?!" " . . . just you wait, whore . " the ck-scaled Dragon said, though it did not inch forward . "Your day wille soon . " As itsst words faded, it suddenly turned around and left, leaving behind only the sounds of his maniacalughter . The white-scaled Dragon remained steadfast for a while, ensuring it truly left, before it too turned around and began flying -- toward Lino, Hannah and Seya who were currently trembling . Just as Lino was about to tell Ennya to hide, thetter cried lowly and lifted its front legs over its face . Oh, right . Lino realized, his smile beyond bitter . This is a kid . . . " . . . Ennya?" it didn¡¯t take long for the massive Dragon to spot the four of them as itnded in front of them . Its gaze shifted from Ennya -- who was still hiding its eyes as though that made it invisible -- and the trio on the back . "Y-yo, all-mighty-Dragon," feeling Hannah¡¯s and Seya¡¯s arms pushing his back, Lino had no choice but to step forward and greet the creature that bloated the whole sky above as it loomed over them . "W-we . . . wee in peace . . . " " . . . when has the Empyrean evere in peace?" the Dragon asked . Lino sighed in relief inwardly; his worry was that the Dragon would simply kill him . So long as there was a conversation, he had confidence to weasel his way through it . "When he¡¯s so weak Your Holy, Mighty sneeze can kill him?" Lino said, smiling sheepishly; unlike Ennya, however, this one seemed rather impervious to his ass-kissing . "You should leave," the Dragon said . "You do not belong here . " "Does anyone really belong anywhere?" Linotched onto his opportunity quickly, speaking without hesitation . "Aren¡¯t we all just wanderers searching for a ce we can call home?" " . . . Human philosophies always astounded me," the Dragon said as Lino smirked wryly inside . "How can a rather intelligent species spew so much nonsense is well beyond my capacity to understand . In that respect, at least, you have me beat . " "Oi, oi, what do you mean nonsense?!" to Hannah and Seya¡¯s horror, Lino suddenly growled at the Dragon . "That was one of the smartest things I¡¯ve ever said!" " . . . I can believe that . " "Fuck, I walked right into that one . Khm . Anyway, as I said, we didn¡¯te here to cause trouble . " "Of course you did," the Dragon said . "That is all Empyreans ever did, do, and will do until the end of time . It would be beyond miraculous that you only came to cause slight trouble . " " . . . alright, fine, yes, we dide to cause teeny-tiny trouble," Lino relented in the end, realizing that his ever-effective tongue was not as effective as he had hoped . "But, not with you, of course . No matter howrge my balls, I¡¯ve no intention of messing with the Dragons . " "Your weapon begs to differ . " " . . . motherf--it¡¯s unfair, you know?! You seem to know everything about me, but I don¡¯t even know your name!" "In order to learn Dragon¡¯s name, you first have to earn its respect . The only thing you have earned so far is pittance . " Hannah could barely hold back a snicker; after all, it was a true rarity to see Lino so tongue-tied . " . . . yo, dude, what in the fuck did you do to the Dragon Race?!" he grumbled lowly . "I literally can¡¯t even breathe here man . " "Hm? Expecting Ataxia to admit to a wrongdoing? You may as well im you created the sky; I¡¯d be quicker to believe thetter . " "Right?! Right?!" Lino suddenly eximed . "This asshole is always so coy!! ¡¯Uh, no, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong; it¡¯s all about the perspective¡¯ -- perspective my ass! The dude¡¯s outright evil sometimes, but still ims it¡¯s all for the greater good!" " . . . you seem to be clever -- as clever as a human can be, at least," the Dragon spoke after a short silence . "So you should know you have no ce here . If you havee to disturb the humans here, I will be the first to bar your path; if you havee to learn about Magic, I will be the first to tell you that there is nothing to learn; if you havee here to hide, you can hide at the edges . " "Oh my god, throw me a bone here! I¡¯ll do anything! Anything to just gain a sliver of your trust! Just tell me what to do!" Lino cried out in frustration . What was the point ofing here if he was going to be booted out first few days in? "Fine . " "Yes!!" "Go and kill that Dragon . " "Fuck you!" "You won¡¯t?" " . . . do you really think I¡¯d still be talking to you if I had the ability to fight you? Or that dude?" Lino¡¯s shoulder sank as he seemingly gave up . " . . . I will let you stay," the Dragon said . "For the time being . " " . . . really?" "Really . " "You¡¯re not fucking with me, are you?" "No . " " . . . really?" "Really . " " . . . you¡¯re definitely fucking with me . " "I am not . " " . . . what¡¯s the condition?" Lino questioned . "You will help me defend the Humans against the invaders . " the Dragon said calmly . " . . . w-what invaders?" Lino asked, ncing at the direction where the other Dragon disappeared . " . . . this ce used to be called the Land of Dragons, a long time ago," the Dragon, instead of replying, went off in a direction Lino wasn¡¯t expecting . "Four Great Aspects, led by Four Origin Dragons, subsided into dozens of smaller ns . Eventually, however, time ran out; all Four Origin Dragons withdrew somece, and without them to exercise control, the rest broke out into a string of wars that nearly led to our extinction . Although thest war officially began nearly two billion years ago . . . it never exactly ended . All ns, howeverrge or small, had long since begun looking for external means of growing stronger; mine is no different . I had allied myself with the Humans here, offering them protection in return for their Magic . Others, too, sought their own avenues; some enved Maind Humans, Angels, Gods, even Devils . " " . . . so you¡¯re saying . . . help you fight against everyone else?" Lino asked . "Yes . " " . . . right . It was pleasure meeting you . " "You are leaving?" "Of course I¡¯m leaving!!" Lino cried out . "Forget just fighting, I came here to escape conflict and hide for a while, and you¡¯re expecting me to expose myself immediately!! What¡¯s even the point?!" "The invasion is still a few years away," the Dragon said . "In the meantime, I will help you and the Elysian grow as powerful as possible . I, naturally, do not expect you to fight outside your means; but, if I am to win this war . . . I will need a miracle . Whatever else can be said about the Empyreans, the most prominent one is that you lot are the Creators of Miracles . " "We¡¯re in!" Lino suddenly eximed . "Hey!!" Hannah and Seya cried from the back, staggered . "What? Didn¡¯t you hear? We¡¯re gonna get stronger! And the war is still a few years away . " " . . . ah . I forgot you are a battle maniac . . . " Hannah sighed . "Whatever . " "Let us return to my dwelling for the time being," the Dragon said, suddenly pping its wings . "We have much to discuss . . . " Chapter 309 Chapter 309 CHAPTER 309 DRAGON ASPECTS The flight over to the Dragon¡¯s dwelling was rather short, barely half an hour in total . What shocked Lino -- and what Hannah and Seya didn¡¯t seem to notice -- was that they¡¯d entered a dimensional pocket in thest five minutes of the flight . It was a massive one, Lino immediately realized, but because of the fact that it was eerily simr to the world outside, there seemed to be nothing athwart going on unless one could actually sense it . Ice-capped mountains and snow-covered hills and valleys still stretched into infinite horizon without a break, and the Dragon¡¯s dwelling was hardly different; it was situated inside a gigantic valley nestled inside a surrounding mountain range . Lino could barely see across, as the sheer size of it simply stunned him . Although, thinking of the Dragon¡¯s size -- with Ennyaparatively being like a small kid -- it made sense for the valley to be so massive . As the five of themnded, Ennya quickly scurried away into a corner, clearly too terrified to actually stay . Lino nced around, his eyes turning into saucers as he spotted herbs and ores that he could only dream of gathering on the maind . Just as he was about to reach to pluck one away, he felt a chill travel down his spine, hurriedly ncing up only to see the Dragon staring at him with a murderous gaze . It was then that he remembered that the Dragons were quite the treasure-hoarders; you could pluck at their scales and horns however much you want, just don¡¯t touch their treasure trove . Smiling gingerly, he settled upon a rock and sat on top of it, capping open a gourd of ale . Hannah and Seya, unsure of what else to do, follow suit, the former sitting next to him and stealing his gourd, forcing him to take out another, and thetter sitting behind the duo . The massive Dragon finally managed to sit down, its body beyond Lino¡¯s capacity to measure; its head alone was the size of the fortress the old man gave him, to say nothing of its body . "My name is Edryss," the Dragon spoke in its usual, indifferent tone . "That little creature hiding in the corner is my offspring, Ennya . " "Lino," Lino pointed at himself . "Hannah, Seya . " he then pointed at the other two . "So . . . uh, what did you want to chat about?" "How much do you know about the North?" Edryss asked . " . . . not much," Lino said after a short thought . "Just that it¡¯s a nigh-uninhabitablend where a slew of criminals were sent to repent, only to never return . " "Its history?" "Nothing . " Lino replied honestly . "The reality is that only the southern side of the North is covered in frost," Edryss said . "The rest of it is divided into other elements . " "E-eh?" "However, there is a massive Magical Array beneath, at the ocean¡¯s deeps, that masks the entirendform as one of frost and ice . " the Dragon continued . "Unless one is well-versed in Magic, it is impossible to see past its obscurities . And in order to be well-versed in Magic, one first has to traverse here . " " . . . eeh . . . so that¡¯s why the entire North has been perpetually ignored by the maind . . . " Lino mumbled . "Naturally, some exist out there who know the secret," Edryss said . "But, we abide by the silent vow of abstinence; they leave us alone, we leave them alone . Even if the few of us from the North would eventually be defeated, a full charge of Dragon Race onto the maind would leave it ravaged for eons toe . There is no purpose in creating a war out of nothing . " "Eh, there are enough wars internally to more than make up for it," Lino chuckled . "It seems to me that everyone is too busy killing each other to care . " "Perhaps," the Dragon said, its eyes narrowing slightly as though into a smile . "But, be that as it may, I still very much dislike the war and if asking for your assistance will help us end it sooner, then so be it . " "He he, that¡¯s where youe in!" Lino chuckled . "So, tell me, how are you going to make me stronger?! Are you gonna teach me some awesome Magic?!" "What makes you think that the rules for the Empyrean are different when ites to Magic?" "Oh . . . " Lino sighed in defeat; he was truly hoping he¡¯d inherit some of the cool Magical Spells bying here . "Besides, the case is the same for all three of you -- it is simply impossible for any one of you to learn or use Magic . " "Howe?" Hannah questioned, curious . "Had youe a few eons ago, there might have still been a chance -- but, that chance has long since eroded . Magic and Cultivation are simply too different fundamentally, borrowing from different concepts and understandings of the world . It would be simr to you attempting to use Dragon Arts . Not only would you find no benefits in it, chances are your Cultivation would regress instead . " " . . . then how are you going to help us?" Lino asked . "Among other things, I will gift you my mes . " the Dragon said to Lino whose eyes immediately lit up likenterns . "F-mes?" he stuttered in excitement . "Weakened version, naturally . " "Naturally . " Lino quickly nodded . "Before the war begins, you will have to earn your Title," Edryss said . "At the very least, that is . And, in addition, you will have to master the Laws of Time, Death and Lightningpletely . Have you learned ?" " . . . I have . . . " Lino mumbled, stars spinning in front of his eyes . "You will also, then, have to learn its first two Forms . " " . . . . " "If you wish to be of any help, those are the bare minimums," Edryss added, noticing Lino¡¯sment . "Baring discharging everything in a single outburst of strength, you are otherwise rather weak . And regardless of how strong and firm your Will is, every single individual currently present in the North is the same if not better . " " . . . what about these two?" Lino asked, unwilling to be the only one showered in cold . "Elysian will, simrly, have to master Laws . As for that child, she has no ce here . You may as well send her back . " " . . . " though indignant, Seya didn¡¯t say anything; after all, she knew her limits the most . She was barely Level 300; she had no right to participate in anything on this scale . "So, are you going to take us to the humans . . . or . . . ?" Lino asked . "No," Edryss replied quickly . "They would see through you immediately, and they would not be nearly as kind as me in dealing with you . Until you are strong enough to escape their probing, you will remain inside this valley . " " . . . who was the other Dragon?" Lino suddenly asked; he was far more curious in the background behind everything that either Great Descent wasn¡¯t privy to, or the old man concealed on purpose . Wait . . . did he send me here because he knew it¡¯s a way to get stronger quickly? "Vynoarad," Edryss replied . "Member of the Fire Aspect Dragon Tribe . Simr to me, he is the current leader of it . " " . . . wait, you¡¯re a leader of the Tribe?! Where are the rest?" Lino questioned, realizing he hadn¡¯t seen any other Dragon besides Ennya and Edryss sinceing here . "Training," Edryss replied . "As you should be . " "How many of you are there?" "Enough . " "How many of them?" "Not enough . " " . . . fine, keep your secrets . " Lino mumbled dubiously . "By the way, there¡¯s something I was always curious about . In any reference to your kin, you were stated to be by far the strongest race that has ever existed . Why was it that you never ruled the world? In one of the myths, one Dragon managed to take down a whole n of Titans . That sort of strength would have been more than enough to rule easily . " " . . . what purpose is there to ruling the world?" Edryss replied after a short silence . "History has witnessed time and again what ruling with an iron fist leads to; what makes you think we would have been any different? However long we could have made our reign, it would havee to an end -- no doubt a violent one, where we would cease to exist as a race . Even now, if we desired, and if the Origin Dragons woke from their slumber, we could take over the world . . . but there is no purpose to it . " "Eh? Do you know where I can find an Origin Dragon?" Lino¡¯s ears perked up as he asked . "Why?" " . . . uh, I, you know, could kind of sort of use their recognition to kind of sort of buff my weapon so that I can be even stronger when the wares!" " . . . you are about a billion years too early to seek their recognition," Edryss said . "So you can forget about that dream . " " . . . tsk . What? Not a single one out of the four is a bit lenient?" "It is 72 actually . " "Eh?" "There are 72 Origin Dragons," Edryss added . "And Six Aspects of Existence, corrting to the Writs . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " Hannah, Seya and Lino remained sitting,pletely stunned; 78 Dragons, each one of which was most-likely as powerful as the strongest person on the maind . . . it was a concept Lino couldn¡¯t quite yet grasp properly, but his curiosity was sparked . "Six? Why not seven?" he asked . " . . . I do not know . " "Wait, really? Who¡¯s the unlucky bastard not to have a Dragon equivalent?" Lino asked, and almost immediately knew the answer inside his head . "You . " " . . . yup . Saw thating . " he added, sighing . "So, there is no Dragon of Chaos?" "There is . " Edryss said . "But he is not an Aspect . " " . . . eh? Then what is he?" " . . . everything . " Chapter 310 Chapter 310 CHAPTER 310 LIGHT AND SHADOW Lucky was currently sorting through a small pile of parchments, her brows furrowed together . She sat in a rather humid, dimly lit room, barren of any decorations past the necessities . Her usually short hair had grown slightly, giving her a rather feminine look . Sighing, she put one of the parchments down and went over the one beneath, quickly eximing in surprise . Tumbling inside of her mind for a while, she finally seemed to have made a decision as she whipped out a talisman and burned it . A few momentster, a screen in front of her lit up as a familiar -- yet eerily distant -- face appeared . Lino still had the same features she remembered, yet his expression was dismal, the look in his eyes one of depression . She had to rub her eyes twice just to ensure she wasn¡¯t seeing things . " . . . Lino?" she mumbled, still in disbelief . " . . . yeah?" Lino replied dispiritedly . "What the fuck happened to you?!" she asked . " . . . L¡¯ . . . are you having fun?" Lino suddenly asked instead of replying . "Please tell me you¡¯re having fun . You must be having fun! If you¡¯re having fun, then I can have fun through you!" " . . . seriously, what the fuck happened to you?! Did you get caught?" " . . . no . Worse . " Lino shuddered . "I¡¯ve . . . I¡¯ve met the Devil . The Devil!" "Eh?!! You mean the Father of all Devils?! When?! How?!" " . . . no . Worse--" "Alright, stop with your dramatic shittery," Hannah¡¯s voice suddenly cut in as she appeared on the screen . "Just ignore him . He¡¯s throwing a tantrum because he¡¯s forced to train for a change . What¡¯s up L¡¯?" "Oh, right . " Lucky mumbled, shaking her head . "Nothing . I was just going after some reports, and came across an old friend . Remember the Emperor Rex?" "Sure . What about him?" Hannah asked . "Well, apparently, he¡¯s reached out to the Heaven¡¯s Chosen for asylum . " "Oh . I know that . " Lino joined in from the side . "Huh?" Hannah and Lucky eximed at the same time . "Non told me . " Lino shrugged . "Oh . I always forget about that fucking dog . . . " Lucky chuckled bitterly . "Do you want me to do anything about it?" "Nah, it¡¯s fine," Lino shook his head . "He¡¯s still an useful pawn . " "Oh, alright . I¡¯ll still keep tabs on him, just in case . " "Sure . " Lino shrugged . "Anyway, thank you for taking up my free daily time . Thank you L¡¯ . Thank you so much . I can¡¯t express how thankful I am . " " . . . your sarcasm is still on point . " Lucky grinned, shutting the transmission down . ncing over the parchment with the Emperor¡¯s information onest time, she put it on the side pile as she began rummaging through the rest . Aside from cultivating regrly, most of her day was eaten up by going through the reports of her subordinates . While the Holy Grounds had drew back the size of the invasion, there were still hundreds if not thousands of members scattered around the world, and tracking them all was practically impossible, so she had to settle on tracking down the most dangerous ones first . From the initial hundred, Shadows of Entropy had doubled in members, though most of the newly drafted were still in training inside the fortress . While she enjoyed the increased level of responsibility, it was also quite tiring . It was at that moment that the doors to her room swung open as Valkryia sauntered in, carrying another stack of parchments, prompting Lucky to groan audibly . The former chuckled as she saw her expression, putting the parchments down as she sat across from her . "No rest for the wicked, eh?" Valkryia said . "But I¡¯m not wicked though," Lucky said pitifully . "I still need my beauty sleep, you know?" "Bleh, you¡¯ve picked up all of Lino¡¯s bad habits . Just use Qi to disperse your tiredness . " "It¡¯s not the same . . . I feel much more refreshed after a nice sleep . " Lucky said . "Have you ever tried it?" "No," Val shook her head . "It¡¯s just a waste of time . " " . . . how can it be a waste of time when you¡¯ve got all the time in the world?" Lucky questioned . " . . . it¡¯s a strange paradox," Val replied after a short silence, chuckling . "The more you live, the less time for things you feel like you have . " " . . . eh, that¡¯s freakin¡¯ dumb . Just give it a shot . " Lucky said . "Trust me; drinking yourself to sleep, then waking up with a sky-splitting headache . . . ah, it¡¯s fucking sublime . " " . . . why would you purposefully inflict pain on yourself?" Val questioned with a dubious gaze . " . . . god, you straightced cultivators are fucking weird . I¡¯m actually kind of happy I met that prick before I met you lot . " "Ha ha ha, I imagine he would be very happy to hear that . " Val smiled wryly . "And you would be very dead if you ever told him . " Lucky replied with an innocent smile . "Ha ha ha, alright, alright . I¡¯ll let you get back to work . I need to get back to mine as well . It¡¯s been a busy few weeks . " "And it will be a busy few years . That¡¯s just like him," Lucky said, sighing . "Unload all the work on others . . . and run away . " Val left immediately after, leaving Lucky alone in the room to sift through the remaining parchments . Halfway through, however, she seemed to give up, throwing them aside and getting up slowly, walking over to the barred window on the far end of the room, ncing through and gazing toward the ghastly-looking clouds . The sun was yet to dawn ever since Lino killed Eos, making every day more depressing than thest . She suddenly gagged, crashing onto her knees and falling all the way down, leaning against the slightly chilly wall, beginning to sob silently . She pulled her knees up to her chest, cradling her head into her knees, holding her arms over and above, her body beginning to shake as though naked in December¡¯s cold . Meek cries soon hugged the room tightly as her voice cracked, tears soon streaming down her cheeks . Hurt seized her heart like a pair of arms wounding tightly around, ache cradling her soul in a tender embrace; barely a month has passed since Felix¡¯s death, and holding up the facade was more exhausting than rummaging through all the papers in the world . She suddenly whipped out a pair of cyan-shining gauntlets from her void treasure, holding them tenderly . A whole slew of memories jolted her mind, tracing all the way back to when she first met him, inside those ruins, following Lino like a little pup . What at first she only saw as a way to pass the time turned into something much bigger, much greater than she ever expected . She didn¡¯t even know when or how, but that little pup managed to sneak his way inside her heart like no one has before, leaving her entirely defenseless . She has yet to actually go to sleep, contrary to what she told Val; she was too terrified of the nightmares that would undoubtedly swallow her whole . Even drowning herself in booze hardly helped, as the memories were still too vivid, too real . It always felt like he was there, and if she¡¯d just reach out with her arms, he would be back . It was beyond terrifying, she knew, losing herself in that sensation . She wept long and hard, wound inside the four walls where no other soul could see her . It was her brief moment of respite; whatever she shows to the world is irrelevant in lieu of what she does when alone . However difficult it may be to walk out with a smile on her face, with an even voice and a clear gaze, she knew she had to do it, if for no one else then for Lino . She still had the liberty of cracking and falling apart at her own discretion, but he didn¡¯t . Whenever she thought of how difficult it was for her, during those moment she was close to giving up, she would think of how difficult it must be for him . Perhaps ironically, they were each other¡¯s propellers; he encased himself in a strong front for her, and she for him . It was almost an unspoken pact, a bond that can hardly be described in words . In the end, however, her promise still held on; however painful it may be, and however irrecoverable the damage is, she would endure . Fight to live every day . As with every other event in one¡¯s life, there is always a choice to be made; she could choose to crown herself the queen of despair and either shut herself off or wane away, or to continue living, not allowing a single event to define the rest of her life . It was an universal struggle, a bond all of mankind shared regardless of their status . He was the light and she promised to be his shadow; as long as he shone and blinded the world, she would be there, picking off the strays . Whatever maye after, she thought as she put back the gauntlets, got up and wiped the wet corners of her eyes, may . Life was an unpredictable road that may lead everywhere and nowhere; whatever the final destination may be, all live for the journey -- as would she . Chapter 311 Chapter 311 CHAPTER 311 ELYSIAN Raging, azure me covered Lino¡¯s whole body as he sat cross-legged, a pained expression on his face . His veins bulged all over like worms, muscles convulsing due to pain . His eyes were closed at the moment as he was unable to open them; every inch of his body was on fire, almost near the point of breaking . He sat like this, immersed in the pain, for nearly a whole week straight as he tried desperately to refine the mes Edryss gave him -- Level 8,000 [Dragon Frost me]; it was even the diluted version, yet he was almost at his limit already . While others may say it was insanity to try and embody a Level 8,000 me without even bing a Titr, Lino was extremely confident in his body . Even if all other aspects of his overall strength may becking, he was more than assured in his endurance; yet, his current situation was begging him to reconsider that stance . "That is enough . " a familiar voice washed over his soul as the pain vanished, Lino exhaling the breath he¡¯s been holding for days . "You have endured longer than I thought you would . " "W-what are you talking about . Pft, this? I could have gone all the way . . . " Lino stuttered out, taking quick and deep breaths . "I can always resume--" "God no!! Are you fucking insane?!!" "Rest for now . We will resume tomorrow . " "This is so unfair," Lino cried lowly as he nced at Hannah sitting next to him; she was merely staring at a cloudy sphere of nothingness all day long; no mes, no pain, no tears . . . "What the hell are you even training in?" "My Avatar Form . " Hannah replied, ncing at him and smiling faintly . "Fortunately, it¡¯s not as painful as your training is . " " . . . suck a dick, you demon . " "Ha ha ha, don¡¯t be like that . You look hot with tanned skin . " Hannah winked mischievously . "I look hot regardless," Lino replied . "Fulfilling your fantasies isn¡¯t worth the pain . " "Oh? So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m not worth the pain?" "You¡¯re the fucking pain . Pain in the ass . " "For an almost middle-aged man, you¡¯re awfully childish," Hannah said . "Ever n on growing up?" " . . . what do you mean growing up?" Lino grumbled . "Dressing nicely? Eating fancy food? Using some weirdnguage?" "No . Just, you know, be nicer to people . In general . " " . . . there goes the kettle, calling the pot ck again . . . " Lino grinned, putting on some clothes and walking over . "Tell me about those Avatar Forms . Evelyn mentioned something during the Record, but I didn¡¯t really figure out anything . " "It¡¯s nothingplex, really," Hannah replied as she put the sphere away and let himy on herp as she slowly began drawing her fingers through his hair . "There are six Avatar Forms that an Elysian can embody -- Avatar of Creation, which is the one I chose; Avatar of Deconstruction, Avatar of Command, Avatar of Origin, Avatar of Paradox and Avatar of Realization . " Hannah said, pausing for a moment before continuing . "All of them are really self-exnatory, and it¡¯s really only toward the higher Avatar Stages that the differences between them be pronounced . For instance, Avatar of Creation is capable of taking inanimate matter and morphing it into a living, breathing creature; Avatar of Deconstruction is the exact opposite, capable of taking anything and reverting it back to the most basic elements; Avatar of Command is exactly as its name implies -- capable of takingmand of everything, living or dead; Avatar of Origin is kind of an oddity, as it doesn¡¯t have anything unique about itself, but those who perfect it can practically do what all other Avatars do up to the sixth stage . " "Avatar of Paradox deals with creating unsustainable realities and breaking them apart through the realization of paradox itself; Avatar of Realization is the most difficult to master, and not a single Elysian since the dawn of time was capable of reaching the Seventh Stage . Astrum told me that, upon reaching that stage, Elysian would cease to exist as an individual -- rather, they would be part of the world, capable ofmanding it inside out, effectively bing eternal . " " . . . " Lino listened with interest, asionally eximing audibly, especially so during the end part of Hannah¡¯s short monologue . "Why didn¡¯t you try your hand at the Realization?" "Because, in that case, I¡¯d have had to abandon everything -- my emotions, my own thoughts, my own desires, wants, needs, loves, hates, likes, dislikes . . . I would have had to be a ¡¯Null¡¯ -- a conceptual individual . In old religions, especially in the Eastern and Northern Tribes, the end-goal of every practitioner was to be a Null -- it was the highest state of being for them . By absolving themselves of everything, the idea was to be practically a baby inside an adult body -- reachingplete self-realization . " " . . . isn¡¯t that fucking impossible, though?" Lino asked . "Astrum said it is," Hannah shrugged . "But it requires someone very different than me . I can¡¯t give up my fucking gold, let alone anything else . " " . . . don¡¯t tell me you went with the Avatar of Creation so you can make glittery stuff for yourself once you master it?" " . . . . " "You did, didn¡¯t you?" " . . . . : . " " . . . oh wow . " Lino chuckled . "You¡¯re insane . " "I have a problem, okay?!! Tell me, how would you feel if someone told you to give up booze?!" "I¡¯d kill them . " Lino said outright . "Or sex?!" "I¡¯d kill them, revive them, and then kill them again!" "Exactly!!" " . . . oh . " "Anyway," Hannah shrugged it off, taking a deep breath . "Every Avatar Form has seven Stages -- although they all have their own unique names, the universal calling-cards are -- First Foot, Enlightenment, Transition, Actualization, Return, Singrity and Genesis . The highest I¡¯ve gotten was Enlightenment, and even then it was for like a second . I haven¡¯t been able to step into it since . " "You¡¯ll get there . " Lino encouraged her as he heard the bitterness in her voice . " . . . heh . When? Even the best Elysians usually took centuries to master the Second Stage . Do you think we have centuries?" "What do you mean the best Elysians?" Lino asked, his gaze forcing Hannah to stare back, piercing directly into her soul . "There¡¯s no one better than you . So what if they took centuries? You aren¡¯t them . There are no absolute rules to things," he added with a faint smile . "Everything, anything . . . is just a bundle of temporary uncertainty . Who says sun will forever set in the west? Who says winters will always be cold? Who says pigs will never fly?" " . . . " "The biggest wall you¡¯ll ever hit in life is self-doubt, Hannah," Lino said, getting up slowly and caressing her cheek . "If you don¡¯t believe you can do it . . . the no matter how talented, how hard-working, how dedicated you are . . . it won¡¯t mean a thing . You won¡¯t be able to do it . If you say I¡¯ll do it tomorrow . . . you¡¯ll never do it . If you say I¡¯ll do it once I be stronger . . . you¡¯ll never do it . You can never sit back and wait . . . just wait for that ¡¯perfect moment¡¯ . If through miracle it arrives for one, it won¡¯t for another . So, create it . That moment . Create it through your own hands . There are no miracles in the world; just people who bled to make the impossible happen . " " . . . " Hannah¡¯s lips curled up into a faint smile as she pressed them against his . Her crimson hair quickly mixed with his jet-ck one, creating a rather striking contrast to their chilly surroundings . "Grown-up enough for ya¡¯?" Lino asked with a grin, stering his forehead against hers . "I¡¯m not like you," she mumbled faintly . "I can¡¯t do it all alone . I really . . . really needed that . . . " " . . . it seems you still don¡¯t know me that well," Lino said after short silence . "I can¡¯t do anything alone either . Whoever ims they can is a fool . You wanna know what¡¯s my secret?" " . . . " "Every time I feel like giving up," he whispered softly, grabbing her hand . "I feel like I¡¯ve reached a wall I can¡¯t breach . . . I think of what would happen if I fail . I picture your face . I picture Lucky . Val . Jack . Ed . E . Eggor . Even that thing staring at us in jealousy and hate over there . " "Ha ha ha . . . . " "And then I imagine, just for a brief second, a world without you lot . " he said . "You¡¯re all pains in the ass, but there¡¯s not a moment in my life that I¡¯m not happy that I¡¯ve met you all . And I¡¯d do anything --- literally anything --- to keep you all by my side . If I had to, I¡¯d rip the entire world in half and shit down its throat till it clogged . And that¡¯s my fuel . My fire . I wasn¡¯t kidding when I told Edryss I could have gone all the way," he looked up and met her eyes; Hannah felt frozen in ce, the determination in them striking her deep . "If it meant keeping all as is, I¡¯d burn till every inch of me was scorched . Because no matter how hot those mes may be, they are like the coldest winter whenpared to the ones in my heart . " Chapter 312 Chapter 312 CHAPTER 312 TIMES OF MAGIC Right beneath the skyline through which Edryss and Vynoarad exchanged blows, hidden by a mass army of Magic Arrays stacked on top of each other likeyers of clothes, was a massive cityden with overheadnterns lighting the streets up like stars, and white-marble-built rises with peculiar, cyan sheen dousing their surfaces . Streets criss-crossed each other in t angles, with everything being seemingly perfectly nned out as the entire city could be divided into exactly two hundred squares, each containing anywhere between four to eight buildings . Roads, some concrete, some cobblestone-paved, cut right through, and if one looked from far above with an eagle¡¯s eye, they would see a perfectly symmetrical city shining in bright colors . People wore all sorts of clothes, the most prominent being robes, and nearly everyone -- young and old -- also had a staff apanying them; some were wooden, some metallic, some even seemingly made out of flesh . Barely anyone, however, walked; most hovered slightly off the ground and floated forward at a brisk pace, easily evading others without ever bumping into anyone . The city seemed to be running like a perfect, well-oiled machine, as everyone seemed to know exactly where they¡¯re going and they took no breaks getting there . Above the city hung a dome decorated with magical arrays, each sting differently-colored light; though there was no sky to see from the city, there was a picture even more beautiful -- one they¡¯d never get to see otherwise . Colors blended in perfectly together, creating perpetual array of auroras with shining points inside -- the connecting ends of the arrays -- acting almost like stars . Neither day nor night, the city ran on no particr time but its own; when one felt a need to sleep, they would sleep . When they felt hunger, they would eat . It was all done on one¡¯s individual desires . Almost every corner of the city sported a massive building, one which took up over half the square; each was built exactly the same as thest, wide but short, with columns upholding the ceiling, chiseled, ssical architecture oozing out of every corner . Each also had the same name, just a different variation -- Academy of Magic, with ¡¯Square One¡¯, ¡¯Square Forty-four¡¯ etc . etched below . Young people streamed in and out of the buildings almost on an hourly basis with varying expressions . What was, perhaps, the strangest part is the pure, physical differences between the people; it was a mixed bag of everything as though someone pooled people from all corners of the world and shoved them inside a single city . Tall, short, thin, fat, fit, albinos, white, ck and all shades in-between, men, women, young, old, beautiful, not-so-much, rich, poor . . . however, despite the differences on practically every ground, there seemed to be no disputes . Rather, as groups of people formed together to chatter, you could hardly find a homogeneous one . It almost seemed as though no one in the city was aware of the differences between them, as though the singr identity suppressed every other dissenting one . Among all the buildings, one stood out in particr as it was rather different than the rest; it was built out of jet-ck brick as a wide tower of sorts with staircase on the outside leading to each of its twelve floors, all amounting to roughly two hundred meters . On top of the tower was a massive sphere decked in metallic supports, shining in beautiful azure and perpetually spinning . From its top a singr pir rose upward, connecting with the center of the dome and all the Magic Arrays out and about . Inside, on top floor, in a room decorated with nothing but an endless array of bookshelves stacked with thick, old and tattered books, four men were sitting around a small, round table . The surface of thetter was carved out in strange, spiraling patterns, the carved lines shimmering in faint blue, projecting the color upward into a shape denoting a mini-scale Dragon . "Did Edryss say anything before leaving?" one of the men asked another . "No," an old-looking, white-beared man with peculiar, twilight-colored eyes, replied . "She merely said it was only the beginning and that he would be back again . " "We¡¯re still at least a couple of years away from finishing the Dragon-ying Array," the third man, the youngest among the crowd, seemingly in his fifties with quite a few white strands sticking out of his otherwise lush, brown hair . "Could it be that the Fire Aspect Tribe, or someone else, figured out what we¡¯re working on?" "I doubt it," the twilight-eyed man said, stroking his beard . "Save for us four, there are only ten other people who know we¡¯re working on it, so even if we had someone who was willing to sell us out . . . I can guarantee that it was not any one of those ten . How many of the youngs are qualified to be Scribes?" he asked the man who so far remained silent . He had both his eyes closed, white hair parted midway through, falling by the sides of his head, joining rather thick yet well-groomed beard . "Barely a dozen," the man replied with a faint sigh . "It was not a good batch . Ever since Zyree demonstrated quick-cast, fewer and fewer kids are willing to be Scribes . " "Humph, what quick-casting?" the youngest among them scoffed coldly . "It¡¯s just chatan¡¯s tricks . What do they think? That no one else knows how to cast a few insignificant spells without Arrays and Regents?" "Now, now Ajjy," a brow-haired, big-bellied man who opened the discussion joined in again . "Young will always be young . Even we had dreams of flying around and casting one spell after another while growing up -- it¡¯s only natural . " "I¡¯d more than happy to indulge child¡¯s imagination any other time, Ryvone," Ajjy said . "But we can¡¯t afford to have a generation of half-wits who cannot cast a proper spell to save their lives . I am sure you have already realized it, but we are bound for war; the only reason we still stand are our Arrays and our treasured Scripts . If we suddenly don¡¯t have enough Scribes to replicate them, we may as well dig our own graves because no quick-casting will harm a damn squirrel, let alone a Dragon . " "I agree with Ryvone," white-haired man, named Sylos, said, sighing quaintly . "But, it is a hard sell for youngs to be interested in the job of a Scribe . It¡¯s a dull and eternally repetitive upation, regardless of its eternally understated importance to our very existence . " "We can still ask Edryss for help," twilight-eyed man, Vyne said . "This war is as much our as is hers . " "Edryss is a lone Dragon, Vyne," Ajjy said . "Even if she were twice as powerful as she is, she still couldn¡¯t weather the storm alone . We can¡¯t burden her shoulders any further; she had already promised to battle against other Dragons -- we, at the very least, should have the capability of taking out their enved minions . " " . . . we still have roughly 200,000 Scripts in reserve," Slyos said . "And enough Regents for 800,000 more, so a whole million in total . For now, I think it is best we pull some manpower from the retirement; if we select carefully, I think they would be more than understanding . Perhaps they might even pull some of their youngs into the job . " "You are all gathered," a powerful yet calm voice suddenly filled the room, startling the four men . "Good . " "Ldy Edryss!" all four eximed at the same time . "Lady? I have asked you not to ascribe to me silly, human titles; I am neither a he nor a she -- I am just a Dragon . " " . . . y-yes . . . " "Are you still working on the Dragon-ying Array?" Edryss asked . "Yes . " Slyos took the leading role and replied . "Divert it," Edryss¡¯ words clearly surprised the men . "Do not scrap it entirely, merely turn it into a massive area of effect Array to counterrge armies . " "Uh . . . that . . . that wouldn¡¯t be a problem but . . . can You take . . on all Dragons alone?" Slyos asked with some reservation . "I will not be alone," Edryss replied . "You can leave Dragons, Drakes, Wyverns and Devils to us . You should aim to create a counter-force against the army of Cultivators as well as the two specialized squads of Gods and Angels -- especially the former . However far they have fallen since their glory days, Gods are still not to be taken lightly . " " . . . if you don¡¯t mind me asking . . . who . . . will be helping you?" Slyos asked . " . . . the Empyrean . " Edryss replied after short silence, clearly debating on whether to tell them . As they heard, the expressions of four men contorted for a moment . " . . . that madman? Are you sure about this?" Ajjy asked . "However, who better to battle the madness than its very embodiment?" Vyne countered . "It would be fine if it was merely the matter of fighting," Slyos said, frowning . "But the Empyreans hardly care much for who or what they destroy in their wake . " "How old is he?" Ryvone suddenly asked, his question surprising the other three men . "Yet to turn forty . " Edryss replied . " . . . how certain are you in his ability?" Ryvone asked . "He will deliver . " Edryss replied simply . "Very well," Ryvone sighed after short deliberation . "We will re-focus the array onto a mass-scale one . We shall trust your judgment . " "Until next time . " Edryss replied as her presence vanished from the room . " . . . why did you ask about his age?" Slyos asked . "The Empyrean has woken over fifteen years ago," Ryvone said . "So, if he¡¯s yet to turn forty, he must have been a teenager back then . Too little time has passed for him to have entirely gone mad; in almost every record I read, those who have be Empyreans in their teenage years havergely resisted falling into insanity, unlike those who inherited the Writ earlier orter on in their lives . After all, a person is never more emotional than they are during those brief few years; by the time they settle, it bes far more difficult to match those emotions, even for Ataxia . The biggest factor, still, is my trust in Edryss¡¯ judgment . Who in the world has more reason to despise the Empyrean than she does? If she still trusts him enough to aid her, then the Harbinger truly must be something else . " " . . . " the silence reigned over the room for the long while after, as everyone slowly spiraled into their own thoughts . Despite the fact that they werergely removed from the world atrge, that didn¡¯t mean that they were unfamiliar with it, especially when it came to the Writs . All things considered, they all inwardly mused, if they were to choose one Bearer to help them, it would without a doubt be the Empyrean; despite the unpredictability thetter bore, they were also far more trustworthy and straightforward than the rest . Still, there was always the risk of the Empyrean simply deciding he didn¡¯t have enough fun during the battle and attacking them, so they also decided to try and quickly scribble together an anti-Empyrean array . . . just to be on the safe side . Chapter 313 Chapter 313 CHAPTER 313 LAW OF DEATH While Hannah and Seya were currently leisurely drinking and eating on the far end of the valley, Lino was trapped inside a small world Edryss created, one entirely filled with the mes she gave him . After he got ustomed to them slightly, she immediately shoved him inside this ce and left him here for good two days now to stew like a fine piece of pork . He didn¡¯t mind it all too much, though, as not only was his control of the me getting better, the mes around him also helped purify his Qi even further . Inside, he also had a lot of time to think, a luxury he could hardly have afforded until recently . Ever since he woke up after his ten-year-long ¡¯nap¡¯ of sorts, save for a few months of respite, he¡¯s always been on the move -- be it fighting, nning, setting up pieces, making odd friendship here and there . . . it would wear down anyone, even him, eventually . And though sitting in the fire might be unpleasant, it was by no means overtly painful meaning he was able to focus clearly . There were several reasons as to why he chose to withdraw from the limelight after going at it so adamantly at the start; while true that it was to increase not only his, but others¡¯ strengths as well, it was hardly the only reason . He was bing too hot; he knew he had to give the Holy Grounds a breather, give the world peace and calm, otherwise they really may have sent all hell on him and disregarded everything to kill him . The only reason they didn¡¯t is because of Great Descent -- at least Lino theorized so . The silent watchers from the side had a lot of say, and so long everyone yed by their rules, they wouldn¡¯t intervene . But, if Lino took it too far, he knew even the Descent wouldn¡¯t give him a moment¡¯s time; he was already warned more than once that his shelter was temporary, and that should he cause toorge of a shift in the world, the asylum would be lifted up and he would be a free meal for the world -- and he certainly wasn¡¯t ready for that . He was well aware of the limits of his strength at the moment, and while he could do a lot, as Edryss said, it was only in a single outburst . If it came to prolonged fight, like a genuine war, he¡¯d at best be an average Titr, even with all his items . And while he could technically kill even Ennya in a single shot if he went all out, what about after? He¡¯d turn into a cripple for at least a few weeks . Save for perhaps a very few recluse individuals, others can hardly change the fabric of the world all on their own, and he was not an exception -- at least not just yet . The first step, naturally, was to ascend to the Void Titr and obtain his Title . As the day was fast approaching, he also familiarized himself with the remaining realms as well as the Void Realm itself . He still has to go through the Realms of the Godhood before ascending to the Void . The next step, actually stepping into the Godhood, would be the most difficult alongside entering the Void . He¡¯d already formed his Singrity, evolved his Will, and has Exalted Soul -- so, as long as he actually enters the Godhood, it shouldn¡¯t take long for him to ascend to its peak . The realms of Godhood represented the utmost peak of the pre-ascension Cultivator . That is to say, it¡¯s the furthest one can reach in strength by merely utilizing Qi and a sliver of Will . To actually grow stronger, mastery of Laws was a necessity, which is also why one of the requirements to be a Void Titr was to achieveplete mastery of at least two Laws . Lino had long since chosen to focus on Time and Death as his primary Laws, as not only did he feel the closest connection with them, he also understood them the most out of the bunch . In order for him to step into the Realms of Godhood, however, there was a very stingy requirement that he was yet to fulfill -- aplete mastery of at least one Martial Art . While for others it¡¯s probably the easiest part, for him it wasn¡¯t so; simrly to ascension to an Exalted, there were different stages ofpletion, entirely dependent on the grade of the mastered Martial Art . As Lino didn¡¯t want to skimp on it, he decided to at least try to master a Primordial-tier Martial Art, if not Origin-tier one . But, before that, he had one more step toplete -- a simple one, yet also a time-consuming one, quantity of Qi . So far, he mostly focused on the quality factor of his Qi, as his regenerative capabilities were also applied to Qi itself, meaning that no matter how low his starting reserves may be whenpared to others, he could still oust them through the brute force . This is also why he had a lot of ground to make up before he even though about ascending any further . "You seem to have settled fine in here . " Edryss voice jolted him out of his thoughts as he opened his eyes, noticing a strange . . . blob in front of him . The only reason he knew it was Edryss was because of the pair of eyes staring at him . " . . . you are . . . different . " Lino mumbled, poking at the strange blob due to sheer curiosity . "It is one of my many Avatars," Edryss said . "After all, my real body can hardly fit each ce I wish to visit . " " . . . yeah, you¡¯re freaking huge . " Lino nodded . "While increasing your Qi is important, it is also an easy job -- it is time for you to start multitasking . " " . . . of course it is . What do I need to do? I¡¯m already increasing my Qi and weathering these mes . I¡¯m already multitasking, you know?!" "You can start by mastering a Law . " " . . . oh you fucking--" "I suggest you start with Time . It is much easier, ironically . " "Nah, I¡¯ve already decided to first master Death . " Lino replied, shrugging . "Time is just . . . weird . Just . . . just fucking weird . " " . . . Death, huh? Do you even understand it?" Edryss asked, a faint trace of dissatisfaction in her voice . "Do you?" Lino asked back . "No," the Dragon replied honestly . "To me, it is merely the perpetual state of nothingness . I do not understand its associations with the Law . " "Then what about life?" Lino asked . "What about it?" "How do you understand Life? Perpetual state of something . . . ness?" " . . . " "There¡¯s themon understanding of the two," Lino continued, stroking his beard . "That they¡¯re antithetical . . . yet beyond linked together . If you understand one, then just contradict everything and you¡¯ll have understood the other . But, that¡¯s wrong . " "It is?" Edryss asked with some interest -- after all, every human she interacted with since her birth was a Mage, rather than a Cultivator . "Yes," Lino nodded lightly . "I understand death as the continuation of life . That¡¯s not to say that there¡¯s something else after life, something other than that perpetual state of nothingness, but that death is simply one of many steps we take as we live . If birth is the beginning, then yes, death is the end -- but life is too grand of a concept to just be associated with birth . It¡¯s an all-epassing term, and merely iming that death is its opposite is, well, fucking stupid . " " . . . " "While I can¡¯t im so for others, to me Law of Death doesn¡¯t represent an end -- merely an opportunity . It is about taking Life and subverting it, creating a mutually ipatible system within one¡¯s very Soul . For instance, this," he suddenly reached onto to the floor and literally grabbed a small flicker of fire, holding it in his hand . "Is life . At least to me . So, if I apply my understanding of Death to it . . . " the mes zed out suddenly in a sh of light before withering away into nothingness . "What happens to them?" "They disappear?" Edryss replied uncertainly . "No!" Lino eximed . "They are still here," he pointed at his palm, smiling . "Just in their lifeless state . " "Eh? So . . . you are saying . . . " "It¡¯s simple -- Law of Death is about taking something alive . . . and killing it . Or, rather, killing its single point of failure -- or, in case of people, about seven billion of them as virtually any part of us is susceptible to causing the rest to die out . At least to me, that¡¯s what Law of Death means . Simply taking the living part out of the construct¡¯s equation . " "Oh . . . " "Simrly, however, if someone were to understand Law of Life in the simr manner like I did with Law of Death," Lino continued . "They would be able to take the dead and give it life . Well, not literally -- they couldn¡¯t bring a person from the dead, of course, but they would be able to make the body move -- after all, our brains store all our actions, and by the time most of us die, certain things are so deeply embedded we don¡¯t even think when we do them, like walking, breathing, eating . . . so, you wouldn¡¯t need a conscious thought to order the body around . . . just the body itself to move through instincts, like an animal . " " . . . " "But, I very much doubt anyone would actually understand Life as such," Lino chuckled after he saw Edryss¡¯ strange gaze . "After all, no one who takes up understanding Life is so perverse as to distort it to such a point . By then, it wouldn¡¯t even be about the Law of Life, but something much grimmer and macabre . " "How far along are you in mastering the Law?" Edryss asked after a short silence . "Oh, nowhere close," Lino shook his head . "I¡¯m still in the understanding phase and basic applications . I can only do what I did to fire to a few select objects, none of which would actually qualify as ¡¯living¡¯ so-much-so as just, you know, existing . Fire, water, air, weed, ss . . . any time I try to experiment on something moreplex, I suffer a massive bacsh instead . " "But the fact that your theory works at all means that it is true; you simplyck the understanding to push it further . " "Yup!" Lino eximed with a grin . "But, as my brain is rather restless, I¡¯m already thinking ¡¯bigger, bigger, bigger¡¯ . . . " "What do you mean?" "You might think it¡¯s crazy . . . " Lino said, his eyes narrowing, gaze turning rather . . . perverse . "But . . . what if Ibined two Laws?" "Eh? Combine two Laws?" Edryss eximed in confusion . "Yes! Take Death and Time for instance -- what if I had capability to turn back time for someone -- just their own individual strength -- and make them weak enough so I can just, you know, use Law of Death to kill them?! Wouldn¡¯t I be fucking King of the World then?! Who in the fuck would dare piss me off if I could do that?! The problem is, however, that two Laws are simply too different . . . shitting fuck . I have to figure it out! First, I should be able to . . . " as Lino went onto another one of his ssic monologues, Edryss stared at the creature in front of her with a strange gaze; she had no heart to tell him that ¡¯reversing time¡¯ to such a degree was simply impossible . . . but, in the depths of her heart, she was still slightly expectant -- after all, she hade to realize, this boy, this generation¡¯s Empyrean entire creed was exactly that -- defying the impossible, and doing it anyway . Chapter 314 Chapter 314: 314 CHAPTER 314 IF THE WORLD KNEW A yful smile hung on Lino¡¯s lips, his eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the colorful expressions of four men standing in front of him, tucked neatly and tightly into the protective bubbles as mes around them raged on . They¡¯d asionally nce around and shudder, no doubt imagining what it would be like to touch the fire with the naked hand . Edryss had already told Lino who the four men were -- Sylos, a keenly kind-looking man, also know as the Sage of Thunder; Ajjy, the youngest among them with a slightly angry look in his eyes, also know as the Sage of Fortitude; Ryvone, a big-bellied man with a slightly questionable fashion sense, also know as the Sage of Desires, and Vyne, twilight-eyed man with indescribable atmosphere surrounding him, also known as the Lunar Sage . The four of them made up the leaders of the Last Bastion of Magic -- well, at least the political ones . They were hardly the fighting sort, which Lino could easily discern, save for perhaps Ajjy who still had some fire in him, which is also why Lino¡¯s surprise was greater over the fact that Edryss chose to introduce them . That surprise was heightened when she informed him that they were the ones who requested the meeting . Meanwhile, the four men stared at the one in front of them with some trepidation; he sat cross-legged, entirely topless, with his jet-ck hair let down, reaching nearly half his back altogether . The man had sharp features, high brow, pronounced cheekbones, squared jaw, and rather thick beard to go with it . Yet, the most striking feature of his -- even more so than the muscles they all chose to ignore lest their self-images crumble -- were his eyes . By merely meeting his gaze, they felt as though he¡¯d peered into their souls and learned all there was to learn about them . "Boy, youds sure lookfy in those bubbles," Lino was the first one to break the silence, chuckling faintly . "I¡¯m somewhat jealous . " "Aren¡¯t you in one, too?" Ajjy asked with a faint scoff . " . . . no?" Lino replied, tilting his head slightly . " . . . hah, as if . " Ajjy continued . "You really want us to believe you¡¯re enduring Edryss mes by your very own skin?" "Yup, pretty much," Lino nodded, stroking his beard . "Although, I wouldn¡¯t say ¡¯endure¡¯ though; it¡¯s more along the lines of enjoyment these days . No, wait . That makes me sound way too perverted . Oh well . The secret¡¯s out . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . fucking Cultivators . . . " Vyne mumbled, shuddering . "Hey!" Lino eximed suddenly . "This has nothing to do with cultivators! You really think others would be able to do what I¡¯m doing? Nah, no way in hell! If you think so, why don¡¯t you go outside and meet those two lowly--I mean lovelydies and ask them to join me . Nah-ah . I¡¯m the freak here!" " . . . " the lofty image of the Empyrean the four had built up inside their heads was quickly falling apart, as the man in front of them seemed anything but . "I hope you don¡¯t mind our disturbing you," Sylos said suddenly . "We merely wished to meet you when Edryss told us you would be her helping hand . Mind if I ask you what were you doing here in the first ce?" "Uh, a lot of things," Lino said . "Hiding, running away, looking for you,pleting a mission . . . so, you know, a lot of things . " " . . . are we really going to put our fates into the hands of this man-child?!" Ajjy suddenly exploded angrily . "Even by the Empyrean standards, he¡¯s a joke!" "Ajjy--" "No, no, let the man speak his mind," Lino said, smiling faintly . "Ajjy, was it?" "Yes . " Ajjy nodded, barely managing to meet Lino¡¯s gaze for a moment before looking away . "So, you think I can¡¯t help you guys?" " . . . if you took things a bit more seriously, then maybe . . . " Ajjy mumbled . "That¡¯s no good," Lino sighed . "If you¡¯ve got balls to call me out, have balls to look at me and speak louder than a mouse . I ain¡¯t gonna bite . And even if I wanted to, there¡¯s a big Dragon out there just waiting for me to make a bad move so she can snip my head right off . " " . . . if, khm, if you took things a bit more seriously," Ajjy, with Lino¡¯s reassurance, voiced out again, meeting thetter¡¯s eyes . "Then maybe . But, this all seems like a big joke to you . It¡¯s not to us . It¡¯s about survival . " " . . . I¡¯m hardly making light of your situation," Lino said, chuckling faintly . "Merely trying to ease the tensions . Ever since you four came here, you¡¯ve been fidgeting around like a teenage girl standing next to a boy she loves . Not one of you even looked me in the eyes for more than a few seconds . And, however amusing it may be to see old people shitting their pants in fear, it also hurts . Do you think I need to help you?" " . . . . " the four men remained silent, lowering their heads . "Rather, my mission was merely to locate you and report to the Descent . " Lino added . "And, even right now and here, if I wanted to leave, even Edryss would be unable to stop me . I could just tell the Descent everything, and have them deal with you . What is more terrifying? The uing war or having the Descent writing the story of your existence?" " . . . " "It¡¯s true -- I may be a bit childish," Lino said, suddenly getting up and walking over toward the four frightened men . "And I may spew a lot of shit out of my mouth . But . . . so what? What¡¯s the point of living if you¡¯re gonna spend your days with furrowed brows, anxious heart, and bitter thoughts? You need to lighten up," he came to a halt in front of the bubbles, grinning faintly . "You¡¯re going to a war with the fucking Dragons . Do you know how badass that is?" " . . . " "Anyway, I was kind of hoping at least one of you would be an eye-candy, but, s, it wasn¡¯t meant to be," Lino sighed as the four men suddenly snickered, coughing afterwards to cover it up . "I won¡¯t make any promises," Lino said, his tone suddenly turning serious . "Nor spout about how I¡¯m going to save you all . I¡¯ve no luxury to make any more promises like that . But, I will help you . If for nothing else, then for the favor Edryss promised me if I deliver . And, believe it or not, even Empyreans need favors . " " . . . t-thank you . " Sylos coughed lightly and awkwardly . "We appreciate it . I hope you . . . you won¡¯t take offense to our behavior today . " " . . . I¡¯m not a saint," Lino mumbled, turning around . "But I¡¯m also not a monster the world has made me out to be . I¡¯m just like you," he nced back and grinned . "Doing everything I can to protect the things and people I love . " As the four left the small pocket realm of mes, they found themselves outside in the valley, standing in front of Edryss¡¯ massive head with rather stumped expressions . The Empyrean was a bundle of . . . a lot of things, most of which they truly did not expect . It wasn¡¯t their fault, however, which is also why Lino didn¡¯t really seem all that bothered by it; after all, themon image of what the Empyrean was like was so embedded in all those who heard of the term that it was impossible to simply erase it away . The four men exchanged brief gazes andughed bitterly, shaking their heads . They realized they really needed to lighten up . Worrying is, after all, as effective as doing absolutely nothing . "Interestingd . " Ryvone mumbled lightly . "That¡¯s one way to describe him . " Vyne chuckled . "Judging from your expressions," a pleasant voice surprised them suddenly as they all looked sideways, noticing a girl sitting on top of a rock; the four old stooges were immediately stunned to silence . Crimson hair spilled over like blood, standing out like a sore thumb against the otherwise white and blue surroundings, with a pair of clear, emerald-colored eyes piercing right through them . "You must have met Lino . I hope he wasn¡¯t too mean to you guys . If he was, I¡¯m really sorry . " " . . . . " " . . . . " " . . . . a-and . . . and who might you be, young Lady?" Sylos swallowed a mouthful of saliva and asked . "Young Lady? Oh my, you are making me blush," Hannah chuckled lightly . "I suppose, among many other things, I¡¯m also that bastard¡¯s better half so you better don¡¯t start having any designs on me . Or do . I could never make him jealous; he¡¯s really too trusting like that . " "She will be your helper during the war," Edryss voice jolted the four of them back into reality . "Ryvone, Vyne, Ajjy, Sylos, meet Hannah -- the Bearer of Order . " "E-elysian?!!" the four men eximed in shock, looking at Hannah again yet with far different sets of eyes and gazes . "Ah, so this must be how Lino feels . " Hannah suddenly sighed in faint ecstasy . "I . . . I get it . It feels good . " "W-wait, wait a second!" Ajjy suddenly eximed, as though he realized something . "The-the Empyrean and the Elysian . . . y-you two . . . are . . . together?!" "Aye, we¡¯ve been making quite a few beds," Hannah said, smiling innocently . "Exciting, isn¡¯t it?" " . . . " the four men slumped into silence yet again, wondering what the world hase to . Chaos and Order together . . . wouldn¡¯t that paradox break the world apart? Clearly not, they mused, as the world was still together . Yet, it also eerily made sense, they realized after a few moments of thinking, especially so having met both of them . Both seemed almost chiseled out for one another, as if just taking the one away would rip the whole of the both . Many months woulde to pass before the four would reconcile the shock they received today, and during those many months, Lino and Hannah barging in on them from time to time and making the embarrassment a whole new concept certainly didn¡¯t help . Just for a brief moment, before they dispelled the insane thought, they wondered how the world react if it knew; then it might really break apart at the seams . Chapter 315 Chapter 315: 315 CHAPTER 315 FIRE AND FURY Ashened -- if there was a single word that could describe the loathsomendscape strapped together by the surrounding mountains, it would undoubtedly be that . Gray rock, ash and ck soot reigned over, snuffing out whatever life may rise in their wake . The sky above was entirely ckened by the smoke spat out by nearly a dozen volcanoes which were bleeding hot magma onto thend down below, carving out earth into rivers of fire and ze . Yet, despite the glimmer of mes, it was tepidly dark, suffocating even . Low barrels of smoke pranced about the surface, creating mist-like mirage, baring anyone from seeing further than a few tens of meters ahead of them . asional cry of agony broke out, breaking otherwise silent world . The entire ce seemed hardly suitable for life, yet nheless life there existed . At the center, surrounded by the perpetual ring of fire, a massive body of the Dragony resting on the ground, its ck scales blending perfectly into the background, with asional shes of coral mes breaking the monotony apart . The Dragon¡¯s eyes were starkly visible, perhaps the only thing visible from each corner of the dimensional pocket; the pair burned like two, vertical suns, spitting out light of me outwardly like the chill off of the ice . " . . . why are you here, little Devil?" voice which sent tremors throughout the pocket beckoned out, the pair of eyes lowering their gaze downward, in front of the Dragon, where a three-horned, gray-skinned Devil was currently kneeling . "I have some news, Revered One . " the Devil replied meekly . "Everyone has some news," the Dragon replied . "But you do not see them bugging me with them . " "I wouldn¡¯t have either, had the news not been so perfect . " "Speak, then . " "Edryss has sought help . " the Devil said . "Hoh? The ever-proud and frigid Aspect sought help? This might be a first . Who? Have any of the neutral Aspects decided to help her?" "No . . . " the Devil shook his head, looking up . "It¡¯s the Empyrean . " " . . . the Empyrean? Are you certain?" "Yes . Those four fools had gone to meet him apparently, and I just did a bit of searching through their memories to find out . Apparently, Edryss is training him to help her . " the Devil finished rather excitedly . " . . . your means of finding things out are rather disgusting," the Dragon replied coldly . "Digging through the memories . . . only pathetic creatures have capacity to fall so low . " " . . . " though the Devil said nothing, he bit his lower lip, anger shing through his eyes briefly . "The surprise factor is gone . We can set up an ambush and take down the Empyrean before he even gets a chance to fight us . " " . . . set up an ambush?" the Devil suddenly felt his soul freeze as he was forced to lie t on the ground due to the pressure on his soul . "You dishonorable degenerate!!" the Dragon¡¯s roar shook the entire pocket, the tremors showing up even on the outside where space wiggled out briefly . "You filthy lot and your scheming and nning!! If you seek the reason as to why you can never reign the world, there it is! Who fears sniveling rats hiding in the shadows?! No one! Fight with honor -- and whether you win or lose, you will do both knowing you did all you could . Humph, get out of my sight before I forget my promise to your pathetic Father and snap your goddamn neck off . " "Y-yes!!" the Devil cried out lowly before suddenly vanishing, leaving the massive Dragon alone . The creature hummed lowly as the gaze in its eyes dulled, as though deep in thought . After what seemed like a few hours, his eyes finally regained their sharpness and focus as he closed them for a moment . The creature¡¯s Will suddenly left its body, a mirage of sprawling mes traveling out of the pocket into the frigid north and beyond, moving quickly toward the south . Meanwhile, Lino suddenly felt a jolt as Ataxia showed him an image of something flying in the sky . Grinning marily, he left the pocket of mes, nced at Edryss, winked and took to the sky as his wings unfurled . The two parties met halfway through, bothing to a halt, standing apart less than ten meters . Even the Dragon¡¯s mere Will left Lino slightly terrified; it bounded for over five miles altogether, all doused in beautiful, coral-crimson mes . A pair of eyes suddenly emerged upfront and met Lino¡¯s; thetter couldn¡¯t read any hostility from them, merely curiosity . "Unflinching, unbending, straightforward," the Dragon spoke out . "You are indeed the Empyrean . " "And you must be the sod Edryss chased away the other day . " Lino said, grinning . "Ha ha ha, and sly-tongued? Oh my, Ataxia really lucked out this time around . " "He really did . " Lino nodded, quickly taking the liking to the creature he so far thought of as merely foul evil . "So, why are you here Vay-what¡¯s-your-name?" "Vynoarad," the Dragon replied . "But you can call me Vy . " "So, Vy, why are you here?" "One of my subordinates informed me that the whore had sought help," Vynoarad said . "I hardly believed him until he mentioned it was the Empyrean . Only you lot are mad enough to tangle yourselves into the struggle of Dragons without being forced to . " "Well . . . it is true . I am definitely mad . " Lino said, chuckling . "So? You came here to buy me out or something?" "Ha ha, I wish," Vy said . "While it would be pleasure to have you standing on my end of things, fighting you will be a much greater pleasure than that . " " . . . you expect me to fight you? You?" Lino asked, arching his brows . "Wow, who¡¯s the mad one now?" "What? You aren¡¯t up to the challenge?" the Dragon taunted . "No, definitely not," Lino replied without hesitation . "Dude, just what is your Level?" "Around 160,000,st time I checked . " " . . . when was that?" "Eh, a few hundred million years ago . " " . . . oh go suck a scaled Dragon dick . " Lino groaned . "I¡¯m not even a Titr yet! What do you expect me to do?! Clean your teeth with my bony arms?!" "Your lips keep spewing one thing," Vy said . "Yet, your eyes are burning, little Empyrean . Burning like fires inside my soul . I can see Edryss is feeding you her shitty mes, probably asking you to refine them, no?" " . . . yes?" Lino questioned, his eyes turning into slits . "Even if youpletely master it, you would still be nothing in my eyes," the Dragon said . "But, I have a way to help you fight me . " " . . . and I¡¯m supposed to just ept the fact you¡¯re helping someone you want to fight grow stronger?" "What is so strange about that?" Vy questioned back . "All my life, I craved fighting those who could match me . " "Edryss can match you . " Lino said . "Edryss? Ha ha ha, oh, little Empyrean . Edryss could not match me even if there were a thousand more of her clones flying around . I see she has not told you everything . " " . . . oh boy . " Lino groaned suddenly, feeling cheated . "Why did you run away then?" "Because I have no intention of killing her," Vy said, almost seeming to shrug . "She is my little sister after all . She is just a bit . . . eh, too devoted to the Ancient Ways . " " . . . oh for the love of . . . did I get myself entangled in the Race affair of Family affair?" "Both," Vy said . "After all, all Dragons are technically family so . . . " "Yeah, let¡¯s not go down that rabbit hole any longer . " Lino interrupted . "So, you¡¯re saying, you can easily defeat everyone?" "No," the Dragon shook his head . "Truth is, the damnable Mages are the reason I even sought to build the army of those little cretins . I need someone to absorb all those Scripts . They may not have the ability to kill me, but I take no pleasure in being sted by lightning time and again for weeks before they finally run out . " " . . . yet you take pleasure in making your opponent stronger so he can match you up in a fight? Goddamn dude, you are fucking weird . " "Ha ha ha, hardly so," Vyughed freely before continuing . "I have no issues with being beaten to a pulp, or even to death, by someone stronger than me . It is the most basic Law of the World . One, unfortunately, that everyone seems to have forgotten . Tell me, ay, why has the world given itself over to Gaia?" "Eh?" Lino eximed softly . "By the Old Ones, you right now could probably stter her across the walls of the world," Vy sighed, shaking his massive head while stirring the winds that nearly blew Lino away . "Howe such a pathetic cretin gets to rule the world? Ay, ay, your maind races and your customs . . . they are the insane things here . " " . . . wait- back the fuck up! Y-you . . . you are saying I can kill Gaia as I am right now?" "Yeah, probably . " "What the fuck!!" Lino screamed out . "Why am I even getting stronger then?! Shouldn¡¯t I just rush into her pce of shit and ram her fucking skull through the thick concrete wall?!" "Oh, no, no, you stand no chance in actually getting to her . I just mean that if she decided to for some reason challenge you to the fight, you would defeat her . Hell, even I probably cannot reach her without suffering quite considerably . " " . . . oh . Yeah . Raise my hopes and shoot them down . God, you are like the every girl back in the vige I grew up in . Ugh, so, anyway, how do you n on making me strong enough to match you? Because, and I say this fully conscious of how it makes me sound like, you can probably sniff me right now and I¡¯d die . " " . . . there is nothing I can give you to make you suddenly strong enough to fight me, little Empyrean; after all, strength is a gradual process -- well, at least for the Lesser Races . " " . . . fuck you . " Lino flipped him a finger as Vy continued . "But, I can tell you how to temporarily gain control over the entire Mantra . " " . . . what will it cost me?" Lino immediately asked, realizing there was no free lunch in the world . "Nothing," the Dragon shook his head . "I will bear the entire burden for you . You just need to go all out in an attempt to kill me . " " . . . heh, and I thought I was the battle-crazed maniac . I¡¯ve ways to go still, it seems . " "You are," Vy said, his eyes piercing into Lino¡¯s soul . "Had you not been, I would have killed you right here and now . I have met quite a few meek and timid Empyreans who slithered about in the shadows like rats, thinking they can obtain victory like that . If you had turned out to be like them, I would have never allowed you to embarrass the title any further . But . . . you are not . " Vy paused for a moment before continuing . "You are a Harbinger, Harvester of Souls, Ruin of Creation, the Mad Symphony life is afraid to y . You are just like me, Empyrean . Perhaps, somewhere deep down, you even outmatch me . This, more so than anything else, gives me confidence that our battle will be one for the annals of history . Let the rest scrabble and scrape to earn their honors, and let us wash the sky in fire and fury . When the dayes, I want you to show me the meaning of Chaos, Empyrean; I want you to bathe the world in damnation the likes of which it has never seen before . Do you ept my wish?" " . . . I do . " Lino replied with a faint smile . "Wash the sky in fire and fury? I like that . I really like that . So be it, old Vy . When the dayes, I¡¯ll meet you up above . But, are you feeling brave?" " . . . brave?" Vy asked, seeming confused . "Ay . How about we make a wager?" "A wager? Oh?" the Dragon mumbled with deep interest . "Should you win, you can request anything of me, even my life if you want it . But, if I win, I want you to be my pet . " " . . . " "Yes, I just said my pet . Don¡¯t look at me like that . Do you know how cool I¡¯d look if I were to arrive to each battle riding a motherfucking Dragon? Dude, the waterworks that would flow . . . holy crap . " " . . . ha ha ha ha ha, you really are a spectacr specimen, Empyrean!!" Vy roared out inughter, turning around . "Very well, if you win, I shall be your pet . But, if I win, you shall be mine . We shall spar every day until the end of time . And even if you ever grow stronger than me, you would still remain my pet . How¡¯s that sound?" "Like something I¡¯d put my money on . Cheers, old bastard . I look forward to riding your ass like someone else rides mine . " "Ha ha ha ha ha . . . . " Chapter 316 Chapter 316 CHAPTER 316 A YEAR LATER A whole year had passed since Lino, Hannah and Seya had settled in the Northern Fjords, inside what Lino decided to name ¡¯Valley Where No Human Was Meant to Enjoy Life¡¯ . The days spent were rather uneventful, with all three focusing mostly on their own, individual training regimes . Lino was still cooped up in the dimensional pocket of zing mes, except this time there wasn¡¯t even a single inch of the dimension that wasn¡¯t roaring in an inferno . Rather, if someone merely nced inside, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to spot Lino . Hannah was sitting on top of a tall rock, cross-legged, meditating . Behind her, a massive mirage in her own image arose, smoking out in cyan, a pair of eyes staring at the world down below from above . Air about her appeared almost holy, the edges of her body shimmering in faint azure, blending in perfectly with the background . Seya was currently standing next to a massive, dead tree, holding her hand against its trunk, her eyes closed, expression distorted slightly, her faint muscles bulged . She seemed to struggle with something before suddenly breathing out, shouting angrily, and kicking the tree before wincing back in pain as the tree itself was tougher than a diamond . The three interacted only asionally, mostly when Lino got tired of being boiled and decided toe out . Such was the case today, as Hannah immediately withdrew the mirage and jumped off the rock, racing over to Lino who was wearing only pants, burnt up to his knees . She suddenly threw herself at him, startling him and causing both of them to fall down into the snow . "Ha ha ha ha, oh god woman, get off of me," Linoughed before suddenly pushing her away as she bit into his corbone . "Fuck, when did you be like a rabid dog?!" "Eh? Didn¡¯t you say you want this?" Hannah quizzed, seemingly calming down . "Remember? Thest time you came out, you said my reception was, what was it? Mellow? Distant? And you said how you were expecting me to throw myself at you and bite away . " " . . . it was clearly a joke, you insane maniac!!" "Ah, you¡¯ve been out for barely a minute, and you two are already at it?" Seya chimed in from the side . "Don¡¯t you just . . . ever get tired?" "Hey, hey, youngdy, jealousy is a bad, bad emotion to have," Lino said with a serious expression, causing Hannah to chuckle . "At least keep it to yourself, geez . " " . . . yeah, sure . If you kill yourself, I¡¯ll never utter another word . " "Oh boy . She¡¯s gonna be talking for a long ass time then . " Hannah grinned . "Ah, it¡¯s enough! No more bickering and bantering and whatever the fuck else we do . Let¡¯s just settle down; I¡¯ll prep some drinks while you two lovelydies cook us up a nice meal, and we can eat it together like a proper family dammit!" "Eh, fine, fine," Hannah rolled her eyes at him, getting up and dusting away the snow off of herself . "Your word is mymand, your Highness . " "Wait, really?!" "Really!" Hannah eximed . "I mean, how can I not obey your every word?" "Ah, I see . . . " Lino sighed . "You are just so full of wisdom, I would be the world¡¯s greatest fool if I ever ignored a single thing you say . Prepare you a meal? I¡¯ll prepare you a thousand! Hell, you can even eat me if you want!" "It has been a while . . . " Lino mumbled, grinning . "But, I get it . You¡¯re embarrassed you can¡¯t cook so you¡¯re covering it up . It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine . I¡¯ll fix us something . " " . . . I-I can cook, dammit . . . " Hannah grumbled, hiding her blushing cheeks . "Wait--that¡¯s the only reason you won¡¯t cook for him?!!" Seya cried out from the sidelines . "Not because he¡¯s the world¡¯s biggest prick?! Not because even literal creator of narcissism would be ashamed in front of him?!! God, there¡¯s something fucking wrong with you people!!" "We¡¯ve already established that a long time ago, pipsqueak," Lino chuckled, ruffling Seya¡¯s hair as she tried to fight it back halfheartedly . "Come on, help me fix something together . " "Why should I?" "Well, I¡¯d ask Hannah, but, you know . . . " "Hey!!" " . . . fine . " Seya grumbled, following after Lino . "Fuck, each time youe out, you feel more and more mysterious . Just how strong have you be?" she asked as she began cutting the defrosted fish Lino handed her while he began preparing fire and water . "Eh, pretty strong," Lino replied with a smug look on his face, stroking his now rather messy-looking beard . "You ain¡¯t bad yourself, already Level 500 . Do you have some hidden talents we don¡¯t know about?" " . . . humph, I wish . I¡¯ve being training like mad almost without a break, yet you always seem to just be floating further away . " " . . . you still wanna kill me?" he asked, taking the cut fish from her . "Of course . It¡¯s the point of my life!" Seya eximed proudly . "Oh, wow . That¡¯s one pathetic sense of purpose . " " . . . what do you know? Eos was everything to me . " " . . . I¡¯m sure she was," Lino nced at her, smiling faintly . "But, do you really want to settle on just ensuring I die? Because, one way or another, I¡¯ll die . " "Oh, I¡¯d love to see that . " " . . . you gotta dream bigger kiddo," Lino said, suddenly crouching down and meeting her gaze squarely as he took both her hands and held them tightly . "A long, long, long time ago, I also just lived to kill someone . Every day, that¡¯s all I thought about . I¡¯d wake up every morning nning, I¡¯d fall asleep every night regretting I hadn¡¯t done anything that day . Day after day . . . I hadn¡¯t even noticed the time passing me by . " " . . . did . . . did you kill them in the end?" Seya asked somewhat meekly . "No," Lino shook his head . "I didn¡¯t . " "Tsk . Pussy . " "Ha ha ha, a lil¡¯ bit, yeah," Lino smiled . "Now, I¡¯m not going to stop you . After all, if my death is your fuel, so be it . I¡¯m more than happy to be the reason you wake up in the morning . " "H-hey!!" Seya eximed, blushing . "D-don¡¯t . . . don¡¯t say it like that!!" " . . . pfft, ha ha ha ha ha . . . oh god . Right . I forgot you were just a kid . . . my bad, my bad . " he got up, ruffling her hair; she didn¡¯t try to fight it this time around, meekly epting it with her head lowered . "But, I really mean it . Until you are ready to move on, I¡¯ll always be right here . " " . . . what makes you think I¡¯ll ever move on?" she humphed, tearing herself away . " . . . because living in death¡¯s shadow is exhausting," he said, ncing at her . "And worthless . Whatever front you¡¯re sporting with Hannah and me, you are very different from what you were like before we came here . And . . . I know," he said, smiling lightly as he stirred fire . "You, more so than anything else, feel guilty . " " . . . . . " "You shouldn¡¯t . Guilt, perhaps, is even worse than wrath . It will eat away at you without you ever even noticing . . . and, one morning you¡¯re gonna wake up and find yourself utterly incapable of leaving the bed . " " . . . speaking from the experience?" she asked with a faint scoff . "Aye, a lot of it . " he nodded . "I¡¯ve learned to live with it and use it as strength . But, I don¡¯t rmend you do the same . " "Why? Because I¡¯m not strong enough?" "No . . . because there¡¯s no reason to," he said, smiling . "What do you have to feel guilty about?" " . . . I . . . I don¡¯t . . . " "Because you enjoy spending time with Hannah and me?" "N-no, no . . . I don¡¯t . . . " she wheezed lowly, unable to look away from the snowy ground below . "Because you¡¯vee to learn that neither one of is quite like the stories painted us?" " . . . " "Because you can¡¯t reconcile with the fact your hatred of me is waning? Or, because, deep down . . . Hannah is slowly taking root inside the ce you only ever imagined Eos would be?" " . . . " she nced up, her eyes teary . "Fuck you Lino . Seriously, fuck you!" " . . . remember this," he said, crouching down yet again and suddenly pulling her into his arms . "Some people search for home all their life without ever finding it . Some never knew a life without it . And some throw it away because they believe there¡¯s a better one out there in the world . Once we get back home, S¡¯, you¡¯ll have a choice to make . " " . . . " "You will either go back to the ce of your birth," he said . "Or you¡¯ll stay with us . Just so you know, if you do decide to leave, you will break my heart . " " . . . humph . . . as if . . . as if I care about your dead heart . . . " "Oi, oi, what do you mean dead heart?! I¡¯m nothing but lovin¡¯ over here!" "E-!" "F-fuck, what do you mean ew?! Come back here youngdy!" "Ha ha ha ha . . . " "Ah! You¡¯reughing at me?! Shit, once I get a hold of you, I¡¯m going to smother you with hugs! That¡¯s how full of love I am!" "Ha ha ha, s-stay away from me!! Hannah,e and tame your beast!!" " . . . fuck, don¡¯t drag me into your horseshit as well . . . " Hannah grumbled outwardly, yet a smile of content crept onto her face as she sat on the side and watched a young girl running away from a half-naked man . It took her a moment to realize how wrong that seemed, and another to revel in joy they were as far away from the rest of the world as one could get without outright dying . Chapter 317 Chapter 317 CHAPTER 317 PLIGHT OF THE HOLY CONTINENT A shadow weaved masterfully through the narrow corridors of concrete-paved streets, with sky-piercing buildings rising on each side, nketing the sky above with their grandeur . Strings lunged above, litnterns hanging off of them like stars, yet despite the illuminated surroundings, the shadow blended perfectly with the world around, escaping the sight of the sea of people currently traversing the nightly streets . Suddenly the shadow stopped and slithered sideways into a small, blind alleyway before heaving onto one of the surrounding walls and jumping back and forth between the opposing one, reaching the roof that was at least forty meters tall in a matter of seconds . It hung on the edge, briefly overlooking the street down below before darting over the roof and scaling the massive, beautiful city like so . The figure was donned entirely in ck, the only part visible being the pair of equally ck eyes void seemingly of any emotion . About ten minutester, it came to a halt on top of a rather stand-out building, even with the fact that there was seemingly no such thing as a downtrodden building anywhere in the vicinity . A rectangle halfway up, it opened up into nearly a pyramid-like structure toward the top, with hundreds of windows decorating it . ncing through the windows, one could see a giant hall full of chairs and tables and people dancing, eating and drinking away freely while the music quartet repeatedly yed songs on the side . The figure stered itself against the windows and slowly scaled down, hanging off the edge and swaying back and forth for a little while before throwing itself inwardly, barely managing to catch onto the ledge of a corner pir . Seemingly breathing out in relief for a moment, it suddenly began dropping down, reaching the rectangr part quickly and easily before using its hand to seemingly make the window disappear, vaulting over and into the room . The room was ratherrge yet empty, all its furniture and decorations covered in now dusty nkets . The figure weaved its way through quickly, opening the door and ncing out into the empty hallway for a few minutes . Realizing no one wasing through, it took a deep breath and suddenly darted out, sting through a well-lit corridor in absolute silence, reaching the end of the hallway quickly and using one of its hands to weave about the lock on the door for a moment as thetter magically opened, the doors creaking gently . Before even being partly opened, the figure already darted its way through into the room; unlike the previous one, this one wasn¡¯t empty -- on top of a king-sized bed, a middle-aged man and a young womany starkly naked, asleep . Step by step, the figure approached silently, its presence entirely indistinguishable from the rest of the room . Walking up to the bed, a pair of shimmering daggers appeared in its hands as thetter moved in unison in a wide arc, one swiping over the man¡¯s and the other over the woman¡¯s necks . The two woke up almost immediately and reached for their throats, yet before they even had an opportunity to figure out what was going on, the daggers swiped nearly a hundred times altogether, hitting vital points squarely of both of them . Within a single breath, both died without ever learning how . Not waiting any further, the figure withdrew the daggers and vanished from the room, as though it was never there . Nothing was different save for the pool of blood building over and under the bed, and two corpses left in its wake . Half an hourter, Lucky was standing on the corner near the building she just left, casually drinking as she observed the world around her carefully . Though she hardly changed over the past year physically, the look in her eyes and the air about her made her seem like an entirely different person . Barely a few minutes since she started standing, chaos broke out outside the building as people began streaming out like a river, cries intermingled with angry shouts . Yet, within that anger, she easily distinguished fear; after all, this was just one more in a line of corpses she had left in her wake over the past month that she¡¯d stay in the coastal city on the Holy Continent . In total, sixteen had died -- and no one had any clue who was doing it . . . or even why . Smirking briefly as she saw the chaos unfurl before her eyes, she put the drink away and turned around, walking through the alleyways for a few minutes before entering one of the buildings, quickly reaching its top floor and entering the room where a figure was currently sharpening a small dagger . " . . . why am I even here?!" the man -- or, rather, boy, barely eighteen it seemed -- cried out the moment Lucky closed the door . "Y-you do everything!! I haven¡¯t left the fucking room ever since we got here!" "Eh? Why not?" Lucky asked indifferently . "There are some neat sights to see, and some even neater women to fuck . Go out Ty . Taste the world!" " . . . I-I thought this was a joint mission . . . " Ty mumbled lowly; he had rough, brown hair and a pair of rather peculiar, twilight eyes . Slightly shorter than her, he, however, sported rather wide and high shoulders with a pair of arms that caused Lucky to shudder each time she saw them -- after all, they reached nearly down to his knees . "Of course it¡¯s a joint mission," Lucky said . "We¡¯re staying in the same room, aren¡¯t we?" " . . . " "Ah, don¡¯t be so depressed," she chuckled, ruffling his hair for a moment as she sat next to him . "You¡¯re here just to learn . All targets so far have been rather high priority, but, if you¡¯re really itching to give it a go, I might have someone for you . " "Really?!!" "Nope!!" Lucky eximed with a grin . "FUCK!!" "Ha ha ha, rx, rx . We¡¯re behind the enemy lines here," she added, patting his now sunken back . "One mistake, and we¡¯re both dead . We both know why Val sent you with me Ty -- and it wasn¡¯t so you can sneak around and slither a few necks . " " . . . I know, I know," Ty sighed in defeat . "But, you know, you are well known as someone who couldn¡¯t give less shit about the rules . . . so, you know, I figured . . . " "I¡¯d bend a few for you?" "Yes!" "Nope!" "Goddammit!" "Ha ha ha . . . you really are a fun guy to fuck with," she chuckled, ruffling his hear once more before getting up and walking over to the window . "Have there been any messages?" "Just one," Ty said . "Some guy tried to contact you but I told him off . " "What guy?" Lucky nced at Ty with a dubious expression . "Dunno, some idiot wearing a ponytail," Ty shrugged . "He said his name was Lino or something . Humph, as if just any other moron can contact the Leader! Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll protect you from all the filthy men out there!" " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . w-what? W-why are you looking at me like that?" Ty asked as he noticed Lucky¡¯s odd gaze . "Like what?" " . . . like I¡¯m a dead man?" "Oh, that," she smiled . "Well, the guy you told off is our boss Ty . You know, the guy everyone back home worships . " " . . . . . . " "Yup, that¡¯s the expression . " " . . . . . . . . " "Fuck, there are even tears?!! Oh my, this just keeps getting better!!!" "--h-h-he . . . the . . . uh . . . Empyrean?! Th-the n-noble . . . oh . . . god . . . . " the boy suddenly cracked in tears and sobs, crawling onto the bed in a fetal position . "I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m . . . . I¡¯m . . . " he simply kept repeating ¡¯I¡¯m¡¯ without a break for a long while, until it stopped being funny and became rather depressing, causing Lucky to sigh . "Oh my god, would you cheer the fuck up," she punched him squarely on the back, causing him to cry . "What? Do you really think he¡¯s gonna kill you?" " . . . of course he will! And he should! No, wait! I¡¯ll kill myself first so he knows I deeply regret my actions!" "Ugh, stop being such a drama queen," she quickly swiped the dagger out of his hands . "Oh, look . He¡¯s calling again . Let¡¯s see what he has to say . " Lucky said as she saw a talisman vibrating on a drawer, quickly picking it up and burning it . A screen suddenly showed up, on it Lino¡¯s face sporting a rather strange expression . His eyes quickly veered off of Lucky onto the young man next to her who couldn¡¯t be any paler as Lino was beyond certain there was no whiter shade of white . "What¡¯s up?" Lucky asked . "Please tell me you aren¡¯t fucking that guy . Look at him . " Lino said quickly . "Nah, I¡¯m mentoring him . " "Oh, so that¡¯s where he inherited that tongue," Lino chuckled, stroking his beard . "You know, young man, because of your little outburst, Hannah made fun of me for like an hour straight . How are you going to make it up to me?" "WITH MY LIFE, SIR!!" Ty immediately eximed, saluting like a soldier, causing Lino to suddenly fall back on his behind and Lucky to burst out intoughter . "Where in the shit do you find these kids . . . " Lino said, sighing and chuckling bitterly . "I don¡¯t need your life kid . What the fuck can I do with it? Shit . What the fuck are you talking about death, being so young and all? Is your brain alright? Of course it¡¯s not -- you¡¯re spending your days with L¡¯ . " "Hey, don¡¯t drag me into this!" she cried out quickly . "He¡¯s right L¡¯," Hannah chimed in from the other end, briefly popping into the view . "You do have a tendency of corrupting young, innocent men . Look at what you¡¯ve done to my Lino . He used to be just an innocent boy, you know?" "Oh suck his dick Hannah," Lucky rolled her eyes at her . "By the time I met him, he was already far too gone . If anything, he¡¯s corrupted me . " "ELYSIAN, SIR, GOOD DAY!! I APOLOGIZE!!" "Oh shut the fuck up!!" Hannah, Lucky and Lino eximed at the same time as Ty quickly skittered over into the corner, drawing circles on the ground with his finger . "So, why are you reaching out?" Lucky asked . "Something wrong?" "I have a target for you," Lino said . "Though not for assassination, so you might give that kid a chance to show off . " "What target?" "Non informed me that our dear Emperor has found asylum in the Children of the Gods Holy Ground," Lino said . "And, despite Non¡¯s great abilities of deception, even he can¡¯t weasel his way through the defensive arrays of the Holy Ground . So, you can send that kid to apply for a position of a Disciple and keep an eye out on the Emperor . " " . . . why are you even giving that fart the time of your day?" Lucky sighed . "You could have beaten him back then, you can pretty much anything you want to him right now . " "No, no, no, killing him would be easy," Lino chuckled darkly, causing Hannah to suddenly feel a cold shiver run down her spine; for a moment there, she felt terribly sorry for the Emperor . "And, besides, I¡¯ve been patient so far -- I can endure for a little while longer . Yeah, give the mission to the kid -- he doesn¡¯t need to be someone important, just a regr ol¡¯ Disciple . I imagine since you¡¯ve picked to mentor him, he¡¯s not terribly talented . " "Alright," Lucky nodded . "What about you two? When are youing back?" " . . . I dunno . " Lino shrugged . "I first have to fight a Dragon and hopefully win to make him my pet . Anyway, I¡¯ll call if there¡¯s anything else . See ya¡¯ . " "WAIT JUST A GODDAMN SECOND, DID YOU JUST SAY FIGHT A DRAG-- OH YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!!" Lucky roared, startling Ty who had never seen his Master explode like this . "YOU HUNG UP ON ME?! Oh, motherfucker, when I get my hands on you . . . " Chapter 318 Chapter 318 CHAPTER 318 BIRTH OF THE EMPYREAN BLACKSMITH (I) [Lyonel Qa¡¯yi ¨C Human ¨C Level 1000(?)] Titles: Adept of Writ (???), Empyrean Soldier (???), Continental Crafter, Harbinger of Chaos, The Unbent, Destroyer of Life, Beholder of Madness, Writ yer, Ender of Light, Dragon Rider upations: Beggar (Level 86), cksmith (Level 800 - Continental Archmaster), Cultivator (Level 20) Martial Arts: Empyrean Will (Level 3), Peerless Empyrean Spear Scripture (Level 2), Sword of Chaos (???), Berserk, Unshackled, Aeonian Body, Weapon Mastery Primal Spirits: Ra, Ye, Gu, Li, Glog, Tet, Ashta Damage: 21,600,000 Defense: 8,600,000 What was the difference between all the previous realms and bing a Void Titr? That¡¯s an answer Lino was currently trying to figure out, seated on top of a crystal-like altar, enshrouded in milky-white mist all around, drawing Qi from hundreds of miles all around . His mind spun more quickly than ever before, images shing through his thoughts, words, concepts, truths and lies, his entire life crammed into a singr sh of memories . His ck hair streaked upwardly as though there was wind beneath him blowing up . He had his eyes closed, his expression cid and tranquil, his posture rxed . It was a moment of monumental change, both within and without; after having spent over two years in practically perpetual sce, training in silence, he¡¯d finallye this far -- yet only a massive wall awaited him . There was no one in the entire world who could help him traverse it -- it was something he had to do himself for himself, as every crossing was vastly different than the other . What it meant to be a Titr was different or everyone; to Hannah, for instance, it was finally letting go of the fear and guilt over what she believed . It could be something as simple as merely desiring for it, and yet it could be something soplex one can never hope to even achieve it . Lino himself had no idea what his would be like, though if it were to go anything like Hannah¡¯s, he could venture a guess or two . After nearly an entire day of silent sitting, he opened his eyes slowly and breathed out . He had a rather bitter expression on his face, his lips curling up into a faint smile before he stepped off the altar and into the frosted wild . Hannah and Seya sat down below, both anxiously looking at the alter, their expressions also turning bitter when they saw him walk out . "Good god, you suck!" Seya eximed . "That was your third time moron! Do you have absolutely any talent to speak of?!" " . . . oi, oi, ease with the anger, peacock," Lino grumbled, sitting down next to the two of them . "Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m also tired of moving my ass back and forth?" "What¡¯s the problem?" Hannah asked with a sympathetic expression . " . . . I don¡¯t know," Lino sighed . "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unable to cross . . . it¡¯s almost as though there¡¯s no bridge to the other side . Just . . . ckness . " "Did you try lighting it up with one of your jokes?" Seya poked at him . "No, but I did consider setting you on fire . " Lino shot right back . "Take your time," Hannah said, jumping in-between the two . "There¡¯s no rush . " " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t say anything, though well-aware that there was some hurry to be had; after all, ording to Edryss and Vy, the war of the North was less than a year away from actually beginning . Still, even with the pressure, Lino didn¡¯t let it get to him . He¡¯d faced and beaten far worse in his life, never allowing himself to fall down into the pit of self-doubt . He remained sitting in silence and drinking, his gaze focused on the sky above . Here and there, every now and then, sun would atst pierce through the enshrouding clouds . Though brief and rather meek, he weed it; living under eternal clouds and rain was rather depressing, even for him . What did it mean to be a Titr? He didn¡¯t know . Though he thought about it many times before, he never really gave it a good hard look -- he merely imagined it was just another realm with specific requirements he¡¯d have to meet before crossing over . Now that he stood in front of the gorge, looking over on the other end, he realized it was all but . Perhaps, in the most primitive sense, it really was just another realm, but it was also far more than that . If all the realms thus far were about Qi, bing a Titr was all about the World itself and its Laws -- one¡¯s ownmand of them . Lino had already grasped the mastery of both Death and Time, even touching a threshold of Lightning . He was still some ways off fromplete and absolute mastery, but his current understanding was more than enough to be a Titr . His eyes honed onto the distant horizon, his gaze slightly dull, lost in thoughts . Time and again he spun his memories around, trying to find the answer within them . He reyed all parts of his life he considered as defining moments; from meeting Ally all the way to today, where he sat on top of the cold block of ice, reminiscing . Even if, in the end, it didn¡¯t help him cross over, he was still d he took the trip down the memoryne . He rarely thought back on his life, being a firm believer in the creed of what¡¯s in the past stays in the past, and looking back is merely a waste of time . Yet, here and now, in his most pressing moment, he too was looking back, searching, wondering . All the faces of the people he ever met, especially those he grew fond of and even loved, one by one appeared in this strange symposium of faces . Some were smiling, some were blushing, some were staring at him angrily . . . their expressions mirrored what he thought they thought of him . Only then it hit him how many of those faces he¡¯ll never see again in his life . He can¡¯t say he¡¯s lost too much, but he¡¯s lost enough to never want to lose another one again . The pain bubbling in his heart was something he had long since got ustomed to; all the grief he had thered into the small pockets of his soul . . . it was all still there, pulsating in effervescent silence . From time to time, he¡¯d reach into those pockets, in those moments he needed strength to move forward, strength to contend, to ovee . And, bit by bit, the grief, the guilt, agony and pain had all begun seeping out . Some parts of himself felt rather hollow; some distant memories rather blurry; some voices and faces distorted by the passage of time . Even though he could have perfect recall through the basic usage of Qi, Lino had never chosen to do it -- rather, he¡¯d tried to make himself as mortal as a cultivator can get . It was one part of his past he could not abandon, the first fifteen odd years of his life that he spent in blind hollowness . Besides the memory, he never uses Qi to make the sleepiness or tiredness of everyday living go away . He doesn¡¯t use it to keep a close eye out on things or even people, to notice whether they are lying or not; he doesn¡¯t use it when drinking or eating; he doesn¡¯t even use it to prevent sickness or to cure it . Really, he only ever used Qi during fights or something simr to them . One of the memories, however, even if he forgot all others, would remain -- one that had been sealed and reforged time and again throughout his life . He wasn¡¯t even ten yet, and it happened shortly after Ally left, but before he killed Barry . It was summer, a scorching hot one, and as per usual, he was left to his own devices when it came to finding food and water . By then, he knew Hannah was looking after him, and she¡¯d never let him go thirsty or hungry . Still, that dependence hurt whatever little pride he managed to amass over the years . Thinking he was more than resourceful enough, he decided to leave the vige for the first time in his life and try his luck outside . He can¡¯t, however, remember why he thought it would work out, or what he was going to do . He can only remember finding himself deep in the woods by the nightfall, surrounded by nothing but eerie silence, darkness and the distant howls of the wolves . He remembers shaking, trembling, and even sobbing silently while perched on top of a branch of a short tree he managed to climb . He was hungry, thirsty, tired and terrified . For a brief moment there, he truly thought that would be it, in his own little naive understanding of death . However, he pushed through the night and,e dawn, he actually managed to catch a rabbit and find a nearby stream . For two whole days, he managed to survive all on his own; however terrible those two days may have been, he found a way to get by . It was an inspiring victory, one he never allowed himself to forget . Today, however, he was not alone; rather, he had many friends, a whole hall of people he loved, who were there with him . He knew he would never find himself alone in the woods again because they would uproot the earth and bend the sky in order to find him . He knew, deep in his heart, he would never be alone again, not until he drew hisst breath . Why was he fighting in the first ce? Perhaps, in the beginning, it was merely naive curiosity and a simple desire to prove himself . It has long since evolved, however; he didn¡¯t fight for himself, for the world, or even for Ataxia . He fought for those who stood by him, for those who hid behind his back, and for all those too weak to fight for themselves . He hardly considered his motives noble, however; being noble is saving aplete stranger . Saving the loved ones, he merely considered itmon sense . Sharpness returned to his gaze as his lips curled up into a gentle smile . His eyes veered sideways onto Hannah and Seya who were sitting listless in silence . In some weird way, they really have be a family of sorts . Though the two were more like sisters rather than anything else, there was still that bond that transcended the ordinary, one that couldn¡¯t be cut with anything but death itself . He got up suddenly and walked over, pulling both of them into his arms, surprising them . He was no longer a boy, a curious little pock wandering the world in search for answers . He was not a maverick, nor a lone wolf . For these two, for all those now fighting his war, for all those praying for him . . . the journey was about them, as should the destination be . In his heart of hearts, he was a smith before he was a fighter -- and, each smith dreamed of crafting a creation that cannot be surpassed . Where higher, then, can one go than the world itself? For them, for the rest, he would craft a world in which they wouldn¡¯t need to dream of better days . He¡¯d create a reality within which all of them could be anything they want to be . He was the smith, after all, and his material this time around would be the world itself . Chapter 319 Chapter 319 CHAPTER 319 BIRTH OF THE EMPYREAN BLACKSMITH (II) A starkly silver hair fell over high forehead and a pair of eternally-swirling ck eyes, the former seemingly shimmering beneath the darkness of the night . The eyes suddenly looked up and beyond, off into the distant horizon, the thin lips curling downwards into a bitter frown . A sigh escaped her, simmering the air around her and suddenly breathing life into it as a cradle of Spirits emerged and entered the world . The few danced around her for a moment, chirping in like the song of the birds, before flying off into the eternity . Her eyes, however, remained peeled to the distant beyond -- there, far off, beyond her reach, a man cradled in swirling mist of light sat cross-legged, his hair dancing between snow-white and jet-ck, a pair of eyes shining like eternal stars of fire . The air about him was majestic and imposing, causing all of the surrounding Elements to seemingly bow down to his Will, and all Laws to obey hismand . Somewhere deep in those eyes, she observed the metamorphosis happening; a change she had failed to predict, a path she could not remark . Light suddenly shed by her side as a swirling mist of red threads appeared, eyeless yet still seemingly peering off at the same scene she was . The two remained silent as they watched a pir of nigh-holy light ascend from him, sting off into the sky and toppling over the clouds . Light conveyed itself over the entire world, tremors so deep they caused chills in countless spines . A Will so overbearing suddenly washed over the world most found it difficult to breathe in that moment . The void itself trembled, threatening to crack open under the pressure . Life ceased in that monolith . Sound went silent . Colors went blind . Shapes turned t . She heaved her head up and looked toward the sky where a pir still shone majestically . Though she couldn¡¯t examine it from so far away, she could still feel its almost saintly warmth; her expression briefly turned mellow, eyes littered with distant memories . The red mist next to her shook, jolting her out of her thoughts . "If only he were as clever as he were determined," she spoke out in a soft, melodic tone . "We were so close . . . so close . " "We can still make it," the red mist replied in a strange, overcast tone void of emotion . "Nothing is lost . " "No, we can¡¯t," she said . "Nothing can stand in his path anymore . Ataxia really lucked out," she chuckled bitterly for a moment . "He only need have provided strength; that boy gave everything else . As it goes, he will win over the world . " "I won¡¯t let him . " the red mist replied . "Whatever it may take, we will finish it . " "I had a chance to stop it," she said after a short silence . "I was right there, both him and Ataxia being none the wiser . But . . . I couldn¡¯t . . . " " . . . there is still hope, you know?" the red mist replied . "That he will realize it himself . " "No," she shook her head . "Ataxia has already won his heart . Perhaps, even if he found out the truth, he¡¯d still remain his soldier . " "No, he wouldn¡¯t," the red mist said somewhat angrily . "We both know he wouldn¡¯t . Whatever others may spew, we both know who he really is deep down . " " . . . hah, you¡¯re right . He really wouldn¡¯t . Instead, he¡¯d take on all the me that isn¡¯t his to begin with, and it would cripple him further . . . until he was on his knees . No . . . he would never fall on his knees . He¡¯d find a way to get back up, time and again . Ataxia, really, always had the keenest of eyes . . . only, this time around, it won¡¯t be the same . " " . . . El¡¯ has told you a thousand times . . . there¡¯s always hope . " "El¡¯ was a dreamer," she said with a hauntingly beautiful and longing smile, yet with a gaze full of pain and grief . "She believed . . . in the better of everything, even when there was none . We have tried . . . and, perhaps, one day, somebody else will pick up the fruits of ourbor and continue our dream . " " . . . there won¡¯t be anyone else," the red mist said . "There is only us, and there is only now . Go and talk to him . He understood you once . . . and he will understand you again . " "He understood me under your banner, before he understood you," she said, ncing at the red mist and smiling faintly . "Now, to him . . . I¡¯m just a distant foe, someone he will eventually have to face on his journey . s . . . we can¡¯t go down without a fight . If we¡¯re lucky, perhaps Ataxia slips . " "And if we¡¯re not?" "Then we would have done all we could have done . . . and that¡¯s all we can ever really do . Go and invite the rest . This will either be the beginning of the world we always wanted to create . . . or an end to all our dreams . Either way, I couldn¡¯t have asked for a betterpany to share my journey with . " " . . . you deserve the world," the red mist said after a short silence, its voice seemingly choking for a moment . "And we have failed to deliver it to you . " "Ha ha ha ha, you silly goose," sheughed freely for a moment before getting up and stretching, taking a deep breath . "You have given me the world . One far more beautiful than I¡¯d ever imagined it can get . " Meanwhile, off in the far North, where a pir of light still burned away at the sky, Lino sat in peace, his thoughts clear for the first time in decades . As though a burden was finally lifted off his shoulder, he felt he could inhale air pure of all blemishes . Full and long breaths seemingly revitalized him, stirring rebirth inside the parts of himself he was even unaware had died somewhere along the way . The crossing itself wasn¡¯t life-altering or world-changing, or at least he thought so . He was entirely unaware of the shocks and tremors he had sent throughout the world, as he wholly believed this moment was his alone to keep and hold . It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯d gotten stronger, faster, more resilient or anything of such ilk; it wasn¡¯t even that he¡¯d gotten smarter or sharper, or that he¡¯d learned far more things in that singr moment . It was merely an inside swirl unfurling like a blooming flower, all his regrets, pains, joys, harrowings . . . all he was and failed to be came out like a cannonball, expelling him from the illusion . He can¡¯t be a protector if he is too afraid to lose those he¡¯s protecting; he can¡¯t be a guardian if he fears the fall; he can¡¯t be the smith if the hammer feels feeble in his hands . . . he can¡¯t be the Empyrean if he fears the world . Yet, despite that, he didn¡¯t let go of the fear . Perhaps, if he did, he might have gotten exponentially stronger . But, it wasn¡¯t worth it . Fear was his fuel . If he didn¡¯t fear losing those close to him, he wouldn¡¯t have a reason to press onwards . It was all an intricately-woven web of connections, causes and effects that only ever make sense in hindsight . He embodied all that fear freely, let it seep into every inch of his being, let it be an integral part of who he was . He feared not his own failure, his own death;e tomorrow or a thousand years from now, he was willing to ept it . He feared the death of others . Each death bes an eventual scar -- and that scar remains . Through fire and rain, through summers and winters, through heaven and hell . . . those scars always remain . They cannot be removed or forgotten or cleansed . As they shouldn¡¯t . He bore many of them, and he bore them all openly . They were his, were always his, and will always be his . Scrounged in the corner somewhere deep, seated in the hollow parts of his soul, they¡¯d burn with life for a moment from time to time and then fall asleep for years toe . Loss is a natural part of living, whether one lives for a hundred or a hundred thousand years . Mortal or immortal, no one is exempt from it . Even so, Lino mused, it was far better to have had and lost, than to have never had at all . Ae, Fish, Kraval, Freya, Felix . . . he embodied theirst moments, made them a part of who he was . And, in that moment, as though a dam splintered across the middle and the river raged on like a tsunami, he felt his Singrity crack, spitting out a ball of pure, ck light that nestled inside his Soul shortly after . His ck hair obtained a few, permanent white strands, his pair of eyes simrly obtaining one swirl of white each, swimming about his pupils . The raging winds around him that had managed to melt the ice for nearly four miles around began settling, the pir of light briefly turning entirely ck and nketing the world in ethereal darkness for just a brief second vanished, his imposing Will which had created a giant mirage of himself behind his back withdrew inside, and the world regained its calm as he opened his eyes fully . A new worldy before him, one perhaps not so physically different, but a new one nheless . After a long and bitter struggle, during which he nearly died countless times before, he¡¯d made the first final stop . He¡¯d donned the Title, like many of those before him, and as will many of those after him . He was reborn anew in that single moment of sce, born a Void Titr -- the Empyrean cksmith . Chapter 320 Chapter 320 CHAPTER 320 FIRE AND FURY (II) Last Bastion of Magic -- it stood remarkably slightly off the ground, array beneath spitting coral light onto the ground . Rounding the entire city was a massive dome-like shield shining in faint cyan, a central tower spitting a singr pir toward the center of the dome, connecting everything . Lino and Hannah sat on the very edge of the city, overlooking a spectacrly beautiful creation that left both of them breathless . Buildings erected out of white, clean marble were everywhere, looming over padded streets and narrow alleyways, not an iota of smoke to be seen anywhere . Dozens of tall towers and spires arose around the city, some bending over toward the top like a finger, some shooting straight up like a spear, some splintering halfway up and bending entirely sideways, perfectly horizontal . Both, merely from a surface nce, realized a lot of love and care went into creating something of this scale and beauty . The hurried souls marching through the streets, the light of the arrays smoldering the sky, the shouts of the somewhat anxious-sounding men and women . . . all that beauty was currently being shook by the roars of war . toons of young and old gathered, all wearing simr robes with pointy hats on top and various staffs each shimmering in peculiar hue . It was no different, Lino realized, whether it be Cultivators or Wizards . . . war was remarkably same for everyone over the world . Pine your young and healthy and ship them off with prayers and songs, ready in your heart to bury them in the rain . Hannah noticed his strange gaze and grabbed his hand, jolting him out of his thoughts . "You having some shbacks there, big fe?" she asked with a faint grin . "No, no, more like sh . . uh . . . forwards?" he said . "Imagining how cool I¡¯m gonna look when I serve that old bastard the beating of his life and make him my pet . " " . . . are you really confident?" she asked with some worry . "I mean, I know is unquestionably one of the most powerful Arts to have ever existed . . . but you¡¯re going up against a fully grown Dragon Aspect, Lino . " "I thought that would turn you on more than it would scare you . " " . . . I¡¯m suppressing it . " she grinned . "Ha ha ha, good, you¡¯re learning some control," he said, cracking his neck and ncing at the distant horizon where, between two mountains, a massive shadow of ck and red began emerging . "Don¡¯t worry," he smiled warmly and patted her head for a moment . "Even if there are ten of them, I¡¯ll stille out on top . " " . . . psh, right . God, a part of me actually wants you to lose just so your goddamn ego would take a worthwhile blow . " " . . . ouch . " "Sorry, sorry, half of me wants you to lose . " " . . . I know you¡¯re joking--" "Who says I am?" she interrupted . "--you better fucking be!!" " . . . " " . . . " "I am . He he . " " . . . ugh," he groaned, pulling his hand away and unfurling his wings . "You¡¯ll be the death of me woman . " . . .e back safe . " she mumbled under her breath, her yful expression turning into a worried one as she watched his back flee toward the high skies . She stared toward the ever-fading dot for a long while, pondering on how can he so easily throw himself into everything . She couldn¡¯t even pretend she would battle a full-fledged Dragon, yet there he was, running ahead of time . It was a stark difference between the two, she realized a long time ago; yet, it was also one among many other things that made them tick so well together . He thought with his heart and she thought with her head; yet, for that brief moment he disappeared, she also wished to listen to her heart and join him . To stand by him and to fight by side side . She knew she couldn¡¯t, though; both had their own battles to wage, and own victories to achieve . After onest, longing nce, she turned on her heel and entered the city, passing through the masses of people without seemingly being seen by any . She made her way over to the central tower and entered with ease, passing by those few standing on guard and making her way to the top, entering a rather dimly lit room currently upied by five people -- four men and a woman . Four men she¡¯d already met, and was quite familiar with as she¡¯d visited the city a few times over the past two years, but it was her first time seeing the woman . Thetter had long, snow-white hair and a pair of breathtaking, silver eyes . She was lithe and slender, her long legs impossible to hide beneath loose-fitting, white robes . Her face was oval-shaped, lips full and cherry-red, cheekbones high and rosy, gaze piercing and honest . As Hannah walked in, the two women¡¯s gazes met as four men mumbled in low tones, ncing between the two with rather peculiar expressions . "You were right," the woman said, her lips curling up into a gentle smile . "She is indeed more beautiful than me . " " . . . what in the fuck were you guys talking about before I walked in?" Hannah immediately quizzed with faint anger and embarrassment, funneling it all into the rage toward the four men who found themselves standing in the crossfire . "We, uh," Ajjy mumbled meekly . "Nothing, khm, nothing . So, uh, Empyrean made it fine?" "They were just being men," the woman said, inviting Hannah to sit next to her . "By now, I genuinely believe they cannot help themselves . " "Y-yes, we can¡¯t . . . khm," Vyne said lowly . "It¡¯s just, uh, who we are . " "Right," Hannah mumbled . "Four morons . In what universe am I more beautiful than her?" she decided to y along . "I¡¯d kill for my hair to be so white . " "Just give it a couple of dozen years and you¡¯ll get there!" Ajjy winked yet immediately regretted it as he felt two pairs of murderous eyesnd on him squarely . "I was hoping the Empyrean would join us," the woman said . "Where is he?" "He¡¯s gone off," Hannah said . "For some reason, he¡¯s really excited to fight a Dragon . " she added with a shrug . "We¡¯ve never met, right? I¡¯m Hannah . " "Jade," the woman replied with a smile, epting Hannah¡¯s handshake . "And we hardly could have; I¡¯ve barely left my workstation thest three years . Arrays, after all, won¡¯t draw themselves . From what I understand, you¡¯re the Elysian?" "Aye . " Hannah nodded . "Fascinating," Jade said, her gaze turning somewhat dubious for a moment . "Empyrean and Elysian . . . helping us in our time of need . The world has really gone mad . " " . . . is that really that strange?" Hannah asked, realizing nearly everyone who knew about Lino and her helping had a simr reaction . "Naturally," Jade replied . "After all, past generation¡¯s Empyrean is the reason we were banished from the maind, while the Elysian of yore is the reason we¡¯ve lost nearly all our ancient knowledge . " " . . . what the shit . . . " Hannah mumbled, her eyes turning into saucers for a moment . "Sorry . . . I didn¡¯t know . " "Ha ha, why would you? It¡¯s ancient history, even to us; I can barely imagine what it is to the rest of the world . Perhaps a footnote in one of your history books, at most . But, past is in the past; today you are here as friends, and we would not have you any other way . I assume you are well-versed in the overall battle strategy?" "I am," Hannah nodded, taking a deep breath . "But, do you guys really need no help on your end?" "Even if we did, we could hardly ask you or the Empyrean to help us," Sylos chimed in with a faint sigh . "You are already bending-over-backwards to help us . Honestly, if not for you two and Edryss, we would have folded and fled a long time ago . The least we can do is uphold our end of the war and win . " " . . . alright . " Hannah mumbled faintly, turning silent right after, her mind muddled with a surge of thoughts as the remaining five began discussing the overall n once more . Meanwhile, far up in the sky, beyond the clouds, inching near the universe itself, Lino was currently staring at a pair of eyes each asrge as a massive mountain who started right back . Vynoarad was truly massive, Lino realized; it was beyond shocking to actually see the Dragon up-close this time around, to face the beast squarely -- beast whose single scale was alreadyrger than Lino himself . The only saving grace were the wings behind his back, spanning over a hundred meters altogether, giving him a smidgen of grandeur Vy presented . " . . . ¡¯oly shit, you¡¯re really huge!" unable to hold it in anymore, Lino exhaled out the words and took a deep breath afterwards . "Like, fuck . Can¡¯t you just fight by just using your Will? That was at least somewhat manageable!" "Ho ho, are you cowering beneath my mighty stature?! Ha ha ha ha, you humans truly are puny, be it a peasant or the Empyrean . " Vy replied in a somewhat mocking tone, causing the corner of Lino¡¯s lips to twitch . "What, you¡¯re just a goddamn shower anyway," Lino fired back . "What use is the size and girth when I¡¯ll still beat your ugly head ck and blue . Tsk, when you be my pet, he he, I¡¯ll downsize you to a pup . Just you wait, you ol¡¯ bastard . " " . . . those below us cannot win this war, Empyrean," Vy suddenly spoke in a rather serious tone, surprising Lino . "Even with Edryss and Elysian aiding them . Your only hope of saving them is to defeat me . If you submit to me now, I¡¯ll immediately withdraw the troops and ensure their lives till the end of mine . What do you say?" " . . . win or lose," Lino grinned, whipping out [Dragon yer] . "What¡¯s it matter, little Dragon? Weren¡¯t we going to shower the world in fire and fury? They are ready to burn thest bit of fuel inside their hearts to defend their home . . . what abominable coward would I be if I didn¡¯t at the very least match their mes?" " . . . ha ha ha ha, indeed, indeed, well-said, little bastard," Vyughed, his voice shaking the entire world around the two . "If you said yes, I would have swallowed you on the spot you bastard!" "Goddamn, you and your fucking tests . It¡¯s getting tiring you ol¡¯ piece of shit!" "Ha ha ha, alright, alright . No more tests then," he said, his ck scales suddenly catching on fire . "Let us truly cover the world in me and fury, Lino . Show me all the Chaos has to offer, and allow me to show you it is not quite as prolific as the world has made it out to be . " Chapter 321 Chapter 321 CHAPTER 321 FIRE AND FURY (III) An ear-tearing shockwave ripped across the entire Northern Fjords, copsing the sky unto a nket of mes that consumed everything . Hundreds of thousands of souls and hearts jolted as the eyes gazed upward where an inferno of crimson and coral mes awaited them, mingling with brilliant shes of golden and ck light that tore open the holes in it . It was a sight both majestic and terrifying, causing many to cower and crawl, hiding away from fear of having the inferno fall upon the world . Hannah sighed in relief when she saw the shes of golden and ck, focusing up front . She was currently seated on top of Edryss¡¯ back, Ennya floating right next to them alongside Jade and a small toon of Wizards behind her . The small group faced two Drakes -- yet-to-be-Aspects Dragons, really -- and a massive army of cross-racial factions -- Hannah saw Humans, Devils, Elves, Nightdwellers, Angels and even Gods mingling in there . That was her own battle to fight; she couldn¡¯t spend it worrying about how Lino was doing . Meanwhile, thetter was currently cursing inwardly while swatting a torrent of mes with the [Dragon yer] . It was really hot -- really, really, really, really hot . Not to the point where he would burst into mes himself any second now, but pretty hot regardless . It was also fairly dangerous; just then, as an opener, Vy decided to surprise him with a sea of mes as he spat it out form in-between his scales, covering the entire sky and world around him and Lino . Thetter barely managed to react in time, copsing his Wings into a shield that luckily endured the full barrage before dissipating into smithereens . Right now, Lino was still in the process of actually understanding -- like Vy promised, he took on the burden, onergely associated with Laws, Will and Vitality . While Lino prided himself on his Vitality, he felt like a tiny ant beneath the Dragon in front of him . Millions? Tens of millions? Lino was fairly certain it was in actual billions . What would have sucked Lino dry a million times over seemed like a drop in the ocean for Vy . Despite the fact that Lino was still adjusting to the sudden outburst of knowledge he received, Vy pressed on with his attacks, barely allowing the former a chance to breathe . It didn¡¯t help either that Lino had to consciously pull himself back repeatedly from diving in too deep and losing himself; after all, was far more remarkable than Lino had ever even begun to imagine . In total, it had 72 Forms -- however, they did not correspond to the Laws, but instead corresponded to one¡¯s Will . It was physically impossible to Master all Forms, or even learn them to a basic Level . One of the first things Lino understood is that he would be able to Master only 13 Forms unless he was willing to entirely change thepass of his Will . Even with Vy upholding the burden, Lino was actually only able to use those 13 Forms, so he felt rather cheated, yet also beyond ecstatic to try them out . " -- Second Form!" he eximed as he held the [Dragon yer] with both his hands in front of him, the de pointing downward . "-Veil of Madness-!!" Blistering shadows erupted from the sword and consumed the mes surrounding it, copsing the reality of is with the reality of was -- screams andughter, both distorted beyond recognition, ripped through the void from beyond and surfaced within the world . They beckoned all those who could hear them, above and below; while those below suffered terribly despite the fact that they only heard it as a whisper, Lino basked in a temporary recement of emotions -- all he felt just a second prior vanished, reced entirely by one feeling alone -- madness . His jet-ck eyes copsed into a singrity, sclera, pupil and iris bing one and the same, ebony-dyed beyond understanding, like two ck holes absorbing everything . Smoke billowed out of their corners as he Lino took the [Dragon yer] in one of his hands and took out [The Untamed] and held it in the other . With the fluttering wings, he turned into a brief nothingness, a whizz of wind, a whisper of copsing lungs, breaching past the mes and winding up on top of Vy¡¯s back whereupon he stabbed both of his swords at the same time . Thetter winced in pain and roared, his massive wings shaking as the scales on the back of his body lit up like stars, immediately after spitting geysers of mes upward like pirs . Lino flew backwards, crying out in momentary pain as he forcibly halted his body, flipping mid-air and immediately withdrawing [The Untamed], taking out the [Gauntlet of Absolution] . "," he mumbled faintly . "Sixth Form --" his eyes suddenly switched their hue from ck to crimson, yet remained otherwise the same . The [Dragon yer] cried out hollowly and angrily, suddenly catching on fire . "Wrath of the Empyrean!" Lino felt his Will drain out of him and travel into the handle of the sword before consuming the de, projecting a mirage of Lino¡¯s eyes above the two, above the world itself . Vy suddenly flung himself sideways and turned to face Lino, the pair of fire-raging eyes meeting the crimson ones . They both froze in time for a breadth of a moment, each reflecting excitement more so than anything else in their gazes . However, the brief stillness led to a pure rapture; Lino heaved his sword over and stabbed it directly into Vy¡¯s neck while thetter shot out a ball the size of an ind at Lino, dousing him in infernal madness . Both screamed out, Vyrgely due to the foreign Will suddenly infiltrating his very Soul, trying to corrupt and consume it . Lino suffered mostly because he had to actually take off the [Heaven-cast Armor] and put it into the void world as otherwise it would have melted under the mes . However, this in turn meant he had to take on the brunt of those mes with his very own flesh -- and however resilient he was, he was not invincible . Time and again fires that kept melting his skin off fought with his Qi that kept fixing it; although it allsted merely a few seconds, it was the sort of pain that would remain a scar rather than a memory . Being burned alive is beyond unpleasant; yet, being burned alive thousands of times within a few seconds . . . it was mind-bending . Both took a second of respite before focusing onto one another yet again; Lino dove freely and used the gauntlet to rip out the [Dragon yer], forming a massive gash on Vy¡¯s neck that wouldn¡¯t heal any time soon . Thetter swiped with his ws and tore away at Lino¡¯s ribs, turning him into a corpse for a moment before he managed to regenerate . "," unrelenting, Lino didn¡¯t retreat but instead pushed onward -- just like Vy whose scales suddenly opened like windows, revealing tender flesh beneath, ripe for carnage . "Forty-ninth Form -- Undying Will!!" Lino suddenly felt his body lighten as all his wounds disappeared, his skin obtaining a faint, metallic sheen, his Will suddenly externalizing on its own and covering his entire body like a shield . His Qi rapidly recovered, his mental agony vanishing entirely, reced by tranquil peace and focus . "," immediately pressing forward, he mumbled under his jaw . "Thirty-third Form -- Timeless Rapture . . . " Time slowed down to a crawl suddenly, both Lino and Vy finding themselves inside a world that they couldn¡¯tprehend . All around them, everything barely moved an inch, every facet of their beings failing to keep up with the speed of their thoughts andmands . Lino cursed inwardly, realizing he had mistakenly interpreted the form, having believed he would be exempt from its effects . However, he quickly realized that, even if Vy took on the burden of Will and Laws, Lino was still limited in execution due to theck of understanding . He imagined that the ¡¯Timeless Rapture¡¯ Form was reserved for those who couldmand time with a single thought -- he certainly could not, which meant he also got stuck in the same, weird position like the rest . Vy and Lino shared an awkward moment, with the former doing a lengthyughter of mockery due to everything having slowed down and Lino trying desperately not to blush out in shame . It allsted for a whole minute before finally resuming . Lino immediately cried out in frustration and flew over to Vy and began punching the Dragon repeatedly . Thetter, however, still continuedughing, seemingly ignoring Lino¡¯s violent outburst . By the end, Lino was breathing heavily and Vy was just now realizing he actually took quite a beating while not paying attention . "Damn, you¡¯re one emotionally-charged kid," Vymented with a hint of bitterness present in his voice . "We could have justughed it off . " " . . . what do you think I am? An idiot?" Lino snickered . "While you wereughing, I got quite a few clean hits in there . You fucking idiot . " " . . . tsk . You¡¯re a devil¡¯s child, aren¡¯t ya¡¯? Aren¡¯t ya¡¯?!" "Nah, just a dude withmon sense . " Lino shrugged . "I knew you would continue tough after the effect ended, and while I really felt like joining you, I also felt like beating you up . So, you know, I went ahead and beat you up . If I used weapons, you¡¯d have figured out something was off . . . but because I just used my ¡¯puny¡¯ fists, you just thought I was discharging . Heh, discharging . " " . . . oi, oi, oi, what happened to the battle-crazed kid you were supposed to be?!" "Fuck, dude!! How am I not a battle-crazed degenerate?! Here I am, literally exchanging blows with a freaking Dragon tens of thousands of Levels ahead of me! I have balls the size of the fucking sun! People should literally perpetually kiss the ground I walk on in hopes of picking up a sliver of fucking courage I have!" " . . . wow . And I thought Dragons had some issues with ego . " "Oh, go suck a dragon dick," Lino growled . "--" "Wait, wait, wait!" "What is it?!" "Those down below are yet to recover," Vy said . "If something identally streams from us downward, they won¡¯t be able to dodge it . " " . . . fine . " Lino said, crossing his arms over his chest . "But we wait in silence!" "Yes . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . so, you like the ?" "Oh fuck me . . . " Lino grumbled, rolling his eyes . He atst got another taste of what others must feel like when he just won¡¯t shut up . . . yet, it hardly taught him a lesson; if anything, it made him even more motivated . It was a pretty good tactic when it came to pissing people off . Chapter 322 Chapter 322: 322 CHAPTER 322 FIRE AND FURY (IV) While the sky basked in a perpetual inferno, fire raining down ever so often and forcing those fighting on the ground to dodge, Hannah currently hovered slightly off the ground, bloodied . Her dress was ripped along the left side, a massive gash over her leg extending all the way up to her thigh . Her crimson hair was disheveled, intermingled with the blood running from the cut on her forehead . Her green eyes coldly stared at the source of her headaches -- floating just in front of her was a three-horned Devil, staring at her with a yful gaze . He twirled a pair of toothed daggers in his hands, the wings on his back fluttering ever so often as to keep him afloat . Hannah nced around, quickly realizing they were being pushed back; though it may not seem so on the surface as the line of battle hadn¡¯t moved since the beginning, it was rather easy to understand her side was being pushed . Mages had a finite amount of Scripts, meaning they could cast a finite amount of Magic Arts, while the enemy¡¯s army still had its reserves parked on the far-end hill out of their range . Most of their strongest fighters were being tied up, including Edryss and Ennya, and even Jade who was currently wrestling with a pair of Gods . She herself wasn¡¯t having a good time; it wasn¡¯t as though she couldn¡¯t easily dispatch the Devil in front of her, but she would have tomand her Avatar form in order to do so -- yet, it was simply too early . If she only activated it to win a single fight, they may as well surrender; much like the rest, she had understood that their job was no longer to win, but to endure . "You know, you really shouldn¡¯t be distracted when fighting . " a chilling voice whispered into her ear from behind as she groaned, her entire body suddenly fluttering in lightning, sting off bolts in a ring-like fashion . "Ho ho, slow down, slow down . You almost fried me right there . " "You sound like a cat being fucked by an ox," Hannah grumbled . "Just shut and fight you goddamn imbecile . Fucking hell, who ever taught you how to speak? I spit on their stupid graves . Shit, you might cause my fucking ears to implode on themselves just so I can stop listening to that goddamn voice . " " . . . " the Devil was momentarily frozen, unable to process how could such a fair-looking woman . . . say such things . Hannah, simrly, was slightly surprised, quickly realizing that Lino¡¯s way of insulting had also rubbed off on her . "Y-you¡¯ve got quite a tongue on you, young chick . . . " " . . . they¡¯re really going at it," entirely ignoring him, Hannah instead focused on the high sky where roars and cries repeatedly showered the world like thunder . Golden, coral, crimson and ck mixed the blend of perfect colors, ethereally breathtaking to behold . "That dude has balls the size of a freaking continent . . . " "Ugh, I¡¯m done ying with you!" the Devil eximed, heaving sideways and arching toward her . "Really? And I was just beginning to enjoy it . " Hannah smiled faintly as she wrapped her body in thunder and darted forward, entirely ignoring the Devil . She turned into a streaking bolt, criss-crossing through a massive battlefield and observing it keenly . A massive valleyy between the mountains on one end and the city on another, and it was the sole home to the battle; nearly two million souls altogether stood on both sidesbined, each firing off Art after Art, consuming the world in colors . Those few of brave hearts lunged their bodies forth, leading to the frontier sh around which the remaining conflicts kept escting . Altogether Hannah quickly counted seven separate battlefields; one in the high sky that the rest simply couldn¡¯t even watch, one between the dreadnought forces of both sides -- including two Drakes, several high-tier Gods, Angels and Devils on one hand, and a slew of Mages, Edryss, Ennya, Jade and her on the other . In addition to those two, there was the central battle between meleebatants, battle between the stealthed assassins who each tried to gain ess to the backline of two armies . There were also two nking battles urring simultaneously and, finally, there was the battle of ranged bombardment -- on one end toons of Mages, on another scores of Human Cultivators . Individual strength within such a conflict was quickly snuffed out unless one was simply eons above the rest, and it was hard -- if not impossible -- for a single person to change the tides of the battle . She, however, knew she had to do something lest they simply kept getting pushed back; their frontline was already losing ground, and both of their nks were being decimated . The only outright winning side they had were actually the assassins, several of which had gained ess to the enemy¡¯s rangedbatants, disrupting their formations and allowing the bombarding Mages to regain a semnce of control . She would have one opportunity to make a change so she had to choose perfectly; she immediately ruled out helping the nks as even regaining strength on them would ultimately be pointless . She also ruled out helping the ranged bombardment as she would simply disrupt the perfect coordination between the squads . In addition, her long-ranged capabilities -- at least ones that span tens of miles altogether -- were at bestckluster, so she couldn¡¯t even help all that much . That left her trying to help the assassins, the frontline, Lino -- which actually did sh through her mind for a moment -- or to immediately activate her Avatar form, killing the Devil chasing her, and then go and assist either Edryss or Jade, whose liberation would allow them to then help the other fronts . She felt like a draughtswoman for a moment as she drew ns of action inside her mind, trying to run through each and every one as quickly as possible, taking all variables into ount . It was in moments like these where she envied Lino; he wouldn¡¯t think, he would simply throw himself at the frontline based on pure instinct . However, unlike him, Hannah could see much further into the battle and realize that the key to achieving a stalemate wasn¡¯t the frontline -- even if theirs copsed, it wouldn¡¯t mean the enemy forces would suddenly march straight at them . Both sides had ratherckluster meleebatants, and allowing them to run around unchecked wouldn¡¯t actually amount to much . As Devil slowly began catching up to her, all the while hurling curses at her cowardice, she had finally settled onto a decision -- she would immediately enter her Avatar Form, but she wouldn¡¯t kill the Devil; rather, she would actually help her side¡¯s assassins . The key to a prolonged stalemate was ensuring the Mage Squads on her side could control the overall state of the battlefield and they could only do that if they didn¡¯t have to suffer a perpetual engagement with the other side¡¯s long-ranged squads . For the time being, her side¡¯s high-tier fighters were not losing, and some were even slowly gaining ground . The biggest threat for the time being was losing ground on the overall bombardment of the battlefield -- if the enemy side could push forward, they would be able to reach the city with their Arts, and that was a nightmare Hannah didn¡¯t want to deal with . Having already made the decision, her body shed in brilliant glow for a moment as a mirage of herself expanded from her back into the sky, glowing like a bright sun even amidst the shower of Arts . "!" she cried out lowly . "Heaven and Earth Mandate--" fire inside her heart lit up into an inferno, her eyes turning milky-white, her tattered dress fluttering in the hurricane-like winds that quickly surrounded her . "Elemental Hail!" The infernal sky above suddenly dimmed as a ratherrge part of it split open into an eye-like, vertical slit . Void rested beyond for a moment before dots of light appeared for a second before darting downward . Each dot embodied an element as fire, earth, wind, water, light, dark, shadow, life, death and all those in-between began raining down like droplets upon the far back-line of the enemy¡¯s force . The Devil chasing her cried out in horror for a moment as he realized what she wanted to do, causing his wings to flutter madly in an attempt to stop her . Hannah, however, merely nced sideways and smirked, using her left arm -- which remained stered to her body all the while -- to summon a sphere of light and chug it at him at a speed he simply couldn¡¯tprehend . The sphere exploded in front of his chest, showering him in piercing arrays of light and digging holes throughout his entire body, killing him on the spot . Around that time, the hail of elements alsonded on the enemy¡¯s backline, killing tens of thousands of souls in one fell swoop . Right as the carnage on the far end settled, a heart-puncturing roar raptured through the infernal skyline, a ck pir emerging from seemingly nowhere and encapsting the far sky in entangling darkness . Hannah¡¯s gaze swiftly turned upward as she studied the shroud for a moment, quickly realizing what it was -- [Veil of Madness] . " . . . can you do it?" she mumbled with some worry; if Lino had to activate [Veil of Madness], it must mean things weren¡¯t going as nned . She had half a heart to storm through the veil and help him, yet managed to hold herself back in the end . That wasn¡¯t a battle anyone else could participate in . She would simply be throwing her life away . "You can . . . " she smiled faintly right after as his face popped briefly inside her mind . "It¡¯d be too uncool if you lost . . . " Chapter 323 Chapter 323 CHAPTER 323 FIRE AND FURY (V) Heaved high up in the sky amidst the roaring, crimson mes, a figure still managed to stand out within the ever-reaching corporeal shadows . Lino hardly looked himself at the moment; his ck hair had turned entirely white, seemingly aglow, his jet-ck eyes following suit, spitting ceaseless arrays of light from the edges . The greatest change, however, to his appearance were the wings behind his back -- feathered and golden they were no more, instead turned entirely into nimble, ck shadows . A starkly dark sheen surrounded his body, making him seem far more devilish than holy despite his hair and eyes . Veins all over his body stood up and pulsated like worms, his muscles contorted, nearly ripping through the remnants of his clothes . Behind him, rising even further into the sky, was a mirage of himself . On top of the mirage stood a chilled crown, and further above both the mirage and the crown was a pair of scythe-like chakrams nketing the heaven and the earth . The world around him appeared distorted due to his sheer presence, Qi being dragged in and consumed at a rate few could even follow . In his arms he held the [Dragon yer] and the [Gauntlet of Absolution], both of which lost their zing luster in lieu of rapturing shadows . He seemed entirely devoured by darkness and pulled over the line past no return, yet his gaze remained sharp and focused, a yful smirk eternally stered on his face . "Madness? Ha ha ha ha ha," Vy suddenly burst out intoughter, his eyes narrowing slightly . "Fantastic! You truly are one of a kind, Empyrean! But, you are a fool to strengthen me!" "," Lino mumbled with a massive grin . "Sixty-sixth form--" "Oi, oi, what the hell are you doing?!" Vy quickly eximed, a faint trace of fear present in his voice . "Chaotic Liberation -- Copse of Creation, Resurrection of Destruction!" shadows exploded like fire from Lino, turning into a massive torrent expanding outwardly in each and every direction, consuming all the surrounding mes in their wake . The shadows expanded across the entire sky, shrouding the whole world in the perpetual night, all the while devouring all matter and energy they came across . It all, eventually, fed back to Lino, whose mirage grew exponentially clearer and more corporeal until it practically became another body of his . [Dragon yer] roared with a furious tone as shadows raptured its de and took its ce . " . . . oh you crazy piece of shit . " Vy grumbled but didn¡¯t hesitate any further as his entire body suddenly shook, causing winds of fire to stir around him and consume him in a nket of mes . On one end of the sky stood shadows past which no eye, ethereal or ordinary, could gleam, and on another an infernal sea too bright and warm for anyone to look directly at . The battle down below temporarily ceased as everyone focused on the tall sky, their breaths abandoning their lungs, their minds forgetting the most basic functions . Hannah found herself shook beyond words -- not due to mes, but exclusively due to the raging shadows . The sheer quantity of Qi present was beyond her capacity to understand, making her feel somewhat downcast; even though she knew Lino was only able to do what he did due to Vy¡¯s help, she still couldn¡¯t justify it through that entirely . Arge part of it was still his own Willmandeering everything around him to such a perfect degree she felt slightly ashamed, yet also deeply proud . After all, she¡¯d seen him through all parts of his life, from when he was a young, broken boy, to now -- where he became someone who can change the tides of the world all on his own . However much help he was given, whether by Ataxia, E, Eggor, or even herself, he would never be able to reach this far without his own strengths . Some ways off, Jade stood amidst the toon of Mages, her gaze dubiously focused also entirely on the shadows . There was a trace of nostalgia swirling through her silver eyes, her lips curled up into a faint smile . Something about those shadows, she mused inwardly, felt beyond close and warm . . . yet also deplorably distant . Edryss, too, found herself staring at the shadows rather than the mes; she was well-aware of Vy¡¯s strength, after all, and all the while questioned the Empyrean¡¯s decision to head into the battle alone . Yet, now, beneath the nketed sky of fire and fury, she found herself relieved . . . yet also slightly terrified . What would have happened if the Empyrean and Vy stood on the same side? She didn¡¯t even dare guess . Meanwhile, the entire world seemed to be suspended in the moment; most had quickly recognized the source of the shadows, while only a few could recognize the source of mes . After a two-year long slumber, it seemed that he had atst returned . The leaders of the Holy Grounds quickly gathered together in order to discuss the ns, while those who cursed the Empyrean had simply ran away crawled into the holes in hopes of hiding . Inside a smallke behind the Holy Pce of the Central Continent, an old man and a pair middle-aged ones were sitting around a chess table, their gazes focused on the distant sky . "Haii, to think the little bastard would actually fight a Dragon to a standstill," the red-haired man said with a sigh . "He¡¯s just terrible . . . " "Well, he did dare threaten our deal ol¡¯ Master here," the blue-haired one chuckled faintly, his rather feminine face exuding strange sort of grace . "Battling a Dragon seems like a step-down, really . " "Say what you will, but threatening an old, weak-looking man and a sky-spanning Dragon are two very different things," the red-haired man retorted quickly . "Even you and I would have to think twice before doing it, let alone some pissy, not-even-forty-yet kid . Don¡¯t know whether to call him courageous or idiotic . Both fit, actually . " " . . . his Will had evolved again . . . " Six, the Eternal Watcher, sighed faintly, shaking his head . "That kid really never rests . " "It has?!" both men sitting by his side eximed in surprise . "Aye," the old man nodded, stroking his chin . "How else do you think he¡¯smanding so many things at once? He¡¯s channeling Law of Madness directly through his body -- something that even I would have trouble doing so easily and swiftly -- while alsomandeering Laws of Death and Shadows, binding them together . You can¡¯t do any of that without an irond Will . " " . . isn¡¯t the Dragon taking on most of the burden?" the blue-haired man questioned after a short silence . "No," the old man shook his head quickly . "The Dragon is only ensuring Lino doesn¡¯t copse unto himself entirely due to using . Were it not for the massive discrepancy in Levels, that little kid could almost match the Dragon in both the Laws and Will, actually . " " . . . haii, what a terrifying bastard . . . to think Forty-four still wants to teach him a lesson . . . ah, I pity the poor bastard . . . " the red-haired man said . "Let him," the old man shrugged . "Should be a fun show to watch . " " . . . M-master . . . Forty-four is also your Disciple, you know . . . ?" "Humph, the little bastard has grown quite self-important ever since I put him in charge of missions and rewards . It¡¯s time someone did a check on his ego . " " . . . don¡¯t you think Lino needs a far greater check on his ego?" "What? He¡¯s perfectly fine," the old man shrugged dismissively . "Youngds need to have fire and passion about them . " " . . . is it me or am I sensing some nepotism at y here?" the red-haired man questioned . "Huh?!" "N-nothing, nothing . . . " Meanwhile, far up and away, Lino and Vy charged at each other with roars loud enough to deafen even the most resilient; Lino shed with the sword and punched with the gauntlet while Vy stretched his maw far open and spat out an infernal beam directly at the former . A sh of powers resulted in a world-shaking explosion and a shockwave that ripped right through the north, copsing hundreds of mountains in its wake, and even managing to shake the entire quasi-continent temporarily . Two sides beneath had long since withdrawn in the safe areas, temporarily establishing ceasefire as they awaited with abated breaths . Yet, no one could see past the shroud of fire and fury high up where two shed repeatedly, each subsequent one seemingly even more terrifying than thest . Soon, the entire Northern Fjords quaked under the sheer burst of energy, splinters and cracks forming all throughout . Lino and Vy halted for a moment, both beaten and bruised, taking quick and shallow breaths due to exhaustion . "Ha ha ha, goodd, goodd!!" Vyughed out freely . "You¡¯ve really made these old bones work out for the first time in a while!" "Ha ha ha, don¡¯t rx yet ye¡¯ old bastard," Linoughed back . "When I make you my pet, I¡¯ll have you fly me everywhere! You¡¯ve yet to know what having your bones worked out really means!" "Ho ho ho, someone¡¯s confident! Aye,d, this poor ce can¡¯t handle any more of our shes," Vy said . "So, how about we wrap it up in one final bout, eh? Whoever wins . . . wins . What do you say?" "You read my mind," Lino said, grinning . "Besides, I think we¡¯ve inflicted enough terror onto the world for now . " " . . . really?" "Hell no," Lino shrugged . "But my girlfriend is down there, and it¡¯d be bad if I identally killed her . " "Aii, you humans and your loves and rtionships," Vymented with faint disgust . "It¡¯s deplorable . " "Oh shut up you crazed chunk of meat ande at me!" "No, youe at me!" "Fuck! I¡¯m actually giving you initiative and you¡¯re rejecting my kindness?!" "Who the shit needs your kindness?! Humph, little kid, I¡¯m trying to give you a chance to go out with a st, yet you want to keep up that bravado of yours till the end!" "Fuck you! Instead of making you my pet after I beat your ass, how about I instead just kill you?! I have a feeling it will save me a whole slew of trouble in the long run!" "Humph, now I¡¯m considering killing you too instead of taking you as a pet, little human . But, no, ha ha ha . When I make you my pet, I¡¯ll have you dance and sing for me all the time, ha ha ha ha . . . it¡¯s going to be glorious . . . " " . . . you really have some shitty interpretation of what ¡¯glorious¡¯ means . " Lino sighed as he held the [Dragon Sword] in the backhand . "Alright, enough of the chatter . Here Ie you fatty!" "No, here Ie you stick-and-bones!" "What?! Didn¡¯t you give me the initiative?!" "Didn¡¯t you give it to me?!!" " . . . " " . . . " "FUCK YOU!!" both yelled at the same time as they rushed at each other . Chapter 324 Chapter 324 CHAPTER 324 CONTINENTAL TERROR Lucky was currently staring at the distant, enshrouded sky from which a familiar aura leaked ceaselessly . There was a faint, warm smile on her face, her eyes exuding pride . She was half a mind away to shout ¡¯Yeah, that¡¯s my best friend!¡¯ before realizing how embarrassing that would have been, quickly reprimanding herself for ever conceiving the thought . Behind her, a middle-aged man sat tied to a bone-crafted chair, his eyes, lips and the whole body trembling in terror . He had cloth tied around his mouth and mawed chains around his limbs, causing trickles of blood to repeatedly copse onto the floor, forming a not-so-small pond beneath the chair . After staring at the sky for a few minutes, Lucky turned around and faced the man, her previous smile and gaze vanishingpletely, reced with frigid indifference . She walked over calmly and removed the cloth over the man¡¯s mouth as thetter winced in fear . "Finally done screaming?" she asked . " . . . " the man remained silent, seemingly too afraid to even look her in the eye . "Good," she cracked a brief smile before crouching down and forcing the man to look her directly in the eye . "Now . . . are you ready to start talking?" " . . . y-you . . . you c-can . . . c-can kill me . . . " he barely managed to stutter out before suddenly feeling as though his entire body burst out into mes . Lucky held tightly onto the dagger pounded in his abdomen, its de chillingly red like fire . "Aaaghh . . . p-please . . . I . . . I can¡¯t . . . I can¡¯t . . . please . . . please . . . " "I know you can," Lucky said apathetically . "I¡¯ve chosen you specifically because you¡¯re one of the few who hadn¡¯t sworn the Vow of Soul, but merely the one of Heart . You will die either way, Silver Saint; however, you still have a choice as to how . If you keep pissing me off . . . you won¡¯t . And, believe me, if there¡¯s one thing no one ever realizes . . . it¡¯s that they truly, deeply, madly wish to have a choice on how to die . " " . . . n-no . . . please . . . p-please . . . " the man, however, still remained seemingly adamant, despite crying out in pain . "Do I look like someone who gives a shit about your pleas?!" "AAGGGH!!" Lucky pushed the dagger further in, causing the man¡¯s entire body to spasm for a moment, his eyes drawing back over for a brief second as he lost consciousness temporarily due to pain . "I know you have someone on the inside," Lucky continued . "And I know they¡¯ve been feeding you information about us . I want a name, Silver Saint . I want a name and I¡¯ll grant you a swift death . " " . . . n-no . . . p-please . . . kill me . . . please . . . " " . . . " after a few moments of silence, Lucky sighed as she sleeved the dagger across the man¡¯s neck, killing him instantly . Looking at the floor for a moment, she got up and sighed once more, wiping the blood off the dagger before putting it away . ncing sideways, she saw Ty sitting on the bed with a somewhat confused expression . "There¡¯s no point to torturing them just out of vanity," Lucky said with a faint smile . "He wasn¡¯t gonna talk no matter what I did . Steadfast man . Good lot . " " . . . however saintly what you just said sounds," Ty said . "You¡¯re still beyond terrifying . No escaping it . " "Ha ha ha, oh shut up you little twerp," sheughed as she walked over toward the window and nced out at the city streets . "This is really bad . " " . . . yeah . " Ty nodded solemnly . "So far the fortress¡¯ position hasn¡¯t been disclosed as they move around a lot, but it¡¯s only a matter of time . Before the Lord and the Lady return, we are at our weakest . We can¡¯t afford to be exposed . " "Why do I get the creeps each time you refer to them as the ¡¯Lord and the Lady¡¯?" Lucky nced at him as she shuddered . "Fuck, I keep forgetting that to the rest of you they¡¯re these holy figures . " "What are they to you then?" Ty asked with faint interest . "Friends?" " . . . more like a couple of kids stuck inside the bodies of adults," Lucky shrugged . "They can spew so much shit it¡¯s genuinely beyond astounding . Do you know that, quite a few years ago, when I first met Hannah, the bitch yed a joke on me? And not just any joke, no . I mentioned kids and how they should never have them, and she told me she couldn¡¯t have the kids, you know? I felt like genuine shit in that moment . Then, the two fuckers burst out inughter . I swear, one day, I¡¯ll shove something down their throats so they never utter another sound let alone a word . " " . . . w-wow . . . that¡¯s . . . a lot of anger there . . . " Ty mumbled . " . . . ha ha ha, nah," sheughed, walking over and ruffling Ty¡¯s hair . "Yeah, they¡¯re professionals when ites to pissing people off . . . but, they¡¯re also genuinely the nicest people you¡¯ll ever meet . Lino, for instance, ever since I met him, has bent over backwards to do everything he can for me . And despite the fact that it backfired many times over, he¡¯s never given up on me . Not when I was riding high or hiding low . It¡¯s not really his strength that drove so many people to his side, or even his title of the Empyrean," she added, smiling genuinely for a moment as Ty found himself flustered . "It¡¯s his charisma . His ability to make everyone believe anything is possible . You know?" " . . . . y-yeah . . . " Ty barly managed to stutter out, hiding his face . "But, if you tell either one of them what I just said, you and I will be having a dungeon date . A rather longsting one . Got it?" "Y-yes Master!!" "And stop blushing," she pped the back of his head gently as she got up and walked over to the table where a stack of papersy scattered . "You¡¯re twenty-yearste to be having intentions towards me, little twerp . " " . . . sorry . . . " "Anyway, everything is ready," Lucky said as she suddenly took a few papers and brought them over to Ty . "Your identity is forged, your credentials can¡¯t be any cleaner, and you¡¯ve finally grasped the basics of their Mantra . I think it¡¯s time you joined the Holy Ground, Ty . " " . . . ugh . I know this is my first big mission and I should be excited . . . but what if I screw up?" "Then you die . " " . . . " "What? Were you expecting some encouragement?" " . . . m-maybe?" the boy mumbled . "We don¡¯t sell that here," L¡¯ grinned, handing him the papers . "Failure isn¡¯t an option, Ty . . . mainly because I don¡¯t want to groom failures . So, if you screw up, find your own way in the world . " "Oi, oi, isn¡¯t that a bit harsh?!" "Well, let¡¯s see," Lucky said . "Lino is currently fighting a Dragon, E is single-handedly keeping the Holy Grounds at bay, Val is tracking virtually every single spy on the Central Continent, Eggor is single-handedly crafting our entire armory and weaponry, I¡¯m single-handedly trying to snuff out a spy in the fortress, Jack and Edward abandoned smithing and learned formations for the sole purpose of maintaining the fortress, even young Ion is currently speeding through the realms at an astonishing pace in order to go and participate in the uing Selections . . . you pretending to be someone else and just keeping your head low for a few years . . . well, it doesn¡¯t seem all that harsh now, does it?" " . . . that¡¯s unfair! You know damn well I can¡¯t hold a candle of any of you guys!!" "What are you talking about?" Lucky nced at him dubiously . "I didn¡¯t chose you just because you have a perky face, little twerp . You¡¯re far more talented than both Lino and me, with a much higher starting point . Not everything in life will be handed to you . In reality, you have to reach out and grab for everything that you want . If even with everything you¡¯ve been given thus far you¡¯re unwilling or incapable, then just leave . I¡¯m sure that by now we¡¯ve found a few more talented seeds to rece you . We aren¡¯t participating in a beauty pageant Ty, but in a war . You think I enjoy going around, hunting old men, bringing them here and skewering them open in hopes they¡¯ll tell me what I want to know? You think that¡¯s what I dream of doing every time I wake up in the morning? You think E would rather fly around the Holy Continent than stay at home and spend time with her kid? You think Lino really wants to fight a Dragon--no, scratch that, that crazy bastard probably dreamed of that moment since his birth . Khm, anyway, most of us don¡¯t want to do plenty things, but it¡¯s in the cards we¡¯ve been dealt . So, make a choice now . " " . . . I was just yanking your chain, you know?" Ty mumbled lowly, getting up off the bed . "You didn¡¯t have to spiral into a freaking lecture over it . . . " " . . . that crazy bastard really rubbed off on me . . . " Lucky mumbled in response, remembering how she felt when Lino spiraled into one of his monologues . That bastard¡¯s capacity to corrupt others . . . ugh, it¡¯s fucking terrifying . . . Chapter 325 Chapter 325: 325 CHAPTER 325 THE OWNER AND THE PET Dust riled on in a wave, seemingly running away from something . Beneath theyers of frost and ice, in a crater the size of a small ind, doused beneath the shower of fire, two figures sat opposite of one another . Both appeared listless, their breaths shallow and quickened . Lino sat leaned against the Vy¡¯s w, while thettery listless, his head stered to the floor . The two didn¡¯t speak, or even utter any sound beyond those of their breathing . They remained stered in stillness, like an ethereal painting, unmoving . It wasn¡¯t until nearly two hourster, when Lino opened his eyes and suddenly shot up on his feet, quickly climbing onto Vy, up thetter¡¯s long limbs and over the pronged neck onto his head and eventually bridge of the nose, sitting directly in front of the fiery eyes . "HA HA HA HA HA!!!" Lino burst out intoughter, heaving his head back and pointing a finger at Vy . "HA HA HA HA HA!! You¡¯ve be my pet, old bastard!! Ha ha ha ha ha, how does it feel, huh?! I imagine you must be the first Dragon ever to be a pet of a human! Ha ha ha ha-- wait, does that mean I¡¯m the first human to ever have a Dragon as a pet?! Holy mother of god!! I¡¯m fucking awesome!!" " . . . " Vy wished to retort, but Lino was right -- in thatst confrontation, that shook not just the Northern Fjords, but even the oceans surrounding it, he lost to the little bugger . In a direct, head-on sh of Wills and Laws, he lost -- justly and squarely . And, indeed, he¡¯d be the Empyrean¡¯s pet . And was indeed the first pet-Dragon ever, at least to his knowledge . "Hey, lighten up man! At least you¡¯re a pet of the greatest human to have ever graced this world!" Lino eximed with a beyond-prideful grin . " . . . and I thought the Dragons were proud," Vy mumbled . "But by the Ancient Ones,d . . . not a single one of us can hold a torch to you . " "Hey, dude, shove it with thements; I just fought a Dragon and, not only did I survive, I actually won . I can literally say whatever I want right now and not a single soul in this world has a right to say anything back . " " . . . maybe I should just ignore my promise, withhold my support of you, and just swallow you whole?" " . . . hey, big guy, won¡¯t you and I make great partners, eh? You like fighting, right? I like fighting too! I like it so much, actually, that I dered a war on the entire world for shit¡¯s sake! That¡¯s how much I love fighting!" "Wow, proud and two-faced . " Vy said, his eyes widening slightly . "What abination . " "Two-faced? You mean non-confrontational and master negotiator?" "Nope . I mean two-faced . " " . . . tsk . You sore loser . " "Humble in defeat and humble in victory; be that, littled, and I won¡¯t be a sore loser . " "The only people who spew that shit are the ones who¡¯ve never been victorious in their lives," Lino scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest . "What do you mean humble in victory? If you¡¯ve won, gloat . You beat someone at something . You¡¯re better than them . Let them fucking know . " "Holy shit . . . you¡¯re so vile . . . even for a human . . . " " . . . unless, you know, it was an honorable confrontation of differing ideals where bothid out their dreams on their bare chests and--khm, yeah, well fought, ol¡¯ bastard . Well fought . " " . . . well-fought, vile, two-faced, obnoxious Empyrean . " Vy replied, chuckling lowly . "You¡¯ve surprised me greatly . Perhaps, one day not too long from now, you may stand upon the world¡¯s throne . " "Meh," Lino shrugged, lying down on the bridge of the nose, looking up to the clearing sky . "I can¡¯t say I care much for sitting on an empty throne, Vy . " " . . . then why are you fighting?" Vy questioned curiously . "For the same reasons I fought you," Lino replied . "In part because it¡¯s exciting, and in part because it¡¯s necessary . I¡¯ve too many people I can¡¯t afford to lose . And, however certain I am they would be just fine even if I disappeared, I¡¯m hardly a gambling man . " " . . . eh, I didn¡¯t think you were the noble sort . " "Ha ha ha, hardly, really . Would the noble sort indiscriminately murder for the pure purpose of terrifying the world?" he nced briefly at Vy as he replied . "Noble doesn¡¯t necessarily mean absolved from guilt and evil, little Empyrean," Vy said . "No one, since the Dawn of Creation, however much they professed, was entirely saintly . Nor will anyone till the End of Creation be . All which is born and breathes and thinks is wed . For to have thoughts is to have the capacity for evil . To be noble is to understand that, embody it, and still press onward . It is to immortalize yourself not in the words of histories, but in the hearts of men . " " . . . are you noble, then?" Lino quizzed . "Of course! Who hasn¡¯t heard the great name of mine?!" "Me!" Lino immediately eximed, rising his arm . "Me! Me teach! I¡¯ve never heard of your fucking name!" "Ugh, you little bastard! Humph, how can a backwater-vige kid like you ever even dream of hearing my great name? I reigned billions of hearts long before your lineage even begun, you little twerp!" " . . . is it pleasant? To have so many souls look to you to make every decision?" Lino suddenly asked in a serious tone, surprising Vy who took a second to reply . " . . . no, of course not," the Dragon said . "But, if you want to lead people . . . not many things you do will be pleasant, little one . Rather, chances are . . . pleasure will be entirely wiped from your life . " " . . . haah," Lino sighed deeply for a moment . "I¡¯m too selfish to give up the pleasure for the greater good, though . Booze, food . . . woman . . . I love ¡¯em too much to give them up . " "Woman? Just a single one?" Vy questioned, surprised . "If you need some help with libido, Dragon¡¯s mes are a great cure for that--" "My libido is just fine, you damn bastard!!" Lino angrily interrupted, staring at Vy for a moment . "She¡¯s worth more to me than the rest of ¡¯embined . " "A romantic? Ho ho, how adorable! Ha ha ha ha . . . " " . . . yeah," Lino replied with a faint, joyous smile, seemingly not taking Vy¡¯s jab to heart . "I could survive everything else . . . the rest of ¡¯em dying or even betraying me . . . I could survive witnessing the end of the world . . . I could endure even losing this pointless war . . . everything . . . anything . . . but I couldn¡¯t endure her not being by my side . She¡¯s breathed life into me, Vy, when I believed myself dead . She¡¯s given me purpose when I believed there was none . Tell me, then . . . what worth can any other woman in the world bring that woulde a thousandth of a way to matching hers?" " . . . " "I don¡¯t expect you to understand," Lino continued . "I think even she would mock me dead if she heard me, actually . " "Ha ha ha . . . " "Ha ha ha, yeah," Linoughed as well, taking a deep breath afterwards . "But . . . to me . . . she¡¯s everything . Right now, she¡¯s standing outside, probably pissing herself over whether I¡¯m too hurt . . . yet, when Ie back, she¡¯s gonna scold me ¡¯cause I took too long . And I¡¯m gonna take a jab at her, and she¡¯s gonna blush and call me an evil, mind-reading bastard . Yet, she might not do any of that . " " . . . eh?" "She might just jump into my arms and hug me," he continued . "Or she might just say ¡¯job-well-done¡¯ and move on . That¡¯s one of the parts I love the most about her . I can predict almost everyone else, their thoughts, actions, reactions . . . but damn me if I can predict hers . Sometimes she¡¯ll be bashful and coy, sometimes angry and embarrassed, sometimes aggressive and assertive, sometimes kind and warm, sometimes distant and cold . . . and she¡¯s more likely to be impressed if I remember the anniversary of when we first, I don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ know, ate a dinner together for the first time, than me defeating a goddamn Dragon Aspect . She¡¯s aplete bundle of odd and wonderful, weird and beautiful, puzzling and breathtaking . And she looked like she enjoyed riding a Dragon quite a bit, so get ready to be ridden a lot, ye ol¡¯ bastard, ha ha ha ha . . . " " . . . ah, I get it," Vy suddenly said, crackling a low chuckle . "You¡¯re the primal sort . " "Eh?" "Back-before," Vy said . "When your Race first emerged from the tender loins of some other," he continued . "Pardon my expression, but you were rather simple-minded . You banded together in small groups and traveled around . You had no culture, nomon tongue, no history, no ethics, no etiquette . . . you had nothing but a desperate will to survive against all odds . I grew fond of you lot back then, and even went to quite a few wars to preserve you . Watching every one of theds march into their deaths with fearless gaze so their counterparts and offspring may flee . . . it reminded me of what life was truly about . Simple acts of empathy," Vy added after brief silence . "Of counter-understanding and capacity of forward momentum . Humans never used to look back and ponder;e heaven or hell, they braved onward . Somewhere along the line, however, all that was lost . Past became the defining point of your identity, a reference point for the future . It became quite depressing to watch you, so I gave up . " " . . . eh, there¡¯s some value in learning the past, old bastard," Lino countered, sitting back up . "How else are we gonna know who we¡¯re supposed to hate unquestionably?" " . . . " " . . . " "Pu--ha ha ha ha ha ha . . . " both burst into freeughter after a brief respite, Lino falling on his back as Vy shook his body, nearly causing the crater to copse unto them, and suffering one of Lino¡¯s prized tongueshings right after, quickly learning there¡¯s a fine line between intellectual, eloquent tongue and one that can y as well as any sword ever made . END OF VOLUME XIII - LAST BASTION OF MAGIC Chapter 326 Chapter 326 VOLUME XIV BANNER OF ENTROPY CHAPTER 326 GODS A beautiful, cloud-piercing city adorned a lull inside a massive mountain ring, filled with chatter and noise . Smoke billowed out of massive behemoths of the buildings with strange, metallic chimneys blowing out gray ash into the sky . The entire architecture of the ce was odd and eerie, with most being built out of brick and concrete in a very simplistic style, floors stacked evenly with hundreds of windows altogether and across . All streets bounding through were paved with concrete, oil-powerednterns lighting them up with overhead, fist-sized bulbs hanging in strings, providing further light throughout the city . Massive gears spun on the outside of a few buildings, inter-connected throughplex mechanisms to create a somewhat strange of a sight . Yet, none of this seemed all that strange to the many people who were racing crazily through the street, seemingly unaware of everything and everyone surrounding them, their destination the only thing on their minds . Two rivers cut the city throughout, causing several bounding bridges to arch over the waters; some were built out of stone, yet some seemed made entirely out of metal . Furthermore, throughout the entire city -- bounding it in a t circle -- ran strange boxes on wheels, connected through metallic poles, wheeling over the steel and iron rods, smoothed over with two put in a perfect parallel all throughout . From time to time they would scream out like beasts and spit out a billow of smoke from the far front where a windowed chambery with dozens of odd levers and buttons across the metallic board beneath the front window . The city seemed like no other both in make and process, with even the clothing people wearing seeming truly strange; leathered, ck coats and tall boots up to their knees and in, simple shirts dyed in dull colors . Fashion seemed universal, as there was hardly distinction between a man¡¯s and a woman¡¯s save for perhaps thetter wearing in-looking hats from time to time . Children, too, could not be found outside of a single building at the center of the city, walled off with at least twenty-meters tall fences, bunched up into a single courtyard, sitting on the floor and listening to an middle-aged woman for hours on end and staring at the massive screen behind her where, seemingly magically, image after image was projected . "We are the Gods!" the woman spat out, her neatly-tied hair shimmering for a moment, her ssed-over eyes piercing into those innocent ones beneath . "The Seed-chosen ones!" most of the children eximed softly in awe as they nodded, their gazes focused on the picture behind the woman depicting a strange machine simr to the metallic box rounding the city, only on a much smaller and more uniform scale . "We are the Creators, the truly endowed; while others linger on in battles with no purpose or true cause, we prosper . It is our calling . Your calling . What is the point of a war? To obtain something! But . . . why would we if we can create it? No, not just create it -- but make it a hundred times better? That¡¯s who we are!" The children, all seemingly aged under ten, cheered and pped as the woman left the slightly elevated tform and entered one of the dull-looking, brown-bricked buildings on the side . Insides mirrored the exterior, yet depicted a certain sense of order and uniformity . She entered through one of the doors on top of which stood a que spelling out ¡¯Mrs . Warren¡¯s Office¡¯ . Inside was stacked to brim with books and parchments, hiding away dull-dyed walls and barred windows . She cried out for a moment as she saw a figure sitting on the sole chair in the room, looking over some of the documents . Quickly recovering, however, she walked over and punched the table, causing the figure to look up . It was a man slightly younger than her with broad, square jaw, full cheekbones, ck hair and a pair of honest-looking brown eyes . "How many times have I told you not to barge into my office unannounced?!" " . . . seven hundred forty-four," the man replied with a faint smile . "Wow, we¡¯re almost at a thousand!" " . . . aah . . . what do you want?" the woman sighed and relented in the end, walking over to the corner and pulling away a chair underneath a pile of books . "A wonderful lecture, as always," the man said . "You really had the minds of those kids in a tailspin . " "As was mine," she said . "I¡¯m tired of lying, Warden . I think I might retire after this year . " " . . . that would certainly be a shame," the man said . "You¡¯re a wonderful inspiration to kids . " " . . . enough of that . I am fairly certain you haven¡¯t broken into my office just to praise my orator skills . What do you want?" she asked somewhat hastily . "We haven¡¯t been Gods for quite a few generations now, Edith," the man said with a rather painful expression . "And, really, for all the fascinating things we have created since . . . truth is, we are just buying dreams . " "Tell me something I don¡¯t know . " she scoffed coldly, seemingly irritated at him . "But, I may have found a way to change that . . . " " . . . hm?" "The Empyrean . " the man said with a faint smile . "What of the murderous bastard?" the woman¡¯s faint interest vanished as her gaze hardened . "Take a look," he said as he suddenly handed her a small, rectangr object with two holes at the center sporting two gears, both of whom were covered by a strange sort of a tape . "Those few kids that came back brought the tape with them . " " . . . I¡¯ll see itter," she said, taking the tape and putting it into one of the pockets of her coat . "Just exin yourself already . " " . . . ah, visual stimtion would have given me a better chance to persuade you, but, whatever . " the man chuckled bitterly for a moment before continuing . "The Empyrean just fought and defeated the Dragon Aspect of Fire up in the North . " "W-what?! That hell was because of them?!!" the woman suddenly screamed out, reminiscing about the few years ago where massive earthquakes struck them repeatedly, practically putting the entire city to fearful sleep for hours . "Indeed," the man nodded . "They really went all out . But, weren¡¯t you listening? The Empyrean won . " "So? Dragon Aspect of Fire . . . that¡¯s Vy, right? The two should just get married . I bet they¡¯re perfect for each other . You¡¯re not thinking of asking the Empyrean to liberate us, are you? If you are, I will put to vote your execution during the tomorrow¡¯s meeting . " " . . . ouch . As blunt as always, hah . But, yes, I am . " " . . . you really don¡¯t value your life, do you?" she asked angrily . " . . . I know we belong to different Parties Edith," the man said with a serious expression . "And although our ideologies may differ, they are underscored by the same desire: to restore our Legacy . By any means necessary . " " . . . are you even listening to yourself?!" she red out after a moment¡¯s silence, jumping off her chair . "The -- the -- reason we¡¯re in this mess to begin with is because we sold ourselves to that whore!! Now, now you¡¯re proposing we sell ourselves again?! I¡¯d rather rot in the ash of our garbage Tom!" "Not sell -- partner with," the man quickly corrected her . "The Empyrean didn¡¯t merely fight Vy, Edith, he fought him off -- fighting for the Mages of the North . Meaning he¡¯s hardly the maddened type . " "So?!" "So, if we offer him something, he might Liberate us in return," the man said quickly . "We have so many things the rest of the world doesn¡¯t, and however normal and even boring they may seem to us, I¡¯m guessing he might find at least a few fascinating purely out of curiosity at least . It won¡¯t cost him anything to Liberate us, yet we could gain everything . " "You really believe he is that altruistic?!" Edith remained steadfast . "What does the Founding Script say, Tom? What is literally its first line?" " . . . " "Put forth trust in thineself, and distrust in the World¡¯s Crowned -- The Mother, The Father, The High Lords and the Writs . That¡¯s what it says . It was written specifically to remind us not to repeat our previous mistake ever again, yet you are suggesting exactly that . I understand, Tom -- I am desperate as well . But, we shouldn¡¯t be that desperate . " " . . . I¡¯m not putting my trust into the Writ, Edith -- but the human behind it . " Tom said . "I only ask we meet him at least -- nothing else . " "Human? Huh? Have you forgotten what the Writs are, Tom? Individuality ceases where the power begins; even if he agrees to help us, he will ask for far more than just our inventions, Tom!" "All are born the same," Tom suddenly spoke out solemnly . "Change does not determine the value of an Individual Soul; all that is corrupt can be cleansed, as all that was clean was corrupted; prejudice is the murderer of Freedom and Liberty; fear is but an oxymoron -- what we fear is the implication, not the reality; we fear heights not due to altitude but due to the fall; we fear dark not due tock of light but what it may hold; we fear fire not because it is warm but because it may burn us; we fear Others not because they are evil but because they might not be; we are all Free, given inalienable right to Exist and Thrive -- shall you give thyself that Right yet deny it from the Other, you have failed . " " . . . how dare you quote the Scripture to me, Tom?" she asked with a faint trace of hurt in her voice . "I had it in my heart before I could even write properly . " " . . . I¡¯m not asking you to do anything, Edith, but meet him . . . and talk with him . If he truly is mad, if he truly is too demanding, I¡¯ll send him out myself and I¡¯ll immediately retire from the Party . All I¡¯m asking . . . is to hear him out . " " . . . aah . . . " she sighed after a few moments of tense stare-off between the tow . "Very well, Tom . But, if thises back to bite us in the ass . . . I¡¯ll throw you under the bus no questions asked . " "You won¡¯t have to," the man said, getting up with a wide grin stered on his face . "I¡¯ll throw myself . " Chapter 327 Chapter 327 CHAPTER 327 PENUMBRA Thick, nearly touchable darkness wrapped itself around a wide, tiledpound, casting a massive overhead, blocking everything and everyone from sight . Thepound itself had but a single matid out in the center and a small, child-sized altar cast in white bones in front of the former . On top of the mat, sitting in a meditating position, was a man seemingly in histe thirties, his hair short and ck, his equally ck beard covering half his face . He appeared neither handsome nor ugly at the first nce, merely ordinary by all ounts; neither fit nor fat, neither tall nor short, neither smart-looking nor otherwise, he appeared extremely average throughout . Even his clothes could hardly tell one much of his status or wealth; furred coatid on top of a loose, ck vest and leather pants below, belted with a buckle in the image of a skull . Darkness cleared behind him momentarily as an old, worn-out looking man walked through, holding a crane and limping over . The old man first kowtowed toward the alter three times before getting up, groaning lowly in the process, and patting the man on the shoulder . Thetter¡¯s eyes slowly opened, reminiscent of the Eternal Night, as his gaze shifted over from the altar onto the man . " . . . Aspect has been defeated?" the man asked indifferently . "He has . " the old man nodded, not daring to look the other one in the eye . " . . . my conjunction appears to have been correct," he said . "The Empyrean¡¯s Will dwarfs the rest of us . Have you decoded which Laws he uses?" " . . . w-we have only managed to infer Death and Time, I¡¯m afraid . We are certain, however, there are more . " " . . . what a vain struggle," the man sighed faintly, standing up . "Eos just had to go and poke at the beast . . . " "Perhaps the Late Lady was unaware . . . " "Of course she was unaware," the man scoffed coldly as the two of them slowly left the realm of the darkness, finding themselves at the entrance of a mountain-side cave . "She fancied herself clever her whole life, yet crossing generations you could not find a more ignorant soul . I couldn¡¯t care less she threw her own life away, but she had implicated all the rest of us . " " . . . b-but . . . wouldn¡¯t . . . wouldn¡¯t Your Lordship have fought the Empyrean regardless?" the old man asked weakly as they slowly began descending . "I am neither blinded by ego nor honor, Maester," the man replied . "A Void Titr Empyrean, with mastery of Time and Death at the very least, and an unmatched Will? Even if our Grand Ancestors rose from their graves and united, we would be unable to kill him . Defeat him? Certainly -- rather easily, really . But kill him? Unlikely . . . " "L-lord?!!" "What are you so terrified for, Maester? I know for a fact you understand it as such as well," the man said, ncing coldly at the old one . "It is because of the fear in the first ce that we¡¯ve arrived at this point . Every time a new Empyrean rose, one of two things happened: either we hunted him or her down before they had a chance to grow, or we pissed them off after they were already too strong and we suffered the consequences in return . " " . . . t-then . . . what is Your Lordship suggesting? We abandon the war?" "What war? It will merely be the game of the hunter chasing after its pry henceforth," the middle-aged man said . "If anything, I even find myself in envy of the Elysian¡¯s decision . " "M-my Lord!! Speak not of such words!!" the old man quickly warned, ncing around with terror in his eyes; they were almost at the foot of the mountain, nearing the back entrance of the Sect¡¯s Grounds . "Huh? Why not? It¡¯s the truth," the middle-aged man shrugged . "While I hardly believe the Empyrean will in the end change anything, chances are we¡¯ll have another Continental Terror on our hands . As it stands, Gaia will use the Holy Grounds as her shield while we wither and wane slowly under the restless torrent of Chaos, while the Empyrean will slowly but surely inch toward self-destructive madness . In the end, we will win because of the same reason we¡¯ve always won -- we broke them . However, is it worth it, Maester? To watch all of this," he pointed in front of them at the ever-rising vista of spires and towers jetted in ck, enshrouded in thick darkness and aura of corpses . "Burn away into nothingness . You have read far more than me, and you know of the true past far more than me . Was that not always the case?" " . . . " "The Nightmare Eve is perhaps the best example," the man said, sighing bitterly . "While the story of the Descent capturing and enving her to death is the touted one, you and I both know she had lost the battle already . She was entirely broken down to her core, and given a year or two, she would have ended her life irregardless . If anything, Descent¡¯s capture of her probably provided her with thest few years of rity . " "That is enough, Your Lordship!" the Maester suddenly spoke out sternly, surprising the man who came to a halt . "There are certain words that ought not to be spoken and certain truths that need forever remain hidden . Whatever you may feel in your heart, lest you wish us all dead, please refrain from speaking it out loud . " " . . . the Mother knows?" the man asked with a gaze of curiosity . "Of course she knows," the old man sighed . "She¡¯s known for eons now, Your Lordship . But, what if she knows? Until now, it was impossible for her to do anything about it . " "Until now? So something¡¯s different about this Cycle of Madness?" " . . . it is only a theory drawn up by the Archives," the man said after a short contemtion . "But, from what we¡¯ve observed thus far, the jumps are too abrupt . The Empyrean has grown too strong far too quickly; from his fight against the Order of Light, we have realized that his actual strength in proportion to his Level and Realm is astoundingly higher . On a base level," the man continued somewhat solemnly . "It truly is as you have said -- we stand absolutely no chance of killing him under ordinary circumstances . However, you have also overestimated him, my Lord; his defenses are, in reality, quite terrible . The reason why he seems immortal is entirely due to his Vitality -- restricting it would render him almost a mortal . " " . . . " "Even so . . . despite having just recently be a Titr, we put his actual strength somewhere at the Primordial Level . " "What?!!" the man eximed suddenly, a shock written all over his face . "Rest assured, this is only for a brief period of time," the Maester chuckled faintly . "And, we assume, there are quite a few consequences for it . His body, however stacked with Vitality it may be, is still human, after all . There is only so much strain it can handle before breaking down . I¡¯d wager it won¡¯t be the Madness that in the end consumes him . . . it will be his body simply failing, shutting down . " " . . . that is indeed . . . startling . " " . . . indeed it is . " "Seeing as the Mother has already told us no longer to battle with him, she must have something in mind . Could she be trying to hasten the process?" " . . . I can¡¯t say," the Maester shook his head . "It is not as though this wear-and-tear is a short-term process; it could take centuries if not thousands of years at this pace . " " . . . either way, we have once more created for ourselves a trouble where one needn¡¯t have been . Do you know thest Spirit he¡¯d taken?" "You do, Lord?" " . . . Lyee," the man said somewhat angrily . "Ataxia truly is digging into depths for him . " "Ldy Lyee?!! H-how is that possible?" " . . . I don¡¯t know . Chaos be, Chaos do -- I suppose . Aphot has often told me that the true deviance of Chaos is not in its inherent strength or the all-epassing nature; it is in the fact that nothing can resist its temptation . If all Chaos in the world gathered above us, the entire Crypt would lift the Banner of Entropy within a minute . " " . . . " The two went their separate ways as they reached the streets of the Sect; the middle-aged man was none other than the Bearer of Darkness and the Necrosis Crypt¡¯s Chosen, Erebus . For twenty years now, ever since the Empyrean Woke, he warned against an all-out hunt . The only reason he called for action when the Empyrean killed Eos is because he had to -- it was the only way to keep the surface-level peace of the Holy Continent intact . He knew for a fact many would die in the crusade, but it was a price he -- and others -- would have to pay . While the Empyrean certainly was a threat, Erebus hardly believed in the ye-old-tales of a mad monster on an eternal crusade of ughter . While true that many-an-Empyrean of the past certainly did enjoy such a path, it is also true that most were just like the rest -- good and bad both mingled in their souls until they were pushed over the edge . He¡¯d have much rather avoided the war between two sides entirely if possible, and simply allowed the Empyrean to fizzle out as they always do . Yet, more and more it seems that won¡¯t be the case . Too many parties have gotten involved in the conflict far too soon -- the Devils, the Great Descent, the Sects, the Holy Grounds, even the Fate and the Mother, and now even other races are vying for their own stake of the cake -- it has just been over twenty years since the Empyrean woke up, yet a world-scale conflict was already in a full swing . Everyone yed his tune again, a voice beckoned inside Erebus¡¯ mind for a moment . This is why I always called him the ywright of the World . . . Chapter 328 Chapter 328 CHAPTER 328 JADE Cheers and cries of joy bellowed throughout the snowy valley as hundreds and thousands of souls ran about into arms of one another, some faltering to their knees and weeping toward the sky . Hannah, simrly, had a rather joyous look on her face, her lips quivering faintly, her tired body copsing into the snow . Just a few moments ago, she and many like her stared in confusion as the swarm of enemies that were about to overwhelm them turned tail and ran away, leaving behind only the dead and the apanying silence . Minutes would pass before people woulde back to their senses and erupt in cheers of victory . Though merely a few knew exactly the reason they won, they all cheered regardless . Hannah found herself looking out and about, searching for a familiar figure to show up in a show-off sort of a way and proim his victory . Minutes ticked, and soon hours, but Lino was nowhere to be found; she wasn¡¯t particrly worried, as she had his life talisman and it showed he was still alive . She did ponder, however, whether he truly won, or if the Dragon merely took pity on them after Lino begged him . A swirl of unease wrapped around her heart as she sat in istion, cut off from the rest most of whom had already gotten drunk and passed out . From the corner of her eye she saw a figure approaching her, causing her heart to jump as she turned on her heel; however, disappointment quickly washed over her face, reced soon after with worry once more . "Oh my, that¡¯s quite a new reaction," Jade said within a faint, warm smile . "Is there something wrong?" " . . . no . " Hannah replied dryly . "You sure?" "Quite . " "So you are not worried the Empyrean hasn¡¯t shown up yet?" " . . . no . " Hannah replied with a cracking voice . "Ugh, shut up . Why don¡¯t you go and celebrate with the rest?" "Ha ha, I can¡¯t imagine they would celebrate to their heart¡¯s content if their Overseer was there too . So, I decided to leave them to their own devices . " Jade said, walking up and sitting next to Hannah . "Have you thought about looking for him? Or contacting him? Or anything like that before sulking?" " . . . we had a small fight before he left," Hannah exined after a few moments of silence . "I can¡¯t show him I¡¯m not angry anymore . He¡¯ll start thinking I never get angry . " for one reason or another, Hannah soon realized, she felt rather . . . safe, sitting there . " . . . though I cannot im to have much experience in the rivers of romance, I imagine that worry and anger are not mutually exclusive concepts . You can still be angry with someone and worry for them, no?" "Yeah, tell her!" a slightly loud voice startled both of them as they jumped off the rock, turning around and facing the source . Lino walked forward casually with a grin on his face, his body notably bruised and dulled across, yet he seemingly remained unaffected by it . "I keep telling her . . . just because you¡¯re angry doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t have a nice ol¡¯ fuck, you know? By the way, who the heck are you?" "L-lino?! What the fuck?! Do you know how worried I was?!" Hannah quickly exploded into an angry torrent . "E-eh? What? Is there something wrong?" Lino asked back in confusion . "What took you so long toe back?! The battle ended hours ago!" "Oh, that," Lino stroked his chin for a moment . "I was just, y¡¯know, wandering about . Contemting . Yeah, that sounds deep enough . " " . . . where is the Dragon?" Jade interjected into the heavy silence that befell the two . "Vy?" Lino mumbled . "Oh . He¡¯s, uh . . . home . " he added with a mysterious and self-pleasing grin, winking at the two women . "And you are?" "Oh, pardon my rudeness," Jade said, nodding toward him . "My name is Jade Ann Yin; I am the Arch Priest of the Bastion . It is a pleasure to be your acquaintance, Lord Empyrean . " "You are, huh?" Lino smirked dubiously for a moment, epting Jade¡¯s handshake . "No, no, pleasure¡¯s all mine . Even a taken man can take pride in meeting such a beauty like yourself . " "You tter me . " "Hardly," Lino grinned . "I tter fools; I praise the determined . " " . . hm?" Jade shot him a quzzical nce which he ignored as he turned toward Hannah . "Oh my god, can you stop pouting?!" he rolled his eyes as he walked up to her . "I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I? What¡¯s it matter anyway? I fought a freakin¡¯ Dragon and won! You should be licking every inch of my body right about now!" " . . . what¡¯s a big deal about it anyway?" Hannah shrugged, scoffing at him coldly . "You cheated . Anyone could have won the way you did . " " . . . t-they could have, huh?!" Lino¡¯s brows twitched for a moment . "Yeah . What? Are you seriously being all prideful about it?" " . . tsk . You envious bitch . " "What?!!" " . . . I-I¡¯m sorry, you-you¡¯re not a bitch . " Lino quickly apologized, taking a step back . "And?!" " . . . and what?" "And I¡¯m not ---" "Oh, no, you¡¯re definitely envious," he still stood by one-part, however . "Don¡¯t know why, to be honest . " " . . . fuck, what do you mean why?! It¡¯s ¡¯cause you always get to fight the cool battles while I¡¯m relegated to pretty much baby-fucking-sitting!! I wanna get in a shouting match with a Dragon too, you ass!! I also wanna look like dead just shat all over me after a battle!" "Eh? Really?" Lino questioned . "W-well, maybe not thest one-- but all those prior, definitely!" " . . . well fuck babe, you should have told me . I¡¯d have dly stayed here in safety andfort and sent you up to fight a fucking Dragon tens of thousands of Levels above you . " "Oh go suck a dick, you fuckin¡¯ ass . " "Can a day pass without you two either fighting or bickering?" Seya, who stood by the side all the while, entirely unnoticed -- and somewhat hurt by it -- finally joined in . "If you¡¯re gonna do it, at least get married first . Yo, d you¡¯re safe . " " . . . that¡¯s all?" Lino asked her . "What? Do you want me to run over, throw myself into your arms while crying the tears of joy, and tell you you¡¯re the dudest dude ever?" " . . . yeah, that¡¯d be nice . " "Not gonna happen . " "When will your rebellious years end?" Lino asked . "When will you grow up?" Seya asked back . The two had a brief stare-off before they grinned out; she casually walked up and hugged him, pushing him at Hannah afterwards . "You two should make-up or whatever quickly, because by god I¡¯m ready to leave this hellhole . " "I shall take off too . " Jade chimed in as Seya turned around and left . "It was a pleasure to meet you both, truly . And, I hope you shalle to the Council Room tomorrow to bid farewell, and hopefully ept our gratitude . It is certainly not much, but saving us all cannot be paid off so simply anyway . " " . . . Jade, was it?" Lino asked, smiling faintly as Hannah pinched his side; he, however ignored it . "Yes . " she nodded, feeling somewhat awkward underneath that gaze . "We¡¯ll meet again . " " . . . uh-yes, I certainly hope so . " " . . . what was that?" Hannah quickly questioned as Jade left . "Are you nning on grabbing at her as well?" "Oh, yes, sure . Let me go around and start collecting women to add to my bountiful collection of exactly one . Fuckin¡¯ hell . " Lino responded quickly with a sigh . "Then what¡¯s with the interest?" Hannah asked as she nced toward Jade¡¯s fading back . " . . . just a personal interest of mine," Lino replied mysteriously . "And yours, really . But, more on her much, muchter on . Let¡¯s talk how you¡¯re gonna reward me . " "For what?" "For making one of your dreamse permanently true . " " . . . what?" Hannah asked with faint interest . "Khm, so-- here¡¯s the shit . . . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . what¡¯s the shit?!!" "I got us a Dragon pet!!" Lino eximed with joy . "WHAT THE FUCK?!!" Hannah exploded out . "EXACTLY!!" Lino shouted back . "That old fucker bet me before we started fighting; if I won, he¡¯d be my pet, and if he won, I¡¯d be his . And guess what?!" "YOU FUCKIN¡¯ WON YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARD!!" "I FUCKIN¡¯ WON!!" Hannah threw herself into his arms and began kissing him repeatedly till the point Lino was beginning to choke due to shortness of breath . "So, we cool?" " . . . we¡¯re always gonna be ¡¯cool¡¯," she chuckled faintly, pulling a few strands of his hair behind his ear . "I love you, Lyonel . And unless you burn my heart to ash, that ain¡¯t gonna change . " "Even if I burn your loins?" he asked with a yful smile, pulling her close in . "That¡¯s the thing that¡¯s kept me warm in this frigid hell," she replied wryly . "Though I suppose you¡¯ll have to cool it down slightly when we get back to the maind . What if I, god-forbid, get pregnant? Wouldn¡¯t your brainbust?" " . . . what if you?" he asked softly . " . . . huh? You serious?" her long eyshes fluttered in surprise as her eyes widened, meeting his honest gaze . "Yeah, what of it? Wouldn¡¯t it be fun if we popped another one of us into the world?" " . . . we¡¯re not going to have a kid because it would be ¡¯fun¡¯ . " she said somewhat angrily . "Then how about because I love you and because I wanna have one with you?" " . . . where did thise from anyway?" Hannah asked, trying to cover up her bashfulness . "I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long while, actually," Lino said . "And, well, doing the whole make-pretend with you and Seya really showed me what a wholesome dad I¡¯d be . " "Yeah, right . " "Oh, shut up . You know I would . " "Let me put it this way: if we have a girl, I feel fearful for every dick-bearing bastard out there; if we have a son, I fear for every womb-having chick out there . " " . . . oh, wow . You may not realize it, but I have a heart Hannah . And it bleeds . " " . . . you know too damn well you¡¯d make a great dad," she mumbled under her breath . "You just, you know, caught me off guard . Which is something you¡¯re apparently really good at . " "Well, it¡¯s only fair," he said, smiling warmly as he lifted up her chin . "You disarm me altogether . That¡¯s far, far worse . " " . . . okay, yeah, we¡¯re having a kid . " she replied fiercely, licking her lip . "W-wait, like right now?" "What? You drop a bomb like that on me and expect me not to get horny?" "No, that¡¯s not it-- you¡¯re always horny anyway, I was--" "Nope, we¡¯re not having kids . Ever . Till we croak . " "W-what, wait!! What¡¯d I do now?!!" "Go die!!" " . . . oh for the love of . . . Hannah, wait up! You¡¯re not horny all the time! You¡¯re barely ever horny! I practically have to douse with a bucket of water to get you goin--oh my god, stop charging an attack!! I¡¯m not fuckin¡¯ position to defend myself you crazy bitch!! Fuck!!" Chapter 329 Chapter 329: 329 CHAPTER 329 TRIAGE Hidden behindyers and mirrors of reality, bent within the scope of spacetime, a ck-jetted fortress heaved roundly above the Western Continent, hardly leaving its confines . Its towers and spires rose up into the sky, their tips shining like stars superimposed over the ck walls beneath . At its bottom, a set of hundreds of arrays repeatedly spun in circles and collided like gears, forming a well-oiled machine that never seemed to cease functioning, no matter the weather around it . All walls were heavily manned by ck-d guards who, rather than standing, sat cross-legged, meditating . Four gates rested inside the walls, one on each side, ironed out across till the point they seemed imprable . Within the wall¡¯s confines, the fortress split into four cross-sections, each cut off from another by a zig-zag wall, allpounding into a circr center where the tallest tower rose up, shadowing over everything else . On top of the tower, sitting by the ledge, two women and a small boy nibbling at his thumb drank in eased silence, overlooking the eternally-same horizon in front of them . E donned her original appearance -- her golden hair fluttered down her back freely, her features defining the meaning of beautiful, her gaze tremendously otherworldly . She seemed almost picturesque, defying proper description . Sitting by her side, by now ustomed to seeing her features -- from having nearly lost her confidence as a woman in the beginning -- Valkryia would asionally nce at the boy in E¡¯sp and smile affectionately, poking him with her finger until the boy grumbled and red at her, which would cause Val to burst out intoughter . "You think it¡¯s funny now," E said, smiling lightly . "But wait till he grows up and decides he won¡¯t speak with you . At all . " "Oh, he will," Val replied . "I doubt he could ever grow up to be as vile and unforgiving as Lino . Aww, look at him . So cute!" "Ever think about getting one of your own?" E asked . "Oh, sure, pour more salt onto this old woman¡¯s wounds," Val said, cracking a twisted smile at E . "It¡¯s not as though I was aware that there¡¯s not a toon of wild men staring at me wherever I go . " " . . . I told you . . . it will take me a few years till I¡¯m able to recover my disguise . " E groaned . "Besides, it¡¯s not my fault our citizens are so undisciplined . " "No, it¡¯s precisely your fault . They were fine until you decided it was time to unt your . . . fuck, can¡¯t even say beauty . If you¡¯re beautiful, then what the hell am I? Not-quite-human?" "¡¯elodies," a familiar voice caused both of them to turn back . "I see you¡¯re still as close as ever . " "Lucky? What are you doing here?" E asked . "What? I can¡¯te back to see my nephew?" Lucky said with a grin, walking over and picking up the boy from E¡¯s arms, lifting him up . "Boy, aren¡¯t you adorable . I hope to god you take after your mom and not your dad, or even worse . . . the bastard who shall not be named . Ha ha ha, hisugh always breathes life into me . Look how adorable he is . " " . . . no, seriously, what are you doing here?" E asked, smiling bitterly . "That bastard contacted me and said Hannah and he should be returning within half a year," she said . "Also, apparently, he beat that damn Dragon and nowmands him as a pet . " " . . . yeah, that sounds like something Lino would do . " Val and Emented at the same time as Lucky sat down, still holding the boy closely, avoiding E¡¯s gaze . "Anyway, I¡¯m still unable to root out the little whisper inside these walls," she said . "Most of those in the known are irond fucks, bound with their Souls . Those few that aren¡¯t are more loyal that dogs . " " . . . this is worrying . " E said, her brows tightening for a moment . "It is . " Lucky nodded . "Especially now that those two areing back . " "Howe?" Val quizzed after a short thought . "Only E, you and I know of the Fortress¡¯ exact position at any time . The most that can be ryed are just our general movements, especially since we¡¯ve restricted the contact of different departments with one another . " "Not necessarily," E said . "If someone¡¯s patient enough, it¡¯s actually possible to determine the Fortress¡¯ position . " "Eh?" "Granted, we¡¯d be in that position only four times in a year for about two hours, but it¡¯s possible," E borated . "Whenever we phase by the Sunshift Mountain Range, southern bend of the reality contorts inwardly each time, briefly allowing those inside to gleam at the outside world -- in total for about four seconds . However, if someone is keen enough to spot the pattern, it is entirely possible for them to calcte when we¡¯ll be arriving there based on thest year¡¯s patterns . " " . . . even so, that¡¯s not the actual worrying part for me," Lucky said, surprising both Val and E . "Even if our location got disclosed, what of it? This thing is pretty much freakin¡¯ imprable, and so long as we could endure for a few minutes, our Formation Mavericks should be able to phase us away and onto a new route . " "Then what¡¯s the worrying part?" E asked . "That we have a traitor to begin with," Lucky said, looking down at the boy in her arms who¡¯d fallen asleep . "That¡¯s what¡¯s worrying me . " "How c--oh . . . " E seemingly realized something, her gaze turning dark for a moment . "What¡¯s so strange about it? It¡¯s not as though we screened everyone we took aboard . " Val asked . "No, it¡¯s not that," E shook her head . "But, for a moment, think about Lino . Sure, those who do not know him hate him and want him butchered, but who aboard this Fortress who¡¯s met him could possibly fester such thoughts?" " . . . " "Lino¡¯s personality is already rather bright," E exined further . "Making it very difficult for people to reject his light . Usually, people like him tend to be leaders without ever even realizing they were creating something . Now, take that trait of his and adjoin it with Chaos . " " . . . oh . " Val also seemed to have realized the crux of the issue, frowning . "You¡¯re saying someone snuck in after Lino left?" "Most-likely," Lucky said . "The question is . . . how and who?" "How isn¡¯t the difficult part to answer," E said . "I could have easily snuck into this ce without anyone noticing me . Rather, any master of bending reality, space and time could have done it without much trouble, especially before we did our first rotation and reinforced our arrays . The difficult question is . . . who . It could be anyone as we only did our first headcount about three months into our phaseout . " "Litha or Vyrove?" Val asked . "Unlikely," Lucky said . "I¡¯ve paid special attention to them ever since we brought them in, and they were mostly slumped battling their own demons . " " . . . do not distribute the news of Lino¡¯s return," E said after the three fell into momentary silence . "It stays between us for the time being . Once he returns, he should be able to spot who is the one bending Laws around here . " "If you can¡¯t, are you sure he can?" Val asked . "Reality, Time, Space, all that is his specialty, especially so considering he¡¯s the Empyrean," E said, shrugging her shoulders . "If you need someone to turn every piece of inhabitablend into a scorching wastnd, I¡¯m your girl . That¡¯s sort of my thing . Now give me back my son . " "No . " Lucky replied hastily . "What do you mean no?" "I¡¯ve grown attached to him . How much?" " . . . how much what?" E asked . "How much money do you want from him?" " . . . I see . You¡¯re the rebellious lot like Lino . Perhaps I should train my parenting skills on you before Criador grows up proper . " " . . . tsk . Cheap . " Lucky clicked her tongue, returning the boy to E who got up, followed shortly after by the other two . "For the time being, I¡¯ll return to the Holy Continent and keep monitoring the situation . Ty had sessfully managed to disciple himself under some old fart, most of the logistic ry points have been finished, and two of our shops are beginning to earn a steadfast reputation . In a few months we should have enough funds to start an Auction House . " "I¡¯ll relocate some of the funds to it," Val said . "So make ti happen within a month . We¡¯re still mostly tinkering on the edges of the Holy Continent; we need a way to pierce deeper quickly . " "I¡¯ll also hasten the Talisman Department," E said . "Last I heard, there¡¯s quite a bit of a shortage of high-end talismans due to the intense recent skirmishes between the Devils and the Grounds . We could pick their pockets there a bit . " "Oh, could you have Eggor craft something for our first auction?" Lucky asked . "We want to enter the stage with a bang, after all, and the creative one isn¡¯t here . " " . . . you do realize Eggor is still my husband, right?" E questioned with a dubious gaze . "And Lino¡¯s your son . " Lucky replied in kind . " . . . yeah, fair point . I¡¯ll sweeten him into it . " "Just be careful," Lucky said as she turned around and began leaving . "Thest time you sweetened him into something, you popped out a twenty-pounder . " "Sixteen-pounder!!" "Yeah, whatever . You still got wrecked . So, you know, sweeten it more meekly . " " . . . one day I¡¯m gonna rip her tits and feed them to dogs . " E mumbled under her breath, ncing at the bitterly-smiling Val on the side . "She¡¯s practically the same as Lino; howe she bothers you and he isn¡¯t?" Val asked . "Because he¡¯s my son and she¡¯s a vermin . " E replied in a matter-of-fact tone, leaving stumped Val behind on the tower¡¯s top alone . " . . . ah . They should change ¡¯Chaos creates madness¡¯ into ¡¯crazies orbit Chaos¡¯ . Wait, I orbit Chaos . " " . . . ah, whatever . " she gave up, leaving as well . "I¡¯m too old to be dealing with that rabbit hole . . . " Chapter 330 Chapter 330 CHAPTER 330 TALES CONVERGE Snow fell heavy, covering the destion that the North had be just recently . Far and wide, sparkles of white mingled in a swaying dance, going up and down, piling on top of each other like a group of children ying . Lino stood on an open field, his long, ck hair swaying with the kes, his eyes expressing a mix of emotions . Over two years had gone by in a sh; should someone ask him to recall them, he could perhaps, at most, remember a week or two worth of days . The rest are merely blurbs living somewhere deep inside of him, waning away until they vanish . He nced up and saw a pair of wings contract as Edryssnded behind him, herrge head acting as sort of an umbre to shield him from the snow . Her gaze quickly found his, tepid silence befalling them, only to be broken minutester by her . "You have done well," she said in a somewhat guarded tone . "And you have my gratitude . " "I¡¯d prefer gifts and rewards, actually . " Lino grinned sheepishly . "How about an advice instead?" " . . . I¡¯ll settle . " "Though the light you cast is bright and ever-reaching," she spoke solemnly . " Do not let it blind you too; inside of you, there is still something terribly dark and vile and every day it is crawling for victory over your mind . Do not let it . " " . . . you sure do sell out rather depressing advice," Lino chuckled bitterly . "Perhaps it¡¯s best you stick to being a hardly-spoken, mysterious Dragon . Suits you a bit more . " " . . . what are your ns now?" she asked . "I don¡¯t know," Lino replied, shrugging . "Go back home, figure something out . A long road is still ahead of me . " " . . . best of luck on your journey then," Edryss said, slowly taking to the sky . "I hope our paths do not cross again . " " . . . " Lino nced at the sky with a faint smile for a moment before sighing, shaking his head, turning around and leaving . Her advice, however, continued resonating through his head; it was a sullen, two-faced advice masquerading as something far more, something an elect part of his brain selectively chose to ignore for the time being . ** A long, winded road stretched through an empty valley bustling with merchant activity; wagon after wagon cruised along, chatter filling the sky . On the side of the road, past a rosed hill, a beautifulke stretched into a vista-like mountain range . On theke¡¯s shores a small, temporary ¡¯vige¡¯ of sorts stood; as the road was one of the heavily traveled ones, connecting a major port city on the Holy Continent and the maind cities, some few quick-witted individuals fancied a profit by constructing a rest spot for the weary travelers whoe along . Inns, pubs, brothels, shops, hotels, auction houses, gambling dens . . . the small rest spot had everything one would need in a short period of time, making it simrly to the road a heavily popted area . Inside one of the pubs, lunged in the corner, Lucky sat drinking with a dulled gaze, seemingly lost in thoughts . She has been running around the Holy Continent like a mad chicken trying to root out the spy inside the fortress for the past few weeks, and the results were rather depressing . Whenever she gets tired and simply feels like storming the Holy Grounds and killing the truth out of everyone, to recover her sanity shees here to rest, far away from the eyes of the world . Beyond that, this small ce was also a great spot to gather information spanning the entire Continent as merchants from all corners cross over and few have many issues with selling some information for fair coin . Today, however, has been a rather slow one; most of the merchants came from the West and far North, two of the least interesting regions of the entire Continent . While some information was still valuable, none of it was truly helpful . Realizing it was pointless, she sighed lowly, put a gold coin on the table and left with a sunken expression . Rather than moving toward the road, she heeled backwards toward the mountain, using a series of rather well-hidden ¡¯roads¡¯ to bound the rest spot and the eyes of the curious . Shortly after, she found herself traveling through the thick shroud of branches and leaves hanging off of old and young trees, shrubbery by side reaching nearly her neck at some ces . Critter or two would asionally jump past her as birds continued to sing on . It was a peculiar, beautiful ce to take a simple walk through to clear one¡¯s mind, yet Lucky was far more interested in the destination . Halfway up to the mountain, there was a small protrusion hidden by the over-arching trees, overlooking the entireke down below . She would oftene here to sleep or simply think, far away from the noise and chatter of the civilization . However, an unexpected surprise awaited her as she walked up; siting there, on the edge with her legs heaved over, was a girl -- or perhaps a woman already, Lucky pondered -- with sun-dyed hair and a pair of beautiful azure-colored eyes . She wore rather simple yet elegant-looking robes decorated with golden threads throughout, pairing perfectly with her hair . Though Lucky¡¯s instincts told her the woman was beyond dangerous, she chose to disregard them as she walked up . It was only when Lucky stood right above the woman that thetter spotted her, crying out and nearly falling off of the edge as Lucky managed to grab her and pull her back . Looking at her face, she couldn¡¯t help but admit that the woman was truly beautiful; even the freckles over her cheeks only worked to enunciate her beauty further rather than to blemish it somehow . Her eyes were wide andrge, guarded by long, curvy eyshes and decorated by a pair of high-reaching, thin eyebrows above . "You alright?" Lucky asked with a smile as she sat next to her . "T-thanks . . . " the woman replied in a somewhat meek voice . "No worries; it was my fault anyway . Sorry for startling you . " "No, no," the woman shook her head . "I shouldn¡¯t have been lost in thought on the edge anyway . " "How¡¯d you find this ce anyway?" Lucky asked . "I always figured this was my secret, healing spot . " "Oh, it-it¡¯s yours? Ah, I¡¯m so sorry!" the woman shot up to her feet, startling Lucky who began wondering whether everything was functioning properly inside her brain . "I didn¡¯t know . I apologize profusely!" "Ha ha ha, rx, rx," Luckyughed, pulling her by the arm and forcing the woman to sit back down . "Of course it¡¯s not mine . How could I possibly have a heart to hoard such a beautiful ce? I may not be the saintliest of people, but I¡¯m not so evil either . " " . . . he he," the woman chuckled sweetly, almost like a child, Lucky mused, wondering whether she was one of those sheltered, noble girls who grew up only seeing glitter and gleam of the world . "It really is a beautiful ce . I discovered it on ident; I was, uh, supposed to do something in the town below, but I wandered up the mountain and, well, kind of got lost . . . and wound up here . " " . . . a good friend of mine often says that we¡¯re never truly lost," Lucky said, smiling faintly . "Our bodies are simply taking us to where we need to be . " "Ha ha . . . I should probably use that one . I tend to get lost rather often . What¡¯s your name?" the woman asked her . "Lucky," she replied, smiling and extending her hand . "Yours?" "Alison," the woman replied the handshake, smiling as well . "Is . . . is your name really Lucky, though?" "Luckily it is . " " . . . pfft . . . " "Ah, sorry," Lucky groaned . "That friend of mine has also left me traumatized when ites to my name . One time, he spent entire three hours just listing out the puns he¡¯d thought of when ites to my name . " "Eh? Why do you call him a friend? He sounds like an ass . " Alison said with a curious expression . "Oh, he is . A major one," Lucky chuckled . "But . . . well, it¡¯s hard to put it into words . Sometimes we just love certain people . . . regardless of what they do to us . " " . . . yeah," Alison mumbled in a low tone . "That¡¯s true . " "Hm?" "Ah, nothing, sorry . " "Anyway, what do you have to do in the town? Perhaps I can help you . I know the ce like the back of my hand . " "Ah, it¡¯s nothing major, really; I¡¯m looking for a [Densin Flower], and I heard rumors that they sometimes pop up at auctions here so I came to check it out . The reason I climbed the mountain is because the auction is still a few days away, and I didn¡¯t feel like staying at an inn . " "Good call," Lucky nodded . "You¡¯d have been wolfed on if you went without covering your face . " "Eh?" "What are you acting so surprised about?" Lucky questioned . "What do you think happens when a beautiful girl enters a den of horny men? You think they¡¯ll just ignore you? Nah, they¡¯ll pounce on you like starving hyenas . " " . . . ee-eh--- . . . " Alison blushed deeply, looking away from Lucky . "No . . . no . . . I, uh, I already have someone . . . " "Eh? You married?" Lucky asked, seemingly somewhat surprised . "Ah, no, no . He¡¯s, uh, a Senior Brother of mine and, uh, he¡¯s really nice to me . " "So you pounded him yet?" "Hm?" Alison nced at her, seemingly confused . " . . . oh boy . " Lucky grinned, yet then felt a cold shudder st at her soul; right then and there she was reminded of just how much Lino had corrupted her . Instead of keeping the innocent girl innocent, she imagined how much fun it would be corrupting her . "W-what¡¯s wrong?!" Alison asked in a worried tone as she saw Lucky¡¯s face turn pale . "N-nothing, khm, yeah, nothing . Never-mind-it-all . You like that Senior Brother of yours?" Lucky quickly shifted the subject slightly . " . . . uh . . . t-this is embarrassing . . . " "Ah, so you do," Lucky chuckled . "Nothing embarrassing about that . " " . . . " "Sheesh, it¡¯s just two girls talking about boys," Lucky punched Alison¡¯s shoulder lightly as she saw thetter crumple into a ball . "What are you getting so coy about?" " . . . I . . . I just . . . never had anyone to talk about this with . . . " "Well, you have me now," Lucky said . "And I just happen to be very interested in the vani tales of innocent loves . For better or worse, they are like a healing rain for my tepidly jet-ck heart . So, go on . Share . The more details there are, the better . " " . . . S-sister Lucky . . . y-your eyes are scary . . . " " . . . " Chapter 331 Chapter 331 CHAPTER 331 RETURN HOME World beneath blurred, blending together under the speed at which Grim was flying . Clouds split in the bird¡¯s wake, thetter surrounded by peculiar and mysterious crimson sheen . On top of the bird¡¯s back, Hannah and Seya were fast asleep, thetter neatly cradled in the former¡¯s arms like a small babe despite nearly being eighteen years old herself . Watching the two with a calm and warm smile, Lino sat opposite of them, slowly sipping away the ale inside the brown, leather gourd . These short moments, stuck in-between the peril and hell that was his life, were the ones he truly lived for . In them he could find otherwise unobtainable sce and peace, moments within which he could gather his bearings and press onwards . Though he¡¯d fallen into a two-year long lull which wound up with him fighting a Dragon, Lino still considered these past two years a vacation of sorts . And now that vacation wasing to an end, signaling the beginning of a new epoch in his life . He was very much honest when he told Edryss that he didn¡¯t quite know what he was going to do; it was not due to theck of things he ought to be doing, but due to the fact that it was difficult to prioritize . Even still, he didn¡¯t let it all get to him; whatever maye, he was more than prepared to wee it . More so than ever before in his life he felt confident in achieving his dreams and making his vision of the future, at least partly, be a reality . He mused inwardly how he somehow managed to preserve his childish dream through everything that had happened to him and those around him . He had to, however, as if he couldn¡¯t believe the world had a chance of bing a better ce, then what worth was his fight? Somewhere in his heart, he still believed everyone merely wished to live in unity, in perpetual peace void of bloodshed that the world is currently ravaged by . Hannah grumbled lowly as her eyshes fluttered, a pair of green eyes beckoning open . She yawned freely, hardly paying attention to her appearance . Stilling her movements somewhat as to not wake up Seya, she signaled Lino to hand her over a gourd as well, emptying half its contents in one go, seemingly finally satisfied . " . . . I really fuckin¡¯ salted the shit out of that boar meat," shemented with a sigh, putting the gourd down . "It¡¯s going to haunt me for years . How long was I out?" "Four-five hours," Lino replied, taking a gulp . "Your ¡¯naps¡¯ are getting longer and longer . Should I be worried?" "What? You tired of creepily watching me in my sleep already?" Hannah fired back, grinning . "How could I ever get tired of that? I could creepily stare at you sleep till the world burns to ash . " "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, I used to find you far more romantic in the past," she said, yawning again . "You used to floor me almost every day with the things you¡¯d say . Nowadays it sounds more and more like an empty drivel . " " . . . oof . Carefuldy; take light of my feelings one-time-too-many and I just might lose it . " Lino chuckled, handing her another gourd . "How far out are we?" she asked . "About two hours away from the Fortress," he replied . "We shouldnd just in time for supper . Hopefully saltless one . " "Oh, bite me . If you¡¯re so dissatisfied with my culinary skill, learn them yourself . " "And deprive my stomach of your food? Hardly seems worth it . I can still remember how awkwardly you used to make meals when you first started learning . It was rather adorable . " "And what? Now it¡¯s not?" she asked . "Nah . Now it¡¯s simply beautiful . " " . . . aah . . . " "He tries and he tries, but s . . . it seems she bears no more love for him in her rotted heart . . . " "Your heart¡¯s rotted, bastard," she growled back . "Oh, right, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you -- why aren¡¯t we flying on Vy? Wouldn¡¯t the ¡¯cool factor¡¯ of your entrance be amplified quite a lot?" " . . . while I¡¯ve got nothing against a cool entrance," Lino said, smiling oddly . "I¡¯m very much against announcing my arrival to the entire freaking world, you know? It¡¯s not as though I can hide a twenty-mile long fucking Dragon, you dumbass . " "Ah, how I wish your ¡¯dragon¡¯ was twenty-mile long . . . " Hannah smiled wryly, winking . "Your sinkhole neverins, though . " Lino replied in kind, mimicking her expression . " . . . sinkhole? Really? What the fuck dude . You¡¯re talking about my vagina as though it¡¯s a swallower of the world or some shit . " "Could I wake up once without you two talking about the stupidest shit in the world?" Seya growled lowly as she tore herself away from Hannah¡¯s embrace, staring daggers at the two . "Sometimes -- and by sometimes I mean most of the time -- I think I¡¯m literally the only adult here . " "I thought I was an adult when I was seventeen too," Lino said . "I really wasn¡¯t, though . " "You aren¡¯t one now either, though . " Seya said . " . . . hey, just ¡¯cause we¡¯ve left the North doesn¡¯t mean you can suddenly be so disrespectful to your Father," Hannah chimed in . "He¡¯s head of the house; our superficial recognition of his fragile ego is the only thing keeping him alive! Think of the Father, Seya!" "Yes, listen to your Mother, Seya!" Lino quickly fired back . "Her dream of turning you into the version she could never be is the sole reason she hasn¡¯t leapt off this bird to her doom! Think of the Mother, Seya!" " . . . --" Seya remained silent, corners of her lips twitching . "Oh my, she¡¯s growing more and more immune to our horseshit," Hannah said with a faint surprise . "A year or two and I think we¡¯ll finally stop being funny to her . " "And on that day you¡¯ll watch a grown man weep like a babe . " Linomented . " . . . pfft . . . fuck," Seya finally cracked, stifling herughter the best she could . "I really thought I could . . . ha ha, khm . . . really thought I could endure through that one . . . " "So, have you made a choice?" Lino asked, taking another sip of ale . "Aye, I think I¡¯m gonna leave . " Seya replied without hesitation . "Urgh--" Lino choked on the ale momentarily, looking at Seya with a hurtful gaze . "You have officially broken your first heart . Congrattions . " " . . . why would I go back, you moron?" she rolled her eyes at him, trying to take away Hannah¡¯s gourd withtter skillfully -- and seemingly ignorantly -- making it impossible . "Nothing awaits me back there . Here, at the very least, I¡¯ll get the best seats watching you two suffer . " " . . . oi, what have I done?" Hannah cried out . "I¡¯ve been nothing short of a perfect, loving mother to you since I met you!" "Oh, please, like she doesn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t the one who stole her underwear that time by theke," Lino said, rolling his eyes . "Even for me that crossed a damn line . " "W-w-what?!!" Seya cried out in shock, her cheeks flushing red as she shot up on her feet, pointing a finger at Hannah . "I-it was y-y-you?!! You?!!" " . . . " " . . . I¡¯m so sorry . " Lino didn¡¯t dare meet Hannah¡¯s gaze, whistling under his breath and gazing forward, doing his best to ignore Hannah¡¯s repeated apologies thatsted for the remainder of their journey . The Fortress may have been invisible to the rest of the world, but not to Lino . Perhaps even without factoring the fact that he was the Fortress¡¯ owner and could always see where it was, he might have been able to gaze past the sheen of array-bound defenses and look inside . But, it was an irrelevant conjecture . He guided Grim through a small opening during a phaseout as theynded squarely at the foot of the Fortress, in front of the Southern Gate . "WE¡¯VE BEEN ATTACKED!!" the moment Lino, Hannah and Seyanded, a cry from the wall shook the entire fortress as the trio sighed, their shoulders slumping . "Oh well . At least they¡¯re quite quick . . . if not, you know, quick . " Lino mumbled . "What if they fire away without confirming our identities?!" Seya quickly asked, a trace of panic shing through her eyes . "Then it was beyond lovely knowing you two," Lino said, smiling faintly . "In another life, we could have had it all -- and lived on . Not in this one, though . " "Who goes--eh?" a calm voice transformed into a surprised one as Lino looked up at the jetted walls, meeting a familiar pair of eyes, yet eerily strange face that left him gobsmacked . "Oh my . I did not know our invaders were you three . How lucky . " " . . . I demand you transform back!!" Lino shouted immediately and angrily at that . "Your current appearance is corrupting!! Look at those poords next to you -- all they can see is you stripping for them!! How could they possibly guard this ce like that?!!" " . . . eh? You know her?" Hannah questioned from the side with faint jealousy, figuring the woman on top of the wall was one of Lino¡¯s past lovers . "What? How in the fuck don¡¯t you recognize her? Didn¡¯t you know her prior to her housewife days?" Lino shot back with a curious gaze . "Housewife days?" Hannah quizzed, taking another look at the golden-haired, blue-eyed woman of beauty beyond description, shortly after eximing in surprise . "Ah! E! Oh my . I guess I blocked her appearance out of my head due to shame . " "What for?" Lino asked . "You¡¯re plenty more beautiful than her . " " . . . yeah, keep patronizing me . That¡¯s what I need right now . " she replied, corners of her eyes twitching in anger . "Yeah, I don¡¯t think he is," Seya said, stepping up front . "I think his mind is so far gone he genuinely believes you¡¯re the sole beautiful woman in the world . I think you¡¯ve turned him into an idiot . " " . . . " " . . . " "Well,e on up you three!" E cried out as she realized the trio down below entered a strange sort of silence; Seya stood up front with angry and broken expression, Hannah to her left with flushed cheeks and eyes stealthily ncing over Lino who was staring at Seya¡¯s back with a pride -- like a father looking at a daughter who figured out something very important . E shuddered, pondering and wondering inwardly just how much the peace, order and stability of the Fortress is about to change in theing days . . . Chapter 332 Chapter 332 CHAPTER 332 POISE OF THE EMPYREAN A squared hall stood silent, lit beautifully by the hanging oilnterns and chandeliers above, perfectly divided into two halves through which a path cut straight, leading up to a slightly elevated tform where a single figure sat, overlooking the rest of the filled hall . Lino sat in a rxed stance, his head leaned against his right arm, the other one casually set on top of the armrest . His legs were split slightly apart, his back leaned wholly into a ratherfortable, slightly over-sized chair that did its best to seem like a throne without ever truly bing one . His gaze was calm and leveled as he scrutinized everyone in the hall evenly; most of those who met his gaze looked away, only a few -- mostly those who knew him from well-before -- dared meet it . Yet, all the same, they found themselves rather shocked -- especially so E and Eggor . The former was worried that the image she and the rest tried to build up of Lino woulde crashing down upon his return, yet not only has he not pulled any shenanigans, but he had also surpassed the stories through which they painted him . Sitting on top of the chair, looking down at the rest, he seemed absolved of the surrounding reality, as though he lived on an entirely different ne of existence . His face remained expressionless, his eyes lit up like diamonds, seemingly peering through every obstacle they encountered . Lino recognized many faces inside the hall; E, Eggor, Hannah, Val, Lucky, Edward, Jack, Evelyn, Althone, Litha, Vyrone . . . practically everyone he¡¯d ever met personally was here, in addition to nearly a dozen figures he didn¡¯t recognize . Four were in the early twenties, two were well in their hundreds if not thousands, and the remaining six appeared middle-aged though it was difficult to gauge their ages correctly . Realizing Lino¡¯s intention, Val stepped forward and began her introductions . "Master Everick," Val pointed at one of the older men with a faint smile; Everick had a hunched back, making him seem far shorter than he was, and a hairless head and a hairless face . His eyes were starkly golden, his canyoned face exuding an air of confidence yet humbleness . He stepped forth slowly and bowed before Lino as Val continued . "Lord, Master Everick is our best Formation Master,rgely responsible for all the upgrades You have noticed upon your arrival . He has also mantled the responsibility of teaching the interested youngs of the craft . " "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Empyrean . " Everick spoke in a calm tone, yet seemingly aware of the customs, avoided Lino¡¯s gaze entirely . "Honor¡¯s mine," Lino replied evenly . "Your work is rather astounding . " "Thank you for the praise . " "Go over the southern array responsible for the timing of phaseouts," Lino added . "Chip away at the web of the secondyer; you should be able to improve conductivity by roughly double . " "Ah . . . !" Everick¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up as he began mumbling to himself, seemingly having forgotten where he was . "M-master Everick . . . ?" Val called out awkwardly as the old man remained standing for nearly ten minutes . "Ah, my apologies!" he eximed quickly, bowing toward Val and Lino . "Thank you, Lord Empyrean, for your guidance . This old man has finally broken through a barrier that has been holding me back for decades . Your wisdom exceeds your reputation greatly, my Lord . " "Go consolidate your breakthrough," Lino replied with a smile . "We can chat a bitter . " "Y-yes, thank you!" Everick didn¡¯t bother staying inside the hall any longer, immediately beelining toward the exit and leaving . "Khm," Val coughed awkwardly for a moment before continuing the introductions . "Master Amadeel," the other elderly man stepped forth, a stark contrast to Everick; his shoulders stood tall and wide, his head both full of hair and beard -- albeit snow-white in dye -- his pair of silver eyes dauntingly dangerous to behold . He held his hands behind his back and walked forward slowly, bowing in front of Lino as Val continued . "Master Amadeel is our only Rune Grandmaster, Lord . Thanks to him, the quality of our Armory and Weaponry shot up considerably thanks to his runes . " "Many thanks, Master Amadeel . " Lino said . "It has been an honor, Lord Empyrean," Amadeel replied calmly . "Does your Lordship, perchance, have breakthrough-worthy advice for me as well?" " . . . ha ha, I¡¯m afraid not," Lino replied with a wry grin . "I have never tinkered with Runes before, but, if I ever do have some free time, I may have you teach me a thing or two, Master Amadeel . " "It would be my pleasure, Lord . " " . . . " as Amadeel withdrew, Val slowly began introducing the remaining ten; Lino, however, only truly paid attention to three more -- Santheer, Grandmaster of Talismans, Vyena, a Master Scribe and Talleah, Eggor¡¯s disciple, seeing as his original one enjoyed disappearing for years on end rather than learning from the Master . Santheer was seemingly a middle-aged man of proud and tall stature; he wore expensive yet well-fitting clothes, had copper skin, a pair of gemed, blue eyes and jet-ck hair tied up behind his back . Vyena was a timid-seeming young woman in her early twenties . All the while, she scuffled and ruffled, seemingly half a mind away from simply running out of the hall . Her cheeks seemed perpetually flushed, a sea of golden locks that was her hair falling freely, and a pair of clear, honest brown eyes made up her appearance . She reminded Lino somewhat of Seya before thetter inherited her own version of a vicious tongue from Hannah and him . Talleah was the one that surprised Lino the most; perhaps the tallest person in the entire room, not just among women but men also, she towered to nearly two and a half meters altogether . If she jumped, Lino gauged, she would be able to tten the top of her head against the ceiling . Though on the slender end, she had built up quite a muscle -- the sort Lino recognized, the ones he had after Eggor¡¯s initial training . She was rather awkward all around, however, biting her tongue more than once, attempting the court-like style of speaking only to forget the words halfway through . . . it took most of Lino¡¯s willpower not to burst outughing . "Thank you all for gathering here today," Lino said as he slowly got up off of his chair, descending the tform and walking toward the exit . All eyes followed him closely, people shuffling in their seats to watch his back . "I¡¯ve been away for far too long," he continued, continuing to move evenly toward the exit . "But, I have not been forgotten . Nor have I been forgiven . " he slowly flung the doors to the hall open, exiting onto a terrace from which he could gaze at the entire fortress down below . "Nor have I forgiven either . " he turned around slowly, his chin raised slightly, meeting all eyes inside the hall squarely . "Today, I only wish to say a single thing . " his Will suddenly exploded out of his body, enshrouding the entire fortress; within a breath, everyone found themselves equally stunned and slumped as they slowly bent their knees; save for Eggor, E, Hannah, Lucky and Seya, everyone else found themselves squarely on their knees, unable to resist . It wasn¡¯t the sheer strength of the Will that bound them to the floor, it was the arrogant, overbearing, beyond imperious air about it that they found suffocating . "I will win . " His voice was choired into thousands, echoing throughout every inch of the fortress . Hearts and souls shuddered in uniformity, eyes widening like saucers; as quickly as it came, however, the Will vanished, leaving most people with their backs soaked in sweat, their hearts still beating terribly quickly, their throats dry . As they looked up, they realized that Lino was gone from the terrace, having seemingly vanished from the spot without anyone noticing . ncing around, Hannah realized that E was gone too, shrugging shortly after and leaving the hall to take a nap . Meanwhile, on the top floor of the fortress, inside a small room barelyrge enough to fit a chair, a table and a few bookshelves, Lino stood by the window, gazing down . The space behind him shuddered and splintered as E walked through; he still had trouble adjusting himself to seeing her like this -- in his eyes, she would always remain the ck-haired, blue-eyed, wrinkle-skinned housewife, rather than the beauty that stood before him, one that could topple the world ten times over . E smiled queerly at him, walking up and stretching her arms abound, hugging him tightly and bringing his head into her bosom; Lino could feel the faint tremors as he hugged her back . Though she looked remarkably different, she was still the same woman who¡¯d given him home, he quickly realized; there was no recement for the sort of warmth she had given him . "Youe back home and the first thing you do is show off," she said as the two separated, sitting down . "You haven¡¯t changed one bit . " "I looked really cool, didn¡¯t I?" he grinned coyly, taking out two cups and filling them with wine before handing one to E . "Yeah, you really did," she said . "You scared everyone shitless, though," she added, staring into his eyes for a moment . "But, that¡¯s what you wanted anyways . . . " " . . . " Lino remained silent, merely taking a sip of the wine . "You have finally chosen the path, huh?" " . . . yeah . " he said, taking a deep breath . "Hannah, Val, Lucky, hell, even you and Eggor . . . these people have enough kind souls looking over them . They don¡¯t need another one . " " . . . you¡¯ve chosen properly," she said, smiling warmly . "And, you¡¯re right, they hardly need a friend in this case . They need an overarching presence they find terrifying, yet alsoforting, for that terror bars all ills and evils of the world from reaching them . I wholly believe you¡¯ve convinced most of them today that¡¯s exactly what you are . " " . . . and that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ll be . " he said, replying the smile . "You should have made everyone kneel, though," she quickly criticized, however, her brows furrowing . "Regardless of personal feelings . " " . . . pfft, ha ha ha, like hell I could do that," Linoughed freely, shaking his hand . "I¡¯d rather stab my ass with a spear voluntarily than have you, Eggor, Hannah, Lucky and that brat kneel before me . " "However silently, they will talk--" "Then let ¡¯em talk," Lino cleaved her thoughts in half . "What of it? If anything, I should have knelt in front of you," he added . "And finally thanked you properly for everything you¡¯ve done and are doing for me . " "And I would have spanked your ass in front of all of them if you did . " she chuckled lightly . "All jokes aside . . . you have changed ever-so-slightly, despite my desire to still see you as that little, silver-tongued boy . " " . . . I¡¯vee to realize many things over the past two years," Lino said, sighing faintly . "And, well, I am almost forty . It was high time I developed some mature side to me . " " . . . ha ha, it really was . " "Can I ask you something?" "Anything . " E said . "What do you know about the Dragon Isles?" he asked . "Anything but that . " she quickly shot back . " . . . I n on heading there eventually, so you may as well tell me . But,ter perhaps," Lino said, stroking his chin for a moment . "Think about it . " " . . . will do . " E said dubiously, staring into his eyes for a moment before getting up and leaving the same way she came . Lino remained silent for a few minutes, fiddling around with the cup before lifting his gaze and looking into the seeming nothingness in front of him . "Aren¡¯t you bored already, Master Amadeel?" he mumbled as space rippled and a man appeared on the other end . He stood there calmly, seemingly unaffected by the fact that Lino found him . "Amadeel . . . Master Rune Crafter . Impressive . Not as impressive as your other identity . " " . . . oh?" Amadeel smiled faintly, stroking his chin . "You are far more perceptive than you let on, young Empyrean . " " . . . so, why have you snuck into my home, Amadeel?" Lino quizzed, his Will exploding out of his body, covering the entire room . "The First Master of Time -- the Chronoshifter . " Chapter 333 Chapter 333 CHAPTER 333 VESTIGES OF TIME AND CHAOS Lino had realized Amadeel was an exception, an anomaly of sorts, the moment he¡¯d stepped into the hall . Among all those present, he was the only one who seemed entirely indifferent to Lino¡¯s presence, as though he was just another man, one in the sea of others . That feeling was only further exuberated while the two talked, a small window of time during which Lino realized the man held neither fear nor awe nor dread nor disgust toward him -- practically nothing . Another giveaway, at least for Lino, was that the Law of Time around Amadeel acted rather strangely; so strangely, as the matter of fact, that Lino was entirely unable to interact with it . Time -- something he had a fairly decent mastery of -- entirely rejected his calls, as though he was mere air . It was also then that Ataxia and Vy, both at the same time practically, informed him of the man¡¯s true identity -- the first Human, the first being, really, to have ever mastered the Law of Time -- The Titr Chronoshifter, an ageless monster referenced in texts dating as far back as the Skyhaven Era . While it was never confirmed that it was truly him, it was beyond true that he was perhaps one of the oldest living currently in the world, if not the oldest . Someone like that would hardly visit Lino just to chat randomly, which is also why thetter waited for the two to have a conversation in private . " . . . what an extravagant title, don¡¯t you think?" Amadeel asked with a faint smile, taking out a pipe from many pockets of his robe and lighting it up . "The Chronoshifter . . . as though Time beckons my bidding like a ve . " "Doesn¡¯t it?" Lino questioned back, smiling faintly as well . "If it did, do you think I would be sneaking around, spending my days in shadows, hiding away?" " . . . we all have our kinks . " "You have a decent mastery of Time, young Empyrean," Amadeel said . "By now you should have realized that Time will never be a ve of the living . On the contrary, with every passing day, we are being further and further chained by it . " " . . . somehow I have difficulties believing that the man older than the concept of Cultivation itself is chained by Time . Please do enlighten me in regards to these chains, Time Lord . " " . . . nothing in this worldes free, young Empyrean," Amadeel said, leaning back into the chair and puffing out a cloud of smoke . "What I¡¯ve gained through Time, I¡¯ve given back hundredfold, if not more . As any other Law of Creation, what it gives, it takes back in spades; Death will give you the ability to reign over the sea of corpses, yet it will take away your ability to live among the sea of living . Life will give you the ability to breathe primate sentience into the unlikeliest of things, yet it will take away your ability to understand that all thingse to an end . " " . . . " "Time, simrly, gives many things," he continued . "It has given me the ability to live through countless eons, to see things others can¡¯t possibly even dream up, to meet a myriad of people bounding each era freely; it has provided me with life in which I¡¯d lived through most of the events others only ever read about . However, somewhere along the way, it has taken away everything that once upon a time made me a Human . I cannot love, nor can I hate; I cannot fear, nor I can express joy . All the emotions that are so quintessential to a person¡¯s identity are entirely alien to me . Tell me, young Empyrean, would you be willing to give up all that merely to live a long life?" " . . . no," Lino replied, smiling lightly . "It sounds rather exhausting . " " . . . it is," Amadeel said . "More so than you can possibly imagine . Regardless, however, it has provided me with a unique perspective on things . While others vie for the Crown, I stand by the side and watch them all burn to ash through their sting desires . And, as you¡¯ve said, living so long has allowed me to understand Time beyond the capacity of this world . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s eyebrows perched for a moment, his eyes glistening in the sheen of curiosity . "Time, like all other Laws of Creation, is a constant," Amadeel exined . "Well, that¡¯s perhaps slightly misleading; not a true constant, yet not a variable either, but something in-between . It can be slowed down to a certain extent and within a specific scope, yet it can never be stopped, nor it can ever be sped up . Even when slowed down within a specific region, the Law itself will find a way to make up the difference to restore the original timeline . Meaning that, from the dawn of time till today, an exact number of years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds have passed . Nothing and no one, no matter how powerful, has ever or will ever change that . " " . . . " Lino listened carefully, as Time was one of the few Laws that had just a few potential interpretations, lending itself to only a few paths one could tread while studying it . "Because of this reality, however, something odd is happening," Amadeel continued, his tone turning grave . "Time is in a strange distortion; it is still progressing onwards consistently, yet the spikes of bnce are growing more frequent and more pronounced . " " . . . Law is trying to fix dtion?" Lino asked after a short thought . "No," Amadeel shook his head . "Law is fixing dtion -- the problem is that thetter¡¯s exponential increase seems entirely artificial . " "Someone¡¯s purposefully tampering with Time?" Lino eximed softly . "What¡¯s even the point if the end result is still the same?" "Isn¡¯t it rather silly topare the journey to the destination?" " . . . " "Your destination is to reach the world¡¯s apex and achieve the long-yearned victory of your Heritage -- does that destination specify a journey you need to take?" Amadeel said . "Simrly, tampering with Time can have disastrous consequences on the world atrge . While the Time will naturally fix itself in the end and regain its original timeline, it hardly cares for the coteral destruction it causes along the way . " "Do you know who is causing it?" Lino asked . "No," Amadeel shook his head . "Time does not merely span this world, young Empyrean -- it¡¯s an all-epassing force that exists everywhere where matter and energy do . For all I know, these effects don¡¯t even originate from here . " " . . . even with all that, whye to me?" Lino asked something he was the most interested in . "If you were hoping I would drop everything I¡¯m doing and embark on a quest that, from the sound of it, might wind up with me being stranded god-knows-where, you may as well kiss these walls and leave . " "For a simple reason," Amadeel exined . "Chaos is the only thing that pre-dates Time itself . Rather, it is the only thing that can exist outside our understanding of reality . No matter how wise or witty or knowledgeable, it is impossible to understand a world without, well, everything that makes up the world . Chaos is our sole clue, yet, what can we derive from it? The entire concept of Chaos orbits the fact that no true meaning can be extrapted from it . That is unless the one understanding it is the one that embodies it . " " . . . " Lino awaited further exnation, merely taking a sip of ale with a queer smile on his face . "My understanding of this may not be true -- it actually may be aplete fabrication in the end . . . but as I understand the rtion between Time and Chaos, thetter, when superimposed over the former, takes precedence; meaning that Chaos, potentially, has the ability tomand Time on the most primal level -- one that is unobtainable to everyone and everything else . " " . . . so you are hoping I¡¯d be able to locate the source of distortions in Time through tempering with it further? Aya, aya, old man; don¡¯t you know ¡¯fight fire with fire¡¯ is an idiom of irony, not advice?" " . . . I have kept an eye on you for a while, young Empyrean," Amadeel said, sighing faintly . "And I know, in my heart of hearts, you aren¡¯t fighting for glory or riches or vengeance; whatever differences we may share, at our cores we fight for the same thing -- for this world . The reason I didn¡¯te to you with this earlier is precisely that I waited for you to understand yourself in full capacity . " "And now you think I have?" Lino questioned, chuckling faintly . "I do . " Amadeel replied with an honest gaze . "With my whole being . " " . . . my understanding of Chaos and Time, however, differs greatly from yours, Chronoshifter," Lino said after a short silence . "Most of the world wholly believes that Order is Chaos¡¯ counterpart; that the two are like fire and water, sky and earth . " " . . . " "We both know, however, that¡¯s not the case," Lino said, sighing faintly . "I could put an argument forward that Chaos and Order have absolutely nothing to do with one another, as strange as that may sound . At least in practical philosophy, rather than the theoretical one . " " . . . " "In my understanding, Time is the anti-thesis to the Chaos," Lino continued, tapping his index finger against the wooden table slowly and rhythmically . "Time is the quintessential portion of regtion, opposite of the core principle of Chaos; ever-unchanging, predictable . . . everything that the Chaos is not . How can I tamper with something that principally rejects every core foundation of my strength? The dtion I would cause by trying to tamper with Time could potentially end up being on a world-ending scale . " " . . . so you will do it?" Amadeel asked with a queer smile, taking another blow from the pipe . "As long as you stop reporting on us to your overlords back home . " Lino said . "That¡¯s rather unfair; after all, I am still a member of the Holy Ground . I take my duties seriously . " "I take mine too, but that doesn¡¯t mean you ought to brag about them . " Lino said with a strange smile . " . . . what?" "Nevermind . It¡¯s fine; just don¡¯t report on anything too sensitive . " "Like what?" "Like the fact that I¡¯ve been here for over four hours and I still haven¡¯t met my dearest younger brother . What a disgraceful man I am . . . " " . . . " Amadeel sighed inwardly, having finally been reminded of the fact that the young man in front of him was indeed an Empyrean, the core projection of everything that Chaos was -- and, among many things, Chaos was ever-changing . . . as were the Empyreans . Chapter 334 Chapter 334 CHAPTER 334 FATHERS AND SONS E and Eggor silently observed a rather queer scene transpiring in front of their eyes . Inside a small room lit up by a hanging chandelier, the man that had just a few hours ago terrified the entire fortress down to its knees, was holding a baby boy and ying with him,ughing and rolling over the floor as the boy grabbed at his beard andughed back . It was the sort of scene the rest of the world wasn¡¯t privy to, the sort Lino would only ever allow those closest to him to see . However, he¡¯d long since forgotten E and Eggor were in the room; the little baby boy had consumed his attention, dragging him into an entirely different world from the one he knows . The boy had E¡¯s piercing, blue eyes and Eggor¡¯s dark, ck hair . In a way, Criador represented everything Lino fought for at his core; a chance for the innocent future, where kids like him wouldn¡¯t have to grow up with swords and shields and axes in their arms, hollering at the ills and evils, bounding for early graves while their mothers and fathers lit the hopeless and hapless pyres in vain attempt to let go . The boyy on all four across Lino¡¯s chest, tugging at thetter¡¯s beard with odd fascination, asionally giggling freely, exposing the mouth hollow of most teeth . Peaceful, warm, gentle; it was everything a child was supposed to bring into one¡¯s life . "Ho ho, you¡¯re gonna grow up into a strong boy, aren¡¯t ya¡¯?" Lino chuckled as the boy tugged as his beard once more . "Come on, make Brother Lino happy though; say Lino . Come on . " " . . . " "Aww,e on; I know you¡¯ve got enough wit about you boy, don¡¯t you hide your smarts from me," Lino persisted as Eggor scoffed; after all, he¡¯d been pestering at the boy to call him ¡¯dad¡¯ or ¡¯father¡¯ for months now to no avail . "You and I, we¡¯re gonna own the world kiddo . Come on, sign that pact . Lino!" " . . . " "Say Lino! L-i-n-o! Lino! Maybe you want to call me Lyonel? Ah, that¡¯s way tooplex for ya¡¯ . Lino! L-i-n-o! Lino!" "Lino!" the boy loudly eximed as Lino suddenly had an urge to throw up a bucketful of blood due to pure joy and bliss . On the other hand, E watched Eggor¡¯s face go from copper-dye to pale-white, much like snow, his eyes turning into massive saucers as he nearly copsed off the chair . "O-o-oh my god . . . y-you . . . you called my name . . . " Lino stuttered with tears in his eyes . "Lino! Lino! He he, Lino! Lino!" young Criador cried out time and again, each strike beating at Lino¡¯s soul more so than any other attack he¡¯d received in his life . "E-E . . . t-take him . . . " he quickly handed the boy over, holding his hand over his mouth . "The lil¡¯ bastard might just kill me with his cuteness . . . " "Ha ha ha," Eughed freely for the moment as she picked the boy, tucking him into her arms . "You two are adorable . . . " "Lino!! He he! Lino!" the young boy still kept crying out for Lino, however, who found himself weak in his knees . "G-get out! Seriously! I will die!" "Ha ha ha ha . . . " E took the boy and slowly left, leaving behind clear, pureughter . It was only then that Lino noticed Eggor crouching in the corner, drawing circles on the ground with his finger . "What¡¯s wrong old man?" Lino walked over and asked, wondering whether there was something interesting in the corner . " . . . shut up you bastard . Go away . I¡¯ll skin you alive . I¡¯ll use your face to make a punching dummy and punch it till I tire myself out to death . " " . . . yeah, I don¡¯t think even the Holy Grounds hate me that much," Lino said, sucking in a cold breath as he sat down and took out a bottle of wine, pouring two sses full . "And they actually have a reason to hate me that much . " " . . . you know he still hasn¡¯t even called me ¡¯dad¡¯?!" Eggor exploded, still standing up however and sitting across Lino . "And you got him crying out your name like the little bastard¡¯s in love with you or something!!" "Well, you know, I am rather handsome . " Lino said . "And you¡¯re saying I¡¯m not, you lil¡¯ bastard?!" " . . . yes . That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying . " Lino replied, expressionless . "Have you looked yourself in the mirror? You¡¯re like that boogeyman mothers make up to scare their children away from the dark and ghastly ces . " "Good gods, someone ought to cut that tongue of yours clean off," Eggor said, simmering down . "It¡¯s the filthiest thing in this whole, wide world . " " . . . ah, how ugly jealousy can be; please, don¡¯t parade it around so freely . It¡¯s dirtier than my tongue . " Lino said with a faint grin . "Humph, just wait till you have a kid and the bastard refuses to call you dad," Eggormented . "Maybe you¡¯ll understand my growing pains . " " . . . Hannah and I have been trying . " Lino said after short silence . "Eh? You¡¯re serious?" Eggor eximed in surprise . "Yeah . " "But you two ain¡¯t even married yet . " "Eh, it¡¯s not as though we haven¡¯t talked about it," Lino said, taking a sip . "It¡¯s just a ceremony, in the end . We can have it whenever we want . " " . . . wow . You really are serious . " Eggor said, taking a sip as well . "If that¡¯s the case, the fuck for are we drinking this goddamn wine? We ought to be getting piss-drunk, not drinking this piss . " "So you¡¯re gonna take out your special stash?" Lino mumbled as a glimmer of greed shed through his eyes . "Ugh," Eggor coughed angrily . "This was your n all along, huh? Fine, fine . You lil¡¯ bastard . " Eggor took out two, hand-sized, transparent bottles full of strange, mist-surging liquid . Lino quickly grabbed at one, chilly feeling spreading throughout his entire arm . "You know, I¡¯ve been aiming for this thing for like twenty years now," Linomented, his eyes shining . "Ever since I saw you and E drinkin¡¯ it that one time you lot thought I was sleeping . " " . . . you didn¡¯t lie to me just ¡¯cause you wanted to drink this, right?" Eggor quizzed, squinting his eyes . "¡¯Cause that would have been a new damn low even for you . " "Nah," Lino shook his head, slowly uncapping the bottle as milky-white mist streamed out slowly like smoke . "I may be a bastard, but even I wouldn¡¯t lie about that . I mean, I said we¡¯ve been trying, but we only did it like three times since we decided to have a kid . We were kinda rushing back here . " " . . . kid¡¯s a big responsibility, Lino," Eggor warned . "Are you sure you can afford another one on your shoulders right now?" " . . . when, then?" Lino asked back . "It will never get easier, and you know it . Wait till it¡¯s over? Who knows how long will that take and whether I¡¯ll even live to see it . And you should have seen Hannah¡¯s face light up when I told her," Lino¡¯s lips curled up into a warm smile . "It was like if all the stars fell from the sky and into her eyes . " " . . . yeah," Eggor chuckled faintly . "They really have ability to look beyond beautiful at times . Perhaps this warningeste, but that¡¯s how they get ya¡¯ son; they figure out you¡¯re weak to those looks of theirs, and when they start lookin¡¯ at ya¡¯ like that, you know they want something . " " . . . psh, Hannah¡¯s been lookin¡¯ at me for years now, old man," Lino scoffed . "Where was your golden advice back then?" "Ha ha ha," both of themughed for a moment as they took a sip of the strange liquid; it broke into pure air inside Lino¡¯s mouth, chilling his whole being to the point where he audibly moaned lowly, causing Eggor to curse at him under his breath . "You¡¯re gonna have to fight alone for a while, then . " " . . . eh, it¡¯s a double victory for me," Lino shrugged . "I get a kid, and I don¡¯t get to watch the woman I love being beaten ck and blue trying to fight my battles . Though, if you ever tell her that, I will literally have to kill you, ¡¯cause she will literally kill me . " " . . . you really don¡¯t want her fighting by your side?" Eggor asked . " . . . I do," Lino sighed . "I really do . Whenever I know she¡¯s there, I feel invincible . But, still . . . I don¡¯t know . A part of me just wants to take her and protect her from everything . Never let her lose as much as a single hair, let alone get bruised and scarred . " " . . . preachin¡¯ to the choir," Eggor mumbled . "You have it easyd . At the very least, you¡¯re strong enough to protect her . What ¡¯bout me? All along, I would sit in the damn shadows and watch the love of my life take on the world alone . One time, ha ha, I created this full-body suit of armor, and it was so goddamn fuckin¡¯ ugly even goddamn toads wouldn¡¯t wear it, and ¡¯cause I told her it would make me feel better about her fightin¡¯, she wore it -- she wore the damn thing for like a month . It made her look like a giant piece of metallic turd . But, hah . . . she still wore it . " " . . . in a way, I¡¯m sure they feel the same pains we do," Lino said, taking another sip and letting it seep into every part of his body . "E fought so your weak, crafting-ass wouldn¡¯t, and I¡¯m sure every time I¡¯m doing one of the many insane things I do, Hannah too feels like locking me up inside a cage where I can¡¯t get hurt . They fight their own fight in regards to us, and we fight our own in regards to them . " " . . . I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going to be a dad," Eggor said, suddenly smiling warmly . "It still feels like yesterday when you crawled into my backyard and asked to wipe my ass in exchange for me letting you go . " " . . . ha ha ha, yeah, yeah, that does sound like something I¡¯d say . " Linoughed . "A scrawny brat¡¯s grown up into a man," Eggor said, his thick beard trembling slightly . "I¡¯m proud of ya¡¯ . And E, well, sheesh, she adores you . In her eyes, you¡¯re some kind of a miracle . " " . . . thank you . " Lino replied lowly, his voice cracking slightly . "I wouldn¡¯t have made it without you two, you know?" " . . . you woulda¡¯ . " "Nah," Lino shook his head . "I would have died a long-ass time ago, bing one of the many nameless graves in the middle of nowhere . I¡¯m here because you two had . . . have hearts the size of this entire world . And no matter what happens, what anyone says, or what future brings us, to me you¡¯ll always be the slightly quirky mother and father, and I¡¯ll be the seemingly ungrateful son who is secretly willing toy down his life for you two . " " . . . we don¡¯t need your life kiddo," Eggor said . "What we need you is to keep drinkin¡¯ . I ain¡¯t opened my treasure to watch you piss it away . " "Your kid¡¯s the luckiest bastard in the world," Lino said as the two nked their bottles together . "Well, second luckiest . After mine after all . I mean, he¡¯s gonna have the coolest dad, the best mom, the over-protective, over-powered grandma, and a granddad who¡¯s gonna craft ¡¯im a crib that can fly for his first birthday . Fuck, now I kinda don¡¯t want a kid . That little bastard¡¯s gonna have everything I want . " " . . . you¡¯re a weird little man . " Eggor grumbled, both of them already flushed red in their cheeks, clearly drunk . "Oh, fuck off, you oversized bear . Everyone¡¯s ¡¯little man¡¯pared to you . " " . . . . . " meanwhile, Hannah and E were standing quite literally next to the table, listening in on the conversation, yet the two sitting seemed none the wiser . Hannah¡¯s cheeks were as red as blood, while E could barely contain a smile on her face . Little baby boy in her arms sucked at his thumb, suddenly pointing at Eggor and eximing, "Dad!!" the old man, however, would have to wait for a few weeks still to hear it . . . and remember it . Chapter 335 Chapter 335: 335 CHAPTER 335 FIGHT WITHOUT FIGHTING A gorgeous garden spread widely in front of Lino¡¯s eyes, adorned with all forms, colors and sorts of flowers, most of which he never even imagined existing . Birds chirped in the distance as he sat on the porch, drinking ale . Down below, Hannah was tending to a bush of roses, up above Dragons were flying . . . all seemed perfect, as it should be . "Wake up, dummy . " a familiar voice snuck inside his mind and broke the vision he was having . He opened his eyes slowly and nced up where Lucky¡¯s face weed him, looming over . "Heh, I bet you were having some sweet dream, weren¡¯t you?" she crackled . " . . . " Lino mumbled indiscernible words, slowly getting up and stretching . ncing sideways, he saw a cup of warm coffee on the bedside table; smiling inwardly, he stretched his arm out and grabbed it, taking a sip . "What¡¯s up ugly?" he asked . "Are you hungover?" Lucky quizzed with a strange expression . " . . . yup," Lino replied, groaning . "I feel as though there¡¯s an army stampeding all over my fucking head . " " . . . how fucking much did you drink man?" she asked . "You¡¯re usually able to hold your liquor . " "Ah, it¡¯s not the quantity, it¡¯s the quality," Lino replied, grasping at his head . "Eggor took out that secret stash I told you about . And . . . oh my god . That shit¡¯s fucking amazing . " " . . . yeah, I¡¯ll bet . You look like shit . " "Thanks, you too . So, what¡¯s up?" "Just wanted to check in ¡¯cause I¡¯m about to book it . " she replied, taking out a gourd of ale and taking a sip as she sat down, crossing her legs . "Got any requests?" "Yeah, do you know that song? How the fuck does it go . . . uh, whores, whores, everywhere are whores, except here, where there are only chores?" " . . . wow, which bastardly bardmitted musical suicide to write that shit?" "Who knows," Lino shrugged . "Might have been my long-lost brother . " "Might have," Lucky chuckled . "So, anyway, before I leave, I think I should probably tell you something . I¡¯ve met this girl, right?" "Did you give her ¡¯The Three Fingers¡¯ that I taught you?" Lino asked . "Alright, first of all, it was me who taught you, and you should get Hannah to thank me already," she said . "And, secondly, it¡¯s not that; I think she might be a Bearer . " "Oh?" Lino eximed softly, meeting her gaze . "How¡¯d you figure that? Do you have some Bearer-detection abilities that I¡¯m unaware of?" " . . . no," Lucky said, corners of her lips twitching . "But, one of theds from her entourage called her ¡¯Lady Bearer¡¯ so I figured, you know, if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck . . . " " . . . she also fucks like a duck?" "What do you want me to do?" Lucky asked . " . . . I dunno," Lino shrugged . "Do whatever you want . " "I was thinking about killing her . " "Then kill her . " "But I don¡¯t really want to kill her . " "Then don¡¯t . " "But she might pose a problemter down the line, right?" "She might . " "Or she might not, you know," Lino wanted to scream out in annoyance, yet held back . "She might be way too weak to do anything to us . " "She might too . " "Or she could be like this super-strong Cultivator that¡¯s gonna end you or something . " " . . . oh for the love of all that is holy, just do whatever you want . For all I care train her and teach her how to end me properly . " " . . . wow, I never took you for a bad drunk," Lucky chuckled, walking over and sitting next to him, leaning onto his shoulder . "She¡¯s actually a really nice girl, you know? I think I should be able to lead her astray with some time and charm . " " . . . of course you can," Lino said, ruffling her hair . "You can charm anyone . " "Aww, but I was never able to charm you~~" "That¡¯s ¡¯cause you ugly . " "Oh suck a dick dude . I may be a bit of a brute, but I¡¯m still ady, you know?" "Pssh, yeah, right . " " . . . you know, I just might teach her how to end you . Permanently and forever . " "That¡¯s one and the same . " Lino said . "Yeah, I¡¯m doubling down just to be safe . " " . . . oof . " "Anyway, here¡¯s most of what I found out during my time on the Holy Continent," Lucky said, getting up and taking out a stack of papers and throwing them onto the bed next to Lino . "It¡¯s nothing truly big, as prying secrets from those cockroaches proved to be far more difficult than I thought . Ty¡¯s been epted into the Sect, by the way, and has already sent two reports; apparently, our dear Emperor is meeting repeatedly with some higher-ups to try and ¡¯sell your secrets¡¯ for permanent protection . " " . . . what secrets?" Lino grumbled after a short thought . "I dunno," Lucky shrugged . "But, they can¡¯t be that big ¡¯cause nobody¡¯s buying . At least thus far . Also, they¡¯ve jacked their hunting party; roughly three thousand altogether, the weakest being Titr Fiends at around Level 15,000 . They¡¯ve also sent out a few more stronger ones after your whole ba-dang with the Dragon and such . So you should be careful if you n on heading out . Oh, and we have a spy inside the fortress, so you should probably look into it . " " . . . I want you to start buying up meat in bulks," Lino suddenly said . "Take money from Val and spare no expenses . If youck storage, just ask Eggor to craft you a few . " " . . . what the shit do you need so much meat for?" Lucky asked, arching her brows . " . . . uh . . . I¡¯m nning on gaining a few pounds?" "Dude . " " . . . it¡¯s to feed my Dragon pet . " Lino shrugged, sighing before chuckling in amusement, having seen Lucky¡¯s petrified expression . " . . . oh, what am I thinking," she sighed, shaking her head . "Of course you made it your pet . It¡¯d be stranger if you didn¡¯t . So, I¡¯m guessing around half our budget will go into feeding that friend of yours, eh?" "For now, yeah, pretty much," Lino said . "But, I have ns . " "What ns?" she quickly asked . "I¡¯m gonna open my own smithy on the Holy Continent and sell ¡¯em my wares!" " . . . yeah, great idea . Strengthen your enemies . You goddamn moron . " " . . . hehe . " Lino mere giggled, winking at her mysteriously . Lucky rolled her eyes and bid him farewell, leaving the room and him inside, alone . Lino put away the cup of coffee and slowly went through the stacks of parchments on his bed; most of this was entirely new information to him, and he nned on studying it precisely . After all, having an army of Fiend Titrs hunting him was no joking matter, however much he tried to y it off as such in front of Lucky . Most of the names on the list, what was worse, were the ones Lino heard of in stories and myths already -- Ghost Emperor, Eastern Thunder, Beholder of mes, Liberator of Ix, the Headless Sorceress . . . Every new name caused the cold breath he¡¯d suck in to grow more frigid; he had neither intention nor means of battling any one of them just yet, especially so because Vy¡¯s pet-man-ship came with a set of terms, the number one being he wouldn¡¯t fight for Lino regardless of whatever happens . He¡¯d take him ces, and tell him stuff, but wouldn¡¯t fight for him . Lino hadn¡¯t forgotten that, despite the fact he¡¯d grown considerably stronger over the past two years, he was stillgging far too much behind the actual top heavy weights of the world . He had no intention of blindly thrusting himself into a war he couldn¡¯t win, especially so because they were still consolidating their strength . For the time being, E was by far the strongest person he had on his side, but she couldn¡¯t fight the whole world alone . . . nor would he ever let her to begin with . It was time he finally set the gauntlets of war aside and returned to his roots, he thought . To back when he was too weak to fight anyone . To the time where his only means of victory was screwing someone else over out of something . After all, it was much easier and less frightening to fight from the shadows, while no one even realizes you were leading the fight . And, best of all, Holy Grounds only needed someone to light their feeble and fragile fuse for it all to burst into mes . Chapter 336 Chapter 336: 336 CHAPTER 336 THE BEND OF TIME Ever since Lino began studying the Law of Time, he always imagined it as a more of an abstract concept with practical impact on reality . However, Amadeel had almost entirely shattered his way of thinking, as Timey stretched before Lino¡¯s eyes into barren infinity . It was difficult to describe its shape, as it simply seemed to embody everything it touched, rather than being anything on its own . For one reason or another, he also believed that Space and Time were practically inseparable, yet, he could see it now, that even within the Void itself Time still existed and thrived . It was hard to wrap his mind around the concept; perhaps, more so than any other Law in existence -- Chaos included -- Time was the most abstruse one . It was difficult to grasp, and even more difficult to exin . "This is Time," Amadeel said . The two of them were currently orbiting above the skyline, where breathing was practically impossible . "This, and much more . But, for the time being, I can only show you this much . " " . . . it¡¯s still fascinating nheless . " Lino replied, smiling faintly . " . . . it represents a single moment . " "Hm?" "If you look carefully enough," Amadeel said . "You can see every speck of Time bending so quickly it¡¯s impossible to calcte it properly . Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands of times in a second? Either way, because of the way it¡¯s structured, neither Past nor Future technically exist -- just a single moment . Time can be understood as a string of unbroken, single moments -- like those screen-viewing talismans . So, if you introduce a tear in that chain, you disrupt the continuity, which means that Time itself has to make up the difference . " " . . . " Lino listened carefully . "If you can createrge enough of a distortion over long enough of a period of these ¡¯strings of moments¡¯, you can cause a domino effect, where Time will distort another point of reality in order to bend itself back onto the original timeline . " "It¡¯s impossible to tell what would be disrupted in that scenario?" Lino questioned with furrowed brows . "It is," Amadeel nodded . "It could be virtually anything -- Space, Void, Reality itself, or any other element . Thest time a mass-scale dtion of time happened, it caused so many volcanic eruptions that it cleaved a single continent in two -- Central and Western . " " . . . eh? You serious?" Lino eximed in surprise . "They used to be one?" "Ay," Amadeel nodded . "And the dtion was caused due to the first Origin War; for the first andst time in the history of the world," Amadeel continued, his expression solemn . "Tier 9 Magic was performed -- it slowed Time to a crawl within nearly the entire continent -- abination of both at the time -- whose effects rippled on and created the so-called ¡¯Ashen Age¡¯, a period of several million years where the Moon Continent was uninhabitable . It was surrounded far and wide by ash and mist, and no one could approach it . By the time we could, it was no longer one but two . " " . . . holy shit . " Lino mumbled lowly after taking a few moments to process the information . "The current distortions may not yet be at such a level," Amadeel said, not giving Lino time to properly go through everything . "But, the build up still exists; virtually anything can trigger it at this point -- arge-scale conflict, a war between Holy Grounds, Prime or Fiend Awakening, long-term usage of Defensive Artifacts . . . " " . . . can we at least predict where the fallout would hit the hardest?" "No," Amadeel said . "It entirely depends on which other element or Law Time decides to borrow from . I know that, in many scenarios, this fallout would actually be beneficial to you, as it may entirely cripple the Holy Grounds . But--" "--but it¡¯s also just as likely to cripple us," Lino said . "I¡¯m not a gambling man, Amadeel . Rather than praying to the gods of luck and whatnot, I¡¯d much rather tinker with Time myself, and if it blows up in my face . . . at least I¡¯ll know who to me . " "Don¡¯t worry," Amadeel said, smiling faintly and patting Lino on the shoulder . "Whoever has been doing this has been doing so for many, many, many years . It is impossible to create thisrge of a disruption within a short span of time . So, unless you manage to kill Time like you killed Light, we ought to be fine . " " . . . are you holding that against me?" Lino asked, skewing his nce . "No, of course not . " "You sound like you do . " "It¡¯s just that Eos was such a beautiful--" "--bitch . She was a beautiful, vile, vengeful bitch . " "Right, but she was really beautiful . " "I thought your old ass couldn¡¯t feel any emotions . " " . . . libido isn¡¯t an emotion, young Empyrean . " " . . . oh for the love of . . . " Lino groaned . "How far have I fallen to be talking about libido with old, limp dudes?" "Oh, I assure you, I am very much active and in no way limp . " " . . . read between the lines man . I do not -- I repeat -- I . Do . Not . Want to ever hear about your libido, or your activities, or literally anything in rtion to your genital area ever, ever, fucking ever again . Got it?" "Khm, got it . Understood . " "Good . " Lino said, suddenly smirking . "But, you¡¯re right . Eos was really beautiful . I mean, her tits were amazing; full, round, and those nipples, ah man . Did you know the color of her bush was also golden? I mean, how amazing is that?" " . . . y-you---you s-saw her naked?" "Much harder to understand than even Time, right?" Lino winked, turning sideways momentarily and ncing at the uninterrupted flow of Time before him . Though he promised Amadeel he would help, he didn¡¯t have a clue where to begin with, and Ataxia remained mum -- merely stating that tinkering with Time wasn¡¯t something he ought to be doing . "Anyway, thanks for showing me this . I¡¯ll mull over how to trace back disruptions to their Origin . In the meantime, can I ask for a favor?" "What do you need?" Amadeel asked back . "I¡¯ll need you to embed some runes on my weapons," Lino said . "Spare no expenses; ask Val for whatever materials you need . " " . . . any specific requirements?" Amadeel asked as he took a small ring -- clearly a Void Storage of sorts -- and looked inside only to see items strewn about freely . "Strength and speed," Lino said . "If you can add some range-oriented effect, it¡¯d be great, but it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t . " " . . . very well . I¡¯ll see what I can do . It will take a while, though, if you want all weapons to have Tier 5 Runes . " "Tier 5? Weren¡¯t you a Grandmaster?" Lino asked with a strange gaze . "I am?" Amadeel replied in kind . "I was thinking more along the lines of Tier 7, old man . What use do I have for Tier 5 Runes? If wanted Tier 5 Runes, I could just fuckin¡¯ buy them . " " . . . y-you want to tire me out to death?! Tier 7 is already my utmost limit!!" "Then you better work hard at it . Or I might just happen to forget about the whole time-business . " " . . . I know you¡¯re joking--" "--do you? Really?" " . . . you¡¯re a mean, mean, vile and vengeful man . " "Nah, I¡¯m just really good at pissing people off . " Lino winked, ncing down . "Anyway, if you need anything, you¡¯ve my talisman . Also, ease down with the reports on our position . Even if you don¡¯t give them a dead giveaway, they might be able to locate our general area . " " . . . very well . " Lino descended down from the sky quickly, easily piercing through the veil around the Fortress and quickly finding his way inside, undetected . The entire fortress was like a well-oiled machine, and though he had ns on personally visiting some of the more promising members, he had to leave them for some other time . He quickly sped up through the floors andnded just beneath the top one, where inside a small corner was his room . Hannah was already inside, reading a book underneath the light of a stone-crystal, a local invention which had stunned Lino -- using Qi Stones to light up crystals which in turn lit up rooms . Although he was fairly certain he¡¯d seen the ¡¯invention¡¯ in practically every bigger city he¡¯d visited, it was still impressive they were able to produce it, especially because Arrays required weren¡¯t that simple . "Hey," she called out as she saw him enter, putting the book down . "Where were you?" "Up . In the sky . Talkin¡¯ time and shit . " " . . . what?" "Khm, you know that traitor Lucky mentioned?" he asked as he sat down by the only table in the room and poured two cups of mead, Hannah soon joining him . "Yeah, you figured out who it is?" she asked . "Hm," Lino nodded . "That old Amadeel dude, the Runecrafter . " "Eh?!! Really?!" "Yeah, but don¡¯t worry . Hees in peace . . . mostly . I¡¯ll tell you some other time, it¡¯s kind ofplicated . " " . . . are you saying I¡¯m stupid?" "Yeah, and annoying . Can you please stop with that shit?" Lino groaned . "Why?" Hannah smirked . "I love your exasperated expressions . " "And I love your horny ones, but you don¡¯t see me sticking my fingers here and there whenever I have the opportunity . " " . . . yes . Yes you do . That¡¯s literally what you do . I was half-expecting your hand to already be beneath my skirt by this point . " " . . . khm, right . Anyway, how familiar are you with markets on the Holy Continent?" " . . . very familiar . " Hannah said with a strange expression . "Oh, right . I forgot . You¡¯re a hoarder . " "Why do you ask?" "Well, I¡¯m nning on heading over and procuring some money," he said . "And I was kind of hoping you¡¯de along and guide my crafting . " "Alone?" Hannah asked . "Nah, I¡¯ll ask Jack, Edward and those three youngsters, whatever-their-names-be, toe along with us . Lucky is already there, and I¡¯ll also get that Ion kid to join us . I hear he¡¯s quite talented at Formations . " "Oh, wow . An entire entourage . That¡¯s so unlike you . " "What do you mean?" Lino questioned, somewhat angrily . "So far I had to do all that shit alone, but why would I still be doing it alone when I¡¯ve got minions ready to kiss my ass to do it for me?" " . . . yeah, great way to talk about people who respect you . Keep at it and they just might fall in love with you . " "You did . " " . . . . " "You walked right into that one, you know?" Lino said, smiling wryly as Hannah lowered her head and sighed . " . . . yeah, yeah I know . It¡¯s my fault for thinking the guy who supposedly loves me will pass on the opportunity . My bad, my bad . " "What do you mean supposedly loves you? Have I not, through many romantic, heroic and generally one-of-a-kind acts, proven my love? What more you want woman?! What more do you want?!" "What are you doing?" she asked, looking strangely at him . " . . . dramatizing things a bit? A lot of books you read have these moments . You know, like dude says ¡¯eh, you cooked a better dinner yesterday¡¯ and the whole thing explodes into this huge fight that somehow ends up with a King of a next-door-kingdom dying with a pen stuck up his bum . " "Yeah, that was a bit insane," Hannah said, sighing . "But also kind of interesting, no?" "Oh, god yes . " Lino nodded fervently . "It was pretty much a guess game, and you always guessed wrong . There was no way in hell to predict what was going to happen . Anyway, you in?" "Of course I¡¯m in . How are you gonna put a baby in me if you¡¯re an entire continent away?" " . . . are you saying my dick isn¡¯t strong enough to perform such an act?" "Not unless it suddenly became a magical dick . " " . . . I¡¯m afraid ¡¯tis not . " Lino said, chuckling lightly and kissing Hannah¡¯s forehead gently . "What was that for?" she asked, taking a sip of mead . " . . . for everything . Oh, I also n on causing some Chaos while I¡¯m there, you know, to kind of weaken them and force them to bring back some of the crazy dudes and chicks they sent after me . So, you better pull out that evil-batshit-insane side of you while we¡¯re there . " "Why not bring Litha and Vyrone? They ought to know more about the whole situation than me by now . " " . . . they¡¯re not ready," Lino said, sighing faintly . "Some other time . " " . . . alright . " Hannah said, cozying up to him . "We¡¯ll give them more time then . " " . . . yeah . " Lino pulled his arm over and put it around Hannah, kissing the top of her head . His heart sped up momentarily, as he was once again reminded how weak, yet strong, she made him . ncing down, he smiled warmly and moved strands of her crimson hair behind her ears, revealing the side of her face . Her eye moved sideways and met his, quickly squinting into a smile . It was the sort of smile that give him the courage to believe, with all his heart, that they would win . That he had to win . Chapter 337 Chapter 337 CHAPTER 337 THE HOLY HOLM Light-brown stretched widely ashore, bounding a mid-sized ind just by the maind of the Holy Continent, separated by a body of water barely twenty miles wide . The ind was mostly t, divided into northern and southern Beaks, both connected by a two-miles wide natural bridge of cliffed roads and wavy paths . The climate across was universal, with hot and humid summers thatsted for nearly nine of twelve months a year, and three months of tender rainfall . Named the Holy Helm, it was usually the first ce neers to the Holy Continent wouldnd ashore of, which is why most of the ind¡¯s business was oriented toward the neers . Only a single,rger city existed on the Northern Beak, with houses built out of sand and mud, hardly ever toppling three stories in height . Streets wereden with small andrge-time merchants hollering at those passing by and trying to sell their wares . Most natives had dark-copper skin, were rather tall with wide shoulders and well-pronounced muscles . Though they spoke the Common Tongue, they did so in a heavy ent, oftentimes swallowing vowels and blending three to four words together in a sentence, making them rather difficult to understand . All around the ind, one could find various statues built either of bronze or sandy stone, depicting numerous figures -- some human and some less so . It was a rather curious and wondrous ce, depicting a rather homogeneous culture with little to no outside influence, at least on the surface . Currently situated inside one of the few inns on the inds, the only buildings built out of sandy stone, a small entourage sat slumped on the floor, sweat glistening on their foreheads . Lino stood by the window, having paid for the top-floor chamber explicitly to have the overview of the entire city which was by no means toorge . He stood leaning, observing the world down below; this was his first first-hand experience with the Holy Continent, even if it was just an entry region of sorts . He always consciously prevented himself from trying to build an image of it from the rumors, as he hardly believed it was all that different from the rest of the world . Languages, cultures, religions and customs would certainly differ, but people would in principle remain the same -- which is what a few hours he¡¯d spent here thus far had confirmed . Everyone down below was trying to scrape by, some honestly and some less so; everyone was racing to find a way to better their lives, as was the rest of the world . It was all the same, really, though this was Lino¡¯s first exposure to the existence ofrge-scale very . While not a stranger to it as a lot of Kingdoms he¡¯d visited had practiced it to a certain degree, it was never quite to the extent where public auctions were held all the time, with most ves being sold for dirt-cheap . From what information Lucky had provided him with, it seemed most of the ves eithere from the Isle Nations surrounding the Holy Continent, especially down toward deep south, or are remnant loyalists of some fallen regime on the maind . They were rather diverse, Lino noticed; skin ranging from snow-white to ink-ck, tall and short, fat and skinny, young and old, men and women and children, though thetter were usually sold through bidding . He sighed inwardly, looking away and into the room where his little entourage was melting . Most were unustomed to the massive heat; even with the sun halfway hidden behind the clouds, only ever so often perching through, temperatures were rather high, especially so for those who were ustomed to milder climates of the Central Continent . Hannah was wearing a thin dress with deep cut over her neck, her crimson hair tied behind in a tail . She was rather enchanting, yet not a living soul aside from Lino dared even nce at her . Sitting by her side were two other girls of the small entourage; Talleah seemed to fit almost perfectly with the native women, as she was even taller than them . Unlike Hannah, however, she wore thick, leather clothing, which made her sweat profusely to the point she was almost shining like the sun from all the droplets gathered on her forehead . Next to her sat Vyena, who had her head stered down perpetually . Hannah had just tied her golden hair into a tail, and after a suggestion of giving the girl one of the dresses, Vyena nearly copsed -- after all, she was currently wearing full-body armor, hiding every inch of her skin . Just an image of wearing something like Hannah¡¯s dress was almost too much for her . On the opposite end were Edward and Jack who seemed to be handling the heat better than the girls as they had quite a lot of experience standing by the roaring mes of the furnace for hours if not days on end . Still, both repeatedly reached into their void treasures and took out gourds of chilly water, dousing themselves in it . Next to them were two remaining youths -- Ion and Ryt . The former wore loose, elegant robes, his ck hair practically mimicking Lino¡¯s ponytail to a tee, as he leaned against the wall and copied Lino¡¯s posture . Standing by the door of the room was thest youth, one Lino had picked first-hand to be his ¡¯personal guard¡¯; the boy appeared to be in histe teens, with ink-ck skin and a pair of beautiful, bronze eyes . He only wore tattered pants to cover his private bits, being both topless and barefoot . He stood straight like a spear by the doors, his eyes never leaving Lino -- making thetter rather ufortable . "How long will we have to stay here?" Hannah asked with a sigh, already questioning her decision to follow Lino here . "What are youining for? You look sickly pale anyway . You may as well tan yourself a bit . " Lino shrugged, walking away from the window . He wore rather simple clothes, copying Ryt and going barefoot and topless, with a thin cloth wrapped around his forehead . "Besides, it¡¯s not even that hot . " "Not for you, maybe," she growled . "You¡¯re a fucking freak here . The rest of us aren¡¯t . " "Ah, calm down . We won¡¯t be long," Lino said, sitting by her side and taking out a bottle he had prepared before departing -- it was a medicine simply called [Misted Ice] . Rather rare and difficult to make, he was only able to procure four bottles altogether, so he quickly began hoping the weather would change once they got to the maind . "I¡¯ll run around the town for a bit and check out the local markets . I¡¯ll also look at the ferry schedule and book us one . " " . . . you¡¯re not gonna go out with a shawl over your face again, are you? We¡¯ve weirded out pretty much everyone we met . " Hannah asked, her tired expression quickly switching into one of bliss as she pressed the small bottle against her forehead, chilling her whole body . "I can¡¯t risk being recognized," Lino shrugged . "And forgive me for never learning the art of the disguise . " "This is why we should have just asked Lucky toe with us . . . " " . . . uh . . . " a meek voice suddenly joined in, causing Hannah and Lino to nce sideways; Vyena met their eyes for a moment, scowling lowly and quickly hiding behind Talleah who tried to hug the girl rather awkwardly . "Look at what you did," Hannah grinned, ncing at Lino . "Scaring poor girls . Humph, you¡¯re really a bad, bad man . " " . . .e on V¡¯, just speak your mind," Lino said, corners of his lips twitching . "I won¡¯t eat you . Not yet at least . " "Eek!!" "Dude!!" Hannah pped his shoulder lightly . "W-what?! I was making a damn joke!" "Does she look like someone who¡¯ll understand your dumb humor?" " . . . don¡¯t go there . " Lino suddenly warned in a serious tone . "What is it Vyena?" Hannah ignored Lino and approached the young girl, smiling gently . "Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll protect you from the bad man . " " . . . L-lord . . . L-lord Empyrean isn¡¯t bad . . . " Vyena mumbled meekly . "I think she wants to tell youds that she can fix up disguises," Jack, seemingly having lost patience, chimed in as he walked over . Even seated, Talleah was three his size, making him shudder for a moment; no matter how many times he¡¯d seen the girl, he felt as though he¡¯d never get used to just how tall she was . "She¡¯s quite a star back in the fortress . We used to stage a few ys once in a while, and she pretty much did the whole make-up and costumes bit . " "Oh?" Lino arched his brows, ncing at the girl with curiosity . "Won¡¯t make-up just kind of, you know, evaporate in this heat?" " . . . n-no . . . if . . . if I apply it carefully . . . " Vyena replied . "Hmm, alright . " Lino nodded, stroking his chin . "I¡¯ll head out with Ryt and Ion," the two¡¯s eyes lit up likenterns as they straightened further . "I doubt anyone knows them, so we just need to disguise me . " "Dye his hair in purple . " Edward chimed in from the side, snickering . "And shave his beard . " Jack added with a grin . "And his eyebrows . And dye his lips ck . " Hannah added . " . . . he he," Lino suddenly snickered evilly, causing practically everyone in the room to shudder . "Just you joke . Once we open the smithy," his eyes turned into night-dark orbs, lips curled up in a grin . "I¡¯ll work you lot till your bones begin breaking on their own . And you, what are you doing, trying to use innocent girl to fulfill your weird fetishes?" he nced at Hannah . "ck lips . . . no eyebrows . . . goddamn you¡¯re weird . " " . . . I¡¯m weird?" Hannah quickly fired back . "As long as we¡¯re airing out our fetishes, how about I air out some of yours?" "Go ahead," Lino shrugged . "I¡¯ll openly admit any time of the day that I¡¯m a pervert like no other . Listen here, younglings," Hannah immediately groaned and copsed, realizing she had triggered one of Lino¡¯s long-winding monologues . Both Edward and Jack simply left the room, while the remaining youths focused carefully, especially Ryt and Ion . "There is no shame in exploring your desires, you hear?! Especially with a woman you love! Or a man you love! Heck, even a sheep you love for all I care! Look here," he pointed at Hannah, pulling her onto her feet and by his side . "I love this woman! If regr sex with her is amazing, what do you think happens when we make it kinky?!" " . . . " "It goes boom man! It goes fucking boom!" Hannah had long since stered her hand on her forehead, questioning her heart¡¯s choice . "Listen here, alright? When you love someone, it¡¯s only natural you want to do many stuff with them . Normal stuff, baby-making stuff, definitely not baby-making stuff, weird stuff, stuff weird calls weird, some real dark shit that will probably get you gutted if ever publicized . . . it doesn¡¯t matter, alright? Love with all your heart and body, you hear? But, you know, don¡¯t love random strangers like that . We¡¯re not criminals, after all . Got it?!" "Got it!!" both Ryt and Ion eximed at the same time, while two girls had passed out --pounded with heat, Lino¡¯s speech seemed too much for them . Hannah quickly pushed him away and went over to the two girls, pitying them from the bottom of her heart . She seemed to have forgotten that just because she¡¯s used to Lino¡¯s way of talking, most other women -- let alone girls -- were not . She suddenly became worried if they had a daughter . . . what would he turn her into? Chapter 338 Chapter 338 CHAPTER 338 GAZE OF THE THOUSAND EYES Dry, dusted streets beckoned hundreds of souls despite the arid heat burning away at one¡¯s spirit . Women wore little and men even less, everyone desperately trying to get their business done early on in the morning before it truly bes hot . Among the hurried souls were Lino, Ryt and Ion -- not necessarily because of the heat, as the former could simply ignore it, while thetter two would never admit to being hot from fearing ofing off as weak in front of Lino, but because they had a lot to do and Lino feared taking his time as Hannah was waiting for him so they can leave . With Vyena¡¯s help, Lino had almostpletely transformed; his ck hair was now starkly blond, seemingly bleached by the sun . His beard was shaven cleanly, his tattered clothes reced with rathervish-looking eastern robes under which he appeared rather lean and slender instead of muscr . Save for the pair of eyes which remained the same, the rest of him was an entirely different person . First order of business was for him to check the local markets; though Hannah knew the general state of things, it was always better to have first-hand experience . However, after nearly an hour of walking in-between the sandstone buildings and dried, dusty paths, Lino was met mostly with disappointment -- a vast majority of the items on disy were simple duds, worthless junk painted in gold in order to try and trick the neers into buying them . This included weird amulets with ¡¯supernatural powers¡¯, supposed ¡¯legendary talismans¡¯, ¡¯divine weapons and armors¡¯ and even the ¡¯legendary divine beast eggs¡¯ . He didn¡¯t even have to carefully scrutinize it to realize it was all fake, which made him wonder whether anyone even bought them; yet, within the said hour, he¡¯d seen at least twenty people buy one . " . . . there is nothing here, Lord Empyrean," Ionmented as they left another market street, ending up near the edge of the ind, overlooking the vast Shimmering Sea toward the west . "I can¡¯t believe so many people are getting swindled . " "This is just an entry point," Lino shrugged . "We can¡¯t base our expectations on what we see here . However, there¡¯s one useful thing I¡¯ve noticed . " "What?" Ion questioned with curious gaze . "There are a lot of wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing lurking about," Linomented as the trio sat down, with the former taking out three gourds of cold ale and handing them over to the two who took them rapidly . "My guess is that they¡¯re on the lookout for the rich and dumb, follow them to the maind, and my guess is rob them and kill them . " "A lot of them are women hiding among the prostitutes," Rytmented . "Clever . " "What are you doing, looking at prostitutes?" Lino teased with a grin . "Do you want me to buy you one?" "N-no, of course not . " Ryt quickly replied, stuttering slightly, his dark tan hiding his blush . "I just happened to notice them, that¡¯s all . " "Ah, at the very least I¡¯ve mostly caught up on the generalndscape of the maind," Lino said, taking a sip of ale . "Save for the Arid Expanse, most other things are as I read about them . " "What¡¯s different about the Arid Expanse?" Ion asked . "In the books I read, it was called Penultimate Tombstone . Apparently, it¡¯s by far the hottest region in the world, spanning hundreds of miles . All one can see above and beyond are sandy dunes . I¡¯m kind of curious about that ce . " "Are we going to visit it?" Ryt asked with faint excitement . " . . . you want to visit it? Look at you . You can barely stand this heat . Now imagine it¡¯s about a hundred time worse . You¡¯d be melting like a candle . " " . . . ugh . I-I¡¯ll get stronger!" "Yeah, yeah, good for you," Lino shrugged, ncing backwards . "In the meantime, go fetch that kid that¡¯s been spying on us . Her eyes are weird . " "Yes, Master!" Ryt nodded, his expression turning serious as Ion and him vanished from Lino¡¯s sides at the same time . The two appeared roughly fifty meters away, behind an abandoned, windowless building where a shadow stood perching behind the corner . A startled cry was stifled quickly as Ion ced his hand over the young girl¡¯s mouth with Ryt pulling an ordinary-looking sword from his void treasure, gently pressing it against the girl¡¯s back until she calmed down . Upon closer inspection, both Ryt and Ion flushed in embarrassment as the girl they went all-out against seemed no older than fifteen; she appeared underfed, with her ribs sticking out underneath loose robes that hardly fit her skeletal body . She had shaved head and a pair of truly curious eyes -- hexagon-shaped irises surrounded with ever-revolving set of dots, perpetually changing colors between green, blue and yellow . Ryt flipped the girl over his shoulder and carried her over to Lino, sitting her down in front of him . The girl squirmed nervously, ncing around until she eventually met Lino¡¯s eyes; at the same time, she suddenly felt terror akin to nothing she ever felt before . . . yet also peace and joy she never experienced in her life . The mixture of emotions left her confused as she nkly stared into Lino¡¯s eyes . " . . . do you know who she is?" Lino suddenly asked Ryt and Ion who carefully inspected the girl once more, going through their memories to try and pry the answer out, yet to no avail . "I¡¯m not surprised," Lino smiled lightly as he suddenly took out a gourd of water and ced it in front of the girl . "Even I only learned about her n recently . However, as far as I¡¯m aware, they live near the Great Divide . The Great Seers . . . with innate Eye Bloodline," Lino continued, smiling lightly at the girl who was devouring the gourd of water . "Gaze of the Thousand Eyes . You¡¯re long way from home, aren¡¯t you?" " . . . humph, I ran away . " the girl wiped her mouth and answered Lino rather abrasively . "What¡¯s it to you?" "Nothing," Lino shrugged, still smiling . "But, while you perhaps don¡¯t realize it, being watched by your kin is rather ufortable . " "Psh, as if," the girl scoffed . "I couldn¡¯t see anything . What are you old man? ¡¯Cause you sure as hell aren¡¯t like those naive idiots out there . " " . . . she¡¯s got quite a tongue on her," Ryt¡¯s voice chilled as he took out a small, shimmering dagger . "Should I cut it off, Master?" "Cut what off? Cut off your dick, you bastard! Humph, if I wasn¡¯t focused on this old man, do you really think you two kids could have snuck up on me?" while Ryt¡¯s and Ion¡¯s expressions hardened, Lino observed the whole thing with faint amusement, suddenly withdrawing himself to the side . "You can¡¯t touch her," Lino said . "But, you can say anything to her . Anything you want . Let me give you some hints -- she¡¯s still a virgin, she pissed herself recently, she hadn¡¯t taken a shit in a week, and she¡¯s terrified that her pubes are yet to start growing . Fire away . " " . . . . . " Ryt and Ion nced at Lino with dubious gazes as the girl suddenly fell to the floor, having passed out . "M-master . . . s-she¡¯s . . . she¡¯s just a kid . . . " Rytmented awkwardly, poking the girl gently just to ensure she wa still alive . "Y-yeah . . . we, uh, we were just messing with her . . . " Ion added . " . . . wait, am I the bad guy mere?" Lino mumbled lowly, stroking his chin . "No, it¡¯s the young that are at fault!" " . . . y-yes . . . it¡¯s our fault, Master . . . " Ion and Ryt mumbled, hiding their gazes . "Let¡¯s bring her back," Lino said suddenly . "Hannah can use the fact that I scarred the girl for all eternity to sweet-talk her into helping us . " " . . . h-how can she help us?" Ion asked, deciding not to probe the methods Lino and Hannah used to rope people in . "She ran shit out of luck by deciding to Mark me," Lino said, putting the girl into the Dimensional Pocket . "Otherwise, if she were given enough time, she could have made it big here . " " . . . " noticing Ion¡¯s and Ryt¡¯s confused gazes, Lino sighed and continued as the trio began retracing their steps back to the inn . . "The Gaze of the Thousand Eyes Bloodline is rather unique, even on the Holy Continent; it¡¯s very, very rare, and only ever shows up in the ns of the Great Divide . At most three-four per generation . Anyway, those who have it have the ability to put a Mark on someone -- anyone, really -- beast or a man . The Mark festers, granting more and more over time; at first it merely allows them to track the Marked, anywhere and anytime . Then, over the passage of time, it allows them to read the Marked¡¯s Basic Stats, then Martial Arts, what¡¯s in their void treasures, eventually their emotions, then they are able to read their dreams and even injected themselves into the dreams as the means of maniption . . . given enough time, they can even read Marked¡¯s mind . . . every thought, every action, every desire . " "Wow!!" Ryt and Ion eximed in shock . "The penultimate power of the Bloodline, however, manifests only when it¡¯spleted," Lino smiled cheekily . "It allows them to take over the Marked¡¯s body . . . permanently . The drawback is that one bearer of the Bloodline can only ever evolve the Mark to the penultimate level once, and they can never mark another person again . This is why most Seers don¡¯t ever take it that far . They¡¯re a curious and a terrifying existence . One of the reasons why they live inside the Great Divide is because they¡¯re hunted by practically everyone,rgely due to fear . Their Bloodline was not given to them by Gaia, nor is it the result of Qi Mutation; rather, nobody quite knows where ites from . She¡¯s still young," Lino suddenly smiled evilly, causing Ryt and Ion to shudder . "If we y our cards right . . . he he he . . . oh boy, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯vee across the best treasure here on my second day . . . ha ha ha, mu ha ha ha ha, khm . . . so, yeah . You two, stop looking so terrified . You¡¯ll make me think I¡¯m evil or something . " But you kind of are, Master!! Chapter 339 Chapter 339 CHAPTER 339 LUCKY STARS City of the Thousand Lights -- the capital city of the Asill Kingdom, situated west of the Arid Expanse, north of the Temple of the High Lords, across the Kab ins, east of the High Shores and just south of the exit from the Vivac Valley, a sole entry point from the Western Shores into the heart of the Holy Continent . The city was named thus due to its exceptionally beautiful skyline consisting of high spires from which thin ropes vaulted over the air, off of whichnterns hung, shining perpetually like the stars . Buildings were shaped and fashioned out of thick, gray y exclusive to the local mines deep in the hillsides adjacent to the city itself . Streets were paved with either cobblestone in the poorer areas or limestone in the richer, with the height of the buildings following the simr pattern, creating a strange sort of a scene where, from south toward west, buildings rose higher and higher throughyers, all the way to the Central Pce which stood at nearly six hundred meters, looming over the rest of the city . The city appeared homogeneous on the surface, with most people having slight, yellow tint to their pale skins, long noses, high eyebrows and slightly nted eyes . One distinction between the locals and those visiting were their skulls, as the former had elongated heads, seemingly terraced inyers . Most women wore tightly-woven robes and massive, golden rings pierced into their ears, noses, chins and the top of their skulls . Despite the fact that the nightfall had descended quite a few hours ago, the city was as lively as it was during the day due to the hangingnterns which lit up every inch of the city even better than thecking sun ever could . Music sted off from several corners, with seemingly each small part of the city having their own za stacked with variety of street performers trying to impress and earn . . Restaurants, inns, pubs and taverns were all situated on the corners, massive signs carved into wood hanging over them . Inside one of them, on the fourth floor and inside a corner room, two figures sat by the window, one sipping tea with the other drinking strange, thick, ck liquid . Lucky had a rxed expression on her face as she observed the strange world down below; when Alison first dragged her here, she had received quite a shock . After all, for most of her stay on the Holy Continent, she either stuck to the northern cities or those on the Western Shores . She could have had hardly imagined just slightly dipping into the south would mean such a shift in cultures . However, having stayed here for three days already, she was getting used to it somewhat; though she still found men and women with skulls asrge as half a meter in some cases, and with golden rings hanging from seemingly every inch of their bodies somewhat strange, she no longer had to hold back fromughing each time she met a local . "You never told me where you disappeared off to," Alison said, putting down the cup of tea gently . "I was worried, you know?" "I went back home," Lucky replied, ncing at her and smiling faintly . "Sorry I failed to mention that, Lady Bearer . " "Ugh," Alison frowned, pouting angrily . "I told you not to call me that! It¡¯s awkward enough that everyone in the Sect calls me that, I don¡¯t need my friends outside of it doing the same . " "But it¡¯s fun getting to see you so angry over it . " Lucky grinned . "Well I¡¯m d you¡¯re having fun," Alison said . "I just wish you didn¡¯t have to do it at my expense . . . " "What have you been up to?" Lucky asked, changing the subject . " . . . ah, I¡¯m stuck at one of the Trials," Alison replied, slumping in her chair in defeat . "I¡¯ve tried it eight times by now, yet I still have no clue how to pass it . " "What¡¯s the trial?" Lucky quizzed . "It¡¯s Trial of the Heart," she said . "It¡¯s supposed to mould my Heart into the triage of Mind, Heart and Soul, hence strengthening my Will . " "So . . . what¡¯s the problem? You don¡¯t seem the weak-hearted sort . " " . . . eeh," Alisonughed awkwardly, scratching her nose . "I-I¡¯m a bit restless . . . but, that¡¯s not really the issue . " " . . . what is?" Lucky asked . "Each time during the Trial, at one point or another, an unknown boy shows up," Alison said, her eyebrows furrowing . "Most of the time he just stands there, in front of me, blocking my path . And no matter what I do, I can never get past him . Twice he even spoke out, though I was unable to understand him . One time, he was standing in the snow, covered in frost from head to toe, shivering . And each time I¡¯d try to help him, he¡¯d encase himself back in ice and escape my grasp . I¡¯ve asked my Master and Teacher, but both of them just mumbled something under their breaths and left . . . " " . . . if it¡¯s a boy, is it maybe someone from your childhood?" Lucky probed, somewhat interest . " . . . I don¡¯t know . Maybe?" Alison shrugged . "I don¡¯t remember much of my childhood, to be honest . It¡¯s mostly a blur, and a random image or two here and there that make no sense on their own . " "Well, whatever it is," Lucky said . "Matters of Heart are the most difficult to decipher . Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, alright? Just take your time . " "I can¡¯t! Everyone¡¯s already gone onto the seventh and up Trial! If I take too long, I¡¯ll be theughing stock of the Sect!" " . . . yeah, I very much doubt anyone would dare make fun of the great Lady Bearer . " " . . . you are . " Alison said, pouting again . "Yeah, but then again, I¡¯m not in your Sect . " Lucky grinned . " . . . why don¡¯t you join?" Alison suddenly asked, startling Lucky . "Say what now?" "I¡¯m serious," Alison leaned over the table, her piercing, blue eyes causing Lucky to freeze in her spot . "You¡¯re aplete mystery, even to me . I can practically read nothing about you, which either means you¡¯re apletely ordinary mortal, or someone really talented . Besides, with me around, I could grease some wheels and give you stuff . A lot of stuff . " " . . . y-yeah, that¡¯s, uh, that¡¯s not gonna work . . . " Lucky awkwardly mumbled, taking a sip of the bitter, ck liquid from her cup . "Eh? Why not? Don¡¯t worry -- if I rmend you, you don¡¯t even have to take the entrance exam!" "N-no, that¡¯s not it . . . it¡¯s, uh, I, khm, yeah, I said some really bad stuff about Holy Grounds . . . " "Eh? That¡¯s it? Meh, who hasn¡¯t?" Alison shrugged . "I mean, I know I¡¯m supposed to stand by my Brothers and Sisters, but a lot of them can be rather arrogant and condescending, and they tend to anger a lot of people . If Holy Grounds only ever took people who spoke nicely of them, they¡¯d run out of Disciples . " "Eeeehh . . . " Lucky sat awkwardly, her mind spinning as quickly as it ever has trying toe up with a good answer . "S-sorry . . . I, uh, I already kind of, sort of belong to a Sect-like . . . uh . . . institution . I¡¯m sworn by a vow and an oath and such . " "Which one is it?! Huh?!" Alison eximed angrily . "I¡¯ll march over there myself and demand they release you! You belong with us, you know?" " . . . in what way . . . ?" Lucky sighed bitterly . "I like you! That¡¯s more than enough to tell me you belong with us!" " . . . yeah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s much of a measurement . " Lucky fired back . "What? Are you doubting my judgment?!" Alison asked with a frown . Yes! Very much so woman, god yes!! You¡¯re trying to recruit someone who¡¯d die for your biggest enemy!! "I¡¯ll have you know that my judgment is immacte!" It¡¯s really not!! "You¡¯re a good person, Lucky . Rather, I should thank my lucky stars for meeting you . He he . " " . . . you like me, huh?" hearing her name used as a pun again triggered something inside Lucky who suddenly smiled devilishly, getting up and walking over toward Alison who fell back into her chair, somewhat fearful . " . . . I---I do . . . " Alison replied meekly . "Well, I gotta say, I like you too," Lucky crouched, meeting Alison¡¯s eyes squarely . "So, why don¡¯t we take our liking to the sheets?" " . . . what?" Alison asked, confused . " . . . why don¡¯t we roll the dice together?" " . . . again . . . what?" " . . . why don¡¯t we flood the chambers?" " . . . " " . . . ah, fuck this . You¡¯re too innocent for this shit," Lucky chuckled, getting up and walking back to her chair . "Your assessment of me is ttering, but I¡¯m not nearly as good of a person as you think I am Ally . And sorry . . . I really can¡¯t join your Sect . " " . . . that¡¯s a shame," Alison said, sighing lightly . "You would have really liked it . " "I would have?" "Yeah, it¡¯s beautiful," Alison suddenly smiled freely, surprising Lucky; this was the first time she¡¯d seen the young girl -- though Lucky was just a couple of years older, due to Alison¡¯s general nature, Lucky still saw her as a young girl -- smile so freely and innocently . "Rivers cutting through the beautiful gardens, trees as tall as that pce looming over the group of beautifulkes, all sorts of birds singing . . . and we even have our own species of cats called Night w . Their eyes shine like red rubies during the night . . . and they have tendency of biting you if you hiss at them . They¡¯re really adorable . . . he he . . . and then we have these fireflies, but instead of orange, they shine in this really beautiful blue . . . and we have these massive snakes some of which are like forty meters long . Though they look terrifying, they¡¯re actually harmless and very docile . . . he he, I have one of my own, I¡¯ve named her Lateena, and she has these adorable red specks over her white skin and . . . " as Lucky listened on as Alison described every little wonder of her home, she couldn¡¯t help butpare her to another monologue-lover, though while she found Lino¡¯s attempts at monologues soul-exhausting, Alison¡¯s . . . wasn¡¯t as bad . Chapter 340 Chapter 340 CHAPTER 340 FULL CIRCLE " . . . you¡¯ve kidnapped a young girl?" It was only when Hannah pointed it out in a judgmental and angry tone that Lino had finally realized he¡¯d done something rather contemptible . He eximed softly, ncing at the still-passed-out girl lying on the bed next to Hannah . It was true, he sighed . Whatever his reasons may be, a grown-ass man taking a young girl against her will . . . there is no way to paint him as anything other than a bad guy . "What did we agree on, Lino?!" Hannah asked again as everyone else in the room hunkered into the corners, avoiding the two . "What did we promise we won¡¯t do?" " . . . uh . . . we won¡¯t kill the innocents . . . " Lino mumbled . "Yes . . . " "We won¡¯t steal from the poor . . . " "Go on . . . " "We won¡¯t discuss our bedroom kinks with strangers . . . " "Ugh . . " "We won¡¯t kidnap anyone . . . " "We won¡¯t kidnap anyone!" Hannah eximed . "Especially young girls!!" " . . . y-yeah . . . sorry . I guess I wasn¡¯t thinking . " " . . . so who the hell is she anyway?" Hannah asked, ncing at the girl . "One of the Great Seers . " "She Marked you?" "Yep . " Lino nodded . "Oh, it¡¯s a good thing you kidnapped her, then . " " . . . say what now?" "I mean, think about it," Hannah shrugged . "How many people in the world are entirely immune to being marked by a Great Seer? Not many Lino . Not many . The fact that the Empyrean is skiving on the Holy Continent might have gotten out . " " . . . so it¡¯s a good thing I kidnapped a young girl?" Lino asked . "No, of course not . It¡¯s deplorable!" " . . . " "But, given the circumstances, you are forgiven . " . " . . . you¡¯re a weird, bizarre, and a wonderful creature . " Lino said, smiling . "Please never change . " " . . . you¡¯re a weirdo," Hannah fired back, slightly offended . "Anyway, what do you n on doing with her? Though I know you¡¯ve never audibly expressed the desire, I¡¯m not letting you build a harem . " " . . . let me correct you," Lino¡¯s eyebrows twitched for a moment . "I¡¯ve never expressed the desire to build a harem -- audibly or otherwise . I don¡¯t want a harem . I can barely handle your insanity, how in the god¡¯s name do you expect me to handle any more than that? I¡¯d melt woman! I¡¯d wane away like an old oak tree, singing low hums for the dead and the dying! I¡¯d choke on my own blood in my sleep! I¡¯d--" "I get it, shut the fuck up! Besides, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re into bald girls all that much . " "The only bald woman I¡¯d ever be into is you . " Lino teased . "And if you ever decide to shave your head," Hannah nced at him emptily . "I¡¯ll skid you . " " . . . ah, the feeling of being loved . " Lino sighed, sitting down . "Can someone exin to me what it feels like?" " . . . how long are you two keep at it?" a familiar voice caused everyone in the room to look at the window where Lucky was currently sitting with her legs crossed, staring at Hannah and Lino with judgmental eyes . "You¡¯ve exhausted hearts and souls of poor people here . Quite frankly, I was half-expecting a few of them to just throw themselves out and stter their brains against the earth . " "Luckily you sat on that window," Lino grinned . "Otherwise . . . whoosh . Who could imagine the nightmare?" " . . . I¡¯ve been back literally ten seconds," Lucky said, sighing . "You are impossible . " "What are you doing here anyway?" Hannah asked . "I thought we¡¯d meet in the City of the Thousand Light . " " . . . yeah, change of ns," Lucky said strangely . "Alright, the kids and the dwarfs, I¡¯d like to speak with the revered Bearers for a bit . " as the small group left in confusion, Lucky vaulted in and stole Lino¡¯s gourd, finally noticing the sleeping girl . "You shat out an eighty-pounder? Good lord woman . . . what¡¯s your pussy look like? A pitfall designed to trap a Dragon?" corners of Hannah¡¯s lips twitched as she nced at Lino who was snickering, barely stifling a full-blownughter . "Yeah," Hannah nodded . "I--I . . . fuck, I got nothin¡¯ . " "Really?" Lino mumbled . "Just say it¡¯s better to have a pitfall-like pussy than a repulsive one even the most desperate ones are too terrified to stick it in . It may eat them, after all . So, what did you want to talk about?" "Well, I¡¯ve been invited to be a disciple of the Holy Ground . " "Eh? How¡¯s that happen?" Hannah asked . "Interestingly, it¡¯s yours . Or your former one . Or your temporarily-not-a-member-because-I-betrayed-their-asses-so-I-can-get-pregnant-with-an-eighty-pounder . The Eternity one . " " . . . weren¡¯t you actually good friends?" Lino asked . " . . . hm? We still are . " Hannah and Lucky looked at him at the same time as he shuddered . " . . . good god . . . " "Anyway, you might know the girl who invited me . " "Who was it?" Hannah asked . "The other Bearer . " " . . . " " . . . " Lucky suddenly backed off a few steps as she felt two pairs of eyesnd on her; they were strange and eerie and too disturbing, even for her . " . . . w-w-hat? Look, even if mes in your bedroom died, I ain¡¯t participating in the rekindling!" " . . . yeah, she¡¯s kind of Ally¡¯s preferred type . She¡¯s practically you who didn¡¯t betray her . " Linomented with a nod . " . . . aww . She¡¯s trying to rece me . That¡¯s sweet . " Hannah said . " . . . you know Ally? Wait, I know Hannah knows her, but why are you calling her Ally? God, please don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s one of the women you shagged before this one straightened you . . . " "Well, considering that thest time I spoke to her was just over thirty years ago," Lino said . "I¡¯m fairly certain shagging her was a literal, physical impossibility . " " . . . huh?" "Ally and I used to live in the same orphanage," Lino exined . "Until Hannah came by and took Ally away, then decided to stay behind and stalk me, hence beginning the lifetime long quest of conquering my heart . " " . . . also fed him, clothed him, taught him, saved his life . . . but, yeah, let¡¯s not focus on that . " Hannah mumbled from the side . " . . . fuck, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the boy . . . " Lucky suddenly eximed in horror . "What boy?" Lino asked . " . . . nevermind . " she quickly shook her head, deciding to live in denial . "You¡¯re awfully casual about this, though . You two do realize she¡¯s your enemy, right?" " . . . Ally?" Hannah and Lino looked at Lucky strangely, again, causing her to shudder . It was rather terrifying how in sync the two were in the oddest of moments . "Why is she our enemy?" " . . . uh, I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s see . She hates your guts because you killed Eos," she pointed at Lino . "And she hates your guts is because you love his . " "Yeah, but what¡¯s that got to do with her being our enemy?" " . . . what should I do?" Lucky sighed, deciding it was best she moved on lest she began losing her mind . . . more than she already was . "Well, I suggest you don¡¯t join the Holy Ground," Lino said . "It¡¯d be fairly difficult for, you know, us not to see that as betrayal . " " . . . any useful advice? Please? Just once . . . . just once . . . say something that isn¡¯t utter horseshit . . . " " . . . you like her, don¡¯t you?" Hannah asked . " . . . yeah?" "Well, Ally¡¯s fairly difficult not to like," Hannah chuckled, getting up and walking over to Lucky . "And she¡¯s also the sort that doesn¡¯t like to burden other people with her problems . Many of which she¡¯s facing right now . Be it as a friend or, or as a spy, or as whatever-the-hell-you-want, just be there for her . Please? She might help you understand yourself a bit better too . She has that sort of an effect on people . " " . . . by the way, we¡¯re staying in the City of the Thousand Lights, which is why we probably shouldn¡¯t meet there . " Lucky added . "No, we¡¯ll meet there," Lino suddenly said, surprising both Lucky and Hannah who nced at him . "And the four of us will have a nice, possibly very awkward, chat . " "Four of us? You do know she doesn¡¯t remember you, right?" Hannah asked . " . . . it¡¯s time we nt the seed," Lino said, taking a sip . "Hardly anything is ever truly forgotten, especially something that has had a monumental impact on one¡¯s life . " " . . . you want to break her down?" Hannah asked, somewhat angrily . "What¡¯s the alternative?" Lino shrugged . "Manipte her? Have Lucky stay by her side for years and whisper sweet things about you and me? Kill her?" " . . . she might not survive either way," Hannah said in a low tone . "She¡¯s forgotten you for a reason, Lino . " " . . . she¡¯s forgotten me because she had been put under a thumb, Hannah," Lino replied . "Living every day beneath the judgmental eyes . It¡¯s a miracle she endured as long as she did . " " . . . we didn¡¯t force her into anything," Lucky withdrew awkwardly to the side, realizing she had no ce in the uing fight . "She gave you up of her own desire . Memory of you was holding her back -- not just from increasing her cultivation, but from moving on . From living . " "Really?" Lino asked, furrowing his brows . "Why don¡¯t we then ask her together?" " . . . ugh . Are you trying to circumvent a fight?!" Hannah growled . " . . . frankly? Yeah, a bit . I mean, we didn¡¯t have sex in like a week, and I¡¯d very much like if we had it like, you know, today . " " . . . why do you think I was starting a fight, you moron?!!" Hannah suddenly exploded, startling Lucky . "I mean, I¡¯ve been trying to start a damn fight with you all day long, but your fat-ass just won¡¯t take it!! Don¡¯t you remember how amazing sex was that one time when I caught you checking out another girl?! I want that! All the time!" " . . . hey, before this goes into the full-blown absolutely weird territory, can I add something?" Lucky chimed in . "What is it?" Hannah and Lino asked . "You two are certifiably fucking insane . " she said, getting up . "Luckily, you¡¯re perfect for each other . " " . . heh . " "She said luckily . " " . . . yup, perfect for each other . " Lucky mumbled as she vaulted over the window . "I hope you eat each other alive . . . " Chapter 341 Chapter 341 CHAPTER 341 TO CHANGE THE WORLD Lino sat on the far edge of the Holy Holm, overlooking the small divide between it and the maind . Mountains rose immediately on the shore-side on the other end, ships humming across the waters repeatedly without a stop, carrying on and off hundreds of people as it was forbidden to fly over . Sitting next to him was a young, bald girl with peculiar eyes eating a raw fish, a custom Lino found more disturbing that most other things in his life . She ate it with strange delight and gusto, chewing right through the bones, swallowing it all freely . It was her third, Lino mused inwardly, yet she seemed incapable of stopping any time soon . " . . . no wonder my Mark didn¡¯t work on you," shemented after swallowing a mouthful, ncing at Lino; thetter sighed and whipped out a handkerchief, wiping the girl¡¯s cheeks . "The Empyrean, huh? You sure don¡¯t look the part . " "There goes the kettle calling the pot ck . . . " " . . . but, then again, my image of the Empyrean is probably slightly distorted . " "What¡¯s it like?" Lino quizzed . "A big, hairy monster with six legs, four heads, eighteen arms and a perpetually exposed penis . " the little girl replied . " . . . yeah, slightly distorted . Anyway, what are you doing here?" "I ran away . " "Why?" "Because they wouldn¡¯t let me leave . " "Why did you want to leave?" Lino persisted, much to the little girl¡¯s annoyance . " . . . ugh, what¡¯s with all these questions? What if I started asking you, huh?! What are you doing here? Why? Why again? Just damn why?! See, isn¡¯t it super annoying?" " . . . I¡¯vee to bargain . " Lino replied with a grin . "Bargain what?" "My skills in exchange for lots and lots of wealth . " " . . . why do you need money?" the girl asked quizzically . "Can¡¯t you just make what you need?" " . . . oh, yeah, sure . In my head I just imagine the world going boom, and boom the world goes . That¡¯s how shit works in real life . " "What other life is there?" "The imaginary one you¡¯re apparently living in . " " . . . touche . " the girl nodded, finishing thest bite of the fish . "So, will you let me go now?" "No . " " . . . aww man . I apologized and everything . " "I got a hold of a Great Seer . Why in the god¡¯s name would I let you go?" " . . . because I¡¯m adorable?" the little girl puffed her cheeks and smiled sweetly, crossing her arms over her chest in a feeble attempt to pronounce her non-existent breasts . She kind of looks like a potato . . . Lino kept the thought to himself, though . "How about instead of letting you go, youe and work for me?" Lino asked, dangling fish -- literally -- in front of the girl¡¯s beaming eyes . " . . . y-you . . . you can¡¯t bribe me . . . " "You clearly don¡¯t exactly think I¡¯m a big, bad wolf setting himself up to swallow the world, and even if you did, you don¡¯t seem to have a problem with it . So, why not just hop sides?" " . . . what for?" she scoffed, finally managing to tear her gaze away from the fish and onto the water divide . "You¡¯ll just be like them . Tell me what to do all the time, where to go, how to do it, what to say, what to think . . . I may as well just stay a beggar . " "I¡¯ll give you a job," Lino said, putting the fish down . "A mark -- pardon the pun . How you go about it . . . I don¡¯t care . What you do toplete the job . . . I don¡¯t care . What you think about the job, the world, me, or even the Mark itself . . . I don¡¯t care . " " . . . humph, what, you tryin¡¯ to say there isn¡¯t an Empyrean School of Thought all your followers have to abide by?" "Of course there is," Lino said . "Technically, every group has its own School of Thought . But, I¡¯d wager mine is pretty rxed . You know, do as you will so long as you don¡¯t betray us . And we¡¯re good . " " . . . I highly doubt that the world¡¯s number one enemy is sox about his members . Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯re gonna be betrayed all the time?" . "Why would anyone betray me?" Lino suddenly picked the girl and ced her on hisp as she cried out lowly . "You know, no amount of fear and terror and rules and regtion will ever create a society no one will betray . Hearts are fickle, and instead of trying to regte them, I chose to believe them instead . I give my heart out in return for yours . " " . . . a-a-a-are you conf-confessing your l-l-love to me?!" the girl suddenly curled up inside Lino¡¯sp, hiding her head away in her knees . "I want to reign the world, Y¡¯sha," Lino mumbled lowly . "I want to batter through everything and everyone standing in my way . And, one day, when I hoist the Crown, I want to live inside the world where young kids like you don¡¯t have to beg on the streets for food . I want to live inside the world where young men and women aren¡¯t forced to die bearing arms for the dreams of another . I want to live inside the world where everyone can make something of themselves, so long as they¡¯re willing . " " . . . " "But, in order to get there," he said, looking up . "I have to do things that make me the same as them . I don¡¯t mind, honestly . I¡¯m not above it, nor am I better than it . Rather, in many ways, I prefer their ways than some condescending, holier-than-thou non-sense that never gets any results and just mockery . And, even more importantly, to get there . . . I can¡¯t do it alone . So, I¡¯m not asking you to be my ve . . . instead I¡¯m asking you to be the wind in my back . " " . . . tsk, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually using that sly tongue of yours to charm and woo young girls," Hannah suddenly chimed in, causing Lino to sigh . "Have you no shame?" "You were getting too emotional and decided tosh out?" Lino grinned . " . . . humph, you already have a girlfriend and you¡¯re flirting with me . Shameless!" the little girl tore herself away from his arms, a tinge of pain shing through her eyes . "Does that mean you won¡¯t help me?" Lino asked, putting on an expression that made Hannah gag for a moment . " . . . I-I . . . I didn¡¯t say that . . . " "Why don¡¯t you go with big sister?" Lino said, smiling sheepishly . "I bet you¡¯ll look real pretty after a good bath . " " . . . y-yeah . . . thanks . . . " Lino smiled apologetically at the ring Hannah as she took Y¡¯sha away . He remained seated, taking out a gourd of ale, slowly sipping it . While meeting a Great Seer was a happy ident, it hardly changed his ns . He already knew who he wanted her to Mark, but it would have to wait for the time being . Realizing he¡¯d learned as much as he could about the Holy Continent here, Lino knew it was time to depart . Cross the divide and enter thend of over eleven billion souls, most of which were hellbent on finding him and killing him . Rather than terror or even excitement, most of all he felt a strange sort of mncholy; he couldn¡¯t quite exin it, or even understand it all that well himself, yet it was there, pressing against his heart . Though he indeed did so in an attempt to manipte her, he didn¡¯t lie to Y¡¯sha -- he wished to reign the world and re-make it, at least in small parts and pieces . However, the nagging feeling that had started festering years ago wasn¡¯t leaving; if anything, it was growing stronger -- one that told him this was the world¡¯s predestination, the idea that it has to be this way for it to exist . To be at perpetual war, ensconced in wanton chaos, intertwined in eternal web of conflicts . It was almost like a whisper inside of his head, humming ¡¯it is meant to be¡¯ repeatedly . He still refused to believe it, though; he didn¡¯t believe everything was determined already, and that no one could do anything to change the oue no matter what . " . . . if you wish to change the world," a now long-silent voice spoke out once again inside Lino¡¯s mind, surprising him . "You need to understand all its shorings first . " " . . . are you telling me to chat to that bundle of insanity again?" Lino suddenly shuddered as hollow light of terror shed through his eyes . "¡¯Cause, quite frankly, I¡¯d rather just leave the world as is . " "Lyee is a quintessential element toward increasing your strength rapidly," Ataxia said . "If you can properly embody her, you¡¯ll easily be able to master up to eight forms of the rather than having barely minimal mastery in the first two . In addition, she can teach you to finally engrave the Titan Heart into your armor . " " . . . yeah, of course, all of that sounds great . " Lino nodded . "But, on the other hand, she quite literally unloaded more words onto me in a day than I have spoken in my lifetime . Me, Ataxia . Not some random, shyd . But a dude who makes it his business to lecture people just to watch their pained expressions at least once a day . " " . . . you, khm . . . you just need to learn to filter her out . . . " "Yeah, that sounded really convincing," Lino sighed . "Not yet, though . I promise I¡¯ll talk to her once I open the smithy . " "Have you finally decided on the city?" "I¡¯ll open it in the heart of the sole Empire of the continent, in Do¡¯r city" Lino said, smiling lightly . "And bedazzle the nation like it was never bedazzled before, nor will it ever bedazzled again . . . " Chapter 342 Chapter 342 CHAPTER 342 THE FOUNDING SEVEN In-between the nes of reality, phased inside and outside the void itself, surrounded by the ever-expanding cosmos, a simple-looking room stood isted from the rest of the world, doused in perpetual silence, surrounded by eternal spatial storms vainly attempting to tear it apart . Its wooden walls withstood everything, seemingly invulnerable to any damage whatsoever save for the one of time . Two praying matsy t on the floor, parallel to one another, upied by a man and a woman sitting cross-legged, meditating in perpetual, eternal silence . On woman¡¯s forehead, a silver-jetted ¡¯2¡¯y imprinted, glistening faintly in milky white; on man¡¯s, ebony-ck ¡¯1¡¯ stood seemingly carved into his skull, the edges blending in perfectly with his high forehead . A space just in front of the two suddenly tore open as five figures walked through, quickly sitting opposite of them . All five figures had simrly embedded numbers on their foreheads, ranging from ¡¯3¡¯ to ¡¯7¡¯, all wearing identical robesden with faintly golden threads at the edges . Among the seven figures was one Lino was rather familiar with -- Six, the Eternal Watcher, who sat absentminded, his gaze slightly dulled as though deep in thought . A woman sitting next to him, with faintly cyan ¡¯7¡¯ etched onto her forehead, had short, brown hair and beyond ordinary-looking features, making it easy to mistake her as practically any other average person . Save for the pair of tantalizing, ck eyes, she had no distinguishing features . Titled ¡¯Maiden of Effervescence¡¯, she was a rather ironic existence, as despite her title, hardly a soul knew she even existed . A man with a deep-blue ¡¯5¡¯ carved into his skull was aplete contrast, donning a fascinatingly long, rainbow-colored hair, style reflected also in his eyes . He had rather chiseled features and an eternally stered smile on his face . ¡¯Ghost of the Thousand Masks¡¯ was his title, and even Six had forgotten the man¡¯s original appearance; he¡¯d often joked that the ¡¯Thousand Masks¡¯ should be changed to ¡¯Billion Masks¡¯ by now . Sitting by his side was another man, Four, donning a wholesome cloak, faint traces of his face covered up in white gauze, only revealing a pair of ring, crimson eyes without pupils . Even beneath the somewhat loose robe, he appeared rather lean and slender, even skeletal . Titled ¡¯Harbinger of the Undead¡¯, he oozed rather eerier air about himself that caused even those currently sitting next to him to sit a bit further apart . . A woman with ¡¯3¡¯ carved bloodily into her skull was tall, muscr and rather mean-looking, her expression seemingly frozen in perpetual state of anger; her eyebrows were sharp, looming over zing, coral eyes seemingly spitting mes out . Her hair was wild and unruly, mirroring the color of her eyes and seemingly even the shape of the mes . She was titled ¡¯The First Sun¡¯, though for many she was merely thest . " . . . so . . . what¡¯s up everyone?" Seven spoke out emotionlessly . "We haven¡¯t seen each other in a while . " "I¡¯ve seen you yesterday . " Five replied with a strange smile . "Your creepy obsession with her ran theedic course about four billion years ago," Six said, sighing lowly . "Now it¡¯s just really . . . really . . . really sad . " "You¡¯re just jealous I¡¯ve caught glimpse of her left tit once . " Five scoffed . " . . . you do realize she gave birth to two of his children?" Four joined in with a rather low and somber voice . "I imagine, in order for that to happen, he must have seen her everything . " "I selectively choose to ignore that . " Five said . " . . . like you selectively choose to ignore your duties?" Three chimed in with faint anger in her voice . "I havee to inspect you four times in the past millennium, yet not once have I actuallye across you . " "Not everyone¡¯s as duty-obsessed as you are," Five scoffed . "The rest of us just want to live fun lives . " "So obsessing over Seven for eons on end, without ever standing any sort of a chance, and drinking yourself to sleep whenever it gets too much . . . is your idea of a fun life?" Four said . "Interesting . " "It¡¯s not true he never stood a chance," Seven said . "I did promise I¡¯de to stand on his grave naked once he croaks . " "Hear that?" Six grinned . "So hurry up and die so your dreams cane true . " "Humph, you¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you? To take out your sole love rival? I don¡¯t think so . " " . . . I think it¡¯s kind of adorable he¡¯d stayed loyal to her all these years," Two suddenly said, opening her eyes and smiling faintly . "Despite the fact that he hasn¡¯t had sex since he was an ordinary human, aged neen . " "Oh, look who decided to get off her high, mighty, aloof tower," Five scoffed . "And only to talk about sex . God, will you ever change? Hasn¡¯t he fucked your libido out of you by now?" he pointed at the only man who hadn¡¯t spoken thus far, One . "Yeah," Six joined in, stroking his beard . "At one point, you two practically fucked the mankind back into existence . " "Ah," Seven moaned lowly . "Good old days where incest was really your only option . . . " " . . . I imagine we didn¡¯t gather here to do the same thing we do all the time -- talk about random things for an hour and leave," Four said . "Why have you summoned us, One? We were busy . " "No you were not . " One replied, opening his eyes as well . "No we were not, but still . That¡¯s no reason to ruin our fun . " "I will be quick," One said . "Gaia won¡¯t be able to reach the First Scripture, at least not in time . " " . . . so? What¡¯s that got to do with us?" Five asked . "We¡¯ll have to untangle the web of lies, everyone," One said, sighing faintly . "I feel this is ourst chance . " " . . . you want to go to war?" Six asked, arching his brows . "You¡¯re the closest to the boy," Two said . "You tell us . " " . . . I thought our involvement would remain minimal," Six frowned . "And only in the namesake of bnce . Aggravating the Outsiders and encasing us into a war hardly seems to echo that sentiment . " "The reason we abstained from involvement thus far was precisely because bnce, however thin, was there," One said . "But, it will break; Chaos is already beginning to devour other elements, outside of the Empyrean¡¯s will -- meaning it has achieved the First Stage . " "Then just counter it, as we did so far," Four said . "What¡¯s the issue?" "The issue is that it¡¯s not just Chaos," Two sighed . "Composition of elemental world is being tampered at the base; we cannot afford to disrupt it any further . " " . . . I¡¯ve looked into it," Seven said . "But, I was incapable of tracing the disruptions back to the source . " "There was a massive esction in disruption around the time the Empyrean killed the Light Bearer," Four said . "Could the two somehow be rted?" " . . . spikes can be observed in patterns," Five said, his expression turning serious . "Each time Bearer was felled, we¡¯d seen increased volume of disruptions across the board . I think we can safely conclude that they are not merely natural shockwaves, and are artificial in make . " "I¡¯ve managed to iste their source," Two said . "They aren¡¯t of Noterra origin . " " . . . inter-dimensional?" Six mumbled, frowning . "Weren¡¯t we isted from any Worlds with potency of influencing ours?" "That is the reason why we need to untangle the web," One said, going back to the start of the discussion . "We still can¡¯t ascertain Ataxia¡¯s or Gaia¡¯s intentions, and we have to know them . In order to do that, we have to escte their conflict . " " . . . Gaia is one thing, but I very much doubt we can get Ataxia to do anything he doesn¡¯t want," Four said . "Remember, we exist in part because of him . " "I am almost certain Ataxia isn¡¯t of this world," One said, stroking his chin as he sighed . "And, if there¡¯s a threat from the Outsiders, I need to know with absolute certainty . We lucked out with the spatial holes thus far, but we won¡¯t be lucky forever . The most terrifying aspect of this is that these disruptions aren¡¯t targeted; four other worlds I¡¯m overseeing are undergoing simr changes, only on a muchrger scale . " "If we have noticed them," Three said suddenly . "Ataxia must have too . If it was something that could threaten everything, he would have already informed us . Seeing as he hasn¡¯t . . . " " . . . in any case, this must be thoroughly understood," One replied after a short silence . "I will head farther out into the Ether and expand our Zone of Understanding by another quadrant . In the meantime, Six, seeing as you¡¯ve already established a rtionship with the Empyrean, try to enlist his help in istion . Have Seven and Five assist you . Four and Three will assist Gaia in reaching the First Scripture; I know we have promised Ataxia not to go after it, but times have changed . Also task Eight and Thirteen with ensuring the safety of other Bearers . We can¡¯t have the Empyrean going around and killing them one after another . Especially not now . " " . . . I¡¯ll remain here," Two said . "And attempt to counter the disruptions, however little . " "We shall meet again in twenty years," One said, his body slowly disappearing into a vault of smoke . "Before then, I hope we allplete our tasks; especially reaching the First Scripture . . . I have a feeling it is a quintessential piece to our puzzle . . . " Chapter 343 Chapter 343 CHAPTER 343 GHOST OF THE DISTANT PAST For a long while now, he¡¯d forgotten the simplest pleasures of life; taking a stroll down a busy street and trying to spot every pickpocketing thief; sitting on a small bench by a dried-up fountain and counting worthless coins embedded in its scorched bottom; walking into a tavern and listening in to the hopeful dreams pouring out alongside the ale; closing his eyes and sitting in a straight path of the breeze, letting its howls chisel at his cheeks . He¡¯d forgotten how it was like to enter a new city for the first time, an entirely unknown world, and explore it, learn it, embody it and know it . He missed the plethora of feelings that apanied such simple merits; the sort of tranquility that cannot be found otherwise, the sort of peace that just falls short of being cradled inside Hannah¡¯s arms, the sort of belonging that cannot be replicated anywhere else . In moments not unlike this one, where he was standing in a line with two dozen other folk, sweating in profuse sun, mumbling angry curses at the seller and his slow hands, he felt a part of the world . In front of him stood an old, hunched woman with a hijab covering her graying hair, old, wooden cane supporting her lithe body, while behind him stood a middle-aged man stinking of ale, nearly asleep standing up . All around him, ordinary people beheld life all on their own; lines after lines stretched out of bakeries, smithies, jewelers, bath houses, inns, taverns . . . cobblestone-paved street rounding in a spiral-like fashion was full-packed, without an inch of room for another building to rise without razing another before . From far above, the slums of the massive city only appeared as a small, dirtied dot in the field of snow-white marble, yet Lino had quickly found it was far livelier than any other part of the city . Far into the night, music could be heard ring into the streets, men and women of all assortments walking the dimly lit streets hand in hand, groups of youths standing in circles and ying dice, and even prostitutes meandering about rainbow-glowing brothels that rose frequently, yet were still filled regardless of the fact . He took one step forward in the line as a youngd finished registering himself, walking away with a massive grin full of hopes and dreams on his face . A flicker of smile gushed over Lino¡¯s lips as he briefly wondered what the young man would achieve in his life . One by one, those in front of him slowly flickered away into the ever-fading day, chasing dreams and pursuing hopes, until it was his turn . The man standing on the opposite end of the booth was in the twilight-end of his years, his brows and beard yellowed out due to pipe sticking out of his mouth, spewing smoke into the sky . He had brown eyes, whites yellowed out after years, and a head full of gray, unruly hair . He wore standard fashion of the Empire¡¯s Officials, leather-bound pair of white pants and surcoat . "Wee to the Celeste Empire," the man said in a disinterested tone . "Please state your name, age, origin and your business in the D¡¯or . " "Lyonel," Lino replied casually . "Thirty-eight, Central Continent refugee, chasing his dreams . " "Aye, aye," the man jotted down the details, spitting out smoke from his nostrils . "Orientation Ceremony for the new citizens is held on twelfth of each month," he continued . "There you can learn the basics of local cultures, customs, religions, as well as a full regtory body ofws and regtions . You are obliged to report to the Center for Citizenship twice a year for the first five years of your stay, and then once for the following five . If you have any questions, feel free to visit many of our Centers for Knowledge . If you can read and write Common Tongue, you can always visit the local libraries . In the meantime, please refrain from stirring any trouble . " " . . . will do . " Lino replied with a faint smile . "Congrattions," the man said, handing Lino a thin, slightly oily piece of parchment . "You are now officially a citizen of Celeste Empire -- may stars guide your way . " "And yours too . " taking the parchment, Lino quickly nced over it before putting it away; it was merely a document stating that he was a citizen, in addition to his basic information . Bidding the man farewell, Lino stepped away from the line and took a deep breath, stretching lightly . Night would soon fall, yet it hardly seemed to matter; windows red in coral from the mes of candles andnterns all around, casting shade on the stone-built rises . Even slums here, Lino mused, were better than the Holy Holm in its entirety . Rather than returning to the inn, he decided to first take a stroll around the city . He¡¯d imagined the rest hadn¡¯t yetpleted their own ¡¯citizenship quest¡¯, as he knew for a fact this was the least visited ce and he still had to wait for three hours in the line . He stopped by a small stall handled by a pair of young, teenage girls dressed in olive-dyed dresses who were handing out something that appeared like wool on sticks, yet people who bought it ate it with gusto, making him curious . "Hello," one of the girls greeted Lino with a beaming smile . "Would you like one roll?" " . . . I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯ve just gotten here . What is this?" Lino asked . "Oh, it¡¯s a special, local produce!" the girl eximed . "This is the special wool from the local shepherds, coated in [Dew Sugar], wrapped on the stick made from the [Honey Bark]; after you eat the wool, you can even snack on the stick!" "Oh?" Lino eximed softly . "Alright . Give me one . How much?" "Only a single piece of silver coin!" Lino observed closely as the girl took a stick from the stack and then used a set of magical arrays inside a strange construct to weave the sugar-coated wool around the stick like magic . The entire process barely took a single minute . Taking the stick, Lino handed two silver coins and winked at the girl who blushed faintly as she expressed her thanks in a low mumble . Chuckling, he walked away and took a bite of a strange, cloud-like meal; it melted inside his mouth, coating it in terribly sweet sensation . Delicious . . . he thought, his lips curling up into an involuntary smile . Celeste Empire was the sole Empire of the Holy Continent, centered next to the Great Divide, beneath the Dragon Gulfs up north and epassing vast Weyoth ins down south . It was culturally, religiously and racially most diverse hotpot of the continent, as well as the richest one . It was technically a republic monarchy, though the Royal family always had precedent in making the decisions rather than the people-elected bodies . He came to a halt suddenly as a peculiar scene on his left caught his eye; otherwise packed building gave way to a slightly elevated, wooden tform surrounded by a hundred eyes or so, all gazing on the stage upied by two people wearing rather extravagant costumes . Walking up to the end of the crowd, Lino settled and listened quietly . "What?!" one of the men shouted on top of his lungs, falling on his bum as the crowd burst out intoughter . "Thy Maiden be cursed,d! What do you mean you have shagged my chicken?!!" "I have shagged thine chicken!!" the other man shouted back as he puffed his chest out . "And the omelette you ate this mornin¡¯ was my kids! You ate my kids, you beast!" " . . . " what the fuck . . . Lino thought inwardly, yet stillughed, infected by the surrounding atmosphere . . "By gods!! I shan¡¯t ever have eggs again!" "Gods can¡¯t help youd! Eggs are all ye¡¯ can afford after Royal Lady kicked you out! Ha ha ha!" "Pui!" the man spat on the stage, getting up rather awkwardly as his clothes were rather cumbersome, which led to another bout ofughter from the audience . "That is it! I am shagging your cow!" "Ayd, if you could shag anything, Royal Lady wouldn¡¯t have kicked you in the first ce! Ha ha ha ha!" "What of my little yolk?! Are they not proof of my shagging?!" "They are proof of someone¡¯s shagging, but certainly not yours! Ha ha ha ha . . . " " . . . aya, aya, aya, how cruel thine life can be?! Thou art abandoned your man, doth thee have a heart or not?" Lino chuckled faintly as he tore himself away from theughing crowd, enveloped slightly in the festive mood . Scenes like the one he left, however, were hardly unique; he¡¯d came across four ys in merely a few dozen minutes of strolling around, and tens more individual street performers doing anything from swallowing swords to spitting out mes and performing strange dance routines with even stranger animals . In the end, he settled on a small fountain, sitting down among the chatting crowd, having bought a bottle of ¡¯booze that will turn your world upside down¡¯ ording to the seller . In reality, it was just slightly sugared ale, but it was pleasing nheless . The night had fallen, sky enveloped in shimmering stars, with full moon hanging far up as a centerpiece of the fold . " . . . pleasant night, isn¡¯t it?" looking sideways, Lino¡¯s heart froze for a moment; right there, sitting next to him, garbed in a white cloak covering half her face, sat a soul that he¡¯d forgotten a long, long time ago . Silver hair draped underneath the cloak, otherworldly in its shine, encapsting a treasured face without blemishes and a pair of rapidly-swirling, ck eyes . A quaint smile hung on her lips as her eyes met his, causing Lino¡¯s throat to quickly dry up and words to leave him . "You are all grown-up now . Though, to this day, I secretly hoped you¡¯d have remained that boy I remember you as . " " . . . " Lino remained mute, both words and thoughts escaping him . "But, this isn¡¯t too bad either," she chuckled lightly . "You are far more handsome now, I admit . Though it seems you have lost your way with words; that is unexpected . " " . . . Freya?" Lino barely managed to stutter out under his breath as a youthful face shed through his mind, one he¡¯d long-since buried both in the sands of time and the mirth of earth . It was indeed her; the naive, young and slightly loose-headed Princess . . . now a breathtaking beauty with a smile to melt away at all walls of one¡¯s soul . And one very much alive . Chapter 344 Chapter 344 CHAPTER 344 LOST SHADOW A swirl of memories barraged Lino¡¯s mind, tracing all the way back to the Umbra Kingdom, to where he took the very first, baby steps of his journey . He remembered the quaint night, the lonely and silent streets, and the silver-haired maiden he¡¯d identally ran across on his stroll . He remembered the solemn and mysterious ck eyes that peered through his soul and left him chilled for a moment, and he remembered the tranquility her mere presence brought . He remembered saving her, remembered her faint blushes and innocent prying, and he remembered her jovial, youthful voice . An encore of moments the two shared sted away at him, stunning him momentarily . All of them were distant memories, ones he buried deep in his heart as seeds of his motivation . He¡¯d let go of her a long time ago, put her in a safe corner of his heart to forever be remembered, and moved on . Yet, in front of his eyes, she appeared like a specter, endowed in white sheen of ghastly origin . She still had same, ck eyes, yet theycked the luster and shine of youth and innocence; they appeared sagacious, aged and slightly conflicted . Lines of her face spoke of her age, yet hardly diminished her beauty . Her posture, more so than everything else, had changed; she sat upright, one of her legs crossed over the other, confidence, indifference and faint bashfulness present in nearly every one of her movements . She had lost her innocent quiver, he mused, yet obtained something far more valuable: wisdom . A faint smile hanging off her lips proved spectacrly enchanting, as though she were casting a magic spell on all those who beheld it . Everything about her has changed, yet he still managed to recognize her in a heartbeat . He suddenly reached with his arm and grasped at her head, confirming she wasn¡¯t just an overdue demon projected from his heart . She was very much real and alive, sitting there, next to him, beneath the full moon and a sky full of stars, in a distantnd neither of the two in their youthful days even knew existed . The moment seemed beyond ethereal and impossible, yet Lino epted it quickly all the same . " . . . you¡¯ve changed too," he said, smiling lightly . "Though, considering I thought you were dead, any state but that one would have marked your change, well, remarkable . " "Ha ha ha, no, no, I was wrong," Freyaughed bewitchingly . "You still have a way with words . " "I better," Lino said . "If you took that away from me, what would I have left? Just my handsome looks, impable intellect and ability to set all women who look at me on fire? Psh, practically nothing . " "Ha ha ha, yeah, you are still same old Lino," she said, her lips suddenly stretching out into a smile Lino recognized, one he¡¯d seen many times many moons ago . "Indomitable . I¡¯m happy to see the world hasn¡¯t brought you down to your knees . " " . . . not for theck of trying . " "Certainly not . " she nodded . " . . . what happened?" Lino quizzed, the tone of his voice turning serious . "I thought . . . you died . But, well, clearly you didn¡¯t . " " . . . I was close to it," she said, sighing as a sh of pain appeared in her gaze . "After Yox captured me, he locked me inside a tower . . . where I truly thought my end woulde . In a way, actually, you saved me . " " . . . eh? I did?" Lino asked with curiosity . "Yeah, heh . As I stood inside that room, looking out the window into the ckened mist . . . I thought of you, you know? I knew inside my heart I could never let him do the things he wanted to do . . . so I was merely readying myself for that leap . But, after I thought of you . . . I thought of a n to escape . With a bit of trickery and luck, I made it seem as though I¡¯ve leapt out of the window to my doom . Then I just waited with abashed breath in the darkness . . . until you showed up and blew it all away with a single spear . I saw you, you know?" " . . . " "Standing so far up in the sky, you appeared almost like the sun," she continued, lowering her head . "And you banished the dark . " " . . . why didn¡¯t you call out, then?" Lino asked . "I would have heard . " "I know you would have . . . but I couldn¡¯t . " she chuckled, ncing at him . "You needed the fire . . . and I needed to learn not to depend on others to survive . " " . . . well, seeing as you¡¯re here," Lino said . "I¡¯d say that was a resounding sess . " "Ha ha ha, you could say so . I¡¯m actually married to the Third Prince here . Can you believe it?" " . . . tsk, you really can¡¯t live without the royal title, can you?" he teased . "No, I really can¡¯t . Ha ha . . . " " . . . how¡¯d you find me?" he asked . "Oh, I¡¯ve been tracking you for almost five years now," she said . "Ever since I got ess to the resources of a massive Empire . I knew where you were before even you did . " " . . . oookay . . . that¡¯s a bit creepy . " "Aww, what? A cute girl is stalking you and it¡¯s creepy?" " . . . no, you¡¯re right . It¡¯s actually kind of empowering . Though, I do have to inform you that I¡¯m a happily taken man . " "I know," she said, smiling lightly . "To an Elysian, no less . I¡¯d say I whored myself out for a better life, but boy,pared to you I¡¯m a neat little housewife . " "Oh? So you admit to having whored yourself out for a royal title?" Lino grinned, taking a sip of ale . " . . . a little bit, yeah . " she replied with a coy smile, taking away the bottle from Lino and taking a sip herself . "Ugh, I still can¡¯t get used to alcohol . . . how can you drink it so much?" "Oh, it¡¯s actually fairly simple," Lino said . "Just realize that you have too many issues to deal with, so instead you use booze to lock ¡¯em up inside, neatly . Works wonders for your enjoyment of terribly bitter or sugary booze . " "You¡¯re a grown man now," she said . "I¡¯d have thought you¡¯d have dealt with your issues by now . " "Oh, I did . The problem was that just more and more issues kept appearing that I was previously unaware of . Did you know I for some reason have fear of the edges of the forests? Like, anytime I stop at the forest¡¯s edge, I get chills all over and a desperate desire to run away . " " . . . what?" "I know! You¡¯d think they¡¯d at least make sense, but sheesh . . . how can I fix something when I don¡¯t even know where it came from in the first ce?" " . . . pfft, ha ha ha ha . . . yeah, you¡¯re still a bundle of weird and bizarre I remember you as . I¡¯m d . " " . . . so . . . you¡¯ve stalked me all these years . Did it ever cross your mind I might enjoy finding out you were alive?" he asked . "It has," she nodded . "But, the timing always felt . . .cking . If anything, I was closer to approaching Lucky several times before . She¡¯s had it way worse than you anyway . " " . . . oh, yeah . That¡¯s true . She¡¯s here as well . " "I know . " " . . . of course you do . So, why now?" he asked . " . . . it was time . " she said, taking a deep breath and ncing at the sky . "After all, you¡¯ve made it all the way here . In my heart I knew it was time to meet you . " " . . . are you happy?" he suddenly asked, surprising her . "E-eh?" "Are you happy?" he asked again . " . . . yeah . " she replied with a warm smile . "I know I joked before, but I really do love Titus . We have two kids, you know?" "Oh?" "Yeah, twins . Samuel and . . . Ae . " " . . . " . "Why¡¯d you ask?" " . . . because that¡¯s all that matters," he said, suddenly patting her head . "And, that glee in your eyes says you¡¯re even holding back slightly . " " . . . heh . " she chuckled meekly, lowering her head . "Thanks . But . . . the reason I wanted to see you wasn¡¯t simply to let you know I¡¯m alive . " "Oh?" "It was to offer you my help . " "Your help? With what?" he asked . "Whatever you want," she said, smiling . "One of the reasons why Titus and I fell in love was our mutual adoration of a single person . You . " " . . . yeah, I don¡¯t get it . " Lino said . "Well, for me it was you," she exined . "For him it was the Empyrean . " " . . . oh . " "I never told him, don¡¯t worry," she quickly added . "But, it was one thing that brought us closer together . Him talking about your adventures for hours on end, and me listening, desperately trying to imagine you in those scenarios and repeatedly failing . I never had heart to tell him that his favorite hero was a cheeky, sly-tongued pervert more broken than that rose garden I¡¯m supposed to be tending to . " " . . . aww, how sweet of you," Lino chuckled . "You kept a fan happy, that¡¯s what really matters . But, since you¡¯ve offered a helping hand, I¡¯m not going to say no . " "Speak up . " "I¡¯m nning on opening up a smithy here," he said, ncing at the city . "And I hear paperwork¡¯s a bitch . " " . . . it really is . " Freya grinned . "I bet knowing a Prince or a Princess might magically speed up the process, huh?" "You bet correctly!" "Oh, goody me . Can you believe how lucky I am? To identally run into a Princess in the middle of the street -- for the second time in my life, no less! Someone must be up there looking out for me!" "Ha ha ha ha, perhaps, perhaps . . . " "Now, I do need to bid you farewell," Lino said, suddenly shuddering . "Because you are very beautiful, and there is a very jealous bride-to-be currently murdering me with her eyes . " " . . . you two are perfect for each other," Freya said, ncing back and meeting a pair of beautiful, emerald-green eyes; she smiled warmly, much to Hannah¡¯s surprise as she didn¡¯t recognize the girl . "Though they say two burning mes will merely sh till the time ends, they fail to realize they stay together till the time ends . I¡¯m happy you found someone so perfect for you . " "As am I," Lino said, getting up and ncing back, chuckling wryly as he met Hannah¡¯s fiery and questioning gaze . "Though she can truly be a pain in the ass from time to time . . . " "Yeah, like you¡¯re perfect," Freya rolled her eyes . "Just be happy there¡¯s someone out there willing to abandon her very own blood for you, Lino . " " . . . " Lino watched Freya for a moment as she departed, her steps even and graceful, before turning and facing Hannah . His expression mellowed out, lips curling up into a gentle smile; though he appeared calm on the surface, his mind was a storm of turmoil and questions . An unexpected union provided far more question than it had answers . . . though in his heart he knew now was not the time to get to the bottom of everything . Now was the time to treasure what he already had . Chapter 345 Chapter 345 CHAPTER 345 FIRE (I) A muddy road stretched through the massive ins whose ends and beginnings were impossible to determine . The road pierced through tall grasses, small dips, wild gardens of flowers, and dens of various beasts and critters . Though sparsely popted, if one looked from above and took in the entire road, it always had thousands of travelers bounding it, east or west . On it, partway through the ins, a lightly-decorated wagon moved at a brisk pace, pulled by four beautiful, white manes . Curtains were pulled off its two windows, revealing the insides where two women were sitting opposite one another . One had starkly golden hair and a pair of beautiful, blue eyes, while the other had rather unruly-looking ck hair and a pair of ck eyes . Lucky and Alison had departed from the City of the Thousand Lights a week ago, taking a carriage ride over the Cantanee Road bound for the Celeste Empire and its capital city, Do¡¯r . Though they could have taken the teleportation array, or even a griffin ride, the two settled on making due the old-fashioned way . Alison was currently reading a book with a quaint smile on her face while Lucky was going over some papers listing out materials Lino told her to keep an eye out . Though she¡¯d managed to find most of the things from the list, she was stillcking a few . She wasn¡¯t worried too much, as if all else fails, she could still ask Alison for help . "Ah, this was a nice read . . . " as the sun began descending down the horizon, Alison closed her book and sighed in pleasure, smiling faintly . "What¡¯s it about?" Lucky asked . "It¡¯s a tale of the Seven Trolls of Wyndmare," Alison replied . "And their uprising against the Ogre ns . It¡¯s based on a rather popr myth, though no one has ever managed to prove the existence of either the Trolls or the Ogres . " " . . . you sure do have some weird tastes . " Luckymented, looking at Alison dubiously . "Hey! You don¡¯t see mementing on your fashion sense, do you? So keep your opinions to yourself!" Alison pouted lightly in anger . "What do I need a fashion sense for?" Lucky scoffed . "Do I look like one of the nobledies to you?" " . . . you would if you tried . " "Pft, ha ha ha, aaah, it¡¯s adorable you think that . " "No, I¡¯m serious!" Alison eximed, sitting over next to Lucky . "You have a pretty face, but you do your hair all wrong . You¡¯re very tall, have a nice stature, and with a proper dress, you could steal many-a-breath away . " " . . . " Lucky remained silent, inwardly wondering when was thest time she had this sort of a ¡¯girly¡¯ conversation involving dresses and hairstyles and makeup . She came to a very disturbing conclusion: not since she was thirteen and her mother prettied her up for a meeting about an arranged marriage . "I know you don¡¯t care what other people think of you, but don¡¯t do it for them; do it for you!" "Ha ha, I appreciate it," Lucky said, ruffling Alison¡¯s hair gently for a moment . "But, that¡¯s just not me . " "How can you know if you never tried?" Alison asked, meekly lowering her head . "Because," Lucky replied, taking a deep breath . "I¡¯m at my prettiest when I¡¯m shanking someone in their guts, or splicing open a line over their necks, or gouging their eyes out with a spoon, or--" "I-I get it, I get it! Geez . . . you¡¯re really weird . . . how can a girl say she¡¯s at her pretties when she¡¯s doing grizzly things like that?" " . . . why not?" Lucky quizzed with a faint smile . "Isn¡¯t there that old saying, we look our best when doing what we love?" " . . . you love killing others?" Alison asked, her eyshes quivering faintly . " . . . sometimes," Lucky shrugged . "Other times," she looked outside the window, into the distant where she saw a flock of sheep . Alison spotted a sh of pain in the corner of those ck eyes, her heart momentarily stilling . "I do it ¡¯cause it¡¯s the right thing to do . " "What kind of a weird sect asks people to kill against their will?! Humph! You better tell me so I can go and have a chat with the Sect¡¯s Master!" " . . . ha ha ha," Luckyughed heartily, momentarily imagining Alison trying to withstand Lino¡¯s barrage of exnations on that question . "Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll meet him soon enough . I have a feeling you¡¯ll actually like him . " "As if! There¡¯s no way I can like someone so difficult on you!" Alison said with a trace of faint anger in her voice . " . . . when did I say he was difficult on me?" Lucky asked . " . . . isn¡¯t he?" " . . . no," she shook her head . "If anything, it¡¯s the opposite . If there¡¯s anyone he¡¯s difficult on, it¡¯s himself . Sometimes . . . I fear it might be his undoing in the end . " " . . . you really care for him, don¡¯t you?" Alison asked in a strange tone . "I do," Lucky replied, her lips curling up into a wonderful smile . "I wouldn¡¯t be where I am without him . But, if you ever tell him that, I will have to kill you . " " . . . a-are you . . . in love with him?" Alison questioned, lowering her head into her bosom . "In love?" Lucky grinned strangely for a moment before replying . "What makes you think that?" . " . . . it¡¯s, uh . . . it¡¯s just the way you look . . . when you talk about him . . . is all . . . " "What¡¯s it to you?" Lucky persisted with a yful grin . " . . . I . . . I just think you can do better . . . " "Ha ha ha, well of course I can," Luckyughed freely for a moment, patting Alison¡¯s back . "God, I pity that poor girl that¡¯s stuck with him . " " . . . you¡¯re mean, you know that?" Alison mumbled with a pout, sitting over on the opposite side again . "And you¡¯re adorable . Are we done stating the obvious?" " . . . humph . " "He he . . . " Lucky quietly gazed at the mildly-mannered girl she¡¯d gotten to know quite well over the past couple of months the two had spent together . She was the strange sort, Lucky mused inwardly, with a natural capacity to disarm all those who spoke to her . It was a part of her natural charm, her smile that simply melts away all defenses and walls one puts up with her . She¡¯s quite simr to Lino in that regard, Lucky realized; both had the sort of charisma that was difficult to replicate, cast the sort of light that was difficult to snuff out . The differencey in the intensity; whereas Lino was the haggard, loud, bright sort, Alison was the mellow, gentle and warm kind . She was a rather strange choice for a Bearer, Lucky mused; after all, every Bearer she met thus far was quite . . . difficult, for want of a better word . Lino, Hannah, Eos . . . all three had the ability and capacity to overwhelm the world around them through their mere presence . Alison, on the other hand, seemed tock that initiative, that fire . She more resembled a Princess of a Kingdom than a Bearer of a Writ, one of Immortality no less . When she though about how both her and Lino were body cultivators who throw themselves head-on into the inferno, she really couldn¡¯t reconcile to the two; Lino, with every fiber of his being, looked like he belonged there, in those mes . Alison, on the other hand . . . Lucky couldn¡¯t even imagine . After all, she saw nothing in Alison that would suggest that madness lived inside of her, madness practically required for one to use their body as a weapon . Lino, however yful he may appear, Lucky hade to realize is always like a beast on alert; if one were to carefully inspect him at any point, they¡¯d realize he gave no openings, even if he was just innocently taking a nap . Air around him was always akin to a beast guarding its den . Alison, however, was full of openings all the time; even now, Lucky was almost entirely certain, she would be able to kill the young girl without much trouble . However, after musing for a moment, she realized why the difference was so stark . For instance, even Hannahcked the same edge Lino possessed, as did even Eos . Though the two did have the certain imposition Lucky only ever felt from them, when it came to the presence itself, both paled inparison to Lino . The reason was simple, however: their lives . Lino never had security of a Holy Ground, never had an army of Elders behind his back to support him and defend him, never had a safe ce to retreat to when things got ugly . He¡¯d spent most of his life on a road with a target on his back . Eos, Hannah and Alison . . . didn¡¯t . It was simr to the difference between Felix and her; even when the former was several realms above her, he was never able to defeat her . "What are you thinking about?" Alison asked, spotting a rather painful look in Lucky¡¯s eyes . " . . . did I tell you I used to be engaged?" Lucky asked, smiling frankly . "E-eh? Really?!" Alison eximed with surprise . "Sheesh, you don¡¯t have to sound so surprising . There are some dudes out there who dig the whole ¡¯she looks like she¡¯s gonna rip my nuts off while I¡¯m sleeping¡¯ spiel, you know?" " . . . I-I¡¯m sorry . . . I didn¡¯t mean it that way . . . " " . . . pfft . . . " "You are so mean!! Stop teasing me!" "Ha ha ha . . . fine, fine . . . " " . . . what happened?" Alison asked . " . . . he was killed . " Lucky replied . "Right in front of my eyes . And all I could do was stand there, watching it happen . " " . . . " "He was a whole lot like you," Lucky added, ncing at Alison¡¯s now-teary eyes . "Quite frankly, it pissed me off that he was a more of a woman in our rtionship from time to time . . . but, it was also quite sweet . Every morning when we lived together, he¡¯d wake me up with a breakfast . And every morning, he¡¯d make it more and more borate . He¡¯d also blush and bury his face in his chest when I teased him, he¡¯d also tell me I didn¡¯t have to go around killing for another . . . staying with you in the past few months has been quite nostalgic . . . " " . . . do you miss him?" Alison asked . " . . . every day . " " . . . did . . . did you avenge him?" Alison asked with a faint tremor in her voice . "I was too weak to do it," Lucky replied . "However, he was avenged . " " . . . by your Sect Master?" "Hm," she nodded, her lips curling up into a faint smile . "I think you¡¯ll understand when you meet him, Ally, why I do the things I do for him . He¡¯s a lot like you, in ways Felix was not . He has the capacity to make everyone around him feel as though absolutely nothing can go wrong . . . that even if the sky were to fall down onto us, he¡¯d hold it up all by his lonesome . Whenever I¡¯d hit bottom . . . he¡¯d be there to lift me up . I¡¯dy down my life for him, anytime, no questions asked . " " . . . don¡¯t sell your life so cheaply," Alison said . "It¡¯s not so worthless . " "Cheaply?" Lucky grinned . "Never . . . " Chapter 346 Chapter 346 CHAPTER 346 FIRE (II) A beautiful, quaint and small vige rested on top of the flourishing hillside decorated with wild patches of flowers and willow trees . All roads leading in and out of the vige were muddy due tost night¡¯s rain, with droplets of water still cascading down the nted roofs of the wooden houses fit into perfect squares, spaced neatly into a rectangle . People began slowly waking with the beams of the dawn, its muddy streets soon bing upied by nearly a hundred souls regardless . Cries of roosters beckoned out immediately after, forming a strange sort of serenade to the world around . Outside one of the taller buildings, on top of the small, front porch where a couple of tables rested, two young women were currently enjoying a teful over two cups of tea . While Alison had a rather rested and pleasant face, Lucky on the other hand appeared rather drained and sleepy, half a mind away from leaning back into her chair and falling asleep right then and there . "Do you do this often?" Alison suddenly asked . "Wake up early?" Lucky nced at her, taking a sip of tea -- which in reality was wine . "Sure . All the time . " "He he, no, I meant just . . . randomly walk into a vige and book a room in one of the inns . " " . . . that? Oh, yeah . It¡¯s kind of necessary part when you¡¯re traveling around . " Lucky replied . "You travel around a lot?" "No, of course not . I¡¯m not traveling now either . You¡¯ve dreamed this whole thing up . " "My my, someone¡¯s cranky in the morning," Alison chuckled . "Would you have liked if I let you sleep in?" " . . . I would have ignored you if you didn¡¯t bust into my room . " Lucky shrugged . "I know you would have . Why do you think I busted in?" " . . . you pretend you¡¯re this sweet, innocent girl," Lucky said . "But, you¡¯re one mean, evil bitch . I¡¯m onto you, just so you know . " " . . . he he," Alison chuckled coyly . "What do you want to do today?" " . . . you know what I want to do today . " "Besides sleep, I meant . And rest . Andzying off . And dosing away . And--" "--I get it, I get it," Lucky grumbled, sighing deeply . "What do you want to do?" "Well, as long as we¡¯re here, we may as well look around . " Alison replied, ncing out onto the muddy street with slight perturbation . "How about we just stay indoors and chat?" "Really?! Khm, I mean, sure . . . if you want to have a really boring day . Whatever you want . " " . . . yeah," Lucky grinned faintly for a moment, taking another sip of her tea-wine . "I was always curious, by the way, about the Holy Grounds . What are they like?" " . . . hmm," Alison thought for a moment, taking a deep breath before replying . "They¡¯re really just like any other sect, I believe . Highly hierarchical and rigid, with so many rules it¡¯s practically impossible to remember them all . " " . . . you don¡¯t like it, then?" Lucky questioned . "Oh, no, I love it," Alison chuckled . "But, then again . . . I imagine my experiences differed vastly from those of ordinary Disciples . Ever since I was taken in, I was given practically everything . . . just because I happened to have a proper talent . Most of my childhood I struggled greatly with it, never quite believing I deserved everything I was given . " "What changed?" Lucky asked, immediately noticing a sh of pain cross through Alison¡¯s eyes, mixed with anger . " . . . a . . . a friend of mine," Alison said, biting her lower lip . "She . . . helped me get through it . Unlike others, she didn¡¯t treat me any differently . If I did or said something dumb, she would point it out andugh at me . She would listen to my troubles . . . and then just hug me . " " . . . she sounds like a great friend . " Lucky said . " . . . she was . " " . . . " though she wanted to ask what happened, Lucky could already imagine; after all, it wasn¡¯t difficult to infer that the friend was Hannah, which could easily exin theplex look in Alison¡¯s eyes at the moment . "A-anyway, I strayed off the topic a bit," Alison tried to hide pain with an awkward and lithe smile, taking a sip of her tea in the process . "As I was saying, Holy Grounds are rather simr to other sects . What sets them apart is really the strength of the Martial Arts, Mantras, Cultivation Methods, Formations and so on . Oh, and the fact that each Holy Ground has a fouryered final barrier of defense that is nigh impossible to prate by anyone other than another Holy Ground . " " . . . eh? Really?" "Yeah," Alison nodded somewhat excitedly . "For instance, my Sect, the Eternal Paradise, has in our deepest reserves two Primes and Sixteen Fiends . " " . . . " Lucky stared nkly for a moment, which Alison mistook for confusion and quickly borated . "Oh, Primes are among the first creatures to grace the world," she said . "Though technically children of the Chaos, every Holy Ground has a Mantra for temporarily controlling them . Fiends, on the other hand, are the first children of the Mother, her first Creation . Although neither is necessarily stronger than us, Cultivators, their methods of attack differ so much that we stand absolutely no chance of defending against them . Waking of the Prime is a crime far worse than evenmitting a genocide, as a woken Prime can easily go berserk . " " . . . oh, wow . . . " Lucky eximed somewhat absent-mindedly; if a single Umbra had managed to take an entire Empire down to its knees while merely ying around and helping Lino, she could hardly begin to quantify what two Primes could do in aplete outburst of strength . "Besides Primes and Fiends," Alison continued, missing Lucky¡¯s dubious expression . "We also, naturally, have Defensive Artifacts . Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know much about them, as they are practically the most well-kept secret of any Holy Ground, since they¡¯re thest breath of life the Sect or the n has . And,stly, the final reserve that only three Holy Grounds have are--first promise me you won¡¯t tell anyone, please?" " . . . I promise I won¡¯t . " Lucky smiled faintly and said . "Alright!" Damn, she¡¯s way too naive . . . "He he, I think you¡¯re going to like this; the penultimate weapon of top three Holy Grounds . . . are actually Origin Dragons!!" " . . . what?" "Right?!" Alison replied with a rather proud grin . "We have a pact with an Origin Dragon whereas we, on yearly basis, give a lot stuff away . In return, we are allowed to summon him three times to defend us! It practically guarantees a victory . Origin Dragons, after all, are the strongest beings in the entire world!" " . . . " Lucky stared gobsmacked, much to Alison¡¯s joy; after all, she¡¯d just picked up a massive piece of news that will undoubtedly force Lino to change their ns greatly . Though Lino certainly can im to have fought and won against a Dragon, Lucky doubted very much he would be willing to throw a gauntlet against three Origin Dragons who wouldn¡¯t give him a massive handicap . "That¡¯s . . . amazing . . . " she managed to stutter out after a while . "He he, I bet you¡¯re regretting not epting my offer now, huh?" Alison asked as she puffed her chest out, causing Lucky to chuckle for a moment; despite being roughly her age, she certainly did seem like a little kid from time to time . "Humph,ugh all you want, I¡¯m not giving you that offer ever again!" "Really?" "Of course I am! Do you want to join? You do, don¡¯t you? Come, join!" " . . . ha ha ha ha, man, ha ha ha ha ha . . " "Y-y-you!! You meanie!!" Alison eximed, blushing lightly . "You just keep on teasing me and you¡¯ll see!!" "See what?" Lucky grinned . "More of your embarrassed expressions? If so, good god, I¡¯ll never stop screwing with you . As the matter of fact, I¡¯ll ensure I do it at least twice a day . " " . . . " "Alright, alright, I¡¯m sorry," Lucky said, ruffling Alison¡¯s golden hair . "I promise I won¡¯t tease you . . . too much . " "Hey!!" "What?" Lucky shrugged . "I can¡¯t help it . You¡¯re too adorable when you blush . " " . . . " . "Yup, just like that . " " . . . " "Eeh, you¡¯re looking too angry now . Go back to just blushing embarrassment . " " . . . . " "Yeah, now there¡¯s just anger . Still kinda cute . " " . . . I hate you!!" Lucky watched in silence as teary-eyed Alison stormed back into the inn, leaving the former alone on the porch . The faint smile soon vanished from her lips, her eyebrows scrunching into a frown; just Eternal Paradise had two Primes defending it, and potentially even an Origin Dragon . . . that changed things far too much . Even if Lino was ten times as brave and as idiotic as he was now, he still wouldn¡¯te even close to being brave and idiotic enough to make a direct move against the Holy Grounds . What just started off as a fun little trip that Lucky mostly treated as vacation time turned into something far greater than she could have anticipated . Chapter 347 Chapter 347 CHAPTER 347 FIRE (III) Vyleen¡¯s Cross was Do¡¯r¡¯srgest intersection, nestled in the heart of the city, connecting three major roads -- Merchant¡¯s Weave, Royal Pavement and Martial Road . The intersection was massive, over three miles in circumference, sporting a beautiful, hard-crafted fountain at the center decorated with four statues of faceless women spitting water from their breasts . The earth beneath was limestone-paved, with intersection sporting further spiraling, isted corners decorated with benches and gardens, making them a popr spot for young couples . The intersection¡¯s centerpiece, however, was without a doubt the sole auction house, a fourteen story building made entirely out of ss and steel, an architectural marvel known far and wide . It was slightly bent backwards, giving it even more mysterious appearance . That coupled with the thick, scaled beams at the building¡¯s corners made it not only a hub ofrge exchange of money, but also a rather frequented tourist ce . The house was mostmonly known as the House of Gold, though its actual name was Chamber of Luster . It only ever held three auctions a year, being closed for everyone for the remainder, and during those three days the intersection surrounding it was banned for everyone but the auction¡¯s participants . Lino was currently sitting on one of the edges of the fountain, observing the rich and the richer around him who fiddled about with one another, their fake smiles causing quite a stir in his heart; he was, after all, capable of a better fake smile when he was drunk . These people, in his eyes, weren¡¯t even trying . Most wore rathervish clothes decorated with either silver or gold, or some or another sort of a precious stone or a gem . Women, especially, wore dresses so extravagant Lino was rather uncertain how they even got them on . They made otherwise beautiful girls look so wide it was difficult to process how it was physical possible to reach that size . Layers uponyersy folded on top of one another to the point where bottom ends of the dresses were like small domes . He sat in silence and sce, sipping wine directly from the bottle . For perhaps the first time in his life, however, he didn¡¯t feel left out, as that was the case all around; it seemed almost as if very few believed in existence of sses around here, making it so they all drank directly from the bottle . In part, he felt quite at home here . In other part, specifically his clothing, he did stand out like a sore thumb; whereas most around him wore clothes that were as extravagant as possible, he stood on the opposite spectrum . He donned a single, white shirt that had seen better days, leather pants cut up to his knees, and wooden sandals on his feet . Thanks to Vyena, he was quite unrecognizable still; she had managed to dye his hair in crimson-brown, cutting it slightly short despite his numerous protests . All in all, despite being the center of quite unwanted attention, no one seemed to recognize him, despite their best efforts, he imagined . "Good evening . " a melodic -- and rather strained voice -- jolted him from his thoughts as he nced sideways; there, stacked neatly, three women stood next to one another . All appeared middle-aged, though it was difficult to tell due to sheer amount of makeup present on their faces . "Evenin¡¯ . " Lino replied with a faint smile, rising his bottle slightly before taking a sip . "We have not spotted you around here before," the woman in the center said, smiling as well -- at least Lino assumed; to him it seemed like something else entirely -- leading the charge as she sat down next to him . "Are you new?" "Yup . " "Ah, we assumed," the three exchanged brief nces and chortled, startling Lino as the sound was less akin toughter and more akin to someone choking . "You must not know, then, that there is certain etiquette involved in gatherings like this, no?" "Oh, I¡¯m aware . " Lino still smiled, taking another sip and seemingly ignoring the three that had approached him once more . "It is not what you are wearing, however . " one of the women said . " . . . no kiddin¡¯?" Lino grinned . "And it¡¯s what you¡¯re wearing, right?" "Indeed so . " the woman nodded . "To be frank,dies," he said, leaning slightly in . "I¡¯d rather strip myself to my wet bones and dangle my cock around than wear half the shit you¡¯re wearing . " " . . . . . " Lino got up slowly with a sigh, leaving three women utterly shocked and at a loss for words . One of the reasons he wore clothes so remarkably ugly was in hopes everyone would stay clear of him . Apparently, that wouldn¡¯t be the case . At the very least, he could guess what each conversation would look like and preemptively kill it before it festers into something more . The auction was not for another four hours which gave him plenty of time to kill . The problem was that there was nowhere to kill it . All shops around the intersection were closed, and people weren¡¯t allowed to leave the intersection until the auction has ended . Which meant he¡¯d either have to loiter around for the following four hours doing nothing, or take a nap . He settled on thetter as he suddenly felt someone cing their legs in front of his, trying to trip him . ncing sideways, he spotted a young woman donning a normal-looking dress -- which nearly brought a tear to his eye -- grinning at him . Though her ck hair had grown out slightly, it still appeared more boyish than girlish, with the pair of purple eyes remaining the same as he remembered them . "¡¯bout time," he groaned . "You should have arrived two days ago . What took you so long?" " . . . what? No ¡¯nice to see you Seya¡¯, ¡¯good you¡¯ve survived Seya¡¯, ¡¯that dress really brings out your amazing body Seya¡¯ . . . straight to business, huh?" Seya frowned and quickly growled at him as the two departed to one of the isted gardens . "I was worried sick--" "It¡¯s toote . " "Eh," Lino shrugged, taking a sip . "I knew you could do it . If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have sent you in the first ce . So?" "It¡¯s impossible," Seya shook her head . "The onlynd route is through the Great Divide, and even without guards, good luck . The entire eastern coast is locked within an interlocked formation of arrays, making the sea route even less likely . " "Air?" Lino questioned as the two sat down . "Unlikely," Seya shook her head . "Though dormant officially, the Great Wall Formation is always up-and-running, actually . " "Oh? How do you know that?" "Eos told me," Seya said . "And showed me, really . Unless you feel like being sttered, I don¡¯t rmend flying over there . " " . . . that leaves underground?" Lino mumbled . " . . . still nope!" " . . . then what?" Lino asked . "I talked with both Lady E and Hannah," Seya said as she suddenly whipped out a crude-looking map of the Holy Continent . "Perhaps the easiest way to approach the Sanctified Grounds is through its far eastern waters, Endless Sea . We would, however, either have to go all the way back to the Western Continent and make the voyage west no one has made before, or we¡¯d have to skid by dangerously close to the Dragon Isles . " " . . . I nned on visiting the Dragon Isles anyway," Lino said after a short thought . "So we may as well do it like that . " "Uh-uhm, so when did you start feeling suicidal? Talk to me . I¡¯m a great listener . " "Shut up peacock," Lino grinned, ruffling her hair . "The moment I start feeling suicidal, I¡¯ll give you a dagger and help you shove it in my gut . " "Tsk, as though I¡¯d need your help . Anyway, why did you want me here? I could have told you all this through the talisman, or we could have met after the auction . " "I needed some eye-candy . " Lino said simply . " . . . " "What?" " . . . . " "Seriously, what?" " . . . you¡¯re impossible, aren¡¯t you?" Seya grumbled, yet a smile escaped her lips . "We are more than your eye-candy, you know!" "That¡¯d sound way more convincing if you could wipe that pride-stained grin from your face . " "Yep, I imagine it would, he he . . . " "How was it?" Lino asked suddenly . "How was what?" Seya asked back . "Coming so close to home . . . and turning back . " " . . . what are you talking about?" she suddenly smiled warmly . "My home is all the way on another continent . I haven¡¯t been this far from it in a while . Except that time you dragged my ass to the godforsaken mass of floating ice where I watched you fight a Dragon . " "That was pretty cool, wasn¡¯t it?" "It really was . " Seya chuckled, leaning onto Lino¡¯s shoulder and heaving her legs up on the bench . "Do you n on buying anything?" "If it catches my eye," Lino said . "Do you want anything?" "I could use some [Mirva Chants] to re-inscribe my Martial Art and increase its grade . " Seya said without hesitation . "Oh, look at that, what a coincidence . I just happened to have nned on buying [Mirva Chants] out of sheer curiosity . " " . . . how things work out, eh? By the way, why did you dress as a Lord of Horseshit? Wasn¡¯t the n not to stand out?" she asked . "I¡¯m way too handsome; I would have stood out either way . " " . . . " "What? You don¡¯t think I¡¯m too handsome?" "No, no I don¡¯t . As the matter of fact, I personally have met at least twenty dudes that were way handsomer than you . " " . . . ouch . " Lino sighed lowly . "That cut deep . " "But, you¡¯re still the most beautiful, you know?" Seya grinned, ncing at him . What met her was an expression of utter disgust, however . . "To think my own kid would call me beautiful . . . what a wretched world do we live in?! Who taught you that word?! Show me! I¡¯ll p either some sense or some death into them!" "Did you pick that from Hannah?" Seya asked, chuckling . "Oh, now that you mention it . . . " Lino mumbled, smiling and slowly getting up . "Come on kiddo, let¡¯s go get rich and buy a thing or two . " Chapter 348 Chapter 348 CHAPTER 348 FIRE (IV) It was truly breathtaking -- even Lino had to admit; a wide, beautifully-decorated tform that was slightly elevated by hand-sculpted pirs was orbited by over a thousand seats in a half-circr fashion . Each seat was made out of smooth birch, cushioned with goose feathers for the maximumfort . Nearly a hundred chandeliers hung from the domed ceiling, illuminating the interior of the auction house just perfectly; neither too bright nor too dark . Lino and Seya were seated toward the top, yet that hardly impeded them from seeing and hearing everything perfectly . Sets of seats were separated by thin, yet opaque, curtains inscribed with arrays which ensured nobody could hear anyone or anything but the auctioneer on the tform . Each seating had a hand-carved table filled with fruits and drinks which would be immediately reced if one finished them . Lino had to admit that they truly went all out when it came to pleasing the people, yet it made sense -- after all, the sheer amount of money that would be spent in the following ten hours would make every coin Lino has earned since his birth seem like a small change . "How many items have you put up?" Seya asked him as she nibbled on a firm yet juicy peach . "Five," Lino replied, sipping wine worth more than half the bottles in his void world . "Two are just average, two will probably a decent price and thest one . . . well, let¡¯s just say this whole ce¡¯s gonna start burning . " " . . . never a humble moment with you, huh?" "Of course not," Lino shrugged . "I¡¯ve spent nearly two weeks crafting that piece of shit . It¡¯d cost me most of the materials I had at hand . I actually had to sleep for like three days straight afterwards just to rest . " " . . . or you could have used Qi . " Seya said . "Do you?" Lino nced at her, grinning . "Howe I pick only your bad habits?" she sighed . "¡¯cause I don¡¯t have any good ones?" "Good point . " Seya nodded absentmindedly, her eyes peered on the beautiful tform . Over its edges, crimson curtain folded downward, blocking the view of the stage for the time being . Lino wasn¡¯t excessively focused on the auction; after all, he was here merely to ensure everything went without a hitch . What upied his mind at the moment was the news Seya brought him; he had asked her to look into reaching the Sanctified Grounds -- an entirely isted penins of the Holy Continent which housed all seven Holy Grounds -- by avoiding proper channels . If their only option truly was to circle it out east, and to pass by the Dragon Isles on their way there . . . that wouldplicate things slightly, at least for the time being . He had no intention of visiting the Dragon Isles just yet as hecked enough information about it . "Wee, Honored Guests," a melodic voice quickly silenced all other noises inside the house as the crimson curtain unfolded, revealing behind an open tform where a single woman stood up front, dressed in a barely-covering piece of cloth . Behind her, a whole row of men and women stood starkly naked, each more beautiful than the former, holding onto an object covered up with golden cloth . "To Chamber¡¯s triannual Auction . " Lino¡¯s hand quickly swiped over Seya¡¯s glistening eyes as she grumbled . "What are you doing?!" "See no evil, hear no evil . " Lino said as Seya swiped his arm away . "I¡¯ll see all the evil I want," she growled . "Especially if it¡¯s dangling off of a handsome piece of meat! My, my . . . " " . . . what the hell happened to you?" Lino sighed inment . "You used to be so innocent . . . " "Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have repeatedly screwed Hannah while I was around," Seya replied . "I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯ll never be scarred because of sex again, so that¡¯s a good thing . " . " . . . " "Today¡¯s Auction," the woman continued as the piece of cloth slipped off from her, revealing a pair of bountiful peaks blended into a narrow waist and wide hips and long, lean legs . Two spaces next to her suddenly opened up as a hole popped in the tform¡¯s floor, with two men soon ascending up, standing by her side . One ebony, one snow-white, both sported oiled muscles,cking any clothing, much like the rest . What is this?!! A fucking auction or an orgy?! Lino growled inwardly . "Features some of the best and rarest items the entire Holy Continent has to offer; from weapons and armors, to talismans and pills, and to objects so odd they cannot be ssified -- we have them all, and some of you shall too by dawn . " " . . . " though arrays perhaps blocked the rest from hearing anything, it hardly hurt Lino whose ears were quickly filled by chatter and murmurs; though some spoke of the items, most spoke of openly exposed bodies and what they¡¯d like to do to them . What caused Lino to break out into cold sweat was the fact that women had far more of a vivid and . . . disturbing imagination . "In addition," the woman continued, her smile stretching further, seemingly undisturbed by the fact that she was being ogled by nearly a thousand pairs of eyes . "We are proud to be the first ones to introduce you to a new miracle -- a crafter you will no doubt fall in love with, as did I . Many thanks to the honorable Princess Freya who had introduced him to us, and offered us five of his creations to disy to the world . Though you may be unconvinced of his title, our very own best appraisers had given it to him -- the Divine Smith . " Seya nced at Lino dubiously, chuckling faintly when she saw a look of immeasurable pride on his face . . . which was quickly reced by frowns of anger due to the fact that he was privy to what others were saying . "In addition, your favorites will be returning this time around as well -- Forger of Gods, Iyvillian Forager, Casts of the Sun and many, many more . " " . . . " "Forty items in total will be auctioned," the woman continued as she seductively turned around and walked toward the far end of the row behind her, where a young-looking, bashful woman was holding an object covered by cloth . She was soon pulled out of the row by two men and brought upfront . "The first will be from our neer, lest you believe us liars," the woman continued, smiling faintly as she put her hand on the piece of cloth . "The rules are standard -- bidding will go on for sixty seconds, not one more or less . The highest bidder wins . We ept three currencies -- pure gold, high-tier Qi Stones, and Dragon Gems . The exchange rate is the standardized one; hundred pounds of gold is equivalent to a single high-tier Qi Stone, while a thousand Qi Stones match up to a single Dragon Gem . Without any further ado, I present to you, [Hymn of Fury] . " The piece of cloth vanished in a quick ze, revealing behind it a ssed, see-through box which was holding a small, fist-sized ne . Kite-shaped, it glittered in dark teal, a singr ruby gem at the center standing out as a protrusion and the ne¡¯s centerpiece . Hundreds of people, mostly women, quickly shot to their feet as the woman on the stage pulled up the item¡¯s stats above her, for all to see . [Hymn of Fury -- Legendary Unique] Level: 999 Requirements: Godhood +20% to ALL attack-rted Stats, Arts and other items +400% to ALL defensive stats when wielder is outnumbered by at least 10 +1000% to ALL stats when wielder is at the brink of death Special Effect [Last Stand] -- when overwhelmed, the wielder receives a temporary shield whose strength is 1/4th of Vitality; in addition, each sessful strike restores 2% of lost Vitality, up to 60% . Special Effect [Beholder of Fury] -- trigger the innermost array of the ne to temporarily encase yourself into a quasi-Avatar form of Fury; all passive stats of the item are doubled, while each sessive strike increases Attack Speed by 4%, up to 80% . The wielder also gains temporary immunity to pain, as well as absolute resistance to any form of control effects . Upon leaving the quasi-Avatar form, the wielder is temporarily weakened, with ALL stats decreasing by 20% for an hour . Note: A pinnacle Legendary-tier item, it is designed for those who enjoy the spectacle of fighting, and for those who oft find themselves walking the tender edge of death . A temporary lull descended onto the auction house as everyone tried to properly process the item¡¯s stats . Lino stroked his chin as a faint smile hung on his lips; they went for one of the two better items as an opener, as he imagined they would . He suddenly felt a tug at his shirt as he nced sideways only to see a bbergasted Seya staring at him with quizzical gaze . "What?" Lino asked curiously . "Why in the god¡¯s name are you selling that?!!" she screamed at him, leaning into his face . "That should be one of our top-tier treasures!!" " . . . oh, rx," Lino rolled his eyes, pushing her back . "As if that toy could ever be counted as a treasure . Geez, your eyes must have been starved of good items since the day you were born . Well, strap-on kiddo, ¡¯cause . . . ah, something clever, h h, I¡¯m too tired . Let¡¯s just focus on the auction . " "Ten Qi Stones!!" the first shout broke the lull everyone fell into, and was quickly followed by a bombardment of hundreds of others . "Fifteen!!" "A hundred!!" "A Dragon Gem!" "Two Dragon Gems!!" " . . . " Lino listened on with faint amusement as a wave of nostalgia washed over him . A long time ago, while he was still but a kid, he got to experience a simr sensation . The differencey in the fact that he now stood at the pinnacle, whereas before he had barely left the bottom . Even still, he was apletely different person now; he didn¡¯t feel anything over the prices, or the voices full of lust and desire . Entirely indifferent to them, he instead focused on one of the objects in the back, twenty-third in a row to be specific, held by a young man in his early twenties . Something beyond that cloth whispered softly to him, like a distant voice of sorts, muddied by a thousand other noises . He didn¡¯t know what it was . . . just that he had to have it by dawn . Chapter 349 Chapter 349 CHAPTER 349 FIRE (V) Ten Dragon Gems -- Lino found himself slightly surprised as the woman announced the end of the bidding for the [Hymn of Fury] . He had expected the rich and suave here to be generous, but they still somehow managed to exceed his expectations . However, he had no use for the Dragon Gems -- world-recognized most precious currency refined from Dragon Scales -- so he¡¯d already asked the auction house to exchange it for the high-tier Qi Stones . Besides, he mused inwardly, if he ever indeed needed Dragon Gems, he had a pet Dragon in his pocket, and he was certain Vy wouldn¡¯t mind parting with a couple of his scales . In addition, Dragon Gems hardly had a practical use; they were mostly decorative, a symbol of status, and most people merely hoarded them or used them during big auctions such as this one . Ten thousand high-tier Qi Stones may seem like much, but it was actually rather low, barely enough to produce a single Void Titr . Sighing inwardly, Lino unconsciously began tapping the armrest of the chair; while he expected the wealth wouldn¡¯t simply fall from the sky, he still kind of hoped it would . Regardless, it was still more than he expected which is why he surrendered over to the sensation of victory . There were four more items of his to be auctioned which should be enough to him a decent starting capital with some leftovers for Val and the fortress . He could easily ask Freya for some funds, but he¡¯d rather not tangle himself in a coin-spurned web where many find themselves burned by the end . The auction continued with the second item, a Martial Art, which immediately caused Lino to tune out . He could barely do with the Arts he had, to say nothing of the fact that he probably couldn¡¯t even learn any of the ones being auctioned . Seya, on the other hand, waspletely different; her face lit up like a bonefire, both her eyes shining like effervescent suns . Chuckling briefly, Lino looked away and closed his eyes . The man who won the auction of the ne was a stumpy, ill-looking fe with high cheeks, oily hair and a pair of copper eyes . He was on the shorter end, almost a dwarf, and was currently being fawned over by three women as he caressed the ne in his hands . It could have found a better home, but it didn¡¯t matter; Lino had poured his heart and soul into the ne, and he had no doubt that it would eventually find itself in the hands of someone who it was fated for . "Sold for three hundred pounds of gold to thedy in Chamber 255!!" the auctioneer eximed suddenly as another bid ended; Lino mused inwardly that whoever thought up the sixty-seconds method was a rather clever fe . It made the indecisive flip over a new page and gave a sense of urgency to those who considered buying it . The Martial Art that was sold must have cost them barely a third of what they earned . "Our third item is . . . " "Something is strange," Seya said suddenly in a rather peculiar tone as Lino nced at her . "Do you feel it?" "Feel what?" Lino quizzed back . "I . . . I don¡¯t know . . . something just feels off, I think . . . " "Wanna leave?" Lino asked . "No, no, of course not," Seya quickly replied . "We¡¯vee here for a reason . To see you unt over the items you¡¯ve sold . Ten Dragon Gems for the first . . . heh, not bad little guy, not bad . . . " " . . . " Lino grinned briefly though said nothing; he found it rather strange, how little he had grown to value wealth that has no use . In his youth, all he ever dreamed of were coffers of gold and high and tall mansions and vis full of luxurious and expensive things . He couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint a singr moment in his life where money slowly began losing its value to him, though it was too thin of a worry to be an earworm . The auction continued without a huff, item after item being sold off to the greedy and greasy hands . It wasn¡¯t until eleventh item that Lino¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, as it was one of his items -- [Mark of the Seer] . He¡¯d gotten the idea directly from Y¡¯sha who even helped him with the correct attunement of the arrays . It was, however, one of the two items he valued less than the other three which is why he merely nced at the stage once before closing his eyes . Others, however, all focused gravely -- the already-epted ¡¯Divine Smith¡¯s¡¯ first item was something they failed to acquire, and even if this one is leagues worse, it would still have immeasurable collector¡¯s value as one of the first items to ever be sold by what they already assumed would be a legendary figure . [Mark of the Seer -- Unique] Level: N/A +10% to Vision in ALL circumstances Special Effect [The Mark] -- stealthily nt a Mark on a target; so long as the Mark is active, periodically gain ability to form a bond with it and inspect the Marked . Can have up to three Marks active at the same time . Special Effect: Useless in the wrong hands, priceless in the right ones, creation attempting to mirror the blood-given talents of the few . "As you can see," the woman atop the stage said, moving slightly forward as her breasts bounced . "Though the item holds no immediate boost to strength, it remains the only known, sessful attempt at mirroring an effect of a Bloodline -- while it only mirrors the Basic Stage, it is more than enough to showcase the sheer talent and creativity present in the hands of the smith . The biding shall start now . " "Eh? How¡¯d you manage to mirror the Gaze of the Thousand Eyes?" Seya quickly quizzed Lino as she realized the item was his . "I had a bit of help . " Lino replied . "Who helped you?" "A Great Seer? Who else, idiot? Sheesh, it¡¯s almost like you¡¯ve got farts for brains . " "When the fuck did you meet a Great Seer?!!" "Meet her? Girl, I already recruited her . " Lino said in a self-satisfied tone, causing Seya to groan . " . . . of course you did, haah . . . " With all said and done, he still managed to earn nearly three thousand high-tier Qi Stones off of the item, well above its actual value . While the effect was rather neat, it was also very limiting in terms of its strength . One had to be slightly stronger than the target in order for the Mark to apply in addition to the fact that the Mark was externally visible . The auction continued on until the neenth pop, where two people suddenly stepped forward, a young man and a woman, standing next to the auctioneer and unrolling the cloth over the boxes . Both items were actually Lino¡¯s, causing him to exim softly . One was an ordinary-looking medallion decorated with ming carvings while the other was a small, leather-bound dagger with curved and mawed de that gleamed in peculiar, silver sheen . The auctioneer quickly introduced the items as the chatter resumed, especially so once she stated that the items would be sold in a pair -- even Lino was slightly surprised at this as he didn¡¯t specifically request it, nor did the two items really garner being sold together because of their stats . Once again he was astonished at how clever the sellers were; he was half a mind away from finding the person who thought up the scheme and trying to rope him or her into his own faction . [Medallion of Brevity -- Unique] Level: 1 Special Effect [Brevity] -- the medallion is restricted to being worn only by one person; should the person ever perish, so shall the medallion . Upon donning it, the person is cured of all natural ailments in addition to having their lifespan tripled . Note: Though of limited use, the medallion could provide an indispensable tool for those less fortunate . . [Nightkiss -- Legendary Unique] Level: 999 Requirements: Art rting to Darkness/Shadow, Void Title +100% to Hand Speed +60% to Nimbleness +60% to Attack Speed +200% to Stabbing uracy +25% to Darkness/Shadow Arts (mastery) -80% to Damage when attacking from front Special Effect [Kiss of Death] -- first strike from stealth will always apply ¡¯Kiss of Death¡¯ curse, lowering the target¡¯s base stats by 60%, their speed by 40%, and make them take 70% bonus damage from Piercing & Bleeding . The cursests for 8 seconds, but repeated attacks at the same spot extend it by 2 seconds, up to 30 . Special Effect [Night Phantom] -- injecting Qi infused with Law of Shadow/Darkness into the dagger will temporarily increase the wielder¡¯s affinity with either of thews by 80%, granting them the art, ¡¯Night Phantom¡¯ -- dash infinitely through the shadows for 12 seconds while dealing damage equal to 80% of the overall Attack . During the dash, the wielder bes invulnerable to physical damage . Note: A weapon designed for those who live and die by the shadows, for those who strike when least expected, and for those who finish their foes in unparalleled swiftness . Though Lino didn¡¯t think much of either the medallion or the dagger, as they were heavily specialized tools only few would ever be able to utilize to their maximum potential, due to the now-inherent value his name held, the bidding quickly exploded into the stratosphere . Within thirty seconds it surpassed the ten Dragon Gems he earned off of the ne without showing any signs of slowing down . It eventually skyrocketed to whole eighty gems, resulting in eighty thousand high-tier Qi Stones . While not exactly life-altering -- at least to someone at his level -- it was a fairly decent amount . He grinned faintly in pride as heated discussions regarding his items swept across the house, with Seya by his side longingly staring at the dagger as it was swept away as though by an invisible hand into one of the chambers . " . . . aii ,what a shame . . " she mumbled meekly under her breath . "Oh, would you cheer up," Lino grumbled . "I¡¯ll make you something even better when I have the time . " "What?! Like what?! Tell me! Please, please please--" "--do you want an item?" " . . . yes . " "Then shut up . " " . . . yes . " "Oh, wow, that worked?" Lino suddenly stroked his chin . "Does this mean I can exploit the greed even more robustly than I thought?" " . . . yes . " "And turn anyone into a yes-man -- or, well, in this case yes-kid?" " . . . yes-woman . " "Eeeh . . . " "Yes-woman!!" "Fine, fi--" a dangerous glint suddenly shed through Lino¡¯s eyes as his grinning expression vanished, reced with one of seriousness; he quickly swept to the side and picked Seya into his arms, cradling her tightly against his chest and using his body to practically consume hers and hide it . Just as she was about to cry out, a tremor ran through the house, causing a few pirs of the tform to copse . Before cries had a chance to echo out into the infinity, the entire tform suddenly burst into all-consuming, roaring, ck mes, killing everyone on the stage and many more of those in the first few rows . That was hardly the end, however, as from nearly every inch and corner of the house, same, ck mes burst out and began reaping lives . Lino¡¯s chamber wasn¡¯t exempt, catching aze shortly after . Though the mes didn¡¯t hurt him, they had a rather queer and strange property of making him feel tired . Rather than Qi, he had to use his Will to expel them from his veins . Just then, the entire house imploded; those few looking from the outside just saw a sh of ck light before the massive, respected building blew up into smithereens, burning pieces of wood heaved across the sky like falling stars . The fire bellowed out into the sky, the smoke soon smoldering the light of the moon above, and signaling the entire city that something terrible had just transpired . Chapter 350 Chapter 350: 350 CHAPTER 350 FIRE (VI) Thick, ck mes billowed onward, consuming the entire intersection . Crowds quickly gathered at the edge, mounting on top of one another till one could barely approach it . Bells rang soon after, crying throughout the entire city as City Guards swiftly sped through the streets toward the intersection . Even the sky was soon filled by a peculiar sort of a beast, an eagle-bodied animal with a head of a lion, ridden by cultivators to the scene . At the intersection, one after another, people began leaping out of the fire, charred though seemingly unharmed . Among them was Lino who jumped off of the window and onto the street with Seya in his arms . Thetter was slightly shook, but seemed fine otherwise . After a quick nce, Lino realized that save for those who stood directly above the tform, most others have managed to survive, with the end-count of victims being roughly a hundred, including the auctioneers and the participants . After all, people who had enough wealth to participate in such an auction were hardly weak, and even if they were, those guarding them were not . Lino frowned slightly, pondering what the purpose of the fire was as he had immediately discarded it being an ident . If it wasn¡¯t to kill, then it was almost certainly to steal -- but he had a hard time believing that, too, as even if they managed to steal, they¡¯d be hard-pressed to leave . Besides, even Lino failed to spot anyone strange all the while, and if someone could go undetected beneath his eyes, then they wouldn¡¯t need such a massive fire to steal anything . "You alright?" he asked Seya tenderly . "Yeah, I¡¯m fine . Thanks . " she nodded slightly, distracted by the still burning, ck mes . "I recognize these mes . " "Hm?" Lino nced at her with faint curiosity . "I mean, I don¡¯t recognize them, I just read about them," she corrected herself, rubbing her temples in a seeming attempt to remember something . "Back when I was studying in the Academy, we had this really boring ss about history and such . What was it? Ugh . . . right! Right! It¡¯s the Dragon mes!" she eximed under her breath, ensuring nobody else heard her . "Dragon mes?" Lino mumbled under his breath, quickly diverting a part of his concentration to the guest within his dimensional pocket . "The stolen Dragon mes," Seya continued . "It¡¯s actually more a legend rather than an historic event; it goes that a long time ago, someone managed to steal the breath of the Origin Dragon, capturing it in some or another ancient artifact . I can¡¯t remember anything more than that, though . . . " "That¡¯s fine," Lino grinned faintly . "I know someone who can . " " . . . oh, right . " Seya rolled her eyes, having seemingly forgotten Lino had a Dragon pet . "Is she right?" Vy¡¯s dwelling was simr to all others, just on a muchrger scale . He was bound within four, gray walls, forever resting . A pair of sun-like eyes opened and stared at Lino¡¯s artificially-erged figure with amusement . "Somewhat," Vy replied . "It¡¯s true those are the Dragon mes, though hardly the stolen kind . . . or even the pure kind . " "What do you mean?" Lino asked . "If they were pure Dragon mes, don¡¯t you think you would have picked up on it as well? After all, as far as I remember, you were bathed in them once by yours truly . " " . . . right . " corners of Lino¡¯s lips twitched . "So, diluted form? Copied form? What are they?" "Artificially cultivated Dragon mes," Vy replied . "I suppose that¡¯s the best way to describe them . Though it is strange to see them here; as far as I know, the only race that has ever been capable of cultivating quasi-Dragon mes were the Titans and, well, they¡¯re gone . " " . . . could someone have found them in one of the ruins?" "No," Vy quickly rejected the idea . "That¡¯s impossible . These sort of mes have a very short lifespan . As the matter of fact, these are just about to burn out . " "So someone learned of a method?" Lino mumbled under his breath, frowning . "What the fuck . . . " "I don¡¯t know," Vy shrugged . "But, you¡¯ve experienced it yourself; they aren¡¯t that dangerous . If they were actual Dragon mes, I imagine only you and a couple of others might havee out of it alive . " " . . . could they have been stored inside an array and timed to burst out at this exact moment?" Lino asked . "Or did someone have to set them up directly?" "They could have been stored in an array," Vy said . "I¡¯d wager, actually, that something went amiss . " "What do you mean?" Lino asked quickly . "Perhaps the array imploded too early, or parts of the me didn¡¯tbust with the rest . As it stands, these mes are pretty much only useful to cook chicken or something . " " . . . thanks . " Lino said, his body slowly vanishing from the pocket . "Keep an eye out and let me know if you pick someone with the scent . " "What am I? Your pet? Ha ha ha ha ha . . . goddamn, my life has be rather depressing . . . " " . . . " Lino held back fromughing as he returned to the reality . Seya had led him away from the mes as the city guards began showing up in droves in addition to the flying cultivators . As Vy predicted, the mes quickly vanished, leaving behind them the destroyed house . "What¡¯d you learn?" Seya asked . "Something interesting," he replied, smiling faintly . "But, mostly just answers that led to more questions . Are you aware of any morbid secret cults around here? Perhaps the sort that like to cultivate weird stuff?" " . . . hmm," Seya mumbled lowly, thinking for a moment . "The only one I know are actually your sort . " "My sort?" Lino eximed softly, ncing at her . "Yeah, so-called Agents of Entropy," she replied . "Nobody really knows their exact hiding location, but they pop up from time to time, usually in possession of one weird thing or another . Could this have been their doing?" " . . . how would I know?" Lino shrugged . "This is the first time I learned I¡¯ve got some secret admirers out in the world . " It didn¡¯t take long for the entire intersection to be consumed by guards who kicked out everyone else, only allowing the few high-standing members who escaped the mes to stay in . Lino, naturally, wasn¡¯t among them, so he retreated to the intersection¡¯s edge, leaned against the wall of a tall store with a bottle of ale in his hands, thinking . He didn¡¯t find it too strange that someone was capable of cultivating the Dragon mes, or at least a matching copy of them . The world was vast and full of wonders and smart people who aren¡¯t restricted by the boxed-in thinking . Given enough time, he wagered, even he -- with the help of some people inside the fortress -- would have been able to foster quasi-Dragon Fire . What worried him, or better yet intrigued him, was who and why . Perhaps for the first time in his life, he knew he wasn¡¯t the target of those mes, which was a refreshing experience as he was an outsider looking in for a change . He didn¡¯t care much for who the target was, really, but the broader implications; this was the heart of the Empire, one that was almost as strong as a Holy Ground all things considered . Whoever set off an attack on not only the strongest Empire, but also the wealthiestpany in the world, didn¡¯t do so because they felt like it . Stakes were farrger than that, and he didn¡¯t exactly want to be left out of the entire story . Though he could always ask Freya as she would most-likelye to know the truth, he didn¡¯t want to rest hisurels with her . Wasn¡¯t this, really, why he created his own faction in the first ce? So he wouldn¡¯t have to rely on the outsiders? Just as he thought about contacting Lucky, he sensed her walking up to him from the side . ncing sideways, he saw a relieved gaze in her eyes and a warm smile as she sauntered up and hugged up . Chuckling lowly, he hugged her back . "Aww, you missed me that much?" "A lil¡¯ bit, yeah," she said, pulling herself away and standing up next to him, stealing his bottle . "I was at the entrance to the city when I saw the fire . " "Noticed anything strange?" Lino asked . "Hm," she nodded, taking a sip . "Around a hundred figures snuck in after the guards began pouring toward the center . " " . . . distraction?" Lino mumbled . "Seems like too much work . It¡¯s not as though entering the city is all that difficult to begin with . " "I don¡¯t know," she shrugged . "I raced over instead of following them . " "Did you recognize their presence?" "No," she shook her head . "Entirely unfamiliar . The best I could make out was that they were a whole lot like me . " " . . . interesting . " Lino smiled lightly, stroking his chin . "Looks like something big will soon happen . And I thought I was the only interesting thing in this world . Tsk, tsk, my ego really needs a beating . . . " . "You¡¯re realizing that just now?" "Ha ha ha . Were you alone?" he asked . "No, Ally was with me," she replied . "She knows where I am and she should be here soon . You sure you wanna stay?" " . . . " Lino thought for a moment; he truly was tempted . It wasn¡¯t as though she could recognize him; even if a part of him stilly in the depths of her soul, it was him as a boy . Not only was he a middle-aged man by now, but also one in heavy disguise . Regardless, it wasn¡¯t the time . He promised Hannah, after all, he would abstain from breaking her just yet . Lucky had barely spent a few months with her, which was barely enough to establish a rapport, let alone enough to grease some wheels . "No," he shook his head after all . "I better go . Meet me at the smithy tomorrow . " "Alright . " just as Lino turned sideways, ready to leave, he came to a halt . Standing some paces in front of him, just having left the street, was an out-of-breath woman in herte thirties to early forties . She had golden, long, smooth hair enclosing her oval-shaped face . A pair of sea-colored blue eyes shone like gems in the night¡¯s dark, surrounded by a picturesque face of beauty . She was much taller than he imagined, barely half a head shorter than him altogether . Lean and slender, she wore a one-piece dress with a deep cut over her chest, extending down to her knees . She hadn¡¯t changed, at least not in his gaze; she still had the same look in her eyes, still had the same air about her, the sort that draws you in against your will . The kind of inescapable charm that made it difficult to feel anything but calm around her . Their eyes met for a moment; Alison eximed softly right then, feeling a peculiar sensation pulsate through her chest . The man in front of her was entirely unfamiliar, from head to toe; middle-aged, tall, muscr, shabbily dressed with white hair and a face full of thick, bushy beard . However, whereas all about him was speaking and screeching of a stranger, the pair of ck, swirly eyes struck her like a bolt . She didn¡¯t recognize them, yet she did . They were stranger¡¯s . . . yet also they were not . For a moment, her heart and her mind seemingly fought over something . The former was telling her those eyes belonged to someone important to her, while thetter was telling her she¡¯d never seen them before in her life . Just as she was about to lose herself in the sensation, she heard a familiar voice call her out . "Eh? Ally? Wow, you ran here real fast . " Lucky eximed, quickly walking past Lino and up to Alison . "Ah, look at you . Out of breath, dirty . What the hell were you thinking?" " . . . u-uh, I, I wanted to make sure you were alright . . . " Alison replied absentmindedly, her eyes still locked with Lino¡¯s . "W-who . . . who is he?" she asked somewhat meekly . "Oh, him?" Lucky nced at Lino, looking for answers . Thetter smiled for a moment, approaching the two women and extending his arm toward Alison . "Lucky¡¯s Master, among other things," he said . "Pleasure to meet you, miss . . . ?" "A-alison," she replied lowly, still unable to tear her eyes away from his, epting his handshake unconsciously . "P-pleasure to meet you too, Sir . " "Oh, please, drop the formalities," Lino chuckled . "Just call me Nilo . " "V-very well . . . Nilo . . . " "Hm, good," Lino nodded, ncing at the auction house onest time before turning around, seemingly ready to leave . "I¡¯ll see you tomorrow L¡¯ . It was a pleasure, Miss Alison . " " . . . " Lucky grinned bitterly; if she didn¡¯t know any better, she too would have believed he had no clue who Alison was . She once more found herself desiring one of his bad qualities, but quickly shook the thought . "Oi," she pped Alison lightly over her head, since thetter kept staring at Lino¡¯s fading back . "Don¡¯t go fallin¡¯ in love . He¡¯s taken, you know?" "I-I wasn¡¯t!!" Alison eximed sharply, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks . "S-so, that¡¯s your Sect Leader? Humph, he seems weak . Pathetic, really . What¡¯s he doing, dressed like that? And he already looks so old! You best ditch him and join me!" " . . . you¡¯re just jealous that, for a change," Lucky grinned . "You fell under another¡¯s charm, rather than the other way around . " " . . . ugh . . . that¡¯s not true . It¡¯s just . . . " Alison sighed, ncing toward the end of the street where Lino vanished . "Something about him . . . is . . . strange . . . " " . . . a lot of things about him are strange," Lucky said . "That¡¯s part of his charm . Anyway, you¡¯ll have enough time to dream about himter . Let¡¯s meet up with the guards and see what happened . " "Alright . . . " Alison nced once more in the direction where Lino left, an image of a young, faceless boy briefly shing inside her mind . Shaking her head, she put on a determined and indifferent expression as she faced a new challenge -- after all, unlike Lino, she knew exactly who the culprits were, what the ck mes represented, and what exactly would it lead to in the not-so-distant future . . . END OF VOLUME XIII Chapter 351 Chapter 351: 351 BOOK IV VOLUME XV FOREVER CHAPTER 351 HANNAH (III) A vast in stretched out t, cut by two rivers that barely missed each other by a breath . Above, sun shone brilliantly, casting its holy rays over the world, sky entirely cloudless . Just beneath the skyline, flying at a speed which rendered it a mere blur to the ordinary eyes, was a strange, gold-knitted carpet carrying three figures, one taller up front and two shorter just behind . Hannah stared at the girl sitting next to her, pouting, curiously . Golden hair fell straight like a waterfall down the girl¡¯s back, her piercing, blue eyes iid like gems, her skin snow-white, almost sickly pale . There were tears at the corners of her eyes, her nose red like a rose, snot still pouring out ever so often . For a moment her mind shed back to that strange boy that had jumped her in the middle of the street; she pondered quietly how he was able to realize that the little girl sitting by her side was also ¡¯special¡¯ . A bodily constitution perfect for a cultivator -- it was a rarity, even at her home, let alone far out here . "Sister Eos," Hannah spoke out toward thedy sitting up front . "What type exactly is she?" "It¡¯s called ," Eos turned around slowly and smiled, ncing at the silent girl . "Her Vitality and Strength are innately above ours, and her ceiling should be much higher . To be honest, due to rarity of the special body constitutions, our knowledge of them is rather limited . " "Hey, what¡¯s your name?" Hannah called out to the girl as Eos faced forward once again . " . . . " the girl stayed mute, however, not even ncing at Hannah . "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to be depressed just because we ditched your boyfriend," Hannah teased . "That¡¯s kind ofme . " " . . . " the girl turned swiftly and red at her furiously; Hannah found herself startled for a moment, nearly taking a step back . "W-what? Do you wanna hit me? He he, well you can¡¯t," she suddenly grasped out and grabbed the girl, pulling her into her arms . The girl cried out and tried to fight, but an ordinary person stood no chance in front of a cultivator, even if that cultivator was a young girl herself . "Cheer up, will ya¡¯? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no chance you¡¯ll ever meet him again . " " . . . r-really?!" those words seemed to have awoken the girl as a glint of hopefulness shed inside her gaze . "Yeah," Hannah nodded, smiling . "That is, if he can survive till then . " "H-he can!!" the girl quickly eximed . "He definitely can! He will!" "Ha ha, alright, alright, he will . So? Can you finally tell me your name?" " . . . Alison . " "Alison? That¡¯s a pretty name . I¡¯m Hannah, and this bigdy in front of us is Big Sis Eos . " " . . . it-it¡¯s nice to meet you . . . " Alison bowed her head awkwardly toward the two, causing Hannah to burst out intoughter again . "S-stopughing at me!" "Ha ha ha, sorry, sorry, I¡¯ll stop, I promise," Hannah said . "But, just so you know, I¡¯ve a feeling we¡¯ll be best friends Ally, so you better prepare yourself . " "For what?" Alison quizzed curiously . "For all sorts of wicked and terrible things I¡¯ll do to you, muhahah!" "Eeeeh--" "Alright, alright, settle down you two," Eos nced back and chuckled, corners of her lips lifting up into a warm smile . "Is it just me, or is Ally yet to notice we¡¯re flying on top of a carpet? What do you think Hannah?" " . . . ah!!" Alison seemed to have finally realized it as she cried out, stretching her arms out and wrapping them tightly around Hannah . Her body quickly began shaking as an expression of terror appeared on her face . "Don¡¯t worry," Hannah mumbled gently, caressing her hair for a moment . "It¡¯s not scary . You can¡¯t fall off, you know? So just enjoy the view . " "--w-who are you?" Alison asked with faint reservation, though she still didn¡¯t let go of Hannah . "Cultivators," Hannah replied with a cheeky smile . "You can think of us as gods who descended from the heavens to help the ordinary people along!" "R-really?!" "Nope!" "Eeeeh . . " "Stop teasing her, Hannah," Eos said as the carpet suddenly dove downwards,nding on top of a small clearing on the mountain . Bordering the clearing was a small body of water, toorge to be a pond yet to small to be ake . "What do you want to eat, Ally?" " . . . m-meat . . . " Alison mumbled meekly as she turned around repeatedly, still in awe over having just flown on top of an seemingly ordinary carpet . "What kind of meat?" Eos asked . "Any kind . . . " "Very well . I¡¯ll fix us up something . You two get to know each other a bit better . Don¡¯t stray too far form here, though . " "Sure thing, Big Sis!" Hannah eximed as Eos suddenly vanished from the spot, causing Alison to cry out in terror once more . "Oh, would you rx . She just went ahead to hunt some delicious beast for us . Come, let¡¯s take a bath . " Hannah quickly stripped herself down to nothing and jumped into the body of water; it was slightly cool yet pleasant . She swam for a moment before returning to the edge and sitting down . "What are you doing? Come!" she called out when she realized Alison was still standing at the same spot . " . . . a-alright . . . " Alison also stripped, albeit awkwardly and slowly, before carefully dipping into the water unlike Hannah who jumped . She sat by thetter¡¯s side and lowered her head . " . . . are you angry at him?" Hannah suddenly asked a question which caused Alison to shudder for a moment . " . . . yes . " she replied, biting her lower lip . "You shouldn¡¯t be . " "Why?!" Alison looked up and met Hannah¡¯s eyes, the former¡¯s full of anger and bitterness . "Because he did it for my own good?!" " . . . yeah?" Hannah replied with a faint smile of confusion . "Humph, he never asked me," Alison said . "What does he know is good for me? He can barely read and write, little idiot!" " . . . he he, you really like him, don¡¯t you?" Hannah teased once more with a yful grin . . " . . . of course I do," Alison replied, her eyes turning teary once more . "You would too, if you¡¯d spent any time with him . . . " " . . . really? You wouldn¡¯t mind me stealing him from you?" " . . . " Alison remained strangely silent, burying her head near the chilling water . Hannah shrugged, looking away and up, once more thinking back to the dirty face of a ck-haired, ck-eyed boy . That hopeful smile was quite unfair, she mused, as he had actually managed to make her heart skip a beat . The innocent gaze in his eyes, the yet-to-be-killed spirit, that youthful, wondrous charm . . . there truly was something strange about the boy . Perhaps not in the same way as with Alison, since he seemed to be as ordinary as ordinary goes, but something that strikes much deeper than just one¡¯s blood . The more she thought about him, the more drawn she felt toward his presence, akin to a voice calling out to her to return to him . She shook her head quickly, as though trying to perish the thought, as a bitter smile crept on her lips; she had neither the time nor the liberty to act the role of a love-struck maiden . After all, she had faintly suspected that Alison¡¯s arrival at the sect would change many things -- something she was actually looking forward to . As long as the little girl could take the spotlight away from her, she¡¯d finally obtain a faint sense of freedom to do what she wanted rather than what she had to . ncing at the little girl once more, she felt a faint pang in her heart; entirely unassuming, innocent and ignorant of the future . . . she must be terrified right now, yet she wasn¡¯t showing it -- not in her expression, not in her voice, and not in her eyes . She was strong, Hannah mused; perhaps, if she deals with the matters of her heart, she might eventually even lead the sect . Unlike most, Hannah was aware that thest unawakened Writ resided within the confines of her Sect . If all goes well, by the year¡¯s end, Alison herself would be donning the title of a Bearer, and donning all the responsibilities thate with the title . Though in her heart she wanted to take Alison under her wing and save her from the corruption that would no doubt befall her . . . she couldn¡¯t . The best she could do was lurk around and ensure that, even if manipted, she was at least happy . Perhaps one day in the distant future, when truth breaks through the thinly veiled ss of lies and myths, they might evene to stand on the same end of things . She wasn¡¯t too hopeful, sighing faintly as she too looked into the clear water . Once more, that face jumped inside her mind; she couldn¡¯t quite grasp at why, though she¡¯d stopped fighting it regardless . Given some time, she¡¯s already made up her mind to return; as the eyes of those above steer away from her onto Alison, she decided she¡¯d return here, to the very edge of the world, to find that boy once more and dig away at the mystery that is he . Chapter 352 Chapter 352 CHAPTER 352 THEORY OF EVERYTHING A quaint little street, decorated with hanging roses and brick-cast buildings, stretched in a faint arc around a spiral-shaped pothole descending into an undergroundbyrinth of tunnels . Ever so often light flickered inside one of the windows, chimneys on top of the coral-colored roofs spitting out ck soot and smoke, cradling the entire street in a repulsive yet strangely weing scent . The street was a home to many-a-hanging-signs, be it of wood or metal, hand-carved, depicting one sigil or another, hanging directly over the closed doors . Some of the buildings had wide window disys where a slew of shiny things glistened beneath the lights of gems and crystals embedded above the stand . At the far-end corner, tucked in-between two muchrger buildings looming over it, was a small smithy with only a single floor . It had but two windows, one on each break, and it seemed eerily out of ce in the otherwise glowing surroundings . A simple sign hung above, a hammer superimposed over the sun carved onto the wooden board, fluttering faintly in the passing wind . Insides, however, roared; sounds of hammers, shouts, fizzling mes and shing metals cast together a pleasant, grating symphony of sounds that weed each unsuspecting neer . The smithy itself was stuffed behind the counter on the ground floor, with the remaining floor being dedicated for item disy . Behind the counter, Edward was currently reading a book underneath the light of a gem embedded in the side wall, seemingly entirely oblivious to the sounds . On the other hand, two youngds sitting on the solitary bench by the door had a much harder timeing to grips with their loud reality; Ion and Ryt sat on the bench, frowning, their hands stered over their ears . They certainly could have endured a few minutes of this, yet it has been going on for hours now; they were tasked with acting the role of guards, and no matter the challenges, they were determined to fulfill their role . Leaving, however, was growing to be incredibly tempting . On the floor above, hidden away behind one of the disys, was a small room hoisting a bed, a table, a chair, a bookshelf and a singr window looking out into the street . Lino was currently stered next to it, humming a low tune as he absentmindedly stared at the passing souls down below . His eyes seemed dull, unfocused, yet his mind was reeling . It has been nearly a week since the ck fire broke out in the auction house, and though chatter reigned over the streets, there were no official reports released . A day after the fire broke out, he was contacted by the House of Gold and informed that they¡¯d do everything in their power to retrieve his stolen items -- and if impossible, they promised they would pay him a full price as a form of reimbursement . Lino didn¡¯t really care over the loss of items as much as the fact that thest one never got sold, and the item being sold into the right hands yed arge role in his uing ns . He was half a mind away from starting his own investigation into the matter to uncover who took all the items and give them a good beating, but he held back in the end . Though his ns have been disrupted slightly, it wasn¡¯t as though it was impossible for him to craft another item like it, or at least simr enough to do its job . Sighing faintly as he pulled himself out of the thoughts, he nced down at the book in front of him that the house had sent him as an apology -- ¡¯The Book of Wars: Abridged, as recorded by Ed Alric¡¯ . It was the original edition, preserved splendidly Lino had to admit; it was a rather thick book, over two thousand pages long, depicting a brief history of wars since the first War of the Four Races . Though it wasn¡¯t exactly helpful for his current predicament, it was still quite a learning experience altogether, especially when it came to his understanding of Angels, Devils and perhaps most-importantly, Gods . . Closing the book, he stretchedzily and yawned, taking out a bottle of ale and a cup and pouring himself one . The liquid revived his parched throat, soon giving him a wake-up kick of sorts as he felt energy gush out of his guts . Just as he was about to get up and leave, the doors to the room swung open as Ion and Ryt strut through in concert . They quickly bowed down before stepping up, handing Lino a parchment . "What¡¯s this?" he asked, taking it . "A man came to see you, Master," Ryt replied quickly . "He said you would certainly see him once you looked through the paper . " " . . . ¡¯s that so?" Lino mumbled with faint interest as he nced down; one look was enough for him to realize that the ns drawn up on the paper were more than just strange -- he firmly believed they were impossible . It depicted a winged sort of a box, elongated from front to back, slightly bulged toward the center . Upon the stretching wings on each side were two more cylindrical objects, with fan-like shapes drawn up inside of them . "Walk him in . " Lino mumbled, smiling faintly; he¡¯d seen many strange flying objects used as a transportation, but all of them -- without exception -- were only capable of flight because of the intricate string of arrays attached to them . Object drawn in front of him, however, didn¡¯t have a single array drawn up anywhere . Soon after Ryt and Ion left, a man walked through the small doors . ncing at him, Lino quickly realized he was no Human; a tall, bridged brow with bushy eyebrows looming over full-brown eyes blending over into a thin nose and lips, both surrounded by pronounced cheekbones and encapsted by a wide, squared jaw . To top it off, the man¡¯s skin color was that of dull ash and rock, with spot-marks repeating in strange patterns from time to time . " . . . a God?" Lino mumbled, his lips curling up into a faint smile . The man walked up briskly and evenly, nodding lightly in a greeting . He wore a strange ensamble of clothes, with a ck, leather trench-coat draped over a cotton vest and a shirt, with brown pants tucked into knee-high ck boots . "Well, I¡¯ll be damned . Or canonized . Depending on the religious scripture, I suppose . " "Good day," the man said, smiling faintly as well . "Thank you for agreeing to see me . " "Well, you¡¯ve thrown a ratherpelling case at me," Lino said, shing the parchment briefly . "So, what can I do for you, o¡¯ ye mighty God?" "Liberate us, o¡¯ ye mighty Empyrean . " the man said, cracking a wide smile to counteract Lino¡¯s shocked expression . It¡¯s not as though he believed absolutely no one was capable of seeing through his disguise, but it was on the pretense that they actually first meet; this man seemed to already know well before who he was, which piqued Lino¡¯s curiosity by quite a bit . He wasn¡¯t particrly fearful, as if the man had athwart intentions, he wouldn¡¯t have visited him in the first ce . " . . . many eyes, many sights indeed," Lino recovered quickly, smiling back and whipping out another cup and pouring it before pulling out another chair and indicating that the man sit down, which he did rather quickly . "I must say, the girl responsible for my disguise would most-likely die of shame if she ever found out I was seen through, so let¡¯s keep this between ourselves . " "Naturally," the man said, taking the cup and toasting Lino . "I am not here to seek trouble, but help . " "What do the mighty Gods need my help for?" Lino asked . "I¡¯m fairly decent at telling indecent stories, but I¡¯m quite lost when ites to hymns and such I¡¯m afraid . " "Ha ha, thank you for the offer, but as I said, we are seeking you to Liberate us," the man said . "As for what that means, I¡¯m afraid I cannot divulge; after all, I¡¯m a sole man, and a lot of others didn¡¯t take to my idea kindly . " "So, let me guess, you need me toe with you and charm them?" "Something like that, yes . " "What¡¯s your name?" Lino asked . "Tim . " "What¡¯s this, Tim?" Lino pointed at the parchment on the table, not refusing the request just yet . "It¡¯s a design," Tim replied . "For a flying vehicle that doesn¡¯t require arrays to fly the skies . " "Yes, I can see that," Lino chuckled . "One of you certainly has a wild imagination . " "Hardly so," Tim said . "We¡¯ve already built several dozens of them . As the matter of fact, I¡¯ve traveled here in a vehicle simr to that one . " " . . . I can¡¯t believe my help is this cheap . " Lino sighed as he put away the parchment, causing Tim to chuckle . "I imagine this is just a pre-course, right?" "Precisely . " Tim nodded . "If it all goes by my wishes, you¡¯ll not only have our gratitude and support in the uing Wars, but also an array of whimsical wonders the rest of the world is entirely blind to . " "Those are big promises Tim," Lino said . "I read that the Gods were quite vain, but even still, to im to be in solitary possession of something . . . " "It¡¯s not vanity, Lord Empyrean," Tim said . "Merely a fact . You will understand it better once you visit us and understand our circumstances . " " . . . aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯m just gonna go nuts and decide to take everything for myself without helping you?" Lino quizzed with a wry smile . "At this point? It¡¯s a good as an end as any other . " Tim replied with a bitter smile, causing Lino to simmer down and think for a moment . " . . . recently, a lot of people are more than happy to throw their grand names behind my banner," he said after a few seconds of silence . "Rather, they seem to be doing it with joyous hearts . And while I¡¯d be more than happy to credit my irresistible charms, I¡¯m afraid even I¡¯m not that egotistical . Can you enlighten me, Tim?" " . . . " the man seemed to suddenly fall into a deep, internal struggle over something as Lino quieted down, silently sipping the drink and awaiting Tim¡¯s response . "Are you familiar with the term Origin Wars?" " . . . yes . " Lino replied, his expression turning serious . "Though grand-sounding, the term is actually fairly grounded and simple," Tim continued, taking a deep breath . "It epasses four stages of warring -- Continental Wars, Realm Wars, Gaia Wars and Primordial Wars . " " . . . " "In essence, they refer to the scale of the wars; with your killing of Bearer of Light, we had entered the stage of Gaia Wars . " Tim continued . "And, all thetest indicators call toward the transition into the Primordial Wars, which are markedrgely by the fact that allrger factions, may they be racial, bloodbound, oath-bound and so on, are involved in a conflict on some scale . " " . . . " Lino continued to listen to the exnation patiently, waiting for the conclusion . "Past the Primordial Wars, we have Origin Wars; there is no clear indicator for when the Origin Wars begin, but, in the past, they were usually started either by your ancestors, or by an emerging Race . For instance, Skyhaven Dynasty initiated Origin Wars during the era in order to conquer the world . The warssted for nearly four million years altogether, but it¡¯s practically impossible to pinpoint as to when exactly the Origin-scaled conflict ended . " " . . . " "Truth is, however, that you were born into an age of destruction," Tim continued, taking a sip and catching his breath . "I¡¯ve a feeling that, with or without you, we would have once again entered the Origin Wars . Your entrance only changed the timeline of it all . Are you familiar with the Theory of Everything?" " . . . no . " Lino shook his head, replying honestly, his interest at an all-time high . "It¡¯s the penultimate framework describing everything," Tim exined . "The ends and the beginnings and the processes in-between . Anyway, one branch under it deals with the so-called Inevitable Infinity; during the early years of my race¡¯s existence, we focusedrgely on understanding how nature works . We fell short, unfortunately, by the end, but we did learn some things, and among them is that nature is enumerated through repetitive patterns -- and all living beings existing within the same framework are not immune to it, meaning that we inherently gravitate toward repeating tales-already-happened . What this all entails is that each event, no matter howrge or small, has an interval set of preceding events that act as a building block for it; for instance, the Realm Wars stage of the wars began with your Awakening, but Continental Wars have been ongoing for nearly four million years now . In a pattern excluding you, the further build-up would have been slow, but consistent . You are merely a variable injected into the equation to speed things up . " " . . . aaand there goes a headache . " both Tim and Lino chuckled for a moment as the former took another quick sip to fix his parched throat . "Kinda sucks being told your role in the grand scheme of things is irrelevant . " " . . .e with me," Tim suddenly said . "And, perhaps, you¡¯ll get to know just how irrelevant it truly is . " " . . . ah, very well," Lino raised his arms in defeat . "I suppose it makes me somewhat of a masochist, wanting to learn why I don¡¯t matter . . . at all . But, joy and happiness is for losers anyway . Lead the way Tim . Lead the way to the liberty of this self-importance . " Chapter 353 Chapter 353: 353 CHAPTER 353 LIBERATION Lino stood on a small mountaintop beneath the open night sky, gazing down with a perplexed expression and a questioning gaze . Though the innumerable stars in the sky, each brighter than thest, forming fascinating discs of light altogether, lit up the world splendidly, their light appeared eerily snuffed outpared to what weed his eyes down on the ground . It wasn¡¯t as though he hadn¡¯t ever seen a city lit up bynterns and gems and even stranger things than that, but never quite as strange as this; he couldn¡¯t sense a whiff of Qi -- of any kind -- anywhere inside the city . Yet, it shone so brightly and exceedingly it nearly blinded him . Hundreds of windows glowed, ranging from yellow to white, with strange, box-shaped objects with wheels spitting beams of light from two frontal cases . Massivemps hung on the sides of the street, their oval-shape heads casting divine light downwards and illuminating the streets to the point night ceased to matter . City¡¯s luminosity blended together in a perfect cascade, like a painting, giving way to day where night ought to be . He couldn¡¯t recognize almost anything, let alone understand the mechanisms behind them . Strangely-shaped buildings with massive chimneys on the side, tall, barbed fences asionally flickering in cyan lightning,rge plots ofnd drowned in boxed objects on wheels, tall towers, one especially so with its centerpiece being a massive, round clock on the top lit up by round, strange bulbs emitting white light . . . the entire city was unlike anything he¡¯d ever seen in his life, so much so that he¡¯d truly believed for the first time he¡¯d gone to an entirely different world . Tim stood by his side in silence, waiting for him to process everything patiently . He didn¡¯t try to exin anything or to offer a story as to how things came to be this way, and Lino didn¡¯t bother asking as he knew he most-likely wouldn¡¯t get an answer just yet . " . . . goddamn . " Lino mumbled after nearly half an hour of inspections which gave him exactly zero answers . "I¡¯m lost . But also quite intrigued . " " . . . wee to the Bastion of Gods, Empyrean cksmith," Tim said with a faint smile . "Our little solitary expanse we preserved for tens of thousands of generations . " "Call me Lino," he said . "And this . . . is really something else . " he added as the two slowly began descending toward the city . "What sort of energy do you use?" "A mixture of steam power and electricity," Tim exined . "Though we¡¯re in the process of developing some new, better avenues . " "Yeah, I¡¯m just gonna pretend I understand that until you decide to exin it . " "Ha ha, it¡¯s hardly anythingplex," Timughed for a moment before borating . "Steam power is self-exnatory, really; we use high pressure of vaporizing water to create a chain reaction which generates enough energy to perform certain actions, while electricity . . . hmm, well, I guess the easiest way to understand it is as a form of ¡¯tamed lightning¡¯ . Follow me; they are expecting us . " "They?" Lino asked as they took a route that didn¡¯t lead directly into the city, but slightly around it . "Our government is ran a bit differently than you might be used to," Tim said . "Rather than one leader, or one group of leaders, we are split into several parties based on core ideologies . People, in return, elect a single party to be in power for a year, and so on . We are going to meet current representatives of the five most popr parties . " " . . . that¡¯s weird . " Linomented with a frown . "Perhaps, but it works for us . This way . Do you have any other questions?" " . . . I suspect none you can answer just yet," Lino replied . "Where are those flying things you said you¡¯ve got a lot of?" "They¡¯re in a hangar just outside the eastern side of the city," Tim said . "As to not disturb the city, I was forced tond us on the backup runway, though we usuallynd on the one next to the hangar as it¡¯s much longer and better maintained . " " . . . why do all this?" Lino asked suddenly . "Why not just do what the rest of the world is doing?" "Unfortunately . . . I¡¯m unable to answer that just yet; it has to do with some of the most secretive parts of our history, and before we divulge any of it to the outsiders, we first need a majority vote . " "Huh . . . ¡¯s that so? Well, then, let us get you that majority vote . " "Just a fair warning," Tim pulled his arm for a moment as the two stopped . "As I stated before, they are mostly doing this as a courtesy to me -- they are going into the meeting with the idea of simply humoring me and sending you away . They will most-likely test your temper, and I hope, from the bottom of my heart, you will be understanding . " " . . . " Lino merely grinned mysteriously at Tim¡¯s warning, leaving thetter to wonder silently . The two quickly passed the seeming edge of the city and bound it around a small hillside until they¡¯d found themselves in front of arge, fenced-off pavilion . Two brick towers rose out of the earth, with circr lights shining in a beam shape onto the earth below, causing Lino to briefly exim in surprise . Pavilion itself consisted of several buildings, each oddly dull-colored yet also eerily fascinating . Coral and brown bricks mingled with ash-gray stone, streets beneath covered in the like Lino had never seen before; though still gray, the stone-like substance was exceedingly smooth with hardly a bump anywhere to be seen . Entering one of the buildings, rather than climbing the stairs, Tim stopped in front of the strange, metallic doors . For a moment Lino had hoped he¡¯d finally see something familiar, perhaps a short-distance teleportation array, but his hopes were dashed again; as the doors opened and the two of them stepped inside, he spotted a rectangr protrusion from the side of the wall with eight circr buttons . Tim pressed one which had ¡¯4¡¯ carved into it, and the doors slowly closed as loud, unfamiliar sounds startled Lino for a moment . Though he couldn¡¯t see it, through sensing the space around him, he realized they were moving upward . Upon further inspection outside the strange box, he saw a row of cables and gears dragging the box up through a shaft; the concept was simr to the mine carts Lino had seen before, though far moreplex . The box suddenly stopped moving and after a few moments of stillness, the doors opened on their own, revealing a long-winding hallway stacked with dozen wooden doors with ques furnishing names stered on top of them . Tim led him down to the end of the hallway before stopping in front of the wider doors with a que that read ¡¯Meeting Hall¡¯ . Taking a deep breath, he nced at Lino and smiled faintly before flinging the doors open and walking in . Lino followed, walking in briskly and taking the strange room in, one object at the time; it wasn¡¯t terribly spacious nor it was cramped . Hardly a decoration hung off the walls save for the strange rectangles of white light on the opposite end . An oval-shaped wooden table spread at the center, surrounded by twelve cushioned chairs whose materials Lino couldn¡¯t see through, startling him greatly . . Five out of twelve chairs were currently upied, three by men and two by women . All appeared to be in their early tote forties, dressed in simr, dull fashion like Tim . They all also had high brows and simr facial features in addition to their skin color, confirming they were all also Gods . Five pairs of eyes quicklynded on him squarely, and he immediately sensed Tim¡¯s words personify onto him; those gazes were full of disgust, distrust, anger and hate, allpounded together in a singr beam of ¡¯go away¡¯ aimed at him . Lino merely cracked a smile as he walked up and sat on one of the free chairs . Looking up, he saw amp-like object hanging from the ceiling, half-spherical with the open bottom where a white-beaming sphere of light hung, illuminating practically the entire room . Tim joined him right after, sitting next to him, opposite of the remaining five . Silence quickly fell over the room as Lino studied the five in front of him . Three men mainly differed in their height and eye-color, all sporting ck hair with practically identical hair styles . Two women, simrly, had same hair styles and color, differing mainly in stature and the amount of make-up -- just a little, and zero . Though seemingly dull, there was something fascinating about the simplicity of everything, the sort Lino greatly appreciated . "A warm wee, eh?" he was the first one to break the silence, leaning back into his chair and smiling . "Though, to be fair, after bathing in Vy¡¯s mes, I much prefer cold shoulders . " "Humph, a buffoon with no social grace," one of the men scoffed, staring at him with a mocking grin . "No greeting, no introduction, no courtesy . . . you may as well be a barbarian . " "But I am, though," Lino replied simply, still smiling . "All I know is how to swing massive stuff around and scream while doing it . You know, like my swords, and my axes, and my dick, and my spears . . . so I apologize if Ick the grace required to sit in your Godly presence . " " . . . let¡¯s get this over quickly," one of the women spoke out before three men had a chance to . "Tim here has probably told you already that we have zero interest in seeking your help, Empyrean . I know not why you decided toe anyway; perhaps merely out of curiosity, perhaps out of vanity, perhaps out of boredom, perhaps out of confidence you may change our minds . . . it doesn¡¯t matter . Nothing will change . Speak your mind and leave, hopefully forgetting you were ever here . " "Tim told me he wants me to Liberate you," Lino said, tapping his finger against the table . "He didn¡¯t exin from what, but seeing your clothes, your rigid expressions, your entire . . . well, everything, I think he meant I¡¯m supposed to liberate you from your bad tastes . I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re too far gone, however . " "Insults? Really?" the other woman spoke out, arching her brows . "You know," Lino said, getting up suddenly . "Hypocrisy is one of my favorite things in the world; I love preaching things I¡¯d never do in my life, you know? Like telling children to abstain from alcohol and sex because they¡¯re bad for them . This rather liberal usage of it, however, has made me quite versed in the art of hypocrisy . And I find that I make best friends with other hypocrites; after all, we click at the most base level . " "Are you calling us hypocrites?" one of the men asked . "Yeah, pretty much," Lino nodded . "Good job, picking up that one . I thought I might have been a bit too vague . " Tim sat by the side and listened silently; though his interactions with the Empyrean were brief, he¡¯d learned that the man was no fool . Rather, he was beyond difficult to read, so much so that Tim had absolutely no idea as to what the man was thinking . . . at all . "I don¡¯t know what you need help with, or whether I could even help you in the first ce . And, if I¡¯m being honest, the reason I came here was mostly out of curiosity; after all, you lot have hidden yourselves away for a long, long time, and most of what I know of youes from the books . I¡¯m more of the type that likes the practical knowledge over stories and tales . In that sense, my trip here has already paid off . " " . . . " "Call me an idiot -- and I know you already are in your minds -- but, wouldn¡¯t it be better to simply have a conversation? Get to know each other? Heck, maybe put out some drinks and snacks . And then, hourster, when you realize you were kind of assholes to a pretty decent guy, we might revisit the question of me Liberating you or whatever . " " . . . perhaps I was not clear enough," the woman who first spoke suddenly stood up and met Lino¡¯s gaze squarely and firmly . "So let me put it this way: I would rather have us all burn to ash right this moment than seek help from a murdering psychopath who fancies his tongue witty and charming like a spoiled child . " " . . . Edith--" "That¡¯s enough, Tim," she interrupted him, still holding Lino¡¯s gaze . "I humored your request, as you asked . And while he certainly doesn¡¯t seem to have gone mad yet, he is hardly any better than that . A childish, vain, self-important man who believes manipting people is the best way to get what he wants . . . is not the sort I wish to see lurking around here . " " . . . fine," Lino said, smiling lightly . "Children of Gaia, I¡¯ll leave you be, shackled inside the chains your very own Mother cast upon you . Perhaps, one day, when I¡¯m choking the life out of the whore, I might even include you in the list of people with grievances against her . A word of advice, before I leave however," Lino paused for a moment and looked at the five shocked faces . "If there were such a thing as an unbreakable chain, we¡¯d all be reigned over by their beholders . Truth of the matter is, o¡¯ stupendously stupid Gods, there is no chain . Just eons of guilt, fear and anger . There," he added, turning around and waving back at the six of them . "You have been Liberated . " Chapter 354 Chapter 354 CHAPTER 354 COSMOS Seated on top of a strange, steel bench with ssed back and roof, Lino donned local fashion as to not stand out while he waited for the verdict, taking the time to observe the absolute alien nature of everything around him . Boxes on wheels moved across the street speedily, leaving roaring sounds in their wake and jets of ck smoke behind them . Ever so often, he¡¯d see a muchrger sort decked in dozen windows on both sides which allowed him to peer inside and see dozens of chairs, all upied by people . Colors ranging form dull gray to sun-yellow fashioned the streets, somewhat standing out against the otherwise rather boorish world surrounding them . He sat in silence, asionally joined by another person who would then leave him to sit on one of those big, wheeled boxes with the rest . There was no music sting from anywhere, there were no street performances, there were no visible taverns filled with awkwardly-dancing drunkards, there were no children bounding corners, theirughter echoing out joyously . There was absolutely nothing he was familiar with . It was an entirely new experience, and a wee one at that; time and again, no matter how much he thought he knew, he¡¯d learn or see something entirely new and different . He took great pleasure in such moments as they were quite inspirational . They proved, at least to an extent, that the world was sorge that he may never learn everything there is to know, that there is always something new to see, to hear, to embrace and understand . Hours ticked by but he barely noticed, too indulged in observing the new reality around him . From time to time he¡¯d see a person flicker out something out of their pockets, a rectangr box of sorts whose front end shimmered in faint light . Some would put them up against their ears and then mumble into them, some would merely frown and put them away . "Ah, you¡¯re here . " Tim¡¯s voice pulled him back to reality as Lino shifted around and faced him . He quickly realized he was ¡¯epted¡¯ based on Tim¡¯s expression; he was actually rather happy, as it meant staying here for a little while longer, taking in even more sights . "The good news is that they¡¯re willing to give you a chance; the bad is that you only have one . " "One¡¯s all I need," Lino said, smiling and getting up . "So, where to now?" "Follow me," Tim said as he passed Lino and rounded a corner, moving down a somewhat empty street . "I¡¯ve much to show you and tell you . Perhaps, once done, you may truly Liberate us . " " . . . I already have," Lino said, startling Tim who turned around . "What?" "W-wasn¡¯t that . . . just for show?" Tim asked . . "No," Lino shook his head . "Your istion to both Qi and Mana have nothing to do with tangible . It¡¯s simr to raising a child in a single room and telling them repeatedly there is nothing outside . Given generations of it, you¡¯ll have a massive settlement which doesn¡¯t believe in the outside . " " . . . w-wait, you¡¯re saying our walls were entirely imaginary?" "Yours? Sure," Lino nodded . "Though I suspect, during the first few generations, some form of a literal chain actually existed . " " . . . " "Contemte shitter, take me ces now . " "Oh, right . Sorry . " Tim recovered quickly, beginning to walk again . "How did you figure it out so quickly?" "I¡¯m very sensitive to any form of shackles," Lino replied . "So it was rather easy . " "Huh . . . " Tim didn¡¯t question any more, merely leading Lino through a ratherplex set of roads, intersections and alleyways . Around half an hourter they found themselves in front of a rather tall, somewhat better-looking building than the rest; front stuck out, ssed all around with metallic poles holding it all together, much to Lino¡¯s amazement . ssed doors split apart on their own as they approached them, but Tim didn¡¯t exin anything just yet . They bounded a wide, rather empty hall to the left and into a set of corridors which ended into a mechanism Lino was already familiar with -- a box that could move up and down through a set of cables and gears . As the two entered it, Tim punched several buttons in a row as the box roared, descending shortly after . The descentsted for less than a minute, and as they stepped out, the two found themselves inside a dimly-lit set of corridors that were more akin to abyrinth . Lino was certain that if he didn¡¯t use Divine Sense, he¡¯d most-likely get lost here, yet Tim seemed entirely at home, quickly leading him into a round chamber . Walls were stacked with screen-like protrusions, with the center of the room splitting the front and the back; the front was stacked with chairs, while the back, the end nearer to them, had a crescent sort of a desk with a mesh of buttons decorating it, chairless . "What¡¯s all this?" Lino asked . "It¡¯s not important just yet," Tim replied from the far left, digging through a strange sort of a shelf filled to brim with rolled, massive pieces of canvases . "They¡¯re sort of like mechanized helpers . " " . . . mechanized?" Lino questioned . "Uh, non-sentient, yet not like a rock," Tim struggled to exin it properly, as to him understanding it all was entirely innate . "It usually means a machine powered by electricity . Ah, anyway, here it is . " he brought back a ratherrge piece of canvas made out of a strange material Lino had never seen before . He then spread it over the floor in front of Lino, as thetter studied a strange sight; the canvas depicted various lights, in various shapes, across a ck background . Letters and numbers ran across the whole canvas, though not a single concise word was to be found . "And what¡¯s this?" Lino asked again, crouching down to get a better look . "This? This is . . . everything . Well, at least everything we¡¯re currently aware of . " Tim replied with a steadfast grin . "Huh?" Lino looked at him strangely for a moment . " . . . do you know when you rip space clean, and look to the other side?" "Into the void?" "Yes, the void," Tim nodded . "This is that . " " . . . " "The ¡¯void¡¯ outside is not a void, Lino," Tim borated, pointing at the blobs of light on the canvas . "Rather, it¡¯s a stretch of immeasurable space we call Cosmos . To be even more precise, you are never ¡¯ripping¡¯ space, just using enough energy to temporarily disce it and peer on the other end . That other end is all of this . " " . . . " Lino still remained silent, both stumped and confused . "This," Tim suddenly extended his finger and stered it against one of the smaller blobs of light toward the left-end side . The blob was shaped as an elongated spiral . "Is what we call a gxy -- apendium of stars,s and various other cosmic objects . And, within this gxy . . . is our home . Noterra . All of this around us," he pointed at the rest of the blobs as well as the empty space between . "Is the entire Cosmos . In reality, all of this, all of us, are so small . . . we are merely a part of an already insignificant part of everything . " " . . . " though Lino¡¯s expression remained rtively steadfast, his mind was all but; thoughts spiraled together into a soup of madness as he tried to reconcile what he believed with what he was told . He had a massive urge to simply reject everything Tim was telling him yet, for some reason, deep in his heart he believed it to be truth . "Wow, you weren¡¯t kiddin¡¯ when you said I¡¯m gonna find out just how irrelevant I am . . . " "Ha ha ha, I certainly was not," Tim chuckled, sitting down . "But, that¡¯s not what I wanted to say . You¡¯re not irrelevant . Nobody is, really . What I wanted to tell you is that there¡¯s a limit to what we know and what we can do . Just look at all this -- even we, who have been studying this for eons now, cannot even begin to hope to measure to exact size of it . . . yet, we are certain that no single soul, no matter how long they may live, will ever be able to see and witness every corner of it . Who is to say, then, that somewhere out there, in another gxy, in another corner of the Cosmos, aren¡¯t beings far more powerful than us? Who is to say that they aren¡¯t right outside, watching us, observing us, not unlike we observe the animals here?" " . . . pshhh . . . " Lino sucked in a cold breath, steadying his heartbeat . He certainly was prepared for many things, but not for this . "How did you guys figure this out? And, rather, why hasn¡¯t anyone else?" " . . .rgely because we are content," Tim said, sighing and getting up . "Truth be told . . . we were not the ones who figured this out . We didn¡¯t even draw this map . " "Who was it, then?" Lino asked with interest, getting up as well . " . . . it¡¯s best if I show you, perhaps," Tim said after a short thought, rolling the canvas back up into a cylinder and putting it away . "As words can hardly describe it . What I¡¯m about to show you is known only by a small fraction of the world; even the Holy Grounds are entirely unaware of it . Save for perhaps a few recluse individuals, I¡¯m only certain that upper echelon of the Descent knows of it, perhaps to even arger extent than us Gods do . It¡¯s not a terrible secret per se," Tim continued as they left the chamber and returned to the set of corridors, walking slowly . "But it is too life-altering to be put out there . You¡¯ll understand . . . once I show you . . . " Chapter 355 Chapter 355: 355 CHAPTER 355 BASTION OF KNOWLEDGE Lino and Tim stood in front of a shimmering, spinning vortex . Thetter¡¯s edges blended in and out of reality, discing space around it in an uneven circle . The vortex was located deep underground, at least ording to Lino¡¯s calctions, hidden away from the prying world . The strangest part of it all, however, was the fact that the vortex didn¡¯t emit even an iota of Qi or Mana; though Lino could detect energy, he couldn¡¯t discern it, understand it or manipte it . Tim paused for a moment and nced at Lino, smiling lightly, before stepping through . Thetter hesitated for but a moment before following his footsteps, stepping over to the other side . He was temporarily blinded by the sheer light, being spat out almost a momentter on the other end . A brief wave of nausea swept over him, startling him greatly; even if he directly entered a spatial storm he¡¯d be fine, yet such a brief journey caused him to nearly vomit . Shaking his head, he lifted it up slowly and looked around, his lips soon gaping open in wonder . He stood on top of a mid-sized mountain overlooking what appeared to be a valley . Green shrubbery rose from earth and copsed onto remnants and ruins of something . Steel beams and poles stuck out of earth at angles, all connected, rotten by tips and edges, mingling inside a vine-infested jungle . Towers of pure ss, half-cracked, rose around, with faint traces of street as well as simr, boxes-with-wheels peering behind the branches and trees of the overgrowth . . Wildlife thrived underneath the nket of leaves, everything from small lizards to brown bears and wolves . High skies were upied by nearly three-meters long eagles who repeatedly circled about, eyeing their prey . It was a scene Lino had trouble processing; though, on an individual level, he was mostly familiar with everything surrounding him, he never quite imagine it all fitting together . "All our knowledge," Tim spoke out after giving him some time to adjust . "Comes from this ce . Follow me . " The two began a brief descent into the jungle where even more wonders awaited Lino . Wheeled boxes existed in but rust and decay, yet still held a grandiose sort of appearance that those back in the citycked . Despite the fact that most of the things around him were being devoured by the beast of time, they still seemed fervently imposing and defying . Sinking into earth, bit by bit, yet still reaching toward the stars . Looking up, sts of sunrays pierced through small openings in the branches, startling Lino . The sun shouldn¡¯t yet be this strong -- at least not for ten more years -- yet there it was, sting away . "This isn¡¯t our sun," Tim exined, chuckling faintly . "Rather, this isn¡¯t our world . At all . " "What do you mean?" Lino asked . "This is a small chunk of rock currently floating through the cosmos," Tim said . "We have absolutely no clue where exactly it is, and we¡¯ve discovered it purely by ident . We¡¯re fairly certain it used to belong to another body, a world simr to our own, before being separated due to one catastrophe or another . You were lucky; this little ce will only have sunshine for a few more years before sting past the star and plunging into darkness . " " . . . " Lino came to a halt in front of a strange, half-spherical building that was drawing itsst breath . Half its innards were exposed due to a massive hole on the side, disying crumbled rooms fitted with all manner of odd things that Lino didn¡¯t recognize . "What did you mean when you said most of your knowledge came from here?" "Not most -- all," Tim exined . "And I meant exactly that . When we first discovered it, it was in a much better shape, actually . We discovered numerous books, tens of thousands of them, really, and though it took us some time to understand thenguage . . . once we did . . . everything we believed in changed, Lino . This ce . . . this ce is entirely the reason why we stopped our participation in the Wars, why we ceased our worship of Gaia . . . why we became who we are today . " " . . . " "From the records," Tim continued, his expression somewhat dreamy . "People who left all of this to us were a lot like you, humans . Yet, in some ways, they were nothing like you . Before us, this ce . . . had neither Qi nor Mana . At all . Zero . Nothing . And from the records, it¡¯s clear that humans who lived here could neither use Magic nor could they cultivate . So, they were forced to make up their shorings another way . " Tim nced at Lino and smiled faintly . "That¡¯s what I meant when I said because we¡¯re content; we cover up our weaknesses through Qi and Mana, making our technological progress a bygone thought . " " . . . " Lino remained silent, still taking in all of the surrounding sights . "Our fundamental understanding of how the world works was spectacrly different before we discovered this ce," Tim continued . "Rather, nearly every Law we practice and take for granted today was derived from books we found here . For instance, Space and Time . Every single bit of knowledge we possesses from here . " " . . . how¡¯s that possible?" " . . . we don¡¯t know," Tim shook his head . "Though we¡¯ve managed to replicate many technologies we¡¯ve found here, we still fail to do so with many more . Perhaps, answers to even more questiony deeper there . . . and perhaps what we know now is all there is to know . " " . . . wait," Lino suddenly realized something . "Aren¡¯t understandings of the Laws subjective?" "No," Tim shook his head . "Applications of them are . Space is space, regardless of how you choose to apply your knowledge of it . Same with every other force, and everything else, really . For instance, do you know that localized Time travel is impossible, but a macro-scale one is to a certain extent? Or did you know that the amount of energy even the most powerful being on our world can unleash pales inparison to some of the things that transpire in the universe? Did you know that stars die by technically eating themselves inside out?" " . . . " silent and stunned, Lino couldn¡¯t even muster a reply . It was his to ept all this and try to reconcile it with his limited reality . "Secrets of the Cosmos are plenty and fascinating, and we¡¯re hardly any closer to understanding even a hundredth of it all as those who left this ce behind . Yet, every day, we learn something new . Just recently, actually, we have discovered that our little cluster of worlds doesn¡¯t have six, but sevens . A few months ago we have narrowed the age of our sun to a difference of a few tens of millions of years . And, perhaps most-impressively," Tim added with a smile full of pride . "We have managed to finally calcte Noterra¡¯s age . " " . . . hm?" Lino mumbled, ncing at him . "Isn¡¯t it 6 billion years old?" " . . . no," Tim shook his head . "That¡¯s merely when the Writs and the Scripture arrived there . The world itself, however, has existed for nearly thirteen billion years . " " . . . what the fuck?!" Lino eximed stupendously, shellshocked more so than ever before . "Ha ha ha, don¡¯t be so shocked -- the sun that we orbit is at least ten times older than that," Tim grinned, pulling Lino¡¯s arm and resuming their walk . "Even though Cosmos is fascinating, it is not the time to think on such a massive scale . The reason why I¡¯m telling and showing you this is because I believe it will help you reconcile your gap in knowledge . I imagine you know many things I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand, but I also know many things you cannot even begin to imagine . One reason I wished for your help was certainly because you were one of the few who could do it," he added . "But also because of what came after . Most of the other things we know about Noterra arergely localized, or behave entirely differently on a macro scale . And, more importantly, they all exist in every corner of the Cosmos we¡¯ve observed so far . Chaos, however, does not . " " . . . what do you mean?" Lino asked, frowning . "Ah, let me rephrase that -- there are remnants of Chaotic presence, but we were unable to directly detect Chaos itself . For instance, Law of Entropy is present throughout the entire Cosmos, but it isn¡¯t necessarily driven by the force of Chaos, but something else entirely . Truth is, most of the Chaotic activity, and all of Chaos we are aware of, is localized to our home . Even more specifically, to you . I had hoped that, by sharing my knowledge with you, you would be able to understand why, and probe deeper into the underlying truths of the reality . We have studied Cosmos for eons now, and we have attempted to study life we cannot see with our naked eye, life we cannot even perceive through our Divine Senses, to no avail . We know it is there, all around, building up the reality we see . . . but we have been unable to create a tool to see it . " "I¡¯m not following . " Lino quickly added . "Before I die," Tim paused as the two stopped inside what appeared to be a square of sort, with a decaying, marble fountain at the center . "I¡¯d like to learn the truth of it all, Lino . Just like those who lived here did . And, I believe -- unlike my colleagues -- that Chaos is the key to everything . Not the Writ, not even the individualmanding it -- just the pure essence of Chaos . It is the solitary remnant of time before time, and, if it may be, I hope it will unlock the doors of knowledge . . . not just for me, but for everyone . They, here, did it," Tim said, ncing at Lino . "Without Chaos, at that . They did it with their wit and persistence . Weck thetter, but I believe we canpensate with the former . For instance," Tim said, suddenly ncing toward the rise where they arrived and where the spinning vortex was still visible . "The wormholes -- that¡¯s what they called the distortions in space that allow you to travel ces quickly -- they were never able to create one due tock of energy . We can, however, do so freely . Yet, they still somehow managed to know more about them than us . " " . . . wormholes?" Lino mumbled, ncing back . "Tiny tunnels in spacetime," Tim exined . "Connecting two points in Cosmos . Like Noterra is connected to Devil¡¯s Hell . Or Silver Cities . Or this ce, right here," he mumbled faintly . "A remnant of Earth . . . " Chapter 356 Chapter 356: 356 CHAPTER 356 VOID CULT Nestled inside a small garden was an elegant-looking gazebo made entirely out of dark wood, surrounded on all ends but the front one with flourishing white roses . Inside, upying two chairs and a table, Lucky and Alison sat in temporary silence as the former stared at thetter expectantly . Alison seemed to be mulling over something with a hardened expression, her thin eyebrows crunched together, look in her eyes deep andplex . Nearly a month had passed since the ck Fire, but there was no official reason given -- whatever the House itself found it kept to itself, and whatever others who investigated it knew, they too kept it to themselves . The case was simr with Alison, who spent thest month trying to confirm her suspicions before rying them back to her Sect . Unfortunately, shecked enough evidence to conclusively say exactly who did it, but, nheless, in her heart she knew . Lucky, sitting opposite of her, was entirely in the dark . Despite her best attempts, she was still unable to uncover the perpetrators of the Fire . She asked and tapped into nearly all of her sources, but to no avail; even if they knew something, they all remained mum . Rather, the entire story surrounding the ck Fire was already seemingly forgotten -- not something that ought to be simply let go of that simply . A massive fire broke out in the heart of the Celeste Empire, inside one of the major auction houses of themercial leaders of the world, with countless items crafted by some of the best-known smiths having been stolen . . . yet, the world ceased to discuss it . She found it odd, until Alison, just a few moments ago, slipped and admitted she knew who was behind it, which began Lucky¡¯s attempts to probe the answer out of her . "Come on, what¡¯s the big deal?" Lucky pushed, smiling widely . "I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone . " " . . . b-but . . . I don¡¯t know if I should . . . " Alison mumbled weakly, clearly struggling . "Of course you should; if it were me, I¡¯d tell you!" "Then you tell me one of your big secrets first!" Alison fired back . "My big secrets, huh?" Lucky mumbled strangely for a moment, thinking . "Alright, I got one . It was actually me that stole that special wine of yours . " "E-eh?!! But why?! Why would you do that?! You knew my Master sent it to me as a gift!!" "What do you mean why?" Lucky shrugged, leaning back . "You would never drink it, and it felt like such a waste . Having tasted it, I can confirm . . . it would have gone to waste in your hands . It¡¯s best certified alcoholics like me take a shot at it . " " . . . y-you thief! Now I¡¯m definitely not telling you!" "Eeeh,e on, don¡¯t make me beg . . " " . . . " "Are you seriously waiting for me to beg?" " . . . " "Alright," Lucky shrugged, suddenly falling off her chair and onto her knees, bowing before Alison . "Oh the mighty Ally, with apassionate and sharing heart, please grant this lowly one the opportunity to bask in your infinite knowledge--" . "Get up! Get up! This is too embarrassing!!" Alison quickly cried out as her cheeks flushed red, pulling Lucky up off the floor . Thetter grinned inwardly, getting up . "So?" " . . . ugh, fine . But, if ites back to bite you in your behind, don¡¯te crying to me!" "Oh, so Ass-biters caused the fire! Tsk, got it!" "No!!" "Ha ha ha ha ha . . . " "Y-you . . . " Alison pointed a shaking finger at Lucky for a moment, before giving up as her shoulders slumped . "Ah, whatever . It¡¯s who you are . " "It indeed is . " Lucky cracked a momentarily grin . "So, who caused the fire and stole the items?" " . . . I¡¯m fairly certain it was the members of the Void Cult . " " . . . never heard of them . " "Unsurprising," Alison said . "Not many have . It¡¯s partly because they rarely cause trouble, and partly because they¡¯ve even helped us out on a few asions . " "Who are they?" Lucky questioned . "We don¡¯t know," Alison shrugged . "We really only know they¡¯ve been around for quite some time, they¡¯re always among the first to discover and explore ruins and rogue dimensional pockets, and that they never publicly admit to doing anything . Rather, they don¡¯t even admit they exist . " " . . . " Lucky fell into a brief lull, going over everything she¡¯d learned over the past few years she¡¯d spent on the Holy Continent . However, no matter how much she rummaged, she couldn¡¯t think of a single instance where that name came up . "So, why do you think they did it?" "As far as I¡¯m aware," Alison replied . "Only Heaven¡¯s Chosen Sect, Great Descent and them can refine Dragon mes for human use . While it is possible there are some other factions in the world who can do it, ck mes are specifically their calling card . However, I can¡¯t exactly say what their goal was . " "Items? Revenge? Fun?" Lucky mumbled out randomly . " . . . don¡¯t know . " Alison admitted with a bitter expression . "Their goals are never really clear, and while their actions at the time may seem random, they always lead to something muchrger . Thus far in the overall conflict they¡¯ve remained on the sidelines . . . but if they¡¯re joining, things might be even moreplicated than they already are . . . " " . . . " Lucky made a quick mental note of many things: she wouldn¡¯t find this group by looking directly for them, which is what Alison was doing . They probably have no distinct features, like Great Descent and their numbers, and blend in perfectly with the rest of the world . No, she would have to follow their trail and scent; while items are the obvious choice, she didn¡¯t have much hope as they don¡¯t sound like a ck-market-trading sort . They either needed one or a few and would keep them while discarding the rest, or they merely used the theft as a diversion for something else . She would put out feelers, no doubt, but she wouldn¡¯t bank all her hopes on that . She was much more interested in another thing Alison identally let slip -- they have a specific goal . "Can you tell me what they used to do in the past?" Lucky asked . " . . . hmm," Alison thought for a moment before replying . "Well, for instance, during the early days of the Holy War between Eternals and Aeonians, they used to sell talismans to the Eternals and pills to the Aeonians, disguised as entirely different factions . Even when we discovered it, we mostly just assumed they did it for the profits, but it turned out they did it as an experiment; apparently, they were testing to see long-term effects of high-quality but speedily-made items and what negative impacts they¡¯d have on the bodies . " " . . . eeeh . . . " "As I said, they¡¯re rather odd," Alison chuckled as she noticed Lucky¡¯s strange expression . "Truth be told, the reason we call them Void Cult is because, well, we know next to nothing about them . . . other than that they are structured sort of like a cult . There is a clear hierarchy established with divisions in ranks, all orbiting a ¡¯divine figure¡¯ of sorts . . . though we¡¯re unsure whether it¡¯s an actual person or just a mythical creature or something . " "Wow," Lucky eximed . "You weren¡¯t kidding when you said you knew next to nothing about them . Why is the Great Descent then called the most mysterious if these guys exist?" " . . . oh, it¡¯s simple," Alison said . "While we do know a lot of about the Descent, we know literally nothing when ites to the things that matter . We don¡¯t know any one of their upper members, we don¡¯t know their actual strength, their location, their goals, how far does their influence spread, what are they doing, how, why, when . . . honestly, for all we know, the Void Cult was created by the Decent . I mean, a slew of smaller groups that used to do crazy things in the past were created by the Descent . So, really, anything is possible when ites to them . " " . . . huh . Is that so?" Lucky mumbled, taking out a small gourd of wine and taking a sip . "Do you have any idea on how to track the Cult? If you can get me one of them, I can get them talking . " "I¡¯ve been trying," Alison sighed . "But, it¡¯s . . . I don¡¯t want to say impossible, but close to it . For all I know, they¡¯re everywhere, but to me they may as well be nowhere . " "Eh, don¡¯t worry," Lucky said, smiling and stretching her arm over, ruffling Alison¡¯s hair . "We¡¯ll figure something out . There¡¯s no such thing as ¡¯impossible to find¡¯ . One way or another, even the smallest stalks turn up eventually . " " . . . I sure hope so," Alison said, sighing . "I just worry for what they might do next . . . " And I¡¯m hoping they hurry up, Lucky thought inwardly, deciding to keep it to herself . The more active they are, the greater the chance she had of locating them . Lino had already told her that, save for following Alison around, her number one priority for the time being was locating whoever stole the items . She had already relinquished most of her tasks when it came to the Shadows, only keeping Ty¡¯s assignment to herself . She mused inwardly that there wouldn¡¯t be a boring day for many months toe, though when one follows Lino around and does things for him, they tend to wind up hoping for the boring days to descend . Chapter 357 Chapter 357 CHAPTER 357 SHIFTING TALES Hannah was currently sorting through the documents that Lucky had sent her justst night, most of which dealt with what she had learned from Alison regarding the mes as well as what she wanted Hannah to ry to others in terms of the reaction to it all . She was living directly beneath the smithy, in a small, isted room, where she usually spent her free time . With scrounged brows she read through the assortment of papers stacked on top of a triangr, corner desk, room lit up by gems embedded in the thick, concrete walls surrounding her . Just as she was about to pull over the next stack of papers, she felt a talisman inside her void treasure tremble as she reached out and took it, burning it shortly after . A cyan screen lit up right after in front of her, quickly forming a familiar face on the other side . E seemed to be sitting on top of a massive cliff ledge overlooking a wholesome body of water dyed eerily ck . She appeared to be alone, having reverted back to her housewife appearance since Hannahst saw her . "That looks suits you much more . " Hannah cracked a grin as she leaned back into her chair, taking out a bottle of wine and a ss, pouring herself one . "I can look at you without being blinded . " "Oh my, I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d be sun," E smiled back . "Well, I¡¯m d I won¡¯t be blinding you anymore . How are you doing?" "Kind of bored, to be honest," Hannah sighed . "Lino¡¯s off doing . . . I don¡¯t know actually . One day he just showed up and said he was being taken off on an adventure . . . and off on an adventure he went . " "Yeah, that does sound like him," E said . "But, if you¡¯ve got nothing to do, I may have a job for you . " "Do tell . " "Lucky has already informed me about the Void Cult," E said . "But, no matter what she does, she won¡¯t be able to locate them . At least not with her current strength . " "What do you mean?" Hannah asked . "They don¡¯t live in our world," E replied quickly . "They¡¯re actually dwellers of Hell . " "They¡¯re Devils?" Hannah eximed . "No," E shook her head . "Let me rephrase that: one of the worlds they inhabit is Hell . They don¡¯t have a permanent settlement, which is why it¡¯s nigh impossible to truly ever find them all . " "How do I figure into this?" "There¡¯s one world I want you to check out," E said . "Its entrance is located deep inside the Arid Expanse . The locals call it Myrtiha, though you might know it as Land of Chains . " " . . . you want me to go into the Prison?! Are you nuts?!" Hannah eximed suddenly, a startled expression appearing on her face . "Even Lino would think twice about running amok there, let alone poor little me!" "Oh, shut up," E rolled her eyes dismissively . "I¡¯ve reason to believe that members of the Cult have recently taken over the Submerged parts . Chances are their recent activities have something to do with that . " " . . . I can¡¯t go in alone," Hannah said after a short thought . "My aura is too distinct . And half the bastards in there were put there by my predecessors . " "You won¡¯t have to," E smiled strangely for a moment, a sort of smile which sent shivers down Hannah¡¯s spine . "You¡¯ll havepany . " " . . . I changed my mind," Hannah quickly said . "I¡¯m fine going in alone . Heck, I¡¯ll go right now . See ya!" "Don¡¯t worry, I have a feeling you¡¯ll be extremely grateful to me . " " . . . ugh, fine . Who am I going with?" "The Eternal Maiden . " " . . . . Ally?" Hannah mumbled in disbelief, slumping back on her chair . "W-what?" "Yeah," E nodded, still smiling . "It will give you two a chance to catch up . Though, I¡¯ve a feeling Lucky will also be there, so you might want to pretend you don¡¯t know her . " " . . . Ally doesn¡¯t want to even see me," Hannah frowned . "How do you propose we get her to apany me? Kidnap her?" "Leave that part to me," E said . "You just get prepared . You should be departing in a week . " " . . . alright . " Hannah shrugged, a faint smile creeping on her lips . "How are you anyway? How¡¯s little Criador?" "Oh, he¡¯s already slowly beginning to walk," E eximed with a surge of pride apparent on her face . "And he can almost string a sentence together!" "Oh wow! You got a genius right there!" "Yeah, just wait till you have one," E¡¯s smile turned into a smirk . "You¡¯ll truly have a genius . " "You love Lino and you adore me," Hannah said . "Do you really think you¡¯ll have heart to make fun of our kid?" " . . . so, I¡¯ll be seeing you . " "Ha ha ha, alright . Stay safe . " "You too . " Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, inside a rather luxurious-looking mansion decorated with several rose gardens and even a narrow stream cutting through, Alison was sitting with her head lowered in front of an honest-looking man who was currently inspecting a strange, spherical item . Former would asionally nce up, wondering why she was called in to see the Arch Patriarch, whether she did something wrong and how she would be punished . The silent went on, however, for hours . In time, Alison managed to rx, even eventually brewing herself a pot of tea and having a brief fruit-snack . Atmosphere eased, though no words were yet spoken . "Do you know what this is?" startled, Alison suddenly opened her eyes and sat upright, inwardly berating herself for rxing . Alex stretched out his arm and held the spherical object in front of Alison¡¯s eyes who inspected it momentarily before shaking her head . "No, I¡¯m sorry Master . What is it?" Alison asked back . "I don¡¯t know either," Alex chuckled faintly . "Sword Maiden gave it to me yesterday in exchange for a favor . ording to her, I¡¯ll learn what it is when I need it the most . As mysterious as ever, that woman . Anyway," he set the sphere down and looked deeply into Alison¡¯s eyes, a bittersweet smile creeping up on his face . "I have a mission for you, Ally . " "Of course, Master! What is it?" "You won¡¯t like it . " Alex said carefully . "--my job isn¡¯t to like the missions, but toplete them regardless . " she replied firmly . "You¡¯ll be joining someone and journeying into the Prison," Alex said . "A w-- a dimensional pocket of space . ording to the Sword Maiden, members of the Cult have recently taken over part of the ce and she suspects their recent activities have something to do with that . " "Oh, of course!" Alison eximed joyously, wondering why he thought she wouldn¡¯t like the mission . "I have been hard-stuck for weeks trying to figure out any trace of them . Sword Maiden . . . she really is as amazing as the rumors im, huh?" " . . . well beyond," Alex said, sighing bitterly . "One day, when you¡¯re stronger and wiser, you¡¯ll understand it better . " " . . . who will I be apanying?" Alison quizzed, inwardly pondering whether she should ask her Master to let Luckye with her . Though the two didn¡¯t know each other for long, Alison had already grown beyond fond of the strange, sharp-tongued woman . " . . . that¡¯s the part you¡¯re not going to like," Alex said, taking a deep breath . "You¡¯ll go with Hannah . " "Which Han---no . " . "Ally--" "No!!" she screamed out, corners of her eyes growing teary quickly . "H-how can you even suggest that, Master?! She betrayed us!! She betrayed our entire Sect!!" "Calm down, Alison . " Alex waved his arm gently, causing Alison to suddenly feel a surge of weakness stream from within her, forcing her to sit back down . "I am well aware of what she had done, and I understand you are hurt . . . but so am I . I had taken her under my wing since she was a child, and watched her grow into a splendid young woman . But, Sword Maiden demanded it be Hannah; I do not know why . Perchance it is because the Empyrean is simrly interested in the Cult but otherwise upied, or perchance because Hannah asked her -- I cannot say . Regardless of the reasons, however, it¡¯s imperative you join her . " " . . . why?" Alison asked weakly, nearing tears once more . "Precisely because it¡¯s Hannah, Ally," Alex said . "No matter what she did in the past, she is still your big sister . I¡¯ve no doubt in my heart she still cares very much for you . In extension, she is also the closest person to the Empyrean . He had once more fell into a lull, barely making a sound; I very much doubt he just decided to step away from the conflict . If possible, I¡¯d like you to learn of his recent activities . If not, then at the very least I hope this journey will offer you closure your heart needs . " " . . . " Alison didn¡¯t say anything, merely staring at Alex with her bloodshot eyes for a moment before nodding, getting up and leaving . Thetter gazed at her fading back with aplex expression, ncing sideways where E suddenly materialized from seemingly nowhere . " . . . I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m risking her already . " Alex sighed weakly, reaching into his void world and taking out a transparent, misty sort of liquid . "It¡¯s the right thing to do," E said, ncing at him . "She¡¯s strong enough . " "You really won¡¯t give me a reason why it had to be Alison?" " . . . nope . " E smirked, sitting down and taking a sip of the liquid . "Ah, I missed this . . . " "What¡¯s the Empyrean up to?" Alex asked . "No idea," E shrugged . "Off on one of his asional outings, I suppose . " "You¡¯re not keeping an eye out on him?" " . . . there¡¯s no need," E smiled mysteriously for a moment, putting the misty bottle down and getting up . "He¡¯s figured out the gears already . Anyway, it was a pleasure as always Alex . We should really get together one time and do a fine, family dinner . " "Perhaps, if we¡¯re still among the living," Alex said, getting up as well . "Offer me onest courtesy?" "What is it?" E nced at him . "Just how strong are you already?" Alex asked . "I can¡¯t ready . . . anything, E . Not even your name . " " . . . not strong enough just yet," E mumbled faintly, sighing . "Go back to your family, Alex . Lay low for the time being . " " . . . " Alex didn¡¯t say anything as he watched her disappear in front of his eyes . Just a few years ago, he could still match her in a fight -- perhaps even defeat her if cards were set correctly . Just a few years ago . . . and now, now he couldn¡¯t even begin to see the cloud she was on . He even suspected momentarily she had underwent the Origin Awakening, though he quickly dispensed the thought . Even with her insane talent, he mused, that -- if even an option -- was still centuries away from happening . Chapter 358 Chapter 358 CHAPTER 358 TO TAME TIME . There was neither a beginning nor an end to it, not even aplete edge to be found binding two objects together . All around space wrung itself around a rotating axis in spinning half-circles, ovepping in a strange fashion; at points where it ought to cross and collide, it instead phased right through and went onward . Waves of thin threads spun around like spider webs, bounding around the squirming space . Within boundless cast of matter and energy, surrounded by writhing realities, Lino floated freely, stroking his chin . He¡¯d arrived here just a moment ago, yet he had a hard time pinpointing exactly where he was . After all, just a few seconds ago he was still staying within the City of Gods, reading through an assortment of books depicting their findings when he sensed a massive spike in time dtion . Right after he ripped open space in front of him and dove straight through into the heart of the anomaly -- winding up here . As to where that ¡¯here¡¯ was, it was difficult to say; even Chaos Qi was unable to pierce through to the other side, while his Will was entirely restricted to merely his skin and not even an inch further . He easily spotted the anomaly, however; while everything around him seemed to be entirely chaotic and random, that was hardly the case . Space, and all it was made up, did indeed worm around in strange ways, but it always did so clockwise . Among the sea of exact behavioral replicas, however, was one that stood out -- a small ball, the size of his fingernail, distorting and ripping along its trajectory, all the while rotating counterclockwise . This rotation caused a direct sh with its surroundings, creating a domino-like effect on the rest, creating a time dtion . Around the small ball, within a radius that was several metersrge, time was twice as slow as where Lino stood . This effect rippled out for hundreds of miles as far as Lino could tell, though to a much lesser extent where barely anyone could spot it, and even then only if they were specifically looking for it . Despite the ratherrge distortion at the center, there was no grand-scale effects on the world atrge . Yet, nheless, this reality was worrying . This was merely one dtion that Lino happened to spot and quickly react to . How many more have passed him by without him ever noticing? Hundreds? Thousands? He couldn¡¯t even begin to count . He whipped out a talisman from his bag and lit it up . A small parchment of paper burned out in crimson glory, its shimmering light vanishing into thin bits of ash and smoke . Lino waited for a few minutes before he was joined by another figure . Amadeel appeared right by his side, quickly ncing around, frowning . " . . . when did you discover it?" he asked . "A few minutes ago," Lino replied . "Purely by ident . " " . . . I¡¯ve seen this one before . " "You have?" "Hm," Amadeel nodded . "About two hundred thousand years ago, if I recall correctly . Back then, however, dtion was merely a few seconds, and it only affect at most a meter around the ball . " "External feeding or internal feedback loop?" Lino mumbled . "Can¡¯t tell," Amadeel sighed, floating over toward the ball yet daring note too close, let alone touch it . "Can you inspect the ball?" "No," Lino shook his head . "All I get are big-ass question marks . I can¡¯t even discern the material it was made out of . " "It¡¯s coated in the shedding remnants of time," Amadeel said . "Insides are probably made entirely out of iron as it¡¯s the most stable . " "Where are we?" Lino asked . "Somewhere above the Cold Expanse," Amadeel replied . "Why?" "Where was this dtion thest time you saw it?" "Edge of the World . " Amadeel said . "We can¡¯t trace its trajectory without the third point, and we can¡¯t stay here much longer to follow it . " " . . . I may havee up with a way to do something . . . though, just a fair warning, it¡¯s a bit insane . " "An Empyrean saying something is insane? Huh, I¡¯m half-curious and half-terrified . What did you have in mind?" his silver eyes shed briefly as he nced at Lino . "Two things -- I may be able to fashion an item that can withstand the erosion of time long enough for us to trace the ball¡¯s trajectory," Lino said . "Or, create an item that would allow us to rip the ball out of the Timeline entirely . " " . . . yeah, you said it was a bit insane . I should have trusted you . " Amadeel said, taking a deep breath . "You do know the risks of something like that, don¡¯t you?" "Yeah, if we fuck up, we die," Lino shrugged . "But, is it any different than my everyday life? Besides, I may not be confident in fighting with whoever is creating the dtion, but by god when ites to crafting, no one can outwit me . " " . . . this doesn¡¯t seem to be a spur-of-the-moment idea . " Amadeelmented as he spotted confidence in Lino¡¯s eyes . "What brought it on?" "I¡¯m currently visiting Gods," Lino replied . "And they¡¯ve really managed to open my eyes . " " . . . you¡¯ve learned of Earth?" "You know about it?" Lino nced at him, eximing softly . " . . . I may be an old, unsuspecting man that you¡¯re taking for granted, but I am the Chronomancer, Lino . Save for perhaps the Founding Members of the Descent, Gaia and Ataxia, I may be the most knowledgeable soul in the world . " " . . . huh, is that so?" Lino chuckled faintly, suddenly taking out a chunk of a strange, metal-like material ttened into a ne, dyed in odd ck . "You know what this is?" " . . . . . " "God, I love these moments, ha ha ha ha . . . " " . . . w-what is it?" Amadeel asked awkwardly, scratching his nose . "It¡¯s a prototype material," Lino said . "I¡¯ve read about it one of the books . It was the most resilient material know to humans on Earth -- graphene . The original design, however, wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure time-erosion for a prolonged period, but after tinkering with it for a bit, I may have just made it possible . I¡¯ve embedded a tracking-talisman into the core," Lino said, letting go of the small ne as it began floating along the current of time . "It¡¯s a temporary solution as the talisman only has enough energy to transmit its location for about six months, but if the material remainsrgely intact after six months . . . it should prove capable of doing either of my ideas . " " . . . for an Empyrean, you certainly like reading a lot . " Amadeel said, his gaze following the floating object that began disappearing . "Though I perhaps know more, you seem to know what is needed in an exact moment . I wasn¡¯t wrong to seek your help . " "How are things in the fortress?" Lino asked . "Rtively calm," Amadeel replied . "Now that you¡¯ve picked up all the overshadowing talents, we¡¯ve got a lot of hard-workers trying to prove themselves . " "We? Oh my," Lino grinned . "Looks like I managed to steal you after all . " "Or I might be ying you . Who knows?" "Does the fortressck anything?" "Not yet," Amadeel said . "But, despite hisck ofints, Master Eggor is overworked . And weck any form of actual defenses past the Sword Maiden . " " . . . Eggor will stop when he needs to stop, don¡¯t worry about him . " Lino said . "As far as the defenses go . . . quite frankly, I don¡¯t think we need anything more than E . But, we¡¯ve held back on showing her off so far, so we may as well continue . I¡¯ll figure something out . Would a Prime do?" "Ha ha ha, well certainly . A Prime is a great deterrent, but where can you possibly find one?" Amadeel asked . "I¡¯ve one in my pocket . " Lino replied . "Of course you do . " "I¡¯ll see if I can make a quick trip to the fortress once I return to the smithy," Lino said . "Right, can you tell me anything about the Void Cult?" "Secretive, cunning, low-brow . . . my conjecture is that they¡¯re trying to set themselves up as a contender to the Descent . " Amadeel said . "Are they?" "Good god no," he chuckled, ncing at Lino . "Most of the current generations don¡¯t even have a whiff of a clue as to just how strong the Descent is . Their fearse from stories and tales, with newer generations believing fewer and fewer of them . It should tell you something, however, that thest time Descent showed a sliver of its actual strength was over a billion years ago . . . yet that dread still lives on . " "Are they a threat?" Lino asked . "Void Cult, I mean . Apparently they were behind that fire in Celeste . " " . . . a threat? Hardly . Mostly a nuisance . If you¡¯d like, I could bring you some of their members that I¡¯m familiar with . " "No, no need," Lino shook his head, sighing . "You just focus on locating anomalies and trying to trace them . By my estimates, if I could know the position of at least twenty-two of them, I should be able to locate crossing points they all share . It won¡¯t give us a location of source or anything, but it will narrow it down . " " . . . it seems we have at least one thing inmon . " Amadeel said, turning around and slowly vanishing . "Yeah? What¡¯s that . " "We both act the role of clowns in the world of the sages . " Amadeel smiled as Lino grinned back at him, shaking his head helplessly . I used to bitch and moan whenever those old bastards gave me cryptic answers, he mused inwardly, ncing at the vanishing ball and the object he threw out onest time before disappearing . Yet, now I¡¯m the same . Ah, the cycle continues . . . Chapter 359 Chapter 359 CHAPTER 359 BECKONED BACK TOGETHER He didn¡¯t know how long has hein bare in this mouth of madness, his skin having already peeled halfway through, sted away by the burning, unrelenting sun far above . He didn¡¯t know how many cries, howls and roars beckoned at his mind, some his own, some not . Perchance it be a number he wasn¡¯t even familiar with . So high, so mighty, so long that it would take him weeks to recite it . He had already forgotten the world outside his own tiny corner, world beyond these iron bars, world beyond a hanging cage in the middle of the sky . He¡¯d already forgotten what it felt like not to look down and see a sea of fire and thunder, forgotten the shape of a tree, of a flower, or the sounds of the river . Memories are fickle, and they vanish . No matter how hard one clings onto them, they turn into shifty blurs until, one day, they are reced with something else entirely as to preserve a faint trace of sanity in one¡¯s mind . It was the same sort of a tale for him . He believed he once had a family, yet doubted it; he believed he once believed in happiness, yet he questioned it; he believed his name once mattered to at least someone, yet he wondered; he believed he once had a name . . . His crimson eyes trembled underneath his thick, bushy brows . Looking outside was the same . Cries were the same . Angry roars filled with curses of the neers were the same . Scent was the same . Just as yesterday . Just as the day before . Just as always, as far back as his dented memories go . How far back? He couldn¡¯t say . Time was difficult to hold onto when one is being clutched at with searing iron, branded like a dog, whipped andshed like a toy, mocked, beaten, tortured, driveled into insanity . He, too, had gone mad . Justst night, he presumed, he¡¯d woken from a nightmare within which he was eating fresh food, drinking fresh water, living outside the forlorn bars . Twitching, he crawled over to the other end of the cage and dumped his head into a small bowl . It was worms, water and grass again -- a feast! He nearly cried out in joy, heaving the bowl over his head and devouring its contents in one go . He didn¡¯t seem to care that the worms were still alive, wiggling down his throat and into his abdomen . Rather, he enjoyed the sensation . Among many he¡¯d experienced here, it was the least painful one . After finishing, he retreated back into the solitary corner, ncing out of the cage into the open sky where, from the falling chains reaching into the above nothingness, thousands, tens of thousands of cages hung . And that was all he could see; perhaps, this was merely a tiny corner, like the one he hung onto in his cage, and there was a whole new sea of them somewhere out there . The newer ones still refused to eat, he mused . They were filled with strength and energy, in vain delusion that their Qi would keep them satisfied till the end of time . He wanted to shout at their stupidity, but didn¡¯t wish to waste his energy; next meal wouldn¡¯t be for a while, after all . He¡¯d done it before, many times, trying to warn the neers . . . but none ever listened . Hardly a soul thrown into this ce wasn¡¯t an ego-maniac, a proud creature believing nothing and no one can reign them in . But, one day, all of them break . One by one they would fall onto their knees, and one by one they would die . Yet, he lived on . He didn¡¯t know how or why, but he did . Perhaps it was in his bones to live, perhaps he merely desired to see the outside world one more time, and perhaps it was something else entirely . He didn¡¯t truly care; soon enough, he¡¯d already realized, he would cease believing there was a world out there in the first ce . Perhaps he¡¯d imagined there was, and he was here since his birth . Innumerable opportunities were there and his nigh-broken mind wasn¡¯t shy over indulging in any one of them . He closed his eyes for a moment, wishing to rest . Thinking didn¡¯t do him any good; he¡¯d expend too much energy on stressing himself out, which would in turn expend even more energy . It was a vicious loop that he had fallen a victim to many times before, one which would no doubt exhaust him to death if he wasn¡¯t careful . He looked out once more, just for a moment to settle himself, yet his sight had changed . No longer was there a sea of chained cages hanging from the sky in front of him . No longer was there a sea of fire and thunder beneath his feet . No longer were there festering gargoyles eyeing their potential prey from above . Instead there was a quaint stretch ofnd leading outside what appeared to be a round, rugged cave . Fire lit it up dimly, casting strange shadows over the wet, coarse walls . He didn¡¯t recognize it . Ah, must have already fallen asleep . . . , he thought . Oh well . . . He sat down squarely, too worried he might expend too much energy by moving around in a dream a lot . " . . . wow, I did not expect this reaction . " a cheery, woman¡¯s voice called out from behind him, startling him greatly as he cried out and fell over, crawling to the other end of the cave before turning around to look . His body trembled, his eyes widened into saucers . However, as his eyesnded on one of the two figures standing, his restlessness ceased . Her golden hair fell over her back like a waterfall, lean and smooth, her piercing, blue eyes driving straight through his condemning walls and into his soul . She had a worried expression on her face, her lips leaned down slightly, eyes blinking . "Is he alright?" Alison asked, ncing at Lucky . "Of course not," Lucky shrugged, walking over slowly . "Even I would need years to bring someone so far down . Hey, mate, look at me . " she snapped her fingers as she crouched in front of him, finally forcing him to tear his gaze away from Alison and focus onto her . "Do you know where you are?" " . . . " the man remained mute, his lips parting slightly with only a whizz sting out . Lucky frowned and quickly backed off as his breath stank . . . really, really stank . "Hello," Alison walked over slowly and sat down in front of the man, smiling brightly as she grabbed his hand gently and caressed it . "My name is Alison, and this is my friend, Lucky . What is your name?" " . . . I--I . . . don¡¯t . . . " the man stuttered in a broken, coarse voice, looking down at his hand . For countless years now, every time someone would touch him, he would feel a soul-deep urge to run away -- yet, now, he only felt . . . calm and peace . . "It¡¯s alright," Alison added . "Just take it slow . Here," she whipped out a bowl of water and put it in front of the man as well as a loaf of bread, slowly backing away right after . "Take your time . We aren¡¯t going anywhere . " " . . . . " Lucky watched from side in wonder and sighed; she certainly couldn¡¯t have done what Alison did -- not even close . "You really are amazing . " she said as Alison joined her, the two of them sitting in the other corner as the man gorged himself on that single loaf of bread and a bowl of water as though nothing else existed in the world . "I¡¯m not," Alison shook her head, her cheeks flushing slightly . "You¡¯re the amazing one . I can¡¯t believe you got us so close without being discovered . " "Well, not to brag, but breaking people out of prison is kind of one of my things," Lucky said . "So I fit right into this ce . " "You don¡¯t," Alison replied sternly, ring at Lucky with a frown . "Have you seen what they do to people here?! I don¡¯t believe for a second you are anything like them!" " . . . " Lucky¡¯s surprised expression quickly mellowed into a warm smile as she patted Alison¡¯s head . "It¡¯s sweet you think that . Anyway, are you sure we shouldn¡¯t have waited at the entrance? Will your friend be able to find us?" "S-she¡¯s not my friend!" " . . . alright, sheesh . What is she? Your ex-girlfriend? Did she cheat on you or something?" Lucky asked . " . . . " "Oh, wow, can¡¯t believe I was spot on!" "No . . . she¡¯s . . . ugh, I don¡¯t want to talk about it . She will find us, I know it . " Alison said, her mood souring . " . . . alright," Lucky said, deciding not to probe any further . "So, what are we going to do about him? He doesn¡¯t seem in any shape to be our guide . " "My Master rmended we find him," Alison said . "He wouldn¡¯t have said so without a reason . But, he must have been in here a long time . . . perhaps there¡¯s little of him left inside . We just need to be patient . Was your Master really okay with you following me here?" Alison asked, thinking back to the zing night when she got to meet Lucky¡¯s mysterious master; the man appeared entirely unassuming, yet she couldn¡¯t rip his image out of her heart . "Oh, please," Lucky rolled her eyes . "As if I have to ask him . The base principle of our rtionship stems from the fact that we allow each other to do stupid and crazy stuff all the time . " "Heh, really? What was thest crazy thing he did?" though Lucky wanted to scream ¡¯fight a freaking Dragon¡¯, she held back as that might have given away Lino¡¯s actual identity . "He decided to have a kid . " Lucky said . " . . . eh? Well, that doesn¡¯t sound too bad . " "If you knew him and his yet-to-be-actual-wife wife, you¡¯d know it is . " "He he, if you say so . " Alison chuckled, ncing at the man who had managed to slow down his feast, as though to enjoy the sensation of bread for a little while longer . A swirl of pain broke out in her heart; though she couldn¡¯t understand his situation entirely, she knew all-too-well what it felt like to eat proper food for the first time in a while . "Hello Ally," a familiar yet distant voice drowned the small cave as Alison and Lucky turned around and faced the neer; Lucky nearly screamed out yet, meeting Hannah¡¯s gaze briefly, managed to hold back while Alison immediately bit her lower lip, preventing herself from screaming out as well, though forpletely different reasons . "It¡¯s been a long time . . . " Chapter 360 Chapter 360: 360 CHAPTER 360 A NEW BEGINNING Lino sat inside a rather stuffed room overlooking a massive, fascinating city down below . Even after staying here for nearly a month he hardly got bored just observing the ongoings down below silently . However, it was high time he hollered back as he can¡¯t dy his ns much longer, especially with Lucky and Hannah now gone for indefinite period of time . Doors to the room swung open as a figure walked through; she appeared slightly more dressed up than usual, surprising Lino somewhat . Edith wore a fluffy, looped dress which pronounced her height, granting her an imposing sort of an air . "Oh my, miss Edith," Lino chuckled, walking over . "If I were not a man taken, you would have won me over just now . " "Oh Lino," Edith smiled wryly . "If only every single woman in this city hadn¡¯t heard that one before . " "Ah, what can I say -- women have always been my weakness . " "I was only surprised to hear a single one has somehow managed to tie you down," she said, sitting down . "She has earned full respects from the rest of us, I¡¯ll tell you that much . " "Everything ready?" he asked, sitting down with her . "It is," she replied . "However, it will still take a few months to put it all into action . " "It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re in no rush . I¡¯m surprised your engineers were actually able to build it . " "As am I," Edith said . "It was no small undertaking . However, with your help, they said it was easier than drinking mother¡¯s milk . " " . . . I don¡¯t know whether to be ttered," Lino said, his smile strained . "Or d I¡¯m leaving . " "Ha ha ha, I imagine a little bit of both . You have truly helped us . " "And to think you were ready to send me away . . . tsk, tsk, tsk . You gotta have a better eye for the peeps, Edith . " "Ah, I see; so you¡¯re the grudge-bearing kind," she chuckled, taking out several stacks of paper and handing it over . "Here is all the research, our knowledge, and the designs you wanted . As we discussed, we¡¯ll join you in groups . The first one should arrive in the fortress within a month . " "I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to pick you up," he said, taking the papers and putting them away . "I imagine our Formation Masters won¡¯t be too thrilled over having a whole another, far moreplex fortress to shroud in a slew of arrays . They might even start cursing me . " "Heh . It¡¯s cute you think the entire world hasn¡¯t cursed you out already . " " . . . ouch . But, also true . " he said, getting up . "When you get to the fortress, meet up with Val . She could really use some help on the bureaucratic side of things . " "That¡¯s the side we excel at," Edith said, chuckling . "Don¡¯t worry; our gratitude is like a fire under our asses . " " . . . yeah, I¡¯ll take it as apliment . Alright, see ya¡¯! Stay fit and thin, alright?" "And you stay your charming and annoying self!" the twoughed as they hugged, with Lino vanishing shortly after into a spatial rip with a quaint smile . Edith sighed and sat down, her lips curling up into an involuntary smile . She quickly went through the memories of the past month that Lino had stayed with them, slowly breaking down all the walls they had built up over the eons of time . "He left?" without her noticing it, Tim had joined her and sat next to her . "Yeah . " she replied . "Wow, what a bastard . Didn¡¯t even say a goodbye . " "He did to me . " she chuckled . "Of course, not the guy who liked him all along . Tsk, typical Lino . " he said, opening up a bottle of wine on the table and pouring himself a ss . "Everything ready?" "Yeah . I still can¡¯t believe we¡¯re actually doing it . " "I¡¯ve dreamt about it and even I can¡¯t believe it," Tim shrugged . "Well, at the very least we won¡¯t have to go to the battles . That was nice of him . " " . . . yeah, I think he wants his army to be intimidating, not embarrassing . " "As he should . " "What will you do now?" she asked . "Uff, I don¡¯t know . He asked me to found a group and begin doing research on thepound elements," he said . "While also keeping Qi and Laws in mind as potential fusion . I¡¯m just not quite sure who to pick just yet . What about you?" "Well, I still have a lot of things to organize," Edith said . "But, once we¡¯re all there, I¡¯ve asked him if I could continue being a professor and he made me a principal of yet-to-be-built university . So, I¡¯ve a feeling I¡¯ll be busy for a while . " "Better that than bored . " "Cheers to that . . . " Meanwhile, inside a small smithy on a small corner, Lino walked through the rip in space on Edward, Jack and Talleah going over some designs . They were entirely unaware of him as he walked up and loomed over them; the designs depicted a warship, causing him to exim somewhat, startling the three . "Where the shit did youe from?!" Jack asked, looking around as sweat barreled down his forehead . "What¡¯s this?" Lino asked, pulling up a chair and sitting with them . "Talleah¡¯s design," Jack replied after a short silence . "We¡¯re trying to minimize it and turn it into a potential reality . " . "Oh?" Lino nced at Talleah who awkwardly looked away . "I didn¡¯t know you were also talented in designs . How¡¯d youe up with it?" " . . . uh . . . " "It¡¯s fine," Edward chimed in . "You can literally say whatever you want in front of this guy and he won¡¯t mind . " " . . . you do realize I¡¯m your leader, right?" Lino asked, dubiously ncing at him . "Sure you are . Good job leader . You¡¯re doing great . We¡¯re super proud of you . " Edward replied with a grin, taking out three cups and filling them with ale . "Anyway, where have you been? We had to sit closed for nearly a month because of you . I¡¯m fairly certain everyone has already forgotten about us . " "They¡¯ll remember soon enough," Lino shrugged . "Anyway Tal, walk me through it . " "Uh, s-sure," even with Lino there, her presence still turned the scene ratherical; two dwarfs next to what can only be described as a giant of a woman -- she seemed more like a mother of two toddlers rather than an awkward teen discussing smithing with two old men . "M-master Eggor informed me that, uh, we still don¡¯t have a ship fleet, flying or otherwise . In my youth, I¡¯d seen quite a few ships as I lived near a docking area, and studied them to a certain extent . I-I mostly did it for fun, but then Master Jack found the sketches . . . and . . . and forced me to talk about it . . . " " . . . yeah, we tend to do that, sorry . " he smiled apologetically, turning back to the design . "This isn¡¯t bad, though . However, you¡¯ll have to hold back from making any further ns for now . " "Why?" Jack asked . "Some neers will be joining us soon," Lino replied . "And they¡¯ll have some experts in aviation that you can consult . For the time being, just start with gathering the materials but don¡¯t finalize the design . Oh, and also, what do you want to call the ship Tal?" "U-uh . . . I don¡¯t . . . I don¡¯t really--" "Of course you do . Just spill it . Anything short of naming it puss---uh, right, forgot you were still kind of a kid . Khm, anyway, what do you want to name it?" " . . . I . . . uh, I was kind of thinking . . . Titan . . . " "Yup, sounds good . Titan it is . " Lino said . "What are the rest up to?" "Ryt and Ion are mostly just training, while Vyena has been teaching Y¡¯sha scribing while also trying to brainwash her into being more indulged in the Empyrean Faith . " Edward replied . "Yeah, it¡¯s good that the two of them--- Empyrean-what now?" "Empyrean Faith," Edward reiterated . "It¡¯s when a bunch of us gather around in a circle and sing songs in your name . " " . . . you¡¯re joking, right?" "No, yeah, we¡¯re serious . " " . . . I was kind of hoping you were . " Lino sighed . "After all, I do do well in songs . My courage, kindness, humbleness, general greatness trantes well into odes and hymns and such . " " . . . yeah . " Edward looked at him dubiously, shaking his head . "Too bad . " "Anyway, Tal, go and find the rest of the kids," Lino said . "And tell them to wash up for tomorrow . We¡¯re going to meet someone really important . " "Uh--" "And yes, that includes you too . " " . . . very well, Lord--" "No . " "Master--" "No . " "Sir--" "No . " " . . . Lino . " "There you go . " he grinned as the young girl awkwardly got up from the chair, half-bent over as to not plunge her head into the ceiling, leaving the room . "Who are you gonna meet?" Jack asked, putting the designs away . "The princess," Lino replied . "I¡¯ll have to guilt-trip her into promoting our little shop or something . It¡¯s time we earned some fucking money, don¡¯t you think?" " . . . ah, I wonder how many people can so casually mention they¡¯ll be meeting a princess . . . and explicitly state it¡¯s to extort her for money . " Jackmented . "Who did I put myself under . . . " "I¡¯d suggest putting yourself under a woman sometime soon," Lino grinned . "We¡¯re gonna get pretty busy . " "Hah," Jack scoffed . "It¡¯s adorable you think I¡¯d survive being under a woman . " " . . . a midget joke?" "What do you think?" "Howe every time I make it I¡¯m being insensitive, but you doing it is cool?" Lino questioned . "Who told you you were being insensitive?" " . . . . . " "Nobody did, right?" " . . . . " "You just wanted us to tell you you weren¡¯t being insensitive, right?" Edward pressed . " . . . oh shut up and stop gloating . At least a woman can ride me without riding the life out of me . " "I¡¯d make fun of you, but I¡¯ve met the woman riding you," Jack sighed . "And you¡¯re one lucky bastard . I¡¯ll never understand how you got her . . . " "Eh, makes two of us . Anyway, I¡¯m gonna go get ready . You two go over our stockpiles once more and start setting things up . We¡¯re opening shop in a week . " Chapter 361 Chapter 361 CHAPTER 361 EXPEDITION TO THE PALACE Celeste Heavenly Pce was located at the heart of Do¡¯r, bounded by a massive, marble-cast walls heaving over thirty meters in height, ceaselessly spitting out faintly coral energy into the sky, forming a dome-like covering over the entirepound . The Pce itself wasprised of countless smaller buildings connected together through over-arching bridges tampered together with steel and ss . The centerpiece was a grand, golden-white structure sporting over twenty spires and towers, as well as nearly a hundred house-sized crystals rotating around the building, shrouding it in faint sheen of Qi . Well at the bottom, in front of the escting staircase leading to the grand entrance, Lino sat calmly and drank while the remaining youngsters, save for Y¡¯sha, were nervously prancing around . Even Ion and Ryt could hardly calm their nerves, to say nothing of Vyena and Talleah . This was one of the reasons Lino brought them along, as it was time they began shaping up their countenance . He had big hopes for them, which would be for naught if they froze every time they met someone remotely important . Two guards standing at the bottom of the stairwell nced at them asionally and scoffed, as they were all dressed rather shabbily . Two had no doubt their request to meet up with Princess Freya would be rejected, and were silently looking forward to kicking out the clearly poor sods out . It was roughly fifteen minutester than the messenger returned, running down the stairs like a madman and quickly passing the guards, ignoring their questioning looks . "Lord Divine Smith," the messenger bowed in front of Lino . "Forgive our cold reception . Please, follow me . The Princess and the Prince await you eagerly . " "Rx old man," Lino chuckled, putting away the gourd and getting up, patting the man¡¯s back . "The sweat doesn¡¯t do much for your already passing looks . Come on, tell me about the Pce . Kids, follow us and shut up . If I hear you so much as breathe, I¡¯ll kick you in the nuts . And if you¡¯re ady, I¡¯ll kick you in the bum . " " . . . . " Ion, Ryt, Vyena and Talleah quickly shot up to their feet and followed nervously while Y¡¯sha merely rolled her eyes and casually strolled next to Lino . "What¡¯s up?" Lino asked . "I also want to learn about the Pce . " she replied casually . "See old man? Even kids are interested . Come on, share the grand stories . " the small entourage began climbing the stairwell underneath confused expression of the guards; after all, howe these shabbily-dressed nobodies had the respected Maester covered in sweat? "O-of course, my Lord," the old, slightly hunched man draped in simple-looking, twilight robes said . "The Pce itself wasn¡¯t constructed from grounds up, but assembled from various Artifacts our Forefathers hade across . Nearly every room inside is made up with an Artifact as its centerpiece, which is why our studies of Cultivation Methods are so diverse and why most younglings from the countless Sects dream ofing here to study and improve themselves . " "Our library sports the greatest collection of books save for perhaps the Towers," the old man continued, calming down as he spoke further and catching his breath . "We have anything from old collections of Bard Tales and mythical epics to the more recent histories and theoretical publications . The Pce has an underground section that¡¯s filled with specific Cultivation Rooms and Martial Centers where we hold annual tournaments for young people to show their progress -- there are two specific tournaments, one where Disciples of Holy Grounds participate and one where they don¡¯t . Thetter, usually, is empty, as everyone believes that the best way to prove themselves is to defeat someone from the revered Holy Grounds . " "Do they?" Lino asked with faint interest . "asionally," the old man chuckled awkwardly as they reached halfway point of the climb . "Not often enough for it to truly light a fire under the world, yet still not so rarely as for the rest of the young to give up their dream . " "What¡¯s the age restriction?" Lino asked . "Twenty . " the old man replied . "So those two who¡¯ve nearly tripped themselves over like twenty times are eligible?" "As long as they pass the examination, certainly . " "When¡¯s this year¡¯s tournament?" Lino asked further as Ryt and Ion suddenly felt something get stuck inside their throats . "We always hold it two days before the New Year¡¯s Eve, so there¡¯s still a few months until it begins . Do you wish for me to prepare the necessary papers while you hold the discussion with the Princess and the Prince?" "If you could . " Lino nodded, smiling lightly . "Of course . " the old man said . "I am certain they will do well . However, I do have to inform you that there is a restriction on items -- they cannot carry around anything that¡¯s higher than their own Level, and no Legendary items of any kind are allowed . We are, after all, testing young¡¯s strength, not their pockets . " "Oh, of course, don¡¯t worry about it," Lino grinned oddly as he nced at Ion and Ryt who suddenly felt their souls freeze . "I¡¯ll personally ensure they get just the right items for thepetition . " "Ah, we shall part ways here, then," the old man said as they reached the top of the stairs where a massive, crystal-adorned archway awaited them . "Once you entered the main hall, head left . There should be someone there to escort you to the Prince¡¯s meeting room . I shall head off and prepare the papers; here is my talisman . Once you are ready to leave, please let me know so I can meet up with you and finalize your Disciples¡¯ entrance . " "Thank you very much, Maester . " Lino epted the talisman, smiling, and put it away . "Don¡¯t work yourself too much; enjoy life . " "Ha ha, thank you -- I will try . " "M-m-master . . . " Ryt and Ion immediately approached Lino as the old Maester strutted off . "What?" Lino nced at them innocently as they entered the massive hall whose end Lino couldn¡¯t even see; all around was just tiled floor, hanging chandeliers, and countless decorations, from statues to paintings . "A-are you really . . . gonna put us into thepetition?" Ion asked, somewhat nervously . "Why not?" Lino asked back . "You two are always trying to show off to me . I just gave you a perfect opportunity . As long as you two fight thest battle, I¡¯ll be super proud . " " . . . . . . . . " even Y¡¯sha gaped for a moment as everyone but Lino came to a halt . "What? You thought this was a learning experience?" Lino nced back with a faint, somewhat evil, chuckle . "Hell no . You¡¯re my Disciples . If you want to continue being that, you better show some results . Oh, and by the way, as far as the items are concerned, you¡¯ll both get a Level 10 Iron Swords, and some random hems Hannah made ¡¯cause she thought it¡¯d be fun to start tailoring . " " . . . . . . . . . " They didn¡¯t walk for too long before Lino came across a young girl, barely fifteen from the looks of it, who hurriedly greeted them and led them down a rather confounding set of corridors that seemed to have been made as such on purpose . The short trip was spent in silence, as Lino thought briefly about Hannah¡¯s and Lucky¡¯s situation, while Vyena, Y¡¯sha and Talleah asionally gazed at Ryt and Ion with pitying eyes . Thetter two walked with slumped shoulders, entirely dispirited, seemingly contemting their whole lives . "We are here, my Lord . " the young girl came to a halt in front of a somewhat small, iron-cast doors, stepping aside . "The Prince and the Princess are expecting you . " " . . . tsk, tsk," Lino clicked his tongue briefly . "Fifteen-year-old Titr . See this boys?" Lino nced at Ryt and Ion . "This is yourpetition . So you better step up your game . " " . . . " the two boys merely contemted crying bloody tears as they followed Lino inside . The meeting room was rather spacious, facing an open-end of the pce and overlooking a mountain range in the distance . Natural light flooded thepartmentalized room, forming a rather picturesque scenery . Light folded over various furniture perfectly, blending onto a line of hand-fashioned, clearly expensive, rugs . Even Lino felt a tinge of envy, picturing the damp, empty, cold room he slept in inside the smithy andparing it to living like the actual royalty . ncing sideways, he spotted two figures sitting around a slightly lowered-table on top of cushioned benches draped in velvet silk . Freya still looked the same as he remembered her, casting a sheen of brilliance around her that even the blind could see . Opposite of her sat a man seemingly in his mid-thirties, wearing formal, white clothes with golden stripes at his shoulders . He had short, golden hair parted at the center, low brows, clear, green eyes and squared jaw . Not only was he rather handsome, Lino mused enviously, but he was also strong -- Level 18,449 to be more precise . Despite that, however, Lino walked over casually and briskly while the rest followed rather awkwardly; even Y¡¯sha was no longer as indifferent simply due to the massive pressure the two sitting exuded unconsciously on their surroundings . Lino intentionally didn¡¯t shield them, as it was all a part of the learning experience . "Your Highness," Lino walked up to the Princess and bowed slightly before turning to the Prince . "Your Highness . I express my deepest gratitude for your quick reception and I apologize foring over unannounced . " "Though a surprise, it was a pleasant one, young smith," the Prince got up and shook Lino¡¯s hand with a rather starlit eyes . "As the matter of fact, I have been contemting inviting you over myself . I was only waiting for some tangible results toe from our investigation; I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m still waiting . " "No worries," Lino replied with a smile . "I am only d that most of us made it out safely out of that fire . " everyone, including Freya, gazed at Lino stunned as they couldn¡¯t recognize the man . "As am I . " "After all," he said, sitting down . "It wouldn¡¯t do me much good if I lost nearly all of my clientele . " Ah, there he is . . . save for the Prince, the same thought echoed across the room . "I hope you don¡¯t mind the kids," Lino added, seemingly ignoring the somewhat awkward atmosphere he¡¯d created . "I brought them along so they can experience some of the world . " "Oh, of course not," the Prince said, recovering quickly . "They are all rather talented, I must say . " "Eh, they¡¯re okay," Lino shrugged casually, much to the dismay and pain of those still standing . Master!!! "Pale inparison to your own . " "Ah, Idya," the Prince smiled proudly . "I found her myself when she was a child . The young pup bargained with me, actually; she would only follow me if I bought off the orphanage she lived in and ensured everyone was properly fed . " "Ha ha ha, kids are indeed the dreamers of the world . " "As they should be . Love, why are you so silent?" the Prince turned to Freya who seemed to be lost in thought . "Ah, I¡¯m sorry; I was just thinking it was such a loss, the smith¡¯s items, that is . " "Indeed, indeed," the Prince nodded somberly . "I promise you, Lyonel, that we are doing our best to recover the stolen items . And, if we are unfortunately incapable, I will personally ensure you are reimbursedpletely . " " . . . they¡¯re just items," Lino smiled faintly . "I can always craft more of them . Which is why I¡¯m here . " "Hm?" the Prince nced at him quizzically . "Due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to dy opening up the shop until now," Lino said . "Though I¡¯m afraid that my reputation had waned since then, which would make my opening day rather . . . lukewarm . I was hoping the Prince could merely send out a few whispers . . . for a price, naturally -- I will personally craft you an item of your choice, with my own materials . If the whispers are loud enough," he added with a strange smile . "Who knows, then? Perhaps you may even be the envy of the continent . . . " " . . . . . " both Freya¡¯s and the Prince¡¯s eyes shimmered wide open, as unlike those standing, they understood the implication -- and it shocked them to their very cores . After all, the smith who seemingly hadn¡¯t even turned forty yet had just imed he would craft a Continental item so calmly it hardly made any sense . Freya was far more shocked than the Prince, however, as she knew the ins and outs of Lino¡¯s humble beginnings as a smith; she was already beyond shocked with his progress in Cultivation, yet to think even his smithing hadn¡¯t fallen behind and, if anything, actually even surpassed his Cultivation . . . it was beyond difficult to reconcile . Chapter 362 Chapter 362 CHAPTER 362 PRISON BREAK (I) Three Goddesses -- that¡¯s who he gazed at inside a small, damp cave . There they stood, beneath a dim light, their visages ethereal, otherworldly . He couldn¡¯t understand, couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom where they came from, or why, or even the simple how . He could but sit and stare, woeful in his silence . His mind still believed it to be a dream, or perhaps a sh of joy before he¡¯d finally depart, yet, in his heart, he had hoped it was real, that it was happening, even if it be thest day of his life . Tensions within the cave were so high, Lucky mused inwardly, that they could practically be cut with a knife . Alison stared at Hannah frigidly while thetter stared back bitterly and apologetically . No one spoke; the two of them mostly trying to contain their emotions, while Lucky merely wanted to find out how long could they keep this up before boiling over . She wagered if it were up to Hannah this could go on probably until the end of time, though Alison was another story entirely . She was proven right shortly after, as Alison was the first one to crack and speak . "You certainly always knew a way to weasel yourself into things," Alison said, scoffing coldly . "I¡¯d only imagined you had a shred of dignity left . . . I guess you don¡¯t . " " . . . I don¡¯t think I ever had all that much dignity," Hannah said, sitting down and cracking a faint smile . "It¡¯s too exhausting . " "You have nestled yourself finely, though," Alison smirked . "Protected by both the Empyrean and the Sword Maiden; you must be over the stars . " "I really am," Hannah still retained her smile . "What about you? Who¡¯s your friend?" " . . . Lucky," picking up on the cue, Lucky waltzed over and shook Hannah¡¯s hand with a contemptuous smile . "I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a whore out there who could make Ally angry . You must have done some batshit insane stuff . I don¡¯t like you . " " . . . . " Hannah¡¯s eyebrows twitched angrily for a moment as she shot a re at Lucky who merely stepped back with a grin on her face . "Another foul-mouthed moron? Ally, Ally . . . wasn¡¯t I a proper lesson? Don¡¯t make friends with two-faced idiots . That tale never ends well . " "Two-faced?" corners of Lucky¡¯s lips twitched as she fired back without giving Alison a chance to speak . "If you mean loving and understanding, then I certainly have two faces . . . unlike you, vile-shriveled cunt . " "At the very least," Hannah fired back immediately . "My shriveled up cunt hasn¡¯t been seen already by half a world . " "Because the half that had seen it had died from sorrows . " "Oh my, I did not know I had such power; perhaps I should sh it to you so you can finally die . " "If it would mean finally never needing to see your wretched face, dly . Go on, lift that skirt and show us what you got . " "Rather than angry, you sound quite horny . Could it be this is ye old child¡¯s ploy -- those who fight love? Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I am a woman taken; look elsewhere . Perhaps thatd crouching there . He seems like he¡¯d be your type -- a breath away from death . " " . . . . " Alison stared in wonder, fear, and absolute embarrassment as words and sentences she never imagined leaving even the vilest of mouths were spewed out of two beautiful, graceful women . She had read horror stories before, and even enjoyed some of them, and had heard many-a-man curse and spew filth in taverns . . . but nothing, allbined, ever came close to what she had heard today . By the end, she had begun shaking, tears forming up at the corners of her eyes . It was only then that Lucky and Hannah realized something was wrong and stopped; reflecting, they figured they may have gone slightly overboard with their y . Though the two of them might have enjoyed it, Alison certainly did not . " . . . you alright?" Lucky asked Alison who quickly backed into the corner, away from her . "S-sister Lucky . . . I . . . I . . . " "Ah, I know; I¡¯m sorry, alright? It¡¯s just that seeing that face woke something very ugly inside of me . " "Inside of you?" Hannah chuckled . "That¡¯s adorable . " "Hey, shut it," Lucky growled . "Can¡¯t you see we¡¯ve already scarred her more than anything has before in her life . Do you really want to continue?!" "No, you¡¯re right," Hannah sighed, smiling apologetically at Alison . "Don¡¯t worry . We¡¯ll stop, alright?" " . . . h-how . . . how can you say all those things . . . think those things . . . aaah . . . " "It¡¯s because we¡¯re terrible people," Lucky replied, shrugging and sitting down, whipping out a bottle of wine . "As simple as that . " " . . . you barely know me," Hannah nced at Lucky, smiling wryly . "How do you know if I¡¯m terrible?" " . . . really? Like, really?" "Yeah, alright . " "Uhm . . . " Alison seemed to have slightly recovered for the time being, taking a deep breath . "L-let¡¯s just . . . let¡¯sy out a n properly, now that Hannah¡¯s arrived . " "Sure . " Lucky and Hannah nodded as thetter turned toward the man in the corner and hollered at him . "Get your skinny ass over here . We need your help . " "Hey! Be gentle with him!" Alison growled, walking over and helping the man stand up, pulling him over gently and sitting him next to her, never letting go of his arm . "You really haven¡¯t changed one bit!" "She was always like this?" Lucky quickly chimed in . "Why were you friends with her in the first ce?" " . . . should you really be asking that question?" Alison fired back at her with a faint frown and a pout, causing Lucky to chuckle . "Alright, enough of the nonsense," Hannah said, taking out a bottle of wine as she realized Lucky wasn¡¯t going to offer her own . "E gave me the most urate map of the ce she could find," she added, taking out a medium-sized parchment with fairly few explicit drawings . "As you can see, it sucks and tells us nothing . The best I could read is that the Submerged area is somewhere around the eastern part and that it¡¯s most-likely heavily guarded . " "I could easily go over and sneak in," Lucky added . "But that¡¯s about as much as you¡¯re gonna get from me . I caught a glimpse of a few beasts and guards, and they¡¯d all wipe the floor with my skinny ass in no time . " "L---uh, the Empyrean had given me these," Hannah took out a few, strange-looking talismans that neither Lucky nor Alison recognized . "These are like ordinarymunication talismans . . . except forged through Magic, meaning that nobody here should be able to detect them . This vile creature will sneak in first and use the talisman to describe the general outlook, and then we¡¯ll see . " "What happens if I get caught?" Lucky asked . "You¡¯re on your own then . " "No, she¡¯s not!" Alison eximed, growling at Hannah . "We¡¯re not separating! This ce is too dangerous, and if we get caught, we can¡¯t count on external help! Very few powers are willing to offend this ce!" " . . . fine," Hannah sighed, relenting in the end . "That will mean, however, making this far more difficult of a journey . " "Can either one of you two inform me what . . . exactly are we supposed to do?" Lucky suddenly asked . "I mean, I know we¡¯re after the Cult members, but . . . what when we find them? Do we kill them? Kidnap them? Follow them around and spy on them? What exactly is the goal here?" "Eeerh . . . . " "Seriously?!" Lucky eximed as both Alison and Hannah went mum . "Ugh, no wonder you two are friends . You are both idiots . " "Were friends!" Alison quickly corrected . "Yeah, yeah, that¡¯s why your eyes lit up like fucking stars when you saw her," Lucky said . "Because you were friends and now you absolutely hate her . Geez, you¡¯re many things Ally, but a good actor ain¡¯t one of them . " "S-sister Lucky!!" "Kidnap them?" Hannah proposed . "Yeah, gun straight for the most difficult one," Lucky sighed, realizing that it was probably the salvation of the entire mission that she had tagged along . "We have two options: make this a short-term or a long-term assignment . If we make it short-term, I¡¯ll sneak one of you into their area and we¡¯ll grab two of them and bolt out . The third one will be in charge of cover-fire, and we¡¯ll no doubt rock the entire world with a fight . If we settle on the long-term one, we¡¯ll set up a set of bases and merely keep an eye out on them for the first few weeks, jotting down their patterns: guard rotations, cycles, strengths, weaknesses, potential gaps, that sort of a thing . Hopefully, this will reveal some sort of a hole on their defenses that we can exploit . " "I-I know some . . . some good blind spots . . . for . . . for guards . . . " the man who had remained silent so far suddenly spoke out; he didn¡¯t care anymore whether it was a dream or reality . Whichever it may be, he felt his heart start for the first time in eons . It was a feeling he wished to hold onto for as long as possible . "You do?" Lucky, Alison and Hannah asked uniformly, ncing at him . "Y-yes," the man replied hoarsely, nodding . "T-their defenses are especially l-loose in-between the boundaries . . . S-submerged Quarter, uh, borders Hanging Chains and Gardens o-of Nightmares . . . t-the borders are loosely d-defined, and g-guards are careful n-not to cross into a-another territory . . . so they al-always make extra space . . . t-that can be used t-to find a good ce f-for a base . . . " "Well, what do you know," Lucky cracked a grin, patting the man¡¯s head . "You just might be very useful!" "Hey! He¡¯s not a tool!" Alison quickly reprimanded, swatting Lucky¡¯s arm away . "Thank you," she turned toward the man and smiled warmly . "If what you say is true, it will be extremely helpful to us . When we are done . . . I promise to take you out of this ce with us and give you a proper life that you can enjoy . I promise . . . " Hannah and Lucky remained silent, holding back on the sighs; they pondered deeply, just how much will Alison be able to endure this ce before breaking down at her seams . Chapter 363 Chapter 363 CHAPTER 363 DIVINE SMITH (I) An odd sort of tension hung over the gracefully-decorated chambers, with Lino briskly sitting and sipping some wine straight from the bottle . It was rather sweet, though he would be hard-pressed to answer where he got it . Whenever he¡¯de into any town or city, he¡¯d always purchase wine in bulk and store it . Even he wasn¡¯t quite sure just how many bottles, gourds and other odd storages were inside his void world . Freya and the Third Prince, Titus, sat in silence, their gazes slightly dulled due to having thrown themselves in deep thought . It wasn¡¯t Lino¡¯s proposal that stunned them per se as both expected it, especially Freya, but themanding and certain tone he used when he said he¡¯d craft a Continental-tier weapon for Titus . " . . . despite our best attempts," Titus sucked in a cold breath, his dew-green eyes shimmering . "It seems we have still underestimated you gravely . " "I get that a lot," Lino chuckled . "What do you say?" "I would have helped you either way," Titus said . "As we have failed to properly protect you in the first ce . . . but I¡¯d be a fool to reject a free Continental-tier item . " "You indeed would," Lino added casually, doubling down on the shock of the young ones behind him; the first one was that he nned on giving away a Continental-tier item for free, and the second one was the way he spoke to the Prince . "Though I promised a Continental-tier item, I hope you¡¯ll understand that there¡¯ll be some restrictions, particrly in terms of materials that I use; after all, though I like you two very much, it¡¯s not that much . " "Ha ha, no, I understand, of course," Titus replied with a faintugh . "But, if, and this is merely a hypothetical, you were to, say,e into possession of some rather unique and rare materials . . . what would change?" " . . . " Lino¡¯s lips curled up into a faint grin, causing Freya to sigh; of course, it wasn¡¯t free, she realized . Nothing with Lino is ever free -- she should have known better . He¡¯s gonna rob us dry, I just know it . . . she mused inwardly, though didn¡¯t say anything, somewhat excited to see how far he¡¯ll push . "Not even the sky¡¯s the limit," Lino replied, taking a sip of wine . "And perhaps not even the beyond . . . " " . . . " Freya could read the excitement in Titus¡¯ eyes clearly, causing her to sigh inwardly; the poord was expecting to be given the stars . . . yet, without even realizing it, he will be the one doing all the giving . "How long would it take you to craft something like it?" Freya asked . Lino nced at her and stealthily winked, causing her to groan inwardly . "It all depends on Your Highness¡¯ desires," Lino replied . "After all, I do wish to leave a good impression, and perhaps earn an additional favor . " You¡¯re still digging?!!! everyone, except Titus, nearly wanted to scream at him in anger, yet they managed to hold back . "Of course, of course," Titus fell right into the trap, rubbing his hands . "If you truly deliver on your promise, you¡¯ll have a friend for life in me, Lyonel . Whatever you need within my domains, you shall receive -- that I promise . Would you mind waiting for a moment?" he added, getting up . "No, of course not . " Lino replied, taking a sip of the wine that turned even sweeter . "If the young ones are bored, I can ask Idya to show them around, while Freya keeps youpany . " Titus said . "Very well," Lino nodded, turning toward the young . "You lot better behave, or we¡¯ll have a big ol¡¯ talk when we get back . You hear?" " . . . yes . " everyone except Y¡¯sha replied dispiritedly, thetter replying with faint excitement; though she spent the least amount of time by Lino¡¯s side, she easily read that look in his eyes -- it was pure greed, lust for whatever they can scam out of this ce . "Very well then; follow me children . " Freya and Lino remained silent as the rest departed, the former staring daggers at him . "I won¡¯t let you rob him dry, you know?" she said as the two were left alone . "Whatever do you mean?" "Oh, please, we may have not seen each other in a long time, but I know you Lino . Chances are you already have a Continental-tier item, and will simply try to get as many materials out of it as possible . " " . . . first of all, I said I¡¯ll craft one by his desires," Lino said . "Now, I¡¯m quite clever, but even I¡¯m not clever enough to predict what a man I hadn¡¯t met until today might want to preemptively craft it . Secondly . . . well, yeah, I¡¯ll rob you guys dry . " "I just said I won¡¯t let you . " she quickly added . "Wanna hear a secret?" Lino asked mysteriously . " . . . sure . " Freya replied, sighing . "Whatever I wanted," he winked . "I always got . " " . . . just how many angles are you ying? Not just here, in this room, but by simplying here?" she quizzed with a serious expression . " . . . what makes you think I¡¯m ying angles? Perhaps I truly came here to test the limit of my smithing talents . " "Yeah, right," Freya scoffed, taking a sip of her already chilled tea in an attempt to calm down . "Hell will freeze over before you stop lying . Just be honest, Lino . I already settled on helping you, and if we tell Titus who you really are, he will bend over backward to give you literally everything anyway . Why y these games and dance around the bushes?" " . . . you know, for a member of royalty," Lino said after a short silence, smiling quaintly . "You certainly are rather naive, Freya . Life is rather dull without games . Besides, I expect my identity to remain a secret until I leave this ce . " " . . . so you are ying angles . " "Of course I¡¯m ying angles," he chuckled . "What? Do you think I came all the way here, into the heart of thend that¡¯s hunting my ass, for fun? On a vacation? Of course not . " " . . . I thought you¡¯d have learned by now that ying people will only ever get you so far . You¡¯ll slip, one way or another, and find yourself alone whereas you could have had it all . " she said, her eyes glimmering in a strange light . " . . . age has dulled you," Lino said calmly . "It¡¯s a shame . " "No, the age hasn¡¯t dulled me," she shook her head . "I simply didn¡¯t forget the empathy Irgely learned from you . What happened to you, Lino? Your tongue was always vile, but it was honest, as was your soul . You saw people heart to heart and offered them the truth . Did the world truly steal that away from you?" " . . . you and I live in two entirely different worlds," Lino suddenly scowled with faint anger, surprising Freya; his Will burst out of him for a brief sh, washing over her body, freezing her soul for that quaint moment . She felt her entire reality copse within it, sweat breaking out of every pore of her being . "Do not be in such a rush to merge them . " " . . . I¡¯m right here . Why not?" she asked, recovering quickly . " . . . for the same reason I¡¯m ¡¯ying angles¡¯," he said, getting up slowly, his mood seemingly soured . "There¡¯d be no winner otherwise . . . just a string of broken, bitter and angry souls hanging off the burning chains . Tell the Prince he can send the materials to my smithy . " " . . . you don¡¯t have to leave," she said . "Sorry . " "No, I do," he turned around briefly and cracked a strange grin . "Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t get to . . . and that would, well,plicate things for me . " " . . . " Stepping out of the room, Lino felt a huge rush of relief as he let go of a breath he had been seemingly holding in for eons . Shaking his head, he put his hands inside his pockets and slowly retracted the steps, his mind in a spiral . "Why did you resist me?" a robotic voice, who had been eerily silent for a long while now, echoed out inside his mind . "Why did you push me?" Lino asked back in an indifferent tone . "It was a perfect opportunity . " Ataxia replied . "For what? To undo all of my current ns?" Lino scoffed . "ns that all lead you to the goal that was right there . " "Within the right circumstances . " "There will never be the right circumstances . " " . . . there have to be," Lino said . "And if there aren¡¯t, I¡¯ll make them . " " . . . you aren¡¯t now nor will you ever be omnipotent," Ataxia said . "Some things are even out of our hands of control, Lino . " " . . . you two are remarkably alike," Lino sighed . "I¡¯m half a mind away from asking why you never came together instead of plunging the world into a chaotic shithole . " " . . . we are nothing alike . " Ataxia said . "Really?" Lino scoffed . "Though I imagine for different reasons, you both seem equally anxious over finallymencing the end of this story . . . or the beginning of a new one . " " . . . if now is not the time, when then?" " . . . I told you a long time ago, Ataxia, that I will never lose myself inside the tidal changes of the world," Lino replied . "That if you wanted my help, it will be on my terms . If you want to reset, go ahead -- nothing is stopping you . Rip yourself out of me and find another scowl to wear your crown . " " . . . you indeed did," Ataxia said, seemingly relenting . "And I told you I would respect your wishes . " "You did . " "Very well . If you feel now is not the time, then now is not the time . " "She¡¯s left a mark on me," Lino said . "Don¡¯t remove it . " "Why?" "Because I¡¯m curious as to why," Lino chuckled . "She didn¡¯t particrly bother to hide it, so there must be a reason . " " . . . I know you fancy yourself witty and clever, Lino, but you are neither wittier nor cleverer than her," Ataxia said . "y the games with people as long as you want to, but be careful when ying the games with her and her ilk . " " . . . rx man," Lino said . "I¡¯m fairly certain I know exactly what she wants from me, and how she ns on getting there . Her throwing me off might only make this more fun than it already is . . . " Chapter 364 Chapter 364 CHAPTER 364 PRISON BREAK (II) Myrtiha, or better known as Land of Chains, was a world of inds . Graystone stood erect from within the ashen sea, turbulent waves repeatedly beating against the cliff shores, carving out rock in their wake . The sky above remained dark and clouded throughout, sparks of lightning and thunder repeatedly sting away, booming sounds shaking the world . Inds themselves were connected by massive, thick chains, each so wide twenty people could stand side by side on them . ck chains seemingly kept the inds close together, so they don¡¯t drift away on the tidal sea . Each ind had its own specific name, and each was divided in at the very least two separate sides . Alison, Lucky, and Hannah were currently standing on top of a rugged edge, bent strangely over and under itself like a loop, surrounded by thick and tall trees . Like the man told them, the intersection between two different quadrants wasrgely abandoned . There was roughly a mile of width to work with, helped by the fact that it was submerged within thick branches of the blooming trees . Though the weather did little to inspire joy and hope, it certainly helped the local nt life thrive . While Hannah and Alison were preparing a quick meal, Lucky stood upfront with the man, gazing through the half-circr hole within the looping rock . In the far distance, the ¡¯Submerged Prison¡¯ emerged . Contrary to its name, it was not underneath water . . . or anything, really . It was simr to most others, with two sections -- aerial and grounded one . In the sky, hanging off the chains wrapped around something invisible, were countless cages, repeatedly sted by wind carrying thick shards of ss and ice . Down below a fortress of sort heaved up, built mostly out of aged marble, with asional parts exuding metallic sheen,rgely gates and supporting beams . Lucky immediately felt her head pulsate with pain -- she imagined she wouldn¡¯t have a difficult time at the very least sneaking in . . . but her dreams were crushed quickly . From the first nce, it was seemingly impossible to sneak in -- the fortress faced the open sea on its back end, as it was bunched up straight at the edge of the ind, with its front exposed to a vast clearing without a singr obstacle insight that she could use to hide . There were in total sixteen sentry towers, six at the front, six at the sides, and four on the back . Though she was still to understand the guard patterns, she imagined the shifts were regr, and it would be difficult to exploit the temporary respite . As she was in no rush yet, however, she merely sighed and turned around, walking back, with the man following after her quickly . "Do you know if they have any sensors to detect underground movement?" Lucky asked the man . "Yes," the man nodded . "Every prison is built on top of a set of arrays dedicated entirely to scouting -- ground, underground, above, invisible, even spatial . " " . . . what the fuck?" Lucky mumbled, rubbing her temple . "Are they really that paranoid?" "They should be," Hannah chimed in as Lucky joined them . "Most of the worst from our world are locked up somewhere here . Not only is being a Prison Warden here one of the most profitable jobs that exist, letting a single prisoner escape pretty much means the end of your career . " "You don¡¯t see a way in?" Alison asked worriedly . "Not at the first nce, anyway," Lucky shrugged, sitting down . Their temporary base was wedged between a cover of tall trees and a side cliff Lucky just descended from, ensuring that unless one specifically looked at this spot, they wouldn¡¯t be found no matter what . "But, we¡¯ve just settled here . Ask me again in a few days . " "Do you have any ideas?" Alison asked the man with a warm smile, grabbing his hand . " . . . I-I¡¯m sorry . . . I don¡¯t . . . " the man replied . "If the goal is to just grab a few of them," Lucky mused aloud, grabbing the freshly roasted boar meat . "Can¡¯t we just set a trap outside and wait for them? I mean, they¡¯ve got to leave at least once in a while, right?" "Chances are that they have teleportation arrays inside the fortress," Hannah said . "To minimize the need to leave the ce . " "Eh, I¡¯ll figure something out," Lucky shrugged . "I¡¯m the brains and you two are the brawns . So always be ready to brawl, got it?" " . . . are you saying we¡¯re stupid?" Hannah asked . "Yeah, pretty much . " Lucky replied . "Well, you are stupid; Ally is just innocently ignorant . " " . . . I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t spitting shit out of your mouth considering how hard you¡¯re kissing her ass . " Hannah said . "Y-you two! Please stop!" Alison chimed in quickly . "What did you promise me?!" "That we¡¯ll abstain from saying the ¡¯c¡¯ and the ¡¯f¡¯ and the ¡¯p¡¯ words in front of you?" Lucky said, grinning . "You forgot the ¡¯ts¡¯ . " Hannah chimed in . "Ah, yes, the tits . How can I forget the tits? There¡¯s six of them just here alone . " " . . . . . " " . . . how does anyone blush because of that?" Lucky sighed . "Ask him . " Hannah pointed at the man who seemed rather intrigued by the girls¡¯ conversation to the point his eyes unconsciously drifted over to their chests as they talked about them . "That¡¯s a real man right there . Unabashedly staring without a care in the world . " "A-ah! I¡¯m sorry!" caught red-handed, the man drew back a few paces with a horrified expression . Lucky and Hannah stared at him dubiously for a moment, wondering just how many psychological problems he has developed, before turning back to their dinners . "At the very least," Lucky said . "The guards¡¯ levels aren¡¯t anything praiseworthy . If ites down to just booming right in, we shouldn¡¯t have much of a problem . " "We can¡¯t just boom in," Hannah said . "Though I don¡¯t know for certain, chances are they have arrays and formations to stop exactly that, regardless of the guards¡¯ strength . " "Yes, and besides, the guards that you can see are most-likely just there for a show," Alison added . "Back home, most of the official guards in the Sect are Disciples who failed to keep up with the curve . They¡¯re usually among the weakest members of the actual fighting force . " "Disguise as them?" Hannah proposed . "I have some fairly high-tier talismans for it . " "Even if we could, how do we get in? If no one¡¯s leaving, they probably won¡¯t be expecting anyone to return either . " Lucky said . "Maybe have one of us try and get captured as a prisoner?" "Too risky," Hannah shook her head . "We don¡¯t know the structure inside, and whether we¡¯d even be locked up . Chances are, we¡¯d be first auctioned off as we wouldn¡¯t be official prisoners . Distraction? Maybe cut the prisoners in the cages and sneak in during the ruckus?" "Can those chains be destroyed?" Lucky asked the man who had seemingly recovered from his previous blunder . " . . . I doubt it," the man shook his head . "There have been attempts before, a few times; one time, a Primordial Titr tried it and barely got a chip in . " " . . . what the fuck are they made out of?" Hannah sucked in a cold breath, ncing at the hanging chains . "I could ask my . . . khm, Master, if he has any ideas," Lucky said . "Though it would mean, khm, telling him about the fire and all . " " . . . would he know what to do?" Alison asked, the image of a strange man shing through her mind . "If there¡¯s anyone, it¡¯s him," Lucky said, ncing stealthily at Hannah who was secretly grinning at her . "Though I must warn, his methods tend to be . . . less than ethical . " " . . . let¡¯s hold back on it for now," Hannah said, noticing the struggle in Alison¡¯s eyes . "We¡¯ll call that ¡¯Master¡¯ of yours if we¡¯ve no other choice . We¡¯ve only just arrived here, anyway . We¡¯ll observe the situation for a bit . " "In shifts?" Lucky asked . "In shifts . " Hannah nodded . "Hm? What shifts?" Alison quizzed . "While two of us sleep, the third one observes . " Lucky exined . " . . . why would we sleep?" Alison asked, confused . " . . . because it¡¯s rxing? Fun? The reason to live?" " . . . he he, you are weird, Sister Lucky . . . " "Yeah, I¡¯m weird, you¡¯re adorable, and this third wheel is unnecessary . It¡¯s nice how all of us are something . " "Be careful," Hannah said . "You might just go from weird to dead if you keep this up . " "If it means getting away from you, go on -- end me . No, wait, I¡¯ll just end myself . I don¡¯t trust you have the ability to do it . " "It¡¯d be a miracle if you died, regardless," Hannah said . "I¡¯ve a feeling even death doesn¡¯t want you . " "Then I¡¯ll just stay among the living to annoy you . I¡¯ll make that my purpose in life . " "Aww, it¡¯s adorable you think you can annoy me . . . " "Uh . . . then what was I doing for the past few hours? Sucking on my toes?" " . . . aaaand you had to make it weird . . . " "Well, I am the weird one . " Lucky grinned as the two nced at Alison who had a rather dispirited expression; she seemed to have finally epted that her reality would remain this and that there was no point in fighting it . Chapter 365 Chapter 365 CHAPTER 365 DIVINE SMITH (II) A small corner within Do¡¯r that was just until recently hollow of visitors now saw a stream of them lining up in front of an ordinary-looking shop . Empire¡¯s important figures, ilk that had all they desired immediately, didn¡¯t seem to mind standing; rather, they all bore smiles and jovial expressions as they chattered freely among themselves . The dull, seemingly empty shop had also changed; now, upfront, on the first floor, was a disy showcasing four items inside a ssed cage . Of the four, only one was a weapon, with the remaining three being in row odder than thest . Everyone, before stepping into the shop itself, would curiously nce at the open stats, their fervor rising quickly as they swore to all they believed in they would get their hands on at least one of them . The item on the upper left corner was a pair of ws extending from a metallic, thick bracelet . Five fangs heaved over in a t arc, space between each individual one growing as they approached the tip . The ws had faint, coral sheen to them, seemingly aze when viewed up close . [Fanged Dawnbreaker -- Legendary] Level: 1400 Damage: Strength*Agility (tripled if striking a vital point) +400% Attack Speed +60% Hand Speed +20% to Agility, Strength and Nimbleness +60% to Damage when facing a humanoid -60% to Damage when facing beasts/fiends/primes +100% to ALL Bleed Damage Special Effect [Relentless] -- the longer the battle goes on, the bloodier it bes; the wielder receives 1% bonus to Damage and Speed stats for each 5nded strikes, capping at 400% . At 20% each strike has a chance to inflict ¡¯Bleed¡¯; at 80% each strike has a chance to directly rip out Vitality and consume it, healing the wielder; at 200% every strike has a chance to entirely ignore defenses; at 400% every strike, regardless of where, counts as though it was a Vital Point Special Effect [Fanged] -- effects of ALL passive stats of the weapon are tripled if the wielder attacks with both ws at the same time 4 times in a row (the bonus ends when attacks with both ws cease] Special Effect [Dawnbreaker] -- the wielder turns into a sh of light, appearing anywhere around their target, dealing 4 times the weapon¡¯s damage (10 times if attacking with both fangs); if a Vital Point is hit, the wielder may use the ability again, otherwise, recharge timer of 8 seconds begins Note: A marvelous creation for those seeking bloody and long battles, making those who wield it nigh unbeatable . The item in the upper right corner, just next to the ws, was a strange-looking ball with a dozen holes seemingly poked at random across its metallic surface . It glistened in faint crimson, spinning mid-air of its own volition, beams of light asionally flickering from within the holes . [Unceasing Thunder -- Unique] Level: Growth Type (matches wielder¡¯s) Damage: 0 . 01% of target¡¯s current Vitality (+0 . 01% per wielder¡¯s level) -100% to Damage from ALL other sources except this item -80% to ALL defenses when the item is equipped in the hand Special Effect [Unceasing Thunder] -- throw the ball in the desired direction; the item automatically locks onto the intended target and follows them until theye in contact . It explodes, dealing base Damage plus bonus based on wielder¡¯s affinity with Thunder Law; it also creates a wide-cast of lightning spanning 10 meters (+10 per wielder¡¯s level) that repeatedly deals 1% of item¡¯s total damage . Itsts for 1s (+0 . 01 per wielder¡¯s Level) and those stuck inside cannot leave . So long as there¡¯s no differencerger than 4000 Levels between the wielder and the target, the item (and its effects) cannot be avoided by anything . Note: A two-edged creation, if utilized properly can be an unstoppable whirlwind of death, yet can also doom the one who chose to use it . In the lower-left corner, resting silently, was a jet-ck, three-pronged object . Its base was rectangr, breaking off into three additional, hollowed rectangles from its topside . It was norger than one¡¯s palm, seemingly reflecting light entirely as there was no other color besides ck anywhere on its surface . [Midnight Prayer -- Unique] Level: N/A Requirements: Law of Shadows/Darkness/Void Indestructible Special Effect [Midnight Prayer] -- fling the item into the air above you where it will rest for the following 30 seconds . All Damage you take is instead stored into the object and absorbed . Special Effect [Prayer of the Dawn] -- fling the item into the air above you where it will rest for the following 5 seconds . All Damage you take is instead reflected in a ring-like inferno . If more than half of your Vitality is reflected, the duration is increased to 10 seconds, and all reflected damage is increased by a tenfold . Special Effect [Twilight Prayer] -- fling the item into the air above you where it will immediately explode, turning into additional extremities that you canmand with your Will; based on your preferred Law, the extremities obtain the element¡¯s attributes . Theyst for 60 minutes, cannot be destroyed, and can be used to hold corporeal objects, cast Martial Arts, and every other action ordinary extremities can do . Note: An object like no other, it provides the wielder with the flexibility that is difficult to find; perfect for defense, offense, and utility, with hardly any drawbacks . Thest item, nestled in the right bottom corner, was a strange, cylinder-like object . It extended outward toward the top and the bottom, its middle ridged into ring-like carvings, with daunting, golden patterns shimmering over its surface . The top and the bottom both had a slight dent at their centers, where an eye-like carving rested, eerily asionally moving . [Beholden of Eternity -- Soul Item] Level: N/A Requirements: Binds to a wielder for life; repeatedly drains Vitality that cannot be replenished 200% to Cultivation Speed +100% to Martial Art Masteries (200% to Blood Art Masteries) +50% to Law Masteries (100% to Laws of Vitality and Blood) +20% to Primordial Masteries Special Effect [The One] -- temporarily sacrifice 10% of your maximum Vitality to the Eyes to gain 60% increase to all your other stats . Besides, for each 5% of Vitality lost afterward, gain a shield that blocks 10% of your maximum Vitality (cannot stack) Special Effect [The Other] -- temporarily encase yourself in the Blood Well,pletely restoring your Vitality at the cost of losing 0 . 001% of Maximum Vitality per 1,000,000 points restored . While encased, you cannot move, attack, cast Arts, or be attacked . Special Effect [The Forgotten] -- temporarily sacrifice 50% of your Vitality to link yourself to a target; over the following 60 seconds, steal the sacrificed amount of Vitality back from your target, then additional 100% over the next 60 seconds . The link cannot be deflected, dodged, parried, or neglected, but it can be dispelled by certain Arts . Special Effect [The Last] -- temporarily sacrifice 99 . 99% of your current Vitality, turning yourself invincible to ALL damage for the following 8 seconds . During those 8 seconds, gain 400% to ALL stats, 600% to ALL Damage and 1000% to ALL statues inflicted . If you manage to deal damage equal to twice the Vitality sacrificed, restore your Vitality to the maximum; otherwise, restore it to 1% . Note: ??? Meanwhile, in the far back room, one split entirely from the reality others lived in, was a small forge where Lino was currently sipping ale and looming over an empty piece of parchment . He knew very well what sort of an uproar would the items on disy cause, but he had absolutely no intention of selling them . After all, those were the items he poured blood, sweat, and tears into to craft, dipping into the far reserves of his materials . They were all also incredibly powerful, and he¡¯d be a moron to not instead equip his own with them . They were simply there as a showcase of talents; after all, his smithy offered custom orders, and if people knew the extents of his crafting capabilities, their orders would match it . Though he very much doubted anyone will request a Continental-tier item as he suspected nobody could really afford it, he did expect a whole slew of requests for Legendary or Unique items, especially the ones simr to the [Midnight Prayer] . He¡¯d reserved thetter for Hannah actually, as an anniversary present for her when she returns . ws were intended for Seya once she grows stronger as she decided to copy Lino and also throw herself into Body Cultivation, while the [Unceasing Thunder] and the Beholden were still up for grabs . Unlike the ws and the ball, however, thetter two had some immense drawbacks to their use, which meant that he entirely excluded all the young and inexperienced from the pool . Both items required extremely tactical and brief usage, and he knew that most, if not all, young would simply overuse them . . . because he would have done the exact same thing in his earlier days, damning the consequences . Shaking his head as though to dispel the stray thoughts, he once again focused on the parchment -- the order from Titus came in just this morning . He had fulfilled his end of the bargain, not only showering Lino¡¯s shop with customers but also bringing over what can only be described as a hill of materials . It was now time that Linopleted his own end of the deal . Titus hadn¡¯t requested a weapon, or even a piece of armor or a shield; instead, he¡¯d requested an essory -- preferably a ring -- that can both serve as a void treasure as well as a massive help in battle . There were no more specifications beyond those, which surprised Lino; it seemed that Titus knew that the looser the specifications, the better the item, especially when it came to Continental-tier and above . Lino had been sitting in front of the empty parchment for over six hours now, pondering . It wasn¡¯t as though he didn¡¯t have any ideas when it came to what he wanted to do -- he could do something simr to his own [Heavenly Armor], binding all items inside the ring so that they can be summoned from anywhere and everywhere, perhaps even expanding on that idea . He also briefly yed with the idea of storingpleted Martial Attacks into the ring and then unleashing them when necessary, but he was still unable to settle onto one single thing -- that is, until he remembered a small, long-thrown-into-fortress-treasury item he had crafted for Lucky with Sarah¡¯s, Jack¡¯s and Edward¡¯s help . . . his lips cracked into a smile as his eyes shimmered as though aze . It was time, he mused, to collect the lifetime worth of favors from the Prince of the world¡¯srgest Empire . . . Chapter 366 Chapter 366 CHAPTER 366 PRISON BREAK (III) Lucky, Hannah and Alison had spent two weeks by now nestled inside their small pothole, silently observing, looking, seeking . However, even after full two weeks, all they had to show for it were mounting levels of frustration and restlessness, especially so for Lucky . She had always prided herself on being able to get into and out of any ce undetected, yet she also found herselfpletely stumped . The entire fortress seemed to be a locked room; nobody got in or out through conventional means, the guard shifts urred naturally without creating a potential window for something to go athwart, and virtually every entrance she could think of seemed off-limits . She stood once more behind the looped rock, her brows furrowed, as she gazed into the distant, cold stone . It was no longer a matter ofpleting a mission for her, it was personal; she had promised herself not to call Lino, or anyone else for that matter, and to find a way to sneak into the ce on her own . She hadn¡¯t even noticed that the man had joined her on the side . Even after two weeks, they were unable to pry open a name from his lips, though not for ack of trying . After all, potential eons had passed since he was thrown into this hell; it was a miracle he could still foster a thought or evenmand a movement, let alone anything else . " . . . hello . " the man jostled Lucky out of her thoughts as she nced sideways; he had recovered somewhat, regaining faint blush on his cheeks and luster in his eyes, though his body still remained skeletal . "Yo," Lucky said, sitting down and leaning against the rock, taking out a bottle of mead and pouring two cups full . "You ate yet?" "Yes," the man nodded, taking a cup . "You figured out a way?" " . . . no," Lucky sighed in frustration, heaving her head up and locking eyes with the high, ashen clouds . "If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d swear there wasn¡¯t even a way in, that there never was, and that the entire fortress was built from inside out . " " . . . do you know anything about formations?" the man asked suddenly, his expression somewhat pained for a moment . "A little bit . Why?" "I can¡¯t exin it, but . . . whenever I look at the fortress, if I really focus, I can see these thinly veiled threads bouncing off of one another, weaving into a strange web . And, each time, I get a feeling that something is wrong, or isn¡¯t where it¡¯s supposed to be . . . I¡¯m sorry . . . I wish I could exin it better . . . " " . . . " Lucky thought for a moment, scrutinizing the man deeply . Alison¡¯s Master, after all, had told them toe after this man specifically -- there must have been a clear reason for it . "Can you pinpoint where it feels wrong?" Lucky asked . " . . . no, I¡¯m sorry . " the man shook his head . "It¡¯s . . . too vague . " "Don¡¯t worry," Lucky smiled faintly . "That still gives me hope . Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know nearly enough about formations to locate their ws . . . and I don¡¯t think those two do either . Would you befortable if we tried to jostle some memories back into you?" she asked . "What do you mean?" "Oh, I¡¯m hardly an expert in the field," Lucky said as she got up, walking down the slope toward Hannah . "But, there might be a way to forcefully make you remember some things . " "If there is, I¡¯d be more than happy to do it . " "Don¡¯t get excited just yet; I can¡¯t imagine consequences being anything to scoff at . " " . . . it doesn¡¯t matter what they are . " the man replied with stone-cold determination, surprising Lucky . "I . . . I want to remember . Who I was . . . why I wound up in this ce . . . when . . . no matter what happens to me now . " "Hey, you two found anything?" Hannah asked as she spotted Lucky and the man approach . "Just a big old piece of nothin¡¯," Lucky sighed . "Can I ask you something that might make you ufortable?" " . . . are any of your questions anything besides that?" Hannah fired back . "Fair point," Lucky chuckled . "Anyway, he just told me something that leads me to believe he might be the key for us to get inside . There¡¯s a catch . " "A catch?" Hannah asked with clear interest; after all, hardly a soul would love spending days here, locked away from the rest of the world, living in the hollow woods . "He¡¯d have to remember first . " "What do you--ah," Hannah eximed softly, frowning . "And you think I can somehow magically make him remember?" "Not magically, but yeah, in essence . " "I¡¯m willing to do anything," the man suddenly added, spotting Hannah¡¯s reluctance . "And even if something goes awry, so be it -- it simply wasn¡¯t meant to be . " " . . . even if I could pull something out of you," Hannah said, sighing . "I can¡¯t be certain what that something would be . It¡¯s easy to make people forget things, but to make them remember something . . . " "Hypothetically," Lucky said . "How would we go about it and what would we need?" " . . . hypothetically," Hannah scoffed . "I wouldn¡¯t need much -- just a simple formation would do . Most of the heavy work would fall on his shoulders . " "Let¡¯s do it!" the man quickly eximed, his fingers bunching up into a fist . "Do what?" Alison suddenly wriggled out from between the trees, returning with a stack of logs in her arms . "They¡¯re going to restore my memory!" the man answered before Hannah and Lucky had a chance to think up a lie, causing both of them to groan . Alison¡¯s expression instantly changed as she looked at Hannah and Lucky . "Absolutely not . It¡¯s too unsafe . " she said firmly . "I don¡¯t care--" "But I do!" Alison interrupted the man, putting the logs down . "There has to be a better way than to dig through your mind in vain hope we might find something useful . There¡¯s a greater chance we¡¯d simply either drive you to madness or outright kill you . I won¡¯t take that chance . " "There might not be other chance," Lucky added . "But this one, Ally . " "Memories are too important!" she eximed somewhat painfully and angrily . "It¡¯s . . . unclean to temper with them . " " . . . what memories?" the man growled lowly, his nails digging into his palms, his gums bleeding from the clenched teeth . "I don¡¯t remember anything!! There are no memories to temper with! What does it matter if I live or die?! Not remembering who I am makes me half-dead already!" "T-hat¡¯s not what I meant . . . " Alison mumbled meekly, startled by the man¡¯s outburst . "Alright, let¡¯s all take a breath and rx," Hannah said, getting up . "You know the formations better than me, Ally . Is there a way we canbine a few or modify them to lower the risks?" "No," Alison shook her head, sighing . "They were drawn up after countless years of research, and they¡¯re the best we got . Even if I was ten million times more knowledgeable when it came to formations, I wouldn¡¯t dare tamper with them . " " . . . can you quickly draw one up?" Lucky suddenly thought of something, drawing attention to herself . "Huh?" Alison eximed quizzically . "Draw one up on the ground, or a paper," Lucky said . "Just to see it . " "Why?" "Just trust me . " " . . . very well," Alison said, taking out a somewhat sized canvas and slowly beginning to inscribe the formation . As she wouldn¡¯t use it, she was rtively loose with lines, mostly focusing on the intersections and overall flow . "Here . " it took her less than ten minutes to draw it, putting it down on the ground in front of Lucky and the man . "And?" she nced at him . "Do you see anything?" " . . . " instead of replying, the man took the quill from Alison¡¯s hand, startling her, and got on his knees, looming over the canvas . His hand suddenly began speeding through the paper, line after line appearing and countless more disappearing . A few minutester, the canvas in front of them looked entirely different, and eons moreplex; from roughly two thousand lines, it jumped to over thirty, bound together through four hundred intersections and eight sources of initial flow that never touched, rather powering entirely separate parts of the formation . "That looks about right . . . " the man mumbled, putting the quill down . The three women stared at him in wonder, as whether he was right or wrong, they certainly couldn¡¯t tell . "You sure?" Lucky asked . "You do know we¡¯ll be using it on you . If something goes wrong, it¡¯ll basically be just a long way aroundmitting suicide . " " . . . uh, I¡¯m fairly certain," the man scratched his head . "The formation miss Ally drew could certainly work, but it was too simple . I imagine it was done so to lesser the seepage of energy, but it also meant it couldn¡¯t process as much energy as necessary for what it was designed to do which, in turn, meant it would sometimes fail . " " . . . and yours won¡¯t?" Hannah eximed in wonder . "Eeh . . . I¡¯m not too sure," the man shrugged helplessly . "I don¡¯t quite understand it myself, to be honest . . . I just . . . it feels right . " " . . . alright," Lucky said . "Come what may, then . " "Come what may . " the man said, nodding; in his heart, he felt fire rekindle, a desire he believed had long since vanished from his bones . But, right now and here, it appeared anew, like a phoenix rising from the ash . There was a chance, however slim, that he would finally know . . . finally remember . . . what had he done to deserve a punishment worse than death . Chapter 367 Chapter 367: 367 CHAPTER 367 DIVINE SMITH (III) Molten mes zed inside the furnace, sting away at the resilient stone, causing scorch marks to appear throughout . In front of it, standing topless, Lino was carefully assessing the me¡¯s temperature, his eyes shining, brows faintly knit together . For the first time in his life he was using the mes Edryss gave him, [Dragon Frost me], for the entire smithing process . In his previous works, he¡¯d at most use it during the crucial parts, but would never use them throughout . The fire burned in splendid azure, yet despite its name was not in any way, shape or form chilly -- if anything, it burned hotter than anything else Lino had encountered in his life . Level 8000 mes were truly nothing to scoff at; they managed to melt the toughest materials he had within seconds, which meant that he would have to be extremely quick as to not let his poor materials wind up as ash or moltenva . Behind him was a rugged, wooden table, currently holding a variety of items, from small pieces of the ingot to gems, as well as several dozen parchments of paper strewn about seemingly at random . Taking a deep breath, Lino settled the mes slightly as he turned around and walked back to the table, going over the designs once more . The entire creation of the Continental-tier item was wholly different from the rest starting with the design part itself; whereas previously Lino would at most use 2-3 pieces of paper to jot down both the item design as well as the arrays, right now he had to work with over a dozen, each depicting specific part of the ring he wished to fashion . He hadn¡¯t even drawn up the arrays just yet as just the idea had given him slight chills; each would have to be of at least Advanced-tier, which meant literal tens of thousands of lines to be drawn in the long run . Shuddering at the thought, he quickly shifted his focus elsewhere, to the items . Though a few were from his own pockets, most of the ones on the table -- and in his void world -- belonged to the Prince who certainly wasn¡¯t shy when it came to giving stuff away . Each material on the table was at the very least Level 1,500 . It wasn¡¯t merely that they were rarer or that they were better conduits of Qi, it was that items over Level 1000 obtained an additional property -- the ability tomunicate with Laws . Usually, upon bing a Level 1000 item, they would quickly be consumed by a Law, making it so that, regardless of desires, that specific item would always result in its own, innate Law stats . Lino had expected to have to work tirelessly to nudge the results in his favor, yet who would have thought that at least ten percent of the materials the Prince sent weren¡¯t even associated with a Law -- meaning they were at least a thousand times easier to work with, as Lino could simply either impart the Law on them, or evenbine several Laws . . . or leave them entirely nk for the wielder to do it . As his idea, however, required specific Laws, he was unable to leave it to the Will of the Prince, though he doubted thetter would mind too much . For this undertaking, he hadn¡¯t asked for anyone¡¯s help -- not that he didn¡¯t want it, but that even Jack and Edward would at most be able to help with some initial preparations . He was half-a-mind away from flying over to the fortress and simply asking Eggor to assist him, but he resisted; the old bastard would probably p him and tell him to go away . Running onest check over the items before beginning, Lino took a deep breath and shut out the rest of the world -- for the following weeks, if not months, he would talk to no one, see no one, and think of no one . He would usually at the very least leave a sliver of consciousness attached to his void world in case someone tried to contact him through the talismans, but this time around he couldn¡¯t afford it . He had to be entirely focused on crafting, otherwise, he was certain the item won¡¯te out the way he wanted it . Besides, if it exceeds Prince¡¯s expectations, Lino licked his lower lip in anticipation, rewards might just increase . . . exponentially . Casting away the stray thoughts, his mind grew emptied as he picked up a small ingot and began his work . mes raged continuously, even when he wasn¡¯t using them . It wasn¡¯t as though that was necessary, but he did it nheless as part of practicing and further refining his skills with them . Though he managed to tame them, his mastery over them was still quitecking . Even though the ring would be small, Lino had to prepare a lot of materials as he basic idea resonated with something he¡¯d learned while he stayed with Tim, Edith and the rest -- to squeeze all the material to a high density, whereupon a small ring would weigh as much as half a whole mountain . This wasn¡¯t merely to ensure the ring couldn¡¯t be destroyed, but also due to the fact that such creations innately had far more potential than ordinary items; they were able to process monumental amounts of Qi, hundreds of times more than the ordinary items, and they were able to process it far, far quicker . This allowed for additional possibilities when it came to the cirction of Qi and how it binds to an item . In ordinary cases, Qi merely passes through the item, activating arrays which immediately transform it and expel it out of itself . Even still, regardless of how short this interaction is, it leaves a small dip in the item . That is why even the best ordinary items have an expiration date, regardless of how well they were made . In the case of high-density, however, the idea switches around; there isn¡¯t an immediate need for Qi to interact with the array, undergo conversion, and immediately leave the item . It allows for brief storing, maniption, and outright change that cannot be done elsewhere . This exact thing was what Lino needed for his idea; it wouldn¡¯t do to simply be able to process more Qi -- he had to craft the item so that thetter had absolute control over the Qi, as though it was a cultivator itself . To reach such high levels of density, however, was not easy; Dragon mes helped with liquefying everything, but they could hardly do much when it came to condensing it further -- that, Lino had to do all on his own, quite literally . Rather than to use any tools, he would have to use his own, bare hands as they were actually stronger and more resilient than any other tool he had . It would hurt, due to numerous reasons, but he¡¯d have to endure, time and again, until he couldn¡¯t make it any denser . He mused for a moment that, even if the item didn¡¯t turn out the way he wanted it, the Prince could simply throw it at people and probably break quite a few unsuspecting skulls . Taking a deep breath, he focused on the poor, steel bowl halfway filled with silver liquid . His right hand opened up into a palm as he slowly bulged his muscles, driving Qi from all over his body into it before suddenly pressing down . A painful, ear-bleeding screech red out into the room, causing Lino to frown . Liquid underneath his palm was zing hot, scalding him as he focused on repeatedly recovering the lost Vitality . Bit by bit, he pressed on further down the bowl, condensing liquid in the process . What was originally a palm-sized piece of ingot had to now be a tip-of-the-fingernail-sized-thingy . Cracks soon covered the steel bowl that could otherwise withstand a full blow from a Titr, causing Lino to break out into sweat; he didn¡¯t expect the bowl to withstand it until the end, but he also didn¡¯t expect it to break down quickly . If the bowl shatters, so will the table beneath it, and so will the floor . How far down will he have to dig until he condensed it enough? Had he any strength left, he¡¯d have pped himself in the back of his head for overlooking this simple fact . Right now, however, all he could do was offer prayers to the invisible and press on . If he stopped now, not only would he have wasted an immensely rare material, but would also probably lose his arm -- if not more -- as the now-solidifying liquid suddenly felt the bliss of having the pressure over it released, exploding out . Muttering soliloquies, hymns, dogmas, prayers, and even utterly random nonsense, he could feel the liquid turning into a solid beneath his palm . By now it has reached its original size, slowly beginning topress further under the pressure of his strength . Under that same pressure, however, was the poor bowl that had developed an eerie case of spiderweb cracks that ran amok over its surface . Just a bit further,e on dude, Lino screamed inside his mind, clenching his teeth as he quickly moved his other arm closer to his head in case it all blew up in his face -- figuratively and literally . In the end, however, the bowl cracked, its splinters screeching through the air, half embedding in the wall on the other end, and a half winding up inside Lino¡¯s gut . He swallowed a mouthful of blood and rejected to believe there was pain, still pressing onward . Just before the table cracked as well, into what would have be a shower of splinters that would scar him further, he felt it was done . Removing his palm that was currently smoking, reddened like blood, he picked up the small ball that was just slightlyrger than a grain of sand . "Well, that went well," he grimaced . "Now I only need to do it about a hundred times more . . . oh, fuck me and my ideas . Why can¡¯t I just do the normal thing like everyone expects? Fucking idiot . . . you stupid piece of shit . . . you goddamn, shit-eating moron . . " as he continued to curse out himself,rgely to help him ignore the fact that the pain in his palm was nearly making him pass out, he put the small grain away as he sat down -- it wasn¡¯t to take a break, but to figure out how toplete the whole set, and then bind them together, without turning this small realm into a pothole paradise . Chapter 368 Chapter 368 CHAPTER 368 PRISON BREAK (IV) Hidden beneath thick, tall branches and a rugged cliff was a small clearing which currently sported a massive carving on the ground . Bounded within arge circle with a radius of six meters was a seemingly chaotic entanglement of lines crossing over each other and looping around to formte a six-headed spiral which nestled away in a single thread into the center, creating a looping circle with thousands of cross-sections, all culminating into the dotted ring at the center with an eye-like pattern within it . Lucky and Hannah stood on the side, looking as though they were going to pass out form merely looking at it . Alison and the man carefully stepped through the circle, cing the finishing touches, ensuring they didn¡¯t miss anything by ident . The massive formation took them almost five days to draw up, without having rested more than just a few times altogether . Hannah mused that, even back in the Sect, perhaps only the trulyrge-scale formations outmatched this one inplexity . " . . . do you get anything from it all?" Lucky asked, shaking her head . "Only that it¡¯s a great way to kill a libido," Hannah replied, sighing . "Formation masters are . . . eh, quirky . Let¡¯s go with quirky . " "I was gonna say batshit insane nutbags," Lucky added . "But let¡¯s go with yours I guess . " "No word from Lino still?" Hannah asked in a lower tone, her expression briefly shing into one of worry . " . . . you¡¯re way too obsessed with him," Lucky shrugged . "He¡¯s fine, probably causing headaches wherever he may be as he always does . " " . . . I worry," Hannah sighed . "How can I not? It¡¯s not as though you don¡¯t know what he is like . " " . . . I worry too," Lucky nced at her, smiling faintly . "But, what can we do? He won¡¯t stop being who he is . So all we can do is trust him . " "Yeah, but I was thinking more along the lines of trusting him to meet other women or to, you know, nt a fucking orchid or something," Hannah said . "I genuinely do not trust him -- at freaking all -- when there¡¯s a role he fashions for himself to y . And there¡¯s always a role, especially when he¡¯s surrounded by people who want to kill him . " "He won¡¯t do anything rash until we return," Lucky said . "Only set things up . Would you like to instead to that busywork?" " . . . yeah, good point," Hannah chuckled . "Here theye . Shush, you fat cow . " "You¡¯re just jealous of my abs, you tiny stick . " "You¡¯ve clearly never seen me topless, then . " Hannah fired back . "Who would want that? It¡¯s just two potholes surrounded by bones . Ugh, just thinking about it makes me wanna vomit . " "What are you two talking about?" Alison asked with a faint smile, and faint hope, that they were finally getting along . "About how Lucky is jealous of the fact that I¡¯ve got bigger tits than her," Hannah said . "And a better ass to boot . " "Heh, tits I¡¯ll give you, but the only way you¡¯ve got a better ass than mine is if the beholder is blind and you bribed him with the rest of your shitty body . " Lucky said with a grin . " . . . ah, so nothing decent," Alison said, her smile turning pained . "You two are so simr it¡¯s a wonder you don¡¯t get along as well as twin sisters . . . " " . . . . " Lucky and Hannah remained indifferent on the surface, yet quickly summarized their rtionship inwardly -- it was indeed like that of two sisters . Always at each other¡¯s throats until an external threat imposes on them . "Is it done?" Hannah asked, dispelling her thoughts . "It is," Alison replied . "And, from what little I know of formations . . . it should work . . . maybe . . . probably . . . " "It will work," the man chimed in as he joined them . "It has to . " "You look ready to give it a whirl . " Lucky said, cracking a smile . "Anything we can do?" "Just don¡¯t step into the circle once miss Alison lights it up," the man said, smiling back freely . "Or you might start remembering things too . " "Sheesh, don¡¯t turn this into a horror story . " Hannah and Lucky said at the same time, shuddering; Alison nced at them strangely for a moment, once again realizing just how simr they were . "What horror story?" the man asked . "Well, let¡¯s just say I don¡¯t drink fucking cheap ale for its taste . " Lucky said . "Let me guess," Alison turned to Hannah . "Wine?" "Wine, ale, mead, anything, really," Hannah shrugged, smiling . "So long as it gets up there and screws things up . " " . . . aye, aye . . . " "Anyway, let¡¯s get this over with," the man eximed lowly, turning toward the formation with a fiery gaze . "However it may turn out, I wish to take a moment and thank you for freeing me . . . and giving me these few weeks of respite . Even if I don¡¯t live past today, at the very least I¡¯ll die a free man rather than one hanging inside the barred cage in the sky . " " . . . you¡¯re gonna be fine," Lucky chuckled as Alison and Hannah got swept away by the atmosphere for a moment . "Someone who can survive this hellhole for so long certainly ain¡¯t gonna croak because of some fuckin¡¯ formation . Now get in there and remember all the tits and asses you¡¯ve touched so you can stop staring at ours . They¡¯re not made out of gold mate . " " . . . " "Heeeh, she wouldn¡¯t be Lucky if she didn¡¯t take every single opportunity to make a charming moment awkward . . . " Alison chuckled bitterly, scratching her nose, as the man flushed red in embarrassment, turning on his heel and heading toward the literal eye of the formation at the center . Hannah and Lucky withdrew further back as Alison stepped to the very edge of the formation, crouching down and pressing her index finger into a small hole wedged into the bounding circle . Taking a deep breath and waiting until the man nodded faintly from the distance, she closed her eyes and channeled a very specific amount of Qi into the formation . As per man¡¯s instructions, she didn¡¯t do it gently but rather unleashed it into a raw stream that quickly swallowed up the sandy carvings as golden light filled the canals . Luckily for them, the shrubbery and the cliff above managed to contain the majority of the light, but as a precaution, Alison had drawn up a formation surrounding the whole area that took care of the rest . Along with the light, a low hum of a beast shuddered out as ground beneath them quaked . The golden light soon filled the full circle, which is when Alison stepped back and pressed her hands together in front of her chest, mumbling a prayer . The golden shimmer bound inwardly, quickly taking over the darkened wedges, loops, swirls and spirals . Gold was soon adjoined by a faint flicker of crimson halfway through, and then an even fainter coral at the very center, just outside where the man stood . As thest bit of emptiness was filled with color, the entire array shook and brightened, mes rising briefly, dousing therge circle . The man cried out lowly as he felt the sensation of being burned permeate his chest and soon his extremities . Rather than from the outside, the fires burned from within, seemingly desiring to burst out of his flesh and join those on the outside . The man¡¯s muscles bulged, but he stood straight, clenching his jaw to the point his gums began to bleed, trails of crimson trickling out of the corners of his lips . The tattered clothes he wore soon went up in mes, revealing beneath them a body nigh void of any muscle . His stomach was concave, his corbone sticking out above his dented chest, cradling into his apple-sized shoulders . It didn¡¯t take long, however, for the man to falter and, with a cry of anguish, copse onto his knees . He heaved his arms up and held onto his temples, looking up at the sky with eyes wide open, terribly red . Alison was half a moment away from breaking apart the formation before Hannah suddenly stopped her, pulling her back . Lucky stood on the side, her expression full ofplexities . The fire went on, though the man had long since stopped paying attention to it . It was no longer the mes that caused him anguish, but the surging,atose-inducing pain inside his mind . What his eyes saw wasn¡¯t what was in front of him -- but what his mind conjured up . Thetter, however, were images he couldn¡¯t understand . ck, swirling eyes . Beautifulughter . Fires consuming the world . Anger . Fury . Pure, unadulterated wrath . World bending over . Endless chaos . Famine . Pestilence . Dread . Horror . It was him . Not them . They knelt . Bowed . Pressed their foreheads against the stone until their skulls were cracked open . A woefully wicked grin . A sensation of pleasure . Loss . Grief . A breaking point . Madness . . . all around him, consuming everything, including himself . Madness in its most primal form, without make or reason . The image was clear now . There, beneath gushing, ck and white mes, he hovered . Crimson, glowing eyes . ck, feathered wings . A pair of cleavers in his hands . His topless torso bloodied . The hall around him consumed with strewn corpses, most iplete . A throne . A crown . A woman . Fiery hair, warm smile . He broke . Fell on his knees and wept . Chains . Anguish . Fear . Dread . Horror . The mes around him settled as his shoulders slumped, his arms falling at his sides . His dull eyes regained their vigor, the atmosphere around him had changedpletely within a fraction of a second . He had remembered who he was, what he had done, and why was here locked up inside a cage in the sky . A long ago, he had sown chaos across the world . . . and he reaped all he had deserved . He was Primul, the very first Human Empyrean . Chapter 369 Chapter 369 CHAPTER 369 DIVINE SMITH (IV) Lino sat in the corner, his shoulders slumped, helplessly drawing circles on the ground with his finger in vain hopes his mind will randomly sh with a bout of inspiration . He¡¯d spent the past six hours in such a state, helplessly searching through all he knew in an attempt to rectify the fact that he just might have to destroy this small pocket of space, and even then he might not get to finish the item . Nothing he could think of would work, including the brief idea he had to use his own body as a bolster . He quickly threw it away, though, as he¡¯d have to dig himself full of holes, and it might take him years, if not decades, to fashion the ring whole . It was put in the st resort¡¯ basket inside his mind alongside some of the other brilliant ideas he had, such as using his items, using Vy¡¯s body, the idea that the Dragon cussed him out properly because of, and, in the brief moment of agony, the idea to just give up and make the ring the normal way . However, giving up wasn¡¯t the way he did things . If it was, he wouldn¡¯t have made it all the way here in the first ce, so he buckled down and settled on doing it this way, or not doing it at all . But, as he really liked the potential benefits he would get out of doing this, he very much wanted toplete it . Taking a deep breath, he got up and started pacing around the room, thinking over virtually everything that even remotely had anything to do with endurance . He briefly fancied the idea of making up a non-existent array to transfer his Martial Arts onto a really, really hard rock, hence strengthening it further, in order for it to endure the pressure . As proof that he was far too gone in the loop, he hadn¡¯t figured out inanimate objects cannot utilize Arts for nearly ten minutes . " . . . alright, this is getting really depressing," a whiff of fire suddenly appeared in front of Lino in the likeness of Vy . "If you¡¯re that desperate, I¡¯ll help you . " "Really?!!" Lino eximed in happiness . "You¡¯ll let me hammer away at you?!!" "Fuck you! Hell no!!" the Dragon growled . "I already let you do it once, what if you get fucking addicted?!" "Psh, you¡¯re saying that as though it isn¡¯t the case already . " " . . . do you want my help or do you want to fuck with me?" " . . . can I choose both?" Lino asked . "Help! I want your help!" he quickly added as he saw Vy beginning to flicker out of existence . "Fine," the Dragon sighed . "I¡¯ll lend you an item but, and I emphasize this more than I did my daughter¡¯s eulogy, you must, I repeat, you must return it . No matter what happens . Or what you feel . Or think . After you¡¯ve done crafting this item, it goes back to me . Get it?" " . . . you know, if you didn¡¯t say anything, I¡¯d just naturally return it to you since you¡¯re nearly as big of a hoarder as Hannah, but now I kind of wanna keep it just to see whether you¡¯ll burn me to crisp to get it back . " "Of course I will . " "Well, I expected some sort of hesitation there seeing as, you know, we¡¯re friends and all . I guess not . " "We are, of course . But I¡¯d rather shit on your grave than give up this item . " " . . . wow . " Lino eximed softly, looking at the Dragon in wonder . "Alright, fine . What is it? Your goddamn dick?" " . . . an anvil . " " . . . all this build-up for a fucking anvil?!" Lino eximed angrily . "I can literally shit one out right now!! What the fuck dude!? You got my hopes up for nothing!" "Hey, fuck you, mongrel! What?! Do you think anything I hold dear to my heart is ordinary?! This ain¡¯t the sort you can just pick up on the side of the street!" "That¡¯s because they¡¯re somon no one would fucking bother!" "Why don¡¯t you see it first and then judge, you piece of shit?!" Vy growled angrily as he suddenly procured what appeared to be an ordinary anvil . Lino withheld his judgment as he approached the two meters long anvil . [Anvil of Creation -- Primordial] Level: N/A Special Effect [Creator] -- the First Anvil, said to be forged with thebination of 72 Origin Dragon mes, bequests the smith with ABSOLUTE mastery of Smithing and Creation . All stats of the created item are doubled for Continental, up to an increase of sixfold for Fiendish . A hundredfold boost to all smithing-rted stats while using the anvil . Special Effect [???] Special Effect [???] Special Effect [???] Note: Anvil of Creation, said to have been forged by abination of 72 Origin mes, is a treasure long thought to have been lost to the vestiges of time; absolutely like no other, since its inception to the present, it has not met its match yet . Lino stared with a gaping mouth at this seemingly ordinary-looking anvil, trying to reconcile the appearance with the absolutely insane stats . Drool quickly manifested on the corners of his lips, trickling down freely like waterworks, his eyes shining like the brightest stars . "Oh yeah," he moaned softly, touching the anvil even gentler than he did Hannah . "I¡¯m keeping this shit . " "Like hell you are!!" Vy growled immediately, appearing on the anvil and swatting Lino¡¯s arm away . "Aww,e on man!! You don¡¯t even fucking use it! What do you need it for?! With this shit, I can do whatever I want!" "I already said no! Explicitly so!! If Forefathers knew I was even lending it to you, they¡¯d rip me a new one!" "Who¡¯s gonna tell them, huh? I certainly won¡¯t! As a matter of fact, I¡¯ll step in front of all 72 of them and swear up and down I¡¯ve never heard of the thing!" Lino eximed, his desire to own the anvil mounting . "Are you even listening to me?! I said no!!" Vy eximed angrily . "If you¡¯re going to behave like this, I¡¯ll just take it away!" "Hey, dude! Aren¡¯t you my pet?! Aren¡¯t you supposed to listen to me?!" "Go fuck your sister!" "I don¡¯t have a sister . . . so topensate for that hole inside my soul, please gift me this anvil to warm me up . " " . . . no . " " . . . fuck . Fine," Lino relented in the end, realizing he could just borrow the thing from time to time . "You cheap fuck . " "Don¡¯t make me lecture you for an entire day over how much I¡¯m sacrificing by lending this to you . If you knew, you¡¯d be kissing my ws like they were Hannah¡¯s breasts . " " . . . literally, and I mean this with a heart full of love, never would I do that . Even if you died for me, solely for me, I still wouldn¡¯t do it . Nothing cane within ten billion miles of Hannah¡¯s tits . " Lino eximed sternly, forcing Vy to once again realize that the rtively mature human was eerily unpredictable . "Yeah, fine, whatever," Vy sighed, moving away from the anvil, yet not returning into the dimensional pouch . He didn¡¯t trust Lino . . . at all . "The anvil can withstand pressure equal to about a quadrillion of yous, so have away at it . " " . . . what the fuck¡¯s a quadrillion?" Lino asked with faint curiosity . "A number you can¡¯t possiblyprehend . " "Try me . " "No . " "Come on . " "Nope . " "Dude!" "Fuck off and start crafting . " " . . . tsk . Fine," Lino mumbled, walking over to the anvil and crouching next to it, caressing it gently . "Hello love . Ah, do you need some polishing? How about a kiss or two? Or do you need me to finally birth life into you since this fucker over there let you rot for gods-know-how-long inside I-don¡¯t-even-want-to-think-about-it realm? Or would you just like to breathe in the fresh air? It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it? Not nearly as much as you, though," now it was Vy¡¯s time to float there with a gaping maw, wondering what exactly was he being forced to witness . "Gosh, you are just precious . Breathtaking . Outstanding . Ethereal . I just want to hold you and look at you and touch you and talk to you . I could tell you all about my day, and you could just sit there, all still and perfect . . . and be absolutely amazing . " " . . . what in the god¡¯s fuck are you doing?!!" unable to endure it any longer, Vy growled from behind loudly, startling Lino . "Sheesh, rx dude," Lino coughed lowly . "I just, uh, got swept in the moment . . . " " . . . for both our sakes, let¡¯s pretend that never happened and move on . " "Agreed! Anyway, let¡¯s begin crafting this bitch!" Lino stretched for a moment before returning to the table and picking up pieces of the ingot, ready to begin the process anew . "I¡¯m going to condense the living hell out of you . . . " he cackled evilly at the ingots, causing Vy once again to sigh; he¡¯d spent quite some time observing Lino from the pouch, yet even still, he was nowhere closer to being able to predict the young man¡¯s thoughts as he was when he just met him . It truly was a strange kind of wonder . Chapter 370 Chapter 370 CHAPTER 370 PRISON BREAK (V) Primul stood frozen at the center of a small crater, slumped on his knees . There was a peculiar pain in his eyes, seemingly on the verge of tears, as he dug his nails into his palms . Memories flooded his mind, one after another, consuming him whole, washing away the surrounding reality from his gaze . He remembered it all, one by one, since the days he was a young boy, a part of the just-emerging race of humans trying to find their way in the cruel world, all the way to the fated day where he was stripped of his identity, betrayed and thrown into a cage to rot away like an animal . Yet, he hardly felt anger and wrath; he deserved it all, he screamed inwardly . All the pain, all the anguish, all the horrors that befell him . He deserved it all and more . Considering the things he had done throughout his life, no amount of punishment was enough . How many had he killed? He didn¡¯t dare count . Thousands? Tens of thousands? Millions? The numbers kept piling on, each like a stone-cold sword piercing his heart . "Hey," a warm voice suddenly jolted him out of the spiral of madness, briefly bringing him back . He nced sideways and saw Alison looking at him worriedly . "Are you alright?" " . . . y-yeah . . . " he muttered through his clenched teeth . "It¡¯s alright," she smiled and crouched next to him, suddenly wrapping her arms around his back and pulling him into her embrace, surprising him . "We¡¯re here for you . " " . . . " he rxed unconsciously, his fingers unfurling from his palms, his tensed muscles growing limp, his barriers crashing as tears streamed from the corners of his eyes . He epted the embrace wholly, yet didn¡¯t dare return it; now that he knew who he was, more so than ever before, he didn¡¯t dare touch her out of shame . "I¡¯m guessing you remembered who you are," Lucky chimed in from the side . "And, oh boy, you don¡¯t seem to like it . One bit . " "Hey!" Alison scowled at her angrily . "Stop with the snidements! If you¡¯ve got nothing nice to say, don¡¯t say anything!" " . . . eeh . . . " startled, Lucky backed away, embarrassed, as Hannah walked up and looked deeply into the man¡¯s eyes . Though starkly different and far darker and hollow, she recognized those eyes . After all, she had found herself within a simr ilk . " . . . it can¡¯t be . . . " she mumbled, frowning . "What can¡¯t be?" Alison asked as she let go of the man who remained seated . " . . . you are, aren¡¯t you? But . . . how?" Hannah mumbled, trying to reconcile what she believed and what was happening in front of her eyes . " . . . I am, Lady of Order," Primul smiled bitterly, wiping the corners of his eyes . "As to how . . . that is a long tale to tell . . . " "What are you two on about? How do you know who she is?" Alison asked, frowning . " . . . allow me to properly introduce myself atst," Primul took a deep breath and got up, bowing in front of the two . "My name is Primul Ugug, first andst of his name, Fourth Generation Human and the first Human Empyrean . " " . . . holy cocksucking eagle . . . " Lucky chimed in from the side, shooting up to her feet, helplessly pointing a finger at the man . Alison took a step back, seemingly horrified . The only one who remained rtively undamaged by the information was Hannah, as she already suspected it . "T-that¡¯s . . . that¡¯s impossible!!" Alison cried out . "Y-you¡¯re . . . you¡¯re lying . . . there¡¯s no way . . . no way . . . " "Take her away until she calms down," Hannah told Lucky as she took a deep breath . She, too, would have been far less rxed was it not for the fact that regardless of what he used to be in the past, right now he stood in front of them as an ordinary person, without an iota of Qi anywhere near or within him . Lucky quickly stepped in, recovering, as she dragged hysterical Alison away, leaving Hannah and Primul alone, standing in the center of the crater . "Do you regret it? Remembering?" " . . . very much so . " Primul sighed, lowering his head . "I¡¯ve yet to pay for my sins . No, rather, I will never be able to pay for them . " " . . . walk with me . " she said as she headed toward the cliff and the looping stone, where the two of them sat opposite of one another as she took out two gourds of wine, handing him one . "There is only one record of you that I know of," she said suddenly . "And it doesn¡¯t mention you by your name, but rather by your title: the Ender of Life . Apparently, you¡¯ve single-handedly exterminated at least six different, emerging races, and even threatened to go to war with the High Lords . It doesn¡¯t say what happened to you, however . . . just that, one day, you suddenly vanished, never to be seen again . " " . . . I¡¯m surprised there¡¯s any record of me left," Primul sighed, taking a sip . "But, they are right . And it wasn¡¯t six -- it was eleven races . . . and I didn¡¯t just threaten, I did go to war with the High Lords . " " . . . fucking hell . You serious?" Hannah asked, sucking in a cold breath; after all, High Lords were the very first lifeforms of every specific race, and in extension the strongest of them all . Even 72 Origin Dragons fell into the category . "How are you still alive, then?" " . . . because to kill me would have been a kind thing to do," he replied somberly . "When they captured me, I was well out of my sanity . I wed and crackled and fought and bickered and cussed . . . it wasn¡¯t until Ataxia ripped himself out of me that I settled atst . I passed out right after, however, and my first memory afterward was waking up in that cage, an entirely mortal soul with a seemingly immortal body . The rest . . . well, it was the same as you¡¯ve found me . " " . . . do you even know how many years has it been since your time?" Hannah asked suddenly . "No . . . I¡¯ve lost count . How many?" he asked . "Nearly 4,5 billion years . " Hannah replied . " . . . good god . . . " Primul¡¯s eyes widened as he sucked in a cold breath . "H-how . . . how do you even understand that . . . " " . . . hey, look at it from the bright side -- you are officially the oldest human alive . . . without literally any contention whatsoever . " she cracked a faint smile that whizzed away in the wind shortly after . "I¡¯m sorry . . . " " . . . has the world changed?" he asked . "Monumentally," Hannah answered . "To understand it, you¡¯d have to see it all with your very own eyes . " " . . . heh, there¡¯s no need," he said, taking a sip of wine . "After I help you out, I¡¯ll lock myself back into my cage and spend however many years this weary body of mine has got left rotting in there . I don¡¯t deserve anything else . " "You are nothing like the Primul I remember," Hannah¡¯s voice suddenly changed, growing robotic, as Primul looked up, meeting the quite familiar gaze squarely . "It certainly wouldn¡¯t do us any good to bring you along . " " . . . Astrum . . . you¡¯re still alive?" he asked, cracking a faint smile . "It¡¯s not strange that I¡¯m alive; it is that you are . " "Hah, tell me about it," he took a long, deep breath and leaned back against the slightly chilly stone . "You guys still at war with Ataxia?" " . . . not at the moment," Astrum replied as Hannah cracked a rather awkward smile . "I quite like his new Bearer . " " . . . weren¡¯t you the one who always screamed you would rip Ataxia open and examine every inch of him to understand what the hell he is?" "And I will, in time," Astrum replied . "But, as I said, I quite like his new Bearer . And he quite likes mine . So it all worked out in the end . " " . . . heh, Chaos and Order working together," Primul shook his head . "That¡¯s perhaps even more insane than me being alive after all this time . " " . . . I always wanted to ask . . . what happened to you Primul? When Rita first met you, there was nothing athwart about you . Yet . . . within a decade, you¡¯ve changedpletely . " " . . . ah, Rita . . . what happened to her?" he asked, avoiding Astrum¡¯s question . "She died, of course . Don¡¯t change the subject . What happened?" " . . . there is no easy way to answer that," he said, sighing . "Rather, even I¡¯m not quite sure what exactly happened . All I knew that, over time, I found fighting more and more exhrating . . . then from fighting it was killing, from killing it was ughter, and before I could wrap my head around it, I enjoyed being who I¡¯ve be . I had gone mad, Astrum, and not the ordinary kind of mad; the ilk where you don¡¯t even realize it, where nothing seems wrong from your perspective, where everything is as it should be . How is Gaia?" " . . . still struggling to do the thing she begged you do," Astrum replied . "How else would she be?" " . . . why are they still chasing after the First Scripture?" Primul frowned, sighing afterward . "It won¡¯t give you any answers . . . just more and more questions . . . " "You know what it is?" Astrum asked, a faint presence of surprise hidden beneath the robotic tone . "I don¡¯t know what it is . . . just what it looks like . " Primul replied . "Ataxia showed me once . " " . . . that¡¯s surprising . Usually, he goes mum whenever someone mentions the First Scripture . " "It was during the tail end of my crusade," Primul said . "I think he did it to keep my fire burning . It¡¯s . . . I don¡¯t even know how to describe it . However, there is one thing I¡¯m absolutely sure of: it certainly isn¡¯t any kind of scripture . " " . . . what matters is that it exists . And that it holds all the answers . " Primul didn¡¯t say anything, merely thinking back to that memory; it was held somece in the bend of reality, space and time, and it was tattered, ruined object of sorts the size of a small hut . He also remembered the strange sort of feeling that washed over him when heid his eyes on it; mncholy . . . pain . . . longing . . . hope . . . passion . . . whatever it was, it held far more meaning to Ataxia than everyone else would ever realize . Chapter 371 Chapter 371 CHAPTER 371 DIVINE SMITH (V) It truly was a miracle, Lino realized . Beyond miraculous, it approached the realms of impossibility . The tasks he would have otherwise found difficult and taxing went as smoothly as they possibly could . The time that he¡¯d have to spend doing monotone, dry work was all but gone . Struggles he¡¯d have to endure just to proceed from one step of smithing onto another were minimized . The anvil, the ordinary-looking anvil in front of his eyes was a gift . . . a gift to every smith in the world . Yet, it was evilly hoarded by a greedy Dragon . Ever since Lino began using the anvil, he also began concocting a n on how to take it away . He briefly even contemted forcibly locking Vy up into the dimensional pocket, but as he couldn¡¯t quite grasp the actual strength of the Dragon, he worried he might be able to break out nheless . The little side-ns, however, didn¡¯t take away from his focus on crafting . Those thoughts came and went during the brief moments of respite where he¡¯d simply take a deep breath and watch the magic unfold before his very eyes . Piece after piece of ingot drew back unto itself beneath the strength of Lino¡¯s hands . Despite the enormous pressure he was exerting on the anvil, thetter took it all without letting even iota slip past it and onto the floor . Truly a miracle, Lino mused as he finished the final ingot . In front of himy a small pile of grain-sized pebbles . Altogether they added up to the size of a single ingot, and now was the time to press them together and slowly begin shaping them into the final product - a ring . This was the easy part, as Lino already had plenty of experience by now when it came to making objects as dense as possible . The difficult part would be shaping up the metal into the shape of a ring . He ced his hand over the pile and took a deep breath before pressing down, all his muscles bulging, veins popping up on his temples, his eyes creasing into slits as he clenched his teeth . Not only was it exhausting, but he had to exert an enormous amount of Qi into his hand, which created a sort of a paradoxical rtionship; due to the fact that he had to repair the damage done to his palm, he had to add additional Qi into the stream beside the one used for condensing . However, because of the increased amount, the additional Qi both damaged further and repaired Lino¡¯s palm, causing him to cry bitterly . He could feel the small pieces being brought together underneath his palm as his Vitality rapidly seeped . Luckily, if there was one thing in the world he had plenty of, it was Vitality . Well into the hundreds of thousands, nearing seven digits, he could easily do this for weeks on end without exhausting himself physically . That didn¡¯t diminish the fact, however, that it was still incredibly taxing on his psyche as the process was incredibly intricate, not allowing a single mishap lest he desired to begin all over again from the start . . . which he did not . Vy floated on the side and observed with faint curiosity; though he himself had never dabbled much in the art of crafting, he knew plenty-a-everyone who did . Be it Dragons, Humans, Devils, Angels, Gods . . . none were quite immune to the charms of items, as even Martial Arts couldn¡¯t catch up to some of the most famous items in the world in terms of usefulness . Though Lino at the momentcked the certain gracefulness and mastery those old monsters Vy observed had, everything else seemed in ce; he had absolute control over his body down to thest inch, he knew how to control his breath, how to pace himself, how to exert strength onto a single point, and he certainly had enough stamina to spare . Given time, Vy mused, the young human in front of him will most-likely join the legends, like the sort who fashioned the anvil Lino was currently vying for . Whatever myths may tell, Vy knew very well that the anvil wasn¡¯t forged by the mes of 72 Origin Dragons, but by a single one -- his very own forefather, the Origin Dragon of mes . Even today, the old rust was hidden away somewhere, no doubt working on his next big project . One of the reasons why the Fire n has fallen so low that Vy could actually be its leader was exactly because their forefather hadn¡¯t spoken to them for about four billion years . And thest time he spoke to them is to have them look for rare materials . It was both frustrating, yet also ethereally beautiful, to know a passionate cksmith . Though they may make your life a living hell whenever they are trying to create something, to witness the process of that creation is rather spectacr . Even now, Vy had absolutely no interest in the item Lino was crafting; after all, for him, Continental-tier items had long since turned into a joke . However, the process itself was still fascinating . Like most of the old monsters, Lino had that innate ability to draw all eyes on him, especially so when he was pouring his heart and soul out into crafting something . " . . . it¡¯s going well . " seeing Lino step back from the anvil, Vy flew over and saw that the pebbles had turned into a roughly-shaped ring . Though it still needed some precise chiseling, the hard part of the job was certainly done . "God that looks ugly . Ew . I wouldn¡¯t put it in my treasure box even if you came with it . " "You have a treasure box?" Lino¡¯s eyes lit up as he nced at Vy . "Does it, uh, have, you know, stuff like this anvil? Maybe a nice hammer or two? Or a tong? Heck, just give me a furnace, I don¡¯t need anything else--no, no, maybe some chisels, you know, for old time¡¯s sake . " " . . . what are you raving on about? Do I look like a smith to you? That anvil was a gift I stole from someone just to piss them off . As if I¡¯d hoard shitty smithing tools . What do you take me for? A moron?" " . . . didn¡¯t you say that the anvil was entrusted to you and that even telling me you have it puts you in grave danger?" Lino quickly fired, his eyes turning into slits . "I say a lot of stuff -- some of it is true, some of it is not . What¡¯s your point?" "Gimme . " "No . " "Just gimme dude! I¡¯ll do anything for you!" "Kill yourself . " "Anything but that!" "That¡¯s all I want from you, though . " Vy smiled cheekily . " . . . you suck . You suck so much there ain¡¯t no words in the Common Tongue to describe it . " Lino sighed painfully, ncing at the anvil; one day . . . one day you will be mine . . . "You¡¯re still too weak," Vy said suddenly, causing Lino to pay attention again . "Once you¡¯re capable of seeing the other Special Effects, it will mean you can actually craft something for me . When that dayes, in return for the anvil, you will craft me the best item the world has seen in eons . " " . . . can¡¯t I just craft it for myself and use it to beat your tightwad ass?" "Heh, sure . Give it a whirl . " " . . . ugh, fine . Whatever . You win . God, you¡¯re one shitty pet . I¡¯m kind of starting to regret that bet . " "Ay, ay, just get back to crafting . You¡¯re more fun silent and focused . " " . . . " Lino flipped Vy a middle finger before moving toward the anvil and slowly beginning to chisel away at the edges of the ring, shaping it up . Hours ticked away and soon turned into days, a realization which startled Lino as he was close to finishing the ringpletely . He¡¯d initially nned on spending at the very least a whole month, yet it somehow shrunk down to days . The anvil was magic, he was certain . It was definitely not of this world . One week -- that¡¯s all it took . Seven days . One hundred sixty and eight hours . The ring was finished, sitting on the anvil, shimmering in deep crimson . At the front was a carved-out skull with ruby-like gems for eyes, with the rest of the ring being consumed in swirling, golden patterns imposed over its crimson sheen . It truly looked beyond breathtaking, so much so Lino briefly considered giving it to Hannah as an engagement ring . He then realized she was not him, nor was she insane, and she would definitely beat him ck and blue if he did it . "Good job . Now to take the anvil--" "No! Wait! Please, I¡¯m begging you, just wait for a second!!" Lino suddenly cried out madly, startling Vy . "W-what is it? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not giving it to you no matter what!" "No, it¡¯s not that . . . I . . . I just want to say a proper goodbye . . . " " . . . say what now?" "Our time together," Lino knelt next to the anvil and ced his hand on top of the cool surface . "Was short . Can barely be qualified as time . But, by gods, you have given me what I never thought I would experience . I will treasure our time together until I die . Because of you, I¡¯ve learned what it is to feel things I never thought I had the capacity for . You have put the ¡¯s¡¯ from shit into ¡¯s¡¯ of smith into me . Goodbye," he suddenly leaned over and kissed it, causing Vy to st his head into the wall . "I will miss you more than you¡¯ll ever know . . . " " . . . a-ll smiths! All smiths in the world are insane and, yet, somehow, by some fucking miracle, you¡¯re by far the most insane!!" Vy cried out, quickly swiping the anvil and throwing it into his void world . "You--you---you crazy bastard!!" " . . . he he . . . " Lino awkwardly scratched his nose, looking away, bashful . " . . . yeah, I¡¯m done . Don¡¯t call me for the next year . That¡¯s how long I¡¯ll need to shower away the shit I¡¯ve witnessed in this room . " Chapter 372 Chapter 372 CHAPTER 372 PRISON BREAK (VI) An odd atmosphere hung over a small group currently hidden behind the looping rock; on one end stood Hannah and Primul, discussing something with low voices, while Lucky and Alison stood some ways off, thetter still sickly pale in her face with the former casually drinking, seemingly indifferent to everything . Lucky nced at Alison briefly and cracked a faint smile; she was currently biting at her nails, her expression torn between terrified and horrified, yet she still managed to somehow keep it together . Two hours, after all, was hardly enough for someone to recover from such a massive shock . It was easier for Lucky and Hannah as both were well acquainted with the current-day Empyrean, but Alison was not; if anything, she still held deep-seated hatred in her heart for him, whoever he may be . " . . . I still can¡¯t believe Hannah has let her guard down against him," Alison suddenly mumbled . "What . . . what if he turns on her and kills her?! Or tells on us?!" " . . . you do realize he¡¯s just an ordinary guy now, right?" Lucky said . "There¡¯s a greater chance he¡¯ll break fingers before even getting to touch Hannah, so I wouldn¡¯t worry . " "You don¡¯t know that!" Alison scowled, ncing angrily at Lucky . "He might be tricking us! That¡¯s what the Empyreans do! They love ying the wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing role . . . it¡¯s one of their favorites! And, when we begin to trust them and rx around them, they just snap and kill everyone!" " . . . yeaah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s really the case . " Lucky said . "I mean, I¡¯ve heard that the current Empyrean has quite arge following, but there don¡¯t seem to be news of him chopping heads and taking asses over there . " "Humph, it¡¯s just a matter of time," Alison said, frowning . "Someone who can kill Eos in cold blood is capable of doing anything . " Lucky¡¯s expression suddenly shifted, though she barely managed to recover it before meeting Alison¡¯s eyes; a sh of memories surged through her mind of that fated day that was still as vivid as though it had happened yesterday . "You alright?" " . . . y-yeah, you might be right . . . " Lucky mumbled out . "Why don¡¯t you head over and protect Hannah, then?" " . . . w-why would I do that? She betrayed me! It might be a good thing if he goes mad and snaps her neck . Saves me the trouble . " "You don¡¯t really mean that . . . " "I do!" Alison eximed . "No, no you don¡¯t," Lucky fired back, sighing . "Look, I know you¡¯re hurting, but she¡¯s been your friend for far longer than she has been your ¡¯foe¡¯ . You love her, Ally . And she loves you back, perhaps more than you realize . Don¡¯t throw that away so easily . " " . . . why are you taking her side?" Alison asked, lowering her head . "I thought you were my friend . . . " "I am," Lucky said, smiling lightly and pulling Alison over, hugging her tightly . "That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m doing this . Look," she held Alison¡¯s chin up and forced thetter to meet her eyes . "I know, more than you realize, what it is like to still care for someone who has caused you a lot of pain . And, truth is . . . you can fight it all you want, it ain¡¯t gonna change a thing . She didn¡¯t mean to hurt you . . . people who love us never do . That¡¯s why we can forgive them, and continue to love them . That¡¯s all Hannah wants from you, I know it . " " . . . you say you understand," Alison said . "But, if you did, you¡¯d also understand that what she did was unforgivable . She traded her family, her own blood, her home, for a murdering madman . Just like that . Out of the blue . There¡¯s simply no forgiving that . " " . . . you know," Lucky began slowly and mellowly, forcing Alison to sit down with her . "Before I became who I am today, I used to be a very willy kind of a girl . I wouldn¡¯t take orders from no one, I wouldn¡¯t do what others asked me, and I would take the knife stabbed in my back and shove it up where the sun don¡¯t shine . " " . . . " "And, then, I met not one, but two people who changed all of that," she continued, her smile turning incredibly warm and peaceful, surprising Alison . "One of them was a woman I looked up to from the depths of my heart . Unlike me, she wasn¡¯t born into wealth, into opportunity . Instead, she found herself at the far bottom, treated like just another object to be yed with by virtually everyone she knew . She could have folded, many times . She could have shoved a knife into them . But, she never did . Instead, she told me, she chose to let it go . Not because she wasn¡¯t hurt, not because what they did didn¡¯t make her feel absolutely worthless . . . but because hanging onto that was simply ruining her chances of ever moving past it, onto better things . " " . . . " "And the other," Lucky¡¯s smile turned yful for a moment . "Is a wonder of his own . You met him, actually . " "Your Master?" Alison asked . "Yes . Did you know he¡¯s actually younger than me?" "E-eh?" "True," she nodded . "When I first met him, he was this scrawny teenager . Not an iota of the air he currently has about him . However, even though he was the youngest in our group, we all listened to him . No matter what he did, we stood behind him . And, form time to time, it felt as though he was taking us for granted . He¡¯d always make it up, however, no matter what . " " . . . " "Then," Lucky¡¯s smile turned into a painful frown as Alison tightened her grip on Lucky¡¯s hand instinctively . "We, uh . . . we were met, unprepared, by a Devil Invasion . He was gone, doing whatever he was doing, while the rest of us couldn¡¯t run away . By the end of it, only I survived . . . because others died to protect me . I med them . . . I med myself . . . and I certainly med him . I never told him that," she added, sighing . "But, because he cast such a blinding light, I believed from the bottom of my heart everything would have turned out fine if he had stayed, if he was there with us . In my heart, I always believe him to be capable of any, every, miracle . And he failed toe through . He failed toe through many, many times . " " . . . " "But, that¡¯s what people do Ally," Lucky nced sideways and met Alison¡¯s somber gaze, caressing her hair gently . "We fail, time and again . . . not because we want to, not because we don¡¯t care . . . but because we are not perfect . For a long while in my life, I believed he really was perfect . That he was capable of doing anything and everything and that nothing could stand in his way . So, each time he fell short of that, I felt hurt . . . felt betrayed . . . because he just wouldn¡¯t live up to this image I had of him inside my mind . " " . . . did you ever tell him that?" Alison asked . "No," Lucky shook her head . "And I never will . You know why?" "Why?" "Because it would break his heart . " "But he broke yours too . " "Never because he wanted to," Lucky said . "And, each time he failed, I¡¯d see in his eyes far more hurt and pain than I¡¯d ever felt . And each time after, I¡¯d see him try harder . Today, a lot of people look up to him, and they see this ethereal image, a roof that wouldn¡¯t copse no matter what . They see this indomitable figure that cannot be shaken . However, none of them know what it took to be who he is today . And even fewer would ever be willing to sacrifice everything he did to be who he is today . For a moment -- just a second -- put yourself in Hannah¡¯s shoes," Lucky added . "See things from her perspective . Listen to what she had told you . Friends hurt us, Ally, but if we stopped being friends with people each time they hurt us . . . we¡¯d never have any friends to begin with . " " . . . how . . . how did you forgive him?" Alison asked, lowering her head, ying with her fingers . " . . . how?" Lucky¡¯s lips curled up into a gentle smile . "It was simple . No matter how many times he¡¯d fail my image of him, he¡¯d never stop trying to be someone people needed him to be . Someone I needed him to be . Now, both him and I know . . . he¡¯ll never be that . He¡¯ll always fail at something . Sometimes he says things in a joking matter that don¡¯t sit well with me . Sometimes, undoubtedly, I say some mean things to him that he doesn¡¯t quite like . But, no matter what, he¡¯s still someone I wouldy my life down for in a heartbeat . " " . . . it . . . it sounds like, you know . . . like . . . you love him . . . " Alison mumbled, her cheeks flushing red briefly as she felt a strange sensation of pain . "Ha ha ha ha, well, of course, I love him," she ruffled her hair . "He¡¯s my big bro, despite being younger . Good fucking god, we are so weird . " " . . . s-so, you . . . you don¡¯t like him romantically?" "Oh, god no," Lucky shook her head . "There¡¯s already a woman dealing with that bundle of issues . And, if you ever tell her I said this I will kill you, but I think she¡¯s everything he ever needed . . . and that without her, he¡¯d be nothing . " Chapter 373 Chapter 373: 373 CHAPTER 373 DIVINE SMITH (VI) Lino was back at the massive, beautiful pce, this time apanied only by Iond who saw him sneaking out and followed him despite Lino¡¯s growls and subtle ¡¯go aways¡¯, which Ion chose to ignore . This time around they were not stopped at the gates, but were allowed to enter immediately, escorted to the meeting room by the same girl, Idya . When they arrived, the room was empty, the balcony flung open as Lino walked out, the view taking his breath away briefly . The massive city stretched on beneath him, blending into the vast ins down south, and grand mountains up north . It was truly a sight for the sore eyes, as even Ion lost himself temporarily in it . " . . . if you work hard enough," Lino jolted him back to reality . "One day, this could all be yours . " "Y-you jest, Master," Ion chuckled bitterly, scratching his nose . "I¡¯ve no use for this; I¡¯d much rather serve under you . " "So you prefer men?" Lino nced at him, cracking a smile . "I would have never guessed . " "Prefer men? W-what, no! No! Why would you say that?!" "And to think you¡¯d be the taker and not the giver . . . tsk, tsk, tsk . . . you really can¡¯t judge a man by his bravado no more . " Lino sighed, seeminglymenting over something . "They all could swing either way in the end, huh . " " . . . you¡¯re being mean again, Master . " Ion swallowed a mouthful of saliva to calm himself down before speaking . "Didn¡¯t Lady Hannah warn you of it?" "What? Are you going to tell on me? Tsk, tsk, no wonder you prefer to take it . You¡¯ve got no balls to give . " " . . . aah," Ion sighed . "You do realize, Master, that I¡¯m a whole lot less embarrassed about being told I like men than you are afraid of Lady Hannah?" "Afraid?" Lino cracked a smile, winking at him . "It¡¯s a natural order of things to be afraid of your significant other . Whether that be true or not is irrelevant . " " . . . so you¡¯re not afraid of Lady Hannah?" Ion questioned innocently . "Oh, god no, I¡¯m terrified of that crazy gal," Lino shuddered . "I can never tell what¡¯s going on inside that pretty head of hers . So, be a man, and stop saying you¡¯ll tell on me . " "But that¡¯s the only way to get you to stop . . . " "Why would you want me to stop? I¡¯m just strengthening your skin! You¡¯re gonna need it out there!" " . . . aah, whatever helps you sleep at night . . . " "Well, it certainly isn¡¯t this," Lino shrugged . "If that¡¯s what you¡¯re saying . " "What is it, then?" "Lots and lots of booze . . . " " . . . M-master, please stop destroying your image . . . " "Short of fucking a dog, I see no way I¡¯d ever destroy my image . " " . . . why a dog?" Ion asked, strangely intrigued . "Because everybody loves dogs . They¡¯re adorable, funny, loyal to their bones, and because I love Non more than I love half of you lot . " "Where is Non, by the way? I heard you and Lady Hannah talk about him often, but I¡¯ve never seen him . " " . . . I¡¯m too terrified to check," Lino suddenly shuddered, as though swept by a cold current . "Thest time I did . . . I¡¯d seen things, Ion . . . things so terrible, so impossible, it has warped my mind too much I¡¯d changed as a person . . . " "M-master?! A-are you okay?! What¡¯s wrong?! Is it a soul attack?!" "Forgive my tardiness," Titus¡¯ voice brought Lino back to reality as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead; if it was just dogs, he¡¯d live with it . . . but, it was everything . Dogs, cats, sheep, bulls, griffins, rhinos, buffalo, hell, there was even one turtle stuffed in there . . . "I hope you haven¡¯t waited too long . " "N-no," Lino recovered somewhat, taking a deep breath as he turned around and walked back into the room, followed shortly after by Ion . "I understand that Your Highness is a busy man; I am just happy you were willing to see me on such short notice . " "Ah, but of course," Titus smiled . "Apologies, but Lady Freya isn¡¯t feeling too well so she is unable to meet you -- but she sends her greetings . " "And I hope she will get well soon . " "As do I . Why have you requested to see me? Are the materials I¡¯ve sent over not enough?" Titus asked as he sat down and poured the three a cup of tea each . "Oh, no, they were just enough," Lino smiled cheekily, certainly unwilling to say that over eighty percent of what the Prince had sent over went straight into Lino¡¯s pockets rather than the item . "I¡¯ve simplye to hand over the item to its rightful owner . " "What item? W-wait, you don¡¯ . . . you don¡¯t mean the item?!" Titus eximed in shock at Lino¡¯s implications . "B-but . . . but . . . it¡¯s been . . . it¡¯s been just a few days . . . " " . . . yap, it was," Lino certainly wasn¡¯t going to tell another soul about the [Anvil of Creation] -- save for perhaps Hannah as he told her almost everything -- so he simply decided to let Titus whirl away at potential theories . "I think you will be like it . " Lino took out a rather breathtaking ring from the void world and ced it on the table in front of Titus . Thetter stared at the ring at the moment, having realized the second that the ring left the void space, that it indeed was a Continental-tier item . He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around how this simple-looking cksmith in front of him had managed to do it . One idea was that he simply had an item prepared, but Titus quickly scoffed at it, seeing as he could sense dozens of materials he¡¯d sent over present in the ring . Besides, newly crafted items always had a different aura than the older ones . . . and he¡¯d seen enough items in his lifetime to, without a shred of doubt, conclude it was indeed a recently crafted one . With trembling hands, he reached over and picked it up, still not looking at its stats . What surprised him, however, was that he had to exert over half his physical strength to lift it up . With a curious eye, he nced at the calm smith as he wondered just how strong this mysterious man is -- after all, he put the ring down so casually to the point Titus would first believe it was entirely weightless rather than it weighed as much as a massive boulder . " . . . it¡¯s a technique of mine," Lino cracked a smile as he took a sip of the tea, replying the Titus¡¯ questioning gaze . "It ensures that not only the ring is nigh-impossible to destroy, but that it¡¯s also capable of transferring far more energy far quicker than it otherwise could do . " "-oh," Titus mumbled absentmindedly, fiddling around with the ring . "I¡¯ve, uh, I¡¯ve never quite heard of that technique, I don¡¯t think . . . " "I doubt you would have, seeing as I created it . " Lino winked casually as he turned toward Ion . "Let¡¯s god . If you need anything, Your Highness, you know where to find me . My young ones will be joining this year¡¯s tournament, so if nothinges up until then, I hope you will save me decent seats . " "N-no, of course . Forgive me . " "No problem . No, no, you don¡¯t have to escort us," Lino shook his head as he saw Titus getting up slowly . "I hope you enjoy using the ring as much I did crafting it . Until next time, Your Highness . " "Until next time . . . " Titus mumbled as he watched Lino and Ion depart . The moment the two left the room, he immediately focused on the ring and inspected its stats . [Ring of Creation -- Continental Unique] Level: 11,000 Requirements: Titr Fiend, Bloodbound +800% to ALL speed-rted stats 10% chance to temporarily double the above stat during a battle 10% chance to create a shielding barrier preventing a non-life-threatening attack during a battle 100% chance to block a single life-threatening attack at will every 30 seconds Special Effect [Creator¡¯s Void] -- the ring has two separate void dimensions; one is exclusively used for storage of items, while other is used for storage of Qi and Elements . Due to innate properties, thetter can store even conflicting Qi States and Elements, and even manifested Laws . Special Effect [Birth] -- the wielder, through Will, can activate the ring at any given time; by conjuring an image inside their heads, the ring will replicate it and use the energy stored inside its second storage to manifest it into reality . All attack-type creations gain 10,000% of wielder¡¯s umted base damage stat, attaining other properties (and bonus damage) based on the chosen Qi State or Element or Law . All shielding-type creations will ALWASY block the first attack, and attain additional effects based on the chose Qi State or Element or Law . All utility creations receive a 5000% boost to their main stat (speed, flexibility, length, etc . ), attaining additional properties based on the chosen Qi State or Element or Law . Special Effect [Creator] -- temporarily unleash the full capacity of the ring, entombing yourself in a perpetual shield that cannot be broken for the next 30 seconds . During that time, the ring¡¯s creation speed is increased by a hundredfold, and it ceases to have limits . Instead of using the stored energy, it uses Qi, Elements, and Laws present in the world around it, manipting it to its will . The effect of a Creatorsts for 60 seconds, after which it necessitates a 7 day cooling period before being able to be used again . Note, inscribed by the Smith: May you create your dreams at will, Your Highness, and live them out in the full; show this to no one, not even those closest to you . You know why . Titus stared at the ring in his hand with gaping lips, his expression of shock far exceeding one of joy . After he read over the ending note, he quickly stored the ring away and wiped the sweat off his forehead; why shouldn¡¯t he show it off to his friends and family? Because the ring of this ilk shouldn¡¯t theoretically be possible . . . and even if possible, it certainly isn¡¯t allowed . There is only ever one Creator in the world, and it¡¯s the Mother . That is why only the ¡¯heathens¡¯ had even chosen to use ¡¯Creator¡¯ in their titles . Usually, they are shunned by the rest of the society merely because of the name . . . Titus wondered what would happen to him if he had a tool that allowed him to actually be a Creator, albeit temporarily . He once again thought back to the smith, breaking out into cold sweat once more . If he was willing to give away something of this make . . . what does he actually have in his pockets? Then, an even more dangerous thought crossed his mind -- how did he know that giving Titus such ring would cause thetter not to report him? "C-could it . . . no . . . no . . . " he mumbled as his eyes turned into saucers . The only person who would perhaps have absolutely no need for a ring like this, besides Gaia, was her opposite . . . the scourge of the world, the original Creator . . . the Empyrean . Chapter 374 Chapter 374 CHAPTER 374 HALLOWED FURY Fire -- all Lino could see were ck mes, stretching onward throughout the empty horizon . Seas beneath zed, chains hanging above them burned, inds were torched . Screams, wails, cries, crackles of me . . . it was a breathtaking symphony of hell, one that left him frowning . It hadn¡¯t been that long, he thought, since Hannah called him; it shouldn¡¯t have escted to such a degree already . He couldn¡¯t locate any one of them -- not Lucky, not Hannah, and not Alison . He was certain they never left this world, however, as he already had all exits encapsted within his Will . They were also alive, as their talismans indicated . That only meant they were inside an isted space, or purposefully hiding their Qi to the point it was nigh impossible to spot them . In the worst-case scenario, they were captured and locked up, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to ponder over that just yet . Just a few hours ago he had been enjoying a nice rest while counting a string of wealth that was entering his pockets through the smithy when he received a rather brief call from Hannah -- he should probablye to the Land of Chains, as all hell was about to break loose . When he heard it, he didn¡¯t imagine she meant a literal hell, however . " . . . what in god¡¯s name have those three done?" Lino mumbled, sighing . "Are Lady Hannah and Miss Lucky fine?" Ryt asked from the side, Ion joining in with a worried expression . The former, after having learned that Ion had joined Lino on a journey to the pce, decided never to let Lino leave his sight and follow him everywhere . Though it was kind of cute at the start, Lino was beginning to feel slightly creeped out as their care began bordering fanaticism . "Of course they¡¯re fine, idiot!" Ion chimed in . "Who could do anything to our Ladies, huh?" "I-I know that!" Ryt eximed softly, blushing . "Zip it, you two," Lino growled lowly at the two, ncing at them . The two immediately went silent and lowered their heads in shame . "Let¡¯s go . " Lino led the charge as theynded onto one of the burning inds . He coated Ryt and Ion with his Will as he casually took a stroll, whipping out a talisman in the process . "Eh? Lino? What¡¯s up?" E¡¯s surprised voice connected from the other end . "I¡¯m in the Prison," he said . "Something went wrong . " " . . . what is it?" E asked, her expression turning serious quickly . "Not sure yet," he said . "Hannah just told me toe . The entire ce is up in mes . I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re moving . Start reshuffling our assets . " " . . . isn¡¯t that a bit paranoid?" E asked . "No matter how well we hid it, there are still connections El¡¯," Lino sighed . "It¡¯s too early to let them be exposed . " " . . . how can we even be sure that the Cult will target you?" E asked . "Because if anything happened to any one of the three," he replied in a frigid, cold voice . "I will end them . " " . . . yeah, sure big guy," E chuckled on the other end, trying to ease the tensions . "No matter how brave the Cultists may be, they wouldn¡¯t dare touch a single Bearer, let alone two . At most, they¡¯ll have trapped them inside an istion formation while they erase the evidence of their operations . " " . . . I don¡¯t know El¡¯," Lino sighed, ncing at the empty sky suddenly . "Can you im, with any certainty, anything in this day and age?" " . . . I suppose not . " "How are things at home?" Lino asked . "As usual," she replied . "Criador misses you . He keeps asking where is the big brother . " " . . . I miss the little fucker as well," Lino smiled warmly . "Tell him I¡¯ll be back soon and I¡¯ll re-grow my beard especially for him . " "Aah, how nice would it be if you stopped calling my son a little fucker . . . " "Hey, sooner orter it¡¯ll be true; I¡¯m just getting you ready for it . " "Oh, please . My son will be one-and-done, like his dad and mom . " E said . "Psh, as if I¡¯ll ever let that happen . " " . . . perhaps I should ry that to Hannah . " " . . . I knew it," Lino groaned . "I should have never fallen in love . Everyone and their mother is beginning to use Hannah against me . " "I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine, Lino . So rx . " "She better be El¡¯," Lino sighed . "She better fucking be . . . anyway, start the transfers from the smithy -- just documentation, for now, there¡¯s no need to draw any unwanted suspicion . If shit does hit the fan while I¡¯m not there, you can tell them to look for Prince Titus . " " . . . why not me?" E asked, surprised . "Are you worried something might happen to be? Aww, that¡¯s so sweet . . . " " . . . yeah, as if there¡¯s someone out there who can actually hurt you," Lino smiled wryly for a moment . "But, I need you at the fortress still . Not to belittle the others, but you¡¯re the only one we got back there for now . " " . . . don¡¯t worry," E smiled warmly for a moment . "I¡¯ll keep them all safe . " "Also have Ty report on the other Bearers if he hears anything," Lino added by the end . "It shouldn¡¯t be too long before they make a move . . . " "Why do you say that?" "I . . . I just know . " Lino said mysteriously, not borating, as the connection between the two ended . Ion and Ryt stood behind in silence, their heads hung low . In moments like these they regretted not being far, far stronger than they are; if they were, they could split and search way quicker . Yet, because of how weak they were, they had to remain a burden to Lino . "And out you go . . . " Lino suddenly growled as he stretched his right arm out suddenly into space next to him, ripping it wide open and gazing into the void . Yanking his arm back, a scream wailed out that startled Ion and Ryt who quickly drew out their weapons only to see Lino¡¯s arm wrapped around a strange-looking figure¡¯s neck as it was being dragged out of seemingly nowhere . "You two, close the rip . " Lino said as he pulled the man over and around, clenching his neck . "While hisd and I have a conversation . " "Y-yes, Master!!" Ion and Ryt eximed as they raced over toward the small tear, beginning to use the Qi to heal it up . "H-h-how did-did you find me?" the man -- Lino assumed due tock of breasts on the figure¡¯s chest -- spoke out coarsely . His face was hidden beneath ayer of shadows that even Lino could only faintly see through . "Because I¡¯ve spent most of my life being leered at by people who meant me no good," Lino replied simply, coating the surrounding space by his Will to ensure Ion and Ryt neither saw nor heard anything . "Who are you?" " . . . who-who are you?" Lino released the man¡¯s neck as thetter plummeted on his behind, holding it for a moment and coughing . "I don¡¯t think you quite understand the situation you¡¯re in," Lino crouched down and smiled coldly, forcing the man to meet his eyes . "I didn¡¯te to this hellhole to chat or make friends . I didn¡¯te here to exchange pleasantries . " " . . . why¡¯d youe then?" the man asked casually . " . . . I came," the man suddenly felt his entire body freeze up as he sensed a Will so overwhelming it was beyond description wash over his whole being . "To either find someone . . . or to raze this whole fucking world to the ground . Now, answer me . Who are you?" "I--I--I¡¯m . . . Jean . . . " "Are you part of the cult, Jean?" Lino asked . " . . . y-yes . . . " "Are you cleaning house?" "I--I think . . . " "Why?" " . . . we-we . . . we were discovered . . . " "Who discovered you?" Lino persisted . "I . . . I don¡¯t know . . . " "When?" "--t-two days . . . two days ago . . . " " . . . then why today?" Lino asked, frowning suddenly . "P-pre . . . preparations . . . " " . . . where is your headquarters?" Lino asked . "I-I . . . " "Take me there . " the frigid voice, coupled with prating gaze and the beyond overwhelming Will, nearly caused the man to pass out . The only reason he hadn¡¯t was because Lino used his own Will to prevent him . The man shuddered like a leaf under the wind as he slowly raised his hand and pointed it eastward . Lino brought down the curtain surrounding him and saw Ryt and Ion standing on attention, their expressions serious . "Master, we request you put us in the dimensional pocket!" the two eximed at the same time, surprising Lino somewhat . "Why?" he asked . "We are too weak . " Ion said . "Yes," Ryt added . "We would just get in your way . " " . . . what?" Lino cracked a smile as he pulled the man off the floor nonchntly . "You think your Master is so weak he can¡¯t protect two brats while killing some worthless scum?" "A-ah . . . no, of course not . . . " "Then shut the hell up and follow him . " his voice turned frigid again as he nced at the man; meanwhile, Ion and Ryt shook temporarily -- they¡¯d seen their Master angry before . . . but never quite like this . Not like this . "What are you waiting for? I told you to take me there . Why aren¡¯t you taking me there?" "I---I can¡¯t . . . oath . . . betrayal . . . " the man mumbled meekly . " . . . " Lino put his hand on the man¡¯s chest as thetter suddenly coughed out a mouthful of ck blood, taking deep breaths afterward . "There you go . No more oaths . No more vows . No more betrayals . You are a free man . And, as your liberator, I suggest you do as I say, or your freedom will be very short-lived . " " . . . i-it¡¯s east, underwater . . . behind thest ind . . . " the man mumbled weakly . "We-we should be in thest stages . . . " " . . . carry him . " Lino tossed the man over to Ryt and Ion who awkwardly caught him . "And try to keep up . " A pair of golden wings suddenly unfurled behind Lino¡¯s back as he put on the mask of Great Descent . He¡¯d never bothered increasing his number from 72, as he quite liked it, and he had his ¡¯grandpa¡¯ tell him anything he wanted to know anyway . His wings fluttered for a moment as the wind around him stirred; Ryt and Ion stood and watched in awe for a moment before the two also took to the sky, each holding the man¡¯s one arm, thetter hanging in-between them . Lino¡¯s eyes were like swirls of the chaotic maelstrom, focused entirely on where the man told him to go . It was one thing to steal defunct products from him, but an entirely another one to go after people he loved . Never again . Chapter 375 Chapter 375 CHAPTER 375 THE CAST OF DAWN Walls were thick and soundproof, the only source of light being a single candle at the tail end of its lifespan burning in the corner . Primul and Hannah sat in one corner while Lucky and Alison sat in another . Of the four, thest seemed most downcast and trodden, with Hannah seemingly being the most indifferent to their current situation . They had been captured just a couple hours ago, and were thrown inside this cell without a spoken word, left alone ever since . None of the four were quite sure as to how they got caught as they were quite careful . Primul was yet to even temper with the formation,rgely still studying it and trying to draw up a counter-measure . Hannah and Lucky had a few guesses, but couldn¡¯t be certain either way . For all they knew, they were simply found out by ident and thrown in here until their identities were confirmed . Hannah had immediately contacted Lino as she wasn¡¯t certain how far the things would escte . If it were simply a matter of breaking out of here, she was entirely confident that the four of them could do it without outside help, but she didn¡¯t want to bet on a straightforward scenario of it all . " . . . someone¡¯sing . " Lucky mumbled faintly as she nced left where, in the distance, sounds of footsteps soon began to echo . Alison drew closer to her, while Hannah slowly got up and walked over to the iron bars . Though they were reinforced with all kinds of arrays, it hardly presented a challenge to her . Thirty seconds or soter, a hooded figure showed up in front of them, holding four folders full of papers and casually reading over them . Above his head hung a blooming sphere of light, illuminating both his surroundings and the cell, yet strangely casting him into a shadow . Hannah inspected the man silently, slightly shocked that he was already a Titr Fiend . Perhaps breaking out, she mused inwardly, wouldn¡¯t have been as easy as she imagined . " . . . two Bearers, an ex-Bearer, and a stranger walk into a prison . . . " the figure mumbled in a coarse, deep voice . "Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, doesn¡¯t it?" " . . . why are we here?" Hannah asked casually . "Because you were trespassing official property," the man replied simply . "And broke thew . " "You really want to preachws to us?" Hannah asked, smirking . " . . . there are a lot of tales out there, on the Maind, of this ce," the man said instead of replying to Hannah . "Most of them speak of this hole as a hellish, inescapable one . Truth is, it¡¯s neither of those two things . Every prison here is modeled after those on the maind, and this ce is fairly easy to escape . If you had left right after you grabbed him, we would have never caught you . That easy . " " . . . well, you did catch us . What now?" Primul asked indifferently . "Well," the man took a deep breath, looking up . They were still unable to discern his features, however . "One of you, at least, probably called for reinforcements . And, quite frankly, whichever ones arrive, we don¡¯t feel like dealing with them . So, tell me, Bearer of Order, what is the right thing to do for us here?" " . . . I¡¯m the one who called for reinforcements . " Hannah said simply, giving the man a gentle smile . "So think again what is the right thing for you to do . " "Heh, the Empyrean, huh?" the man chuckled . "I think we can handle a youngd, I¡¯m afraid . " " . . . many stronger, wiser and richer than you though the same . Do you know where are they now?" "Oh, do tell . " "Dead . " "Oh my, how scary . " " . . . you¡¯re right," Hannah smiled gently as she suddenly withdrew to her corner and sat back down . "You¡¯re a big, bad shadowy wolf that even the Holy Grounds could never capture . Heck, even Great Descent just decides to let you be because you¡¯re too much of a headache . What can a little Empyrean boy do, then? Scowl at you until you die ofughter?" " . . . we¡¯ve dealt with many Bearers before, miss Hannah, Empyreans included," the man chuckled back . "You¡¯ll have to do better than that . " " . . . see you on the other side," Hannah winked, closing her eyes after . "Where the grass is greener and people ain¡¯t as dumb . " " . . . he he," the manughed eerily right after, turning around and walking away . "Someone wille by to pick you up soon . Please, for your own safety, do not resist . " " . . . I can¡¯t believe you called him for help . " Alison scoffed coldly the moment the man¡¯s footsteps stopped resounding back to them . "What? You now can¡¯t do anything without him?" "Sure can," Hannah replied, her eyes still closed . "But why waste the energy? And, besides, he could use a leg stretcher . He¡¯s been chair-bound for a while recently . " " . . . this generation¡¯s Empyrean . . . ising here?" Primul asked . " . . . he is," Hannah cracked a smile . "So just sit back and enjoy the show . " "What show?!" Alison eximed from the side . "Do you really believe he can take on the whole Headquarters all on his own?! He has blinded you, Hannah!" " . . . " Lucky remained silent, yet in a desperate need of goodughter . Meanwhile, the hooded man reached the upper floor, leaving the dungeons down below, and entering a rather small, sparsely decorated room . A woman in her seeminglyte forties awaited him there, looking out the window and up into the sky . Turning around, the man quickly bowed his head low, avoiding her milky-white eyes, both decorated by a straight scar across them . " . . . who have they called?" she asked . "The Empyrean, Lady Iron . " the man replied . " . . . a boy? Looks like we worried for nothing . " the woman sighed, shaking her head . "Perhaps the Master was right; the years in shadows have truly made us too cautious . " "It is never wrong to take everything into consideration before taking action . " " . . . what¡¯s the word from the continent?" she asked . "House and the Empire are still probing, but they¡¯re getting nowhere . No one else has shown any interest . What about the items?" " . . . we found a few good ones, but two of them were duds . " "Duds?" the man asked . "Their maker imparted purposeful ws into their design so they would immediately break under right circumstances . Either someone is as cautious as us . . . or they might have predicted something like this happening . Once we get back on the continent, find everything you can about the neer -- the so-called Divine Smith . " "Will do, Lady Iron . What shall we do about them?" he asked . "I¡¯ll escort the Bearers to their Sect and reap a fine reward in the process," the woman said . "Kill the other two; that runt has long since lived past his expiration date . I didn¡¯t even know he was still alive . " "Very well," the man nodded . "Shall I send out a Brigade to intercept the Empyrean?" "No, that is fine," the woman shook her head . "Even if he was rmed right before we captured them, he should take at least a few days to reach here, even if he knows where the entrances are . In the meantime--" Before the woman could finish her sentence, the world in front of her blew up in a symposium of mes and water mingling, capsizing the entire ind until only the singr fortress floated above, solitary, eerily . Water shaved off of its ends and mingled into tiny waterfalls as it dropped off into the ocean . Both the man and the woman cried out lowly as they rolled over and fell, quickly shooting up to their feet and exiting the room through the window, heaving over above the fortress where over a hundred souls already were, all looking up at the far-high sky . There, basking in golden colors of the massive, breathtaking wings was a masked figure looking down on them . Yet, were they not able to see him with their eyes, they wouldn¡¯t have ever realized he was there . " . . . Void Cunts or whatever, I presume?" the figure¡¯s voice was low, calm, indifferent, yet it easily reached all their ears . "Who¡¯s the one in charge?" "What¡¯s it to yo---" before a youthful voice could finish the sentence, a head flew up into the sky as the body fell shortly after . There was not even a time for him to cry out . "It looks like it¡¯s you," the figure focused onto the woman called Iron Lady; she frowned for a moment before stepping out, lifting herself into the sky and meeting the figure far above . He wore simple, tattered clothes, not a single piece of armor to be found . Ghastly-white porcin masked covered all but his eyes, which were swirls of eternal damnation from the woman¡¯s point of view . "Hello . " " . . . the Empyrean, I presume?" the woman said, smiling faintly, her arms behind her back . " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t say anything, merely taking a deep look at the woman for a moment before looking away, down at the remaining force . For a secret Cult, they were rather powerful, he had to admit it . If E, Hannah and he were not to participate, they would absolutely obliterate his own, little ¡¯army¡¯ . "You¡¯ve got big balls on you," he said, seemingly entirely ignoring the woman . "Going after me . " " . . . going after you? So, her trespassing on our property is us going after you?" "That? Oh, no," Lino grinned faintly . "I mean literally going after me . Stealing from me, no less . " "I don¡¯t believe we have ever interacted before today . " the woman replied with a faint smile, quite contradicting her cold voice . " . . . I don¡¯t like killing . . . a lot," Lino said slowly . "So I¡¯d like to avoid doing that today . So here are my terms: the items you stole will be returned to the house, and if any one of you ever shows their face on the Maind, I¡¯ll obliterate you . " " . . . a rash boy indeed," the woman chuckled lowly . "No wonder nobody wants to work with you . You do not make friends in this world by treating everyone as though they were already dead, Empyrean . " " . . . " Lino finally lifted his gaze up and met hers; just a mere momentter, the woman found herself unable to breathe, the whole reality around her copsing . Her yful smile turned into a soundless shriek of horror as she stared at the empty abyss, trembling . "Do you know what dying feels like?" " . . . " "Cold," he continued as the woman slowly began floating toward him against her Will . "Empty . Hollow . You slowly feel your soul being sucked out of every one of your veins as your brain desperately tries to fix everything that¡¯s wrong, which only results in far more pain than there need be . It¡¯s like an obsession -- the body can never let itself to just . . . die . It tries to fix and fix and fix . . . even in those moments when nothing can be fixed . If I rip your heart out, do you think your body will listen and just kill you immediately because there is no chance? No . . . it will be short, for sure, but for a few moments after, you¡¯ll still live as you find it impossible to breathe . rms will begin ring off in your head -- where the hell is your heart? Find the heart . Something broke . Fix it . Find a way to fix it . I can¡¯t die . " " . . . " the woman was now within Lino¡¯s reach as he grabbed out and over her neck, holding it tightly . "The body never wants to die . Even if, in your heart, mind and soul, you¡¯ve made peace with it . . . the body always has the final say . Even for us cultivators, you know? When we are killing ourselves . . . it¡¯s hardly a suicide . We have to actively kill our body, in a way, as it resists our own will . Quite fascinating if you ask me . " " . . . " " . . . I will make an example out of you," Lino leaned over and whispered directly into the woman¡¯s ears . "On your way down, fight your body . Fight its instincts, and scream out to your subordinates not to fight me . Otherwise, I will kill everyst one of them . If you want them to live, fight the urge to close your lips, to hold your breath, to cry out in vain, to pray to whatever gods you pray . . . and instead scream at the top of your lungs for them to back off . Show me that you are a better leader than you presented yourself as just a moment ago, will ya¡¯?" Without even giving her a second to process anything, Lino suddenly heaved his arm back and hurled the woman down toward the fortress at the speed nobody else could even begin to follow . All they saw was a blurry sh of light blowing past them, crashing into the fortress beneath, decimating it down to its core as chunks and pieces blew up into the sky like an upward rain, showering the ocean beneath . By the time their minds caught up to it, so did the fading, screaming voice . "DO WHAT HE SAYS . . . " it was brief, yet it pierced their hearts and froze them in their spots . From down below, emerging from the rubble, four figures looked up into the sky . Hannah sighed and shook her head,menting the fact that the man she loved was still as showy as ever; Lucky merely shrugged, having already epted that fact many moons ago; Primul gazed deeply at the figure in the sky, having caught a glimpse of the passing Will that had nearly caused his soul to self-implode; Alison stood and looked up, her eyes teary, lips quivering . High above stood a man she hated from the depths of her soul, the sole person in the world she would do anything to kill . . . yet, she had realized it right then and there, as bits and pieces of that woman sttered against the cold and wet rock . . . she didn¡¯t stand a chance . He was far away . . . far away from a ce she couldn¡¯t even imagine . His Will alone, just that whiff she managed to catch by the end, nearly drove her insane . Had she been the full recipient of it, she wondered whether she could scream out like that woman did; she didn¡¯t want an answer, for she only it would only break her further . She suddenly felt an arm on her shoulder, jolting her; looking sideways, she met Lucky¡¯s eyes and a warm smile . Her beating heart calmed as her lips curled up in an involuntary smile . "He can¡¯t touch you," Lucky said . "I¡¯m right here . Alright?" Alison wondered, in that moment, why was she so weak . Even though she was immeasurably stronger than Lucky . . . thetter withstood that Will and even promised to protect her, despite knowing she never could . What was it that shecked, she wondered? What was it that Lucky had and she didn¡¯t? What did that woman have? And even Hannah . . . what did they have that she didn¡¯t? Perhaps an eternity would pass, she mused, before she would figure it out . Smiling with tears in her eyes, she lunged over and hugged Lucky who nearly fell back, surprised somewhat . Sighing lowly, she pulled Ally closer and rubbed her back, ncing up at Lino and scowling at him lowly . You didn¡¯t have to be that scary, you jagoff . . . END OF VOLUME XV Chapter 376 Chapter 376: 376 VOLUME XVI AGE OF EMPYREAN CHAPTER 376 UNBOUND DREAMS Hannah had a faint smile on her face as she saw Lino descend through the hundred souls who merely stood frozen in ce and watched, seemingly too terrified to even move a muscle . His wings copsed unto themselves as he entered a free fall andnded squarely next to her, stirring dust and kicking away the rumbling pebbles . Lucky sighed lowly and shook her head, merely dismissing him right away as she withdrew to the corner . After all, she technically didn¡¯t know him, and there was no reason to meet him yet again . Lino nced sideways slowly and met a pair of shimmering, blue eyes who stared at him wide-eyed . There was a strange glitter to them, a peculiar sort that Lino had only ever seen in one pair -- Ally¡¯s . Seeming absolute honesty, the ilk of innocent that sees no wrong and evil for as long as possible . . . his lips curled up into a warm smile as he realized that the world was yet to break her . However, to Alison, that smile appeared quite queer, especially underneath that faceless mask, causing her to cry out and whimper back behind Lucky almost instinctively . Thetter quickly scowled at him angrily . "What the fuck are you doing dude, huh?!" she raged on, much to Alison¡¯s horror . "Is your hobby scaring girls or something?" " . . . that was scary? Ouch," Lino chuckled faintly . "And who might you be? A guard dog? Congrats . You do look the part . " " . . . suck my dick . " she flipped him a finger . "Yeah, you do look like those ¡¯gals¡¯ with dicks," Lino grinned . "Though I must admit, you¡¯ve got tits done bar none . Who did them? I might take Hannah there one---ugh, yap . . . too far . . . taken it too far . . . " he groaned in pain as he felt an elbow smash into his abdomen, coughing lowly for a moment . "H-how do you do, babe? Long time no see . . . " "Who are you calling your babe, jagoff?" Hannah growled . "What are youining about my tits for, huh? You seemed perfectly content sucking on them like they¡¯re yourst straws to life each time you¡¯d seen them . " "Ah, I remember the times you were at least faintly embarrassed from publicizing our terrifying bed-stuff . " Lino said, taking a deep breath and straightening up . "But, eh, this is kind of hotter anyway . I¡¯ve missed you . " his hand reached behind her ear slowly, pulling a few strands of hair from her forehead as he leaned in and pressed his against hers, his other arm bounding her waist and holding her back tightly . "I¡¯ve missed you too . " she said, her lips quivering slightly . "Was I cool up there or what?" "So fucking cool . " "I felt cool . " "So why are you getting so hot right now?" "You make me--" "Hey, you two fuckdogs!!" Lucky suddenly screamed from the side as she saw Alison was nearing the point of fainting . "Keep your dicks and your cunts for your fucking room, hear me?! Or do you want me to start cuttin¡¯ stuff?!" " . . . fucking jealous bitch . " Hannah mumbled lowly as she tore herself away from Lino¡¯s embrace, ncing sideways with a ss smile . "Yes, yes, you goddamn desert . " "Now, now, desert," Lino chimed in . "Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s better if I¡¯m empty of such thoughts when I¡¯m inspecting for a new wife?" Lucky and Hannah looked at him quizzically, though thetter quickly caught on . "Yes, yes indeed . " she nodded, smiling faintly . "But, first, what should I do about those peeps above, huh? Should I cut them up into pieces and store their meat?" "---eeeeh!!?!" Alison cried out from behind, finally stepping out . "W-w-w-hy?!! T-they surrendered!!" "What do you mean why?" Lino shrugged . "How else am I going to feed my fourteen billion men army, huh hun? You think food just falls from the sky?" Lucky rolled her eyes and groaned as Alison¡¯s eyes widened once more, staring at him in pure horror . "Hey, you¡¯re cute . Alright, I¡¯ve made my decision . You¡¯ll bear me a son!" he eximed, pointing at Alison . "Unlike this one here, I hope . " "Humph, what, you¡¯re not satisfied with girls?" "Six of ¡¯em at that," Lino groaned as Lucky caught up to what they were doing . They were just being themselves, she realized, as per usual . "In one go . God, that was one huge stretch . . . " "---pftt, khm," Hannah barely recovered . "Y-y-yeah . . . you, khm, you said you could see my throat from down there . . . " "Your throat, uv, your fucking eyeballs . " " . . . hey, dipshits," Lucky sighed from the side . "She fainted . You happy?" " . . . you¡¯re certainly not what I expected . " a voice chimed in from the side, surprising Lino as he nced toward its direction . There an ordinary-looking man stood, though Lino quickly recognized that gaze, as though he were looking into a mirror . "Empyrean . " " . . . I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s the surprise, huh?" he mumbled . "Yep . " Hannah said . " . . . " two men didn¡¯t exchange any more words . Lino simply smiled strangely after a moment, the man quickly replying in an equally strange smile, bowing and retreating back into the shadows . "I want to talk to Ally, you two," Lino suddenly said, surprising Lucky and Hannah . "You two deal with the Cultists . Though I doubt you¡¯ll learn much, ask about their centralized structure . " " . . . what do you n on doing?" Lucky asked, frowning . " . . . just a talk, L¡¯," he smiled gently . "Nothing will happen . " " . . . are you sure about this? What if she recognizes you? She¡¯s not ready, Lino . " Hannah added from the side . "She won¡¯t recognize me," he shook her head . "Even if, by some miracle, she remembered that boy from so long ago . . . she¡¯ll never able to connect this handsome, brilliant, mind-blowing stud with that whiny bitch . " " . . . fucking hell . . . " the girls sighed in dismay, their shoulders slumped, as they headed toward the outside . "Primul,e with us . " Hannah said . "Tell us if you recognize any of them . " "Very well . " the man nodded and, with onest nce at Lino and a pleased smile, left . Lino sat opposite of Alison, on top of a rock, and took out a gourd of wine, waiting . It was nearly ten minutester that she groaned lowly, her eyshes fluttering, as she came to . Her blurry vision recovered quickly as she spotted an imposing figure sitting near her, causing her to cry out and back up against the rock . She felt her heart tremble as she met a pair of swirly, ck eyes once more . They were terribly familiar, yet eerily distant at the same time . There was something about him she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on, but she couldn¡¯t spare a thought as she was simply too terrified to think . All she could wonder is how would he kill her . " . . . Bearer of Immortality," Lino chortled, shaking her head . "You hardly live up to your title . " " . . . " "Even if you can¡¯t defeat me," he added, taking a sip . "Or even if you can¡¯t stand against me for longer than a second . . . that¡¯s not a disposition you should show to your mortal foe . Meek . . . defeated . . . terrified . . . " "--m--make it . . . quick . . . p-please . . . " Alison mumbled lowly, lowering her head . "Make what quick?" " . . . d-death . . . " " . . . I¡¯m not going to kill you . " he said . "W-why?" she looked up once more, this time less in terror and more in wonder . "What? Do you think I get off on killing innocent kids or something?" he chuckled . "I know . . . you see me as this terrifying ghost, a reaper of souls . . . but, to me, you¡¯re just a young girl . . . trying to make her way in the world . " " . . . a-ah . . . so . . . I-I¡¯m not e-even worthy . . . of being your enemy . . . " she added dispiritedly . " . . . you¡¯re worthy of being my friend," Lino said with a faint smile . "And, I don¡¯t know what your books of life tell you, but mine tell me that it¡¯s a whole lot harder to be someone¡¯s friend than it is to be their enemy . " " . . . y-you . . . killed B-brothers and . . . Sisters . . . and Eos . . . and . . . friends? You-you want me to be your friend?" a small fire seemed to have returned to her spirit as she looked up, seemingly having finally remembered who it was that was sitting in front of her . "Y-you . . . truly are mad . . . " " . . . do you know what my greatest dream in life is?" Lino asked, taking out a small, pink-dyed ss bottle and putting it in front of Alison slowly, retreating back to his rock right after . " . . . to kill us all and reign over the world alone?" Alison scoffed, ignoring the bottle . " . . . back in this small vige I¡¯m from," Lino replied, taking a sip . "There¡¯s a small, shabby house, full of holes and broken floorboards and windows . One day, if at all possible, I want to wake up there one morning, look sideways, and see Hannah . The way she is in the morning . Strands of her hair caught up on the corners of her lips, her cheeks slightly puffed, red, criss-cross pattern over them as she¡¯s a terrible sleeper, her arms no doubt yed in ways that should be humanly impossible . " " . . . " Alison couldn¡¯t help but smile involuntarily, as that was exactly what Hannah was like in the morning . "And I¡¯d like to wake up first every morning, so I can watch her as she opens her eyes . . . and as she smiles at me . " he added . "Then, children¡¯sughter would break out the quiet and she would groan, telling me to go and quieten the little fuckers . " " . . . ha ha . . . " "I don¡¯t want to rule the world," he added with a faint smile . "I¡¯ve no use for it . It¡¯s too big, it¡¯s too tiresome, it¡¯s too . . . dreadful . What use of me is another enemy, when I can have a friend? You and I . . . we can continue the vicious cycle, forever . Just as I killed Eos . . . she killed someone I¡¯ll never be able to rece . Does that mean I should go after her family? After her friends? After everyone she ever loved? Why?" " . . . " "That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want this ugly world," he said, smiling bitterly and taking a sip . "Because, no matter what you or I do Alison, it will go on . Whoever wins these pointless battles and these pointless wars, and whoever ends up hoisting the Crown and watching billions bend their knees to them, peace will wane like flowers in the winter . We crave blood like newborns crave their mothers¡¯ milk . Fighting, killing, dying, crying . . . they will all perpetually continue until, one day, tides of time end us forever . What do you want? In your heart of hearts, Alison? If you want to fight, if you want to end me and all those who wille after me from the depths of your soul, I¡¯ll let you go . I¡¯ll even give you the wind in the back that you need . " " . . . " Alison¡¯s lips trembled for a moment as she found herself struggling for an answer . Guilt soon overwhelmed her, as she knew she was supposed to immediately shout at him that she would fight him . Yet, despite the hate she believed to hold in her heart and soul toward him . . . he managed to disarm her . Just as she disarmed many, she now knew what it felt like . To stand on the other end, swept in the currents of the eyes that see through you and words that carry you to ces you never knew you could reach . "Stay with us for a while," he said, smiling tenderly and suddenly extending his arm . Even though she couldn¡¯t see his face, Alison was certain -- it was not one of a madman, an unrelenting murderer without a heart or soul . "A month, that¡¯s all I ask . Nobody will touch you, let alone harm you . You can talk to everyone, ask them anything, and learn . . . learn about me, learn about Hannah, learn about all of us . Why are we fighting . Why am I here today, talking my supposed enemy into bing my friend, instead of killing you like the world believes I would and should . In my heart, I believe, Alison . . . I believe we are better than this . That we can be far more than what we are . All I want . . . is to give the rest of the world a chance, a single opportunity, to see it . I believe with all my heart that it¡¯s all I need -- just a single moment . . . a single passing second . . . for them all to see that we don¡¯t belong in the wars . Instead, we belong in the stars . " Chapter 377 Chapter 377 CHAPTER 377 ALWAYS AND FOREVER " . . . I¡¯lle with you . " a meek voice jolted Lino from a brief lull he had fallen into as silence fell over the two . He looked up slowly and met Alison¡¯s trembling eyes as she quickly looked away . "Anyone stupid enough to invite their enemy into their home . . . needs to be taught a lesson . . . " " . . . " Lino¡¯s lips curled up into a wide smile as he suddenly chuckled, his arm extending outward, ruffling Alison¡¯s hair . She froze in the spot, expecting pain; yet, it was strangely, horriblyforting . Calm and peace overwhelmed her, the likes of which she hadn¡¯t experienced in years . "Whatever helps you sleep at night . Let¡¯s go . You¡¯ve spent long enough in this depressing world . " She followed him meekly as he climbed out onto the ragged and cracked rock and stone, where Hannah and Lucky seemed to have finally finished talking with the surviving bunch who were all corralled in a small corner, seated on their knees, their heads lowered . Both of them had rather unpleasant expressions as Lino and Alison walked up; thetter quickly scurried around him and went behind Lucky, hiding once more, causing Lino to bitterly smile and ponder whether he was truly that scary . "C-can . . . can Luckye? Please?" Alison suddenly asked, surprising Lino who looked up and met Lucky¡¯s terrifying gaze . " . . . aye, sure . I guess your guard dog can tag along . " he said, cracking a grin at her . "S-she¡¯s not a dog!! She¡¯s a friend!!" Alison quickly corrected as Lino and Hannahughed, while Lucky merely sighed deeply and shook her head . "W-why are youughing?" "Nothing, nothing," Lino quickly said, coughing lowly . "Alison, Hannah tells me that your Sect is guarded by an Origin Dragon, no?" "Y-you!! How could you divulge something like that to him?!" Alison quickly scowled at Hannah whose eyes shifted over to Lino, murderous in their make . "Have you ever ridden one of them?" "O-of course not!! Who would ever dare ride a majestic Dragon?!" " . . . you fucking shit," Lucky mumbled under her breath . "If a day could pass by without you manipting someone . . . " " . . . he he," Lino cracked a smile as he struck a heroic pose . "And that¡¯s why my side is better than yours! I summon thee, Vy!" "Suck a dick, you spoiled brat . " a low growl roared throughout the world, stiffening blood in the veins of those who suddenly beheld a massive, fiery creature appear behind Lino, eclipsing the entire ind and more . Vy floated just above, his sun-like eyes focused on Lino . "I regret that bet more than anything in my life . " "Oh, my dear friend," Lino shifted on his heel and met Vy¡¯s gaze, smiling strangely . "Trust me . . . you haven¡¯t even begun to regret it just yet . Anyway, Alison, I¡¯d like you to meet Vy . My pet Dragon . " " . . . b-bullshit!!" Hannah and Lucky nearly slipped over the rock beneath them as they turned toward Alison, their eyes wide . Thetter, having realized what she just said, blushed deeply and lowered her head in shame . "What bullshit?!" Lino growled, somewhat angry . "Bullshit are your Origin Dragons . Fuck ¡¯em . When I meet one of the fuckers, they better bless my sword or I¡¯ll shove it right up their massive assholes . Ain¡¯t that right Vy?" "Pray they don¡¯t use you as a toothpick, you prick . " "Heh, I like that . " Lino chuckled . "You like it? I¡¯ve thought it up just now . " Vy chuckled back . "Yeah, yeah, a double entree . I¡¯ll use it . " "Just credit me first, lil¡¯ bastard . " "Humph, as if . What am I going to say? Oh, yeah, you know who came up with it? My pet Dragon . " "Yes?" "Damn right I will, ha ha ha ha . " " . . . goddammit . I fell right into that one . " Vy sighed . "Damn right you did, you stupid lil¡¯ bitch . " Lino grinned as he shifted toward three girls and almost inconspicuous Primul; Hannah had a proud grin on her face, Lucky a bitter smile, Alison an expression of utter confusion, while Primul had a rather dubious expression stered, halfway between wonder, terror and pride . "Anyway, let¡¯s go . Climb up . I¡¯ll show you what it¡¯s like to fly a Dragon . " Hannah was the first to leap over without seemingly holding back, as she¡¯d ridden Vy before . Primul followed right after, also seemingly unaffected by the fact . It was only Lucky, who was yet to ride Vy despite knowing Lino had him, and Alison, who couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom that the Empyrean had a Dragon pet -- let alone the one of such simr ilk -- to say nothing of the fact that she would ride him . It was only when Lucky dragged her over that she came to, perpetually hiding behind the former . Lino and Hannah sat up front, in-between two massive horns; Primul was a bit further back, meditating, while Lucky and Alison sat just at the beginning of the sprouting wings, both halfway between excited and terrified . " . . . why¡¯d you call me for this?" Lino asked Hannah as he handed her over a gourd, and as Vy took to the vast skies . "You could have handled it easily . " " . . . it was time you met Ally again . " she replied, taking the gourd . " . . . it¡¯s too dangerous now . " Lino sighed, leaning against the horn . "I¡¯ve got eyes on my back, Hannah . I can¡¯t go kidnapping Bearers . " "Whose eyes?" she asked . "Was your cover blown?" " . . . remember that girl you riled me on about? The one I met at the fountain?" "The Princess?" Hannah quizzed . " . . . my gut is screaming at me . . . that it¡¯s her . " "Who?" "Her . The mother, daddy, whatever you people call her . " "Wh---" Hannah¡¯s words got stuck in her throat as she trembled, causing Lino to suddenly grab her hand and hold it tightly . "T-thanks . . . " she mumbled meekly, sweat pouring down her forehead . "W-what . . . makes you say that?" "It gets worse," he added, taking a sip . "She was a part of my original group, with Lucky . " " . . . " "I¡¯m worried," he added, sighing and ncing at her with a sheepish smile . "She¡¯s known who I am for so long . . . yet, she did nothing . Can you make heads or tails of that shit?" " . . . no . " Hannah replied honestly, dragging herself over and leaning against his side . "What will you do?" "It¡¯s just an Avatar, so it¡¯s pointless to do anything . Just a waste of energy and resources," he said . "I¡¯ve mulled over whether I should tell you or not . What about it?" "Definitely not . " she chuckled bitterly . "Old are always right . Ignorance truly is bliss . You still decided to take Ally with us, though . Why?" " . . . I can¡¯t exin it," he looked sideways and into her eyes for a moment . "But, it feels like I¡¯m running out of time . Too many variables keep popping up left and right . I¡¯ll have to meet with that old bastard once more . Ataxia, shield us . " he added toward the end as Hannah suddenly felt being ripped away from reality and thrown into an entirely different one . "What is it?" she asked . "Ally was being protected by two Descenders," he said . "If I had made a move on her, they would have most likelye out to defend her . " " . . . I suspected they might do that . " "Why?" "Regardless of their veiled support for you," she said, chuckling faintly . "They are still all about bnce, Lino . The one you disrupted when you killed Eos . If you simply go around killing Bearers and Writs, you will disrupt the world too much . " " . . . in the end," he sighed lowly . "That¡¯s still who the world sees me as . . . " " . . . who gives a crap about the world?" Hannah asked, snuggling closer in . "Let them think whatever they want . They think I whored myself out to you ¡¯cause I couldn¡¯t resist your devilish charms . " "And they are right on!" " . . . you really think I fell in love with your devilish charms?" she suddenly looked up, surprising him faintly as he began rubbing her hair . " . . . devilish charms, perfect body, brains . . . I¡¯m just a whole package, girl . " " . . . courage," she said, her lips curling up into a wonderful smile . "Honesty . Compassion . Kindness . Warmth . Naivety . Gentleness . " she raised her arm slowly and caressed his cheek gently . "I fell in love with a man who would throw himself in the inferno to save a single life . I fell in love with someone who could look at the most corrupt world, and still see the beauty in it . I fell in love with someone who has enough heart to wee anyone and everyone in his home . With someone who forgives . The world has no right to judge you, Lino . It¡¯s far filthier, far more terrible, far eviler than you have ever been . " " . . . ¡¯s that so?" he smiled back, lowering his head and nting his lips onto hers for a moment, closing his eyes as their foreheads touched . "I, on the other hand, fell in love with your tits, with your ass, with your--" "Oh, you fucking dipshit, ha ha ha . . . I¡¯m opening my heart here to you!!" "Ha ha ha, so am I! What? Can¡¯t a man love his girl¡¯s perfect set of tits? Is that suddenly a terrible thing to do?" "Tsk, tsk, tsk . . . what man? You¡¯re still just a fifteen-year-old horny boy . " " . . . your smile . " he suddenly said . "The first time I saw your smile . . . by thatke . I knew it . It¡¯s the same smile that disarmed me time and again . . . " " . . . eh, you¡¯re getting there . " she shed him another, causing him to chuckle . "The way your hair flutters in the wind," his hand washed slowly over her head . "Like fire . Untamed, unbound . Your heart," he looked back into her eyes . "The way you pour it into everything you do . Your voice," his lips slumped down and over hers, touching them gently . "How it can go from highest of highs to lowest of lows within a single breath . Your expressions . . . the way you keep surprising me, even today, with all of them . The fact that, no matter what I do, no matter how stupid it may be . . . you are always right there, by my side, supporting me . " " . . . hm," she smiled warmly and closed her eyes, pulling onto his chest . "Once sly-tongued . . . always sly-tongued . . . " " . . . marry me Hannah . " "Hm?" she looked up, her eyshes fluttering . "When we get home," he said, smiling . "Marry me . " " . . . can I wear a pretty, white dress?" "You can wear anything . " "Can I have a cake?" "You can have anything . " "Then I want you to give Vy to me, to be my pet . " she said . "He¡¯s yours . " " . . . " slowly lifting herself up, she leveled her head with his and met his gaze squarely . It was then that she noticed his left arm, lying stretched out in front of her, a shining ring resting on it . "You¡¯re serious . " she said with a slightly quivering tone . "I am . " he replied . "You can have everything . . . all I ask is that you be mine . " " . . . I was always yours," she replied, seemingly smiling and tearing up at the same time . "And I don¡¯t need anything, Lino . All I ask is that you be mine . " "Always . " "And forever . " she stretched out her left arm in front of him . "It¡¯s a promise . " " . . . " he took the ring and slowly put it on her finger, grasping her hand and pulling her into his arms . "I will give you everything . " " . . . you already have, idiot," she said, kissing him . "That day in the pond, when you showed far more courage than I had . Wait, why did you lock the ring¡¯s stats?" "I didn¡¯t . " Lino grinned strangely . "But . . . I can¡¯t see any . " " . . . that¡¯s ¡¯cause it doesn¡¯t have them . " "Huh?" "The ring," he exined . "It doesn¡¯t have any stats . " "But . . . that¡¯s . . . that¡¯s impossible . " she stuttered . "It¡¯s from another world," he added . "For years I wondered what kind of ring to craft you . . . but nothing I came up with came even close to matching what I wanted to express . Then, just before I left, Tim gave it to me . I mean, it was kind of awkward, you know, rejecting the guy¡¯s proposal but still keeping the ring . . . " " . . . pfft, ha ha ha ha ha . . . " "But," their fingers interlocked as he brought their hands up . "It . . . I don¡¯t know . . . seemed perfect . What I feel . . . can never be put into stats . Do you like it?" " . . . I love it," Hannah replied, wiping the corners of her eyes . "It¡¯s perfect, heh . " "A perfect ring for a perfect woman . " "Well, now I know you¡¯re just lying . " "Yeah, I made it a bit too obvious . " "Hey!!" "Ha ha ha ha, what, you said it! Ha ha . . . " "Yeah, but you¡¯re supposed to deny it . Ugh, I have to train you to be a proper husband . " "Everything I do is perfect, so no need to worry about that . " Lino said, stroking his chin . "Yeah, alright . " Hannah chuckled, her expression mellowing as their eyes met . She found herself an inch away from bursting out into a giggle, barely holding back . "I love you, Lyonel . I can¡¯t wait to spend the rest of forever with you . " " . . . I love you more," he replied, brushing her hair behind the ear . "Today . . . you¡¯ve made me the happiest man alive, you know?" "Did you really think I would ever say no?" she asked, snuggling back into his arms . "What would you have done if I did?" "I would have died . Without a question . " "Then I guess I never had a choice, huh?" "You always talk about mauling and scarring me . Today was your best chance and you missed it . Tsk, tsk, you¡¯re terrible at this whole crippling business . " "Look up . " following her voice, Lino nced up and, instead of a field of ashen clouds, he saw a starlit sky, one brushed with breathtaking colors . A disc-like spread of glittering dots shone, surrounded by nebulous clouds of bizarre shapes and colors . " . . . " he only nced at it once, however, before lowering his gaze . Hannah had an innocent, curious smile on her face, her eyes widened as she stared up . Lino¡¯s heart stopped, every inch of his being desiring to freeze that moment in eternity . He pulled her up suddenly as she cried out and kissed her, as though for the first time . Theyy in each other¡¯s hands beneath the stars, cruising through the vast sky on top of Vy¡¯s head, hidden away from the world . It was their moment, and theirs alone, forever to remember and behold . One that can never be blemished by anything or anyone . Always the same . Always perfect . Always and forever . Chapter 378 Chapter 378 CHAPTER 378 LAW OF ENTROPY Inside a ss-roofed gazebo overlooking a cascading garden of roses and rapid streams of water bundling into small waterfalls as they all fell into an out-streaming, massive one, five figures currently sat in ephemeral silence around a wooden table stacked with exotic fruits . The ce beneath was surrounded by clouds as it floated far up, well away from the sight of the world . The gazebo was held up by six, hand-carved beams, decorated by various, beautiful patterns, which ever so often sported a shimmering gem . Of the five figures, two were men and three were women; Freya sat at the central spot, her expression downcast and troubled . Seated next to her was a woman with a veiled face, her whole body edgeless, bloody-red hair faintly visible as it draped over her back . Opposite of them, to the far right, was Erebus, who had a deep frown of contemtion on his face . Seated right next to him was the other man, seemingly in histe sixties with a head full of white hair and a face full of white beard . His eyes were closed, his features otherwise entirely ordinary . To the end was thest woman, draped in cascading shadows of nothingness, her figure both there and not at the same time . She didn¡¯t have any distinguishing features, as though she was everyone and no one at the same time . " . . . why now?" Erebus suddenly asked, breaking the silence and drawing attention to himself . "Why would the Empyrean take Alison now?" " . . . I imagine it is because he has seen through my Avatar," Freya replied with a faint sigh . "Which forced him to speed up his ns . " "What ns?" the other man asked, his eyes still closed . " . . . it¡¯s difficult to say," Freya replied, sighing once more . "I got the feeling he is not ying just our own game, but one muchrger than it all . " " . . . what could possibly berger?" the veiled woman scoffed, her voice cracking and breaking . "In the end, he still became merely another of Ataxia¡¯s puppets . We¡¯ve put too much faith into him . " "A¡¯yor," Freya turned to thest woman . "What do you think?" " . . . I think," the woman¡¯s voice was paradoxically loud and low, distant and near, everywhere and nowhere, at the same time . "Nothing . I am ashamed . . . to say it, Mother . But, when I look at him . . . I . . . see nothing . Far more . . . than looking myself in the mirror . " " . . . I¡¯ve said it before," the old man said suddenly . "It was a mistake, Mother, to antagonize him . " " . . . chips merely fell where even Sister was unable to predict them," Freya said, chuckling bitterly . "If it was in the cards, I¡¯d have befriended him instead . " "Regardless," the veiled woman said . "We can¡¯t allow this to continue anymore . Our reign is already being questioned . If we do nothing after having lost another Bearer, it will be even more difficult . " " . . . I agree," Erebus said . "We need to draw him out and throw everything we have at him . Even if we are unable to kill him, we need to buy more time . How many years before we can breach the barrier, Mother?" " . . . with the help of Four and Three, I estimate another thirty years at the least, forty at the most . " "Then forty we need to buy . " Erebus said . "He¡¯s not invincible . . . nor is he asposed as he lets out . However despicable, we need to aim where it hurts the most . " " . . . dear Mother, Great Sister," the elderly man suddenly said, opening his eyes as his lips curled up in a bitter smile . "I¡¯m afraid I cannot participate in this . " " . . . why, Istok?" Freya asked . "I . . . simply cannot . " the man replied, bowing lowly . "I shall await my due punishment . " " . . . Istok . . . " Erebus mumbled, but the man had already vanished from his spot, as though he were never there . "I shall arrange everything," the veiled woman said . "You only need to gather people and be where I tell you to be at and when I tell you . " "Yes, Great Sister . " Erebus and the other woman nodded solemnly and too vanished, leaving behind only Freya and the veiled woman . " . . . I¡¯m afraid, sis . " Freya said, biting her lower lip . "This . . . might truly be our undoing . " "What are you afraid of, Gaia?" the veiled woman asked with a faint scoff . "He is just a lowly human, at his core . Ataxia may enamor him, but he doesn¡¯t make him an immortal . Not in the least . " "You haven¡¯t met him," Freya said . "Not like I did . He¡¯s . . . different . Different from Eve . Different from A . Different from Rove . Different from Stark . Different from Eldon . " " . . . in what way?" the veiled woman asked . " . . . he can both match Eve¡¯s cruelty, as well as A¡¯spassion," Freya replied, sighing . "He can meet Rove¡¯s determination . . . as well as Stark¡¯s will . And, by far, he is the only one that can match Eldon when ites to true madness . I feel if we aggravate him too much . . . he will simply cease to care . " "Let him cease, then," the veiled woman said . "If his following keeps growing, it will soon match ours, Gaia . He may have won them over for now with his wit and charm, but, he¡¯ll chase them away all the same once they finally remember who he is . He¡¯s just another one of Ataxia¡¯s dogs, that¡¯s all . Not one thing less nor one thing more . " " . . . " Freya remained silent, merely looking out of the gazebo into the vast horizon . Times were about to change . . . yet, for the first time in a long, long while . . . she felt as though she didn¡¯t belong on the right side of it all . The first and thest time she felt that way . . . she was right . Luck was on her side back then, but in her heart, she knew that wouldn¡¯t be the case this time around . She silently prayed, to someone, something, even grander than her . . . prayed and prayed . That was all she could do now . ** Floating above the ravaged rubble that was once a prison ind, two figures had strange expressions on their faces . Four and Three had just witnessed Lino ride off with a Dragon into the horizon, as the two of them slowly materialized behind . " . . . we need to report this to Two, at the very least . " Four said in a heavy tone . " . . . it is indeed getting out of hand . " Three added, taking a deep breath as she nced down at her trembling hand . Just now, when Lino threw the woman from the sky, majority of his Will was aimed neither at the woman nor at those beneath on the ind -- it was instead aimed at the two of them, a clear-cut warning that should they intervene, things would get ugly . "We¡¯ve allowed him too much freedom he¡¯s begun to believe the world is truly his . " " . . . you won¡¯t report anything . " a familiar voice startled the two of them from behind as Six appeared, his expressionplex . "I will handle it . " " . . . like you handled it so far?" "He¡¯s bing a loose cannon, Six," Four said . "How can he be trusted with handling anything important? He¡¯s half a breath away from spiraling . " " . . . is he?" he questioned with the two oddly . "Think back, think back to the moment his Will touched yours . What did you sense? Past the overwhelming desire to kneel, past the unbridled, surface madness, past all of the things you expected his Will to be . What did you sense . . . at the very core?" " . . . nothing . " Three eximed lowly . "Exactly . Nothing . " Six chuckled bitterly, shaking his head . "I can¡¯t believe thatd is actually trying it . . . " " . . . won¡¯t Ataxia notice?" Four asked, unable to mask a surprised tone in his voice . " . . . no," Three suddenly said, chuckling . "He only let us sense it . On purpose . " "Aye," Six nodded . "Still, it worries me . He¡¯s juggling too many things right now . And it seems Gaia has also decided to stop sitting idly by . " " . . . we still can¡¯t intervene . " Three said . "We won¡¯t," Six added . "There is no need . I believe he can figure it out himself . He always has . No reason to stop now . " " . . . how did he evene up with the idea for it? He shouldn¡¯t have been exposed to the Universal Laws just yet . " "He took a short trip to Earth," Six said . "A small ind in possession of gods . It must have been there that he learned of Law of Entropy . " " . . . still, just from that?" Three sighed . "Even Eldon needed more . " " . . . it¡¯s simple," Six said . "Eldon grew up understanding the same Laws we did, boxed in . Lino . . . has always had the liberty of not knowing . It is much easier to create a new habit than it is to re-shape an old one . " "Can you guess his ultimate intentions?" Four asked . "Does he truly intend to suffocate Qi Springs?" " . . . I can¡¯t even begin to fathom what he wants to do," Six chuckled . "But, I am looking forward to it . You two should return to the maind and stay in Celeste . Don¡¯t let him kill other Bearers just yet . " "What if he goes against us?" Three asked . "He won¡¯t," Six replied . "He¡¯ll probably curse you out to heaven, but as long as you endure that beating, he won¡¯t make a move against you . " " . . . I feel . . . I¡¯d rather have him make a move, though . . . " Four mumbled, rubbing his gauze-covered temples . "That tongue of his . . . aii . . . it¡¯s only gotten more venomous over the years . . . " "Just take theshing," Six said, slowly beginning to fade . "After all, we¡¯re forcing him to work with two hands tied behind his back . It¡¯s the least we can do for him . " " . . . then you take the damnshing . . . " Three mumbled . "You think I hadn¡¯t?!" Six growled from beyond . "I¡¯d taken so many I¡¯m on the brink of vomiting blood every time I see his face . Humph, it was the high time someone else took that burden away from me -- I mean, that joy from me . Have fun!" " . . . old crook . Go and die already . . . " Chapter 379 Chapter 379 CHAPTER 379 REASONS AND TALES Ryt and Ion stood on the side, both silently sniffling, as Hannah and Lino stepped out of the isted space and back into reality . Lucky had a faint, crescent smile on her face as she stared at the two, barely holding back from lunging over and hugging them both . Primul merely nodded with a smile and congratted the two before retreating into his own little corner . Alison suddenly felt her knees grow weak as she held meekly onto Lucky¡¯s back . All the while, deep in her heart, she had hoped it would all blow over -- that she woulde to her senses ande back home . However, she truly loved him, Alison realized . It wasn¡¯t the sort that passes with time or the ilk that can be vanquished . She loved him from the depths of her heart, and he loved her back just the same . She was on the wedge, battling deep inside her soul; Hannah was, after all, her best friend, someone who had been there for her since Alison was a little girl . How could she not be happy she had found someone? Yet, at the same time, she felt terribly bitter that Hannah¡¯s betrayal hadn¡¯t led to a catastrophe, but a joyous story . "M-master . . !!" Ion cried out lowly as he walked up and suddenly hugged Lino . "Congrattions!" "Congrattions, Master!" Ryt quickly joined, not to be outdone, hugging Lino from behind and rubbing his head against his back . "You deserve it!" "A-alrightds, he he, stop rubbing you goddamn snot against Master¡¯s shirt, you little fuckers!!" "A-ah! Sorry!! Sorry!" "Khm, anyway, thank you," Lino said . "You two will be in charge of decorating the venue . Are you up to the task?!" "Definitely not, Master!!" Ryt and Ion quickly stood on attention and replied . " . . . what?" "We know absolutely nothing about decorations," Ion said . "If you¡¯d like us to put on a performance in which I beat Ryt into a smooth ball, you got it!" "And by that he means me beating him into jelly, Master!" " . . . aah, I¡¯m surrounded by idiots . " he sighed . "Alright boys, enough joking around," Hannah chuckled . "Don¡¯t tell anyone just yet . We want it to be a surprise, alright?" "Yes, Lady Hannah!" "Tsk, two of the ugliest people I¡¯ve met in my life getting together . " Lucky chortled . "How fitting . " "Shut up, jealous guard-hound," Hannah scoffed . "We at least found each other . You still have to stick wood in your ass to get you going . " "At the very least mine doesn¡¯t go limp after one round . " "One round is more than enough . " "Yo, yo,dies," Lino suddenly interjected . "By all means, yap at each other however much you want, but let¡¯s keep my wood out of it, huh?" "Wood? What wood?" Alison suddenly joined in . "Yeah Master, what wood?" Ion and Ryt quizzed from the side . " . . . Alison, you¡¯re a middle-aged woman now, by god," Hannah sighed . "How can you still not know any of these things? You, dog, you seem you¡¯ve got a mouth on you and a lot of beavers digging around . Teach her already . It¡¯s fucking embarrassing . " "H-hey!! I know stuff too!!" "I imagine they were talking about his private part, Lady Alison," Primul said from the side . "It was a rather fun wordy, if you ask me . " " . . . private part? What pri------" faster than she ever did before, Alison hid behind Lucky and buried her head into her arms . "Happy?" Lucky red at Primul who merely shrugged . "What about the smithy?" Hannah asked Lino . "I¡¯ll sort it out with Ed and Jack . " Lino replied . "Don¡¯t you have bigger problems now?" "What?" she asked back . "The wedding . I was nning on getting married in like two-three months . So you better start nning . " " . . . he he, it¡¯s cute you think anything you want matters," she winked mischievously, grabbing his arm and strutting it around hers as she slowly began walking forward, dragging him with her . "You can have one thing, Lino -- just one thing of your own . The rest? Just shut up and ept it, okay?" " . . . alright . Then I want Vy to walk you down the aisle . " Lino grinned back in the same tone, causing Hannah to sigh . " . . . ugh, fine . What do you want?" " . . . I¡¯m kidding," he suddenly ruffled her hair . "All I want is what I¡¯ve already gotten . It¡¯s your job to ensure others realize just how much I love you . So, the bigger the wedding, the more I love you . " " . . . h-hey . . . can I . . . can I ask you something rather . . . insane?" she mumbled lowly as they drew distance from the rest, slowly moving across Vy¡¯s insanely massive back . "What?" Lino asked . "I . . . I know it¡¯s stupid, and probably a terrible idea," Hannah said, sighing . "But . . . I want to invite my parents . " " . . . you do?" "I do . " "Alright," he chuckled lightly . "I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re there . " " . . . oi, what kind of evil shit did you just concoct inside that fucked up head of yours?" "E-eh?! What do you mean evil shit?! I was just going to politely ask them, you jackass!!" "Yeah, right . You . Politely asking . Anyone . Anything . Would looove to see that happen . " " . . . did I just sign off the rest of my life to . . . this?" Lino mused with a smile . "This . . . and a whole lot more of this . Prepare, pretty boy! You shan¡¯t have a peaceful day till you croak!" "All I heard is that I won¡¯t have a boring day ever again . " "No, no you won¡¯t . " she said . "You¡¯ve gotten quite stronger," Lino added suddenly . "What¡¯s with that?" "Well, there¡¯s this abnormal freak that I know and it¡¯s pretty hard to keep up with him . You let it slip once and bam, he¡¯s gone . " "Oh my, he sounds like a piece of work . " "Eh, he¡¯s worth it . What about you? How confident are you?" she asked . " . . . no man, living or dead, can match me!" "Alright, let me rephrase that -- if they wailed on you, would you cry or take it like a man?" "Are you there?" he asked back . "Sure . " "Cry like a little bitch . " " . . . ugh . " "Ha ha ha ha . . . " " . . . will Ally be fine, do you think?" she asked, breaking the short silence that had emerged between the two of them . " . . . she will," Lino replied with a smile . "You¡¯ve taught her well . " "And some thanks I get . " "Well, you did betray her, making bed with her archenemy and all . Man, what a splendid betrayal . " "Hey, jagoff, you still want this wedding to happen?" "Yep!" "Then shut your goddamn trap . " "Nope!" " . . . it was fun, seeing her . " Hannah said, smiling lightly . "And talking to her again . At moments . . . it felt like old times again . When it was just the two of us and her barrage of questions . " " . . . yeah? What questions?" "Ha ha, any kind, really . . . from what nt this is, what animal that is, why are Sister Rya¡¯s breasts so humongous--" "--Sister Rya?" "--dude . Really?" "Hey, you said it, not me . " Lino raised his arms defensively . " . . . ugh, yeah, they¡¯re massive, alright? They¡¯re like . . . fucking watermelons . Goddammit . . . how are they so big? Anyway, when I said she¡¯d ask me anything . . . I really mean anything . " " . . . she was always curious . " "Aye . What about you? What¡¯s it feel like to meet your first love?" " . . . jealous?" Lino cracked a smile as he nced at her . "Eh, she had you first, I kept youst . Her loss . " "Or victory . Never say never . Besides," he added, kissing her lightly . "I¡¯ve met my first love a long time ago, by the side of a cleanke, where she adamantly imed to be entirely fine with her average-sized tits . " " . . . you really never liked her?" Hannah asked . "Of course I liked Ally," Lino said . "She¡¯d been my entire world for what little time we spent together in the orphanage . I used to sneak out almost every morning and rush to the bakery to get her a hot bun since we¡¯ve never had warm meals in the orphanage . I can¡¯t remember just how many fruit seeds I¡¯d nted in the orphanage¡¯s backyard hoping they¡¯d grow one day, for her . I even went around digging for wells at the edges of the vige, hoping to find something . " " . . . " "I just always felt like I had to take care of her," he added, lowering his head slightly . "Whenever I¡¯d look at her, I¡¯d see this . . . fragile house of cards . In the end, it turned out that the fragile house of cards was actually a mighty castle . . . " " . . . you never told me what happened with you two," Hannah said after a short silence . "Neither did she . " " . . . she was raped," Lino said, startling Hannah . "Shortly before you arrived . " " . . . the butcher?" Hannah mumbled lowly . "Hm," Lino nodded . "She was told I¡¯d be given a warm ce and food, and all she had to do was . . . well . " " . . . " Hannah winced, suddenlying to a stop and bending over, as though getting sick . Lino merely crouched next to her and held her tightly . "I . . . why . . . why didn¡¯t she ever tell me?" " . . . heh, that¡¯s Ally for you," Lino chuckled . "She never told me either . I found out by ident . God, even today I remember how shitty I felt back then . I just wanted to find a hole and crawl into it and die . So, that¡¯s the story of us," he added . "I was pissed she¡¯d do something so dumb for me, and she was pissed I¡¯d send her away without ever talking with her . " " . . . how old was she back then? Eight? Nine? My god . . . " Hannah shuddered as she slowly got up . "I . . . can¡¯t even imagine how she felt . . . " " . . . you¡¯ve a month, Hannah," Lino said, lifting her chin gently and caressing her cheek . "Make amends . " " . . . heh, you sly animal . You can¡¯t be bothered to convert her, so you¡¯re outsourcing it, huh?" " . . . " Lino grinned lightly and kissed her before replying . "You just know me so well, huh?" " . . . you did it for me, didn¡¯t you?" she suddenly held his arm and pulled him back before he could resume walking . "You asked her to stay for me . " " . . . a little bit for you," Lino replied . "A little bit for me, a little bit for Lucky . Don¡¯t be so full of yourself, it doesn¡¯t suit you . " "Oh, you piece of shit . . . " Chapter 380 Chapter 380 CHAPTER 380 BLOODLINES The fortress spun in the high sky, bending in and out of reality, seemingly breaking everyw known to a man . Its jet-ck walls absorbed all light that came their way, condensing it wholly into energy and sending it to the fortress¡¯ central chamber . Shouts rang from nearly every corner as billows of thick, ashen smoke veiled the fortress in a gray mist . E was currently going over a stack of papers while a little boy tugged at her dress . She absentmindedly caressed his hair with her free hand, though her mind seemed far away . Opposite of her, Val was writing something in a hurry, while Amadeel seemed to be meditating in the corner . On the far other end, the balcony overlooking a stretch of now empty training grounds, Eggor battled with a massive canvas and an impossiblyplex design jetted on top of it . It depicted strange gears winding over one another, with even moreplex arrays oveying them . " . . . I¡¯ve found it," E cried out suddenly, picking up the boy in her arms and running over to Eggor with the book in her hand . "I¡¯ve found it!" "Eh?! You did?!" Eggor eximed, his bushy beard giving way to an extremely joyous smile . "Ha ha, of course I did!" E eximed, smiling proudly . "Have you ever doubted me?" "No, of course not . Let me see . " E put the book down and pointed her finger at the bottom of the right page, where a rather crudely drawn, yet extremely detailed, spiraling array rested . "Yes, this is it! This is it!" "Hey . " "What?" Eggor asked, ncing as he felt a tug on his shirt . "Don¡¯t I deserve at least a kiss?" E asked, smiling widely . " . . . p-people--" "Don¡¯t give me that . " "Ugh . . . fine . . . " he nced around stealthily for a moment before quickly raising his head and giving her a swift peck . " . . . aii, and who says the romance is dead?" "Papa! Kiss mama!!" the little boy in E¡¯s arms suddenly eximed, pouting as he stared at now shocked Eggor . " . . . who taught him that?" he asked in a quivering tone . "I did, of course . " E shrugged . " . . . of course you did . Cae, it¡¯s uh, it¡¯s adult--" "Papa, kiss mama!" "B-but--" "Kiss mama!!" " . . . you . . . evil . . . little . . . witch . . . " he mumbled under his breath, ring at pridefully-grinning E . "Hey, lovebirds, I¡¯ve found something strange . " Val suddenly called from the inside, causing E and Eggor to swiftly turn around and walk back toward her . "What is it?" E asked, handing the young boy over to Eggor . The twods had a quick stare-off in the meantime . "Ever since Lino told me about the Cult," Val said . "I¡¯ve been going over some old records with Amadeel¡¯s help . " " . . . yeah, he sure seems to be helping . " Eggormented . "I¡¯m moral support!" Amadeel eximed, his eyes still closed . "Anyway, shut up, I¡¯ve found this," Val turned a small book over, facing it toward Eggor and E, pointing at a small paragraph on the left side . "It¡¯s from the Abridged Histories of Eun . He mentions the Cult during the Chapter on, well, Cults . " " . . . Eun? Wasn¡¯t he shamed out of historic circles just a few hundred years ago?" E mumbled, reading over the paragraph . "Either way, he still mentions the Cult," Val said . "And, as this was written who-knows-how-many-moons-ago, it should at least be worth a look . He doesn¡¯t mention them under a name of Void Cult, however, and instead uses World Phasers Cult, due to their nature of the movement . He ims to have met a high-tier member of the Cult who told him the internal structure -- three-part leadership splintered into branching agencies, with three independent systems handling all internal, external and leadership issues . The Cult works on the principle of merit, and the leadership can be switched at any time if someone earns more merit points than the current leaders . " " . . . is that it?" Eggor mumbled, frowning . "Their course of action changed all of a sudden due to the change in leadership?" " . . . it¡¯s possible," E said, taking a deep breath . "Though they would from time to time crawl up to w around, they had never outright attacked any of the major factions . " "There was also a lull from them for the past hundred years," Amadeel jumped in from the side, walking over to the table . "As though they hadpletely vanished . Their known hideouts were emptied, their known trading routes canceled . . . it was as though they never even existed . " "What was theirst big haul?" E asked . " . . . hmm . About three hundred years ago," Amadeel replied after a brief thought . "They temporarily took over the Unknown Archives of the Third Tower," he added . "Once we regained control, we checked for any missing pieces . . . but, as far as we could tell, nothing was taken . " " . . . Third Tower?" E mumbled, her frown deepening . "Isn¡¯t thatrgely devoted to Bloodlines?" " . . . yes?" "Could it be that they were looking for a way to awaken a specific Bloodline?" E mumbled . "Doubtful," Amadeel shook his head . "Unknown Archives store exclusively papers that cannot be deciphered, those that were proven wrong, or whose source was never confirmed . If they were looking for ways to awaken a Bloodline, they¡¯d have gone into the Tower itself . Besides, knowledge on how to awaken mostmon Bloodlines is rather easy to find elsewhere . " " . . . yes, but most Bloodlines are conditional," Val interjected, rubbing her temples gently as though trying to remember something . "It¡¯s hardly ever the matter of simply knowing the process of Awakening them, as it simply has to do with blood-burning . For instance, my Bloodline is entirely linked to Lino -- the stronger he gets, the stronger we are . Most high-end Bloodlines are like that; they are profoundly linked to their other side . " "You¡¯re saying they were looking for the ¡¯other side¡¯?" E asked . "Think of it like this," Val said, getting up off the chair and grabbing a quill, taking out a fresh piece of parchment and drawing a single circle on it . "Technically speaking, every individual has a Bloodline," she added a single dot at the center . "We divide Bloodlines based on their rarity, their strength, and their attributes . By default, over 99 percent of Bloodlines arergely useless, most-often even deterrents . Understanding a single Bloodline among the rest, however, takes more than just knowing it is there -- blood, on its own, after all is the same for everyone . It¡¯s a miscoined term -- strength isn¡¯t drawn from the blood, but a much deeper structure of our make . " "That¡¯s right," Amadeel nodded . "Blood is merely a conduit . Like our nerves, it reaches every part of our body, but as it¡¯s in liquid form and isn¡¯t prone to crippling us if one thing goes wrong . " "--wait, wait, isn¡¯t it just like arrays, though?" Eggor interjected suddenly . "In order to make the array work, you have to have apleted loop . There cannot be a beginning nor can there be an end . It has to be an entirely closed system for the array to actually work . Aren¡¯t Bloodlines the same?" " . . . but what about double-linked arrays?" Amadeel asked, frowning . "They merely create intersections," Eggor took the quill from Val and drew two circles, crossing paths at two points . "This third circle," he pointed at the intersection . "Is still within the closed system of therger two . " " . . . mixing . . . Bloodlines?" E mumbled . "I mean . . . can it even be done artificially?" "Theoretically, yes," Amadeel said, stroking his beard . "Like Eggor said, if you take two differing variables and run them through a closed system, they will, in an infinite amount of time, be one and the same -- depending on the blending process, the new variable might contain more information from one or another, or the spread may be entirely equal . If someone can build a closed-system organism specifically to nurture and awaken Bloodlines, they could essentially produce any mixed Bloodline they want . " " . . . theck of purity would lower the Bloodline¡¯s quality, however," Val added, frowning . "Bar two or three, throughout history, mixed Bloodlines were daftly looked down upon . Even some truly powerful ones, like Vampires, Dragonkin, Seraphim . . . " "Yes, but not because of their strengths," E eximed suddenly . "But because of their very ring weaknesses! That¡¯s it! It¡¯s not mixing of Bloodlines, it¡¯s purification!" " . . . so, to say, a Vampire Bloodline . . . without innate absolute weakness to light?" Eggor mumbled . "Or Dragonkin without the self-destructing bodies?" Val added . " . . . is there a record of what was stored in those Archives?" E asked Amadeel quickly . Even the young boy had gone quiet, seemingly aware of the tension, as his eyes curiously followed those who would talk . " . . . I can only think of one document that would be relevant," Amadeel said . "A personal diary of the Lynthrowe Witch . She used to cross-breed different beasts and cause artificial mutations by mixing blood . " "Just mixing blood won¡¯t be enough for the Bloodlines, however," Val said . "There has to be something more . . . " "It¡¯s genes," a familiar voice caused everyone in the room to turn around swiftly; standing at the entrance of the balcony, Lino, Hannah, Lucky, Alison, Ryt, Ion and Primul made a rather strange entourage . "That¡¯s what they¡¯d have to modify . " " . . . genes?" Val mumbled absentmindedly . "So-called gic make-up," Lino walked over, grabbing Criador as the boy immediately burst out into joyousughter, wrapping his tiny arms around Lino¡¯s neck . "Invisible parts of your body that determine your height, eye color, muscle mass, bone density and so on . Bloodlines are simply gic extractions; taking one¡¯s natural strength and simply exaggerating it through blood-burning . Yes, yes they are . Aren¡¯t they Criador?" "Yes, Brother Lino!!" the young boy cried out, tugging at Lino¡¯s beard . "Ha ha ha, goddamn kid, you really like ruffin¡¯ with your bro¡¯s beard, don¡¯t you?" "Yes, yes! Beard! Beard, he he!" "Ha ha ha, my my, aren¡¯t you the cutest little thing ever? Come,e with the big bro! I¡¯ve got plenty of treats for you!" "Candy?!!" "Lots and lots of candy!!" "Yaaaay!!" " . . . . . " after dropping the situation-altering information, Lino simply sauntered off with the young Criador, leaving the rest to gawk at him in wonder and confusion . He really did everything at his own pace, they mused inwardly, regardless of what anyone thought or wanted . Chapter 381 Chapter 381 CHAPTER 381 GENES "Brother Lino, look, look!" the young Criador cried out as he licked his rosy lips and swung across an empty parchment with a quill, scribbling lines at random . "Like brother, he he he!" "Ha ha ha ha, really, just like me," Linoughed, ruffling his hair . "No, no, Cae¡¯s way, way better than me . Sheesh, in a few years you¡¯ll put me out of the business!" "He he he~~" "Ah, what are you two ruffians doing?" E suddenly walked into the room, carrying a tray with two cups of smoldering tea, cing it down as she sat next to the two . "Drawing like brother!" Criador cried out as he continued scribbling . "All the makings of an array master!" Lino nodded proudly . "If you think I¡¯ll let my son spend decades cooped up in dusty rooms studying lines so he can torture his wrist until he dies . . . you¡¯ve got another thinging . " E warned sternly, taking a sip of the tea . "You look well," Lino said, smiling gently . "You¡¯ve finally worked off that extra weight . " " . . . say what?" "I mean--no, wait, that¡¯s exactly what I mean . You¡¯d gotten so damn fat while pregnant, you were damn near close to evolving into a whale . " " . . . is that how you talk to your mom, huh? Do you want a beating?!" "Hey, I just said you¡¯d gotten fat, not ugly! Sheesh, what¡¯s with all the women I know and their anger issues . " " . . . so, let me get this straight," E smiled strangely suddenly . "All these women you know are angry, right?" "Right . " "And they all have you inmon, right?" "Right?" Lino mumbled, his eyes turning into slits . " . . . can you see the problem?" " . . . I don¡¯t pay enough attention to you gals?" " . . . aah, your skull is too thick for this world," E chuckled bitterly as Lino grinned . "How have you been? Did you find anything in the Prison?" "Eh, just some minions," Lino mumbled . "Nothing we can use . How¡¯s relocation going?" "We¡¯re halfway through," E replied . "We should be done by a fortnight . " "Hmm, good . Better safe than sorry," he said . "Any surprising upstarts?" "A few," she nodded . "But, we¡¯re still working on them . Don¡¯t worry about that . Oh, right . Ty sent us a report saying that the Emperor had finally struck a deal with someone . " "Eh, let him . It¡¯s not yet his time . " " . . . do you ever n on telling us what goes on in that pretty head of yours?" she asked, caressing Criador¡¯s hair gently for a moment . "Hey, I¡¯m an open book! Ask and ye shall receive!" " . . . you met up with her, didn¡¯t you?" E suddenly asked, her tone turning serious . " . . . I have . " "And? What do you think?" she probed . "El¡¯," Lino smiled mysteriously . "You know I¡¯ve only got eyes for Hannah . " " . . . eh, you can be honest," she chuckled strangely . "She¡¯s not here . " " . . . we¡¯ve gotten engaged . " " . . . huh?" E¡¯s shocked expression caused even young Criador to look up in wonder at the two . "I asked her to marry me on our way over, and she said yes . " Lino said, smiling . "Y--really?!" "Yeah . . . " "Ha ha ha, congrattions!" E lunged over and hugged him tightly, corners of her eyes growing teary . "You bigd!" she pulled back, pping his shoulder gently . "When did you go off and turn into a proper man, huh? Wait, did you get her pregnant? Oh my . . . this is big--" "Yo, hey, you¡¯re spiraling," Lino snapped his fingers in front of her until she came back to . "I didn¡¯t get her pregnant . I just . . . decided it was time . " " . . . now or never, huh?" she mumbled in a strangely sad tone . "Eh, a little bit," he said, taking a deep breath . "But . . . mostly because I¡¯ve seen it all El¡¯ by now . " " . . . you two are really a match made in heaven," E suddenly chuckled . "Thinking back on what Eggor and I had to go through till we got together . . . aah, you make it look all too easy . " "Ha ha ha . . . " Linoughed lightly, taking out a bottle of wine and two sses . "We do, don¡¯t we?" "Do you two ever even fight?" she asked, taking the ss from Lino . "Of course we do," he shrugged . "I know it may not seem like it, but . . . we¡¯re actually very different people . " " . . . how so?" she quizzed . "I¡¯m a leader, and she¡¯s a ruler," he said, smiling lightly . "I can¡¯t tell you how many times she scolded me because I went into something without thinking it through, and I can¡¯t tell you how many times I¡¯ve scolded her because she tends to overthink . . . fucking . . . everything . . . " " . . . well, she has to think for the two, so I don¡¯t envy her . " "Don¡¯t you too?" he grinned for a moment . " . . . yeah, us gals really have it tough with idiots like you and that big-head . " "Daddy!!" Criador suddenly cried out as E and Lino burst out intoughter . "O-oh my god, ha ha ha ha, why, why wasn¡¯t he in here to hear that . . . ha ha ha ha, he would have broken down crying . . . " Lino mumbled, short of breath fromughing . " . . . oh, right . What was that about genes and what not?" E suddenly asked, seemingly having just remembered . "Oh, that? Edith taught me some," Lino said . "The make-up of a human body, from things we can¡¯t even see, to thergest ones . Like Cae, for instance," Lino said, picking him up . "His hair¡¯s ck because he inherited Eggor¡¯s gene, but his eyes are blue, just like yours, since you passed it on him . It¡¯s the small stuff, but it adds up eventually to our entire selves, even who we are beyond our physique . " " . . . could it really be that they¡¯ve figured out a way to purify Bloodlines by doing that?" E mumbled, frowning . " . . . it¡¯s possible," Lino nodded . "If they¡¯re able to locate deficiencies, iste them and remove them, they could create a wless gic make-up . That¡¯s not the real problem, however . " "What is?" "There¡¯s nothing wless in the entire world," Lino said, smiling lightly . "Even if they create a perfect string of genes, they will mutate, creating imperfections . " " . . . do they know that?" she questioned . "Probably . I guess that they¡¯ll try to sell -- either the purified Bloodlines or their services . You should take Cae and visit your Sect," Lino added . "Ask around . " " . . . you¡¯re really asking me to use my son -- your own little brother -- as a way to do a job?" "Hey, he¡¯s gotta start contributing and such . " "Yes! Yes! Cae will help! Will help!" "See? Even he¡¯s excited!" Lino eximed, ruffling the boy¡¯s hair . "What about you?" "What do you mean? I¡¯ve got a wedding to attend, woman . " "Eh?! You¡¯re gonna hold it here?" "Of course . Oh, right, you better start helping Hannah . That woman has too many ideas and way too few restrictions . She . . . she actually suggested . . . she actually suggested creating a choir of a thousand identically-looking children so they sing while she walks down the aisle . " " . . . . s-she . . . he he, she . . . she must be joking . . . " E mumbled nervously . "Oh, yeah, sure," Lino grinned . "She¡¯s a joker alright . She also wasn¡¯t joking when she said she¡¯s invented a game called ¡¯Pocketeer¡¯ in which every guest of our wedding will be forced to hand over the contents of their pockets and void treasures as ¡¯gifts¡¯ . " " . . . . " "And she was also definitely joking when she said that she will have Cae ride on a burning lion as a ring-bearer . " " . . . that insane bitch! As if!" E jumped to her feet suddenly, startling Lino and young Criador . " . . . y-yeah . . . so . . . off you go . . . " Lino covered young boy¡¯s ears as E mumbled quick and derogatory curses, quickly leaving the room . Lino sighed deeply and leaned closer, just next to the young boy¡¯s ear . "See that, Cae?" he said . "Whatever issues you end up having, and you¡¯ll have plenty because your entire family is just . . . fucked up . . . don¡¯t, I repeat, do not develop mommy issues, okay? You do not want to spend your entire life chasing after women exactly like your mom . She¡¯s gorgeous and amazing, but you have to be an egghead like your dad to handle her, alright? And, mark my words, I ain¡¯t letting you be an egghead, alright? Oh, also, don¡¯t go after someone like big sis, alright? Go after someone . . . ah, right, I¡¯ll introduce you to bis sis Ally, alright?" "Ally?" Criador mumbled innocently, his eyes sparkling in wonder . "Yes, Ally . Marry someone like her, alright? Docile, loving, calm, understanding,passionate . . . that¡¯s the girl you want to marry!" " . . . what . . . what about big bro?" the young boy asked suddenly . "What about me?" "Why . . . marry big sis Hannah?" " . . . why?" Lino grinned sheepishly for a moment before replying . "Because . . . big brother loves her very much . Sure," he added lowly . "She drives him insane from time to time, and gets on his nerves, and yells at him and bickers with him constantly and repeatedly tells him he¡¯s a moron . . . but, I can see her care for me in everything she does . And, in my heart I know, she will be with me no matter what . . . no matter where . . . no matter when . Truth is . . . find someone like that, Cae . Like your mom found your dad . . . and like I found big sis . Someone . . . who will always be by your side, no matter what . " " . . . like . . . like big bro?" young Criador mumbled, seemingly confused . " . . . ha ha ha, I suppose so, yeah," Lino chuckled . "Like big brother . . . " Chapter 382 Chapter 382 CHAPTER 382 CHANGES "Hey, brat!" Lino¡¯s lips slowly curled up into a smile as a frown on his face mellowed . Looking up from a map on the desk, he turned slowly and saw Eggor standing on the other end of the room with a bottle of strange, crimson liquid and two sses . He was still the same, Lino mused, unkempt as always . "You¡¯ve really got no respect," Eggor said, slowly walking up . "Why do I have to hear about my own son getting engaged from the stranger¡¯s lips? Huh?" "Ha ha ha," Linoughed freely as Eggor put down the bottle and the sses . "Sorry, I just figured El¡¯ would have told you . Am I going to get one of the extra-rare Egus?" " . . . Egus?" Eggor mumbled . "Eggor hugs . " "Ugh, you damn brat, you¡¯re still as hateful as always . " despite saying so, Eggor walked up slowly and hugged Lino tightly, astter finally managed to wrap his arms around his back . "Congrattions . " "Thanks . " Lino said . "I brought a good daughter-inw, haven¡¯t I?" "Eh, I don¡¯t know," Eggor said as the two sat down . "She¡¯s got quite a tongue on her, just like you . I¡¯m worried for my grandchildren . " "As you should," Lino said, taking in a deep breath as Eggor slowly poured two sses of the strange, crimson liquid . "What¡¯s that?" "It¡¯s called ," Eggor replied, sliding over one ss . "I¡¯ve saved a bottle for when my kid gets engaged . I was secretly hoping Cae would grow up and do it before you, but you can never suffer a loss, can you?" "And miss out on one of your super-secret booze?" Lino chuckled . "Never . " " . . . all the women are going nuts out there," Eggor said as the two nked their sses . "You¡¯ve still got it . " "I¡¯ve never lost it," Lino grinned, taking a sip as a burning sensation washed over him, seemingly spiraling him into an infernal haze . "Goddamn, this is good . . . " "Damn right it¡¯s good . This one bottle is worth more than this entire goddamn fortress . " " . . . you¡¯re shitting me?" "Of course not," Eggor shrugged . "It¡¯s been brewed over two billion years ago, and the recipe has long since been lost . There are only around forty bottles of this left, and once you open it, you have to drink it, otherwise, it goes bad within a day . " " . . . tsk, cheep booze-makers and their shitty tactics," Lino sighed . "I swear, when I get some free time, I¡¯ll start my own brewery and make the best alcohol in the world, and then sell it for dirt cheap . " "And you¡¯ve just won yourself the first regr customer . " "As if . Mom would butcher you . " " . . . she really would," he chuckled, ying with the ss . "Have you thought it fully through?" " . . . no," Lino shook his head, ncing sideways, outside the window into the empty sky . "I¡¯m not clever enough to do it . " "Good," Eggor said . "Thinking has never been a strong suit for men in this family . We leave it to our gals . " " . . . it¡¯s alling down at the seams," Lino said . "Slowly being peeled back . This . . . might be thest time we can sit and chat like this . " " . . . what makes you say that?" Eggor asked . "Before I leave," Lino said . "I . . . want to spend time like this . I missed it . " " . . . drinking? Isn¡¯t that what you do all the time?" "Ha ha ha, I suppose so . Cae¡¯s really growing up quickly . " " . . . he is . " Eggor nodded . " . . . I¡¯m going to miss it all," Lino said, taking a sip . "It¡¯s unfair . " " . . . it¡¯s not like you to get so depressed," Eggor said . "Are you getting it out of your system?" " . . . recently, I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about the days when I first started bugging your ass . " " . . . ha ha ha . . . " "I miss ¡¯em, terribly," Lino sighed, lowering his head . "The innocence . . . naivety . . . ignorance . . . it¡¯s ironic that greed is usually life¡¯s greatest lesson . " " . . . honestly?" Eggor mumbled, taking in a deep breath . "Both El¡¯ and I often regretted ever giving you a choice . If you had just stayed my apprentice, you wouldn¡¯t have been left out of anything . " " . . . I would have," Lino chuckled . "I¡¯d have never met so many wonderful people, I¡¯d have never heard so many beautiful stories . . . and . . . I¡¯d have never married the woman of my dreams . " " . . . I have a gut feeling you two would have met somehow, either way," Eggor said, taking a sip . "I was never much of a romantic--" "--no shit . " "Oi!" Lino chuckled faintly as Eggor hurdled his sandal at him . "But . . . there is something about you two . . . that makes people believe . " " . . . how are you finding your life here?" Lino asked . " . . . eh, I don¡¯tin . " Eggor said, taking in a deep breath . "I¡¯ve got a lot of time to do anything I want . I actually managed to finally have a breakthrough in smithing recently . " "Eh? You weren¡¯t already at the far pinnacle?" "Humph, as if, you stinky brat . " "Ha ha ha . . . so? How far up are you?" " . . . I¡¯ve managed to craft a Primordial-tier item," Eggor said with a prideful smirk . "It¡¯s of lesser quality, but it¡¯s still Primordial-tier . Right now, stinky brat, you¡¯re sitting in the presence of the only person in the entire world who can do it . So you better show some respect, humph!" " . . . are you settling?" Lino suddenly grinned strangely . "Settling?" "I¡¯ming for your title, old man," he chuckled strangely . "There¡¯s still a whole tier to go above that . If you settle, I¡¯ll undoubtedly surpass you one day . " " . . . knowing how you can hold a grudge, you might actually do it just to spite me . " "Of course I would . I¡¯m a stinky brat, after all . " " . . . then it¡¯s only right," Eggor suddenly smiled warmly . "I¡¯ll have all people who imed my children would be farming beans eat their hearts out . " " . . . tsk, talk about holding a grudge . " " . . . what will you do now?" Eggor asked . " . . . I don¡¯t know," Lino sighed deeply, rubbing his temples . "So far in my life, things were much simpler . Now? Ah, I can finally understand why Kings go mad seemingly out of nowhere . There¡¯s simply . . . too many things to keep an eye out for . And, as I said, I¡¯m not terribly clever . " " . . . nobody ever said it¡¯s gon¡¯ be easy," Eggormented . "But, I know you can do it . " " . . . how do you know that?" Lino chuckled bitterly . "The only reason I¡¯ve evene so far is because I¡¯ve had all of you helping me . " "Did we all suddenly disappear when I wasn¡¯t looking?" " . . . " "You still have us, little brat," Eggor said . "We haven¡¯t gone anywhere . " " . . . no man¡¯s an ind indeed . " Lino chuckled, taking a sip . "One day . . . when it is all over . . . I¡¯ll have a shitton of favors to repay . " " . . . in some ways, you¡¯ve grown a lot since you were that shitty brat," Eggor said suddenly, surprising Lino . "You¡¯re far more patient, less hotheaded, more understanding, even wiser . You¡¯ve learned how to see through the cracks, when to retreat when need be and when to advance . . . in some ways, you are like an entirely different person . " " . . . and in other?" "And in other . . . you haven¡¯t changed at all," Eggor said . "You still think it¡¯s your duty, and yours alone, to uphold the sky for the rest of us . You still believe it¡¯s on your shoulders to guard us from it all . You still can¡¯t with an easy heart ask us for help, and each time you do, you feel like you¡¯re simply burdening us . I know . . . it¡¯s not easy, Lino . To let go of the crutches of heart . It¡¯s not easy to expel our demons . Trust me, I know . Even today, I sometimes wake up drenched in sweat, having dreamt of the distant past . And, each time I do, El¡¯s right there, with tears in her eyes, apologizing, over and again . Truth is . . . " he took a sip, sighing lowly . "Some things . . . we never escape or expel . They stay with us till our graves . My past . . . will always haunt E and me . But, my love for her . . . will always overwhelm it . I know . . . that you will never be able to trust otherspletely . There will always be parts of your heart that are locked away perpetually from the rest of us . And, that¡¯s fine . Have ¡¯em . But," he smiled, pouring Lino another ss . "You also have to realize that we see it . In your eyes . If you can¡¯t trust the rest of us, at least trust what will be the mother of your kids . Let her in and let her see it all . Good and bad . Noble and despicable . Honorable and otherwise . Else, you will forever remain a cripple, daunted by his own thoughts . " " . . . I trust you," Lino said slowly, taking a sip and smiling . "I really do . I¡¯ve trusted you since the day I began calling you my father . " " . . . " "But, I don¡¯t trust myself," Lino sighed . "Not yet, at least . Because, each time I did, I was proven wrong . And, time and again, I was forced to pick up the shattered pieces and start anew . I can¡¯t do that anymore, dad," he chuckled bitterly . "Rather, I¡¯m well past the point of having the luxury of breaking down . If anything . . . anything at all . . . happened to you, or mom, or Lucky, or Hannah . . . I¡¯d end up just like all the other Empyreans before me . Maddened, bloodied and crazed . I would genuinely carve out your names across the world from their corpses . " " . . . goddamn, you creepy son of a bitch . . . " Eggor shuddered for a moment as he felt a cold chill . "Fucking hell, what do you mean carve out my name from their corpses . . . bloody fucking hell . . . you and your weird goddamn thoughts . . . " "Ha ha ha ha . . . " Linoughed joyously as he slowly drank the fiery liquid, stirring his heart . He thought many things at that moment and felt just as many emotions, shing back through four decades of his life . It¡¯s been a long journey, he mused inwardly, yet, all things considered, he didn¡¯t hold all too many memories . Just a few, in the grand scope of things . Those that truly matter . Most of the forty years are but a blur or vast nothingness . He found it quite strange and fascinating, not remembering too many things . In a way, it made those moments he did remember even more special, and him even more passionate about guarding them . All the way until the end . Chapter 383 Chapter 383 CHAPTER 383 IN THE BELLY OF THE FOE It was all too unfamiliar to her, all too alien to trulyprehend . There was no nature to behold, no vast streams and gardens decorating the earth beneath the heavens . There were no roaring instructors repeatedly beating kids back into the line . No winding roads were bounding high cliffs and deep gorges . There was absolutely nothing around she was familiar with . There was stone, ck, terrible . Smoke, ashen, clotted above . Songs, voices, chatter, things she had never heard of in her Sect were all over here . At any given time, she could observe dozens of young and old strung about the crossings and intersections, drinking, eating, chatting, rxing . Nobody hollered at them, nobody hurt them for it . Envy surged from within her heart as she gazed at the tepid freedom she had never known . Nobody even paid attention to her, merely greeting her as she passed them by . She would greet back, awkwardly, still unustomed . They must have figured she was new here which was why no one bothered her, merely allowing her to see it all and take it in . She had somehow found herself inside a stretch of a winding road stacked with stores which sold anything and everything; things ranging from sweet bread to glowing jewelry were all stacked together . Pubs and taverns could be found at any corner, as could Martial Centers . Young and old repeatedly flooded in and out of them, but she knew, in her heart, there was no rigid system to it . She knew that they merely went when they felt like it and left when they grew tired . It was the sort of absolution she had never experienced, not since her distant, blurry childhood . She sat down gently onto a side-street bench, crossing one leg over the other, and silently observed . Life roared like a massive beast all around her, free, unabated, unchained . It was a breathtaking sight, the like which takes a bound heart on a freeing journey . Envy, jealousy, self-pity . . . all the emotions she hade to loathe burned deep inside of her . After came guilt and self-hate, winding into a terrible, vicious cycle of regret . Just opposite of her, a crowd was gathered around an old man who was using his toes to paint on a canvas . He did it for free, merely because he loved it . Some would offer him a drink, some a snack, some a small, cheap token, yet whatever was offered was also taken with a smile . Some didn¡¯t offer anything but a word of praise and apuse and had gotten a genuine, warm smile in return . He had painted the clouds, the fortress, the rainbow, and a portrait of a faceless, masked, winged man standing superimposed over the sun . She knew all too well who it was, yearning to walk over and rip the painting . . . yet also yearning to stare at it and admire . She couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of tearse after her eyes, barely managing to hold them back and steel her will . Inside, time and again, she told herself it was all a lie, a mask, a y put on to deceive her . But, her conviction wavered as minutes ticked away . It couldn¡¯t all be a lie, she knew . Those smiles,ughter, chortling, chatter, the sense of liberty . . . it was impossible to fake them all . She could tell . She could feel . "You havin¡¯ fun?" a familiar voice bolted her back to reality as she snapped out of it, ncing sideways where Lucky slowly sat down, handing her over a strange food of sorts; a conical, dull-colored shape beneath, and a spherical, white mass of some sort of cream . "It¡¯s an ice-cream," Lucky exined, smiling faintly . "At least that¡¯s what the old man who gave it to me told me . " " . . . gave it to you?" Alison quizzed, inspecting the food only to find nothing wrong with it . "Yeah," Lucky nodded . "Apparently, in here, most of the food, drinks, and entertainment is free . I¡¯d even heard that you can order hand-crafted engagement rings and pay nothing for them if the girl says yes . Quite a queer ce . " " . . . quite queer indeed . . . " Alison mumbled, taking the bite out of it . It was tasty, she mused, and cold . Refreshing . Freeing . "It¡¯s . . . good . . . " " . . . pfft . . . " "What?" Alison frowned, ncing at Lucky . "You¡¯re supposed to lick it, not bite it . " she replied, chuckling faintly . " . . . you bite it . . . " Alison mumbled meekly as Lucky burst out intoughter . "Oh my, looks like I¡¯ve finally begun to rub off on you . " " . . . do . . . do you think all of this . . . is real?" Alison asked . " . . . do you?" "I asked first . " " . . . I do," Lucky replied, taking a deep breath and ncing around . "For me, perhaps, it¡¯s a bit easier . I don¡¯t have any grudges against the Empyrean, so it might be easier to ept all of this as their reality . " " . . . you really were fearless," Alison said, her lips curling up into a warm smile, startling Lucky momentarily . "Standing up to him like that . How were you able to endure that Will of his?" Because he never pointed the damn thing at me . . . Lucky thought, smiling awkwardly . "It¡¯s just Will, right?" she mumbled . "That prick can take that will of his and shove it where the sun don¡¯t shine for all I care . " " . . . ha ha ha," Alisonughed freely for the first time since she came here, quickly drawing the attention of all those who were around the two of them . Lucky¡¯s lips curled up into a faint smile as her gaze sifted through the surrounding ones, quickly sending hundreds of souls into the spiral of chillness as they quickly looked away . "I . . . I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this . I don¡¯t know what I was thinking . . . putting you in danger like this . " " . . . I would havee either way," Lucky chuckled, taking her hand and holding it tightly . "I would never trust that beast with a beautiful maiden like you . " " . . . heh," Alison chuckled strangely for a moment, ncing at the topmost point of the fortress for a moment . "That¡¯s one thing . . . I never worried about . " "Hm?" Lucky mumbled . " . . . for whatever he may or may not be," Alison said . "He truly . . . deeply . . . cares for Hannah, and would never do anything to harm her . " " . . . how do you know?" Lucky asked, taking a lick . "I . . . I just do," Alison said, lowering her head . "His eyes . . . whenever he looked at Hannah . . . they . . . heh, I must have gone insane . I¡¯d swear they shone . " " . . . oh my, are you jealous?" Lucky asked as Alison nced at her strangely, lips curling up into a bitter smile . " . . . I am," she said, sighing lowly . "That she¡¯d found someone who¡¯d look at her like that . Perhaps . . . for the first time . . . I realize why she would stand on his side instead of ours . " " . . . I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the reason she left, Ally . " Lucky suddenly said, surprising Alison . "No matter how much she loves him," she added . "She loves you almost just as much . " " . . . you¡¯re mistaken . " "No . " "If she¡¯d loved me just as much, she wouldn¡¯t have left . " Lucky¡¯s brows scrounged into a frown as she examined Alison¡¯s expression of pain . It wasn¡¯t the like one makes where a friend betrays them, no matter how close they may be . Ah, Lucky thought, biting her lower lip . So that¡¯s it . . . " . . . I¡¯m sorry," Lucky said, pulling Alison gently toward her and cing her head against her shoulder . "I didn¡¯t realize . " " . . . " "You¡¯re too good for her anyway . " " . . . " "I¡¯m serious," Lucky said, caressing Alison¡¯s hair gently . "She¡¯s one vile-tongued bitch . You? You are a heart-soul-and-mind-soother . Why would you ever want to be with someone who would curse you out for the smallest things?" " . . . isn¡¯t that exactly what you¡¯re doing as well?" Alison smiled wryly, ncing at Lucky who coughed a few times in a row . "N-no, of course not!" she quickly eximed . "When did I ever curse you out, you little brat? Humph, are you saying I¡¯m also vile-tongued? Don¡¯t make me hurt you, little punk . " " . . . he he he," Alison snuggled further in, closing her eyes . "I don¡¯t mind it . It¡¯s just who you are . " " . . . " Lucky sighed lowly as she looked up, gazing toward the top of the tower where she just returned from . A festive atmosphere was about to descend upon the fortress, and the rest of the people would soon be aware of it . She always found herself amazed at Lino¡¯s timing, just like this time around . Sometimes, she felt, it was as though the entire world was dancing to his tune, unaware . They worried if he were a bloodhound, a crazed madman who would cut open their hearts . . . but, she¡¯d never seen him as one . Even when he¡¯d gone temporarily mad due to anger or pain, he never lost himself over entirely . He did it all for reason, when proper, when necessary . It was terrifying, even for her . In her heart, however, she knew he would never do it to her . If anything, he would go out of his way to avoid entangling her . Yet . . . for one reason or another . . . she felt as though he had purposefully thrown her at Ally . No matter how she yed out the events that led up to her meeting with Alison, however, she couldn¡¯t quite understand how would he pull it off . Yet, nheless, she was almost certain he did it . Perhaps, she mused as Alison began snoring lowly, it was, atst, the time to ask . Chapter 384 Chapter 384 CHAPTER 384 MEETING IN HEAVEN Lino was currently sitting in sce, drinking through the gourd of wine while reading through a stack of papers . They were mostly reports from the Shadows as well as various stores he had opened throughout the Holy Continent . Information ranging from emerging individuals to the stock prices of various materials flooded his mind slowly as he tried to process it all and properlypartmentalize it . It was what he started doing recently to clear his head, peering into the lives of others . For instance, one report that caught his attention was about the recent winner of the Junior Holy Competition, so-titled Illuminator . In the era where Qi of Light had been diluted, someone had actually managed to emerge from the masses and use it to obtain victory over his peers -- and not just any victory, but an overwhelming one . Lino mused inwardly for a moment that thed certainly hadn¡¯t used Light Qi but had probably augmented it with something else to achieve stronger results . However, cultivation was about ingenuity; those who followed textbooks and simple paths would never be anything more than footnotes in the history books . All of those who were currently standing on the top had broken one barrier or another, had thought of something no one else before them had . He lifted his head up slowly all of a sudden, gazing toward the doorless front where space ripped open, a figure briskly walking through . E had once again returned to her original appearance, mind-bending one that even Lino had difficulty reconciling . It was difficult to put in words, he mused, as her appearance went beyond simply physical beauty to something far deeper and more soul-stirring . She smiled gently at him and walked up, ncing over the papers that he was reading and taking the bottle from his hand, putting it away . "You really need to slow down," she said, pulling out a chair from her void world and sitting down . "It will kill you . " "Eh, a worthy sacrifice . " Lino grinned, taking out another bottle and taking a sip . "What¡¯s up? I figured you¡¯d be busy with helping Hannah n the wedding . " "Oh, I am," she said . "But, there are more than enough interested to rece me temporarily . And, besides, Val is far better at nning these things than me . " " . . . what¡¯s up?" Lino asked, his expression turning serious . "What? You thought that the world would simply ignore you kidnapping Alison?" E grinned at him for a moment as he chuckled . " . . . that was quick," he said . "I¡¯d expected at least a day of respite . Who is it?" "Since no one can contact you directly," she said . "Hannah and I have been fairly busy watching our talismans glimmer and burn . Who isn¡¯t, Lino?" "What did you reply?" he asked . "Nothing," she shook her head . "This is not the sort of action you can simply shrug away with a message . " " . . . let¡¯s go then," he smiled, putting the papers away . "I suppose it was high-time I introduced myself to the holy ones . " " . . . I might not be able to protect you if they truly decide to go all out . " she warned with a serious expression . "Yes, yes you would," he winked mysteriously, getting up . "But, there¡¯s no need . I¡¯m not that weak anymore, El¡¯ . " " . . . what¡¯s your Level anyway?" she asked, getting up as well, stretching out her index finger toward the front where she came from . "You¡¯ve shut down ever since bing a Titr . " "Eh, it¡¯s high enough," he shrugged . "Let¡¯s go . " "Stay close to me . " she said, making a simple motion with her finger, ripping space open once more . "And, please, just this once, try to control that vile tongue of yours . Remember, you¡¯ve done a bad thing this time around . " "Atst, huh?" The two chuckled as they stepped through the distortion in space; while staying with the Gods, Lino hade to realize that these ¡¯rips¡¯ in space were hardly actual ¡¯rips¡¯ . Discements in the so-called spacetime forge an imaginary tunnel between two distant points in space, creating what humans on Earth called a ¡¯wormhole¡¯ . Stepping through one end leads immediately to another, but no actual teleportation is involved . Walking over to the other end, Lino found himself standing on top of a massively tall peak, well beyond the clouds, inside a rugged clearing . The edges were carved out like inwardly bending fingers and ws, looming over him . The floor beneath was cast entirely out of ice, the clearing void of any objects save for the singr statue in the center depicting a faceless woman descending from the high skies . Standing in front of it, Lino saw a mass of people suddenly turn toward him and E . Young and old, men and women, donning all forms and sorts of sigils upon their chests . Altogether, he counted nearly five hundred souls, causing his lips to curl up into a smile . E and hended a couple of hundred meters away from the rest . Without even waiting for her, immediately uponnding, he slowly began walking forward, his hands in his pockets, eyes veering around, as though he were a tourist on a sightseeing tour . Tension immediately exploded, practically tangible, as E followed behind silently, smiling faintly as she stared at the ever-widening shoulders of the man in front of her . They truly made an odd pair to those who watched; a world-defying, gold-haired beauty with seemingly a pure-white halo sting eternally from behind her, and a rugged-looking, ck-haired man over a head taller than her . He wore tattered, old clothes, his shirt cut down to beneath his breasts, exposing his upper torso nearly in its entirety . He walked barefoot, his pants barely reaching beneath his knees . Alex stood silently among the crowd, deeply observing the neers . He could still ept the fact that E could probably storm through every soul here and erase them from the existence, yet, his gut and heart were telling him that the Empyrean could do the exact same thing . A young boy in his eyes, who had just recently be a Titr . . . it was perhaps far more mind-bending than E¡¯s appearance . He could feel it, the Will contained within that ruggedly-dressed body . Just a whiff of it was enough to make the few of the weaker, younger ones here sick . What would happen if he unleashed itpletely? It would be difficult . . . a terribly exhausting battle . Lino and E walked up to only a few meters of distance before stopping . In front of them, seemingly the leaders of the massive entourage, were fourteen people in total . Lino recognized all of them from the papers, though the information on their strengths was quite outdated, he mused . He cracked a smile at their serious, hardened expressions, ncing toward unsuspecting Alex from the corners of his eyes . Thetter shuddered for a moment as he felt a pair of terrible eyesnd on him for just a second . "Return the Bearer," one of the leading men, in histe sixties seemingly, broke the silence . "And we can go our separate ways for now . " " . . . she ain¡¯t even from your Sect," Lino nced casually at the man . "Why are you meddling?" E immediately sighed and shook her head; the world would end before the brat in front of her would ever hold back that tongue of his . "When El¡¯ told me a few peeps were interested in some answers, I figured they¡¯d be Elders of Alison¡¯s Sect or something . But, what the fuck is this shit? Why are they all bunched up behind you insignificant lot? This has nothing to do with you . " " . . . on contrary," the man said, smiling faintly as well . "This has everything to do with us . Perhaps, in times before you, it wouldn¡¯t; but--" "--aye, aye, amon enemy and all that . Got it," Lino shrugged looking up before ncing back at E . "Where are we?" "Tallest peak of the Holy Continent," E replied, smiling . "Heaven¡¯s Dome . Legendarily known as the ce of Mother¡¯s Descent . " " . . . huh, what do you know?" he mumbled, ignoring everyone else and focusing his gaze on Alex . "What do you think?" "Hm?" Alex hummed, meeting Lino¡¯s smiling eyes squarely . "Of literally every single soul present on this mountaintop, you are the sole one that reacted to me with worry," Lino borated . "You must be her Master . So, what are your thoughts on this matter?" " . . . " Alex didn¡¯t say anything, merely closing his eyes and lowering his head, seemingly ignoring Lino . "They are the same as ours -- return the Bearer," the same elderly man said once more . "And this shall be forgotten . " "Yavvivv, or better known as the Fury of the Seas," Lino¡¯s gaze shifted away from Alex onto the old man, turning from smiling into frigid . "Do you want to be known as the Corpse of the Seas? If not, keep that trap of your shut already . I didn¡¯te here to bicker with old farts who¡¯ve nothing to do with me," he added, running his eyes across the group . "If El¡¯ wouldn¡¯t p me dead afterwards, I would have simply butchered everyone here who isn¡¯t from Alison¡¯s Sect . So, while that¡¯s still a concern for me, shut up . You," Lino turned to Alex once more . "Know Alison the best . Is she so weak-willed I¡¯d be able to convert her over to my side within a month?" " . . . " Alex remained silent, still refusing to open his eyes . " . . . let¡¯s go back," Lino remained silent for a moment, keeping his eyes on the man before sighing and turning around . "This was a waste of time . " " . . . where do you think you are going?" hundreds of Wills suddenly surged into the sky, epassing both E and Lino . The former merely nced up and shrugged, while thetter stopped and nced back at the group, his eyes darkening . "Kneel . " he muttered lowly . It was a breath of silence, of stillness, that passed as quickly as it came . Every single soul on top of the mountain save for E suddenly found themselves on their knees, their heads stered against the chilly floor . They didn¡¯t dare cry out, they didn¡¯t dare fight back, they didn¡¯t dare even breathe . Up above them, they saw, just for that brief sh, an abomination not of this world . A creature so dark and vile and tragic it broke their souls at the cores . "That¡¯s enough, Lino," E mumbled lowly, gently shielding everyone on the floor . "They¡¯ll die . " " . . . they won¡¯t," he said, ncing eastwards and then westwards, sighing lowly . "It¡¯s not the time yet . " " . . . you noticed them?" E quizzed, surprised . " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t say anything, merely keeping his gaze focused toward the west where, in the far distance, beyond the lines of strings of reality, another pair of ck, swirly eyes met his . "A month . " he mumbled into the phasing wind . "We¡¯ll meet here after a month . " he turned toward the group . "I¡¯ll bring Alison with me . It will be entirely her choice . " ncing onest time toward the west, Lino followed the rip E created and vanished, as the souls atop the mountain finally released a pent-up breath in their chest . Alex nced up from the floor toward where the man vanished, his jaw crackling . Squeezing his teeth together till his gums bled, he managed to contain it somewhat . The whisper still echoed inside his mind, banging against every wall . I¡¯ll visit your Sect in two days . . . make a choice until then . Chapter 385 Chapter 385 CHAPTER 385 INEVITABLE Heaven¡¯s Dome was currently doused in silence, everyone slowly getting up to their feet with their heads lowered . Among them, Alex seemed the least affected, merely lost in thought as he gazed off into the distance . ncing sideways, he saw rows of angry faces hiding embarrassment and terror; how can they, after all, reconcile it? A single man had managed to bring them all to their knees . Even if they may not be the strongest of the strong within the Holy Continent, they all had their own pride as the upper echelon of strength . It was futile, however, to try and understand it -- after all, the core of what made the Empyreans all so terrifying was that they defied all forms of logic and reason . There was seemingly no pattern to how strong or weak they are, and one can only hope and pray they are on the weaker end . It was an uphill battle, Alex realized . The only reason they survived today was because of those who could not be seen protecting them . Yet, even so, just the Sword Maiden and the Empyrean had managed to cause such a stir and leave unharmed right after . If the war truly broke out, he sighed inwardly, it wouldn¡¯t be the likes within which he could participate . " . . . not a word of this can leave this ce," the elderly man, titr Fury of the Seas, who confronted Lino, spoke out sternly, turning toward the rest . "Lest you leave this world headless . Understood?" " . . . understood . " hardly a roar and barely a whisper, thependium of hundreds of voices couldn¡¯t even reach the edges of the clearing . Alex sighed, thest words the Empyrean told him still echoing throughout his mind . Meanwhile, far off into the west, within the bends of reality, twenty or so souls were sitting in simr silence, frowns stered on their faces . Among them, Erebus and Freya seemed the least surprised, merely slightly taken aback . Thetter nced back and sighed inwardly; the first act of winning the war was dismaying one¡¯s foe . It hardly ever relied entirely on actual strengths; war can be often won before even fighting it . "Your worries shouldn¡¯t be the Maiden or the Empyrean," Freya said . "It shall be taken care of . I merely wished to show you our foe today, so you may realize why we fight . " " . . . Mother," Erebus¡¯ voice echoed solely inside Freya¡¯s head as she nced at him quizzically . "There¡¯s something strange about his Will . Have you noticed?" "What do you mean?" Freya asked . " . . .pare it to all past Empyreans," he said . "Somewhere, at the core, it feels . . . different . " " . . . oh, that," Freya chuckled faintly . "He¡¯s attempting to embody Chaos through Entropy . " " . . . so, he¡¯s wasting his time?" Erebus¡¯ lips curled up in a wry grin as he mumbled . "Exactly," she said . "I suppose Ataxia still hasn¡¯t let him meet Eldon . It¡¯s lucky for us . " " . . . should we proceed with the n?" he asked, the tone of his voice turning serious . "Yes," Freya nodded sternly, turning toward the rest . "All preparations of the Heaven¡¯s Entrapment are done . Proceed with the next phase of the n . " "Yes, Mother!" " . . . there is no return after this," an elderly man who sat cross-legged toward the end with his eyes closed mumbled . "Are you certain it is time?" "We¡¯ve remained passive for long enough," Freya said . "Any more, and he might truly reach beyond our grasp . You shall handle the Maiden, correct?" " . . . I can hold her back for a while," the man said . "But, don¡¯t expect a victory . " "I don¡¯t need one," Freya said . "Just ensure she doesn¡¯t break through the Entrapment and help the Empyrean, that¡¯s all . " "Then that is what I shall do . " "You are dismissed . " "Good luck, Mother . " "Likewise . " the group quickly dispersed, leaving behind only Freya . A mere momentter, crimson threads splintered through the spacetime and formed a figure of a young, pale-skinned woman next to her . "Are you ready?" "Threads have been set up," the woman said . "Our victory is all but ensured . " "Were you able to gauge his strength entirely?" " . . . no," the woman shook her head, sighing . "He locked it up entirely . I¡¯m fairly certain only Ataxia knows just how strong he is . " " . . . it doesn¡¯t matter," Freya said after a momentary silence . "Even if he were as talented as Eldon, he would at most have recently be a Fiend Titr . It is within our expectations . " "Nothing can go awry this time around," the woman said . "Failure . . . would be catastrophic . " "Then we shan¡¯t fail . " " . . . just to be on the safe side," the woman said, slowly transforming into crimson threads once more . "Hide your other Avatars . If he goes mad . . . there is no telling what he might do . " "They¡¯re already hidden, don¡¯t worry . " Freya said . "I¡¯ll merely be an observer this time around . All of it . . . depends entirely on you guys . " Toward the far east, beneath the grand sunrise, five figures were currently hovering in the sky . Three through Seven were all gathered there, their expressionplex as they stared at the mountaintop from which Lino and E had just vanished . Six sighed and shook his head; he was too rash, he mused inwardly, provoking them . Seven nced at him and smiled faintly, patting his back . Five, on the other hand, had a rather expressive face, mixture of excitement and desire . " . . . don¡¯t ask too much, Six," Three said, ncing at the old man . "The most we can do is ensure he doesn¡¯t die . " "He can do that without us," Six replied . "Are we really going to let it happen?" "It¡¯s our priority," Four said . "Ataxia has gone entirely silent for a while now . We cannot afford too many years of this . Especially now with One gone . " " . . . tsk, you morons," Five suddenly scoffed, grinning strangely . "If that bitch fails to contain him, he won¡¯t just go after her, but us as well . This indecisiveness is exactly the reason the world¡¯s as fucked up as it is . " "Nobody¡¯s stopping you, Five," Four said . "Go ahead and help him . " " . . . help him? Wasn¡¯t his Will practically screaming at us to fuck off already?" "He truly is talented," Seven said, her face expressionless . "Especially when ites to Will maniption . Given a few more decades . . . he might have truly reigned over us all . " "No one soul should ever reign the world," Three said . "Isn¡¯t that why we came together in the first ce? To prevent it?" " . . . you don¡¯t know him, Three," Six said, shaking his head . "Pray in all your hearts she manages to cripple him . " "Are you terrified of a boy, Six?" Four mumbled, ncing at him . "What happened to you?" "I¡¯m not terrified of the boy, Four," the old man said, smiling faintly . "I¡¯m terrified of the abomination inside his heart . He¡¯s nowhere near kind as he¡¯s led the world to believe," he added, sighing . "He¡¯s merely been ying the long game . His roots, however, still lie in destruction and madness . If pushed to the edge . . . he won¡¯t settle on fizzling away . " "Your worries are unnecessary," Three said . "I¡¯ll ensure it happens . " The five fell into a lulling silence, all locked inside their own thoughts . Six¡¯s eyes shimmered in a strange light; he¡¯d grown to like the boy quite a lot, yet not enough to prevent what was about to unfold from happening . It was only a natural course of life; some fires burn brightly for a moment before being snuffed out . Lino, as it turned out, was just another one of them . He was too impatient, Six thought, and rushed too deeply into the tale too quickly . Ever since he met him, Six suspected it would be that impatience that would eventually be Lino¡¯s undoing; he simply didn¡¯t have enough experience with the world atrge to properly level out the hazards . Yet, Six didn¡¯t for a moment think Lino was a dimwit . He must know that the walls were closing in, yet he still decided to openly meet with the world, and in such a brazen way no less . Could it have been ast-ditch effort, a desperate attempt to terrify the world just enough they would leave him alone for a little while longer? Six couldn¡¯t say, not yet at the very least . He had no say in what was about to happen, just as no other individual in the world did . Not even One would have been able to prevent it . Sighing, he nced at the mountaintop onest time and vanished . Just before he did, however, a low whisper caressed his mind, cruising through it freely . He quickly recognized Lino¡¯s voice, startling him greatly . I like you, old man, he said . So I hope I won¡¯t see your face when the skyes crashing down on me . . . Chapter 386 Chapter 386 CHAPTER 386 CRADLED WORLD Lino and E were currently sitting in silence inside the hidden chamber of the fortress, both their expressions idle and empty . The former tapped his fingers against the wooden desk, leaning against his other arm, his eyes shimmering in a strange light, while thetter had her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes closed as she hummed a strange, low tune . They¡¯d remained as such for nearly half an hour, ever since they returned . " . . . you know where they¡¯ll strike, right?" E suddenly asked, her eyes opening, focusing onto Lino¡¯s " . . . I do . " he nodded . "Then why are you here?" she asked, her eyebrows scrounging up slightly . " . . . I remember, a long time ago," Lino said, smiling faintly . "You told me that, no matter what, I should never be like the rest of them . I¡¯d kept it within my heart all this while and tried my hardest to follow your words . " " . . . " E listened, her mind briefly shing to a distant memory . "I can¡¯t do it anymore, El¡¯ . In order to win, I can¡¯t y by different rules . " " . . . you mean, you can¡¯t be better than them? What are you nning on doing Lino?" " . . . I¡¯m nning on killing off the rest of the Bearers," Lino said, his words striking at E like a thunder from the clear sky . "And crashing the bncepletely . " "W-what?!!" she eximed, standing quickly on her feet . "Are you insane?!" "This will be the only opportunity I¡¯ll have," he said, ignoring her outburst . "The only time when the Descenders won¡¯t be there to prevent it . " " . . . do you even understand the potential ramifications of doing that?" she calmed down slowly, taking a deep breath as she sat down . "It won¡¯t be anywhere as simple as when you killed Eos, Lino . One Writ was already bad enough . . . but, if you kill any more, especially in session . . . who knows what wille out of it?" " . . . the ramifications are why I¡¯m doing it," Lino sighed faintly . "Otherwise, we will lose . " " . . . we won¡¯t lose, Lino," she said . "If you¡¯re afraid the Descent will turn on you, I¡¯ll ensure--" "No," he shook his head firmly . "You¡¯re not strong enough yet, and by the time you would be, there¡¯d be no reason to fight . Besides, this will serve another purpose . " "Another purpose?" she asked, tilting her head . "Time dtion," Lino replied . "Will be stalled . " " . . . Amadeel?" "Yeah . " "Sneaky bastard . " she clicked her tongue, shaking her head . "Even so, Lino, if you go through with this . . . it will effectively nullify your other ns . " "No, it will merely disrupt the timeline slightly," he said . "Even if we are given a million years, we can never go to a direct war with the Holy Grounds . They¡¯ll simply board up their Sects and we¡¯ll never be able to breach them . Bearers, to them, are merely the notion of status, rather than the source of strength . The only reason I¡¯ve held back thus far was because I was waiting for Ally to join us . Had it not been for her, I¡¯d have done it years ago . " " . . . have you told anyone else?" she asked after a brief silence . "No," he shook his head . "I¡¯m telling you this because you¡¯ll also have a role to y . " "What role?" she asked . "They¡¯ll most-likely trap me inside arge-scale prison, potentially a dimensional pocket if they¡¯re dumb enough . I¡¯m guessing, however, it will be a bent reality . Virtually impossible to break out of from the inside, but easy enough to dig a hole through the outside . I¡¯m assuming they¡¯ll send the strongest they can currently muster to defend the outside, as they probably expect you to try and break me out . " " . . . " "You can try and break in," he added . "As that would help me, but if you can¡¯t, it¡¯s not necessary . " " . . . is this why you left them in the smithy?" she suddenly asked, her lips quivering slightly . "As . . . baits?" " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t say anything, merely ncing at her and quickly looking away in shame . " . . . so this is what you meant when you said you can¡¯t do it anymore, heh," she chuckled painfully, corners of her eyes growing teary . "Is your mind settled?" " . . . of course not," he said, curling his fingers up into a fist to prevent them from shaking . "ying with others¡¯ lives like this . . . I hope they all turn into ghosts and haunt me till I croak . " "You are betraying your Will, Lino . The bacsh won¡¯t be easy . " " . . . I¡¯m not," he said, suddenly extending his palm and opening it up . "At least not yet . " a brief, chaotic swirl of crimson and ck shed above it before vanishing entirely, leaving E stunned for a moment . "You can¡¯t tell anyone, however, what will happen . I¡¯ll eventually tell them myself, when it is over . " " . . . Hannah will kill you when she finds out you did something so stupendously dangerous without her . " E said . "Do you not trust her strength?" "It has nothing to do with strength," he shook his head . "It¡¯s only been a few years, and I won¡¯t be able to afford to protect her . " " . . . at least have Eggor join you," she said . "He¡¯s far stronger than he seems . " "I don¡¯t mind fighting an asional battle alone," he said, smiling lightly as he grasped her hand and held it tightly . "Especially when I¡¯m the one who caused it . I need to face them . . . alone . " " . . . how long?" "Hm?" "How long were you nning this without telling anyone? Rather," she added, her gaze hardening . "How many ns do you actually have that the rest of us are unaware of? Leader, not a ruler, my ass . . . " " . . . ha ha ha, I really am not a ruler," he shrugged . "I¡¯m merely psychotic enough to have the capacity to bend people to my whims without feeling too bad about it . I¡¯m also rather good at reading human, and others¡¯, nature . And perhaps even better at exploiting it . Do you know," he added . "What I¡¯ve learned about Gaia so far?" " . . . what?" E asked with faint interest . "She¡¯s just like me," he said . "A master of seeing through the empty ss . Unlike me, however, she never gets her hands tainted, always maintaining her holy image . Because of this, she suffers from a terrible case of martyrdom," Lino chuckled . "I¡¯ve openly challenged her, and have even managed to steal away a few key pieces of her strength . . . now, she can¡¯t miss an opportunity to present herself as a wounded Mother of the world, battered by the evil son of chaos . " " . . . so she fell right into your arms, huh?" " . . . it was by luck, however," Lino added . "That she reached out to me recently, practically ensuring the course of events to transpire as I wanted . I¡¯ve shown her just enough of myself to impose a tinge of worry . . . yet not enough to warrant a full-out war . I¡¯ve been underestimated by everyone as a green boy with no wit, with base cleverness, and hotheaded inexperience," he continued, his lips curling up into a yful smile . "It¡¯s gotten quite tiring, living up to the role . Perhaps, after this, they might finally stop screwing around when ites to dealing with me . " " . . . so you¡¯re cutting off all ties with the Descent, then?" E asked . "That¡¯s too dangerous . " "Not all ties," Lino said . "Just like any other group, I¡¯m certain there are splinters in their opinions . At the very least, I know Six is on my side, whether he voiced it out or not . They¡¯ll still have some use of me, which is why they¡¯ll probably swallow the loss and wait for the next opportunity to cripple me . " " . . . tsk, tsk," E clicked her tongue, suddenly ruffling Lino¡¯s hair . "Hai, when did I raise such a ck-hearted son? Look at him, ying with other people as though it were a game of chess . Once," she added somberly . "Just this one time, Lino . Any more, and you and I will have a problem . When you kill them," she said, sighing . "Avoid swallowing them up . There has to remain the underlying foundation of the Laws, otherwise the reality itself will begin breaking down . " " . . . reality will break down," Lino said, getting up and slowly stretching . "There¡¯s no escaping it . I¡¯ll try to localize it and prevent a wide-range spread, but it will depend on how exhausted I¡¯ll be after the fact . Besides, the broken reality will be a perfect opportunity to study the dimensions, for however briefly . " " . . . what is the point, either way?" she asked . "We can¡¯t perceive them . " "Yet . " Lino said, ncing at her and grinning . "We can¡¯t perceive them yet . But, never say never . . . " Chapter 387 Chapter 387 CHAPTER 387 SCENT OF THE VOID Dark night descended upon the vine-infested mountain range, cradled entirely in ever-epassing nature . Trees rose as far up as twenty meters, with even the shrubbery surrounding them growing as far up as the heights of two grown adults . It was a miraculous ce by any definition, seemingly defying the natural order of things, existing with an entirely different reality . Small andrge animals lived inside a self-sustaining system, seemingly untouched by the hand of man, existing onward within their own little world . Howls of the wolves matched the ones of the wind, cries of the mockingbirds blending in the back, roars of the tall, ck bears acting out the crescendo . . . had there been a soul to witness it all, they¡¯d no doubt have to rub their eyes in disbelief . Yet, the mountain was not void of living beside the beasts; insides of it were hollow, artificially carved and dug out, into a terrace-like structure with the central, spiral staircase leading to each and every breaks individually . The staircase wrapped around a massive, ck-glowing obelisk, with the former¡¯s sides lit up by standingnterns . Sides of the mountains had thousands upon thousands of holes dug out, creating a cave-like system connected entirely through the staircase . Strange, ck gs hung off the edges ever so often, fluttering in the hazy wind . Down below, as though it were a gaping maw of hell, coral fire hummed in the far distance of the burrowed abyss, visible all the way from the very top of the obelisk, like a massive, guiding star . It was a strangely-crafted dwelling, seemingly void of any souls on the surface, yet stacked with life when one gazed a bit deeper . Nearly a million souls altogether lived here, mostly in cycles, cultivating in sce . Each cave was the exact replica of the former, sporting only a praying mat at the very center beneath which a Qi-gathering array was drawn up . Nothing else existed within the hollow holes in the earth . One differing point, however, was the bottom . Ake of fire existed there, over fifty miles wide, burning eternally . Within it, a small ind at the very center stood from which the load-bearing obelisk stretched out into the sky . Next to it, a singr dwelling rose form the earth, brick-made, surrounded by a peculiar garden of terriblyrge nts and flowers . The ind was seemingly unaffected by the surrounding, roaring mes, protected by invisible hands from its effects . Currently, inside the brick-built, single-story dwelling, a ck-veiled figure sat opposite of a young man sipping tea with one hand while holding onto a piece of a strange item with another . The item was seemingly an ordinary, milky-white pearl . Yet, the misty drive inside was indeed quite queer and peculiar . " . . . hm," the young man mumbled, cradling the pearl with his rather long fingers . "It is indeed quite peculiar . Why haven¡¯t you managed to unlock its stats yet?" "It is a Continental-tier item, we believe," the ck-hooded man replied, bowing slightly . "It will take some time . " "Any idea who crafted it?" "A neer, Divine Smith they call him," the man replied . "We tried to look into his identity, but he only appears less than a year ago within the Do¡¯r . Prior to that, there is no record of his existence . " " . . . someone so talented can¡¯t have remained undiscovered so far," the young man said . "It¡¯s probably a fake identity . " "That¡¯s what we believe, as well . " the hooded man said . "However, attempts thus far to identify him with an existing smith yielded nothing . " "It is fine," the young man said, putting the pearl down and smiling faintly . "Do not put too many resources into it; just keep it in mind for now . " "Yes . " "What happened with the Prison?" " . . . we have lost control over it . " the hooded man said, suddenly kneeling down . "I apologize . We have failed Your Grace . " "How have we lost it?" the young man asked . "It was an unexpected attack by the Empyrean . " "Hm? Why? Did we antagonize him somehow?" the young man asked, clearly surprised . "The Overseer had captured the Bearer of Order . " the hooded figure said . " . . . regardless . I don¡¯t believe Hannah is so weak as to be unable to break out of it," the young man said, frowning . "Did she summon the Empyrean on purpose?" "We believe so . Perhaps it was a warning?" " . . . warning for what? For us to stay out of it for now?" the young man cracked a smile, tapping his finger against the armrest of his chair . "I believe we extended our courtesy long enough, no?" " . . . " "Have you determined the Empyrean¡¯s strength, at least?" the young man asked after a few moments of silence . "No," the hooded man shook his head . "It was impossible . " "How so?" "He sectioned off the reality within that brief moment he exerted his strength," the hooded figure said . "I believe only the members of the Descent were privy to it . " " . . . the fact that he has the ability to section off reality from the timeline tells us more than enough already . " the young man said, sighing . "Gaia will certainlye to regret her rashness quite soon . . . " "V has pulled out of it," the hooded figure said . "Should we break him out?" "No, not yet," the young man shook his head, thinking for a moment . "We¡¯ll have to wait for this all to y out before making any more rash moves . I¡¯m just surprised . . . that the Empyrean hasn¡¯t reached out just yet, despite knowing of us . Why do you think that is?" " . . . perhaps he¡¯s waiting for us to reach out to him?" the hooded figure guessed . "No . If that were the case, he¡¯d at the very least throw us a bone on how to find him . Is he expecting our help in the uing battle? No . . . if anything, in his eyes we¡¯d be an unounted variable he¡¯d have to look out for . Or is he simply thatcent, believing he doesn¡¯t need us to begin with?" "It could be due to timing, Your Grace . " "Timing?" the young man questioned, tilting his head sideways slightly . "The Empyrean has rapidly increased his forces over the past few years," the hooded figure replied . "Perhaps he is trying to consolidate them before expanding any further . " "Oh, right . He¡¯d also swallowed up the remnant faction of Gods recently . Hmm . . . this is worrying . What has the worlde to?" the young man sighed, lowering his head . "For it to be the case of the Empyrean being the most difficult figure to predict . Times used to be much simpler -- the Empyreans went where the scent of madness carried them . It was so easy . . . " "Do you want us to increase the manpower in order to find him?" " . . . yes," the young man nodded . "Don¡¯t do it too rapidly or overtly . It¡¯s worrying how little we know of the Empyrean . How little the world itself knows of him . If you were him . . . what would your current ns be?" " . . . taking into consideration only what I know of his situation," the hooded man mulled over for a moment before replying . "I¡¯d aim to kill the Bearers . " " . . . hm?" the young man¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up as he looked at the kneeling figure in front of him . "Why do you say that?" "Thoughrgely just a symbol of status," the hooded man replied . "The Bearers still present a roadblock to the Empyrean; they are inadvertently drawing nearly-purified Qi toward them before it turns into Chaos, thus making it more difficult for the Empyrean to cultivate . Though, I imagine, there might be other reasons, I¡¯d assume that was his prime one . It is quite simr to Eldon¡¯s times . Eerily so, if you ask me . " " . . . could it be . . . that he purposefully staged it all?" the young man suddenly shot up to his feet, dropping the cup of tea, causing it to shatter against the wooden floor, his fingers quivering . "No . . . that¡¯s impossible . " " . . . " the hooded man remained silent and seemingly unmoving, patiently waiting for the young man to calm down . "Ry my order," nearly five minutes would pass before the young man sat back down, taking a deep breath . "No matter what they have to do, I want the uing battle recorded and I want the Empyrean identified . If possible, also assist -- not him directly, however, but rather whoever else appears there to fight on his behalf . We need to establish the first contact . " "--if I may, Your Grace . " " . . . what is it?" "If the Empyrean truly does intend to do what I said . . . he would alienate every single faction outside the ones currently under his control . This includes the Descent, High Lords, perhaps even the Sleepers . Is it truly wise, then, to try and contact him?" " . . . sometimes," the young man said, smiling peculiarly . "We can¡¯t rely entirely on our minds . The logical choice is usually easy, but, there are times when it bes a tricky business . Truth be told, I hadn¡¯t expected the Empyrean to even be the Titr when he first awoke . Yet, here we are, nearly thirty yearster . . . time and again, he¡¯d showed us what we thought was impossible . In times like these, I¡¯d like to take a gamble . If we fail . . . it will certainly hurt, and cause a huge setback . . . but it won¡¯t be fatal . However, if we seed . . . we may, atst, fulfill the goals and dreams of our forefathers . For that . . . I¡¯m willing to take any risk . . . let alone this one . " Chapter 388 Chapter 388 CHAPTER 388 ALLIANCES Alex was currently sitting in silence, surrounded by five other people, his expressionplex and somber . The chamber they sat within was sparsely decorated, barely a gem on the wall acting as the source of light, only a single table and a set of chairs taking up space in an otherwise empty rectangle . Among those present in the room, besides Alex, was the current Patriarch of the Eternals, Titr Eternal Night, both of Hannah¡¯s parents, her Master, and an unexpected guest -- Patriarch of the Qe¡¯ll n . Their expressions varied remarkably, the most distinct being the one Qe¡¯ll¡¯s Patriarch -- Cane -- bore: a faint amusement . After all, he¡¯d also lived through this very moment with his own Sect not too long ago, as deepened lull took over everyone and everything, as all feared to say what was on all minds present . He, however, didn¡¯t probe; merely sitting calmly, asionally taking a sip of tea . It was their choice to make, after all; he was here merely as an invited help of sorts, the answer to their questions . " . . . I say we do it . " the Sect¡¯s current Patriarch, a middle-aged man donning emerald robes, was the first one to break the silence, his eyes attaining a peculiar glint as he looked at the rest . "We¡¯ve sat on the sidelines long enough . " " . . . surrender ourselves over?" Hannah¡¯s Master scoffed coldly . "Surrender?" Eternal Night mused . "A peculiar choice of words, Myveen . What makes you believe we are surrendering?" "Then what are we doing, exactly?" Myveen grinned coldly for a moment . "Merely making friends?" "Choosing a side," he replied . "That is all . " " . . . that is not all," Alex sighed lowly, muttering . "This choice will shape the rest of our existence . Should we choose wrong, we will cease to exist . " "That is why I don¡¯t want us to over-think it," the Patriarch said . "Otherwise, we will never rip ourselves free of the crutches of doubt . " "We can¡¯t make it rashly either, though," Alex said . "Why do you suggest we join the Empyrean?" " . . . it¡¯s a feeling," Eternal Night replied, his emerald-green eyes shining for a moment . "Nothing more, I¡¯m afraid . " " . . . humph, if I had known you¡¯d be making major decisions based on your emotions, I would not have cast my vote behind you . " Myveen scoffed once more, getting up and beginning to pace around the room . "What do you two think?" Alex turned toward Hannah¡¯s parents and asked, startling both of them . "M-Master Alex, we . . . we¡¯ve no right to have a voice in these matters--" "--then who does?" he interrupted quickly . "Nobody is going to judge your choice, whichever it may be . We all here can understand both of them . " " . . . I . . . I can¡¯t choose . . . " Hannah¡¯s father, a meek-looking, bald man sighed lowly, hiding away his eyes . "I can¡¯t choose, Master Alex . My heart wishes to see my daughter once more, yet my mind tells me she crossed a line that ought not to be forgiven . " " . . . old friend," Alex suddenly turned to Cane, smiling faintly . "Care to shade some light?" "I--" just as the old man was about to reply, everyone in the room stood up to their feet as space in front of them ripped open; they quickly sorted themselves into a battle formation as they watched a figure casually walk through the rip in the spacetime,ing to a halt with a surprised expression when he was met with a battle-ready group . Cracking a grin, Lino waved gently as the space behind him closed down . "Chill, chill, not here to fight," he said, ncing around the room and taking in all the faces; save for the woman and the man behind the rest, he recognized everyone here -- Cane, E¡¯s uncle of sorts and current Patriarch of her n; Alex, Alison¡¯s Master and Arch Patriarch of the Eternals; Myveen, Hannah¡¯s former Master and Ivon, the Eternal Night, the current Patriarch of the Eternals . "Did you forget already? I told you I¡¯d be visiting in two days . " " . . . y-you . . . you look different . " Alex eximed softly as he realized who the strange man in front of him was . The Empyrean he remembered had starkly white hair and cleanly-shaven face, with low cheekbones and angr jaw . However, the man in front of him cast apletely different picture; his hair was as ck as the night, half his face covered in thick beard, jaw squared, nose wide, first signs of wrinkles appearing on his forehead . However, those eyes were the same, Alex realized . Exactly the same . "Well of course . What? You think I¡¯m gonna show my face to that worthless lot?" Lino smiled faintly as he pulled out a chair and ced it next to the table, casually sitting down and taking out a bottle of wine while everyone else remained standing . "You guys hid really well . It took E nearly two hours to find you and open up a path to here . You¡¯ve made her work terribly . . . " " . . . s-she . . . found us?!" Myveen eximed as her eyes turned into saucers . Perhaps, if it were an ordinary room, that wouldn¡¯t be as strange; however, this particr room was located at the very heart of the Sect, enshrouded in nearly three hundred protective arrays and formations altogether . Yet, it took the Sword Maiden barely two hours to both locate it and open up a path . . . just how terrifying is that woman!? She quickly nced at Cane who barely held back fromughing . "She told me you were discussing whether you¡¯d join me or stay with Gaia," Lino continued taking a sip . "So, to make it easier, I¡¯m here to answer all your questions . Fire away . " " . . . " " . . . " " . . . " "What are you lot doing?" Lino sighed bitterly as they remained silent and standing even a minuteter, only Cane sitting down and calming down . "Did I startle you all dead? Or did my eyes suddenly obtain the power to turn people into statutes? ¡¯Cause I kind of had a dream about thest one . " " . . . sorry . It was just unexpected . " Alex said, recovering and sitting down as everyone else followed his example . "I thought your words were merely a threat . " " . . . a threat?" Lino tilted his eyes sideways, questioningly . "Really? I actually told it to you in excitement . Though, I suppose, when you whisper thoughts into someone¡¯s mind directly, intentions get lost in the transportation . " "Why hasn¡¯t El¡¯ apanied you?" Cane asked, drawing attention to himself . "Eh, settle down old man," Lino shrugged . "She¡¯lleter this week with Cae, so you can fawn over him all you want then . " " . . . " Cane merely broke out a quick grin before closing his eyes, seemingly withdrawing from the conversation . "Anyway, my visit today isn¡¯t merely to ask you what you guys want to do," Lino said . "I also have some exciting sh heart-breaking news . Depending on your point of view, I suppose . " "Oh? And what news is that?" Ivon asked . "I¡¯ve asked Hannah to marry me," Lino said simply . "And she said yes . " " . . . " silence quickly consumed the room as everyone turned to their thoughts, contemting . "I don¡¯t want to rush you," Lino said, seemingly tired of sitting in the silence . "But, as I¡¯m sure everyone in this room is aware, time is not a luxury any one of us currently has much of . Whether you decide to join me or not, I¡¯d still want Hannah¡¯s parents to attend the wedding, and her Father to walk her down the aisle . I am not losing this war," he added suddenly, his expression hardening . "That much I can promise . I hope that, even if we walk different paths, we maintain some level of decency . I¡¯ll always ept an invitation to fight . Unlike others, I do not like to skittle and crawl around and attack everyone but their actual target . " Lino got up slowly, putting down a talisman onto the table . "If you light that up, it will mean we¡¯ve be friends . That means that, even if Gaia brings down the sky unto you, I¡¯ll be there to beat it back . A coward like her . . . " he muttered, turning around as the space in front of him ripped open once more . "Has long since lost the privilege to be called a Mother . " Everyone in the room save for Cane watched Lino leave in silence, their eyes focused on his fading back . It wasn¡¯t long after that Alex took a deep breath, his eyes temporarily shining, expression hardening . "Light it up," he said, handing the talisman over to Ivon . "We are going to war . " "Yes, Master . " Ivon nodded lightly, smiling and picking up the talisman, burning it one go . The ashes suddenly glistened and spun mid-air, binding together into an item that fell at the center of the table . Surprised and startled, Alex reached over and picked it up, quickly going over its stats . [Chaos Dweller -- n . o . 6 -- Unique] Level: N/A Special Effects: contains a condensed Will of Chaos that can be used by anyone . The unleashed Will can be used to form a shield that cannot be broken by anything or anyone for 15 seconds, or it can be used to send a signal . Note: I will answer the call . Chapter 389 Chapter 389 CHAPTER 389 FACE TO FACE The usually somewhat tame and peaceful fortress turned into everything but in a single day . Thundering news spread like a wildfire throughout -- the Lord and the Lady were getting married, and everyone was invited . That sole piece of news had seemingly set the whole, makeshift city aze, turning it into a non-stop hub of chatter, noise, and shouts . Every smith roared, demanding the rarest materials to craft something as a gift; every butcher demanded the rarest animal to prepare the best feast; every jeweler demanded the shiniest and rarest gems to decorate the Lady; every baker demanded the finest ingredients to create the best wedding cake there could ever be; every street performer structured new ways of entertainment, hoping they would be selected to participate in the wedding; every musician wrote a new song celebrating Lino and Hannah, every painter thrust themselves into a sleepless marathon, every dancer tried forming more and more borate moves to wow and awe, every bard had already begunposing their version of the Lord and the Lady epic . . . The entire fortress had sprung into over-life, never a singr moment of peace . Amidst it all, Alison observed in silence with fervent eyes . It was beyond breathtaking to witness it all . The thing she found the weirdest, however, of all the weird ones currently surrounding her, was that no one she encountered, no one she asked or observed, had done anything out of fear . The local smith, Ryvel, didn¡¯t spend a whole week sleepless to craft something because he was terrified he would otherwise be executed; he did it purely out of his own initiative, his own desire . All was done purely for celebratory purposes . Terror and fear could not be found, as, Alison suspected, the entire rest of the world believed would . Instead, passion, excitement, fervor the likes of which she had never witnessed in her life had dominated the world around her, so much so that even she had begun to feel it all . She had to consciously prevent herself from breaking out into the zing fervor like the rest, had to consciously keep herself leveled and steady . One moment of carelessness would be enough for her to join the ranks of rest . Thousands of people poured out into the streets every single hour, rushing left, right and in circles . Thousands of ships left and docked the pier, thousands of beasts took flight andnded in a massive circr motion . She could already faintly see the framework of the above-floating tform where the ceremony would be held . The entire thing was cast out of precious obsidian bejeweled with rubies and gold . Had Hannah not nearly pped them to death, Alison suspected that the entire tform would have been built out of rarest and most precious gemstones . She could not make the heads or the tails of it all . After all, in her mind and in her heart, the Empyrean could nevermand this level of respect and liking . The way hemandeered people was exclusively through the terror and fear . . . not like this . The reality, however, proved her different . It was true of many things, as, ever since she arrived here, nearly two weeks ago, her perception had slowly begun taking one hit after another . The things she so fervently believed were proven false before her very eyes . The truth she hade to embody within her soul turned to be mere lies and myths . Perhaps, more so than anything else, it was the fact that not a single execution took ce since she¡¯de here . Not a single person died . . . or was even arrested and thrown into a cell . All disputes that would emerge were handled on the spot and were hardly ever all that heated . It was in pure contrast to her Sect, where spies, unfilial disciples and criminals were executed, locked up and banished on a daily basis . It was this contrast and these questions that led her to walk up to the top of the fortress and knock on the simple, wooden doors . Nobody stopped her on her way up, merely greeting her with smiles before rushing elsewhere and away, no doubt too upied with nning one part or another of the uing wedding . The doors slowly opened, revealing a dimly-lit, simply-decorated room . Two bookshelves hung on the far left end of the four walls, with a simple bed cradled into the corner on the far right . Window hung right opposite of her, beneath which a desk stacked with papers and a chair rested . On top of the chair, a masked man sat in silence, reading through the papers . Alison knew he¡¯d put on the mask exclusively for her, as seemingly everyone else had already seen his face . She stood in front of the doors, merely looking at him, without taking a step forward or entering . " . . . uh . . .e in?" Lino noticed her standing awkwardly outside and called out, meeting her sky-blue eyes . She donned a simple, white dress with a folding bottom and crescent top . Unlike Hannah, who Lino would describe as the ¡¯fiery¡¯ sort of beauty, Alison was the docile type, blemishless . " . . . t-thanks . " Alison nodded meekly and slowly walked in, turning around and observing the entire room . Lino pulled out another chair from his void world and put it on the other end of the desk, taking out a single bottle of wine and two sses, pouring them full . "Halfway through, huh? You¡¯re holding up well . " he said, smiling faintly . "Huh? Ah, yes," Alison mumbled, sitting down slowly while staring at the bookshelf . Most of the books had to do with histories and myths and theories rather than just being stories, surprising her . "They made it easy . " "They?" Lino questioned . "Uh, people," Alison replied, tearing her gaze away from the books and focusing onto him, ignoring the ss of wine in front of her . "They all weed me . " "Well," Lino said . "Only fools reject beautiful women . " " . . . " " . . . why did youe to find me?" he asked, ignoring her faintly blushing cheeks . She¡¯d changed in that department, Lino noticed, as she didn¡¯t use to be this shy when they were kids . Rather, he was the type to blush far quicker than her . " . . . I . . . I don¡¯t know . . . " Alison replied, biting her lower lip . Why did shee to find him? To ask him how did he do it? To expose that it was all a lie, a charade, a y put on for her? " . . . what¡¯s your favorite part of the fortress?" Lino asked . "My favorite part?" "Hm," he nodded . "Where did you spend the most time at?" " . . . you didn¡¯t follow me?" "Haii, between keeping Hannah from murdering everyone, going over the reports, and taking an odd nap here and there, do you really think I¡¯ve time to follow you around?" he chuckled bitterly, speaking nothing but the truth . " . . . so . . . you bring a foe into your home, and then just ignore her? I don¡¯t know whether to call you a genius or a moron . . . " Alison smiled faintly, shaking her head . " . . . true, you and I are enemies," Lino said . "But, I never thought you¡¯d take our animosity and take it out on my people . " " . . . your trust in me is rather odd . You only met me two weeks ago . Why would you believe that?" she asked . " . . . call me a dreamer," he said, smiling lightly and taking a sip of the wine . "But, I like to see the best in people . Gives me genuine hope things will one day be different . " " . . . how . . . optimistic . . . " "So, you never answered me . What¡¯s your favorite part?" "Ah, the streetside benches . " Alison replied . "Eh? The benches? Shit," he frowned . "I didn¡¯t know my little home was that boring . Should I just ask Vy to fly overhead every day all day as an attraction?" "I¡¯ll burn you if you do . . . " a voice echoed inside his mind, causing Lino to grin . "No, it¡¯s not that," Alison quickly added . "It¡¯s . . . it¡¯s just that it allowed me to observe in peace the rest of the city . You won¡¯t believe what sort of things you see when people think nobody¡¯s looking . " " . . . oh, I do," Lino grinned, leaning onto the table . "One time, I saw this young baker add extra jam for a treat a girl ordered . Only I saw it . Twice . Then trice . Eventually, I wound up going back in front of the bakery every day, and every day he¡¯d do the same . Eventually, his boss found out, and fired him . As luck would have it, someone secretively sponsored him and he opened his own bakery . Now the two of them are fiercely cursing other bakers, saying their cake will be the centerpiece of my wedding . " " . . . ha ha ha ha," Alison suddenly burst out intoughter, surprising Lino who pulled back into his chair . "I didn¡¯t know to be an Empyrean means to also be bored enough to go around stalking other people . " "Oh, yeah," Linoughed back . "The world seems to think I¡¯m out there all the time, fighting and whatnot . Truth is, I spend most of my time just sitting around bored, waiting for something interesting to happen . Like today . The entire fortress is brimming with stuff to do, and I¡¯m locked up here going over some uninteresting papers because, ording to Hannah, the moment I proposed we get married in front of two-hundred-meters tall statues of us, I had lost any and all privilege when ites to wedding decisions . " "Ha ha ha, yes, that does sound like her . " Alison lowered her head for a moment, squirming in her seat . "How . . . how is she doing?" she managed to ask . " . . . you know," Lino said, taking a sip . "She¡¯s here as well . Overwhelmed . And, ording to you, you¡¯re bored enough that you spend your days sitting on the bench watching other people live . " " . . . " Alison merely nced at him, not replying . "She misses her best friend," he added . "And could certainly use her help right about now . " " . . . if only it were that easy . . . " Alison mumbled . "Why can¡¯t it be?" Lino asked . "What¡¯s the world got to do with the two of you? What¡¯s her decision to leave have to do with what you two share? In your heart you know she will never harm you, Alison . Nor will she harm anyone from her Sect . Is it so terrible, then, that you continue being friends with her? Do you think it was easy for her, leaving? Watching everyone she¡¯s ever loved in her life cast her away with eyes full of hatred and anger? Just as yours was broken, her heart broke too . The reality is," he added, smiling lightly and grabbing her hand, holding it tightly; to his surprise, she didn¡¯t try to fight back, merely matching his gaze squarely . "The longer you hold onto the demons inside your heart, the more haunting they be . Today she¡¯s merely a painful reminder; tomorrow, she will be a wall that will stop you from advancing any further . She won¡¯t ask for your forgiveness, only your time . As I am right now . There are two more weeks left of your stay here; rather than looking at other people and what they¡¯re doing . . . go with her . Observe her and watch what she does . And even if, by the end of it, you still decide you can¡¯t be friends with her . . . at the very least, then, you¡¯d have given it a chance . That¡¯s all she asks for . A chance . " " . . . " Alison sat silent for a few moments before nodding, causing Lino to crack a smile and pull back, taking out a talisman and handing it over to Alison . He didn¡¯t need to exin what it was, as one nce was more than enough for an experienced eye to see it was a tracking talisman . She smiled back faintly, got up and bowed before turning around and leaving . Lino watched her fading back tenderly, slowly taking his mask off . He would be happy if Alison stayed of her own will by the end, but it didn¡¯t matter . Eventually, she woulde to be at peace with it all, as her Sect had also now befriended him . In a way, as sad as it may be, she had no choice . Just as he was about to put his focus back onto the papers, he heard a faint exmation as he raised his head, meeting Alison¡¯s eyes who hade back and was standing at the doorstep once more . "Y-y-you?!!!" his head immediately ached as he sighed . Sorry, Lucky, he thought inwardly . And good luck . . . he he . . . goddamn, I¡¯ll never get tired of those . . . Chapter 390 Chapter 390 CHAPTER 390 HEART OVER PREJUDICE Lucky was currently sitting slumped in the corner of a massive tform, her head covered in the glistening droplets of sweat . She wore barely anything, merely covering her chest and crotch, the rest of her body hanging out in the open . Because of her, most of the guys currently working on the tform, constructing the venue, didn¡¯t dare take their shirts off despite the fact they were steaming . She gulped down ale as though it were water, refreshing herself somewhat before wiping her forehead with a towel, jumping up, stretching slightly . Looking around, she nodded in satisfaction; though it was being rushed, it was also starting to take a proper shape . Hundreds of people were racing about the tform hanging above the fortress, each too busy to pay attention to anything but their own tasks . Deciding to take a quick lunch break, she heaved off the edge of the tform, skillfullynding on top of one of the towers before scaling the walls and slithering into the shadows, weaving through the streets and rises until she¡¯de in front of a simple-looking, one-story brick house that seemed strangely out of ce, as it appeared newly built . Walking inside, she didn¡¯t pay attention to much else as she walked over toward the kitchen, taking out a skinned rabbit from her void treasure and cing it on top of the counter, whipping out a knife right after and preparing to cut . "Were you ever nning on telling me?" "Eeeah!" Lucky released a startled cry as she dropped the knife, spinning on her heel quickly and facing the source of the voice from behind her . Alison stood leaning against the windowpane, her whole figure slumped and downcast, as though she was drenched in the rain . Her eyes appeared bloodshot as if she were crying, her lips faintly crimson, cheeks rosy . "Holy fuck Ally! You scared the living crap out of me!" Lucky eximed, sighing out in relief and bending over to pick up a knife, patting her chest a few times to calm her beating heart . "Were you?" Alison asked again, her voice low and dry . " . . . what are you talking about?" Lucky asked, turning around once more as she put the knife away . "Your ¡¯Master¡¯," Alison smiled dryly . "What was this? A mission? Was that all it was to you all this while? Just another order that you had no choice but toply to? Or was it your idea that your ¡¯Master¡¯ just went along with? Or was it Hannah¡¯s?" " . . . Ally--" "Don¡¯t lie to me anymore!!!" Alison suddenly cried out loudly, mming her fist against the windowpane and breaking it into pieces as the house faintly shook . "I-I trusted you!! I gave you my heart!! Ha ha, it must have been hrious for you lot," she suddenly cracked intoughter, corners of her eyes growing teary once more . "Or was it annoying? What was the n anyway? To shadow me, learn all you can from me, and then kill me?" " . . . " Lucky remained silent, her expression turning mellow . She didn¡¯t know how she found out, though it hardly mattered at this point . She felt a part of her heart crack, as she¡¯d never seen Alison quite so distraught . "I¡¯ve thought about it," Lucky said . "Though, our meeting was truly idental . And my ¡¯Master¡¯ . . . hardly had much to say about you, or what to do with you . " " . . . " Alison remained silent, listening while grinding her teeth . "He told me to do whatever I wanted," Lucky continued, lowering her head, avoiding Alison¡¯s eyes . "I¡¯ve thought about what to do countless times . . . but . . . I could never settle on one thing . So . . . like a coward, I just went along with the flow . " " . . . . " "I¡¯m sorry," Lucky said, sighing and finally lifting her head up, meeting Alison¡¯s eyes . "For all the things I didn¡¯t know, I did know I never wanted to hurt you . " " . . . I know you must take me for a fool," Alison said after a short silence . "A naive little girl that is easy to manipte . And . . . perhaps, indeed, I am . But I . . . I chose to trust you . To believe in you . I should have known better, though . You¡¯re just like Hannah . . . bending yourself over to his whims . " " . . . you are naive, and you are a fool," Lucky suddenly smiled, chuckling faintly . "You barely knew a thing about me, yet you chose to tell me your Sect is guarded by an Origin Dragon, who the Void Cult is, and a plethora of other things . Truth be told . . . you will never know how touched I was by your trust and faith in me . Which, well, only made things quite a lot worse . " " . . . were you ever even nning on telling me? Or would you have killed me when I wasn¡¯t looking, so that I would never know?" " . . . I could never kill you," Lucky smiled weakly, tilting her head and sitting up on the counter . "That much I know . As for telling you . . . I would have, one day . What day? Some day . . . " " . . . you knew Hannah," Alison said . "You knew her all along . Did the two of youugh behind my back? It must have been quite fun, no? And . . . no wonder you didn¡¯t fear the Empyrean when you faced him . I believed you to be a fearless, invincible kind . . . yet, all along you were just another filthy coward . Ha ha ha . . . I¡¯m pathetic . . . " " . . . you aren¡¯t pathetic, Ally," Lucky said, steeling her heart and will . "If anything, you are the best out of us all . If the world had more people like you in it . . . it wouldn¡¯t be a shithole it is today . You¡¯ve won me over with everything you chastised about yourself, and those parts of you are the ones I want you to keep until you die . The world already has enough of cowards like me, enough of cynics like the Empyrean and Hannah, and enough of madmen like the rest of them . It¡¯s people like you that weck . Graceful . Trusting . Forgiving . Kind . Willing to see the best in everyone and everything . None of those things make you pathetic, Ally . They make you far better than the rest of usbined . " " . . . liar," Alison scoffed . "Do you really expect me to ever again believe a word you say? I-I . . . I should kill you . . . r-right now . . . " she added toward the end, somewhat meekly and awkwardly . " . . . I can¡¯t give you my life, not just yet, at least," Lucky smiled painfully, shaking her head for a moment . "However, if I¡¯m alive by the end of it all, it is yours for the taking . " " . . . h-humph, as if I want your life . . . " Alison mumbled, looking away . " . . . " Lucky slumped into silence as well, not knowing what to say . She didn¡¯t dare look up from the floor, too terrified she might find Alison gone . . . or, worse, still there, staring at her hatefully . The usually cold and indifferent being who could stare down everyone else found herself weak and meek,pliant to the fears of her heart . " . . . was . . . was any . . . any of it real?" Alison asked, causing Lucky to look up once more . "Or . . . did you just lie to befriend me?" " . . . of course it was all real," Lucky chuckled lightly . "Though, I don¡¯t know if you can find it in your heart to believe me again . . . " " . . . it¡¯s unfair . " "Hm?" "All of this . . . it¡¯s unfair!" Alison eximed, tears slowly streaming down her cheeks . "You . . . Hannah . . . bringing me here . . . showing me all of this . . . making me doubt everything . . . it¡¯s unfair!!" "Yeah, it¡¯s unfair . " Lucky nodded . "You don¡¯t deserve this . . . " " . . . why did he bring me here?" Alison suddenly asked . "Was it really because he wanted me here, or because he wanted to instigate something with the Grounds?" " . . . you¡¯ll have to ask him that," Lucky replied, smiling faintly . "All I know is that, before you arrived, he told everyone that should anything happen to you . . . he¡¯d strip them buck naked and have them do terribly agile dancing in the public square while everyone elseughed and jeered and threw rotten vegetables at them . " " . . . e-e-eh . . . w-what . . . " Alison mumbled, her eyes jerking wide open . "Ha ha ha, he¡¯s quite an insane one," Luckyughed at her reaction, leaping off the counter . "You might have realized it . . . but, not a single person in this fortress, save for perhaps you, is terrified of him . At most, they¡¯re afraid he¡¯s going to do something weird . . . but never that he is going to harm them . " " . . . " "The world can make anything it wants out of him," she said, slowly walking up to Alison, stopping right before reaching her . "But, perhaps, by now, you have realized it as well . The world is wrong . " " . . . h-humph . . . y-you said you weren¡¯t in love with him!" Alison eximed awkwardly, turning away . "But you clearly are! Humph, serves you well, seeing him get married to another girl . . . " "How can I be in love with him?" Lucky smiled weakly, pulling her somewhat longer hair behind her ears . "Hm?" " . . . when I¡¯m in love with you . " " . . . . " a moment of stillness and emptiness surfaced between the two as the time came to a halt . Lucky¡¯s eyes shimmered in faint silver, her body silently quivering . Standing opposite of her, Alison remained seemingly expressionless, her lips slightly parted, still seated on top of the counter . There was something tantalizing about the moment; faint traces of light broke past the window, folding over Alison¡¯s silhouette and sting against Lucky¡¯s tall, muscr figure . Yet, despite being nearly a whole head taller than Alison, even when thetter sat on top of the pane, she seemed incredibly small right there . Suddenly, as though the wind blew against her back, Alison heaved off the pane and jumped forward, pulling herself on top of her toes and wrapping her quivering arms around Lucky¡¯s neck, dragging her head down, folding her fingers together . Thetter soon felt a soft and sweet sensation pressing against her lips, a pair of shaking hands hanging onto her neck, caressing it gently . She reached out with her arms unconsciously and wrapped them around Alison¡¯s back, pulling slightly further down and closing her eyes, embracing it all . The pain . The shock . The sweetness . The joy . Alison felt a strong pull from aback helping her hold up, pressed against her ever-tightly yet ever-gently . It was awkward, she knew inside her heart, cursing herself out, yet Lucky didn¡¯t seem to mind . It was serene and sincere, and it was silent . She felt safe, cradled inside of those arms; far safer than she ever did back home . Their kisssted but for a few seconds before Alison pulled slightly back, her eyshes fluttering above her flushed cheeks . Her sky-blue eyes shimmered as they stared at Lucky¡¯s, the pair that was just there, right in front of her . Dark as the night . . . yet clearer than the open field at noon . Without even thinking about it, she pushed forward once more, cradling their lips together yet again . She enjoyed the tingling sensation, the fiery feeling inside her chest, and the faint smell of alcoholing from Lucky¡¯s breath . It made her slightly dizzy and weak, yet at the same time, it gave her the sort of courage she would have to gather for a long time . Lowering her head as their lips parted, she bit her lower one and steeled her heart . " . . . you . . . you can never . . . ever . . . ever . . . ever again . . . ever . . . lie to me . . . " " . . . " " . . . and . . . you can never, ever, ever . . . ever hurt me like this . . . ever again . . . " "A-and . . . you can never make fun of me again--" "As if . " Lucky interrupted, causing Alison to grumble and pout as she looked up; her heart froze for a moment as she saw Lucky¡¯s wide, warm, honest and innocent smile . In that moment, Alison thought, she was the most beautiful person she¡¯d ever seen in her life . "As a matter of fact, I¡¯ll start right now: we have a lot of work to do on that kissing of yours, so just shut up and keep at it . " "L-l--LUCKY!!!" her cry echoed out yet remained within the four, enclosed walls, inside a moment that was theirs to forever behold . Chapter 391 Chapter 391 CHAPTER 391 EVERAFTER The massive tform, over five miles wide and eight long, was currently packed to the point people were piling on top of each other . No walls were cradling the floating floor, the entirety exposed to the night sky decorated with thousands of shimmering stars . It was a breathtaking sight,pounded further with the floating, golden and coralnterns hanging from seemingly nothing above the tform, illuminating it . Though thousands of souls stood there, not a sound could be heard, shifting it all into the eerie silence . Cutting through the central point was a long, beautiful, red carpet leading up to a slightly elevated altar where Val was currently standing, dressed in a gorgeous, twilight-dyed dress, holding a book in her arms . To her right stood Lino, for a change cleaned up; he no longer wore rags, but a hand-knit, ck coat that pronounced his build ever-so-further . His hair was tied up into a falling tail, his beard, though still present, no longer rough and rampant but neat . Above the two hung a beautiful arch decorated with gems, the centerpiece being a two-heads-sized diamond at the very center that shimmered in faint purple . Standing some ways off of them, yet not quite within the crowd, was a group of roughly ten people, both men and women, holding onto all assortments of musical instruments, each dressed exactly the same -- white shirts, pants and boots . There wasn¡¯t a single chair to be found, as everyone, both the lowly smith and the recently-arrived Alex, had to stand . ncing up at the moon, Lino smiled brightly before nodding toward Val, who quickly nodded back, opening up the book and cing it on top of the altar . The light soon sted off in a pir-like shape before spreading out conically, washing all souls present with a warm and pleasant glow before withdrawing back into the book . The music suddenly cascaded into the night, the strings of violins mixing with the flutes, harps and lutes . It slowly swelled into a crescendo as, on the other end of the carpet, a figured draped entirely in white, fluffy dress appeared, apanied by a tall, well-built man . Hannah couldn¡¯t hide a wide smile from her face as she nced sideways, at her Father¡¯s figure, who looked back at her, smiling back . " . . . you¡¯ve caught someone rather spectacr, cherry," the man said, chuckling . "Mom taught you well . " " . . . I still can¡¯t believe you are here . " she said, her eyes growing watery . "Thank you . . . thank you so much . . . " "Neither your mom nor I would have missed it for the world," the man said, wiping the tears from her cheeks gently . "Are you ready?" "Yeah . " she said, taking a deep breath . "He¡¯s waiting . " the man said, taking the first step forward and pulling Hannah after him . Thousands of eyes turned and shifted, gazing at her, yet she couldn¡¯t move her own away from the figure standing in the far distance, awaiting . Even the loud music that had turned the night into a day hardly registered with her as, in her world, there was only him and silence and the bounding colors epassing him . He smiled, and she smiled back, reaching the halfway point . From the corners of her eyes, she spotted the entourage upfront awaiting her; there was her mom, a handkerchief in her hand . There was her Master, standing right beside her, sporting one of the rare smiles . There was Arch Patriarch and Patriarch right there, and an assortment of Elders from her Sect . She didn¡¯t know how he did it, but Lino somehow managed to convince them . She had found herself shellshocked just a few hours prior when she saw them . Even now, she still believed she was merely imagining it all . Yet, the soundless, beating heart in her chest proved her otherwise . Smiling at the group, her eyes shifted sideways where she saw Alison standing next to Lucky, smiling as brightly as the sun at her . Her golden hair was tied up into a bun, her eyes watery . She was here too, Hannah choked inwardly . All because of him . Her eyes soon found his once more, as she approached the altar . He still had that yful smile of his stered, the same smile he had that day by theke, and every day after . Despite reaching his fortieth decade of life, Hannah realized, core parts of what made her fall in love with him hardly changed . Walking up slowly, her father let her go as Lino pulled her over, bowing toward her father as she took ce opposite of them . The music swelled up briefly before dropping down and slowly going silent . Lino stared at the veiled figure in front of him, his calm facade nearly crumbling entirely . No matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t calm his heart, nor stop his palms from sweating . He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he felt this way, yet he didn¡¯t mind it . In his mind, there was no world past the few square meters around her . Her crimson hair spilled out of the white veil like blood, falling freely over her shoulders and chest . The pair of green eyes that he could never forget peered from behind the curtain, the disarming smile wound up, causing dimples to appear on her rosy cheeks . He couldn¡¯t quite put it into the words, but, to him, even E paled inparison . Perhaps, all women currently present here altogether couldn¡¯t add up . "Hey . " he mumbled faintly, smiling . "Hey . " she replied, chuckling . "How do I look?" " . . . like it¡¯s going to be a hell of a task to undress you after . " he grinned . "Oh, you have no idea," she grinned back . "It took four women and three hours to get this on . So, you¡¯ve your work cut out for you . " "Khm . " Val suddenly coughed, startling the two, as Hannah nced at her and smiled apologetically . "Dear friends, family, and the rest of you less important ones, wee . Today we have gathered to bring these two souls together," she raised her voice slightly . "As a reminder to all of you lone ones out there . . . that there is hope . "ughter resonated for a moment as Lino chuckled, shaking his head and ncing at Val . He had put a lot of burden on her shoulders over the past few years, so this must have been her way of getting back at him . "As I¡¯m certain everyone here is just waiting for the free booze, let me speed things up slightly," Hannah pouted for a moment but said nothing, merely sighing . "I¡¯ve known both of them for quite a few years now, and, to be honest, they never made sense to me . Whenever together, they would quibble and fight and it was easier to build a tunnel through a mountain that to get them to agree on anything . Yet . . . it didn¡¯t matter . At the end of the day, they were always right beside each other . And, really, that¡¯s all that matters in the end . Now, these two have decided to write their own vows, so I¡¯ll give you guys a few seconds to bolt as far away as possible if you¡¯re as terrified as I am . " "Ha ha ha ha . . . " "Eh, I guess not . " Val shrugged, pulling slightly back as Lino grinned at her . "I vow to finally find someone for this embittered, lonely grandma," Hannah burst out intoughter as Val sighed, shaking her head . "Because she is terribly wrong . I never write anything . Write vows? I wing that shit!" " . . . you seriously didn¡¯t write your vows?" Hannah eximed in faint shock as murmurs spread throughout the crowd . " . . . what for?" Lino said, smiling widely . "Even if I took every word in thenguage and used it, and gathered all the bards and poets and writers of the world to help me, the sensation you leave me with cannot be described . The truth of the matter is that, every day, every time I see you or hear you . . . you leave me both breathless and wordless . Each time I think I¡¯ve got you figured out, you turn around and smack my self-important ego . Every day with you is a journey, and every moment a tale . Rather than put it into words, I¡¯ll show youter . " he winked at her as groans quickly shuffled out from the front rows . E and Eggor stered their foreheads, looking away in shame, as young Cae stared at his big brother with wide eyes, cheering him on silently . Alison¡¯s cheeks flushed red like blood as she looked away as well, while Lucky merely grinned, as she entirely expected he¡¯d say something like that . Alex smiled wryly as he looked sideways at Hannah¡¯s parents both of whom had their mouth gaping . " . . . you¡¯re right," Hannah smiled gently, ignoring the murmurs,ughter, and groans from the crowd . "No word or action will ever be enough . " "Oi--" "--so, instead, let it be a moment," she added, ignoring Lino¡¯s hurtful expression . "Any and every moment . Embroiled into evesting memories . All I know is that I love you," she continued, knitting her fingers together . "And that you love me . If there were two lone things I was certain of in this world, it would be those . " " . . . alright, so, the vows have been spoken," Val chimed in from the side after a few moments of silence, taking a deep breath . "And, as expected, she was wonderful, and he was dreadful . " " . . . perhaps I indeed should begin embodying the all-the-time-mad image of an Empyrean," Lino mumbled, ncing at her . "Then, you might think twice over spitting on my crumbling grave . " "I now pronounce you a husband and a wife," Val said, ignoring him . "May the everafter happen for you two . You may kiss the bride . " Lino chuckled faintly before stepping forward and lifting Hannah¡¯s veil, exposing slightly flushed face and dreamy, hazy eyes . He leaned forward, his arms grabbing around her waist and pulling her forward . She gave in, closing her eyes and tenderly wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his . Though the cheers and apuse exploded from behind them, neither paid them much heed or even heard it all too well . To them, there was only that sliver of space within which they stood embraced, cradled inside each other¡¯s arms . Both wished to hold onto the moment forever, and practically chuckled at the same time as they pulled away, Lino pressing his forehead against hers . " . . . I¡¯ll make you the Queen of the world . " he mumbled faintly into his jaw, just loud enough for Hannah to hear him . "You already have . . . " she mumbled back, corners of her lips lifting up once more . Chapter 392 Chapter 392 CHAPTER 392 AGE OF EMPYREAN (I) Lino and Hannah currentlyy in bed, stark naked, with thetter gently resting her head on the former¡¯s chest . Her hairy t over, slightly disheveled -- as was his -- their cheeks faintly flushed . A few rays of moonlight managed to pierce through the slightly cracked window, folding over their bodies, casting strange shadows elsewhere . "So, wife," Lino said, ncing downward and smiling . "What¡¯s for dinner?" " . . . me?" Hannah nced up, smiling back . "Eh, but I already had you . . . and as much as the expression ¡¯eat her pussy¡¯ lends itself to sating hunger, it does not, as the matter of fact, sate any hunger whatsoever . Except, you know, the erotic one . " " . . . haii, I already knew what I was marrying myself to, but by god, it does not get any easier . . . " Hannah said, sighing audibly . "You¡¯re the one who said yes," Lino shrugged, pulling himself up slowly and sitting, leaning against the wall as Hannah followed suit . "Listen, I¡¯ve a favor to ask . " " . . . why so serious all of a sudden?" Hannah asked quizzically . "I need you to locate any and all known portals to Hell," Lino said, turning toward her, his gaze starkly heavy . "And map them all out . Afterward, I¡¯d like you to scout out the route to the Dragon Isles . " " . . . why?" Hannah asked, frowning . "Is something going on?" "I¡¯ll be walking into a trap set up by Gaia in a few weeks, I imagine," Lino said . "So, there¡¯s gonna be a shitstorm that will sweep the world . By then, I hope to be aware of where everything is . " " . . . you¡¯re afraid the Devils are going to turn on you?" Hannah asked . "Back up a bit, by the way . What do you mean you¡¯re going to be walking into a trap? Should I p you once more?" "I have to," Lino shrugged, chuckling faintly . "This is the only way to bring out the Bearers and her from their fucking turtle shells . Otherwise, I may as well just go in front of the Sects and curse them out in vain hopes they get so angry and attack me . " "That actually sounds like something that you could do . . . " she mumbled with a faint smile . Lino shook his head, taking a deep breath . "Take Ally, Lucky, Seya and Amadeel with you," Lino said . "Why Amadeel?" Hannah asked, surprised slightly . "There¡¯s little he can do from here," Lino said . "And, besides, despite his ordinary looks, he¡¯s quite powerful . Use him as you please . " "Oh, right," Hannah said, seemingly having remembered something . "The first batch of Gods has arrived . Did you know?" "Yeah," he nodded . "Don¡¯t worry about them . They have their own tasks to tend to for the time being . I should also probably meet up with Val before going . " " . . . is there a chance I could follow you into that trap?" Hannah asked . "There¡¯s no need," he replied, reaching over and caressing her cheek gently . "Though I say I¡¯m walking into a trap, it¡¯s more the other way around, really . My life is in no danger; it¡¯s only going to be a bit tricky because I¡¯ll have to save those I¡¯ve left in the city first . " " . . . you used them as bait? That¡¯s low . " Hannah grumbled, frowning deeply . "Tell me something I don¡¯t know," he chuckled bitterly, slumping further back . "I really, really tried to think of another way . . . but short of outright attacking a Holy Ground and then running away in hopes they¡¯ll chase . . . this was the best I coulde up with . If you¡¯ve got a better idea, I¡¯m all ears . " " . . . knowing Gaia," Hannah mumbled after a few moments of silence . "This really might be the only way . . . are you sure she¡¯ll just kidnap them, though, and not just kill them on the spot?" " . . . there¡¯s always a chance," Lino said, his eyes briefly shing in the light of pure madness, startling Hannah . "But, I think she¡¯s smarter than that . However, if she really does do it . . . I might just go a bit nuttier than I intended and do some shit I¡¯ll probablye to regret . " "Right, why do you want me to scout out a path to the Dragon Isles? Do you n on going there?" "Eventually, yes," Lino nodded . "I still need to upgrade the [Dragon yer], but, even beyond that, I¡¯d like to see where the Dragons stand at the end of the day . Are they like the Devils and Descent, ying the hand they think is likely to win, or do they actually have balls to stand on one side?" " . . . aren¡¯t you worried Descent will prevent you from killing anyone?" Hannah asked, seemingly just now realized that was a possibility . "No doubt they will, but I¡¯m not too worried," Lino said . "E will be there to keep their top-guns busy . Besides, you¡¯re the only one who knows exactly how strong I am . If I want to kill someone and get out, do you really think anyone, even Descenders, can prevent me?" " . . . I could . " Hannah suddenly grinned, pinching his cheek . "Tsk, that¡¯s just ¡¯cause I told you all of my secrets . " "I told you all of mine, too . " she pouted . "Nobody knows that I can finally reach the Third Avatar Form except for you . Be proud, you damn bastard . " " . . . I might have to use the Crown," Lino frowned for a moment . "If things really do escte to the point of no return . " " . . . we still haven¡¯t managed to gather all the herbs, however . " Hannah frowned as well, her tone growing heavy . "Try to avoid it if possible . " "Eh, that¡¯s just for the worst-case scenario," Lino shrugged . "If I¡¯m backed into the corner, I¡¯ve a lot of shit to burn through before resorting to the Cube . " "Have you finally managed to convince Lyee to help you?" she asked . "She will . . . for a price . " "What price?" "Each time she helps me," he nced bitterly at her . "Means being able to watch us doing it once . " " . . . what the fuck is wrong with that Spirit . . . " Hannah sighed, somewhat startled yet not surprised . She, too, had once interacted with the Spirit . . . and has had nightmares ever since . "Plenty, ording to her . " Lino shrugged . "Anyway, be careful and check in daily . Try to remain under the radar; it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult as I suspect the eyes of the entire world will be on me . " "He he, just as you dreamed as a young boy, huh?" "Ho ho, indeed, indeed," he said, stroking his chin . "I finally have a proper audience to expose myself to!" " . . . fuck, no wonder Lyee epted your invitation . You two are practically twins from different mothers!" the twoughed for a moment before the atmosphere switched back to somber . "Just . . . be careful, okay? If you widow me so soon after our wedding, I¡¯ll bring you back to life and torture you till the end of days, alright?" " . . . I don¡¯t n on dying," he said, smiling and leaning forward, nting his forehead against hers . "Not until we¡¯re old and worn and tired of each other, and until our grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-children begin ritualistically praying every morning we finally croak . " "That¡¯s a lot of grands . . . " she mumbled, closing her eyes . "The result of a lot of nights like this one . . . " "Hmm . . . a lot . . . " "A lot . . . " Meanwhile, the city of Do¡¯r slept silently and unaware, as though it was just another night awaiting another normal dawn . Yet, far up above and far down below, a set of arrays interlocked into a massive formation that simply seemed to break every knownw . At the very top, where the billions of lines and threads merged, Freya floated freely, surrounded by three figures -- Erebus, the old man tasked with keeping E away, currently floating slightly behind, cross-legged, his eyes closed, and a younger man of simr appearance and disposition, floating next to Freya . " . . . I still think it¡¯s a bit of an overkill," the young man said, frowning faintly; he had a rather mboyant appearance, sporting ming, coral-dyed hair andvish clothes . "Just for a single man . . . nay, a single child . . . " "Better safe than sorry," Freya said . "If driven into a corner, who knows what he may do?" "They held the wedding ceremony tonight," Erebus said suddenly . "Apparently, they let anyone who wanted watch it . Humph . . . arrogance . . . " " . . . how have you failed to hold onto Astrum?" the young man turned to Freya and questioned with a frown . "She¡¯s a key piece to our invasion of the Dragon Isles . " "She can be reced," Freya replied, meeting the young man¡¯s eyes squarely . "Do not worry too much about it . Just focus on maintaining the formation . How long exactly do you think you can keep it up?" "An hour, at most," the young man replied, shrugging his shoulders . "And then I¡¯ll have to hibernate for at least a decade . It¡¯s a steep price to pay, Gaia, just to chain an Empyrean that¡¯s at the very least thousands of years away from being a threat . " "You have grown too arrogant, Yovel," the old man behind the trio suddenly spoke out, causing all three to turn around . "And disrespectful . You¡¯ll spend your hibernation in Hellfire . " "F-father--" "Save it," the old man interrupted, a whiff of his Will extending over onto the young man, causing him to bend onto his knees midair . "If the Empyrean posed so little threat, do you believe the Descent dogs would be protecting us? They clearly know something we don¡¯t, though I imagine we are about to learn . Even all of that forgotten, he still has the Sword Maiden on his side . She alone is enough to pose a threat to everyone and everything . . . and you dare say we have a few thousands of years of respite? Humph, arrogant brat . " " . . . how strong do you think is the Sword Maiden?" Erebus asked with interest clearly present in his eyes . " . . . I¡¯ll know soon enough . " the old man said, closing his eyes and returning to the state within which he seemingly didn¡¯t even exist . "Proceed with the n," Freya turned to Erebus, nodding . "Do it silently and stealthily, but leave the traces of life behind . We need him toe alone, after all . " "Yes . " Erebus nodded, vanishing . The young man, Yovel, followed soon after, ncing at the old man behind him onest time before disappearing, leaving the old man and Freya alone . " . . . what do you think are our chances tomorrow?" Freya asked, looking up at the full moon above her . " . . . make it quick," the old man said . "If not, run away . " " . . . that bad?" Freya sighed, frowning . "Am I making another mistake, Y¡¯nn?" "You¡¯ve made the mistake the day you met the boy and didn¡¯t carve his heart out," the old man said, his eyes still closed, white hair fluttering freely in the wind . "And you made another the day you watched him flee from the ruins . . . and another when you let him face Vy . . . and you¡¯ve made thest allowed one that day by the fountain, where you should have used the Mirror . " " . . . he didn¡¯t seem ready . " Freya sighed lowly, shaking her head . "He was," the man said . "More so than anyone realizes, perhaps even Ataxia . " "What do you mean?" she asked, turning around swiftly, but the old man had already disappeared . Her expression distorted slightly as thoughts inside her mind spun, but she couldn¡¯te up with an answer no matter how much she tried . Sighing once more, she nced down at the city of Do¡¯r with a downcast expression . "Forgive me . . . forgive us . . . and please understand . . . " her whisper faded out into the wind as she vanished from the spot, leaving behind an open sky full of stars surrounding the full moon . . . and the eerie silence that seemed to wash over the entire city down below . Chapter 393 Chapter 393 CHAPTER 393 AGE OF EMPYREAN (II) The city of Do¡¯r woke to a dawn just like any other, as chatter, sounds of footsteps, and opening shops intermingled in a symphony of the morning . There appeared to be nothing odd about either the sky or the earth, as all simply embarked on their standard routines . Inside a small shop on the corner of a street, Edward and Jack had just finished crafting an item and had climbed onto the second floor and entered a small room where the other five were . Ryt and Ion seemed to be discussing something in hush-hush tones, while Vyena, Y¡¯sha and Talleah were sitting on the other end, eating breakfast . The two joined the girls, who quickly whipped out two more portions and handed them over . "Aah, the wedding truly was beautiful . . . " Vyena eximed softly, her eyes glistening like gems for a moment . "And the Lady . . . ah, thedy was truly beautiful . . . " "The Lord was really handsome as well . . " Talleah added, her cheeks blushing faintly . "Aah, he really was . . . " Vyena echoed the sentiment while Y¡¯sha sighed lowly, rolling her eyes . "What? You didn¡¯t enjoy the wedding?" Jack asked her with a smile . "No, I did," she replied . "But clearly not as much as these two airheads . " "Ha ha ha, just let them be," Jackughed, taking a bite of freshly baked bread . "¡¯tis lovely to be so young and full of energy . " "What do we have to do today?" Y¡¯sha asked . "We¡¯ll slow down today," Jack replied . "And give ourselves some rest . There aren¡¯t any major orders anyway, and our current stock can hold on for up to a week, so we are set . So, today you can just rx . Maybe go out and roam the streets a bit . " "What about youds?" Edward suddenly called out to Ryt and Ion who jumped like startled cats, smiling awkwardly right after . "How about you get off your asses and escort thedies?" "A-alright, will do Master Edward . . . " Ion replied, nodding faintly as he nced at Ryt, his eyes shimmering briefly . "They¡¯ll just embarrass us!" Vyena eximed, pouting as she nced angrily at the two . "T-they always . . . always ask where the brothels and-and whatnot are . . . " " . . . " Edward and Jack barely managed to stiffen theirughter, while Vyena, Talleah, Ion and Ryt swiftly buried their eyes toward the ground . Y¡¯sha seemed the only one indifferent to it, eating slowly . "I¡¯ve heard a new one opened just a few streets west," she said . "Apparently, it¡¯s got the best and freshest girls . And guys . And even dogs if you¡¯re into it . " "Alright, alright, settle down," Jack ruffled her hair gently, brieflyughing in the process . "Nobody¡¯s goin¡¯ to any brothels or such . There¡¯s plenty of other things in the city to see . How about you head to the Pce? The Maester, after all, said you are wee there anytime . The girls can visit the library while you twods can look for a Martial Room or such to train in for a while . The tournament isn¡¯t too far away, you know?" " . . . u-ugh . . . don¡¯t remind us . . . " Ryt and Ion groaned at the same time, their expressions turning downcast . Chuckling faintly, Jack got up and slowly walked out . His expression turned stern the moment he left the room as he nced at his hands which were shaking . Every morning, he pondered whether this would be the day . Two weeks ago, he met up with Lino in secret and thetter told him of the uing matter -- that they¡¯d most likely be targeted by Gaia and kidnapped as a way to ¡¯draw him out¡¯ . Though Lino had promised nothing would happen to them, it hardly eased Jack¡¯s mind . He didn¡¯t care much for himself, as his life was saved by Lino, in addition to being exposed to what truly top-tier smithing is, so he didn¡¯t mind risking himself for him, though he couldn¡¯t say the same for the rest . Edward, after all, was his younger brother, and the rest . . . the rest were merely kids . He somehow managed to reach his office and slump into the chair, covering his eyes with his hands . It would have been better, he thought, if he was not informed at all . He would be like the rest, sitting in the dark, none the wiser . All the same, however, he also knew why Lino told it to him in the first ce . He would have to be a calming force once it all transpires, ensuring no one does anything stupid and suicidal -- especially Ryt and Ion who worshiped Lino and would most-likely go berserk if anyone insulted him . Jack calmed himself down forcibly by taking deep breaths, looking out of the window and onto the somewhat barren street down below . Only a few drunkards and shop owners littered it, making it seem rather lonely . For a moment he got lost in thought, recounting thest decade of his life, and how it all changed in ways he previously wouldn¡¯t have ever been able to even imagine . From a small-time smith with some reputation to someone unknown yet far more knowledgeable in a much greaternd, crafting items he only read about in the books and handling materials he didn¡¯t even know existed . Smiling faintly, he shook his head and got up . Though still worried, Lino¡¯s words repeatedly resonated inside his mind -- he wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to them . Jack trusted those words from the bottom of his heart, as he knew Lino far better than the young ones who worshiped him . Before he became a skybound figure, he was after all just a young man in search of a smithing job with a somewhat sly tongue and burning passion . He bled and cried for people close to him, and would rather watch the world burn than carry another corpse to the pyre . Jack walked out and went down to the first floor where he saw two figures standing behind the counter, waiting . Their usual seller, Anna, must have taken a break as she was nowhere to be found . The two men appeared to be in their thirties, both dressed rather simply, sporting no distinguishing emblem to identify them by . Their appearances, as well, were extraordinarily ordinary to the point Jack was certain he¡¯d forget them by the time they left the smithy . "Ah, sorry of the wait," he said, hobbling over to the counter and jumping on top of a chair . "How can I help you?" "Is this the Divine Smith¡¯s shop?" one of the men asked . "It indeed is," Jack nodded, smiling . "Do you require an item, perhaps?" "No . " "Then what--" all he felt was a sting, a sliver of pain, before it all went dark . He clutched at his throat for a moment but it was toote . He fell over on his back, crashing the chair beneath him, and rolled once beforeing to a halt . The two men merely nodded at each before ascending the stairs in silence, leaving his corpse lying there . It didn¡¯t take them long to reach the upied room; they burst in nimbly and trounced over at the table where Edward, Vyena, Talleah and Y¡¯sha were seated . The three girls cried out in shock as Edward tried to jump in front of them, but to no avail . A single de shed silver through space and, in the blink of an eye, four found themselves clutching at their chests where each now had a dagger-sized, bleeding hole . They toppled over like statues, crying out in pain and anguish . Ryt and Ion reacted quickly, each grabbing a weapon and readying for a battle, though not quickly enough . The former swung a spear in a crescent arc to repel an attack he couldn¡¯t even see properly, only for thetter to suddenly change the trajectory and cross underneath the swing, shing straight through his jaw and cleaving his head in two . Blood sprayed out in droves as he took a step back and toppled over, crashing into the wall with a loud thud . Ion fared slightly better as he managed to avoid the first strike, barely managing to clip his cheek . However, that was all the fight he could put up, as he suddenly found himself in agonizing pain and falling onto his knees . Both his legs had hundreds of holes poked inside of them as every ounce of blood seemed to streak out of them, quickly piling up into a massive pond and joining the rest . Just before his gaze would darken and his mind go numb, he reached into his void treasure and burned a talisman . The two men, however, didn¡¯t try to stop him, causing him to look up in disbelief only to see them walking away as though nothing had happened, ignoring the scene they had just created . It was all over so quickly, he thought as streams chucked through his eyes . ncing sideways, he suddenly felt sick in his stomach; Ryt¡¯s cleaved head weed him, his pair of wide-open, shocked eyes separated by a massive, still-bleeding gash . It was a horrifying -- beyond horrifying sight to behold, causing him to rapidly look away . However, what awaited him there was hardly any better . On the other side of the room, lying side by side, three girlsy soaked in converging pools of blood . Edwardy just in front of them, his tiny body trounced, barely visible next to the cracked table and chairs . They were all dead, Ion realized . Jack as well . All dead . For no rhyme or reason, seemingly . One moment they were there,ughing, chatting . . . and the next they were not . Pain held back a roar of anger boiling inside his chest as he gritted his teeth till his gums began to bleed . Just before he passed out, he swore to high and low heavens that, should he live, they will not . Chapter 394 Chapter 394 CHAPTER 394 AGE OF EMPYREAN (III) Lino jolted off his seat, his brows furrowing deeply as he sensed a talisman burning inside his void world . Looking through it, he quickly realized it was Ion¡¯s, surprising him -- not only because it was quicker than he expected, but also that it was Ion rather than Jack who sent him the rm . Getting up on his feet rapidly, he didn¡¯t dare dally around; a bad feeling surged inside his heart as he leaped out of the window and the fortress itself, using his Will rather than his Wings to fly . He knew that he couldn¡¯t rip the space open and arrive there as it was most-likely locked, so he had to do it the old-fashioned way . He quickly whipped out a talisman of his own and burned it, an image forming in front of his eyes shortly after, morphing into a figure . E appeared to be alone, slightly surprised when she saw his serious expression . " . . . already?" she mumbled, frowning . "Yeah . " he replied . "Something¡¯s wrong . " " . . . yeah . " " . . . burn a talisman just before you¡¯re trapped," she said . "I¡¯ll arrive right after . " "Tell Val to cease phasing back in for as long as possible," he added quickly before they cut the conversation . "Something¡¯s really off about this . . . " " . . . be careful . " E added with a worrisome expression as the image of her in front of his eyes vanished into smoke . Focusing, he entirely ignored the blurring world beneath him that he sped above, cleaving right through the clouds yet not getting wet in the slightest . Myriad of thoughts cascaded through his mind at that moment, each trying to take precedence over another, making it all merely a jumbled mess . " . . . you have to calm down . " a voice of a stranger, by this point, suddenly echoed inside his mind, startling him faintly . "You¡¯re alive?!" he eximed mboyantly, shrugging right after . "This isn¡¯t the time to calm down . " "It is," Ataxia said in the same, robotic voice as always . "You are walking straight into their den . Being overconfident can doom you . " " . . . I¡¯m not overconfident," Lino said . "Just worried . " "You¡¯ve nned it all too loosely, leaving far too many variables in the ying field," Ataxia said, causing Lino to ponder why he was so chatty today . "There was no need to rush it; though better if they fall earlier, it won¡¯t doom us if they fall a bitter . " "I had to rush it," Lino sighed . "You know that . Exactly because there are too many variables at y . " "You could have been a bit more patient and entirely removed the Descent as a variable," Ataxia added . "Now, however, they will be your main problem . " " . . . I know," Lino said, frowning faintly . "That¡¯s one of the reasons I¡¯m not overconfident . At the very least, I hope they underestimate me . If not . . . haii, it¡¯s gonna be a bitch of a battle to win . " "Don¡¯t burn yourself out," Ataxia said . "You can¡¯t afford any more respites and slumbers . The world can¡¯t afford it . " " . . . curious of you to suddenly be worried about the world," Lino shrugged, realizing he¡¯d reached the halfway point to his destination . "Don¡¯t worry . I don¡¯t have any intentions of crippling myself anytime soon . At most, I¡¯ll just use the Crown to disengage if things get really hairy . " " . . . no, you can¡¯t flee today," Ataxia suddenly said, surprising him . "Just as you rushed it, so did Gaia; this is a crucial period for them, I imagine . They¡¯re doing this entirely to hinder your progress so you won¡¯t be an obstacle for the foreseeable future . If you flee, you are practically giving them a green light . " " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t reply, growing silent . Ataxia followed suit, withdrawing back into whatever dark corners he inhabited inside of Lino . Thetter pondered on his words for a long while; it wasn¡¯t merely the factor of him escaping that would y a role there, he knew, but also the factor of them surviving . A chance like today probably won¡¯te a second time, which is why he rushed into it in the first ce . But, as Ataxia said, there were far too many variables at y . As a way to not expose his ns, he didn¡¯t even properly scout their numbers or yers they chose to employ . In effect, he was rushing in entirely blind . The rest of the journey was spent in somber silence and, soon enough, he could see the distant city of D¡¯or slowly growingrger in his eyes . Bit by bit he approached it with a heavy heart, as the feeling that something was wrong only grew stronger the closer he was to it . He saw the formation almost immediately, as it was simply toorge to miss . They either banked on him not caring or being entirely empty of knowledge when it came to them, but Lino didn¡¯t care . The moment he stepped through -- nay, even before it -- the bounds of the city, he felt the world around him copse unto itself, closing . However, he had no time to question it or inspect it -- all his attention was sucked away to the small smithy in the corner where, through the Divine Sense, he saw the bloody scene as though it was in front of him . The only, faint thread of life hung from Ion . . . while the resty cold and dead, buried in pools of blood . His eyes widened into saucers, his heart beating madly -- he had miscalcted . . . gravely . He had underestimated, once again, the cruelty of the world, the absolute madness that it operates by . He couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look for his opponents, entirely ignoring the world around him and focusing entirely on that small building in the middle of nowhere . Through the corners of his eyes, he soon saw a sea of people emerging on the streets and looking up curiously and fearfully -- that was when it hit him . . . that was when he realized everything . His gaze slowly veered off and up, where he saw a small army of about thirty floating, encircling a single figure in their midst . She had a lofty, yet amiable expression on her face, her eyes exuding the holy sheen no one else could replicate . However, he was hardly moved by her facade . All he saw was a corpse floating there, yet to be ughtered, surrounded by coffins and tombs of everyone else . His expression was void of emotion, his ck eyes cold and frigid like the far North . He merely stared at the entourage in silence, inwardly bitterly admitting to the fact that he had been yed . " . . . you think they will change something?" he was the first one to break the silence, speaking out calmly whilst pointing at the ever-growing sea of people down below . "What do you mean?" Freya replied calmly, tilting her head in confusion . " . . . ¡¯s that so?" he chuckled bitterly, gazing over the sea of people once more before focusing back onto the smithy . "Even into my fourth decade, I remain as naive as I was when I was a young boy . " " . . . " Lino realized they wouldn¡¯t say anything, and would merely wait for him to attack . This caused him to suddenly burst out into freeughter, startling the sea down below for a moment . "You win today," he said, calming down slightly . "Aye, you really win today . It will cost you an arm and a leg and quite a few heads, but you won today . Be proud, you spineless cunt . This is the first and thest time I¡¯ll ever let you take an inch off of me," his voice grew deeper and hoarser, expression distorting into a wicked smile . "You wanted the world to remember?! The world will fucking remember!!" His roar bellowed out like beast¡¯s, the world itself shaking as hundreds of buildings down below suddenly toppled over, with thousands of people fleeing while screaming in fear and terror . The small entourage around Freya seemed rather unprepared for it, as they didn¡¯t know exactly what to do, remaining frozen in ce . "It will remember," Lino¡¯s Will exploded out of him, enshrouding the world and everyone present . Save for a few, most felt their souls freeze twice over, having already believed to have died by the time they came to . Looking at him in terror, they all took a step back . "And I will ensure," he added as he suddenly took out a massive, toothed sword, flipping it a few times in his hand . "It never fucking forgets it . " "What are you doing?!" Freya suddenly stepped forward in front of her entourage, spreading her arm wide . "Cease this madness immediately! Calm down and we can just talk!" "---" instead of a reply, however, all she got was a massive sword spearing right through her heart, catching her and everyone elsepletely unaware . She nced sideways in shock and horror only to meet a pair of eyes she could not recognize; those were not Lino¡¯s eyes . . . those were not the eyes of a human being . Beneath themy a massive grin, corners of his mouth spitting out ck smoke . "One down," he whispered directly into her ear, shoving the sword further in . "Six more to go . I will fucking erase you, you cowardly, soulless whore . I will erase every trace you ever existed . I will ensure not a single soul, living or dead, will ever dare utter your fucking name . Remember today -- remember it well," he added just before life escaped her lungs . "¡¯Cause you¡¯ve ignited the me that will burn down the fucking world . . . " her heart and soul couldn¡¯t calm as thest breath escaped her; she was gravely mistaken -- mistaken about so many things it was too difficult to list . Number one, however, stood far above the rest -- she underestimated Lino . . . and hisplete indifference to being seen as the root evil of it all . Rather, he readily embraced it, immediately killing her before the battle itself even began . Chapter 395 Chapter 395 CHAPTER 395 AGE OF EMPYREAN (IV) There was palpable stillness within that singr moment as the whole world came to a halt . Something drifted and changed within the air itself, with even reality growing tepid and limp . It was abounding cascade of quivering silence as a singr body fell off a de and began crashing toward the earth . Blood sprayed behind her, her arms and legs ying about freely . No one could quite process the scene, or at the very least their minds refused to process it . It was, after all, beyond mind-breaking; thousands . . . hundreds of thousands watched the being they called their Mother get impaled and skewered like a rat and then thrown aside like garbage . Time froze, as did the breaths of millions -- both inside and outside the dome that the formation had created . So rapidly . . . so easily . . . so savagely . . . she fell . She couldn¡¯t even resist, couldn¡¯t put up an ounce of a fight -- wasn¡¯t even given a chance to savor herst breath . There was something absolutely horrifying about the reality of it all, something that could not be quantified quite properly . The scene which not a single soul to live past today would ever forget was life-altering on far too many levels . The invincible Mother fell, the calm Empyrean went mad, the skies bled with the cries of her children, the Spirits themselves woke from their eternal slumber and wept . . . it was not the world they hade to believe in . Erebus stood just off to the side, barely ten meters away from the Empyrean,pletely frozen in ce, unable to utter even a sound . His mouth agape, eyes like saucers, he, much like everyone else, couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened . Though they all expected the Empyrean to go for a kill, they never, not even in their wildest dreams, expected him to immediately go after the Mother, disregarding everything and everyone else . It wasn¡¯t an act of simple madness -- madness, however loose and chaotic, always had a meaning, an idea behind it . No, this could not be called madness, as it far surpassed it, reaching the realms never reached before -- not even by an Empyrean . After all, this was the first time the Mother was ever felled . Even if it was just one of her Avatars, it changed everything . If even during the most heated and tension-filled times of the past, no one ever went after her . . . what did today signal? What kind of a shockwave would resonate throughout the world after the word reaches the distant ears not privy to the events of today just yet? For the first time in his life, Erebus experienced the fear that could not be put into words . It didn¡¯t stem from the Empyrean¡¯s strength, or even his Will . . . but from his mind . Erebus gazed into those eyes and he didn¡¯t see blind anger, wrath and rage . He didn¡¯t see the fury which had turned his thinking ability into a mush . He saw entropic rity, determination, knowledge . Those eyes knew what they were doing . . . yet Erebus didn¡¯t . Why? He couldn¡¯t answer . Every other aspect of the attack he could -- the how, the when, but not the why . He was no different than all others currently surrounding him . They expected to put their lives on the line today, but that was all -- only their lives . Not the life of their Mother . She would, after all, be safe, in the far back . He would be too busy dealing with them to even think of harming her . Yet, just now, they had watched her listless body stter against the roofs, bouncing over like a bucket before falling onto the street, disemboweled beyond recognition . Her light, grace, beauty, warmth . . . vanquished . She was undoubtedly dead . In a singr act beyond reason, she was felled by a single strike of a man who suddenly turned his eyes toward them . They all, collectively, felt a chill freezing their spines . Those eyes . . . were beyond inhuman . ck swirls, like worms, rounded a white pock in the center that kept spitting out fumes of holy, white light, whilst the corners shot out jets of ck smoke . At that moment, he seemed both like an Angel and a Devil, like Good and Evil incarnate, like the blending of two extremes that should not be physically possible . The sky trembled and the earth quaked, every restless spirit quivering, shaking, breaking . Thump hearts went . Thump . Louder and louder . Thump . It was the rhythm of fear and terror blended together in the symphony of dread . Thump . They could hear their blood gushing through their veins, their pulses beating back against their minds, their breaths growing ragged, quick and short . Thump . Thump! Their eyes grew red, swollen, teary . Their hearts bled . Their souls mourned . Their Wills whimpered . Thump . Like wet, beaten dogs they drew back, fearfully looking at the invisible leash in his hands . Thump . Never would it be known who was the first, but someone broke atst . A shriek broke past the barrier of sound and bellowed out into the empty sky . And then another . And another . And another . Cries like the ones of the howling wolves who¡¯ve lost their leader soon blended into an orchestra, putting on a performance connecting every and any end of the world . The Mother died, and her children broke . One by one they fell on their knees, the earth beneath quivering underneath the sudden impact . The buildings shook . The mountains moved . The seas rose and the waves rolled . Thump . All hearts seemed to beat as one, yielding the scene never seen before . Too many emotions . Too many thoughts . Too many words, yet not nearly enough . All they could do was bite their lips and cry . Weep like newborn babes beneath the clouded sky . Weep beneath his maddened feet . Beneath his empty, cold eyes . Thump . Wings suddenly sprung out behind him, bounding over two hundred meters across . One breathtakingly golden, the other abhorrently dark . One embodying the beauty of the day, the other the horrors of the night . Thump . Wails ceased . Cries stopped . All eyes opened and looked up and pondered . Was he a human? Was he a Devil? Was he an Angel? What, exactly, was he? Alive? Dead? Good? Evil? Sagacious? Foolish? They didn¡¯t have answers, just a myriad of questions eating away at their sanity . Be it the experienced ones, who have weathered the storms of millions of years, or the young saplings yet to fully emerge into the world, they couldn¡¯t fathom any of it . Do they fear a man or an idea? Do they fear his strength, or do they fear his capacity for terror? Do they fear him at all? His lips suddenly strung out into a grin, a faint chuckle, bordering a whisper, skewing out into the world, into each ear who would listen . It was filled with mockery, derision, disdain, contempt, and scorn . It was filled with open, honest ridicule . He wasughing at them . Surrounded by millions, heughed so freely, as though he had no care in the world . " . . . look at you lot," his voice was certainly not that of a human . It was deep, abysmal, choral . It echoed on its own, sting away at their hearts, souls, and minds . It was empty of any emotion . Iprehensible . Thump . Louder, once more, their hearts beat . They awoke at the sound of his voice . The blood gushed out through their veins once more like a river . Thump . "She lives still, yet you cracked," he was looking down at the world from far above . He didn¡¯t care, it seemed . He didn¡¯t care that he¡¯d turned the realm of reality, the dominion of the living, against himself . He drew all eyes on him freely, epting it all indifferently . "What did you think? That she cannot be killed? Nothing is eternal," he added, suddenly looking up to the sky and extending his arm into the empty above . "As nothing was or ever will be . " No one responded . No one moved . All they could do was listen to the sound of their hearts . Louder and louder . Thump . Thump! Blood was no longer gushing -- it was boiling . Like ake set aze from inside out, it boiled beyond reason . Fear and terror vanished . They were freed of their chains and shackles . It was reced by fury . By wrath . By unbridled, unending rage . The expressions of horror vanished in veer of distorted faces, scrounged into folds of skin, features barely discernible beneath the anger . Hatred consumed everything else, feeding itself on all their other emotions and thoughts . Hearts, one by one, cracked as the realization finally dawned upon them . They had all watched their Mother get murdered like an animal in front of their eyes without doing anything . They let it happen . They were to me . Yet, why me themselves, when her murderer still stood there, jeering at them, taunting them, mocking them? No, he is to me . He who struck is he who sinned . It was too much . Too much to hold in . It burned too hot . It hurt too much . The pressure was beyond something they could handle . Like ss, their hearts cracked as their throats opened . What once were the cries of anguish were now roars of utter resentment . They consumed all other sounds the world made at that moment . The thundering seas went silent . The screeching rivers turned mum . The boilingkes hushed . The trembling earth turned mute . The collective roar of hundreds of millions of souls exploded out into the world, consuming everything, creating enough energy to shake the entire momentarily . Lino stood still, taking it all in . Despite it all being aimed at him, he had to admit it was a breathtaking scene . He pondered, inwardly, when was thest time the world had ever united over something? When was thest time so many souls cried out in the same name? For the same goal? For the same idea and belief? And with the same emotion? If ever, it was too long ago for anyone to truly remember . He had woken in them the link which bound all living, though it was hardly his goal . Chuckling bitterly, he realized he may have made things far worse for himself than it was necessary . After all, the only reason he actually went after Gaia so early was that he knew that would be the only opportunity . He had also hoped to turn quite a few of the souls here into frozen watchers, though his n backfired . . . spectacrly . Perhaps, now, he¡¯d finally understand what it was like to truly be hunted by the entire world . Or, he mused, the world would finally understand what it was like when an Empyrean finally abandoned all moral inhibitions . Only time woulde to tell . Chapter 396 Chapter 396 CHAPTER 396 AGE OF EMPYREAN (V) Even Lino had to momentarily stand in awe and tepidity beneath the crushing cascade of rainbow-dyed attacks headed his way . They wholly nketed the sky from all eight ends, illuminating the world as though the sun itself had descended upon it . Colors blinded him temporarily as he felt his Will tremble, causing him no small amount of shock . Heaving his head up, rather than retreating, however, he merely grinned as he reached into his void world and took out one of the few items he had prepared for today¡¯s battle -- a massive, tree-toppling shield . It reached the height of three men and width of at least six, pushed out at the center, with a dent sporting a swirling vortex being the ending route of all, glimmering arrays on its surface . It had strong, silver, metallic sheen with asional shes of purple, its edges sharp and thick, narrowing toward the bottom end . [Aegis of Destruction -- Continental] Level: 6000 Requirements: 1,000,000 Strength, Path of Destruction +10,000% to ALL Defenses for the first 10 seconds after taking the Aegis out; activates only once every 4 hours +800% to ALL Base Defenses +90% Immunity to Control Effects 8% chance to reflect an attackpletely 18% chance to absorb the attack and store it into the Eye 26% chance to diminish the effects of the attack by 80% 42% chance to decrease attack¡¯s damage by 40% on impact 6% chance to both absorb and reflect the attack at the double rate; can happen only once every minute 8% (+8% per attack) chance to increase Base Defenses by 60% for 10 seconds; stacks refresh after either not taking an attack for 3 seconds, or obtaining Defense 1% chance to ignite wearer¡¯s Will, making the wearer entirely invulnerable to ALL damage for 3 seconds; refreshes after 1 hour Special Effect [Serpentine] -- activate the effect through Will; for the following 15 seconds, ALL projectile attacks against the shield slither against its surface and miss the mark . 1% of the Damage is stored into the Eye Special Effect [Irrefragable Domain] -- sacrifice 20% of Vitality to form a Domain within the surrounding 4 miles for 2 minutes . ALL attacks on the wearer within the Domain deal 10% of their Damage, all sub-effects of the attacks are nullified, sessful direct blocks result in Absolute Reflection on the attack . 2% of all Damage traded within the Domain is stored inside the Eye . Special Effect [The Eternal] -- should wearer ever fall to 1% of their Vitality, this effect will activate automatically; the wearer bes immune to ALL Damage, Statues and Control Effects for 1 minute . Vitality is immediately restored to 100% . Damage dealt by the wearer is decreased by 60% for the Duration . Speed (any Movement) is increased by 6000% for the first 5 seconds of the effect . The wearer bes invisible to ALL scouting mechanisms . The 1% of Vitality is stored as Damage inside the Eye . Special Effect [Eye of Extinction] -- can only be used when Damage stored is at the very least 3x the wearer¡¯s total Vitality . Channel all stored energy into the shield¡¯s Eye, forming a homing beam that locks onto a single target and hits them regardless of the methods they may use to dodge . The damage cannot be blocked, evaded, nullified or diminished . If the target is killed, 80% of their Vitality stat is refunded into the Eye as Damage, while the remaining 20% is transferred directly to the wearer as a permanent bonus . Note: Pinnacle of Continental-tier items, borne into the world to shock and awe those who may ever stand before it . It was Lino¡¯s second greatest direct creation to date, just behind the Cube . The sheer number of basic stats is enough to terrify anyone, not to say anything of the abundance of Special Effects that seem entirely handcrafted for him and him alone . It virtually made him immortal for a brief period of time, which is exactly what he needed right now . Right around the same time, he also donned the [Heaven-cast Armor Set], something he avoided doing for a long while now as to not expose its existence to the world -- at least its existence in the current form . Nearly six months ago, he had finally managed to infuse the Titan Heart with it, in addition to unlocking itsst stat line after bing Void Titr . Both of these thingsbined were enough to do something even Lino was thought impossible -- push the Legendary-tier item above the cliff and into the Continental Realm of things . The armor maintained its cyan sheen, in addition obtaining a faint presence of deep gold at the thick edges . It appeared somewhat ordinary, yet at the same time extremely mboyant due to different patterns and designs orbiting its thick, shimmering surface . [Heaven-Cast Armor Set -- 8/8 -- Continental Unique] Level: 6,000 Requirement[1]: 1,500,000 Strength Requirement[2]: Art Requirement[3]: Primal Qi (any form) Requirement[4]: Resistance to ¡¯Fear¡¯ Requirement[5]: Bloodbound Defense: 41,655,920 Durability: 60,000,000 (damage shared between all individual parts) +950% to ¡¯Base Strength¡¯ +1350% to ¡¯Base Defense¡¯ +1500% to ¡¯Base Vitality¡¯ +300% to ¡¯Base Damage¡¯ +400% to ¡¯Base Resistances¡¯ +150% to ¡¯Status Resistances¡¯ +50% to ¡¯Elemental Affinity¡¯ +180% to ¡¯Elemental Resistance¡¯ +40% to Attack Speed +3% to ¡¯Void Affinity¡¯ [1] -- immediately heal all wounds, physical and mental -- costs 30% of total Qi reserves; recharge 5 days [2] -- gain temporary, Absolute Resistance to all control effects; 60% chance to reflect the effects back onto the caster; duration -- 30 seconds, recharge time 12 hours [3] -- gain 1% base Attack Speed for every non-Body Cultivator enemy present on the field (stacks up to 80%) Special Effect [Ironborn] -- 20% of iing ¡¯Damage¡¯ can be stored, up to Strength*30, which can be used to enchant any and all attacks Special Effect [Heaven¡¯s Son] -- Gain bonus +40% to ALL Stats per an enemybatant no weaker than 50 Levels; stacks up to 25 enemies Special Effect [Master of Void] -- mark up to 10 items in your possession; regardless of where they are, you can summon them back into the void in your possession Special Effect [Legend] -- your Will is exceptionally strengthened when in an unfavorable situation; bacsh effects from everything reduced by 50%, Qi expenditure reduced by 50%, chance to inflict Fear-rted effects on the enemies through Will alone Special Effect [Hell-Forged] -- each time the Wearer survives overwhelming odds, increase all Base Stats by 10%; stacks infinitely and persists even when the Armor Set isn¡¯t worn Special Effect [Defiance] -- Ignore ALL innate suppression from Realms and Levels; gain bonus 5% to ALL Stats for every 100 Levels of difference (if against multiplebatants, only the strongest is counted) Special Effect [Baptized in mes] -- Charging a powerful strike triggers the Heaven¡¯s Might stored within the armor; for each 1,000,000 projected points of damage, increase the end result by a double Special Effect [Heaven¡¯s Chosen] -- Standing alone against an army exponentially increases one¡¯s prowess; Armor¡¯s Base Stats doubled, wearer¡¯s Base Stats increased by 80%, bonuses from other items increased by 40% Special Effect [Divine] -- Cannot take more damage than 10% of wearer¡¯s Vitality; for 100 Vitality damage, wearer¡¯s Strength and Speed are increased by 2%, up to 4,000% Note: An evolved Creation, infused with one of thest remaining Titan Hearts, surpassing its own innate limits and reaching the Continental prowess that escaped it previously . Though backed up by two Continental-tier items, both perfect for his current situation, he still felt it . Despite the fact his Defense reached nearly a billion altogether, he still felt it . Even after having all of the Armor¡¯s passive increases activated due to being surrounded by a sea of people, he still felt it . It was a barrage unlike any other he dealt with in his life . Hundreds . . . thousands . . . hundreds of thousands of attacksnded in session against the shield¡¯s thick surface, causing explosion after an explosion to bellow out into the sky . His tiny figure, despite the massive wings, could not be discerned inside the sting array of colors and smoke that surrounded him . The pressure that could not be quantified into words pressed against his arm and chest as he was pushed back from the sky toward the earth . His left arm, which held onto the shield, was cracked repeatedly as he shoved every ounce of Qi into it for recovery . Even with repeatedly fluttering his wings tobat the pressure, he still fell down like a star from the sky, leaving behind a trail of blood and smoke . Barely a few seconds after the attacksnded against the shield, he crashed into the city down below, surrounded by thousand of exploding sts of light . Buildings turned to ash as shockwave st outward in a ring-like fashion, leveling everything in the surrounding tens of miles . The crater itself wound up being over ten miles deep and three times as wide, ck soot and smoke dousing it . His tattered body was buried underneath hundreds of tonnes of debris as he cracked a bitter smile . That was awfully close . . . his Vitality, which totaled to over a billion with all the bonuses added, had fallen down to measly 4% . That crescendo of attacks was most-likely enough to kill 99,99% of cultivators in the world, but he managed to survive . He could have lowered the impact somewhat if he desired, by simply activating shield¡¯s active effects, but he wanted to see his limits . How much could he take directly without breaking? The answer? A lot . He doubted there was a single soul out there, whether it be Dragons, or the high-end Descenders, who could replicate the attack he just took all on their own . That thought calmed him; as long as no one was able to take him out in a single attack, it meant that he could put up a fight . Meanwhile, those above him celebrated -- most of them did, anyway . Nearly everyone didn¡¯t even think anyone could survive that, let alonee out of it ready for any sort of a feud . However, a few knew better . Erebus stared at that crater with a broken heart; he, too, gave all he had in that moment, as did everyone else . But . . . it wasn¡¯t enough . They didn¡¯t manage to kill him . Despite the anger and fury thatmanded their Wills beyond their capacities, they failed . How high are his defenses?, he pondered inwardly . No . . . how high is his Vitality? He shuddered at the thought, as he was certain not even the old, body-cultivating Monsters with over a billion years of umtion had as much as he did at that moment . He didn¡¯t despair for too long, however; the n was never to kill him, but to cripple him, and that n was still in action . Even if they failed to kill him, it wasn¡¯t as though he could simply shrug something like that off and fight like nothing happened -- not even if he was the Empyrean . Certainly . . . he thought, yet, in his heart, he couldn¡¯t be absolutely sure . Twice now the Empyrean had managed to break his conviction -- twice in session . He felled Gaia . . . and withstood Wrath of her Children, one after another . Though he may have earned himself ire of everyone, living and dead, he didn¡¯t seem the type to care . If he could truly wrestle out of that debris and simply resume fighting as though nothing had happened . . . Erebus, once more, dreaded the thought . He didn¡¯t wish to fight -- yet he had no choice . It was the Mother¡¯s, and more importantly, his Writ¡¯s direct orders . If it was up to him, he¡¯d simply let the Empyrean run himself into an early grave . Yet, here they were now, having poked the ho¡¯s nest unnecessarily . No, he shook his head . We will win . We have to . We cannot allow him to sully our ns any longer . Chapter 397 Chapter 397 CHAPTER 397 AGE OF EMPYREAN (VI) Amid the celebratory roars that had filled the skies above the Do¡¯r city and the world around it, the earth suddenly quaked, overtaking thempletely . All eyes which had fervently looked to the sky suddenly veered downward, unable to peel themselves away from the shifting debris inside the crater . Rocks shook and quivered, bending and rolling sideways, as cracks like spiderwebs exploded out throughout the crater and around it, crashing even more buildings in its surroundings . All suddenly found themselves staring with bated breaths, their hearts stilling once more . Just then, like a birth of a new star, a blinding pir of light, half ck and half white, exploded out of the crater and barreled straight into the sky, piercing the far clouds above . A figure soon ascended through it, his feathered wings spread wide, his silhouette overbearing, the pair of eyes visible even inside the storm . The chunks of rock floated around the pir as though it was their natural orbit as he arose further up, bounding the tallest tower of the city in a matter of seconds, returning to his original position . The pir ceased soon after, revealing behind apletely fine-looking man with a faint smile stered on his face . There wasn¡¯t even a trace of blood to behold, be it on his face or the rest of his body . Though he smiled, it was hardly settling; after all, that smile hid a terror-inducing gaze of the pair of ck eyes emitting even cker smoke from their corners, with the white iris spitting out milky-white, holy light up above . It was an eerie sight, perhaps now more so than before, causing blood in their veins to freeze ande to a standstill . After all, a single individual had just now withstood a direct attack of millions -- and not only did he survive, he seemed entirely unaffected by it . " . . . you tried," his choral voice once more bellowed out into the ether, slithering and wounding their hearts like a snake . "Now . . . now¡¯s my turn . " Those few who knew he survived were the first to react; despite Lino¡¯s attempt to dive in the heart of their formation, he found himself blocked by two Bearers and several Fiend Titrs who managed to cut his tunneling through space immediately . On his left, a tall, ck-belted man with a rather ordinary face stared him down with a determined expression . Lino quickly realized it was the Bearer of Darkness, Erebus . To his left, a feminine figure repeatedly drifted in and out of existence, seemingly bending the reality around her at her will -- Bearer of Nihility . No one knew her name, or even her actual appearance, which was the case with nearly every Bearer of Nihility since the time immemorial . Behind him, four elder figures, three men and a woman, joined into a formation that locked spacetime around him, ejecting him out of the tunnel . Cracking a faint smile, he spun sideways and swung the [Dragon yer] as the de roared, spitting out an array of zing light that swept toward the four . Thetter, however, simply sped their hands together and drew slightly back as space in front of them ripped open, swallowing his attack and sending it elsewhere . At the same time, Lino found himself inside apletely darkened world, far removed from the Do¡¯r¡¯s skyline . There was no light to be found anywhere, no matter how far he looked . It took him but a moment that he got locked inside the so-called ¡¯Beyond Event Horizon¡¯ domain -- a signature Martial Art of the Aphotic Writ . No light could pierce the temporarily-formed spacetime, including his own . In theory, if they had enough Qi, they could keep him here perpetually -- but, that was simply impossible . Based on Lino¡¯s calctions, he¡¯d remain here at most for ten seconds . It wasn¡¯t being locked in here that worried him, but what awaited him once he moved out -- they were without a doubt setting up an array on the outside right about now . "Use Will masked with Primal Qi," Ataxia¡¯s voice called out . "It operates on quantum levels . " " . . . thanks . " Lino mumbled, following Ataxia¡¯s advice immediately . He was right -- perhaps beyond right . It wasn¡¯t a hastily-prepared formation, but one that they had most likely been working on for weeks prior to today¡¯s events . It spanned over six miles in diameter, threading nearly two million lines together in aplex set that was far, far, far beyond his capacity to understand . From the glimpses of familiar patterns, he realized it was a threefold machinery -- spacelock, weakening and confusion . Frowning, he knew he couldn¡¯t get trapped into it; unlike the Domain of Darkness, he could eventually break out through brute force, but he would exhaust himself too much in the process . In the meantime, they could freely attack him, from any and all angles, without him being unable to detect them . He expanded his Will coated in Primal Qi carefully, waiting for the perfect moment; he could sense it, nearly eight seconds after having been trapped -- like veins, the walls of the domain pulsated briefly as it began its decaying process . Though a ¡¯process¡¯, the time it took couldn¡¯t really be quantified in human terms . If Lino hadn¡¯t used Primal Qi, he wouldn¡¯t even realize when the Domain would vanish . Just as he perceived it, however, he immediately unfurled his wings . The darkness surrounding him vanished as he used one of the effects his Wings obtained as they grew alongside him -- [Ascendance] -- coat oneself inside the quasi-Primal Light, bing immune to winds and wounds of reality for 2 seconds; gain Absolute Speed for the duration . The formation activated, pir of rainbow-colored light sting away and wounding itself into a spiraling cone before condensing into a man-sized sphere . However, everyone -- the original six, and the six neers who had joined them immediately after -- realized something was off . "ABOVE!!!!" a feminine screech cried out into everyone¡¯s minds as they, by pure instinct, used their best defensive Arts and aimed them upwards . Just then, a de-shaped shower of ck lights descended . Each de was at least a hundred meters long and forty meters thick, and there were at least forty of them . Explosion after an explosion ensued, consuming the world around them . Blood sprayed out of each of them as they felt pushed back from the sky and down into the crater . Lino followed immediately after, appearing next to Erebus and swinging the [Dragon yer] immediately at him . Thetter made a rapid turn midair, summoning a ck orb that sted out toward Lino, pushing him back slightly . Quickly recovering, he dove right back over when the reality in front of him shifted, sending him over twenty meters backwards where his lower back was suddenly impaled, cold, sharp steel piercing right through to the other side . Gritting his teeth in pain, he used his free arm to hold onto the spear-like tip and pull it even further through him, dragging Nihility Bearer from her mid-reality phaseout . Swiftly cracking the shaft, he used the grabbed spear tip as he spun around and shafted it directly into her neck . He briefly managed to see her figure as she cried out in pain, quickly vanishing in the spiraling reality . Blind? Frowning faintly, he drove out the rest of the shaft out of his body, but had no moment to rest . The sky above him suddenly lit up as hundreds of arms appeared, all pitch-ck, jetting out smoke in droves . They heaved over toward him in an all-consuming fashion, blocking all escape routes as he once again found the spacetime around him locked . Tsk, you guys are fucking annoying . . . Grumbling inwardly, he switched over to the backhand, fluttering his wings once more as, instead of retreating, he sped toward the arms . Just before reaching them, he began spinning in a circle, stirring winds with the momentum of his de, cutting away the massive arms one by one, cleaving them into millions of pieces . He exploded out of the entrapment, trails of smoke billowing back over his body, as his twist came to an end nearly a hundred meters further off from where he began . Rather than taking a breath, he extended his free arm once more toward his side and grabbed at her face, ripping her out of the phaseout and driving the [Dragon yer] straight into her gut . Her arms suddenly expanded from the space and wrapped around his neck, pulling him further in . Once more, he found himself impaled -- not once, twice, or thrice -- but rather forty times altogether . Small, dagger-sized objects drove each at least two centimeters into his body, causing it to bleed profusely . She aimed perfectly, avoiding his Armor Set entirely . Roaring in frustration, his grip on her face tightened as he managed to win the push-and-pull match between the two, ripping her back out into the reality, exposing her entirely . Just before she dove back in, slithering away from his grasp once more, he managed to grab at her left shoulder and rip her arm clean off . The arm itself was skinny and tiny, as though child¡¯s . However, Lino knew better; when she wrapped her hands over his neck, he knew that he couldn¡¯t pull himself out of that embrace quickly . Grumbling, he sensed a massive Qi surge from behind him immediately after; he saw that the numbers of opponents had swelled up once more, from twelve to nearly a hundred . Once again, a cascade of attacks was shoved directly at and around him, closing down his escape routes . His eyes shimmered for a moment as he gripped the yer tightly, still holding it in a backhand . Activating , his body temporarily swelled, veins on his muscles pulsating like worms, his Will expanding into a corporeal form behind him, forming a giant the size of a mountain . It wasn¡¯t a human, but a fiend-like creation, a perpetual shadow cast over the hearts of millions whoid their eyes on top of it . It was edgeless and boundless and heartless, looking down at the rest of the world with cold, frigid indifference . Lino suddenly threw out two scythe-like objects above him, which quickly expanded into miles-long des held by the massive giant¡¯s invisible arms . Roaring madly, he dove right through the heart of the attacks, cutting away at them as though they were made out of thin parchment . Though a few managed to strike at him, he ignored them entirely . On the other end, he was weed by a choir of terrified faces whose beholders immediately scrambled to run away . But . . they were not allowed to . Frustrated and angry, he swung the [Dragon yer] upwardly, splitting apart space where they were, preventing them from moving an inch further . What ensued right after was a simple massacre -- whatever little fight they tried to put up was snuffed out immediately, as heads and limbs and hearts rolled and exploded, showering the sky and the earth in deep crimson . Body after body fell listless, joining the ever-growing tomb beneath them that was once a flourishing city . Though they wished to rest for a moment, Erebus and the rest werepelled to immediately try and rip a way through into the spatially isted point . It was terrifying -- beyond terrifying -- how many lives he had managed to reap within what felt like a few seconds of time . In total, six hundred and twenty-two souls were felled by the time the reality bent itself back over, revealing him . He stood in the sky, dyed in deep crimson, his face hidden beneath the maroon shade of blood, ck-jetted eyes peering through . He still held a single head, cut clean off, in his free arm, his demon de resting freely in another by his side . ncing at them, he didn¡¯t smile or speak -- rather, he remained expressionless, as though he had merely chatted with the felled . Trying to take a moment to recover his breath, Lino remained floating in ce . His heart, however, suddenly froze over as he let go of the head and whipped the shield out once more, towering it toward his left . Just a nanosecondter, a massive beam nigh blew straight through him, pummeling him all the way back to the edge of the formation, causing him to bounce back like a ball, breaking nearly every bone in his body . Though he recovered quickly, he was forced to spit out several mouthfuls of blood, and to endure the feeling and the sounds of hundreds of bones in his body cracking simultaneously . He quickly located the perpetrator -- she stood where Lino had, cast in zing, holy mes, staring at him indifferently, ¡¯3¡¯ jetted over her forehead in brilliant gold . That was sooner than expected . . . he mused inwardly, meeting her gaze squarely . " . . . we have warned you," she said in a calm tone . "Not to descend down this path, or you would face the consequences . It seems you¡¯ve chosen to ignore our advice . " " . . . s, another coward steps forth to preach me morality," Lino chuckled faintly, his choral voice echoing out freely into the world . "And, all the same, I¡¯ve repeatedly warned the world -- which includes you -- not to fuck with me . Yet, you keep fucking with me . " "Step down, Lyonel," Three said in a somewhat somber tone, raising her massive sword overhead . "While you still stand a chance at living hereafter . You¡¯ve done enough damage for today . " " . . . I¡¯ve nothing against you," Lino said, suddenly taking out a small, ordinary-looking cube and twirling it through his fingers . "But . . . this is not a fight you should entangle yourself in . Today, I¡¯ve decided to end the lives of two Bearers . And not a single soul among the living or the dead wille in-between me and that goal . I¡¯d rather do it whilst avoiding as much coteral as possible . However, if big-shots step in, I can¡¯t promise that . " " . . . that¡¯s enough, Lino . " for the first time since the battle¡¯s beginning, Lino¡¯s heart shook as he looked to the Three¡¯s side, where Six stepped out, his expression solemn . "Retreat, please . There¡¯s no victory to be had today . " " . . . " Lino sighed faintly, his heart cracking . "So . . . the Descent truly decided to step in today, huh?" " . . . " "I¡¯d expected two at most," he chuckled, shaking his head . "Which, though difficult, wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop me, at least from killing those two . If all of youe, though . . . " " . . . listen to them . " Ataxia¡¯s voice echoed out . "Today¡¯s not the day . . . " " . . . you and I seem to always disagree on the timing of things, Ataxia," Lino said, chuckling lightly as he pressed the cube in his hand tightly . "Never on the same page, it seems . " "It would be a pyrrhic victory," Ataxia said . "Which, for them, would be an actual victory . You are handing them over the keys to the doors, Lino . Willingly . " " . . . no, I¡¯m handing them a lesson," he added . "Thest one they¡¯ll ever need . Besides . . . by now, E should know the stakes . " " . . . she, unlike you, can be killed, Lino . She may be strong, but if they realize her body is virtually mortal¡¯s, it will be easy for them . " " . . . let me see them try . " Lino mumbled, cracking the cube in his hands that soon after turned into the ck mist swirling over to above his head, shifting into a breathtaking Crown . It has begun . . . Chapter 398 Chapter 398 CHAPTER 398 AGE OF EMPYREAN (VII) Just as Lino had stepped inside the massive formation, E had swiftly turned into a sh of light and vanished toward the edge of the Do¡¯r city . Though she appeared to be rushing, her expression was extremely calm and confident . Even she, after all, couldn¡¯t see the depths of Lino¡¯s strength, and even if he was unable to achieve victory in the end, she doubted they could do much to him to impede him in the long run . Though in no rush, she still appeared outside the city within less than a minute,ing to a halt immediately . Just as Lino had predicted, they indeed did send out a powerful figure to wee her -- what startled her, however, was who they sent . She imagined it would be one of the so-called ¡¯Old Monsters¡¯, a generational lingo used to describe people that are at the very least older than the current era, but even in her wildest dreams she wouldn¡¯t have thought they¡¯d send Hound of the East, the oldest Body Cultivator currently alive, the founder of the top-standing Holy Ground, Heaven¡¯s Chosen, and the sole Origin Titr of Body Cultivators, titled rather simply -- Devil yer, Y¡¯nn . Legend has it that, before ascending the steps of cultivation, he¡¯d been an ordinary, human youth whose vige was one day invaded by the Hell¡¯s Army, killing everyone and destroying everything . He was saved by a wandering Cultivator and eventually led over a thousand expeditions into Hell, killing hundreds of millions of Demons and Devils . Though E couldn¡¯t confirm how much of it was true, his reputation wasn¡¯t empty . She quickly frowned, realizing that Lino truly was right -- that something was terribly wrong . This wasn¡¯t merely putting up a facade -- they truly didn¡¯t want her to break in . " . . . greetings, Sword Maiden . Or did you change your Title?" the man was tall and wide, and though slightly dwarfed by Eggor when it came to muscles, it was clearly intentional . He wore only shorts and nothing else, a massive spear strapped to his back, asrge as he was . He had starkly dark eyes and bushy, silver beard, his hair cut in a ring above his ears, leaving only the top growth tied into a small ponytail at the back . " . . . why would I change it?" E replied with a faint smile . "I¡¯ve earned it . " "I suppose some feel shame more than others . " the old manmented quaintly, pecking at E¡¯s demons . "I¡¯d rather not hear a Gaia¡¯s ve preach to me of shame," she said, her voice even and calm like his . "Seems quite . . . odd, does it not?" "I am merely another one of her Children," the man said, seemingly undisturbed by E¡¯s words . "And Children ought to respect and obey their parents . Something, unfortunately, you clearly do not understand . " "Veil yourself in whatever excuses you want, old Hound," E said . "Truth of the matter is that you sold everyone who ever looked up to you over to her for the measly Ascension . " "Measly?" the man¡¯s brows arched faintly as he cracked a slight smile . "Perhaps, in your eyes, it may as well be ¡¯measly¡¯ . But . . . ask that boy, when the timees, whether it¡¯s ¡¯measly¡¯ or not . " "Funny," E smiled suddenly . "You using those rotted balls of yours topare yourself to him . His Will alone dwarfs yours, you ancient relic that should have been buried in the sands of time eons ago . You seemed to have forgotten how far deep a hole you had to dig when Eldon imed your head . " "Yet, I still live . " the man replied, smiling still . "Live?" E arched her brows suddenly, chuckling . "You¡¯ve ceased living the day you bent over to her . You¡¯re merely undying, a fate far worse than death . " "Oh? Are you here to liberate me, then, of my cursed fate?" " . . . " second after second, E¡¯s heart kept growing colder and colder; she could sense that he was merely buying time and humoring her . In any other scenario, that would make sense -- as the world around here simply isn¡¯t made to endure the two of them fighting -- but what worried her is that there was no reason to send him of all people out . They could have sent any one of the now-mythical figures . . . and instead chose him specifically . They¡¯ve taken everything into ount and sent him out in case she truly was much stronger than they anticipated; even if he couldn¡¯t win, in that case, he would be almost impossibly difficult to kill in a short period of time . ncing past him and into the cyan sheen surrounding Do¡¯r, she couldn¡¯t help but desire to see past the curtain and peer inside . "What was it about that boy, Maiden?" the man¡¯s voice jolted her back away from her thoughts . "Nay . . . what is it about him . . . that he causes all to be so blinded?" "--!!!" E¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as she felt the faint seepage of energy and Qiing from inside the dome . Those six traces . . . were terribly familiar . Her body shook as the man in front of her chuckled . "As impressive as ever," he said, ncing back . "Not even a formation of such scale can contain their Qi . I¡¯ve still ways to go, it seems . " " . . . move . " E said simply, her voice turning beyond cold and frigid . "I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that . " the man chuckled, shaking his head . "I said . . . move . " E added, taking out a thin, rapier-like de and pointing it at him . " . . . no . " the man said, withdrawing the spear and holding it in front of him . "Think about it carefully, Maiden . If we engage . . . this whole Empire . . . might cease to exist, alongside tens of millions of lives . " " . . . stand aside," E¡¯s Will suddenly bellowed out of her like an overbearing beast, covering the entire sky for over a hundred thousand miles across, her eyes shimmering in deep crimson as winds around her stirred awake, bounding her . "You broken tool . " " . . . still not enough . " the man said, smiling faintly, clearly enduring her pressure with ease . " . . . pathetic," she said slowly . "All of you . Simply pathetic . " " . . . " "Now I see why they sent you here," the man¡¯s brows slowly scrounged up as the pressure on him continued increasing, over and over . "But . . . you¡¯ve all miscalcted . Don¡¯t you know the tale as old as time, yer?" " . . . . " "You never . . . ever . . . " space around E suddenly exploded upon itself, ripped apart from inside out, expanding across like the cracking ss . "Stand between a mother and her son . " The man suddenly found himself sted backward as he crashed against the shielding dome looming the city, sending quakes throughout its entire surface . Rapidly recovering, he wiped the corners of his mouth and swung the spear upwards, meeting E¡¯s direct strike . What followed was a flurry of attacks that could not be reasonably quantified inside a timeline; within a second, spacetime around the two ceased to exist; within two, they vanished inside a gaping storm bounding the void; within three, space around bubbled up like blisters, counting in thousands; within four, they all exploded in a shower of invisible Qi, sending shockwaves that toppled the trees over hundreds of miles away; within five, there only was a massive, truly gigantic, gaping hole well above the city of Do¡¯r . Stars alight surrounded nebe, faint, disk-shaped gxies shimmering in the fast distance . Within the scope of cosmos, the two shimmering dots at the center of ripping appeared enormously insignificant . . . yet their battle hardly was . The man quickly realized something was wrong; he waspletely put on a defensive position -- but not at his own pace . He was not allowed to run or dodge, he had to block every single strike, otherwise, it would mean a loss of a limb or, in the worst case, his own life . Yet, with each passing second, the speed, precision, lethality and cruelty of her attacks only seemed to grow . Her Will, ifpared to a storm previously, was now an ever-consuming hurricane, slowly evolving even further . Just as the pressure became too much to bear with his body alone, she stopped and withdrew . They¡¯d long since transferred their battle outside Noterra, to the so-called Expanse of Heaven . A massive, spherical ball drifted across the dark void beneath the two, yet they hardly paid attention to it, staring into each other¡¯s eyes . " . . . he won¡¯t die . " the man said, taking a moment to recover his breath . "He will hardly even be harmed . I know, in your heart, you aren¡¯t fighting for Ataxia, but for him -- I give you my word, nothing will happen to him . " " . . . you¡¯re right," E said, her ck hair suddenly growing golden and then ethereally white, like the birth of first light in the universe, her wrinkled face reforging into a masked one with only two holes for eyes, her voice turning deep and choral . "I¡¯m not fighting for Ataxia . But, he is . And his fights are my fights . Though I can¡¯t kill you, yer, if I go all out, I will cripple you until the end of your days . You will never again see the sight of the bounding sky, nor will you ever again feel the warm touch of Qi . And, if I cripple you, your Sect wille undone . It will be devoured . The entire fabric of the world will change . In your heart of hearts, do you believe she will help you?" by now, the man was only capable of staring, stunned in silence . She, in front of his eyes . . . changed . Not into her Avatar form or the like . . . but changed . . .pletely . Twenty-four white, feathered wings hung off her back, beyond beautiful to behold, each over two hundred meters long . Upon her heady a golden tiara with a white gem embedded at the center, a gem so bright he was unable to look directly at it . Two holes for eyes turned into six, three on each side, her ordinary-looking dress transforming into a silver-cast body armor . Half a meter above her head rested a gold-cast halo, cleaved up front where a small, spherical blurb of light rotated around itself at the speed he couldn¡¯t perceive . Her single sword split into two, each cast in a zing fire, extending to over a meter and a half in length . And further behind her back, behind the gigantic wings, was a ring of fire spinning in a circle, seven gems of different colors embedded on its surface . yer stared in awe and terror, tongue-tied . Her appearance had transcended the realms of beauty and holiness and grace; it was, he was certain, not of this world . " . . . w-who . . . who are you?" he mumbled lowly, week in knees . Certainly, if there was ground beneath him, he¡¯d have knelt down . "No . . . what are you?" " . . . I can¡¯t stay like this much longer," her voice had turned low and warm, wrapping around his whole being and calming him down . Just right then, the barrier that held him back from progressing any further in his Cultivation broke down as light surged from the depths of his soul . "Make a choice, yer . " " . . . thank you," he mumbled as he suddenly stood to the left, bowing his head lowly . "My withdrawal would cause too many drifts in the immediate future; but, your call to arms . . . I shall answer . " "It won¡¯t be mine," thest trace of her whisper pierced through his ears as he looked up, meeting her smiling eyes . "But his . " she vanished, leaving behind only a faint trace of beyond-holy light that had showered him in warmth . He would stand there for days and months, part of his mind stabilizing his progression . . . and the other part ensuring he would never, till his dying breath, forget what he had just witnessed . He had a faint idea of who she might be, though he would never voice aloud . It was too reality-shattering, something the world as it was could in no way, shape or form handle . Perhaps in the distant future, he might share; though, for a time, he settled his heart on being the one who knows . One of the few, probably, who knows . Chapter 399 Chapter 399 CHAPTER 399 AGE OF EMPYREAN (VIII) A thunderous boom bellowed out throughout the vast sky above Do¡¯r, copsing it over unto itself and creating thousands of spatial rifts across . Darkness swallowed whatever little light peered from behind the curtains, fires raging out of every inch,pounded with bouts of crashing thunder and macabre figures sting in and out of existence . Lino held onto the [Dragon yer] with one of his hands, his expression distorted, skin entombed within perpetual shadows, the armor dyed in crimson luster . Hardly a human, he used his free hand to grab onto the rotating, twilight-glowing spike reaching toward his abdomen . It pierced right through, creating a hole in his palm that began bleeding profusely, but he managed to prevent it from reaching his guts . Four soon after appeared right in front of him, wrapped in gauze from head to toe like a mummified corpse . Gritting his teeth, Lino pped the spike away and spun in a circle, unfurling his wings that began shooting star-like flutters of light at his surroundings, causing explosions to st out one after another . The sword cleaved through the Four or at the very least his afterimage that disintegrated quickly after . The Crown on top of Lino¡¯s head suddenly shimmered brightly, a soul-copsing screech crying out momentarily . Screaming out, he grabbed at the de shoved through his back and pulled it out, throwing it backward quickly, though still managing to miss . He bled from every orifice, from every inch of his tattered, beaten and bruised body . Frustration swelled up to his throat, clogging it up till the point no word could escape it . His eyes smoked and screamed, yet to no avail . His Qi roared and bellowed, yet to no avail . It felt as though no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t prate past their defenses . They were toying with him, he knew, as though they were educating a child on how to properly battle . They didn¡¯t try to kill him, didn¡¯t try to finish it all in one blow -- they were trying to break him . . . mentally and emotionally . And even though he knew it, he was close to his breaking point . Stopping in ce for a moment as an arrow burst through his shoulder, flushing him forward slightly, he took a deep breath and nced back; Six and Seven stood roughly a hundred meters away from him, attacking in tandem . Both wore masks, though he could easily discern their expressions . Complex . . . enduring . . . battling . . . it mattered little to him . The two Bearers he¡¯de to kill had long since vanished from here, rescued by them . The entire point of holding back for so long, setting everything up, and even having people he cared for die . . . turned moot . Who knew how long would he have to wait for the next opportunity . . . if that opportunity ever even came . Yet, despite that, he couldn¡¯t go mad, let go of his inhibitions entirely . Even after having donned the Crown, hergely held back from over-exhausting himself . He used it merely to avoid any long-term damage done to his body, and hardly for attacking back . If there was one sce in this situation, it was that he¡¯d found a way out . If he wanted to, he could have broken out an hour ago . Yet, he stayed . He wanted to test not only his limits, but their limits as well . After all, staring with today, they were the faces and names that he¡¯ll one day have to erase . They¡¯ve made their decision when they chose to appear today, as he had made his when he saw them . But, because they were aplete enigma to the rest of the world, he had to scale back and endure -- he had to personally witness their limits . Six, for instance, didn¡¯t have much in terms of fighting prowess, but he was amazing at distraction and support,rgely of Seven -- she was a Master Bowman who, despite Lino¡¯s desperate attempts, had never missed her shot since the battle¡¯s beginning . Compounded with Six¡¯s enchantments of her arrows, they hurt -- a lot -- in addition to having a lot of rather eerie and exhausting properties to deal with . Five, on the other hand, was a full-out brawler, much like Three; unlike thetter, however, whose stylergely resembled Lino¡¯s, he was like a shadow, repeatedly bouncing left and right, attacking from unexpected angles with abominable speed and precision that Lino simply couldn¡¯t react to, not with his body prowess anyway . Three followed Lino¡¯s style, and shergely kept him in check -- direct, strength-oriented fighting that left her exposed to attacks often . However, unlike Lino who had no one, Four always circled her to offset those openings, and often punish Lino if he decided to go after them . Unlike Five, despite repeatedly drifting in the shadow, Four had a rather . . . disfiguring style of battling . He attacked indirectly, bending rules of reality to wound without the recipient ever realizing they were wounded . As the matter of fact, most of the wounds Lino had on his body most-likely came from him, though he couldn¡¯t remember when or how . The five had the perfect chemistry, knowing what to do without ever uttering a sound . Furthermore . . . there was still Two, who hid away, just observing . Lino felt far more danger from her than the rest, and he knew he stood no chance whatsoever, even if he went all out, if she joined . So, he decided not to reveal any one of his cards . Keep them all in check . Hold back . Act the role, y the part, and eventually skittle away once he finds an opportunity to grab Ion¡¯s barely-living body . " . . . isn¡¯t it enough?" Six suddenly spoke out, his voice full of sympathy and a faint trace of regret . "You¡¯ve proven your point, Lino . There¡¯s no need to push any further than this . " " . . . I¡¯ve truly considered you my family," Lino said, his voice dark and tepid, as he turned toward the old man . "Someone I could trust . " " . . . " "Your act today . . . I¡¯ll remember," he added, his shadow-encased lips curling up into a fanatical grin . "And I¡¯ll repay it a hundredfold . " "Are you really in a position to threaten him?" Seven chimed in with her usual, indifferent voice . "You should look yourself in the mirror first . " "No, you¡¯re the ones who should look yourself in the mirror," Lino replied . "Cowards too terrified to ever take a stand . Keepers of peace? Of bnce? My ass . You¡¯re nothing but an entitled group of cunts who believe they are prime and proper enough to y gods with the rest of us . I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t want to believe it until today . Heh, I guess I¡¯ll just chalk it up to my naivety . Can¡¯t shake what you¡¯re born with, I guess . But . . . today¡¯s lesson is entombed inside my heart through the searing pain . And those kinds of lessons . . . ain¡¯t easily forgotten . " "Seeing as your tongue still works as always," Three said . "It seems we haven¡¯t taught you enough yet . " "You¡¯ve nothing to teach me," Lino turned slowly toward her, his voice growing duller . "No, I¡¯m wrong . If I¡¯m ever in the mood for learning how to be an utterly despicable, moronic, deplorable cunt, I¡¯ll hit you guys up . Until then, you can fuck back off to the hole you crawled out from, and continue sucking on your inted egos, you fucking megalomaniacs . " "That¡¯s a bit biging from you, isn¡¯t it?" Four said, his voice even and even slightly limp . "Isn¡¯t your dream to reign over the world?" " . . . no," Lino shook his head, grinning . "My dream is to rid the world of every single one of the fuckers like that . I¡¯d rather the world, and all of us in it, die by the virtue of being the cunts that we are . . . than watch it grow impotent through the hands of self-important degenerates whose mothers never loved them enough . " " . . . a wounded dog barking, and barking, and barking . . . " the voice hidden in the tepid shadows came out atst as a figure materialized next to Three; she was on the taller end, wearing a mask with ¡¯2¡¯ carved on her forehead . "Your age hase to an end, child . ept it gracefully and live out the remainder of your days in peace and quiet . You¡¯ve no ce on the grand stage anymore . You¡¯re too emotionally involved to be let loose to lead the world into tomorrow . " " . . . aye, I¡¯ve been barking a lot," Lino cracked an insidious smile, gripping the [Dragon yer] tightly . "You¡¯re right . Words mean nothing to the likes of you . So . . . instead, I¡¯ll show you . " he added lowly, letting go of the boulder in his heart, bit by bit . "Exactly what you¡¯ve awoken today . . . and why it was a mistake you¡¯lle to regret, just like she will . " The Crown upon his head swirled around itself, spitting out jets of frigid air as Lino unfurled his wingspletely, four on each side suddenly appearing, totaling in eight . The light behind him sted off into a pir which soon condensed in the sky-towering abomination that reeked of death and destruction . All around him space broke apart of its own volition, as though bending over to his Will by default . The [Dragon yer] cried out into the empty nothingness, coral mes jetting out of its sharp de, consuming it whole . Lino¡¯s eyes shimmered as a rapid shockwave broke past them; like an eggshell cracking, a sound echoed out into the world for a moment before the ck fuse of it all vanished, reced by the holy white . Within the ensconced shadows that was his figure, a pair of holy, angr discs appeared, shining as brightly -- if not brighter -- than the sun ever did . Chaos swept out of him like a hurricane, consuming all other elements within hundreds of miles, devouring them, personifying them, embodying them . Thunderbolts sted off around him,pounded with the raging inferno of elements that could not be quantified . " . . . " he mumbled lowly, pointing the sword at the six figures standing far away from him . "Ashes to Ashes . . . Dust to Dust . . . " "Behind me, now!!!" Two suddenly cried out as she lifted both her arms in concert, twirling them around in a strange and ethereal pattern that saw the very fabric of time around her slowing down to a crawl . Just then, the sky above them opened up into a massive gash as Lino dove straight from within it . He was quick . . . quicker than any logic could measure, than any Law could ever restrict . Breaking the speed of light, they couldn¡¯t see him . Couldn¡¯t sense his approach . His de was not even a sh -- all they saw were the events long after they transpired . Only Two seemed capable of following him, repeatedly moving her arms around seemingly without rhyme or reason . The world around them found itself broken; time and again, beyond reparation . Twinkles of dust appeared as the everything returned to nothing, to its beginning, primal form . He was everywhere -- in the void, in the reality, beyond it, in-between, in front of them, behind them . His sword was like a maniacal st of madness that swept past everyone . Suddenly, he broke past her defenses, bending his arm unnaturally, copsing his wings into a single formation, blowing through . An arm flew off as Six cried out, pulling back rapidly, barely evading a strike aimed at his throat . His arm turned into ash as soon as it left his shoulder, never to be whole again . It was the catharsis of Chaos -- the pure, unfiltered embodiment of it . . . the return to the Origin . It was thest form of the , and though not the most destructive or even the most difficult to learn . . . it was the most unforgiving, both to the Empyrean and his foe . Two stared with bloodshot eyes at the stretched figure bending between the phases of reality as she, too, let go of her inhibitions . Lino suddenly found himself stilled inside the storm of time, hands like ws stretching out toward him . Slithering sideways, he swept his de upward and deflected them, yet they kepting, Unfurling his wings full, he pulled himself out of the time dtion, taking to the sky and piercing into the void before doing a turnabout, diving head-on down . The [Dragon yer] creaked and cried and shook, overflowing with Qi it was not designed to handle . Praying inwardly it could withstand it, Lino let go of his fears and of the walls he put up for himself to try . . . to try and dent them, dent their pride, dent their dignity . Down below, Two took a deep breath and suddenly mumbled a strange mantra -- space around her wiggled out, turning into a massive, dented cushion that aimed to strangle Lino¡¯s momentum . Thetter merely screamed atop of his lungs and crashed into it; the ensuing explosion copsed everything within the formation -- buildings turned to dust, mountains to ash, streets to unrecognizable remnants, the sky to a scar that wouldn¡¯t heal for millions of years . Behind Lino, a de the size of the sky formed, terribly ck and macabre . It followed his path, cutting away at the realms of reality as though they were just ordinary cloth . Within a nanosecond, he came face to face with her -- barely a few inches away . Behind the mask, a pair of eyes stared at his squarely -- calmly . Just then, Lino felt a palm on his chest . At that singr moment, he realized . . . he was never a threat to her . She didn¡¯t seem out of wits on how to handle him . Perfectly calm, easygoing, indifferent . All his efforts, all his attempts . . . were in vain . First to go were his ribs, then his sternum which pierced his copsing heart . Then his lungs . Her palm broke throughpletely, smashing a massive hole that nearly cleaved him in half . The pain was unimaginable, yet, beyond it, what he felt was perhaps even worse . . . he felt pathetic . For the first time in many years, he truly felt weak, insignificant like a small ant in the kingdom of lions . He couldn¡¯t even touch a hair on her head, let alone engage with her in a proper battle, he realized . He was blown back like a cannonball, easily shattering the formation and reaching the other side . There, he saw a horrified figure cradle him in her arms, gently disengaging all of his backward momentum . Her crystal-clear eyes grew teary the moment she saw him, her pain quickly eclipsed by unmatched anger as her gaze veered off of him and onto Two . Lino weakly pulled at her sleeve as he managed to somehow straighten himself up . He bled from every inch, his chest yet to begin healing; he truly looked like a dead man havinge to life . Crimson sheen covered him, blood trickling down from him like rain . He had nothing left, not in his reserves, not in his Will, not in his instinctual desire to survive . Yet, he still defiantly looked up and squared off against the six of them standing in the distance . A bundle of anger built up inside of him quickly, yet all he could do was let blood spray out of his mouth as though it was a source of a river, just to ease the pain slightly and barely . He couldn¡¯t lift an arm, couldn¡¯t move a muscle, couldn¡¯t do anything but rest on top of a quivering, fragile-looking arm holding him . He wanted to close his eyes, he wanted to faint, to fall asleep, to ckout until he¡¯d fully recovered . . . but he wouldn¡¯t allow himself . Using the strength he didn¡¯t even know he had inside of him, he remained awake . Though hardly alive . Chapter 400 Chapter 400: 400 CHAPTER 400 AGE OF EMPYREAN (IX) E had quickly descended from the orbit, rapidly reaching the very edge of the formation . The world around her was still and quiet, though she hardly had a capacity in her mind to notice -- she was too worried . Just as she was about to puncture a hole in the formation and storm in, she could feel it shake and quake, aggressively so, before a hole suddenly appeared right beneath her, a figure sting through, apanied by an ear-bursting explosion and clouds of smoke . She didn¡¯t think twice before appearing behind him, gently cradling him with one of her arms and easing his momentum, taking on the burden herself . As she felt the tremor of the aftershock run through her, she felt her heart crack briefly; it caused even her pain . . . yet he had to take it on directly . She nced at him for a moment and saw it all -- dented, bleeding chest, disfigured face, absolutely distraught expression hidden beneath the wounds . . . he hardly looked human, and even less alive . Her eyes veered off of him and toward the distance where she saw the six figures floating casually . As anger bled through into her mind, she steeled her determination and decided she would do all in her power to erase them, she felt a faint, weak tug at her sleeve . Looking down, he saw his downtrodden figure slowly straightening, against all odds . She didn¡¯t even know how he was conscious -- a quick inspection of his body through the Divine Sense taught her that his heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen, and virtually every nerve beneath his neck had either copsed entirely or was in process of . Though he wouldn¡¯t die, as he could simply directly absorb oxygen through Qi, the levels of pain he was enduring must have been unimaginable . . . yet he prevailed, nheless, slowly lifting his head up and looking forward . Strands of hair, bound by blood, fell over his forehead, covering all but one of his ck eyes . In it, she couldn¡¯t find a trace of anger, of fury, of madness, or even pain . She saw something far more deste, something far more primal and inhumane . . . apathy . Complete, absolute apathy toward the six figures standing some distance away . " . . . take him away . " Two suddenly spoke to E who moved her eyes back onto the six . "I hope you won¡¯t make the same mistake as him, Maiden . " " . . . no," E shook her head lightly . "Your lives are not for me to take, despite how much I want to . " "Oh? So he hasn¡¯t learned his lesson?" Two arched her brows, ncing at Lino indifferently who merely stared back at her, unfettered . "Seems not . " "Ah, he¡¯s learned his lesson, I imagine," E said, smiling faintly . "I wouldn¡¯t worry . " "--live quietly and in peace," Two said, still looking at Lino . "It¡¯s the generosity we offer very few . Thank Six for that . " " . . . " Lino suddenly took out a small token from his void world, holding it in the palm of his hand for a moment . The token had ¡¯72¡¯ carved on top of its surface; he caressed it twice before pressing it between his fingers, destroying itpletely much to the shock of everyone but Two and E . "You should have killed me . " he said simply, his voice void of any emotion, t and even . There wasn¡¯t a trace of anger or hate in it . . . just . . . absolute nothingness . Coughing up a mouthful of ck blood, E quickly drifted sideways and held him up, ncing onest time at the six before vanishing . Two frowned for a moment, though quickly dismissed the thought as she turned around and examined the destruction . "Have Twenty and Twenty-One fix this," she said dismissively . "Have Fifteen locate their headquarters and prepare for a full-scale invasion . " "Two--" "I¡¯ve given him a chance, Six," she interrupted quickly, ncing at the old man . "He refused it . The Maiden will be a problem, but I¡¯ll handle her . It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult . " " . . . you¡¯re making a mistake," Four said suddenly, surprising everyone . "Today, Ataxia remained silent as we didn¡¯t push too far . If we, however, truly do go that far -- you really think he¡¯ll take it standing down?" "I can handle Ataxia--" "You can¡¯t," Four immediately interrupted sternly . "Nobody can . Even One can¡¯t . If Ataxia chooses to let go of all inhibitions and disregard consequences, all our work will be in vain . " "Don¡¯t question my certainty," Two spoke in a harsh, angry tone . "If I say I can handle Ataxia, it means I can handle him . Do you really think I¡¯m a moron and hadn¡¯t taken that into ount? Cease your stupidity and get back to work . " the moment she finished, she was gone, leaving the remaining five in somewhat awkward silence . " . . . he really pissed her off," Three said, sighing . "She can¡¯t think clearly . " "Could she really have an answer for Ataxia?" Five asked . "No," Four shook his head, sighing . "She¡¯s shaken . Thatst attack -- you guys must have noticed . She didn¡¯t hold back . She fully intended to either kill or permanently cripple the Empyrean . Yet, despite his seeming disfigurement . . . she failed to achieve either of the two goals . . . and Ataxia didn¡¯t intervene in the slightest . " " . . . did anyone figure out how did he do it?" Seven asked after a few moments of silence . "He didn¡¯t do anything special -- at least I didn¡¯t notice it," Three replied, sighing as she nced toward the distant horizon where Lino and E vanished . "He took it on directly . . . and just lived . " " . . . should we prepare for the invasion?" Five asked . "Start amassing information, at the very least," Three replied . "Their location, numbers, strength, defensive measures and so on . Chances are we¡¯ll have to do it, regardless of our wishes . " Meanwhile, toward the very edge of the Holy Continent, E suddenlynded on top of the ice-capped mountain, quickly whipping out pill after pill and feeding it to Lino as she administered quick Qi treatment to prevent any further damage to his body . However, to her shock, his body was already visibly regenerating -- though she suspected it would take a few weeks for it all to heal, it was still beyond astounding . " . . . just how high is your Vitality?" she asked as she watched in shock as Lino sat up all on his own, leaning against the t chunk of ice . "With all the temporary bonuses," he replied in a low, hoarse voice . "It was around sixty-one million when shended her attack . Fuckin¡¯ hell . . . she packs a punch . " " . . . s-s-sixty . . . sixty-one million?" E stuttered, feeling week in her knees . "Yeah," Lino said, sighing . "I didn¡¯t have time to push it any further . Ten more and I would have been able to at least inflict a wound on her as well . " " . . . no wonder you¡¯re already healing . It¡¯s a miracle you aren¡¯t healed already . " "No, my resting Vitality is merely eight million," Lino shook his head . "It will take me around two weeks topletely recover . " " . . . . " E found herself at ack for words; usually, people would long since be dead by the time they reached the state he was in, yet he wasining it would take two weeks to recover from it . This went beyond him simply being an Empyrean; even if they were, in general, more resilient, they were not immortal . This had more to do with his path of cultivation and items, rather than the starting point . "Yeah . . . " " . . . I¡¯ve fucked up El¡¯ . . . I¡¯ve fucked up big time . " he said suddenly, his gaze veering off toward the sky, empty still . "I¡¯ve been yed like a flute . Years of careful nning have been shat all over in a span of a few minutes . " " . . . you¡¯ll bounce back . You always have . " E said, caressing his hair gently . Though he himself had begun developing wrinkles already, with a few strands of silver slowly appearing in his hair, in her eyes he was still but a young boy . "This is just another setback, that¡¯s all . Why didn¡¯t you retreat earlier, however? I imagine you had the chance . " " . . . how could I?" he said, sighing . "I can¡¯t go against my Will . " he added, shaking his head bitterly "Today, I¡¯ve been taught once more that I can¡¯t be nothing short of a greedy, skiving, maniptive degenerate if I¡¯m to ever stand a chance against the world . " " . . . you don¡¯t mean that . " "I do--" "No, you don¡¯t," she pped him slightly, forcing him to look her in the eyes . "Do not try to find an easy way out of this, Lino . You never have, because you always knew that those roads . . . cannot be turned away from . Those people in the fortress and many more across the world respect you exactly because you are not like that . They fight for the dreamed future you promised them, but they fight on your terms . " " . . . then how, El¡¯?" he asked . "Tell me . . . how? Today, I sacrificed six people because I thought she would share a shred ofpassion . To make matters worse, I¡¯ve failed to rescue the only one who survived, dooming him to a lifetime of torture and pain . I¡¯ve watched someone I considered family take arms up against me without a shred of hesitation . All because I believed . " " . . . and thousands march in your name because you believe," she said . "You can¡¯t be afraid, Lino . They all knowingly follow you . They are not fools, nor they are blind . They know the chances of them living past this era are slim . Why do you think they still stand by you? Why do you think I stand by you?" " . . . because you¡¯ve no choice?" he cracked a faint grin . "After all, you entangled me in this mess to begin with . " " . . . w-well, yeah," she stuttered somewhat awkwardly, brushing her hair away . "But, more so because you¡¯ve inspired me, just as you inspired them . " " . . . " " . . . before you, I was content with waning away in an obscure corner of the world, settled to never try . To make matters worse, I pulled a man who I loved, and who loved me beyond words, into my apathy . However, watching you woke me up and made me realize I was merely being a coward . " " . . . " "You¡¯ve always prevailed, no matter what the world threw at you," she reached out suddenly and hugged him, pulling him into a gentle and warm embrace . "You had your heart broken time and again, but you pushed on . You never gave in to the machinery of the world because you believed--no, you knew we could be better than what we show . That as much capacity for evil we hold, we hold just as much, if not more, for good . Let them y their broken games," she added, kissing his nape . "You . . . as you always have, elevate above it . " " . . . haah," Lino sighed, resting his forehead against her slim and tender arm . "You always manage to somehow make me feel like a young, hotheadedd who doesn¡¯t know anything . " " . . . it¡¯s mom¡¯s special power, after all . " she said with a chuckle . " . . . setback, huh? How do we bounce back? I¡¯ve agitated the hell out of them," Lino said as he whipped out two gourds of wine, handing one over to E . "Those eyes of hers told me I¡¯m no longer tolerated . Chances are they¡¯ll try to finalize me soon enough . " " . . . yeah," E nodded . "They¡¯ll definitely instigate a war . Chances are that it¡¯s going to be a proxy war; but, their arrogance will, in the end, be their demise . " "Hm?" "I¡¯ve managed to convince the leader of the Heaven¡¯s Chosen to, you know, switch sides . " E added with a whistle, looking away as Lino stared at her dubiously . " . . . and how exactly did you manage to do that, Madame?" "Eeeeh--d-don¡¯t you know I¡¯ve got a plenty charming smile--" "Whatever," Lino shrugged . "How does that help us, though? It doesn¡¯t exactly suddenly make us overall stronger . " " . . . it¡¯s a surprise factor," she said . "You just told me you didn¡¯t go all out, no?" " . . . no . I promised both Ataxia and Hannah I wouldn¡¯t . " he said, taking a sip . "But, they certainly think you did -- which means they¡¯ll severely prolong your actual healing time period . Chances are that they¡¯ll employ two to three Holy Grounds, definitely including the Chosen, in addition to some rogue groups, for their attack . Two will definitely be present there, as there¡¯s still the variable that¡¯s Ataxia . " " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t say anything, merely fancying a thought in a distant, hidden from everyone but himself, corner of his mind that even if there were a billion Two¡¯s, she would still fail . . . spectacrly . "We can expect several more to join her, but she¡¯s leagues above the rest in terms of rawbat power -- as you¡¯ve experienced . " " . . . no, they¡¯re all plenty strong . Don¡¯t underestimate them," he said, sighing lightly . "I really think they gave her the spotlight due to the fact that, you know, she¡¯s the quasi-leader of sorts . From their brief interactions, I came to realize not a single one of the five really saw her as a leader but still deferred to her . Perhaps it¡¯s due to her number, or due to her rtionship with One . " " . . . what do you mean?" E quizzed . "The Great Descent has this pseudo-equality sort of a system," Lino borated . "Where each individual member, regardless of their number, has a ¡¯voice¡¯ . I imagine the entire principle was founded on the rtionship between the founding members; so, when they sit down to discuss, I imagine each opinion is valued, but someone still has to call shots . " " . . . and you think it¡¯s One?" "Could be, I don¡¯t know," he shrugged . "I know for certain nobody else was there, however, so either he or she doesn¡¯t see me as arge enough of a threat, or they are otherwise upied . " " . . . I wouldn¡¯t worry either way," she said, ruffling his hair gently . "I will never let anything happen to you . I promise . " " . . . then what about today?" "Y-y-you¡¯re alive and kicking, so, you know . . . " "Ha ha ha, yeah, I guess I am," heughed freely for a moment, shaking his head afterward . "Aah, this day truly marks a spectacr failure in a string of victories that write up my legend . Come tomorrow, the world will be flooded with information about me . " " . . . " "He slew the Mother, but was beaten to an inch away from death by unknown figures . . . he is a madman who, even after such a beating, still hasn¡¯t learned the error of his ways . The world, sometimes . . . is so predictable . " "Was that her n?" E mumbled . "I imagine it was twofold . " "Twofold?" "Hm," he nodded . "On one hand, yeah, she most-likely wanted to restore the image of a madman running around and cleaving people in half . But, I imagine she had also hoped I would genuinely go mad . " " . . . aah, Hannah will be pissed if she sees you like this . . . " "So I better recover rapidly, huh? ¡¯Cause, if I¡¯m right," he smirked . "She¡¯ll be homee tomorrow evening . " "Oh, yeah . " E nodded . "She¡¯ll definitely hear the rumors . Ouch . I feel kind of sorry for you . " "Ha ha ha ha, yeah, the same way I feel about Eggor-- I mean, nevermind . " he quickly added as he watched her face attain a darker tone briefly . "Khm, anyway, we should head back . I ought to finally employ Primul, ¡¯cause we¡¯ll need the hell out of his formations . I¡¯ll make that fortress a fucking bastion that will never fail . " E watched with a smile as a faint trace of life returned to his eyes; she knew, in her heart, he had hardly moved past today . But, in the end, that was what she, and many others, loved about him -- his capacity to handle pain and not allow it to lead him astray . He would be fine . . . in time . She nced back toward Do¡¯r onest time, her expression darkening terribly for a moment; much like he, she marked today in the depths of her soul . Perhaps Lino had the ability to never let himself be corrupted, but she didn¡¯t; she¡¯d spent too many years ying the game, after all . Blood will flow, she knew, and it wouldn¡¯t cease until everyst one of them had their heads spiked upon the high heavens . She would make sure, she swore . END OF VOLUME XVI END OF BOOK IV Chapter 401 Chapter 401 BOOK V CHAINS OF FREEDOM VOLUME XVII INCEPTION CHAPTER 401 PROVENANCE "Where . . . am I?" she whispered softly into the swirling gasses surrounding her . It was an unpleasant experience, the smell of burnt charcoal piercing her nostrils . The only sound she could hear was a low, persistent, grating huming from seemingly everywhere at the same time . There were no colors but the ashen and ck, and there were no discernible objects she could perceive . It was dark and dim and dry, and it was lonely . Terribly, terribly lonely . "H-hello . . . ?" She called out repeatedly, for the time she could not count as she didn¡¯t understand it; her meek, mellow voice barreled out into the existing nothingness, searching for something, for someone . . . yet it found nothing and no one . Fear gripped her heart tightly as a thought submerged her: she was alone . All alone, cast into this dark and terrible world . She hadn¡¯t a vice to realize she didn¡¯t even know who she was; or rather, where she came from . In her mind, she was always herself, a nameless entity, and her voice was always hers . " . . . a-anyone . . . out there?" nobody replied . There was nothing, there was no one, only her . She couldn¡¯t see herself, nor did she have the mind to try; who was she? She was herself, she would answer if anyone was there to ask . Always was, since her inception . Down and up and all around, it was only clouded darkness . asionally, she could swear, she would see brief shes, flickers of distant light . Colors of it changed, from golden to crimson to azure, but she convinced herself she was just imagining them -- they were not there . . . her heart only desired they were there . Over time, she had begun to realize something -- she was changing . Her voice was growing mellower, yet a pitch deeper; she felt as though she was growing, expanding, erging . She was still herself, as she always was, yet she was something, someone different as well . She still couldn¡¯t quite understand where she was, or why was she here, or anything past the small corner she never dared leave . In vain hopes, she awaited for whoever put her here to return . They would return, she knew . She only had to sit in ce and await the fated day . They would appear to banish the ashen clouds with beautiful lights apanying them, illuminating the whole world . They woulde . "Come . . . Gaia is waiting . . . " she knew her name, somehow . It was her name, as it always was . She didn¡¯t know what a name meant, but she knew it was important to her . Something she should never forget . Something she can¡¯t ever forget . In her heart, she felt it was a present from them, from those who left her here, and if she forgot . . . it would be that she would forever remain d in the mantle of loneliness . She hated it, the feelings it brought over her . That is why she enjoyed sleeping as much as possible; in her dreams, she was never alone . There were those just like her,ughing, chatting, calling her name . Gaia . . . Gaia . . . she loved the sound of it . It soothed her heart . Though, she always woke up and dreaded it . She was all alone, once more . They weren¡¯t there no more, and there was no one to say, Gaia . Only the low, annoying huming from all around her . She feared moving as she might drift away, yet many times she was close to chasing after the source of the hum and ending it . Low, persistent, even . . . "You are insane!!!" she shook, broke -- they are here!! She cried out inwardly, rapidly looking around . However, it was all the same . No lights were battering away at the ashen dark . There was no them, they who left her here . But, she knew, she didn¡¯t imagine that voice . She wasn¡¯t dreaming . She never heard that voice before . In the mundane, same, repetitive world, it was a neer . Something different . "You are hurting her!!" a different voice, a different sound . Older, deeper . Angrier . Painful . "We can¡¯t continue like this . . . " a sigh, a deep echo, overtaking annoying hum . "The Silver City is falling . . . " a weep, a cry, a singr tear -- she could hear it drop, ssh against thick stone, fill the gaps and crevices . "We¡¯re all going to die . . . " " . . . it¡¯s all his fault!!" anger, rage, pain . Theypounded into a singrity roaring with anguish . She could hear it, feel all the voice felt inside her own heart . "We can¡¯t let him do as he pleases any more!" "N-no!! Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t kill her!!" blood, dark, deep red began to break through the gas clouds . She felt horrified, tucking herself further in . W-w-what is going on?! though rejoicing all the voices were no longer just inside of her head, she worried just as much . "Who are you?!" another voice, a different voice, a younger voice . "You aren¡¯t one of us! You were never one of us!! Tell us!" "I was always one of you . " another voice . A robotic one . Emotionless . Dry . Empty . Low . Persistent . Grating . "Primes are invading the Silver City!!" "Our defenses have been breached!!" "Where is Glen?!!" "H-he--he killed an Archangel!!!" "They¡¯ve crossed the inner walls! They are headed for the Silver Pce!!" "It¡¯se to this . . . " an archaic, strangely familiar voice startled Gaia . She heard it somewhere . . . perhaps in her dreams, perhaps during the time before she could remember . "We can¡¯t let the cycle repeat itself . Not again . " "How did he follow us?" "How did he find us?" "Why didn¡¯t he die with the rest?" "We made sure to hide the selection of the world!" "He followed us through a tunnel . " "He doesn¡¯t need to go through a tunnel . " "He¡¯s here . " "All of them are here . " Gaia trembled as the world around her quaked and shook, grated by the ever-increasing volume of the low hum . "Throw the storage away . He can¡¯t have it . " "We can¡¯t doom another world, Erus . " Gaia couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying, or why they were saying it . All she could do was memorize it and enjoy the voices, however horrid they were . After all, they broke apart the solitude, the dreaded, persistent hum . "You¡¯ve doomed no worlds, Opilio . " that robotic voice she heard several times echoed again, ever-the-same, ever the low and persistent . "Don¡¯t crown yourself . Give it to me now and spare yourselves any further pain . " " . . . no . " "We will never give . " "You can¡¯t have it . " "It¡¯s our heart and soul!" "It belongs to us!" " . . . ever the honorable . . . " The voices ceased . Silence once again fell over her small domain . She shuddered as she felt something warm caress her eyes . Warm and wet and long . It streaked down and fell, endlessly, in the river of nothingness . She didn¡¯t know why . She didn¡¯t how what the feeling inside of her was . It was strange . Alien . Painful . Like the loneliness . "They hid it . . . " the robotic voice was back, low, persistent . . . yet lonely . "You¡¯ll find it . . . " "I won¡¯t search for it . . . let it rest . " "You¡¯ve chased it all the way here, for countless eons . " pain inside of her grew . Emotions swept past the loneliness . . . for, in that robotic voice, she felt the ilk of solitude well beyond hers . "You can¡¯t let it go now . " " . . . it is fine . I¡¯ll rebuild it . Slowly . " "How?" "This is a prime world for species to thrive . Eventually, they will . " " . . . it won¡¯t be the same . " "I don¡¯t need it to be the same . I need it to feel the same . " " . . . will you ever tell me? What happened?" "No . " "Why?" "Because . . . I don¡¯t like remembering . " "You remember?" "Always . " "What was it like?" " . . . perfect . " Gaia cradled herself with her arms, wrapping them around her chest . She didn¡¯t know why . . . but she knew she was crying . A word came to her, from seemingly nowhere . She wept . She wanted to hug the source of that voice . To hold it . To embrace it . " . . . what of the Silver City?" "Burn it . " "-- is it wise? Others won¡¯t sit idly by . " "Others don¡¯t concern me," the loneliness was gone, the pain was gone, the invocation of her soul was gone . Low . Grating . Persistent . "They don¡¯t remember . They were too young . Let them be . " "They will stand against you . " "It will give them a meaning . " "They already have a meaning . " "It will give them a proper meaning . " " . . . what of the Children?" "Don¡¯t make any more; I won¡¯t have enough to feed them, otherwise . Let them be, as well . Let it all . . . just be . . . " " . . . what about you? Should I . . . just let you be?" " . . . let me be . " "As ssless as always . She¡¯s listening . Let her be as well?" " . . . " " . . . visit me . " " . . . " " . . . remember me, at least . . . then . . . " " . . . I will . " Gaia didn¡¯t know why or how was she hearing these voices . She didn¡¯t know what they meant . What they represented . Who they came from . She woulde to hear them for countless years toe, woulde to learn, to realize, to embody . From an embryo, she would grow and grow and learn, until they came, and banished the dark with brilliant lights . Chapter 402 Chapter 402 CHAPTER 402 THE LIMITS A man d entirely in ck was silently sitting on his knees, observing the youth above him with the corners of his eyes . The youth sat with one leg crossed over another, leaned against his arm, the other one busy tapping against the armrest of the stone chair . In front of him, spanning nearly two meters across, fluttered a screen depicting speedy blurs and shes of light that made it nearly impossible to discern anything . Yet, despite that, the youth seemed to have reacted at every point of contention with one expression or another . There was a faint smile of amusement on his face throughout, only vanishing once the screen in front of him faded . Silence tapped over the two for a long while as the young man turned to his thoughts, his gaze dulling somewhat . The ck-d man sat and waited patiently, never making a sound or even moving a muscle . It was nearly four hourster that the youth had finallye to, lowering his gaze to match the man¡¯s . " . . . invite the Empyrean to see me . " the youth said . " . . . Y-your Grace? Didn¡¯t . . . didn¡¯t the Empyrean lose?" the ck-d man asked, clearly shocked . "Oh, yeah, he got smacked proper," the youth chuckled . "But, he hardly lost . He got yed, at best . " " . . . are . . . are we really going to go into open conflict with the Descent?" "It was only a matter of time," the youth shrugged . "Besides, it won¡¯t be our conflict, anyway . We¡¯ll just sweep in for the easy pickings afterwards . Five years -- no, two . . . two years is all it will take . In two years, Great Descent will cease to exist . " "Huh?!" "We only need give the Empyrean the assisting hand for two years, giving him some space to breathe . " " . . . " "You think I¡¯m overvaluing him, don¡¯t you?" "I--" "It¡¯s fine . Just say what¡¯s on your mind . " " . . . " the ck-d man took a deep breath before replying . "All our estimates certainly underrated the Empyrean severely -- but, he still fell under our general framework . He has failed to be a macro variable . If anything, he just confirmed that rumors of Two¡¯s weakening were hideously wrong . " " . . . no, rumors of her weakening are correct . " the young man said, startling the ck-d figure . "She rpsed, most-likely, and failed another Origin Awakening . " " . . . h-how . . . how do You know?" "Herst attack," the young man said, smiling as he once again began tapping the armrest . "Wasn¡¯t merely a warning -- it was a full-on effort to at the very least cripple, if not outright kill the Empyrean . However, he took it squarely . . . and survived . Not just survived but avoided any sort of a long-term injury . Now, even I would have to admit that if it were Two at her peak, she would have sttered him across the skyscape . So, she¡¯s definitely weakened . " " . . . " "But, not to the point a budding flower barely fourth decade into life should be able to contend against it . If I can throw out an estimate without judgment . . . I¡¯d wager that the Empyrean¡¯s Vitality at the moment of impact breached sixty million . " "W-what?!!" the ck-d man cried out, shooting up to his feet . "T-hat¡¯s impossible!! Th-that . . . that would put him near the very top!" " . . . I know," the youth nodded, sighing . "And, though in my heart I wish to attribute his survival to luck or some item or another, it¡¯s true . I imagine most of ites from the bonuses of his items, but even still, it would mean that his base Vitality is around ten million, and I garner he could hit a hundred million if he truly went all out . There are perhaps only two beings with the capacity to deal that much damage in a single blow . " " . . . " the ck-d man fell to his knees once more, his shoulders slumped . "I¡¯ve still much to learn . . . " "Don¡¯t chastise yourself," the youth chuckled . "I¡¯m merely making assumptions with some basic calctions . The Empyrean¡¯s growth is not unprecedented," the youth added somberly . "If anything, he only really hits the ¡¯upper talents¡¯ category . Eldon, by the twenty-fifth year of being an Empyrean, had already undergone his Origin Awakening . Eve, had she lived longer, would have undergone hers in at most twenty . Even outside the Empyreans, there are thousands of figures throughout history that had speedier climb than him . I wager that the Sword Maiden had already shot past all our expectations, but, well, she¡¯s an exception, after all . " " . . . " "The reason why I¡¯d rather stand on his side . . . is his Will . " "His . . . Will? Your Grace?" "It¡¯s already be Unbreakable . " " . . . " the ck-d man had seemingly no energy to react past the gaping mouth . "Realms, Arts, Cultivation . . . these are just shallow reminders of our own narcissism . In actual battles, they ount for less than ten percent chance of a victory . My guess is that, in terms of Cultivation, the Empyrean is probably currently undergoing his Fiendish Awakening -- yet, he fought against those who had with ease, nearly wiping them out . He then contended with five Descenders, all of which at the very least underwent the Universal Awakening, and then managed to take a full-brunt attack of a Quasi-Origin Awakened . " " . . . " "We¡¯re talking difference in Levels that reaches hundreds of thousands, Y . And though his items definitely yed a role, not so much that they¡¯d allow him to bridge that gap -- it was his Will . " "--I¡¯ve once again failed to realize it . My apologies, Your Grace . " "I don¡¯t me you," the youth said, smiling lightly . "After all, it doesn¡¯t sound physically possible . . . and, truth be told, even I¡¯m having trouble reconciling it with the conditioned set of beliefs in me . In his case . . . as long as he isn¡¯t killed . . . he¡¯ll never cease bing stronger . That¡¯s why I said two years is all he¡¯ll take . The problem for the Empyreans was always the beginning stage of their life -- any time an Empyrean managed to live past it, they became the horror of the world . His time hase . Within two years . . . you and I and billions of other souls will witness something that hasn¡¯t been witnessed in a long time -- Age of Empyrean . " "--won¡¯t One prevent it?" the ck-d man said . "After all, I imagine he has vested interest in keeping the Descent running . " "Though I¡¯ve praised the Empyrean, I¡¯ve never said he alone will achieve all that, Y . " " . . . ah . The Sword Maiden . " the ck-d man chuckled faintly . "nor . . . " the youth mumbled . "I already rated her as a cosmological variable when she was six, Y . Six . There is something . . . off about her . Though Origin Soul individuals always dwarfed the rest of the world in terms of quick progress . . . it was never quite the same as with her . They all would usually re out by their Universal Awakening, as they simply beat their bodies too much for them to handle it . Yet . . . her . . . " " . . . do you think she will persist further?" the man asked . "She has to," the youth said . "After all, she knows far better than the Empyrean who One is, and just how strong he is . " "Could it be that the Empyrean knows too, and he yed along to get Your Grace on his side for that reason alone?" "No," the youth quickly dismissed the idea . "I imagine the Empyrean is aware of theoretical limits of strength, though I can¡¯t imagine the Maiden has told him much of it . At most, he¡¯d see the strength as a curving axis that loops over itself inside an infinite grid . Meaning that, theoretically, there can¡¯t be a limit to strength, since reaching omnipotence creates paradox -- so, we forever chase that vestige, only to never reach it . " "--I don¡¯t think so, Your Grace . " the man mumbled, seemingly surprising the youth for a moment . "Oh? How so?" "Though I didn¡¯t realize the extent of his Will, I did manage to notice something strange . I was unable to put it together until You have mentioned his Will is unbreakable, but I think I¡¯ve managed to understand it now . " "Understand what?" "He most-definitely knows there is a cap to strength, both potential and actual," the man said . "As strength, effectively, is just raw energy channeled in a fixed form . In his Will, though still immature, I found trace amounts of Entropy . " " . . . " the youth frowned for a moment, thinking back to the screen . "That blurb . . . was Entropy?" "It is still very much in its embryonic form," the man said, "And he doesn¡¯t quite have the grasp over it, but it indicates that he understands underlying problems of the curving axis . . . and is trying to solve them . " " . . . you¡¯re saying he already understood that Chaos and Entropy and, in extension, their Laws . . . aren¡¯t the same thing?" " . . . yes . I think he did . " "Interesting . . . quite interesting indeed," the youth said, stroking his chin . "If he, indeed, understood that difference . . . and is trying to childishly reconcile the fundamental problem every single living being since the Dawn of Cosmos has encountered . . . he certainly is a creature full of surprises . Extend the invitation," the youth said . "And hand him a redacted copy of the ¡¯Cosmological Questions¡¯ . We can¡¯t have him traveling astray and wasting his time, after all . " "Yes, Your Grace . " " . . . little Empyrean," the youth mumbled as the man in front of him vanished, leaving him alone inside a roomcking any form of decoration past the glowing gem of light and a single chair . "Will . . . I¡¯m afraid . . . isn¡¯t the answer to it . It¡¯s just like Qi . . . or any number of ¡¯em . . . just a form of energy made up of base particles . But . . . perhaps you and the Maiden may truly be the key to unlocking the Cosmos¡¯ oldest question . . . perhaps indeed . . . " Chapter 403 Chapter 403: 403 CHAPTER 403 SETTLED ROADS Lino was currently sitting by the window, looking outside at the ever-lively fortress . He had bandages covering over half his body, some of which had faint crimson dye to them . On the table was a variety of herbs and pills that E left him with, but the only thing that seemed to have been touched was a bottle of ale that he was slowly working through . His eyes were murky, expression somber . Though he told her he wanted to be left alone, he wasing to regret it slightly . He couldn¡¯t settle his thoughts no matter how hard he tried, as his mind repeatedly shed back to the events that transpired less than a day ago . It wasn¡¯t as though he couldn¡¯t ept the defeat -- after all, he was well aware that he was far from being the strongest, or even close to being the strongest person in the world . He knew from the get-go he stood no chance and was actually happy he avoided any long-term injuries . What he couldn¡¯t ept was the absolute dy this would cause . . . and the fact that more people died because of him . It wasn¡¯t a war they should have been participating in the first ce . Ion and Ryt were the only ones who were even interested in fighting, but they were pups, children really, yet topletely transform into people who could participate in battles on such a scale . It also hurt his entire side on arge scale, as they were all top-notch prospects in their departments that are rather difficult toe across no matter how hard one looks . Sighing deeply, he took another sip of the ale and chuckled bitterly; in his mind, he darted back to the pair of dark eyes that murderously stared at him -- Two truly, from the depths of her soul, seemed to hate him . Though he could understand many other emotions she may disy toward him, hate he couldn¡¯t . The mere hurting of her pride by surviving her attack hardly could ount for such a reaction; there was certainly a deeper reason to it, but he couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what it may be . Just then, faint spatial fluctuations hit at him gently as he looked sideways; sighing once more, he faintly moved his finger and ripped open space on the other end of the room . A momentter, slumped, old and clearly exhausted figure walked through . Six looked into Lino¡¯s eyes, and thetter could clearly see the enormous struggle inside of them . The old man walked up slowly and sat opposite of Lino, ncing out of the window as well, one end of his robe fluttering where an arm should be . "I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d let me in . " Six said . " . . . I figure it was only fair I gave you a chance . " Lino said . " . . . it was an impossible choice, Lino . " "Yet a choice you¡¯ve made, nheless . " "I couldn¡¯t have sided with you -- you know that . " "Why?" Lino said as their eyes met once more . "Because it made no sense?" " . . . yes . Because it made no sense . " he said . "If your goal was simply to strike fear into them, I¡¯d have had your back all the way through . But . . . killing them, it is too dangerous . The world would have been thrown in disarray . " " . . . do you know," Lino said . "That, most often, the core of what makes the wars so horrifying . . . are the ideologies backing the opposing sides?" " . . . " "People get so fervent, dogmatic really, over what they believe in, they don¡¯t mind doing the most horrifying shit possible if it is in the name of whatever they believe in . And, if it was a matter of different ideologies, I wouldn¡¯t have minded your choice at all . You have your own ideas that you believe in, and I have mine . . . and we simply sit on the opposite ends . " " . . . " "But this choice wasn¡¯t about a difference in ideologies, Sylver," Lino nced casually, though the old man didn¡¯t seem surprised to hear the name . "In your heart, you know that I¡¯m in the right, and what I¡¯m trying to do will ultimately be far more beneficial than what your side is doing . This was the choice made out of fear . " " . . . it wasn¡¯t fear, Lino . " "It was fear," Lino repeated . "And, quite frankly, I don¡¯t me you . You have those you want to protect, and siding with me would put them in a precarious situation . I get that . " "It wasn¡¯t fear, Lino," Six repeated as well . "You¡¯re right -- I do think that your way would ultimately benefit more, but when dealing with things on such a massive scale, we can¡¯t just look at the long-term benefits, just as we can¡¯t tunnel ourselves to the short-term ones . We have to take everything into consideration . Killing the Bearers now would have caused a massive shift in the core fraction of reality . It would be great for you, true, as storms on such a scale are a heaven for producing Chaos, but it would have been catastrophic for the world atrge . Droughts would have killed billions of people, tens of thousands of species of animals would have died out, and that¡¯s just the initial reaction . " " . . . no . None of that would have happened . " Lino shook his head . "You seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding over what I wanted to do . I simply wanted to kill the Bearers -- I had no intention of harming the Writs . " " . . . what?" Six asked, his eyes shing in shock . "I don¡¯t benefit from killing the Writs as much as everyone seems to believe . Yes, causality would produce more Chaos in the long run, but it would also introduce thousands of variables that I have no way of ounting for . You¡¯ve miscalcted . . . terribly, Sylver," Lino smiled lightly, taking a sip of ale . "But . . . no matter what, you¡¯ve still helped me well beyond what I¡¯ve earned . You¡¯ve given me a shelter when I needed it, and you¡¯ve always given me a helping hand when I asked . I won¡¯t touch the Descent as a whole," he added . "But, One and Two will have to die . " "--I understand your anger, but please reconsider that, Lino! You can¡¯t possibly fathom how strong they are--" "I know exactly how strong they are," Lino interrupted quickly . "What you fail to realize, Sylver, is how terrible the two of them are for this world . Combined, they hold absolute control of the Spacetime as a whole . And not the ¡¯absolute¡¯ control with limitations, I do mean the absolute control . The only reason why you haven¡¯t realized it yet, is because Two is stuck . " " . . . " "From the scarring around her Soul, I assume she failed her Origin Awakening at least four times, possibly up to seven," Six¡¯s eyes widened into saucers as he listened on . "Truth is, she will never undergo the Origin Awakening . " "Huh?!" " . . . once you reach the peak and arrive at the same threshold," Lino chuckled . "You¡¯ll realize exactly why . And One . . . " Lino took a deep breath, shaking his head . "True, facing him may as well be a suicide at the moment . . . but, there¡¯s always tomorrow . " "W-what are you talking about? How do you know all this?!" Six questioned, as even Ataxia should have been unaware of this, let alone a newborn Empyrean . " . . . I¡¯ve visitors . " Lino said . "You should leave; I don¡¯t imagine you¡¯ll be terribly wee here . " "Wait, Lino--answer me, please . How do you know all that?" "I didn¡¯t," he smiled lightly . "I just made a whole lot of assumptions based on the stuff I did know, and you were helpful enough to answer me . Good luck, Sylver . I hope you won¡¯t try to contact me anymore . " Despite wishing to ask far more, Six knew it was time to leave as the space ripped open behind him; if he¡¯d stayed, he¡¯d risk his life, as he very much doubted everyone else would have as much of a lukewarm reaction to him as Lino did . Merely ncing at the youth he realized he didn¡¯t know much about onest time, he turned around and left, full of questions and no answers . Mere seconds after he vanished, what Lino assumed was a solitary visitor -- Hannah -- as her Qi swept like a storm to his door, turned out to be a whole entourage . Hannah, Val, Lucky, Ally, Eggor, Cae, Amadeel . . . nearly forty souls burst through the invisible doors and quickly filled up the room, all bounding the small table by the window and staring at him in shock . "You shitty fucker!!" Hannah cried out, pping the table . "Is this that ¡¯confidence¡¯ of yours, huh?! God, I hope they broke every fucking bone in your body, you lying bastard! Humph, trying to ship me off . . . fuck, I¡¯m so angry right now I want to rip out your spine and shove it up your ass!" "Uh . . . please . . . don¡¯t?" Lino smiled faintly, gently wiping the corners of her eyes that had grown watery . "Oh, you¡¯re fine . " Lucky shrugged when she saw him . "Of course you¡¯re fine . And here I thought I¡¯d finally be able to pop the champagne and celebrate . " "We can still pop the champagne, you know?" he smiled wryly, ncing at Ally and her; the former quickly flushed red and looked away as Lucky rolled her eyes . "Too soon? Anyway, as much as I appreciate everyone busting into my room willy-nilly, I¡¯d like to be left alone with my wife so I can get properly scolded without being seen by everyone and their mother . " "B-brother Lino . . . you okay?" young Cae called out from Eggor¡¯s arms as Lino shot up and walked over, taking the small boy and hugging him tightly . "Ah, just looking at you healed mepletely . " "Khm . " "Of course that¡¯s because my beautiful, breathtaking wife already healed me prior to that, you were just a finishing touch . " "The bastard¡¯s just fine," Eggor sighed, shaking his head . "Let¡¯s go . Let¡¯s go everyone . Back to work . We clearly have to work much harder because this idiot is way too weak to do anything on his own . Chop chop! Watch over Cae for a while, alright?" "Of course . " Lino cracked a smile as Eggor patted him on the back before leaving, soon followed by everyone else except Hannah who sat in the chair where Six did, sipping some wine . Lino joined her soon after, little Cae having already fallen asleep in his arms . " . . . there¡¯s nothing wrong long-term, right?" she asked . "No . I held back . . . like I promised . " he smiled . "You also promised you¡¯d whoop their asses . " "Hey!" "Just repeating what you said . " Hannah shrugged . "E said Two attacked . Were they really that adamant about opposing you that they¡¯d bring her out?" " . . . apparently," Lino sighed, ncing out the window . "They overestimated my capacity to cause trouble . On one hand, I¡¯m kind of ttered I inspire that kind of worry . . . on another, kind of sad prejudice still holds the grip on their hearts tightly . " " . . . what now?" Hannah asked . "Fortify," Lino said . "Cease phasing out for as long as possible and always keep moving . Though we can¡¯t prevent a war, we can dy it . We aren¡¯t ready yet . " " . . . war against the Great Descent? We may never be ready . " Hannah sighed . " . . . we¡¯ll be ready," Lino said, smiling . "After all, we have me . " "Yeah, a guy who just got his ass whooped . I¡¯m so happy we got you . " "That¡¯s right! I got my ass whooped! Which means I¡¯m thirsty for revenge!" "Then why I can¡¯t see even an iota of desire for revenge in your eyes?" " . . . eh," Lino slumped back in his chair . "I¡¯m not really angry with them . I was pretty pissed off by Gaia, but, she has to die either way . I¡¯m just . . . disappointed, if I¡¯m being honest . I really thought I could align my goals with theirs . After all, I don¡¯t think we differ that much . I did just feed Six a bunch of bullshit and paranoia, so hopefully, that¡¯ll create at least a temporary rift . " " . . . ah, Lyonel -- ever-the-yer . " she walked over slowly andded a soft kiss on his lips . "You must miss not having a wife, huh?" "I only missed not having you with me," he said . "God, I wish you would get stronger a bit quicker . . . " "Dude!! What the fuck?! You know I¡¯ve been training like crazy, but you and E are just freakin¡¯ insane! What do you want from me?!" "Pfft, ha ha ha ha," Lino broke out intoughter as he saw her cheeks flush in red . "What are you talking about, idiot? I never came close to catching up to you . If anything, it¡¯s you and El¡¯ that are insane . " "W-well, yeah--right! Fucking right!! Craft me some items, you cheap fuck!" "E-eh?!" "The only reason you¡¯re so strong are your items!" "Oi!" "You just gave me that rod, and it nearly doubled my battle prowess! Imagine if I had more!" "Like . . . balls?" " . . . " "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll fix you something . " "Not ¡¯something¡¯!" Hannah eximed, her eyes burning fervently . "Something world-bending!" " . . . " just as Lino was about to reply, he felt a talisman burn away in his void world . He wouldn¡¯t have bothered, except it was from someone who cast a pretty dark shadow in his heart . Quickly whipping it out, a familiar voice transferred from the other end . "M-master? Ah, you¡¯re alive . . . you¡¯re alive . . . that¡¯s good . . . " "Of course I¡¯m alive, you bastard . " Lino replied . "Are you okay? Where are you?" "Uh . . . Master . . . " " . . . yes?" Lino¡¯s eyes turned into slits as he noticed a slightly strange tone in Ion¡¯s voice . "Do you . . . khm . . . do you perhaps know a man who may be sexually interested in you that goes by the name of Titus?" "I am not-- I am not sexua--I swear, Lord Empyrean, I hold no--" Lino didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at that moment, but a great boulder fell off his shoulders as his heart finally settled for a bit . He cracked a faint smile, inwardly promising to give Titus whatever he wanted, even if it cost him an arm and a leg . Chapter 404 Chapter 404 CHAPTER 404 THE STRANGE PRINCE Lino paced awkwardly around the small room, limping with his right leg, repeatedlying to a halt and ncing out the window for a moment before resuming . Minutes ticked by, yet in his mind, it felt like an eternity . His heart jolted as he nced sideways and rapidly moved his arm, dissolving spatial barrier inside the room . A momentter, a spinning vortex appeared at the center, causing the space around it to wiggle out like folding drapes . A figure slowly walked through, bandaged just like, if not more, Lino, hair disheveled, one of his arms wrapped around Titus¡¯ neck as support . Ion looked up and, the moment he met Lino¡¯s eyes, tore himself away from the Prince and slumped to his knees . His eyes grew teary immediately as he crashed down, causing a massive thud to echo throughout the room . Sobs came out of him, turning into low wimps and outright crying . "I--I¡¯m sorry . . . I¡¯m sorry Master . . . I¡¯m so . . . so . . . sorry . . . " stuttering and mumbling in-between the cries, Ion didn¡¯t dare look up and meet, undoubtedly, his Master¡¯s disappointed gaze . Lino swallowed a mouthful of saliva with pain, gritting his teeth as he slowly walked over and crouched . He held so for a brief second before reaching out and pulling Ion into his arms, cradling him tightly despite the pain that red out of his chest . The unsuspecting youth found himself frozen in the shaking arms of a figure he never imagined disappointing . Like a child, he broke out into open tears and pushed his head further into Lino¡¯s chest, wrapping his half-broken arms awkwardly around Lino¡¯s back . He shook and quaked tenderly, his developing mind stillcking ways to express the turmoil of his soul . All he could do was repeatedly mumble ¡¯I¡¯m sorry . . . ¡¯ and weep . " . . . you¡¯ve nothing to be sorry for," Lino whispered . "Nothing . " "I--I couldn¡¯t--I couldn¡¯t protect them, I--" "It wasn¡¯t your job to protect them, it was mine . " Lino said . "And their deaths are on my soul to carry, not yours . You hear me? It wasn¡¯t your fault . I don¡¯t ever want you to think, even for a moment, it is . " "No, I--I should have . . . I . . . " Ion stuttered, stopping when he felt Lino¡¯s arms tighten slightly around his back before one of them moved over to his head, caressing his hair gently . "Don¡¯t," Lino said, pulling back slightly and forcing Ion to look him in the eyes . Thetter¡¯s were bloodshot red, watery to the point they appeared as a faint blur . "It¡¯s my sin, kid . Your Master failed, and not you . Alright?" " . . . " though Ion nodded meekly, Lino knew it wouldn¡¯t be that simple . Smiling gently, he burned a talisman inside his void world and slowly lifted Ion up to his feet . "From now on, I¡¯ll try to do better . " he said . "We all need to do better . So those days never repeat again . Alright?" " . . . y--yes . I¡¯ll do better, Master!" Ion nodded, fires inside his soul stoking . "Good," Lino nodded . "Val will take you to Mytha and Shaw . Have them look at you and be honest, alright? Don¡¯t try to be a hero . If it hurts, say it hurts . I¡¯lle to visit youter tonight and to see if you¡¯ve told the whole truth . Alright?" "Alright . . . " Ion smiled back faintly as the space behind him tore open, Val walking through right after, sighing as she saw Ion¡¯s figure . "You two are too alike," she said, walking over and ruffling Ion¡¯s hair . "Getting banged up left and right . Haii, what will I do with you? Come on, let¡¯s go . While Mytha patches you up, I¡¯ll give you a tender lecture . " "A-ah! M-miss Val, please, no--" "Toote . I¡¯m in the mood for a lecture . " "Master, I¡¯mpletely fine!!" Ion cried out as Val began dragging him toward the portal . "There¡¯s absolutely no pain!! See--a-aaahggh!!" he tried ying his arms about only to break into a screaming bout of pain . "Yea, you look fine to me . Have fun!" Lino grinned as the two vanished behind the vortex . Only then did he veer his gaze over toward the so-far-silent, young Prince . He was remarkably the same as Lino remembered him, save for the way he looked at Lino . What used to be courteous respect, was now . . . somewhat awkward . Fire, passion, almost as though he was looking at his spouse . Lino shuddered, finally realizing why Ion said what he said . "P-prince--" "Please, my abandoned title means shit in front of Your Greatness," Titus immediately shot down to his knees and stered his head against the hardwood floor, causing Lino to sigh audibly . "It is a pleasure--no, it is an honor--- no, wait . . . aah, my stupid brain can¡¯te up with adequate words to describe the emotions I am feeling at the moment . It is beyond, astoundingly beyond breathtaking--" "Alright, alright, why don¡¯t we have a cup of ale and talk . " Lino quickly interrupted, feeling somewhat bashful . "I dare not . " "What? Drink?" "What if I get drunk and say something stupid in Your presence?" Titus said in a serious tone, his expression reflecting that . "I would never forgive myself . " " . . . ay, I wouldn¡¯t worry," Lino smiled bitterly . "Now,e on . I have to thank you properly . " "Thank me for what?" Titus asked, slowly getting up and dusting away his robes before walking over and sitting opposite of Lino . "For saving Ion . " Lino said, pouring the two a cup . "I am forever indebted to you . I would say I¡¯ll give my life if you ask me, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve promised my life to too many souls already, so it¡¯s hardly worth much . " "P-please! You embarrass me!" Titus eximed, lowering his head . "I should be asking for Your forgiveness! I have failed to not only protect the other children but have evenmitted the capital sin!" " . . . capital sin?" Lino tilted his way . "I made bed -- literally -- with your worst enemy!" Titus said with a wholly serious expression as Lino spat out a mouthful of ale, barely stifling hisughter . " . . . y-yeah, khm . . . you certainly did . . . pfft . . . anyway, how was she?" Lino asked, his eyes glimmering in a strange light . "I imagine the ¡¯Mother of all Creation¡¯ must have a few mind-blowing moves, huh?" " . . . eh," Titus shrugged . "She . . . bleh . I want to vomit whenever I recall lying in bed with that whore!! Punish me, Your Greatness! Castrate me! This filthy thing of mine--" "Hol¡¯ the fuck up!!" Lino quickly shot up and prevented Titus from taking off his pants . "I really, really, really don¡¯t give a shit you fucked Gaia, alright? And I really, really, really, really don¡¯t wanna see your dick, or chop it off . Alright?" "--alright . " "Alright . Sit down now . " "Yes . " Titus nodded, still ever-serious . "I still feel I deserve punishment . If, perhaps, you have my body--" "Dude, shut the fuck up with your body already," Lino shuddered, shaking his head . "You¡¯re way too handsome to be offering yourself willy-nilly . My wife would chop me off if she found out I was tampering with my sexuality . " "--ah, you are married?! Congrattions!! They must be ecstatic!" though Lino decisively ignored it, he still undoubtedly saw a fiery desire in Titus¡¯ eyes to be a part of that harem . "She . " "Hm?" "She¡¯s . . . well, I wouldn¡¯t say ecstatic . Maybe happy?" Lino mumbled . "Anyway, I just have one wife . " " . . . why?! You should spread Your great seed all over the ce!!" " . . . " "Khm, I apologize . What You do with Your seed is your business . " " . . . no shit?" Lino cracked a smile, processing the contrast between Titus in front of him and the one he met in the Pce as just another, talented smith . "How did you do it? Save Ion, I mean . " " . . . forgive me, but shortly after You gave me Your promise ring--" "Dude, fucking hell . . . " "--khm, t-the absolutely amazing item that had no other connotations," Titus awkwardly corrected himself . "I immediately realized your identity and ced some around-the-clock surveince on the smithy . As you suggested, I told no one of the ring or of my realization and continued to merely talk of you as just another talented smith . Unfortunately, on that day . . . something was wrong . I couldn¡¯t contact any of the guards, not even in the Pce itself, nor those around the smithy . So, I rushed over myself to see it, which is also when you broke in and the formation descended . I also saw two men in the vicinity of the smithy shortly after, though I didn¡¯t recognize them . " " . . . " Lino listened in silence, slowly sipping the cup of ale . "Anyway, I observed your battle for a few minutes and after realizing you seemed to have a handle on things, I snuck into the smithy and found a horrifying scene . Thatd was the sole survivor, I¡¯m afraid . I did collect all other bodies into a pouch, however . " " . . . thank you . " Lino said, smiling tenderly . "You¡¯ve no idea how much it means to me . Whatever you want, it is yours . " " . . . I only want one thing, to be honest . " Titus said, taking a deep breath . "What?" Lino asked . "To serve you . " Titus replied rapidly, meeting Lino¡¯s gaze squarely . " . . . no . " Lino replied after a momentary silence, smiling . "E-eh? W-why? Am I inadequate? Ah, yes, I am too weak--" "No, no," Lino quickly shook his head, extending his arm suddenly . "I don¡¯t need another servant, Titus . I could, however, use a friend . How about it?" "I am undeserving--" "If you aren¡¯t, then nobody in the world is," Lino interrupted sternly . "Though I¡¯ve no clue why you respect me so much, I do know that you¡¯ve risked your life to do something you didn¡¯t need to . And even if it doesn¡¯t amount to much in your book, in mine it does . " " . . . a friend . " "Yes . " "I could use a friend, now that I¡¯ve abandoned my Empire and all . " Titus¡¯ lips finally curled up into a smile . " . . . wee, T¡¯," the two shook their hands before toasting with their cups of ale . "To your new home . It may not be a grandiose pce, but I imagine you¡¯lle to enjoy it . " " . . . I already do . " Titus replied with a smile . "Oh, right, before fleeing, I managed to raid the treasury a bit . I know it probably can¡¯t match up to the abundance of resources you possess," WHAT ABUNDANCE?!! Lino screamed inwardly as the greedy soul within him woke . "But, it¡¯s not as though I¡¯ve much use of them, to be honest . " "A-all, khm, all contributions . . . are helpful, of course . " "Thank you," Titus nodded, slowly beginning to whip out one ring after another and ce them on the table; in the end, they totaled out to eighty-nine, all high-tier void treasures . . . and all filled to their capacities . "As I didn¡¯t have much time, I was unable to organize them properly so most of the stuff is thrown in together at random . There . . . " Lino, however, stopped listening; he could barely contain himself from leaping over at the rings and hugging them . Just from a quick search, he realized the rings altogether contained billions of high-tier Qi Stones, millions of materials, weapons, talismans, Martial Arts . . . it had nearly all theycked -- a strong foundation in terms of raw resources . As it stood now, they were burning through the materials far quicker than they were able to umte them,rgely because most people were entirely unequipped when it came to items or talismans since the intake of souls greatly overshadowed the intake of materials . Lino was half a mind away from leaping over and kissing the former Prince, though he held back in the end from fear of thetter misinterpreting that as an invitation . Chapter 405 Chapter 405 CHAPTER 405 HEART OF IT ALL A youth draped in simple robes sat in silence inside a dimly-lit room, his expression hardened . Below him, as always, a ck-d figurey kneeling, his head lowered in a seeming shame . The atmosphere remained heavy for nearly an hour, only the sound of the tapping finger escaping . " . . . what do you mean, you can¡¯t locate him?" the youth asked, atst, lowering his eyes and looking at the ck-d man . "Forgive us, Your Grace," the ck-d man quickly said . "We . . . we are unable to pick up his trace past the Shrinking Mountain . It¡¯s almost as if . . . he simply vanished . " " . . . nobody vanishes, not even the Harbinger of Chaos," the youth said, sighing . "Did you use all methods?" "Yes . " the man quickly nodded . " . . . what is your opinion, then, as to why you were unable to locate him?" " . . . I . . . I imagine he¡¯s fallen into temporary hibernation . " "Hm?" "He must have also realized the Descent would go after him," the man said . "Which is why he temporarily withdrew . " "Well, it stands to reason that when you failed to find him, so will the Descent," the youth cracked a faint smile, shaking his head . "I wonder . . . how did he do it?" " . . . I do not know, Your Grace . " "Oh well," the youth shrugged after a momentary stillness . "Keep monitoring for any movements, regardless, but you can temporarily cease active search . Instead, focus on tracking the location of the Descenders . I imagine that information would be a decent bargaining chip once we find him . " "Yes, Your Grace . " The ck-d man vanished from the room, leaving the youth to his own thoughts and silence . A faint smile of bemusement hung on his thin lips as he resumed tapping his finger against the armrest . Meanwhile, Lino observed in silent awe the sting arrays of light that made up amanding formation surrounding the fortress in sixteenyers altogether, all stacked on top of one another . Despite the fact that he had a fairly decent knowledge of formations, he had a literal zero clues as to what they all represented . Next to him stood three figures: Eggor, Tim and Primul . Though Eggor and Primul remained seemingly unaffected by the spectacle, Tim wasn¡¯t; his face lit up marvelously, a faint trace of jealousy tracing through his eyes . However many wonders Gods were able to fashion without Qi, there were still many sights that simply could not be otherwise replicated . " . . . alright . Someone exin to me this shit . " Lino said after helplessly staring at the formations for nearly an hour, eventually relenting with a sigh . "Tsk, your pride must have been taken to a shitter, huh?" Eggor cracked a grin, stroking his beard; it wasn¡¯t often he was able to put the youngd back into his ce, so he decided to always treasure those moments . " . . . less gloating, more exining, old relic . " Lino fired back, turning to Primul who smiled as he met the former¡¯s gaze . "Though it appearsplex, the underlying core is rather simple," Primul said as he took out a strange, ring-shaped object with cyan light at the hollow center . A mere momentter, a screen shot up, one remarkably different than the t one Lino was familiar with; the formation appeared wholly, rendered in midair topletion, down to the finest detail . "Sixteenyers are connected through the so-called ¡¯basin tubes¡¯," Primul pointed at the zig-zag set of lines darting at angles between theyers of the formation . "With Eggor¡¯s and Tim¡¯s help, I was able to re-fashion the original design so that it conducted not just Qi, but also other forms of energy, including Mana . The whole formation is separated into four sets, ending up as a four-by-four creation -- defensive, supportive, offensive and boosting sets . As it would otherwise consume too much energy, all but the supportive set must be manually activated to be used . " "In effect," Eggor tagged on, pointing at the four separated sets . "The sets cannot be individually targeted, so someone can¡¯t focus on taking out our defenses due to the inner workings of the arrays . The formation always draws energy to repair itself if damaged and can do so at probably unprecedented speeds thanks to Primul . There¡¯s still room for improvement, but the core stability of the fortress would bepromised if we pushed it any further . We call it ¡¯Eternal Orbiter¡¯ . " " . . . how does your guys¡¯ project figure into this?" Lino turned toward Tim and asked . "Oneyer of each set currently remains inactive and is not connected to the formation¡¯s core," Tim exined . "Once we¡¯vepleted the project, we¡¯ll be able to attach it to the conduits that will convert Qi into raw electricity to power it up . The supportive set will be responsible for the aircraft deployment, the defensive set will be equipped with missiles, offensive set with rapid-fire cannons, and boosting set with manned crafts carrying supplies . Rather than connecting to the formation¡¯s core inside the fortress, we¡¯ll redirect it to the carrier instead . " "Have you made any progress with cloaking?" Lino asked with a frown . "For the time being, that should be our priority . " " . . . unfortunately no," Tim shook his head helplessly . "The most we can do at the moment is what we¡¯re already doing -- using generators to dissipate naturally radiating Qi of the fortress and convert it over into electric energy . On casual inspection, the fortress wouldn¡¯t show up on anyone¡¯s radar, and if one did a deeper search, they¡¯d most-likely mistake us for a billow of thundering clouds . We aren¡¯t, however, in any way invisible or hidden . " "Keep at it," Lino said . "If need be, ask Val to re-allocate more resources . " "Will do . " Tim nodded . "Alright, I¡¯ll head back for now . If you can spare some time, Edith and the rest have managed to whip out some new designs, soe visit and look them over . " "Sure . " Lino nodded, shifting his focus back onto the formation . "How goes our armory build-up?" he then nced at Eggor and asked . "Slow," Eggor said . "We¡¯re in a desperateck of high-end smiths, especially with . . . well, you know . " " . . . yeah . " "It¡¯s pretty much just Rion, Synthia and me that are gearing up the high-end cultivators . It wouldn¡¯t hurt if you jumped in as well . " "I¡¯lle by in a few days," Lino said . "To deposit some materials and craft a few items . I¡¯ve no ns on heading out anytime soon anyway, so I may as well grind myself out . " "Alright," Eggor nodded, turning around . "I¡¯ll head back as well . Cae¡¯s been asking about you, so swing byter today at least to say hi . " "Will do . " Lino smiled warmly as Eggor left, leaving behind only Primul and Lino . This was effectively, Lino realized, the very first time the two of them were alone . ncing at the man, Lino couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint why, but he felt a strange closeness to him, one that went beyond the two of them simply being Empyreans . "How are you finding the fortress so far?" " . . . unexpected . " Primul replied . "Unexpected?" "Hm," he nodded, turning back and ncing at the rising towers and carved streets full of people . "It¡¯s much more . . . jovial than I expected it to be . And people are far less horrified . " " . . . yeah, I keep it a point not to scare them . " Lino said, cracking a smile . "No, it¡¯s beyond that," Primul shook his head . "When I look back at my time andpare myself to you, I realize why I failed as a leader, and why I had so many souls stab me in the back . " " . . . " "If it was me from back then, and if I had survived what you had," their eyes met, both pairs eerily ck . "I wouldn¡¯t have withdrawn here . Rather, I would order every single soul here to march out with me into the war . " " . . . " Lino remained silent, musing that, eventually, that was his n . "You¡¯ve fashioned a breathtaking ce, Lyonel," Primul said . "And, every day I¡¯ve spent here . . . was a blessed one . I¡¯d randomly take a stroll down a street only to be stopped and offered food and drinks, or to see one or another performance taking ce amidst thick crowds . Not even in my wildest dreams would I imagine the Empyrean being the cornerstone of it all . " " . . . I¡¯m hardly a cornerstone, though," Lino said, ncing back at the fortress as well . "Sure, I may be the gathering point of all these people, a nket they chose to hide under during the dark times . . . but, I imagine most of them don¡¯t exactly think about me on daily basis . They¡¯ve fashioned their own lives and created amunity you¡¯ve seen and experienced . Truth is that most people don¡¯t need a leader or a ruler," he added with a faint smile . "Only a safe ce that allows them to chase after their dreams . That, really, is what I tried to create all along . " " . . . how noble . " Primul smiled faintly . "Ha ha ha, hardly . They still have to work, regardless of their dreams . " " . . . you say you aren¡¯t a cornerstone, but you might be wrong, Lyonel . " Primul said after a short silence . "When the news spread that you¡¯ve returned injured, the entire -- and I do mean this literally -- fortress came to a grinding halt . People lined up in front of one major figure¡¯s house or another, waiting for days on end to hear how you were . Eggor and a few others were effectively forced to keep the whole ce running themselves . " " . . . " "It¡¯s true that, in their minds, you are most likely a very different figure than you are in reality," Primul added, slowly beginning to walk away . "But, every fantasy, however distorted, is based on reality . " he nced back for a moment, smiling . "You are both their fantasy and reality . All these people would stand in fiery and bloody rain and would cry out your name even if the whole world scowled at them . That is why I failed as a leader, and you didn¡¯t . You took on the hearts, hopes, dreams, and desires of your people," his faint footsteps slowly began growing distant, though his voice remained as mellow and as close as always . "And you¡¯ve put them all in your soul . All people ever need in life is recognition of their counterpart . . . and the light to shine upon them when darkness descends . You are thetter, and you gave them the opportunity to find the former . Me? I wasn¡¯t and didn¡¯t . . . " Chapter 406 Chapter 406: 406 CHAPTER 406 UNCERTAINTIES Mountains rose high and tall, their peaks like swords piercing through the clouds, surrounded by flourishing scape of death itself -- drynd void of life stretched on throughout the climb, from bottom to the summit . Even sunless, the average temperature around the mountains wasn¡¯t of the ilk that could sustain any long-term life . Surrounding the mountain ring was a far-and-wide desert whose edges could not be discerned from any one of its points . Dunes and pitfalls intermingled in the ever-the-same, dull, sandy colors, with arid winds blowing any attempt of life surfacing . The Arid Expanse was one of the most known areas of the entire Holy Continent; a swath of dead, burningnd covering nearly all of its southeast, save for the very far-south penins where the Necrosis Crypt Holy Ground resided . Though for the most part just a desert, one anomaly existed -- the mountain ring roughly at its center . The tallest peak of the entire continent could be found here, bounding nearly thirty miles into the sky . Most of the world believed this to simply be just another odd geological feature whose ins-and-outs they couldn¡¯t even begin to understand, yet, the mountains were of artificial make . Deep inside the mountain ring, a hollow centery carved out that flourished with life; a spanning pitfall, if seen from above, was surrounded by steep cliffs, creating the sort of cylindrical shape as one moved toward the bottom . Waterfalls abound could be seen carving their way out of the side-walls, gardens of trees and flowers hid away the dull colors of the earth, while the silver staircase looping into a downward spiral provided one ess to hundreds of tforms stacked with beautiful buildings cast out of white marble . This was the official headquarters of the Great Descent -- hiding away in in sight . Currently, within its deepest reaches, where flourishing life from the top slowly faded and was instead reced by the dull rock and crystals, on top of an erect clearing looming over a field of magma, Two sat meditating with her legs crossed . Heat billowed away at her from below, though she hardly seemed to mind it; there wasn¡¯t even a drop of sweat to be seen anywhere, despite the fact that she was draped in thick, yellowish robes . The sheer quantity of Qi currently abounding her was astounding to behold, though very few in the world were privy to such a sight . Three of the Descenders suddenly appeared behind her, immediately frowning as the heatwave wove through them . Quickly dispensing it through Qi, Three, Four and Six settled down and waited patiently, not disturbing the woman in front of them . Nearly a week would pass before she seemingly came to and got up, shivering momentarily before spinning around . Her silver eyes cast a brilliant light for a moment before dimming . "What?" she spoke indifferently . "We¡¯ve been unable to find him . " Four replied simply, his eyes, between the traces of gauze, shimmering faintly . " . . . exin . " Two said simply, her face temporarily distorting though she hid it quickly -- not quickly enough, however, as the rest noticed it . "He vanished," Three borated . "We imagine it¡¯s due to several factors, but namely Gods that could have fashioned something to hide the Qi with ordinary energies . " "If that was enough to stop us from finding who we wanted found," Two growled lowly . "Do you think we¡¯d stand where we are standing? Six, are you hiding his location on purpose?" " . . . no . " the old man spoke simply; just a breathter, he felt overbearing Will wash over him, frowning as he opened his eyes and faced Two . "What are you doing?" "Are you hiding his location on purpose?" "What are you doing?" the Will pressed harder, causing Six to relent, beating it back . "You¡¯ve been soliciting with the boy long enough," Two said . "What if you still are?" "Settle down, Two . " Three said . "Though the Fortress used to belong to Six, he transferred ownership when the Empyrean returned from the north . . . and his mark was wiped shortly after the esction of the conflict . " "Trace it through the unique signatures . " Two said . " . . . did the anger fry your brain?" Six suddenly said . "Pull back your Will, already . " " . . . you¡¯ve grown rathercent Six," Two shrugged, withdrawing the pressure . "Daring to insult me, I¡¯ve never realized you had such courage . " "His Vitality hit over sixty million at the point of impact," Four said . "Even at your peak, you would have failed to permanently cripple him or kill him . Is it really something worth obsessing over?" " . . . you rats are rather stupid, aren¡¯t you?" Two suddenly said . "You really think I¡¯m that vain? Or are you all ignoring the eventual consequences of our actions the other day? What, you think that mad kid will just ignore us as though nothing happened?" "Regardless of his wishes, he stands no chance--" "No chance my ass," Two interrupted Three, her expression turning serious . "If I hadn¡¯t stepped in, that boy would have crippled at least half of you . Unlike most other Empyreans, he entirely abandoned trying to cover up his weaknesses through the stats, shoving everything into Strength and Vitality . Both of them are in millions by default,pounded together with his items . . . well, you know the results . " "--nobody is disputing that his growth is entirely unexpected," Four said . "But, he won¡¯t be a threat any time soon . While it would be nice to cripple him and remove him as a potential threat in the first ce, it is not necessary to go out of our way to aplish it . None of us wore a single item when we fought him, and none of us used any particrly strong Arts . Do you really still think this isn¡¯t about personal pride?" " . . . Six," Two nced at the old man again . "What is your ¡¯granddaughter¡¯ doing with him? And why wasn¡¯t I able to read her . . . at all?" " . . . I don¡¯t know . " Six shrugged . "Apparently, nor was the one who handed him the Writ in the first ce, so their meeting happened long before we even knew who the Empyrean was . " " . . . she¡¯s be a variable," Two said . "Even the yer was unable to hold her back, which means she¡¯s, at worst, at Three¡¯s level, potentially even close to mine . How do we ount for her?" " . . . what¡¯s her history?" Four asked Six . "I don¡¯t know," Six shook his head . "I¡¯ve discovered her in the slums when she was four . Despite having never cultivated, she was actually close to bing a Titr . " "Huh?!" everyone, including Two, eximed in shock . "I wiped her memory and retarded her cultivation," Six exined . "Forcing her to basically downscale in speed . . . considerably . Even so, it was impossible to make her seem ordinary, or at the very least somewhat talented, so I made up the rumor that she had the Origin Soul . " " . . . she doesn¡¯t?" Two eximed in surprise . "Nope," Six shook his head . "Actually, her constitution is just . . . ordinary . Till she left, I was never able to discern where her actual talentes from, no matter how hard I looked . " "So . . . she¡¯s aplete mystery?" Three added, sucking in a cold breath . "This can¡¯t do, Six . You should have reported this earlier . " " . . . I was honestly expecting her to simply remain far away from the world and die without ever restarting her cultivation," Six said, sighing deeply . "After I realized I¡¯d eventually stop being able to control her, I dove into the contingency n and fabricated the betrayal, shamed her in front of the entire Sect, stripped her cultivation and banished her, and then staged the whole Prime-awakening to further cement her broken mindset . When she left, she was a husk . I don¡¯t know how she recovered . " "Have you managed to piece together anything?" Two asked . " . . . no . She, admittedly, had a lot of simr features to those with Origin Soul -- she could master any Art in a matter of days if not hours, she could manifest all Qi, she had the Will that, quite frankly, put even us to shame . . . if I didn¡¯t repeatedly try to find it and fail, I¡¯d swear up and down she, indeed, had the Origin Soul . " "--how have Gaia and Fate failed to pick up on their thread?" Four mumbled . "How did shee into possession of Ataxia in the first ce? Were you aware of it?" Two asked . "I¡¯d only learnedter on," Six said . "Though as to how she came across it . . . I do not know . " "Is it possible that Ataxia inadvertently eroded away at her demons while slumbering?" Three asked . "No," Two quickly denied . "Ataxia is, in effect, useless without a Bearer, as he can¡¯t impact anyone else directly . We have to investigate her . Try to trace her movement after the banishment, as well as during the Empyrean¡¯s rise . " "Will do . " Three and Four nodded before vanishing, while Six stayed behind . "What is it?" he asked . " . . . you¡¯ve met with him afterwards, haven¡¯t you?" she asked . " . . . I did . " Six replied honestly . "But, I was unable to pinpoint his location . " "What did he say?" Two asked . "That he¡¯d leave the Descent alone because our history," Six said . "But, you and One wouldn¡¯t be included . " " . . . that¡¯s oddly specific . " Two mumbled, frowning . "He also seemed to be aware that you¡¯ve failed your Awakening . . . more than once . " Six added . " . . . " Two¡¯s frown deepened for a moment . "He¡¯s fishing," she mumbled, turning around . "Cleverly, I might add . Try to re-establish the contact with him . " "Hm?" Six¡¯s eyes red up for a moment . "Do it in a personal capacity," she said, sitting down . "And don¡¯t inform anyone else . His words seem to indicate he¡¯s aware of far more than he lets on . . . so it must mean Ataxia has told him far more than we anticipated . That is . . . troubling . " " . . . " Six remained silent and cid, though sighing bitterly inside . Leaving the clearing, he wound up inside his own little home within the spiral, decorated with a breathtaking garden of white and red roses . He sat in their midst and thought, for a long, long time . Among many things, he tried to figure out why Lino implied -- and outright said, even -- that Two would never be able to undergo her Origin Awakening . The truth of the matter is that even One failed over eighty times before finally seeding . Most people fail at the very least a hundred times before eventually ascending . And Two was only at her eighteenth attempt . Could it be that he really was fishing? He mused, stroking his chin . Even beaten and broken, do you still have a mind to y games and angles, Lino? What exactly is it that you want . . . what exactly is it? Chapter 407 Chapter 407 CHAPTER 407 THE COUNCIL OF CHAOS A small stream of people, settled in an extended line, slowly poured in into a spacious, well-lit and maintained, round hall . The roof above fell in, the concave part ssed as natural light shone through, basking the massive, rectangr table at the center of the room in beautiful light . The table itself was made out of stone, nearly a dozen legs supporting it, with just over twenty, wooden and cushioned chairs surrounding it . At the upper end of the table Lino was already seated, waiting; though seeminglyrgely recovered, there were still a few bandages hanging on his body, covering wounds that were yet to fully heal . He had a somber expression on his face as he watched over twenty people slowly walk in . Hannah was sitting by his side, holding his hand tenderly . Those arriving included practically all of the high-end figures currently present inside the fortress -- both old and young . They started sitting down in no particr order, as all chairs were exact replicas of one another, including Lino¡¯s . However, those who knew him longer seemed to stream closer toward him, while the neers settled a bit further away . Some were in the end forced to stand as there were simply not enough chairs; among them was Lucky who, despite having entered among the first, simply leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest . Alison was about to sit down next to Alex, but quickly shifted away and stood up, standing next to Lucky . Ion joined them shortly after, as did a few other youngsters who were invited over by their Elders . It was the first time Lino had summoned virtually everyone that represented his force in one ce, including the time he came back from the North . The ce held far more people than expected, and it was truly an eye-opener for him, seeing how many souls hade under his banner within such a short period of time . He waited patiently until everyone was seated and until the table was filled with drinks and bowls of fruit; though a few chatted between themselves, everyone otherwise seemed to be waiting for him to speak out, which he did after taking a deep breath . "Despite my adviser¡¯s, that is my wife¡¯s, repeated attempts to postpone this meeting for after I¡¯m fully healed," he opened up with a faint smile . "I told her no -- perhaps the boldest thing I¡¯ve done in my life--" "Oi!" she hit him faintly as the room broke into a burst of briefughter . "Khm . Anyway, I think it¡¯s too important of a meeting to dy it; honestly, I¡¯d have held it sooner if I were in a position to do it, but it¡¯s still not toote . To answer the rumors," he continued . "Yes -- I did kill Gaia; well, at least one of her avatars . " " . . . " though a few people sucked in cold breaths, most seemed to have already known . "Furthermore, I did try to kill the Bearers, though I failed in the end," he continued . "Due to Descent¡¯s intervention . . . during which I may have pissed them off . To be fair, they pissed me off first . " "Ha ha ha . . . " "As it stands, war, or at least a battle with them, is inevitable," he said, his expression turning serious . "I know that this is an unexpected turn of events for some of you, which is why I¡¯ll offer you a free exit . " "Unexpected?" Alex mumbled, smiling lightly . "Hardly so . " "Yeah," Amadeel nodded, stroking his beard . "Since the day I met you I knew you¡¯d piss them off . " "I¡¯m surprised it didn¡¯t happen sooner . " Eggor added from the end . " . . . I see," Lino sighed . "I didn¡¯t know you all had so little faith in me . " "Well, now you do . " Av joined in as well with a faint chuckle . "Oh my, how disheartening . Nheless," he said, taking a deep breath . "If any one of you feel this has gone beyond your wants, feel free to contact me after the meeting . Due to obvious reasons, you¡¯ll have to stay in the fortress for the foreseeable future, but I swear on my heart and soul you will not be mistreated . " " . . . " "Ah, very well," Lino shrugged, taking a sip . "I also must extend my gratitude over to Prince --- khm, former Prince Titus," he changed it midway through when he spotted Titus¡¯ firm gaze . "Not only did he save Ion¡¯s life, he also collected the bodies of those who fell . " " . . . " the atmosphere quickly dipped into the realms of somber . "Edward and Jack," Lino continued . "Were not only talented smiths but two of the kindest people I¡¯ve met in my life . Despite the terrible cards the life dealt to them, they managed to crawl out and make something of themselves in this tepid world . Vyena, Talleah and Ryt . . . " Ion grit his teeth together, his fingers crawling up into a fist; he suddenly felt a gentle and warm touch hold him as he nced sideways; Alison smiled at him tenderly and nodded, causing his stirred soul to calm down . "Were young, hopeful and beyond talented . They were kids, ripped out of our arms cruelly and unfairly . Though most of you don¡¯t know her, Y¡¯sha was simrly a bright girl who ran away from thefort of her own home in search of something better and bigger . " " . . . " "All these dreams were cut short," he continued, his voice cracking slightly . "For no reason . I have failed them, as I have failed many others in my life," he nced briefly at Lucky who merely smiled in response . "And, despite my best efforts, in my heart I know I¡¯ll fail many of you in the future . You¡¯ve all given me the wind that I fly upon, yet I can¡¯t even give you a roof to shelter you from the rain . " " . . . " " . . . inform their families, if they had any," Lino continued after a brief silence . "And provide them with afortable life . Task someone to build a monument in the central za with their names carved in . We¡¯ll hold a pyre for them on top of the tform in a fortnight . " " . . . will do . " Val replied with a heavy tone, sighing afterward . "At the very least, now you know," Primul suddenly broke the heavy silence, causing all eyes to shift on him; no one knew who exactly he was, only that his knowledge of formations put all the others to shame . "Why no Empyrean has ever submitted to her . " " . . . I do," Lino smiled faintly . "In the back of my head, a single scene keeps repeating itself . It was long before I met most of you, during my early stages back on the Western Continent . I happened to meet a Sky Devil, Linger, one night . He warned me, even back then, of exactly that . Though I dismissed him, I do wish I could go back in time and kiss thed . " "If you need to kiss anyone, I¡¯m here for you, Your Grace!" Titus spoke out in all seriousness causing the previously gut-wrenching atmosphere to explode out withughter . "Oi, little fucker, if he needs to kiss anyone, ain¡¯t I here for that?!" Hannah chimed in in-between the bouts ofughter . "Alright, alright, settle down," Lino said after nearly five minutes of persistentughter; despite that, however, Titus seemed entirely undisturbed by it, still as serious as ever . "For the time being, we have many things to do . As most of you have figured it out, we ceased phasing back in and increased our defenses exponentially . In addition, thanks to Tim, Sylvia, Anna and Simon, our ability to hide has skyrocketed . " he pointed toward the far end of the table where the four Gods sat next to one another, lowering their heads bashfully . "And, thanks to Edith, our dear Val can finally take an asional breather . " "If there¡¯s anyone who deserves kissing, it¡¯s this woman!" Val eximed, leaping over the table and kissing theughing Edith on the cheek as the rest of the hall burst into anotherughter . "You fuckers really worked me to the bone . . . " "Ah, all the love in the air is simply beautiful . . . " Lino mumbled jokingly . "Love aside," Alex said as the hall settled down . "Are you certain we haven¡¯t been located?" "I am," Lino nodded . "Truth be told, even I would have difficulty locating our position without any points of reference . This, however, is a temporary solution . While ourplete cloaking is still in development, we need to figure out a way to buy some more time . Battling and fighting right now is simply out of question; our armory iscking, we¡¯re still in the growing periods of our talisman and rune productions, to say nothing of other parts that have barely been kicked off the ground . " "There¡¯s a more imminent issue . " a new voice joined in, everyone quickly shifting their gazes over to the unsuspecting housewife sitting by Eggor¡¯s side, holding a sleeping boy in her arms . "Hm?" Lino nced at E . "We have to pull out both Qe¡¯ll n and the Eternalspletely . " " . . . that¡¯s true . " both Alex and Lino spoke out at the same time, frowning . "Uprooting the entire history, however, will leave a scar . " Lino added . "And we hardly have space to fit them all here in the fortress . " "--I may have a solution . " Primul joined in again . "Oh, do tell . " Lino looked at him, nodding . "With some help from the Runic Department as well as the Technological Research, I could fashion a system simr to that of our host star and thes . " " . . . " everyone¡¯s expressions immediately turned serious, as this was one of the many mind-bending things some of them have discovered since they started living in the fortress . "Oh? You mean the orbits?" Lino quizzed . "Yes," Primul nodded, getting up off his chair and walking over toward Lino, ending up behind him as Lino pulled out a massive canvas and a few brushes . "I could make the fortress act like a star," he said, painting a dot . "And we could fashion flying inds to act ass, orbiting the fortress . " " . . . that¡¯s not a small undertaking, however," Lino said, getting up as well . "I imagine the number of lines in formations only would reach tens of trillions at a minimum . That¡¯s not ounting for the even greater expenditure of materials to fashion the inds or the amount of energy we¡¯ll start consuming just to maintain the status quo . " " . . . we could terraform . " one of the Gods at the far end of the table, Anna, spoke out after a few moments of silence . She appeared to be rather young, at most in her mid-twenties, with long, ck and braided hair and a pair of ck eyes hidden behind round pair of sses . "Terraform?" Primul and Lino quizzed . "Uh, literally dig up the entirendscape of the n and the Sect," she said . "And transport it in a temporary dimension; or we could drift the fortress over to them and immediately adjoin them to our orbit, though the process would take a while which would result in us being found out . " " . . . it would require huge manpower, but it is more feasible," Primul nodded after a short thought . "And the formation-lining would be made easier through it . " "What do you think?" Lino turned toward Alex and E and asked . " . . . it could work," Alex said with a faint frown . "But, there¡¯s a whole lot to figure out before we actually go for it . " "Wouldn¡¯t adding them to us make us simply . . . too big to hide?" E asked . "Not really," Primul answered instead of Lino . "Through the lining, they would act as a single whole, in effect . Meaning that, so long as the fortress is invisible, they would be too . " "I imagine it would also do well for our resources," Hannah said . "As we could just continue the already existing systems rather than fabricating them out of thin air . " " . . . hmm, alright," Lino nodded, taking in a deep breath . "Primul, Eggor, Alex and Anna will be main coordinators . Design the project outline within two weeks¡¯ time, when we¡¯ll gather once more to go through it and slowly begin our preparations . " "Very well . . . " "More work?" Eggor sighed, shaking his head . "Aii, I thought sons were supposed to rece their fathers as they got up in the age . . . yet look at this . . . " "The reason I¡¯m employing you is because you keep lurking everywhere and scaring the living shit out of people," Lino growled . "Because you can¡¯t sit on your old ass and just rx . " " . . . khm . . . " Eggor coughed awkwardly as E burst out intoughter, soon after followed by everyone else . "Very well," Lino chuckled faintly . "Let¡¯s take a lunch break and we¡¯ll continue afterward . " He sat down and rxed as the food slowly started pouring in, carried over by the young and old alike . Lino watched as people quickly broke out in chats, creating a rather mesmerizing scene; it was astounding to see, at least to him, how many different people, from entirely different backgrounds, cane together and just . . . talk . Young who were standing soon joined as well, shoved in-between the chairs . After a deep re from Lucky, Lino took out two more chairs for her and Alison, chuckling faintly as he saw thetter blush . She has undergone aplete change since her initial arrival; she was far freer and open . She wasughing more and interacting with others more . Warmth surged from within Lino¡¯s heart; though the terrible past would always be there, he at the very least was able to give her a ce where she can be herself, surrounded with people who loved her and who she loved . " . . . she¡¯s taken already, you know?" Hannah teased as she poked his ribs . "Oh? You noticed?" Lino asked, chuckling faintly . "Yeah, they¡¯re not very good at hiding it," she said, smiling . "They¡¯re cute together, though . " "You sad she didn¡¯t choose you?" "A bit . But, if she had, I¡¯d have never married you, so I guess it all kind of worked out in the end . " " . . . that¡¯s a rather lukewarm take on a happy and beautiful marriage . " "Eh, happy and beautiful for you, maybe . . . " " . . . have you heard anything from Seya?" he asked . "Hm," Hannah nodded . "The furthest anyone would take her is about five miles offshore . The currents split there, going northward toward the Bay, eastward toward the isles, and southward toward icebergs and cial mountains . I¡¯ve told her toe back . " "Yeah," he nodded . "Aah . . . I really wanted to go to the Isles sometime soon . Fuckin¡¯ hell . It¡¯s virtually impossible to quantify how much that bitch screwed up my timeline . " "And your innards . " "Oi . " "Come on, eat," she said, suddenly ripping a piece of chicken and blowing on it before moving it toward his mouth . "Your appetite has been shit recently . " "My, my . . . this very wife of mine feeding me?" Lino smiled wryly, taking the piece . "It¡¯s a dreame true . . . " "I imagine . " she smiled warmly, her emerald-green eyes shining like gems momentarily . Even to this day, Lino often found himself lost in them, in her mesmerizing gaze . He leaned over slowly and kissed her, causing her lips to stretch out into a wider smile and dimples to form on her cheeks . "What¡¯s what for?" " . . . who knows?" their little moment remainedrgely unnoticed, save for Lucky and Alison who spotted them by ident . Thetter quickly flushed red and looked away, though still peaking after due to curiosity . "Do you think we look better kissing?" Lucky asked . "I think we look better . " "L¡¯!!" Alison cried out . "Shut up!! What if somebody hears you!?" " . . . what?" "Y-you promised . . . we¡¯d . . . we¡¯d keep it a secret for now . . . " "Well, yeah, sure," Lucky scratched her head . "But I¡¯m pretty sure almost everyone in this room already knows, though . " " . . . what?" " . . . nothing . I was just kidding . Nobody knows, obviously . Ha ha . How could they know? We kept it such a perfect secret . . . " "S-stop joking like that . . . " Alison said, her pale face regaining color as she sighed in relief . "You nearly killed me . . . " " . . . sorry . " Lucky leaned in as though to whisper something, instead giving her a quick peck on the cheek . "Teasing you, however, is my favorite past-time . " Primul remained mostly silent as he gorged away at the delicious food, silently observing everything . The more he interacted with the fortress and its inhabitants, the more he realized how different of a world it was than the outside -- and especially how different it was than his time . ncing at Lino from the corners of his eyes, he once again couldn¡¯t help but admit the young man was someone the world vastly underestimated . I really wish we could have an honest conversation, he thought, sighing inwardly . Aah . . . life can really be unfair sometimes . . . Chapter 408 Chapter 408: 408 CHAPTER 408 QUIET BEFORE THE STORM Alison was currently anxiously chipping away at her meal, asionally stealing nces to her left where Alex was sitting . He was currently chatting with Eggor about something, while opposite of them, E and Hannah¡¯s Master, Lydia, were also chatting away happily . On the table next to theirs, she saw Lucky talking with a young girl, barely fifteen by Alison¡¯s estimates, while Hannah yed with a young baby boy, Cae . The atmosphere was strangely quaint, forcing her to reconcile with the reality she couldn¡¯t have expected woulde to be just a few months ago . Who she considered her eternal foe had caused a massive shift in the paradigm, one she couldn¡¯t still quite understand . What was supposed to be a temporary, one-month long stay had turned permanent, as she found a warm and loving home here, high up in the sky, inside the walled fortress . "Everything alright?" Alex¡¯s voice jolted her out of her thoughts as she nced sideways; he smiled at her kindly, taking a sip of wine . "Y-yes, why?" she replied with a faint stutter . "I don¡¯t know . You seem out of it slightly . " " . . ah . Just . . . trying to make sense of it all . " "Ha ha ha, you aren¡¯t the only one . " "You too, Master?" she asked, slightly shocked . "Of course," Alex replied, chuckling . "Do you really think I imagined sitting, eating and drinking in smiles while the Empyrean was a table away seemingly taking a nap?" " . . . wow . He really is sleeping . " Alison eximed, her blue eyes tracing over to Lino who had his arms crossed over his chest, head lowered, faint sounds of snoring barely echoing out amidst the voices . "Just how careless is he?" "Not quite what you imagined, huh?" " . . . no . " Alison shook her head unconsciously . " . . . he surprised me as well," Alex said . "Surprised us all, I think . " "I told you a long time ago he¡¯d win you over," E suddenly joined in from the other end, chuckling . "Seems like, yet again, I was right . " " . . . aah, can¡¯t let a single victory slide, eh?" Alex chuckled bitterly . "But, you¡¯re right . You did warn me . " "Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about him," E said . "The guy¡¯s ego is already through the roof -- he doesn¡¯t need our help to push it further up . Have you settled in, Ally?" "--ah, yes!" Alison eximed, straightening up suddenly, causing Alex to sigh bitterly; why aren¡¯t you that proper when talking to your own Master? "Good," E nodded with a smile . "If anyone bothers you, let me know . I¡¯ll straighten them up . " "Ah, no, no one¡¯s bothering me . Everyone¡¯s been really nice and kind . " " . . . how¡¯s Hannah been doing?" Lydia, her Master, suddenly joined in, somewhat awkwardly . "You still haven¡¯t talked with her?" Alex eximed in faint shock . "It¡¯s . . . ah, it¡¯s still too difficult . " "She¡¯s right there," E pointed . "It can¡¯t be that difficult to walk over six meters and sit next to her . " " . . . right . Easy for you to say . " "Alright, let¡¯s disperse," E shot up to her feet, pulling Alex and Alison with her soon after as she walked over toward Hannah¡¯s table . "Good luck Lidy . I¡¯m rooting for you!" "--I told you to stop calling me that!" "Right, right . . . " Lino slowly opened his eyes and gazed briefly at the peculiar scene unfolding before his eyes . A smile of content crept onto his face as he watched all the people he loved enjoying a simple breakfast in each other¡¯sfort . Spotting E, Alison and Alex walking over toward Hannah, and the solitary Lydia sitting on the other table, he quickly picked up on the clues and got up, signaling Lucky to follow him . Thetter seemed to have realized it as well, getting up and dragging Alison away from E and Alex, with the former taking Cae from Hannah and whispering something in her ear which prompted thetter to nce over to the other table and smile lightly before walking over . Eggor dragged Alex away to the corner where he whipped out a few bottles of ale, while E pulled the few kids that hung around Lucky and Hannah away with her . Lino nced at Hannah¡¯s back once before joining Alison and Lucky on their way out as they made their way toward the streets of the fortress . Donning hoods as to not be recognized, they made the road downstairs quick and emerged on the ttened, paved streets full of life and chatter . He still couldn¡¯t quite reconcile with how the fortress had changed since he first got it, when it only used to be Val, Evelyn, Althone and the rest . Remembering them, he made a mental note to pay them a visit soon . "Anything you wanna eat?" Lucky asked Alison, trying to sneakily hold her hand in the process whichtter quickly relented against, angrily ncing at her . "N-no, I¡¯m fine . . . " "We need to fatten you up, though," Lino chuckled from the side . "L¡¯ always liked ¡¯em big . " "Liked what big?" Lucky growled . "Liked what big, you bastard?" "Boobs . " Lino shrugged somewhat fearfully . "Liked big boobs . " " . . . " Alison¡¯s cheeks quickly fired up red as she moved her arms over her chest, lowering her head and slumping over slightly . "You really have zero experience with delicate girls, don¡¯t you?" Lucky sighed, shaking her head . "Not every one of us can just selectively ignore the spewing shit thates out of your mouth, you know?" "Sorry, sorry," Lino chuckled for a moment before his expression turned serious . "Contact Ty," he said . "Tell him he¡¯ll soon be integrated into the core of the Sect and that he shouldn¡¯t resist . " " . . . hm?" Lucky¡¯s eyes glimmered for a moment as she nced at him . "Something I should know?" "I don¡¯t know much about it myself, actually . E did something . " Lino shrugged . "Oh . " Lucky knowingly nodded . "Alright . If that¡¯s the case I may as well go back to the Shadows and take over day-to-day operations once more, especially now that things will be trickier . " "Have we ceased all our operations?" Lino asked . "No, most are operating normally since they don¡¯t really have any direct links to us," Lucky exined . "I think Lyn did send out the emergency sleeper-mode to all our shops, though . " " . . . aah, coordinating all of this shit is really a massive headache," Lino sighed lowly as he suddenly took a left turn and arrived at the flourishing park . He led Lucky and Alison over to the center where a beautiful fountain spewed out transparent water . He sat on the bench and took out a bottle of wine, handing it over to Lucky, before taking out another one for himself . "We still have thest batch of Gods to ept, and most of their equipment . I also asked Eggor and Primul to see if it¡¯s possible to move the entrance to Earth over to us, though that seems like a pipe dream . I¡¯ve also been getting repeated invites by the Northerners toe join one or another festival . I imagine they also want to get in on the action . . . " "Oh no, everything is going well, fuck me . " Lucky imitated his voice, causing Alison to brieflyugh . "Oh, that¡¯s funny?" Lino nced at her with a devilish smile . "You think that¡¯s funny . " "N-no, I really don¡¯t . . . " "Yo, dude," Lucky pecked at his forehead with an angry expression . "What did I tell you about scaring her?" "Do it frequently ¡¯cause she looks absolutely adorable terrified?" " . . . I¡¯ll drown you . " "C-can . . . can I ask something?" Alison lifted her head up, ncing at Lino from the corners of her eyes . "Sure . " Lino said, smiling . " . . . have . . . have we met before?" Lucky¡¯s expression turned serious for a moment while Lino maintained the same, smiling one; his heart, however, temporarily froze . "I mean, before that day Lucky introduced you as her Master . You . . . you seem really familiar . " " . . . I don¡¯t think so," Lino¡¯s smile turned somewhat weak for a moment . "I¡¯d certainly remember meeting a beauty like you . " " . . . ah, alright . " Alison muttered, seeming unconvinced . "Is there, uh . . . is there anything I can do? Even during the meeting, everyone seemed to be tasked with something, but . . . you know . . . I never got told to do anything, so . . . " " . . . well, for starters, you gotta get stronger," Lino chuckled, ruffling her hair gently for a moment . "So, train hard, and once you can defeat me, I¡¯ll give you work . " "Eeeeh?!!" "Why doesn¡¯t she join me?" Lucky asked . " . . . what? You want to spend even more time with her?" Lino smiled strangely . "Gosh, I¡¯m starting to suspect there¡¯s more than just friendly attention toward her in you L¡¯ . Should I be worried?" "N-no! Of course not!!" Alison quickly eximed . "S-she¡¯s just a friend!" " . . . Ally . " "Yeah?" "He knows . " "Hm?" "He knows," Lucky sighed, chuckling . "He¡¯s just screwing with us . " " . . . . " "See?" Lino pointed at Alison¡¯s ruby-red cheeks . "Adorable . Anyway, you think she can make it?" "I wouldn¡¯t put her into the field, not just yet, anyway," Lucky said . "I¡¯ve something rather particr for her in mind . " "Oh? What¡¯s that?" Lino asked, intrigued . "Interrogation . " both Lucky and Lino¡¯s smiles synchronized as they nced at the unsuspecting Alison at the same time . "Right?" "That might be the smartest thing you¡¯ve ever said . " "Right?! I mean, torture is effective and all, but one look of those blue eyes and they¡¯ll be melting the truth through their skins . " Lucky said . " . . . hey," Lino¡¯s voice turned somewhat somber for a moment . "Make her happy, alright?" " . . . I¡¯ll die trying . " Lucky replied with a warm smile, nodding . Lino got up and walked away, leaving Alison and Lucky alone, giving them the peace they no doubted needed . It wasn¡¯t long before he got lost in thoughts once more, something he did often ever since his return to the fortress . He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt far too content for the state of things; in his weak moments, he even wished things would forever stay as they were at the moment . Laughter,fort, togetherness, kindness, warmth . . . he wished to cut the fortress away from the realitypletely and immortalize it, create a new world unto its image . However, he knew he couldn¡¯t . The best he could do is take the existing world and try to make it simr, as much as possible, to the fortress . Stopping in his steps, he nced up toward the ever-clearing sky . A few more years, and the first full dawn would cast itself over the world . Despite it happening recently, it certainly felt like it was eons ago that he killed Eos . " . . . among those currently desperate to locate you, there is one group I think you should meet . " Ataxia¡¯s robotic voice suddenly echoed inside Lino¡¯s mind, startling him . "Hm? Who?" "The Cult . " "Eh? Them?" Lino mumbled, stroking his chin . "You sure?" "Yes . At the very least they mean you no harm . " " . . . very well," Lino shrugged . "I could certainly use more allies now, especially ones that have been around for a long while . You¡¯ve been awfully cheap with upgrades as of recently . Got anything for me?" "Following the ascension to the Titr, all further rewards are based on the Titles . . . so, you¡¯re close . " "Tsk . . . they better be fuckin¡¯ amazing . . . " Lino mumbled . "I¡¯m still running around with the fuckin¡¯ Arts I got epochs ago, you know? If I had better shit, I could have fought Two and showed her who¡¯s the boss . . . tsk, tsk . . . I me you, actually . For all of my losses ever . If only you gave me better shit . . . " though Ataxia had long since stopped listening, Lino went on toplete an hour-long monologue that was simply a way for him to vent the frustrations piling up . Ah, that was liberating . . . I should do it more often . . . Chapter 409 Chapter 409 CHAPTER 409 DANGWE Lino stood at the edge of a tall cliff with an odd smile on his face; it was merely for a second that he had stopped hiding his presence when a ck-hooded man suddenly stepped out of the spacetime andnded a few meters behind him . Though Lino couldn¡¯t discern the man¡¯s features, his general bearing had starkly resembled that of the other cultists . He almost entirely blended into the world around him without consciously attempting to do so, and Lino realized quickly even he¡¯d have trouble spotting the man easily . " . . . you¡¯re a hard man to find, Lord Empyrean . " the manmented, suddenly removing his hood; old, worn and wrinkled face seeped out, two eyes bearing cutting scars across them, perpetually closed . White beard, styled into mutton, was rather well-kept, unlike the scarred neck beneath that had a massive, red, oval-shaped wound extending over from the jaw down to the corbone . "I¡¯m uniquely ttered," Lino replied with a smile . "As I¡¯m barely finding you right now, despite standing right in front of me . " "Forgive me," the man said . "It is ingrained in my bones by now . " "Don¡¯t fret it . How can I help you?" "Seeing your reaction, you must know who I belong to . " the man said . "I do . " Lino nodded . "My name is Yog¡¯son," the man said . "You may call me Y . " " . . . I¡¯d rather call you son, though . " Lino remarked, grinning . "I am currently three point nine billion years old," the man replied, grinning as well while tilting his head slightly . "I may be many things to you, but son is not one of them . " " . . . you know, I¡¯d be shocked had I not met someone even older than you . " Lino replied with strange calmness, shocking the man slightly . "Oh? May I inquire who?" "No . " " . . . very well . " "What can I do you for, Yog¡¯son?" Lino asked . "My Master wishes to meet you," the man said . "As to discuss a possible alliance . " " . . . " Lino remained expressionless for a moment, seemingly contemting, before replying . "Rumor has it that the Cult has no Master -- that each branch exists independent of one another, only ever united against external threats, each led by a generally-elected Council . " " . . . for starters, we are not a Cult," Yog¡¯son said, smiling faintly . "We are an organization . " "Ah . " "And, while true that that¡¯s how we operate on a daily basis . . . what organization doesn¡¯t have a founder, Mr . Lyonel?" " . . . I was merely wondering aloud," Lino replied with a smile . "I am most intrigued to meet a man who has an Origin Awakened fe calling him a Master . " " . . . you have a keen eye, Mr . Lyonel . " Yog¡¯son chuckled . "And I even consciously tried to hide it as to not scare you away . " " . . . how could you scare me away?" Lino said as the man tore open space next to him, inviting Lino over . "Indeed . Empyreans are hardly the ilk to run with tails between their legs . " Yog¡¯son took a slight jab with a half-hidden smile, causing Lino to stop and nce at him . "I was talking about your Will," Lino replied with a somewhat colder voice . "No being with a Broken Will can enter my eyes, be they Mortals or Origin Awakened Cultivators . " " . . . " "--go ahead," Lino stopped next to the portal and met Yog¡¯son¡¯s eyes squarely . "Lash out . If I don¡¯t have you kneeling within a second, I¡¯ll gift over my all to you . " " . . . . . " "That¡¯s what I thought . " Lino scoffed . "Don¡¯t pour salt on the open wounds, son," he added as he stepped through . "Especially of those who wouldn¡¯t mind snapping your neck off as though you were a chicken . " Lino found himself inside an eerily dim room, void of any decorations save for two chairs at the center . Rectangr walls were dull, stone-cast, and windowless . He quickly realized there were no traps nor formations anywhere around, and the portal remained open even after Yog¡¯son walked through, still sour-faced . Sitting on one of the chairs was a young man Lino never saw before in his life; judging by the appearance, Lino would put him inte teens at best . Although not terribly handsome, he was nheless pleasing to look at . What shocked Lino the most, however, was that he couldn¡¯t gauge the youth¡¯s strength -- nor his Will . "I apologize on Y¡¯s behalf," the youth said with a faint smile, pointing Lino to the chair opposite of his . "He was never very skilled with social situations, I¡¯m afraid . " " . . . nah, I think he¡¯s just a jackass . " Lino shrugged, sitting down . "Ha ha ha ha ha, true, that may be it, actually . " the youthughed freely, ncing at the pouting man who drew the hood back over his face once more . "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Lyonel . " "I¡¯d say the same thing if I knew who the hell you were . " Lino replied, replying to the man¡¯s handshake . "My name . . . ah, I¡¯ve many names, but, seeing as I wish to be your friend, you may as well know my actual name: Dangwe . " the youth said . "Perhaps Dan, if you¡¯d like . " "Very well . . . Dan . " Lino said . "How can I help you?" "I¡¯d like to think we¡¯d be helping each other, Lyonel," the youth said, summoning a wooden table stacked with a variety of drinks that caused Lino to nearly drool -- all of the legendary booze he had long since reconciled with never drinking . . .y there, before him . "Ah, this--you know-- this wasn¡¯t my offer . It¡¯s not as though I¡¯d just give you alcohol in return for your cooperation . " " . . . if you pushed hard enough you may have gotten it . " "Ha ha ha, spoken like a true--khm . . . " "Alcoholic," Lino grinned . "You can say it . It¡¯s one of the few titles I bear with pride . But, don¡¯t ever tell my wife I said that . " " . . . ah, wives . Aren¡¯t they a proper treasure?" "You have a wife?" Lino eximed softly, surprised . "Of course I do," the youth chuckled . "Much like you, I¡¯ve remained faithful to a single woman since the day I met her . Though, you know, I¡¯ve been faithful for billions of years . You only for a few . " " . . . weird flex, but alright . " Lino shrugged, slowly beginning to indulge himself in the variety of bottles of liquid, ranging from cool crimson to terribly hot twilight . His taste buds had never been as abused as in those few minutes before in his life . "You¡¯re not what I was expecting when that son over there told me he had a Master . " " . . . why not?" "I expected a bearded, embittered, angry and resentful fe tired of the world¡¯s horseshit, ready to wipe it clean . " " . . . on the contrary," the youth his, his smiling expression turning soft for a moment . "I love this world, Lyonel . Perhaps, I dare say, I love it more than you . " " . . . " "However, just like you, I can see it is diseased, rotting from inside out . And, however much it pains me to say, no matter what I tried to do in eons past, I¡¯ve been unable to heal it . " " . . . " Lino remained silently, carefully inspecting the youth¡¯s harrowing expression and pained look in his eyes . "When I was a little boy, my world wasn¡¯t very big . " he chuckled lightly . "There was our house, the farm, the tall mountains and theke . That was my life . My father used to tell me that the rest of the world is just fire and harsh winds and that our corner is the only safe ce . Of course, I believed him unconditionally . It wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d passed that my mother told me he made all those stories up to keep me there . " " . . . " "Over my life, I¡¯ve explored nearly every inch of this beautiful, magical ce we call our home," the youth added, looking up and meeting Lino¡¯s eyes . "And I¡¯ve met so many people I¡¯m sad to admit I¡¯ve begun forgetting many of them . Do you know why I founded what you know as the Void Cult?" " . . . why?" Lino asked, slowing down on the consumption . "To prevent all those inhabiting this world from raping it into oblivion," the youth replied . "Back then, I was a meek youth, slightly older than you actually . And I had to watch, year in and year out, skies being pelted away at by scorching fire, and watch mountains cleaved and razed, and watch holes the size of cities dug out from beneath our feet . " Lino¡¯s shoulders rxed slightly; though he still kept his guard up, he could tell, from the bottom of his heart, that the man wasn¡¯t lying . "That was actually when I met La . " "La?" "My wife . " "Ah . " "She was a survivor of the so-called Fiend Uprising," the youth chuckled bitterly . "In wanting to prove themselves to Gaia, Fiends took to arms against the Primes, not caring who they harm in the path of their crusade . They were devastated, of course, nearly beaten into extinction, but, which one of lesser us could care about that? She had to watch her entire vige burn out in a matter of a single breath . I¡¯d learnter that this was the reason my father told me that about the outside world . In a way . . . he wasn¡¯t actually lying . It really waskes of fire and seas of anguish . " " . . . you are not a human, are you?" Lino asked, frowning . " . . . not your kind of a human, no," the youth shook his head, chuckling faintly . "But, still a human, nheless . " "Not my kind of a human? I didn¡¯t know there were more types of humans than one . " Lino said, smiling lightly . " . . . there are four, to be precise," Dan said . "To be fair, one branch has already gone extinct, and one can be considered endangered species, but your kind, despite being most populous, certainly isn¡¯t the only sort of human to exist . Most of your books refer to us as proto-humans, and you as our descendants . Completely fabricated . Your kind existed well before the Skyhaven Era, and Prosperity Era . Origin of Humans, both your and mine, dates back to the Origin Era . " " . . . your fat ass is five billion years old?!!" Lino eximed as he slowly connected the dots . " . . . pretty much," Dan chuckled, nodding . "Though, I wouldn¡¯t say my ass is fat . If anything, because La likes pinching it, I ensure it¡¯s always fit . " " . . . " "Don¡¯t be so shocked; it¡¯s only natural that the world wouldn¡¯t know of it, as we were very much primitive back then . We didn¡¯t have a written script, we didn¡¯t have cultures, we werergely nomads . . . the first Human Civilization indeed came to be during the Skyhaven Era, so that¡¯s something . Until then, we livedrgely in obscurity, hiding and trying to survive the world that was very muchrger than us . Eventually, our numbers reached quite high, which is why Gaia elected to help us during the Skyhaven Era . " " . . . even after so many years, if you failed to clean up the world . . . aah, it¡¯s kind of discouraging . " Lino chuckled bitterly for a moment . "I didn¡¯t take you to be a man who gives up . " " . . . if you hadn¡¯t, how could I?" " . . . I¡¯ve wanted to . Many times . " Dan said with a somber expression . "Whenever I¡¯d see us falling back to old patterns . . . my heart would crack and bleed . I¡¯d cried in rain and fire, and I¡¯d called out to them, and I¡¯d screamed at them . . . but my words always seemed to fall on deaf ears . " " . . . " "We¡¯ll only ever move backward if even Gaia herself sees it as the best choice to murder the innocent on the off-chance it might make the Empyrean go mad . " Lino¡¯s heart creaked for a moment, his lips quivering faintly . "She¡¯s done it many times before . I don¡¯t know why I expected it to be any different this time around . " " . . . done it many times before?" Lino mumbled . "Aye," Dan nodded . "Every time the Empyrean in the past was on the cusp of a victory, or at the very least on the cusp of winning the world back over, she would do it . Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn¡¯t, but each and every time the innocent would end up suffering the most . " " . . . if you¡¯ve known that for so long, why didn¡¯t you ever kill her?" Lino asked . "Oh, I¡¯ve tried," Dan chuckled . "But, the furthest along I¡¯ve gotten was killing six of her Avatars . I was never able to locate her actual body -- even after billions of years of searching . I am almost certain it¡¯s not even located on Noterra . " "Howe I¡¯ve never read about you, then?" Lino asked . "Because I¡¯ve done it under many different names, titles and appearances, and because millions of things were never written, or were deliberately forgotten . In essence, the world itself is a giant lie . " " . . . alright, I¡¯ll bite . " Lino said, sighing faintly . "What are your terms for cooperation?" "I thought you¡¯d never ask . . . " Chapter 410 Chapter 410 CHAPTER 410 THE TEMPESTS OF HEAVEN A long bay stretched northward, while even grander ocean billowed southward, surrounding an elongated penins sticking out of the easternmost point of the Holy Continent . Resting on top of tall and sharp cliffs, and surrounded by vast, flourishing valleys andvishly green mountains, was the official home of the Heaven¡¯s Chosen . A sect consisted of hundreds upon hundreds of buildings styled in Skyhaven-noir architecture, spiked towers and spires bounding domed pces stretching for over a hundred meters into the sky . Streetsy paved with limestone, as clean as a newborn¡¯s tear, all intersecting repeatedly into the sections divided by tall, bronze statues . The central buildingy stacked against the cliff¡¯s edge, overlooking both the Pilgrim¡¯s Bay toward the north-west and the informally known Winged Ocean toward the south . It was a majestic creation heaving upward of six hundred meters at its highest point, cleaved into subsets of the subsets . It sported golden, bronze, silver and white palette, two massive, silver wheels bounding over it, stacked with gears connected to steel lines holding up the bridges binding together dozens of tall, roofed tforms . It stood up in the sky like abyrinth, an interwoven web of suspended passages leading everywhere and nowhere . It almost seemed to be a city unto itself, remarkably elevated above its surroundings, seemingly cleaved into another reality . ssed domes reflected light perfectly above, creating a cascading shower of colors that fell over the rest of the sect, dousing it in perpetual light . Birds, both beastly and those less so, repeatedly circled above, with air dock resting on the far western side, suspended by the connecting steel lines, holding in total nearly twenty ships, repeatedly weing new ones and waving farewell to the departing . Both the central subsection and the rest of the sect never seemed to sleep, as thousands could be spotted at any given moment drifting away through the canvasing streets in search of their destinies . Colors of robes ranged from bright azure to clear silver, each depicting various levels of achievements and status most vainly disyed to the world . Home to the most-talented the Cultivation World had to offer lived on forevermore, be it dark or light, never asleep . Within the central subsection, hidden away from the grandiose elevations that would put the capitals of all Empires to shame, deep underground, was a small sector of the so-called Cultivating Domes . They were specially designed rooms bounded with millions of formations whose sole focus was to speed the inhabitant¡¯s cultivation . Even further down than that, at the lowest point, nearly a mile underground, a singr chamber existed where two men and a woman were currently sitting . One of the two men and a woman had a deep frown on their faces, their disturbed expressions reflected in their sharp eyes . The woman appeared rtively young, breaching her forties . She had smooth and copper-tanned skin and a pair of brisk, emerald-green eyes . On the taller end, her slender figure was hidden beneath a massively loose, golden robe . The frowning man appeared older, though not by much; he still maintained fairly colorful, twilight-dyed hair, a stark contrast to his silver beard . A pair of crimson eyes swirled unto themselves, carefully inspecting the third¡¯s man limp expression . The Devil yer, Hound of the East, sat impassioned, slowly drinking rather pleasant, jasmine tea . He seemed unhurried and entirely indifferent to the scrutinizing nces of the two . " . . . let me get this right," the woman said . "You want us to betray Gaia . . . and fight for the Empyrean . . . and you want us to do that on your word alone?" " . . . yeah, pretty much . " the yer said, smiling faintly . "We¡¯ve always suspected you were nuts," the other man said, sucking in a cold breath . "But, by gods, this is insane Hound . . . even for you . Seeing as this came straight after you went to confront the Maiden . . . is it something she said? Did? Did she perhaps beat your ass ck and blue and the only way you could live was to give yourself, and your home, over to her?" " . . . " the yer chuckled, inwardly musing how this friend of his always had a keen eye for the truth . . . though it was usually slightly skewed from the reality . "Make of my words what you will, Y¡¯lov . This wasn¡¯t a proposal -- merely a statement . " " . . . what? We don¡¯t get a say in our potential demise, Y¡¯nn?" the woman frowned, her voice growing slightly louder . "You remain asleep for millions of years at the time while the rest of us have to ensure we are never toppled, and when you do decide to wake up, you just expect us to do whatever you will at your mere word?" " . . . this has been my home for much longer than yours, Y¡¯elleve," the yer said, still smiling . "Do you believe I want it ended?" "That¡¯s not what--" "I know," he interrupted her quickly . "I¡¯ve spoken my mind . Besides, our help won¡¯t be needed for quite some time . Until then, perhaps it¡¯s best we actually learn something about our Empyrean, no? Like, how did he manage to take a full-brunt hit from Two, and not only live but shrug it off?" "--¡¯cause he¡¯s a body-nutjob like you?" Y¡¯lov shrugged . "All pointers are to the high Vitality . Nothing too out of the ordinary for the Empyrean . " Y¡¯elleve said . " . . . no, perhaps not . . . for a seasoned Empyrean," the yer said . "Definitely yes for a young buck barely fourth decade into the living . We¡¯re talking over sixty million here, Y¡¯elleve . " "Most of which was acquired by items . " "Which, as I¡¯vee to learn, he crafted himself . " "--yeah, alright, that¡¯s a bit insane, I admit . " Y¡¯lov said, sighing . "An Empyrean hand-crafting his own armors and weapons? Talk about beating a dead fuckin¡¯ horse . . . that kid¡¯s gonna give this world some major headaches . " "Items that increase Strength and Vitality are inherently difficult toe across," Y¡¯elleve said, rubbing her temple . "Namely because crack cases like you are, well, extremely rare . If he¡¯s crafting armor with massive percentile increase . . . it means it¡¯s only a matter of time before we see Universal-tier item with Vitality bonuses in hundreds of thousands . Wouldn¡¯t he, well, effectively be immortal at that point?" "Not really," the yer said, shaking his head lightly . "Part of the reason why Body Cultivation isn¡¯t so popr is not just because we¡¯ve got to use our bodies as weapons -- it¡¯s because there are many methods to deal with us . There are thousands of weapons out there in the world whose damage is based on Vitality percentage . While useless against you two . . . " " . . . it¡¯s a miracle against you . True . " Y¡¯elleve nodded . "But, if he could devise a measure to prevent that . . . " "He still wouldn¡¯t be immortal . Vitality merely represents how many surface hits you can take before cracking . A straight stab to the heart or brain still ounts for some serious, if not lethal, damage . " "Goddamn, Body Cultivators are fucking useless . . . " Y¡¯lov growled lowly . "And now you¡¯re asking us to throw our banner not just behind one, but two of you useless dongs . . . " " . . . if I recall correctly," the yer said, chuckling . "This useless dong has saved your life far too many times to keep the count, no?" " . . . the greatest shame of my life, really . " "So far . " "So far . . . " " . . . even if we agree, it will be beyond difficult, if not impossible, for everyone in the Sect to respect your decision," Y¡¯elleve said . "Respect for you has waned considerably over the years, Y¡¯nn . You may be shocked to find out that your word doesn¡¯t carry as much weight as it used to . " "Which is why I¡¯m reaching out to you two first with my decision . . . " he smiled pleasantly, causing the two to sigh . "I¡¯m sure you have your fancy ways of social grace that I¡¯ve alwayscked to convince them . " "--they will resist," Y¡¯lov said . "Massively . There might even be an open rebellion . Especially by the thousands directly or indirectly harmed by current or former Empyreans . If you could just throw us a fucking bone Y¡¯nn, something, anything, to clue us in . . . we might have a better chance of convincing them . . . " " . . . when I made this decision," Y¡¯nn said after a short silence . "I hardly made it for the Empyrean . " "You got hard for the Maiden, huh?" Y¡¯lovemented with a strange grin . "I heard she was a fuckin¡¯ beaut, but she hid before I could take her in . " "However, the more I looked into him, the more I realized . . . he¡¯s the future . " "Howe?" Y¡¯elleve asked, frowning . "Because the only reason the Descent intervened was because he went after the Bearers -- not because of Gaia," Y¡¯nn said . "Which means they didn¡¯t wish to be his enemy . In addition, even that old Monster is trying to reach out to him . Then you¡¯ve got the Maiden, three Bearers, Qe¡¯lls, Eternals . . . what more do you need, you two? The entire world is throwing their names behind him -- openly at that -- defying the order of things that has persisted for billions of years . The uprising is even greater than during the Eldon¡¯s era . He¡¯s got Gods, Devils, Writs, Bearers, Maidens, a Dragon . . . and would have most likely had the Descent . . . that¡¯s not just an army . . . that¡¯s an Origin War-winning army . " " . . . why did he go after the Bearers, though?" Y¡¯lov suddenly asked . "I figured he killed Light in the bout of passion, but all his moves so far have been rtively steady . Why the sudden shift? If he¡¯s willing to take in the Bearers and work with them, why go after those two?" " . . . my guess is that he¡¯s trying to rapidly increase the amount of Chaos in the world," Y¡¯nn said, sighing faintly . "Or that he was trying to appease Ataxia . " " . . . appease him?!" Y¡¯elleve¡¯s brows arched as she quizzed . " . . . hm," Y¡¯nn nodded . "I was led to believe that . . . he may not be as loyal of a soldier as the motherly vestiges of the world has portrayed him to be . . . " Chapter 411 Chapter 411: 411 CHAPTER 411 CHAOS OF VOID (I) Lino stared at a massive spread steaming in front of him, on top of a rather wide and long wooden table . Exotic fruits, drinks, birds, and bovine wrapped in various ways, sauced with various spices, creating an invasion of smells that caused his brain to momentarily freeze . Right next to him, Dangwe and Yog¡¯son had already begun indulging themselves in the food, leaving Lino behind . Thetter quickly began catching up, however, stuffing whatever he could put his hands on into his mouth, one after another . The tastes broke something inside of him to the point where he even shed a couple of tears, ones he wanted to reserve for the birth of his first child . . . or at the very least a really good night of this and that . "--alright, the first order of cooperation -- you give me your cook . " Lino eximed, licking his fingers . "I¡¯d rather watch the world burn than give you my wife . " Dan replied with a cheeky smile . " . . . tsk . " "What? Your wife can¡¯t cook this well, Lino?" " . . . s-she . . . being a wife is more than being a good cook! She can, for instance, heave her legs over her shoulders . " " . . . what¡¯s that good for?" Dan asked, causing Lino to look sideways dubiously . " . . . nothing . She¡¯s tried, to be honest," Lino said . "Just doesn¡¯t have much talent with it . Even I¡¯m better . " " . . . before La became a cultivator, she used to own a small-time portable bakery . She was hunted east and west when she wouldn¡¯t show up on her usual spots in time . " " . . . so? What¡¯s the secret?" Lino asked as they wiped thest food from the table, sitting back down, with even Yog¡¯son joining them on the third chair . "How¡¯d you keep the fire kindled for so long?" " . . . in many ways like you and Hannah . " "Hm? You been stalking us?" "Of course I did . " Dan chuckled . "I was mightily surprised to learn how simr you two are to us . " "So you fight all the time?" " . . . we spend as much time as possible being just . . . ordinary people . " Dan replied, smiling lightly . "We sleep, we eat three meals a day, we get drunk . . . it¡¯s never really about keeping the fire alive, Lino . Unless it¡¯s with someone special, that fire won¡¯t keep burning . Though, I suppose you know that . " " . . . will I ever have the pleasure of meeting her?" Lino asked . "Eh, she¡¯s fairly shy . Though she¡¯ll be happy to know you¡¯ve enjoyed her cooking . She has always had a soft spot for the Empyreans -- lonesome wolves standing against the world . She¡¯s a romantic like that . " " . . . tell her we¡¯re very thankful for her support," Lino chuckled faintly before his expression turned serious . "Now, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to know before we move forward . " "Oh? What¡¯s that?" "--are you purifying Bloodlines for yourselves, or as a business opportunity?" Lino¡¯s words seemed to surprise both Dangwe and Yog¡¯son, causing them to stare at him in shock for a few seconds . "How¡¯d you figure it out?" Dan asked . "A team effort . " "Huh . You¡¯ve got a good team . " Dangwe chuckled . "Though, not good enough . " "Hm?" "We¡¯re not trying to purify Bloodlines," he said . "We¡¯re researching for ways to neutralize them . " " . . . oh? Why¡¯s that?" Lino asked, somewhat shocked himself . "Well,rgely because forced cross-racial breeding has been a massive thing for eons now," Dangwe exined . "In vain hopes they might get a useful Bloodline, thousands of wastes have been created . The race that can¡¯t breathe our air so they have to live near an active volcano so they can breathe the soot . The race that dies if they touch the water . Currently, there are over ten thousand different racial groups in the world . I think that¡¯s a bit out of hand, don¡¯t you?" " . . . so you¡¯re selling it . " Lino cracked a faint smile, causing Dan to reply in kind after a few moments . "Nothing gets past your eyes and ears, huh?" "Are you short on funds?" "Funds? No . Resources? Yes . " Dan said . "We¡¯re not selling it for Qi Stones or some ordinary bits and pieces that can be dug up anywhere . For instance, thest time we sold it for a piece of fossilized Titan Heart . I mean, it¡¯s entirely useless as far as their legends go, but nheless, it allowed us to study the structure of their core in greater detail than ever before . " "Didn¡¯t you live through the Titan Era? I imagine you¡¯d have many opportunities to study them alive back then . " Lino asked . "Aha, sure," Dan grinned . "I¡¯d like to see you approach a mile tall giant made out of stone and ask them if you could crawl through their body to study them . Arge reason why Titans dominated so much during the Era wasn¡¯t simply because they were stronger than us -- we couldn¡¯t even harm them Lino . Back then, I had failed my Origin Awakening six times in total, yet my all-out attack was unable to even leave a dent in their ordinary bodies . There was a saying: a Titan wounded was wounded by a Titan . " "Not much of a saying . But, seriously? I¡¯d fought a Titan once -- he didn¡¯t seem that resilient . " "At best, you fought a remnant . " Dan shrugged . "I¡¯ve spent over two million years after their ¡¯official extinction¡¯ confirming there were no more Titans left before I allowed my people to surface back up . " " . . . " "Now, an inquiry for you . " Dangwe asked, leaning forward . "Throughout the entire history, we have never failed to locate someone . No matter who, no matter what, there was no hiding from us . Yet . . . you did . Not just you . Everyone even remotely rted to you . Care to borate?" " . . . trade secrets, Dan . " Lino cracked a faint smile . "We¡¯re talking about going on a first date and you¡¯re immediately gunning after the wedding . Slow down . " " . . . extend me the courtesy and answer at least this: is it exclusive to you? Or could it be employed by anyone else?" "Parts and pieces of both . " Lino replied mysteriously . "Why me, though? I imagine part of the hope is that I¡¯ll cripple the Descent so you can take their ce, but I don¡¯t n on going after them . " "You don¡¯t?" Dan asked . "No, not as a whole, at the very least . " Lino said . "Two will die, that much I promise you . The bitch derailed my ns too much . Perhaps even One, but as I know next to nothing about the man, that might be a bit difficult . " " . . . then that¡¯s enough . " Dan¡¯s lips curled up into a smile . "Really, in the grand scheme of things, One is the Descent . " " . . . who is he?" Lino asked . "The first-ever human bearer of the Origin Soul," Dan exined, sipping a cupful of mead and taking a sip . "As far as I¡¯m aware, he was born sometime during thete stages of the Prosperity Era . Hergely heralded the rise of the Humans and ushered in the age of Skyhaven Domination . Ironically, he founded the concept of numbers for members of Descent based on his title . " "Hm?" "It¡¯s One . " " . . . just . . . One?" "Yeah," Dan shrugged . "I happened to ask him about it once, and he said it¡¯s because he¡¯s the one . " " . . . the one what?" "Just . . . the one . " "Huh . " Lino mumbled . "Pretentious bastard . " "Oh, tell me about it . " "So, what are my chances of currently taking him on?" "About . . . huh, negative ten to an infinity . " Dan grinned, taking a sip . "Even I would only be able tost a few rounds against him . As far as I¡¯m aware, there are only two other humans who can stand up to him, and a couple of High Lords . " "And . . . what are the chances of us conscripting any one of them to join our crusade?" "Even less than you defeating One as you are now . " " . . . you are nothing if not a bearer of bad news, huh?" Lino grinned, sighing faintly . "How much of a role does One even y in your ns?" "A very minor one, if I¡¯m being honest," Lino said . "If possible, I¡¯d simply leave him be . My grudge with Two isrgely personal, so . . . " " . . . you might be in luck then . One hardly ever concerns himself with what goes on here . So, he might just not care that you¡¯ve whacked Two to the afterlife . My turn . How strong is the Maiden?" "The Maiden? Oh, you mean E?" "Yeah . " Dan nodded . " . . . I . . . have no clue . " Lino smiled bitterly . "I can¡¯t really put it into words . Once you meet her you¡¯ll understand what I mean . " "Oh? So I¡¯ll be meeting her?" "Well, it will be rtively difficult to maintain this partnership if only the two of us were in on it, you know?" "--we¡¯ll start off easy," Dan said, taking out a small piece of stone and putting it on the table . "This is [Qi Soul], a Qi-mine central density . " " . . . and in return for it . . . " Lino mumbled, swallowing arge gulp . "I want you to lend me your pet Dragon for a couple of days . . . " Chapter 412 Chapter 412 CHAPTER 412 CHAOS OF VOID (II) "Start casting the first batch!!" a deep bellow roared out inside a terribly hot and dry quarter stacked with burning furnaces, tall anvils being hammered at, and a slew of scantily-d men and women working tirelessly with bands wrapped around their foreheads . A group of young men picked up a row of buckets filled with molten metal and dragged them over to a molding station, yelling from the top of their lungs as they lifted the buckets and poured the content out into the set array of molds . "We¡¯re two crucibles short!" a high-pitch, woman¡¯s voice followed shortly after . "Fuckin¡¯ kids, why¡¯s there still g on my station?!!" "S-sorry Sir! I¡¯ll clean it up right away!" "I need those crucibles now, dammit!!" the woman¡¯s voice cried out louder this time as Sarah heaved up from her crouching position, her copper-tanned figure towering over the nearby men . "Or do you fuckers want to cast hardened crap?!" "I¡¯ve seen a few in the storage; I¡¯ll bring them over . " a young man standing by her side took of rather loose gloves and ran off . "We¡¯ve a new batch arriving for smelting," another older voice bellowed out . "Prepare the stations!" "We¡¯re out of space!! We still have two batches left to smelt!" "We don¡¯t need quenchers just yet," Eggor joined from the far front, breathing heavily . "Convert three into temporary smelting stations . Get more kids to clean up g upfront . Also, I need a fewds and gals skilled in drawing upfront . Anyone up for a task?" "I¡¯m up for it!" "Me too, Master Eggor!" "Count me in!" "Alright, firste first serve," Eggor chuckled lightly as three young boys yet to reach fifteen quickly raced in front of him . "If you disappoint me, I¡¯ll break your spines though . You up for it?!" "Up for it, Sir!!" "Ha ha ha, good, good . Come on, follow me in . " "How¡¯s Cae Master Eggor?" one of the boys asked . "We haven¡¯t seen him around in a few days . " "Ah, his mother¡¯s been teaching him . . . strange stuff . . . " Eggor grumbled, rubbing his temple . "God help that kid with that woman . . . haii . . . " Eggor nced around a few times, nodding in content . Though they were still terribly short-staffed, it was worlds better than it was a few months ago . More and more of the young Apprentices were developing properly, and quite a few of them had already settled on their specializations . Even if it was still roughly forty souls doing the job of about two hundred, they were making the ends meet . . . if those ends were pulled back considerably . He was currently working on a set of molds for general armor that would be worn by most people . However, he was rather ufortable doing it as he¡¯d only ever crafted items tailored to individuals . Which is also why he was simultaneously working on Ally¡¯s weapon, something E promised Alex many moons ago that he was yet toplete . "What¡¯s this shit?" a familiar voice caused him to stop walking as his lips, hidden underneath the bushy beard, curled up into a warm smile . "You doing casts? Damn, old man . How far did I push you?" Lino stood by an elevated portion of the wall that had several molds carved into it at an angle . He wore his usual, tattered attire, his beard and hair having already grown back . The young boys next to Eggor frowned, causing the old man to stifle hisughter as he approached Lino, stopping next to him . "Into depression,d . I¡¯ve been vin¡¯ away here while you were out and about . I¡¯m terribly hurt . " " . . . why are you doing fucking casts in the first ce?" Lino chuckled bitterly . "I thought you¡¯d be responsible for armoring our high-end units . " " . . . I--" "You couldn¡¯t trust anyone else to do it right, huh?" seemingly striking where it hurt, Lino grinned . "And people call me a narcissist . . . " "That¡¯s because you are one . " Eggor said . "Takes one to know the other . " Lino shrugged . "But, seriously, cease this tomfoolery immediately!" he eximed mboyantly . "Thine arms and hands shall cast steel into the molds of heaven, and make men borne immortal--" "Oh, shut the living fuck up," Eggor rolled his eyes, pping Lino over the back of his head . "Fine, fine, I¡¯ll outsource it . Hey, you three . See those long, thick rods over on the other side? Get to drawing . " "---M-master Eggor . . . they . . . " one of the boys meekly mumbled . "What?" Eggor asked, his gaze turning sharp . "N-nothing!" the boys quickly eximed . Just as the three were about to race over, Lino beat them to it, picking up one of the rods . "I see . . . so, your favorite past-time is still torturing kids, huh?" Lino grinned, an array of distant memories shing through his mind . "Anyway, wanna spice it up?" "Spice it up?" Eggor mused, stroking his beard . "Whichever one of the boys manages to draw their rod out first--khm, god, that sounds so wrong . Anyway, whoever does their job first, gets one request from you -- and you have to craft whatever their batshit insane minds make up . " "Where do you fit into that?" Eggor asked, seemingly confused . "I¡¯ll be responsible for the crazy dreams of the other two . " "Oooh, interesting . " Eggor grinned for a moment . "Deal . But, how about we bet on who will do it first?" "Alright . Since I¡¯m going all out," Lino took out a small piece of glistening rock that caused Eggor to freeze for a moment . "I¡¯ll bet this . You gotta match it old man . " "W-where in the ever-loving-shit did you get that?!" Eggor raced over, picking the small piece and examining it deeply . "Trade secrets . So? What will you put up against it?" "[Blood-stained Steel]," Eggor said almost immediately . "Refined a hundred times, tempered through lightning, Level 25,000 . " " . . . fucking fuck!! You had it all along and you kept your fat, old mouth shut?! Fuck you man!!" "Fuck you right back!! As if I¡¯d give something so precious to a fuckin¡¯ stunk like you!" "Tsk . I swear, when I win, I¡¯ll take the steel and make a fuckin¡¯ cup to drink the tea out of for me . " " . . . I will disown you if you do . " Eggor¡¯s voice turned cold and frigid, causing Lino to shudder . "I-I¡¯m kidding, old man . . . you . . . you know I¡¯m kidding . . . " "Anyway, boys," Eggor spun around and faced the now-terrified three boys who unwittingly became a part of something much, much bigger than themselves . "Go away at it . Don¡¯t think too much and work hard, alright? If I happen to lose, so be it . I¡¯ll cave this idiot¡¯s skull in, but you¡¯ll be safe, alright?" "What about thed neither one of us bets on?" Lino asked from the side . "Won¡¯t he feel like a mass-ass looser?" "I¡¯ll fill in, then," a calm voice joined the three as Primul walked in, wearing a thin smile on his face . "Unfortunately, though, I don¡¯t have much in the ways of materials to give away, but I do have knowledge . I¡¯ll bet the . From what I¡¯ve learned, it is lost to the dunes of time, no?" " . . . I¡¯ll take the scrawny, blue-eyedd . " Lino pointed at the leftmost boy who immediately jumped and began shaking . "I¡¯ll take Jin . " "Who the fuck¡¯s Jin?" Lino asked . "I--I¡¯m Jin . . . " the boy in the middle raised his hand meekly; he was barely over a meter and a half tall, bald and somewhat skinny . "Alright, that leaves you with the girly one Primul . You alright with that?" Eggor asked . "Sure . He looks like a winner . " Primul said, grinning strangely as he crouched and reached the long-haired boy¡¯s eye level . "You are a winner . . . aren¡¯t you, boy?" "--I---I---" "Alright, get to work," Eggor pped the three boy¡¯s backs and pushed them over to the thick rods as Lino and Primul joined him on the other end, observing the shaking and quivering boys with amusing smiles . "Maybe they are a bit too young to be fucked with, eh?" "You fucked with me way harder when I was their age," Lino shrugged . "And I could barely do a push up without having all the muscles in my body ache . " "How about we bet on which one will be the least affected---" "Dude, you have a fucking problem . " Lino jumped in, interrupted Primul who had a strange glitter to his ck eyes . "I¡¯ve realized this a long ago, but I thought, hey, whatever, it¡¯s a quirk . It¡¯s not doing any harm . It¡¯s started doing harm . " " . . . yeah, I should probably stop," Primul mumbled . "I already owe half the fortress something . . . " " . . . anyway, where were you?" Eggor asked Lino as the trio settled with a bottle of ale each . "Meeting friends, learning stuff, getting traumatized . You know, usual weekends . " "Who¡¯d you meet?" "The leader of the Cult . " Lino replied . "Chill fe . Fairly greedy and moralistic . I don¡¯t like him very much . " "Why? He reminds you too much of yourself?" Eggor jabbed with a chuckle . "I¡¯ve settled on temporary cooperation," Lino continued, ignoring it . "Though I imagine our friendship won¡¯tst for too long . " "Why? Different goals?" Primul asked . "Hey, this dude is fairly old," Lino nced at him and asked . "Maybe you know him . Dangwe spur any bells?" " . . . Dangwe?" Primul thought for a moment before shaking his head . "His wife¡¯s name is La, or at least so he ims . Maybe you know her? Apparently, they are a different species of humans than our own . " " . . . Dan?" "You know him?" "Of course I know him," Primul suddenly sighed, his gaze growing pained . "Perhaps too well . " "How?" "Well, for starters, I¡¯ve beheaded his wife during myst rampage," Primul replied . "Before nearly razing his entire Sect to the ground . " " . . . . " " . . . your past is really depressing . . . " Eggor sighed . "Wait--was his wife La?" Lino asked . "I don¡¯t know," Primul shrugged . "It¡¯s not like I was taking names . The only reason I even know him is ¡¯cause he was there during the battle where Ipletely lost it . He was one of the few survivors . " " . . . oh . It¡¯s probably best I don¡¯t mention you¡¯re with me now . Might, you know, put a dent in the whole ¡¯partnership¡¯ thing . " "Probably, yeah . " " . . . taking you in was a big mistake, wasn¡¯t it?" Lino mumbled . "The biggest you¡¯ll ever make . " "Haii . . . . " Chapter 413 Chapter 413 CHAPTER 413 CHAOS OF VOID (III) Lucky groaned lowly as her eyes fluttered for a moment . Waking up, she cursed under her breath before reaching into her void treasure and taking out a burned talisman . Her face quickly cramped into a deep frown as she moved her arm sideways and shook Alison . "Ally, wake up . " "--uguhh . . . five more minutes . . . " a meek, sweet voice came from the other side of the bed as Alison pulled the nket further over herself . "We¡¯ve been attacked," Lucky said, ripping the nket off of her . "I¡¯ve gotta report to Lino . Let¡¯s go . " " . . . can¡¯t . . . can¡¯t you do that alone?" a slightly watery, blue eyes looked pitifully at Lucky . She didn¡¯t even notice them however, her eyes glued to the rest of the body . "If your perfect tits don¡¯t do it, your pitiful eyes certainly won¡¯t either . " Lucky chortled, getting up and slowly dressing . " . . . ugh, fine . " groaning, Alison got up and angrily put on some clothes, her eyes half-closed during the process . "Where have we been attacked?" "Let¡¯s go . " rather than answering her, Lucky simply stormed out of the room, expecting Alison to follow her . Thetter grumbled something under her breath but followed nheless . They navigated the rather simple streets of the fortress easily until they reached the basement floor of the central tower that was stacked with over forty teleportation arrays spread about evenly over two quasi-floors . They went after the topmost one, with Lucky taking out a strange-looking talisman and burning it . The spinning vortex shimmered in deep crimson after a few minutes, causing both Lucky and Alison to step through . The two quickly found themselves inside a simple room, decorated only with a canopy bed and a few bookshelves . Alison almost immediately cried out and covered her eyes, hiding behind Lucky . Lino sat upright on the bed, his back pressed over, topless, with Hannah lying next to him, leaned against his shoulder, barely covered up . She suddenly smirked as she nced at Lino . " . . . oh wow . Two girls show up in your room when you¡¯ve already got one naked lying in bed . . . this must be a dreame true for you . " "Well, yeah," Lino mumbled, stroking his chin . "But it¡¯s usually just two more of you, though . " " . . . you can barely handle one of me . You¡¯d die if there were three of us . " "And it would be a death worth experiencing . . . " "Yo, horny fuckers," Lucky quickly interrupted the two as she knew very well that moments like these could spiral . "Aren¡¯t you a bit curious about why we came here? We came here . " she emphasized again, pointing at Alison hiding behind her back . " . . . yeah, yeah, what¡¯s up?" Lino asked . "We¡¯ve been attacked . " Lucky replied . "I didn¡¯t hear anything . Though, admittedly . . . " he nced at Hannah grinning . "What can I say? I¡¯m a screamer . . . " she shrugged . " . . . not here you fuckin¡¯ . . . goddammit . You have to reign in those tongues of yours a bit!" "Oi, if anyone¡¯s gotta be reigning their tongues in, it ought to be you!" Lino eximed . "And if you¡¯d like, I could show you how . Ask Hannah . " he grinned . "You do you, L¡¯ . Or, you know, her . " "Oi!" Lino eximed . "Are you perhaps dissatisfied with---" "For the love of fucking gods, shut up!" Lucky growled the two angrily, causing them to shudder . "One of our stores has been taken out -- everyone killed . As in, fourteen people are dead . " " . . . what?" Lino¡¯s demeanor immediately changed, his gaze turning frigid . "Which one?" "Old Shank¡¯s," Lucky said . "Lyben arrived just a few moments ago to pick up the earnings only to find the building torched and their corpses hung outside, with a sign reading ¡¯Empyrean scum don¡¯t have the right to live¡¯ stuck in the ground next to them . " " . . . do we know who did it?" Lino asked after a few moments of heavy silence . Alison seemed to have recovered, stepping up next to Lucky, somewhat frightened by Lino¡¯s cold appearance . "No . We don¡¯t have experienced agents near there to conduct an investigation . " " . . . if one is exposed, others might be too," Lino mumbled . "Orderplete withdrawal . " "What?! That would set us back years!!" Lucky eximed . "She¡¯s right, Lino," Hannah added from the side . "I know you¡¯re worried--" "We can always build back up, but the dead can never be raised back into the living," he said . "Don¡¯t worry . It won¡¯t be for long . I¡¯ll go over myself and investigate . There¡¯s a hell to pay, after all . " " . . . I¡¯lle with you . " Hannah said . "You two coordinate the temporary withdrawal . Use only secure houses and avoid cities . Inform Val and have her help you . " " . . . you two . . . be safe, alright? You¡¯re the voice of reason Hannah . Be one . " Lucky said before Alison and her left the room in a hurry, leaving worried-looking Hannah and angry Lino . "That didn¡¯t take long . " he mumbled . "You know who did it?" Hannah asked . "Eh, probably some of the locals," he sighed . "Naive fuckers who have zero capacity for critical thinking, doing whatever they are told . " " . . . so . . . the Descent?" "Probably," he shrugged, getting out of the bed . "I don¡¯t know how they figured it out, but it¡¯s not exactly as though we¡¯ve built the system with them in mind . Goddamn . . . those fucking cunts . Involving innocent once more . " " . . . I know one of the Descent¡¯s quasi-quarters that¡¯s nearby," Hannah suddenly said after a few seconds, surprising him . He turned around and saw a pained and angered expression, turmoil in her eyes . "Let¡¯s make it so that¡¯s no longer the case . " " . . . like old times, huh? You and I . . . putting the fear of god back into those who¡¯ve forgotten it . . . " he smiled warmly and walked over to the bed, sitting down and hugging her . "Still be a bigger man, Lino . Give them a chance to surrender . " "I will," he added, kissing the top of her head gently . "But you have to, too . " " . . . eh, I¡¯ll think about it," she chuckled . "I won¡¯t if they start insulting you . " " . . . I¡¯m sorry . " "Hm?" she slowly lifted her head up and met his guilty gaze . "In any other reality," he said . "You¡¯d be sitting on top of the world, protected from all its ills . You¡¯d have everything and anything . Yet . . . here I go, marching you off into one deadly situation after another . " "Oh, yeah," she said sarcastically, smiling . "I was all about staying in my room and being doted upon before you showed up . Man, youpletely totaled my life, you know?" " . . . aah, I married a maniac . " he chuckled as the two slowly got off the bed . "You¡¯ve been a pretty bad influence on me, you know?" "That was the n . . . " " . . . let¡¯s go raise some hell, then . " "Yeah," she nodded, smiling . "Let¡¯s . " ** A set of deep tunnels crawled through the belly of a spiraling mountain ring, connecting several underground towns in a strange symphony . The tunnels were decorated with embedded crystals shining away in the dark, creating strangely idyllic scenes on the corners where shadows melded together into an eeriependium . The tunnels currently had quite a few people streaming through them, moving in-between the towns,rgely in silence . Among them was a masked figure wearing a rather eye-catching crimson armor set, his short, twilight-hair looming over the mask, barely covering ¡¯8¡¯ at its uttermost-left corner Just as he was about to turn a corner he came to a speedy halt and raised his head, his expression turning downcast . Raising his arms over above, he rapidly drew over a hundred threads linked together in a strange array that lit up golden, stretching into a cage that suddenly shot out and epassed every single tunnel and every single town within its scope . Just a breathter, a massive quake shook the foundations of the mountainous ring, as the ¡¯roof¡¯ of the tunnels and the towns ripped itself open and crumbled into crumbs, flying up like an inverted rain . The clear sky soon screamed deafeningly before them, all staring with gaping lips . The mountains cleaved themselves off and flew undisturbed, a truly terrifying sight to behold . " . . . Empyrean . . . " Eight mumbled angrily, spotting two figures in the distant sky looming over them . "This is bad . . . " Chapter 414 Chapter 414 CHAPTER 414 A MORTAL REMINDER Lino watched as the pile of rocks shambled together into an upward rain, sting away at speeds that left the dusty trails behind them . A faint, golden glimmer traced in-between the darkened piles, winding around the tunnels digging through the mountain . "A quick reaction . . . " Hannah mumbled, frowning slightly . " . . . is that Eight?" Lino spoke softly, barely managing to discern a solitary figure upholding the entire dome that prevented hundreds of deaths . "Oh my . I was not expecting this . You?" "Nope . " Hannah shook her head . "Upper-end barely ever leave the main headquarters . . . " Meanwhile, Eight scrutinized the two figures carefully, his frown exceptionally deep . Though he¡¯d heard the news that they were now in an official war with the Empyrean and his forces, that was less than a month ago -- when they deemed the Empyrean too hurt to make a move for months, at least . Yet, there he was, unhinged . Eight sighed lowly and let go of the shield, lifting himself up into the sky, quickly followed by four other figures -- Fifty-one through Fifty-four -- as they reached up to Lino and Hannah¡¯s level, meeting them squarely . Eight stared solemnly at the middle-aged figure floating opposite of him; ck hair woven into a long-trailing tail, disheveled by the edges slightly, apanied by a pair of terribly dark eyes that seemed to pierce through all the realities . " . . . it¡¯s been a long while, young Empyrean," he said . "It¡¯s unfortunate we meet under such circumstances . " "Isn¡¯t the word you¡¯re looking for inevitable?" Lino said, smiling faintly . "From what I recall, you warned me quite clearly . " "I imagined you¡¯d heed the warning . " " . . . I have . " Lino replied, his smile vanishing . "Intending to end all Bearers that don¡¯t bend to your ideals . . . isn¡¯t exactly heeding my warning, now is it, young Empyrean?" Eight said, smiling faintly . " . . . how far up do I have to go to meet someone who¡¯s not hellbent on being hypocrisy-personified?" Lino chuckled bitterly, shaking his head . "s, it doesn¡¯t matter . Did the Descent order an attack on my people?" " . . . what are you talking about?" Eight asked, tilting his head sideways . " . . . ordinary peeps trying to run a shop and make a living . Do you know that barely anyone even knew those were my shops?" Lino said, his smile turning dark . "And, lo and fucking behold, they get butchered like swines and hung on the spikes like morbid decorations . " " . . . " "Perhaps . . . it¡¯s high-time I paid in kind . " he crackled, taking out the [Dragon yer] gripping it tightly . "It¡¯s a simple game, now -- surrender and you live . Oppose and I¡¯ll ensure you wish you were dead . The choice is yours . " " . . . s, my point has been proven . " Eight said, shrugging . "What point?" Lino¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened as the sky thundered temporarily . "That I have a heart? That it can bleed? That each time you cut one of my own you also cut a part of me? That, eventually, I too get tired of watching people I love being mowed down like pigs? That point? Then, yeah, your fucking point has been proven . Now make a choice, lest I make it for you . " "--there is no choice to be made," Eight said, suddenly spreading his arms as the golden light bound him . Millions of threads exploded out and epassed roughly ten miles across, pulling everyone from down below into it . "You¡¯ve overstepped your bounds and trailed down the path I cannot tolerate . The time for you to die hase . " After momentary blindness, Lino jolted his eyes open, quickly realizing he was neither in the high sky nor anywhere near those crushed mountains . Rather, he stood on a t field surrounded by a dipping valley, ending over into open ocean on each end . Hannah stood next to him, just as confused, while the opposite of them stood an army of nearly ten thousand, led by Eight . "--do you know where you are?" he asked Lino . " . . . " several things became clear to Lino quickly -- this was a blended illusion, the type of reality-changing Eight was famous for; in it, he also realized, there was no Qi . He couldn¡¯t utilize any one of his arts, or even his items . The [Dragon yer] in his hand was but an ordinary weapon made out of steel . There were no Levels, no realms, no nothing . He was just an ordinary mortal . . . as everyone else, including Eight, was . "In your worst nightmare?" he chuckled . "You can helplessly try to fight us here and lose," Eight said, smiling lightly . "Or you can try and break out of . Which will happen first, do you wonder? Will you get out? Or . . . will we kill you?" " . . . so, let me get this straight . " Lino¡¯s smiled turned wicked as he took a slow step forward . "You locked yourself inside a reality-blend within which Qi doesn¡¯t exist, everyone is an ordinary mortal, and is forced to use powerless weapons . " " . . . " "With a fucking Empyrean . " he stopped, sighing and shaking his head . "I don¡¯t know whether to apud your stupidity or thank your subtle support . " " . . . there¡¯s still thousands of them," Hannah added as she joined him . "Can we really take them all on?" "Why all? Just kill Eight, and the illusion stops . " "He¡¯s gonna hide . " "There ain¡¯t a fuckin¡¯ hole he can hide himself in from me . You have a weapon?" he asked, ncing at her . "I¡¯ve got that rod of yours; I¡¯m well-practiced with it . " she replied, taking out a small, strange-looking object . "Stick to my back," he said . "Let¡¯s go crack some fucking skulls . " "Ha ha ha, yeah, let¡¯s . . . " Without seemingly any hesitation, Lino suddenly thrust into a sprint, running toward the opposing side uninhibited . Eight frowned for a moment before slithering back through the masses as thousands of souls pushed forward, charging at Lino in a half-circling formation . Thetter, however, only had a maddened smile all throughout . The two sides met mere secondster as crude-looking swords and axes came swinging at Lino overhead . He sted off augh before sliding in a spinning fashion, dragging the yer in the full circle, cutting over ten pairs of legs in one, swift motion . Blood spurted out immediately, fashioning his face crimson, as painful screams yed out into the sky . Hannah skillfully dodged a few stray attacks before elongating the rod and using it as a crude staff . Though she foughtrgely from range, through countless spars with Lino, she¡¯d picked up many things . He also taught her asionally to give her an edge if she ever found herself in such a situation . Her strikes were precise and lethal -- either aiming for in-between the eyes to immediately crack the skull, center of the chest, where two rib-cages met, crotch or lower back . Lino heaved himself off with a free arm and jumped over three meters into the air, over the heads of all those who could merely look up and stare . He quickly located Eight in the sea of people, spinning like a whirlwind for a moment as he dove down, cutting through the meek blockade that weed him . Limbs scattered about as heads flew, blood dyeing the green grass red . Hannah followed closely behind, mostly picking up the strays and ensuring the circle around Lino never got too tight . Striking forward, he shed four more souls as a faint opening spurred into existence . Everyone currently present except for Lino hadpletely missed it, as hardly anyone had more than just basic experience when ites to melee shes . He stuck the yer into the ground and slid down once more, cruising through a pair of stretched legs before grabbing at the backside of the man¡¯s belt and heaving himself off the ground, tearing away at the crotch and pulling the screaming man down . Grabbing the yer, he kicked himself off the man¡¯s back and lunged over a small group of clearly young . None of them raised their weapons properly, most-likely praying inwardly Lino didn¡¯t reach them . Their hopes and prayers, however, were vanquished as he found his way inside a small group and began the massacre . A new symphony emerged at that moment, one that had even Hannah frowning . All other movement ceased as even the battle-hardened souls came to a halt . He didn¡¯t spare anyone, cleanly cutting their heads and kicking their bodies out of a small clearing he fashioned for himself . By the end of it, over forty headsy around his bloodied feet, the yer dripping with crimson, creating an ever-growing pond of blood down below . Lino¡¯s hair grew even more disheveled, covering one end of his face, while the other remained horribly bloodied . Beneath the crimson, a singr eye opened and stared frigidly at its surroundings . Nobody dared move . They shook in their boots, their arms quivering, a mere whisper away from dropping the weapon . " . . . drop your weapons," Lino said calmly . "And I won¡¯t touch you . " " . . . " nobody did, however . "What are you bound by? Duty? Honor? Loyalty?" Lino smiled faintly . "You fucking morons . Instead of fighting me fairly to buy you enough time to escape, he dragged you all inside this nightmare and then hid himself like a fucking cunt he is, watching the rest of you die like headless morons from safety . Why are you protecting him, huh? You think he¡¯s going to reward you? If anything, he¡¯s going to punish you because you took to fearing me in the midst of a heated battle . " " . . . he¡¯s right," Hannah said; it was only then that the countless eyes noticed this seemingly innocent woman by Lino¡¯s side . That thought, however, was very short-lived as they spotted a cleanly cleaved head spiked on top of her staff, blood dripping down over her crimson hair freely . "You were dragged in here without ever being asked . Who are you to fight the Empyrean? That is not your job . It¡¯s supposed to be his, but he¡¯s quite a bitch, ain¡¯t he?" " . . . I¡¯m actually kinda disappointed . " Lino sighed, turning toward Hannah . "After the beating Two gave me, I honestly expected more . " "You¡¯re basically his bane," Hannah shrugged . "Sure, he can bend reality and whatnot . You can do whatever you want with it, though . " "But I did nothing," Lino shrugged, sighing . "I let him drag me in here, I yed by his rules . . . I was expecting at least something . Not ¡¯oh, I¡¯ve got thousands of people; by the time he kills them, reinforcements will arrive¡¯ . . . fucking hell . " " . . . sometimes I forget you can be quite observant and clever . " Hannah said, smiling warmly . " . . . I¡¯d like to retort, but there¡¯s a fucking head spiked on your weapon . You¡¯re way crazier than I¡¯ll ever be . " "Whatever helps you sleep at night . " "Anyway," Lino turned toward the confused crowd once more . "I don¡¯t mind ying his game . If that¡¯s what it takes, I¡¯ll kill every one of you motherfuckers to get to him . And then I¡¯ll kill him . And I¡¯ll kill whoeveres to help his stupid ass . And I¡¯ll continue killing for many years toe while you poor sods will be doing whatever the fuck, having died for honor and loyalty . So, think carefully for the following few moments . . . " he added, his voice turning frigid once more . "You only have one life . . . don¡¯t waste it . " Chapter 415 Chapter 415 CHAPTER 415 FOR TOMORROW Silence dominated the open field for a long while after Lino¡¯s voice phased out into the destitute wind . Nobody moved, nobody spoke, nobody attacked; thousands of eyes peered into the temporary abyss, seemingly at odds with themselves . It wasn¡¯t merely a choice for today to make ¨C but one that woulde to define the rest of their lives . If they took a step back today, they would never be able to return, and would forever remain marked as the people who bent to the Empyrean . Lino didn¡¯t seem impatient, standing still by Hannah¡¯s side in silence and waiting . He also knew that it wasn¡¯t an easy choice to make, which is why he didn¡¯t push for it . In the end, it didn¡¯t matter to him; he did not doubt that if just a few fell, others would follow as the fear of death far eclipsed the fear of authority . "... can you swear to protect us?" a voice hollered out of the masses, its bearer hiding away behind the others, unwilling to step forward . "I¡¯ll swear to do my best," Lino replied . "And not to use you as paper-thin shields like he did today . " "..." there was no reply, but Lino realized he had won ¨C at least however much of a victory this was . The first splinter soon urred as those in front of him withdrew their weapons, lowered their heads and slithered sideways, opening up a path . Lino could see bounds of shame and guilt in their eyes and in their expressions . There was no need to question why; after all, every single soul had its own shred of dignity and pride . Selling over from fear of dying was never easy, and it came with its own cost . It was like the sea splitting open, as though a massive sword descended from heavens and cleaned open a path in the ocean of people . One by one, they began moving sideways, stretching . It was a deafening scene, one that left even Lino somewhat bbergasted; after all, he was beyond certain there¡¯d still be an asional drifter, someone unwilling to bend over and surrender . Yet... there was no one . Of the thousands still alive, no one stepped forward to meet him as he and Hannah began walking through the open path . He dragged the yer over the ground, leaving behind a tepid trail, strands of his still-wet hair fluttering in the faintly cold wind . Looking left and right, he searched for the defiant eyes, for the defiant soul to step forward and attack him ¨C but all he got in reply were thousands of hung heads looking at the floor, their bodies quivering . He had no doubt in his mind that some perhaps wished to step forward, to elevate themselves above the tired junction, but, in the end, they didn¡¯t . What held them back, he couldn¡¯t quite say; fear, perhaps, or guilt, or simply unwillingness to be the first... whatever it was, the path from where he took off to Eight was clear . Empty . Soulless . Stepping in front of the man, he spotted that he was surrounded by four figures that ascended with him to the sky to meet Lino and Hannah . They all had ugly expressions, their eyes casting gazes of judgment over the masses . Eight, however, didn¡¯t . His eyes never left Lino, meeting thetter¡¯s gaze squarely . They were oddly hollow, Lino mused; dull, empty, emotionless . "... you won . " Eight said after a short silence, suddenly taking his mask off . A young, boyish face peered through, a pair of jovial, twilight-eyes seemingly mourning the loss of a beloved one . He held the mask tightly for a moment before letting it go as it fell and crashed onto the ground, cracking and breaking into hundreds of pieces . "Happy?" "... happy?" Lino crackled oddly for a moment, pulling the yer over and heaving it over his shoulder . "I¡¯m only happy they came to their senses, rather than upholding the thin veil of loyalty to their graves . " "So you¡¯d be fine with your own doing the same if the situation is reversed?" Eight asked . "Whatever g you uphold, and whatever dream you fight for... in the end, it doesn¡¯t matter . You do . Your life does . I can only hope those fighting in my name right now would have made the same choice, rather than throw their life away for an empty cause . " "... you¡¯re a vile creature, Lyonel," Eight suddenly said, sighing lowly . "There¡¯s no one more dangerous than you, the ascertained soul of chaos emboldened by the fact that the entire world is against him, and everyone is plotting against him, and all the while you only want to coexist peacefully . There¡¯s nothing more dangerous than a paranoid mind thinking everything and everyone orbits it . " "... of course I¡¯m vile . " Lino said emptily . "I just mowed my way through a herd of innocent toe face to face with you . I could have arrived here just the same without hurting anyone, but I made a conscious choice to vent on them . What does that tell you about me, huh?" "... . " Eight remained silent, his expression growing somewhat angrier . "It tells me one thing," Lino continued, slowly beginning to walk forward . "And it¡¯s that I¡¯m willing to do anything and everything, consequences be damned, if I feel like it . I¡¯ve abandoned my moral inhibitions a long time ago, Eight," he added as he stopped in front Eight, merely a few inches away . "I¡¯ve merely upheld a fa?ade so long as it brought people over to my side . But, well, that can no longer happen, now can it?" he cracked a smile, cing his free hand over onto Eight¡¯s shoulder, pressing it tightly till the bone cracked . Eight cried lowly for a moment, yet remained standing . "If I were you, I¡¯d die smiling . After all, at the very least you won¡¯t have to die witnessing me carving out this world¡¯s innards and creating a mountain of corpses while at it . " "... you had so much potential," Eight said, smiling lightly . "You could have brought us all into a new world, Lyonel . Yet, you chose to take us further back than we¡¯ve ever been . " "¡ªall the potential I may have had..." Lino mumbled, lifting the yer and suddenly dragging it through the Eight¡¯s guts . "You¡¯ve sucked out decades ago . I am no one¡¯s pawn or puppet," he leaned in closer to Eight¡¯s ear and whispered coldly . "I am my own self . And all be damned who try to take that away from me . " Lino dragged the sword out as blood sprayed, Eight falling to his knees soon after, his eyes open widely like saucers . He nced at Lino from below oncest time before falling sideways, drawing hisst breath . The illusion of the reality broke right then, as Lino found himself next to the crumbled mountain ring . ncing around, he saw thousands of souls falling to their knees, most of them crying, too ashamed to look at each other . It was a horrid scene that caused him to bite his lower lip; a momentter, he felt a gentle hand grasp at him as he turned sideways, meeting Hannah¡¯s smiling eyes . "Let¡¯s go back home," she said, pulling his arm into hers . "And get really, really fucking drunk . " "Haaii... you and your drinking woman," Lino chuckled . "You¡¯ve got a problem . " "Aye, aye, I have a problem . Whatever . " "Will you take us with you?" a young boy, barely fourteen by Lino¡¯s estimates, suddenly walked up to the two and asked . "I¡¯m usually not into kidnapping children¡ªai, ai, that fuckin¡¯ hurt, woman!" Lino growled at Hannah before shifting his focus back onto the boy . "Whoever wants toe is wee to join us . If anyone wishes to make their own way out in the world, they are free to do that as well . " Hannah held onto the shaky hand tightly . No one else here realized it, but she knew from the start how difficult it was . There was no pleasure to be found in taking a life, not to her, and especially not for him . Yet, despite that, he embraced the role . He embraced the shawl that the world cast upon him, as he simply had no other choice ¨C at least not anymore . Today would spark a retaliation, which would in return spark an even greater one, creating a vicious cycle that will probably take years, if not decades, to unravel . Yet, he dove straight into it without hesitation . Some choices simply had to be made, she mused, as he turned around and met her eyes once more . They were dark, yet honest and lovely . In them, she found a reflection of herself, an honest one of all the possibilities . His lips curled up into a faint smile, one of hurt and guilt . There was nothing more beautiful, as there was nothing more harrowing, than that smile, one she¡¯d witnessed countless times before . A smile of a soul wrung out of itsfort, a pathetic attempt to dress up the brewing storm inside . However, it was his way of coping; to smile, to drink, and to emptily stare into the dull walls until the pain simply fades . He faced his demons however he could, and if he couldn¡¯t, he¡¯d stretch his arm and ask for a hand in return . He knew many more would have to fall beneath his de, but she saw no fear of the future inside his gaze . He embraced it wholly, epting it as a reality he cast unto himself . All she saw was guilt, shame, and traces of pain . But not the fear of repeating it all . "You know, I think I can improve your mood . " Hannah said as the two climbed on top of Grim, slowly leading the mass toward a nearby elevation where they¡¯ll board them all into the fortress . "Oh? I thought you¡¯d be shy ¡¯cause there are so many people here... but, eh, sure . " Lino said, grabbing toward her chest . "Oh, fuck you," she swatted his arm away, rolling her eyes . "No, something else . " "What?" he asked . "Promise me you won¡¯t spiral, however . " "... it¡¯s like you don¡¯t even know me... at all . Actually, I¡¯m genuinely kind of hurt that you would even suggest for a second¡ª" "I¡¯m pregnant . " "HOLY MOTHER OF THE EVER-LOVING FUCK!!!" Chapter 416 Chapter 416: 416 CHAPTER 416 PLACE OF BELONGING The crumbled mountain ringy barren and ruined inside a wide, desecrated valley . Droplets of rain soon began pounding against the cracked stone as overhead, ck clouds surged together . A downpourmenced soon after, dousing the holes till they formed small ponds, linked together through tunnels formed due to pieces of rocks piling on top of each other under strange angles . From an elevated end, it poured down like a waterfall, slowly filling up all the gaps . Hundreds of corpsesy exposed, buried either beneath the stampeded grass or pieces of debris . Some headless, some limbless, some whole, some scattered in pieces ¨C it was truly a ghastly sight to behold, seemingly even for the heavens who began washing away the scene with their tears . The space above the scene of destruction ripped open roughly half an hour after Lino, Hannah and the rest departed . Through it, four figures walked through, quickly taken aback once their eyesnded on the scene down below . Six could feel his throat slowly close up as his fingers curled up into fists; bodies were everywhere, or at least pieces of them . The mountains were no more, just the ravagedndscape of horror and dread . Bloody streams surged from down below, trailing off through the crushed grass, winding up somewhere inside the earth . "... we¡¯ve miscalcted . " Four said as the four figures descended down,nding near the small pile of corpses . "Terribly . " "Six, didn¡¯t you say he wouldn¡¯t retaliate like this?" Fourteen, a middle-aged woman of starkly cyan hair and a pair of brilliant, twilight eyes asked the old man . "... I didn¡¯t think he would," Six replied, shuddering in chilliness for a moment . "I... I honestly thought he didn¡¯t have it in him . " "Most of the wounds are ded," Sixteen, a young-looking, handsome, bald man walked up to the pile and inspected it deeply for a moment . "Eight must have dragged them all into the Mortal Reality . " "So... this is his capacity while acting the role of an ordinary mortal?" Fourteen said, seeming somewhat shocked . "What the hell..." "Clean up," Four said after a short silence . "And don¡¯t spread the news . Looks like we really are at war . " Six withdrew slightly, gazing away from the corpses toward the ever-darkening sky . He sighed lowly, his eyes turning somewhat teary . I¡¯m sorry, Lino, he thought inwardly as his body slowly began to vanish into a spatial rip . But... I can no longer help you... ** "Y-y-you... you¡¯re pregnant?!!" Lino eximed, his somewhat downtrodden expression lighting up as though it was dawn . "Yeah . " Hannah replied, smiling freely . "Oh my god!!" lunging over, he fell on his front as he reached out with his right arm and pressed it against Hannah¡¯s belly . "I-I¡¯m gonna be a dad?" "Yeah..." "I¡¯m gonna be a dad!!" Lino¡¯s eyes glimmered, though only for a moment; suddenly, a shift that startled Hannah urred, whereupon they were drowned in panic . "Holy fucking shit, I¡¯m going to be a father!! I can¡¯t be a fucking father!" "E-eh?! Honey¡ª" "That kid will look up to me and ask me stuff ¨C how can I tell him not to kill people? Or drink? Or do plentitude of other psychotic shit I do ¨C we fucking do ¨C on a daily basis?! Or, or, oh my god... what if it¡¯s a girl?!! Fuck, what if it¡¯s a girl Hannah?!!" "I¡¯m a girl¡ª" "I can never let her have sex!!" "Oi¡ª" "And, and, because I won¡¯t be around often, she¡¯s gonna have so many issues ¨C so many issues, Hannah!! What if we don¡¯t give her enough attention and she decides to punish us by sucking every cock in that fortress?!! Oh my god, why am I talking about my daughter sucking cocks, what the fuck¡¯s wrong with me?!!" "So many things¡ª" "And, and," Hannah¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she found herself growing more and more annoyed by second . "What if it¡¯s twins, huh!? Did you think about that?! That¡¯s twice the fucking problems! Fucking hell, who told me I¡¯d be a great dad?! Lies! Fucking lies! I can¡¯t be a dad¡ª" "Fucking idiot!!" Hannah suddenly squarely flicked his forehead as he cried out lowly in pain . "Stop spiraling for the love of god and just shut the fuck up for a moment, you absolute fucking bundle of issues . " "... ouch . " "You had iting . " "... yeah, yeah . I can see how that could be a conclusion . " Lino nodded, seemingly having calmed down . "You... you really are pregnant? I¡¯m really going to be a dad?" "... yeah," Hannah¡¯s expression mellowed as her lips curled up into a smile . She nudged herself over closer to him and pulled her arms around his back, bringing him into her chest . "And you¡¯re going to be a fantastic one . So long as you stop the whole spiraling nonsense, of course . " "... I¡¯m still trying to process how can you be happy over bearing my kid . You just know that little fucker¡¯s going to be one hell of an asshole . " "Ha ha ha, yeah, of course he will," she chuckled, trailing her fingers through his hair . "I mean, it is you and me . I imagine that, by the time she¡¯s four, his vocabry will consist of nothing but curses and swears . " "Good god... the poor thing stands no chance . " Lino said, chuckling . "Yeah... she¡¯ll just have to find someone as equally insane as¡ª" "Did¡ªdid you just say she?" Lino quickly looked up, startling Hannah . "Uh¡ªno, it¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s just an expression, you know¡ªyeah, just an expression..." "An expression saying that we¡¯re having a daughter?" "¡ªuh¡ª" "... we¡¯re having a daughter . " Lino mumbled, corners of his lips quivering . "... yeah . We¡¯re having a daughter . " Hannah nodded, corners of her eyes dropping down several tears . "A daughter..." Lino repeated, his quivering lips stretching out into a wide, warm, content smile . The pair of dark eyes lit up like stars in the nightly sky, all previous emotions seemingly sucked out of them and thrown into the oblivion . All Hannah could see was pure joy void of any other feeling ¨C happiness beyond structure . "We¡¯ll raise her well, Hannah . We¡¯ll raise her well..." "And give her everything..." she mumbled . "¡ªworld . " "Hm?" "I¡¯ll give her the world, Hannah," Lino said . "No more dilly-dallying, no more indecisiveness, no more moral squabbles . I don¡¯t care what the world will see me as, what the history will speak of me . I ain¡¯t raising our daughter in a world as fucked up as this one . If need be, I¡¯ll don the crown of ruin to make it happen . " "... what¡¯s with this ¡¯I, I, I¡¯ nonsense?" she chuckled faintly, caressing his cheek . "We are, Lino . We are going to reimagine the world . " "... yeah, we are," he said, kissing her hand gently . "She¡¯s going to grow up proper . I¡¯ll make sure the biggest worry of her life will be whether that boy down the street likes her back, or whether her hair smells nice, or if that dress looks good on her . " "... yeah, this is better . " she said, chuckling . "What is better?" "This ¡¯you¡¯," she replied . "The brooding, downcast look... eh, doesn¡¯t look as good on you as you think . " "Alright, first of all," he said, waving his arm mboyantly, causing Hannah to burst out intoughter . "Partaking in a massacre of over a hundred of innocent people is pretty solid excuse to brood a bit, don¡¯t you think? And, secondly, I can pull off any damn look I want, and you know it damn well . " "Ha ha ha, yeah, you really can . Though, I¡¯ve never seen you try the ¡¯shy look¡¯ . " she added, biting her lower lip . "Oh?" Lino arched his brow, wrapping his arm around her waist . "Someone¡¯s interested in meeting a shy boy who can¡¯t look her in the eye, constantly ablush, perpetually stuttering?" "... I said shy, not damaged . " "... yeah, and people say I have a vile tongue," Lino said . "I can only pray they never meet you . " Hannah slowly closed her eyes as Lino pulled her into his arms, hazy wind drifting around them . His hair fluttered freely, mixing with hers in a strange, crimson-ck symphony . Beneath them, a sea of people followed in silence, in dark over what was said on top of the bird . For the first time in a long while, Lino found his mind to be clear, void of distractions . He couldn¡¯t muster even an iota of strength to think about the consequences of his actions today, to think about the greater picture, to think about the world, about the schemes and ploys he would need to facee tomorrow . All he could think of was the solitary future within which he saw himself sitting on a porch, overlooking a small garden where a young, crimson-haired girl was running about, covered in dirt . He smiled unconsciously, his grip on Hannah tightening . Some things, he realized, were difficult to put into words; none, however, perhaps more so than the sudden, newfound fear, care and unconditional love he felt for a creature yet to take its first breath . He¡¯d long since realized that happiness of life rested within small moments, like the one today . Yet, bing a father was hardly a small thing, a passing asion . It was a permanent title, an evesting role . He wouldn¡¯t always be an Empyrean, but he would always be a father . His smile slowly perished as his expression turned serious . Stakes were always high, and he always did all he could, but now more so than ever . It hasn¡¯t been ¡¯his¡¯ battle for many years, if not even decades, now, but it has always been his struggle . ncing down, he caught Hannah¡¯s serene, calm, tranquil expression, even, peaceful breaths, and the faintest of smiles . His heart surged once more, as though the time wound itself back to when he was a young boy, admiring a blood-haired girl, discovering the illicit ends of growing up . For her, for their daughter, for Cae, E, Eggor, Lucky, Ally, Val, Seya... for all those who ever put their faith into him, and for all those who cried broken in the rain, and for all those who were yet to meet such fate . "... every time you¡¯re thinking of something stupid," Hannah¡¯s calm voice drizzled from down below as her eyes fluttered open . "Your muscles tense slightly . Did you know that?" "... nope . Certainly did not . Are you sure, though? I haven¡¯t been thinking of something stupid... at all . " "Not me... not her... not Lucky, nor Ally, nor E or Eggor nor anyone else Lino... not one of us wants to weep kneeling in front of your grave, or look up to your statue and think ¡¯ah, gone too soon¡¯ . We don¡¯t need a martyr," she added, snuggling closer in . "But a father, a husband, and a friend . Someone very much alive . " "... you¡¯re nuts if you think even for a second I¡¯ve the intention of leaving you all behind," he said, chuckling faintly . "I can only experience life if I¡¯m alive . Honorable sacrifice... isn¡¯t for me . I¡¯m too selfish . " "You really are..." "... yeah, you know, it¡¯s okay to deny some of my horrible qualities from time to time . " "But how else would I keep your ego in check?" she chuckled . "... maybe... don¡¯t?" "Keep on dreaming buddy... keep on dreaming..." Chapter 417 Chapter 417: 417 CHAPTER 417 THE TURNING WHEELS ck-jetted eyes stared longingly at the wanton destruction, a brilliant glimmer in them shining brighter than the stars . Dancing about, they searched every corner of the piles of rocks and remnants of dried blood, desire virtually manifesting into billowing smoke and light . A sigh escaped, whispered into the wind ¨C soft and caressing . "... so close," he mumbled, biting his lip . "So close... I¡¯ll find you... we¡¯ll be together again... my love..." ** A perpetual haze of darkness, ashen smoke acting up like mist, curtailing hills and sharp, ded mountains generated an eerie sense of nothing . Tepid silence reigned over the mistednds, hidden away in dull, dazed mes . Lakes of fire lived on the mountain tops, repeatedly spitting out ze like wreathing mouths, causing moltenva to trickle down the steep ends like a river . All-around and about, there seemed to be no pattern to anything; as though randomness, pure chance, garnered it all . Thend itself was massive, beyond measure, distances between two living souls so great they may never get to meet one another . There was no center, there were no edges, no tops, and no bottoms; it all seemed to stretch out into edged infinity, out of reach of any one soul, of any one arm . "It is time..." a whisper, both soft and hard, piercing and tranquilizing, broke the concept of the infinity and engulfed the entire everything . It was heard by all the living, and all the dead, and it was heeded by them all . Fires akin to torches soon lit up, seeming like stars in the nightly sky within the misty ckness . Hundreds... thousands... millions... even billions . They lit up the otherwise perpetually nightly world, granting it the first dawn it has ever experienced . "The Empyrean is above the Southern Divide... end all this foolishness, once and for all . " Within the catb of nightmares, stacked with bones beyond count, on a throne of the hellish ze, elevated above theke of cyan me, a figure akin to a humanoid shadow sat, only visible feature a pair of dangerously burning eyes simr to two miniature suns . Just then, a burst of energy ripped open the fabric of space as a smoky shadow warped itself over, stopping in front of the burning eyes . "¡ªwhat are you doing?" Ataxia asked in the same, robotic, indifferent tone . "You¡¯ve lost grip of him, Father," the figure replied . "It is time to end it . " "... Ashtar, withdraw your order . " Ataxia¡¯s tone firmed slightly . "You¡¯ve entangled yourself too close to the boy, Father," the figure replied somewhat solemnly, its voice a choir of the countless souls . "You have lost the sight of everything that matters . One day, you¡¯ll thank me for it . " "... you have never defied me before because you trusted me," Ataxia said, his voice mellowing down strangely . "You trusted me with Eve, with Eldon, with n, with Esther, with Eynnor... I haven¡¯t forgotten, Ashtar . I can never forget . Withdraw, and let me handle it . " "No... you¡¯ve softened on the boy," the figure said . "You¡¯ve given him freedom beyond count, the knowledge he should have never been privy to, and a chance to see through it all . I will not stand by and watch the boy drown you in the stars of sin . " "You cannot win, Ashtar ¨C not even One has the capacity to kill the boy anymore," Ataxia said after a short silence . "It is over . " "I do not n on defeating or killing him, Father ¨C I n on winning . " "What worth is it all if it¡¯sprised of ruin and ash?!" "It is better than nothing... it is better than nothing, Father..." ** Two was currently staring at a deep chasm spreading north and south of the central line . She could not see its deepest point, not even with the Divine Sense, not even today . She hase here at least once every thousand years to try out her luck, yet to no avail; no matter how strong she got, how further away she could sense things, she was never able to see the depths of the gorge . The dull wind bellowed at her, fluttering her ck hair and robes backward . She was certain there was a story behind the deep gash, the greatest wound of the world, but no bard to tell it . It certainly wasn¡¯t natural, as the gorge separating two parts of the Forsaken Continent was the only one of its kind . Even though the continent was surrounded by massive bodies of water from all ends, none of it prated the gorge, regardless of the fact that the gash ran all the way to the continent¡¯s edge, opening out into the ocean . As someone tasked with understanding Noterra better than any other soul, the gorge always remained the bane of her existence ¨C the solitary reminder of her failure . She knew all else, all the secrets, all the tombs, the hidden ends and the beginnings... yet she didn¡¯t know anything about the gorge . It seemed as though it was there since the time immemorial, as though it was born with the world itself, a scar that would never heal . "... above the Southern Divide..." suddenly a whisper entranced her, a distant yet familiar one, the choral sound of the countless voices banging against the walls of her mind . "In fortnight... be prepared..." She frowned and sighed into the wind, her expression growingplex as she bit her lower lip . What she imagined would be a simple generation, another thousand years passed in content boredom of pointless bickering and wars, has be so much more . The Empyrean has managed to shake the foundation of the principles so quickly that most of the world didn¡¯t have time to catch up to the changes . Though she imagined he¡¯d merely remain a passing glimpse of madness in the grand scheme of things, she was wrong . As she was wrong about this very gorge many times before . ncing southeast, toward the so-called Southern Divide, a span of water perpetually doused in weather very few cultivators could withstand, her eyes turned downcast . Even if he stung her pride, she didn¡¯t wish tomence the full-out war . The only reason she ordered the search for him in the first ce was that she knew nobody would be able to find him . Not even One could . Nobody... except a solitary figure resting in thekes of fire . "... you withstood me, Lyonel," she mumbled softly . "Can you withstand the worlds? Can you show us another miracle?" ** Lino and Hannah suddenly froze as they entered their chambers in the fortress, their eyes dulling in a symphony, as though their souls were sucked out of them . Their bodies remained stiff for a moment before rxing strangely, as thoughmanded by someone else entirely . "Ashtar will disclose our location..." Ataxia¡¯s voice escaped Lino¡¯s lips soon after . "... you weren¡¯t able to convince him otherwise?" Astrum asked, a faint trace of worry present in her voice . "No..." "... we¡¯ll have the whole world barreling down at us . No amount of formations, arrays, scheming and mind games will be enough to contend with that . " "... we¡¯ll have to run, then . " a third robotic voice joined them as Alison appeared in-between the two of them . "Preferably to the Outside . " "... there¡¯s no need," Lino seemed to have startled both Nirvana and Astrum as he spoke out . "From what I gather, the only reason he can locate us is because he can locate Ataxia . The problem seems easily solvable . " "..." neither of the two replied as Lino smiled lightly . "The ever-talkative Writs growing silent? Psh, what is this? A joke?" "Well, if you¡¯re leaving... so am I . So, it¡¯s all good . " Astrum said . "... apparently, so am I . " Nirvana added . "So I guess Lucky is as well," Astrum added . "... boy, you want to get some alone man-time, but no, my handsome ass has to be followed by a whole slew of women . Tsk, tsk, the curse of being the handsomest, most charming, most brilliant dude¡ª" "Hold the brakes on your ego for a bit," Hannah quickly interjected, rolling her eyes . "I¡¯m confused . Who the fuck is Ashtar, and how the fuck can he sense Ataxia¡¯s location?" "Oh, right . Ashtar . The Devil . I mean, the Devil . You know? The one they call their Origin Father or something . " Lino said . "As to why he can sense Ataxia¡¯s location, the bastard went mum . I imagine it has something to do with the fact that Non is his rtive . As in, I don¡¯t think he cared much what he fucked early on . " "You, me, Ally, Lucky, I imagine Ion, Seya... who else?" Hannah muttered . "Yeah, no . " Lino quickly rejected . "Youing with? Of course . Ally and L¡¯ can kiss my bottom, but they ain¡¯ting . And if you think for a second I¡¯d take those two kids with me, I¡¯ll blow in your ear, woman . " "W-why can¡¯t Ie?!" Alison asked both meekly and fiercely at the same time, somehow . "You¡¯re right," Hannah nodded, sighing whilst ignoring Alison . "We can¡¯t afford to get entangled in a war, and it¡¯s going to be pretty hard to catch the two of us . The more people we bring, the greater the chances of being caught . " "Hey! Answer me!" "... now, all that¡¯s left is to figure out where the fuck should we go..." "HEY!!" ** Sitting beside an emerald-greenke reflecting homely light of the sun above was a woman in seemingly her early thirties, her hair breathtakingly silver, a pair of eyes piercing through the contours of reality without any effort . She sat on top of a wooden, rocking chair, heaving back and forth whilst seemingly sunbathing . Her body shuddered all of a sudden as a chilling whisper trickled into her mind, waking her up from her tranquility . Gaia had aplex expression on her face; the gaze of her eyes seemed disillusioned, the weakness in them apparent . She sighed lowly and shook her head, resuming her pastime, though clearly distracted . "... you¡¯re all gentle fools," she whispered into the nothingness in front of her . "ying to the tune of a ywright dressed as a clown . All is already lost... all is already lost... all is already lost..." she repeated in a strange rhythm for hours on end, without taking a single breath . ** Amadeel stared at the bend and wound stretch of time, the distortion epassing a massive sphere of convoluted threads winding over themselves in a brilliantly destructive loop . His expression was sour and difficult, his lips faintly quivering . The dtion was growing at a terrifying rate; time around it now ounted for a tenth of the one outside, that is to say that ten minutes outside was a minute in . However, beyond the sheer horror of the dtion itself, he understood something far, far more worrying ¨C it wasn¡¯t merely someone artificially trying to stretch time and cause one natural catastrophe or another . Rather, someone has sessfully managed to formte an external Singrity, one far more condensed than that of cultivators ¨C someone, or something, has managed to create an artificial ck hole, one with an elerated growth rate that put a timer on the existence of the entire world... and everything within and without it . Chapter 418 Chapter 418 CHAPTER 418 SEAFARER She sat by the edge of the pier, her legs hung over the open ocean, somewhat chilly wind sting away at her rather revealing clothes . A pair of mesmerizing eyes stared emptily into the distant horizon, the expression surrounding them downcast and heavy . She took a sip slowly, the ze trailing down her throat into her innards, warming her up slightly . The extensive pier stretching behind her all the way back to the mile-away shore wasrgely empty, only a few fishermen sitting with their hats hung over their foreheads, waiting patiently for the fish to bite . Well behind her, a grand city arose from the ebony cliffs and spiked ridges, cast in breathtakingly white, marble stone . Yet, none of the sights she could enjoy inspired her . She enjoyed sitting, cast out of the everyday world, blended in the dotted distance . From time to time, she¡¯d think about jumping into the turbid waters beneath, about diving into the high-strung waves that beat the shore repeatedly, day and night, without pausing even for a second . She held back, in the end, however . She wasn¡¯t much of a swimmer, after all . Seya had spent months trailing along the coastal cities of the Holy Continent, seeking for anyone, a single soul, that would be willing to take her past the dreaded line over the ocean toward the Edge of the East . However, all she got for her asking were the looks of mockery and scorn, as though she¡¯d suggested something obliviously moronic, something beyondprehension . Sighing, she shook her head and slowly heaved herself off the edge . A draped skirt fell over to beneath her knees, fluttering against the shape of her things as she spun on her heel, facing back toward the city . She reached and pulled a few strands of her hair back over her ear as she lifted her head up, looking forward . The step she was about to take came withdrawn as she froze . Standing there, merely a few feet in front of her, was a strange-looking boy . He had a rather peculiar and unique dye of golden shrouding his short hair, his skin dark, asional scar visible to the naked eye . A pair of gem-like twilight eyes stared at her in odd wonder, his thin lips parted in a slight shock . He was roughly her height, d in a thin shirt and tattered pants, barefoot, seemingly somewhat underfed . The two pairs of eyes locked with one another as silence befell them . Sounds of the crashing waves drowned all others out as faint rays of sun folded over them, painting a rather picturesque image . "... what?" Seya frowned and asked in a somewhat annoyed tone, startling the boy awake . "A-a-re you the one looking for the ship bound for the Edge of the East?" the boy asked, quickly recovering . "Who¡¯s asking?" "Oh, right . My bad," the boy smiled sheepishly, revealing two rows of rather well-maintained, white teeth . "My name¡¯s Ayar Wulvinsenseer Orston and I¡¯m a sailor . Specifically, I aim to finally chart the world beyond the Eastern Edge of Terror . " "... your name is Ayar what now¡ª?" Seya mumbled unconsciously . "Ayar Wulvinsense¡ª" "Yeah, don¡¯t . I don¡¯t care . " she quickly interrupted . "How old are you kid? What business do you have thinkin¡¯ of sailing east?" "¡ªeh, uh... you... you don¡¯t seem older than me..." the boy replied awkwardly . "Exactly," she nodded quickly . "That¡¯s the reason I¡¯m looking for experienced sailors, not wet brats as knowledgeable about the sailing as I am . " "Not to worry ¨C I have plenty of experience in sailing!" Ayar quickly eximed, thumping his chest . "You will be in safe hands!" "... where¡¯s your crew?" she asked . "Uh..." "You don¡¯t have one, do you?" "Not per se..." "And you wanna sail east without a crew?" she arched her brow slightly, grinning right after . "You¡¯re fuckin¡¯ with me, aren¡¯t you?" "No, of course not! Though I may not have aplete crew¡ª" "¡ªany crew . " "¡ªkhm, any crew, it doesn¡¯t matter! I am more than enough!" "Yeah, I really doubt that . Thanks for the offer kid, but I¡¯m gonna say ¡¯no¡¯ . " Seya said, shrugging as she began walking forward . Before she crossed the boy, however, she felt a grip on her wrist as he held her back . "At least give me a chance to prove myself . " Ayar said in a firm tone, his expression one of determination . Seya eximed softly for a moment before smiling . "Alright . I¡¯ll give you a chance," she said, tearing her arm away from his grip . "But, buy me lunch first . I¡¯m starving . " "Y-yes!!" the boy¡¯s expression suddenly lit up as his lips curled out into a fantastic smile, quickly racing after Seya and catching up to her . "What would you like to eat?" "Oong Fish . " Seya fired back immediately . "...that¡¯s... that¡¯s, uh..." "What?" "Nothing! Nothing! Let¡¯s go for Oong Fish!" he eximed after short contemtion, causing Seya to nearly burst out intoughter . "Can... can I ask you something?" "Try . " "... why do you want to go to the Edge of the East?" he asked somewhat timidly . "Ugh, as if I want to spend months on the open fucking ocean," she groaned angrily, clenching her hands into fists . "Those fuckers just up and left, you know? I expected a fun getaway, and I got shelled into a job nobody fuckin¡¯ wanted . Especially that smug-looking, ever-jerky jerkface and his fuckin¡¯ ¡¯ooh you¡¯re doing a good job, keep at it¡¯ messages every once in a while . I¡¯ll tear out his fucking throat and feed it to dogs when I get the opportunity..." Ayar froze in shock for a moment, his heart thumping loudly . Seya stopped and nced back, bursting out intoughter upon witnessing the terrified expression on his face . "Rx, rx . Come on . Let¡¯s eat . " "... uh, yeah . So, uh, it won¡¯t be just you?" he asked as they reached the pier¡¯s beginning . "I imagine not," she replied . "Probably five-six others by the end of it . And, since you seem rather sincere, our goal ain¡¯t exactly the Edge of the East . " "It¡¯s not?" Ayar asked, arching his brows . "It¡¯s the Dragon Isles . " "... oh, it¡¯s almost evening . I should really go and check up on my¡ª" "Nah, you promised me an eastward sail kid," she pulled his arm quickly, preventing him from running away . "And you¡¯re gonna deliver . " "B-b-but¡ªwhy, why in the name of the gods would anyone want to go to the Dragon Isles?! Are you a part of some suicidal cult?! There are easier ways to off yourself, you know! Like, like, right! Like setting yourself on fucking fire!!" "But wouldn¡¯t it be cooler if Dragons set us on fire?" she grinned, ncing at him . The boy shuddered in chill, trying desperately to break away from her grip to no avail . "Why are you so strong?!" he asked, tears streaming down the corners of his eyes as the two began climbing steep embankment that led over to the entrance of the city . "What do you know about the Dragon Isles?" she asked instead of replying . "... nothing except no one who ventured there returned alive . " he attempted to say it in a rather dark and macabre voice but failed as it came out mostly coarse and crackly, causing Seya to burst out intoughter once more . "Man, you sure are a kid, aren¡¯t ya?" "I am almost eighteen, I¡¯ll have you know!!" "Oh? Older than me, then . Tsk, tsk, a prime example when age certainly means absolutely nothing . " "No! It¡¯s you who¡¯s the weird one here, not me! Who casually drops that they want to go to the Dragon Isles as though they¡¯re talking about visiting their rtives?! Nobody, that¡¯s who!" "Oh? So I¡¯m ¡¯nobody¡¯? Ouch, little twerp . That hurt . " "... ah-I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it¡ªah, you¡¯re messing with me . " Ayar lowered his head, dispirited, when he saw Seya¡¯s cracking expression . "Pfft, ha ha ha ha, sorry, but man, you certainly do make it easy . Don¡¯t worry too much about after-the-fact, just the part about getting us there . " she added as the two crossed marble archway that acted as the entrance to the cascading, terraced city blending ck and white colors at will . "If nothing else, I can guarantee you¡¯lle back unharmed . " "... yeah, right . " Ayar mumbled in tears . "As if anyone in the world can guarantee that . Especially some random girl my age!" "Hey, hey, I¡¯m not just ¡¯some random girl¡¯ . I¡¯m a ¡¯beautiful random girl¡¯!" she replied with a grin . "... well, fair enough . I can¡¯t really contest that . " "¡ªa-ah?" just as she herself was about to temporarily lose it, she felt a talisman in her void treasure tremble as she rapidly took it out, having realized it was Lino¡¯s . She dragged Ayar into a nearby, dark alley against his will before burning the talisman . The cyan splinters soon formed into a screen, depicting a familiar figure on the other end sporting a rather ugly expression . "E-eh? Lino? Everything alright?" she asked quickly . "... yeaaah, not really . Don¡¯t worry about it," he said, smiling faintly . "How go things on your end? Any luck tracking someone who can take us east?" "Eeeh... I don¡¯t know if you could call it luck, but I¡¯ve found one twerp willing to sail eastward . Well, semi-willing . But I can be fairly persuasive if you give me some time . " "... right . About that . How¡¯s like, I don¡¯t know, twelve to twenty-four hours sound?" "Why? What¡¯s wrong?" she asked quickly, frowning . "Oh, I don¡¯t know . How about the entire fuckin¡¯ world showing up at our front doors before we had a chance to skedaddle?" he groaned in an annoyed tone, cursing something under his breath . "Anyway, if you could convince that twerp to prepare a ship and be ready to sail away at a moment¡¯s notice, it would be really appreciated . From what I know, none of these fuckers currently staring at me like I¡¯m dead meat are allowed to even cross over the ocean due to their pact with the Dragons . Fuckin¡¯ Vy better be telling the truth or I¡¯m going to lose my shit... well, lose it more than I¡¯m losing it right now..." "Alright, I¡¯ll get him on board . " she nodded, her expression serious . "Hey... stay safe, alright?" "Oh? Is that a worry I hear in your voice? Right, before I bolt, I¡¯ve news for you . " "What?" "You¡¯re getting a younger sister . " "What do you me¡ªHannah is pregnant?!!" just as she was about to unleash a flurry of questions, the connection between the two ended, leaving her stretching out her arm toward the empty screen in frustration . "Tsk, fucker hasn¡¯t changed a bit . Drop a piece of fuckin¡¯ life-altering news on you and just vanish . Anyway, you heard the man . " she nced at the trembling Ayar . "We need that ship of yours quickly . " "W-was-was-was that... the... the¡ª" "Yeah, yeah, he¡¯s the big, bad, terrible Empyrean," she rolled her eyes, dragging him out of the city once more . "And if you don¡¯t oblige, he¡¯ll, I dunno, make you live out your most terrifying nightmares or some shit . " "Ah... fuck me..." Ayar mumbled before passing out, right there, in the middle of the street, causing Seya to almost scream in abject frustration . She quickly heaved him over her shoulders and carried him out of the city under the curious eyes of the many who chattered away nonsense into the wind . Consciously ignoring all thements, she quickly began moving northward where the closest port was, hoping that¡¯s where Ayar¡¯s ship was . Tsk, I¡¯m a fuckin¡¯ moron... Iined about being bored, and look at me now . Aah, I need to find something nice for Hannah and sis... fuck, why am I calling her sis? She¡¯s¡ªeh, I don¡¯t have enough energy for this shit... Chapter 419 Chapter 419 CHAPTER 419 AGAINST THE WORLD (I) The sky shook in repeated tremors, the fortress itself soon after quaking as though rising above the epicenter of a world-shaking quake . Cries billowed out like smoke as people fell on their sides and backs, worried expressions filling their faces . Lino merely took a second to hold back Hannah before his expression of worry was overtaken by anger . Growling like a threatened beast, he ripped open space in front of him and rammed through, leaving Hannah, Lucky and Alison back in the chamber despite their protests . He soon found himself on the outside of the fortress, gazing at the ever-ephemeral surroundings . Usually just half-cleaved clouds and asional thundering ones, now his horizon was filled with souls beyond count . Devils alone numbered in daft millions, to say nothing of others . All around, above and beneath, the horizon was blocked by the sea of crucibles all staring at him as though he were already dead . He spotted Two, Three and Six rather quickly among the crowd, floating in slight elevation over the others . No matter where he looked, he couldn¡¯t see a potential exit ¨C every avenue of retreat was blocked, every path but direct confrontation impossible . Space next to him ripped open as E, in addition to Eggor, Val and Amadeel walked over, standing by his side . Thetter three found themselves in abject shock over the sea of souls awaiting them, while the former merely nced at Lino with a tinge of worry . "... I can open up a path for you," she whispered softly into his ear . "And buy you enough time to escape . " "¡ªyou jest, mom," he nced at her, smiling meekly . "Don¡¯t worry too much about it . Just ensure they don¡¯t break into the fortress . " "What will you do?" she asked . "..." Lino didn¡¯t reply, merely whipping out a talisman and burning it as the screen lit up, soon after condensing into Seya¡¯s somewhat frustrated face . Following the short conversation, he re-focused back onto the masses who merely waited in their spots, as though entirely uninterested in fighting him . Suddenly, Two stepped out and floated slowly over to Lino and others, stopping roughly ten meters in front of them . Frigid eyes stared at his with a tinge of cold wrath, causing some trepidation to awake inside his heart . "¡ªyour victory certainly was short-lived, no?" she said, smiling faintly . "Victory?" he smiled back . "I don¡¯t recall winning much of anything... just losing quite a few people I cared for and getting my ass beaten ck and blue . " "Then you know the end-result of today... so you may as well surrender, Lino . If nothing, I promise to not touch anyone in the entire fortress so long as youply . " "... a tempting offer," he said . "But..." "... it wouldn¡¯t be you if you bent a knee at least once in your life, huh?" Six suddenly appeared next to Two, startling E as she quickly recognized the unmasked face . "G-grandfather?!" she eximed as the old man nced at her . "... you¡¯ve reached above and beyond what I thought you ever would, nor," he sighed faintly . "But, not enough . Please... Lino, E... think this through . There is no way out today . Even if you put up a fight, and even if you carve out your names from our bones across the sky, you¡¯ll be overwhelmed . Be smart about this . " "... today won¡¯t be the day of our deaths, that much I promise," Lino said, ncing at Six . "It¡¯s high-time, it seems..." he added, shaking his head as he took out a small, ordinary-looking cube from his void world, twirling it through his fingers . "... so, this is who you are? Someone who doesn¡¯t care if he puts people he supposedly cares for in danger? Humph, what a jo¡ª" before Two was able toplete her sentence, she felt her heart freeze over as though in winter . She rapidly channeled Qi through every inch of her body and put up a barrier in front of her; less than a breathter, it cracked like meek ss, shattered like the binds of reality around her as she felt Will well beyond hers overwhelm every part of her being . Barely defending, she was flung nearly ten miles backward like a cannonball, crushing through over a thousand souls during her journey, ending their lives immediately . Six remained in the same ce, shellshocked, his hair and beard fluttering as the wind finally caught up, his lips trembling and quivering . Right next to him, a gash the size of a massive tower wriggled like a worm through the space, a man drawing back his sword from it . "Tsk, bitch never puts her guard down?" Lino clicked his tongue in slight disappointment . "Heed me!!" he suddenly shouted toward the fortress as the quivering hearts of everyone calmed . Despite the fact that they were facing an uncountable number of souls, all trepidation and fear that had consumed them vanished within that single moment as the familiar voice cascaded through the cores of their beings . It was like a wave that washed away all they felt, leaving behind only peace and calm they would otherwise spend lifetimes searching for . "Arm the Formations!!" he shouted . "Man the Orbiter!! Defend our home!!" There wasn¡¯t even a moment of silence for them to process the words, as thousands of footsteps soon consumed the nothingness, every soul running toward their post . The dark fortress suddenly lit up like the sun,yers uponyers of formations firing off rainbow-range of lights, spinning in circles rapidly as they began generating low hums that stirred the surrounding stillness into the wind . The reality surrounding the fortress bent and wrung over itself, sliced away by mere stray energy generated within a few moments . Eggor, Val, and Amadeel withdrew back into the fortress, only Lino and E remaining outside . Hannah, Lucky, and Alison stood by the edge of the wall, their eyes glued to the two of them . All three had rather somber expressions, especially the former; though she wished to be up there with every fiber of her being, today was not the day . "Let¡¯s go," she said, shaking Lucky and Alison from their thoughts . "We¡¯ve jobs to do to do as well aside from limping around . " Two recovered slowly, looking down at the cross between left shoulder and her chest where a massive gash appeared, bleeding profusely . She gritted her teeth in frustration, a worm of anger tunneling through her veins into her heart, causing restlessness to ovee her for a moment . Taking a deep breath, her fierce eyes focused on the distant figure before she unleashed all her anger in a singr roar . "ATTACK!!!" Hundreds of thousands of roars merged together into a symphony that shook the world . Lino and E were forced to take a step back due to the sheer pressure of countless Wills exploding temporarily into the open sky . "... go into the fortress and man the core," Lino said, ncing at her . "Others won¡¯t be able to sustain it . " "... what about you?" she asked, frowning . "¡ªit¡¯s frustrating, but we can¡¯t really show our cards just yet," he sighed bitterly . "Even pulling out the Orbiter this early cut me deep . I¡¯ll try to stall for as long as possible while you focus on shredding a single direction and carving open a path . Direct the fortress to the eastern shores of the Holy Continent; Seya had found someone who can navigate the Edge and guide us to the Isles . Vy told me that there¡¯s a pact between the Dragons and the rest that prohibits encroachment on each other¡¯snds . " "... be careful, alright?" she added with a worried expression, grabbing his hand tightly for a moment . "Nothing is worth your death . " "... how can I die now?" he said, smiling gently . "Just when I¡¯m about to be a dad..." "E-eh?!" "Another time . " "Right, another time . " she nodded, smiling, before vanishing . Lino took a deep breath and focused . Today, perhaps for the first time in his life, he truly realized what it meant to be at war with the world . Though he spoke of it many times before, it¡¯s a difficult concept toprehend . Even now, he was merely up against a small cut that was able to make it here in time . Yet, even so, it was overwhelming . Beyond overwhelming . He couldn¡¯t even fool himself into believing he stood an iota of a chance of winning . Two and Six alone would be enough to hold him back to say nothing of countless others, hundreds and thousands of Fiend Titrs and above . Empyrean or not, a single soul can always be overwhelmed . The only good of it all was that he didn¡¯t need to win; he needed to survive . And, if there was one thing every Empyrean since the time immemorial was known for, it was surviving against all odds . "... by gods, I so regret the day I took your ass in..." he mumbled softly as he took out the [Dragon yer], gripping it tightly . No other weapon in his arsenal could do much in his current situation, which once again reminded him he needed to expand his arsenal once more . "Rejoice," Ataxia replied in his usual, robotic voice . "You always dreamt of what it would be like to stand against the world..." "Yeah, key difference being ¡¯dreamt¡¯," Lino sighed as surge of Qi barraged the world, cutting it away from the reality . "Hardly a desire to experience it, however . Ah, whatever, whatever . I¡¯ve brought this on myself . " "... oh? Self-awareness in the dire times? Perhaps you should jump into situations like these more often . " "... go suck a goddamn dick . " He unfurled his wings, six in total bracing the world, blinding it with pure-white, milky light . His figure darted through the spacetime, ignoring seemingly allws known to man, appearing nearly a mile away instantaneously, swinging the yer horizontally . The mirage of the de extended over from the steel itself, cutting through over a hundred souls within a single slice . Torsos split open as cries of horror ensued . Yet, Lino hardly had a moment to rejoice, soon crying out himself . His left arm was blown off from his shoulder by a concentration of over a thousand spectacr arrays of fire; a massive hole wrung itself over the right side of his chest, still sizzling, smoking in the ashen dark . He was forced to cough out several mouthfuls of blood due to what he could only describe as a-sized hammer sting against his back . Every single bone in his body broke within that second, and within the same second, it was all restored as though he were born anew . The pain was still there, however, pulsating . His heart shook in terror, his mind repeatedly telling him to run away . He endured, however, bolstering himself once more . Whipping out a shield, he heaved it over his head as he charged forward; those around him suddenly came to and withdrew rapidly while firing off chain-links; winding rods of light, fire, and waterpounded together in fingers of flexible light that shook his shield . He pped his wings once more, catching up to those retreating, mming directly into them before sliding the shield sideways and stabbing out with the yer . Once more the mirage stretched from the tip of the de, skewering over fifteen souls in a single thrust as Lino heaved them over, thrashing them away into the sky as they drew theirst breaths . He had no time to distinguish between who was the Devil, who was Human, or any of the countless beasts that were present . Once more he found himself the target of innumerable attacks that shook and shredded him; in an angr fashion, going from his left breast to the right end of the abdomen, a de light cut through cleanly, shaving off everything below it . Though he quickly recovered, the pain once more remained . Thumping . Pulsating . Three seconds ¨C just three seconds had passed, and he¡¯d already died twice . He¡¯d already experienced the horror of death twice . There wasn¡¯t a moment of respite, a moment to catch his breath . From the corner of his eyes, however, he caught a glimpse of a scene that renewed his hope; the fortress stood strong . Though besieged by countless more souls than he was, it endured it all with ease . One beam of light after another shot off from the countless arrays, reaping tens of thousands of souls with each attack . Fuckin¡¯ hell... why the fuck didn¡¯t I hide in that monstrosity as well... Spotting Two, Three, Six and several God-devils approaching from his left, he quickly remembered why . He was the target ¨C the fortress merely an afterthought . Endure, a thought echoed as an edged storm of icicles sted at him, one managing to pierce through his right eye . Endure, heaving his shield over, he was nheless sted backward, spinning uncontrobly, retracting his wings . Endure, a shadow appeared beneath him and stuck a dagger in his gut, causing blood to ssh out like a waterfall . With faint wherewithal, Lino managed to slice downward and beneath the culprit, causing yet another body to fall from the sky . Endure, the sky tore open above him as a golden palm descended, pressing against him . Endure... the pain was so overwhelming his receptors actually shut off . He turned numb . Numb to pain, to feelings, to everything . Repeatedly dying and reviving, on the fence of two divergent realities, he couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it all . All he could do is endure and tightly hold onto the cube, still waiting . Soon... so just... endure... Chapter 420 Chapter 420 CHAPTER 420 AGAINST THE WORLD (II) E was currently furiously shoving Qi into the ever-expanding formation that lit up the somber sky in countless cascading colors . The sheer quantity of Qi could not be visualized by anyone present, even Lino . However, despite that, there were limitations ¨C however advanced the formation was, there was still a dy between her input and the actualization of her intentions . Though she found it frustrating, she didn¡¯t have the luxury of ranting about it . After all, with a part of her attention split and focused on Lino, she followed him all across the sky as he was beaten back repeatedly, cut and sliced, dug at like an animal . What she found strange, however, was that he only asionally fired back; she didn¡¯t believe he couldn¡¯t counter-attack at all, though one exnation would be that he was simply buying time for her to open up a passage . She also quickly realized he killed only enough to maintain a stable recovery of Vitality, while slowly sucking away at the dead and making himself stronger . Though his movement appeared eerily sporadic, it was well-calcted; he had managed to keep a rtive distance from Two, Three and Six, though that was only a temporary patch . He did what he could with what little could be done; after all, one-man-army, even oneprised of an Empyrean, was mostly a myth, especially on the higher strata of cultivation . "¡ªcan you temporarily cut the supply to the Defensive Layers?" a familiar voice surprised her as she cried out, turning sideways . Primul had a worried and hurried expression, his eyes shining strangely, droplets of sweat falling down his forehead . "What?!" she quizzed somewhat angrily . "I¡¯ve spotted over a dozen deficiencies that I can improve upon in a matter of seconds," he quickly reasoned . "But, there can¡¯t be any Qi in the threads . " "If I drop the Defensive Layers, they¡¯ll burn a hole straight through us!" she eximed . "Fix itter and stop distracting me!" "¡ªhe can¡¯t hold on for much longer!!" Primul screamed out, pulling E¡¯s attention back toward him . "And, even if you burn a hole through them and escape, what of it?! They¡¯ll be after us immediately! Part of the deficiency is what allows the link between Ataxia and Ashtar to persist despite all our attempts to block all leaks!" "... you have a way to end the connection between them?" E asked with a strange glint in her eyes, causing Primul to take a step back . "You do realize the implications of your im, don¡¯t you?" "... of course I do," he replied candidly . "But, I am not ending the connection between them ¨C merely setting up a temporary barrier . " "¡ªLucky," space ripped open in front of E as Lucky found herself forcibly flung over to the center of the fortress, somewhat shocked . "Gather all the Shadows, be they graduates or in training, and surround the fortress . Also, tell Eggor to use the Shield Formation in exactly thirty seconds . Have Hannah and Alison help on the eastern and northern ends . " "... uh, sure . Why, though?" Lucky asked . "Because all goddamn Empyreans are just absolutely batshit insane..." E grumbled in frustration, causing Primul to smile bitterly as he scratched his nose . Meanwhile, Lino found himself on the receiving end of another concentrated beam of elementalpendium ¨C barely managing to lift his shield in time to block it, he was nheless flung nearly a mile backward, while his left arm waspletely shattered to the point he had to cut it off at the shoulder to let it regenerate quicker . By then, Two, Three and Six had caught up to him, trapping him in a triangr formation . ncing at the fortress and its surroundings, he realized it was not the time just yet . Cursing inwardly, he looked around and assessed all possibilities ¨C something he rarely did . If it were a literal matter of life and death, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have and would have just fought by his gut; but, as it wasn¡¯t, he was forced to calcte . "¡ªyou may as well go out in a ze of glory," Three said, her hair suddenly beginning to shine in faint golden . "Since they are not escaping . You¡¯ve condemned them all to the same fate . " "I think we¡¯ve established that your juvenile attempts to piss me off don¡¯t really work," Lino fired back, more than happy to chat with them instead of fighting . "But, if it¡¯s going to get you off my fucking ass, I¡¯ll happily y the part of the emotionally-charged cripple whose pride can¡¯t take a single hit since it¡¯s the basis of my entire ego . And, yes, that was a not-so-subtle insult aimed at Two . I used to be so much better at this, ah..." "... you could have achieved it all, if only you were patient . " Two said solemnly . "I doubt patience has much to do with it," Lino said, chuckling faintly and coughing out a mouthful of blood . "I never expected our friendship to endure the eternal tides of time, but I genuinely didn¡¯t think the breaking point would be your inability to control me . " "..." "But, it¡¯s fine," he shrugged, taking a deep breath and heaving the [Dragon yer] over his shoulder . "I get it . Somewhere inside your hearts, past the rotten vanity and shallow pride, good intentions reside . None of us are much different in that regard, eh? Somewhere inside of me still lives that hopeful boy, a na?ve kid convinced the only reason people aren¡¯t getting along is that they don¡¯t trust themselves . Somewhere deep inside, buried beneath the heaps of corpses, and countless harsh lessons the world dished out . It¡¯s hard..." he added, looking up suddenly toward the sunless sky . "To keep a steady heart . " "¡ªa steady heart would have realized what it¡¯s doing is just repeating the mistakes of his predecessors," Three said with a faint scoff . "A blinded one believes itself better . " "... I¡¯m no better than them," Lino said, meeting her gaze evenly . "Just slightly luckier, is all . What can anyone even except? Since the day they became Empyreans, they were viewed as nothing short of the bloodthirsty morons hellbent on cradling the world in chaos . No one cared who they were as people, what they actually wanted to achieve, or even who they were . Only the empty title . Just like you, right now . " he added, smiling . "You don¡¯t see me . Lyonel . You see the Empyrean . And, no matter what I do, or what I say... I will forever remain just that: another Empyrean . Perhaps slightly stronger, wordy, loose... but an Empyrean nheless . I¡¯m not better, either . I don¡¯t see three people in front of me, doing what they believe needs to be done . I see two walls I need to break through, and a whore I need to behead . No uglier thing in the world than the bitter, vain heart, is there?" Two said nothing, merely staring at him for a moment before smiling inly . Qi around her surged like a storm, soon apanied by Six and Three who joined her . Lino took a deep breath and replied in kind,bining Qi with Will and drawing a single iota of Primal Chaos from the depths of his soul . The unbearable pressure he was feeling ceased somewhat as the sky began bleeding crimson from the tears and rips it was being put through . A shear appeared right next to him as he replied in kind, slicing with the yer and demolishing it immediately . Activating all the boosters he had in his arsenal, his figure suddenly expanded into a crowned mirage of a shadowed fiend, soon after mirrored in theplexion of his own; white and ck smoke mingled like two lovers, trailing out of the corners of his eyes . His entangled hair found itself free, ensconced in edgeless shadow that quickly overtook his whole body . Not a human, yet not a beast, but somethingrger than life . His figure darted through bends and shears of reality, the yer carving out a road ahead . Two spliced back and spun in a circle as time around her ceased to move temporarily, causing Lino¡¯s strike toe to a grinding halt . Pushing Chaos Qi into his surroundings, he managed to free himself of the constraints just in time to spin sideways and cut at the golden beam of light Three sent toward him . It shattered like ss, shards sprinkling over from the sky onto the earth down below like rain . He picked up the pace, leaving behind a trail of warping shadows as he skated around in a spiral circle, first striking at Six who raised a curtain of earth to block it, then stabbing at Three who enamored herself in a golden sheen, then at Two who once more slowed down the threads of time just enough to evade his strike, condensing her palm into a transparent mirage right after that struck at his shadowed figure, sting it back . Weaving roundly, he evaded abined strike of fire and light that pierced by his side like a shower of arrows . Smoke arched around his body as the massive mirage behind his back suddenly stretched out its arms, the Will of End encumbering the reality around it, bringing it to its knees . All others who were approaching in an attempt to attack suddenly found themselves frozen, be they Devils or Humans . They couldn¡¯t take a single step forward, their souls screaming at them to retreat . Grasping the yer tightly, he funneled abination of Qi and Chaotic Will directly into it, causing the sword to cry out like a cornered animal . It began vibrating at speeds which caused it to turn into a shuffling, shadowy blur, blending in with its beholder . "," Lino mumbled as the space above him cradled unto itself, forming a golden hammer the size of a small mountain that began dropping toward him . "Sixth Form ¨C Wrath of the Empyrean . " Lino suddenly felt his heart straddle, as though a dam broke open at its entrance, all his emotions rushing out like the torrential river, zing through his arm into his sword, powering it into a ck-burning fire . Empty . Deste . Freeing . A roar of liberty cruised out of his lungs through his throat and lips, shaking the world around him as he swung the yer upwardly, slicing straight through the golden hammer as though it was made out of paper . The terribly dark de light crushed onward, crashing into the unsuspecting Three . A whole arm flew out alongside a spray of blood and a vanquished cry, a figure thrashing through the sky, spiraling out of control . "!!" Two screamed out, sping her hands together in front of her chest . "Reestablishment!" Lino¡¯s eyes sprinkled in a glimmer of confusion as he watched Three retrace her trajectory through the empty sky and back into her original position, the cut arm reattaching itself over to her shoulder right after . Though somewhat pale and short of breath, she otherwise appeared entirely unharmed . "," Six¡¯s voice shook the surrounding reality slightly as Lino felt all Qi in his surroundings undergo a fundamental change in its make . "Annihtion . " Lino rapidly counted roughly twenty thousand vortexes that simultaneously opened around him, each the size of two grown men . They spun splendidly for but a moment before their make and color changed, each spitting out a sword ¨C though not the exact replicas . Each sword donned a different color, seemingly epassing the entire spectrum, in addition to embodying a different element . They all homed in on him immediately, and as though twenty thousand eyes pierced through his skin, his very soul could feel their gaze . "!" Two cried out just then, startling him . "Resonance!" He only had but a breath to let go of the cube he held onto tightly all this while, and utter a single sound . Right after, he was skewered by thousands of swords that seeped through his shadowed being as well as the vast mirage behind him, pain sting off from every inch of his body, bringing him down to his knees . Chapter 421 Chapter 421 CHAPTER 421 AGAINST THE WORLD (III) The cyan dome copsed suddenly unto itself; but for a breath, the fortress stood defenseless, though no one managed to capitalize on it as nobody quite expected it . Just as they realized it, nearly four thousand silver-cast vanguard shields appeared out of nowhere, spread around the fortress evenly, connected by thin threads, forming a simr dome of protection . Shadows suddenly slipped past the thin openings, warping through the empty space like invisible darts, quickly reaching the ever-diminishing army . Lucky led the charge fearlessly, a pair of daggers bloodily glistening within her hands . She had an empty expression, eyes void of emotion, entirely doused in thick smoke . Like the billowing carpet, she dashed around through the small formation of Devils, stabbing away at their vital points at speeds they could not process . Following right after her were the other members of Shadows, a small segment of the fortress thatrgely remained unknown to the world . Thousands of bodies began raining into the sea down below per second, blood apanying them in a macabre shower of crimson gore . Lucky dug her fangs into unarmed necks repeatedly, her body flickering about frequently, never staying put for longer than a breath . Bending her body unnaturally, nearly touching her heel with the top of her head, she evaded a de light before vaulting sideways, extending her left leg and wrapping it around the Devil she had just killed, using the corpse as a propeller to shuffle herself over to the next group where the attack came from . She suddenly stuffed the daggers into her belt as the shadows surrounding her expanded, temporarily reaching nearly a whole mile across . Right after, countless needle-sized des shot out of the smoked curtain of darkness, causing one agonizing cry after another to adjoin each other in the symphony of pain . Pirs of rainbow-colored lights shot up from each of the fortress¡¯ towers, slithering like pieces of cloth under wind before bending into a spiral and joining together above E . A sphere the size of a small mansion turned pure white, sting off heated rays omnidirectionally for a moment before cracking open like an eggshell . From within, an ear-shattering roar suffocated all other sounds momentarily before a shapeless beast emerged, as dark as the obsidian . The fortress abruptly shook as E cried out, quickly channeling Qi to the eastbound side where Hannah currently sat floating midair, ensconced inside her Avatar form . Opposite of her was a swarm of Void and Fiend Titrs, the frontlineposed entirely of Aeonians . Her breaths were rapid and shallow, herplexion daftly pale; the shimmer of her green eyes dulled slightly as blood trickled down the corners of her lips . Crying out lowly, she sped her hands together in front of her chest, the majestic mirage of her above quickly following suit . Elements beyond measure splintered at their cores, causing thousands of explosions to encase her surroundings, shaking the world at its heart . The sky split open as a pir of golden light descended upon her, a bejeweled Crown suddenly appearing both above hers and mirage¡¯s heads . It shone starkly golden, emitting heart-wrenching Will of Command . What it touched bowed, shaking on their knees . Light wrestled away from her,bing into a barrage of a thousand des that spread into a halo-like formation behind her . Her emerald eyes lost their green luster, reced by brilliant silver, her dress transforming into a silver-cast armor . "DON¡¯T LET HER COMPLETE THE TRANSFORMATION!!!!" a voice suddenly broke out beyond the realm of reality as Two managed to break out thousands of people from mind paralysis . "CHARGE!!!!!" Though she watched thousands of souls charge right at her, with thousands more firing off one art after another from behind them, Hannah appeared calm and tranquil . She swiftly took out an unassuming object reminiscent of a handle of a broken sword, extending her right arm forward . The space around it rippled, giving way to the overbearing nature . She shuffled her Will directly into it, elongating the small, ordinary object into a six-miles wide cannon-like article that rested above her . Silver-cast and breathtaking, it shuddered and shook as light lit up like the sun at the far front, causing the reality around it to bend due to the sheer quantity of Qi . "Banishment . " though a whisper, her voice echoed out through the vestiges of space, reaching every soul currently facing her . Suddenly, the cannon of light shook, a faint hum sting off into the world before a beam of light surged from within, consuming everything in front of it in a singr sweep . There was nothing left in front of her, not the arts, not the people charging, nor those well behind them . There was only a gaping hole, slowlying together at the seams . She staggered midair, a hand reaching behind her suddenly and holding her back from falling as the mirage above copsed, the crown shattered, the silver-cast armor vanishing in lieu of a dress she originally wore . Amadeel held her gently, sucking in a cold breath as he nced at the destruction in front of him . "... almost..." he mumbled, spotting a small density of energy in the distance that vanished just as quickly as it appeared . The shapeless beast roared once more, moving northward where Alison was currently facing an army of God-devils . Alex, Myveen, and Ivon stood in front of her, all donning somber expressions . "... Hannah has really grown up..." Myveen mumbled with a faint smile, ncing at the distant spot that had just closed up . "She really has," Alex nodded . "But, admire herter . " he quickly added, swiping sideways whereupon a sound of shing metals echoed, a faint spark shing for but a second as a ded edge bounced off his fist . All abound, Arts shed back and forth, thousands dying and falling every second . In a rtive safety from the chaos, Primul was rapidly drawing over the already-existing threads, sweat pouring down his forehead and back, his shirt as wet as though he¡¯d just doused himself in the ocean waters down below . "HURRY UP!!!" E¡¯s rmed voice shook his heart as he gritted his teeth, managing to speed up his already cramping hand slightly . "..." he didn¡¯t have the strength to answer her, merely resuming the dance around the core, roughly drawing a thread every two seconds . Had Lino been here to see it, he would have most-likely believed he was dreaming it, as he needed over thirty seconds to draw a single thread on the weapon arrays, to say nothing of the massive formation . The seconds ticked by both rapidly and lethargically, his mind overcast in the sensation of exhaustion . He had to fight back the sleepiness, the tiredness, while at the same time concentrating on the fact that a single misaligned line would cause the entire thing to copse, perhaps even preventing the activation of the Defensive Layerspletely . He didn¡¯t know the state of the battle, but the symposium of roars, cries, and curses let him know it was all but steady . E altered her focus between Primul, maintaining the formation, each of the sides of the fortress, as well as Lino . Though she was exhausted, she didn¡¯t allow herself a single breath of respite; after all, a single mishap could potentially result in the breach of the fortress walls, which would effectively doom them all . ncing toward one of the streets, she spotted kneeling Eggor holding his arms up in the air, channeling what little Qi he had in maintaining the shield formation that was thest bastion of defense for the fortress at the moment . Gritting her teeth, she nced at Lino only to suddenly have her heart freeze over as though doused in ice . In the very moment that her eyesnded on the distant figure, thousands of swords of light skewered him all throughout as blood burst out of every inch of his being . "GODDAMIT PRIMUL, HURRY UP ALREADY!!" she cried out once more, her voice cracking slightly . Her heart screamed at her to abandon post and rush after him, but she managed to hold back . "I¡¯M DONE!! I¡¯M DONE!! ACTIVATE IT!!" the man screamed from down below, barely managing to get out thest word before falling back and passing out on the floor right there, breathing heavily . Without even waiting for a second, she reactivated the defensiveyers, freeing Eggor who also copsed right after as the shields vanished . Cyan dome once again epassed the entire fortress, her eyes quickly darting over to Lino . Had he a whole mouth right now, Lino would most-likely end up cursing all lines of ancestry the Six and Two had . Though it was temporary, the explicit feeling that came with being skewered by a thousand swords could not be quite put into words . It was a sensation that needed to be experienced, yet Lino would adamantly instruct everyone not to seek it . Just as he barely managed to recover, he saw Three closing in with a gilded de of gold and fire zing away behind her, increasing in size each passing moment . However massive his Vitality was, it wasn¡¯t infinite . Letting go of his inhibitions for a moment, a roar bellowed out of his lungs as the [Dragon yer] cried out in concert, the ck shadows suddenly reced by milky-white streams of light . Rather than retreating, he advanced toward Three, his whole being shrouded in shadows . However, there was a change deep within; streams of white light, akin to those emitting off the sword, appeared in the visage of his . They seemed inconspicuous to the point that even Two didn¡¯t pick up anything odd about them, merely thinking it was just another one of the boosting Arts he possessed . After all, Three¡¯s attack was mainly for distraction as she and Six prepared for something bigger . Even at the point of impact, neither of the two realized something was off . It was only during the aftermath . Lino swung the yer at an angle, meeting the Three¡¯s scorching de the size of a massive tower by now squarely . The space around the impact ripped open immediately, explosion following right after that rippled out for tens of miles in an ear-deafening shockwave . However, there was no standoff; no ensuing explosions or struggle . Rather, Three immediately realized something was wrong as she felt the Qi within her de seep away . It wasn¡¯t a gradual decrease, but an immediate one ¨C from a hundred to a zero ¨C until the de vanishedpletely . A pair of grimdark eyes bore down upon her soul as she came face to face with a nightmare-fueling abomination . It wasn¡¯t Lino, it wasn¡¯t Ataxia, it was that which both of them heeded ¨C Chaos . Like two stars, ck and white, his eyes danced in the midst of shadows, beholding the truths and lies of the creation and reality . Streams of shadowed ck and illuminated whitebed together at the edge of the de as it descended upon her, cleaving through her skull without any resistance . "¡ªwhat..." she barely managed to mumble in the end as she came face to face with the reality . In that split second of awareness before death, she was pulled into his soul . There, two zing stars burned and scorched, one entirely white, the other perpetually ck . They orbited one another in an eternal dance, pulling at each other yet nevering in contact . In-between them, at the stark center, a figure hovered cradled in their res . Cape of ck and white draped around him, fluttering in the hazy winds of fire . He opened his eyes and met hers for a moment, a smile creeping up . "¡ªmy Will... be done . " a lethargic voice of infinity was thest thing she heard before her consciousness ceased . Right then, her body was halved, split right across, and scorched right after into the fading ash . At that moment, a star of splendor that survived ceaseless wars fell... yet her greatest regret was not failing to survive, but failing to tell the others to hide and cower until the end of eternity . Chapter 422 Chapter 422 CHAPTER 422 AGAINST THE WORLD (IV) ?TATYANA!!!" a blood-curling scream came crashing through the trembling sky as Two rushed past the constraints of space, appearing behind Three immediately, trying to catch the vanishing ash, blood spraying all over her . Tears rapidly streamed down her cheeks, her eyes wide open, lips trembling as though entombed in frost . "No... no¡ªno... no..." she shook her head violently, staring at the ghastly sight in front of her . Her arms shook, her heart nearly bursting out of her chest . She couldn¡¯t believe it, couldn¡¯t fathom it . Something inside of her cracked at that moment as she watched thest sprinkles of gray and crimson fade off into eternity . "NO!!!!!!!!!!!" she cried out vehemently, the pair of dark eyes turning bloodshot, veering off from the nothing onto the figure floating lethargically in front of her . He was no longer entombed in shadows but encased in skin like everyone else . He had a look of exhaustion on his face, his lips curled up into the faintest of smiles, the pair of daftly ck eyes meeting hers squarely . "... hurts, don¡¯t it?" Lino chuckled, spraying out ck blood from his throat violently through a cough . "I told you... you should have killed me . " "Y-you... you..." Two stuttered, her entire body trembling intensely, her eyes losing their glee and luster . "You killed her... you-you killed her..." "... I sure did, ha ha," ck blood began flowing freely from his ears, nostrils, eyes, and corners of his lips . He soon looked rather ghoulish and lurid, halfway to thend of the dead . "Tatyana... huh . I didn¡¯t know, urgh," he coughed once more, wiping the blood off his mouth . "You guys had names..." "¡ªyou..." the pain, the agony, the guilt... it all broke into pieces like a y figurine, re-molded back together into a singr emotion: anger . It built up rapidly, like a fueled ze, consuming every fiber of her being . She found the words she ought to say stuck inside her throat, her chest expanding under the invisible heat, as though preparing to explode . Words mingled together into a mess until her mind nked . "I WILL KILL YOU!!!!" Lino watched the rhapsody of colors form before his eyes, yet he was unable to do anything . His body wouldn¡¯t listen to him, as though there was an invisible dissonance between the two . He remained floating there, closing his eyes, ready to receive the judgment . However, the pain never came . Instead, firm yet gentle arms pulled at his shoulders as he felt a short sensation of ripping through space . Just as they arrived on the other end, the familiar voice shouted hurriedly . "BOOK IT, ELLA!!!" Amadeel screamed from the top of his lungs as he nced at the ever-growing serpent of death rising toward the fortress . Two hadpletely let go of her inhibitions, he realized, and there was nothing ¨C not the formation, not thebined effort everyone, not even E herself ¨C that could stop it . Despite his mastery of time, he could not contend with hers at the moment; all the colors touched came to a screeching halt, stretching into infinity due to time dtion . Soon, clouds, arts, even corpses were wrung into an ever-expanding spiral concentrated toward the singrity at the center . He realized it right then and there: it was a ck hole . What Hannah failed to do, Two did . Luckily, E seemed to have recognized the urgency of his tone, immediately phasing the entire fortress into the of intertwining realities, traveling through the dimensions in such a way that it was impossible to track them . Colors, shapes, and objects hurried into a blend of streaming nothingness as he observed the expanding abyss surrounding the fortress . Everyone fell down and lied on the cold, stone floor, their breaths quick and shallow . Lucky quickly found Alison sitting down, leaned against the wall, a look of utter exhaustion on her face . Sighing in relief, she also slumped right next to her, closing her eyes and passing out . E finally stopped the Orbiter, taking a deep breath as she nced around . The scars of the battle were evident everywhere; over ten towers had copsed, walls had massive, gaping holes all over, debris ran amok through the spiraling streets... and roughly two hundred corpsesy listless throughout, in addition to over a hundred that fell on the outside . "... you¡¯re a real miracle, you know that?" she cried out lowly, quickly spinning around only to see faintly-smiling Lino walk up to her with Amadeel¡¯s support . "Holy¡ª" she cried out even louder after seeing his face, doused entirely in acidic, ck blood . He truly looked like a rotting corpse . She quickly ran over and ced her hand gently on his forehead, inspecting his body with her Divine Sense . "How... how are you alive..." she mumbled in disbelief . "Rather than that," he said, chuckling and weekly raising his arm, suddenly pulling her down as the trio sat down . E found herself unable to stand up right after, seemingly glued to the floor . "Let Amadeel take over the navigation . I¡¯m, cough, surprised you¡¯ve got any Qi left..." "... w-what happened?" she asked in a shaky voice . "... I may have gone a bit too far to kill one of them," he smiled weakly, his breaths growing shallow . "But, I¡¯ll be fine . How¡¯s the situation?" "... the situation can wait . You aren¡¯t fine, Lino . Why¡¯d youe here? You should go see¡ª" "If I do end up dying, do you really think anyone could have done anything about it?" he interrupted, asking . "Rx . It may look bad, but, aside from the excruciating pain, inability to move a single muscle in my body, and the fact that my Qi is so clogged up it¡¯s barely moving through my body, I¡¯m great . How¡¯s Hannah? Lucky? Ally? Val? Alex¡ª" "They¡¯re all fine, don¡¯t worry . " she said, sighing in defeat . "You... ah, you really are insane . It¡¯s at times like this that I finally end up remembering you¡¯re the Empyrean..." "... fair warning," he said . "I may have pissed off Two beyond reproach . " "... who¡¯d you kill?" she asked . "Three . " "Well, of course you did," E said, sighing once more . "She¡¯s her younger sister . " "... oh boy . " "Yeah . " "... so... how was seeing your grandfather again?" Lino asked . "... odd," E replied, chuckling faintly . "I thought he was dead . " "Right, by the way," he mumbled, ncing around . "Something¡¯s different . And, though I may be askingte, the hell¡¯s Primul doing passed out over there?" "We temporarily shut down the Defensive Layers," E exined . "So he could tinker with them some . From what I gathered of his exnation, he did it so that Ataxia and Ashtar¡¯s link would stop working while you are in the fortress . " "... wait-so we aren¡¯t being tracked?" "Not as far as I¡¯m aware..." "Holy shit..." Lino suddenly sighed in relief, seemingly recovering halfway through by simply learning that fact . "You should have led with that, goddammit... so we¡¯re safe..." "... yeah, we¡¯re safe . " E said, smiling faintly . "Though, I suggest we don¡¯t go directly to the Isles just yet . Not in this shape, at least . " "I wasn¡¯t nning on going there just yet anyway," Lino said, sighing faintly . "It was just a temporary fix Vy suggested . I think he¡¯s just missing his family, is all . " Lino ignored the sling of curses echoing inside his mind . "... you really are amazing . " he added, ncing at her and smiling warmly . "Thank you..." "... what for?" she chuckled, helping himy down on herp as she began caressing her hair . "You did the brunt of work . I still can¡¯t believe you kept Two, Three and Six at bay for so long . " "... I did good, huh..." he mumbled, weakness assailing his body as he found himself cradled inside a safe ce . "Yeah, you did well . Get some rest now . " she added, smiling gently . "... you... too..." "... thank you for saving him . " E nced at Amadeel who was currentlymandeering the fortress through the bends of reality . "¡ªyou realized it too, didn¡¯t you?" Amadeel said, his tone and expression both somber . "Yeah..." E nodded, her tone simr to his . "Have you picked up on anything?" "... no," Amadeel shook his head . "Her application of time is vastly different from my own . Sorry, but Origin Awakening is still some ways off for me . " "Ha ha, don¡¯t worry about it . If it was that easy to do it, the whole of the world would be it . " "... sounds rather insincere,ing from you . " he chuckled, shaking his head . "... there¡¯s a price to pay for everything," she mumbled lowly . "What did you manage to glean from her Awakening?" "¡ªit was, fortunately, just a dual one," Amadeel said . "I think she was too concentrated on killing Lino at the moment that she decided to forgo the technicalities, or was even unaware of it all to begin with . Primary is Time and Secondary is Space . " "... it¡¯s a goodbination . " "Perfect, for her at least," he said . "Though the ck hole is a short-lived one, it does not lessen the variable she¡¯s be . " "... there¡¯ll be time to n things out," E said . "For now... we should recover . We¡¯ve taken a massive hit, and lost a lot of people, to say nothing of the countless injuries . How¡¯s Hannah?" "She¡¯s fine," he replied, his gaze somewhat dubious . "I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but, uh, I think she¡¯s pregnant . " "Ah, yeah, Lino mentioned it . So, the baby¡¯s fine as well?" "She is," Amadeel nodded . "It¡¯s partly why Hannah was so exhausted, as she split her attention on also ensuring nothing happened to the baby . " "... she? They¡¯re having a girl?" "¡ªah, sorry . Did you not wish to know?" "No, it¡¯s fine," she shook her head, smiling warmly as she once more nced at the fully-grown man happily snoring on herp . "Who would have thought he¡¯d be a dad one day..." "Ha ha ha, indeed . He hardly seems the part . " Amadeel chortled . "You should rest too . We¡¯ve already gained enough on them so I¡¯ll slow down for a bit . We¡¯ll arrive on the Bridge in about a month . " "Thanks... don¡¯t overwork yourself either . " "I wouldn¡¯t dream of it . " Chapter 423 Chapter 423 CHAPTER 423 OVERCOMING (I) Hannah¡¯s eyes fluttered for a moment as she groaned in pain, her blurry vision recovering somewhat as she tried to sit up . She suddenly felt a pair of gentle arms help as she nced sideways, recognizing a familiar face of her Master, smiling . She smiled back, taking the help and sitting up, observing the room around her . It took but a moment to realize she was in Myveen¡¯s chambers, a simple-stacked room with a praying mat, a bed, and several bookshelves to the far left . Though the peace washed over her for a moment, it didn¡¯tst long as memories came surging back . "W-what happened?!" she quickly asked, turning her head to Myveen . "Where¡ªwhere¡¯s Lino?!" "He¡¯s fine, he¡¯s fine, just sit down already," Myveen chuckled gently, pushing Hannah back onto the bed . "I suppose, in a way, we won . We are phasing through the realities right now, rather casually if I may say so . It looks like we aren¡¯t being followed . " "... ah... that¡¯s good... --no, wait, if he¡¯s fine, he¡¯d definitely be here . What are you hiding from me, Master?" Hannah quickly asked, the look of worry growing deeper on her face . "He¡¯s resting," Myveen replied . "I didn¡¯t exactly see it myself, but from what I gathered he managed to kill Three in thest bout which cost him quite a bit . I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll swing by the first chance he gets . " "... he... the motherfucker what now?!" "What do you mean the motherfucker-what-now?! Didn¡¯t you hear how badass my story is? Humph, you should be getting wet right about now!" Hannah¡¯s horrid expression suddenly mellowed as she nced sideways; leaning against the wall, the familiar figure sauntered at her with a slightly prideful grin on his face . He was bandaged up quite a bit, some remnants of disfigurement still present, though she hardly noticed the blemishes . "Hey..." she mumbled faintly, slowly trying to shuffle out of the bed, Lino, however, quickly storming over and holding her down . "Amadeel tells me you too went a bit nuts out there," he said, stroking her hair gently . "Aah, I¡¯m so sad I missed it . " "It¡¯s alright," Hannah said, taking a deep sniff . "I¡¯ll go nuts for you anytime . " "Hey, guys," Myveen suddenly chimed in from the side, her eyebrows twitching . "Did you already forget I was here?" "... yep . " both replied at the same time causing Myveen to both groan andugh at the same time . "Alright, I¡¯ll leave you two to it . Don¡¯t make her do any hard work for now Lino," she added, slowly moving toward the exit . "Congrattions, by the way . And good luck . " "... thanks . " both replied with somewhat sheepish smiles as Myveen left . "So... I guess everyone knows?" Hannah asked quickly . "I may have mentioned it to E... and, well, uh... you know her..." Lino mumbled, scratching his nose . "... so, yeah, everyone knows . Eh, it¡¯s fine . You alright? Killing Three can¡¯t have been easy . " she asked . "Ah, it¡¯s mostly just a bacsh from using a sliver of Primal Chaos," Lino replied, lying next to her . "Boy, that shit is dangerous . I really need to be careful with it . It practically nullifies anything it touches . " "... you? Being careful with something? Yeah, right . " "Ha ha, yeah, I guess it is a curse," he chuckled . "You ought to do a better job of reigning me in . " "... nah," she said, snuggling into his chest slowly . "I love you just the way you are..." Alison was currently sitting in a half-sleeping state on a rocky chair, the only source of light in the room being a shimmering white crystal embedded in the sidewall behind her, casting rays of light over her shoulders and onto the bed in front of her where Lucky was lying fast asleep under a thin nket . The former was startled full-awake by a low groan of pain and a shuffle of folding cloth as she shot up to her feet . With trembling arms, she reached over and grabbed Lucky¡¯s hand as thetter turned toward her with a startled cry, her expression mellowing right after . "Yo¡¯," Lucky called out with a grin . "You look like you could use a drink . How about you pour us some, huh?" "... is this really time for jokes?" Alison mumbled, pouting faintly . "I was really worried, you know?!" "Aww, that¡¯s so sweet . " "H-hey!! Don¡¯t make fun of me!" "I would never . " "... haah," sighing in defeat, Alison sat next to Lucky . "I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay . " "Why wouldn¡¯t I be okay?" Lucky asked, sitting up herself and taking out a bottle of wine from her void treasure as she realized Alison wasn¡¯t going to . "Because you rushed headfirst into the battle!" Alison eximed . "... eh," Lucky shrugged, taking a sip and moaning right after as the slightly bitter wine hit all the right spots . "Not exactly headfirst . My dear Master, I¡¯m afraid, hoisted that banner . " "¡ªhe... well, he¡¯s... he¡¯s an Empyrean! It¡¯s different!" "Oh? What? Are you saying he can take care of himself and I can¡¯t?" Lucky asked with a yful grin . "No, not that," Alison quickly shook her head . "I... I don¡¯t know, I..." "Ha ha ha ha," Lucky burst out intoughter over Alison¡¯s awkwardness . "I get it, don¡¯t worry . And, yeah, he probably can . But, you know, we can¡¯t expect him to, now can we? You also headed out there rather quickly . " "Yes, but I was apanied by my Master and Elders and¡ª" "And I was apanied by hundreds of people, Ally," Lucky said, her smile waning slightly . "Some barely fifteen . If I cowered, what of them, then? I had to be the first there, to alleviate their tasks as much as possible . They weren¡¯t ready..." "... yeah... I... I heard, some of them died..." Alison mumbled lowly . "How... how are you doing?" "I¡¯m fine," Lucky said . "Plenty died today . But even more would have if everyone selfishly cared for themselves over everyone else . Hannah¡¯s pregnant, yet she faced off an entire side herself . E held up the entire fortress all on her own against the siege of the thousands . Eggor¡¯s just a smith, yet he managed to bar back attacks for over a minute . Your Master, Hannah¡¯s, Amadeel, heck, I saw even Val actually fighting . Everyone yed their part . Even Eve and Al¡¯, and Tom and Edith, shit, I think I even saw Litha and Vyrove picking up the ck toward the end . " "... you¡¯re right," Alison sighed lowly . "Doesn¡¯t make it easier, though . When I came back and they told me you were passed out... aah..." "Well, of course I was passed out," Lucky shrugged . "I fought for like ten minutes without holding anything back . I¡¯m more of a backstabber rather than a direct fighter . It was fucking exhausting . Right, do you have any news on Lino?" "He¡¯s banged up, but fine from what I¡¯ve heard," she replied . "As to how... I... don¡¯t know . You must have sensed it too, didn¡¯t you? The oscitionsing from where they fought..." "... I have, yeah," Lucky said, replying to the tightening of Alison¡¯s grip on her fingers . "They were pretty insane . " "... pretty insane?" Alison chuckled bitterly . "He¡¯s... he¡¯s our age, L¡¯ . Even younger . And, it doesn¡¯t matter that he¡¯s the Empyrean . Those oscitions had nothing to do with that . It¡¯s his Will . Have you ever wondered? How he managed to make it like that?" "... I have," Lucky nodded after a short silence . "But, it¡¯s nothing mysterious, Al¡¯ . It¡¯s actually rather simple . " "Hm?" Alison hummed, ncing at her . "He¡¯s spent most of his life with a target on his back," Lucky exined . "Always chased, made into a monster, fought and crippled . Since the day I met him, well over two decades ago now, he¡¯s hardly had a week of proper rest . Time and again he¡¯d find himself in situations like this one... where odds were overwhelmingly against him . When he was just a pipsqueak yet to even hit Level 100, he was already fighting against people hundreds of levels above him . This struggle, I imagine, defined him... among crippling losses he¡¯d suffered over the years . " "... aren¡¯t you the same?" Alison asked . "Why is your Will so different, then?" "... because he can¡¯t let go," Lucky said, smiling gently . "I deal with my demons, but he uses them to fuel himself . I don¡¯t know how he does it Ally," she added, sighing . "How he holds onto all the pain and anger for all this time without going absolutely insane . That¡¯s what makes him so different than us . You can crack at him, beat at him, do anything and everything in your power... but, no matter what... in the end, he cannot be broken . " Eggor was currently staring angrily at the somewhat awkward-looking E, the former holding young, sleeping Cae in his arms . His thick mustache and eyebrows trembled ever so often as a pair of dusk-dark eyes zed over the woman in front of him . "Humph," he scoffed . "You¡¯re lucky that bastard really did ask you to do it . Humph . " "... why?! Why is it okay I overexerted myself because of him but not because of me?!" E cried out faintly . "¡¯cause he¡¯s our boy . You¡¯re a grown-ass woman who should know better!" "... argh... yeah, you¡¯re right," she chuckled, getting up as well and kissing Cae¡¯s forehead gently as to not wake him . "If you should be angry with someone, it should be him though . You saw his state when he came back . " "Oh, trust me, he¡¯s got iting . I mean, for god¡¯s sake, he¡¯s about to be a father! How can his thick-fucking-skull be so stubborn and stupid?!" Eggor quickly fired out . "I¡¯m just waiting for him to recover slightly so he can take my eighteen hours long lecture that I had prepared!" "... why do I have a feeling you¡¯ll go in with that intent but end up drinking yourself to sleep with him as you two wind up going through the entire once more . " E said, suddenly bursting out intoughter . "Ha ha ha, aah... even after all these years, you are still beyond adorable when you blush . " "S-shut up . That won¡¯t happen again!" "Sure won¡¯t, big guy . " ** Six hadn¡¯t moved from the spot he stood at when Three fell for over an hour now, his lips trembling still . Two was in a simr state, though she had managed to put herself in a meditative disposition after undergoing the Awakening; that was merely, however, temporarily dying the simr shellshocked reality Six was dealing with . He was perhaps the one who gave Lino the most credit out of every other Descender, and in his heart, he even suspected to have overestimated him slightly... yet, despite that, he never once, even for a second, believed Lino had the capability to kill any one of the Descenders from the top twenty, let alone Three . Yet, the reality was right there ¨C Three was no more, and Lino escaped . That attack, Six was certain, would have killed everyone save for perhaps One... and even he would have had to evade it rather than take it head-on . There was something uniquely different about it ¨C it wasn¡¯t an Art of any sort or a technique... it was just an ordinary attack . The differencey in the fact that it obliterated everything it touched ¨C the conceptualized nothingness existed, orbiting the surface of that de and all it stirred . He didn¡¯t know what it was, or how Lino pulled it off... but, what he did know was that today would change the course of history forever ¨C for the first time since the Descent¡¯s inception, anyone within the ranks of top forty was felled... and, even worse, it was Three, the quintessential element to a lot of future ns . You... ah, you certainly know just what to do to stir the ho¡¯s nest... Six thought, sighing audibly . But... do you yet know the consequences, Lino? Chapter 424 Chapter 424 CHAPTER 424 OVERCOMING (II) Titus was currently standing still in front of a massive square popted to a brim with lying, bloodied and mutted souls . Running among them were three dozen white-d people carrying bottles full of either pills or some or another liquid in addition to countless bandages . His gaze was dull and empty, his heart faintly cracked, bleeding . He, too, fought, gave it his all, but barely came out of it with a scratch . Meanwhile, all around him, people fell from the high skies to their doom, their bodies never to be recovered . He wondered silently how many here would ever again be able to don a sword? To hoist a shield? To echo a battlecry and march into a war? Not many, he wagered . Though, he garnered, it was a wakeup call for everyone . He wasn¡¯t an exception; he too hade to believe their little army nigh invincible . They all elevated Lino well and above the high skies, imagining the eternally immortal shield, a guardian that will always hold the sky for them . But, all had just the same forgotten he was but a single man, Empyrean or not . Today they were reminded they, too, had a role to y ¨C one beyond just resting in his shade . What shook him the most, however, was that the young were the least hit by it all ¨C most members of the Shadows had barely left their teens, yet had fearlessly charged into the fray before everyone else . They threw themselves at the enemy without any inhibitions . Among the masses, he also spotted young Ion leading charge of a small group of cultivators that were yet to turn twenty . He never retreated, not until thest moment . Never winced . Never ceased battling . However, it wasn¡¯t as though anyone froze and didn¡¯t battle; they all did . With their hearts and souls, they jumped in and fought to the best of their abilities . Sometimes, however, that simply isn¡¯t enough . As was the case today . "Titus?" a familiar, quaint voice jolted him out of his bitter thoughts as he nced sideways where a red-headed figure with an exhausted expression stared at him . "You alright?" "Yeah, I¡¯m fine," he replied with a barely visible smile . "You?" "Just tired," Val replied, ncing at the square, biting her lower lips . "Which is... barely anything . " "How many?" Titus asked . "Initial estimates? Around three thousand are permanently crippled in one way or another," she replied somberly . "Aside from the dead, that is . " "... good god..." Titus sucked in a cold breath, his lips trembling for a moment . "At least we paid back just as much if not more . " "... lives to them hardly matter as much," Titus said . "Does... does His Majesty know?" "... I don¡¯t know," Val shook her head . "I imagine he does . " "... will he be alright?" Titus mumbled . "First the Do¡¯r hell... and now this..." "... he¡¯ll be alright," Val said . "If he didn¡¯t break by now, he never will . " "... that¡¯s good . " Titus mumbled, sighing faintly . "That¡¯s good..." Cane and Alex were currently sitting on top of the wall overlooking the drifting abyss around them . By their calctions, they had just crossed into the waters of the Holy Continent, at least its far south-western parts . Both had somber expressions, their eyes shrouded in the misty glimmer . Space between them suddenly ripped open as E walked through, joining the duo and sitting down . "Where¡¯s Cae?" Cane asked, realizing she was alone . "With Eggor," she replied, smiling faintly . "You¡¯re spoiling him too much, old man . Slow down . " "Ho ho, children are there to be spoiled, El¡¯," the old man said, stroking his beard with a chuckle . "Don¡¯t ruin it for this old man . " "Haii... fine, fine . Do as you will . How¡¯s the situation on your end, Alex?" "Though we suffered some losses, they aren¡¯t too heavy," Alex replied . "If anything, it was an experience we needed . Most of them hardly had any practice when ites to real-life battles where one mistake can be fatal . " "The Shadows suffered the most," Cane said . "Aii... my heart hurts when I remember all those youngs just rushing headless into it..." "What is Lino nning on doing now?" Alex asked following the somewhat lengthy, somber silence . "... recuperate," E said, sighing . "What else? We¡¯re drifting toward the Bridge . I think he¡¯s nning on going to the Isles sometime soon . " "... I figured," Alex chuckled . "That man can¡¯t give it any rest . " "It still might be safer than the Holy Continent," Canemented . "Which is saying something..." "... do either of you know how he managed to kill Three?" E suddenly asked, causing the expressions of the two to harden . "Even though I¡¯m fairly certain I know the depths of his strength, I can¡¯t quite understand how..." "... neither can we," Alex replied, sighing . "From what I saw, the attack that killed her seemed entirely ordinary . I couldn¡¯t read anything off about it . " "Same," Cane nodded . "Why don¡¯t you just ask him?" "I did," E shrugged . "He just shed me one of his yful smiles and fed me that stupid ¡¯man¡¯s gotta have his secrets¡¯ line . " "Ask Hannah," Alex suggested . "I imagine she probably knows . " "Good idea," E nodded . "Will do once things settle slightly . Seeing as we¡¯ll bepletely in the dark of the world for the foreseeable future, you two might join Val and otherster on and start writing out scenarios . We need to be prepared for everything . " Litha and Vyrove were currently racing about the fortress, carrying everything that was thrown at them ¨C from medicine to people . The two volunteered as their injuries were minimal all things considered, and have been at it for three hours now, ever since the battle ended . It was only after Val reprimanded them that the two sat down for a breather on one of the few intact benches throughout the fortress . Both theirplexions were slightly pale, though their eyes shimmered brightly . "It¡¯s amazing how no one recognized us," Litha suddenly mumbled, her sky-blue eyes shing with a tinge of pain . "I know it¡¯s been a while... but still..." "We¡¯ve changed, a lot," Vyrove said, smiling faintly as he reached out and caressed her hair for a moment . "It¡¯d be more surprising if they had recognized us . " "... we really have, haven¡¯t we?" she chuckled, shaking her head as she took a bite out of sweetened bread . "I remember you being a whole lot more of a brooding type than you are today . " "Ha ha ha, I really was . Though I could still pull it off, I think . You, on the other hand, would have trouble pulling off the super-adorable-yet-awfully-deadly type you liked portraying . " "Humph, as if," she scoffed . "I¡¯d floor it, regardless . " "... was it weird for you?" "Hm?" "I mean," he mumbled, leaning slightly forward . "I know we¡¯ve been with Lino for a while... but, this was the first time we actually fought for him . Or with him, as he¡¯d probably say . Was it weird for you?" "... not really," Litha replied after a short thought . "And, yeah, I mean if you stretch it, we fought for him... but, really, I was fighting for those next to us . Andrea, Simon, Tim, Edith, Anna... I guess I just brought my goals closer to home . " "... well, if it¡¯s like that, then I mostly fought for you . " "..." Litha blushed slightly as she looked away . "Sly..." "Ha ha ha,e on, we rested enough," Vyrove got up, stretching . "Let¡¯s go check up on Ss¡¯ group . They were pretty shaken with everything . " "Yeah..." Lino was currently observing the world down below, streets lined with debris and rubble, and countless souls heedlessly running about, carrying the wounded and the dead . The sight broke his heart countless times over, though he didn¡¯t dare look away . It was just one of many reminders in the end, but a rather powerful one . They no longer considered just him the enemy ¨C but everyone even remotely associated with him . It used to be simply to aggravate him and try to flush him out... but this was an outright war call, army against an army . Though dead are an excepted oue, it was still harding to grips with the reality of hundreds dying within less than half an hour . That number, he knew, however, would only keep growing in the future . From hundreds into thousands... and further up . For all the limits nature imposes upon its inhabitants, there isn¡¯t one for how many can die . "... you called?" Primul¡¯s voice echoed gently against the four walls as Lino turned around . The familiar man stood slightly leaning forward, ck bags under his eyes, face still exuding with exhaustion . "I called Primul, not his twin brother, Ugly . " "... pfft¡ªkhm, that was pretty hurtful . " "... let¡¯s drink . " Lino said as he took out two bottles of ale and as the two sat by the window-side table . "E tells me you did something quite remarkable . Care to borate?" "The formation?" Primul mumbled, taking a sip . "It¡¯s nothing that remarkable, actually . The only difficult part stemmed from the time constraint if I¡¯m being honest . Let me ask you something first: do you know how the link between Ataxia and Ashtar works?" "... from what I understand, it¡¯s a primal one," Lino mumbled . "Though, past that, I¡¯m not too sure . " "No, it¡¯s not primal one," Primul shook his head, surprising Lino . "In effect, it¡¯s simr to the link you have with Grim or Non, only much more powerful, as Ataxia didn¡¯t merely contract Ashtar, but made him into what he is today . " "..." "Most links between individuals rely on two things ¨C Talismans and uninterrupted flow of Qi from one end to another . That is why Qi-blocking formations also prevent all standardmunication . And that is why, for instance, your Talisman Department is currently researching how to make talismans with reliance on Mana . " "... so, if their link isn¡¯t reliant on any form of energy, what is it reliant on?" Lino asked, quickly catching up . "Chaos . " "Chaos?" he arched his brow, taking a sip of sweet ale . "It¡¯s simr to how Ataxia always knows where all Primes are," Primul said . "Through so-called Bond of Entropy . However, because it¡¯s a minuscule amount spread thin over virtually iprehensible distances, you¡¯re still unable to sense them . Even I wasn¡¯t . I theorized, at least, I¡¯d have to undergo the Origin Awakening to do it . " "... how¡¯d you stop it then? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve encountered any Chaos-blocking array anywhere, be it books or experience . " "... hmm, it¡¯s not exactly Chaos-blocking," Primul said . "But more... stalling? I guess . " "... ah," Lino suddenly eximed, his lips curling up into a smile . "You used Time to create the infinite loop?" "Yeah," Primul nodded . "The link between the two still technically exists, but the moment it hits the fortress, it enters the stretching loop that dissolves the nature of Chaos and simply turns into a form of energy . The link will be reestablished eventually, but we¡¯re probably talking billions of years at least . However..." "... the moment I step out of the fortress, I¡¯m fucked . " Lino sighed, craning his neck . "I¡¯m just short of Level 30,000 now . How strong do I have to get to be able to endure it?" "¡ªyou should be able to withstand it with your current stats so long as you leave the fortress within a year . " Primul said, not hiding his shock at Lino¡¯s revtion . "How... are you so strong? You were barely in a few thousands when we first met..." "Well, some idiots decided to feed me," Lino chuckled bitterly . "Honestly, I wasn¡¯t even 15,000 before killing Eight and Three . " "... wait . You¡¯re a Harbinger? Ah, that makes sense..." "Were you?" Lino asked . "No," Primul shook his head . "The most basic requirement for an Empyrean to be a Harbinger is for them to have the ability to control their madness . Me? I¡¯m afraid madness controlled me instead . " "... it¡¯s hardly the case of controlling it," Lino mumbled faintly . "And more akin to disallowing it to sweep you away . Back when I got trapped in Do¡¯r, the moment I realized what Gaia nned, the best choice was to flee ¨C and I could have . However... well, you know the rest . I can resist it, but sometimes... it just ain¡¯t worth it . " "... you can still ovee it," Primul said, smiling lightly . "Which is more than what can be said for most of the rest of us . So long as you don¡¯t lose yourself in the ck and white, you¡¯re doing just fine . " "..." Lino remained silent, taking a sip of ale as his mind drifted off for a moment . "Aren¡¯t we all oveing something?" he nced at Primul, smiling lightly . "Right now, every single soul in the fortress is oveing something . Some of them things far worse than me . I¡¯m not better than you, or any one of them Primul," Lino added, getting up . "We¡¯re all just broken souls adrift, forever searching for the missing pieces . I just got lucky that I found mine early on . But, so have you now . Rise above the bitterness and guilt and shame . You¡¯re better than that . " Chapter 425 Chapter 425 CHAPTER 425 THE QUIDDITY OF ELAN "The City shall burn!!" the voice, mingled with screams and shouts, beckoned . It wasn¡¯t lonesome, isted, or unique . Voices beckoned in ways hardlyparable for a timeless period, bouncing against the invisible walls of the never-ending dark . "This... this should not happen!!" she didn¡¯t recognize them, even if she heard them before . A blend of monstrosities uttering words, phrases, sentences, creating a slew of sounds masquerading as something she could not understand . "We trusted you!!" who was ¡¯we¡¯? She did not know . Who did ¡¯they¡¯ trust? She did not know . To her, all the voices were sequences of soundsing from the same soul split infinitely unto itself . An abomination . An ilk . "You¡ªyou killed him..." killed? A heed of death? She could not grasp, could not conceptualize what it meant to die, as she didn¡¯t know what it is to be born and to live . Was she alive? Or was she dead? Or was she both yet neither? "You were never supposed to be born!!" birth? Was that the beginning point of life? Was she born? She doesn¡¯t recall . She has always been such, always, forever . Was there even a beginning to something? To her? To her world? "What are you doing?!!" she shivered and trembled, floating in the ceaseless ether . The voices... they began benign, calm, ever-graceful . Yet, they turned horrid, wrathful, vengeful, fierce . They shook her, frightened her, terrified her . She closed her eyes . "Retreat to the Pce! Seal the Gates! Call the Children!" when she closed her eyes, she could pretend voices were not there . Whether open or closed, though, it hardly made a difference . There was no light either way . No sign . No signal . Nothing . Perhaps not even her . "Demon, be purged!!" why were they so angry? So hateful? She did not know . She could not understand . Just remember . Remember it all . Everyst word spoken . Everyst sigh whispered . Everyst curse swung at the empty sky . "Why... why is it like this..." why, indeed, she wondered . Why was she here? Why could she hear them? They could not hear her . She tried . She called out . She whimpered and winced and screamed and whispered . "... you parasite... you are just a parasite . You don¡¯t deserve to be animated . " The voices suddenly ceased . Ever so often, they would do that . The empty ether would go quiet, as though to give her a moment to calm, to process, to capture everything . Lately, however, she dreaded these moments of silence . She didn¡¯t want to remember . To understand . To listen to her own empty voice . There was so much hate, so much pain, so much anger, so much guilt and shame... The tendrils of the time past beckoned to her, yet she could not swim back . She could not copse unto herself and hold her hands over her ears and shut everything out . The voices spoke directly into her mind and soul, etching themselves like carvings on the stone into her heart . She remembered every single word ever spoken . Every single emotion ever put into a broken voice . It was terrible . Dark . Empty . Cold . Hollow . She tried to escape, she tried to run away, to hide... but she seemed to run in ce, forever orbiting the small nothingness she existed within . She learnednguage from them, she learned words, phrases, emotions, ideas, everything she knew... she learned it all from listening to them . Yet, she wished she hadn¡¯t . She wished she¡¯d remained as ignorant as she was at first . An empty vessel, void of thought . She learned it all against her will, absorbing everything . It made her, shaped her, built her into who she was . Yet, despite all she had learned, she could not understand what she was . Or where she was . The sole thing she knew of herself was her name... Gaia . Somewhere back-beyond it was whispered to her, the first-ever sound carved into her essence . She¡¯d repeat it to herself, over and over, when she found it too much . It was a feeble attempt to mask the sounds of destruction and carnage . It changed little, helped even less, yet she had to do it . She was certain she had to . Even with that, however, she didn¡¯t know how much longer could she take it . She heard them speak of death, of the end, of blissful decay into eternal oblivion ¨C she had begun desiring it . If it meant not ever knowing again, not ever feeling again, not ever hearing again... she wanted it . To them it may be horrid, terrifying, abominable ¨C to her, however, it was not . Death... she loved the word, longed the actualization . Light ¨C she thought . She knew what light was, though she had never seen it . But, she was certain it was light . There . Somewhere . In the ever-expanding distance between her and the release . Yes, her wishes had been answered . Her pleas heeded . She heard them talk of it, of the light the dying eyes see ¨C the light that guides them to the perennial silence . Bliss . Drift, Gaia, she thought . Drift . There, in the light, in that fading flicker, she envisioned immutable sce . The ce she belonged . Where she would, atst, be free of this void, of the cold, of the voices . The flicker grew and grew . Bit by bit . White light, blinding and warm . For the first time, she felt it ¨C the warmth . It washed over her gently, cradling her into an embrace of love and longing . She cried . She was certain of it; they, whoever they may be, wept often . She knew what crying was, what it meant . She embraced it . Soon, the light covered everything, extinguishing the dark . She was entirely wrapped in it, as though it were a world-sized nket . As thest bit of light vanquished thest bit of dark, she closed her eyes . It would all soon be over, she thought . She would hear the voices no more . She would feel the horror no more . She would forever forget the meaning of fear . Her eyes were involuntarily, viciously, violently jostled open . They were back, the voices . But, they were not alone . There was neither the dark nor the light perpetually surrounding her, but a strange mix, a blend of colors constructing the newfound reality . She was falling through the vastly blue sky and milky-white clouds . The wind rived her cheeks, her eyes and lips and throat, and her chest and limbs . To the cradling core of a being she copsed, re-forged anew through the droplets of rain, sinewed . She saw it, the City . The thought she heard many mention . And the Pce . It stood suspended in the empty sky, a coral wastnd of marble-white rock and ashen trees beneath it corralling into a spike-like tip . It burned, fires and smoke rising from the crib of death and decay . Amid the fiery haze, shadowed figures danced by the bouts of light . Up above the city, two orbs, one ck and one white, orbited themselves in a perpetual dance . She was born, she realized . And they... were all there, singing the longing tune of demise . A pair of breathtaking, holistic silver eyes reeved open, blinking repeatedly for a few moments in a confused haze . A few strands of shining, silver hair fell over Jade¡¯s forehead, causing her to reach over and rustle them away . She sighed lowly and sat up from the bed, the silken nket folding over her figure and onto the bed, falling as she got up, revealing a beautiful, slender, naked figure cast in the shimmering rays of white light . She walked over to the window and looked down at the icy wastnd . She had a somber expression, her lustrous eyes shimmering . The rouse and the bustle of the world around her hardly registered with her mind; it was still lost in the faintly decaying memories of the time she thought she had long since forgotten . Though, perhaps, she was merely being na?ve ¨C she had never been able to forget . While others struggled to remember, she begged to forget . It has been a long time since shest dreamt of the distant bygones, of the burning, the Silver City, of the crying wretchedness of the Archangels, of the forsaken weeps of their children, of the daunting abominations looming the sky, and of the wretched reality that she was born into . Though distant, it was hardly irrelevant; after all, the very first memories of this world were the cause of her life, the guide of all her actions . She turned around slowly and walked by the canopy bed over to the mirror reflecting her captivating figure . Stopping right in front, she extended her right arm over and onto the mirror, pushing it through the ss as though it were a liquid, causing it to wiggle around her wrist . Jostling slightly, she jerked her arm back, pulling with it a small, ss orb, its surface aze in flickering embers . Bringing it up to her full lips, she kissed it gently and pressed it against her naked chest, taking a deep breath . She whimpered for a moment as tears cradled her cheeks and fell onto the wooden floor . Her hands shaking, she repeated the motion and put the ss orb back into the mirror before forcibly calming herself down . A milky-white dress suddenly appeared on top of her, loosely wrapping around her now-ndestine figure . Right after, a bejeweled, silver crown fell on top of her head, turning her visage to an ethereally holistic one . The world was facing an onset of rapid changes, and nobody was prepared, not even her . Lino was too simr... yet too terrifyingly different . They were well beyond the point of no return, and all that was left was to face the demons . She knew now she should have trusted her heart, but a scorned soul hardly ever does . It was toote . In his eyes, she was but a walking corpse . No matter the hatred between the two, she could not allow for that to be a reality . She was born into this world for a reason; even if she was yet to understand the exact nature of that reason, she was certain the answers to ity with the First Scripture . Everything orbited it ¨C why the Silver City went up in mes, why the Bearers exist, why the world was the way it was when she was born, and why blood was continuously spilled for billions of years for seemingly no reason . The answers were there... and she was too close to simply give them up . END OF VOLUME XVII Chapter 426 Chapter 426 VOLUME XVIII CURSE OF THE DRAGON ISLES CHAPTER 426 ENIGMATIC ATTACK Lino watched in somber silence as hundreds of souls carried hundreds of coffins onto the elevated tform, stacking them around a thick, wooden pole in concentric circles . A thick crowd gathered around, more souls than when the wedding was held, all shouldered in deep silence . He stood up front, right in front of the first row where countless mourned the dead, hundreds of bloodshot eyes staring at mostly empty husks of wood . Hannah slowly walked up to him after some time and grabbed his hand tightly, smiling at him . Taking a deep breath, he walked forward, right next to the coffins, and turned around, facing the thousands of souls looking at him . He¡¯d long since grown desensitized to being the focus of the thousands, even millions, yet he felt slightly odd at the moment, the distant turmoil in his abdomen rising faintly . At that moment he wished he¡¯d taken his cane with him, as it was slightly difficult to stand still without it underneath the pressure of thousands of eyes . "... what is innocence?" he spoke out . "I asked myself that often, as I never wished the tendrils of hate to reach them . In the end, I¡¯de to realize that the unfortunate reality of living is that the innocent sometimes have to be sacrificed . Let go of . I refused to believe it . I still do . This time I failed to protect them... and, chances are, I¡¯ll fail again . The young boys and girls don¡¯t need to die for a point to be proven, for a tale to unfold . Cruelty, however, does not distinguish . Not mine, not theirs . When I¡¯d killed Gaia," he continued following a short silence . "I¡¯d told her that she¡¯d ignited the fire that would burn down the world . I was wrong . Today, we¡¯ll light that fire together . And we¡¯ll watch until it burns away into ash and soot . It won¡¯t appease their vited spirits . It won¡¯t ease the sufferings of those who loved them . It won¡¯t erase the guilt and shame . It won¡¯t change anything, the fire . The days will still be the same, as will our call . But, it will be a memory . A powerful one . Let us all ask ourselves on this day," he said, smiling faintly . "How many of these fires do we wish to start before one bes one-too-many?" He pulled at the burning torch and spun around, biting his lower lip momentarily before lowering his hand and cing the torch against the hay beneath the coffins . The fire immediately sparked, golden and coral, dancing in ordance with the swirling wind, soon setting hardened wood aze . "Abigale," Lino muttered silently, in his jaw, clenching his hands into fists . "Abinun, eera, Adium, Adeem..." one by one the names flew through his lips as fire before him raged . His back remained turned to the crowd who watched the fire rage on in silence . Even Cae, holding tightly against E¡¯s leg, watched the fire with a somber expression, silent . It soon lit up the darkness of the surrounding abyss, basking the fortress in a warm, holy glow . The fire would rage on for over ten hours altogether, during which not a soul would move or squeak or utter a sound . ** Dangwe watched the cyan screen depicting the battle scenes with furrowed brows . All the while his lips seemed to be mumbling something, though no sound came out . The screen shed with thest scene, when Amadeel dragged Lino out of the harm¡¯s way . He took a deep breath and leaned back further in his chair, falling into deep thought . Hours ticked by, during which Yog¡¯son remained seated in the corner, meditating and patiently waiting . "... how did he kill Three?" Dangwe asked suddenly . "... I was hoping you¡¯d know, Your Grace . " Yog¡¯son smiled bitterly as he got up and walked over . "It, by all ounts, looked like an entirely ordinary attack . Yet... she died so effortlessly because of it . " "... could it be something he did outside the attack?" Dangwe mumbled, stroking his chin . "I didn¡¯t sense anything, however . " "I didn¡¯t either," Yog¡¯son shrugged . "Could... could it really be just a blunder on Three¡¯s part?" "No," Dangwe immediately rejected the proposition . "Though she was among the weaker from the Founding Seven, she still underwent the Origin Awakening . Something like dying to a sapling boy in essence because of a blunder shouldn¡¯t happen . " "... can¡¯t we... just ask him?" "Sure, if you want to be subjected to a lot of sarcasm," Dangwe smiled faintly . "No, don¡¯t worry . It appeared as though the attack cost him a lot, which means it¡¯s ast resort . " "... he must have gotten much stronger after killing both Eight and Three," Yog¡¯son said . "He¡¯s approaching the limit, Your Grace . " "It¡¯s never been my intent to control himpletely," Dangwe said . "Merely to steer him . So far... so good, I must say . " ** Y¡¯nn, Y¡¯vol, Y¡¯elleve and Yovel sat around a small, round table, staring at the fading, cyan screen in front of them, all with a starkly different expression . Y¡¯nn¡¯s face was expressionless, though his eyes shimmered in strange light; Y¡¯vol seemed excited, his lips curled up in a faint smile; Y¡¯elleve¡¯s brows were furrowed, an expression of worry stered on her face, while Yovel was shocked into silence, slumped in the chair . "¡ªfuckin¡¯ hell," Y¡¯vol trembled . "I wanna fight him so badly . " "Do you understand it, Y¡¯nn?" Y¡¯elleve asked, turning toward the yer . "Not any more than you," he shrugged, shaking his head . "Whatever he did, though, I don¡¯t want him doing on me, that¡¯s for certain . " "Hm? That attack would take you out as well?" Y¡¯vol asked, his excitement fading slightly . "Though I don¡¯t know exactly what it is or how he did it, it¡¯s easy to see the actualization of the attack," Y¡¯nn said . "It cuts through everything, in essence, as though there¡¯s nothing there . Unlike normal attacks which first break the barriers before striking, his seemed to just... ignore the barriers, as though they were not there, dissolving everything . Three, even if she isn¡¯t a Body Cultivator, was still Origin-awakened one . Do you really think ordinary strike could dissolve her bodypletely, in addition to all the Qi stored inside of her, without virtually any reaction?" "Right!" Y¡¯elleve eximed, her eyes widening . "You¡¯re right... what... how did he do that?! The quantity of Qi, if uncontrolled, would have ripped a hole in spacetime the size of the Western Continent, probably sucking everyone and everything in it at that moment . So... how did he contain it?" "Could it have been Three?" Y¡¯vol asked, his excitement having fadedpletely . "No," Y¡¯nn shook his head again . "Though I don¡¯t know how he did it, I do know he did it instead of her . I imagine, actually, that the following bacsh he suffered wasn¡¯t because of the attack itself, but because of the Qi . Even if he has a method to neuter it, the discrepancy between the two is simply too massive . " "... this... how is this possible..." Yovel asked, his body shaking slightly . "Just until recently..." "... don¡¯t worryd," Y¡¯vol pped his back, startling him awake . "I don¡¯t think the Empyrean underwent aplete boon since the Do¡¯r Battle . " "Yeah," Y¡¯elleve concurred . "The stakes were different . From what I gathered during my research of him," she added . "He¡¯s very protective of his own . Those in Do¡¯r were already dead, which is why it was hardly worth it . This time around, however, he was in effect defending his home . " "While true," Y¡¯nn added as the atmosphere calmed a bit . "Remember that he killed Eight and Three... and remember that he is the Harbinger . Who knows just how stronger he¡¯s gotten?" "... I¡¯m more worried about the Maiden," Y¡¯elleve suddenly said, sighing . "She operated the entire fortress alone . Just how much Qi are we talking about here?" "... why not ask her yourself?" Y¡¯nn said, shing one of his rare smiles . "Hm?" "We are being invited as guests," Y¡¯nn said . "Which, I imagine, will entitle us to some answers, no?" ** There were four of them left ¨C all women, all bearing tired expressions . They sat around faintly kindled me inside a damp, narrow cave, yet the setting hardly impeded their mood . Superimposed over the tiredness were jovial smiles and bright, glistening eyes . "¡ªwe¡¯ve finallypleted it," One raised a gon of wine, toasting the other three . "And just in time, at that . Though it costs us our brothers and sisters, Chaos, in the end, rewards us all equally . They have returned home . " "As shall we . " the other three added . "Our journey, too, shall soone to an end, sisters," she added, still smiling brightly . "Let us toast our irrefutable victory, both today¡¯s and the eternal one . " "May the Chaos reign!!" the four cried out at the same time, toasting once more, taking a few gulps of wine before One continued . "All that is left is waiting for His Majesty to the surface, and for us to hand him the information and the key . He shall win... atst . " "¡ªand he shall reign rightfully . " "..." silence soon encased the small cave rigged right beneath the spear-like cliff looming over the vast, cold ocean . In the fair distance, even in the ghastly dark night, the flutters of ck smoke contorting into ever-reaching miasma rose above the ocean¡¯s surface, blocking and hiding thendmass behind it from the curious eyes, and those inside from the curious world . Chapter 427 Chapter 427 CHAPTER 427 THEORY OF THE CRAFT (I) Stacks of papersy scattered across several thick, wooden tables lit up by the furnaces on all four ends of the rectangr room . Papers depicted various designs of armors, tools, and even greater structures, yet there seemed to be no order to the way they were arranged . Standing around the tables were Lino, Eggor and Primul, all basking in silence, looking through the parchments slowly . "... no, none of this is it," Lino mumbled, sighing faintly . "It¡¯s a reiteration of already existing phenomena . " "Well you make shit up then, fuckin¡¯ bastard," Eggor growled angrily . "Do you know how hard is it?!" "Tsk, of course I know!" Lino growled back . "If I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d have done it myself already..." "... let¡¯s just start at the base," Primul said, taking a deep breath . "We are trying to transfer unique, natural phenomena into an item ¨C we observe the phenomena and try to replicate it within the controlled environment, right?" "Yeah . " Eggor and Lino nodded . "However, we also have to scale down the phenomena and usually tinker with it to make it useful," Primul added . "Normally by arranging arrays,bining different materials, and changing the overall shape of the item . Wouldn¡¯t creating something denote the same process? Just without the observational and recreating parts?" "¡ªeasy to say," Lino mumbled . "But, shooting blindly by arranging materials, shapes, and arrays in entirely random ways... is just a waste of time and resources . " "Why don¡¯t we give it a whirl theoretically?" Eggor suggested . "Say we decide to craft a longsword . We have the base, right? So, what do we want it to be like? Flexible? Sturdy? Bnced?" "Let¡¯s go with [Anxi¡¯s Tendons] as the core, wrapped up in [Shadowed Ore]," Lino replied after a few moments of silence . "It¡¯s extremely light and flexible, but also as sturdy as ss . We work off of the base attributes ¨C but, creating a uniquely new phenomenon would still require us to just... guess . " "... why not call in Tim and Anna?" Eggor asked . "Perhaps their perspective will be useful . " "No, they¡¯re still not that ahead in their research," Lino shook his head . "They¡¯re yet to synthesize a material fromponents . " "... back to a drawing board then, I guess..." The three fell silent once more, each withdrawing to their own corner, taking out several parchments of paper while throwing the ones scattered into the furnaces . Thetest battle had proved to Lino once more that he¡¯d have to update his arsenal ¨C as well as the fortress¡¯ in general, especially when it came to offense . The only reason the fortress operated so well was because it was E at the core of the formation, but that was only due to a necessity as nobody else had managed to master the Orbiter . E operated the stack of formations purely through sheer force and quantity of Qi rather than actually understanding the nuances . Even with that, Lino realized that offensive capabilities relied too much on who was operating the formation rather than being effectively simr regardless of the range . There was little they could do to the stack of arrays themselves as they were hard-locked, which is why he suggested forming an entirely new and unique offensive system, in addition to crafting several weapons he¡¯d personally use to make up for his ring weaknesses . The reason why he wanted the new offensive system to be unique is simply due to the fact that it would be much harder to counter ¨C simr to how Tim, Anna, and their team were developing a stealth technology that wouldn¡¯t rely on Qi, which would make them effectively invisible to the world . The challenge, however, proved to be much harder, even with the three of them brainstorming for days now... all to no avail . "¡ªmaybe we¡¯reing at this from a wrong angle," Lino proposed suddenly . "We are still thinking of the natural process of crafting, effectively turning materials without agency into conduits that perform certain activities due to the surface-level maniption . Why not do something simr to gene modifications I read about?" "... reconfigure the materials at their core level?" Primul mumbled . "Wouldn¡¯t that just destroy the purpose?" "¡ªno, what I mean is not just materials ¨C but approach everything with a different mindset," Lino said . "For instance, there are two ways to bind ipatible materials together inside a single item ¨C either by arrays or natural binders or neutralizers, such as herbs . Why don¡¯t we just bind them... literally . " "... what do you mean?" Eggor asked, frowning, disliking where the conversation was going . "Use the method I used to craft Titus¡¯ ring," Lino said with a grin . "Press them together and hold them until they just... be one . " "... isn¡¯t that incredibly dangerous and, not to mention, incredibly stupid?" Primul quizzed . "Yes, yes it is," Lino nodded . "We¡¯d effectively have to craft in another reality, and by we, I mean me because both your asses would be fried to the clouds if something went awry . " "All the more reason we shouldn¡¯t do it," Eggor protested . "It¡¯s fine to take risks asionally, but this is still just shooting blind, Lino . What if it backfires? Take [Frosted Quartz] and [Phoenix¡¯s Stump] . What if, when you press them together, instead of containing, you be the victim of their natural rejection? It¡¯s an explosion equivalent to a full-blown strike by the fortress with E at the helm . " "Well, yeah, I mean, it¡¯d hurt like a bitch, no doubt," Lino said . "But I wouldn¡¯t die . " "Wouldn¡¯t the effects still remain the same, however?" Primul asked . "Stump and Quartz when bound otherwise just subdue violent bursts of energy within the vicinity . The results through your method shouldn¡¯t change that drastically, right? At least not to the point where we can¡¯t adjust to them through arrays . " "¡ªI don¡¯t know," Lino shrugged . "But, we have to start somewhere . Brainstorming is clearly not taking us anywhere, as it¡¯s difficult to predict stuff we never tried before . For instance, Amadeel told me to stop crafting items through density-method as it could potentially create a ck hole . The poord doesn¡¯t know I already sort of did . If we limit ourselves because something¡¯s too dangerous or unpredictable, hey, we may as well just craft sticks and stones and throw ¡¯em at people . " "You didn¡¯t even bother asking me whether you could borrow an anvil," a neer shocked Eggor and Primul while Lino merely sighed . "Humph, little bastard . I told you ¨C that was a one-off offer . Never again . " "Fuck, don¡¯t scare me like that Vy," Eggor growled angrily at the fiery mirage floating above the desk . "I¡¯m not a young man anymore . " "The hell you¡¯re not," Vy scoffed . "If you¡¯re old, then what in the loving fuck am I?" "An ancient relic that should just drop dead and give me the anvil?" "... yeah, because that¡¯s how you get others to lend you stuff . " Vy grinned . "Insult them . " "¡ªahe on, aren¡¯t you at least a bit curious as well?" Lino asked with an exciting smile . "Ever since ¡¯crafting¡¯ was perfected, nobody took a jab at it! Nobody! What does that tell you?!" "That the crafting was perfected?" Eggor, Primul and Vy replied at the same time, causing Lino¡¯s eyebrows to twitch visibly . "... you nned that, didn¡¯t you?" "You¡¯re just that predictable . " "... yeah, fuck you," he flipped them a quick one before continuing . "This isn¡¯t something I just thought up on a spot, you know? Ever since I crafted my first Soul Item, I realized that we¡¯ve self-imposed certain limitations on ourselves . Soul Items, by their nature, break every conventional understanding we have of the crafting, don¡¯t they? They are sentient existences made from inanimate, dead objects . They are idents . Nobody can craft a Soul Item on a whim . Yet, I dare you tell me that our ¡¯perfected crafting¡¯ actually procures better end-results than a Soul Item of the same tier . " "... what? You want to invent a way to craft Soul Items with intent?" Eggor frowned, seeming somewhat displeased . "... why not?" Lino said, ncing at him . "For instance, my [Dragon yer] . Technically speaking, it has base sentience, yet is not considered a Soul Item . Why?" "... because it is still reliant on you for everything," Eggor replied . "It¡¯s not self-aware . " "Exactly! Yet, despite that, it¡¯s probably unmatched in the tier when ites to raw offensive capabilities . What if we could consistently reproduce the same results? We¡¯re taught that the Soul Items are produced in the moments of absolute emotional attunement... but, do you really buy that crap?" "..." "What do emotions have to do with crafting?" Lino continued . "Nothing . Sure, you can be passionate, but so you can be apathetic and reach the same results . The underlying point is that your emotions don¡¯t just spontaneouslybust life into an inanimate object ¨C something inside the item itself triggers a reaction that morphs into a sentient being . I know you¡¯ve already realized this, old man . Why are you fighting it?" "... I don¡¯t like that you¡¯re suggesting a dispassionate form of crafting . " Eggor said . "Uh, I¡¯m not," Lino looked at him dubiously for a moment . "I love crafting almost as much as I love seeing Hannah naked . That doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to optimize it, on the contrary . I want to forever search for the pinnacle . Soul Items may not be it, but they are the next step . Get to the bottom of what reaction specifically causes them and why ¨C especially because they aren¡¯t tier or even material-reliant . It¡¯s the reaction at the core points of materials, of arrays, or in how theybine together that triggers it . The reason I didn¡¯t say anything until now is that I simply never met a smith who was also high enough of a Level to observe the minute changes at such a scale in real-time . " "... it¡¯s an interesting idea," Primul nodded suddenly . "It¡¯s actually simr to some of the early theories of how people be ¡¯living¡¯," he added . "By the time I was born, it wasmon knowledge that sentient babies don¡¯t just pop into women after sex, but we still didn¡¯t know the exact logic behind pregnancy . One of the theories was that, because pregnancy isn¡¯t guaranteed, a specific set of circumstances is required to trigger a reaction . " "... fine," Eggor surrendered with a sigh in the end . "We¡¯ll bastardize the eons of beautiful tales of Soul Items because you can¡¯t be content . " "Tsk," Lino clicked his tongue at him, grinning faintly . "Fine . Keep up the veil of a forger . I¡¯ll take on the ¡¯sphemous¡¯ award while you hide behind me, you equally-if-not-more-interested bastard . " "... . I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about . " "Sure you don¡¯t . Anyway, Vy, how about that? Are you willing to lend us the anvil now?" "... alright," Vy nodded, clearly interested himself . "This ought to be spectacrly interesting . I really hope it blows up in your face . " Chapter 428 Chapter 428 CHAPTER 428 THEORY OF THE CRAFT (II) Repeated experimentation had proven quite futile as the trio sat onto the floor with sunken shoulders . Every single pair of materials Lino had tried blending together through sheer force had rejected thebiningpletely, usually resulting in a violent bacsh that was only containedpletely thanks to Vy . The room surrounding the anvil looked as though it was the epicenter of a world-shaking earthquake, causing Lino to smile bitterly . ncing at his hands, blisters that even he couldn¡¯t heal immediately swelled over his palms . After all, the violent explosions resulting from the bacsh were beyond anything that ever hit him directly at such close proximity . "... it¡¯s pointless," Eggor sighed, ncing at Lino with a faint worry in his eyes . "You¡¯re just hurtin¡¯ yourself for no reason now . " "¡ªI really thought I could do it," Lino said . "The worst part is that I wasn¡¯t even able to pinpoint the core of their rejection . My Divine Sense literally got burned away due to the insanely high temperatures..." "Even if this road can¡¯t work," Primul said . "That doesn¡¯t mean your initial proposition is wrong . Perhaps there¡¯s still a way to create Soul Items by choice . " "¡ªthe difficulty is in studying them," Lino said, frowning . "I mean, I guess Eggor and I can just start crafting items at random and hope we stumble upon a Soul Item once in a while, but that¡¯spletely inefficient . I¡¯d need to be able to consistently observe the blending of the materials at the smallest level, and what reaction exactly triggers the spontaneous genesis inside the item . " "It¡¯s impossible to work backward from the actual Soul Item?" Primul quizzed . "Yeah," Eggor nodded . "It¡¯s oftentimes even difficult to determine which materials were used during the crafting, let alone their exact measures . Furthermore, materials are already blended together . " "¡ªit would be possible if we had arge number of Soul Items, though," Lino mused aloud, stroking his beard . "I mean, we could look for themon denominator among the items, right?" "... well, yeah, I guess . But we¡¯re most-likely talking hundreds of Soul Items all made from entirely different materials, with different arrays, and of different tiers . Chances are it¡¯d take us about two eras to actually craft that many . " "... aah, let¡¯s move that to thest resort," Lino said . "You still haven¡¯t begun crafting Ally¡¯s weapon, right?" "No . " Eggor shook his head . "We can start from there, then," Lino said . "We¡¯ll use the best materials we have in the warehouse, and I can give you the hand with some parts . Even if we don¡¯t create a Soul Weapon, a chance to observe a variety of materials interacting at their core level should be somewhat illuminating . Any ideas on what weapon you¡¯re gonna craft?" "... hmm, Alex merely said it ought to be for a Body Cultivator," Eggor tapped his fingers gently against his thigh . "Focusedrgely on speed and precision . Not many shapes really fit that . " "... Ally¡¯s quite lithe, so I¡¯d go with a short sword," Lino said . "Just craft the handle so it¡¯s easy to be held in a backhand as well . " "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Eggor nodded . "Anyway, you should start preparing the materials while I draw up the drafts of designs . " "We¡¯re counting on you for arrays . " Lino nced at the silent Primul . "I¡¯ve already begun selecting them," heughed, slowly getting up and stretching . "How many?" "Pull out however many you can that are at least Distinguished and above and are rted to speed, eleration, precision, pration and arepatible with Space . " Eggor replied . "We¡¯ll optimize themter on . " "Alright . " Primul nodded, walking over to the corner desk and sitting on a chair, slowly beginning to draw out arrays on the pieces of paper . "We¡¯ve less than a month till we surface," Lino said . "If we use Vy¡¯s anvil, do you think we could be done by then?" "Hey!!" the Dragon cried out . "Oh, shut it," Lino rolled his eyes . "Please, o¡¯ the Great Lord of Fire and Sky and treasures bounding everything, could your Lordship lend us, lowly cretins, the anvil?" "¡ªi-if you put it that way..." "..." Eggor stared dubiously at the sighing and dispirited Lino and Vy who, even in this form, appeared strangely humbled . "It should be," Eggor said . "But, if we¡¯re doing it right, I won¡¯t skimp on anything . " "As you shouldn¡¯t . Alright, I¡¯ll go out and start amassing the materials and let the others know we¡¯ll be gone for a while . I should also check up on Tim¡¯s team and see how far along they¡¯vee . " "See ya¡¯..." Lino quickly made his way through the fortress and into his chambers where Hannah was currently sifting through the stacks of paper while munching on still-steaming bread . She noticed him quickly, smiling for a moment and putting the papers away . "Where have you been?" she asked . "Trying to reinvent the world of crafting with Eggor and Primul . " Lino replied, walking over and kissing her forehead . "The amazing part of being your wife," Hannah mused . "Is that it¡¯s entirely usible that you are serious, but also that you are joking . " "... quite serious this time around," he chuckled, taking out a gon of wine and downing half its contents under Hannah¡¯s embittered gaze . "We¡¯re trying to figure out how to craft Soul Items consistently . " "... your idea, right?" "... what makes you say that?" "Because Primul and Eggor are sane and normal . " "... ouch . " "How long will you be gone?" she asked . "Not long," Lino replied . "Everything we tried so far was kind of a bust, so instead we decided to focus on crafting Ally¡¯s weapon and experiment like that . We should probably be done by the time we¡¯re ready to shift back into reality, so about a month . " "Tsk, tsk, what kind of a husband you are, leaving your pregnant wife to fend for herself . " "... right, for herself," Lino rolled his eyes . "Nigh every soul in this fortress is at your beck andmand, ready to do your bidding . They respect you more than me, for heaven¡¯s sake . " "That¡¯s because I¡¯m not insulting them and making fun of them all the time . " "... uh, you do?" "To their faces . " "Oh... yeah, should probably work on that one . " he chuckled faintly, ncing out the window . "How are the predictions going, by the way?" he asked after a short silence . "... ugh, don¡¯t remind me," Hannah groaned, suddenly beginning to rub her temples in agony . "Do you know how many variables there are to ount for?" "A lot?" "A-whole-fucking-lot!!" she eximed . "And every single changepletely derails the string of events!! Do you know that just a single sentence separates Holy Grounds closing uppletely instead of literally going all out and covering the entire world searching for us?! It¡¯s fucking impossible!" "Just go after the most-likely ones, and skip out on the minute details," Lino said with a gentle expression . "Anyway, our response would at most change slightly regardless of the situation atrge . " "Yeah, but we still have a lot of people on the outside, Lino," Hannah said . "Despite the fact that we¡¯ve ordered them topletely close up and blend in the best they can, we can¡¯t just leave them stranded on the off chance the Descent and the Grounds decided to use them as bait to lure us out . " "And we won¡¯t," Lino said sternly . "E and I have already figured out a way to do it . " "Eh?" "In a few days, you¡¯ll meet some new peeps," Lino smiled mysteriously, chuckling . "Courtesy of E¡¯s... well, something . I still don¡¯t know how she managed to pull them over to our side . I swear, that woman¡¯s trying to out-mystery me . Me . The lord and creator of mysterious persona!" "... yeaaah, you should probably know sweetie that you aren¡¯t that mysterious..." "Well, not to you," Lino shrugged . "I tell you everything . But what about the rest, huh? Do they know just how fine of an ass your husband has? I don¡¯t think so!" "They do because you always, fucking always, brag about it!!" Hannah eximed somewhat angrily . "Damn right they do!" "... oh just get out . Get the fuck out and let me have a month of rest from... you . Just all of you . " "Hi hi, I already know you¡¯re going to miss me terribly . " "I¡¯m just wondering how you¡¯ll endure a whole month without sex . " "What do you me¡ªoh shit . " ** And beyond thend stretched across the massive body of water, each ind crescent, cut in such a way as though they along belonged to one, whole plot a long time ago before being carved out such intentionally . ck mist currently swirled across the sky and the far edges of the isles, the water gushing in-between starkly ashen and crimson, exuding a rather repugnant stench . Each ind appeared simr to thest, though thendscape varied considerably; from marshes, swamps, and nds, to high-rising mountains, cliffs, and even volcanic rings, everything could be found if one carefully looked . There were nine major inds, and roughly sixty-two minor ones scattered in-between and around, totaling in seventy-one . On one of the inds, inside a ring of fire repeatedly spewed by the numerous volcanoes, sitting on top of the rivers of moltenva, was a Dragon spanning nearly ny miles altogether while lying, scrounged up . ck scales were lit up by luminous ze in-between them, nostrils repeatedly spitting out jets of fire and smoke, a pair of burning eyes like two suns glistening in the miasma of darkness . Despite the overbearing appearance, however, the creature appeared limp and tepid, its breathing slow and shallow, its scalescking a certain luster to them . Surrounding it were thousands of much smaller Dragons, most in even worse conditions, some having begun to turn into stone tails up . Suddenly, the pair of zing eyes shimmered, fire in them seemingly rekindled as they gazed past the darkness, past the mist, past the isles, and past the reality itself . "... Vy?" a heavy, overcast voice spoke out . "Why is he...ing here? Ah! The Empyrean..." the zing eyes fumed momentarily before dimming down . "Could he...?" a voice echoed into the darkness, though hardly hopeful . Perhaps he was growing too old, and seeing things . And perhaps... he was already dead, and simply dreaming . Chapter 429 Chapter 429 CHAPTER 429 THEORY OF THE CRAFT (III) Though the spacious smithy exuded mour and grace of the many-a-busy soul, there was also something rather strange and dubious about it as, ever so often, everyone would nce toward the far-end wall, nting their eyes momentarily before returning to their work . The reason being that, just a few minutes ago, Lord Lyonel, Master Eggor and Master Primul ran through a vortex while Lady Valkyria chased after them, screaming . The scene left everyone in the smithy befuddled for a few minutes, yet also extremely excited right after . It would seem that the trio had robbed the entire fortress of its most precious materials because they wanted to craft something, much to Lady Val¡¯s anger and frustration . She stood in front of the vortex for a good minute, fuming, before angrily walking back through the smithy, cursing them out . Even if many inside the smithymented the loss of the most precious materials, some of which are actually above Level 50,000, they were equally, if not more, excited over the end-product as two of the best smiths in the fortress, as well as Primul, a neer who seemed to know every array that there ever was and more, werebining their talents to craft something grand ¨C a weapon for Lady Alison, which is the sole reason it seemed that Lady Val didn¡¯t storm into the dimensional pocket and beat them ck and blue before taking back the materials . Meanwhile, inside the dimensional pocket, Lino, Eggor and Primul were standing around a massive tableden with items that would all, even individually, give them jitters, to say nothing of nearly a hundred of them at the same time . "... did-did you know we had such a massive collection?" Lino mumbled absentmindedly . "Like hell I did," Eggor replied in a low growl . "How in the hell..." "That¡¯s the stalk of a [Void Fruit], right?" Primul mumbled . "That¡¯s a freaking stalk of a goddamn [Void Fruit]..." "I mean," Lino said, carefully picking up one of the items . "I knew Titus had donated some materials, and that our shops have collected quite a few, but I thought they were at best some semi-rare materials, you know? Fuck, aren¡¯t we wasting too much by shoving them all into a single weapon?!! I could craft myself an entire fucking unmatched arsenal with this shit!" "What happened to exploration and research?" Eggor asked, though somewhat swayed himself . "¡ªugh, fuck me and my curious mind," Lino grumbled, shaking his head . "Fine, whatever . If not the strongest, we¡¯ll probably have the most expensive weapon ever created in the history of the world . We can show it to others and cause them to die of a heart attack . " "¡ªnot gonna lie," Primul mumbled . "My heart is bleeding right now..." "... alright, wake up," Lino took a deep breath and pped them lightly across the backs of their heads, jolting them awake . "Just think of it as giving a cute, kind girl a birthday present . " "Yeah, because that makes it better . " "God, you¡¯re a bona fide moron . " Eggor rolled his eyes, though also recovered from thement . "But, fine . Let¡¯s get at it . I¡¯ll have to use [Thundering mes] to melt most of the ores, so I¡¯ll need your help to control them . Meanwhile, Primul can slowly extract them and do his best not to melt alive . " "Oi, you just said something really dangerous there," Lino quickly spoke out, narrowing his eyes . "What do you mean melt alive?" "He means that the mes are probably so hot they¡¯ll melt my skin off since, you know, I¡¯m a mortal and all," Primul chimed in . "How the hell do you expect me to extract the metal from the ores then?!" "Alright, new n ¨C Lino will help me control the me and extract the metals . " "Vy can do it," Lino said, pointing at the silent creature looking through the items on the table with faint interest . "As a matter of fact, can¡¯t you just melt them all and extract metals within seconds?" "Yeah," Vy nodded . "But I ain¡¯t gonna . " "The hell you won¡¯t," Lino snapped . "You do nothing ¨C fuckin¡¯ nothing! You don¡¯t fight with me, you don¡¯t help me, you don¡¯t give me shit ¨C you¡¯re not a fucking pet, you¡¯re a pest I¡¯m stuck with!" "Oi, screw youd! What do you mean I don¡¯t help you?! I help you all the time!" "Name one time!" "¡ªremember that time you were fighting the Descent and I told you ¡¯You can do it ba¡ªLino!¡¯" "Oh, suck it! Either you help us with this, or... or..." "... or what?" "¡ªor I¡¯ll summon back Non and let him into the pocket with you . " "Alright, so all these ores, right?" Vy quickly changed the tune, picking up all the ores on the table much to Eggor¡¯s and Primul¡¯s shock . "... uh... who¡¯s Non?" Eggor asked Lino . "My dog . " Lino replied, shrugging his shoulders . "... a Dragon... is afraid of a dog?" Primul mused, smirking . "Fuck you!! That¡¯s not a dog!!" Vy screamed out . "I fear no dog!! But... that thing... that thing fuckin¡¯ terrifies me!!" "..." Primul and Eggor went silent immediately, withdrawing, while Lino merely cracked a faint grin before shuddering . Indeed... that thing was no dog, most certainly . While Vy busied himself with the ores and trying to wipe the horrifying images Lino had showed him from his mind, Primul and Eggor withdrew to their desks, former continuing to write down the arrays and thetter finishing up the design . Lino busied himself with sorting the rest of the materials and processing a few that merely required basic extraction or shedding, or were bindingponents . The makeshift smithy fell into the sullen silence, only whirls of me echoing out from Vy, and asional frustrated groan from Eggor who repeatedly crumpled pieces of paper and threw them aside . After sorting through the materials, Lino walked over to him and nced at the parchment ¨C at its center, a well-detailed drawing of a sword stood out, surrounded by the breakdown of itsponents, where certain materials would go, how would he bind the variety of metals into one, which binders would he use, and a plethora of other things that caused Lino¡¯s mind to start spinning . Though he also drew detailed designs, he never paid much attention to anything past the basic concept ¨C he almost always decided to wing it when it came to binding, the number of materials, and virtually everything past the general design and usage . "¡ªwhat¡¯s the hold-up?" Lino asked, pulling out a chair and sitting next to him . Eggor nced at him and sighed, pushing the parchment in front of Lino . "No matter which quantity I choose, based on my calctions, the de of the sword would actually be severely weak, especially in terms of a direct sh . Using your [Dragon yer] as a measure, if you struck at this design three times in a row with all your strength, you¡¯d actually break it . " "... why?" Lino frowned, looking through . "Even if it¡¯s on the lighter side unlike the yer, it shouldn¡¯t be that weak . Is there a contradiction in the materials that you can¡¯t reconcile? If so, why not just ask Primul for an array for it?" "Array would merely be a temporary patch as it¡¯s not used to exemplify the strength, but rather shorten up the weakness," Eggor exined . "The problem is that I can¡¯t locate the error . Nothing on the surface seems to sh, and even a deeper look tells me, well, nothing, since I haven¡¯t used most of these materials before, and certainly not together . " "... you¡¯re worrying too much," Lino chuckled faintly, pping his back . "Draw up the general design, locations for array pathways, and just the general notion of the materials . " "... wait . " Eggor frowned, grabbing Lino¡¯s arm and holding him back . "Is that how you craft items?" "... m-maybe...?" Lino mumbled meekly under Eggor¡¯s darkened gaze . "... we¡¯ll have a long talk after we¡¯re done with this . " "I¡¯d rather not though . " "It¡¯s not your choice, boy . " "Yes, pops . Whatever you say . " "Go help Primul with arrays," Eggor said . "For some ungodly reason, you seem to be talented in blending them together . " "... yes . " Lino nodded meekly and quickly darted over to Primul who barely held himself back from bursting intoughter . "Shut up . That bastard terrorized me when I was young, and now I¡¯ve got all sorts of phobias of him . " "Hey, I didn¡¯t say anything . " Primul said, helplessly shrugging . "... oh shut up," Lino grumbled, rolling his eyes . "How go the arrays?" "I¡¯m almost done with jotting them all," Primul said, pointing at the massive stack of papers on the other end of the desk, causing Lino to nearly choke on his saliva . "I¡¯m having some trouble remembering a few of the Masterwork-tier ones, but other than that it¡¯s fine . " "... uh, quick question . How many arrays did you jot down?" "A few thousand, I think . " "..." "What?" "Goddammit," Lino sighed in defeat, plummeting his head against the table . "How can I ever build up my confidence if I keep surrounding myself with people who are clearly about a billion times smarter and more talented than me?!" "... you can¡¯t?" "Yeah, yeah, shut it . " sighing once more, he sat up and reached his hand out . "Hand me a stack of the Distinguished-tier ones . I¡¯ll slowly start going through them and blending . After you¡¯re done jotting them all, go through the Perfect ones and do the same . " "... don¡¯t be so hard on yourself," Primul said with an encouraging smile . "You¡¯re barely in your forties yet you can already work with Distinguished-tier arrays . Whypare yourself to current me? I¡¯m old . Like really old . I¡¯ve had a lot of time to remember them . " "... it¡¯s simple," Lino smiled faintly, taking the stacks and putting them in front of him . "If you want to seed in something, find the best one in the field and make it your goal to surpass him no matter what . If I settle on the ¡¯oh I¡¯m good enough for how long I¡¯ve been at it¡¯, I¡¯ll inevitably grow content, which generally marks the end of the progression . Don¡¯t worry about me . If anything, I enjoy the challenge . " "... oh to be preached the truths of life by a child... how far down have I fallen?" Primul eximed mboyantly, causing Lino tough . "If you don¡¯t try harder, you¡¯ll fall even further . I¡¯ming for your ass, old man . " "... don¡¯t you already have a wife? What? Ass is off the limits for her?" "Oh, look who finally picked up a sense of humor," Lino fired back . "I thought it died alongside your looks . " "... work through your stacks and shut up . " "Aye, aye..." Chapter 430 Chapter 430 CHAPTER 430 EDGE OF IMMORTALITY (I) It has begun ¨C slowly and silently . The small room echoed the sounds of crackling fire within the furnace, the golden and coral sheen casting out brilliant rays of illumination bouncing off of the cold and dry walls . Lino and Eggor stood in front, both topless yet covered in sweat from head to toe regardless . Primul sat off to the side, asionally ncing at the duo and sucking in a cold breath, having realized long ago he¡¯d have been burned alive if he stepped in front of it . Vy was still buys processing ores, while Primul was aligning Eggor¡¯s design with arrays, working through them one by one . Almost everything was prepared ¨C all that was left is to process all the materials and then blend them together into one . Into the creation that would awe the world itself . ** Val, Lucky and E were currently sitting around a simply decorated room limply, their expressions denoting soul-piercing exhaustion . Thousands upon thousands of papersy either in stacks or strewn about the room, countless pens sitting in the corner, having gone to waste . They¡¯ve been trying to write out all potential oues of the outside world, yet have regretted ever starting it . Lucky groaned and took out a gourd of ale, downing half its contents in one go before shaking her head and picking up the pen, beginning to write again . "It¡¯s enough for now," E interrupted suddenly, getting up . "Head to the Guest Hall . " "Hm? Why?" Val asked curiously, having already dropped the pen and paper with a grin on her face . "... because we have guests?" "... who?" "Some friends I made," E chuckled lightly; Lucky was already gone, not having waited for an exnation . "I¡¯ve already informed Hannah . " "So... just the four of us?" Val asked as the two began walking . "Hm," E nodded . "Though I say friends, there is no need to divulge our strength just yet . If we managed to hide some in front of the Descent, there¡¯s no reason not to do it to others . " "Who are they?" Val asked as they took the corner and went down the spiral staircase encased in cold stone . "Heaven¡¯s Chosen leaders . " "... oh boy . You fish big game . " Val chuckled faintly . "There¡¯s some bad blood between Lino and them . How¡¯d you pull it off?" "That¡¯s for me to know and for you to... I don¡¯t know . What do you do in your free time?" E asked . "... bold of you to assume I have free time . " "... khm . Sorry about that . I¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll ask Edith to find you more help . " "No need," Val quickly shook her head . "They¡¯ll just screw it up more . I have my system and it works . If I ever do need some free time, would he have balls to stop me?" she shrugged . "He certainly wouldn¡¯t . " As the two walked into the rather spacious, well-lit and decorated hall adorned with crimson-ck banners and several hanging chandeliers in addition to a massive hearth on the other end, they spotted Lucky sitting opposite of four well-garbed men and women, seeming faintly ufortable, stealing asional nces at Lucky who had her legs heaved onto the table, drinking in silence . "Watch your manners," E pped her legs off gently before sitting down, smiling apologetically toward Y¡¯nn . "My apologies, Master yer . She¡¯s an unruly child . " "No worries," Y¡¯nn replied with a faint smile . "We should feel lucky to be weed by three beautiful women . " "Oh? So I¡¯m not beautiful, old man?" Hannah suddenly walked in with a chuckle, causing attention to be diverted to her as Y¡¯nn crackled . "Ha ha ha, I would never dare," he shook his head . "It¡¯s been a long time, Lady Rebel . " "Aah, it¡¯s been a while since someone called me that," she said, sitting down next to Val . "When Lino told me we¡¯d be having guests, I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting you . " "Didn¡¯t you find it odd that we weren¡¯t there during the battle?" Y¡¯elleve asked with a faint smile . "As if I had the luxury to look who¡¯s there and who isn¡¯t . " Hannah shrugged . "Fair enough," Y¡¯elleve chuckled . "Speaking of the Empyrean ¨C will he be joining us?" "... I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love to," E smiled awkwardly . "But he¡¯s currently apanying Eggor in crafting something or the other . If you¡¯ve the time, you¡¯re wee to stay and wait for him . " "Unfortunately, we can¡¯t," Y¡¯nn said, sighing faintly . "As we still haven¡¯t ousted ourselves, we¡¯ve an image to maintain . Though, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to let my son stay here for a while . " "Of course," E nodded, ncing at the ever-silent Yovel to the Y¡¯nn¡¯s far left . "He¡¯s more than wee to stay for as long as he wants . If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to discuss why I asked you here . " "Of course," Y¡¯nn nodded . "I was quite surprised, to be honest . " "¡ªas you¡¯re aware, we are currently not exactly in good standing with the world," Val and Hannah managed to stifle theirughter, but Lucky didn¡¯t even bother . "Shut it . " "Yes, m¡¯am . " "The only reason I was able to actually get you here without the rest of the world noticing is due to the fact that I¡¯ve used one of the few remaining precious treasures of mine . As it stands, however, we have no means of seeing what¡¯s happening on the outside . Eventually, we¡¯ll have to phase back in, which will leave us open to attacks if we phase in blind . " "¡ªwouldn¡¯t it be better to summon us here prior to phasing back in?" Y¡¯nn asked . "No, I don¡¯t need you to keep an eye out to what¡¯s happening, we¡¯ll deal with that somehow," E replied . "We are currently headed for the Eastern Edge . I¡¯ll simply need you to ensure there isn¡¯t anyone too powerful on the Eastern Coast when we phase back in . " "... why are you going to the Eastern Edge?" Y¡¯nn asked, frowning faintly . "... . . " "What?" Y¡¯nn asked, seeing E¡¯s, Val¡¯s and Hannah¡¯s awkward expressions . "They don¡¯t knowpletely, and what little they know is too sensitive to share" Lucky replied with instead . "The oh-so-majestic asshat said we ought to be goin¡¯ there, and we¡¯re now going there . " "Oh . " Y¡¯nn nodded, while E sighed lowly . "The Empyrean is a rather... memorable figure . " "Meh, he¡¯s mostly a jackass," Lucky said, suddenly taking out a piece of paper and handing it to Y¡¯nn . "Those are the names of our people and potential ces you can locate them . We didn¡¯t have enough time to pick them up prior to being forced into here, and from thetest report, it seemed the Descent or someone had the ability to locate them . I¡¯d appreciate it if you could look into it discretely . If it threatens your cover, you don¡¯t have to do anything except remember who killed them . " "... very well . " Y¡¯nn took the paper, nodding with a heavy tone . "Y¡¯vol will personally take care of it . " "I shall," Y¡¯vol, who remainedpletely silent so far, said . "It¡¯s a shame . I really wished to meet the Empyrean . Or, perhaps, it¡¯s better to say I wished to meet the person who killed a member of Descent and ran off in front of Two¡¯s face . " "There¡¯ll be plenty of time to meet him . " E said . "And he¡¯s hardly different than Hannah," Lucky chimed in . "Just imagine her... but with a dick and a bit filthier tongue . " "Khm, alright, sorry to take up your time," E said, getting up . "I¡¯ll open up the passage right away . Lucky, show Yovel to his chambers as well as around the fortress . " "You think that¡¯s punishment?" Lucky said, grinning . "Contrary to all the fun I¡¯ve been having writing shit all day long?" "... I¡¯ll take all your booze away if you don¡¯t shut it . " E¡¯s voice suddenly turned frigid, causing Lucky to freeze in ce for a moment . "Khm, sorry for that . I¡¯ll contact you the moment we phase back in . I imagine Lino will also wish to meet you . " "Very well . " Y¡¯nn nodded, smiling faintly . "Behave, Yovel . " "Will do, Father . " The trio drifted through a strange spatial tunnel barely for a few moments before being spat back out into the underground hall from which they departed . They nced back and watched the space fold back unto itself, closing up within a blink of an eye . Y¡¯vol shook his head faintly before ncing at the piece of paper in his hand . "What should I do with this?" he asked Y¡¯nn . "Do as we promised," Y¡¯nn replied, slowly walking over and sitting down around the grand table . "Locate them, save them if possible, or write down the names of people who kill them if not . " "... that fortress..." Y¡¯elleve mumbled . "Was it really a good idea to leave Yovel there?" "It¡¯s a show of faith," Y¡¯nn said . "Besides, it will do him some good . " "¡ªwere you able to discern Elysian¡¯s strength?" she asked . "She should be in mid-20,000," he replied, sighing . "Though that¡¯s hardly the actual gauge of her strength . It looks like they still somehow managed to hold back in the end..." "... I couldn¡¯t read either Maiden or that woman next to her," Y¡¯vol uttered . "And they still only sent four of them . Do you really think the Empyrean was doing that or simply posturing?" "... he doesn¡¯t posture," Y¡¯nn said . "From what I learned of him, he¡¯s extremely arrogant, but hardly the elitist sort . However, I imagine that there¡¯s also a reason for that arrogance . All his decisions so far have resulted in something that seemingly went their way, despite the clear disadvantages: though he angered the Descent and turned them against him, he yed the flute as such to let them believe he was terribly weak, which in the end allowed him to kill both Eight and Three and most-likely get incredibly stronger in the process . Though he arguably helped Two ascend, he also inflicted a mental scar that will forever haunt her . " "..." "He¡¯s nning something," Y¡¯nn said, tapping his fingers against the table . "Something he can¡¯t outright state or show, but rather something that requires a roundabout approach . The way he¡¯s dealing with the world on the surface seems incredibly childish, no? Yet, if he were truly that childish... he would have never survived for so long . There¡¯s an idea behind his actions, I just can¡¯t figure out what... or why..." Chapter 431 Chapter 431 CHAPTER 431 EDGE OF IMMORTALITY (II) It was breathtaking, akin to nothing he had ever seen before in his life . Fascinating beyond measure, watching the droplets making up the fabric of reality interact with one another under pressure . Some adjoined, some repelled, somepounded intorger ones... it was an entirely new world, seemingly far removed from the reality of the one within which Eggor was casting a de . Billions... no, trillions, perhaps even more, parts and pieces danced to the eternal symphony of life . Colors otherwise nowhere found sped unto each other, fabricating realms of hue that nothing could replicate . Despite the fact that he knew better, at that moment, Lino could swear they were all alive ¨C all individual bits and pieces lived, existed, desired . He drove further, closer, with his Divine Sense, prating the barriers of reality . Though it was painful and beyond draining on his Qi and Vitality, he endured . It invoked the sort of feeling that was difficult to put into words, the ilk of inspired beauty, yet evenyers beyond it . They weaved the tapestry of inception, the provenance of life, in ways that he had never seen before . They were unbound byws, at least the ones he knew . At the times, he spotted the same ¡¯dot¡¯ in various positions, or them dancing around at speeds breaking any convention . Even with his Divine Sense he was only able to get the general sense of it all and was unable to actually perceive it all in real-time . However, even what little he could see gave him far more answers to how reality itself functioned beyond the veiled tales of intent; for instance, when Eggor dropped a few drops of extracted [Filmeh Herb] into the mixture of several metals that the de was to be made out of, on the surface all he saw was the few droplets immediately vaporize into thin air, as though they weren¡¯t even there . Lino, however, saw them being ripped apart by the forces, their bits and pieces dragged away and bound to the makings of the de . He had always known that, in general principle, most of the binding and supportive agents, especially specific herbs, do empower the metals in the mixture somehow, but he now knew exactly how ¨C they, literally, get eaten up, and be part of therger structure, creating something new out of the already existing . "¡ªfascinating," he mumbled, pulling away as Eggor came to a stop, taking a short respite . "It¡¯s really... fascinating..." "What is?" Eggor asked through quickened breaths . "¡ªthe way it all works," Lino replied . "I think... I think I know, at least in general, how could sentience spontaneously happen inside an item . " "Oh? Do share, then . " Eggor said, taking out a gourd of ale . "¡ªit¡¯s mostly as we suspected," Lino said, sitting down as Primul joined them . "A specific reaction inside the item itself urs, but the sentience itself is, I think, the result of the rapidly elerated time . " "Hm?" Eggor and Primul frowned for a moment, leaning in closer to listen as even Vy joined them on the side . "The pressure at that level, and energy in ordance to the size is... insane," Lino said . "This causes the time itself to go all out of whack at certain points . I imagine that the item gaining sentience isn¡¯t exactly that ¨C it¡¯s more akin to a baby being born, but then growing up five-six years really quickly . " "¡ªthat still doesn¡¯t tell us how exactly the sentience itself happens, however," Primul said after a short silence . "Just how it evolves . " "No, no it doesn¡¯t," Lino nodded, frowning . "We¡¯d be shooting blind if we were to actually start guessing, as we¡¯re talking literally ¨C and I do mean literally ¨C an infinite amount of possibilities . One factor, however, that might y the role is the use of organic materials . " "... herbs?" "Not necessarily just herbs," Lino turned toward Eggor . "But, yeah, generally speaking, herbs . They¡¯ve the systems of life butck the visible sentience of animals . They have the instinct of self-preservation, butck the capacity of conscious ¡¯thought¡¯ . Their usage may increase the possibility of a Soul Item by simply making the exact circumstance more likely to happen . " "... so, not any closer, huh?" Eggor mumbled . "We¡¯ve just begun," Lino chuckled faintly . "If it were that easy, do you really think someone wouldn¡¯t have discovered it before? I¡¯m sure we¡¯re not the first to think ¡¯gosh, these Soul Items sure are amazing . What if, and get this, we could produce them, like, you know, at will¡¯ . " "Oh, shut it," Eggor rolled his eyes, getting up . "Let¡¯s get back at it . You keep up your ¡¯research¡¯ or whatever the hell you¡¯re doing while the rest of us actually work . " "Hey, it¡¯s okay to be jealous of my Divine Sense, but it¡¯s kind ofme to show it, you know?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah, just shut up and do it..." Lino cracked a faint smile as Primul and Vy retreated to their corners, leaving Eggor and Lino at the center, surrounded by tables stacked with tools and items, as well as two most important parts ¨C the forge and Vy¡¯s anvil . Lino sat down, cross-legged, once more and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before coating his Divine Sense with his Will and diving deep down once more . Days quickly began flying back in silence, the four of them all having long since lost the track of time . Eggor and Lino crafted, Vy processed, and Primul drew . What made the entire process so long was the fact that they couldn¡¯t make the entire de in one go due to the repelling effects of the materials they used, which were impossible to mitigatepletely with restricting agents . Eggor would usually work on a small stretch of the whole de for upwards of two days before taking a break and beginning the process anew, after which he¡¯d bind the piece to the whole, and the same story would continue . Lino usually helped with the process of binding as it required a lot of Qi, which sped up the process somewhat altogether . At a ten-day mark, they were only a quarter through the de, though the process itself was sped up due to the practice the two got, eventually getting another quarter done within barely six days . The other half of the de would take only eight days to bepleted, and the silver-cast, holistic looking dey stered on the anvil, glistening in sharpness . None grew content, though, as there was still much to be done . While Eggor focused on fashioning the guard and the handle, Lino went over the arrays Primul prepared and slowly began inscribing the less difficult ones, leaving the truly iprehensible ones ¨C with a thread count in the literal hundreds of thousands ¨C to Eggor . He worked slowly and methodically, taking frequent breaks as he had to use the Divine Sense to actually tread the ded metal carefully . Sweat poured down his forehead and back, his mind quickly swirling into a splitting headache as he overworked himself . What caused him to push himself even further was observing Eggor ¨C the mostplex of arrays seemed like childish sketches to him, as he drove his hand around the de freely, simr to how Lino did it... on a much smaller scale . "... truly some ways to go . " Lino mumbled after Eggor finished drawing up the final array . "Did you observe it properly?" Eggor asked, snapping his fingers in front of Lino, jolting him . "The way I did the spirals? How to jump the corners without backtracking?" "Y-yeah, yeah," Lino nodded . "I... I didn¡¯t even know it was possible to do it like that . " "Of course you didn¡¯t," Eggor shrugged . "I hadn¡¯t taught you yet . What? Just because you made some ruckus you thought you were the shit?" "... nope . " "Just like Cultivation, it¡¯s an endless pursuit ¨C you told me that yourself, didn¡¯t? That I shouldn¡¯t grow content lest you catch up to me . I¡¯m not... so you shouldn¡¯t either . " "... this is nostalgic . " Lino mumbled, smiling warmly for a moment . "Hm?" Eggor looked at him . "You teaching me," he chuckled lightly . "It¡¯s... it¡¯s been a while . " "... it has . " Eggor nodded, coughing lightly . "Sorry . I guess I can do it more often . " "Ha ha ha, it¡¯s hardly your fault, though," Linoughed, pping Eggor¡¯s back lightly . "What, with all the fighting and almost dying, I certainly didn¡¯t leave myself enough time to be tutored, no?" "... ah, speaking of that ¨C you really should ease at it . You¡¯ll one day scare us to death, I swear . " Eggor sighed . "I know you¡¯ve got your mission and all, but, you know... do it in a less, I don¡¯t know, insane way, maybe?" "... I can¡¯t," Lino shook his head, sighing . "When I first condensed my Will, I swore I¡¯d save some people I thought were in danger no matter what . It¡¯s... it¡¯s who I always was . If I were the smart sort who thinks about everything and ns ordingly, ah, we¡¯d certainly be better off, now would we?" "... I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t be who you are," Eggor sighed, putting his hand on Lino¡¯s shoulder, grabbing it lightly . "The fact that you jump into anything and everything like an idiot without thinking is, well, what makes you... you . When they attacked the fortress, I guarantee not a single soul in here even for a second thought you wouldn¡¯t just fuck off on your own and take on the biggest threat . We just wish, you know... you¡¯d invite some of us just one time to lift up some of that burden . " "... fine," Lino grinned strangely, causing Eggor to shudder . "The next time I¡¯m about to do something beyond stupid, I¡¯ll have you having my back, old man . What do you say?" "... humph, you ungrateful little bastard . I should skin you . Humph . " "I don¡¯t hear a ¡¯no¡¯ in there . " Lino¡¯s smile mellowed down . "Ha ha, don¡¯t worry about it . Come on, let¡¯s finish this up . I want my mind blown by the stats . " "All that¡¯s left are the finishing touches," Eggor said, stretching lightly . "Though it won¡¯t reach the Origin-tier, I¡¯ve a good feeling it will at least be Primordial-tier . Young Ally probably won¡¯t be able to utilize it to its full potential for a long, long, long time..." "Well lucky for her she has a big bro who¡¯d be more than happy to alleviate her from that burden..." Lino crackled . "... fuck!!" Eggor suddenly connected the dots, screaming out loud . "You don¡¯t n everything my ass!! Fuck, you¡¯re the most cunning shit I¡¯ve met in my life!! I bet you even got your ass beat on purpose!!" "¡ªoi, oi, stop hitting me old man!! It hurts!" Lino cried out . "I swear I didn¡¯t n it---alright, alright, I nned it, but I swear I just wanted to take it for a test run before giving it to Ally¡ªalright, fine, fine, I wanted to swing it around for a while till Allyes into her own¡ªoi, seriously, stop hitting me, it¡¯s true!!" "Nothin¡¯ out of ya¡¯ filthy mouth is true!! I¡¯ve always known, yet I still somehow let you charm me into thinkin¡¯ otherwise! Fuck, no more!! I ain¡¯t falling for it!!" "... these two havepletely forgotten we¡¯re here, huh?" Primul mumbled, taking a sip of ale . "Yup, pretty much..." Vy replied, sighing . Chapter 432 Chapter 432: 432 CHAPTER 432 EDGE OF IMMORTALITY (III) A dashing light lit up the small room, warming up each one of its corners . A glimmer of golden, holy incandescence showered every inch of the forge, blinding those inside it for a moment . Lino quickly extended his Divine Sense coated in chaotic Will and examined the phenomena ¨C just as he was about to touch the weapon with it, however, he was rejected, sted back, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood due to the bacsh . The colors and radiating pressure persisted for nearly half an hour, low hymn-like hum consistently echoing off of the de that was floating midair inside the room . It slowly began dimming, bit by bit, the light and colors retreating back into the de, casting a breathtaking, sunrise sheen over its steeled surface and the sharp edge . It levitated for a moment further before gently descending upon the table, lying there in silence right after . The trio slowly approached as Vy sped over and inspected the item, eximing faintly in shock . The sword was just around a meter long, barely two-fingers thick with a slight, persistent dent at the center orbited by two-ded edges . Patternsy carved in faint gold across its surface, glowing peculiarly and blending like the flowing river into the wide, rather borate guard with a hand-carved motif of endurance and defiance . The handle was wrapped in tight leather, pleasant to touch, holistically white in the dye . It wasrge enough to fit a grown man¡¯s hand and then some, cascading down into a spherical pommel with a sharp tip at the very bottom . Primul withdrew slightly back as the pressure exuded from the de was too much for him, and even though Eggor stayed near the desk, it was clear he was quite ufortable . Lino, however, seemed impervious, a glimmer of greed and excitement shing through his gaze as his reaching hand began shaking . He suddenly felt a strong grip hold it, ncing sideways where Eggor was staring daggers at him . "It¡¯s not yours to keep . " "... I know," Lino rolled his eyes . "Who do you think I am? Hannah?" "I¡¯d trust her over you any time of the day . " Eggor replied with a shrug . "... ouch . Can I inspect it now?" "... go ahead . " He picked up the handle, wrapping his fingers around it slowly; it immediately felt less like a sword and more like an extension of his arm, fitting perfectly . He picked it up as the feeling somewhat vanished; it was too light, almost unlike all other weapons he¡¯d used before in his life . He sighed inwardly, somewhat pained that it didn¡¯t fit him all too well; while he could still use it undoubtedly to a decent mastery, he would never be able topletely ¡¯control¡¯ the weapon, even if he got to keep it . Taking a deep breath, he vanquished the stray thoughts as he brought the sword toward him, de up, turning it around and inspecting it from every angle before finally deciding to look at the sword¡¯s stats, expectation beyond measure written all over his face . [Edge of Immortality ¨C Unique quasi-Origin Tier] Level: Wielder¡¯s x2 (60,344) Requirements: 25,000,000/500,000,000/1,000,000,000 Base Vitality, Laws of Endurance/Strength/Immortality Damage: Wielder¡¯s x40 Elemental Damage: ? of the ordinary Damage Void Damage: ? of Wielder¡¯s +10,000% to ALL Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Stats [Impervious] [Ineffable] [Eternal] You shall not die ¡¯neath my reign All foes shall kneel ¡¯neath your de Forever shall we remain +20,000% to ALL Adjacent Stats [Effervescent] [Symbiosis] [Permanence] You shall shine ¡¯neath my reign Breathe souls by the strike of your de Forever shall we remain +800% to Cultivation Speed Absolute Mastery of Light, Eternity and Immortality while the Edge is equipped [Special Effect ¨C The ded Eternity] ¨C each sessful strike steals 1% of the opponent¡¯s Vitality, transferring it to the wielder . While holding the Edge, the effect is doubled . For each 1% of stolen Vitality, the recovery rate is increased by 10% . When wielder¡¯s Vitality surpasses a hundred million, all effects are tripled . [Special Effect ¨C Phantoms of Immortality] ¨C each swing of the sword creates phantoms of light that have basic sentience . The wielder can have up to 2,000 out at once . Each phantom will orbit the Wielder and defend them from all attacks while attacking back of their own ord . They cannot be destroyed, and will instead rush the opponent madly when their Vitality drops too low . [Special Effect ¨C Forever] ¨C In the presence of the Edge, no one but the Wielder is Immortal [Special Effect ¨C The Silent Reign] ¨C the King of all the Swords, the Edge cannot be defeated; when challenged, it unleashes Fury of the King [Special Effect ¨C Sagacious Serenity] ¨C the eternal calm permeates the edged light of the de [Special Effect ¨C Awaken] ¨C the Edge assumes its true form upon the Wielder¡¯s call . The living and the dead kneel and bend before its might . Note: I am King¡¯s de, Queen¡¯s Sword, Emperor¡¯s Destiny and Empress¡¯ Light . Do not silence me . Lino stared ck-jawed at the stats that he could notprehend . No, he was fairly certain they were not meant to beprehended . They were... too vague, too random to make sense . He sucked in a cold breath, tepid dread shivering his body dry . Eggor noticed his reaction and frowned, ncing at the de . "... what¡¯s wrong?" he asked . "... you¡¯ve... you¡¯ve crafted something insane, old man," Lino replied, barely stopping himself from stuttering as he shared the stats with Eggor . "This... this isn¡¯t a sword... but a freakin¡¯ weapon of mass destruction..." " . . . " Eggor¡¯s eyes turned into saucers as his lips gaped open, causing a ratherical scene, yet Lino couldn¡¯tugh . After all, the sword they crafted was just a nudge away from the absolute pinnacle of items... Origin-tier items, of which only 3 have existed throughout the history that are confirmed . Even still, [Edge of Immortality] was beyond a simple weapon; its stats, though mind-bending, Lino expected ¨C what he didn¡¯t expect were the vague Special Effects and two random poems he could not make the meaning off, as he was certain they meant far more than what they showcased on the surface . "Sheesh," Primul sucked in a cold breath as well when Lino shared the stats . "What the hell..." "If you hand me that sword kiddo, I¡¯ll give you the anvil . " Vy chimed in from the side . "Fuck off . " Lino, Eggor and Primul immediately eximed in unison, turning around and flipping him in unnned synchronization . "... we can¡¯t show this to anyone, Lino," Eggor suddenlymented . "Rather, I¡¯d prefer it if you could avoid using it... at all . This ain¡¯t the sort of thing the world will sleep on . " "... I know," Lino replied, sighing . "What¡¯s even more depressing is that Ally will probably need centuries before even being able to wield it..." "We¡¯ll craft her another, temporary sword, that isn¡¯t the issue," Eggor said . "This is, as you said, less of a sword and more of a... well, to be honest, a Defensive Artifact . " "¡ªthat¡¯s right," Lino nodded . "What do you make of the vague descriptions, though?" "Oh, that? That¡¯s not strange," Eggor chuckled . "The higher the tier of the weapon, the vaguer the effects be . It simply expands the usage and the effect itself . Wait, wait, wait ¨C you said Ally won¡¯t be able to use it for centuries... but... but what about you?" Eggor asked with some reservation . "I fulfill its basic requirements," Lino replied, frowning slightly . "Though I imagine it¡¯ll take me decades at least to unlock the rest..." "... y-you... you have 25,000,000 Base Vitality?!!" Eggor suddenly eximed in shock . "How?!!" "¡ªit¡¯s not surprising," Primul chimed in from the side . "If anything, he¡¯s only now beginning to elerate his umtion . By the time I died, my base Vitality was nearing a billion . " "¡ªso even at your peak you would be unable to wield thispletely, huh . " Lino mumbled . "Very few would have," Vy said from the side . "From what I recall, Primul was said to have reached one of the highest base Vitalities throughout the history of Empyreans . I imagine only a few would be able to rival him . " "... oi, oi, fuckin¡¯ hell, stop talking so casually about millions of Vitality!!" Eggor cried out from the side . "Don¡¯t you realize how insane that is?!" "It¡¯s a rarity," Primul exined . "And, besides, most of our other stats besides Strength suffer tremendously . Tell him how high your Agility is . " "... uh, it¡¯s... it¡¯s around 200,000..." Lino mumbled in faint embarrassment . "And your Wisdom and Intelligence?" Primul added with a grin . "... shut up," Lino growled lowly . "Don¡¯t worry about it, old man . Mom¡¯s Vitality is also fairly insane, and she¡¯s not even a Body Cultivator . " "¡ªy-you¡¯re all... . You¡¯re all just insane," Eggor sighed deeply, shaking his head . "Whatever . It doesn¡¯t matter . Even if you can wield it, don¡¯t unless absolutely necessary . Even though I was casual about the vague exnations, in truth I don¡¯t really know much about them either . After all, they¡¯ve never been this vague and I was usually able to garner at least the general sense of what exactly they can do . I have absolutely no idea what would happen if you activated them, and the sword¡¯s aura will be easily picked up by those more experienced . " "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m stupid, but not that stupid," Lino rolled his eyes . "Despite the stats, I¡¯m still morefortable using the yer . Now, if yer could evolve to this point... hoi boy, would I abuse the living fuck out of it . " "ds, we¡¯re almost at the Eastern Shores," Vy suddenly said . "What will you tell the others about the sword?" " . . . . " "... . . " "... . . " "Really?" Vy sighed, shaking his head in dismay before whipping out a simrly-sized sword from seemingly nowhere and throwing it at Eggor . "Give that to the girl, and craft me a replicater . No wonder you always listen to your wives . You two are fucking idiots . " Chapter 433 Chapter 433 CHAPTER 433 CONFOUNDMENT OF THE NEWCOMER Seya was currently sitting on the front porch of the seaside shack overlooking the blue expanse, the faintly piercing rays of the sun cascading alongside the rising waves . She appeared rxed and unperturbed, asionally taking a sip of sweet mead from the bottle on the table . On the end of it, sitting slightly slumped . Ayar was biting his nails, his eyes ncing at Seya ever so often, pleading to no avail . She¡¯d told him they¡¯d be sailing away today which meant that today would be the day he meets the Empyrean... and sails toward the Dragon Isles . Were his mother and father still alive to hear this, they would no doubt die on the spot due to worry, yet there he was, mentally preparing to the best of his abilities . "Oh, quit squirming around," Seya growled, rolling her eyes at him . "He won¡¯t eat you . At worst, he¡¯ll just give you a tongueshing . " "... I-I¡¯m not squirming..." Ayar replied weekly, not even managing to convince himself let alone Seya . "What are you so terrified of, anyway?" she asked, taking a sip . "I mean, you know, besides meeting the supposed madman of the world and going to the supposedly most dangerous ce in the world¡ªwait, scratch that . I get it . I really get it . But, quit bein¡¯ a pussy and at least put on a fa?ade like you don¡¯t give a shit . " "But I do give a shit!" Ayar cried out bitterly . "I don¡¯t want to die! I¡¯m way too young to be dying!" "Who told you you¡¯d die?" "¡ªif apanying the Empyrean to the Dragon Isles doesn¡¯t signal a man¡¯s death, literally nothing ever will!!" "Good on you, then," she said, grinning . "If you survive it, you¡¯ll effectively be immortal . Ain¡¯t that a treat, eh?" "... ah, whatever," he slumped further back in his chair, his legs breaking past the shade of the overcast roof . "I don¡¯t care what happens . " "Of course you do . " "... at least let me have this!!" "Alright, alright, whatever¡ª" Seya suddenly frowned, jumping off the chair and onto the sandy beach, ncing up at the high sky . Ayar followed right after her curiously, ncing up . Just as his eyes met the sky, the world quaked and shook, causing him to fall down . Just then, a massive behemoth d in ck, surrounded by spinning arrays of boundless colors, appeared seemingly out of nowhere . The fortresspletely nketed the sun and the sky, bringing with it a pressure of the thousand mountains that caused the sea down below to turn furious . Ayar stared at the sky with a gaped mouth, watching the scene he would nevere to forget unfold before his eyes . Right after the fortress, a figure shot out from seemingly nowhere; a winged soul, d in thick, ashen shadows that rolled and folded over his tall and broad stature . Right after him, the young boy saw a swarm of souls exit the ether, thousands upon thousands of all forms and shapes and ages, altogethering to berger than the fortress itself . "... aah, fucking moron," Seya sighed angrily, stomping the sand beneath her feet . "Of course he had to fight, fucking idiot . Fuck you! Fuck you Lino! Do you hear me?!! Fuck you!!" "¡ªoi pipsqueak, instead of cursing me, how about you help me?!!" a yful voice replied from the high sky as Ayar began shaking . "Help you with what?!! Dying faster?!! Come and pick us up already!!" "Turn around . " Lino replied with a chuckle as he suddenly vanished, appearing in front of the approaching swarm and cutting away with the yer as a swarm of ded lights cut from all ends at them . "Turn arou¡ªwhat is he... oh . " Seya turned around and saw Hannah standing there with a faint smile on her face . "How do you do, young child?" "... fuck you too," Seya replied . "You abandoned me . " "Uh¡ªI... I didn¡¯t abandon you... per se..." "No, you literally shoved me in here and then left . If that isn¡¯t the pure definition of abandoning someone I don¡¯t know what the fuck is . " "Do we really have time for this now?" Hannah smiled bitterly before ncing at Ayar who appeared frozen like a statue out of fear . "Is this the ¡¯guide¡¯? He¡¯s a kid . " "It¡¯s the best we got," Seya shrugged . "Turns out, people aren¡¯t all that keen on going to an ind full of Dragons . Go figure . " "Who did you learn to be so sarcastic from?!" Hannah frowned faintly as she casually picked up Ayar and threw him over her shoulder . "I don¡¯t like it . " "... you . Literally you!!" Seya cried out in indignation . "You and that bastard up there currently having the time of his life!!" "... I¡¯m not too sure about that . Let¡¯s go . " Hannah took Seya¡¯s hand as the three of them vanished, appearing on the wall of the fortress merely a secondter, overlooking Lino¡¯s sh up close . "Don¡¯t worry," she chuckled, noticing Seya¡¯s worried expression . "It¡¯s more of a show rather than anything else . The Holy Grounds had to put up a fa?ade, but nobody who can do anything to us is anywhere around so... he went out to have some fun . " "... of course he did," Seya sighed, shaking her head . "That idiot will never change . " "What¡¯s the boy¡¯s name?" Hannah asked as she put Ayar down gently . Thetter¡¯s eyes were glued to the winged figure ¡¯having fun¡¯ going at it against thousands of people . "Ayar," Seya replied . "Don¡¯t know much else about him . For all I know he¡¯s Gaia¡¯s spy . Maybe we should torture him to find out . " "I¡¯m not!! I swear I¡¯m not!!" Ayar quickly cried out . "I¡ªI don¡¯t even believe in her, I swear!!" "... . " "What?" "Pfft..." "Ah, you¡¯re kidding," Ayar slumped back down, weak in his knees . "You¡¯re kidding..." "I¡¯m sorry," Hannah crouched down and ruffled his head gently, shing him a warm and encouraging smile . "It must have been hell spending time with this girl . How about I take you to eat something real nice, huh? You can tell me all about how she was mean to you, and I can tell you all about her embarrassing stories . " "... r-really?" Ayar mumbled, shing a nce toward the suddenly-flushed Seya . "Really . " Hannah nodded . "A-alright then..." "You wouldn¡¯t..." Seya mumbled from the side, lowering her head . "Of course I would," Hannah smiled gently . "We have to teach you that what you give, is what you¡¯ll be given back in kind . " "... I hate you!!" "Ah, off she goes," Hannah chuckled . "Oi, we¡¯ve got what we came here for . That¡¯s enough!" Ayar turned around and saw the winged monster slowly retreat, sping his wings back into himself andnding on the wall right by their side . "Oh? This the guide?" Lino said, ncing at now-frozen Ayar who stared at him in terror and fear . "Wow, I really like this kid already . " "Of course you do," Hannah chuckled as they descended down the wall through the set of stairsnding them onto the cobblestone street . "He¡¯s the only person here that¡¯s afraid of you . " "What¡¯s your name kiddo?" " . . . . " "Ha ha ha, you¡¯re my favorite!" Linoughed freely, ruffling Ayar¡¯s head . "Did Seya bully you? If she did, just let me know . I¡¯ll make that girl¡¯s life a living hell for a while . " "What will you do?" Hannah asked him with a faint concern . "Tell her how much I love her and how much she means to me?" "... that would kill her, though . " Hannah frowned . "... eh, I¡¯ll figure something out," Lino shrugged as they took the left, passing by several groups of people who greeted Lino and Hannah merrily before going back to whatever they were doing . "What do you want to eat?" he asked Ayar suddenly who shuddered . "... I... I... anything is fine..." "I¡¯ll take him to Lam¡¯s," Lino said . "For now have Val phase out again and hide . I need to finish a few projects before we set sail to the Isles . " "Alright," Hannah nodded, patting Ayar¡¯s head . "Don¡¯t worry . If he does anything to you, just let me know . I¡¯ll kill him . " "And she really will," Lino nodded as Hannah slowly walked away . "One time I had fun ying with this kid¡ªwell, I hid his toy and he was sort of crying, but I was just ying around, you know?" he continued as the two resumed walking through the street . "When she found out, not only did she refuse to have sex with me, she sat me down and lectured me for six hours . Six . Goddamn . Fucking . Hours . I¡¯d have rather she kicked me in the shins and got it over with, you know?" "..." Ayar fearfully nced asionally at this strange, old entric; he was two and a half heads taller than the boy, and twice as wide, yet seemed entirely... unassuming . There was not even a trace of that winged monster from the outside . At worst, he just resembled one of those weird uncles who always made jokes only theyughed at . "You... are you the Empyrean?" the boy finally gathered enough courage and asked as they stopped in front of a rathervish-looking building made out of white stone . "Hm? Yeah, why do you ask?" Lino led him into the spacious inside and sat him by the window; Ayar quickly realized it was a restaurant as there were roughly twenty people already eating here . They all nodded toward the man with faint smiles before resuming their meals . None of what Ayar saw so far lent credence to the rumors of how Empyrean reigned with fear and terror . "... ah, no... no reason..." "Ha ha ha, rx, rx . Hey, Beckie, bring us somemb . " Lino called out to a slightly plump woman carrying a tray of drinks . "With the special sauce?" the woman asked, cracking a faint smile . "Oh, you know it . " "Be right up . Hey, did you hear that Rina and Sevon are getting married?" she walked over slowly and ced two cups of ale on the table . "Wait, really?" Lino eximed softly . "I thought for sure he¡¯d never ask . " "I know, right?! He always seemed like such a wimp . Anyway, they¡¯re getting married next week . Youing?" "Of course," Lino nodded quickly . "These days I need an excuse to indulge in drinking . " "Ha ha ha, Hannah giving you grief over it, huh?" the woman asked with a chuckle . "Ah... what I can say," he shrugged . "I think she¡¯s just jealous that I can drink and she can¡¯t . " "Well, you have to be a good husband then and listen to her . " "... shouldn¡¯t she be a good wife and let me drink so I don¡¯t think too much over how shitty of a father I¡¯ll be?" "Tsk, tsk," the woman clicked her tongue a few times, shaking her head . "Don¡¯te here with that shit . You aren¡¯t getting it . Ah,ing right up . I¡¯ll bring themb in a moment . " "Ha ha, sure thing, sure thing," Lino nodded, cracking a smile as he focused back on gobsmacked Ayar . "Now, Ayar... tell me about sailing to the Dragon Isles..." Chapter 434 Chapter 434: 434 CHAPTER 434 EDGE OF THE EAST Ayar took a deep breath and slowly gathered his bearings, taking a sip of the drink, and slowly meeting Lino¡¯s gaze squarely . The pair of ck eyes stared at him with curiosity and excitement,cking the mad intent he¡¯de to expect . Rather, everything about the man sitting opposite of him was... different . Rather than trying to reconcile it, however, he merely epted it on the face value and moved on . "¡ªit¡¯s a long journey," Ayar said . "Despite what maps may showcase, the distance between the Eastern Shores of the Holy Continent and even the mere ¡¯Edge of the East¡¯, to say nothing of the Isles themselves, is beyond massive . " "How massive?" Lino quizzed . "Roughly the distance between the Forgotten Continent and the western point of the Holy Continent . " Ayar replied as Lino eximed softly . "... that¡¯s one big-ass journey . " "Yes . Even using the fastest ships, it usually takes around four to five months to reach the Edge . I estimate it would take at least twice as much to reach the Isles if not more . In addition," Ayar added as the woman called Beckie carried over a massive tray stacked with still-sizzling meat, putting it down before quickly running away, called by someone else . "The ocean... is anything but calm . Though we don¡¯t get many storms that reach the shoreline, just a few miles into the open waters means weathering waves that start from five meters and never stop rising . " "..." Lino listened intently, taking a few bites of a rather saltedmb . "Furthermore, there are several aquatic species that are a nightmare," the boy said . "From some forms of squid asrge as sixty-seventy meters to sharks the size of massive whales . Honestly, I have never sailed all the way to the Edge not because of the waters, but specifically because of the creatures..." "... you really love sailing, don¡¯t you?" Lino suddenly asked, surprising the boy . "E-eh?" "Your tone, that glimmer in your eyes... and the fact that you aren¡¯t stuttering," Lino said, chuckling . "Let me guess... you grew up on a boat?" "... yes... how did you know?" Ayar mumbled, a shocked expression emerging on his face . "Eh, I just did . " "... I... I don¡¯t know who my real parents are," Ayar said, lowering his head . "But, my dad picked me up one day from the orphanage when I was two, and raised me as we sailed the ocean . He was a fisherman, though not the kind that sells fish as food, but rather the kind that the rich employ to find exotic fish to act as trophies more so than anything else . He taught me everything I know, and... since I knew of myself... I¡¯ve been in love with the open sea..." "... he sounds like a great man . How did he die?" Lino asked, his voice low and mellow . "... heh," Ayar chuckled bitterly, indignation clearly visible in his gaze . "A rich, local cultivator asked him to fish out the Blind Whale, offering him eight hundred Crowns as a reward . That would have pretty much set us up for life, so he epted immediately . We spent almost two years tracking it down, and over two weeks capturing it . We¡¯ve spent over twenty Crowns on bodyguards as we took the whale across the ocean . The cultivator, instead of paying the agreed eight hundred, gave my dad only fifty and told us to get lost . And, well..." "... I¡¯m sorry . " Lino said . "... it¡¯s... it¡¯s fine," Ayar shook his head . "I¡¯m over it . " "... we never truly get over the loss of the loved ones," Lino smiled faintly, causing Ayar to look up and meet his eyes . "And that¡¯s fine . No shame in it . " "..." "... let me guess," Lino said after a few moments of silence . "Your dad¡¯s dream has always been to sail to the Edge . " "..." "... we¡¯ll take each other there," he added, chuckling faintly . "And beyond . " "... aren¡¯t... aren¡¯t you scared? Of the Dragons, I mean . " Ayar asked meekly . "Why¡¯d I be afraid of the Dragons?" Lino grinned . "I¡¯ve one as my pet after I¡¯ve beaten his ass ck and blue . " "¡ªeh? What?" "Yeah . Wanna see him?" "... c-can I?" "Sure thing!" Lino eximed as he forcibly ripped Vy out of the pocket, causing the angry blur of fire to appear next to the table . "Say hi to our new friend, Vy . " "... hey, kid, a piece of advice," Vy turned toward Ayar . "Don¡¯t trust a single word thates out of this guy¡¯s fucking mouth . He¡¯s going to swindle you, and make your life an eternal misery of pain and¡ª" "And that¡¯s enough of you!" Lino quickly shoved him back in, chuckling awkwardly . "As you can see, he¡¯s still quite bitter about his defeat . " "... ah, yeah . " "Anyway, rx . We won¡¯t be sailing anywhere for some time still," Lino said, getting up . "Eat up and drink up . I¡¯ll send someone to escort you to your room . Spend a few days looking around, getting to know the ce . I¡¯ll ask someone to fetch you then so we can start charting the course . What do you say?" "... uh, sure . Yeah . " Ayar nodded submissively as he watched the strange man walk away briskly and silently . Lino followed the path over to the central area that was dubbed the ¡¯Administrative Center¡¯ as it was usedrgely as a local shed of documents and bureaucratic proceedings that he could never quite understand . He quickly descended to the basement level that very few knew even existed and where the majority of the collection of books he owed were stored in addition to maps, theories, and even some few unique, captivating Arts . He took out one of the maps and looked over it, pondering why the Dragon Isles were painted in as being so close to the Holy Continent . It¡¯s not as though they ran out of paper, as there was still the option of scaling down if not getting a bigger paper . "... is it really just to deter?" he mumbled lowly, frowning . "Deter what?" Lino looked up and saw Alison sitting over on the other side . He was slightly shocked as he hadn¡¯t spotted her at all beforeing in here . She had a faintly curious expression on her face enhanced by a lovely smile . "... you¡¯re quite sneaky, aren¡¯t you?" he smiled, walking over and sitting with her . "If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say you were stalking me . " "He he, it¡¯s good that you do, then . Know better, I mean . What brings you here?" though Alison had rxed considerably around himpared to when she first arrived here, there was still a stiff air of reservation and holding back when it was just the two of them alone . "Why do you think the Isles are painted in as being so close to the Holy Continent?" Lino probed, putting the map in front of her . "... hmm," Alison frowned for a moment, seemingly thinking back to something . "From what I recall, the ¡¯official¡¯ exnation was that the difference wasn¡¯t all that big and that it made the map easier to read . Why?" "... the difference is really big, though," Lino mumbled . "Think the distance between the Western Continent and the Holy Continent big . " "Eh? Really?" she eximed softly . "Hm," he nodded . "That was a conscious decision . Aah, if you can¡¯t trust the cartographers, I don¡¯t know who you can trust..." "Ha ha, since when were the cartographers the measure of truth?" Alison asked,ughing lightly . "Ah, excuse me miss, but cartographers are some of the most important people in the world! If not for them, how would we ever know we live onnd instead of in the ocean? Huh?" "Ha ha ha..." "How do you like your new sword?" Lino suddenly asked her, causing Alison¡¯s expression to light up . "I love it!!" she eximed . "It¡¯s so light... and quick... and I honestly feel like I can control it with my heart! I mean, I know it sounds stupid but... I really feel like it¡¯s true..." "I¡¯m happy," Lino said . "Because, well, you¡¯ve cruised along long enough, haven¡¯t you?" "What do you mean?!" Alison pouted . "Are you saying I¡¯ve been freeloading?" "Well, you¡¯ve been keeping one of our demons fairly tied up, so not freeloading per se..." Lino couldn¡¯t help but burst out inughter as he saw her cheeks flush red like blood . "Ha ha ha, sorry, sorry . I promised her I wouldn¡¯t do it anymore . No, of course I¡¯m not . But, I¡¯ve a feeling our excursion to the Isles won¡¯t be as simple . " "Why do you say that?" Alison asked with faint curiosity . "... I don¡¯t know . I¡¯ve kind of developed a very strange quirk after being on the run for all my life," Lino said, chuckling . "My body always seems to know when something bad¡¯s about to happen even before I do . I guess that, after being beaten an inch away from death so many times, it really wants me to stop doing stupid shit all the time . " "... why do you?" she asked suddenly in a rather somber tone . "Hm?" "Why do you do it, still?" she repeated, her gaze rather peculiar . " "... why, huh?" Lino hummed, leaning back into the chair and ncing around the book-stacked shelves . "It¡¯s my way juvenile attempt, I guess, to punish myself . " "..." "A way of coping, really," he looked back at her, smiling faintly . "We all have our demons... and that¡¯s how I deal with mine . " "... hurting yourself won¡¯t change anything . " Alison said, smiling back . "Only make it worse . " "... perhaps," he added with a chuckle . "I¡¯ve this embarrassing habit of taking up the weight of the whole world, and then crying wolf when it crushes me . To me, it¡¯s easier to look out . " "¡ªI¡¯m the opposite," Alison said, lowering her head . "I can¡¯t help but believe that I could be doing so much more to help . To help you, to help Hannah, Lucky, my Master and Elders and everyone . I... I feel like an observer... a passerby..." "... nah, you aren¡¯t the opposite, just as I¡¯m not entirely gone either," Lino said, suddenly ruffling her hair gently as he got up . "We may lean inch here and there more so than elsewhere, but altogether we are all bits and pieces making up a fairly bnced whole . I may asionally overstay my wee to punish myself, but I doll out just as much punishment . I also enjoy walking away from conflict, cradling into my room and taking a nap . You say you¡¯re an observer, but the observer never inspires Ally . They are ticks in the stains of history ¨C you are not . You¡¯re a story . Just like me . Just like Hannah . Just like Lucky . Just like everyone else . No such thing as an observer, unless ghosts really do exist . In that case, they must be doing some really spooky shit that we can¡¯t see . " "... thanks . " she smiled gently, getting up and following after him as they slowly climbed out of the basement . "Looks like I¡¯ve underestimated your ability to sympathize . " "... we all have the ability to sympathize," Lino said . "Sometimes, however, it¡¯s stolen away from us . The only thing that¡¯s important to remember is that no one is impervious to pain . Even the evilest, the cruelest and sadistic soul to ever exist... hurt . Sometime, somewhere, somehow . Doesn¡¯t excuse their cruelty, but it gives it thecking ambiance . There¡¯s always a reason why someone¡¯s quick to anger, quick to weep, quick to break or to fire back . As I said," he added as the two left the basement, going their separate ways . "We¡¯re all our own stories . " Chapter 435 Chapter 435 CHAPTER 435 CRUELTY OF THE SCORNED Two was currently standing over a small, erect rock inside a muddy dip surrounded by white and crimson roses growing at an angle so that they created a dome above by intertwining . A singr namey carved out in the stone, Tatyana, Two¡¯s eyes glued to it . She stood in silence for days on end, asionally crouching down and caressing the chilly stone with her long fingers . After nearly a week had passed since she first arrived, she turned around and took a deep breath, walking out of the small grove and up a spiraling road surrounded by rock and stone on all ends . She eventually reached a wide tform ttened artificially inside a mountain . It spanned over two miles across altogether, though it was mostly barren save for at the center . There, lined up neatly in five rows, two per row, were gallows, totaling in ten . Each had five ropes whisking downwards, and out of the fifty spots, neen were filled . She walked over to the exhausted and dispirited figures, who each looked at her emptily . "... your devotion is praiseworthy," she said in a cold, emotionless voice . "Yet idiotic . You won¡¯t be rewarded for it . " "..." nobody replied, causing her expressionless face to turn colder for a moment before rxing as space next to her ripped open, Four walking through . "Have you finally changed your mind?" she asked indifferently, not even ncing at him . "¡ªno," Four replied, ncing at the figures whose lives hung by the thread of a wooden stool beneath their feet . "I¡¯vee to see whether you have . " "... you keep questioning me these days, Four," Two said . "I don¡¯t understand where you get the courage . " "... this... isn¡¯t right," Four sighed . "They are innocent . " "They¡¯re working for him," Two said . "That disqualifies them from being innocent . " "¡ªyou are blinded by hate¡ª" "Of course I am!!" Two eximed angrily, turning toward Four and reaching out with her right hand, grasping her fingers around his neck tightly . "He killed her!!" she screamed into his face . "Instead of questioning me, you should be bleeding dead to find him!!" "..." Four remained silent . "... fine," she casually threw him down onto the ground, shifting her focus on the gallows once more . "Do as you wish, just don¡¯t stand in my way . " Four merely sighed audibly before vanishing, appearing on top of the mountain, inside a carved clearing surrounded by roofed shacks and a few gardens . Five and Seven¡¯s expressions damped when they saw his, causing them to slump further back against their chairs as Four joined them . They were sitting inside a fenced garden, beneath the shade of a massive tree growing from the top of the mountain and almost piercing the clouds far above . "¡ªwe can¡¯t let this go on . " Seven said . "What do you propose?" Five shrugged, reaching over and tying his mboyant hair up . "Since she underwent her Awakening, nobody can match up to her except One . And, as usual, the fucker¡¯s nowhere to be found . " "Even still..." Seven sighed, her usual, cid expression growing slightly worried . "I... have a bad feeling about this whole thing . " "She¡¯s brandishing her fangs," Four said . "And the Empyrean won¡¯t back down either . " "... she¡¯ll get herself killed," Seven shook her head . "That¡¯s what worries me the most . " "... you don¡¯t think the Empyrean can actually kill her?" Five eximed . "I figured even killing Three was due to sheer luck . " "Oh,e on," Four rolled his eyes . "As though Three could have been killed through luck . Since the start, we¡¯ve made nothing but terrible decisions in regards to the Empyrean . Now... it¡¯s going toe back and bite us in the ass . " "Has Six had any luck finding him?" Five asked Seven . "No," she shook her head . "He popped up briefly on the Eastern Shores but vanished soon after . It looks like he¡¯s really headed to the Dragon Isles... Sylver will try and follow, though I wouldn¡¯t hope for much . " "¡ªthis... is bing more and more bothersome..." Four sighed . " ** Lino watched the horizon open up in front of him, ocean¡¯s waters swinging high and low as far as the eye can see . They hovered just off the shore, at a decent elevation, hidden from the curious eyes . He was still waiting to see whether Y¡¯nn will find the people that tried to hide in the major cities and for Hannah to give birth . Though it would all add up to six-seven months, it was hardly a lengthy period of time . Lucky had also left just recently alongside some other Shadows to look for the stragglers and find some more information, while everyone else busied themselves with various jobs ¨C Primul was working on improving the Orbiter alongside Tim, Simon, and Anna, while Eggor, Sarah and other smiths were once again relegated to crafting and repairing armors and weapons . Hannah, Val, Edith, and Ally mostly focused on the paperwork that he couldn¡¯t quite understand, while Amadeel would either meditate or check up on the ever-growing interdimensional ck hole . The fortress currently held upward of 50,000 people, a number that will only grow before they depart for the Dragon Isles . After all, the part of the Orbiter that Primul was working on was the one that would allow them to finally pick up all the souls currently allied with him . Rough calctions put the number of people into tens of millions, a severe jump from 50,000, though save for the paperwork, there was little else to be done to amodate them in the end as they all already had their own system in ce to do that . "¡ªyou¡¯re here," E¡¯s voice jolted him awake as he nced sideways while she sat by his side . "Bored?" "Eh," he shrugged . "It doesn¡¯t hurt to asionally sit down and rx . " "Ha ha, I suppose it doesn¡¯t . " E chuckled . "It will be short-lived, after all . " "... yeah, point your de at my heart and shove it in, why don¡¯t you?" "Ha ha, sorry, sorry . I didn¡¯t mean it like that . " "So? What¡¯s up?" he asked, taking out a gourd of wine . "What do you think the ck mist is?" E¡¯s question didn¡¯t seem to surprise him as his eyes veered back onto the distant horizon . "... no clue . " his answer, however, did strike her, her expression turning into one of shock . "W-what do you mean?" she quizzed . "I can¡¯t see through it, in any way, shape or form . " Lino replied . "Can¡¯t see what¡¯s within it, what¡¯s it made out of... or what it is . From one terrible thing to another... I don¡¯t think all of us should go there . " "... we won¡¯t," E nodded . "We can bring the others to the Edge and hide them there while the few of us go to explore . " "Who did you have in mind?" Lino asked . "Ally, Lucky, Amadeel, Primul and Titus . " E replied . "Besides you and me, I mean . " "Titus?" Lino asked . "Hm," she nodded . "His Cultivation Method is based on Light and Endurance," she said . "I thought he should be enough to protect Primul . " "... hm," Lino nodded after a short thought . "Hannah will be pissed, though . " "She¡¯ll have also just given birth," E shrugged . "As if I¡¯ll let her go . " "... ha ha, thank you . " he chuckled faintly . "Shouldn¡¯t you be helping Primul with the formations, though?" "Nah, he said, and I quote, ¡¯you don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re doing, just go away and join the other useless one¡¯ . " "... ouch . " "Yeah..." "... something¡¯s been on my mind ever since I met him," Lino said suddenly, the look in his eyes changing slightly . "Nothing about him screams that he¡¯s easily corruptible... or easily driven to madness . Yet, he had been . Why?" "... there are millions of roads to madness Lino," E replied . "Who can ever tell? Why? Are you worried you might follow his footsteps?" "... no," Lino shook his head, leaning back onto his arms . "If anyone¡¯s banking on me going insane and losing this war that way, they¡¯ll be waiting for a long time . " "Oh? Aren¡¯t you awfully confident, and not in your usual, very arrogant way . " "Oi, what do you mean very arrogant way?! My confidence is always pure and founded in truth!" "... yeah, yeah, sure thing . So? Why?" "¡ªI¡¯ve reached the Absolute Mastery of Madness," Lino replied casually . "It¡¯s... well, it¡¯s one way to avoid ever going insane, I suppose . " "... that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t go mad still, though," E said . "It just means you¡¯ll have the illusion of reins over it . " "¡ªI¡¯m confident in my heart, more so than anything else," he replied . "It won¡¯t betray me . It can¡¯t betray me . " "... as am I," she said, ruffling his hair . "You¡¯ve grown . " "... hardly," he scoffed . "In many ways, I¡¯m still just a brat . " "So long as you realize it . " "... ha ha, yeah . But... I can¡¯t be... not anymore . " he said, his eyes shining in a faint glimmer of determination . "I¡¯m about to be a father . I can¡¯t be cheapening my life anymore . " "And you won¡¯t . " she said . "I know it . " "... aah, oh well . " he yawned, getting up . "I¡¯ve nothing to do for over half a year . I guess I can go on a crafting spree and fix myself a decent arsenal and craft something for Hannah . I¡¯ve promised her a while ago . " "¡ªand you¡¯ve promised me a ne decades ago, a ne I¡¯ve never gotten . " "Oh, right!" Lino eximed . "Wow, I remember that . That was actually the very first time I thought of you as my mom . " "Hey! That was years into your staying with us!" E eximed, pouting . "What did you think of me until then?" "Uh... I don¡¯t know? A kind, olddy?" "..." "A kind, old, but breathtakingly beautifuldy?" "... old has to stay, huh?" "It has to, indeed," Lino grinned . "Fine . I¡¯ll fashion you a ne . I¡¯ll make you proud of me!" "... I¡¯m always proud of you . Well, not always," she added, sighing . "But, most of the¡ªwell, on asion . But rtively frequent asion . " "You could just hear your heart break the further along that sentence stretched..." "... yeah . " "... and now mine¡¯s cracked . Fine . Go to the son you¡¯re proud of! I¡¯ll go and vanquish my sorrows with a hammer!" "Ha ha ha, have fun!" E eximed, tenderly gazing at his fading back . Chapter 436 Chapter 436: 436 CHAPTER 436 AARIA "WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!!" a roar shook the fortress, causing many-a-soul to falter to their knees as they nced fearfully toward the topmost tower . Lino¡¯s heart and soul quaked at that moment as he dropped the just-finished scythe and rapidly opened up the vortex in front of him, jumping through and quickly arriving on the other end . He was immediately squared against four, fiery pairs of eyes ¨C E, Alison, Lucky and Val all stared at him with seething anger, while Hannah¡¯s distorted expression danced anywhere between unbridled rage and soul-deep hatred . "¡ªh-hello..." he mumbled meekly, like a little boy, as he skittled over to the bed and grasped Hannah¡¯s hand . "Hello... hello sweetie..." "SWEETIE?!!" Hannah screamed right into his face, gnashing her teeth . Sweat dripped like a waterfall down her forehead, causing strands of her hair to glue themselves to her glistening face . She heaved her legs open and up, grasping Lino¡¯s hand back, nearly breaking his fingers . "WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?!!" "... uh, uh... I¡ª" Lino stumbled over the countless words in his mind, unable to find the appropriate one, quickly trying to switch the topic . "H-how¡¯s it going?" "Tsk, what a terrible husband..." Lucky clicked her tongue, shaking her head . "I¡¯m severely disappointed, Lino..." Alison added, sighing lowly . "I¡¯ve raised a terrible son... ah, woe is me..." E jumped in right after . "I expected more, my Lord . " Val stoked the mes . "..." Lino stared with gaping mouth at them, feeling his heart bleed . "I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I?!! Give me a straw to hang onto, for heaven¡¯s sake!!" "SHUT IT!!" Hannah cried out once more, veins on her neck wiggling like worms . "SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET THIS DEVIL OUT OF ME!!" "OI, THAT¡¯S OUR DAUGHTER!!" Lino cried back . "AAAGGGHH!!" "GET THAT DEVIL OUT OF HER!!" Lino turned toward E and yelled out, causing thetter to chuckle faintly . "Alright Hannah," she said . "Just a couple more times . Give me a strong one . " Hannah cried out once more, causing Lino to wince as he didn¡¯t remember her voice ever quite reaching such a high decibel . He, however, didn¡¯t dare say anything . Alison and Val stood by E¡¯s side and assisted her while Lucky stood by Lino¡¯s, grinning at him . "Tsk, tsk, to think a brat like you is about to be a dad..." she chuckled . "What has the worlde to, huh?" "... really, really not the time . " he fired back, sweating as he was forced to push Qi into his hand due to pain . "Oh,e on . Be proud . " Lucky pped him in the back, causing him to groan . "And pray the kid takes after Hannah . " "What do you think I¡¯ve been doing since she told me?" Lino fired back, grinning . "Good boy, good boy indeed . " "Alright, almost there!" E¡¯s voice echoed out once more . "Just one more, Hannah, alright? Just one more push and it¡¯ll be over! Come on!" "YOU¡ªHAVE-BEEN SAYING ONE MORE FOR MINUTES, AARRGGHH!!" After another roar that shook the fortress, the world around grew quiet, still, until a breathter when a young, sweet and melodic cry burst out into it . Lino¡¯s eyes shifted away from Lucky onto a small clump of meat E was holding that was ying its arms about, crying ceaselessly . His heart stopped; air stuck in his throat . There were no words to describe the levels of joy and happiness he was experiencing . E smiled widely, getting up and taking the towel Val gave her, wrapping the young baby girl in it before walking over and handing it to the exhausted Hannah . Yet, that exhaustion and tiredness seemed to have evaporated the moment she took the baby into her arms, sitting up and cradling it against her chest . "Alright, let¡¯s give them some privacy," E chimed in after a few moments of silence . "Congrattions, you two . Just so you know, we¡¯re having a feast tonight and the entire fortress is invited . Otherwise, there¡¯d be some riots . " "Congrattions . You give the other idiots hope . " "My, my, our little Empyrean went ahead and became a father . How queer, how queer indeed . " "Congrattions you two! Don¡¯t listen to them . You¡¯ll make great parents!" Lino and Hannah soon found themselves alone inside the warm, well-lit room . He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the young girl and Hannah, stuck in a strange delirium . She had ethereally blue eyes, piercing to behold . He unconsciously reached over and put his finger into her hand as she grasped it . Tender . Soft . Fragile . Warm . "... we really did it..." he mumbled softly, his lips swirling up into a wide, content smile . "... we really did," Hannah said, smiling as well . "She¡¯s a big girl, ain¡¯t she? Yes you are, yes you are . Aah, you¡¯ll have to pay for giving me so much grief..." "... she¡¯s beautiful . " Lino said . "... she really is . " Hannah nodded, chuckling . "The moment hase . " "... ugh, don¡¯t remind me . " "Come on, mister . We promised we¡¯d eache up with three names and then choose one together . Spit it out!" "Why do I have to go first?!" Lino protested . "... because I literally just gave birth to her?" he quickly drew quiet, however, as Hannah gave him a stink eye . "One month . " "Hm?" "I¡¯ll let you use that one for a month," he borated . "I¡¯m taking the privilege away after it . " "... deal . So, what did you choose? Fess up the names . " "... ugh, I only thought of one..." "One?!!" "Hey!! This is the first decision that I could fuck up and end up scarring her!! I have to be super careful!" Lino fought back . "... true . So... which one did you choose?" "... uh, A... Aaria..." he mumbled meekly . "..." "... uh... what¡¯s wrong?" he asked after nearly thirty seconds of silence . "Aaria..." Hannah mumbled, her lips curling up into a smile . "Yeah... Aaria . She does look like Aaria, doesn¡¯t she?" "Huh?" "Hello Aaria," Hannah ignored him and stared at the young baby pressed into her chest . "Oh, someone¡¯s hungry, aren¡¯t you? Ha ha, you really do look like your dad... ha ha ha ha..." "..." Lino didn¡¯tment, merely slumping further as he lied down next to the two, his expression mellowing out . Though he had tried to bury the worries over the past half a year and then some through crafting, the thousands of ideas that something could go wrong never quite left him . Yet, it was all fine . Just at that moment, he forgot it all ¨C he forgot the fortress, he forgot that he was the Empyrean, he forgot the world outside, the Descent, the Dragons, the Holy Grounds, the cosmos itself... his whole reality was made up of two souls lying right next to him . It was a different kind of happiness that swelled in his soul, the kind that he never experienced before . In addition, it gave birth to even a greater need and desire to protect them . To keep them safe no matter what . Both Hannah and Aaria soon fell asleep, causing the room to fall into perpetual silence . He remained awake, unable to gaze away from them, a million thoughts barraging his mind . The world the little girl would grow up into... must be different than the one she was born into . He knew that much, at the very least . The sheer apathy, the frigid indifference, the corruption... if anything, his beliefs and steadfast ideals were reinforced . He didn¡¯t want her bing a soldier in his army or bing a target because of who he was . He wanted her to have an ordinary childhood, to y with other children, tough and to cry, and to experience both love and heartbreak, and to find a calling and be a master at it, and to grow old naturally . He gently reached over and touched her tiny head, smaller than his own hand . For her, he¡¯d do it all, he realized at that moment . Eventually, the perpetual cycle of chaos has to cease . The wars, the endless graveyards and tombs raised out of thin air, the ceaseless cries and weeps of anguish... life itself can¡¯t be sustained in the ideals of separation and conflict . He thought it through countless times, the best way to unite the world, or at least vanish the overt chaos . Though he still didn¡¯t have the perfect answer, the absolute solution for it, it hardly discouraged him . In a way, these solutions would eventually appear naturally . One way or another, the world will calm and soothe, even without him . His role isn¡¯t to enable it, but to speed it up whichever way he can . He closed his eyes slowly and fell into a lull, his thoughts drifting empty as sleep took hold . Distant dreams surged, images of his childhood, of his entire life, shing by . He never once considered himself unlucky, not even at his worst . Rather, he felt the opposite; being able toy so still, in silence, surrounded by crowds of people who look up to him, and scores of those who love him, is beyond lucky . How many, after all, can im to be so content as he? A smile hung on his face, his arm wrapped around Hannah, his thumb held onto tightly by Aaria¡¯s hand . Hannah¡¯s head slipped down the pillow and pressed against his chest, strands of her hair wrapping around and about, riled like fire . The twoy in perfect stillness, embraced in a moment the rest of the world was wholly blind to . A moment that belonged to the wholesome dreams and churning hearts of the two . Though the road ahead was long, winding and heavy, everyone¡¯s was . All they could do was what the rest were doing ¨C make the best of everything they were given and have earned . Chapter 437 Chapter 437 CHAPTER 437 THE HOLLOW ISLES Beneath the shapeless, dark clouds fermenting above the open ocean, a massive, winged creature stirred cold and frigid winds around itself as it sped through the vast world, turning the surroundings into a mere blur for those observing from on top of him . Save for Amadeel and Titus, who appeared slightly jittery, the rest of the entourage appeared rxed . Lino was reading whilst drinking, E was chatting up front with Vy, Primul was meditating in a corner, leaned against a fiery spike of Vy¡¯s massive neck, Lucky and Ally were sleeping, thetter resting her head on the former¡¯s shoulder, while Ayar was currently being consoled by Seya, his face sickly pale . Titus was hung over the in-between of the spikes, gazing at the passing reality without ever being to catch a whole object . It was his first time riding a Dragon, and despite having ridden many flying beasts before in his life, not a single one came even close to matching to the experience he was currently undergoing . Vy was truly massive, beyond anything he had ever seen; from the neck area where they were stationed, he couldn¡¯t even see the top of the Dragon¡¯s head, and could barely fit the whole neck into the view . Amadeel, though not as quite obvious about it, was also inspecting his surroundings in amazement . Even if he knew that Lino had a ¡¯pet¡¯ Dragon, he had never seen Vy¡¯s actual body ¨C one that towered over the entire fortress countless times over . When he spread his wings above it, the fortress fell into a silent lull of the dark as everyone stared in awe at the creature above them whose single wing was more than enough to epass the entire fortress and then some . Lino slowly closed up the book he was reading and got up, walking over to E who was sitting by one of the frontal horns that grew out into a spiral, reaching over ten meters into air above Vy¡¯s head . "What are you two talking about?" Lino asked as he sat down next to her . "The mist . " E replied . "Hm . He doesn¡¯t know what it is, though . " Lino said, pointing downwards . "Yeah, he told me," E rolled her eyes . "We were brainstorming, trying to see whether something wille to us . " "Whatever it is, I don¡¯t think it will prevent us from entering," Lino mumbled . "I didn¡¯t sense and direct rejection of that kind from it . " "... are you discussing the Mist?" Amadeel crept up from behind them, sitting beside Lino with a faint smile . "The mist?" Lino and E asked quizzically, with even Vy mumbling in interest . "Hm," Amadeel nodded . "It¡¯s not the solitary urrence in the world," he continued as E slowly frowned, seemingly in realization . "Have you ever heard of the Hollow Isles?" "... no?" Lino said, tilting his head . "It¡¯s the sole, uncharted piece ofnd on Noterra," Amadeel said . "A set of inds in-between Dragon Isles and the Forgotten Continent moving eastward . Mist with simr, yet stronger, properties is found there, preventing entrance . " "... wait... nobody¡¯s ever entered, or nobody¡¯s ever returned from it?" Lino asked . "Nobody¡¯s ever entered," Amadeel replied . "Never even took a single step into it . " "¡ªah, so that¡¯s it . The Dragon Isle¡¯s mist is the reversed sort . " E mumbled lowly, causing Amadeel to nce at her . "As far as we¡¯re aware," Amadeel said . "People have managed to enter, but nobody has ever returned . Though, to be fair, fairly urate maps of Dragon Isles aremonce among the Holy Grounds, as the Mist surrounding it is a rtively recent phenomenon . " "... any ideas on what the ¡¯Hollow Isles¡¯ are? Or where the Mist came from? Or, hell, what¡¯s it even made out of?" Lino probed further . "... hmm," Amadeel stroked his beard for a moment, seemingly deep in thought . "There are a lot of theories floating out there, naturally, but no certainty . One is that it¡¯s where the First Scripture is hidden, another that it¡¯s where all the dead souls go, and it all goes as far as stating that it¡¯s the home of the ¡¯Lost Writ¡¯ . Nobody¡¯s ever figured out the Mist¡¯sposition, or how it does what it does, as it¡¯s impossible to inspect its make through Divine Sense, or ¡¯scoop it up¡¯ since it just whiffs away . The Hollow Isles have been there as far back as the recorded history goes, and even the Writs have confirmed that it¡¯s been there during the Origin Era, but if they do know what it is, they never said it . " "... of course he¡¯s silent," Lino rolled his eyes, sighing . "If all Dragons are trapped inside the Isles, what¡¯s even the point of going there now?" he added . "They are effectively not a variable either way . " "¡ªto liberate them," E said from the side . "And because Vy ¡¯became your pet¡¯ exclusively for this reason . " "... tsk, don¡¯t break my illusion, damned woman," Lino growled, having already realized as much . "And you, beast, this doesn¡¯t change anything . Got it?" "..." Vy remained silent . "It still doesn¡¯t make it any easier, though," Lino said . "I mean, if nobody else has managed to do anything with it, what can I?" "... I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure something out . " E said with a chuckle, causing Lino to groan as he understood the implications . "Besides, don¡¯t you want to bless that sword of yours?" "..." Lino didn¡¯t say anything, getting lost deep in the thoughts . This was the first time he had heard of the Hollow Isles, or that the mist surrounding the Dragon Isles came from there, and it already caused a worm of the doubt to crawl into his heart . A ce that literally no one was able to reach? Not the Writs, not the Bearers, not even Gaia or Archangels? He thought it was insane... yet it appeared to be true . He knew that he¡¯d have to go over one day and investigate it himself, though for the time being he already had too much on his te to allow the thought to consume too much of him . What E just implied was that he had one tool nobody else who tried probing around the Dragon Isles had ¨C the Primal Chaos . Rather, he¡¯s the solitary possessor of the Primal Chaos since the dawn of time, making him uniquely equipped to try and test out the waters . One of the greatest properties of Primal Chaos was that it was uncontained ¨C that is specifically how he managed to kill Three despite her defenses . Thereiny the greatest difference between the Chaos and the Primal Chaos ¨C the ability to contain them . Whereas the former could be contained, stored and used practically by everyone, as well stopped and fought, the Primal Chaos couldn¡¯t ¨C even he mostly used it through instinct as it seemed to respond to his subconscious thought . When he killed Three, he underwent a strange synthesis with the Primal Chaos inside of him as the perceived threat to his life on a subconscious level dominated over his conscious decisions, which in turn spurned the Primal Chaos from the slumber . He still vaguely recalled that singr moment within which he hovered between two extremes, two infinities, two absolutes . His soul chilled at the very thought, and he could only imagine what Three felt when she stared up at him from down below . He still wasn¡¯t entirelyfortable with a semi-uncontroble entity resting in the depths of his soul, forever orbiting it, but it¡¯s not as though it harmed him in any way . If anything, he realized that his affinity and mastery of Chaos had grown exponentially ever since he underwent the trial and obtain the whiff of the Primal Chaos . "¡ªyou have it in finite amounts," Ataxia¡¯s voice subtly resonated through his mind, ever-emotionless . "It¡¯s not self-replicating . " "I know..." he replied . "But it will do me no good to be dependent on it saving me when shit hits the fan..." "... liberating the Dragons is fine," Ataxia said . "But keep in mind that it will do you good to have at least some in reserves . " "... you do know what that mist is, don¡¯t you?" "... I do . " "... and you¡¯re not sharing that information... because?" "It is irrelevant," Ataxia replied . "Think of the Hollow Isles as an independent existence that does not interact with Noterra . As far as the mist surrounding the Dragon Isles, it¡¯s merely a cheap copy, at leastparatively . " "... sometimes I wonder how many things you¡¯re actually hiding from me . " Lino chuckled inwardly . "I imagine plenty..." "I tell you everything that is relevant to your situation ¨C most of my knowledge isrgely useless . " "... it¡¯s fine . I don¡¯t mind," Lino said . "I¡¯ll forever be thankful to you, either way . " "..." "A hint, at least?" "..." "Tsk," he clicked his tongue, causing E to nce at him . "Fuckin¡¯ bastard..." "What is it?" she asked . "Nothing," he shook his head . "Just Ataxia and Ataxia things . How far along are we?" "ording to Ayar we¡¯re closing on the Edge," Vy¡¯s voice bellowed out . "So still at least three weeks away from the Isles . " "... what the fuck?!" Lino eximed as Vy came to a screeching halt, winds sting past him and causing the ocean beneath him to turn stormy . E and Amadeel shot up to their feet, their heads heaved up, staring at the sky above . There, a swirling phenomenon spat out des of light, its core colorless ck, the world around it bending to its will . It persisted for merely a second before vanishing as the bends and lines of reality slowly recovered . "... the ck hole . " Amadeel mumbled, still feeling the effects; despite being so small... just a brief phase-in into the reality had caused the world for over a hundred miles across to be affected by it . "This... that was the first time it had ever phased in . " "Well," Lino sighed . "If it wasn¡¯t on the radar of others before, it certainly is now . " "Isn¡¯t that better?" Amadeel said . "More heads will perhaps figure it out quicker . " "Rather than helping us fix it, I¡¯m worried those nutjobs might try and weaponize it..." "... ah, yeah . That¡¯s true . " "¡ªignore it for now," he said, sitting down as Vy slowly began flying again . "It is still within the containable realms, and even if others find it, I doubt very much they have someone who knows as much as you to help them along . " "..." E, meanwhile, stared a second longer at the fading phenomenon . Her expression flickered but for a moment before restoring as she sat back down, regaining herposure . Something about that was... eerily familiar . Nostalgic, even . Yet hardly warm... Chapter 438 Chapter 438 CHAPTER 438 THE PRINCE FORGOTTEN "... he really is headed for the Isles..." a melodic voice warmly enveloped the gazebo floating in the sky, currently upied by over a dozen souls sitting in a circle around a rotating table stacked with foods and drinks . "... let him," Erebus scoffed coldly . "If he wants to kill himself, who are we to stop him?" "We can¡¯t be too sure he will die," Seven said . "While not brimming with intelligence, he¡¯s not an idiot . " "... I¡¯ll go . " Two said coldly, startling everyone around . Y¡¯nn nced at her from the corner of his eyes, sighing inwardly . "While I admire your crusade," Jade said calmly . "Your repeated attempts to probe the Mist have all failed, as have One¡¯s . Us marching over won¡¯t amount to anything . " "... did I ask for your permission?" Two nced at Jade emptily, her piercing eyes void of emotion . "I¡¯ve merely made a statement . " "..." awkward atmosphere descended upon the small group as everyone fell silent right after . Two didn¡¯t stay for too long, merely ncing along the line of faces that all looked away before vanishing . After tepid farewells, most souls present there slowly disappeared, until only Jade, Erebus, Seven and Y¡¯nn were left . "¡ªI¡¯ll apany her," Jade said, ncing at Seven . "Don¡¯t worry . " "... she¡¯ll recover," Seven said, sighing . "She just needs time . " "She needs vindication," Erebus said, his expression growing slightly distorted . "We all do..." "I¡¯ll join you as well," Y¡¯nn added after a brief moment of silence . "I¡¯ll also send out the Calling . " "Thank you . " Jade said, smiling faintly, as silence once more fell over them, everyone besides her leaving shortly after, leaving her in a tepid expression of nothingness as she turned her eyes toward the infinite horizon, her gaze dulling . ** Colors beyond description swirled around a singr point at speeds beyondprehension, creating gassy trails of smoke and ash, pulsating around in spirals like strands of hair under the gushing wind . The infinitesimally small point was orbited by seemingly all of everything in its vicinity, prominent crimson bleeding over at the edges, gushing, looping strands glistening in bright-twilight . Though in apparent chaos, there was order to it all, however; it all unfolded within the concentricyers growing smaller and smaller toward the center . The phenomenon itself spanned beyond measure, a small dot of its existence more thanrge enough to fit Noterra a hundred times over . At a safe distance, inside the void expanse of nothingness surrounding the phenomenon, a singr figure hovered stationary, his silver-cast eyes focused on the phenomenon in front of him . ¡¯1¡¯ bled over his forehead in ck, eerily blending by the surrounding reality . He remained expressionless in spite of invisible winds bearing the soul of death itself sting against his seemingly fragile body . "... was this really it?" though he spoke, his voice remained unheard, forever contained within his lips . "What in god¡¯s name could have caused... this?" he continued, his expression growing somewhat worried . "No wonder... so that is your origin... all your origins..." he added, sighing faintly . "But... what are your purposes? Just what is it... that you want?" ** Though he was in a freefall, Lino couldn¡¯t explicitly figure out where he was falling or how fast he was falling or even whether he was falling in the first ce . His body, despite its beyond-sharp senses, couldn¡¯t recognize itself within the reality . It was there yet not . Surrounded by perpetual shadows that folded over his body as it left a swirling trail through the ocean of darkness, he heard nothing but the beat of his own heart . Swimming in the darkness was... eerie . Ufortable . Ethereal . He knew... he didn¡¯t belong here . ** A ck-haired, ck-eyed, handsome youth stared at the darkness, his thin lips curling up into a fanatical, dogmatic smile . His whole body shook and trembled seemingly under the weight of the emotional turmoil he was undergoing . He fell to his knees, stering the thin satin against corrupted earth, his arms slumping against his sides . From his back, like thunder, eighteen pairs of wings burst, dripping with ck magma, its feathers melting yet being reborn repeatedly . Spanning miles on each side, they covered the horizon behind him, nketing even the colorless darkness around him . He beganughing, his voice shaking the reality . Thousands of chains suddenly shot up from the earth beneath, wrapping around his seemingly fragile body, yet he remainedughing . Louder and louder . "No!" his grin turned beyond distorted, his face losing its human proportions . "No more... He is here... His Majesty... is here..." he spoke with a strange, devout crackle . Suddenly, in-between the wings, a concentric halo draped in ck mes arose, spinning repeatedly unto itself, creating the sort of enigmatic scene as, at its very center, a crescent circle with a diagonal line piercing through its heart appeared . "I... I am His Prince! His Chosen! His Other! We shall be liberated!!" the chains broke as ck mes surged from beneath him into an all-consuming pir . He arose, levitating in an upward trajectory, slowly and steadily, his arms spread wide, body heaved slightly back as though he was giving himself over to the feeling of eternal liberation . "We Are One..." ** E tried to look for them, but she was alone . In the ever-growing expanse of darkness, there was nothing and no one besides her . It stretched into the seeming infinity, with no beginning or the end . She frowned, scouting with her eyes and senses repeatedly . A glimmer of light burst from her forehead, spat out into a halo of light, yet she still remained as blind as she was before it . It was eerie . Silent . Ufortable . "... be safe, everyone . " she whispered a silent prayer before giving over to the solitary feeling . ** Linonded squarely, stirring faint storm of dust around him and causing a few cracks to spread out like spiderwebs around him . Gathering his bearings, he took a quick look around . As far as he could tell, he stood on top of a slight elevation, yet, beyond that, it was difficult to discern anything . As above so below mist covered his horizon, swirling around like gaping arms of the ghosts . Dirt beneath his feet was ashen gray, wholly dead beyond salvation . His heart suddenly stirred as his eyes unconsciously faced left; he couldn¡¯t discern what, or perhaps who, but he sensed something beyond the mist . A primal calling,ing from the depths of his soul . The longer he looked, the more captivated he became . "Awake!!" a robotic voice sounded rmed for a moment as Lino¡¯s dull gaze sharpened suddenly as he quickly looked away, covered in sweating, breathing rapidly . "... what... what the fuck was that?" he mumbled, still too wary to look left again . "We need to leave," Ataxia¡¯s voice retained a sense of urgency as it spoke out once more . "Right now . " "Why? What is that?" "This was a mistake... I miscalcted... why is it here?" Ataxia, in an episode Lino had never witnessed before, rambled on . For the first time in Lino¡¯s life, the invisible creature within him seemed disturbed by something . "It can¡¯t happen... no... it should be asleep..." "What it?! Who¡¯s ¡¯it¡¯?! Answer me!" Lino quickly cried out . "¡ªno, no . We need to leave . Right now . Do you hear me, Lyonel? We need to leave!!" "Not until you tell me why¡ª" "LEAVE!!!!" "Leave?" a minute voice froze Lino¡¯s heart for a moment as his gaze strayed left once more . "Why would you leave-Leave? Leave? without me? Why?" "---" Lino couldn¡¯t move . Before him, a dark-winged creature hovered, yet he didn¡¯t feel fear . From the depths of his soul, he felt a strange ilk of tion, jovial love, extreme desire and eptance . He was... home . ** A pir of colorless light broke out into the sky and beyond, captured by every living soul on Noterra . It was visible from every corner, from every elevation, from every angle . It shot up above and beyond, well beyond what even the greatest of sights could capture . It was a haunting, harrowing sight, the kind that froze the eyes that gazed upon it . It was silent... save for a persistent, grating hum that soon enveloped every corner of the world . It was low, hollow, empty . Eternal . Hannah frowned, covering Aaria¡¯s ears quickly, though the little girl still continued crying ceaselessly . Eggor covered Cae¡¯s ears simrly, but to no avail . The boy, though already almost four, cried as though he was a newborn . Y¡¯nn frowned deeply, an uneasy feeling prating his chest . Erebus copsed onto his knees, his heart ceasing to beat . Red threads copsed in a swirling mass, as though cut by a pair of scissors . A weak, anguished cry of pain echoed out into the empty infinity, never to be heard . Jade sat frozen in the gazebo, her body shaking out of control . It was that same hum, the one she didn¡¯t hear since the day she was ¡¯born¡¯... low, grating, persistent . Never ceasing . She was wrong . She was wrong . She knew it now . She was wrong . Two came to a screeching halt midflight, spinning rapidly around and focusing on the distant pir, her eyebrows creasing into a frown . There was steady uneasiness slowly permeating her heart, the sort that stirred her basic instincts, all collectively telling her to turn around and find a hole to hide in . ** "Wake up! Lino, wake up!! Wake up!!" Ataxia¡¯s repeated calls seemed to fall on deaf ears as Lino stared at the hovering creature with distinct devotion . "No... not like this... wake up!" "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Your Prince... Your Princess is Here... I am here..." "... . " "You didn¡¯t visit..." "..." "You forgot..." "..." "I... forgive you..." "Wake up!" "He is awake... the boy is awake . You should wake, too . Awake . " "--," as Lino sensed the weakening defenses of the strange creature, he rapidly took out the [Edge of Immortality], causing a blinding sheen of light to st out in the ever-expanding darkness . "Salvation!" Light shot out of the Edge, crying out in a billowing explosion, shooting right through the strange creature as it cried out in destitute . The wail was beyond primal, piercing, loud . Lino fought with himself yet again to ignore it, gnashing his teeth together till his gums bled . The moment he sensed the light dimming, he unfurled his wings and shot backward, quickly vanishing from the spot, disappearing in the distance . "Noooooooooooo!!!" a screeching wail followed him, nearly catching up to his soul . He barely persisted, shooting out of the reality of space on the unknown part of the Isles, rolling through the ashen dirt and hitting an erect set of rocks, crying out in pain . His body was still quivering as was his heart and soul; an inch, after all, separated him from having his entire existence erased just then . A mere inch between living... and beyond dead . Chapter 439 Chapter 439 CHAPTER 439 BEYOND THE DIFFERENCES Lino clutched tightly at his chest, a piece of thin cloth pressed against his skin, wet as though he¡¯d doused himself with a barrel of water . ncing back, his pupils dted at the mere memory, his heart skipping beats repeatedly . He quickly scowled back, hiding behind a slightly erect rock, resting against it . He couldn¡¯t stop his body from shaking, couldn¡¯t stop it from feeling the instinctual fear... yet, he didn¡¯t understand why . Though certainly terrifying, the overwhelming feeling that washed over him temporarily was still far from enough to cripple him to such a point . There was something far more primal about the sensations surging from within, something that felt rather disconnected from his own reality . It was a blend, he realized shortly after, of his base instincts that were fed with Chaos for so long ¨C effectively, the fear was not wholly his . "... who was that?" he asked as he slowly came to . "..." Ataxia didn¡¯t reply, though Lino waited patiently . The response wasrgely the Writ¡¯s, and for something to terrify Ataxia to such a point... Lino couldn¡¯t even blindly guess . "It doesn¡¯t matter . We can¡¯t stay here anymore . Leave . " "... no . " Lino replied . "No more . Give it to me straight, or I¡¯m going back and fighting whatever that is . " "... go ahead if you never want to see your child again . " Ataxia replied, having already calmed down . "¡ªthe Princess... the Princess of what? Yours? Your ex? If so, that was an apt reaction, I must say . " Lino chuckled faintly . "Come on . I thought we were well past hiding things from each other . " "It¡¯s an irrelevant remnant," Ataxia replied . "That should not be roaming the world . If you hope to find some answers from it... don¡¯t . It¡¯s a broken mind fueled by a base desire . It¡¯s... gone . " "... a base desire, huh?" Lino mumbled lowly . "Even if true, we both know that ain¡¯t just an ordinary, base desire, Ataxia . For a desire to feed the soul¡¯s entire purpose and existence... is it a Primal Spirit?" "No..." "... isn¡¯t it nominal that you ought to tell me about things trying to kill me specifically because of you? If I don¡¯t know what it can do, how can I fight it?" "By not fighting it," Ataxia said . "There¡¯s no purpose to fighting . It can¡¯t be defeated or killed . As I said... it¡¯s a remnant . Eventually... it will fade . " "¡ªwhy are you so terrified of it, though?" Lino questioned . "I¡¯ve never in my life experienced that amount of fear . That... wasn¡¯t normal . " "... let¡¯s go," Ataxia said . "We don¡¯t belong here . " "¡ªthe greatest fuel of fear... is guilt and shame," Lino said, ignoring Ataxia¡¯s subtle pleas . "Trust me... I know . Perhaps to an extent that is nowhere near yours, but, it¡¯s all the same in principle . " "..." "If it is a remnant," he continued, lowering his head and staring at the dirt . "It doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it was born of resentment . Looking back... all I saw was a genuine desire, base joy . Who was she... Ataxia?" "There is no need to humanize me," Ataxia said following a short silence . "As it is pointless . If I let guilt and shame cripple me every time I dealt with them, I would have nevere as far as I did . Besides, our bond is of two minds, not of two hearts or souls; we are, effectively, each other¡¯s tools, means to an end . As I¡¯m using you to achieve my goals, you are using me to realize your dreams . There is no need to corrupt the beauty of it all . " "... whoever she may be, she¡¯s clearly always been looking for you, and will continue to do so," Lino said, slowly getting up . "If every time Ie face to face with her, I bend over and weep like a bitch, I¡¯d like to at least know why . She... has a powerful maism to her . The purity of her Chaos exceeds even mine, bar the Primal . Why not just tell me who she is if she¡¯s so irrelevant to the entire thing? Get it off your chest . " "¡ªyou are wasting your precious breaths," Ataxia replied . "The maism is temporary, and the purity an illusion . Not every question needs or has an answer, Lyonel . Not every sentience has a story or a reason . Sometimes... it is what it seems . Nothing more . Nothing less . " "... you may as well have told me to fuck off, instead," Lino said, sighing as he slowly inspected his surroundings once more . He ensured that, at all times, his being was coated in his Will enriched by Primal Chaos, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t be located again . "If you expect me to believe there¡¯s no story behind who she is . Everything... everyone has a story, Ataxia . You, your battles, the consequences, either intended or not, of those battles, the ever-expanding effect of all our decisions that change the course of the world without us ever even realizing it . My choice to kill Eos... spawned millions of stories that otherwise wouldn¡¯t havee to fruition . Your choice of me effectively cemented fates of thousands of people, yet it hardly erased their own stories . Just say you don¡¯t want to share . Don¡¯t lie to my face . " "... hypocrite . " "I am," Lino nodded . "But, so are you . And most of us who breathe . We all have an ideal . But the disconnect between the ideal and practicing it... is a very real wall . Embodying it will unhinge you . " "... we are different . Why are you trying to downy that?" "¡ªwe¡¯re not that different," Lino said, beginning to walk aimlessly as his Divine Sense didn¡¯t work, and he was unable to extend it further than a few meters away through the usage of the Primal Chaos . "You know damn well everything has a story, but you¡¯d rather pretend I¡¯m an idiot who won¡¯t call you out on your bullshit . " "... no, trust me . We are different . I¡¯ve specifically chosen you because we are different . You¡¯ve seen repeatedly what happens to those simr to me . " "... and thus, in circles we go," Lino chuckled, shaking his head . "It¡¯s fine . " "... if we are not so different, then why are you holistically afraid of giving me the autonomy? There is nomon ground here besides the obvious one . " "..." Lino frowned for a moment before sighing, speeding up slightly . "I¡¯d dly give you the autonomy if you wouldn¡¯t use the people I love as a part of a ploy . " "... and there you go . " Ataxia said . "I believe in effective results, no matter the consequences . " "... was she the consequence of an effective result?" Lino probed . "I imagine she was . Though, I suppose, if you lived past that... you can live past everything . " "..." "... and I imagine she wasn¡¯t the only one," Lino said . "Though you hid it well, I still felt it, when you finally showed me Eve¡¯sst days . I felt it even as far back as when I met Eshen . Nobody will chide you for caring, Ataxia, and refusing to abuse the trust of others . There¡¯s always another way topleting the dreams . " "¡ªlike yours? How¡¯s that working out?" Ataxia asked in a slightly raised, though still robotic, tone . "Broken down time and again, forced to watch your world go up in mes repeatedly, living in perpetual fear of losing everything that you have, seeing threats in everything and everyone, spending every day on the edge, upholding a careless fa?ade in front of those you supposedly trust the most because you don¡¯t want to worry them... tell me, when was thest time you put your guard down? How long has it been?" "... yet, here I stand . " Lino replied . "Still whole, still fighting . Is that the penultimate difference? That I endured, while others were unable?" "... they were unable," Ataxia said . "Most wind up betraying their Will, going mad, and either dying or breaking beyond repair in the end . You mentioned Eve, didn¡¯t you? Let me tell you what would have happened if I¡¯d let her go on ¨C her core, the very embodiment of her Will, was wrath . Every time someone, something, angered her, she had tosh out . Every time people didn¡¯t bow to her ideals, she had to make them or kill them . She didn¡¯t intentionally embody the misunderstood principle of Chaos ¨C she became it of her own volition . However, eventually, her fuel would run out . Nobody can sustain living on anger alone . In those desperate moments to reconcile who she believed she was with what her reflection told her, the dissonance between the two would unhinge her mind, as her whole reality bes undone . She would cease existing, reced by that dissonance,shing out at everything and everyone until either she dies out of exhaustion, or someone kills her . " "..." "Why do you think I don¡¯t interfere more often, Lyonel? It¡¯s partly because I trust you, but partly because my interference would collide with your Will . Even without ying a part, you always dance the fine line . You are repeatedly challenging the other end, expecting toe out of it stronger, and I always have to take the brunt of it all . You¡¯ve been repeatedly battered with consequences, yet you still do it regardless . That is your ¡¯still whole, still fighting¡¯ . You are trying to prove nothing to no one, afraid someone will gleam past it . " "... shhh," Lino sucked in a cold breath, chuckling bitterly . "Boy... did I hit a sore spot . But, I suppose, you¡¯re right . I do dance the fine line... but not because I¡¯ve nothing to prove to no one . I¡¯m doing it because Will isn¡¯t a static thing as you believe . As the world, really, believes . " "..." "It being static implies it can¡¯t change, that it can, at best, move slightly in intensity," Lino continued, ncing around as thendscape changed from nd with asional sharp rock bursting out to a valley surrounded by two, steep cliffs bleeding crimson magma . "But, that¡¯s just... wrong . Will can change, bepletely different . It doesn¡¯t require excruciating and painful struggle... just a change in perspective, really . It¡¯s a reflection of who we are at our core . I¡¯m no longer someone who can¡¯t walk away . If I were, I¡¯d have gone mad a long time ago . The key difference is that Will doesn¡¯t change on its own... you first have to recognize the change within yourself . Most never do, unfortunately, precisely from fear of going against their Will . " "..." "You, perhaps almost as well as I, know who I am at my core," he added, settling slightly as he looked at the tops of the surrounding cliffs . "And, you¡¯re right, I am terrified of someone seeing past what I show . But that¡¯s because I¡¯m no longer a vagabond fighting the world . I¡¯m someone leading thousands... and the ever-aloof, never-threatened, always-calm image of me soothes them, gives them hope it will all be alright . There will always be consequences to our actions that we don¡¯t want to deal with . But... ignoring them in vain hopes they¡¯ll go away is just as cowardly as trying to excuse them . It¡¯d be much easier for me to deflect the me for countless deaths I¡¯ve caused . But... what¡¯s the point?" "..." "El¡¯ told me a long time ago to always face my demons," he said, tapping against the scorching rock, seemingly listening for something . "And while it ain¡¯t always easy, it¡¯s necessary . You fucked up and someone you cared for suffered because of it? Don¡¯t run away . It seems easier... but, you clearly now know it¡¯s not . A¡¯right," he added, craning his neck slightly . "We¡¯ll have to cut our nice talk short . There¡¯s a big-ass Dragon on this cliff and he¡¯s like half a breath away from dying... and I¡¯d really like to find out how in the ever-loving-fuck that happened . " Chapter 440 Chapter 440 CHAPTER 440 CURSE OF THE DRAGON ISLES Even with the ever-present, ck mist bounding the body, Lino still stood in shock and awe beneath it, trying to process the reality in front of him . This was the case especially so when the pair of eyes opened far up above, staring down at him with a peculiar, emerald sheen . They glowed faintly, piercing through the mist in the form of rays, basking thend beneath and around him . The pair of eyes were wide and angled, bounding over forty meters at least by Lino¡¯s rough estimates . They scrutinized him deeply as the tepid wind blew abound, casting the fogged mist slightly away and revealing the scaled head; Lino¡¯s expression turned grim, his eyes squinting, as heid them upon the beyond deformed reality in front of him . Faintly green scales looped over each other in rows, yet those distinctions were barely visible beneath tumor-like growths spreading everywhere, some transparent and some opaque, asionally probed with dirty-yellow mucus spilling over and hardening on the scales¡¯ surface . The head that used to be a faintly narrowed rectangle was all but, most-likely bearing ten times as much weight due to the excessive tumors everywhere . Above the two green eyes, like looming cliffs; they closed up both nostrilspletely; the scales around the maw eroded away, creating a gaping hole giving a glimpse to the insides that were just a worse reflection of the outside ¨C massive, rotted teeth abound with unsustainable growths, bleeding yellow asionally . "... holy fuck..." he mumbled in utter disbelief, shuddering . It barely resembled a Dragon¡¯s head, and if he were not aware he was on the Dragon Isles he would swear up and down this was a deformed monstrosity that had nothing to do with actual Dragons . A realization dawned upon him as he nced further beyond, though the rest of the body was hidden by the mist; if the head was so bad, he wondered, then what about the rest of the body? "... curious?" a pained, hoarse, low voice spoke directly into his mind, causing him to veer his gaze back over to the pair of dimming, emerald eyes . "... I¡¯m sorry . " he said lowly, sighing . "Why? It¡¯s not your fault . " the Dragon said . "Whose is it?" he asked . "I wish I knew . " "... you know who I am?" Lino asked after a brief moment of silence . "Though I may be old and sick," the Dragon replied, a faint trace of amusement phasing through the pain and exhaustion . "I am not senile, young Empyrean . " "Eh, I can never tell with you Dragons . " he cracked a faint smile . "... I may know who you are, but not why you¡¯re here . " "... to help?" he mumbled,cking all conviction he had prior to arriving on the Isles . "... me? Hardly . Some others? Perhaps . " the Dragon said . "To imagine a day would arrive as such..." "... who are you?" Lino asked with faint hesitation . "My name is Ayrdia," the Dragon replied . "Aspect of Wind... or at least, I used to be... a long time ago . " "Did the mist cause... all this?" he asked meekly . "No," the Dragon replied . "The mist is of our own creation, designed to prevent any curious-like from escaping and potentially spreading whatever it is that we have . " "..." Lino sighed inwardly, once more inspecting the growths through his Divine Sense . Ayrdia didn¡¯t seem to mind, giving himplete freedom . It wasn¡¯t difficult to conclude she would die; the growths seeped into every facet of her body, corrupting itpletely inside out . What was on the surface was exactly that ¨C mere surface . What resided deep below... was far, far worse... "What can you tell me that might help?" he asked . "... hardly much," Ayrdia replied . "Nobody is immune, it seems ¨C not even the Origin Dragons... but, from what we gathered, some other species do seem to have immunities . Humans, however, don¡¯t, so if I were you, I would be careful . " "..." "Though the mist itself hasn¡¯t existed for too long rtively speaking, whatever it is that we have has been around since Fiendish Era, though it was a hereditary disease at first . Eventually, even the healthy adult Dragons began contracting it, which is when we cut ourselves off from the world . In time, we would construct the mist as living here... takes a toll . " "¡ªhow many Dragons are still alive?" Lino asked . "The first Exodus is yet to arrive, so not many have died," Ayrdia exined . "Though, as you can see, it is not too far away . " "... does everyone react the same to it?" "Yes . Internal corruption followed by an external one . It¡¯s our own Curse, it seems . " "... no such thing as a curse," Lino mumbled . "Thank you . Can I do anything for you?" "... on your journey, if you evere across a young fledgling that calls herself Mevy, try all in your power to cure her . She is, in a sense, my child . " "... will do . " Lino nodded, sighing once more . "Here," he suddenly took out a small talisman and put it down by the Dragon¡¯s side . "If it ever gets too much... just peer into it with your mind . " "Thank you . " the voice suddenly seemed lighter, as though a burden was lifted off of it . "You are at the moment on the 44th Ind ¨C it¡¯s a medium-sized one . Up north is where the Ruling Aspect used to live ¨C as far as I¡¯m aware, it is still there . You might get more answers from them . " "... thank you . And... good luck . " "Likewise..." Lino descended down the cliff slowly, ncing back once more as the pair of emerald green eyes closed up, growing back into the darkness surrounding it . Sighing lightly, he spun around and walked away without looking back again . After a little while, the faint breath could be heard whizzing through the wind, carrying a sense of relief and joy, as it ceased . His mind repeatedly shed back not to the growths themselves, but what he saw beyond the carcass; at the deepest level, it was easy to see the cause behind them ¨C uncontrolled, repeated growth of cells . "... who do you think could have done something like that?" Lino asked . "I... honestly don¡¯t know," Ataxia replied, seeming just as, if not more, surprised as Lino . "This is honestly the first time I¡¯ve interacted with Dragons in a long, long time... and I never took a Dragon as a Bearer . " "... Gods would be my first guess based on the method," Lino mumbled . "But, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve developed even the theory behind the cells until muchter . The Cult, maybe? Dangwe did seem to know an awful lot, and his current actions might all be smokes and mirrors . Why, though? Or could it have been any-old-High Lord?" "... your guess is as good as mine . " "It¡¯s terrifying, though," Lino said, frowning . "Either someone really wanted the Dragon Race to suffer... or they themselves didn¡¯t know what would thesting effects be . Any idea on how to cure it? At least before it reaches that stage..." "... shouldn¡¯t that be your area of expertise between the two of us?" "... eeh, I know bits and pieces behind it," Lino shrugged . "I should have brought Tim along . Hm?" he nced sideways as he came to a halt; from the mist, two figures suddenly appeared, the one on the left quickly darting over to him, inspecting his entire body with Divine Sense without paying attention to his futile resistance . "Oi, oi, what are you doing?!" he asked E somewhat angrily . "You¡¯re fine," she said, sighing in relief and hugging him after a few moments . "You¡¯re fine..." "She was worried you might have developed those growths . " Amadeel said, walking up to him and smiling . "¡ªoh," Lino eximed lowly . "Well, I haven¡¯t . So, you¡¯ve met a Dragon as well, I¡¯m assuming?" "Yeah," Amadeel nodded . "Aspect of Wind, Yev . You too?" "Yup," he nodded . "Growths all over?" "Yeah . " "... fuck . What do you think it is?" he asked the two; Amadeel shook his head helplessly, indicating he didn¡¯t know, while E entered a deep thought for a moment . "¡ªeffectively a forced mutation," she said . "One that would usually be erased from the pool because, well, that¡¯s how the species survives . Yev said that the corruption happened in stages; starting from a few newborns, to every member of the species that was on the Dragon Isles . " "... yeah," Lino nodded . "But... why? And who? I really can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s all just natural... or, you know, a freakin¡¯ curse . " "It¡¯s not," E shook her head . "As to how, why or who, however... I¡¯m just as clueless as you are . " "... we should have brought some of the Gods," Lino said, rubbing his temples in frustration . "Even if we¡¯re still taking baby steps when ites to understanding it all, they are far smarter at this than me . " "We should head over to the Ruling Aspect first," Amadeel said . "And see if we can learn anything more . I imagine that they¡¯ve exhausted all options in terms of curing it, so before blindly stumbling around trying things, we may as well learn what they tried . " "Hm," Lino nodded, pondering for a moment whether he should tell them about ¡¯her¡¯, though in the end choosing not to . He didn¡¯t think either could tell him what or who she was and, even more, he didn¡¯t wish to y around with Ataxia¡¯s trust . "It¡¯s a good thing we told Vy to stay outside..." "... yeah," E nodded, sighing, as they headed northward . "I can¡¯t even imagine his reaction to all this . Though, eventually, we¡¯ll probably have to look at what¡¯s so different about him that he didn¡¯t develop the growths . That way we mighte to a solution . " "Yeah..." The three continued walking in silence, each trying desperately to weave through to the answers they, deep in their hearts, knew they didn¡¯t possess . Chapter 441 Chapter 441 CHAPTER 441 BECOMING OF CHAOS It happened suddenly, before any of the three could react; the earth beneath them split open into a wound-like crevice, rumbling into the sky, splinters spraying out, showering the surrounding world in molten rocks . The ck mist around and above them vanished, seemingly sucked away from their reality, revealing the dead and dying world that, no doubt, once used to be a lush, vibrant one . Mountains rising in the distance cleaved as E reached out and caught Lino, while Amadeel managed to barely stabilize himself before falling into the crevice . She spun rapidly on her heel, her eyes growing into saucers . A creature ensconced in shadows hovered right there, barely a hundred meters away from them, looming above . Draped in ck mist and shadows, its pair of eyes were utterly different ¨C one white, one ck,plete opposites . Chains hung on the sides, nking against themselves, as thick as an ancient oak, looping over themselves . A faint trace of wings emerged from the back, countless pairs fighting for the poignant existence . It stood erect at over a mile, seemingly bounding the physicalws themselves . It had no discernible shape, save for a few contours asionally shing into existence . Amadeel stared stupefied and horrified, his entire body beginning to shake . Even E had to bite her tongue to jolt herself awake from the sensation . The only one who appeared rtively unaffected was Lino, who was mostly surprised . "¡ªYour Majesty..." a voice, which used to be hoarse, deep and distorted, was now far more feminine and clearer . "Aah, Your Majesty..." "¡ªwhat... is that?" E asked as she sent a sliver of Qi into Amadeel, waking him up . Thetter, however, quickly looked away, draped in sweat, breathing heavily . "... something I have to deal with myself," Lino replied, pulling himself away from E¡¯s grip and stepping forward . "You two go and find the Dragon . " "... are you insane?" E questioned, frowning . "I¡¯m not letting you fight that alone . It¡¯s beyond your ability to handle . " "¡ªgo," Lino nced back, smiling faintly . "This isn¡¯t your battle . " "Lino¡ª" "Do you trust me, El¡¯?" he interrupted . "... that¡¯s unfair . " E said, sighing . "... trust me," he smiled once more, patting her head . "I¡¯ve got this . " "... anything happens¡ª" "Nothing will happen . " "But if anything¡ª" "Just go," he pushed her gently . "You¡¯ve got a job to do . And if you stay any longer, he just might go insane . " he pointed at the shivering Amadeel who nced at him thankfully . "..." E said nothing, looking deeply into his eyes for a moment before pulling Amadeel and vanishing further toward the north . The creature didn¡¯t even seem to notice them, its eyes fixated wholly at Lino who turned around and faced it squarely . He managed to somehow put down the instinctual fear through the Primal Chaos, though he still felt somewhat queasy . "... hello . " he said lowly, smiling . "My name is Lino . What¡¯s yours?" "... don¡¯t hide His Majesty, boy," the creature replied . "We belong together . You can¡¯t stop it . " "Tell me who you are, then . " "¡ªmove . " "... why?" he tilted his head sideways, though still taking out the Edge from his void world, gripping the handle tightly as the de cried out lowly, shimmering in deeply purging light . "MOVE!!!" a surge of soul-crushing energy washed over Lino, causing his hair and clothe to flutter backward violently, though he himself remained rooted, seemingly unaffected . His two eyes suddenly shed, one growing a full shade darker, while the other turning eerily white . The pupils spun unto themselves, repeatedly rotating like gears . Four pairs of wings sprung from his back, belting out in ck and white mes, covering the bounding horizon . The Edge cried out in concert as Qi around himbusted, turning the reality dry as streams of Chaos swelled into him . "Make me . " his voice turned choral as silence overtook right after . For a brief sh, the two stared at one another, four eyes reflected within two pairs perfectly, bounding shadows and the mist holding the world in stillness . Wholly ck mes suddenly erupted beneath Lino¡¯s feet, jetting him up into the sky as he fluttered his wings, spinning around and diving from above straight at the creature, cutting through its head directly and arriving on the other end, crashing into soft and corrupted earth, immediately creating a massive crater . Without evennding wholly, he spun once more and shed the Edge backward to propel himself back into the sky rapidly; just a breathter, a piercing pir shed through the crater, boring a bottomless hole in the earth . The creature shifted into cradling shadows, losing its massive size and suddenly appearing wholly humanoid, save for theck of distinguishing features past the remarkable pair of eyes . Lino froze for a moment, as the shape almost perfectly reflected his when his body is swelled with Chaos beyond the point and capacity of being able to handle it . Shadows... ash... ck smoke darting all about . "¡ªyou have earned my ire," the creature extended its right arm whereupon an exact replica of Lino¡¯s edge appeared, save for bearing theplete opposite element . "Now endure my fury . " The shadow shed in and out of reality, appearing right in front of him as he shed the Edge upward; two des met, the sh causing a violent explosion to st both of them back as the reality began cracking like an eggshell . Lino¡¯s hair grew unraveled, strands of white glowing intensely as he forcibly cut off his backward momentum, fluttering his wings and propelling himself forward, breaking past the speed of sound and beyond . The creature matched him, the two of them once more frantically crashing into one another, their des crying in unison, colors of ck and white soon overwhelming the world around them . Another explosion fractured the sky, splitting it across the crescent line, dividing the world in two ¨C yet, they weren¡¯t distinct realities... butplete copies of one another . The world lost its faint luster, all color having been seemingly sucked out of existence . Objects lost their visible edges, bing faint taints in the cascade of the perception . Two abominations heaved high in the sky, splitting apart once more as shockwaves sted through them . Recovering just as rapidly, they heaved back at each other, shes repeatedly showering the sky, violent explosions shaking the world . Smoke and ash draped over their ever-fleeting figures, leaving behind lengthy, winding and bizarre trails as though they were brushes on the canvas that was the world itself . Lino felt a rapid sensation of growth, his soul seemingly undergoing a primal reckoning; inside those eyes, he saw a reflection of himself, the reflection of his ideas, desires, raw beliefs and emotions . His thinly-veiled lips curled up into a smile, a pair of impossible eyes widening as he sped down once more, somersaulting as to garner some momentum, met by an upward, backhand sh, violently thrust back before recovering once more . The creature suddenly fashioned some distance between the two, pulling the de over upfront, lifting it perpendicr to its body, closing its harrowing eyes . Tendrils of shadows suddenly erupted from its back, turning into a massive swarm that coveted the whole sky under its reign . The sensation of chaotic dissonance split the world at its foundations, blinding life to death, light to dark, chaos to order . The tendrils swirled in a wide circle, nking Lino, as thetter¡¯s grin grew wider . Winding the Edge and bending forth slightly, he pressed the index finger against his lips, closing his eyes for a second . "," his choral voice bound a whisper, tenderly caressing the world . "Seventy-first Form ¨C Live by Chaos, Reign by Chaos¡ª" Just as the tendrils copsed unto him, his body shook, blending with the reality itself . Edge fluttered in his hand seemingly of its own ord, dancing in crescent and arched motifs, splitting away tendrils with ease, causing wriggling shadows to copse unto themselves, sucked away by the whims of existence itself . Arched, ded lights erupted from the silver-shimmering de, quicker and quicker, as the arm holding the sword blended into a blur due to the insane speed . The creature suddenly split into the vanishing tendrils aimed at him, its body hidden among them; Lino ceased shing away the Edge upfront, spinning halfway through a full motion and slicing in a full arc . A metallic sh quickly broke out as white and ck sparks arose, the burst of energy momentarily copsing into a singrity before being released into a violent bacsh, sting both of them from the sky and into the earth, splitting the entire Ind itself due to the sheer force . Lino lifted himself up slowly from the crater as the colorless dust settled . Opposite of him, the figure arose as well, standing squarely as they faced off once more inplete silence . "... will you tell me now?" he asked slowly . "Who you are?" "... His Majesty hasn¡¯t?" the figure asked back in a feminine, though slightly distorted tone . "... he¡¯s ashamed, for some reason . " Lino said . "He shouldn¡¯t be . " the figure said, the featureless face doused in shadows, smoke and darkness suddenly splitting open, revealing a face of a woman seemingly in her mid-thirties . "He¡¯s done no wrong . " her voice cleared uppletely, her rather lush lips curling up into a faint smile . "..." "... my name is Biyung," she said as shadows once more closed down the split, consuming her face and removing the features . "And, though I am many things, I am His Majesty¡¯s Queen and Princess first and foremost . " "... you¡¯re the mother of Primes?" Lino quizzed solemnly . "..." she said nothing, merely smiling . "..." he remained silent for a moment, as this revtion shook far too many core beliefs he held all this while . "You¡¯re also the source of the Dragons¡¯ corruption, no?" " . . . " she still remained silent, her smile widening . "... ah," something clicked inside Lino¡¯s mind as he sighed . "Dragon of Chaos... that¡¯s you, no?" "... I can see why His Majesty chose you," the figure said with a strange, somewhat maniacal chortle . "But, you are no longer necessary . I am here to serve Him, once more, the same as before . " "¡ªyou¡¯ve condemned almost the entire Race to painful, grueling deaths... because of power . " Lino said . "End justifies the means, huh..." "... enough of this . " the figure said . "Move . " "My reply is still the same," Lino replied, sighing as he gripped the Edge tighter . "Make me . " Chapter 442 Chapter 442: 442 CHAPTER 442 VASTITUDE OF TRUTHS E and Amadeel sat side by side on a cliff overlooking the ck and white horizon stapled in a dome in front of them . Thetter had a worried expression on his face, his eyes veering between the distant fight and E sitting next to him who had a faint frown on her face the whole time . The hazy wind asionally blew by, ruffling dust and ash beneath them, though otherwise the world remained eerily quiet . From the get-go she let her intentions be known ¨C at least to him ¨C that was to let Lino fight the strange creature alone but under the pretense of his own choice . Right after they departed, the two of them came here and sat down, observing in silence until she suddenly broke it, ncing at him with a faint smile . "Do you think I¡¯ve gone overboard?" she asked . "... a bit, yeah . " he nodded . "Why, though? Is it really that instrumental that he fights it?" "... yes," she nodded, sighing faintly . "She is someone he will eventually have to defeat . " "... eventually? And wait, she?" "¡ªshe¡¯s at best humoring him right now," E exined . "Testing his limits . ying with him . It¡¯s good, as it means she has taken an interest in him, but also bad because... well, she has taken an interest in him . " "... she?" Amadeel mumbled, his brows scrunching up into a frown as he tried to remember something . "Wait¡ªare you saying she¡¯s the fabled Mother of Chaos?" "... hmm, somewhat, perhaps," E replied mysteriously . "But she¡¯s also not..." "..." realizing he wasn¡¯t going to get anything more from it, Amadeel stopped asking questions, turning his eyes back over onto Lino . The battle itself was indeed a spectacle, even from his point of view . Almost all battles of the Empyreans throughout history, especiallyter in their lives, were a spectacle to behold; there was something raw, primal about them, something intangible, unobtainable by anyone else . Usually, the world itself would bend differently when the Empyreans were involved, the scarring would be slightly odd, the penultimate change of reality seemingly fabricated to suit the Empyrean over anyone else ¨C that, however, wasn¡¯t the case right now . Though it wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d witnessed two beings of Chaos fighting, it was no less breathtaking than it was before; reality, Laws, Qi itself was raptured between two absolutes ¨C the very same absolutes engaged in a contradictory confrontation . There was no side for the world to bend toward, and it found itself stretched between the two extremes ¨C the seepage of all colors save for ck and white, for instance, was a distinctly Chaotic thing . It happens when a specific point in space is overburdened by Chaotic Qi to the point it loses all its other properties save for the core ones necessary for existence . This is onlypounded further if both participants are the apprentices of Chaos . Another hallmark of two Chaotic beings engaging in a battle was that it was impossible to follow them in real-time . He was certain that even the ever-mysterious woman sitting by his side was unable to do it, and this also included him, someone who otherwise reigned over the concept of Time . The Chaos, however, warps it, distorts it, disfigures it; within the confines of Chaos, only those of Chaos can exist and peer . E and he were watching the aftermaths of the battle at best, and at worst asional shes that hardly painted a whole picture . Chaos has always been enigmatic and fragmented; a prizing concept that had confused every revolutionary schr since the Dawn of Time . Amadeel himself had a long time ago tried to tackle it, understand it, process it and express it, but, like all others before and after him, he failed . The key property of Chaos was that outsiders were unable to understand it, and the Chaotic beings themselves were unable to express it and exin it . As with all other Empyreans, Primes, and even asional, self-taught figures, Chaos was merely natural . The very sensation that permeated them felt as though it always belonged there, as though it filled all the gaps and missing pieces . It was as natural to them as breathing was . "¡ªit¡¯s about to end . " E said, suddenly getting up, surprising Amadeel . "You can see them?!" he asked, startled . "No," she shook her head, chuckling lightly . "But, it¡¯s never all too difficult to predict when the battle will end . " she suddenly extended her left arm and wrapped it in gentle Qi; a mere momentter, a figure st through the closed-off reality andnded against the nket she created . Though Lino appeared slightly beat up, there seemed to be no severe wounds as with thest time, mostly exhaustion . "You had fun?" she asked as he stood up on his own, shaking away the gathered dust on his tattered clothes . "A bit, yeah," he replied, smiling lightly . "She¡¯s a good teacher, though unwilling one to be certain . " "Alright," she said, ruffling his scattered hair . "Go ahead with Amadeel . I¡¯ll calm her down for now . " "... I¡¯d rather watch you calm her down . " "Nope . " "Tsk . Cheapskate . " "Aye, aye, whatever you say, oh the marvelous giver," she said, rolling her eyes, "Off you go now . " Lino growled under his breath and turned around, soon after followed by Amadeel . E watched with a faint trace of amusement in her smile for a moment before turning around, wiping it off her face, waiting in ce . A few momentster, a woman draped wholly in ck stepped through the mist . She had sickly-pale, white skin, a pair of mesmerizing eyes ¨C one white, one ck ¨C and a long, ck hair . She stopped when she saw E, meeting thetter¡¯s gaze . "¡ªwho are you?" the woman asked, frowning faintly . "Nobody in particr," E replied, smiling faintly . "Just insurance, I suppose . You¡¯ve regained your human form . That is enough for today . " "... and if it¡¯s not?" "It is . " "¡ªyou seem rather certain . " the woman said, cracking a faint grin . "Should I test where your confidencees from?" "... you¡¯ve already absorbed as much as you could of his Chaos Qi," E said instead of answering the jab . "If you tried pushing any further and consuming Primal Qi, you would die . As in actually die ¨C not what you like doing . " "... you seem rather knowledgeable," the woman said . "Yet also unfamiliar . Enigmatic . A genuine mystery . There are very few left in the world . " "..." "¡ªthe Primal Qi truly surprised me," the woman said, sighing faintly and ncing beyond E¡¯s shoulder, toward where she still felt lingering traces of Lino¡¯s Qi . "It¡¯s... real . Really is . And it belongs entirely to the boy . What a strange tale..." "¡ªhe¡¯s the one it answered to," E said . "Why wouldn¡¯t it belong to him?" "... true," the woman nodded . "Why wouldn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll let him go... but not for too long . " "..." "¡ªI can¡¯t," the woman shrugged . "He¡¯s seen through me . It¡¯s too dangerous . " "... hardly," E shrugged . "I¡¯ve seen through you too . Does that mean I¡¯m too dangerous as well?" "¡ªbut you are . Too dangerous, that is . " the woman looked back at E once more, squarely meeting the pair of blue eyes . "There is no one... nothing... in this world that I shouldn¡¯t be able to understand . Yet, lo and behold . " "Perhaps you just aren¡¯t as perceptive as you thought . " "I am . Very much so . Whatever you are," the woman said . "Don¡¯t stir too much trouble . This isn¡¯t your home . " "... and neither is it yours," E replied . "Yet, we¡¯ve all collectively stolen it . Is now truly the time to y the game of ims?" "... you¡¯re strong, unequivocally . But, whatever you may be, you are not of Entropy . You are not Us . " "..." E smiled faintly as she turned around . "¡¯You¡¯ has nothing to do with Entropy, Biyung . You are all just unfortunate children of terribly sad circumstances . You deserve redemption . And he will grant it to you, in time . Don¡¯t go chasing the empty vengeance instead . " The woman watched E slowly vanish into the horizon, former¡¯s expression still cid, though the look in her eyes shifted, speaking volumes . Surprise, most of all, dominated . She, once more, dug through the depths of her memories, wing at reaches long-forgotten, but to no avail . That figure... was not there . Those eyes... she hasn¡¯t seen them ever before . She briefly remembered the time she met the strangest human alive ¨C a man who simply called himself ¡¯One¡¯ . It was during her Fourteenth Redemption, the amount of time that didn¡¯t mean anything to her, yet everything to the world . Though the sensation was simr, One she could read ¨C however much of a mystery he was . The strange woman... she couldn¡¯t . Not her strength . Not her afflictions . Affiliations . Not her nothing . If she didn¡¯t know any better, she¡¯d swear the woman was a mortal . Just an ordinary person who inexplicably had the ability to fly innately, and could survive in the Corrupting Miasma with ease . Yet she was not . Something more . Something different . Something that has slept through the eons of time, hidden away from the eyes of the beholders, awoken only recently . It wasn¡¯t a new, curious, emboldened child . She knew her name ¨C Biyung... and the implications behind her words spoke volumes to her knowing everything there is to know . About her, Ataxia, Writs, Silver City, Gaia, Scripture... as to how she could possibly know it, Biyung was none the wiser . Those truths are only known to those who¡¯ve lived through them . She doubted any Writ spoke of the Silver City, and she knew Ataxia didn¡¯t speak of her . Who would have thought that, shortly after restoring her form, she would meet an inquiry that piqued her interest after eons of apathy? Her thin lips red into an excited smile, her eyes shimmering . "... what are you?" she mumbled, slowly vanishing like smoke in the wind . "I will find out... sooner orter..." Chapter 443 Chapter 443 CHAPTER 443 OVERWHELMING Eggor stood at the wall of the fortress, Alex on his right, Cain on his left, as they stared at a scene beyond their wildest dreams ¨C two massive, world-shaking inds were ripped out of the earth and into the sky, tied to the fate of a castle of stone . Piles of rubble and debris fell off the rugged edges of the ceaseless, floating rocks around the fortress, stirring empty winds into the existence . A green paradise mounted by tall trees, weaving gardens, rivers and waterfalls now bounding off of the edge of the ind on one side, with a mountain-capped valley stacked with breathtaking architecture on another . It should have been impossible ¨C yet, he made it possible, Eggor mused inwardly . All of this was possible exclusively thanks to Primul . No one but him came even close to grasping the essence of the Eternal Orbiter and how he fashioned the formation to support two massive eco-systems strapped to the floating inds ripped straight out of the earth itself . Yet, it was there, connected by invisible threads, linked forever, until the end of time . "... the bastard really did it . " Cain mumbled, sucking in a cold breath . "¡ªI¡¯ve to admit... I thought he was lying . " Alex said . "I think we all did . " "We did," Eggor said . "Except Lino . " "... suppose he knows the best, in the end," Alex sighed . "If this won¡¯t shock the world... I don¡¯t know what will . " "¡ªI wouldn¡¯t worry," Eggor chuckled . "He always manages to top himself . Soon enough people will have forgotten of the castles ripped from the earth . " "... we should also head over to the Edge," Cain said . "The ind is already surrounded . " "... yeah, let¡¯s . " Eggor nodded . "This... ain¡¯t gonna be easy . " ** Dangwe stared at the phenomenon unfolding before his very eyes ¨C two, massive inds orbiting a single fortress high in the sky, ripped out of the earth . Beyond shock and awe was a trace of concern, worry, as his brows fell down, limping into a frown . Yog¡¯son stood by his side, simrly shocked by the scene . More so the one that preceded the current one ¨C a massive chunk of earth heaved up into the sky and adjoined to the cold stone . "... Lino has found someone..." Dangwe mumbled . "Who most-likely knows formations better than all our headsbined . It seems that the only restrictions are time and resources . " "¡ªw-what are your Orders, Your Grace?" Yog¡¯son recovered rapidly, asking . "Gather our forces," he said . "We are going to the Edge . " "Yes, Your Grace . " ** Vy was currently floating above the ck mist, trying his best to bury the worry and anxiety he felt deep inside . On top of him, Lucky, Alison, Titus, Seya, and Ayar sat on the edge, overlooking the massive side of the beast and onto the misted isles . Perpetual, ck fog covered everything to the point they weren¡¯t even able to discern how many inds there were in total . It has already been nearly a week since Lino, E, and Amadeel descended, and no messages hade through since then . They had already also realized they were surrounded far and wide by dogs of war, and the sole reason they were yet to be attacked is because of Vy¡¯s deterrence . Every day they¡¯d wake up worried, yet thankful, that the trio was yet to emerge from the mist . In addition, the fortress was yet to arrive, meaning that they¡¯d have to fight their way out of an encirclement all on their own . "¡ªit¡¯s fine," Titus suddenly said, smiling faintly . "I promised Lord Empyrean I won¡¯t let anything happen to you . " "¡ªhow...forting . " Lucky mumbled, rolling her eyes . "Though I may seem this way," Titus chuckled . "I am fairly strong, all things considered . I can protect you . " "... he¡¯s right," Vy suddenly joined . "Save for the three freaks inside, he might be among the strongest people on our side . " "... what the fuck?!" Seya eximed . "This boot-lickin¡¯, ass-kissin¡¯, clearly-into-dudes maniac?! What the fuck?!" "..." Titus merely smiled, saying nothing . "Lnguage, Seya!!" Alison cried out, blushing faintly . "Manners!" "... oh, s-sorry . " Seya mumbled, lowering her head slightly . "Besides, don¡¯t we have the big guy?" Titus said, pointing at the Dragon . "Though he may have sworn he won¡¯t fight Lord¡¯s battles, he¡¯s still taken a liking to us . He¡¯ll protect us if everything truly goes awry . " "¡ªdon¡¯t put too much stock into me," Vy said . "I can, at best, hold them back for a little while . " "A little while is all we would need . " Titus said, ncing sideways toward the distant, seemingly empty horizon . "But... truly... the Lord has cracked many-a-soul . Almost everyone that matters is arriving here . " "... yea," Lucky nodded, frowning faintly . "That¡¯s the strange thing; it¡¯s not just the Descent . Holy Grounds, hermits, even a few High Lords... heck, it seems even the Cultists are here . " "They are? How can you tell?" Titus asked, arching his brows in surprise . "Lino gave me a talisman that seeks their unique Qi," Lucky replied . "After all, he¡¯s more likely to jam a sword through his own eye than to trust anyonepletely . " "... the question is whether they know we know they¡¯re here, and would that change whatever their ns are . " Titus said . "Don¡¯t be afraid," Alison suddenly said, sitting next to Ayar and caressing his head gently, causing the young boy to suddenly stop trembling . "None of us here will let anything happen to you . I promise . " "... t-thank you..." "He he," she snuggled closer, pushing Seya away . "Tell me something about yourself . " "Hm?" "What¡¯s the best ce you ever sailed to?" "¡ªuh..." "Were there any interesting animals there? I¡¯m always looking to expand my horizons with cute and quirky animals, you know?" Lucky nced at the scene with a mellow smile before closing her eyes and leaning against a spike, rxing . She, of all people here, both Vy and Titus included, was the most rxed . Many things went into building her confidence, yet prime one was that Lino and E had already told her all of this ¨C down to thest detail, ever predicting the Cultists would arrive . Their job was simply to float here in ce and draw attention and suspicion, to keep everyone around for as long as necessary . She still had no clue what they were currently doing, but she was hardly worried; thebined strength of the trio was something that was difficult to match, no matter who she looked at, especially so due to theirbined fighting style ¨C Amadeel supporting, Lino drawing attention and E cutting away at them . It didn¡¯t hurt that they were all beyond specialized in those roles to the point that Lucky dared im there was nobody in the world who could match their performance if strength was equalized . Opening her eyes suddenly she jumped, leaning over the edge as she saw a single figure emerge from the mist, cradled in thick shadows for a moment that folded over the edges of his body before vanishing behind him like smoke in the wind . She, like everyone else on top of Vy, immediately recognized Lino who had a rather rxed expression on his face . He cast them a brief nce and winked with a smile, causing them all to rx and sit back down . Not a secondter, space in front of Lino ripped open as a single figure walked through . She had a faintly distorted expression, the pair of eyes staring at Lino as though he were already a corpse, fingers cramped into two bleeding fists . "... considering you don¡¯t look all that happy to see me," Lino said, chuckling . "It¡¯s odd you went out of your way to find me, isn¡¯t it?" "¡ªyou won¡¯t be escaping today . " Two said, her voice cracking faintly . "Just as I¡¯ve killed those who¡¯ve sold their souls over to you, I¡¯ll kill you too . " "..." Lino¡¯s smiling expression vanished, hardening . "You really... went after them? Innocent people? Most of whom were simple merchants who didn¡¯t even know they were working for me?" "Oh, they knew . " "No, they didn¡¯t," Lino shook his head, sighing deeply . "This... haah..." "... your lies end today . " Two suddenly extended her arm in an attempt to pull him into her grasp, yet found herself sted backward by a world-bending, repent force . Cries of wonder echoed out into the world as the mist surrounding the inds rapidly and violently swelled up with a cry, bounding toward Lino¡¯s back as though he were sucking it in himself . His shirt and coat ripped open as the mist seeped into his back, carving the sigil of chaos into his very bones as he gritted his teeth and endured the pain . Winds ravaged through the world immediately, causing tidal waves to appear in the open ocean, carrying onward for hundreds of miles . Just as the world began faintly settling, and as thest of the mist found its way into his back, and as the silence once more dubbed itself the emperor, a roar, deep, grudge-bearing, angry roar bellowed out . And then another . And another . And soon tens and hundreds and thousands joined in, uniformly shaking the world down to its very core . Everyone, including Vy and those on top of him, stared in shock and awe at the scene that transpired before their eyes . A swarm of massive Dragons, bounding all elements, heaved up from the earth into the sky, nketing the horizon, as they swarmed around Lino, standing neatly behind him in perfect rows and lines, shaking the reality by their very presence . From young fledglings barely the size of an elephant to several that were three times Vy¡¯s size, they were all-epassing, far surpassing thebined might of everyone else currently startled into brief retreat . Two stared at it all with deep indignation in her eyes, bone-deep unwillingness . Yet, she was no fool; today, clearly, would not be the day she would win, or a day they would win . The Empyrean... would vanish once more . Dangwe rubbed his temples repeatedly, feeling the world around him slowly crack and fall apart . It was too... unpredictable . The Empyrean was too unpredictable . Despite the Empyreans¡¯ innate nature, Dangwe was more than confident in being able to predict the general thread of their lives, the major events that could shake the foundation of the world . Yet, he faltered time and again . He had finally settled on admitting one simple truth, one that he had been avoiding thus far: nothing in terms of Lino was within his control... nor it ever was... nor will it ever be . Chapter 444 Chapter 444 CHAPTER 444 ORIGIN WAR (I) The sky split into two, creating a faux divide between sides, the line drawn visible to the naked eye . On both ends the horizon was nketed by the masses, Qi trembling beneath the might, reality itself threatened to break apart . Cutting winds arose from behind Lino as thousands of pairs of wings fluttered, causing the ocean down below to ripple and rive, sinking the coastal ends of the isles . "... clever," Two said as she recovered, her lips curling up into a distinct, hateful grin . "Bringing the Dragons to your side . However... do you believe¡ª" "Why the build-up?" Lino interrupted, cracking a grin . "You think I don¡¯t know you¡¯ve brought over anyone and everyone you could buy? You keep underestimating me still, Two . How... well, frankly, stupid . No other word for it . " While Lino spoke, the line behind Two grew even more distinct as Devils and Demons strut through the bends of reality, soon followed by the Cultivators of the Holy Grounds, various beasts, and something beyond beastly toward the end . Lino could distinguish four different specimens of the High Lords ¨C Winged Lions, much like their name suggests, were lion-like creatures with two pairs of wings flung off their backs . Their manes were aze, bodies the size of a mid-sized castle, their tails elongating into whip-like creations, with each creature sporting at the very least three, growing in number as they grew in size and strength . Their fur was dull gray, wings skeletal, bat-like, but the Qi surge around them could even match up to the Dragons¡¯ . On top of them sat small, human-sized creatures sporting elongated skulls that curled up into a spiral at the far back, high foreheads, thin, tentacle arms, and lower bodies of a slithering snake . They had a singr eye carved out at their heads¡¯ centers, missing all other features . Poprly called ¡¯Slitherers¡¯, their actual name was Achalinines . These two alone numbered altogether at over a hundred thousand at the moment, but their numbers were beyond surpassed by the two others which wound up totaling to nearly a whole million ¨C Shades and Lythars . The former were tall, thin, cloaked figures spitting ck shadows repeatedly, the hooded heads hiding behind a pair of terribly crimson, glowing eyes . Though individually unimpressive, they were truly a horde-bound sort, with a very good reason as to why they never went extinct . Lythars, on the other hand, were the High Lords most simr to Primes in make ¨C boundless abominations of countless shapes and sizes . The only way to group them all within the same specimen was by their gaping maws stacked on both ends by sharp, long teeth . They ranged in size from rabbit-like to the size of a grown Dragon . Lino frowned slightly, as this truly was beyond what he expected; he actually only noticed Lions and Slitherers, which is why he was still confident in at least running away scot-free . Now, however, the situation changed rapidly ¨C they were vastly outnumbered . Even with Dragons on their side, and Y¡¯nn¡¯s and Dan¡¯s forces, it was still somewhere along the lines of one to five hundred, at least . He also knew, deep inside, he couldn¡¯t count on the Cult¡¯s forces unless they were already bound to win eventually . "... you should have stayed in that mist till your death," Two said . "Now... I¡¯ll make you wish you did . " "... you¡¯ve gone mad, Two," a Dragon suddenly heaved over next to Lino, almost four times asrge as Vy, covering the entire world down below in the deep shade . He had night-ck scales bounding his body, a pair of nightshade eyes angled like brows . "Do you wish to start the Origin War?" "... I do," Two kept her eyes on Lino for a moment before ncing at the Dragon floating above him and meeting the dark pair of eyes squarely . "What¡¯s it to you, Deathbringer? Terrified already?" "¡ªyou have indeed gone mad," another Dragon suddenly joined Lino at the front, a stark opposite of the former; white scales permeated the massive body winding down into a coiled tail with a spear-like tip at the end . A pair of marble-white eyes stared down at Two from above with an array ofplex emotions . "You would condemn the world to the Ashen Days out of anger? You fool . " "It can be easily avoided, Lux," Two grinned, ncing at the Dragon . "Hand over the Empyrean, or at the very least fly away and embrace your freedom . There would be no Origin War, then . " "¡ªyou want the Origin War?" Lino questioned, his expression turning cold . "To entangle the entire world in this stupidity? How in the fuck¡¯s name did you live to see today?" "If they want the Origin War, let them have it," Amadeel said, appearing next to Lino, seeming slightly tired and short of breath . "It might spark the iota of intelligence in them . " "Empty words from an empty mind," Two said as Qi around her began surging . "I don¡¯t want the Origin War . But, I can¡¯t help that the little brat had managed to blind the world to his coil . He¡¯s not your savior . He¡¯s not your chosen . He¡¯s not the change you needed . He¡¯s just like the rest; Ataxia¡¯s broken toy hellbent on sowing chaos in his wake . Have you all gone blind and senile? Have you all forgotten eons past? His tale won¡¯t be any different . In your heart of hearts, you know it . Why you¡¯re defying it is beyond me . " "... I¡¯m always here," Lino said . "Where¡¯s the need for the Origin War? I¡¯m right here . Come . Try to rectify it . " "The world condemns you," a familiar voice suddenly sprung through everyone present, causing them to look up and above, where a white-emboldened figure slowly descended, holy light shooting off like sun¡¯s rays around her . "For all your sins, Empyrean . " "... oh boy, not this shit again," Lino sighed, rolling his eyes . "Do I have to rip your throat out once more? Though, I suppose, I should be thankful you keep throwing yourself at me . Saves me the time needed to look for you . " "... you can¡¯t win this," Jade said, smiling faintly . "Not with the Dragons, not with the Holy Children you¡¯ve managed to blind, not even if your army was twice asrge as it is . You are doomed to fail, prolonging the inevitable, causing pointless, countless deaths in a desperate attempt to fulfill a fading dream . " "... everyone keeps telling me that I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t do that," Lino chuckled, taking out the yer from his void world . The de underwent obvious changes to its make, growing slightly in size, embodying strange, crimson mes throughout its surface, causing the reality around it to bend and break repeatedly . "Yet, I keep on doing . Origin War? Fine . I¡¯m not above causing countless innocent to die if it means wiping thest remnants of idiots who thrust the world into perpetual death to begin with . ," he mumbled as tensions skyrocketed, Qi surging like mad from both ends . "Final Form ¨C Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust . " As his voice faded into the infinite oblivion, the stage was set; Qi soared into reality, visible to the naked eye, as mes, winds, mountains, light, darkness, shadows and perennial creations sprung into existence, bounding the vast skyline . Biyung was currently hovering far-off, staring at the beginning of something that would define the world . There was a peculiar gleam in her eyes as she stared at the surging figure upfront who boldly threw himself ahead of everyone else at the army sizing into millions, eight pairs of wings springing out of his back, his human body vanishing in lieu of a creature entombed in dancing shadows and creases of pure-white light . The sword in his hand cried out in joy and excitement, buried in ever-rising mes . The reality around him broke apart, giving way to the storm that aimed to sweep through like reaper of death . "¡ªare you truly a clown you y?" she mumbled, turning around . "Or is it the world blind to your musings?" "You aren¡¯t going to help?" a familiar voice caused her to stop as she turned around, meeting a pair of eyes she hadn¡¯t seen in a long, long time . He stood there yet didn¡¯t, beyond the world yet also the world itself . The sole native of the world that ever gave her a feeling of dread . "Should I be asking you that?" she quizzed, smiling faintly . ¡¯1¡¯ still stood carved on his forehead, emboldened by invisible traces of Laws that even she could not quantify . "Isn¡¯t that the love of your life over there?" "... na caused this herself," the man replied, ncing briefly toward the back where the Empyrean was closing in on her . "She knows the rules . " "... does she, though?" Biyung asked . "I imagine she braved the Origin War with the hope you will help her win it . Otherwise, she has just condemned the Descent to thest sh . " "¡ªmay as well," the man replied . "They¡¯ve all lost the sight of why I chose them to begin with . They¡¯ve grown vain and selfish, more interested in remaining enthroned than anything else . If anything, I¡¯m more inclined to help the little boy . " "... oh? That¡¯s new . You even refused to help Eldon . " "She was a servant," the man said, chuckling lightly . "Like the rest of them were . Not too few fashioned themselves clever, but, in the end... they hardly were . " "And he isn¡¯t?" Biyung mumbled, ncing at Lino . "Is it because of the Primal Chaos?" "... no," One said, his lips curling up into a faint smile . "But that he¡¯s yet to will it over to Ataxia . I¡¯ve seen the Grand Pir of Creation, Biyung . Whatever it was... I sympathize . " "... you shouldn¡¯t," she sighed lowly, turning around once more . "We earned our ire . Some more so than the others . For many eons, I feared we may be treading the same path, and now more so than ever I¡¯m convinced... we¡¯ve long since locked ourselves into this eternal weep . " "... hardly," One said . "It is never toote to change one¡¯s ways . I should know the best . " "... right, do you know who the blue-eyed woman is?" "Blue-eyed woman?" One tilted his head, clearly confused . "¡ªI couldn¡¯t understand her," Biyung said . "A beyond concept . " "... there¡¯s someone like that here?" the man frowned, ncing back once more . The two sides were about to sh in a full-frontal way, though he hardly paid much attention to them . "Don¡¯t look for her; it¡¯s impossible . Though I¡¯m certain she¡¯s here . Guarding the boy . " "... I¡¯ll look into it," One said . "Another time . " "... you¡¯ve sensed another?" she asked, sighing bitterly . "Two more," he said, his body slowly beginning to vanish . "Puts the Origin War into perspective... doesn¡¯t it?" "... it certainly does . " Biyung nodded lightly . "It certainly... does . " Chapter 445 Chapter 445 CHAPTER 445 ORIGIN WAR (II) An ear-splitting sound temporarily deafened the world as a single de sliced the heaven and the earth apart . Darkness emboldened by corporeal shadows cleaved through the reality, binding the void itself to it, forming a gash the size of the horizon vertically across the world . Two barely managed to fling herself backward to avoid it, the torrential bacsh of innumerable strays battering her body . Hole after a hole opened up, blood spraying out as though pincered by a pair of fingers, as a cry of anguish broke the temporal silence . The gash across the sky exploded with a beastly roar, shadows blended with light in a shower of bolts that splintered like broken wood . Pressing forward, Lino cut through the void itself and arrived in front of Two once more who recovered rapidly, moving her right arm in front of her chest in a straight manner; just as Lino appeared in front of her, a world-quaking st shook him from the side, sting him for nearly a mile before he spun in ce and counteracted the momentum, fluttering his wings once more as he drew the yer backhandedly . Shadows folded over his body like curtains, forming long-winding trails like branches behind him . A pair of ck-and-white eyes stared from the darkened visage that was his body, cutting through the bends and breaks of reality . "TO WAR!!!" the world around him exploded as mes surged through, burning away like the molten mountains . Hundreds of thousands of arrays sted through his body apanied by a shower of enchanted arrows . Shrugging them off with a bedeviled grin, he locked onto Two once more, bounding the spacetime that seemed to hold no value in his eyes once more . On his back, the Sigil of Chaos lit up like noon¡¯s sun, burning in lurid crimson, blending into the dancing shadows . The Sigil he beheld by absorbing the Chaotic Miasma from every Dragon strong enough to endure it; the Sigil that became the monument of his will the moment it was imprinted on his back . The wings had long since lost their angelic, holy luster; one end remained wholly wrapped in dimmed, bastardized, almost silver light, while the other remained entirely ensconced in perpetual darkness, shadows lingering off like smoke from the tips and edges . There was no feather to be seen, just a mirage of colors and elements beyond this world . His body cut through everything and appeared by Two¡¯s side, whereupon a hammer the size of a colossal mountain came crashing down from the far atmosphere above . He spun temporarily, swinging the yer upwardly, splitting the hammer into two as needle-sized points of light pierced him clean through, bounding for the sea down below . All around him, chaos sang in tune with the crimson cries of death; he had but a moment to reflect on the war itself, yet it was more than enough to beckon the grief to his heart . The Dragons fearlessly stormed his nks, preventing the surge of millions to copse upon him . The winged creatures shot mes, pirs of the earth, sprays of frigid water,s of light and dark, repeatedly battered and beaten like animals . Some fell rather rapidly at the frontal onught, their bodies crashing into the turbid waters below, forever making their nameless graves . He reached out with his left arm suddenly, grabbing Two¡¯s wrist before she had a chance to draw back; he jerked her forward, pulling her toward him as she cried out, her eyes turning frigidly cyan . Lino ducked, avoiding the slicing maelstrom of time before spinning in a half-circle, trouncing Two with a leg sweep at her rib, caving her side into the center . Two counteracting forces caused her arm to dissever from her body as thetter crashed through the mass surging at him, bringing with her over a thousand souls, killing them all . Four and Five appeared right around him at that point, thetter being the culprit behind the hammer, preventing him from giving chase . Amadeel joined him right then, drifting the sea of time backward for a moment, allowing Lino to jostle slightly back and avoid the molten rock emboldened by piercing swords of light from crashing into him . Right after, he grabbed Amadeel¡¯s arm and, unbeknownst to the old man, flung him backward out of the copsing encirclement from around, above and beneath . Lino rapidly folded the eight pairs of wings unto himself, creating an impregnable sphere around him that absorbed the copse of the world . Pirs of elements shot from above and beyond, crashing into the sphere, yet failing to crack it . Inside the sphere, Lino gnashed his teeth till his gums began to bleed, his heart beating rapidly; they could not win this fight . Not only were they outnumbered, they were also outmatched . He specifically told E not toe out ¨C no matter what ¨C which meant that he was effectively the strongest person on their end . And even though he would be able to hold back all members of Descent for a little while, all around his forces were copsing . Though he couldn¡¯t calcte nearly as well as Hannah, he wasn¡¯t blind; the Dragons would at mostst a few more minutes, and the only other way to prolong the battle was to expose Y¡¯nn, which he didn¡¯t wish to do unless there was absolutely no other way . Who else was there? The Cult? Hardly . They had all already collectively hidden away, biding their time, observing ¨C doing what they have been doing since the time immemorial . The only other remaining hope was that the fortress would make it over here in time, that is before the Dragons fall . However, was it worth sacrificing a rather important ally in the name of vanity? No, it wasn¡¯t . He knew it . Drawing a deep breath, he cried out lowly as the wings unfurled,plex magical array lighting up beneath his feet as innumerable shards of light and dark shot outwardly, streaking through the air and cutting away at reality before lodging themselves in thousands of skulls, the preyed bodies beholden of death falling to their perennial doom into the ever-raging ocean down below . Just as he exited the defensive sphere, however, he was weed by the onught of the attacks he could not block ¨C Two caught him off-guard, freezing the bends of Time around him for a moment . She did not slow him, but rather everything around him, effectively distorting his perception; right then, two ming des, one from each side, shattered against his sides, with a gaping maw of darkness swallowing him whole and spitting him out right after . He could feel his Vitality rapidly falling as hey sprawled in the sky, unable to control his crashing momentum . The ocean down below suddenly exploded into a ringed rise as he crashed into it, discing countless corpses and sending them flying in arches once more . Due to the immense energy behind the impact, he crashed into the seabed itself, cracking it as the otherwise cold and dark bottom lit up; from in-between the cracks, like the ebb and flow of life, moltenva exploded into shards that cut through the ocean itself and gave rise to the paradoxical form ¨C the ring of fire and water remained gaping for but a moment, yet in that moment, it seemed like a gateway to both heaven and hell . Lino screamed out angrily, Qi surging toward him en masse, copsing into the yer . The de lit up in horrid ck and deep crimson as Lino¡¯s feet surged with bleeding lightning and fire . He exploded upward, expanding the cracks along the seabed for miles on end, extending the gaping hole in the earth, the wound that would take decades to heal . Rather than going after the Descent, he vanished temporarily from everyone¡¯s sight and radar, confusing them; just then, he appeared on the western end of the battlefield, right by the Dragon named Lux who had long since lost her silver luster, her scales covered in drying, brownish blood . Without saying a word, he sped past her colossal body and crashed into the army of Shades numbering over two hundred thousand . A breathtaking moment unfolded as the streams of spacetime copsed unto the central point, pulling all the creatures ensconced in shadows toward it before suddenly exploding into a lotus-shaped cloud . Though hot, the me was hardly the ilk of fire; it was ck and acidic, washing over the unlucky ones, thrusting them into the pangs of death from which they could not escape . Amidst the countless sounds procured by the battle, the cries and screams of absolute pain and anguish by the Shades overwhelmed all others, temporarily causing the battle itself to cease . From within the raging fire in the shape of a beautiful flower, the figure sauntered before vanishing once more, alongside the fire . In its wake, nothing remained . Not the corpses . Not the cries . Not the sounds of the souls carved out from their core, sent spiraling to the eternal doom . He appeared once more, on the other end of the battlefield, the Sigil of Chaos on his back gaining a tint of gray alongside the crimson traces . There, the Dragon called Deathbringer suddenly pulled back in fear of what he had just witnessed as he sensed the space next to him rip open, a figure cast in nature of Chaos breaking through . In front of him flew the Winged Lions, though he paid no heed who it was; the yer cried terribly, its grating voice burning through the souls of those who stood in its wake . The gaps of reality closed as the creatures felt the world around them change; from the bleeding skies that were horrible enough, they found themselves in the swarm of darkness . Yet, not darkness . A blend of nothing and everything . A reality like no other . Suddenly, within the sordid breakaway, juxtaposed spheres appeared, birthed into reality by a whisper they could not understand . One ck, one white . They grew and grew in size, yet they never grewrger than the figure standing upfront, holding them both in the palm of his hands . The creatures saw neither of the spheres, for they could not see beyond the pair of eyes that they could not rectify . The High Lords who had weathered the storms most could notprehend froze . And with the whisper, they fell, their hearts stopping to beat . Dead . On the outside, hundreds of thousands of bodies feel, seemingly for no reason . The Empyrean merely nced at them and, a mere momentter, they fell like the swarm of flies copsing under the weight of invisible hands of death . The sea was the sepulcher for the countless, yet at least most knew the wound of their death; yet manyy there wordless, thoughtless, unaware theyy cold and breathless . Beneath those eyes, it seemed, souls and hearts shriveled up, dying . The Deathbringer stared at the human-yet-not-human in front of him, atst believing the words that the Empyrean had spoken to him when they met on the ind . I am both the end and the beginning; I will win, without a doubt . Win over all and everything . And end it all as it had begun . Chapter 446 Chapter 446: 446 CHAPTER 446 ORIGIN WAR (III) The wind whizzed by strongly, causing Amadeel to falter sideways, only recovering a few secondster and finding himself back in the ranks of the stray Dragons . They were on the losing end ¨C a harsh one . His clothesy tightly pressed against his body, partly due to sweat and partly due to blood, one of his eyes cut closed, lips trembling involuntarily . There was no hope of victory ¨C he had concluded that already ¨C yet they couldn¡¯t simply give up . Too much was at stake . Still, pointless fighting wasn¡¯t a n; truthfully, they didn¡¯t expect to be intercepted with such arge force and had hardly expected the deration of the Origin War by Two . Few can predict the musings of the maddened mind, and even fewer respond to it in the heat of the moment ordingly . However entwined with madness Lino may be, it was the purposeful kind, the methodic lot ¨C Two had simply gone insane, Amadeel was certain . His shining eyes rapidly scouted the battlefield, quickly spotting the dashing figure of shadows and light burrowing through the spacetime of reality, orbiting the battlefield as though everything was in the palm of his hands . Lino fought beyond his means, Amadeel knew; he was burning both through Qi and Vitality vigorously, using the finite fuel as though there was a well that never ran out . He cut thousands, yet thousands swarmed further from behind the ranks, closing the gaps . In a perpetual chase with the Descent, he not only had to deflect the attacks that would cripple even him but also protect as many Dragons as possible . He did not free them to watch them die right after . Even still, he was running out of time . The circle was closing in, and the furthest ranks of their makeshift army were repeatedly pushed further back . The terrible sounds never ceased, the screams, the sparks of fire, the tides of the water, the shakes of the earth and the wails of the canopy of shadows; it was a symphony of war, one Amadeel had heard many times in his long life . And every time the drums signaled the beginning, only wretched oues followed . There would be no victors today even if they managed to flee and reunite with the fortress . There would only be losses that will never be rectified . It was the reality of all wars, be the just or unjust ones . He slipped slightly backward, avoiding a spearlight that fluttered by him, shearing the spacetime and opening up yet another wound in its make . The spearlight whizzed further, spiking through a young Dragon who immediately drew itsst breath and fell to the ocean that could no longer even be called an ocean ¨C for there was no water . Just corpses tacked on top of each other, part of the ever-rising graveyard that would scar even the most hardened men and women of the world . He was half a mind away from requesting E¡¯s help, yet withheld in the end; Lino must have had his reasons as to why he told her not toe out, no matter what . He doubted it was easy for her too ¨C after all, watching so many fall and die whilst being unable to help can¡¯t be easy . He would know . The dashing figure suddenly appeared next to him, startling him slightly; however, the startlementsted for but a moment before Amadeely his eyes on the figure . There was no glory to behold there, no ravaged son of war that was withstanding the world in vain hopes to protect those behind him . There was a man scarred and wounded, bleeding from every end, life in his eyes simmering . He drew quick and short breaths, his right arm, holding onto the yer, trembling under the weight of pain . His fingers seemed glued to the handle, as though he feared rxing them would mean never being able to sp them tightly again . It was a sorry sight, aplete contrast to what he saw from the distance . "¡ªL-lino... a-are you alright?" Amadeel stuttered, attempting to reach out with his arm, yet holding himself back in the end as Lino shifted his shadowed frame and faced his eyes . "I¡¯m fine," he replied in a choral voice, though onecking depth and texture Amadeel hade to expect . "But, we are not . Start gathering the Dragons, reunite with Vy, and flee . " "H-huh?" "We are enduring the losses we don¡¯t need to," he borated, shifting forward once more . "At this rate, we¡¯ll have no army to bark with . I¡¯ll draw them onto me . Use that time to gain as much ground as possible . Try to circle them and head toward the shore . Once you reunite with the Fortress, tell Dragons to fuse into the Orbit and phase out . " "W-what about you?!" Amadeel quickly questioned, afraid Lino would simply disappear . "... what about me?" Lino nced at him; though the form of shadowscked any features besides the pair of eyes, Amadeel could swear he saw a bitter smile entombed in there . "I¡¯ve caused all this, Amadeel . Look around . Look below . Look above . Once more, I fancied myself cleverer than I actually am . And once more others are paying the price for my stupidity . What about me? I¡¯ll fight till I can fight no more and try and escape . Hide . Wait with an abated breath for the day I finally learn my lesson . " "... no one could have predicted Two would do that, Lino," Amadeel tried tofort what he still saw as a very young boy, smiling faintly . After all, it wasn¡¯t a lie . Amadeel himself was most-likely twice as shocked as Lino was when Two dered the Origin War, and twice as that when others embraced it that rapidly . "You can¡¯t put this on your shoulders . This is on her . " "¡ªwe can¡¯t me the madmen for their actions," Lino said, taking a deep breath . "But we can me ourselves for participating in the madness . Spread around and wait . You¡¯ll know when it is time . " He vanished once more, leaving Amadeel tongue-tied; the old man pondered, inwardly, if that was the case, then why is he the only one staying behind? They all enacted the madness . Not just him and the Dragons . The Holy Grounds . The Devils . The other High Lords . Madness is not a circus of one . The world is toorge for that to be the case . Yet, why was it that the one always became its figurehead? Perhaps, Amadeel realized soon after, because of that ¨C Empyreans¡¯ innate understanding of the world itself . Of what draws the eyes of hatred . Of willingness to embody the image of chaos so rapidly and freely . Lino cleaved over a beam of fire, slicing at the reality with the yer, suddenly vanishing into the void; by the time people realized what happened, he was back in tow with over a thousand souls ¨C all youngsters, some not even fifteen ¨C shaking in terror and fear, locked inside a ssed box . The battle, right there, ceased . Amadeel knew it was time . Yet, even as they began fleeing, no one gave chase . No one even cared they were leaving . After all, in the narrative of the tale that was the Empyrean¡¯s life, the stragglers were irrelevant . Even if they were irreverent . Lino let go of a heavy breath in his chest as he saw the thinned-out army fading into the horizon without anyone giving chase . Even Two ceased her attacks temporarily, her brows furrowed . Lino himself couldn¡¯t look to his left, couldn¡¯t look to the ugly reflection of himself in the mirror . This was who he has be ¨C someone willing to do the same things he condemned the world for doing . Or, perhaps, he had been such a person all along ¨C but was just unwilling to ept it . "¡ªOrigin War," he nced at Two, shadows around his body slowly fading as his human appearance returned . "Your stupidity really amazes me, na . For a mind that had seen the ebb and flow of the time, today¡¯s decision has forever condemned your name . " "You are hardly rhetoric of righteousness, kid . " Two smirked faintly . "Aren¡¯t you?" "Why would I try and be?" Lino replied casually . "They¡¯ve sided with you . They¡¯ve fought for you . Should they be exempt from the toils of war just because they weren¡¯t the main perpetrators? You can have the kids," Lino threw the ssed cage down, with hundreds hurrying over to catch it, rapidly running away from fear he would change his mind . "Killing them wouldn¡¯t change a thing . But, showing you that I can might . " "Ha ha ha ha ha¡ª" Two broke out into a peal of maniacalughter as thousands began surrounding her, all eyes shimmering with a peculiar sheen . "You call me stupid, yet you willingly abandon the sole shield you have? After we¡¯re done with you, do you think we¡¯ll let those idiots go? Ha ha ha ha... aah, perhaps we are lucky ¨C that the generational Empyrean is a moron . " "... all this blood is on us, Two," Lino crackled lightly, shaking his head . "But when I die, I¡¯ll die in peace . Content . Will you?" An array of light epassed him as he vanished, appearing right in front of her; stacks of shields cast out of all-epassing elements quickly formed in front of Two, blocking his attack . Rather than going through with it, however, a chain-sickle unfurled from Lino¡¯s sleeve,shing to the edge of the stacked shield as he used the momentum to swing and round it, propelling himself in a wide circle around Two and those near her, winding up in front of the main force of Aeonians . Shadows quickly formed by the folds of his body, consuming his frame once more, as he staggered through the variety of attacks thatnded on him, cutting through the shieldbearers upfront and entering the center of the formation . A lotus of death formed once more, blooming rapidly like a flower, showering the world in a cascade of soot, ash, and fire . Cries and screams once more adjoined in the painful symphony that would leave the world scarred for many eons toe . There were no victors on that day . Just tattered and broken branches of a bleeding tree of life . Chapter 447 Chapter 447 CHAPTER 447 ORIGIN WAR (IV) The fortress d in ebony stone and high spires and towers sped rapidly through the phasing reality, surrounded on two opposite ends by massive chunks of rocks sporting individual biomes and millions of souls . It was an eternally breathtaking sight, one of a kind, that left many, be the fortress¡¯ or Sects¡¯ natives, wordless . As the massive structure whizzed through the spacetime at the speeds few could ept for suchrge objects, it left behind a folded trail of smoky clouds, as though leaving behind breadcrumbs for the seekers . Yet, they were not sought ¨C they knew . The whole of the world now had its eyes turned toward the far East, beyond the Edge, to the home of the Dragons . Standing tall on the walls were Eggor, Hannah, Val, and several dozen others, including Litha and Vyrove, all of whom had rather dark and deste expressions . Primul joined them all of a sudden, his hair disheveled, appearing short of breath . "And?" Eggor quickly asked, turning toward him . "Impossible," Primul shook his head, sighing deeply . "Any faster than this and the entire formation mighte undone . Even this is risky, but we can still maintain for the time being . " "¡ªit is fine," Hannah said . "They¡¯ll hold on until we arrive . " "Yeah, they will . " Val nodded . "They must . " Though very few words were spoken, a muchrger discourse remained understood between all of them; this, after all, was not meant to happen . Lino and others were merely supposed to be a temporary distraction as it yed well in the actual reason for going to the Dragon Isles . Yet, the simplest of messages that they received just recently had sent them all on a spiraling cesspool of dark thoughts ¨C Origin War was dered . Hurry up . They hurried as much as they could . Even still, they were hours away from their destination . Could they hold on for hours? Perhaps . They all chose to believe so . Lino was there . So was E . And Amadeel . And Titus . And Vy . And they perhaps even had the freed Dragons . That wasn¡¯t a weak army . That was an army that could fight, withstand, perhaps even push back . They¡¯d endure ¨C they all chose to believe . Litha and Vyrove stood hand in hand, their expressions creased; though they hardly interacted with the Empyrean ever since they were brought here, it was, to them at the very least, irrelevant . They¡¯d found a home, a ce they could be anything they wanted . Nobody forced them to cultivate . To fight . To uphold a specific standard . They lived freely, enjoying all the liberties . Now it was time to repay ¨C though no one still asked . They nced at one another stealthily and nodded, the reflection of their inner resolve visible in the other¡¯s eyes; they shimmered with hardened shine, unbent yet . "You should go back," Eggor put his hand gently on Hannah¡¯s shoulder, his expression mellowing . "You look exhausted . " "... I can¡¯t go back," she replied, her gaze still focused at the indiscernible distance . "Not until I see him . " "He¡¯ll be just fine . He always has¡ª" "This is different," she interrupted . "You know it¡¯s different, Eggor . Origin War... they really dered the Origin War . Everyone¡¯s there . And knowing him, he¡¯ll send the rest off while he tries to hold back the onught . Tell me," she finally nced at him, her eyes teary, nearly capsizing at their ends . "In your heart of hearts... do you think he¡¯ll be just fine?" "¡ªI do," Eggor nodded firmly . "I really do . " "I should be there with him . I should be by his side¡ª" "You are right where you¡¯re supposed to be," Val joined in, stroking her hair lightly . "Don¡¯t be stupid . Have faith in him . He¡¯s just be a father . Do you really think he¡¯d endanger losing that?" "... you don¡¯t know him, at least not as well as I do," Hannah mumbled, lowering her head, her voice cracking slightly . "If it meant saving all of us, ensuring all of us have peaceful and happy lives till our deaths, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate ¨C not even for a second ¨C to sacrifice himself for it . Bing a father... won¡¯t change that about him . If anything, it will only strengthen his resolve . " "..." Silence took over once more, bearing down on their shoulders heavily . Primul heard Hannah¡¯s voice resonate inside his mind repeatedly and quickly realized she was right . It wasn¡¯t as though the youngd was a holistic savior ¨C but life had turned him unhinged . If there was one w, Primul thought, that he could point to, it was that Lino thought of every life as precious . He put every loss on his shoulders . That weight... never gets any easier to bear . And no matter how resilient he may seem, he was not invincible . Nobody is . And if there is one way to pile on bodies on top of one¡¯s shoulder, it is a war . A war of boundless scale, one that even he himself hadn¡¯t experienced . Countless men and women throughout history have been crushed under the weight of their sins . There is no such thing as a perfectly endurable soul, a heart that can uphold the weight of the world without cracking . He knew, however, Lino¡¯s time was yet toe; he would be fine for now . He knew he was irreceable, that without him the past four decades would all be undone and all his work would have been in vain . But, the struggle was long and all-epassing . If he¡¯s to weather the storm of decades and centuries toe, this was not the way for it . Sighing silently, Primul sat down, heaving his legs off the edge, closing his eyes . There was no point in worrying . Only having faith . ** Though it was only a few hours, trekking the distance felt like an eternity; the number of souls on top of the wall had risen considerably, especially so after the news spread throughout the fortress . Just recently, Myveen forcibly dragged Hannah from the wall and forced her back into her room for rest while Alex and Cain hopped onto the wall, their expressions solemn . Though neither participated in the Origin War personally, the stories were more than enough to freeze the blood in their veins . One of the main reasons why the general poption, be it of Humans or other races, remained consistently low despite the long passage of time is essentially entirely due to the Origin War ¨C often referenced as ¡¯the Culling¡¯ by most of the ordinary people . Tens, if not hundreds, of billions die each round . The following millions of years are reserved for essentially bringing the poptions back up to a somewhat decent level . "Stop!!" Primul cried out suddenly as the fortress, and the orbiting inds at this point, came to a slow halt . Just as they phased back into the reality, they saw the ck swarm cover their horizon ¨C winged creatures spanning as far as they could see approached them, led by a very familiar figure . Vy stopped right in front of the fortress as the passengers began disembarking one by one ¨C Lucky, Alison, Titus, Ayar, Seya and terrible-looking Amadeel . While most looked to those disembarking, Alex¡¯s, Cain¡¯s and Primul¡¯s eyes veered off onto the army of the Dragons . Though their numbers were rtively high, a high number of them were a breath away from dying, while the majority were covered in still-bleeding wounds . It was a beyond-ghastly of a sight, causing their hearts to still as two figures failed to appear ¨C Lino and E . Titus and Lucky gentlyy Amadeel down among the crowd that quickly split apart, some due to the fear of the swarm of Dragons and some due to respect . Amadeel coughed a few times, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood, trying to catch a clean breath . "¡ªh-help... help him..." he muttered weekly, staring deeply into Alex¡¯s and Cain¡¯s eyes . Him?! Both immediately realized what the old man meant causing them to rmingly look into each other¡¯s eyes . "TO ARMS!!!!!" both screamed out at the same time, causing the entire fortress and the inds to shake and quake in the sky . As the Dragons slowly began settling into the orbit and onto the inds to rest, while the few brave shamans and doctors dared walk over and dress their wounds slowly, Primul took the helm of the formation with Alex¡¯s help, while Cain began organizing the army . Lucky quickly called out all the Shadows and began preparing the instructions for them; though she knew they wouldn¡¯t have much of an impact, especially having seen first-hand the sheer scale of the battle, she felt extremely angry with herself, having to do something . Seya carried passed out Ayar into the fortress; the poord had woken up thrice only to witness scenes that his mind could not process, passing out right after . Alison listened to Hannah¡¯s master, Myveen, and went into thetter¡¯s chambers to ensure Hannah stays there . Titus, released from the burden of protecting those atop Vy, almost charged out of the fortress on his own, barely held back by Cain in the end . Eggor still stood restless on the wall, unsure what to do . He was not a fighter . Not a soldier . Though he could fight using a variety of tools, he had never participated in a war . In a battle of this scale ¨C scale within which even the majestic Dragons fell like flies from the sky . He pondered, harrowingly consumed, how that little boy that he picked up in the back alley, that skinnyd who was terrified of others, forever entombed within the joking fa?ade, how that little boy was now capable of upholding the world all on his own . All around him, as he watched, he saw innumerable souls speeding through, their expressions fearless, full of resolve . Everyone here was ready to fight . Was ready to die . Was willing toy their lives down for that obnoxious boy . No, Eggor mused, shaking his head, he was no longer a boy . He stopped being a boy a long time ago . All the same, it was his son . Perhaps not bloodbound, but certainly soulbound . He wasn¡¯t a fighter? Or a soldier? He never fought in a war? None of those things mattered . Today he would be all that and more . He would rise above himself . Do whatever he can and more . Just as he would die for Cae, he would do so for Lino . Without an ounce of hesitation . Without an ounce of fear... he would wee Death with open arms if it meant She would miss him . Chapter 448 Chapter 448 CHAPTER 448 ORIGIN WAR (V) The horizon was entirely wrapped up in a thick fog, parts white-parts red, blocking the view of the world down below . Thousands of the ears perked, listening very carefully for any sound, while even more eyes looked around cautiously and scrutinized every bit of everything they could take in . They have just reached the surrounding waters of the Dragon Isles, though at an elevation barren of most kinds of life ¨C save for the Glowing Sharbirds, Edge-native, four-winged creatures that, unlike most other birds, had the ability to withstand the pressure of the high skies with their rather staunch skeletons while still maintaining the ability of flight . It was eerily silent from all ends; not even the ever-blowing winds of the high altitudes greeted them, only thick clouds and thicker fog . In such silence, strange thoughts emerged within the strained minds; after all, fragile perceptions were easily bent, and weak minds easily corrupt . Ever so often, the Captains of the army would holler at their subordinates to wake them, ensuring they all remained on high alert perpetually . Such strain was not easy to withstand, for they had been at it for nearly an hour; most would have rather a battle had begun by now than to wane in cardinal silence from which there was no escape . Though they may die in war, they were going mad in this pretense of peace . Hardly a soul wished to lose their mental capacities as so . Lucky spotted a flicker from the corner of her eyes; a sh of light beamed for less than a second within the fog, like the firefly, but just long enough to grasp it . It was distant and dim, but it was a sign of something ¨C she immediately called out the Captain of the Airship the Shadows boarded and told him to descend . As others saw one ship break off and head downwards, they hesitated for a moment before joining . Altogether, the army itself lined up into a hundred airships, with most having either remained on the inds or in the fortress or acting as one-man-armies, like Cain and Alex . The light flickered once more, this time long enough for a whole lot more souls to notice it . It was brighter than before, livelier even . Chatter was short-lived as Captains silenced the excited and the worried voices, heading speedily toward the light in rmed silence . Lucky furrowed her brows as it happened the third time; this time around, everyone saw it as it was hardly a flicker ¨C it was clearly an explosion of sorts, bound with yellow edges outside the white innards . She hurried the Capitan as their descent sped up . They broke past the barrier of fog and mist and clouds shortly after, emerging into the destitute reality; a horrifying scene greeted the countless eyes, as nearly four-fifths of them all bent over and vomited their guts out . The first thing that got to them was the stench; it felt as though someone shoved a mixture of rotted eggs, fish and decaying corpses straight into their nostrils . Some even passed out on the spot . Following the scent itself, it was the sight ¨C the scene of nightmares, of those stories written by wicked minds, where all abominable realitiese to a pass, and the whole of the world ends in an agonizing way . There was no water to be seen, not an ocean they were promised, not the sea long-thought as unconquerable; it was a desert void of life, a stack of ck and crimson pedaled by the innumerable corpses . Even Lucky frowned, barely holding steady, while most of the recruits fell to their knees and quivered . When she and others left, though it was bad, it was still possible to see the ocean and the water weathering the ever-increasing piles . Now? Now there was nothing but the corpses for miles on end . How many had he killed, she pondered? Altogether, there were hundreds of thousands of dead here, perhaps even crossing a million . It didn¡¯t take too long for a few to spot him ¨C the few that could tear their eyes away from the world¡¯srgest tomb . Primul was the first, as though he was shocked, it was well within the realms of the reason for him ¨C what¡¯s more, perhaps this was the most normal he¡¯d felt ever sinceing back to his senses . He was but a tiny figure still, surrounded on all ends by overwhelming numbers, repeatedly breaking out only to be caged back in . His countenance has changed; there was no immortal poise to his gait, no indomitable spirit practically bursting out of his chest . What Primul saw was a man on the verge of being broken; eyes peering into the abyss, embracing it, the chilled Crown on top of his head cracking . Lips cold and quivering . Gash after gash bleeding like a river¡¯s mouth, dyeing his entire being in deep, almost brownish crimson . "CHARGE!!!" while most still contended with the ghastly sights, Eggor shouted from the top of his lungs the moment he saw Lino . Over a dozen faceless creatures cast in white stone jumped off the airship, fire breaking out of their backs right after as they headed for where Lino was . "CHARGE!!" Lucky echoed the sentiment, soon followed by everyone until the silence of the sky was overwhelmed by the symphony that shook the world . Two looked sideways, her expression beyond distorted; her horizon was immediately lit up as a bombardmentmenced, one she barely managed to avoid with Five¡¯s help . The sky caught fire as tendrils of countless shadows reached out through the mes and wrapped around Lino, pulling him out . The sh of two armiesmenced immediately, though it was hardly a battle; one side was exhausted, traumatized beyondprehension, while the other one basked in fury of having seen the state of their leader . The ughter that followed was chilling as armies of the Holy Grounds broke in a desperate attempt to escape . The Devils and Demons fought till theirst breaths, their Wills ignited by the sight of blood . The High Lords also turned tail and withdrew as quickly as they could, the stragglers cut down like pigs . Two cried in frustration, her attempts to break away and head back into the fray prevented by three pairs of arms wrapped around her berserk body pulling her back . It was a failure ¨Cplete and utter failure . He endured it all, still standing by the end, however hollowed he may be . She stared harrowingly at the fading figure cast in drying blood and only a single wound that would never wholly heal . They scarred him, but so what? He would live . Recover . Recuperate . Grow even stronger from this . It wasn¡¯t enough to hurt him . It will never be enough to just hurt him . Lucky, Cain, one of Eggor¡¯s creations, Litha and Vyrove were the ones dragging Lino¡¯s body through the sky and back onto the fortress . The moment they crashed over the wall, the Captains ordered a rapid and orderly retreat rather than giving chase to the fleeing enemy . Today was simply not the day for that . "Hey, hey, wake up, idiot," Lucky mumbled rapidly and shallowly, holding her breath as she was certain she too would turn her innards out otherwise . "Fuckin¡¯ fuck... shit . Help me get him to the doctors . " Eggor raced over, quickly and gently picking him up and following Lucky through the winding streets as the sea of souls split apart the moment they saw him, making way . Eggor nced down fearfully, feeling his gut wrench; one of his eyes was missing entirely, a massive gash running from the top of his forehead down to his jaw, still bleeding . A massive holey open on his right cheek, revealing insides of his mouth beyond . He was missing his left ear, part of his skull broken off, white goo driven out . Both his armsy limp by his body, every bone in them broken down to the smallest ones in his fingers . His torso sported hundreds of cuts, and three massive, bone-deep holes, one even going beyond it, drilled all the way to his heart . Ity right there, beating softly, pounding still . It was like holding a wet rag, Eggor thought . Yet, it was not water, but blood; there was so much blood... so much . There wasn¡¯t a trace of another color in what remained of his clothes, with even his hair having obtained the dark-brownish luster over the ck one . Unable to look at him any longer, Eggor focused on the street and Lucky, ignoring everything else . Their journey was short, barely a minute, and they¡¯d found their way to the Healing Quarters . Over a dozen souls immediately gasped and began racing around the well-lit rooms, preparing everything, while an elderly man joined Eggor . "¡ªmy god," the man mumbled, sucking in a cold breath as they reached a small, isted room with a slightly elevated bed . With the man¡¯s and Lucky¡¯s help, Eggory Lino down, his arms shaking . "This..." "¡ªfix him . " Lucky growled lowly . "... just administer the first aid," Lucky, Eggor and the old man jumped in surprise as a neer appeared on the other side of the bed . E stood there, frigid air surrounding her, arms crossed over her chest, tightly bound to one another . Her eyes had a bloodshot-red sheen to them, as though she¡¯d been crying, her lips pale and trembling . "Stop the bleeding, locate thepletely shattered bones and amputate or cut out everything around them . " "Y-yes!" the old man quickly nodded, calling out for tools and assistants as E dragged Lucky and Eggor out . "¡ªwhat happened?" Lucky asked as the three settled just outside the room, on a bench beneath a cyan crystal shining above them . "When we left, he was... fine..." "His buffs ended shortly after you left," E said . "And he started burning through Vitality and Qi in spades in order to prolong them as much as possible . In that short time, he tried killing as many as possible, probably to cut at the numbers for when they retaliated . And, well... for the past half an hour, he barely attacked, using what little he had left to avoid a lethal injury . Even then, he had enough mental capacity to tell me to stay away... the bastard..." "¡ªhe... he¡¯ll be fine, right?" Eggor mumbled weakly . "He will," E nodded, rubbing her temples . "But, his left eye is ruined for a long time since Two embedded the Mark of Time in it . Though healing, it will take a long, long time due to dtion . In effect, though, he should undergo a full recovery eventually . He¡¯s the Empyrean, after all..." "¡ªHannah will lose her shit when she sees him..." Lucky sighed . "Don¡¯t let her see him until he recovers slightly," E said . "He¡¯s already begun, so it shouldn¡¯t be too long . For the past fifteen minutes, his lungs werepletely crushed so he was unable to breathe . Yet, by the time you put him on the bed, he¡¯d begun breathing again . Aah... that recovery ability is... really insane..." "¡ªso... he caused... all that?" Eggor mumbled, remembering the scene that first greeted them . "Sweet gods..." "I¡¯ll stay with him," E said, smiling lightly . "You guys go out and begin settling people down . Tell Val to phase out and wait for Lino and Ie out . " "... let us know the moment he wakes up," Lucky said, getting up reluctantly . "And not a momentter . You hear?" "I will . Don¡¯t worry . " She got up and walked back into the room once more, her expression heavy . Three older men and four women were orbiting the small bed repeatedly with the instruments E could not understand, though she hardly cared to . She stared silently from the distance, her eyes repeatedly dancing between relief and worry; after all, she was never worried about his body . It would recover, as it always has . However, today was beyond taxing on his mind ¨C by the end of it all, he was holding onto a straw of life purely through his instincts, his mind having been shut down . What she worried about the most was its state after he wakes . After all, today, for the first time in his life, he¡¯d walked the steps of the Empyrean ¨C for the first time since bing the Bearer of Chaos, he¡¯d embodied all the tales and stories of the Empyreans . Something he fought against his entire life . That wasn¡¯t something one simply gets through without ramifications . Felling over a million souls within the span of a few hours, carving corpses like wheat, filling the entire ocean with the dead and creating a tomb . . . how harrowing was it . Perhaps, she mused silently, the dead were the lucky ones; those who had lived would forever wake at night, trembling and shaking, remembering his eyes as he cleaved all those around him like an incarnation of death . Chapter 449 Chapter 449: 449 CHAPTER 449 SCARS All he could see were blurry blends of light and shadow dancing rapidly . The sounds melded together in a symphony of grating noise, yet he could not voice aint . Something was stuck in his throat ¨C blood, he was certain . Unable to move a muscle, each breath was a strain, bringing with it burning pain that shocked every inch of his body . Yet, he had to breathe . One in and one out . Slowly . As gently as he could . The first feeling to return was in his fingers; he could barely strain them, almost an invisible flicker, but he could . A faint trace of joy jolted his heart ¨C so long as he was getting better, he would get well . It was all a matter of time and patience . After fingers came toes, and after toes came lips and after lips his throat . It was dry, gratingly so, yet he couldn¡¯t voice out the desire for some water . He could patiently wait and endure . Soon . He would be able to talk soon . Alison stood on the side with a horrified expression, her fingers clutched together, pressed against her chest, shaking . She could hardly recognize the disfigured man lying on the bed ever after a general clean-up . Though his wounds had closed and stopped bleeding, and though the blood itself was washed away, the wounds themselves still stood sore . Gash after gash, hole after hole, there was barely a whole patch of skin untouched anywhere on him . Standing right next to her was Lucky who dealt with it seemingly better . Her arms were crossed over her chest, her back leaned against the cold stone of the wall . It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d seen Lino on the brink of death, though it certainly never got as bad as it did this time around . Behind the fa?ade, in the ever-flickering gaze, there was a shimmer of painful light coveted in guilt and shame . "¡ªhe¡¯s... he¡¯ll really be... okay?" Alison mumbled uncertainly, turning to Lucky, unable to look at him any longer . "... yeah," Lucky nodded . "He¡¯ll be just fine . Don¡¯t worry . There, you saw him . Wanna head back?" "... yeah . " Alison nodded . "Let¡¯s go back . " The two nced at the body strapped to the bed once more before leaving . He could hear them, though he couldn¡¯t call out to them . The footsteps grew distant, but it brought joy to him once more ¨C he could hear . It was no longer a painful blend of everything, but distinct sounds that made up the world itself . The quivers in their voices . The solemnness of their footsteps . The faint trace of voicesing from the outside . Slowly but surely, he was getting better . It was only a matter of time . "... was it worth it?" a robotic voice spoke to him inwardly, causing him to groan in a reply . "You could have escaped scarless . " "..." "Your insanity will only get you so far," Ataxia said . "And a simr transgression in the future will mean death . If they hadn¡¯te, you would have either been crippled permanently or outright died . You have learned nothing . " "..." Lino didn¡¯t reply, not because he couldn¡¯t, but because there was nothing to say . In more than one way, after all, Ataxia was right ¨C he did cross a boundary he shouldn¡¯t . He could have contained himself, limited his injuries, merely at the expense of some Dragons he didn¡¯t even know . Why didn¡¯t he? He couldn¡¯t say himself . Even introspection ¨C the sole thing he could do at the moment ¨C was inadequate . He can¡¯t even quite recall his thought process before sending the Dragons away . Or even the one that led him to tell E to stay out of it no matter what happens . No, that he could still recall . Lying there, covered in wounds and scars, unable to utter a word, he had all the time in the world to think and understand, yet he couldn¡¯t . Something first has to make sense in order to be understood ¨C his actions today, or yesterday, or a century ago as far as he knew, did not . He merely made a dent in an army that will never dry up nearly at the expense of his life . He hardly feared death, but the life of those he¡¯d leave behind . Whether he coaxed them to his side or whether they joined him willingly was irrelevant; he was, in a way, responsible for them . Not merely as a symbol uniting them all underneath the same banner, but also as the shield . Today, or yesterday, or a century ago as far as he knew, that shield cracked and splintered and it bled . And, worst of all, it nearly split permanently . Why? Because he fancied himself a sword? Perhaps . He couldn¡¯t quite understand, which made him frustrated . He used that frustration, however, to groan audibly and move his arms for the first time . They were weak, feeble, and they hurt ¨C so much so he winced and cried out lowly ¨C but he moved them nheless . There was no one in the room to notice his achievement . But, he didn¡¯t care . The walls were his witness, in the end . After a few more attempts, he managed to weakly pull himself up and sit . He was stuck in a corner of a rather wide room, a curtain to his left blocking the majority of it; opposite of him was an empty stretch of well-lit, tiled floor and bricked walls holding several, white cabs on the other end of the room . He was all alone in this massive ward that can probably host at least a dozen other souls . Almost all of his body was either draped in gauze or punctured by very thin needles trickling blood directly into his veins . He hung his head low, exhausted, strained . It was too much; he shouldn¡¯t have rushed it . He tried stirring his Qi, barely managing to summon a whiff to circte through his body once . Even that, solitary action caused him to soak in cold sweat right after, his body temporarily quivering as a nauseating feeling overwhelmed him, nearly causing him to vomit his innards . Taking a few deep breaths in session, he managed to recover somewhat, lifting his head up once more . Right as he did, blood in his veins froze; she stood right there, by the bed¡¯s edge, still as a frozen river . In her hands she held a small babe, fast asleep, sucking on its thumb . Hannah wore long-wound, draped, white dress, her crimson hair spilled freely a stark contrast to it . The pair of emerald-green eyes stared at him, but he couldn¡¯t see even a trace of anger or disappointment ¨C just fear and joy . Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, breaking out soon after, folding over her rosy cheeks . "... do you want some water?" she asked, quickly wiping her cheeks, holding Aaria with one arm while pouring a cup of water with the other . Lino nodded faintly as she walked up, helping him to a few gulps . The somewhat chilly water jolted him awake, seemingly cleansing whatever was stuck in his throat . "... t-thanks . " he said somewhat groggily . "... you hurt?" she asked, sitting on the bed, ncing over his body . "I¡¯ll... be fine . " Lino replied, trying to smile with little sess . "I was really worried, you know?" "... I know . " "Do you, though?" she asked, meeting his gaze once more . "... o-of course I do¡ª" "I don¡¯t think you do," she interrupted . "I don¡¯t think you really understand how worried we are for you, Lino . Not just me . Everyone . Do you know... how silent the fortress is right now? Whereas we should be celebrating, celebrating so many things, we can¡¯t . " "..." "Don¡¯t look away . " she said, gently pulling his head back over until his eyes faced hers once more . "You can¡¯t always look away, make a charmingment, and wait till it blows over . I¡¯ve tried to tell you many times, many times, that you¡¯re now a leader . But it seems to me you don¡¯t understand what that implies . Not wholly, at least . " "¡ªI¡¯m sorry..." "I don¡¯t need you to be sorry . We don¡¯t need you to be sorry," she added, her lips curling up into a faint smile . "We know you, despite your crippling fears over it . I know you . I know you will never stop being who you are . I know you¡¯ll never step back and push others to fight your battles, even if they¡¯re unwinnable by you . I know you¡¯ll never sacrifice the lives of others just so you can escape . I know you¡¯ll dly scar yourself time and again, and that you will never regret it . Not even if it costs you your life . " "..." "But, we need you to fear dying, Lino . We don¡¯t need a fearless, dauntless leader," her voice grew a pitch lower as she nced at the little girl in her arms . "We need someone who understands the full capacity and consequences of him suddenly dying . " "... you think I don¡¯t?" he asked . "Then why are you testing the fate time and again?" "Because I have to, Hannah . " "You don¡¯t," she said . "Not anymore, at least . Why didn¡¯t you let E help you?" "Because¡ª" "No more ¡¯because¡¯, Lino . Save the thinly veiled excuses for the public speech you¡¯ll make to others," she interrupted . "Not for me . Tell me... do you love me?" "I do . " "Do you trust me?" "I do . " "Do you respect me?" "... of course I do . " he met her eyes once more, biting his lower lip . "Then why don¡¯t we be honest with one another . Just this once . Forget the fa?ade, the implied understanding . Be honest with me . Be honest with us . Why didn¡¯t you let E help you?" "... because... I¡¯m terrified of her . " Lino mumbled after a short silence . "Because I¡¯m terrified of her, Hannah..." "... why?" Hannah asked, seemingly having expected the answer . "For the same reason you are," Lino replied . "Because she¡¯s a piece that doesn¡¯t fit into any of the puzzles . I know... I know, deep in my heart, she would never let anything happen to me . I know she would even die for me . But... I just... can¡¯t rectify it . I tried . So hard . I really did..." "I know you did," she stretched out her free arm and caressed his cheeks warmly . "I know . But... tell me ¨C what are our options?" "... either to doubt her¡ª" "¡ªor trust the kindness, love, and warmth she¡¯d showed you your entire life . " Hannahpleted the strung end of the sentence . "... yeah . " Lino said, taking in a deep breath . "Or that . " "We¡¯re not simply trying to figure out our roles in all of this anymore, Lino . We know our roles . From now on, we have to figure out a path that takes us to the end of this nightmare . Together . " "..." "Yeah?" "Yeah . " "Did you learn anything new?" she asked, slowly snuggling next to him, holding onto Aaria carefully . "Nothing I didn¡¯t already know," Lino shrugged faintly . "Just that the end to all of this might not be too far away . I¡¯ve seen One, by the way . " "One? The Descent¡¯s One?" Hannah asked, seeming somewhat shocked . "Hm," Lino nodded . "It was his form of greeting me, I¡¯m assuming . A way of recognizing me . It looks like he won¡¯t participate in the Origin War . " "... that¡¯s good . Did you figure out how strong he is?" "Heh..." he chuckled bitterly, shaking his head . "I¡¯ve figured out nothing . Absolutely nothing . " "... we will, one day . Until then... we can just take it slow . " Hannah said . "However many timers are pressing us to push onwards, nobody is forcing us to obey them to a tee . " "... sometimes," he mumbled . "I forget just how brilliant you are . " "Oh? You do? My, my..." "Ha ha ha, yeah . How¡¯s Aaria doing?" "Great, now that her dad¡¯s back . " "Ouch . That was low . " "Yeah," she nodded, grinning . "I felt it . Sorry . " "... no matter," he said, kissing the young girl¡¯s head gently . "I¡¯ll be better... for you, for her, and for everyone else . I promise . " "... I know you will," she said, leaning over and kissing him gently . "Because you always have . " Chapter 450 Chapter 450 CHAPTER 450 THE LAST WAR It finally happened, he mused inwardly . The golden draped over the fluffy clouds, bending unnaturally, carrying a whiff of faint, crimson hue . The rays broke and fluttered, cascading through the dark fortress and the shining inds orbiting it . The light cut straight into his eyes, though he didn¡¯t blink . For the first time since he killed Eos, the dawn of the sun arose . It was still cold, but it was bright . So bright . He found himself choked with a strange influx of emotions; his heart stirred, causing blood in his veins to rapidly swarm his senses . Something got stuck in his throat, simr yet different to the time he was lying motionless in the bed . More... appeasing, perhaps . He couldn¡¯t say . Sitting on the far-eastern wall, right at the corner with the southern one, he was isted from the brim and bust of the fortress itself . He was isted from the sounds and woes and chatter . It was peaceful . Worthwhile . He¡¯d too much to think and decide, yet little will to go through with it . He¡¯de to realize that understanding the reality was an art, and he certainly was not an artist; both too selfish and selfless, proud and na?ve, headstrong and hypocritical . There were certain things he wanted to make real, such as ensuring his army lived victimless, in a war of millions . Nobody need tell him it would never happen ¨C he knew . Yet, he wished to make it happen all the same . Lino had already recovered halfway through; his skin regained its healthy luster, his one, healthy eye the light that went dim for a few weeks, his muscles definition that they never truly lost, but was hidden beneath the countless wounds . Reminders still ran freely throughout his body, but he didn¡¯t mind . He had far too many scars to care much for each one of them . "¡ªwoof?" a whimpering bark caused him to nce sideways where Nony on his belly, looking at Lino with wide and round and questioning eyes . Its fur had turned faintly grayish, his size ever-the-same . "Nothing," Lino replied with a faint smile, extending his left arm and rubbing it over the dog¡¯s back . "Just a bit dulled, is all . You hungry?" "Woof, woof!!" the dog excitedly wagged his tail, quickly stirring to his feet, extending his tongue andshing out while a rain of saliva sprinkled over Lino¡¯s clothes . "Ha ha ha, fuckin¡¯ hell, you¡¯re one dirty-ass dog," Lino chortled, still taking out a peculiar sort of fish ¨C two-headed, diamond-glistening boulders half Non¡¯s size altogether . The dog¡¯s eyes lit up wonderfully as he dove right into it ¨C swallowing the entire fish whole . "Oi, slow down man! I¡¯ve only got like five of them!" "Woof, woof!!" "No, you¡¯re not getting any anymore!" he fired back somewhat angrily . "That was your reward!" "... woof, woof . Woof..." "Humph, sulk all you want," Lino shrugged as the dog limped back down, seemingly sulking . "You should have savored it properly . " "¡ªhow mad have you be to resort talking with a dog?" Lino chuckled, ncing down at the bottom of a ten-meters tall wall where Primul was standing, looking up in faint wonder . "Says a guy who can¡¯t climb a fuckin¡¯ wall . " "I can climb it just fine . I just choose not to . " "You need help?" "Could use some . " "Fetch him . " "¡ªwhat now---hey, shit, that hurts!! Fuck, fuck you, you damned dog!!" Primul cried out angrily as Non jumped off the wall, bit him by his thigh and pulled him up as the dog ran straight up the wall as though his paws immediately glued themselves to the stone with each step . He threw shaken Primul over as Lino caught him, stabilizing the faintly-shaking man . "That... that isn¡¯t a damn dog..." "Ha ha ha," Linoughed freely for a moment, taking out two gourds of ale and handing one to Primul . "Don¡¯t be too shaken . Virtually every Dragon on the inds is this guy¡¯s pet at this point . " he added, petting Non behind his ears . "... yeah, that¡¯s not weird... at all . " Primul mumbled . "What¡¯s up?" "... I just wanted to check up on you . " Primul said . "You looked really terrible when they carried you back in here . " "... I imagine I did," Lino replied . "Though I can¡¯t im to remember . " "Any permanent effects?" Primul asked . "... pretty much just the eye," Lino said, pointing at his closed, left eye . It wasn¡¯t by choice, though, as he was physically unable to open it . "I got off lightly... all things considered . " "¡ªdon¡¯t try your luck too many times, Lino," Primul said, taking a sip of ale . "There¡¯s only so many times you can put your body through it before it breaks . All things said and done, we are still human . Our capacity to do all the things we do will never override that . " "... someone¡¯s grown more hopeful, huh?" Lino grinned, taking a sip as well . "I learned from the mindlessly optimistic, after all . " "¡ªaye, I hate that fucking guy . What a prick . " "You shouldn¡¯t," Primul said . "He¡¯s... quite an inspiration, actually . " "¡ªhave you told them yet?" Lino asked, the tone of his voice growing heavy . "... would you have wanted us to tell them?" Primul asked back . "... the young will take it the best, I imagine," Lino sighed . "To them it will sound just like another opportunity to prove themselves . As for the rest who merely sought shelter underneath my banner... ah..." "They¡¯ll understand," Primul said . "They have to . " "... Origin War..." Lino mumbled, sighing right after, lowering his head, gazing into the emptiness down below . "Why does it feel... like it was inevitable?" "..." "You live and learn, I suppose," he took in a deep breath, looking up toward the ever-rising sun on the horizon . "Let¡¯s go . Call the council . " "... are you sure? You can take time to recover more . " Primul asked cautiously . "No," Lino shook his head, getting up . "I¡¯ve hidden away long enough . I¡¯ll still give them a choice . " "... you¡¯ve be a part of their hearts, Lino, especially after this time around," Primul chuckled as they slowly descended down the slope of stairs off the wall . "Whilst Two threw hundreds of thousands of souls at you to escape your grip, you sent away an entire army of Dragons to safety, taking a beating of a lifetime for them . The creatures have been praising you ever since they returned . You should see it, the way the eyes of your people light up when they talk about you . The world envies you, Lyonel . I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever thanked you, actually . " "Thanked me?" Lino asked, ncing sideways at the content-looking face lit up by the golden rays of the sun . "¡ªyou broke me out of a prison, both within and without," Primul said . "And given me a chance, however limp and short, to redeem myself as much as possible . I¡¯ll never rectify all the wrongs I¡¯vemitted, but you¡¯ve given me a chance to try . That is more than anything else I¡¯ve been given in my life . " "... others can never give you what you don¡¯t want to take," Lino said, chuckling lightly . "More so than me, you gave yourself the chance, Primul . That is always the most difficult part . epting... we can do, be, better . " "..." Primul said nothing, nodding faintly and, without Lino even noticing it, slowing his steps by a single beat, pulling himself slightly behind the man . He walked with a faint limp he tried to hide, Primul noticed . Something finally clicked inside his mind, a jolted thought waking up the slumbering pieces; the difference between the two, between him and all other Empyreans, really, was quite simple ¨C he was too stubborn to give up and give in . They walked slowly and in silence, taking the stealthden pathways that circumvented the main streets of the fortress leading to the Meeting Hall . It was empty and silent . While Lino sat down, clearly tired, Primul passed by and went to the hearth, firing up the mes and stoking them for a moment before turning around and walking back past Lino and out of the hall, telling the few servants outside to summon everyone . It didn¡¯t take long for the hall to fill up with worried and relieved souls; they all walked in with rapid and fired steps, only ever rxing once their eyesnded upon the figure seated on the central position . They all greeted him with wide smiles of joy, and he replied in kind, repeatedly getting up for a handshake . Primul withdrew to a corner and observed in silence, something he very much enjoyed doing ever since he made the fortress his home . The packed hall remained ever-silent as those already seated waited for the stragglers to show up, yet nobody made a fuss over it . By the time not a single, additional soul could fill it, barely fifteen minutes passed . Lino nced thoroughly around once before slowly getting up . Though he desperately tried to open both of his eyes, only one listened . He swallowed the bitter frustration and took a deep breath, letting go of the fears tangled around his heart . "¡ªTwo has dered war," he said slowly . "An Origin War . " "..." expressions, especially among the veterans, quickly sunk and darkened . "Is she insane?" Cain growled angrily . "I thought she still had a remnant of conscience..." Alex mumbled in disbelief . "Has she forgotten the meaning of the Origin War?!" Myveen joined . Soon, a symphony of voices hollered out, cursing out Two in means and manner that left even Lino temporarily stunned . A cold sweat broke out of his forehead as he realized that these old crooks hid a rather distinguished ability to put down another person . "C-calm down, guys," Lino interrupted them at one point, stuttering faintly . "Cursing her out won¡¯t change anything . I¡¯m sorry . " he suddenly bowed down, startling everyone in the room except Hannah who was sitting by his side . "¡ªoi,d, get up!" Cain cried out . "No," Lino replied firmly . "I need to apologize . One way or another, I¡¯ve let the personal grudge ferment and grow . If I had known better, I¡¯d have given a leg and arm to kill Two before she had a chance to drag the world into our affairs . Nobody here should be forced to tangle their lives into a war that will change the foundation of the world by ripping hundreds of millions of souls from it . " "¡ªlift your head up, Empyrean," dozens of heads spun around at the sound of an unknown, calmingly melodic voice . On the other end of the table, near the entrance, a woman d in pure silver stood . She was incredibly tall, towering over two meters, draped in a one-piece, draped dress . Her eyes seemingly shone in the shade of an overcast, wooden tform, drawing the onlookers in . "If anyone should be bowing in apprehension, it should be us . " she added, gently pointing at the row of simrly tall men and women to her left who all nodded slowly . "Lux is right," a man standing next to her echoed the sentiment; he was even taller, his ck hair cascading down the broad back freely, high forehead carved in dark lines . "Hold your head high, Empyrean, and let us bow ours in eternal gratitude . " as though theymunicated mentally, over twenty bodies bent halfway to the floor, causing a faint stir in the hall to drown out the silence . "¡ªwhat is done, it¡¯s done," Val said, changing the topic . "Regardless of who bows their head, we are still at war . Origin War, no less . We need to start nning . How long do you think we have?" "Usually around ten years," Primul added from the side . "Length of preparations depends exclusively on the world¡¯s poption . " "Ten years sounds about right," Alex nodded . "It should be enough for some basic preparations, but we¡¯ll mostly have to adjust on the go . " "We have all that we need here already," Cain said . "More than enough to win . " "¡ªwe will win," Lino said, sitting down, his expression growing cold and determined . "There is no doubt in regards to that . The only question is how to win while losing as little as possible . I promise you all," he added, his Will briefly breaking out of his shell, causing all the souls in the hall to shudder in fright for a moment, even Hannah¡¯s . "This will be thest Origin War Noterra will ever see..." END OF VOLUME XVIII Chapter 451 Chapter 451 VOLUME XIX ORIGIN WAR CHAPTER 451 NINE YEARS (I) A distinctly long valley cut between two mountain chains, decorated with gorged gashes of moltenva flowing, burning away any trace of life . Both mountain chains repeatedly billowed ck soot and gray ash into the sky, volcanic maws spitting out burning rocks that came upon the earth down below like rain . Throughout the valley itself, hundreds of thousands of tents, brick-built barracks, independent encampments, and a myriad of strange-looking stoneworks resembling a dwelling, sprung out regardless of their surroundings . The mudden pathways cutting through and in-between the dwellings bore a paradoxical nature, being perpetually wet yet doused in hot air and winds carried over from the surrounding mountaintops . Though it did rain here, frequently at that, the clean droplets, on their way down, were corrupted by thick ash and soot, winding up driedpounds of filth by the time they hit the earth . Yet, wet it remained all the same . A crusade of tall beasts erect on two legs and draped in thick, brown fur stomped through the narrow cuttings, their bodies d in thin, leather armor, shins angled and exposed like hind legs of the wolves . There were over forty of them altogether, their walk causing faint thump even within the muddied pathway . Behind them, simrly numbered, was a group of wholly naked women, their necks bound with iron rings strapped to chains lingering in the dirt . They had their heads hung low, arms modestly trying to cover the private parts meekly, shaking in the whizzing cold . They were led into a circr opening propped by singr stonework, a four-story building looming over its surroundings, barren of windows and decorations . Upfront, four guards d in full te approached and inspected the women briefly before handing the beastmen a clinking satchel and sending them their marry way . "Pull them in," one of the guards called to the nearby serfs standing still . "Basement, Lord Vorks chambers . " "Yes, Sire!" the serfs cried lowly before speeding over, taking the chains and guiding the women too weak to weep inside . The two guards watched with seemingly detached, cold expressions, their eyes consciously peering past the bare skins and into the ck-fogged horizon . They remained standing so long after the women vanished, and long past the hymn of screams and voices that would asionally trickle out the arched gateway upfront that they were guarding, and long into the night when the same, naked women were sent out piled on crumpling wagons; neither dead nor alive, somece in-between, inside a limbo where their own selves have been stripped of all energy and meaning . The two men knew better than to question and discuss what transpired within the stoned, cold walls of the ¡¯Hub¡¯, as such actions would merit more than just a beheading . They were reced just before the crack of the following dawn by two other souls they didn¡¯t know, rapidly vanishing from the spot and trailing through the diverse architecture of the Hallowed Valley to find their way over to the Guard Barracks ¨C not a singr building, but rather a self-contained encampment cornered in the north-west of the valley where a variety of buildings, be it straw, wood, or stone-built, rested on the faint, mountainous slope . Handing the weapons and the armor to the scribe in the Armory, they hardly entertained a thought of a meal before rushing to gray stonework and onto the first floor, where their room was . Like all other rooms, it was narrow, cold and empty . The sole source of light was a barely-functioning candle propped above a frame where a mirror once stood, opposite of a bunk-bed that was a few feet short of covering the entire room in all directions . They closed the doors carefully and sat in silence for a distinct while, as though ensuring the silence was true . Both had simr appearances, though distinctck of blood rtion was evident in their jaws, eyes, and shoulders; one of the guards was broad and tall, ck-eyed like a raven, while the other was on the lean end of things, blue-eyed . Both sported short, brown hair and clearly broken noses that failed to heal properly, leaning to one side a bit too much . "¡ªshould... should we ept it?" the blue-eyed man was the first to crack, mumbling tepidly into the somber silence . "... I don¡¯t know," the ck-eyed man sighed heavily, shaking his head . "What if we get caught? We won¡¯t have a second to even beg before being beheaded!" "... I... I wouldn¡¯t mind..." "Shane!" "Think about it, Dan!!" the blue-eyed man eximed softly, turning toward his shockedpanion . "What... what are we even doing here?! For five years... for five years... I haven¡¯t heardughter, Dan . Laughter . For five years . " "..." "If I had known what I¡¯d walk into, damn the five shills, I¡¯d have nevere . I... I want to leave, Dan . I really, really want to leave this ce..." "... you think I don¡¯t?" the ck-eyed man said, sighing once more . "This ain¡¯t right . None of this is right . I heard rumors that Colonel Yonick brought up the inhumane treatment a week ago, and is now ving in the mines, disallowed death . Nobody is safe... nobody . " "¡ªthat¡¯s why I say we risk it," Shane said, seemingly hardening and steeling his heart at that very moment . "The worst oue? We die . So be it, we die . Still a fate kinder than most here . However, if we make it... we¡¯ll be free of this, Dan . Free of this torture..." "... but... but what if the Empyrion is the same?" Daniel asked with a faint trace of worry . "All we¡¯ve heard are the rumors, that it¡¯s a better ce . What if it¡¯s not?" "¡ªwhat if it is?" Shane asked back . "Can it even get any worse than this? Not unless they are spiking newborn babes and using them as hall ornaments, Dan . " "... I know," Daniel said, gritting his teeth . "I heard they constructed the Purifying Pit atst . All dissidents are bathed in it but kept alive . This... all of this... is insane..." "... tomorrow, then . Tomorrow we act . " Shane said firmly . "Burn it . " "Burn it?" "Burn it . " Daniel took out a heavily crumpled talisman from the inside pocket of his overcoat, carefully holding it within his shaky arms . He couldn¡¯t recognize the design or the pattern despite a trace of knowledge when it came to talismans he inherited from his father; either it was foreign or far tooplex, but he hardly cared . Gripping it tightly for a moment, he took a deep breath and burned it with a whiff of Qi . The talisman burned without exuding even an iota of light, or a trace of Qi, as though absolutely nothing happened . Their worried expressions mellowed, having feared the burning of the talisman would have caused a ruckus despite having been told otherwise . Now, at the very least, they wouldn¡¯t be discovered before tomorrow . Shane bid the tall man farewell and climbed on top of the bunkbed, ready to sleep, while Dan left sitting, his fingers interlocked, arms rested against his knees, deep in thought . He didn¡¯t know whether the two of them made the right choice; that uncertainty ate away at him, yet it was already toote . While he withstood their reality better than his friend, he was by no means impervious to it . The two arrived here as hopeful recruits five years ago, happily trekking toward the promisednd of the Firmament ¨C Hallowed Valley . Beyond its borders, it is considered a Blessed Ground, a blending of cultures, traditions, and forces from all corners of the world who came together, under the same banner, to defeat the Mad Empyrion . Neither suspected that, within a month of their stay, all their dreams and pictures of this ce woulde crashing down . There was nothing unifying about this ce, there was nothing promising about it, nothing blessed . It was hell . No, perhaps, it was even worse than Hell . Ever-stiffed air that had to be consciously purified with Qi lest one failed to wake up one random morning, overbearing atmosphere where going out of line meant excuseless death, and terrible food were just a few things they could live with, albeit with some difficulty . The day their illusion crashed beyond repair was when they were first stationed as guards in front of the ¡¯Hub¡¯ ¨C that same day, much likest night, random beastmen brought two dozen naked women in chains while their superintendent gave them a satchel and sent the women inside . They were told that would be their job from then on, and it remained so until today . Who were those women? Neither Shane nor he knew, and they hardly dared ask . All they knew that they would see the same batch return every ten months, broken and listless . After the first time, the same batch would never produce even a sound, let alone a scream that could rip through the thick stone and find its way outside . Though he could imagine the reality behind it all, he refused . It was too ugly, too inhumane, too contradictory to what he believed this ce to be . Eight years ago, when the Empyrion was publicly established, this ce was a rapid reply; perhaps, in its initial form, it truly was what it marketed itself as ¨C a ce where all those with anti-Empyrion sentiments coulde together, forming the bastion that would protect the world from madness and chaos . He nced at the flickering me of the candle, the crimson-coral shape swaying faintly left and right, barely strong enough to cast a faint light onto the crack frame beneath it . It was old and oriental, Daniel mused, reminiscent of the Skyhaven School of Art . His thoughts trailed, heavy, back on his life before the Hallowed Valley; he was an ordinary Disciple of the Crypt, living a fairly simple and ordinary life . He had no grand aspirations, had no dreams of ascending thedder and bing a titr name of the world . He disregarded most of the news and rumors that came trickling through the circles and even disregarded the deration of the Origin War . What did that matter for him? He had no reason to believe someone so low in standing would either be given the opportunity or has the ability to impact anything . It wasn¡¯t until four yearster that he changed his mind; one of the short skirmishes left a gaping trace of irreverent death just outside the Crypt¡¯s grounds where, looking from the wall, he saw a pit filled with disemboweled corpses . With the fire of his heart stoked, he looked for ways to help when he learned of the Hallowed Valley . Now, however, looking back on that day, he saw it through a different lens . He understood it from a different perspective . It was war, and in war, it hardly mattered how you treated your foes; here, he learned, that the rightful treatment itself wasn¡¯t a right, but a privilege given to a very few . He pondered, all the way until night, when Shane awoke, what the Empyrion was like . Whether it was more of the same, or truly as it was rumored to be ¨C as close to a paradise as one coulde upon Noterra . Chapter 452 Chapter 452: 452 CHAPTER 452 NINE YEARS (II) The night had fallen steep, the somewhat warm winds managing to blow off the ever-epassing stench of the valley . Lights of erect torches, from above, looked like a barely starlit sky, as though ever so often there was a massive gap, a hole of pure emptiness . Yet, there was hardly a spot in the entire valley that was empty ¨C the truth that made Daniel¡¯s and Shane¡¯s n that much harder . Two men were currently standing in front of the ¡¯Hub¡¯, embraced by tender silence and warm colors of the gemstones beaming from overhead, embedded into the archway . Though the two stood still, there was a certain nimbleness to their alert eyes that took in the whole of their surroundings . They waited, for they did not know when the dark Shadow would return . On the day the two first met it, it hade just before the dawn, on their way back to the barracks . Would it still do the same? Or would it wait for them inside their room? Thews of reality hardly seemed to contain it, as far as the two men could tell . They both knew, deep inside, they weren¡¯t being ¡¯rescued¡¯ out of the good will; the two had a rtively high-ranking position, privy to a general map as well as far more knowledge of what was going on than most . They didn¡¯t mind trading it for a better life, which is why they were both running through all they knew and properly wording it inside their heads ever since they made the decision . The night, however, faded slowly and silently; there was hardly any activity on this end of the valley during the night, save for a few drunk Generals wandering the streets in search of their homes . By the light of the dawn, both Shane and Daniel were unnervingly exhausted; after all, they¡¯d kept their alertness throughout the night, as though they truly were doing a marvelous job of protecting the ¡¯Hub¡¯ . They were thirsty and weak in their knees, but they had to endure as their post wouldst until noon . It truly seemed as though the Shadow would either intersect them on their way back as thest time or wait for them in their room . Perhaps, it might even show its true features to them as a sign of trust . They both wondered what hideous creature was hidden behind the mask of shadows and shade . Hours ticked by rapidly and slowly as the Valley awoke to a new day . A batch of women that had stayed the night in the ¡¯Hub¡¯ was sent out, soon after reced by roughly forty returnees . Both guards easily recognized thecking luster of life in their eyes, the listlessness and soullessness ever-present in their gait . In the distance, they could hear the roars of Commanders going through the drills, adjoined with the screams of the crowds on the opposite end of theirs where a day-long diator Arena would see hundreds ughtered in the name of entertainment . The Valley acted as a massive city, a melting pot of varieties, and if one¡¯s intentions were to simply have a good time, it wasn¡¯t too difficult; there were brothels everywhere, of all kinds . There were pubs and taverns spread throughout serving the cheapest and the most exotic drinks across the world . There were libraries, though only upper echelon had direct ess to them, as well as the schools that the young attended . In effect, it was a City ¨C a proper,rge, badly maintained city . Save for the few hotspots throughout, the Valley was embittered in filth and drudge, be it human¡¯s, beast¡¯s or animal¡¯s . The stench was pervasive, which meant that the stoneworks which had windows rarely opened them, and the few lethargic groups yet to catch up cursed out the heaven and the earth all day long . Noon came about as the two men were relieved of their duty, atst . They could feel the heaviness of their eyes as they desperately tried to close, much to the men¡¯s dismay . They ran the familiar route, passing by a variety of sights that had by nowe to be expected; a disemboweled bodyy in the pudge of filth, a row of isted heads resting on the iron spikes, groups of men fighting, blood trickling down the muddied earth... when they first arrived and witnessed all this, it was impossible to hold their innards still . Now? There was a certain self-loathing associated with their ability to withstanding it soxly . The barracks were as the barracks are; rapidly handing their weapons and armor, they climbed the familiar steps and lurched into the familiar room . They were right, both immediately realized; right there, standing leaned against the opposite end of the wall from the door, was a Shadow ¨C no, not a shadow, a man . It wasn¡¯t an abomination as they had expected, but an ordinary-looking man, slightly on the handsome side even . He was tall and lean, ck-eyed and haired, with broad shoulders blending into long arms thaty crossed over his leather-bound chest . His long hair was tied into a downcast tail behind that reached half his back . Save for the brownish leather vest on his chest, he was otherwise d in ck, including gloves that had a strange, crimson sheen to them . Neither Daniel nor Shane dared move a step closer from the doors, yet they didn¡¯t scream out or try to run away; after all, there was no point in trying to hide from a man who could sneak into the virtual heart of the Hallowed Valley entirely unnoticed . Besides, the two invited him here ¨C it was their choice, one they should now honor . "¡ªyou took longer than I expected," the man spoke in apletely ordinary voice, one missing any distinct features; there was no dialect, no stutter, no distinct pitch... they were somewhat shocked by it . "But, I suppose it is never toote . " "..." by their estimates, the man was nearing his thirties, though it was beyond difficult to calcte one¡¯s age by the appearance ¨C for instance, their Superintendent, Brook, was a man seemingly in his mid-thirties, yet was pushing two million in actuality . "Well? Won¡¯t you sit down?" the man pointed at the bed, faintly smiling in amusement . "I imagine it must be ufortable, pressed tightly within such a narrow corridor . " Daniel and Shane nodded modestly before limbering over, awkwardly sitting on the bed, asionally ncing at the man . "Do you wish to sell information for a favor, or escape altogether?" "¡ªe-escape..." Shane replied . "And you?" the man focused Daniel, forcing thetter to meet his eyes . "E-escape, too . " "Very well," the man nodded, as though he was merely talking about taking a hike rather than escaping a militant encampment stacked to the sky with preventive formations . "We¡¯ll do it tonight . At around 11 they resupply the elective formations with Qi Stones which should give us around two-three minutes of weaker defenses to break through . When out, it should take us some time to reach the Empyrion through thework . Do you have anyone else you¡¯d like to take with you?" "... n-no..." both Shane and Daniel shook their heads, shocked to learn that the man knew so much about the internal workings of the Valley . How much did the Agents of the Empyrion, as they were often called, know? Apparently far more than most in here believed . "Don¡¯t be so shocked," the man smiled faintly, seemingly having read their minds . "It¡¯s a long struggle . We¡¯d have failed to live up to the expectations if we didn¡¯t even know this much . Daniel... Shane... strange names . Where are you originally from?" "¡ªh-how... ah, the... the Crypt..." Daniel replied while Shane remained silent, his eyes widening into saucers ¨C they¡¯ve never given them their names, yet the man somehow knew despite the fact that they were hardly key figures of the Valley . "Ah, the Crypt," the man nodded . "Perhaps you two may remember Vyrove?" "A-ah? Master Vyrove? Hasn¡¯t he fallen in the Hunt?!" Shane eximed . "Ha ha, hardly," the man replied,ughing . "He¡¯s a happily marriedd now, even has a two-year-old son . Lord of the Eastern Fort, quite an important title, actually . We can settle you there in the end . He¡¯s been more than happy to amodate his former Juniors . " "¡ªt-there... there are more of us?" Daniel asked meekly, probing as to see whether he understood the implications . "Though the Valley may be thergest, ¡¯tis hardly the only gathering point," the man chuckled faintly . "Of course there¡¯d be others who wished to switch sides . Some from our end of things, some from yours . Delusion is a strange thing . " "... can... can I ask something?" much to Shane¡¯s dismay, Daniel braved himself enough to break the short-lived silence and meet the man¡¯s ck eyes squarely . "Of course . " the man nodded . "Is-is it true that... the Empyrion is... better?" "... hmm," the man entered a deep thought for a moment before replying . "¡¯Better¡¯ is really rtive, if you ask me . I mean, we don¡¯t use enved women as broodmothers, nor do we allow the state of our Cities to be so... decadent, but I imagine we have higher expectations of the individuals . For instance, though the information you two have may be valuable, you won¡¯t simply be given an eternal life of pleasure . You¡¯ll be given ess to the tools to improve yourself and find a ce to prove your worth . After all, it would be a bit too difficult to feed everyone if they simply sat on their asses and did nothing . " "Thank... thank you, for being honest . " Daniel said, finally rxing somewhat . "What options will we have? Or will we need to fill the vacancies?" "Whatever fancies you," the man said, smiling widely . "A schr? A historian? A bard? A soldier? A carpenter? You¡¯ll be shoved into the school of whatever you wish to study . There are always vacancies in the ever-expanding Empire, Daniel, and nary enough souls to fill them all . Don¡¯t worry too much," the man added at the end . "You won¡¯t be left to wander blind . " "... thank you . " Daniel nodded, releasing a pent-up breath and rxing atst . Shane also appeared to have loosened up somewhat, braving himself a question as well . "May... may I ask... what should we call you?" "Call me?" the man nced at them, smiling wryly . "Just call me Ty . I should leave now, however, as they¡¯ll inspect your room soon . I¡¯ll meet you tonight slightly before 11, so bury all your heart¡¯s demons by then and be ready . You¡¯re venturing out into the world, one far greater than you can even imagine..." Chapter 453 Chapter 453 CHAPTER 453 NINE YEARS (III) The night had fallen . Perhaps the greatest teller of it was the overcast shade of the looming mountains toward the west that had caused thousands of gems floating inside the ssednterns by the roadside to light up like stars . The streetsy varied, someden in blinding light, some with barely enough to distinguish the winding corners . Shane and Daniely on their beds, both wide awake; strange thoughts traced through their minds, hundreds they had never thought of before . It had only recently dawned upon them that they weremitting what was essentially high treason ¨C a crime worth painful punishment of death, if caught . Yet, for a reason they were yet to understand, they didn¡¯t feel fear or even tension . Perhaps a faint trace of nervousness and excitement, but within the enduring levels . Neither fancied themselves particrly brave, so the root of their confidence, they realized, had to be that man ¨C Ty, he called himself . The tall, lean, ever-smiling, rxed man who managed to sneak into the Valley unnoticed twice, possessing intricate knowledge over how the formations inside the Valley functioned . The two realized then that this wasn¡¯t his first trek, that he had most-likely already visited this ce before, or at the very least ces simr to this one . If it were so easy to sneak in and out of the Hallowed Valley, would all those freed of their chains at some point remain here? No, they certainly wouldn¡¯t . Though many spirits were broken, some remained burning in defiance . Just a month ago, one of the women managed to cleave herself away from the group and nearly bite Shane¡¯s face off before a beastman that brought her struck her in the back of her neck, immediately killing her . Shane still shuddered at the memory; the distorted face, the burnt eyes full of rebellious will to live, and a hoarse yell of someone whose throat was as dry as a desert... it became a permanently inscribed memory, one he was certain he would never forget . "¡ªare you guys ready?" Shane and Daniel suddenly jumped, barely holding a fearful scream in their throats . Right where he stood today, the man was back, leaned against the wall, observing their horrified expressions with a queer smile . Had they ventured a guess at that moment, they would ascertain that the man enjoyed this... a bit too much . "Is¡ªis it eleven yet?" Daniel asked as the two men got off the beds and stood in front of the tall man . "It¡¯s always eleven with me," the man chuckled, suddenly taking out two ck cloaks and handing one each to the two men . "Put these on . Make sure you cover everything except your face . " "What is this?" Shane asked, realizing that the stats of the cloak were locked . "An envious creation," Ty replied mysteriously, shrugging . "Put them on, quickly . " "What about you?" "What about me?" "Aren¡¯t... aren¡¯t you going to put it on?" Daniel asked further with weaker conviction . "What for?" Ty chuckled . "I¡¯m already a ghost, for all intents and purposes . Come on, you two . Let¡¯s go take a stroll . " "¡ªtake a stroll?" The dubiousness of the words would be broken shortly after they left the barracks . The man truly meant when he said to ¡¯take a stroll¡¯ ¨C for that was exactly what they were doing . Unhurried, rxed, as though they were ghosts . Many-a-time Daniel and Shane jumped in fear when they saw someone approaching them, yet not a single soul seemingly perceived them . For all intents and purposes, just like the man, they were ghosts . Invisible . Dauntless . Conviction and courage soon surged within them as they headed northward, toward the exit of the valley . On two ends of the man, stone-paved road arose glistening, tall towers of might that oversaw the world around them, ensuring there were no deserters . Beyond them rows of the so-called ¡¯Housing Centers¡¯ arose, simple-decked, four-stories building that could house hundreds of souls at the same time . The two of them spent some time there when they first came, which made their current room seem like a vastly open hall inparison . Though the passing souls were few, they still encountered several dozen, all of whom ignored them entirely, as though they were not there . They nced at the broad back of the man with incredulous eyes, wondering just what kind of an item these cloaks were . In their hearts, they believed they were effectively Empyrion¡¯s greatest secrets, which must mean that the man in front of them wasn¡¯t someone simple . "How much has this ce changed in the past five years?" the man asked them casually as they took a bounding turn around a circr za . "¡ªnot much," Daniel replied after exchanging looks with Shane . "More ranks were added, as far as I¡¯m aware . Different races joined . Numbers swelled . But the hierarchy remainedrgely the same . " "How many Generals and above are stationed here?" "... uh, not too sure," Daniel replied, scratching his head, trying to remember . "There are at the very least several hundred Generals, but there are only 10 Commanders that I¡¯ve encountered in the past years . " "Oh? Did you recognize any one of them?" Ty asked, his interest seemingly piqued atst, as he nced back . "¡ªjust one, Sir," Daniel said . "Lo¡ªI mean, Bearer Erebus . " "... Two made that shrill amander?" Ty mumbled in faint disbelief . "What the hell..." Shrill? Daniel and Shane thought at the same time, shuddering momentarily; Commander Erebus, after all, was one of the most respected figures around, tens of thousands of souls at his beck and call... yet, the seemingly inconspicuous man in front of them had dared called him a ¡¯shrill¡¯ . "Though, I suppose, he did decently well during the River Layn Skirmish," Ty continued, stroking his chin . "But, then again, that was just a throwaway force . If he somehow managed to actually lose, he may as well have killed himself right after . Interesting... really interesting . Ah, we¡¯re here . Duck in that hole . " Following the man¡¯s finger, the two men¡¯s eyesnded on a bored hole in the earth next to a tall oak tree . By now they had left the confines of the makeshift city, reaching its outskirts; the trumped earth gave way to rising forests on both ends that blended into the high mountains, the entrance to the Valley closed off by an invisible gate whose outlines briefly shed into existence once the formations made a round . From Daniel¡¯s quick estimates, he put it at anywhere between six hundred and six thousand meters tall . They didn¡¯t hesitate for long before throwing themselves down into the hole; after a short rumble and tumble that resulted in a few bruises, theynded into the dark opening . Immediately after, glimmering light of the torched mes lit up the surrounding walls as they realized they¡¯d found themselves inside an underground tunnel . It was as wide as four men and as tall as one and a half,cking anything but the torches that gave it light in terms of decoration . The mannded in front of them shortly after, merely signaling them to get up and follow after him as he began walking forward at a brisk pace . "When these tunnels were first dug up," Ty said after a short silence . "Empyrion was yet to be founded, actually . I was among the few that were selected to scout the weakest points of entry into this ce . Back then, if we hadn¡¯t procured several weaknesses into the foundations of the formations, we¡¯d stand no chance of going in and out unnoticed like this today . I gotta say, whoever is building upon the arrays... is a genius . " "¡ªwhere does the tunnel lead out to?" Shane asked . "To Q¡¯sar . " "The port city?" Daniel and Shane eximed at the same time . "But¡ªhow is that possible?! It ought to be months of travel on foot to reach the port!" "Eh, that¡¯s the magic you don¡¯t need to understand," Ty chuckled, ncing back and winking at the two men . "There is one question I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll help me understand . " "Hm?" "The so-called ¡¯Hub¡¯," Ty said, his expression visibly darkening . "Who¡¯s inside?" "... we don¡¯t know," Shane replied after a short hesitation . "None of the guards do . Apparently, as far as we¡¯re aware, whoever¡¯s in there has never left... at least as far as we¡¯re aware of . " "... sorry . " Daniel added, seeing Ty¡¯s disappointed expression . "Don¡¯t worry about it," the man said, smiling weakly . "Nothing we can do about that . Just a bit of a personal grudge is all . " "¡ªif I may ask, how will we reach the Empyrion from Q¡¯sar?" Daniel asked . "Cross the Pilgrim¡¯s Bay on a boat, and then use about eight or nine teleportation arrays," Ty exined . "The world is vastly smaller once you can blitz about it so easily . I remember my Master telling me she once spent months traveling on foot just to reach one city from another . I can¡¯t even imagine it if I¡¯m being honest . You two shouldn¡¯t worry too much . As long as I¡¯m here, nothing will happen to you . " "..." though it may have sounded like empty boasting, for one reason or another, neither Daniel nor Shane doubted the strange man¡¯s words . It wasn¡¯t just the air of confidence that he exuded with every step and every word, but also something transcending those boundaries, something they couldn¡¯t quite exin just yet . The entire journey through the tunnelssted for a few hours, including a few breaks they took on the way as well as a singr meal they had . The entire tunnel was eerily the same, seemingly no breaking point to speak of, such as the change in the soil . Its end came abruptly as the path ended, the wall rising in its wake . It was only once they nced upward that they saw a hole simr to the one they entered . This time around, Ty was the first to climb out, the two men following his footsteps . By the time they emerged, they were forced to close their eyes due to the blinding light shining directly into their eyes . They grabbed onto Ty¡¯s arms as he pulled them out andy them on the dusty ground . Several seconds passed before they were able to open their eyespletely and take in the sight; before them, a massive body of clean-blue water stretched into the horizon, surrounded by tall and sharp cliffs on their end . To their right, a pine forest reached nearly the edge of the cliff, giving way to a few meters of empty, barren and gray rock toward the end . Though the sight was unfamiliar, the fluttering g on their left wasn¡¯t ¨C the silver crown cast upon the golden background, a pole on top of which the g rested rising high from the stone tower . There was no doubt ¨C they were just on the outskirts of Q¡¯sar, on apletely different end of the Sanctified Grounds, months¡¯ worth of journey from the Hallowed Valley . How? They couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom . Chapter 454 Chapter 454 CHAPTER 454 NINE YEARS (IV) Long-winded years had passed since either Daniel or Shane hadst seen the vestiges of the world outside the Valley . Both had nigh-forgotten the sensation of the ever-speedy life, the brushing against shoulders that didn¡¯t care, theck of screams and cries and roars forming an evesting symphony with which one fell asleep . Q¡¯sar was by no means arge city ¨C if it could even be qualified as a city over a town . It had dusted, yed walls rising in uneven form around, forming an oddly wobbly shape as they followed the cadence of the natural formations, namely the dips and rises of the stone cliff atop which it rested . Most of the buildings inside the walls were cast out of sandstone, some taller than others, though nonerger than three stories; it was considered heretical since the native Q¡¯sarians believed in Three Mortalities and One Divinity ¨C thetter existing beyond the realm of the former three . The streets remained unpaved throughout, though that hardly tampered with hundreds of people lining their sides, selling, begging, bantering, singing, performing . The two men had long since taken off the cloaks, as invisibility hardly mattered now; here, they were just two strangers, two new faces . They took in the sights meekly, following behind Ty closely and carefully . Neither have ever been to the city, though through no fault of their own; Q¡¯sar was a temporary haven for the lost souls who encroached upon itsnds before they moved elsewhere, likely to their original destination . Its economy was entirely dependent on the overprized inns, taverns and selling of cheaply made trinkets . It had no local-grown grain or fruit, and the fishing was terribly underdevelopedrgely due to the fact that the cityy t on a high cliff . The native Q¡¯sarians had a reddish hue to their copper-colored skins, nearly all sporting identical, muddy-blonde hair with faint traces of brown . Most sported a pair of hazelnut-colored eyes, the few exceptions giving way to a rather beautiful green, sticking out like a sore thumb against their darker skin tones . They were deeply religious folk, at least as far as Shane and Daniel could recall of them; pagans through and through, irreverent of the ¡¯Gods¡¯ imposed upon them by the Holy Grounds, even of Gaia herself . To most, they were merely loose heretics but werergely left alone as their numbers weren¡¯t huge . Ty led them to a small, corner shop near the center of the city; it was a t building with just a base floor, squared and simple in make, built out of sandstone like all the ones surrounding it . Insides were surprisingly spacious and well-lit, mostly due to the stacked shelf of gems to the left . The brownish hue of the floor and walls, as though they had entered innards of a desert, were somewhat depressing, but they hardly had a moment toin . The room they walked into sported a counter built directly out of the left-end wall, the remainder of the room filled with tables and chairs . Two men quickly concluded it was a makeshift tavern that also sold cheap trinkets, though they didn¡¯t ask much and instead sat down with Ty . Shortly after, a native Q¡¯sarian on a taller end, with green eyes, came and took their order . Since Ty remained silent, the two of them did as well, awkwardly ncing around, trying to figure out whether the remaining six figures in the shop were random independents or Ty¡¯spanions . "¡ªdon¡¯t look too deeply into it," Ty said with a chuckle, seemingly having realized their thoughts . He slowly took out a thin book from his inside-pocket, handing it over to the two men . "This is merely a resting stop . I like this ce . Quaint . Clean . Great booze . That," he pointed at the thin book . "Is a local cultural guide . We¡¯ll be staying here for two days, and I can¡¯t exactly babysit you since, well, you two are grown men . So, study up a bit on the local customs and make sure you don¡¯t stir anything unnecessary . " "A-ah, yes . " Shane and Daniel nodded, quickly taking the book and opening it . "You should also start sorting out your thoughts," Ty said as the tavern keeper brought three sets of Chilled Mead, since two men simply ordered what Ty did . "I imagine my Master will wish to see you and talk with you . Most of the questions I asked you were simply my personal inquiries; she¡¯s the one who deals with the intelligence, and she can be... well, quite detailed in that regard . " "..." Shane and Daniel nodded meekly, wondering what person could have someone like the man in front of them calling them ¡¯Master¡¯ . "... sheesh, you should really rx," Ty rolled his eyes at them, chuckling and taking a sip of mead . "However little or much you know is irrelevant . We won¡¯t send you back . We don¡¯t make a business out of killing people . Well, unnecessarily, I suppose . Alright, I¡¯ll leave you two to studying . " Though the book Ty gave them was thin, it still had roughly forty pages which were by no means easy to get through . The two of them became quite shocked by the depth of the Q¡¯sarian culture and tradition that went well beyond what little they were taught in the Histories back in the Crypt . As it turned out, Q¡¯sarians were direct descendants of the first Humans to ever settle the Eastern Coastline of the Holy Continent and were themselves some of the oldest peoples of the continent . Their pagan traditions were deeply rooted in the so-called Old Tales, limericks and epics that survived the scorch of time . Perhaps most-interestingly, their traditionpletely rejected the concept of marriage; rather, a union between two persons was always temporary, as they didn¡¯t believe perfection could be achieved in any part of one¡¯s life . The more they read through the book, the more they realized how misinformed they were over a rather important group of people that had inhabited thesends longer than their own, former Sect has . Sighing inwardly at their own ignorance, they carefully memorized the most important parts before closing the book and handing it over to Ty who took it back with a smile, putting it away into the same pocket . "Do youds still have any questions?" Ty asked them casually . "Don¡¯t be afraid . I¡¯ve yet to bite anyone but a very willing recipient . " "... uh, if, if you don¡¯t mind," Daniel said, coughing awkwardly . "Could... could you tell us what the Empyrean is like? Really like, I mean . " "... what have you heard about him?" Ty asked back instead of replying . "... mostly that he¡¯s beastly," Shane replied . "Unforgiving... savage... bloodthirsty . " "Rules through fear and terror," Daniel jumped on . "And ¡¯our¡¯ job was to liberate everyone under his reign . " "... do I look fearful or terrified?" Ty asked, cracking a smile . "Uh...--" "Don¡¯t get me wrong," Ty continued . "That bastard¡¯s a lot of things, and can definitely be beastly and unforgiving and savage, but, for the most part, he¡¯s just azy jackoff passing off all his fucking responsibilities on others . Do you know he hasn¡¯t made a public appearance in almost six months? He¡¯s been ¡¯researching crafts¡¯, the liar, justzing about like a twinkling princess . However horrid it may sound, I¡¯m almost d the build-up is slowlying to a close, just so he¡¯ll get off hiszy ass and start working again . " "..." both Daniel and Shane were stunned into silence, wondering whether the two of them and Ty were still talking about the same man ¨C the Empyrean, the Emperor of Empyrion, the Head of Chaos, the World¡¯s Rapture . Perhaps of all the possible nicknames, neither of the two expected zy¡¯ to be the most frequent . "... on both ends of things, he¡¯s mostly a figurehead," Ty borated, tone of his voice turning serious . "In reality, he¡¯s... just a man . Hardly the terror, and hardly the savior juxtaposed between the world¡¯s two extremes . If I¡¯m being honest," Ty said . "There are far more terrifying people than him . My Master, Lady Hannah, Lord Eggor, Titus... if he¡¯s your greatest fear, you¡¯ll do just fine . " "Thank you, for your honesty . " Daniel said, smiling lightly as the table turned silent once more . It was hard to truly understand the currents of the world from his position; even back in the Crypt, before the Origin War, the Empyrean was the unifying element ¨C the ghastly counterpart to their goodness . It wasn¡¯t a debatable stance, but the universal truth that was only doubled down upon with the deration of the Origin War . Since then, even the faintest inclination toward the Empyrean was dealt with rapidly and violently . Rather than Chaos, Daniel noted, he was visualized more as a symbol of pure evil . He could still vividly remember, barely a week after the deration of the Origin War and the Battle of the Isles, when the Martial Law was imposed throughout the Crypt . Within a week, over a thousand disciples were publicly executed, including practically the entire family of Lord Vyrove . Their skeletal corpses remained hanging all the way until he left the Sect and joined the Valley as a grim reminder and an open warning . There was a certain paranoia attached to even the concept of the Empyrean; whether warranted or not, he could not say . He was never exposed to much, and he never desired much . In the grand scheme of things, it didn¡¯t matter to him much who won; after all, those were the sort of battles andplications that lived outside the average reality . Though the war was everyone¡¯s burden, the resolution was the reward for the few . He was not among those few . He was among the rest, who would sit still and fearful, brooding over the next time their leaders lose their minds and charge off into the war . He hasn¡¯t been privy to the true sight of war till today; one way or another, he had always been sheltered to a certain degree . Though he¡¯d seen his fair share of ghastly sights, never so much so that he¡¯d decry war upon its very mention . Even the situation in the Valley didn¡¯t entirely disillusion him . Would traveling to the Empyrion do so? He doubted it . Something, after all, had to be starkly recognizable if the tales of it could travel world-over, reaching even the most sheltered ears . Deep inside, he began looking forward tonding on the shores of the Forgotten Continent, visiting the bastion forgotten and reborn and soaking in the youngest yet most powerful Empire in the entire world . Chapter 455 Chapter 455 CHAPTER 455 NINE YEARS (V) Ty called them Port-rooms, Shane realized; they were small, usually, basement-dwellings, hidden beneath the most populous cities throughout the entire Continent, as though on purpose . Each sported an identical vortex spinning at the center, though faintly different from the ones Shane had seen before in his life ¨C these ones had a faint yellowish tint to their edges . They also didn¡¯t seem to exude even an iota of Qi, whereas, usually, the vortexes of such size would draw in Qi from at least a mile away . It made sense, however; after all, they could have hardly remained hidden if they signaled their presence to all the curious eyes . Ty didn¡¯t exin, and neither Shane nor Daniel probed ¨C whatever the secret behind those vortexes was, it was not theirs to know . At least not just yet . What shocked them far more than the vortexes, however, were their locations; from Q¡¯sar, to D¡¯or, to Villirum, to Fyorn... all cities swarming with the Holy Army, yet their greatest foe was right there, beneath their noses . The gall, brilliance, and stupidity were beyond Shane¡¯s desire toprehend . Perhaps it was part vanity and part expectation that nobody would ever even for a second muse the notion that they might actually do it . In a way, they were right . They were currently taking a short break in a small tavern on the edge of Yummin, a mid-sized city built on the very edge of the Arid Expanse . To their east was one of the harshestndmasses known to the world, while to their left a sandy desert blended into green, humid forests and ins as though they belonged to two entirely separate worlds . The tavern itself was decently popted, though both Shane and Daniel noticed that Ty wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar face around here, several people even walking up to him and handing him parchments of paper that either made him frown or sigh . Empyrion, it seemed, was hardly relegated to the Forgotten Continent ¨C it was everywhere . "Let¡¯s go," Ty suddenly called out to them after allowing them barely a ten-minute break, which wasn¡¯t enough to even finish their meal . "We need to speed up . " "Is everything alright?" Daniel asked as the two men quickly jostled to their feet and followed Ty outside . "Another battle broke out," Ty replied in a somewhat angered tone . "Fuckin¡¯ Devils . Tsk, I can¡¯t wait to rip their treacherous throats right out, the fucking cunts . " Realizing that Ty was fuming, Shane and Daniel didn¡¯t probe any further, following Ty down the strangely-cascading stairs around the stone-built high rises . The entire city was seemingly built inside a massive crater, wards constructed in downward spirals, buildings etched into the earthly mounds . Though beautiful, it was also slightly harrowing, gazing from the top at the bottom that they couldn¡¯t even perceive entirely . Just like all other Port-rooms, this one was buried beneath one of the inconspicuous-looking buildings midway down . Without saying a word, Ty walked through with Daniel and Shane following . Immediately after the two realized that something was different; whereas other journeysrgelysted a few moments, this one stretched slightly ¨C to full, ten seconds . When they were spat back out, they were unable tond themselves onto their feet properly, a wobbly sensation oveing them . The room they found themselves in danced and bent strangely, nauseating feeling overwhelming them briefly, nearly causing them to thrust their innards out . Ty waited patiently as the two recovered and got up on their feet before leading them outside . Another world weed them the moment they stepped outside ¨C not only was it dawn, whereas it was almost evening when they left, but everything, absolutely everything, hadpletely changed . They weren¡¯t even allowed to properly process what they were seeing before Ty ripped them out of their thoughts . "Comprehendter," he said . "I¡¯ve to go now . Use this talisman to guide you to a nearby restaurant . Show the talisman, and you¡¯ll be given full instructions . It was a pleasure, meeting both of you . Hopefully, we¡¯ll see each other again . " "Wait, what about¡ª" it was toote, however . Ty had already vanished, leaving then stunned inside an unknown world of unknown shapes, objects, lights, and noises . All buildings surrounding them were massive... so much so that the sun failed to illuminate the whole of the ground, the seemingly concrete-paved streets existing in perpetual shade . They could see thousands of souls streaming about the edges of the streets, the centers upied by strange, box-shaped objects with wheels on the bottom ends . Lampposts were the size of a giant, looming over the street wide enough to fit six-wheeled carts, their beams warmly white . Noises were beyond description, at least to them; elongated sounds, asional buzz of thunder, strange screeching... all blended with incessant chatter and noise . The buildings themselves were strange, built out of steel and ss rather than stone . Ever so often, they¡¯d spot one that was bent beyond strangely, causing them to ponder how they were standing tall . Nothing made sense ¨C not the clothes people wore, not the buildings, not the streets, absolutely nothing . They found themselves in and so alien they were almost certain they¡¯vepletely left Noterra . Still, gathering some wits about themselves, they remembered the talisman and lit it up . They were told to saunter over to the restaurant, and that everything would be exined . Would it, however, they wondered? Can something of such sheer difference ever be put into words properly? Or would it have to be lived for a while? ** Ty sped past the ssed rises like a shadow, invisible to the naked eyes surrounding them . After all, this was one of the smaller cities resting near the coastal ridge,rgely popted by non-cultivators . For all intents and purposes, he was invisible to them . During the battles, because of the emergency protocol, all Port-rooms would be temporarily closed; one had to make their way over on foot, which Ty usually wouldn¡¯t mind, but the battle was happening on the far southern side, beyond the Passing, just beyond the mountain range . It will take even him at least a few hours to reach it, but, by then, it might all be over . Battles rarelysted past a couple of hours as the numbers never went beyond a couple of thousand at most . Still, as he¡¯d spent a considerable amount of time recently going about and trying to poach some people over, he missed the action . His void treasure suddenly shuddered as he groaned, taking a look inside and whipping out a talisman, burning it . A screen lit up as he came to a stop on top of a ssed building overlooking the blocked city . Shards soon formted an outline that was rapidly filled in until the shape of a familiar face that caused him to smile came to . "Ah, Master," he chuckled . "You missed me?" "Where are you?" Lucky asked, ignoring his yful tone . "Hawtone," Ty replied . "I¡¯m on my way . " "There¡¯s no need," Lucky shook her head . "It¡¯s a minor conflict . Lyn¡¯s taken a small group of trainees over . " "¡ªMaster... you¡¯ve been giving Lyn all the best missions recently and sending me to these pointless poaching expeditions..." Ty pouted . "Are you still angry I proposed to you in front of your wife?" "I am . " Lucky nodded . "You¡¯re lucky I haven¡¯t ripped your scrotum out and shoved it through your eyes . " "Miss Alison had augh, though..." Ty sighed innocently . "Of course she did," Lucky said, smiling coldly . "Because she¡¯s precious . " "... though I know it will cost me," he said, sighing once more . "You are too possessive and obsessed . It may cost you, eventually . " "I¡¯d rather not take love advice from a pipsqueak yet to bed a woman at the age of twenty-seven . " "OI!!! LOW BLOW!" "You need to go to the Enve," Lucky said, the tone of her voice turning serious . "I¡¯ve received a strange report . " "... a strange report?" Ty quizzed, frowning . "An attempt at a rebellion . " "..." "..." "What?!" Ty eximed, shock permeating both his eyes and face . A rebellion? In the Empyrion? "Could... could it be someone¡¯s just making a joke or something?" "I thought so too," Lucky sighed, rubbing her temples . "But, four people died, and one of the minor warehouses was burned down . Apparently, citizens killed the instigator before he could do more damage . " "Who was it?" "¡ªnobody," Lucky shrugged . "Some guy called Antoan Fork . He¡¯s been with us for ten years now . Worked as a stone-cutter for most of his stay, nothing out of the ordinary . It¡¯s as though he¡¯d gone up and insane at random one morning . " "... waking up and going mad is the penchant of our Lord," Ty said . "Not just any random nobody . I¡¯ll go and investigate . " "Be careful," Lucky added . "This could either be just a random wrinkle that doesn¡¯t matter, or something much deeper . If it¡¯stter, withdraw and wait for a backup . " "¡ªaww, so you really are worried..." "... haah," Lucky sighed, shaking her head . "You seriously need to getid..." "HEY!!" The screen slowly shattered, the shards of his dreams vanishing into the wind . Sighing faintly, his eyes dulled for a moment as he entered deep thought . Though there were attempts at insurgence previously,rgely by a few outsiders who managed to sneak in, they never amounted to anything but quick and clean deaths . If L¡¯ says it¡¯s a rebellion, Ty thought, there must be something more to it . Especially considering who instigated it... I need to investigate this thoroughly . They couldn¡¯t afford any distractions, especially now that they were at the cusp ofpletely open conflict . Whatever little scuffles they had until now were nothingpared to the looming threat ahead . When armies of tens of millions sh, deaths of a few dozen every other month almost seems irrelevant . If there¡¯s truly a wrinkle that could ripple out from the inside, they needed to put it out immediately . Not necessarily due to the innate instability of the system, but the fact that even the faintest of variables can cause an empire-wide echo if utilized at the right time . Shaking his head as though to dispel the stray thoughts, he rapidly spun around and began darting toward the Enve, a port city that¡¯s somewhat isted from the rest of the Empire since it was stationed along the Central Coastline of the Western Continent . Though nothing should change in the five-six hours it will take him to get there, he still felt a sense of urgency which caused him to speed up unconsciously . There was no room for error, after all . Not at his level, anyway . Chapter 456 Chapter 456 CHAPTER 456 NINE YEARS (VI) Ten-mile-a-change ¨C that is how Daniel had begun thinking of the Empyrion ever since they¡¯ve departed from their first city . Though perhaps slightly skewed and simplified, it seemed almost as though, behind every corner, a new world awaited . High-rises followed by sandstone-crafted huts and dwellings embedded in thick and round hills beyond which a field of cloth-and-straw tents spread as far as the eye could see . And even beyond there, bedded over a sparklingke, wooden dwellings arose in strange, twisted shapes, seemingly carved directly out of the odd willows themselves . It was difficult toprehend such changes, especially so on such a small scale; after all, despite being a massive Empire, Empyrion was still on a smaller scale . One ought to expect a sense of uniformity tacked with a few diversified points of uniqueness that each culture bears proudly . Yet, more so than an Empire unified beneath a single banner, it all seemed like a string of cities and towns and viges strewn about at random, with no rhyme or reason . There were also the Mountainmen, or at least how Daniel called them; seeming savages wearing loincloths and leather-bound satchels living in the mountainous caves and dwellings, singing and dancing around burning fires deep into the night . Perhaps the sole sense of uniformityy in the fact that each and every new point they encountered frequently sported a single sign ¨C a spiraling cross, a sign of Chaos . Dyed in bloody red most often, it was stered on the prominent buildings, sometimes even carved directly into the highest point of the city or town . He¡¯d even seen hundreds of people with the same sigil either carved out or painted on their bodies . Perhaps, he mused, that was all it took . A singr sense of unity . A point of recognition in one another . Everything beyond that, really, served to dissever that simple bond . Mode of transport, too, changed frequently; he went from driving those strange carts with wheels that could reach the speeds three times that of a well-bred horse, to riding those very horses, to carriages, and even strange, mutated beasts in the likeness of lions . It all seemed dependent on terrain, he realized rather quickly; for the nds, carts were the most frequent ones, while the rough terrain was the home ground for the beasts . His guide was a young woman, not yet even twenty, draped in oriental clothing bound with a golden sash cast circrly at an angle over her left shoulder . The most striking feature of hers was the reddish eyes that seemed to radiate both in light and dark . She had a mellow and calming voice and a smile that could disarm even the most hardened veterans of war . It was from her that he¡¯d learned they were heading to the Empyrion¡¯s heart, the city risen from the ashes of the Forgotten Kingdom ¨C Inmistus . She was also the one that exined the ces they were traveling through, giving their brief history and who the inhabitants were . Daniel found it beyond fascinating, trekking the unfamiliarnds, yet seeing the familiar cultures . In one of the towns where they took a brief rest, he¡¯d actually seen several former Disciples of the Crypt, much to his shock, openly practicing their Arts to the audience of many . "¡ªwe¡¯ll be arriving shortly," the woman said . Her name was A, an unfamiliar sounding name to Daniel, though very much pleasing to the ear . "Your friend will join us in an hour or so . " "Is there a specific reason why we had to travel separately?" Daniel asked something that was on his mind for a while; before embarking on the journey, both Shane and he were given different Guides and took different routes even . "There are many ces to see, yet not enough time," A said, smiling faintly . "We simply wished for you two to experience different parts of the Empire and share your stories . " "Oh . " Daniel nodded absentmindedly, wondering how much of it was actually the truth . "Besides, you two are somewhat special guests . " "Hm?" "You¡¯ve been granted the audience with the Lord Empyrean," A said, chuckling at Daniel¡¯s sudden shift in expression . "Though, ¡¯the audience¡¯ part is hardly what you imagine; he¡¯ll probably just drag you to a room and drink you till a ckout . " "... . . " words got stuck in Daniel¡¯s throat; meeting with the Empyrean? He hadn¡¯t thought about it ¨C not even once . Despite what Shane and he knew, neither considered their knowledge all that important, really, as there were many more who knew just as much if not even more than them . They were surprised they¡¯d even meet someone from the upper echelon of the Empyrion, yet now he¡¯d learned they¡¯d be meeting its head, its founder, the antithesis to the world itself ¨C Bearer of Chaos . Daniel had heard many stories about the man ¨C none of them good . A beast in human¡¯s cloth, a shadow of death masquerading as a benevolent creature, a reaper of souls with no kind part to his twisted heart; in his mind, the Empyrean wasn¡¯t a human ¨C not in shape or make . He was a concept, an abstract thought far removed from reality . An umbre for the concept of Chaos itself . Not a person, certainly not someone he¡¯d be privy to meet . Yet, he was meeting the enigma itself . On his first day here . Should he be honored? Worried? Terrified? Fleeing? He thought of all those things, their projection reflecting in his gobsmacked expression that was neither here nor there, causing A to burst out into freeughter . Thatughter, however, didn¡¯t register with him . Images built out of the stories that were sold to him began consuming his mind; a pair of eyes, a pair he himself had witnessed a long, long time ago, staring down at him from above as he knelt, shaking . Yes, he would have to kneel . Kneel and pray he¡¯d be given a pardon . "¡ªyou really ought to stop telling people they¡¯ll be meeting me, A," a new voice suddenly joined the duo, startling both A and Daniel; the former¡¯s faint cry blushed into a wide smile right after as Daniel¡¯s eyes veered sideways . Sitting by A¡¯s side in the carriage was an unknown man . He appeared to be in his early fifties, his lengthy hair half-ck and half-gray, beard slightly unkempt, colored the same . There was arge scar cutting through his left eye, the other, healthy one as dark as the night itself . He wore simple clothing, ck trousers, and a white shirt, quite a contrasting image to the well-dressed A next to him . "You enjoy torturing people far, far too much . I¡¯m beginning to worry . " "Aren¡¯t you the same, though?" A said, chuckling . "Isn¡¯t that why you like me so much?" "Oh, I love it," the man nodded . "But, you really need to start avoiding me as the main subject . I¡¯m fairly certain there are other ways to scare men shitless . " "I¡¯ll fancy a thought or two when I¡¯ve some free time . " "Tsk, sly-tongued as always . I¡¯ve set a bad example," the man sighed, shaking his head and turning toward Daniel who was yet to catch up to reality . "Tall, broad, honest eyes . You could work a bit on your control, but a fine make altogether . I¡¯m assuming you¡¯d like to partake in stoneworks, no?" "... yes..." Daniel replied absentmindedly, still out of it . "I¡¯m told you and your friend are from the Hallowed Valley," the man said, his general demeanor turning sour and cold . "I¡¯ve got a particr interest in that ce . I hope you won¡¯t mind if I ask you a few questions . " "... ah!!" Daniel¡¯s mind finally seemed to catch up to the events of reality as he rapidly skittled off his seat and began crashing to his knees only to be stopped by a firm hand that held his shoulder tightly, not allowing him to move an inch closer . "L-l-l-lo-ord... Lord..." "As you can clearly see," Lino sighed in exasperation; after all, he¡¯d long since lost the ount of how many times he¡¯d relived this exact moment over thest nine years . Too many . Way, way too many . "I¡¯m not a tri-headed serpent, not a formless, world-devouring beast, not a shadowed figure going around impregnating fair maidens, not an animal, not a reaper of any kind or sort . Just a man, a slightly tired one perhaps, but just a man nheless . In that vein, can I expect the courtesy of being treated like one? Please?" "¡ªI¡ªI..." Daniel stuttered, unable toe up with a reply; to treat the Empyrean as just another man? Impossible . Simply impossible . "Fine, you can look at the floor and stutter your way through the sentences, just don¡¯t kneel," Lino said . "I¡¯ve had too many heads bang themselves against the floor in vain hopes I might enjoy it for some reason . Sit up . " Daniel gave in to the hand¡¯s push and sat back up onto the chair, unwilling to look up at the man again, however . "Tsk, I ain¡¯t getting anything out of him . Oh well . At least he¡¯s handling it better than the other one . " "What happened to the other one?" A asked . "He passed out immediately after Seya introduced me . " Lino replied . "... ah, you are too terrifying, after all," A shrugged, looking away . "A man of your disposition, walking around in tatters, unshaven for months, stinking of stables . What would your subjects think if they saw you?" "¡ªwhat do you mean? Didn¡¯t we answer that question like three years ago?" Lino said, taking out a cup of ale, taking a sip right after . "They vehemently rejected me being the Empyrean . I was a doppelg?nger apparently . I still haven¡¯t forgiven the bastards . Unable to recognize their own Emperor . " "Even Aaria chided you," A said, turning back to Lino who suddenly winced . "One would think your own daughter embarrassing you and running away in tears would be a wake-up call . Lady Hannah¡¯s voice could be heard well into the Empire that night, do you know? Your fight became a myth, still sung about in many bardpendiums and tavern songs . " "... you¡¯re one hateful kid," Lino said, swallowing hurt back into his gut . "And you used to be so cute . What happened to you?" "I was raised in a family of morons," she shrugged . "And I didn¡¯t wish to be one . " "... oh . You¡¯re just angry I keep sending you to these seemingly menial jobs . " "I am, yes . " A rapidly nodded . "Does that mean the torture is over?" "... you¡¯ve embarrassed the Professor too much," Lino shrugged . "You still have to pay . " "I corrected him! He was wrong!" "No he wasn¡¯t . " "Y-you, you¡¯re going to debate me on that?!" the seemingly docile and kind girl exploded, waking Daniel from his stupor, causing the man to finally look up in wonder and saw her leap over and wrap her arms around the man¡¯s neck, pulling at him relentlessly while thetter simply ignored her, drinking casually . "I will never subscribe to the moronic notion that it¡¯s okay to be ignorant! Ignorance is a chasm, you hear?! A chasm!!" "... wee to the Empyrion, Daniel," Lino turned toward the man and smiled surprisingly warmly, causing Daniel to jolt for a moment . "My dearest home, of my heart carved . I hope you¡¯ll find it pleasant . " Chapter 457 Chapter 457 CHAPTER 457 NINE YEARS (VII) There it stood ¨C grandiose, overbearing, domineering, unting itself to the world . Daniel and Shane craned their necks and looked t up, their expressions exact replicas of one another ¨C absolute shock . Something inside their minds cracked, like ss, their understandings ofws and realitying undone . After all, what they were witnessing was not something that they ever thought they¡¯d see . ck fortress cast in silver andden with golden decorations floated high in the sky, its towers and spires like swords and spears erected from its innards . Arrays beneath its bottom shone in marvelous, rainbow-spectrum colors, dyeing the sky in unting, mboyant fashion, beyond a painter¡¯s ability to trante onto the canvas . There were thousands of them, circles rapidly rotating, asionally flickering and shimmering like torches and candles and precious gems . It was massive, at least fifteen miles across, sorge it blocked the sun in the sky . However, it still seemed a tiny speck inparison . Surrounding it were two beyond-breaking inds, both outgrowing it by countless miles, orbiting it in slow motion . The true pride and jewel of the Empyrion ¨C the heart of everything, Inmistus, the City of Chaos . It was hardly a regr city, and it was hardly chaotic; instead of shade and shadow and darkened clouds and crimson threads, it was lit beyond reproach, colors bounding and draping and folding over its surfaces perfectly . It was difficult to put into perspective, both men realized; after all, the two inds and the fortressbined covered over half the top-end penins of the Forgotten Continent . The only reason they were unable to see it thus far, they imagined, was that it was hidden by massive arrays . Beneath the fortress and the two floating inds was an oasis of life; a string ofkes dyed in marvelous colors was surrounded by gardens of herbs and flowers and a variety of forests inhabited by magnificent beasts . They saw Hippogryphs, Seven-tailed Lions, Three-eyed Eagles, Silver Ravens, Crowned Antlers, Sown Crows... hundreds of different species living beneath the spring of colors and warmth, secluded within a hundred-mile artificial paradise . It was faintly sunk into the earth, as though it used to be a crater, its surroundings slightly elevated like tforms . Shane and Daniel stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking the paradise, behind them a set of walls, each higher than the other, separating them from the outside . The difference was startling, between this and the Hallowed Valley . Which one, indeed, was the embodiment of the hallowed grounds? A perennially-shrouded valley that hadn¡¯t seen a trace of the sun in years, where death and anguish are daily urrences, or... this? Something that would take both men years to convey to another soul properly . Rather than a simple sight, it was more of an experience ¨C the warmth, yet pervasive chill, of the Qi, the quantity, quality, purity, the essence of life, Spirits dancing freely about, clinging onto the Threads of Fate... yes, this was certainly a paradise, at least as far as they imagined one . The Crown above and the world beneath, a symbiotic creation like no other . Perhaps those strange cities they¡¯d passed on their way over were truly unique, like no other in the world, sporting things and objects they could not reason with... but they paled inparison to this, to something far greater than just the surface aesthetics . How far removed from the ¡¯war¡¯ this ce seemed... did people here even know they were at a global-scale war? Either way, the men doubted it mattered . They, too, would rush headfirst into the war if it meant protecting this ce . Rather, they nigh had the desire to join the army right then and there . "Let¡¯s go," the one-eyed man, one they¡¯ve learned is called Lino by most, and is also the Emperor of everything in front of them, as odd as the image may seem, hugged both of them, throwing his rather muscr arms over their backs . "I promised my daughter I¡¯d let her meet some ¡¯outsiders¡¯ so she can chat with you about what the rest of the world is like . She¡¯s very keen on mistrusting everything I say, you see . Little devil, haii . What should I have expected? Ah..." They stepped carefully into the teleportation array in front of them, thrust through the vestiges of space temporarily before being spat out onto the limestone-paved street . They immediately realized they were inside the fortress¡¯ walls due to the two orbiting inds on two ends, perched there like eternal guardians past which no soul could breach . Just as they left the spatial tunnel, they were met by a loud rustle and bustle of the city; shops on all ends hollered at the passers, with hundreds of people speeding through the streets and round the corners, hurrying somewhere . They found themselves on a corner, behind them a round tform connected to the spatial tunnel, in front of them a three-way crossing, like a trident with its outer spikes bent even further toward their sides . There was some uniformity between the buildings, namely in their polish, but most had an air of uniqueness about them . Some had ssed windows up front, disying whatever merchandise they were trying to sell, some were clearly residential buildings due to the cloth hanging over the window panes, drying in the sun, and some they could not distinguish the function of because they were just... weird . Like the building straight in front of them ¨C a triangle-shaped rise with a pyramid-like dome up top, its bottom sucked in slightly, creating an angr front, covered in ss and steel beamspletely . They could clearly see people inside the building, though they couldn¡¯t quite discern what they were doing . "... shit . " Lino suddenly mumbled as the eyes of two men veered down; what was a hurried crowd came to a standstill, seemingly shellshocked by something, their eyes focused on the trio . "H-hello..." the man in-between them called out awkwardly, waving at the crowd with a bitter smile . "HE¡¯S OUT!!!" someone suddenly called out, causing the crowd to stir . "LET¡¯S GO¡ª" "We ought to go too," Lino mumbled lowly; two men could feel therge man shuddering as they vanished from their spots, finding themselves inside roomy andfy quarters, decorated with silken drapes folding over the open windows . The floor was adorned with oriental rugs, seven in total, splitting the room into two general areas; on one end they saw a canopy bed hidden behind the silver curtains, resting on top of a slightly elevated tform . On the other end, there were splinters, resulting in three areas; one was clearly a study room, one a dining room, and the third seemed like a child¡¯s room . "Aii... they are like rabid beasts," the man said, sighing slowly and walking over and onto the balcony, one overlooking the entire fortress down below . Shane and Daniel unconsciously joined him as three of them sat down onto the ratherfortable chairs, ncing over the stone-wall-edge to their right, onto the streets of the fortress . "I love ¡¯em, but they always demand stuff, you know?" "..." "There¡¯s such a massive backlog to the ¡¯audience with the Emperor¡¯ crowd that I¡¯m fairly certain nobody¡¯s even keeping the count anymore . I can¡¯t even show my face in public . That¡¯s how little the bastards respect me..." "..." Daniel and Shane said nothing, unconsciously rxing further . By now, there was hardly a trace of their initial terror and trepidation . Empyrean or not, the man in front of them was, indeed, just a man... a rather awkward, yet outboundly kind man . "You¡¯ve constructed an amazing Empire, Lord Empyrean," Daniel said . "All said and done, only fools wouldn¡¯t want to live within it . " "¡ªit¡¯s not without its problems," Lino nced at them and sighed, the tone of his voice slightly somber . "But, those are stories you needn¡¯t hear . So, Two¡¯s really in the Valley, huh? She takes a lot of this for granted..." "Not necessarily," Daniel said, shaking his head . "Sneaking into the Valley and attacking it directly... are two iparable things . " "I know," Lino nodded . "But, still . She¡¯s done a lot of... odd things recently, if I¡¯m being honest . I¡¯m having a difficult time trying to reason them . Yet, she¡¯s hardly a fool . There is a reason behind them . " "¡ªeh? Daddy?" a melodic voice startled Shane and Daniel who looked away from the man sitting opposite of them to the entrance to the balcony . On the doorstep, quarter the size of the doorframe, stood a young girl, around ten years old, d in a beautiful, white dress . A pair of gem-like blue eyes stared at them with faint curiosity and wonder, wide and round, seemingly alight . She had a long, scarlet hair folded into twin-tails, and was currently holding a rather massive book, standing barefoot . "When did youe back?" the girl lurched onto the balcony and jumped onto the man¡¯sp, putting the book onto the table, pouting . "You should have told me! Are these two men? Are they? Are they?!" "... manners?" Lino nced at the young girl who suddenly jumped off hisp and walked over to the other end of the table, bowing halfway down toward the two men . "Hello," she said, lifting her head up and smiling . "My name is Aaria . It¡¯s nice to meet you!" "¡ªit¡¯s, it¡¯s nice to meet you too . " Daniel and Shane nodded awkwardly at the girl who once more ran to the other end of the table and jumped onto Lino¡¯sp, sitting down . "Are they? Are they?" she started asking again . "They are . " Lino nodded, smiling warmly and rubbing the girl¡¯s head gently . "You¡¯ll get to ask them plenty, be patient . Where¡¯s mom?" "We were at Grandma¡¯s," the little girl said . "I went ahead . She should be back soon as well . " "Oh? Did grandma give you something nice?" "... w-why do you want to know?" the girl suddenly pulled back, the look in her eyes that of caution . "What? You don¡¯t wanna tell your daddy?" "..." the little girl suddenly seemed to find herself in a struggle, causing both Daniel and Shane to hold back a bout ofughter in their lungs . "Really? Haven¡¯t you taken enough of her candies over the years?" another voice joined them as the young girl curled her lips up into a relieved smile, jumping off and running toward the woman who walked onto the balcony, hiding behind her legs . Daniel and Shane nced sideways, their souls stirred; the woman appeared to be in her thirties, her crimson hair long, pulled to one side, heaved over her shoulder . Unlike the young girl, she had emerald-green eyes, though they still sparkled just the same . "¡ªwhat? I¡¯m just trying to teach her how to share . " Lino chuckled, taking a sip of ale . "Otherwise, she¡¯ll grow up to be just like you . " "... are you saying there¡¯s something wrong with me?" "... if there isn¡¯t, then you wouldn¡¯t mind if I took these two gentlemen to our warehouses, huh?" "¡ªgive some candy to your dad, Aaria . " Hannah relented, stealthily growling at Lino . "B-but, mom!!" the young girl protested, feeling something was unjust . "Do it . " "... fine . " the girl walked back over to Lino with slumped shoulders, digging into the small pockets of her dress and handing a few wrappers to Lino whoughed suddenly, taking one . "Come on," he grabbed the girl by the waist and lifted her back onto hisp . "Look at my little girl sharing with her dad . Isn¡¯t she adorable?" "You¡¯ve returned quicker than I thought," Hannah said, pulling out a chair from seemingly nowhere and sitting down as well . "Any particr reason?" "¡ªI couldn¡¯t wait to see you two . " Lino fired out immediately . "... ho ho, really?" Hannah chuckled, her lips curling up into an involuntary smile . "Fine, I¡¯ll buy into it . " "My family," Lino nced at Daniel and Shane who sat awkwardly, feeling as though they were encroaching upon the most private moments they shouldn¡¯t have been privy to . "My wife, Hannah, though you may know her better as the Elysian, and my daughter, Aaria . The reason my people are so patient with my antics . " "It is nice to meet you, Lady Elysian, Lady Aaria . " Daniel and Shane got up and bowed, uncertain whether they should kneel as well . "Ah¡ªEmpress and Princess . " Shane quickly corrected himself . "He he, see?" Aaria suddenly said while Lino sighed . "I told you I¡¯m a Princess! Daddy¡¯s a liar!" "¡ªthis really is a slippery slope," Lino mumbled as Hannah nodded . "One wrong move, and we¡¯ll have a hoarder and a megalomaniac on our hands... genes have not been kind..." "... eh, it could have been worse," Hannah shrugged . "She could have turned out like Cae . " "When¡¯s thest time that boy left the library?" Lino asked . "It¡¯s been a few months, actually . Still, fewer than you¡¯ve spent ¡¯crafting and researching arts¡¯ . " "... what¡¯s that strange emphasis about?" "No reason . " "There¡¯s always a reason with you . " "You fancy yourself clever," Hannah said . "Figure it out . " "¡ªI have figured it out," Lino said . "I¡¯m just testing to see whether you¡¯re courageous enough to admit it . " "Are you doubting my courage? I¡¯ll have you know¡ª" "Hey," Daniel and Shane were too wrapped into the apparent fight that they didn¡¯t even realize the young Aaria had jumped off Lino¡¯sp and walked over to them . She looked up at them with a beaming, expectant smile . "These canst a long while . I¡¯ll make us some tea, and you can tell me all about the outside world! Please?" "¡ªuh, sure..." Shane nodded awkwardly as the two men seemed to be pulled off their seats almost instinctively, following the little girl back into thefy quarters . Perhaps, of all the strange sights they¡¯ve seen so far in the Empyrion, this family might be on the very top . Chapter 458 Chapter 458: 458 CHAPTER 458 NINE YEARS (VIII) What once was a rather spacious room seemed so no longer, battered with stacks of strewn books and papers, piles creeping up like mounds . Behind it all, on the other end of the room, a table sat upright, as cramped as the rest of the room, only its center somewhat cleared up . A brilliant, cyan gem burned from behind, illuminating the table directly as well as the figure seated at it, head bowed low, eyes seemingly burning the pages . ck hairy by the young boy¡¯s sides, long and straight, nearly reaching the table . A pair of shimmering blue eyes were slightly obscured byrge, round spectacles perched on top of a t nose looming over thin lips . Even thinner fingers traced over the lines and rows of letters and words, flipping pages every fifteen seconds or so, proceeding onward . The runes on the paper weren¡¯t those of the Common Tongue, nor any of the most-spokennguages of the world; it was, rather, an archaic one, Felshad, its spoken form having gone extinct over two billion years ago . Though a few scripts remained, no one so far had managed to trante even a single word into the Common Tongue . The boy, seeming around thirteen-fourteen at most, the first traces of manhood appearing with faint stubble and straightening jaw, burned through the book rapidly, his eyes dancing left and right like fireflies . There was a clear rhythm to it all, perhaps unseen by the world, but clearly melodic to him . Every five minutes he would take a deep breath and pull back into the chair, resting for exactly thirty seconds before diving back in . In such a state, hours ticked by ¨C he seemed entirely unaware of the passage of time, too enthralled by the strange words that were made up of angr lines, dots, and loops . asionally he¡¯d chuckle, as though he¡¯d run into a joke, and asionally he¡¯d exim, as though he¡¯d read something fascinating . In any case, his expression was never cid and bored; there was always a faint trace of excitement to it, like a young child ying with its toys . He was too caught up in the reading to even notice the figure standing next to him, looming over his shoulder, staring at the runes with confused eyes . Lino had seen many strangenguages and even learned two himself, though he had never seen the one in front of him . Rather, it appeared rather unique, as he couldn¡¯t recall any simr script being used elsewhere . "Cae," he called out softly, yet still managed to startle the boy who cried out and fell down, alongside the chair, stirring the strewn pieces of paper and dust . "Oh, boy . Like paper to the wind, eh?" "¡ªb-brother Lino!!" the young boy cried out somewhat angrily from the floor . "I told you ¨C time and again ¨C not to sneak up on me!!" "I¡¯m testing your alertness . " "I don¡¯t have it!" "You don¡¯t say . " "... ugh," Cae groaned, slowly getting up, well knowing it was pointless to bicker with his much older brother; no matter how clever Cae fancied himself, he had never managed to one-up the man in front of him . "What do you want? I¡¯ve already eaten this week . " "... it breaks my heart with how much resentment you say that," Lino sighed . "Shouldn¡¯t you at least try and enjoy the food? I can look for different cooks if you¡¯d like . " "Books are enough food for me . " "... of course they are . " "What do you want?" Cae asked again . "Aaria met those folks she was telling you about," Lino said . "So she¡¯s excited to share what she learned with you . " "Oh?" Cae¡¯s rueful expression mellowed as he nced at Lino . "Alright, let¡¯s go!" "¡ªand thus, the fa?adees crashing down . " Lino chuckled . "What fa?ade?" Cae protested . "Aaria is the smartest person besides myself in this ce . Of course I like talking to her!" "Oh, wow," Lino said, looping open a portal and dragging Cae through it, winding up back inside the roomy chambers . "And here I thought I could be quite arrogant . But, hats off, boy . You best me, unquestionably . " "Ah, brother Cae!!" young Aaria cried out when she saw Lino and Cae step into the room, running over and hugging the young boy; she barely matched up to his waist, as despite his thin body, he was still Eggor¡¯s son ¨C Lino suspected that the boy would shoot over him in a few years¡¯ time . "I missed you!" "Ha ha, I missed you too!" Caeughed back, rubbing Aaria¡¯s head gently . "Come on, make me some of your famous tea and tell me all that you¡¯ve learned!" "If you promise to tell me what you learned as well!" "Of course! Only you can understand it, after all!" "He he..." Lino¡¯s lips curled up into a mellow smile as he watched the two youngs saunter off into Aaria¡¯s small quarters on the other end of the room . A momentter, Hannah joined him, standing by his side, her lips simrly curled up into a smile . "¡ªwithout her, that boy..." "¡ªwithout him, that girl..." both chuckled, shaking their heads . "Let¡¯s go as well," he added . "Lucky¡¯s asked us to join the meeting this time around . Looks like something¡¯s happened . " "Isn¡¯t it just a regr skirmish with the Devils?" Hannah quizzed, seeming surprised . "If it were, I¡¯m sure we wouldn¡¯t be summoned," Lino replied, shrugging . "Something must have happened . No point in specting, though . " "Yeah . " Hannah nodded faintly as she waved her left arm, ripping open space next to her . Lino walked through and she followed right after, spat out on the other end, inside a spacious hall upheld by hand-carved pirs that were more akin to statues of men and women holding the sky . The ceiling above was domed, capped with hanging chandeliers which lit up the entire hall seamlessly . Arge, rectangr table was the mainstay of the hall as well as its centerpiece, the topmost two seats slightly more extravagant than the rest . Behind the seats, a long-winding banner of cloth, dyed ck with crimson sigils of Chaos and Order superimposed over one another, hung still, four rows of windows on each side, giving way to some natural light to bend through . By the time Lino and Hannah arrived, there were four other figures present; Amadeel, Lucky, Val and Edith . Long gone were the days when Val took care of all administrative functions, but she still remained the most important part of it, second only to Edith who practically ran all the non-cultivating cities on her own . Lucky was still the head of Shadows, tasked with Empire-scale counter-intelligence as well as information gathering, while Amadeel was a jack-of-all-trades ¨C he jumped between departments as needed . Hannah greeted the four spiritedly, while Lino awkwardly bound them and sat onto his seat; he¡¯d been absent for half a year now, which was not the first for him, and which they certainly did not appreciate . Despite having told them repeatedly that he¡¯d be the Emperor in the name only, it seemed as though he still had to at least keep up the appearances . "¡ªwhere¡¯s Ally?" Hannah asked Lucky as the former sat next to Lino . "At the Crypt," Lucky replied, sighing lowly . "Sending off another batch . " "... how many this time around?" Lino asked . "Eighty-seven bodies that we¡¯ve managed to recover," Lucky replied . "Over a hundred that we didn¡¯t . " "..." Lino said nothing, remaining expressionless . The more depressing side of this was that these numbers were actually on the low end for the weekly burials . "Still don¡¯t know how she does it . " "None of us do . " Lucky shrugged . "Anyway," she took a deep breath, taking out several stacks of papers and rapidly spreading them among the other five . "I¡¯ve picked up on a strange pattern . " "A strange pattern?" Val mumbled, taking the papers and slowly reading through them . She had cut her crimson hair short, though that hardly marred her appearance . "Now I¡¯m worried . " "¡ªis it about the Deserters?" Edith asked, nocking her sses back onto her nose . Lucky eximed softly, ncing at her and nodding . "How did you know?" "I¡¯ve received anonymous notes from several Mortal Cities," Edith said, sighing . "All detailing that wounded cultivators would show up at their doors, spend the night and disappear by the morning . After I looked into it, I¡¯ve noticed that they were all soldiers we presumed to be dead in the line of duty . " "... have you managed to track their whereabouts after the fact?" Lucky asked, frowning . "No," Edith shook her head . "All traces of them seem to vanish at that point . I suspect the actual number is muchrger, though . How did you notice it?" "¡ªseveral reports came in from the Border Cities and our overseas branches," Lucky replied . "About the sightings of the supposedly dead . Piqued my interest so I decided to investigate . I¡¯ve managed to locate at least twenty of these supposedly dead . " "... is this really that strange?" Lino suddenly asked, causing all eyes to veer onto him . "I imagine plenty of armies of the world have their fair share of the deserters . People get tired, dispirited, terrified, and they run . Leave them be . " "... it¡¯s not that simple," Amadeel said, seeing Lucky and Edith mulling over their thoughts . "While certainly... true, that the deserters exist the world over... we, uh, we haven¡¯t had previous experience with them . " "Perhaps you just failed to notice?" Hannah proposed, realizing what Amadeel was hinting at . "¡ªsomeone, I imagine some few people," Lucky replied, staring Lino directly into the eyes . "Are resistant to you . This is beyond worrying . " "... then bring some of them in and question them," Lino said simply . "Why invite me?" "Because all of those soldiers have one thing inmon," Lucky continued . "They were part of the group that you brought in after killing Eight . " "..." Lino frowned, his eyes shimmering for a moment . "All of them?" "All of them . " Lucky nodded . At this point, silence fell over as everyone retreated to their own thoughts; though they all had some idea on what it meant, they didn¡¯t wish to be the first to voice them . "... I¡¯m certain I killed Eight," Lino said . "Not only because I watched him die, but because I also absorbed his Vitality after the fact . Though, I suppose," he added, tapping his index finger against the stone table . "He could have forfeited his cultivation temporarily and disguised himself as one of those men if he wanted . No... I would have noticed . " "¡ªinvestigate," Hannah said . "Put temporary surveince on everyone from that group and pull them all from the battlefields, while those who¡¯ve advanced to upper positions should be monitored without a stop . Even if it¡¯s really just a cosmological coincidence, we can¡¯t afford any distractions right now . " "Will do," Lucky said, getting up . "See ya¡¯ around . " "I¡¯ll head off as well," Edith got up, joining Lucky just before thetter crossed through the spatial tunnel . "Don¡¯t be strangers, you two . " "¡ªcould he have done it?" Lino nced at Amadeel and asked, a trace of uncertainty shing through his eyes . "... I don¡¯t know," Amadeel shook his head, sighing . "Eight has always been the most enigmatic figure of the Descent, save for perhaps One . Truth be told... I didn¡¯t quite believe it when you told us you killed him . At first, at least . " "We¡¯ll find out, either way," Val said in a reassuring tone . "You should also start preparing if you hadn¡¯t . The outright conflict isn¡¯t too far away . " "... I¡¯ve never stopped . " Lino said, getting up . "Let me know once you bring someone in . I¡¯d like to talk to them personally . " "Very well . " Val said, getting up, followed by Amadeel, and vanishing through the spatial tunnel, leaving Hannah and Lino alone . "You alright?" Hannah asked, grabbing his shoulder . "I¡¯m fine," he said, smiling faintly, pulling a few strands of her hair behind her ear . "Wouldn¡¯t be the first time I was outwitted, and I doubt it would be thest . Will hardly stop me from fighting, though . Let¡¯s go . I¡¯m in a mood for a pie . " "¡ªmy mom¡¯s?" "Of course," Lino nodded, smiling . "We should probably bring Aaria . Those two worship that little devil for some reason . " "So do you, though . " Hannah chuckled . "Ah, why wouldn¡¯t I worship my reflection?" he grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as the two began walking toward the vortex, silence gently cradling them . Chapter 459 Chapter 459 CHAPTER 459 NINE YEARS (IX) A smooth, somber and low melody echoed gently throughout a dimly-lit room full of people seated on the rows of wooden benches . Piano¡¯s notes seemed to match the flickers of the overhead candles and gems, slowly cascading up and then down, like a whirling storm of emotions . Far up front, beneath a ssed stele brought out of the wall, held up by over a two dozen steel beams, stood looming over the entire room ¨C from left to right it angled slightly, names carved out one by one at its surface . It sat on a slightly elevated tform, two steps up from theminated, wooden floor, surrounding the piano in a half-circle . The piano itself wasrge, built out of a mixture of different woods, from maple to spruce, dyed in somber ck, its keys only faintly extruded toward the edges . Seated on a rather small, wooden stool, Alison appeared stoic, only her arms and fingers moving, banging slowly against the ck and white keys . She wore a pristine, white dress decorated with folds of flowers and crescent patternsden in brass-bronze, her sun-dyed hair falling freely down her back like a waterfall, some strands finding their way over to her face and looming across it . Her expression appeared heavy, cast in deep shade due to the lights¡¯ angle, forming a strange, even eerie, illusion of ephemerality . She had hardly changed over the course of nearly ten years, perhaps only obtaining a slight tint of age to her eyes, a faint trace of wisdom thates with it . Beyond that, however, she remained the same; soft, dazzling, elegant, warm and kind . Her blue eyes appeared teary at the moment, glistening even in the silent darkness they ever overcast with . The melody seemed to trickle from her fingers, its roots tracing back to her heart and soul, bounding her entire self before being thrust into the keys, which pulled at the strings, forming deep, bleak, even earnest, melody . It went on for minutes, drawing all eyes to her, all ears to those keys, all souls to the shared feeling of loss and grief . Be they veiled or free, emotions reigned in their expressions, eyes, and lips trembling beneath the might of the song . It was only five minutes into the piece, by which point the time itself seemed to cease and end, that her voice joined the keyed melody . Unlike the somber, mournful music, her voice was bright, lively, even slightly hopeful . Despite the contrast, however, it almost innately made sense; it fit, like two pieces of a puzzle falling back into their ce of origin . It seemed as though that was the way it was meant to be . "Somewhere far, far, far away, The night gives way to the perennial day, In thend of the skies beyond, The sun shall shine on evermore," her voice raised a pitch, yet still matched the melody perfectly . "Through the broken ss, Sing the tune of brass, Through these little cravings, See the bindse undone . " The staunch melody lightened up slightly, introducing several higher notes into the mix, as though to even better match her voice . "Here they mayy cold, But beyond they¡¯re cradled in waves, Of true warmth unmatched and bold, One day we will join their ranks," the pitch went up slightly again before she continued . "From beyond the calls of storm, From beyond the whispers of truth, Torn asunder yet their hearts still warm, Like thunder, their voices soothe . " The keys swung in the opposite end, almost inspiring a mood to dance, alight with hope and the seeming cheer, as though designed to cast away the previous heaviness . "We may weep and we may choke, And we may sing and we may joke, But the cloak of death, it folds so clean, Drapes us in the effervescent greens . And when the dawn of light draws near, We will see the stars alight the day, Forevermore shall their names we roar, Remembered... remembered ¡¯till the end of days..." There were no cheers, and there was no apuse as her fingers ceased moving, and she hung her head even lower . The melodic light ended, reced once more with a heavy overtone, a somber silence . It was a send-off, asting goodbye to the many who had fallen . Nearly a minuteter, Alison got up off the stool, turned toward the crowd of a several dozen, bowed and walked off beyond the stele and beyond the crimson curtain . She passed a well-lit corridor of dry and drab stone, curving halfway through, and came to a selective pass where six doors in total existed seemingly embedded in the walls . Walking through the first door on her left, she was immediately blinded by a fairly bright lighting off a cyan gem stuck at the center of a small room . Beyond it, only several chairs, a mirror, a closet, and several bookshelves existed . The somber expression grew alight the moment she recovered her vision as she raced forth and draped her arms over a seated figure currently reading something . Lucky closed the booklet and smiled, ncing up and kissing Alison back before suddenly wrapping her arms around thetter¡¯s shoulders, pulling her over through the side and onto Lucky¡¯sp . Alison cried out in surprise before bursting intoughter . "¡ªaai, stop, stop, I almost fell over!!" Alison eximed, pulling herself up by Lucky¡¯s shoulders and sitting over the next-chair-over . "This was a nice surprise . You usually dreading here . " "I¡¯d have walked down the hellish maw if it meant hearing that beautiful voice of yours," Lucky chuckled, tilting her head slightly . "It¡¯s unfair, really, all the things you can do . You make the rest of us look rather fuckin¡¯ boring . " "Take sce in the fact that I¡¯ll never curse better than you, at least . " Alison chuckled back . "Ah, and I¡¯ll ensure that! I¡¯ve been honin¡¯ this craft for decades . Ain¡¯t no way I¡¯m handing it over to anyone . " "¡ª" "And if you dare mention Lino, I¡¯ll nevere down here again . " Lucky quickly interjected when she spotted Alison¡¯s mischievous smile . "¡ªwhat Lino?" Alison quickly recovered, grinning sheepishly . "Good girl," Lucky nodded . "Anyway, I¡¯ve let Lino know of the deserters . " "Really? What did he say?" Alison asked, visibly curious . "What does he usually say?" "Take care of it Lucky?" "Yup . " "... ah, what azy bastard . " Alison sighed, shaking her head . "I can¡¯t tell whether it¡¯s because he respects you¡¯re better at it than him, or that he just can¡¯t even be bothered to try . " "A bit of both, I imagine," Lucky said . "But, he seems to think it has something to do with Eight . If that¡¯s the case, we really need to investigate this properly . Besides, I don¡¯t think he can endure any distractions right now . " "... yeah," Alison nodded . "The number of dead will only go up from now for a long time . I really... hate this..." "..." Lucky remained silent; it wasn¡¯t the first time Alison expressed her hate for battling and war, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be thest . Lucky herself, however, didn¡¯t detest it as much; rather, she believed it was the sole tool through which, paradoxically, never warring again could be ensured . So long as there is dissent, there¡¯s a chance of a fight . Rather, so long as there¡¯s an individual thought, fighting is virtually inevitable . It is never about preventing or ending the warring forever, it is about containing it to the best of their possibility . "I¡¯m always amazed by how your body and your mind are so disconnected," Lucky spoke out after a momentary silence, chuckling . "One practically hand-crafted for gritty, bloody battles, and the other so averse to it, it may as well be antithetical to the whole concept . " "... do you think I¡¯m na?ve?" Alison asked . "I do . " "..." "I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wrong, though," Lucky added, taking out a bottle of ale, pouring herself and Alison a cup each . "Just a bit... misguided . Not everyone has the world painted in the rose-tinted sses like you . " "... is it really so stupid to wish people would simplye to their senses?" Alison sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose; after all, this was a repeated, tired discussion she¡¯d had with many-a-soul over the past nine years . "What worth is any of this? Why does it even matter who sits on the throne? In the end, doesn¡¯t everyone simply wish to lead happy lives and be content with what they¡¯ve done before passing? If, universally, we share that, why are we actively fighting against it?" "... outliners, Ally . " Lucky said, taking a sip . "We don¡¯t share anything universally, save for perhaps the twomonalities ¨C that we were born and that we¡¯ll eventually die . Beyond that? Fuck all, wee in all means and manners . " "... I won¡¯t ever give up believing, though, we can be better . " "I know," Lucky chuckled lightly, getting up and walking over, crouching in front of Alison, grabbing her hands . "That¡¯s one of the many reasons I love you and pray you¡¯ll never change . " "... it¡¯s been a while since you told me you love me," Alison smiled warmly, her cheeks flushing red . "You really do savor the word . " "Ah, you greedy little minx . If it were up to you, I¡¯d be repeating it on an infinite loop till I died . " "¡ªwhy stop at death, though?" "... fuck, even you can be creepy at times, huh?" Lucky said, getting up . "I¡¯ve got to go . Apparently, nothing gets done when I¡¯m not there . What a time to be alive, huh? Anyway, make me something nice for dinner . I¡¯m tired of cold and hard shit I¡¯ve been eating for weeks . " "Alright," Alison nodded as the two shared a kiss . "Be careful . " "Yup, yup!" Alison watched Lucky saunter out of the room in silence, the former slumping back into the chair right after . She nced at the cup of ale Lucky handed her; it was almost a tradition at this point, within which Lucky pretends the two are sharing a drink rather than her just drinking it alone . Alison stared at the cup for a long while before finally managing to pull her eyes away, sighing right after . She found it difficult to reconcile the joy of building the world in the image of a paradise with the ever-depressing reality of it all . Groups still lived in sections, confined within theforting sights, hardly ever interacting with the world outside . Young boys and girls still applied to the Cultivation Academies like crazy, despite repeatedly burying their friends and family members who were returned from the frontlines . Sometimes she wondered... was she the crazy one? For seeing something wrong with the entire picture? Perhaps, she mused, as she walked over to the closet, changing from the mboyant dress into a morefortable one . Perhaps she was the crazy one, beyond simply being na?ve . However, it didn¡¯t matter; she herself knows the best how much killing someone can eat away at your soul, nibbling like an army of tiny worms, suffocating you . She wasn¡¯t saintly, not by any means . That is precisely why she found it so difficult and painful to see people like Lucky, like E, like Hannah, and especially like Lino, drown in the mountains of corpses . She can still vividly recall the day the Dragons were brought over . The sea, the ocean of death and decay . All by a single hand . How did he endure it? She didn¡¯t know . Perhaps she¡¯ll never know . Those ck eyes, after all, are impossible to read, however familiar they may be, even for her . Chapter 460 Chapter 460 CHAPTER 460 DAWN OF GRACE Dull silence permeated the hollow walls of a brick-rise, windowed on all four sides in perfect symmetry, insides hidden by pulled curtains of gray . Forty rooms, each exactly the same as thest, existed through the five stories,prised of a praying mat at the center and an overhead gem shining warm blue across the wooden floor and cold, stone walls . There were no decorations, no beds, no shelves to stack the books, no mirrors, no exceptions . Even doorframes were dull, in rectangr,cking any uniqueness to them . The hallways were narrow and straight, carpeted in simple scarlet, illuminated by the ssed gems on the side, each spaced every two rooms . Beyond the asional flicker, there was no sound to be heard; be it chirping of the insects or the breathing of the living . Senses ceased and were reced by paranoia for the inexperienced as the silence vexed the mind, driving it insane . It was perennial, the sense of istion, the nature of existence . Within one of the rooms, Two was currently sitting cross-legged, her features veiled behind the silken fall of silver, body draped in loose, white robe lined in sporadic, yet eerily orderly, threads of red . She had a cid expression, her eyes closed, hands resting on her knees, both arms evenly pressed against her sides . She seemed a motionless statue more than a living person, as though she were a relic of the vanished time . Ever so often, space around her would wiggle, almost like the pulsating veins, before withdrawing back into itself, restoring the uneventful reality . She had remained stoic for years now, entirely removed from the ongoings beyond her; she was entirely unaware of the war, of the battles that took ce, of the changes that the tides of time brought ¨C she was locked within her own self, within her mind, caged within the fabrication she construed of her own thoughts . The penultimate form of meditation, as many would call it, was simply a break from reality ¨C though simple-sounding, it was still remarkably difficult to achieve . Abolishment of connections, of desires, of hopes, and dreams was the gate keeping many away from the state of serenity . It wasn¡¯t merely reserved for increasing one¡¯s cultivation or probing further into the Nature of Laws; it also helped with purging the swarm of demons, of ripping through the clouded reality of the mind . After the Battle of the Isles, she had realized it herself ¨C she was charged, unstable, insatiable in her anger . It was strange, beyond unlike her; whatever it was about the ck-eyed man, it should not have been enough to send her to such a state of unrest, of uneasiness . In such reality, she had dered the Origin War, something she had condemned many before her for doing . However, there was no turning back; all she could do was settle, recuperate and advance . Win . She exhaled a deep breath, one she had been holding for a long, long time, letting her body slowly cool and reawaken . The rxed body tensed slightly as she came to, ripped from the serenity into the reality; the shapeless colors and blends withdrew to the rigid and formic reality, one of the dull, expressionless room . It was the same as it was when she entered . Squared . Empty . Cold . Soulless . She didn¡¯t move at first, still seemingly recognizing herself within the world; asionally ncing about, taking it all in, she got up only a few minutester, apparently having recovered to the state of thought . She walked out silently, not looking back, bounding the floors and exiting through the slightly elevated archway at the bottom . Her expressionless face immediately darkened as a pervasive stench assaulted her senses, a morbid, dark sight piercing her eyes . Smoke, ash, and soot cradled the horizon, nketing the world above the Valley like the clouds . She couldn¡¯t quite identify the smell, though she found traces of corpses, rotten fish and milk, and plenty more . The streets remained unpaved,den with animal excrement, wooden fences all half-broken, bleeding and bending, dark, ck-brick towers looming over the unimpressive remains . When she had first arrived here, it was a boundlessnd of green, tucked between two beautiful mountain ranges sporting unique and lively wildlife . Now, however, it was something entirely different . There were no guards around; rather, there was no one around . The parcel was well outside the centralized Valley, surrounded by severalndfills of waste and a few wild beats living as scavengers . It was a sight beyond depressing, but she hardly reacted save for the initial shock . It was a minuscule stop; it would be cleaned up quickly and swiftly . They were at a War, and insubordination was just a minor part of a muchrger picture . What mattered to her was that she counted countless souls within the Valley, which meant that the recruiting was going well . All the mistakes aside, it was even better than what she expected . Though the earth beneath was muddy and wet, her feet seemed impervious to it as all the dirt seemed to split wherever she walked, avoiding her . She strolled casually, observing everything . The road from the parcel toward the center of the Valley was slightly curved from left to right, bounding a small uphill climb that seemed more a mound than a hill . It was beyond it that the living quarters stemmed from the earth, as diverse as she imagined they would be . Right to her left, a field of tented huts, strewn together from straw and cloth, extended into the mountain itself . Several splintering vials of smoke erupted into the sky from the bonfires, corralling together into an overhead mist that even the dead shouldn¡¯t be forced to breathe . To her right, following the curvature of the road, several ntations of dying corn were cradled around a dozen or so rundown, simple, wooden houses that seemed almost entirely abandoned . The fields themselves looked as though nobody had worked on them for years, left to rot and decay in perennial oblivion . Beyond them, blending into the mountain, she saw several rows of gallows, some still sporting skeletal corpses hanging by the nooks . Further down the road, the tented huts gave way to brick-belted high-rises, built into one another in a formation of four, squared alongside the roads cutting between them at perfect angles . Half the windows were cracked, barely a few shining in faint coral as a sign of life, while the streets were overrun with filth . It wasn¡¯t arge section by any means, yet it seemed to house thousands at the very least . The arrangements were terribly off, Two realized quickly, but they could wait . The first change she would have to introduce was that of attitude . Everything she saw on her stroll spoke of a veryx, unbothered attitude toward anything . It appeared as though those living here were entirely unaware they were at war ¨C and not just any war . That illusion would have to copse . There wasn¡¯t even a trace of militant order to be found; no soldiers were practicing on the open fields, there were no hundreds of workers producing weapons, scribers carving out runes and talismans, smiths crafting items... this, by and by, would havepletely ruined this ce . Not a trace existed of a war-ready nation; it was more akin to a town of ouws bound by their inability to live anywhere else without being beheaded . She eventually found her way to the so-called ¡¯Hub¡¯; on her way over, she had gone from depopted centers to the shockingly popted ones, namely taverns and brothels . The ¡¯Hub¡¯ appeared no different; she could hear the groans and moans and soulless eyes of the women from miles away . What she envisioned as an all-purpose building for war had be a breeding center, a house of decadence . Walking past the guards who hadn¡¯t even noticed her since their cultivations were abysmal, she made her way through a decorated, broad hall upheld by pirs of might, path guided by an oriental carpet . She took a sudden stray left, in-between the pirs, into the unlit dark of the edge, where she found an unguarded path down the spiraling staircase of stone . It was narrow and slightly ustrophobic, barelyrge enough to fit one person in line, with the descent itselfsting over five minutes . At the very end, past the arched exit, she immediately saw it ¨C the vulgar visualization of all things gone wrong with this ce . A bed upon a bed, spread sporadically across a borderless room, floors gassed with poured liquor and broken bottles, the mixed stench of death and decay eclipsing all else . There were well over twenty beds altogether, each wide enough to support four-five people, yet were popted by at least ten . Walking between them were naked women carrying trays of bottles with cors tightened around their necks, leashes falling between their breasts . Curses, angry shouts, sounds of pping, beating and even asional murder mingled with the generic brothelpendium . Women were forced to moan, beaten if they refused, killed if they persisted . Some were chained to a wall, their limbs spread far out, torched with fire-hot iron while the decedentughter resonated . Some were perched on all four and forced to crawl and lick the liquor off the floor, and some were beaten until an inch away from death, slumped with their eyes rolled up, their bodies asionally spasming . It was a ghastly sight, one that even managed to sour Two¡¯s heart and mind; she had half a mind to simply turn the entire building into a pile of ash, but that would be too quick . Too pointless . The saddest end of it all was that she didn¡¯t recognize any of the men in the room, and perhaps for a good reason ¨C they were all pathetically weak . The strongest appeared to be barely Level 40,000, which, while enough to reign as a king here, was nothing . An empty number . There was no point in redeeming any one of them, of giving a second chance . However, in her heart, she knew that even if one of them was strong enough to catch her eye, she would hardly forgive . After all, sights like these are not the likes that can be forgiven . Time suddenly came to a crawl, causing motions and sound to swell into a build-up without release . All souls within the room found themselves atremble, dancing eyes slowly veering over to the white-robed figure that stood at the entrance to the room . They, however, did not see Two; they did not see a human standing there, looking at them; they saw a personification of Time, the embodiment of End . Like sheets of paper, their Souls ripped, eyes rolling back, foam bursting out of their mouths like water from a fountain, their bodies slumping, turning cold almost immediately . It was difficult to quantify the passage of time, but they died too quickly to process it all either way; women were caught unaware, shocked still, not even realizing their captors and abusers were dead . Two nced through the pairs of eyes, some of which were already corpses and some that still had the faintest of mes burning, sighing audibly, summoning two wooden tables from her void world, one full of clothes and the other full of shimmering daggers . "¡ªthose of you who wish to die, be that thy will," she said, turning around . "Those of you who wish to live, dress and meet me upstairs . " she left the room in a saunter, her voice echoing for a little while after, until the women in the room came to . Some sped to the daggers, slitting their throats in swift motions, while a few raced over to the clothes . Only a couple remained unmoved, still ncing at the fading back of the woman they didn¡¯t recognize, unable to decide what they want to do . Chapter 461 Chapter 461: 461 CHAPTER 461 WORLD ANEW A calming silence permeated a small, ten by ten room decorated with a squared table full of bowls of exotic fruits . The floor beneath was adorned by a yellowish rug full of swirly patterns reminiscent of slightly distorted flowers, while the walls were painted in fresh, faint cyan . A window to the left let through blinding rays of light, casting the darkness out of the room . Six was currently sitting in silence, mildly confused, as he pecked away at a bowl of red plums, asionally ncing at Two who had a rather tranquil expression . Seven, sitting next to him, dabbed in a bowl of scarlet runners, while Four and Five fought over a bowl of ck figs . Two had summoned them all here, jolting them from their meditations, but they were hardly surprised over the invitation ¨C it was her state that shocked them . Their memories of her post the Battle of Isles were mostly of a woman close to the blind insanity, yet they couldn¡¯t even find a trace of it in her . Six pondered, inwardly, whether she really managed to relinquish all her demons in less than a decade . It was certainly possible, though her state prior to it certainly suggested it would have taken longer . "¡ªSeven, you¡¯ll be in charge of reinstating some order in this hellhole," Two broke the silence suddenly, ncing at the expressionless woman sitting opposite of her who nodded instinctively . "Discard all the ouws, question all those who were brutalized and either banish or execute perpetrators based on the scale . Institute free economy and open up the trade channels, create and monitor the ck market under some other guise, and create a Disciplinary Branch from some of your trusted aides . I hope it¡¯s not too much work . " "... no . " Seven shook her head lightly . "I¡¯d be more than happy to . " "Four," Two then turned toward the gauzed man who withdrew from the figs, replying to the former¡¯s gaze . "You¡¯ll be in charge of forwarding reparations to the families of all those who¡¯ve suffered here during our absence . In addition, form a small coalition of intelligence agents; no need to form arge-scale one, just onerge enough to monitor the general movements of the Empyrean and his army . " "... yes . " Four nodded, a faint glint shing through his eyes . "Five," Two turned to the mboyantly-dressed and hair-colored man who smiled in response . "You¡¯ll be in charge of forming the general army . Find the Commanders and Generals, and oversee the general recruitment as well as formations of Legions . Withdraw all the associative forces from the active fields for the time being and conduct aplete investigation of their activities over the past decade . Any major misconduct is grounds of expulsion . You fine with that?" "¡ªof course," Five nodded, smiling . "It¡¯ll be my pleasure . " "Six," Two turned toward the old man who had a rather amusing expression . "You¡¯ll be in charge of the general repair of the Valley . Work together with Seven in her duties, but focus mostly on facilitating repairs, unifying conducts, and contacting the remaining friendlies on the outside . Maintain open channels at all times and found a team that will begin the constructions of the major teleportation arrays . We need to be able to transfer arge number of people rapidly, everywhere . " "... yes . " Six nodded simply, feeling nothing else was worth saying . "¡ªI should have listened to you, back then," Two continued, surprising the rest . "You were being honest with me, yet my sullied pride blinded me . I still can¡¯t quite understand what came over me, if I¡¯m being honest . Why I was so... angered . My mistakes cost us a lot, and I owe each and every one of you an apology . You aren¡¯t my subordinates . You¡¯re my friends . I had simply forgotten that . " "..." "I will abstain from directbat for now," Two said . "I¡¯m still not confident in maintaining my calm if Ie face to face with Lino . Though, I suspect, we¡¯re still decades away from the tail-end esction where our involvement will be inevitable . " "¡ªwhat about Gaia?" Four asked . "She¡¯d withdrawn from us, barely maintaining contact . She¡¯d locked herself up in the Hall of Dreamers, refusing to continue breaching the barrier . " "... I imagine she had a lot on her mind, as well as I," Two said, sighing, tapping her fingers against the desk . "My deration of War... put a dent in a lot of our ns . One has relinquished all association with the War; he won¡¯t be helping us . " "... really?" Five frowned . "I thought he¡¯d lunge at the chance to screw over Dan and Tyrell . " "¡ªording to him," Two said . "He¡¯s on the brink of something huge and can¡¯t be interrupted . From the sounds of it, I imagine he doesn¡¯t expect us to win... nor to exist as a group past this war . " "..." the somewhat-light atmosphere immediately grew heavier as five pairs of shoulders slumped in a symphony . Despite being their ¡¯leader¡¯ of sorts, and despite Two having had many of his children, no one in the room actually knew much about the man who called himself ¡¯One¡¯ . He was older than the rest of them ¨C by how much they couldn¡¯t say . He¡¯d all found them individually a long time ago, already looking a middle-aged man . Since then, he had mostly contributed to their Cultivations, to the building of the Descent, and the informational library they had . Beyond that, however, he almost never intervened directly . Thest time he did, they aren¡¯t even quite aware of what happened . Rather, they were certain only a few figures in history knew exactly what happened . For one reason or another, among all the Empyreans, even the ¡¯Nightmare Eve¡¯, Eldon was the sole one that inspired a worldwide unease . To this day Two still recalls the only time she¡¯d ever seen One in a state of distress, his gaze dulled . However, she never learned why . Eldon, certainly, was an enigma and a powerful Empyrean, but she¡¯d never seen her as a threat ¨C more a yful variable . The Descent, however, was universally prohibited from even trying to contact the Empyrean, and were ordered toy low and cease all their actions for the entire hundred thousand years of the ¡¯Eldon Reign¡¯ . At the end of the reign, there were no battles, no earth-shattering arts being unleashed . There was only a singr reminder that anything even happened ¨C the mist of the Hollow Isles shot upward like a pir and formed a hole in the sky that led to nowhere . After that event, Eldon died . Gaia withdrew from the world for millions of years . One was nowhere to be found for even longer . Even Dangwe temporarily disbanded his little army . It all umted, in the end, to the absolute trust they held in One; he had an uncanny ability of being right, however outrageous his statements may be . It was hardly irvoyance, or a gift to see into the beyond of time ¨C just an insane ability to distinguish the smallest variables andpound them into an oue . It wasn¡¯t as though he was never wrong, but most of what he predicted would happen that counted... happened . If he was of the opinion that they would cease to exist past this War, it meant he either didn¡¯t think they were strong enough to win from the onset, or he knew something about the Empyrean and those around him that they didn¡¯t . "¡ªwe need to cause insurgence soon, then," Four said . "And probe further . I can¡¯t imagine we are by any means weaker, even in discord . Then it only means we don¡¯t know one, or several, key pieces of information . " "¡ªI imagine at least one has to do with how he killed Tatyana," Two said . "She certainly was not the sort that would be felled by a simple strike like that . " "... I understand it, though," Seven spoke out after a short silence, drawing all eyes on her . "From the get-go, we have adopted a problematic perspective ¨C assumed Lino would be ¡¯just another Empyrean¡¯ . We based our predictions on the previous patterns and were hardly shaken when he ¡¯failed¡¯ to meet our expectations . Though we repeatedly adjusted for the variables, we never changed the quintessential point of it all ¨C he¡¯s not ¡¯just another Empyrean¡¯ . He¡¯s not even like Eldon . In a way," she said, tilting her head slightly . "Isn¡¯t he the perfect encapstion of Chaos?" "... hm?" Two mumbled, arching her brows . "¡ªtell me, in your heart of hearts, did any of you expect him to reach where he is today? Be it before or after meeting him? Be it before or after the adjustments? It is not really about us underestimating him, as I firmly believe we had a decent grasp on his strength, justcking finite details of his Items and Arts, but about the fact that he was always like smoke . Grasped yet free . A perennial enigma . Chaos incarnate . Truth is," Seven added before others could join the conversation . "I don¡¯t believe that has anything to do with Ataxia ¨C I think it is simply who he is . It is not that Ataxia warped him, but that he simplyplimented him . Lino is unabashedly unapologetic about the way he does things, and he does them as he sees fit . He alienated all of Hell due to a few stray Devils and Demons, it was clear from the get-go he never wished to integrate with us, he all-too-readily murdered Gaia in front of the world¡¯s eyes and then smiled after the fact... none of us would have taken half the steps he took . Yet, somehow, despite all of that, he now has an Empire to his name, tens of millions of vtile, soul-loyal subjects, has the entire Dragon Race on his side, four other races of High Lords, has a beyond-impressive assortment of individuals who on their own are more than enough to found an Empire..." "It is a ssic paradox," Two said . "His journey is Chaotic in nature, he himself in Chaos-incarnate, yet the oues are beyond orderly . I don¡¯t, however, think he¡¯s clever enough, however clever he may be, to have nned out the entire journey . It is either Ataxia¡¯s idea or a set of coincidences . " "Whichever the case," Seven continued . "I think One¡¯s assessment runs beyond simply his ¡¯hidden strengths and arts¡¯ we aren¡¯t familiar with . Even with them in the equation, we are still overwhelmingly stronger . Of the higher strata, there are only fifteen or so, versus our forty . Even if Lino cloned himself it wouldn¡¯t be enough . Rather than fighting it out directly, I think we should start dying the war . Try and figure out where the abnormalities lie . He¡¯ll slip, if given time . " Chapter 462 Chapter 462 CHAPTER 462 TWO ENDS Lino was currently skimming through several stacks of reports while Aariay asleep on hisp . He sat on the balcony overlooking the fortress, faint, invisible shield guarding him and her from the noise and bustle of the cornerstone of the Empyrion . He had a rather rxed and mellow expression despite some reports citing things he wished ended differently . Putting the papers down, he rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment and let go of a ghastly breath, taking a sip of wine before ncing sideways, over the fortress . His mind was both light and heavy at the same time, clear and muddled; there was a trace of uncertainty in his gaze, though he never voiced it to anyone . Things had been progressing smoothly, even with the asional setback . Ever since he returned to the Western Continent and the Demonic Battlefield, he didn¡¯t encounter a truly impossible situation . Settlement and expansion were rapid, and popting even easier due to the surplus of neers . The economy sprung out as various cultures and traditions met, selling the staples of their cuisines, fashion, trinkets, literature and all else tied to them . However, despite this bled, unity was hardly achieved . Tensions existed, sometimes almost boiling over . At best, he was the end-tying thread to all the different worlds that converged into his little Empire . He suspected that without him acting as a symbol, this would hardlyst . Even now, power grabs and political moves were not infrequent . He didn¡¯t mind it too much, however; it was in human nature to try and better their position, and position of their ilk and kin . So long as it was done within the limits, he even encouraged it, yet those limits were slowly being pushed . He couldn¡¯t control it, at least not without imposing himself too much over everyone else . "¡ªuuh," a low cry jolted him back to reality as his lips curled up in a smile . "Water..." "Here," Lino helped Aaria sit up and handed the young girl a ss of water as she swayed on hisp, still half-asleep . "You slept well?" "Hm," Aaria nodded weakly, taking a few sips . "Mom?" "Out, working, as per usual . " Lino replied . "... howe you don¡¯t work?" Aaria mumbled, ncing at him . "... what do you mean? Aren¡¯t I working right now?" Lino put on a pained expression, pointing at the strewn papers on the table . "Working on what? Anything fun?" Aaria asked, slowly beginning to awake properly . "Hardly," Lino replied, chuckling bitterly . "Anyway, enough about my work . How have Daniel and Shane settled?" "Hm, good!" Aaria eximed, grinning . "Daniel actually decided to try and be your guard!" "Oh? High aspirations," Lino said, stroking his chin . "You think big brother Ion will help him along?" "¡ªugh, no," Aaria suddenly swapped her smiling expression to the one of having just swallowed a sour plum . "He... he is mean..." "You mean he doesn¡¯t dote on you like the rest of the world?" "... he is mean!" Aaria persisted, pouting . "Ha ha ha, alright, alright, he¡¯s mean . If you say so," Lino got up slowly, pulling her up onto his shoulder and propping her there carefully . "Who else is mean, huh? Maybe we can go around and punish them slightly . " "... d-do... do you really mean it?" Aaria nced down with wariness in her eyes and tone, seemingly having already experienced the burn of simr offers before . "Ah... you can¡¯t just go around punishing people that are mean to you, Aaria," Lino sighed, walking back into the room . "Sometimes... someone will simply not like you . And they¡¯ll say mean things to make you angry and to make you cry . Let ¡¯em . Don¡¯t cry . Don¡¯t get angry . Don¡¯t ask for punishment . Be better than them . They¡¯re not important enough . " "..." Aaria said nothing, merely ncing at Lino from above once more . "Why do you think Ion is mean to you?" Lino asked, sitting down and pulling her next to him on the sofa, looking into her eyes . "Because he¡¯s¡ª" "No, it doesn¡¯t matter," he interrupted . "If you try to find reason in everything, you¡¯ll just always be tired . If he¡¯s being mean to you, just walk away instead . Forget what he said . Alright?" "... alright..." Aaria mumbled meekly, though clearly unconvinced . "Aah, ask your momter . She¡¯ll exin it better . " Lino sighed, smiling bitterly . "Okay..." ** Hannah stared at a short-hand dagger stored inside a ssed box, propped onto a metal case, istedpletely on the shelf . She nearly burst intoughter, yet held back in the end; ncing sideways, she met the astute gaze of a slightly chubby, mboyantly-dressed Rycone, a local merchant who found wealth through funding talented smiths and selling their work in his shops . "¡ªevery time I open the shop," Rycone said, sighing in a strange, awe-like fashion . "I look at it for a minute or two . To this day I can¡¯t believe the Lord Empyrean himself hade to my smithy and crafted a weapon . " "You do realize he crafted it so it will be used, right?" Hannah asked . "Not to be locked inside a box and watched like a sculpture . " "¡ªno, I can¡¯t risk damaging it," the chubby man shook his head vehemently . "Besides, that is a cheap replica . I¡¯ve had over two thousand attempted break-ins in the past by other smiths . Ah, the envy in their eyes when I speak of the dagger . I will die a content man, Lady . " "... I¡¯m lucky, having learned of the crafters¡¯ explicit oddity very early on in my life," Hannah said,ughing lightly . "Otherwise, I might have found what you said strange . Anyway, have you received my inquiry?" "Ah, yes," the chubby man nodded, wobbling quickly over to the counter and pulling out a rather thick book . Hannah walked over right after as Rycone opened it, flinging it over toward thetter quarter . "Here," he pointed at the several rows on the right side . "Orders for ck-steel swords, axes, and polearms . Forty-thousand each . Signed by Commander Li . " "... did he say on whose authorization?" Hannah asked . "No," Rycone shook his head . "He said it was of secretive nature, presenting the Holy Sigil . I inspected it myself ¨C it was real . Is everything alright?" he asked with a trace of worry in his voice . "... there are some discrepancies," Hannah mumbled, sighing . "Do you mind making me a copy of the record?" "Of course not," Rycone said . "It will be just a moment . " "Take your time . " Hannah fell in deep thought as Rycone raced to the other side of the building . A lot of... oddities have been piling up in thest few months . Beyond the incited act of rebellion Ty was still dealing with, and the rising number of deserters, there were also discrepancies in the number of items pooled and present in the armory versus what the records would indicate . In addition, she also personally had to prevent oscition in intion just a few weeks ago that certainly did not feel natural . It was easy to attribute it to an outside force ¨C after all, it made sense . They had their own spies all over the world as well as agents working to usurp the local powers, so they were hardly strangers to the system . What worried her, however, was that they were still unable to locate the origin of it all . A veil cast was rather persistent and thick, hidden behind countless dead ends and threads of webs that loop back to nowhere . Rycone returned several minutester with an additional book, though one not nearly as thick as the original, handing it over to Hannah with an anxious expression . "I really didn¡¯t know¡ª" "Don¡¯t worry about it," Hannah interrupted, smiling warmly . "It¡¯s entirely possible I¡¯m simply being paranoid . " "If You¡¯d like," the chubby man said . "I¡¯ll pool together records from my other shops as well and talk with some merchants I¡¯m on good terms with and see if we can find simr patterns of purchases . " "... hm," Hannah nodded after brief thought . "Look at the past six months, if possible and if there are records . " "There are always records!" Rycone eximed with certainty . "They are bread and butter of all sessful merchants! Without them, we are just fools gambling!" "Ha ha ha, very well," Hannahughed, turning around, walking toward the exit . "Notify me if you discover anything new . " she added, throwing a talisman behind her thatnded perfectly on the counter . "Will do, Lady Hannah!" Rycone eximed, clutching at the talisman as though it was his family¡¯s heirloom . Hannah walked out into the open, bustling street; she was invisible here, amongst the crowd . On asion, Lino and she would take a stroll down the crowded streets simr to this one and try guessing where everyone was headed . Observe the simpler life, even try to embody it temporarily as a means of forging a reality within which they aren¡¯t responsible for the lives of millions of people . Even with theck of internal opposition ever since the founding of the Empyrion, they never grewx; everyone, from Lucky to Val and Titus, was certain there were sleeper agents that managed to sneak in . They¡¯ve put in countless preventive measures, nted sleepers of their own in the parts they suspected to be the most susceptible to the corruption... yet, now, it seems to have been futile . Perhaps, indeed, it was all her own paranoia, but she doubted it . Too many things have aligned almost perfectly in the recent months for it all to simply be a cosmical coincidence . Especially worrying is that it had reached two quintessential parts of the Empire ¨C the military and economy . Though Hannah had confidence in both oveing it all in the end, even the smallest of mishaps can have longsting consequences, especially so just before the massive outbreak . Even if Lino refused to crack down on individual freedoms too much, she felt she had to in order to prevent them from being destroyed in the future . Everything, after all, they were doing... was for that very same future . Chapter 463 Chapter 463 CHAPTER 463 THE WESTERN FRONT Fields of green had vanished, withdrawing in the presence of scorch and soot, leveled cleanly with the earth beneath it . asional rock stood erect in the otherwise open field, providing tepid cover hardly worth a mention . Hundreds of corpses, some whole and some less so,y strewn about, their disemboweled innardsbined in the flowing rivers of blood and gore . An asional shout ofmand echoed throughout the otherwise silent world, while the living slowly sorted somberly through the dead,bining pieces into a whole . Ion stood to the side, garbed in silver-cast armor, holding an elongated, thin and sharp spear in his right hand . Crimson ran dried over his chest, a few strands of his hair stered to his forehead, the rest fluttering in the hazy wind . Half his face was covered in thick, bushy beard, the other half marred with nearly six grating scars, eyebrows missing above both his eyes . He had long since lost his previous innocence and youthful looks, recing them with grit and anger . "Commander, reporting!" a young soldier walked up to him, saluting in a bow, barely standing still . "Speak . " Ion tore his eyes away from the field and focused on the young man whose name escaped him . "We have managed to chase the enemy General down," the young man said . "Do you wish to interrogate him?" "Lead the way . " Ion said simply, putting the spear and the helmet he was holding away into the void treasure before following the young man . They passed through a recently-cleaned path, winding through piles and mounds of the dead, or at least of remnants of weapons and armors dyed scarlet . The grass had been trouncedpletely, seemingly having never grown here, while the horizon was entirely shielded by smoke . Their journey wasn¡¯t long,sting barely a few minutes, until Ion came to a halt in front of a kneeling, caged Devil of ashen skin and destroyed horns . Dull, ck blood flew freely, seemingly acidic based on the smoke rushing out of it . Surrounding the cage were a dozen soldiers d in leather armor who immediately saluted when they saw Ion, withdrawing into the background as he stepped forward, crouching in front of the cage . "... I¡¯m getting really sick of these . " Ion said . "Aren¡¯t you lot?" "¡ªsick of what?" the Devil grinned, meeting Ion¡¯s gaze . "Of watching you cretins squirm and weep like newborns? Hardly . " "You have lost all significant battles thus far," Ion said . "It is clear your homnd doesn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass as to what happens to you . You¡¯re a temporary distraction, a buffer, while they condense their forces elsewhere . How pathetic can you be to ept that role with a grin?" "¡ªha ha,d, save your preachery for some who may give a shit," the Devilughed, coughing a mouthful ck blood in the process . "We¡¯re a distraction? Good! We¡¯re doing a great job, aren¡¯t we? Dumbass . Why are you talking to me? Kill me already . Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re good that?" "I¡¯m good at plenty things," Ion responded, smiling lightly . "Kissing my Master¡¯s ass, exploiting the fear of his wife to get my way, and I¡¯m certainly good at ending the pointless lives of wretched morons like you . But, I won¡¯t be the one to kill you . There are plenty here angry, broken and torn enough to allow you to enjoy thest minutes of your wasted life in a rather particr fashion . Have fun, you scum . " Ion simply got up and walked away, shutting off whatever sounds may havee from the cage after . Though he may have believed in proper military conduct during the war, sometimes... it wasn¡¯t enough . War was hardly a romantic tale of heroism, and him expecting every soldier to be simrly able to separate themselves from the horrors would hardly be reasonable . He withdrew to the temporary headquarters, a medium-sized cloth tent centered around arge fence . There was only one other person currently inside, his second-inmand, Vyrove, who just recently came back to the army even though Ion hadn¡¯t expected him to . "Yo . " Vyrove smiled lightly at him and called him over to the map of the nearby area, stacked to bits with small figurines depicting soldiers from both sides . "Any changes?" Ion asked, ncing at the figurines . "No," Vyrove replied, shaking his head . "Their movements are still the same . It¡¯s definitely on purpose . " "It¡¯s fine . Just continue chasing and cutting . " "Any news from the powers-that-be?" Vyrove asked . "Nope," Ion replied . "You can always go back, you know?" "... I know," Vyrove said, smiling lightly . "And if things truly turn dire, who knows, I just might leave your ass out here alone . " "¡ªwho does it say about more, me actually believing that slightly?" Ion said, cracking a grin . "Definitely you, definitely you . Anyway, I¡¯ll go and start swapping the soldiers . You rest for a while . It¡¯s been a long day . " "... still shorter than many before it . " "Long nheless . Take a nap, at least . " "..." Ion said nothing as Vyrove sighed and walked away, leaving the tent and Ion alone in it . Thetter nced at the figurines once more before moving toward the corner and sitting on one of the tables, taking out a gourd of wine, downing half of it in one go . He hadn¡¯t even realized how parched his throat was until then, nor how hungry he was . Taking out some dry rations, he gobbled them up rapidly before leaning back into the chair once more . He¡¯d been on the active front for over six years now, only ever returning twice; once for Aaria¡¯s birthday, and once for Vyrove¡¯s wedding . Though he missed the city life, he didn¡¯t mind his current one either . Even if it was dark and somber, more often than not filled with rather depressing oues, he was the Commander with the least experience of everyone else, which he somehow had to make up for . Lino had put trust into him, and he couldn¡¯t afford to betray it . Most of the battles thus far were rather run of the mill, hardly any savant-like tactics being employed, mostly direct skirmishes . There was no need to think too much, as these battles were effectively grinders; those with potential unlocked it, and those without it perished . However inhumane it may sound, it was the best and safest way to build up a respectable army . Hopeful youthse to the front often, dreaming of making it big, having their names ascend through the crowd, only to die a few days into the battle . A story told often, really . His own Legion had started weak, built up entirely out of new recruits, most of whom had never participated in a life-or-death battle . Now, six yearster, only ny-eight remained of the original ten thousand . All were hardened veterans by now, guiding their own squads, making up a Legion of over two hundred thousand souls altogether . Though it may sound like a lot, it hardly was; this was just one front, with at least six-seven simultaneous ones being open at any given time . He was startled lightly, sensing the vibrations from his void treasure; quickly taking out a talisman from it, he frowned as he burned it . The other end quickly morphed into a depiction of a familiar face ¨C Hannah . Most of the orders were usually ryed through the middle-men; there was simply no reason to contact Ion directly, and most social calls were done through other types of talismans... not through the military¡¯s official ones . "¡ªLady Hannah? Is everything alright?" Ion asked, his frown deepening . "Are you alone?" Hannah asked cautiously . "... I am . " Ion replied after a short inspection, as well as putting of a barrier around him . "What¡¯s wrong?" "¡ªhave you investigated the matter of the deserters?" she asked him . "Yes," Ion replied . "We¡¯ve only had two cases in the past four years . Both simply terrifiedds who couldn¡¯t hack it . " "¡ªwhat¡¯s so different about your Legion than the rest?" Hannah asked . "... well, the biggest one¡¯s probably that all of my men and women are ¡¯locals¡¯ so to say," Ion replied . "Meaning there are no Cultivators from other Holy Grounds or other powers we¡¯ve absorbed . Mostly mortals and roaming Cultivators . Should I return and help with the investigation?" "... no, it¡¯s fine," Hannah shook her head . "We can handle that on our end . How did the battle go today?" "We won . " "Casualties?" "Four hundred and eighty-two, and counting . " Ion replied . "Record them carefully . " Hannah reminded . "I always do . " "¡ªalso, if you can spare some manpower, start keeping records of all items, whether ordinary or especially rewarded and try to track where they go . " "... there shouldn¡¯t be any major skirmishes for a few weeks at least," Ion said after a short thought . "I¡¯ll get right on it . Is Master there?" "¡ªno, he¡¯s out somewhere, with Aaria . " "Could you ask him to contact me when he gets a chance? I¡¯ve some questions for him . " "Of course," Hannah said, smiling lightly . "Don¡¯t overexert yourself, alright?" "... yeah . " Ion nodded somewhat meekly . "Alright . I¡¯ll see you soon . Bye!" "Goodbye, Lady Hannah . " The screen went dark and vanishedpletely shortly after as Ion slumped back into the chair once more . Frowning once again, he recalled the day he was given the strange task of trying to figure out whether there was a major surge of deserters within his Legion . Though he already knew the answer as he made it a point to at the very least memorize faces of every neer if not their names, he still went through all the records carefully in case he missed something ¨C but there was nothing to be found there . From the sound of it, now, however, it didn¡¯t appear as though it was only just deserters; there was something more at y, something that was still slipping through their fingers . In the end, he merely shook his head; it was not made for these sorts of inspections, he believed . Many smarter and better-suited minds were currently trying to decipher it all, and his contribution, if there would be any, would at most be minimal . His call was to fight and to win . These menial battles, he knew, would soon be reced by actual ones ¨C where he, and most others, would miss the days of having ¡¯only¡¯ four hundred casualties . Until then, he wouldn¡¯t lose . Western Front, thoughrgely irrelevant, was important personally for Ion ¨C it was the birthce of Lino, and the beginning point of it all . He would liberate it, and return it to the reason he was here today . Still fighting . Chapter 464 Chapter 464: 464 CHAPTER 464 BEYOND THE LINE The fire raged asudden, drawing a line in wet, trampled grass, curving at the center like an outline of a belly, shooting up in the thickness of a grown man¡¯s thigh . The curtain ascended, with it swallowing several dozen Devils who found themselves kneeling in pain, turning to ash rapidly . It rained droplets of filthy water from above, though it hardly did much to keep the ze at bay . The massively-armored and shielded Vanguard pressed forth, their formation tight, leaving no gaps . They stretched along the line of the curtained fire, four rows in total, forming a crescent-like shape at whose center a squad of fine bowmen stretched their arms up and heaved their chests back, unleashing a hail of arrows toward the sky and above the curtain . "¡ªBEWARE!!" amanding voice of a man standing at the far end of the formation, draped in silver-cast armor, a shiny, crimson medal stapled to his chest . "FIRE IS DYING! PREPARE FOR A RUSH!" As his words prophesized, the fire in front of them soon died out . The men upfront roared from the top of their lungs, steeping their feet into the muddy earth beneath and stoning themselves in ce . From the other side of the fire came a rush, a ze of shadows drowned in crimson eyes full of hate . Rio rapidly counted over two thousand God-Devils leading the charge, closing in; there were barely a few dozen meters of distance . Luckily, the array had still managed to curtail their wings, earthing the battle . Even amidst the shouts and roars and criesing from all ends of the battlefield, most of which he couldn¡¯t see due to smoke and mist and a variety of Arts being sted left and right repeatedly, his ears still picked up on the droplets crashing against his steel helmet . They¡¯ll hold, he reassured himself, gritting his teeth . They have to hold! He grabbed the halberd from his side, ripping it out of the earth and raising it up to the sky, shouting . His cry was echoed by over a hundred others, as the Vanguard shed with the charging Devils; the belly of the formation was broken immediately, over fifteen men pierced dead, their hearts bedeviled in ashen gray . The rest, however, didn¡¯t scatter, rapidly converging from the back rows to fill the gaps . The initial charge was always the hardest . The spearmen pushed the sharp tips through the gaps of the formation, spiking any Devil who dared rush them; the bowmen fired overhead, smoking away at the stragglers of the Hell¡¯s army . The Shieldbearers gritted their teeth and bit till their gums bled, enduring despite the pressure feeling as though a mountain was copsing on them . "¡ªDRAW BACK FIVE PACES!" Rio shouted as he saw that the Vanguard was having trouble . "CARE FOR THE FLANKS! How far are the reinforcements?!" he turned sideways and asked a masked woman who was currently burning through a dozen talismans a second, her exposed, silver eyes darting through the runes at speeds Rio couldn¡¯t evenprehend . "Three minutes for General Yun, eight minutes for General Namia, fifteen for General Xia . " the woman replied in a calm, detached tone, as though she wasn¡¯t privy to the reality in front of her . "... ugh," Rio groaned, his eyes veering back onto the battlefield . "We can¡¯tst that long . Take my ce," he told her, taking a step forward . "Guide them slowly to Yun . I¡¯ll try and distract the devils . " "¡ªyour chances of dying are extremely high," the woman said in the same tone . "It is best if we¡ª" "Ye, ye, ye, whatever," Rio shrugged, already looking for the best spot to rush at . "Just do what I told you . " "... very well . " All around him, corpsesy stuttered, some strewn individually, some a part of a muchrger mound . Swords, spears, broken des, shields, pieces of armor... they all shimmered beneath the asional sh of a massive Art . It was nd, making any sort of clever maneuvering much more difficult . There was only a direct sh and a nk if one got lucky; they didn¡¯t . They were so close to the Gorge ¨C merely thest twenty miles rush, and they¡¯d be there . The goal . They could set up the encampment, rest, regroup, eat, drink . So close, yet so far . Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, he settled on the left-end, bounding around the squad of bowmen who didn¡¯t even notice him, rapidly firing one arrow after another; some were raw, some coated in one Art or another, asionally lighting up the sky . Rio¡¯s steps were rapid and silent despite his boulder-like stature, his halberd both light and heavy at the same time . This was far from his first rodeo, far from his first battle where he was at a disadvantage, but it was his first time leading others . He was promoted to a General just a couple of days ago and had already found himself in a precarious position . They didn¡¯t expect such massive numbers here, as this was merely an outside skirmish, far removed from the one where the main army fought . Yet, they were daftly outnumbered, one to nearly twenty by Rio¡¯s rough estimates . He jerked his right arm, the one that held the halberd, shoving the copper-dyed tip sideways into the seeming nothingness . He could feel the flesh tear beneath the de through his fingers as nothing turned to a shadow and the shadow turned to a shocked figure and the shocked figure to a dead corpse . Jerking it once more, he threw the corpse backward and looped around the Vanguard, rushing past the copsing front, gathering a massive Qi storm as he ran . Several dozen heads spun as they spotted him, but he didn¡¯t care; his right arm swelled, the veins on it nearly ready to burst, his eyes obtaining a faint, cyan sheen, while the haze of the wind surrounded the shaft of the halberd . He leaped, using the momentum to evade a spit of shadowed des that corroded the earth upon which he stood just a moment ago, looming overhead of the Devils and shing the halberd downward with massive momentum . The shaft bent halfway over, nearly breaking due to the force applied, but it endured in the end . The wind cried due to the pressure, the Qi storm transforming into a raging torrent of steaming icicles that shot out from beneath him, piercing through over sixty Devils at the same time, ripping through their thin flesh as though it were made out of paper . Hended on the other end, somewhat awkwardly, forced to bring himself down and roll over twice to regain his footing . Right from the seated position, however, he swept his left leg in a circle and shot the halberd backward, using the sharp pommel to knead the Devil¡¯s brain, shattering his skull in a swift strike . Blood and gore covered his cape, though he remained undisturbed . The pressure on the front lessened as a small army of roughly a hundred Devils split off from their main force and rushed toward him . Could he defeat a hundred God-Devils? Probably not . Even if he could, it would cost him too much . He didn¡¯t need to beat them; he needed to survive and drag them toward the point the reinforcements wereing from . Could he do that? He wasn¡¯t certain . The only reason he managed to kill so many of them in a single strike is that he took them by surprise; he was by no means an agile fighter and would serve the best on the backline, shooting beams of ice and controlling the battlefield by modifying the terrain . Why choose the halberd then? Solely because he heard the Lord Empyrean¡¯s first weapon was a spear, but the only long-shafted weapons the armory had that supported Ice Qi and range capabilities was this single halberd . He propelled himself backward, coating his feet in ice, allowing himself to skate through the muddied and wet earth, avoiding the exploding shard of shadows thatnded in front of him . Just as he thought he was in the clear, however, nearly a hundred arms shot out from the explosion, swarming at him from all angles . Panicking slightly, he swung the halberd in a full circle, thrusting a mountain of Qi through it in the process . Ice rapidly condensed from the droplets of water, forming a thick shell around him; one end exploded as he shot through it, while the rest held on for but a moment before also shattering . Losing his footing, he slipped against a corpse and heaved backward through the sky, flying good ten meters before crashing onto the earth, rapidly rolling on his side . Groaning in pain, he used Qi to quickly dispense the dizziness only to be weed by a full encirclement of shadows that formed a ring-like array; a hundred des of darkness rapidly shot out, over ten managing to dig their way into his flesh . Though the pain was immense, he endured by biting his tongue, using the halberd instead of his legs to move about by sticking it into the ground, spinning around it and jolting elsewhere . The trail of light behind the tip of the halberd was like cloth, weaving briefly behind before vanishing . Cyan in make, it was residual Qi that he had been building up slowly from the start of the battle . Seeing the faint gap in the formation, he drew a full swing with the halberd to push back the enclosure, using the momentum to drag himself over and swing in a full overhead motion, lighting up the remnant Qi in the process . The halberd crashed into the earth, a minute tremble echoing beneath Rio¡¯s feet before the tip of the de broke apart the ground . A spear-like iceberg shot out from the earth, bounding over a mile into the sky, tearing apart the entire formation as well as over twenty Devils in the process . It was over fifteen meters thick, glistening in dark azure and bright cyan, impervious to the corruption of shade surrounding it . Though faintly proud of his achievements, Rio didn¡¯t have a minute to rest; instead, he shot up against the surface of the iceberg, climbing rapidly without even moving his feet, escaping his chasers for a moment . Taking a deep breath, he nced back and saw they were hot on his tail; he would still be able to buy some precious seconds, however, even if he was pushing his luck a bit too much . A few seconds passed before he reached the tip of the iceberg and, without hesitation, leaped off of it, his feet leaving behind a brilliant stream of cyan light; he spun midair, rapidly swinging the weapon chaotically . Each swing stirred Qi in the surroundings, condensing the droplets into the shards of ice and firing them off toward the pursuers . Each shard was as thick as a decently-sized ymore, though not nearly as fatal, as even the most direct hits weren¡¯t enough to kill the targeted Devils, at most swatting them temporarily from the sky . As he was in a freefall, Rio didn¡¯t have many options left . He once again condensed a massive wall of ice in front of him, blocking the attacks temporarily as his body began falling at the earth beneath . He didn¡¯t even turn around to see how far up he was . There was a chance he might survive, and a chance he might die; whichever the case may be, he bought as much time as he could . He upheld the title of a General . Perhaps, his name might even reach the Revered One¡¯s ears and be inscribed into one of those steles where the heroics are recorded . Heh, he chuckled inwardly . Sis was right... I¡¯m really fuckin¡¯ vain... Chapter 465 Chapter 465 CHAPTER 465 PUSHING FORTH Though Rio had made peace with these moments being hisst, the fate seemingly had different ns for him; as the umtion of corporeal shadows bunched together above him into an all-cleaving de, beginning to catch up to his falling speed, he closed his eyes, letting the somewhat chilly wind graze his cheeks . It would, at least, be painless, he mused . The sky shook all of a sudden, causing him to jolt his eyes open in wonder; the cleaving de exploded into bits and pieces, the shattered shards copsing around him like rain . Digging through it all was a small yet terribly powerful torrent of darkness-encased daggers which continued their flight upward, piercing through dozens of skulls, causing blood and gore to spray over through the sky as the Devil¡¯s formation copsed . Turning around, Rio nced at the ground; from the reaches of the forest, he saw shadows darting out, veils of des shot out one after another, daggers flying as arrays of light, their physical shape indiscernible . The source of the daggers that saved him, however, didn¡¯t belong to the group that immediately darted toward the battlefield, bounding in a rapid onught from the nks, cutting through the Hell¡¯s formation like a hot knife through butter . The source was a pale-skinned man d in a ck cloak, ck coat, and ck pants and boots, standing leaned against the tree, casually ncing at him . He had a pair of yellowish eyes and was by all ounts the enviable, handsome sort that Rio never did get along with . Even if his pride took a hit because Yun saved him, he could hardlyin . Shafting his body around, hended somewhat gracefully right next to him, rolling once to stabilize his footing before leaping up . As always, Yun was expressionless, seemingly apathetic to everything . Rio always envied him, not merely because of his looks, but also the fact that he¡¯d spent his formative years as a Shadow ¨C one of the most revered positions in the Empire, and one which Rio failed to meet the requirements for . "¡ªthanks," Rio mumbled . "How long did you wait?" "... a few moments," Yun said . "I wanted to see whether you could take care of it . " "... you are... aah, you really are terrible . " Rio sighed, shaking his head and turning toward the battlefield . With the reinforcements, the positions rapidly switched; from the defensive, hold-your-ground standing, the Empire¡¯s army pushed the Hell¡¯s back, further and further . "You did arrive in the nick of time, though . I didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d be so outnumbered today . " "Nobody did," Yun said . "It¡¯s outside the scope of predictions . " "Will the rest being?" Rio asked . "Xia should," Yun replied . "Naima was re-routed north . Apparently, things aren¡¯t perfect there either . " "..." "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll hide," Yun said, as though reading Rio¡¯s thoughts . "But, I¡¯ll say it again ¨C give it up . Find a homely girl once you retire . " "... tsk, easy for you to say," Rio grunted . "The rest of us have to take our chances, you know?" "The pretense being that there¡¯s a chance . " "Hey!!" "¡ªI don¡¯t get your obsession with her, to be honest," Yun shrugged . "She¡¯s a mindless brute . I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her not ripping someone¡¯s heart out even once . " "... that¡¯s what makes her so amazing," Rio said, his tone turning somewhat dreamy . "Can you imagine how kinky she must be in bed? Huh?" "... I¡¯d really rather not . " "... dammit man, is there a single woman out there you find attractive?" Rio protested, taking out a gourd of water and downing half its contents in one go . "Or is it really as the rumors say? That part of the bing a Shadow is flipping over? So, you into dudes now?" "..." Yun nced at Rio with a strange look, one which seemed to wordlessly proim Rio the world¡¯s prime moron . "No wonder you couldn¡¯t take on all those Devils alone, what with your head full of that kind of crap . " "Fuck, you¡¯re one really hateful bastard . " Rio grumbled . "Fine, whatever . Let¡¯s go . It seems to being to a close . " The two walked off from the edge of the forest and back into the open field, passing by the support squads who were slowly beginning to set up tents . By the time two reached the front, the battle had ceased; the Devils withdrew, while they remained standing, not giving into the pursuit . Save for Yun¡¯s men, the rest were tired, and Devils still numbered in good thousands altogether . It was simply too risky to chase to abrasively . "General!!" someone suddenly cried out as Rio came to a front, the people who just sat shooting up to their feet . "He¡¯s alive, everyone!! The General¡¯s alive!!" "Aii, General, you looked so cool right there!" the young men slowly cornered Rio, their eyes shining like stars as they looked at him . "You think you could teach us those tricks?" "Yes, yes!! How did you do that whoosh-boom-bang and then flew super high and killed them?!" "Ah! Look at that! No wound to be found on his body!" "Wow! General Rio is really the best!" "..." Rio could hear the faint crackle, the devious one, piercing his ears; his pride swelled, yet his eyes were borderline weeping . Why was it that only his men ever thought he was cool?! It was unjust! "Alright, alright everyone, settle down . Rest for now, we¡¯ll push our camp further out once we recover and regroup . Take proper care of your fallen brothers, alright? Good job today . " As they were already well-experienced in it, a temporary camp was set up quickly, with tents and campfires rising from the ground like mushrooms after rain . The hungry ate, the tired slept, the sad wept, and those who sought improvement reflected upon today¡¯s battle . It was scores more hectic than the usual skirmishes which tended tost less than an hour, ending up with far fewer casualties on both sides . Rio sighed as he watched one pyre after another being lit up, smoke dousing the high sky . A single memento was saved from the each fallen, their names recorded, so that it could be returned to their families if they had any, or put into the Hall of the Fallen alongside the countless other relics of the dead . There was hardly enough time for the proper ceremonies, and pyres were preferred over burials as thends around were still heavily contested, and it was never a certainty they won¡¯t return to battle over the mass grave, digging all the corpses back up . Minutes ticked by rather slowly as Rio sat, going over the battle in his mind; he could have done better, yet he also outdid himself . Reflection was worth it, he realized, as the difference between sparing with his subordinates and actually fighting the Hell¡¯s Army was beyond massive . Though his aspirations weren¡¯t massive, he still thought he could do slightly better than ¡¯just¡¯ being a General ¨C after all, he was still fairly young, having just turned thirty this summer, and he could make it far if he persisted . He still fondly remembered the day he came to the Empyrion as a small, no-name refugee . He¡¯de far from the scrappy recruit who could barely condense enough Qi to formte a single icicle . The booming earth beneath shook him awake as his lips curled up into an involuntary smile . He could recognize the tremors of the Hell Horses anywhere, a special breed used almost exclusively by Xia¡¯s group . He left his tent quickly, turning his eyes east where he saw thousands of crimson-maned beasts zing through the forest, leaving behind them a trail of smoke . They reached the camp in less than a minute,ing to a halt as the army dismounted; it was a rather breathtaking sight, as all bore the same armor ¨C silver-d with red capes fluttering behind them . A fairly young woman, seeming in her early thirties, approached Rio while the rest of the army slowly began setting up their own tents . She had long, artificially-dyed crimson hair and a pair of ck eyes that shimmered with excitement . d in simr armor as the rest, the difference being a golden feather strapped to her left-side chest, the cape behind her fluttered, her boots cranking out as they shed against the earth beneath . A massive greatswordy strapped to her back, seeming too heavy to be dragged around, yet it seemed to have no impact on her whatsoever . "¡ªsorry I¡¯mte," she said, ncing around and spotting the fading pyres . "We got held up on the bridge . " "No worries," Rio replied, grinning sheepishly . "We¡¯vee out victorious, as always . " "There seem to be more dead this time around," she said, frowning . "What happened?" "... their numbers," Rio said, sighing, his grin vanishing, reced by a somber expression . "At least three-four times the usual . " "Have you reported it?" she asked . "Yeah . " "Don¡¯t worry," she said, cing her hand on his shoulder supportively . "Homebase always finds an answer . What now? We pushing?" "Hm," Rio nodded . "After we recuperate a bit, we¡¯ll press onward . If we can push the Army over the Gorge, it will signal the first step in liberating the entire continent from the threat . " "... we¡¯vee a long way," she said, sighing lowly . "I¡¯m sorry for your losses today . You¡¯ve done well . " "... thanks," he nodded . "You should also go and rest . We¡¯ve long days ahead of us . " "Hm..." Xia nodded lightly, ncing at the smoke of the pyres once more with strange eyes before turning around and disappearing toward her army . Rio stared at her fading back with a gaze of adoration, barely holding himself back from leaping over and hugging her . Perenniallyposed, calm under all circumstances, always the first to rush into the battle... it was no secret that she shaped her entire style after the Revered Empyrean, going as far as to request an exact replica of the Empyrean¡¯s famed sword ¨C the yer ¨C only to fall into a deep depression thatsted for months when she realized it didn¡¯t fit her as well as she believed it would . She wasn¡¯t a unique case, however; a lot of Generals, and even some Commanders, were inspired by the legendary figures of the Empire . Yun, for instance, became so infatuated by Lady L¡¯s style of fighting, that he stayed as a Shadow for an extra three years just to study it as closely as possible . Namia, as well, became almost a spitting image of the Sorceress Val; the seemingly inconspicuous-looking woman of grace who was as terrifying when she wanted to be as the worst of nature itself . Though hardly mythical figures as they can be frequently seen in Inmistus, they were still the sort that lived countlessyers above the rest . From the beginning of the War, the Empyrean, for instance, participated only in the Battle of the Isles, the legendary fight where he endured thebined onught of Descent and Holy Grounds for tens of minutes all on his own, killing hundreds of thousands . Rumors say that corpses from that day still float the waters around the Isles, forever restless . "¡ªshe¡¯s really kind, isn¡¯t she?" an unfamiliar voice mumbled from the side . "She really is..." Rio nodded subconsciously, figuring it was one of his men; ncing sideways, however, he froze in shock . "If you say a word," the man grinned strangely, ncing at him . "I¡¯ll leave and never speak to you again, no matter what . " "¡ª" Rio zipped his lips immediately, barely managing to contain a roar in his lungs . Right there, in front of him, stood a figure he would recognize in any circumstance; after all, a massive portrait of him hung in Rio¡¯s bedroom back home, one he would look at for inspiration and courage whenever he felt himself faltering . Despite that, however, and all his boundless aspirations, he never once thought he would actually have the honor of talking with him directly . The ever-mythical, ever-present Empyrean, the Emperor of the Western World, stood right there in front of him, d in casual clothes, grinning like a child . Chapter 466 Chapter 466 CHAPTER 466 EMPEROR OF THE WEST Rio stood frozen in ce, beyond bbergasted . He¡¯d experienced plenty of mind-bending moments in his life, the like which caused him to look at the world in an entirely different way, but nothing ever came even close to today ¨C to this moment . The symbol of everything he, and millions of others believed in, the cornerstone of all they stood for, the penultimate star of the Empyrion, was right by his side, dressed in hemp and shabby clothes, sporting a yful grin on his face . Rio wasn¡¯t surprised the Emperor was dressed so strangely as it was a well-known fact across the Empire that he rarely wore imperial garments; he wasn¡¯t even surprised that he was grinning and smiling, as he was, too, well-known for doing that ¨C he was not, however, well-known for randomly appearing in front of young Generals of the army as though it was the most ordinary thing . "¡ªdon¡¯t be so shocked," Lino chortled, pulling his arm around the stunned Rio¡¯s shoulders and guiding thed toward his tent . "I absolutely hate feeling stuffy inside the so-called ¡¯Imperial Chambers¡¯ . Good god, have you seen them? Absolutely dreadful! People hollering and hovering at me all day, eat this, drink that, dress this, say that... pssh, I¡¯m half-worried someone will ask me to wipe their asses and bless their shit, you know?" "..." Rio remained speechless ¨C indeed, this was the Emperor . entric, perennially-engaged in saying nonsense... Emperor indeed . "Congrattions on today¡¯s victory!" Lino eximed as the two ducked in the General¡¯s tent . "You looked quite cool out there, you know? You¡¯ve got promise, I gotta say . If you keep proving yourself like this, I just might take you under my wing, you know? Ion¡¯s all grown-up now and the bastard refuses toe home until he ¡¯liberates my homnd¡¯ . The selfish fuckin¡¯ prick, ain¡¯t he? Tsk, tsk, whatever . Youngds need to dream, no? What¡¯s your dream? Besides wedding and bedding whats-her-name, I mean . " "¡ªI... I..." Rio stuttered, unsure of how to reply . Though he may have known that the Empyrean was an entric, that didn¡¯t mean he knew how to respond and y along . Rather, he was still trying to process the fact that he was casually sitting across the Empyrean in his tent as thetter took out two bottles of mead, handing one over, whilst slowly beginning to drink the other . "Hmm, that¡¯s the stuff!" Lino mumbled, taking in a deep breath as the chilly sensation cruised down his throat . "Man, Maya sure knows how to make godly booze . Drink . It¡¯s good for your nerves . I imagine you could use a bit of help right about now . " "¡ªah, yes..." Rio mumbled lowly before capping open the bottle and taking a few sips; it was quite strong, causing him to spit out a mouthful and cough violently right after, taking nearly thirty seconds topletely recovered . He could barely breathe as each breath he took would rekindle the frost in his lungs . "Ha ha ha, not much of a drinker, huh?" Lino chortled . "Aii, sorry, should have warned you . Nevermind . Toote now, ain¡¯t it? Anyway . Won¡¯t you reply?" "Hm?" "What¡¯s your dream?" Lino asked . "... ah," though Rio felt slightly dizzy, he also felt rxed, less anxious . The alcohol truly seemed to have swept his nervousness along through his veins, leaving him in a calm state of mind . "To fight... to help You realize Your dream..." "... I¡¯m not asking about your aspirationsd," Lino said . "But your dreams . Beyond the battles . Beyond the war . Beyond serving me as a weapon . What do you want to do? To be? To achieve in your lifetime?" "... honestly?" Rio smiled sheepishly, ying with the bottle . "I... just want a family, you know? A home . A ce I cane back to and feel... warmth . A couple of toddlers . A small farm, perhaps, or vineyard . A little piece ofnd to call my own . " "... ¡¯s that so?" Lino smiled widely, taking a sip . "It¡¯s a nice dream . " "... you don¡¯t think itcks... something? A higher calling?" Rio asked, somewhat stunned by Lino¡¯s reply . "¡ªwhat¡¯s the point?" Lino said . "A simple life... is breathtaking . The happiest moments of my life are when I¡¯m with my family, sheltered from the hustle and the bustle of the world . From the bottom of my heart... I hope you realize your dream one day . " "... so do I . " Rio nodded . "May... may I ask? Why... why are you here?" he managed to brave himself enough after one more sip . "¡ªI¡¯ve some free time before all hell breaks loose," Lino said . "I¡¯ll simply follow along for a while and observe silently . Just go about your business casually, alright? Don¡¯t mind me too much . " Lino shed onest grin before suddenly vanishing, leaving Rio to sit in dumb and daft silence . The Great Emperor... was the same, yetpletely different, than what the rumors would make of him . So much more, Rio mused . Until today, he only fought for a figure, for a symbol, for an abstract concept that he simply epted rather than understood . He fought for a banner, for his Emperor, for his Empire . Yet, today... it was all upturned, as though heavens swapped with earth and rain began falling upwardly . He would fight for a man, he realized, for a person, for someone who, just like him, saw something more to life than fighting . Rio¡¯s lips curled up into a smile of content, his entire body rxing . Just like that, a dam in him broke, and he found himself bing a Fiend Titr . He found himself crossing the bridge many of his Seniors were still confused over . Merely by admitting... there was more to life than blood . Lino was currently sitting on one of the trees by the edge of the field, his legs heaved over the branch, humming a low melody . He mused inwardly over Rio¡¯s reaction, feeling a faint gush of pride swell within him . Contrary to what Rio may think, people rarely showed him that sort of respect anymore . Lino didn¡¯tin, however, as he never requested it . There was a reason he hated making rounds through the various departments as almost nobody dared treat him like just another person . What made him the happiest today, however, was that he realized people still had dreams beyond today and beyond tomorrow and beyond the swelling of the war . He wouldn¡¯t be able to act the dome of protection eternally throughout the war, wouldn¡¯t be able to uphold the falling skies; the story, in the end, was much bigger than him . Eventually, however, the war would be over . All of it would settle . What of them then? They needed to look for life beyond this line . "¡ªare you certain you wish topletely erase the Hell¡¯s presence from the Western Continent?" the familiar, robotic voice echoed suddenly inside his mind . "They won¡¯t give it up willingly . " "I don¡¯t expect them to," Lino shrugged . "They¡¯ll leave the same way they came, or they won¡¯t leave at all . It¡¯s as simple as that . " "... Asthar still held back on a lot of ounts," Ataxia said . "If you plunge yourself into a war with him as well, you¡¯ll be stretched on too many fronts . You¡¯re increasing the risk unnecessarily . Let them have the vanity; keep open the Western Front and use it as a form of tempering for the young soldiers . " "... you are misunderstanding something here," Lino said, the look in his eyes turning deadly . "Though it may be an Origin War I¡¯m fighting, I¡¯ve absolutely no intention of dragging it on pointlessly . What use is a chisel when swords won¡¯t be used nearly enough to grow dull?" "You speak rather casually of ending the Origin War . But, it exists well above you, Lino . Even if you kill Two, and disband the Descent and even if you vanquish everyst Devil... do you think the Origin War would suddenly end? Don¡¯t be na?ve . " "¡ªI¡¯m not being na?ve," Lino replied . "I¡¯m being absolute . Descent, Hell, Holy Grounds, Empires, Gaia, Bearers... this will be thest Age the world will ever witness them . " "... indeed, you¡¯re not na?ve . You¡¯re a moron . You understand the human heart better than most, and you still expect that to end the perennial state of chaos?" "... you¡¯ve lived long enough to know there¡¯s no such thing as ¡¯perennial¡¯, Ataxia," Lino sighed, leaning back against the trunk of the tree . "All things... will eventuallye to an end . Why not the state of war and distress? The discord will always exist, but I¡¯m not trying to end that . Violence... can be extinguished, though . " "It can¡¯t," Ataxia said . "And if you truly believe that... you¡¯ve be too idealistic yourself, something you spewed others about your entire life . " "... then offer me the alternative," Lino chuckled bitterly . "I can¡¯t spend the rest of my life fighting, chasing after all those who hate me and reject me, grooming armies, watching loved ones fall to ash, having my heart cracked and broken time and again . What¡¯s the alternative to trying and end and prevent all of that? Or, perchance, do you want me to be like all my predecessors? Fight and fight and fight and fight... and fight till my guts are flowing through my eyes . Die a death of content, knowing I have tried?" "I haven¡¯t chosen you to be like the rest, nor have I groomed you to be like the rest," Ataxia said . "I have always told you, Lino, the answer isn¡¯t in ending anything . Do you think those before you never had the same opportunity as you? To ¡¯end¡¯ it all? They had . Yet, unequivocally, they chose not to . " "... that¡¯s them, their lives, their stories . " Lino replied, ncing up at the darkening skies . "This is mine . " "..." Ataxia said nothing after, seemingly having realized Lino wouldn¡¯t change his mind . Though he talked big, he was as clueless as anyone on how to go through with itpletely . Only a portion had been mapped out, only the prelude, the prologue to the penultimate point . He was too weak yet for it... but not for long . Eventually, the curtain would unfold, beyond would begin, and all this... woulde to an end . A new world would then begin . Chapter 467 Chapter 467 CHAPTER 467 WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Lino was currently floating in the high skies, surrounded and coated with ashen-gray clouds . His eyes gazed downward, upon the firm ground, his expression rxed . On one end stood an army of Hell, on another his own; eight squads in total, building up to just short of 90,000 people, versus roughly 120,000 of Devils and Demons . Though the scale was truly massive, as armies epassed vast swath ofnd, it was only the beginning . It wouldn¡¯t be strange if numbers reached high millions at their peak . Both heavens and earth would then be swarmed with souls trying to outwit each other in the momentary capacity . However, his gaze didn¡¯t linger on the armies for too long; he already knew his would win . Though they may be outnumbered, their strengths vastly outstripped their opposition . It was only a matter of time . What caught his attention was whaty beyond the Hell¡¯s army ¨C a massive gash, a wound of the world running rampant, wild, uncontained, from north to south . The Gorge which he once explored, in which he found ¨C or, rather, was gifted ¨C a pair of wings that remained an indispensable part of his arsenal till this very day, and would, most likely, remain as such till the day he died . Though those times were now distant, Lino held onto them tightly . The beginnings . The first steps he took toward the world¡¯s center stage . He truly was an ignorantmb back then . Arrogant, prideful, certain he was unmatched . He could still clearly remember climbing down the steep cliffs of the gorge, finding his way into the majestic hall, nting his eyes upon the resplendent pair of wings, and meeting a remnant of a race-long-extinct . Back then he didn¡¯t have the knowledge to truly understand the absolute sensation of it ¨C to meet an Archangel, one of the first beings to ever appear on Noterra . How mind-bending was that? Ignorance, truly, was bliss in a sense . The Gorge, much like it splits the Western Continent, also acted as the split of his own story; he felt that after and before were two different realities . Before, he was a boy chasing tails with Demons, trying to understand the hearts of others as well as his own, yet to extrapte himself from a prideful shell . After, he embarked on a journey that would lead him to today, to this moment . His memories shed to all the faces he¡¯d met and lost, yet never dared forget . It even briefly lingered on Eshen, a seemingly irrelevant name in the records of histories . Nobody seemed to know who she was . Yet, she yed an important role in his life . Rather, by now, he¡¯d realized she¡¯d yed a role so important treks of his life would have changedpletely had he never met her . Her tomb was gone ¨C he already checked . All remnants of her, save for the ignited fire in his mind, have vanished . Would his own existence act out like that? He was certain she was known and feared while alive . Perhaps even respected and loved by a few, despite her blindness to it . Was that the unequivocal end all would meet? He hardly cared, however . Past his death, he had no mind to wonder and muse . Forgotten or remembered... wasn¡¯t it all the same? He would be dead, mindless, gone . What worth was their remembrance to him? Sighing lowly, he ripped his eyes back up toward the sky . His shoulders felt heavy . His heart, mind, and soul were even heavier . He enjoyed the temporary respite, the short-lived dive into the past where all things were much simpler . Down below, his army pushed; even this far up he could hear their fervent roars . The Hell¡¯s replied in kind, shrieks of fury and anger congealing into the wind . Was there a moment, a single point in time, where his life went from simple toplicated? There was . He knew there was . The first sh resonated, causing the earth and the low-sky to shake . Cries of pain bellowed out, shrieks of thunder, tampering of fire, the calmness of the water, personifications of Elements danced in the fury of colors . It was when his illusions broke ¨C when he drew from his soul to childishly try and avenge the deaths of those he loved . The Hell¡¯s army tried to nk from two sides, made slightly easier due to the density of the forests on both ends; but their intentions were seen through . Two ends split off from the Empyrion¡¯s army, each matching the nk fearlessly . It was the moment he learned the world was not kind . Or, at least, the moment he should have learned that . It was the point where his world was turned upside down . When he realized the only one he could count on was himself . The bulge persisted at the center of the sh for a moment before the Hell¡¯s frontline broke off; the shimmering arrays of shadows and ckfire that were sent by the ranged attackers standing at the far back were drowned in the countless screens of protection . Closer and closer to the edge of the gorge the battlemenced . That realization didn¡¯t happen too far from here . He could still remember it vividly, envision it perfectly, even feel it as though it was etched in his bones . The first time in his life he managed to use his Will as a weapon . The Hell¡¯s formation copsed; their center split off as the two sides tried to bunker up . Their defenses, however, were extremely weak, torn through by an unstoppable onught . Dead and dying soon covered thendscape by the gorge¡¯s side . He was still a boy back then and there, a runt yet to leave his teenage years . Yet, Lino missed something of that young boy . Something that was lost on that day, and was lost on many days before it, and many days after it . Something he kept losing all his life, just as he managed to regain it . The battle was over . The eastern part of the Western Continent was liberated . It was his own, thesends below . They now belonged entirely to the Empyrion . Yet, there was hardly a trace of too much joy in his eyes . So much was lost . Not just today, but also yesterday . And the day before . And a month ago . And the year and the decade ago . He sighed once more, his body vanishing . Less than a breathter, he found himself inside a rather spacious tent, looking over the shoulder of an anxious-lookingd who kept ncing left and right in anticipation of something . Lino chuckled faintly, alerting Rio who rapidly turned around, his lips beaming out into a smile . "¡ªYour Majesty," the General said . "We¡¯vee out victorious!" "I saw," Lino nodded, sitting down . "Congrattions . It was a swift and direct victory . " "..." Rio said nothing, though his smile widened further . "Ah, right . Whose idea was to have the groups ready to reply to the nking attempt of the Devils?" Lino asked with faint curiosity, taking out a gourd of wine . "Ah! That was General Xia¡¯s idea," Rio replied immediately, smiling with a strange sense of pride . "She is truly brilliant!" "..." Lino squinted his eyes slightly, taking a good look at the man in front of him; why wouldn¡¯t you promote yourself, man? I even set you up for it... aah, the eyes of love are truly blind... "¡¯s that so?" he chuckled instead, shaking his head . "Tell me about her . " "W-what do you want to know?" Rio mumbled, seeming somewhat nervous . "How did you two meet?" Lino asked, smiling . "... w-we met very early on," Rio replied . "She was, uh, my Senior in the Martial Department . However, she suddenly decided to switch over to the Military . " "And you followed?" "Hm . " Rio nodded meekly . "You know," Lino smiled once again . "Admiring someone and respecting them is great and all... but, one way or another, eventually you¡¯ll have to crack . " "..." "Do you know how Hannah and I got together?" Lino suddenly asked after a short silence . "A-ah? Empress and-and Your Majesty? No..." Rio shook his head . "She saved my life, and I decided to take advantage of her . " "E-eh?!" "Ha ha ha," Lino chortled for a moment, seeing Rio¡¯s shocked expression . "I took a leap of faith . On that day, she could have pulled back... and that would have been the end of that . I¡¯d have had my heart broken and I would have been sullen... but, our capacity to endure is beyond measure . I¡¯d have recovered, eventually . In the worst case, she won¡¯t feel the same as you . In the best, she will . Isn¡¯t taking that chance worth it? That because you mustered up the courage to walk over and be honest... you got to spend the rest of your life by the side of someone you love? Isn¡¯t it silly that the only thing standing between you and that potential future is... fear?" "..." Rio remained silence, somewhat stunned . "Life¡¯s a string of chances, some of which we take and some of which we let slip by . But, we only get so many chances Rio . Miss then one-time-too-many and they¡¯re gone . Forever . Life¡¯s never too gracious to wait for us to make up our minds and gather enough courage . Sometimes, even if you¡¯re terrified, you have to seem fearless . " "... I... I know..." Rio mumbled, sighing . "Doesn¡¯t make it easier . To know, I mean . " "It doesn¡¯t," Lino shook his head, taking another sip of wine . "Doesn¡¯t make it harder either . Fear is always temporary . You told me that, beyond all this, you have a dream . But, that dream won¡¯te true if you keep sitting on your ass and doing nothing, you know?" "... I¡¯ll tell her¡ª" "Talk to her," Lino interrupted . "Ask her about who she is . What does she want? What does she dream of? Tell her about who you are . What you want and what you dream of . Life never closes its doors to those who persistently knock . " "..." Rio remained silent, contemting . Indeed, his image of the Emperor had undergone aplete shift . He was far, far more than Rio ever anticipated; perhaps not as majestic, perhaps not as ineffable, not as distant and awe-inspiring . However, he was far more human... far more like all the rest of them than Rio ever thought . If he wasn¡¯t, would he evere down from his lofty throne, meet up with a small-time General of his army, and give him advice on love? He certainly wouldn¡¯t . Yet, he did . Sitting there, dressed in hemp clothes, drinking from a cheap-looking gourd of wine . He hardly seemed the personification of the Emperor... and more akin to another person . "You truly are... beyond remarkable," Rio uttered slowly, his shoulders slumping . "We will win this war for You, Your Majesty . You deserve the world, whether You wish it or not . " "..." Lino merely smiled faintly, not replying . He¡¯d asionally, when growing bored, split off from the Empyrion and skittle around the frontlines, meeting up random people and chatting with them . It was one of the few things he enjoyed doing as it reminded him of the simpler times . Chatting with a young General about love, or about the make of a sword, or about the best cake or fruit, or even about life and death... in his mind, it was priceless . "You may start fortifying the bounds . " "Hm?" Rio suddenly eximed . "Aren¡¯t we crossing over?" "No," Lino shook his head . "Those waiting beyond... aren¡¯t the ilk you guys can defeat . " "Ah?! What?!" "They¡¯ve stolen my home away," Lino said, getting up slowly . "It¡¯s only right I steal it back, no? Here," he handed a small parchment, the instructions written on it mirroring what Lino said with the imperial seal confirming it came from the top . "Ensure no one crosses over until I return . Hopefully, by that end, you¡¯ll be waiting for me by the side of someone else except the empty wind . " Chapter 468 Chapter 468 CHAPTER 468 BREAKING THE CHAINS (I) A faint sound of footsteps echoed throughout the otherwise silent forest, seemingly barren of life . In-between the dead and the dying trees, some grayed and some already ckened, Lino walked casually, his pace brisk, expression cid . He had donned his Heavenly Armor which shimmered in a beautifulbination of golden and azure, two swords stored in simple-looking scabbards hanging by his sides . Indeed, he didn¡¯t wish to leave anything to chance; he didn¡¯t know what awaited him on the other side of the Gorge as Devils and Demons had fermented in these parts for decades now . Devil Qi was terribly thick and ever-present, making it difficult to breathe without purifying it first . All around, he couldn¡¯t see or sense anything . Even gazing into the horizon was futile as it was masked in gray smoke and ck soot and ashen clouds . One of his hands hung still on the handle of the sword while he used the other to asionally take a sip of wine . To a naked eye, he was invisible; to the perception of Higher Senses, he was not there ¨C but, all the same, he was certain the Devils knew exactly where he was, as the connection between Ataxia and Ashtar remained steadfast . The journey was long-winded, empty, silent . The rivers had dried, the forests had died, the mountains had turned limp and empty, the greatkes which once upon a time hosted a variety of lifeforms had been vaporized ¨C all life seemed to have ceased, and he was walking among thend of the dead . In effect, it could be considered that;nds infested with Devil Qi were uninhabitable by everyone except the Devils and the Demons . All other life, be it humans, beasts, animals or nts could not survive . Most of the scenery was unfamiliar, despite having crossed these parts once before . It had changed too much, aside from the fact that Lino, back then, had mostly sped through these parts in the bid of running away . He would asionally nce around, though his sight mostly remained upfront . At all times he kept his Divine Sense with a tinge of Primal Chaos spread about, covering every nook and cranny, expecting an ambush . Ambush did note, though something else did that caused him to halt; he came upon ruins of a city he couldn¡¯t recognize . Beyond the rubble and the debris, all was leveled with earth, a central path cutting straight through everything like the main street . On both ends, strung on the gallows, were hundreds of people; by now, most had turned into dried corpses or skeletons, though a few appeared to have died only just recently, perhaps as far back as a few months ago . Lino quickly counted up to almost two thousand souls, a faint sigh escaping his lips . It appears that people ¡¯lived¡¯ here until just recently, most-likely until the start of the War . He shook his head, resuming his walk, taking the street rather than going around . He¡¯d already seen too many dead in too many ways and forms to be bent and broken by a sight like this . He didn¡¯t know whether this scene was intentional or pure ident as Lino simply happened to have taken a path through this city, but he hardly cared to begin with . He returned here to do what he failed to do the first time around ¨C expel all Devils and Demons back to Hell . The first time around, he was so weak he had to flee ¨C no more, however . A few minutester, he exited the ruins of the city, emerging on the other end and resuming down a road that suddenly took to a sharp, upward curve as it bounded an empty mountain in front of him . He climbed over it slowly,ing to a halt at its topmost point; there, he overlooked a vast valley, as dead as allnd behind him, yet brimming with life ¨C from its beginnings to its ends, Devils and Demons upied every inch of the space . Shrouded in thick shadows, their crimson eyes looked like res of light bounding from the infinite darkness . There were hundreds of thousands, Lino realized, standing there in silence, all staring at him emptily . Lino wasn¡¯t surprised, merely staring back, his eyes void of emotion . A hazy wind blew lightly, fluttering his cloak and hair, carrying with it dry, ashen dust . An apparition suddenly appeared in front of Lino, hovering in the mid-sky; a clump of smoke was featureless, bound in edgeless shadows, seemingly dancing independently of the reality . Lino couldn¡¯t see past it, yet could recognize it, almost intuitively ¨C it was the Origin Father of all Devils, or at the very least his projection . A pair of crimson spheres appeared within the dancing shadows, staring directly into his eyes . "¡ªyou¡¯vee a long way," a hoarse, cracking voice spoke out in a whisper . "A friend or a foe?" "... cheeky," Lino smiled faintly . "I could go for a bout or two against you . How about it?" "... you have already lost," the apparition said . "Yet still remain blind with confidence . Humans... truly never cease to amaze me . The evolved creatures of intellect... sted with minds of idiocy . " "I¡¯m too tired and old for riddles," Lino sighed . "Keep your throne warm . I¡¯ming for it . " "..." the apparition spoke no more, merely staring at Lino for a little while longer before vanishing . As it did, the Devils and Demons below seemed to have awoken, spirits in their souls sparked into life . Killing intent soon permeated every inch of Lino¡¯s surroundings, though it hardly impacted him; this was merely a collective sacrifice if anything . As to why, he couldn¡¯t say . Perhaps there were too many Devils and he wanted to let go of a few? Perhaps he was merely insane? Or, perhaps, he truly believed these children would be enough to stop Lino . Thetter couldn¡¯t say . Rather than dying it any longer, Lino suddenly withdrew the yer from its scabbard, throwing himself off the top of the mountain, entering a freefall . The sharp-looking de cried out lowly, vibrating in his hand as though thirsting for blood . The army below roared in unity, each soul taking out their own weapons, crouching slightly and aiming them at Lino who was slowly falling toward them . He was unperturbed, be it by numbers, by the setting, by the reality of it all . Just as he reached roughly fifty meters from the army, his eyes glimmered in strange light; the yer cried out once more, suddenly kindling itself into a holistic, white fire that lit up the world, blinding both the living and the dead . Lino sped up, bolting through space and time, ripping a tunnel through its vestiges and arriving at the dead-center of the Hell¡¯s Army . He crashed unnoticed, bringing with him a torrential storm of ripping spatial vortices numbering in hundreds that began swallowing the Devils and the Demons in thousands . He himself spun, drawing a full circle with the yer as white fire copsed into veil-thin de lights, cutting through the surrounding souls like a scythe through the grass . There was hardly a need to expend more than necessary, or to be shy; quick and direct was all that was needed . Following a moment of stillness, a river of ghastly blood erupted as top halves of tens of thousands of Demons and Devils cleaved, raptured upward into a rotating spiral, geysers of blood exploding out into the surrounding world . It was more akin to a performance, so much so that were someone to be standing nearby and observing, they¡¯d be certain it was just a y put on by a wicked mind, as it was difficult to etch it all as a reality . Lino straightened himself, putting the yer back into the scabbard at the same moment cleaved bodies fell onto the ground, sshing about in their own blood . ncing around once and sighing, he departed, leaving behind the ghastly sight for the dunes and spirits of time to find them . On his way over to where his story began, simr scenes transpired often . So often, as the matter of fact, that Lino saw his Vitality stat spiking after stagnating for years now . After all, for someone at his level, increasing stats exponentially was extremely difficult . Yet, today, the tale had shifted . Was that the purpose of all this? To sharpen him like a de? Perhaps, Lino mused . Devils, after all, were Children of Chaos . Their intentions were as clear as the bottom of a muddyke at night . After cutting down another army of tens of thousands, Lino stopped for a moment, taking in the sight . He was close, close to that small vige, close to where his story began . A nostalgic feeling washed over him, so much so that he felt his heart stir for a moment . Despite having reached the heights he did, and despite living a beyond joyful life, a part of him, in the deep reaches of his heart, still yearned to return to the past . To when he was a bumbling country bumpkin, shamelessly bragging about his non-existent talents, hoping simply to find a piece of bread to carry him over into the next dawn . Walking away, his shoulders suddenly felt heavier . "Haii," he sighed audibly, shaking his head . "I¡¯ve really turned pathetic . I guess it¡¯s true what they say... man¡¯s balls vanish when he gets a kid . Puii, no, no! They¡¯re still lodged where the heavens put them! Shake it off, shake it off..." motivating himself by uttering stupidities for a little while, he went along the trail, just mere minutes away from the ce his life had begun in . Chapter 469 Chapter 469 CHAPTER 469 BREAKING THE CHAINS (II) A kingdom sprawled open before his eyes, long and winding . Lino stood on top of a tall cliff, cradled by two dried-up rivers, overlooking the stretch of nd beneath him . Umbra Vige, countless others, as well as thete Kingdom¡¯s Capital, had all been blended into one, massive metropolis sporting thousands of ebony-ck towers and spires rising over the smoked huts and buildings and streets paved in ashen-gray stone . The streets, however, were empty, unlike the skies; there, an army without a conscious number hovered, crimson eyes forming a symphony of colors that managed to suffocate the surrounding dark . They all stared at Lino evenly, their gazes strangely dull . The Demons as weak as Low-tier to the Devils as strong as Primordial Titrs... they hovered emptily, silently . It was an eerie scene, yet what caught Lino¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t that, but a small patch ofnd toward the south-west, tucked in a remote, seemingly insignificant corner . Amidst the fire and haze of the smoke, ashen-gray and ck, a small clearingprised of two houses stood erect, both shabby and old-looking, walls full of holes, windows drifting draft through the innards freely . Lino¡¯s heart stirred at that moment, his memories awoken from their deep slumber; one of those houses was Eggor¡¯s and E¡¯s, home of his teenage years, while the other one was where Hannah and he briefly lived together after Alison left . "¡ªhow do you like it?" the familiar voice whispered from the beyond, striking directly at his soul . "I¡¯ve preserved them to the best of my abilities . " "... truly, you are a father¡¯s son..." Lino mumbled lowly, fighting back the surge of emotions . "Don¡¯t misunderstand," the voice continued . "I did not do it to crack you; I know how much these eight walls mean to you . " "¡ªI don¡¯t care for the walls," Lino said . "Just the memories they contain . " "... don¡¯t we all?" "What is it that you want, Ashtar?" Lino asked after a short silence . "Do you want me to end my crusade? Exterminate your kin? Befriend you? Or are you as you wont to be, just a creature of inconsistencies?" "... what I want? I want... many-a-thing I can never have, young Empyrean . This is not about my wants, but about your needs . What do you need?" "..." Lino remained silent, ripping his gaze away from the small clearing and onto the massive army . "Beyond it is a portal, no? Are you inviting me to your home?" "Is it my home, though? Or is it yours?" "... riddles, riddles, riddles," Lino muttered . "Had the mind never invented riddles, half the problems would have never ripened . " "For someone who ims to dread them so much, you are rather proficient at them . " the voice said . "I damn well ought to be after all this time," Lino groaned . "The only way I ever learned anything of value is if I could pry it open from the cold lips of the riddled minds . Now, however, I¡¯ve no time for the riddles . War awaits me . One far more important than ours . " "I know," the voice said . "A war to end all wars, your mind predicts . Will it end all wars? No . Nothing short of life ceasing to exist will end all wars . " "¡ªaah, I¡¯m tired of philosophy, of this ever-prevailing cynicism," Lino sighed, suddenly taking out the yer . "Wait for me, Ashtar . I kindly ept your invitation . " "..." the voice spoke no more, seemingly having withdrawn . Lino didn¡¯t pay any more attention to it, turning toward the sea of Devils and Demons who, simrly, withdrew their weapons . He found it all odd, though consciously prevented himself from thinking about it; worm-thoughts akin to those were dangerous, he knew . The sharpness of his eyes increased as the gleam in them turned bright . He bent halfway forward, drawing the yer an inch out of its scabbard, the glimmer of the sharp de unleashing fiery light for a moment . Suddenly, two pairs of wings unfurled behind Lino, two holy-white and the other two bleakly dark, creating the never-ending contrast . "," he mumbled lowly as Qi within him stirred, soon manifesting as trails of ck and white smoke that draped over his armor . "¡ªin Chaos born, in Chaos dissevered; in Entropy reborn, in Entropy sinewed ¨C 50th Form ¨C Salvation . " His voice trailed along with the tides of the wind as he soon vanished from his spot, space around him contorting, blowing like a blowfish for a moment before imploding inwardly, creating countless gashes and wounds in spacetime . A torrent of light appeared all of a sudden above the Hell¡¯s army, each array the size of a de, shaped like the yer; in its midst, trails of darkness shrouded the guards and the handles, seemingly enacting the role of the propellent . The light and dark mingled as they sped in rapid, circr loops, burning through the army like the high-sea storm, forming tidal waves of Chaotic Qi that even its descendants could not withstand . Lino appeared in the midst during the bout of confusion, his expression empty, eyes shimmering in the killing intent . He spun the yer in a full circle before anyone could even register it, his body stretching as he swayed sideways, spinning once more . His speed achieved the effect of the paradox, as he moved so fast the light itself could not catch up to him, causing its trails to appear as afterimages . His imposing figure could be seen at a hundred ces at the same time, cutting, splicing, stabbing, spinning, roaring . His eyes shifted into their crimson hue as he cleaved a God-Devil in half, basking in the ck-crimson blood, staining his armor . The innate desire within him awoke, his heart stirred; blood gushed through his veins like a river, Qi surging like the tidal waves of the stormy seas . It was not a battle, not really; it was a form of empowering, like ho ordinary Cultivators would swallow high-end pills to help them umte more Qi quickly . Lino danced through the millions of them a whole second before they awoke, finding nearly half their forces cleaved, flying from the high skies like the flies, their cold, dead bodies sttering against the stone down below, turning into ash right after, seeped of all their Vitality . The army roared emotionally, splitting apart like the sea; arrays of darkness sunk the high-tides of Qi, subverting it rapidly . Lino found it hard to breathe for a moment but quickly underwent a full cirction of Primal Chaos inside of him, purifying the dense, Devil Qi in a single breath . His body, now revitalized, shook, Qi around it growing corporeal as his humanoid body grew draped in darkness and light, in folding shadows that danced into nowhere and everywhere . Now he seemed more akin to the Devils than their liberator, yet it hardly stayed his de . The yer cried as it looped several dozen heads with a single swing, sting off a paper-thin array of light that cut through all in its path . Heads split off and loomed for a moment before falling alongside the bodies . The two pairs of wings fluttered, suddenly encasing Lino in a protective, sphere-shaped shell; unlike before, however, it was transparent, like an embryonic egg . The Arts fell on top of it, barely managing to shake it; hundreds of thousands swarmed the sturdy shell, bouncing off, draping over, seeping in ¨C not a single iota of Qi touched Lino who suddenly burst out of the shell, his body condensing into a trail of smoke and ash not even the reality itself could catch up to . His speed produced the effect simr to that of a ck hole ¨C time dtion . So much so, actually, that he effectively existed in the ¡¯future¡¯, several seconds ahead of the Devils . What did the several seconds mean in thebat at such a level? Everything . The tides settled and the cries, roars and painful weeps ceased . The metropolis, once standing tall, proud and defiant, had reced its ebony-dark hue with a crimson dye . All across, be it its roofs or streets, disemboweled bodiesy stilled, blood gushing through the streets and rooftops like a set of intertwining rivers, heads whose eyes still stared wide-open defiantly at the sky acting the role of decorations at every corner . It was a sight no other soul besides Lino would ever see in person . After this, the intentions, the point of it all became clear to him, though he didn¡¯t voice them, not in his mind, not with his lips . He loomed far above, staring at the sight he single-handedly created . Though not proud, he was not ashamed either . Long gone were the days where he would break over cutting down so many souls so rapidly . The demons would weigh on his soul, but it was already overburdened... it has been for a long, long time . He would endure it, as he always had . He put the yer back into its scabbard, taking a deep breath . Millions... perhaps even billions of years would need to pass before thisnd would return to its natural state . Lino suspected that he would not be alive long enough to witness it, though he didn¡¯t care . He had a new home, and that clear patch that still remained intact despite everything, seemingly protected by invisible magic, was simply a memory . A dear, warm memory, but just a memory nheless . He tore his eyes away from it, summoning his status window in his head . It has been a long time since he looked at it, as he almost instinctively could sense all the changes in his body for a long while . However, a simple confirmation of what he suspected never hurt . The numbers, though shocking, failed to incur the same reaction in him as they would decades ago . He knew they were just numbers, and could hardly tell the story of one¡¯s strength properly . [Lyonel Qa¡¯yi ¨C Human ¨C Level 71,443] The Empyrean cksmith Titles: Missionary of Writ (???), Empyrean Commander (???), Continental Crafter, Harbinger of Chaos, The Unbent, Destroyer of Life, Beholder of Madness, Writ yer, Ender of Light, Dragon Rider, Kinyer, Creator, Fiend, Primordial, Devil Ender, Spacetime Burrower upations: Beggar (Level 106), cksmith (Level 5,000 - Primordial Archmaster), Cultivator (Level 70), Formation Master (Level 110), Rune Master (Level 140) Martial Arts: Empyrean Will (Max), Peerless Empyrean Spear Scripture (Max), Sword of Chaos (Level 13), Berserk, Unshackled, Aeonian Body, Weapon Mastery, Empyrean Consecration (Level 3), Eternal Banishment (Level 2), Genesis (Level 1) Primal Spirits: Ra, Ye, Gu, Li, Glog, Tet, Lyee, Astha, J¡¯ok, Fyur Primary Stats: Strength (96,443,988), Vitality (169,334,593) Chapter 470 Chapter 470 CHAPTER 470 BREAKING THE CHAINS (III) Lino stared somberly at the spinning portal in front of him . The giant-sized hole sucked Devil Qi from its surroundings rapidly, purifying it and spitting it right back out . It wasn¡¯t difficult for Lino to realize the location of the portal ¨C it was built at the exact ce where the Umbra Kingdom¡¯s Pce used to be, or, rather, beneath it . Naturally, the surrounding area was unrecognizable as such; ebony-dyed towers and spires arose in-between the massive walls, with dark-brick buildings filling up the empty space in-between . There was hardly a source of light to be seen, and any cultivator beneath the Void threshold would effectively be blind here . Sighing inwardly for a moment, Lino shook his head and stepped through the portal . The sensation of the spacetime ripples soon overwhelmed him, He carefully observed the spatial tears outside the artificial tunnel; in their breaks, gazing beyond them, he saw the stars alight the vast cosmos . He pondered, inwardly, whether just like their own sun, those stars hosted life? They had to, he mused . After all, there were so many of them . Thinking back to the map of the cosmos Tim showed him a long time ago, Lino¡¯s convictions became even greater . What they could see was a literal grain of sand, a droplet of water in all of the world¡¯s oceans . His thoughts were interrupted as he was spat out of the tunnel, thrust into apletely new world . His brows furrowed immediately; he couldn¡¯t breathe without using Chaos to purify the insanely dense Devil Qi that surrounded him . Looking around, he saw sword-shaped erections spat out of the earth like pirs, some straight and some at an angle, dyed in ashen gray and ck . Thendscape surrounding them was uneven, going up and down, forming hilltops and dented valleyways along the strange curvature . The horizon splintered due to the fog and mist his eyes could not peer through, though Lino immediately realized that Hell ¨C as a world altogether ¨C was actually physicallyrger than Noterra . Not by much, but enough to be noticed . It was not nearly as popted, however . After all, only Devils and Demons could ever hope to actually live here . Lino was faintly shocked, wondering how the armies of Noterra had the capacity to even invade thisnd so many times over . Could it be that they also used their Qi to purify the Devil Qi? That would have cost them too much, however, effectively rendering them useless for a fight . Hended squarely, grasping the handle of the yer and the Edge, taking slow steps forward while examining his surroundings . For the time being, he decided to simply wander around aimlessly . This was only the second time he¡¯d found himself on a ne that was far away from Noterra, an entirely new at that . He found it rather strange and obscure to think about, yet couldn¡¯t help but admit that, eventually, he¡¯d have to figure it out . As he walked, the scenery around him slowly began to drift . From low hills and dips, it sprung into a maw-like valley surrounded by skeletal mountains . The valley itself was ragged with scars and ruined stones, asional flicker of smoke still billowing into the sky . He felt strange, slightly illusionary, as he realized that the world he perceived would asionally splinter, throwing itself upside down, then looping through the spacetime . "... hm?" he mumbled, frowning . "There¡¯s... a higher dimension here?" "There are higher dimensions everywhere," Ataxia replied all of a sudden . "They are simply constrained weakly within Hell so that they slip out asionally . " "... simr to that ck hole?" Lino mused . "Yes... and no . This ce doesn¡¯t have a multitude of higher dimensions; that ck hole, however, does . " "Doesn¡¯t matter," Lino shrugged . "Space indeed is too mysterious . " After leaving the valley, Lino found himself standing in front of a massive gash, simr to the Gorge back on Noterra . The difference, however, was that this was simply a river¡¯s canal ¨C a very deep, wide and massive canal, but a canal nheless . He could easily depict the riverbed which had tens of thousands of cracks splintering left and right like spiderwebs, but the ends and the beginnings of the canal eluded him . He unfurled the pair of wings and flew over to the other side casually,nding anding to a halt . Right there, in another crater-like dip, he saw a city rising . Though of simr make to the one back on Noterra, it appeared even more majestic, doused in tinkering, ashen-gray mist with screw-like spires piercing the high-skies above . Eighteen towers stood erect at the edges, persistent beams of ck light shot off from their tips toward the converging center where they formed a spherical membrane, translucent, asionally pulsating . Within, an oyed shadow floated in the center, looping over itself from time to time . Due to the size of the sphere, Lino calcted that the figure had to be at least a hundred meters tall altogether, and was clearly a Devil for six sets of horns stuck out of its head . "... Primordial Devil?" Lino¡¯s lips cracked into a grin . "Is this how they are born?" "It is," this time around it wasn¡¯t Ataxia that replied to him, but the corporeal apparition that suddenly appeared next to him . Lino didn¡¯t seem startled, as though he was expecting it . "A culmination of Qi, Will, and Laws is shredded through the Arrays and Formations, concentrated into the Womb . It takes around eighteen million years for a single Primordial Devil to be born . " "Oh?" Lino mumbled . "That one seems close to being born, no?" "Hm," Ashtar confirmed . "It should be another million years, at most . " "... you seem rather eager to spill your secrets," Lino said . "What if I go over and blow that womb up?" "You¡¯ll kill him . " "... that¡¯s it? No threatening retorts?" "¡ªupon birth," Ashtar said, ignoring Lino¡¯s probes . "The Primordial Devils have the intelligence equal to a six-year-old human child, yet the strength that equals to the founding members of the Great Descent . Simrly, its temperament isrgely unstable . On asion, they had gone rampant, destroying the cities they were born in . It usually takes them around two thousand years to mature to the point of teenage perception, and another eight until full maturity . To be honest, whether cities decide to grow the Primordial Devils... is entirely up to them . Some calcte the risk to be worthwhile, some don¡¯t . There are other ways to maintain their sovereignty besides risking their extermination . " "Such as?" Lino pushed, ncing at the apparition . "Diverse Devil Bloodlines," Ashtar replied . "Origin Artifacts, Incantations... the world is full of mystical things, after all . " "... is it, though?" Lino mumbled . "I found that, if you look hard enough, everything in it can be exined . " "..." Ashtar said nothing, merely ncing at Lino before vanishing . Lino sighed, ncing at the city once more before turning left and deciding to steer around it . He could destroy it, quite easily at that, but that wasn¡¯t why he came here . These were the meandering outskirts, simr to the distant viges of Noterra . Ally at the heart of the world, he knew, which is where he decided to head . Once he went past the city, he marched straight ahead for roughly ten minutes before suddenlying to a halt . An incredulous sight appeared before him, causing him to suck in a cold breath . He stood at the edge of a boundless abyss, quite eerily simr to the Gorge, yet even greater . His horizon was empty, the hole in front of him so vast it seemed edgeless . He couldn¡¯t peer downward deep enough due to the fog and the mist, and it stretched left and right as far as he could perceive and beyond . It was simr to the concept of the ¡¯Edge of the World¡¯ . Lino, however, knew that wasn¡¯t the case . Undaunted, he suddenly took a step forward and leaped off the edge, speeding through the fog and the mist fearlessly . Cold, burning winds grazed his cheeks, yet he remained calm . His clothes and hair fluttered as he reached speeds approaching those of light, He couldn¡¯t see anything around him which reminded him of the time he descended upon the Dragon Isles . However, the mist of the Isles was very different from this one; whereas the Isles¡¯ mist was simply of a strange make, this one here was the result of the insane density of Devil Qi ¨C and despite the fact that Devil Qi was merely an offshoot of the Chaotic Qi, it would still take Lino considerable amount of time to distill it enough to peer through it . As he couldn¡¯t be bothered, he leisurely cruised through it, letting the chill condense and break off his armor and skin . The journey, though somewhat exciting, was rtively short-lived, hardlysting a couple of minutes . As hended, the darkness that permeated the ¡¯upper world¡¯ vanished and was instead reced by what Lino imagined Hell to actually be like ¨Ckes and rivers of fire and magma flowing freely through the ghastly-looking mountains and fields, forming massivekes whose surfaces bubbled, eerily spitting out dense smoke and fumes, corroding the air . One way or another, Lino realized, it managed to converge toward the central point . Lino began walking over toward it cautiously, his brows furrowed . The stench was invasive, and the heat was insane; he was certain that nobody, short of him and the Devils, could physically withstand the heat without using one or another Art or item . Their bodies would either burst out into mes outright or be melted inch by inch . The closer to the center he walked, the hotter the mes became and the more ufortable he felt . Though Devil Qi may be an offshoot of the Chaotic one, Lino realized, that was a distant past; it seemed, since then, Devil Qi had evolved considerably, effectively creating apletely separate branch of Qi, just as the exaggerated stories on Noterra would im . In less than an hour, he reached it ¨C the Great Lake . It stood on top of a mountain of bones, hushed into the clouded skies, thousands of rivers of crimson magma running down its surface, mingling perfectly with the white ire of the bones . He climbed calmly to the top and stood on the edge, peering inwardly into a crater-like dent . It was full of mes, as ordinarykes were full of water . ck mes, crimson mes, coral mes, white mes, cyan mes... mes of all colors imaginable and unimaginable mingled in the fiery dance of eternity . Swirls and twirls bound about, bubbly surface shooting out colorful fumes of death . On theke¡¯s surface, several dozen paths trailed, broken off asionally, converging to the center where a small, isted ind stood, seemingly impervious to the fire . Lino, much to his shock, had to coat his body in faint Qi barrier in order to resist the sheer temperature . He was as certain as he was ever about anything in his life ¨C it was hotter than the heart of the star, right by theke¡¯s side . The ind was norger than a small patch ofnd, a courtyard of a somewhat rich merchant family . It had no decorations, no life of green or blue on it, just dark-gray, cracked rock and a single tform at its heart . A set of marble-white staircases coated in crimson mes led up to the top where an extensive throne overshadowed even the mountain itself . Throne of Bones ¨C Lino veered his eyes upward to try and find its top, but to no avail . It pierced well above the clouds, so much so that even his Divine Sense was useless . Perhaps, he mused, it went on... forever . Pulling his gaze down, he looked at its bottom where a single figure was sitting, impervious to all around him . He took the appearance of a young man, somewhere in his thirties, donning a long, silver-white hair that draped gently over his broad shoulders and armrests that seemed rather ufortable . He was topless, a jade ne wrapped around his neck, glistening in faint crimson . His eyes reflected the color, long and narrow, staring at Lino¡¯s . Ashtar ¨C the Origin Father . Unlike other Devils, he bore no horns or even any other distinct feature of the Devil Race . His skin was sickly-pale white, and he appeared as tall as an average person . Slender, not overtly muscr, his appearance was more reminiscent of humans than it was of Devils . A faint smile hung on his lips as he suddenly began pping, leaning forward on the throne . His ck, loose trousers fluttered faintly as he moved his bare feet forth slightly . "Wee," his voice still retained the imperial, ethereal and choral qualities, bearing the timeless vestiges with it . "Empyrean cksmith," his smile turned into a grin . "To Hell, and all its Eternal Glory . " Chapter 471 Chapter 471 CHAPTER 471 BREAKING THE CHAINS (IV) A strange sensation of silence permeated the Great Lake, so much so that even the fires had calmed and dulled, as though in reverence of the two figures stationed on opposite ends . Ashtar still held onto a faint smile, his countenance calm and aloof, while Lino¡¯s expression remained cid . He nced around the Lake as well as the mountain itself, realizing there was nobody else anywhere near them . It was just the two souls, staring at one another emptily . "Where are your armies?" Lino asked, curling his lips into a smile as well . "I may be the Devil," Ashtar chuckled . "But I nary wish to see my kin burn beneath our mes, Empyrean . This fight is not theirs to uphold . " "¡ªhow noble," Lino chuckled . "Are you that confident in defeating me?" "Defeat or victory... don¡¯t matter," Ashtar shook his head . "They are my children as much as Aaria is yours . Would you summon her to defy the God of Chaos by your side?" "... no . " Lino replied simply, somewhat alert over how Ashtar knew Aaria¡¯s name . "Don¡¯t worry," Ashtar grinned, as though having read Lino¡¯s mind . "Not unlike you, my name has been sullied-a-plenty . I have simply been bound by an oath, is all . " "Aren¡¯t we all?" Lino sighed, ncing around once more . "Do you want to fight outside? I can¡¯t say how much this ce will suffer . " "... the first thing I saw when I was born," Ashtar smiled faintly, ignoring Lino¡¯s question . "Was a night¡¯s sky . So boundless, so pure, so alight . I grasped toward it, in vain . Ever since, I¡¯ve been fascinated by the boundless stretch of the cosmos . Yet, no matter the temptations, I have never sat up off this Throne since the day I was put on it . I truly wish to go out, to see it all, to discover the array of truths . " "... why didn¡¯t you?" Lino asked . "... my Fate is here, young Empyrean," Ashtar said, suddenly getting up . Each one of his movements seemed to distort the spacetime around him . The fires in the Lake slowly woke, bubbling and sizzling and crying and weeping . The sky above thundered, the ashen-gray clouds turning faintly crimson . By the time he stood upright, the entire world was shaking in reverence . "The chains... are too heavy . " "..." Lino¡¯s expression turned solemn for a moment . In that second, he recounted the recognition of his own soul inside Ashtar; a trace, a single thread, bound them together . It was powerful, so much so that Lino suddenly felt sick whilst thinking about killing him . "Youe with plenty of tricks..." "Tricks? No," Ashtar shook his head, chuckling . "In a way, you and I, truly are kin, Lyonel . Soulbound, even . After all, what I had started ¨C you shall end . We are two ends of the linear tale of time, of Fate of this world . The Truth is shaken, for it disallows us to co-exist . It disturbs it . " "... what are you talking about?" Lino frowned, rapidly thinking, trying to decipher the cryptguage . "¡ªyou know plenty, yet little," Ashtar sighed . "I know my Father is rather... stubborn when ites to telling truths . But, I always imagined you would have connected the dots eventually . " "¡ªthat is enough, Ashtar," suddenly, a ck-d apparition appeared next to Lino alongside the symbolic, robotic voice he was all-too-familiar with . "He knows all he needs to know . " "... I¡¯ve served you patiently, all this time," Ashtar said, ncing at the apparition, the look in his eyes one ofplexity . "Done all you have asked . In return, I only ever wanted one thing . Yet you kept saying soon . Soon . Soon . Soon . There is no soon, is there? You¡¯ve synthesized him as well, haven¡¯t you?" "¡ªI haven¡¯t," Ataxia replied . "So serve patiently for a little while longer . " "... no, you have," Ashtar sighed, shaking his head . Lino frowned, trying to process and understand what they were saying; he was suddenly reminded of his youth, where he usually couldn¡¯t grasp almost anything from when people were talking about things-greater-than-him . "I don¡¯t me you . He was... toorge of a variable . Since the time immemorial, perhaps only Eldon and One ever stood a chance of matching him . Unfortunately... s . What is done is done . At least tell me what you had done with him . " "... do you really want to know?" "Yes . " Ashtar nodded . "... I¡¯ve fed him to Biyung . " Ataxia replied . "I didn¡¯t expect, however..." "That it would drive her insane?" Ashtar chuckled as Lino finally began connecting the dots slowly . "You should have . Biyung... was never stable . The Crossing had splintered half her mind . As it splintered nigh all your heart . " "¡ªI did what needed to be done . " "... I know," Ashtar smiled suddenly; his smile was genuine, one full of warmth and gratitude . "Without you... we¡¯d have all perished back then . Do you think it has calmed?" "No..." "... shame," Ashtar said, sighing . "Before death, I truly wished to gaze upon our home onest time . " "..." Ataxia spoke no more, ncing at Ashtar onest time before withdrawing into Lino . Thetter stood somewhat stunned, realizing that there were still many things he didn¡¯t know . However, this brief exchange did confirm several things he did suspect . "You gleaned plenty, yet so little," Ashtar chuckled, meeting Lino¡¯s gaze squarely . "Biyung... you¡¯ve met her before?" "Hm," Lino nodded . "Isn¡¯t she your mother?" "Mother?" Ashtar tilted his head in confusion before bursting out intoughter . "Ha ha ha, mother? Is that what she told you?" "Hm?" Lino frowned . "... no, young Empyrean . The reason why my Father is ashamed whenever her name is brought up... is much simpler . Though, irrelevant to your cause, I¡¯m afraid . However," he said, his expression turning serious for a moment . "In lieu of our bond, I will answer one of your questions . Any one question . However, it needs to necessitate a single answer and no more . " "..." Lino frowned once again, surprised by the offer . He couldn¡¯t find a trace of deception within Ashtar, not within the voice or his appearance; however, he could hardly trust the Devil to be honest . Yet, that inexplicable bond, the thread binding them, told him to do exactly that ¨C trust . Have faith . Even if he did, however, what question should he ask? One question? He had thousands . And then thousands more . "Just one?" he grinned sheepishly . "¡ªjust one," Ashtar grinned back . "Even one is too much if I¡¯m being honest . I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll ask about some things you should not know just yet . " "... as am I," Lino chuckled . "But, very well, one question then . Where is Ataxia from?" Ashtar smiled faintly, seemingly having expected something like that . "¡ªindeed, I wasn¡¯t wrong about you," Ashtar chuckled strangely for a moment before continuing . "Father is one of the remnants of Adur, World of Dreams . He is specifically from thest-generation Boroughs of tfields, House of Cosmic Collection . " "..." Lino sighed . "Yo, dude . You do realize that means absolutely nothing to me . I already knew he¡¯s not from Noterra..." "... fair enough . Onest piece of information, then," Ashtar chuckled . "He was nary a Writ, let alone one of Chaos, while homebound . " "¡ªwhat...?" Lino mumbled, his eyes turning into saucers briefly before he calmed down . Taking a deep breath, it finally hit him thatyers that he knew were still rather insignificant . All this while, although he suspected that Ataxia was not from Noterra, he always suspected he was a genuine incarnation of Chaos ¨C a realized sentience of the scattered bits . If he wasn¡¯t, however, then how did he be one? It was impossible to glean what kind of existence he was prior to bing a Writ, even if he knew the exact ce of his origin . In addition, Ataxia¡¯s original form hardly mattered; what mattered was how and when he became the Writ . From the subtle implications, Lino suspected that it didn¡¯t happen prior to the point of him leaving his homeworld ¨C Adur . That is to say, somece between there and Noterra, he became an incarnation of Chaos . He sighed deeply and shook his head; it was pointless to guess, as this answer merely brought about hundreds more questions . He shifted his gaze back onto Ashtar who stared at him bemusedly; he seemed to take a faint sense of pleasure in giving him such a headache over simply saying a few ¡¯inconsequential¡¯ words . Meeting Lino¡¯s gaze, he chuckled faintly, showing his pearl-white teeth . "¡ªbelieve it or not, you still don¡¯t even rank in top ten when ites to knowing as much about Father as possible when ites to the Empyreans," he said . "So, you can only imagine their headaches, no?" "... isn¡¯t that the ever-expanding paradox of reality?" Lino chuckled . "The more you know, the less you know . " "... it indeed is," Ashtar sighed . "I myself know plenty... yet so little . So many things about the cosmos... are a pure mystery . If you think Laws are a difficult concept to grasp," Ashtar said, ncing at Lino with a faint smile . "I pray you never learn of the Truths . " "... I keep hearing the term tossed around frequently," Lino said . "Does it have anything to do with the First Scripture?" "... the First Scripture?" Ashtar looked at Lino dubiously for a moment, shaking his head . "Don¡¯t ponder too deeply on the First Scripture . Even if you found it and studied it, it would give you even fewer answers than I have . It¡¯s a relic, something that has lost its purpose a long, long time ago . " "¡ªmaybe I¡¯m just that curious . " Lino grinned . "Well, it was you, humans, who thought up the phrase ¨C curiosity killed the cat . " Ashtar grinned back . "For a good reason, I imagine . " "... you keep telling me which things are irrelevant," Lino said after a short pause . "How about you tell me, then, what is relevant to me?" "¡ªyou already know . " Ashtar said . "And any more of what I say, wouldn¡¯t rify it even slightly . s, that is the case with many things . " "..." Lino realized he wouldn¡¯t get much out of Ashtar anymore, causing him to sigh . He wasn¡¯t disappointed, however; despite his mind bombarding him with more and more questions, this was after all the most answers he¡¯d gotten about anything he asked in a long while . Most of what he knew he had to scrape together and hope it was the truth . Beyond the surface of what he was told, Ashtar also told him many things subtly ¨C knowingly or not . "Indeed," Lino said, grasping the handle of the Edge . "Thank you . " "... my pleasure," Ashtar said . "Now, let me test you, little Empyrean . Can I forgo my life . . . and give you my Throne?" Chapter 472 Chapter 472 CHAPTER 472 BREAKING THE CHAINS (V) A blinding white light shed across the palpable darkness of the high-skies . It cut straight through, like a knife through a sheet of paper, splicing open the voids of beyond, sucking away the darkness until only the night¡¯s sky and the massive gash of void existed . Right after it, fervent, crimson mes roared out madly, burning at the white light, causing a world-shaking explosion, resulting in billions of sparks to fly off like wood splinters, raining down upon the earth . Two blurred figures dashed out of the explosive concoction, one draped in holy white, the other in beautiful mes, both wholly alight . Lino spun midway through his fall, four pairs of wings unfurling behind his back, white light folding over his shoulders as he darted back toward Ashtar . Thetter blurred once more in ever-consuming mes, pirs shooting out from down below like sky-bearing columns, surrounding him in a halo of light . Two swords appeared in his hands, both eerily coated in shadows and mes, a tinge of Chaos juxtaposed at the center of each . He crossed both swords in front of his chest, shing outwardly as an x-shaped, thick assortment of a variety of mes bundled together, flying forth . The more distance they covered therger they got, reaching the size of a small hill just before meeting Lino¡¯s de . Thetter swung it upwardly, the holy de crying out in a low screech, ethereal, white light pulsating off of the sharp edge, sting at the convergence of the mes . Another explosion shook the Realms of Hell, the shockwave breaking past the speed of sound, copsing the high-towering mountains in the surrounding area . The sounds, however, seemed to have been swallowed by the void temporarily before being unleashed; both Lino¡¯s and Ashtar¡¯s ears immediately began to bleed as they lost luster in their cheeks . Lino crashed into the empty nd below, cruising back for miles on end, forming a human-sized canal that stretched away from the massive crater . Getting up, his figure once more dashed forth, dyed in thick, red blood, muddied in ck soot and gray ash . The feathered wings behind him, all eight holistically-white, fluttered, stirring the winds of nothing into existence, propelling him forth . On the other end, from the rubble and debris, a pir of startling, ck mes sprouted out, at first straight, suddenly copsing into a conical shape before ttening out into a ring that fell toward the earth . rmed, Lino came to a screeching halt, bringing the Edge up to his head, bending forth slightly, pressing the dull end of the de with his palm . "," he eximed rapidly . "Evesting, Ever-born, Ever-fleeting ¨C 49th Form ¨C Undying Will!!" A trace of primordial lifted itself off his body, away from his Soul, coating his outer shell in a thinyer of ck sheen . Just then, the fury-driven, ring-shaped ck mes descended upon him, consuming everything around and about . The ensuing explosion drifted apart thend, uprooting theyers of dirt that hadn¡¯t been touched since their inception, seemingly thwarting the entire reality upside-down . Amidst the upward-rocketing debris, the rubble, the splinters of rock and bones of the long-buried, a figure coated in white shed, cutting through the remnants of ck mes and through the debris, digging its way out of the encirclement, arriving in front of Ashtar within the blink of an eye . Ear-deafening, metallic sh resulted in yet another st, one so ripped from reality that it formed a temporary singrity, sucking away everything ¨C be it Qi or Laws that govern them . Both Lino and Ashtar barely managed to free themselves from the copse, shot backward like the cannonballs, the trails of white and fiery visible like a curving line across the sky lining up with the ground at its end . Two explosions resulted in yet another upward rain of rock, ash, and soot, boring holes in Hell, eachrger and deeper than the previous . This time around, however, it took both a second to recover . Lino was breathing rapidly, his face covered in dirt and dried blood . The scar over his left eye pulsated fiercely, causing a strange, numbing sensation to overwhelm him for a moment . Undaunted, however, he gripped the Edge tightly, channeling Chaotic Qi within him like crazy, causing a swirl akin to a singrity within his Soul . His entire body erupted into a mixture of ck and white shadows, his right eye turning blindingly white, so much so it began spitting out transparent, veiled, white smoke from its edges . Ashtar found himself in a simr situation, his pale-skinned body growing several shades darker due to the dirt and blood . His being shuddered momentarily, mes, akin to the first sparks that kindle into a fire, belting out of his entire being, turning him into a fiery Demon more so than a humanoid-looking creature . A pair of crimson eyes, however, remained central, surrounded by cascading mes of all colors, much like the Great Lake . Both figures sped out suddenly, bolting over toward one another at speeds that had long since surpassed the one of light; their crash, once more, broke down the reality, forming hundreds of ripples across the spacetime, a whole lot of which resulted in outright tears, nces at the void of the cosmos . Storms pierced out, consuming the living and the dead, the ever-tearing winds blowing through the Hell¡¯sndscape . There were no witnesses to their battle; rather, there could be no witnesses . There was not a living soul anywhere near them, as all that approached had died from the sheer pressure . The two existed, effectively, in a self-contained vacuum ¨C one of their make and creation, yet also one so distant neither could quite recognize the reality of it . Lino quickly figured out that the two were managing to shake and break the Laws which governed the reality; the sheer amount of energy the two managed to unleash within the contained space and limited time caused several Laws to simply cease existing ¨C space, for instance, was dead . There was neither its realization nor its concept; not the projection nor the Law . They fought in a vacuum, one that tore away at their minds, bodies, and souls consistently . Though the Laws of Hell tried to recover the spacetime around them, the recovery stood no chance of catching up to the speed of the tearing . The two, however, had no time to care for any of it . Lino swung the Edge in a full arc, causing Ashtar to cross his des over his chest to block the attack, replying immediately with a dual, upward slice toward Lino¡¯s waist . Thetter slithered forward, using his breastte to endure the brunt of the impact, causing his organs to jumble around, shaken, while he thrust the Edge from above, piercing Ashtar¡¯s left-side shoulder all the way through . The blood sizzled as he groaned in pain, kicking Lino¡¯s stomach and shoving him away . Lino spun rapidly, slicing away with the Edge over a hundred times at that moment, sending countless, whizzing arrays of light that tore open more space around the high-skies . Ashtar bolted back, swinging his dual-des rapidly in response, sending out jets of fire to match the arrays, causing one explosion after another to echo, bubbling inside the small concentration of space till it couldn¡¯t take it any longer . A cataclysmic explosion shook the heaven and the earth, tearing open the entire visible spectrum of the sky, the sound of the tearing cloth ripping through the world, as the earth beneath shed against the resonating shockwaves and winds that caused a world-ending rapture to ensue . Fires and magma sprayed out from beneath the dry ash, turning into the ever-spitting pirs of me that soon began devouring the entirendscape below, transforming it into one massive sea of fire . The massive eruption shot both Lino and Ashtar back once more, former¡¯s armor effectively melted an inch away from beyond the repair before he quickly took it off, bearing the brunt with his own body . It reddened rapidly, causing him to groan lowly in pain, gritting his teeth . Ashtar¡¯s fire-coated body was extinguished, bearing the brunt of the savage winds, thousands of cuts appearing everywhere, bleeding profusely . The two traveled backward for tens of miles before barely managing to stabilize . Lino¡¯s breathing was shallow and rapid, his hovering body hunched forward, entirely doused in crimson-red blood . Shadows and fleeting light draped over him like fumes from the exhaust, both there and not, Qi within and without maddened and chaotic, barely contained . Even with his insane Vitality, he was still barely hanging on, recovering as quickly as humanly possible . "... fuckin¡¯ hell," he mumbled dispiritedly, sighing bitterly . "Warm-up? Fuck that . This wasn¡¯t a warm-up..." he endured the pain as he straightened, taking a deep breath that caused his lungs to burn and scorch, barely managing to endure it without screaming out . He nced around, about and above, shocked by what he was witnessing; a maelstrom at the center of the sky above burned away at the reality, ck-belted lightning shing around rapidly and frequently . It tore away at the pre-existing gashes, sucking away the membrane of spacetime, growing ever-sorger by a second, seemingly ready to swallow the entire world . Unless they stopped now and worked on fixing it, Lino realized, the entire Hell would eventually copse, disappear form the nightly sky of Noterra . Shuddering at the thought, his eyes quickly found Ashtar . He was doused in smoke and embers, his body simrly wounded . However, in that crimson pair, he saw no desire to stop . He didn¡¯t care, Lino realized, whether Hell existed afterward or not . Whether it copsed or survived . In those eyes, he saw the reflection of his own primordial desire ¨C to fight, to conquer, to endure, to ovee, to be crowned . A grin stretched out on Ashtar¡¯s face, one wide and full of excitement, as he spread his arms out, gathering Qi and converting it to Devil Qi at speeds even Lino couldn¡¯t match . "¡ªperfect, perfect!!" he cried out in excitement . "This is what I¡¯ve longed, what I¡¯ve desired, what I¡¯ve wanted all these eons! We are the Cradle of End, Lyonel! We are the realization of myths! The subjects of the never-believed stories!" "..." Lino frowned, uncertain as to what Ashtar was alluding to exactly . "Two souls entwined in the Cyclic Dance, the Beginning and the End," Lino¡¯s heart trembled all of a sudden as his eyes widened; something terribly familiar began umting inside Ashtar¡¯s soul . "The First... and the Last!!" twenty-one pairs of wings suddenly sprung out from Ashtar¡¯s back, all feathered, all ebony-ck in their dye . "The Cause and the Effect, eternally strung along the river of time..." Lino froze as he watched swirls of Chaos entwine aplenty, burning in crystal-red, folding over the ck feathers . Impossible!! Chapter 473 Chapter 473 CHAPTER 473 BREAKING THE CHAINS (VI) Lino stood stone-faced, the look in his eyes partway maniacal and partway confused . His lips trembled faintly in the ripping winds, his tattered cloak fluttering behind his back . Staring sternly at the elevating figure in the distance, one draped in feathered wings of ck and Chaotic Qi far purer than his own, with the same quality and resonance as his own, a thousand bolts of lightning seemed to have exploded in his mind simultaneously . Among many expectations he had of today, learning Ashtar¡¯s identity was not one of them . Rather, he never even tinkered with the idea ¨C yet, the curtain was folded, and the truth was staring him directly into his soul, cold and uncaring . "¡ªlinger, linger, sweet summer child," Ashtar suddenly hummed, a swirl of Qi concentrating around him causing a small storm to erupt . "Behold the light of my Dawn; and ire of the lore so forgotten ¨C linger, linger, I am now begotten . " "... the first... indeed," Lino grinned cidly, clutching the Edge¡¯s handle ever-so-tightly . "You¡¯ve hidden yourself well . " "Hidden?" Ashtar quizzed, tilting his head . His ck hair grew asudden, tripling in length, fluttering madly in the violent winds bounding him . "I hardly tried to hide . Few just ever took me into consideration . " "¡ªyou can¡¯t seriously expect me to fight you, now, do you?" Lino chuckled bitterly, taking in a deep breath . "Even if I was twice as strong, I¡¯d fail short of your expectations . " "Don¡¯t be so humility-bound, Lyonel," Ashtar said . "You are plenty strong already . If you weren¡¯t..." his voice seemed to trail off toward the end . "I¡¯d have never invited you here..." "The first Empyrean... the first Prime... the first Devil... you really like hogging the titles, don¡¯t you? Are there any more I¡¯m unaware of?" "... plenty," Ashtar chuckled dubiously for a moment . "But today is not the day you¡¯ll learn them . Perhaps, if fate wills it, eventually you¡¯ll know . Eventually, he¡¯ll tell you . Oh, how proud I made him . How broken, in turn, he made me . " Thousands of thoughts trailed through Lino¡¯s mind at that moment; the realization that Ashtar, a figure he¡¯d learned about almost at the very start of his journey, someone he merely considered one of Ataxia¡¯s ¡¯generals¡¯ of sorts, was so quintessential to the evolution of the world had struck him hard . Effectively, it was he who established the line of Empyreans ¨C the trail of Records, the concept of a living being beholding Chaos itself . It was him who began the lineage of Primes, the first native-born, to Lino¡¯s understanding, of Noterra . If so, he pondered in the depths of his soul, why was he confined and chained to the dull, colorless, ravagedndscape of Hell? To a throne adjacent to the Great Lake of Fire, to the lineage of countenance, of unbridled pride? To forever invade the Realms of Races, only to never conquer them? Lino didn¡¯t know the answers to these questions, though he imagined he¡¯d learn them one day, not too far from today . Could he defeat Ashtar, now and here? No . There wasn¡¯t even a possibility for it, which was a cold-blooded realization . Ashtar didn¡¯t have a level; though a distinct reason escaped him, it was, in the end, one of the two ¨C either he was so powerful levels could notpute his strength, or he lived outside the entire concept of levels, of Cultivation itself . After all, for better or for worse, he was the catalyst to the creation of Devil Qi ¨C something that did not naturally exist . Even Chaos Qi, and even Primal Chaotic Qi, exist ¨C or at least existed ¨C naturally . Devil Qi didn¡¯t . He fashioned it, tinkered with it . It didn¡¯t matter that Ataxia helped him; he was still the prime catalyst for it . There were too many threads and links attached to a single figure for Lino to properly process everything . He¡¯d learned of many monumental souls who individually managed to shake and change the world, yet not a single one of them managed to define it as well and as much as Ashtar did . Perhaps only Ataxia and Gaia, to Lino¡¯s knowledge, could measure in the impact they had upon the world . After all, before him stands the soul which drew the majestic Titans to extinction . Before him stands the figure which had, through the vestiges of history, always ended whatever he set out to end ¨C be it wars, conquering, conflicts, or even eras of peace and tranquility . Yet, to many, he was merely the Origin Father of Devils ¨C a hazy figure living somece in the shadow and shade,rgely unimportant individually . If only the world knew, Lino mused . But it would be the same if the world knew many other things; perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, the world is for the world knows not . What would ayman farming thend gain from knowing who Ashtar is? Nothing . To them, that knowledge would be just like any other tale and myth their parents and grandparents shared with them, and one they will share with their own children and grandchildren . Taking a deep breath, Lino managed to settle somewhat . There was no point in pondering and wondering ¨C there was something in front of him that he had to deal with right now and here . Gripping the Edge once more and pulling it into a backhand, he bent forward slightly as six pairs of Wings erupted from his back, six white and six ck, feathered in make . Thoughcking whenpared to Ashtar, it wasn¡¯t as important as some other factors . Channeling both Chaos Qi and Primal Qi, his body grew hazy, edgeless and boundless, doused in perennial shadows of darkened make . Within them, blights of light shed here and there, white trails like worms mingling within the smoke . He ceased being a human once more, encased in flowing shadows, bing something more . "Come, the Last Empyrean," Ashtar bellowed, suddenly throwing his two des into the air and summoning nearly forty more to dance alongside them in the air, stunning Lino once more temporarily . "The Dance of Entropy shallmence atst!" "--," Lino mumbled, ignoring everything else . "All begins Anew, ends in the Epoch; may Will Bind Us ¨C 72nd Form of the Sword ¨C Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust . " Qi around him raged, pulling earth beneath his feet in a streak of an upward roar; it sted conically as he fluttered his wings, the winds fervently blowing . Space around him copsed, tearing open like an old scar, as he bolted forward, bounding tens of miles of distance in a sh; no, in less than a sh . Thirty-six swords floating around Ashtar shuddered all of a sudden, shimmering in a fiery haze for a moment before descending, forming a metallic shield in front of him . A figure shed into it right after, causing an explosion that uprooted the Laws of Nature, throwing them all into a burning storm . Ashtar blew backward, roving his arm above in an exaggerated manner . The thirty-six swords seemed to follow his movements, trailing along the path, bounding in a circle and spreading open, striking at Lino from all angles, having formed a full band . Thetter¡¯s eye shed in terrible color as his sword-holding hand blinded the light itself; over a thousand cuts exploded, slices of the de cutting through everything in their wake ¨C thousands of shes of white erupted in the high-skies, sting back the iing sword, forming tens of shockwaves that spiraled and rippled out violently . Lino¡¯s body shed once more, trails of ck-and-white smoke billowing behind him, as he broke past the encirclement, slicing away with the reverse grip . Nearly two thousand phantoms of white light bellowed out like caged beasts, each as tall as a small hill, blinding the surrounding darkness; weeping amidst the fiery sts, they blocked and purged, colliding with another shield Ashtar formed rapidly . The formation broke, trails of white light sizzling over his skin, forming painful wounds that seemed to refuse to heal . Seemingly unaware of them, Ashtar¡¯s face remained a mixture of calm and excited . His right arm shuddered as he moved in strangely, forming a half-circle and cutting it twice over before pushing his palm out toward the center . "," the voice trailed into Lino¡¯s ears . "Begone, Bearers of Holy; Shatter, Thou Impervious ¨C 70th Form ¨C Alight the Stars, Adarken the Living . " The thirty-six swords cried out in unison, spacing out and forming a massive sword of individual ones; it bounded for over two miles altogether, the gaps in-between the swords filled with a crimson-coral fire burning energetically . Throughout the heart of the de, however, there was nothing; its edge fully alight, shining brilliantly, yet its heart dark, empty, body nowhere to be found . It copsed all of a sudden, tracing through the high-skies and ripping through the currents of spacetime, pressing against Lino . Thetter felt the entiremodity of movement stopping to a crawl; he could barely breathe, let alone move freely, yet he had to repel the falling de somehow . "¡ª" the Edge in his hand shuddered suddenly, seemingly wishing to rip itself off his grip . It pointed upwardly of its own free will and began expelling violent streams of pure, holy-white light that formed an equally-sized, yet seemingly far more powerful, mirage of the de . "...doth not question My Reign..." the voice was whispery, indiscernible, trailing along with the steps of wind . It calmed Lino immediately, causing all fear and anxiety to vanish . The boundless, white energy exploded outward in a beam-shaped burst, piercing the falling sword and the sky above . The burst was so powerful that it seemed to shake the entire world; so blindingly bright and evesting, its realization was visible from Noterra to those who nced upon the sky during the few seconds itsted . The Edge seemed to calm right after, falling back down, held up only by Lino¡¯s grip . Thetter sucked in a cold breath, ncing once more at the de he felt somewhat ufortable using . "¡ªa Proud Soul," Ashtar spoke, a trace of bemusement in his voice . "Disallows its owner to act the role of sheep . Live up to your de¡¯s expectations, Lyonel! Cease fretting, fearing, trembling; call upon your Will, upon your Heart, Mind, and Soul . Be the Empyrean..." "..." Lino nced solemnly at the figure elevated slightly above him, extending his left arm and opening up the palm, face-up . "Astha, Fyur,e . " a moment after his voice trailed off, two shes of light blinked upon his palm, one heavenly-golden, the other heavenly-silver . Even when merely asrge as a toenail, they shone as brightly as some of the sky¡¯srgest stars . Lino felt his exhaustion vanish at that moment, reced by the newfound energy . Would it be enough? No, he still knew . Though unable to realize why was Ashtar dancing around and humoring him, he was willing to y the game out till its very end to learn . Chapter 474 Chapter 474: 474 CHAPTER 474 BREAKING THE CHAINS (VII) The luster of lights was all-epassing; golden and silver bound in a fiery haze, drawing over the Edge and its de, extruding upward in a crescent curve, drawing over the skyline for miles on end . It split open the world, cleaving it in two partitions . Qi from hundreds of miles around was sucked in, causing even the mountains to turn to ash, as the holistic light grew in size and terror . Ashtar chortled madly, drums of war in his mind beating in the rhythm of his heart . Thirty-six des suddenly turned into seventy-two, spreading out behind his back in an upside ¡¯v¡¯ formation . Each de glistened in a different hue, each sword drawing unto itself a different Law, creating a paradoxical mirage of everything and nothing within their bounds . The des shuddered, shrieking sounds bellowing out into the world, as they expanded, bit by bit matching the size of the cleaving light . In the meantime, Lino drew forward, slicing in a full circle as he spun; Ashtar met the de with his bare arm which managed to endure for less than a second before being cleanly cut off . In response, he grasped at Lino¡¯s shoulder, burning through the bones as though they were made out of bread, ripping the arm clean off and kicking Lino into the stomach, causing him to fly backward . Thetter spat out a mouthful of blood, forcibly halting his rearward momentum by pping his wings repeatedly, healing the lost arm in a blink of an eye . Phantoms swarmed once more, sinking toward Ashtar who drew back, hiding behind the swords . Astha and Fyur, two Primal Spirits, turned from lights into the mirages; the former was a free-flowing spiral, its edges seemingly dreary, billows of me and light gushing out of every curve, golden in hue . Thetter was a mirage of a strange creature, a one-eyed mutation wound into a spherical shape, missing half its backside with parallel, silver des cutting through his sides . Both pressed against the Ashtar¡¯s Will, causing thetter to split his focus between Lino and the two Spirits . Yet, it didn¡¯t seem to encumber him; rather, if his expression was anything to go by, he seemed to be enjoying the situation tremendously . Time around him grew unwound, space distorting, burning swords behind nking and clinkering, seemingly ready to burst forth at any moment . The length of the build-up was short, yet to them eternally long; if Time may act the role of the antithetical Law to that of Chaos, the opposite was true as well; Chaos cannot be bound by Time, as it cannot be expelled by it . Every breath the world took within two seconds was observed cleanly by two, as their innate speeds overcame the barriers of Laws . All the outside world saw were asional shes of light and the aftermath of the battle . The ruin . The copse . The out-bounding pressure that seemed to crush the ground itself into a fine powder . One half of the sky burned in golden and silver, so bright it shone as brightly as the sun upon the Noterra¡¯s sky; the other burned vigntly in colors beyond measure, burning like a true fire . The sky-lined appeared mythical, enraging ¨C hellish by all ounts . The few privy to it all stood and sat in wonder, awe, and boundless terror . The resonating Qi could be felt all the way on the Noterra¡¯s surface, as the sting shockwaves managed to even reach here, forming faint winds . Six looked up at the sky with the glistening eyes; it has been many years since hestid eyes on Lino, only now having realized how much has changed in the meantime . He would no longer be able to cage the boy, nor would anybination of them . It was bigger than the realms of Cultivation ¨C it was bigger than the strength assigned to one¡¯s Qi, Arts, and Laws . In a way, he mused, it was even bigger than Will . Two bore a deep frown on her face, sitting cross-legged upon a silver-cast altar suspended in the high-skies of Noterra . She was even more sensitive to the reaching Qi than Six; the Qi was charged with the backing Wills and Laws that caused even her Soul to shudder at the touch . Though slightly shocked by Lino, it wasn¡¯t him that was the direct source of her difort ¨C it was the other figure, one that every living in the world had long since forgotten about ¨C or at the very least put beneath plenty of others . Ashtar ¨C the Origin Father of the Devils ¨C was far more powerful than perhaps anyone in the world could have expected . Upon the walls of the fortress, standing in somber and solemn silence, over twenty people heaved their heads up toward the heavens, to the sky¡¯s beyond, observing yet not . Few felt the remnant energy, though those few that did were dripped in cold sweat, excluding E . She seemed entirely unperturbed by it, as though having expected it to be the case . Eyes world-over watched, stared without blinking, awaiting the oue with bated breaths . The time stilled, the sounds ceased, the silence reigned; be they hermits, Emperors, Bearers, or names that once upon a time shook the world, none were exempt . Be they Agents of Chaos, of Order, of Gaia, of one or the other, all eyes peered toward the distant world that withstood the test of time for billions of years, yet was now copsing, bit by bit, like the besieged walls of a city . Golden light split, silver acting the role of the fuel; seventy-two des cried out, shing forward . The enduring explosion shattered the perception of reality as the itselfbusted, inside out . Massive chunks of rock, debris, hardened and burning stone was flung out into the open space, into the eternal void . Some flew off into the distance, never to be seen again; some were immediately burned into ash; and some would find their way over to Noterra, intending to rain upon it an apocalypse that would never be forgotten . At the heart of the explosion, within the singrity that was birthed into existence, two figuresy outstretched around a swirl, crimson blood seeping like a waterfall, going a full circle around the hole before falling inwardly . A quasar shot up vertically, colors beyond spectrum blending into a perfect connotation of reality . Up and down it went beyond measure, beyond reason, beyond the capacity of understanding . The entire surrounding system was lit up as though a million suns were thrown into it; all eyes on Noterra closed immediately, the powerful figures shooting up toward the high-skies, be they friends or foes, rapidly channeling insane streams of Qi into a-sized dome of protection . Heatwave st through, shaking and quaking the rock in space, causing billions of mortals to fall on their knees and pray for all believed, unequivocally, that the Judgment Day had arrived . Those who put up the shield bled from eyes and ears and noses and mouths, groaning in low and high growls . The wave washed over, bounding the void of beyond, settling only after nearly a minute of persistent pressure . Nobody could yet look up, not Six, not Two, not Biyung, not even E or One; for to look up was to go blind . It was too bright, too blinding, too ethereal . Too terrifying . In the open void, within the quasar of light, two figures were barely a few centimeters away from one another . Ashtar smiled widely, corners of his eyes curled up, bloodied teeth exposed in a happy grin . There was a sense of relief in his eyes, a sense of closure, of eptance . A white-bound dey pierced through his chest, directly through his heart, that had ceased to beat . Lino stood opposite of him, bloodied yet seemingly unharmed otherwise; he had a faintly confused, partly bitter, and overwhelmingly mncholy expression, his eyes unable to tear away from Ashtar¡¯s . He held the Edge with trembling hands, desiring to pull it back yet being unable to . "¡ª¡¯tis the end, young one," Ashtar¡¯s voice suddenly changed, growing entirely human; clean, even somewhat melodic . "The end of the line . " "..." Lino said nothing, merely sighing inwardly . "... to be felled by the de of my brethren," Ashtar chuckled, pulling his arm over and grabbing Lino¡¯s shoulder weakly . "What more could a Devil like me ever want?" "..." "They now see, Lyonel," Ashtar added, beginning to choke on his own blood . "They now see us . They see you, atst . Fight more, so they understand you . They yet don¡¯t . Not even she does . What words cannot articte, may the arms and legs and shouts and cries do . " "¡ªrest well . " Lino said lowly . "I will," Ashtar nodded, his body slowly turning to ash, feet up . "I will rest ¡¯till the next tide of infinity summons me, births me anew . And then, I shall fight and struggle once more . I truly hope, when it happens, you¡¯ll be there . You¡¯ve given me today what I¡¯ve yearned for so many years... so, so many years . A battle... a battle worthy of this Devil . " "... it all feels annoyingly pointless," Lino shook his head . "So annoyingly pointless..." he pulled his de back, atst, causing Ashtar to contort momentarily as blood gushed out of the open wound . "... it does, don¡¯t it?" Ashtar chuckled, his lower body having already vanished into the winds of the void . "Brave the tomorrow, young Empyrean . It¡¯s all you¡¯ve got, no?" "... haah," Lino pulled further back, drifting away from the slowly fading quasar and the vanishing Devil . "A son who rebelled indeed..." he shed Ashtar a cheeky smile, one that was replied in kind . "Rebelled... I like that..." thest bits of him slowly began to vanish, as thest words he would ever speak drifted off like silence into the empty space . "Rebelled... not betrayed..." Chapter 475 Chapter 475 CHAPTER 475 TO DEFEND THE HOME Lino appeared absent-minded for a moment, staring beyond the fading ashes of his foe, into the distant infinity of the void . His gaze seemed dulled, as though asking a thousand answerless questions at that moment, his body rxing atst . Every single muscle, every single bone, every inch of his body ached, yet he hardly paid attention to it . A faint sense of emptiness permeated his heart at that moment, as though he¡¯d lost someone rather important . He knew it to be a lie, however; Ashtar was no one important . Just another wall he had to fell if he were to move onward . Yet, the cracks remained nheless . He quickly attributed it to the fact that, in a way, they were indeed kin ¨C bound through the Chaos itself, two ends of the extreme line of the Empyreans . It hardly appeased that nagging feeling in his chest, but it was enough for the time being . The void was rather cold, he realized; if he were to stop protecting his body by Qi, he guessed he¡¯d die within seconds . It was also... massive . Truly massive ¨C massive beyond any scope of understanding . All around all he saw was darkness and more darkness . In the far-off distance, on asion, a sh of light would glimmer for a second and vanish . Maps that he had seen of the cosmos were at best futile attempts to capture something that cannot be captured . Even at his maximum speed, boring through spacetime repeatedly, Lino immediately realized he wouldn¡¯t get anywhere within the respective amount of time . His attention was stolen away, however, from the void toward his front at that moment as a faint, silver shimmer caught his attention . It remained suspended within the spacetime in front of him, a gleamingly round, spherical object, smoothed till the point it was reflecting everything around it . It was norger than Lino¡¯s palm, and he reached out and grabbed it gently, inspecting it right after . [Ashtar¡¯s Will ¨C Genesis Unique] Choose: -- [1] ¨C absorb the Singrity to increase ALL stats permanently by 400%, increase Damage by 2,000%, Chaos Affinity by 40%, and immediately gain an ABSOLUTE mastery of Laws of Death, Fire, Emotion, and Soul . The Singrity will be destroyed upon consumption . [2] ¨C channel Qi into the Singrity to gain privileged ess to the Archaic Record ¨C [The Bing of the First Empyrean]; upon viewing the Archaic Record, the Singrity will be destroyed . Note: For tomorrow, or days henceforth; choose, the Last One . Lino remained floating in space, eyes focused on the small, spherical object, deep in thought . There were plenty reasons as to why he would choose both; on one hand, massive increases in stats, Chaos Affinity, and mastery of Laws was beyond lucrative, especially to someone of his Level ¨C by killing Ashtar, he¡¯d finally surpassed six digits in Levels, and triggered the first necessary step to bing a Universal Titr . One of the further requirements were exactly the Laws and the affinity to the Primary Element ¨C in his case, Chaos . However, the other option was just as, if not even more, inviting; after all, he would be the only Empyrean ¨C nay, the only person since the dawn of time ¨C to have the ability to witness the birth of the Empyrean Lineage . How, where and why it all began . The first days, the beginning of it all . The deeper look into it might provide him far more benefits in the long run, though it could also provide him nothing if he was being honest with himself . It was a gamble, but at least the likes which offered no losing side . ** Two stared at the massive chunks of burning rocks and debris flying through the void of spacetime toward Noterra, a deep frown etched on her face . ncing around, it seemed as though her expression was reflected in each eye equally ¨C they all seemed to have understood the underlying implications ¨C catastrophe was inevitable . It was only a matter of scale . "¡ªEmpyrean dogs," she turned left, her eyes growing frigid, where she spotted a group of roughly a hundred people simrly staring into space . "Since that infidel caused this, it is only proper you deal with it, no?" "Oh, suck my tits you ungrateful fucking cunt," Lucky immediately fired back, pissed off, growling . "If I hear one more fuckin¡¯ word out of your shit-stained mouth, I¡¯ll shove a goddamn sword so far down your throat you¡¯ll be shitting steel till the day your old-fuckin¡¯-ass croaks atst . " "¡ª" as most people present tried to slowly process what Lucky said, Alison smiled bitterly and patted the former¡¯s shoulder . E nced at Lucky, barely holding back a chuckle, before turning toward Two . "We don¡¯t mind letting the sky rain burning hail," she added, her lips curling up into a smile . "Perhaps, rather than throwing our lives away in a pointless war begun out of insecurities and vanity, we may as well let nature dictate who lives and dies . After all, it¡¯s just a few burning rocks, no? I¡¯m sure someone as grand as yourself can handle that . " "¡ªwe¡¯ll work on it together," a voice suddenly cut in as everyone¡¯s eyes shifted sideways; there, in the midst of nowhere, doused in silver-cast mist, an ordinary-looking man smiled at everyone . ¡¯1¡¯ stood carved on his forehead, which caused many to immediately frown and turn alert, though the man didn¡¯t seem to mind it . "The debris is charged with something far more powerful than mere mes," he added, ncing up . "I¡¯m afraid selfishness will truly cost a world this time . " "... you finally chose to show up . " Two said, her voice cold . "Where have you been?" "Out and about . " One replied simply, smiling still . "... out and about, huh?" Two sneered . "You really have given up on us, huh?" "I¡¯ve given up on no one . You¡¯ve given up on yourselves . The debris is charged with remnant, fused Chaos of two very prominent figures . Stopping the rocks may be easy, but stopping the Chaos will not be . " "Just ask the Empyrean to do it," Two shrugged, seemingly ready to leave . "What¡¯s that got to do with us?" "You think he¡¯ll do it?" One said, his smile turning cold . "Because of your stupidity, he¡¯d condemn the rest of the world to death just to watch you burn while protecting his own home . The debris will reach Noterra in fifteen days; I want everyone in the outer orbit on that day, carrying all the treasures you can find and use . Working together . " "..." heavy atmosphere descended on the crowd rapidly . Two remained silent, the look in her eyes growing emotionless as she stared at One . There was a sense of apathy in them, the sort of distancing one does when watching their greatest enemy . "We¡¯ll be here," E said, smiling faintly as she waved her left arm, ripping open a tunnel in spacetime as others began walking in one by one . "Until then . " "Hm . " One nodded, ncing at E, barely managing to catch a brief shadow as she vanished into the tunnel . His brows contorted immediately, memory shing back to the day Biyung asked him about the blue-eyed woman ¨C he was certain she was the one . His heart, which had remained as still as a river for countless eons now, stirred for a moment; after all, to him who knew all there is to know on Noterra... an enigmatic existence was more than just a mystery . It was an impossibility . ** Hannah stared at the distant sky from the top of the fortress, the look in her eyes calm and tranquil . She held Aaria¡¯s hand, with the little girl focused on the far sky as well, her expression one of wonder . "¡ªdad... did that?" Aaria mumbled lowly, ncing at Hannah . "Ha ha, yup," Hannah nodded, chuckling . "Ah, the bastard . He never lets you rest, lest he shoots past you into the infinity . I¡¯ll have to show him up one of these days . " "... mom? You... you can do it too?!" Aaria asked with an incredulous expression . "Hmm... not exactly that, I suppose," Hannah said . "But if all coins fall proper, close to it . " "... wow..." Aaria¡¯s lips parted into the expression of shock; though she always knew both her parents were rather important and strong figures, she never quite imagined the sheer scale of it until she witnessed it today . Unlike most, Hannah let her watch the battle through a screen ¨C she was practically seeing it from Lino¡¯s perspective . "When will hee back?" she asked after a short silence . "... in a few days, I imagine," Hannah chuckled, thinking back to the small, spherical object Lino held before the connection between the two cut off . "We¡¯ll have to prepare a feast for him . What do you want to do? Bake a cake, or something else?" "¡ªcake! I want to make him a cake!!" Aaria eximed immediately . "He he, I¡¯ve learned a new one from Gran-gran that is sure to blow him away! Humph, we¡¯ll see if he dares tell me my cake sucks ever again!" "..." Hannah smiled silently, ncing at the little, pouting girl before shaking her head, looking back toward the sky, her expression mellowing out . "... I was wrong," a voice that had remained silent for many years now suddenly echoed inside Hannah¡¯s mind, startling her . "I really was wrong..." "... about what?" Hannah asked, recovering, confused as to why Astrum suddenly decided to leave her slumber . "About that boytoy of yours," Astrum replied . "He¡¯d managed to fool even me with his clownery, the bastard . He¡¯ll need us soon, Hannah," she added, her robotic voice turning ever-so-faintly human for a brief moment . "More than you might even realize . You need to get stronger . When they finish defending Noterra from the debris, the battle will break out ¨C the likes of which the¡¯s surface had never seen . You need to be at its heart,mand it, and win it . " "¡ªwhat do you mean?" Hannah asked, frowning . "... he¡¯ll exin when he returns," Astrum replied, turning to slumber once more . "Hear what he means; don¡¯t listen to what he says . " "Eh?! What the hell do you mean? Astrum? Oi, Astrum? Astrum?! Fuck," Hannah growled, her expression turning terrible . "The little bitch... I¡¯ll strangle your ass, I swear . " "What¡¯s wrong, mom?" Aaria asked concerningly, noticing Hannah¡¯s shift in expressions . "Nothing, nothing," Hannah quickly shook it off, pulling the smile back on, rubbing Aaria¡¯s head . "Come on, let¡¯s go back inside . Lucky and the rest should being back right about now . While mommy talks with them, why don¡¯t you go and hang out with Cae and grandpa Eggor, huh?" "Can I?!" Aaria beamed at once, her eyes shining like stars . "... sure . " Tsk . Why does she seem to like spending time more with those two than with me?! Wait¡ªdon¡¯t tell me she¡¯s at that age already?! No, no, no . Lino, get your ass back here! Your daughter needs some lecturing!! END OF VOLUME XIX Chapter 476 Chapter 476 VOLUME XX UNCHAINED CHAPTER 476 THE FIRST EMPYREAN (I) [ . . . ] [Analyzing...] [ess to the Archaic Record __ Granted] [... Analyzing] [The Bing of the First Empyrean ¨C Private Record...] [Analyzing...] [Year 2 of Bing] [ce: The Sanctum, Silver City] [---] Lino suddenly felt himself pulled into the beyond, bounding the chains of time and space . His mind drifted through the ever-entangling darkness for a brief sh before being flung into an unknown world . All around him, streetsid in crystal-white marbley spread, cutting in-between the rectangr buildings, none too tall, yet not too short either . He felt himself encased into someone else, his mind there yet unable to control the body . "... you¡¯re a rather unexpected one, Lyonel," a voice spoke out lowly, melodic and calm, warm and embracing . "I was beyond certain you¡¯d have chosen strength, as strength alone can endow you to protect what you fear losing . " "..." even if Lino wanted to reply, he was unable to; perhaps his Soul could endure it right now, but it seemed as though Ashtar was not interested in a conversation . "Yet, like me, you aspire for knowledge, for better or worse," he added, looking up; beyond the towers and spires nketing the horizon, each cast in the same, white stone, a cyan sky spread free and wide . "I¡¯ve known many things and didn¡¯t know even more . Even if I had all the time in the world, I wouldn¡¯t be able to share it all with you . Yet... it feels as though I can tell you everything that matters in just a few sentences . Odd, isn¡¯t it?" He slowly walked forward, his steps brisk and easy, cutting through the wayward streets and walking up to a massive staircase . Its width reaching nearly twenty meters, built at a sharp angle, rising up to a silver-cast pce looming over the entire city . It was barren of life, yet full of beauty . Rays of sun bounced gently off of the edges, bleeding over onto the smooth surface, forming a picturesque sight . "¡ªI was the first," Ashtar mumbled, extending his hand . Only then did Lino notice he was d in thick, silver-forged armor, shining just as brightly as his surroundings . "The loneliest . Before all, there was me . " "..." Lino frowned inwardly, wondering what he meant . "Look around, Lyonel," he said, turning his head around, weed everything by silence . "Where are they? Nowhere . I¡¯m alone, here, in the Silver City . My home . Right now," he said, looking up once more; there, beyond the high-skies, Lino quickly spotted seven ever-growing dots of light . "They areing . I was shocked, joyful, in awe . I was alone no more . They fell from Heaven, Lyonel . From Heaven, I was certain . They were my Creator¡¯s Gift to me, for abstaining from the madness of sce for two years . There they are, Lyonel," he added, as he unfurled thirty-six pairs of wings, much to Lino¡¯s shock . "The Seven Writs . " Lino¡¯s mind boomed at that moment, his soul stirred ame . Yet, the reality moved past his breaking; the seven pirs of light descended upon the city, yet failed to even cause a single crack to appear on its ndestine surface . Seven strangely shaped figures, out of order,her-inspired, stood around Ashtar, silent . There were no distinguishing features beyond the swirling colors and edgeless shapes; there were no eyes, no lips, no ticks to look for . Nothing . Just then, like a thundering sky, the Silver City shook as thousands of coffins burst out of its dding walls, elevated into the sky . One by one, the silver-cast coffins opened, pushing out one winged figure after another . All were breathtakingly beautiful, stoic, draped in silver armor from head to toe . Pairs of wings, ranging from two to thirty-five, burst from their back as they fell forward, bending on their knees in front of the seven edgeless figures . "¡ªwee home!" choral eruption shook the city as well as Lino¡¯s mind . "O¡¯ Great Ones! Wee home!" "See this, Lyonel?" Ashtar said with a chuckle, well knowing Lino was currently desperately trying to process what he was seeing . "This... this was the day we all converged . The Archangels, the distant myths you think us as, the Writs . They were cast upon this world on this day . Two years after I had been . When I arrived, it was night . It was silent . Dark . Lonely . Cold . Windy . Rainy . The tapestry of the world was strange, unknown, terrifying . I feared I was alone, yet feared more I was not . " "..." "Here, now, my name wasn¡¯t Ashtar," he said as the time seemed toe to a standstill, no more figures moving or speaking . "Rather, I was nameless . When the Angles spoke to me, they called me ¡¯Your Excellency¡¯ . When the Writs referred to me, they referred to me as ¡¯Child¡¯ . None of us had names . Names... did not exist for a long, long, long time . " The scene shed all of a sudden, rapidly changing as an onught of colors swirled and molded into one . Ashtar was now seated in front of a tall, arched window on the left, to his right an open, slightly dipped hall upheld by pirs, currently empty, as rays of light streamed through the wide array of windows, casting the hall into resplendent illumination . Opposite of him, a crimson-ck swirl, shaped simrly to him, sat, between them a table with chess figures on top . "¡ªyou are very clever," the mass spoke in a tired and robotic tone . "Full of potential . " "... thank you, Father . " Ashtar replied, a faint sense of joy permeating his voice . "It is all due to Your teachings, after all . " "My teachings can only amplify what is there," the swirl said . "They are not so omnipotent as to create what is not; your brethren stand true to that fact . " "¡ªah, they, they just need more time, Father," Ashtar said quickly . "Please be patient with them . They¡¯ll understand just as well, if not better, than me in time . " "Your love for your kin is admirable," the swirl said as a chess piece moved seemingly on its own; the Queen cut through the board diagonally, marking a checkmate . "But it is also an anchor . Be wary of it, Child . You lose . " "... ah," Ashtar sighed, somberly looking at the board . "And I was certain I¡¯d at least get a draw out of You..." "You were close," the mass said . "Almost there . Almost there . " ** "P-please, please Father!! Forgive me!" a six-winged Archangel cried out, ttened on his knees, kneeling in front of the crimson-ck swirl . Hundreds stood around them, all withplex expressions on their faces . "I¡ªI will do better! I swear! I will do better!" "... humph," the swirl scoffed coldly . "Why is this all so difficult to you? How is it not for your Oldest? I expected more from you..." ** "F-father..." Ashtar mumbled lowly as the scene shed . He was now sitting in a rather cramped, squared quarters, lit up only by a single window . "Others... my brothers and sisters... areining about you..." "...ining?" a robotic voice mused . "Let them, Child . I am well-rejoiced they can at least do one thing properly . " "... but, I¡ª" "Don¡¯t worry about it," the robotic voice interrupted . "I care not what they think of me, Child . All that matters to me is you ¨C to see you improving so rapidly, so greatly . I thought others would be necessary, but they won¡¯t . You are . Don¡¯t let them anchor you to their baseline; you are better than that, Child . " "..." ** "Humph, what is the meaning of this, Ataxia?!" a roaring, robotic voice exploded through the grand hall of the pce . Hand-carved pirs arose on the side of the blood-red carpet, upholding the domed ceiling above . Hundreds of winged Archangels stood on the sides as four swirls confronted a singr one . "Why are you abusing the Children?!" "Abusing?" the crimson-ck swirl scoffed condescendingly, ncing at the surrounding observers who immediately looked away, backing up a step in fear . "Look at them, Nirvana . They tremble, meekly bolted to the floor . I merely wanted to teach them how to use those wings they were given properly; yet, all but one seem fearfully reluctant to try . " "You paint your ways as ¡¯teaching¡¯?" another seamless figure spoke out, its voice slightly more melodic than the others . "Do you take Us as fools, too?" "I do if you are so rxed as to let them do as they will, Astrum," Ataxia replied, the seamless swirl shifting sideways slightly . "Have you all already forgotten why we are in this state? Do you wish to repeat it, perhaps, down the line? Fools . Weak-minded fools, that is what you are . " "Enough!" Nirvana blew out . "We were caught unaware, you bastard! Don¡¯t try to spin the Ashening to fit your abusive view; if you dare touch them beyond your means once more, I will personally kick you out of the Silver City! Do you understand?!" "..." ** "Father..." Ashtar mumbled lowly, the expression of worry on his face . He stood in front of gold-cast bars, thin as arms, bounding a small, squared room within which a seamless shape floated . "... you shouldn¡¯t be here, Ashtar," the swirl replied . "They already envy you and fear you . You will be an outcast, like me . " "I don¡¯t care about that!" Ashtar eximed angrily, his face contorting . "You shouldn¡¯t be here! You¡¯re the only one trying to steer us on the correct path, while they dare punish you for it! Tell me what to do, Father! How do I free you?!" "It is fine, Child; let them walk blind, don¡¯t worry . I can endure . " "But¡ª" "If you really want to help me..." "I do! I really do!" Ashtar eximed quickly . "Is there a way?" "There is always a way," the seamless swirl said, inching closer to the bars . "Have you ever wondered why, despite the conflicts, We never fought?" "¡ªhuh?" Ashtar mumbled, confused . "We are Eternal, but chained still, Child ¨C for we need vessels to channel our strengths . We alone are not enough to beholden the power of the Elements of Creation . We need vessels, Child . " "¡ªvessels? I will be the vessel, Father!" Ashtar affirmed immediately, kneeling all of a sudden, lowering his head . "Use me as you will! I will fight in your name ¡¯till my dying breath!" "... no, fighting now would be throwing our certain victory away, Child . " the seamless swirl whispered seductively . "I will teach you, guide you, will you; and you shall, in turn, teach them, guide them, and will them . Show them my strength, and let them bear witness to who will save them ¨C me, or the other six . You shall be my First Child ¨C the first vessel of my power... my first Empyrean..." Chapter 477 Chapter 477 CHAPTER 477 THE FIRST EMPYREAN (II) Ashtar stood at the edge of the Silver City, upon its grand, marble-cast walls . The city itself floated high in the sky on top of a sharpened rock, looming over the world beneath, one that Ashtar had neverid eyes upon due to the clouds blocking the view . There was something different about him, the holy-like qualities of his being seemingly having been reced . His eyes now shone in splendid silver with a tinge of crimson and ck swirling in the deep reaches . His countenance, too, had undergone a shift, the humble and kind-looking demeanorpletely gone in lieu of a confident, even slightly arrogant, one . In a way, too, he appeared decrepit, his gaze dull despite being haughty . Lino could feel it, the stretch of infinity bounding the armored shoulders of the standing figure . "¡ªthis was how it began," Ashtar¡¯s voice beckoned out all of a sudden after having not spoken to Lino for nearly a week . "My story . At this moment, I became what I would eventually grow to loathe . I was tempted, though I hardly me Ataxia for it; in a way, he was right . We can truly argue his methods, Lyonel, but I¡¯ve never argued his ends . There¡¯s a story behind us all, the story that bounds the infernal void and the corruption of the time . And, as there is a story, there is a reason for what we did, for what we do . For why we fight . " "..." Lino remained silent, though desperately wishing to ask Ashtar about that ¡¯story¡¯ ¨C where they came from and why . "I know you want to know, but it is not my story to tell . You¡¯ll learn, eventually . She will probably tell you . " Ashtar added with a faint sigh . "Know this, though; despite being the First Empyrean, the mark I left upon the world isn¡¯t as big you may have imagined . Past helping Ataxia corrupt the Archangels, creating an army of 268 Primes, I did little . I did not participate in the Sacrilege of the Silver City, nor did I witness it . I was not here when Gaia fell from the Heavens, and I was not here when six Writs united against Ataxia and held him back from taking over the Silver City in its entirety . There is only one remnant of it that survives to your time," he added, ncing at the heavenly Pce behind . "The heart of the Pce, the so-called Vault of the Sacred . That is what Gaia, what Descent, what other Bearers are trying to open, Lyonel . And that is what Ataxia desperately doesn¡¯t want them to open . Why? I don¡¯t know . " The scene shed all of a sudden as Lino found himself staring at a beyond-grand doors cast out of golden and silver metals, inscribed with the shimmering threads running in swirly patterns upon and down and across . The doors rose as high as thirty meters, arched toward the tip, as wide as a row of ten men put together . "¡ª¡¯tis the door whose innards no one has ever seen," Ashtar said . "My scalp tingled whenever Iid my eyes upon it, as no doubt yours is now too . " he was right . Lino¡¯s scalp indeed did tingle, initial steps of perspiration washing over him for a moment . "I always felt a calling from the beyond, though never distinct . Not a voice, not a feeling, not a thought... just... something . A primal instinct perhaps, I¡¯m not too sure . I asked Ataxia aplenty ¨C he would never say . He did tell me, though, that was not where the vaunted First Scripture resided . " "..." Lino¡¯s world had been bombarded far too much in the past few days to the point that he¡¯d decided not to be surprised by anything, but merely process it once it¡¯s over . "It¡¯s all a simple hierarchy, really," Asthar continued . "First came the Scripture ¨C how, when, where, why... nobody knows . By the time I awoke, it was gone, nowhere to be found . How do we know there was one, then? We do . We all do . All Seven Writs . All Archangels . We all knew . After the Scripture, I was the first to awake, two years prior to the descent of the Seven Writs and the awakening of the remaining Archangels . However..." he added suddenly, extending his arm out and touching the doors . "In my heart of hearts... I believe the Silver City was here before the Scripture, Lyonel . I can¡¯t prove it . I¡¯ve nothing to back up the im . Everyone else believes one of two things ¨C either the Scripture made the city, or literally became the city . No third . I don¡¯t . These walls... these halls and windows and gates and streets... they were here beforehand . They weed the Scripture, in one way or another . For a little while, I even believed I am the Scripture . Ah, the days of young vanity . " Ashtar chuckled longingly, shaking his head as the scene shed once more . He was now standing inside a rather spacious room decorated with nothing but candle-lit walls and six pirs upholding the t ceiling . He stood on top of a slightly elevated tform, a wooden altar erected in front of him, holding up a strange-looking, leather-bound book . In front of the tform, sprawled on their knees, sixteen Archangels sat, their heads lowered . "¡ªand that is the truth, my Brethren," he said, spreading his arms open . "That is the love we behold! The care we are given!" "All praise the Mighty!!" the sixteen echoed . "Arise, now, my Brethren . The day is nigh . Endure . Prevail . Behold . " "Aye, aye!!" The sixteen soon dispersed, leaving Ashtar alone as he slumped back into a wooden chair behind him, his expressionplex . Eyes shimmered as he turned toward the far-side window, gazing onto the pce beyond . "To be a Prime was easy," Ashtar said . "The world we came to, surprisingly, had a lot of Chaos Qi . Too much, as a matter of fact . All one had to do was surrender over to Ataxia... and he was gifted with strength and power beyond measure . You don¡¯t understand it, Lyonel, trust me, the strength . Power . The mere seventeen of us alone could take on an army of a thousand Archangels . Wemanded Chaos! The Prime Element! The source of Everything!" "..." "Chaos is... everything," he added, tapping his finger against the chair . "And more . Its existence a paradox, yet it remains . All ideas put forth suggest it should have stopped existing when the Cosmos came to . In the springtime of Chaos, there is nothing ¨C and then it copses, creating everything . And, thus, its springtimees to a close, its very nature diminished into a myth . Yet it persisted . It persisted against all odds . That is what always fascinated me, what fascinated us . It would take some decades for others to realize, for others to understand ¨C why... just why is Ataxia alive? How can he exist? How can there be Primes? How can there be Chaos? And, if Chaos ought not to be, then Order should follow . And if Chaos isn¡¯t immortal, shouldn¡¯t immortality cease? How can there be nihility, when there is everything?" "..." questions came in a spitfire, causing Lino to merely embed them into his mind rather than ponder on them for the time being . "Truth is, the Writs themselves are paradoxes . They are realizations of a concept, a concept already realized by the virtue of its existence . The most persistent concept, Time, does not have a Writ . Why? Why is there a Writ of a Spoken Word, yet not of time? We pondered, in sce, in the union, we pondered on and on . I imagine it won¡¯t be long before you realize just how . . . small the Writs are . It all traces back to our story, I think . The tale of how and why we arrived here . I tell you this not to confuse you or to steer you awrong; there is no point in pondering on these thoughts, Lyonel . Some things merely are . We are too young, too dumb, and too short-lived to ever truly understand the Nature of Everything . The Cosmos... is beyond huge . Its realities escape us as much as ours escape the mortal eye . No, even more . Don¡¯t weigh yourself down with the unnecessary . You have a calling ¨C you have a life . Fulfill it ¨C live it . The rest is irrelevant . " The scene shed once more, this time around back to the Pce¡¯s Grand Hall where seemingly everyone had gathered . Once more, the crimson-ck swirl stood in the crossing of all eyes, six other swirls standing opposite of him in a half-circle . The atmosphere was beyond tense, heavy, nerve-cracking . "¡ªwe have warned you, Ataxia," Nirvana spoke out . "Yet you did not listen . Henceforth, we banish you from the Silver City, to forever roam the deadly nature of this world on your lonesome . Should you ever return, we will end you!" "... you idiots," Ataxia scowled coldly . "You have forgotten . Imbeciles . Cretins molded out of vanity . Your arrogance will be your undoing . You would rather shield them and lie to yourselves than face the truth of the matter ¨C than to face that we have to prepare, that we can never allow the past to repeat itself . It won¡¯t be long before we are spotted again! We were given a unique chance, a chance to fight back with the knowledge of what¡¯s toe, yet you are literally spitting in its face! I can¡¯t believe you fools think the answer lies beyond the Gates . There is nothing there! There is absolutely no answer there! Listen to me! Nothing!" The scene shifted once more . Ashtar now hovered far out of the City, gazing at its grandeur from a mountaintop piercing the clouds . Surrounding him were 268 Archangels with determined eyes, and a crimson-ck swirl standing by his side . "We shall return one day, Children," Ataxia said . "In all our glory . For now... for now, we shall simply bide our time . Bide our time..." Chapter 478 Chapter 478 CHAPTER 478 THE FIRST EMPYREAN (III) The world above and the world below were nothing alike ¨C that was Lino¡¯s first thought as the scene shed once more, the binds of the mountaintops piercing the clouds blending with the surrounding blue and the Silver City in the distance, warping under the pressure of an invisible brush, painting an entirely new canvas immediately after . He was stunned to silence as his eyes took in the sight . It was dark ¨C terribly dark at that ¨C as though the sun had never pierced the clouds . No, the sun hadn¡¯t ever pierced the clouds, he was certain . Rugged hilltops and mountains were infrequent and sharp, more sword-shaped than the mountains of today . Half, however,y crumpled in one way or another, their remnants and debris filling up the floorbed beneath . Ashtar was standing on the tip of a teau overlooking a caved-in valley perched between high-rising tides and waves of an ocean . Dark, frigid waters beat against the rock repeatedly, carving it piece by piece in dull repetition . High above, skies thundered without a stop, lighting often breaking away from the clouds and striking at the ground . Each bolt was massive, the size of a grown man¡¯s thighs and each explosion would cause quaking that wouldst for minutes, also leaving behind a vaunted crater that would soon after be filled up with the debris of a shattered ¡¯mountain¡¯ . "This... this was Noterra before everything," Ashtar¡¯s voice spoke into the cold winds, seemingly unperturbed by the sights that had left Lino stunned . "Almost a billion years of this . Of repeated destruction and reconstruction . Skies would break their backs in an attempt to destroy the world below, while thetter would defiantly rise back up time and again . When it would rain, the earth would soak the few precious droplets of water . Deep beneath these dry and scorched crevices, battered away by ming rocks and volcanic eruptions and erosions and high-sky thunderbolts, in a womb of the world so to say, life was concocted . " "..." "It surprised us, beyond words," Ashtar continued after a short moment of silence, as though he was remembering a memory too murky to recall immediately . "When we encountered life . Though it was toward the tail end of the Era, it hardly diminished the resolute stubbornness of life to die out . When he found it, it was timid, small, but clever . The very first humans, you could say, came to be beneath the earth, during the dull longing of thetter half of the Origin Era . High Lords, as you know them, came earlier ¨C but... they were not a natural produce . " "...!" Lino eximed inwardly once more, his mind battered yet again . "Tinkered into the existence artificially... aah, Lyonel, Lyonel..." Ashtar sighed somberly, his voice growing heavy and worn . "We yed Creators too much . Everyst one of us . We wanted vaunted armies to pierce the heavens, aye, we did . Everyst one of us . Truth is, Primes and Fiends are the only ones who managed to survive . Little your people know of the Origin Wars, the true Origin Wars ¨C not the humans¡¯ appropriated version . It was a war for survival . Hundreds of millions of disfigured creatures took to arms in a bid of survival . Who would die... and who would live to see tomorrow? Those were empty gestures, at best . They were not made of this world but made of us, made before we understood this world well enough . Some died years into existence, the air itself corroding their minds . Some had their skeletons melt under the gravity¡¯s pressure . Some could not even see because, to us, the sight was intricate; we did not realize it was just light being yful . " "..." "Most couldn¡¯t reproduce," Ashtar continued . "Most never had even their strongest reach adulthood . It was utter hogwash, a failure we are too ashamed to speak of . This... shamed us with its creations . Life... life seemed so easy to it . Left and right, species sprang out . Most dull-tongued, but few who could be taught . And so we taught them; we taught them words, we taught them phrases, we taught them things in a bid to see how much we can teach them ¨C they learned everything with reverent passion . They called us Gods, and they bowed to us and prayed . And so we bid them to arms as first Empires began arising, and the rest... well, the rest really is history . " "..." Lino remained focused on Ashtar¡¯s words, images ying out inside his mind . It was too difficult to process everything, yet he had to store it at the very least . He was, for perhaps the first time in his life, being taught so much directly ¨C no riddles, no vague statements... just truth after truth . "¡ªremembering these words will nary do good for you," Ashtar said all of a sudden as though having read Lino¡¯s mind; am I that predictable? Thetter thought, smirking inwardly . "Your quest, if we can call it that, has nothing to do with the history, be it of Noterra or of us . Don¡¯t look to the past, but brave for the future . I am telling you all of this merely to share the bitter agony, for my lips had remained sewn shut all my lengthy life . In a way, you are a wall that can breathe and understand . " The scene shed once more before Lino had a chance to process the insult . The dark sky remained, the fiery rivers grew wider and more rapid ¨C it didn¡¯t seem as though they ventured much further into the future . If anything, things appeared much worse than thest time, as though the world was truly at the brink of aplete copse . "Today," Ashtar said, ncing up toward the high-skies . "Was the day Ataxia, with all his Primes, took to heavens and invaded the Silver City . Today was the day Gaia was born . Today is the day the Silver City was purged, yet its sealed chamber persisted nheless . Today is the day the eternal War of Writs, as poignant as it may be, begun . As I told you prior, I was not there to witness it, nor was I there to fight . " the scene shed once more, rapidly, as Ashtar found himself looking over the ck-d army of Primes . Nearly all had lost their pristine, angelic figures, growing into what Lino could only describe as abominations . In the far distance, he recognized one of them ¨C Umbra . As she was in the present, she was in the past; a young, tender-looking girl with tendrils breaking out of her limbs . "What do You mean I can¡¯t go?!" Ashtar asked angrily in a low tone, his expression distorted . "This is not your war to fight, Child," Ataxia¡¯s robotic voice replied . "Let them win it . You... I¡¯ve a different task for you . " "What task could possibly hold a higher importance than winning back the Silver City for You, father? Of standing by the side of my Brethren as we make the final charge?!" "... this is but a single battle, Child," Ataxia replied . "War shall persist, as it always has, and as it always will . Today... today we shall achieve a grand victory, but however grand it may be, it is but a single one . Not even 300 souls is not an army that can withstand the tides of time and changes . We need to look toward the future, Child . Toward tomorrow, and toward the beyond . For that, I shall put you in charge ¨C as the brightest, smartest, and strongest, I will give you reigns to create My army . One that will cause even the heavens to shake and quake and tremble in their boots . " "¡ªFather..." Ashtar mumbled emotionally, choking on his own words . "I¡ªI would be honored! But..." his voice trailed off, full of uncertainty . "But how? It is simple," Ataxia said . "This world, surprisingly, is endowed with strange forms of energy . These energies will give birth to life, sooner orter . It will spring up free, from these cracks of the world . I will teach you to understand this energy, Child, to witness it, behold it, and to upturn it . I will teach you to use it as a means to all ends . It will be your own tomand . " The energy that Ataxia spoke of came alight in front of Ashtar¡¯s eyes . Lino immediately recognized the familiar scene, tendrils of Qi dancing freely . It was truly abundant ¨C more so than it was at any other ce of the present that Lino had visited . Just a grain-sized bubble of space held so much Qi it could restore his own reserves twice over . He was shaken inwardly; if Qi was as abundant in the present as it was back then, would there ever be limits to reach? Or would men and women alike bound all known ceilings of strength? He dismayed the thought; no, there was a limit to strength . Omnipotence is a lie, he was certain . Yet, beholding the colorful strands that radiated amidst the otherwise dark world, he wavered . Just a single grain-sized bubble held so much Qi... not only in abundance but also in sheer quality . It took him a moment to recognize another reality ¨C the Qi before him was not beholden to an Element . No... i-impossible... he stuttered inwardly, unwilling to believe what he was seeing . How could Qi be without an Element? What was it then? "It is not without an Element," Ashtar voice echoed out inside of his mind, settling his turmoil temporarily . "Ataxia spoke of it once . The Qi during the Origin Era came as a remnant of the¡¯s distant past when it was still being formed amidst the stars . All Elements at that point conjoined into one, the one you are seeing right now . We never learned its nature; it was neither Chaotic nor Orderly... merely... natural . As though it always belonged, never out of ce . Ataxia never seemed to dwell on it, and neither did the other Writs . They knew something, I was certain, that the rest were not privy to . But they wouldn¡¯t speak of it . Why? I cannot say . " Ashtar reached out with his arm and grasped the manifoldyers of Qi into his hand, the sleek shes of light bending and folding over his fair fingers . Lino couldn¡¯t even imagine the strength Ashtar felt in that moment ¨C how did it feel to hold so much Qi in the palm of his hands? Lino wouldn¡¯t even reach a thousandth of it if he went all out, even giving away his life in the process . This small bundle of light that Ashtar was holding, Lino was certain, was more than enough to carve out the Three Continents and st them to ashes . "Qi is as natural in this world as the oxygen we breathe, Lyonel," Ashtar continued, ying with the handful of light . "We may have taught Nativeborn to use it, but they would have learned eventually without us . In a way, you lot are lucky, be you ordinary Mortals or the ¡¯gifted¡¯ infused with special bodies . You were born of this Qi, however diluted it may be in the present . It offsets the natural weaknesses your frail bodies possess . Though we learned to manipte it in our own right, we can never be as proficient, as we are not of its origin . Now, I will show it to you ¨C Lyonel . How I broke down the Nature of Qi and how I turned it upside down . How I took something pure and corrupted it beyond reason . How I became the evil the world saw me as..." Chapter 479 Chapter 479 CHAPTER 479 THE FIRST EMPYREAN (IV) Qi raged like a storm, pulled in the rapid and wide swirls, forming concentric spirals that rose up and down conically, creating an hourss-like shape . Colors beyond description danced, sted off the edges in a smoky manner . The surging winds were both zing and frigid, rapid and slow, as they traveled for miles onward, consuming the hard rock in their wake . Lino had no clue as to how Ashtar was controlling the storm . How can a single manmand a world-ending amount of energy? Certainly, if let loose, this hourss-like culmination would be more than enough to swallow both the heavens and the earth . Yet, Lino never once thought the energy was slipping; it was well within his control . The bright eyes, almost pure white in hue, stared concentrated at the swirl bound with his two hands . The skin on his palms was repeatedly ripped off, healing right after, courtesy of being an Empyrean . Time and again the blood flew outward like rain, binding into the energy as Ashtar made his own . How to usurp the natural energy of the world? Hold it, Ashtar said, and make it your own . Isn¡¯t it already his own, though? Lino pondered but to no avail . Ashtar cried out all of a sudden, ripping his arms apart as the hourss-like shape condensed into a spherical shape temporarily . He channeled Qi to flow through every inch of his body, binding the sphere and condensing it further . In Lino¡¯s eyes, he was creating a singrity -- something he himself was keen on trying . Warp immense amount of Qi within one¡¯s hands and push it further and further down until it copses unto itself . The Devil weaved his hands over and under the sphere, like a side-street witch reading future from a crystal ball, though his reasons were hardly theatrical; he weaved Qi with each movement, knitting it in a way, around the sphere, binding it . "BREAK!!" Ashtar cried out madly as something, deep within his soul, broke . His eyes dulled, the luster vanishing, as wings blew out of his back and circled around him . Smoke trailed from the corners of his lips before his entire body grew encased with it . Right then, the shadows broke off, forming a mirror image of himself on the other end of the sphere . Ashtar looked up, rmed, his eyes full of uncertainty . "--I¡¯ve left a trail of myself in you, Child," Ataxia¡¯s voice bellowed lowly from within the shadowed figure . "You shall always be an Empyrean, but I cannot devote myself to you no longer . Now, you are bigger than an Archangel, greater than an Empyrean -- you are your own kin, a Devil . " "--F-father . . . " Ashtar mumbled lowly, uncertain . Was this the right thing to do? Be someone else entirely? "Hush," Ataxia said . "Brave it . Form an army for me, Child . No, you are a child no more . It is high-time I gave you a name . " " . . . a name?" "Ashtar," Ataxia said . "Henceforth, you shall be known as Ashtar, the Origin Father of Devilkin . Will you serve me proper, Ashtar?" " . . . I will, Father . " Ashtar¡¯s expression grew resolute as he knelt all of a sudden, storm of Qi still raging around them, though nowcking the previous color and luster . Gray and ck mostly mingled, a few traces of crimson finding their way in there . "Until the day Death takes me . " "Very well," Ataxia said as the shadowed figure slowly began vanishing . "Wait patiently until life sprouts, then endow them with your Seed . Give them Power and Strength beyond their understanding . Make me an Army, Ashtar -- one I can proudly disy to the world . " "I will, Father! Good luck!" ** It must have been days since then, Lino noted as the scene shed once more . Ashtar stood on the same spot as before, the Qi Storm having disappearing long ago . However, the scars it left were still clearly visible and would be so for a long, long time . Chasms ran one over another, craters spun about, spiderweb-like cracks running across free valleys and hill-rises . The world was still quite dark, but less so than before . At the very least, it was possible to distinguish faint edges of pir-like spires digging their way out of the earth . " . . . and thus, I as you know me was born, Lyonel," Ashtar said . "In your heart, you think a fool was born, no?" "--I do . " Lino¡¯s voice suddenly bellowed out as he found himself shellshocked, sitting opposite of Ashtar . He was there, yet not; transparent from head to toe, yet himself, not stuck inside the Devil¡¯s head . Ashtar smiled at him faintly, causing Lino to grin back . "Don¡¯t fret; it is rather impressive you stayed a fool for such a long time . " " . . . perhaps," Ashtar nodded . "What does it feel like?" "What?" "This is the first time you¡¯ve been Soulcast, I imagine . " Ashtar said . "From the looks of it, though, it is not unpleasant . " " . . . strange," Lino admitted . "But not unpleasant . " " . . . your Soul is really powerful," Ashtar said, looking deeply into Lino¡¯s eyes for a moment before sighing . "Regardless, you surprised us, Lyonel . Truth be told, I¡¯ve given up on you well back in the Umbra Kingdom; you seemed too hotheaded, too rash, too emotionally charged . In a way, I suppose, you still are . And I still think, from the bottom of my heart, you don¡¯t deserve to be here . " " . . . " Lino listened, his expression remaining empty for a long while before his lips curled up into a bitter smile . "What¡¯s the alternative then?" "I know you feel that by caring, you are somehow being different than the cruel, cold world," Ashtar said . "If anything, though, you are an ignorant kid . Everyone cares . " "Hardly seems so . " Lino replied quickly . " . . . why? Because the ways others care are different than yours?" Ashtar asked, tilting his head slightly . "Because they care for different people? A different future? Because their caringes between you and your dream?" "Because their care heralds one war after another," Lino answered quickly again, his resolve steeled . "Hardly seems worth it . " " . . . you have a really hateful view of the war, Lyonel . I never quite understood it; how can an Empyrean hold peace closer to his heart than the raging chaos of war? You would thrive in it, you know . " " . . . I don¡¯t care," Lino shrugged . "All my life I¡¯ve watched what thriving in war and conflict gets us . Whatever fabricated nonsense you old farts believe, I couldn¡¯t care less for it . " "--this is why you are yet to win, Lyonel," Ashtar chuckled . "Because you despise the very thing that will strengthen you enough to realize your dreams . You chide and berate the war while others embrace it; if you¡¯d do it, too, you¡¯d have long since won by now . Instead, you tip-toe and dance around it, fearing to lose too much, never realizing that you will lose far more in the long run . " " . . . perhaps," Lino said after a short consideration . "Perhaps not . It¡¯s easy to chime from the side, indifferent and apathetic . I could do the same, you know? Say you should not have been sweetened into madness, say you should not have been cheated into darkness . But, what¡¯s the point? We are who we are . I¡¯ve changed my fair share, and I suffered the consequences of what you see as my weaknesses . Isn¡¯t that enough?" " . . . " Ashtar didn¡¯t say anything for a long while, merely staring at Lino¡¯s eyes, thetter staring squarely back . "It¡¯s never enough, Lyonel . It¡¯s never enough . But, s, our time together has run out . " he added with a faint chuckle . "Though I berated you, I still have faith in you; those eyes of yours gleam differently, your mind a spinning gear I bet . My only wish as I forever go is that you won¡¯t betray my trust, Lyonel . Complete it . The story . " " . . . " Lino said nothing as the world around him began to fade, colors dulling, retreating into far reaches of the void . Soon enough, it had all vanished . He was once again back in the void, surrounded by the perpetual darkness, some few stars alight in the horizon, yet not nearly enough to provide any sort of a worthwhile shine . The sun was distant, hidden behind several round-shapeds, though managing to pierce some light by their edges . It was still as cold as he remembered it being . ncing down, at his hand, he saw that the singrity was no more . Was it worth it? Trading potentially monumental increase in strength for a few answers? He couldn¡¯t say . It was true that he now knew far more than before, but did that knowledge hold any worth? So what if he knew Ashtar was the first Empyrean, and the first Prime? What if he knew it was him whonded on Noterra first, and not the Writs? What if he knew that the barrier Gaia and others were lurking to break was thest remnant of the Silver City? All that knowledge, now, seemed rather contrived after he had calmed down from the initial shock . Knowledge is indeed priceless, but so was strength, something he¡¯d desperately need soon enough . He sighed, though no sound came out . It was strange; the whole while that the two fought, he was certain no sound came out -- just a slight whizz at the point of impact, and then nothing . It was strange, fighting in the void . Surrounded by terrible, ever-reaching cold and darkness . Unpleasant . He nced back, over his shoulders, and saw the massive Noterra floating freely . Though distant, in his eye it was three times asrge as the sun in the void¡¯s horizon . It spun unto itself slowly, moving about at the same time . His entire story, his entire world, all that he cared about, was there . On that singr, isted ce in the midst of the infinite void . Looking at it, his eyes gleamed; he¡¯d sworn he¡¯d forge it anew, and had no n to waver anymore . Whatever other titles he may be given, he didn¡¯t care . In his heart, he was a smith -- always was . The longer he lived, however, the less time he had to be one with the hammer and one with the me . How contradictory, he thought as he ripped the space in front of him, ready to return . I love creating, yet trailed down the Path of Destruction . . . how contradictory indeed . . . Chapter 480 Chapter 480 CHAPTER 480 THE RETURN It looked as though the starlight from the void was stolen and brushed over the canvas of the sky, forming colors that should not be, drawing shapes that were remarkably eerie and unnatural . Mortal and immortal eyes gazed with strange pensiveness toward the high-skies, unsure as to what to think . Why, perhaps, was the first thing toe to their minds . Just a few hours ago, the sky was its usual color -- the blue, asional sh of gray and silver in the cloudy regions, and a few darker ones hanging overhead of the few, isted regions . Yet, now, that blueness, the beauty, was gone; far and wide, streaks of light formed arrays, which in turn bound together through a ratherplex set of nodes not even the cleverest could decipher, nketing the sky in a massive formation that seemed to have neither the beginning nor an end . No, that was wrong; no formation had them or at least had them separately . It was impossible to spot it, however, no matter how hard one looked . Daniel and Shane, having reunited after a brief, separate stint spent in the training camps of their vocations, both stared toward the sky with the tinge of terror and awe . The news had already trickled from the top down to the lowest reaches of the Empyrion -- big-shots of the world, be they at war or not, had alle out and unified in order to defend Noterra against the impending threat of destruction . Few could understand, including the two of them, what sort of ghastly thing could threaten the entire world, though even fewer bothered trying . Litha and Vyrove were some of the few who¡¯d stayed earthed, overseeing the day-to-day life and ensuring it continued properly regardless of what was happening to the sky . Though the news was shared with everyone, the details of it were not; the Origin Father of the Devils was dead, in by the Empyrean¡¯s hand . In the process, the entire world of Hell was destroyed, shattered into shards of the ming rocks that were spat out into the void -- and some of those molten, grossly oversized rocks were now hurling toward Noterra . " . . . he really did it . " Litha said, breaking the silence . Her bright eyes shimmered, part in awe and part in terror, as she focused on the colorful sky . "Did you believe him when he said it during the meeting? " . . . I imagine few, at most, did," Vyrove replied, smiling bitterly . How could he have believed him? Hell . . . even to them that was a gap beyond understanding . An entire world, perchance evenrger than Noterra, inhabited by billions . . . who would dare believe a madman who proimed he would destroy it? "He¡¯s elerating the ns . " "Yes," Litha nodded somberly . "However, I don¡¯t think he predicted the aftermath of his actions, and the impact they¡¯d have on Noterra . " " . . . I wish I could be there when he appears and looks at the sky . The expression would be worth it . " The two fell silent right after, tearing their eyes away from the sky; they could not be tempted . Nor were they, in reality . Vyrove had a little aspiration of throwing himself into the high-sky, next to those who could topple the world over with their fingers, leaving his family behind to fend for themselves . What woulde of today¡¯s results? He was not clever enough to predict, though he had a few, silent musings . As all did, really . Y¡¯nn was one of them . He stood propped in the high-sky, checkered into the corner of the Two¡¯s ¡¯side¡¯ . Y¡¯vol alone apanied him this time around -- others could hardly help at this scale, as unfortunate as it was . Even Y¡¯vol would have to strain himself considerably to keep up, to say nothing of the rest . " . . . madd," Y¡¯vol whispered into Y¡¯nn¡¯s soul, his voice trembling faintly . "You¡¯ve sold us to a madman, you fool! Fuckin¡¯ hell, he destroyed an entire world!!" " . . . I don¡¯t think that was his direct intent," Y¡¯nn replied, stroking his chin . "Merely an unexpected byproduct of the sh . You¡¯ve sensed it, Y¡¯vol . Thatst burst of energy . By gods, I¡¯d never felt anything more soul-stirring than it . All our wars prior and all our bouts and fights now seem more akin to children¡¯s y inparison . " "Aah, if I survive these days, I¡¯ll give the bastard an earful . Fight the Devils, who cares? Don¡¯t go blowin¡¯ up thes, though! Dangerous business . . . " "--whatever may happen, we¡¯ll live . I promise you that much . " "Tsk, shut it, old dung . Best keep yourself alive if you can . Let me deal with the cards of Fate myself . " " . . . since when did you care much about Fate?" Y¡¯nn quizzed . "Since the thing actually appeared . " Y¡¯vol shuddered, his eyes subconsciously tracing over to his left, to the far distance, where a red-trodden figurey entwined in strange, ever-changing threads . She floated independent of the reality, entrapped within the ever-changing, spun web of threads that linked the whole of the world . Most showed at least a faint apprehension to her appearance, yet few dared to disy it outwardly . That was, however, not the case for a rtively small group huddled up on the other end . Most from the massive entourage had returned, yet plenty still stayed -- E, Lucky, Alison, Hannah, Cain, Alex, Valkyria, Titus, Amadeel, even Sena had joined despite the protests . Save for E and Amadeel, others hardly bothered hiding their disgust or even outright hostility toward the two figures d in silver and red respectively -- Gaia and Fate . E¡¯s gaze shifted away, shaking her head bitterly . Her eyesnded on the approaching figure, surprising her slightly -- One . She hadn¡¯t met him before today, at least she believed she hadn¡¯t . Myths hardly did him enough justice -- that was her first conclusion after a brief inspection . He wobbled over with a confident expression and pace; stern yet not arrogant . He had the bearing of apathy, yet soul-embedded care . Another paradox, E mused . Just how many of us are there? He kept a respectful distance and stopped, close enough that there were no secrets between the two, yet not too close as to pose a significant threat . His dark eyes eyed her closely, yet she couldn¡¯t read them . It seemed, at least to her, he too had long since ceased being an ordinary human . "--I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had the pleasure . " One said, smiling faintly . The colors of the above draped over his face tenderly, giving him a peculiar, ethereal appearance for a moment . "Perhaps for the best," E replied, smiling back . "I¡¯m hardly worthy of meeting someone of your high status . " "If you aren¡¯t, then none are, I¡¯m afraid," One chuckled . "It seems," he wiggled his index finger slightly, cutting off E and him from the rest -- no matter who tried, they¡¯d no longer be able to hear a word of what was said between the two . "I¡¯ve remained blind despite my best attempts . Who are you?" he asked inquisitively . " . . . someone irrelevant," E replied . "Just a backdrop to a muchrger story . " " . . . I highly doubt that," One said . "That is on you then, no? Not me . " "Perhaps," he nodded with a smile . "But I would still like to know all the ones I¡¯ll be defending my home with . For all I know, you might spin around and stab us all in the back . " "Then your worries are for naught, I¡¯m afraid," E shrugged . "I¡¯m simply a content housewife, merely sightseeing and looking after the young . " " . . . that quasar was worrying," One probed . "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask the young Empyrean some questions . " "Go ahead," E said, her smile widening . "Try questioning him . See how far it gets you . " "I¡¯ve been told my methods are hard to resist . " "They may as well be," she nodded . "But, I imagine, they¡¯ll fall short of his innate need to insult and humiliate . If I were you, Adin, I¡¯d leave the boy alone . Your goals do not sh, and even hardly intersect . " " . . . " One¡¯s eyes stretched slightly; it has been a long time since he¡¯d had an involuntary, emotional reaction -- part of it came from her knowing his name, but a greater part because he couldn¡¯t even remember thest time his name was spoken . His ¡¯father¡¯-given name . During the age all children were given practically exactly the same names, his father dared defy . "Interesting," he said, his lips curling up into a smile . "Not only do you know my name, but you also know my intentions and goals . That seems a bit unfair, no? I hardly know a thing about you . " "Why would you? Are you trying to court me, perchance? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m already taken . And, as I understand, so are you . " "Clever quips have their ce, I concur," he chuckled . "But, I imagine we can do away with them for a little while . I will question the boy . " "And, as I said, be my guest . " E said, her smile vanishing . "Why are you reporting it to me?" "So you won¡¯t be surprised when things go awry . " "Oh? So you¡¯re aware they¡¯ll go awry?" "Aren¡¯t you worried I might identally kill him?" One asked . " . . . no . " E replied simply . "No? Oh? And why is that?" One probed further, an intrigued smile curling upon his face . "Because if you do," she said simply . "You¡¯ll die as well . " "By whose hand? Yours?" "His," E replied . "It seems to me that even someone as wise and experienced as you fails to understand . Adin . . . the capacity for the deconstruction of Chaos . . . is immeasurable . Don¡¯t sully the path he walks on . If not for him, you¡¯d all be either dead or chained ves by now . Or, likely, forgotten by the cosmos itself . " " . . . I¡¯ve long since unsubscribed from the Myth of Chaos, Maiden," One said after a short silence, his voice sonorous . "Preach all you wish, but to me it is you overstating its capacity . I¡¯ve seen Chaos at its best and at its worst, and it is hardly worth the terror you describe . " " . . . wise up," she said simply, slowly cutting the dome around them . "And go back to your studies -- they may be useful yet . " Adin stared into her eyes for a little while longer before turning around and walking away . He did not fear her -- he did not fear anything or anyone at this point . But, she did inspire a few insecurities -- namely in his overarching needs . He couldn¡¯t defeat her speedily, of that he was certain . He could if he brought a few more along, but that was a price he was unwilling to pay . He paused for a moment, ncing toward the space above that suddenly raptured . All eyes veered over as a bloodied figure shot out,nding squarely in the high-skies . Lino came to a halt instead of descending further down and toward the Empyrion; he nced about with the eyes of wonder and confusion, spotting hundreds of familiar and unfamiliar faces . Some watched with him hatred bounding the age, some with curiosity, some with anxiety, some with relief, and some with reverence . He cracked a grin all of a sudden, causing Lucky, Hannah, E, Alison and the rest to immediately groan and look away in embarrassment . "Howdy,ds!" he eximed . "By god, I did expect some celebratory party, but not this! You sure did go all out! Ha ha, ah, to think that even the fair Two, and even fairer Three--oops, no, not her, khm, I meant to say Seven--wait, no, she¡¯s not here either . Right, Gaia . Our beloved Mother right over here . Ah, I¡¯m touched, I must admit . This reception is indeed worthy of a tear . Ah, would you look at that . I¡¯m far too parched for a tear . Would a quick whizz suffice?" Chapter 481 Chapter 481 CHAPTER 481 ONE The weight of those eyes was heavy, Lino noted . However, he still remained smiling, as though truly epting the warm wee . After casting a quick nce over the entire sky, a worm of confusion in him, he turned toward Hannah and others, sauntering away . Strangely, nobody attacked him . He could see Two in the distance, her eyes the scorches of hate . Yet, she held back, simply turning away as though she couldn¡¯t stand to look at him . His own group, too, looked away, their cheeks flushed in faint red . Lino smiled bitterly, shaking his head,nding next to Hannah who sighed . "Would it kill you to just keep ¡¯em shut once? Just once?" "Ah, I imagine it would . " he chortled . She eventually relented, smiling back and kissing him gently . "I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe . " "How else would I be?" "Dead, a whole lot presumed . " Lucky chimed in from the side . "The look in your eyes tells me you have no clue what¡¯s happening, do you?" " . . . uh . . . " Lino truly didn¡¯t know, though that certainly didn¡¯t prevent him from guessing . "I stumbled into a raging war and immediately ended it by the sheer virtue of my handsomeness?" "Look up," E said calmly from the side . "And see . " " . . . " doing as told, his eyes veered up and beyond the high-skies, his muscles immediately stiffening . There was a jolt that shook his mind as he saw those rocks aze streaming through the void, en-route to Noterra . He couldn¡¯t recognize them, per se, but he certainly knew where they came from -- the only ce they coulde from, Hell . The whole world shattered under the weight of the battle, but Lino was too preupied at the time to think ahead of it . Yet, now, it caught up to him . Sucking in a cold breath, he finally realized why so many camps were set up this high, yet there were no battles going on . It was also only then that he¡¯d noticed a spectacr formation bounding the sky; it was well beyond his means of understanding, though he imagined that Primul yed a ratherrge part in crafting it . "I¡¯m sorry," he said, his expression growing somber . "I should have been more careful . " "Nothing to feel sorry about," E said, noticing an approaching figure from the corner of her eyes, her brows furrowing . "You have a visitor . He might try and pry your lips open . " Prompted, Lino nced sideways, over E¡¯s shoulder, and saw an ordinary-looking man, ck-haired and eyed, floating over calmly, hands held behind his back . ¡¯1¡¯y carved thickly on his forehead, blistering smoke asionally shing out in whims . There had been a time where a deep inspection of One told him nothing -- but not today . He was a different man now, much stronger . He¡¯d understood it, well-enough . Partly, that was what the knowledge he acquired was about; perhaps it wouldn¡¯t make him stronger, but it¡¯d make him understand more . The capacities . The gaps . The limits . Certain truths . "Want me toe with you?" E asked as Lino slowly walked over . "No need," he chuckled, ncing at her . "Go back with the rest . " "Back where?" E quizzed, confused . "Where else? Home, of course . " "Eh? What about--" "Let me worry about the sky," he interrupted her . "Protect them . " " . . . what will you do?" Hannah asked immediately, stepping out while the rest tensed slightly . "Something that needs to be done," he said, speaking directly into her soul . "Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll return as well . Once back, activate all defensive arrays and secure the borders . " " . . . " Hannah gazed into those confident, ck eyes for a moment before nodding, smiling sweetly . Lino¡¯s mood, however, immediately soured . "Guide them back," she said aloud, floating over to Lino, her crimson hair, unstained by the passage of time, fluttering behind her . "Full alert . " The rest frowned at her words, but seeing the determination in her emerald eyes, they gave way and followed E through a tunnel . Thetter nced at Lino onest time, uncertain as to what he was about to do, but certain he would live, stepping through as well . Hannah stood by Lino¡¯s side, seemingly entirely disinterested at the angry and confused gazes of her surroundings; she could hear the chatter, yet filtered it out . Lino didn¡¯t even seem to hear it, his attention locked onto the man who stopped in front of him, all of a sudden . Two meters, at most, separated them . "We meet again . " One said, smiling lithely . "Young Empyrean . " " . . . I¡¯d hardly call ourst . . . something . . . a ¡¯meeting¡¯, though," Lino smiled effortlessly . "But, if you say so . " "May I ask why you sent them back?" One quizzed . "You may not . " Lino replied simply . "Oh? And why is that?" One yed along . "May I ask the size of your cock?" Lino tilted his head slightly, ensuring his voice was loud enough for the rest of the people to hear it . "--" "See? Some things, as you may know, men like to keep to themselves . " " . . . you¡¯re as childish as you are witty," One smiled after a short silence . "Myths don¡¯t do you justice, I¡¯m afraid . " "They never do," Lino said . "But, enough about quips . Will you gate them, or should I?" "Why should I gate them?" One asked . "Will we discuss something they shouldn¡¯t hear?" "--let them, then, hear of Adur--" even before Lino could continue, he felt the spacetime around the two of them close up as One isted them from the rest . His expression was dark, haunting, lips quivering . "Do not utter that name, Empyrean," One said darkly, yet Lino didn¡¯t seem surprised . "Lest you wish the blood of your kin to decorate the world for all eternity . " " . . . it¡¯s one thing to threaten me," Lino said, his voice simrly growing dark as the tension between the two exploded temporarily . "But you dare threaten my family? Utter them from your lips one more time and I¡¯ll see you end up the same as they have, I promise you . " " . . . " the heavy atmosphere between the two held for a long while, yet neither striding toward their weapons . Both knew, in their hearts, no blood would be drawn today yet at the very least there needed to be a pretense of it, if for nothing but for the curious eyes . "Forgive me," One said, sighing . "I should not have . The name, however, I haven¡¯t heard in a long time . Your knowing . . . surprised me . " " . . . I¡¯d long-wondered of all these elusive realities," Lino said . "And though Ashtar hardly gave me a reality to work with, he did throw rays of light toward some of the dark corners I¡¯ve never pried into . No, to answer your question, that pir -- or, as you call it, quasar -- was not intentional . Simply the only way I knew to channel Qi so it doesn¡¯t consume everything in its wake . " " . . . there are two more," One said, his expression still dark, yet differently so now . "Traces linger on in the void, Lyonel . It is not a coincidence . " " . . . it may not be," Lino shrugged . "Or it may be . Some call them Pirs of Creation, some of Destruction . Some call them Heralds of Gods, some Incarnations of Death . What are they to you, Adin?" " . . . they are gusts of death that blow wayward," One replied, seeming unsurprised that Lino, too, knew his name . His real name . He did wonder, however, how he knew to pronounce it . "I know what you are thinking -- but it is impossible . No soul can tame them . " " . . . are you sure?" Lino smiled lightly . "What? You think Primal Chaos will help you?" it was Lino¡¯s turn to be surprised as he met Adin¡¯s mocking gaze . "Even if youmanded a hundredfold the amount, it would be futile . Your knowledge may be broader than the most¡¯s, Lyonel, but your perspective is still limited -- you still think of terms of Noterra, chained to this singr world in the midst of the vast void . Broaden it . Look beyond . You may well be the Emperor here, but are you content with just that?" " . . . I am . " Lino replied simply after a short silence, surprising the man . "I¡¯m not like you, I¡¯m afraid . Not in any capacity . All I need and want is here, on this single world in the midst of the vast void . I¡¯ve no business entangling myself in the cosmos¡¯ tales, in the business of your kind . " "Noterra won¡¯t be exempt from the Judgment Day -- you should know . " Adin said, furrowing his brows . "And so?" Lino tilted his head faintly . "I¡¯ve never quite understood it . Why . . . why are you all so terrified of dying? Why is it that the hands of death freeze you, upy you? Is it so wrong to live a fulfilling life and then perish? Is it so wrong not to wish to defy it? You, and those like you, spun the void to seek a way to live when you could have died . Died with the rest -- whatever catastrophe befell you . Closed your eyes . Sang . Faded away . " "Is that what you n on doing?" Adin chortled . "Do you think you are somehow more resilient than us? That you won¡¯t crack? Or, better yet, do you think we chase these headless tails simply because we¡¯re afraid to die? You underestimate us, young Empyrean . " " . . . " Lino didn¡¯t say anything, though inwardly frowning . "Send the rest home . Why have you gathered them here anyway? For some sort of a parade? In hopes you¡¯ll convince them to stop fighting me? Good luck with that . Why do you even care? They¡¯re, at best, your tools . " " . . . Ashtar shouldn¡¯t have disclosed my identity to you," Adin suddenly said, as though having realized something . "How did you figure it out?" "I¡¯ve suspected for a long while," Lino said . "Ever since Dangwe told me of you, that you weren¡¯t like him . And then, the more I looked at the way you operated, the more I was reminded of certain others who functioned simrly . Though, I must say, you did do better than them . " " . . . haah," Adin breathed out heavily, ncing at the strange boy¡¯s eyes . Something in them burned, something more primal than even the force which had driven him all the way here . "I should tell you this, at least . I don¡¯t know that woman by your side . None of us do . I imagine even Ataxia doesn¡¯t . Yet, I am certain -- though she may not be us, she is like us . " "I know," Lino nodded . "But, just as much as she is like you, she isn¡¯t . Whatever happened to her, somehow, someway, a trace of humanity was merged into her . She¡¯s like you, yet different . " "You can choose to believe that," Adin said . "Rather, you can choose to believe anything . The rest of us . . . we can¡¯t be content with beliefs . " "And you needn¡¯t," Lino smiled . "Be content with reliance . Trust me . " "--and why--" "Trust me . " Lino repeated, his tone firm . "One, the Faithful . Writ of Unity . Trust me . " Chapter 482 Chapter 482 CHAPTER 482 THE EXTREMES Lino stared at the void beyond the sky, currently aze with the molten rocks trailing across like the falling stars . Only One and he remained floating high up, others having withdrawn down to the ground . It was a spectacr sight, as much as it was destructive . The rocks were like an army, ineffable in their make, fearless, cruising the cold, freezing void, yet unwilling to let it extinguish them . Altogether, he and One counted roughly two hundred of them that were on the direct course to crash into Noterra, taking into ount the¡¯s orbit . Though many may see it as a catastrophe, a world-ending one, Lino didn¡¯t . It was easy to deal with inanimate objects for one simple reason -- they were straightforward . The rock wouldn¡¯t curve at the veryst second, circumvent him and gain speed as it barreled toward the earth . It wouldn¡¯t fake its intent in hopes it might cheat him . It would run its course, whatever maye at the end of it . Lino nced at One from the corner of his eye; the man seemed as apathetic as ever, though now it made sense -- he was no man . Lino had begun suspecting something was athwart with the enigmatic ¡¯One of the Great Descent¡¯ long before he met Dangwe, but that meeting confirmed his suspicions to a certain extent . Ashtar¡¯s Archaic Record grounded it further . If the Writs were not the first to descend, why were there only Seven of them? They were entirely unnecessary for everything the legends give them ims for; as far as Lino could realize, anything can be a Writ . Perchance, somewhere on Noterra, conscious or not, there was a Writ of Wit . Writ of Fire . Of Emotion . This notion stirred even more fervently when he learned that Ataxia wasn¡¯t always the Writ of Chaos . Writs, as far as he understood them thus far, are simply penultimate realizations of a concept -- simr to the Spirits, yet different . Whereas Spirits were marked with self-realized existence and didn¡¯t necessitate a very specific set of circumstances, Writs did . Even more, Writs were aplete bundle -- whereas Spirits were not . There were hundreds, thousands, perhaps even millions of Spirits of Fire . However, there can only ever be a single Writ of Fire . Most of it was still a jumbled mess and a conjecture, but One¡¯s admittance caused a surge of pride in Lino¡¯s soul . He¡¯d connected all the dots on his own, taken from the bits and chunks that hardly seemed connected -- knowledge worth over five decades of living and learning . Another conjecture that he was trying to see through built upon what he already determined -- not just Writs, but everything else was not limited in number . This applied to everything -- from something as simple as the diversity of nts in the forest to the potential amount of intelligent lifeforms across the cosmos . It was not some arbitrary number that limited them, but very specific circumstances . It is impossible, for instance, for some flowers to grow in the forest -- not because there were already enough flowers there, but perhaps because the seed was never nted, or the flower simply can¡¯t grow without a continuous stream of sunlight to feed it . However, that might not necessarily be true . Some things, perhaps, were sealed by a number -- for instance, Writs . He wasn¡¯t certain, but he suspected there can only be one Writ per element or, rather, per concept . He could bepletely wrong, of course, but some sense of logic in him dictated that there can only be one . Ataxia, as was usually the case, remained mum on the issue, not denying or confirming any of Lino¡¯s doubts . He also doubted he could pry much from One; he was a strange Writ, an anomaly of sorts whenpared to the rest . One wasn¡¯t a human per se, that is the person wasn¡¯t a Bearer of a Writ -- he was an agglomeration of initial mankind, their hearts¡¯ fires to survive . In a way, One was a Bearer of himself . Rubbing his temples in frustration, Lino slowly realized that chipping away at the mysteries was far from being as fun as he¡¯d expected . He knew so much, perhaps more than any other Bearer of the entire Era, yet so little . The entire story was muddled with too many fogs and mists, too many interpretations, pretenses, too many diverging paths . Perhaps, in a vacuum, these all may make sense to a certain degree . However, as a part of a whole, they didn¡¯t . Though he knew Ataxia didn¡¯t create Primes, merely ¡¯corrupted¡¯ Archangels, that didn¡¯t actually answer the question of how . Why was it that in some cases he¡¯d heard it being referred to ¡¯Angels having Fallen¡¯? Also, why was it that Asmodei¡¯s story, from when he first met the remnant of the Archangel, now seemed a feeble fabrication? No, some elements of it echoed what Lino knew to be the truth -- yet most was false . Asmodei imed to be the first Archangel -- an Overseer . He also imed that the descent of the Writs marked the inception of the Universe . Yet, it clearly didn¡¯t . He also imed Gaia created Noterra, yet she clearly didn¡¯t . What did all of it mean? Why the lies? The smoking mirrors thrown around whenever the first few thousand years of the squabbles were mentioned? He didn¡¯t know . Which caused him to sigh audibly . "Don¡¯t think too much about it . " he heard a voice chiming in from the side, ncing . One seemed to be smiling, yet not at the same time . "You¡¯ll know when it is time . " " . . . I have to think," Lino replied . "It seems oddly unnatural not to think . Also, I don¡¯t believe in waiting for the perfect time, Adin . I believe in creating it . " "--have you?" "Hm?" "Created the perfect timing, I mean . Ever?" " . . . " the man¡¯s question prodded Lino for a moment before he replied . "On asion . " " . . . besides you, only Eldon ever figured out my identity," One said after a short silence . "It truly is remarkable . . . how simr, yet horrifyingly different you two are . " " . . . I keep hearing the name," Lino said . "Yet, never a tale . Who was he?" " . . . " One nced at him for a moment, as though thinking whether to say anything or not . "The cleverest person -- nay, the cleverest anything I¡¯d ever met in my life . You¡¯ll hear him spoken of as strong, unbeatable, but he certainly was not . In a way, you¡¯ve already surpassed him in strength; after all, he walked down the Path of Creation, rarely outright fighting . " " . . . then what did he do?" "yed the tune to which the whole of creation danced," One replied, chuckling . "You and him . . . you two are terrifying for twopletely different reasons . Your Will is indomitable, like the weight of a gxy pressing on one¡¯s soul . If youck the key for the door, you¡¯ll break through it . If there are a hundred guards there, you¡¯ll break through them . A thousand? Same . A million? Same . You are determined, and that determination cannot be taken away . " " . . . " "He was . . . different . yed the world against it each other, running all the currents as though we were simply characters in his story . You¡¯ll see, one day . It¡¯s . . . difficult to exin . Whereas you win the heart of others with who you are, with beating the hate out of their hearts, he won it by making all other alternatives worse . . . in a way . " The silence once more descended between the two as Lino slumped deep into his thoughts . Eldon . . . he¡¯d heard the name echoed repeatedly, for a long time now . Stories -- no, not stories, just vague chunks, like prophecies of the past . He had absolutely no idea who they were referring to -- and he¡¯d scoured most of the historical records he could find . For someone who, ording to most who spoke of him, impacted the world so much, there was not a word of him, or anyone like him, in the histories . One oddity that did stick out, however, is that he noticed that some people referred to Eldon as a ¡¯he¡¯, and some as a ¡¯she¡¯ . Though he did not yet know what to make of it, he noted the detail as the sole thing he was certain of . He¡¯d beenpared to them often, yet never collectively -- always in the parallel to the specific differences between the two . He found it odd, as most of who spoke about Eldon did so with a sense of reverence -- be they those who might have supported him or those who probably have not . Plenty enigmatic figures existed within the Noterra still -- one he called his mother, for starters -- but something about Eldon was different . He, or she, seemed more a myth than an actual person . Yet, he was certain they were an actual person . There was no need to add another branch to his thoughts just yet, as they were already preupied beyond his capacity to hold them . He was never an agile thinker; perhaps, in the heat of the moment, he intuitively knew what to do, but when it came to sitting down and sifting through his thoughts, he felt lethargically slow . Most of what he ¡¯concluded¡¯, after all, he did so with a great degree of Hannah¡¯s help . She helped him arrange his thoughts better than he ever could, and see the order in the seeming chaos . In a way, he mused, it was rather poetic . The molten rocks flying across the void would soon arrive, but he didn¡¯t pay them much heed; what concerned him was the aftermath -- the war was imminent . Upon his return, ranks of soldiers would be sent into dozens of battlefields, and within weeks splinters wille . He was not yet strong enough to realize his convictions, yet he had no more tools to stall . Aah, I really wish I was more privy to philosophical books when I was young, he chortled inwardly . Perhaps, then, I¡¯d be able to make sense of the shittery surrounding me . . . Chapter 483 Chapter 483 CHAPTER 483 TEMPEST FERMENTS Redstone pirs pierced the ground, over a hundred of them, crisscrossing over a winding road that led up a slight slope . Each was rectangr in shape, the signs of time¡¯s wear lighting their surfaces . There was a strange pattern to them, one that an untrained eye was unable to see -- but one that even the trained ones would have some difficulty with . Lux and Ard, both d in their respective colors -- silver and ck-crimson -- were walking up the path, asionally stopping and inspecting the pirs . They had rather ttened expressions, their brows asionally scrounging up, though otherwise remaining straight . The two were currently four or so miles into the Arid Expanse, a stretch of the burning desert with only a few break-ups of terrain -- such as this one . Though their job was to locate the headquarters of the Great Descent, rumored to be somece in the Arid Expanse, it was also to map out all thendmarks so it would be easier to orient in the desert . " . . . what do you think?" Lux asked, her voice strangely melodic . "Natural or manmade?" " . . . hmm, hard to say," Ard mumbled, his voice rough and low . "Their texture and rate of erosion seem natural, but shape and positioning . . . not as much . " "Chart it, either way," Lux nodded, taking out a wide canvas and letting it float in front of her, scribbling the section near the border and indicating the distance with a t line . "What should we name it?" "Red Pirs . " "Haii, your sense of naming should really be improved . . . " "Why?" Ard frowned . "They¡¯re pir-like, and they are red . Hence, Red Pirs . " " . . . Red Pirs it is," Lux chuckled lightly, inscribing the name onto the canvas and putting it away . "That¡¯s the fourth one . I didn¡¯t expect the border regions to be as diverse . " "We should be more careful," Ard added . "Move less during the day . " "The world is too upied at the moment to care about us," Lux rolled her eyes at herpanion¡¯s paranoia . "We should hurry up instead . How¡¯s your status?" " . . . still the same," Ard replied, sighing . "If I don¡¯t exert myself too much, I should be able to keep the Curse at bay for another hundred years or so . " "It¡¯s not a curse," Lux said . "Not really . " "Whatever it is, it¡¯s debilitating nheless . We can only hope Empyrean¡¯s research yields good results . " "It will," Lux said optimistically as the two began moving toward the exit . "His army is strained as it is, he knows it . Losing us would cripple him too much . " " . . . hm," Ard nodded, ncing toward the high-skies that were currently lit up in a stretch of colors, forming a Formation . "I can¡¯t believe he managed to actually kill the Devil . We may have underestimated him still, despite all . " " . . . let¡¯s get a move on," Lux said after pausing and ncing up at the sky as well . "Lots of ground to cover . " ** Ty was currently standing in a barely-lit room, four walls darkened in the shade, windowless . There was a pungent smell permeating the air, one that nearly caused his own innards to flip out . Strewn across the floor, fourteen corpsesy still, drowned in the massive pool of crimson blood . Fourteen reported rebels, all dead . Not killed -- allmitted suicide by slitting their throats with ordinary knives . All belonging to the Eight of Descent . There was a deep frown on Ty¡¯s face as he contemted, eventually turning sideways to hispanion, an elderly man, seeming in his forties, pale-faced as he had just stopped retching in the corner . "It¡¯s impossible to confirm their movements following until today?" "Yes, Lord," the elderly man replied, shaking still, refusing to look at the floor . "The moment we¡¯d gotten your report to lock them up, we tried all we could to track them down -- but it was as though all traces of them vanished . " " . . . " Ty¡¯s frown deepened even further as the tried to make sense of the situation . Yet, no matter how he looked at it, it didn¡¯t make much sense . If the cause was to rebel, why not at least stir up more problems instead of hiding andmitting suicide? It was thest part thatplicates everything -- they¡¯d died without achieving anything worthwhile, at least as far as Ty could tell . "Lock up the city," Ty said in the end . "Only allow trustworthy merchants toe and go . On my authority, continue recruiting Peacekeepers and posting them around various sights throughout the city . If anyone voices opposition, don¡¯t do anything before first letting me know . " "Y-yes, Lord!" "You¡¯re free to go . " the man bowed in gratitude and quickly left, ensuring he didn¡¯t step into the massive pool of blood polluting the floor . Ty remained standing in the room, his eyes contemtive . Though he was tempted to contact Lucky, he decided against it; this was one of the few asions where he was given an opportunity to prove himself, and he decided to at least try and take it . If things went awry too much, however, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate . They were at war, and incidents like these shouldn¡¯t be happening . He left the room shortly after, stepping out into a wide-open wheat farm . The grains stretched for over two miles on the t field, fenced off toward the edge in a curve . ncing up above, the color of the sky formation bounced off his eyes, resplendent . He smiled, faintly, before vanishing into a puff of smoke, as though he was never there . ** A young, teen boy sat behind a hardwood desk, the top surface stacked with books and papers -- as was the rest of the room -- his expression somber, the light of the nearby gem embedded in the wall casting a strange shadow over his face . Cae read the old-looking tome with deep intensity, his focus seemingly unbreakable . Runic characters were strange, unlike any of the modernnguages, to the point that it took even him several seconds per word to trante properly . Mythian Folklore was a fascinating read, yet also eerily reminiscent of some historical records that Cae had uncovered while buried deep in the halls of the library . Though overtly exaggerated and embellished in most cases, the folk tales in the book quite often coincided with real historical events, retold in a metaphorical fashion . It took the young boy nearly two hundred pages of thorough reading to connect the dots, the ¡¯hallelujah¡¯ moment happening during the read of a simply named tale Spearmasters . It was a direct retelling of the famous Order of Spearknights, one of the most elite soldiers of the Skyhaven Dynasty, and their rise to fame and eventual downfall due to the corruption . Once he realized the connections, he slowly began drawing from each tale he¡¯d read in the book, trying to link it to a real historical event . Some still stumped him, but he managed to tie the most to one or another, causing him to frown . The book wasn¡¯t old, perhaps a relic of thest Era at the oldest, and it wasn¡¯t remarkably well written, but its uracy was terrifying . Even the entire Library of the Empyrioncked some information he¡¯d found in the book, which effectively shouldn¡¯t be possible . Yet, it was . The author was unknown, and Cae hadn¡¯t recognized the style of writing . However, as it was written in the Old Paehlis, the pool of authors couldn¡¯t have been thatrge . Thenguage itself has been dead for a long, long time, though it nheless somehow managed to endure the test of time, being passed on either in some obscure vige or through some authors who relished thenguage¡¯s poetic structure . While fascinating, none of this would have truly startled Cae as the world wasrge and full of various wonders . What did startle him, however, were the fewst tales in the book -- the first one, titleless, depicting the beginning of a ¡¯bear lineage¡¯ -- the beginning of the entire species . It was certainly a metaphor, a massive one at that, though Cae was uncertain of what . The beginnings of the species were beyond distant past, of which no records survive . Just a conjecture? No, he immediately discarded the idea, shaking his head . It doesn¡¯t align . . . The remaining four tales that stumped him were simr -- inception of one or another beast told in a very different fashion . There¡¯s more to it all, Cae was certain, yet without distinct points of reference, he would be guessing blindly . " . . . I should show it to mom, or maybe brother," he mumbled lowly into his jaw, fixing his spectacles . "It¡¯s too precise to be a coincidence . Aah, I need to figure out who wrote the damn thing . Though writing is not good, the metaphors are expertly crafted . Perhaps limited knowledge of Paehlis? Ugh, that¡¯s going to expand the pool of potential authors considerably . . . aah, doesn¡¯t matter . I¡¯ll just hire a few assistants to sift through the least likely ones . " after gathering his thoughts by speaking them aloud, he turned back to the first page and began reading again, hoping there might be a thread that connects all the tales that may show him the true reality of them all . Maybe . Chapter 484 Chapter 484 CHAPTER 484 INVASION (I) A massive cleave raptured the open void, forming a gash within it, as a massive, ind-sized molten rock splintered into bits and pieces before trailing into vanishing ash . A figure, d in shadows, darted immediately sideways, sweeping a massive sword horizontally, boring dozens of holes in a single swipe, destroying over six molten boulders the size of a massive tower . Lino paused momentarily, just for less than a second, ncing toward One; the man stood simply, unlike Lino, his eyes closed . A single movement of his hand seemed to drag the dregs of the universe toward him, pulling over a hundred burning boulders toward a singrity, eating them all up into nothingness . There wasn¡¯t even a trace of Qi to be found, confounding Lino temporarily . Discarding the distractions, Lino heaved back over himself, turning into a trailing shadow and spearing straight through an array of rocks, his shadowy trail visible like a falling star in the nightly sky . From down below, all people saw were brilliant shes of explosions, like fireworks booming off in the cosmos . They lit up the sky even more so than the formation, so much so actually that the night had turned to day in many of the corners of the world . It was a marvelous sight, one that would remain imprinted in billions until the candles of their lives expired . "Send the Second to the Eastern perimeter," Hannah bellowed, her eyes, instead of focusing on the skies, turned toward the battlefield map on the desk . There was a sense of urgency in her gaze as shemanded in a spitfire fashion . "Bundle Eight through Thirteenth to make up for the losses and toss them South to contain the breach . Move the First to the Mountain Pass to try and establish the footing," as each one of hermands echoed in the tent, one figure in the shadows vanished to ry her orders where they needed to be ryed . "Fifth Regime was forced to retreat," a raspy voice reported as a shadow manifested on the other end of the table . "Eighteenth is on the brink of copse as well . " Hannah quickly nced over the battlefield, frowning, trying to figure out how to move the army to fill the gaps . The battlefield stretched on the far-eastern end of the Western Continent, a stretch of nd bordered by high mountains and rocked cliffsides . To her knowledge, there were currently eight fronts altogether that were open; five in the nds, three in the rough terrain of the mountains, hills, forests, and coastal cliffs . "Move Twentieth from the reserves and have them cut the southern ins," shemanded, moving a wooden figure down the t slope, to where the Fifth Regime was fighting . "They don¡¯t have to regain footing, just ensure they don¡¯t give more grounds . Reroute Second and divide them, three quarters moving to the Eastern perimeter, one reinforcing the twentieth . " the shadow nodded and rapidly vanished . Hannah was currently alone in the tent, moving about the wooden figures on the detailed map . The source of light came from the overhead, cyan gem, and save for the table and a bed in the corner, small-sized tent otherwise remained empty . "What¡¯s the status?" a voice broke through the void before a figure appeared next to her . Lucky manifested as a temporal shadow before her figure obtained her features . "We¡¯re being pushed back on the majority of the fronts," Hannah replied . "Most of our primary divisions are still being regrouped from the Western Fronts . It should take two-three days before we can call them over . " " . . . they knew . " Lucky said, frowning . "Yeah," Hannah nodded . "Though, I don¡¯t find it surprising . It¡¯s impossible not to have spies, no matter how thorough we are with examinations . " "Losses?" "Hard to estimate, the news is too splintered," Hannah said, sighing and rubbing her temples . She felt a headache overwhelm her for a moment before using Qi to disperse it . "How many Shadows can you summon within an hour? The ones that can confidently breach past the frontlines and attempt to assassinate their Generals?" " . . . not many," Lucky frowned . "Possibly around thirty . " "It¡¯s enough; they just need to focus on the most bleak-looking fronts -- mostly to the south . Open valley doesn¡¯t suit us as we are severely under-leveled, not to mention the Cultivation arts are too . . . uniform . " "Where are the rest?" Lucky asked . "Some are ensuring no leaks ur due to the chaos," Hannah replied . "Others are gathering their forces, and some have been shuffled to a counter-attack . I¡¯ve ordered them to go and begin conquering the allied Empires on the Holy Continent . " "Is it a good idea to split our forces so much?" Lucky quizzed, frowning . "It sounds like we¡¯re already stretched out thin . " "It¡¯s fine . This is just a probing attack; they won¡¯t dare move too deep beyond the bordered regions," Hannah exined . "At least I think so . The War Council is on its way, but because we had to activate the Restrictive Formations, it will take them a while, probably a few hours at the very least . In the meantime, I¡¯m just hoping to hold them back as much as possible . " "Alright, I¡¯ll go and gather the Shadows," Lucky nodded, beginning to warp into shadow once more . "Don¡¯t overexert yourself . " Hannah dismissed Lucky¡¯s advice immediately; she had to . After all, as luck, or misfortune better yet, would have it, she was the only high-ranking Army Official present when the invasion began . She wasn¡¯t supposed to be here either -- Aaria¡¯s request for a specific brand of leather-bounding for books led her to a small, nearby city, which is where she was at when they invaded . She suspected, had she not been here, their frontlines would have already been pushed further ind . Even still, she was merely a patchwork; someone with far more experience and knowledge was needed to counter a full-on assault . Why did our early rm systems fail? She pondered inwardly as she got a moment of respite . We should have been notified the momentrge numbers moved off the Holy Continent . There were plenty of exnations for it, in theory, but at this point, all she would be doing was guessing -- which was a pointless waste of time . "All coastal defenses have been pushed back," a report came in . "We are trying to regroup at the Mountain Pass to prevent a direct breakthrough ind . " "We arecking manpower south-wise," another report came right after the first as two shadows manifested on the other side of the table . These weren¡¯t Shadows, but a different branch used exclusively for rapid information gathering and transferring in case Talismans didn¡¯t work -- like now . "They are bounding the mountains, razing all they encounter on the shoreline . With the current pace, we¡¯ll be pushed ind in six hours, give or take . " "North is secured," Finally, Hannah sighed inwardly, a good piece of news . "Their numbers were weak, and they seemed unustomed to the terrain . " "Immediately splinter the forces in North," Hannahmanded . "Reorient three quarters from it, two of those going South to help stave off the advance, while one will join the central region . " She could withdraw slightly and go back into a major city -- City of Sun, the former capital of the Divine Dynasty -- but it wasn¡¯t time yet . The city was incredibly fortified, virtually impossible to besiege, but was of littlefort if they gave up all the surroundingnd . "You shouldn¡¯t stretch the forces so much," a calm voice immediately pulled the burden off her shoulders as she nced toward the entrance of the tent; an elderly man, seeming in histe sixties, walked in . He wore a simple, military garb, dull browns hidden beneath the ck cloak . White hair fell back, ending just beneath his neck, a pair of glimmering, green eyes seeming amused at Hannah¡¯s predicament . "Why are you trying to just patch the gaps?" " . . . you jest, Master Rynnone," Hannah chuckled, sping her hands toward the old man . "I¡¯m merely doing the best I can with my limited knowledge . " "You could still do better, little one," the old man chuckled, walking over to the table . "What do you think they are trying to achieve by the sudden invasion? Especially one with such heavy numbers which will, definitely, result in massive casualties?" " . . . " Hannah was stumped for the answer; though she was certain she knew, when the question was asked . . . she found herself doubting . Why exactly? "They are trying to gain a foothold," Rynnone said, pointing at the eastern shoreline that ran in a sharp curve, almost triangle-shaped, a ripped penins just a stretch of sand beneath a massive, looming cliff . "Anywhere they can . Overseas invasions are a difficult thing to achieve, especially considering our major port cities are impossible to siege . They are trying to establish the line here, on the continent itself, that they can freely supply and grow from there . Like a virus . " "--ah!" Hannah eximed . "Seems . . . so obvious . " "Because it is," the old man shrugged . "And you are feeding into it . Hold the line, don¡¯t let them get ind . Hell, girl, they don¡¯t want to get ind . " " . . . " very few people in the Empire would dare talk to Hannah like that, yet she didn¡¯t mind . Rynnone was a retired General from her own Sect, one who had prevented many-a-fall in his heyday . He¡¯d picked up his duties once more when the Empyrion got established,rgely because the young Empirecked experienced Generals and Commanders of their own . "So, what to do?" "Pull all your forces at the center," Rynnone said, pointing at the Mountain Pass . "And have them shove their invasion back . Don¡¯t stop . Split army into two massive Legions, and rush in intervals . Don¡¯t let them get a footing on the continent and eventually push them off the shore back onto the damned sea . " " . . . you heard the man," Hannah nced at Lucky who had returned not too long ago . "Orchestrate it . " "Will do, will do," Lucky chuckled . "You¡¯ve a long way to go, Hannah . A shame, such a shame . . . " "Oh, bite me . " "They chose a rather opportune time to strike," Rynnone said, stroking his beard . "I wonder who ismanding them . Iona? No,st I heard she fell out and became a hermit . Syvon? No, no, he¡¯s too hotheaded . He would never split his army . Ish? Oh, possibly, yes . He was always like an annoying flea . You kill ¡¯im, but you¡¯d swear an identical one is bugging you three secondster . " Right as his voice faded, three more figures walked through the entrance to the tent, followed by another stream . Familiar and unfamiliar faces joined around the table as Hannah withdrew, her role over, sitting down on the bed . She took a deep breath and calmed herself down, ncing up at the figures surrounding the table as they broke out into a heated discussion . The war had begun atst, yet it seemed rather . . . anti-climactic, at least to her . For now, it was at best a distant noise; yet, she feared to walk over to where it was fought . There, she was certain, the war was felt beyond simply being talked about as in this small room isted from the dregs of conflict that will swallow the world in the following months . Chapter 485 Chapter 485 CHAPTER 485 INVASION (II) Huruk sat on top of a hard-stone chair, slumped slightly back, tapping his fingers against the armrest, seemingly deep in thought . A detailed map of the Western Continenty stretched in front of him, tiny figurines rising ever so often, depicting his and enemy¡¯s forces . The temporary tent was otherwise empty, armsrack to his right, to his left a praying mat . Though the outsides bustled in noise, he seemed impervious to them . He felt a decent deal of reservation, being sent on this expedition -- he wasn¡¯t even the one to propose it, Manvas was . Yet, there he sat, trying to gain a foothold on the aliennd . It wasn¡¯t a terribly important part of the overall n, but it could alleviate pressure from other factors if he managed a victory . So far, that looked to be the case . Whoever wasmanding the defending army had at most a base knowledge of what they were doing . They shuffled the soldiers too much, mixing regimes that clearly didn¡¯t have any experience fighting together, stretching their forces too thinly, under-using scouting to pry into Huruk¡¯s ns . He was a bald man, well over a million years old by now, and one of the respected Commanders of the Aeonian Sect . A light-worn, leather armor was draped tightly around his muscr body, his pair of ck eyes dulled for a moment, barely reflecting any light . He wasn¡¯t too worried about things going awry; even if they did, and he failed, he wouldn¡¯t lose much . What put a dent in their ns, however, was Ashtar¡¯s fall; no one expected the Devil to cave in so easily, effectively eliminating an entire battlefront . Now they could focus on defending east, reshuffling their forces, making it perhaps ten times as difficult to besiege them . Huruk grunted, straightening into his chair just as his steward entered the tent, bowing respectfully . "They figured it out?" he mumbled, noticing the steward¡¯s conflicting expression . "Yes, Commander . " the man nodded . " . . . hm, so someone better took themand," Huruk shrugged, seemingly having expected it . "Have our forces slowly withdraw and start piling more ships to the shore . If things go beyond the capacity to handle them, we can¡¯t have them suspecting anything . " The steward bowed once more before leaving . Huruk stood up, looming over the map, shuffling the figurines slightly back toward the shore . This was always a long shot, he knew, which is why he was frustrated to be the one here . They gave him pitiful numbers and the most basic element of surprise . How was he to gain the footing within the borders of a massive Empire with barely a hundred thousand men? Even the hasty response of an inexperienced general was enough to stall his progress and prevent him from rapidly taking over enoughnd to gain some decent footing . Now that someone who knew what they were doing took reins, it meant that he couldn¡¯t do anything except try to save as many men as possible and prevent exposing their methods of arrival . He left the tent,nding on the open shore . Ground sand stretched on both ends, a massive cliff looming overhead, providing shade . The ocean¡¯s waters were rather calm, rolling up on the shore and withdrawing . Men and women alike rushed about, but Huruk couldn¡¯t understand why . He spotted quite a few young; perhaps it was their first time being a part of something greater than themselves . He envied them slightly, what with their capacity to feel joy over being sent here . ncing up at the sky, he grunted lowly, hands sped behind his back . It was still starlit, an asional sh of color bursting out in resplendent brilliance, turning the night sky alight for a moment . Why did Ashtar give up so quickly? Plenty of theories circled about, but he cared little for the musings of the idiots . There was a reason . No matter how powerful the Empyrean was, it would be impossible to storm the Hell so quickly and destroy it . Huruk himself knew -- he¡¯d led several expeditions, and they were lucky toe out of it having killed more than lost . No human army was ever able to establish a footing there -- partly because they were chased out, and partly because of the destitute air that permeated the entire, massive thing . Empyrean didn¡¯t lead an army -- unless one considered the single Empyrean an army . It was a solitary expedition, within which he not only managed to kill Ashtar, but destroy Hell itself . Huruk couldn¡¯t even imagine the levels of destruction that were necessary for that to ur . The massive pir of light that stretched across the sky for less than a minute shed into his mind; he stood frozen at the balcony, his entire body shaking . Would he survive being at the epicenter of it? No . Nobody would . Nobody except the Empyrean . He was jolted by the sound of rippling waters, ncing sideways; the shore was now lined by roughly eighty ships, far from enough . But, for a quick distraction, it would work . Chances are, they¡¯ll suspect the rest streamed off on the open sea, hidden by some formation . He shook his head, withdrawing into the tent . It was pointless, all of this . Whether he won today, or tomorrow, or whether any army in the future obliterated Empyrion¡¯s . . . it didn¡¯t matter . The oue of the battle rested on a single fact -- can the top figures of Gaia kill the Empyrean? If yes, they would win . If no, then they wouldn¡¯t . As simple as that . Yet, it seemed that nearly every war needed the theatrical prelude, the sort of a verse to a song¡¯s chorus . Soak the in blood, so that those who will determine the oue have a perfect stage for their bout . He hated it, yet couldn¡¯t do anything to change it . Just like most, he was a pawn -- a small figurine . Just like the ones on the map . "You look tired," a melodic voice pulled him from the depressing thoughts . Looking up, he saw a familiar face smiling at him; her golden eyes were slightly nted, eyebrows arched, lips curled . Dark-brown skin seemingly shone as an asional burst of light pierced into the tent, hardly hindered by the cumbersome armor . "I saw you ordered a withdrawal . Someone better took reins?" " . . . yeah," Huruk rxed, smiling back . "You had fun?" he asked, walking to the other end of the table, pulling a few strands of her ck hair behind her ears . "Just enough to excuse the trip," she chuckled, wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling him in . "You ready to go back home?" " . . . I¡¯ve a feeling I won¡¯t stay long," Huruk sighed, leaning his head against her shoulderpad, rxing for a moment . "They won¡¯t let me . " " . . . " she said nothing, merely stroking his hair . How long has it been since hest saw his daughter? Or any one of his six sons? Years? Yes, it must have been years . If Eyrine wasn¡¯t so devout, he might have not seen her either since hest left their home, over six years ago . "A sent a letter," she said softly after a moment of silence . "Apparently, Prince Lumis has taken quite a liking to her . He¡¯s been visiting at least thrice a week . " "Bah, damned kid," Huruk¡¯s mood immediately soured as he pulled back, a look of disgust on his face . "Doesn¡¯t he already have four wives? I¡¯d rather kick a bucket than let himy a hand on her . Tsk, I¡¯ll ask for a temporary writ of leave just so I can go back home and scold that girl . She¡¯s been taking more and more liberties since I¡¯m not there . " " . . . ha ha ha," Eyrineughed, the color of her voice pulling out all of Huruk¡¯s frustrations . "Don¡¯t be too hard on her . Wasn¡¯t I a lot like her when we first met?" "Aye, but I was no Prince Lumis," Huruk said . "I was a properd, if you can remember . Courted you with respect, fought your father in a duel to prove my worth--" "If my memory serves me well," Eyrine said, her lips curling up into a smile once more . "You stormed into my house when you learned my father was ning a betrothal, nearly killed him, and quite fancily kidnapped me in the process . Our Elders nearly went to war because of it . " " . . . khm, in either version, Ie off far better than that snake, I think . " "You do," she chuckled, nodding lightly . "I¡¯ll talk to her, don¡¯t worry . " "Thanks . " "When do you n to withdrawpletely?" "A day, at most," Huruk replied . "I can¡¯t do it too quickly, otherwise I¡¯ll raise suspicion . But, any longer than that and I risk being trapped without a way out . " "Hm," she nodded in agreement . "I¡¯ll see to it that we lose as few men as possible . " "Sorry to burden you . " Huruk sighed, looking rather defeated for a moment . "Burden? Nonsense," she said, kissing him gently before turning toward the exit of the tent . "Compared to the one you imposed on me by giving me the ring, this is nothing . " " . . . " Huruk¡¯s eyebrows twitched for a moment as he nced back . His wife really had a tongue on her when she wanted; otherwise entirely innocent and meek-looking, it came as quite a surprise when he first learned of the quirk . Though, he didn¡¯t mind it . In many ways, she¡¯d sacrificed far more than he had; she deserved to swing at his ego ever so often . Chapter 486 Chapter 486 CHAPTER 486 INVASION (III) Rio shuffled his halberd sideways, piercing a nker and skewering him up before tossing him over upfront, dragging down four men with a simple move . His feet surged with sudden eleration as he shifted sideways, evading a storming arrowhead that sted past him, piercing a skull of someone behind him before they even had a chance to cry out . Whistling out in relief, his eyes nced toward the source; a woman d in silver armor was hidden behind the squadrons of shieldbearers, donning a majestic-looking, golden bow, shooting arrows freely, each more deadly than thest . Cursing inwardly, Rio reoriented himself, finding his ce on the battlefield . It wasn¡¯t terriblyrge, yet it was still enough to host over forty thousand men altogether . The feeling was iparable to any other one might experience in life; when all inhibitions are let go of and men charge in a maddened desire to live, it creates the sort of perfection that cannot be replicated elsewhere . Swayed by the roars and cries, Rio charged as well, determined to at least draw the woman¡¯s attention so she wouldn¡¯t go about shooting his men freely . He threw himself directly at the charging vanguard of storm-dds, blue lightning tracing over their limbs, creating chaotic, web-like strangles of lightning . A few bolts pecked at him, causing him to wince yet not to stop . Halberd aze, he swung downward in full throttle, piercing the tender earth beneath and spraying rock upwardly in a frontal cone, bolts of fire mingling with the mud . The squadron of men separated, forming a crescent encirclement made up of six people, each donning the exact same armor -- gray iron tempered with lightning, blue capes fluttering in the invisible winds . The dust settled as Rio charged, pushing Qi into the halberd as the already massive weapon expanded all of a sudden . He swept in a full circle, stirring a temporary whirlwind of fire around him . The outburst unsettled the men as some scrapped to retreat, two failing to react in time, devoured in the consuming winds and fire . Rio jostled himself sideways, evading another arrow that piercing the point where his feet used to be less than a breath away . A cold sweat broke out of his back as his eyes veered up once more, meeting the woman¡¯s -- they were violet and violent, the storm of anger raging inside her gaze . Rio pursed his lips as he realized the source of anger wasn¡¯t that he was felling her men -- no, it was that he had caused her to miss twice . She must have taken a huge hit to her pride, he mused, withdrawing with a spin and explosively thrusting the halberd, driving it through the chest of one of the men . The dancing lightning ceased, extinguished like candle¡¯s fires in the rain, as the limp body fell off the halberd, plumping onto the earth in silence . There was no way a single thud of a body could ever make a vtile sound that would make it echo in such a massive battlefield; all sounds were blended together, making it nigh impossible to distinguish which of the fallen were friends and which were foes . Discarding the depressing thoughts, Rio ran sideways as per instructions, toward the meeting point; there, he suspected, Xia should be arriving any second now and he couldn¡¯t begging behind . Despite cutting across the frontal line of the battle, he evaded expertly, asionally helping a group of soldiers push back . His halberd danced freely, its tip expounding coral mes ever so often, the sounds of the shaft whizzing through the air drowning out all others for that singr moment . He felt at home, Rio realized, within this chaos; his eyes saw every w he could exploit, his ears heard all that could threaten him, his body moved freely, like a fish in the ocean . He¡¯d spotted Xia almost immediately once he climbed over a hill and into a dipping valley; the Mountain Pass was huge, yet the mountains surrounding it were evenrger, casting perpetual shade over the pass . She, however, shone within that shade, like a resplendent star in the already brilliantly lit sky . She heaved the massive greatsword, evenrger than Rio¡¯s halberd, over her shoulder and struck at the earth; though to others it may appear brutish,cking grace, in his eyes, she was at her most graceful when she was swinging that engorged thing about -- she was like a tempest, a terrible storm sweeping through the ranks of the army as though they weren¡¯t even there . She cut over ten men in a single swing, the blood spraying out and dousing her . She pushed out without even blinking, dragging the sword behind her and pulling it over her shoulder once more, swinging it in a downward trajectory . Each one of her strikes caused the earth to tremble, cracks to spread, men to shake and shudder . Her blood-red hair blended perfectly into its surroundings, unchained, fluttering in the storm . The ck eyes of death stared down the opposition with the loftiness that couldn¡¯t be faked; Rio found himselfing to a halt, his lips agape, admiring . Was he even necessary? Hardly . Though he¡¯d recently learned the Art of Duality, mastering both Laws of Ice and Fire, Xia didn¡¯t need such tricks -- she had her body and her de, and even still nothing could stand in her way . She rammed through a group of twenty in a row of two hundred, breaking open their ranks, finally reaching the bowmen and archers firing from behind . Without even stopping to catch her breath, she threw herself over into the firing squads and swung -- swung so freely and melodically she seemed to be writing a song . A masterpiece . The earth trembled in fear, the skies shook in respect, and all those who met her de were cleaved . Limbs and body halves strut through the air, the disemboweled guts spraying the earth in the decaying odor and color . Men began fleeing, their Wills decimated; that sword didn¡¯t just cut through their bodies, but through everything that they were . She was an unstoppable hurricane -- the death invoked in the times of war . All settled a few momentster, the first front on the pass closed . Xia stood at the center of the carnage, pulling her helmet off . Sweat on her forehead glistened beneath the rays of the dawning sun, her posture dignified . Once more, feelings of shame surged within Rio . Though he¡¯d promised the Empyrean himself he would profess his feelings, he had failed to do so . His feelings were not worthy of her . How could he possibly measure up to someone like Xia? In no time she would surpass him, bounding thedder of sess . She might even get into the Lord Empyrean¡¯s personal force -- her talent seemed to have no bounds . She might even be personally instructed by him, by the man who withstood the world with his body alone . No tricks, no arts -- defiance of the flesh alone . He descended the hill and entered the shallow deep, walking around and over the corpses, moving toward her . The surviving soldiers of their side either regrouped and moved to support the other fronts, or tended to their wounds, temporarily withdrawing . As always, she seemed to hold no expression . The only time he¡¯d ever see her in a different light was when she was fighting; wild, unbridled, smiling, shining . He may have felt he belonged in the war, but she was born into it . Of it . By it . It was iparable . " . . . hm?" she mumbled softly as she heard the footsteps approaching her, turning her head sideways, spotting Rio . "You arete . " she said simply without a change in the expression . "Sorry," Rio smiled meekly . "It seemed, though, from my point of view, I¡¯d be more of a nuisance if I tried to help you . " "The n was to storm the front together," she said . "We could have done it more efficiently if you were here . " " . . . could have we?" Rio mumbled lowly, into his own jaw . "What?" "Nothing," he quickly shook his head . "Sorry, I¡¯ll take the me . Don¡¯t worry about it . Are you fine?" "Yes . Just a tad bit tired . After a minute or two, I will be ready to return . " she nodded, taking out a few pills from her void treasure and swallowing them in one go . "It shouldn¡¯t be necessary, I think," Rio said, ncing toward the still-open fronts . "Bit by bit, they¡¯re withdrawing . I think they¡¯ve realized the sneak attack will no longer work and are simply trying to withdraw with the fewest possible losses . " "Even still," she said . "Us joining means fewer regr soldiers dying . " " . . . " that was the difference, Rio realized, biting his lip . While he selfishly only thought of her, she thought of everyone . She certainly wasn¡¯t wless -- the winds and the skies can attest to that -- but she was . . . better . Brighter . At the very least than him . "True . You got stronger again . " "Hm . " she nodded simply . "I got lucky . " " . . . I¡¯ve a feeling you¡¯re not long for the ranks of a General," Rio chuckled bitterly . "If you keep progressing like this . Perchance, in the near future, you might be mymanding officer . " "You can rise as well if you apply yourself . " she said . " . . . yeah . " could he? Perhaps . However, he didn¡¯t wish to . Even bing a General was a mistake . He was not made to lead the men; it was too tiring . Too big of a burdeny on his shoulders, too many cracks in his heart each time he¡¯d lose some men in a charge . He longed for a simple life, where he was one of the soldiers, charging, trying to make a name for himself . Well, he did . And now the regrets seeped in . "But you don¡¯t want to?" Xia tilted her head sideways, her ck eyes examining Rio¡¯s expression with curiosity . "Not . . . particrly . " Rio replied honestly . "Why?" she probed . " . . . why? Hah, plenty of reasons, I imagine . " Rio said . "The first being that I¡¯m not that well-suited for highmand . " " . . . " she remained silent for a moment as he met her eyes; the hell be damned, she¡¯s truly beautiful . . . "I think you would make a fine Commander, Rio . You respect your men, and you always charge in front of them . You lead by example . And I have seen that your men respect you too . " Rio¡¯s heart fluttered for a moment, his stomach contracting . It was too much for him to receive such openpliments from her . " . . . how do you deal with it?" he asked all of a sudden . "With what?" "With losing them," he borated . "Settling after a battle, waiting in your tent for the report on how many of your men were killed . " " . . . I make a promise with myself," she said almost immediately after . "That the next time, fewer would fall . And the time after even fewer . All the way until I manage toe to a zero . " " . . . knowing you," he chuckled . "You might just achieve it . " " . . . I am recovered," she said following the short silence . "We should join the others . " she took a brisk step forward, passing him . In a moment of strange, alien courage, he spun on his heel and grabbed her arm, surprising her as she turned and met his hardened gaze . "Is everything alright?" she asked in confusion . "--" Rio found his lips stiffen; what should he say? I love you? It seemed too grand of a gesture . May I court you? Too curt, heartless . I wish to make a cabin in your heart? He was hardly a poet, a marvel with words . He was a fool for letting his body ovee his mind . He couldn¡¯t say anything . "N-nothing, sorry," he lowered his head in shame, biting his lower lip . "I thought I¡¯d seen something strange . Must have been a reflection . " "Oh . " she nodded, seemingly not seeing through his lies . He let go of her arm, his fingers slightly bruised from violently grasping thick, sharp steel of her arm guard . "How can it be, Rio?" "What?" he asked, looking up in surprise . Her expression seemed to have hardened somewhat, ck eyes staring at him sternly . "You brave the front of the Origin War, yet cower here . " " . . . you know?" "Even the deaf and the blind know," she said . "We are not children anymore, Rio . Not trainees in an army . I do not need a man looking at me from the hills, feeling unnecessary, unable -- no, very able but unwilling to aid me . Not an admirer from afar who thinks me too holy for him . I cannot change the insecurities of your heart, and, quite frankly, I do not want to be burdened . I do not mind youcking ambition, but I do mind the meekness apanying it . I am far from the holy woman you make me out to be in your mind; until you see that, I cannot reply to your heart . I am sorry . " Stunned, Rio watched her climb back up the hill and vanish from his sight . He couldn¡¯t move, his lips slightly agape, eyes like saucers, timid wind grazing his flushed cheeks . His heart beat madly, his legs feeling wobbly yet seemingly cemented into the earth itself, like a statue . He couldn¡¯t hear the sounds of the battle anymore, couldn¡¯t see the majestic dawn creeping up on the horizon, could feel the thirst for the battle surging in his veins . "Heh," he let go of the breath he was holding lethargically, his shoulders slumping, shaking his head . "Pathetic," he added, taking the first step toward the hill, climbing slowly . I suppose, he thought, I can seek early retirement after today . Go to the outskirts, perhaps be a farmer . There must be some doll-eyed girl out there who might fancy a hardened soldier . Aye, there should be . There should be . . . Chapter 487 Chapter 487 CHAPTER 487 INVASION (IV) Rio froze in ce, his eyes turning into saucers as he watched the sky -- there, the void tore open, the sts of light and Qi shredding through the reality itself, turning into an ever-consuming storm . The light of dawn was snuffed, reced instead by a horrible night, colors sucked away from the world and into the spanning gash, the massive wound that looked like a slit of a closed eye . A storm surged from one end, draped in ck and white folds of smoke and light, thriving underneath the pressure of destruction itself . A sword struck; thin, yet expanding, coated in light so holy Rio was afraid to look at it directly . The strike turned into a wide arc, thousands of des of light exploding out into a cone, converging toward the other end -- there, the world turned to one, indistinguishable . There were no skies, there were no trodden winds, no storms -- just pure, electric everything bonded by a power beyond Rio¡¯sprehension . The light crashed into the screen of unity, devoured by it; yet, the sheer number seemed too much, shearing through it as though it was a sheet of paper . Explosions followed, yet the void swallowed them whole . The earth and the sky trembled, as all eyes veered toward the high-skies, all battles ceasing . There was no room to maneuver, no Qi to draw from . It all belonged to those creatures up above, stoic formations, projections of creation itself . Rio swallowed a hard mouthful, his body trembling . That was the pinnacle, he realized . Something he would never reach . Nay, something nobody should be able to reach . What worth were their squabbles down here, their empty deaths as rivers of blood and corpses piled on top of one another, when all their efforts can be erased with a single sigh? That powerlessness seeped into him, wriggled into his bones . The insecurities awoke, drowning him . The light . It was blinding . All of a sudden, someone screamed out his name, though he was too dull to hear; he suddenly found himself aflight, dragged through the world in a rapid arc, a pair of arms strangling his waist as they dragged him away . Not a breathter, something crashed where he stood, exploding . The destruction . . . he gaped . The earth arose like waves in a ring-like fashion, blowing out for nearly a hundred meters up, nketing the world . Screams and shouts erupted as men and women alike began running . Headless . Pointless . He crashed alongside the figure holding him, rolling over the draped hills, his armor nking against the hard rock . The mountains in his rolling sight trembled, seemingly a breath away from aplete copse . What part was he supposed to y in this epoch? Not one that mattered, he ascertained . He watched as the sea of earth ended its upward trajectory, lurching back, toward him and the others, in a full circle . His mind was nk, unable to conjure up a thought . Yet, as though by instinct, he raised his arms and wrapped them around the figure lying on top of him, rolling over to the side and shielding her . He closed his eyes, though he didn¡¯t tremble . It wasn¡¯t courage; no, it was simply apathy . The chunks of dirt and rocks crashed into his back, pummeling his bones, nearly crushing his lungs, cracking nigh all ribs he had in his body . He prayed though he didn¡¯t believe even gods could help much . He held on tightly, ensuring she was covered . She had to live . She was better, bigger, ambitious . She could make something of herself, find a way to y the game of the creators . By a miracle, he didn¡¯t lose his consciousness as the spraying began to settle . He was buried by at least two-three feet of dirt, as though thrown into a shallow grave, but he was alive . Every inch of him burned in pain, tears streaming involuntarily from his eyes, but he endured, cracking his teeth . Another rumble followed, one so powerful it split open the earth above him . It was then that he heard it -- the roar . It was primordial, beyond anything he¡¯d ever heard . Terrifying . Soul-crushing . Inhuman . The voice of the creator broke out into the world, one full of rage and fury . Light -- it was there again, even if he couldn¡¯t turn his head to stare at it directly . It washed over him, like a lithe,forting wave . It was . . . beautiful . Calming . Tranquilizing . He felt his pain slowly fade away, the bones in his body restoring, regrowing, his raptured vessels sprouting anew, his nerves reconnecting . . . as though he was being reborn . He dared turn, barely twisting his head to look over his shoulder; draped in light and darkness, a paradox that shouldn¡¯t be, hovered there where Rio stood, surrounded by a crater sorge it was difficult to calcte . Feathered wings sprung on both ends, folded in light and dark, his figure so imposing Rio instinctively wanted to bow -- part due to fear, and part due to awe . He didn¡¯t stay for long; following a quick nce around the battlefield, he shot back up, like a star . He cut through the void, cut through everything -- Rio realized, at that moment, that he was unbound . Unchained . Just as the stories said -- the Empyrean . . . was more than life . More than reality . He felt slight movement pressing against his chest as he jumped to his feet, ncing down . Xiay there, beneath him, her crimson hair sprawled back, mud dirtying her features, yet she seemed fine, unhurt . A gush of pride swelled, though was quickly drowned upon the realization that she¡¯d saved him first . Why was it that he stood stone-faced when met with something higher, much higher, than himself, and that she was free of the chains? "Mighty brave of you," she smiled all of a sudden; a lithe smile, barely visible, yet it was there, Rio was certain . "To take advantage of me like so . " " . . . " he found himself stunned for a brief moment before suddenly bursting out into freeughter . "Ha ha ha ha ha ha . . . " he couldn¡¯t stop; it seemed that all of his frustrations were chained to thatughter, the roaring, mad, unbridledughter that no one but she could hear . It was drowned out by the battle above . Battle, he realized, he didn¡¯t seem to care too much about anymore . " . . . so you canugh properly," she said, pulling herself up, sitting down opposite of him . "I did not know that . " " . . . ha ha, aye, I suppose I can," Rio said, finally settling somewhat . "I suppose I can . " "Thank you," she said, her eyes gluing his . "For saving my life . " "Just repaying one of many favors," he shrugged, smiling back . "Nothing too big . " "Hm," she nodded mischievously, a rarity in her countenance, smiling once more . If she was beautiful before, Rio realized, she was unfairly so now . That smile disarmed him, threw out all his inhibition in a quick sweep . "So you--" "I want to be with you," he said in a calm outburst, surprising both her and himself . "Xia . You were right; I am, in many ways, a coward . To me, all this . . . is much toorge . I am fine being a soldier -- feeding the thrill as I sweep through the battlefield . Free . I¡¯ve no desire to partake in those celestial battles . I¡¯ve no desire to lead, to climb thedder, have my name jotted down in the history books . " "I know . " she replied simply, settling . "And, yes, you were right," he smiled bitterly . "I did fancy you much better than me . But, that¡¯s because you are . " "Rio--" "No, let me finish," he interrupted quickly . "Whatever your reply may be, at least let me get it off my chest . " she merely nodded, pulling back . "You are better . I don¡¯t care about your humbleness . I don¡¯t care for the equal posturing . I will never be your equal, Xia . I can¡¯t be . You will soar, I know it . You will be the blinding light, one that will outshine the sun itself, just as it did today . That¡¯s . . . that¡¯s what I fell in love with about you . Well, one among many things . That unparalleled drive . Thirst . And, even beyond that, the ability . To stand as your equal would mean to hold you back, to pull you off the heavenly chariots . I don¡¯t want that . I¡¯d rather have my heart broken a thousand times over than to prevent you from bing who I know you can and will be . I never considered you wless, though . Nobody is, that much I can attest . I simply learned to love those ws as well; the fact that you are so awkward around others, the fact that you are secretly ashamed you can¡¯t set up tent without Qi, the fact that you can¡¯t read maps to save your life . . . all these small things . . . they are a part of you . " " . . . " "What I can be, however," he added, suddenly grabbing her hand tenderly . "Is the wind always pushing you . I may not stand by you, but I¡¯ll always be right behind . Never letting you out of my sight . Oh, wow, that came out quite creepy . Sheesh, I really should have nned this out . " "--you really should have,d," a voice suddenly spoke out, startling both Xia and Rio who cried out, jostling sideways and hugging instinctively, ncing toward the source . There, a man draped in way-worn hemp clothing stood, barefoot and topless, ck hair swaying in the hazy wind . "That was rather stomach-churning, if I may say so . A lot of ir, admittedly, but too . . . verbose . " "---L-l-l-lord Empyrean!!" Xia eximed fearfully, struggling to her feet and saluting in terror . Rio, on the other hand, sighed . "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be fighting, Lino?" Rio asked casually, much to Xia¡¯s terror; she stared him down, looking at him as though he were a dead man . "Fighting? Ah, I chased that pathetic fly off," Lino shrugged . "Humph, he¡¯s really good at running away, the little bitch . " "Why do I have a feeling that you¡¯re embellishing the tale?" Rio squinted his eyes, looking at Lino dubiously . " . . . who¡¯s been feeding you truths about me,d? Tell me, and I¡¯ll kill them instead of you . " Lino fired back with the same look . " . . . . " Xia stood still, part in horror and part in befuddlement . She didn¡¯t know what to think at the moment . " . . . thank you for saving me . " Rio said, smiling, his tone full of gratitude . "Even though it was you who hurt me, to begin with . " "Tsk," Lino clicked his tongue . "Had you used your clever tongue on her instead of me, you wouldn¡¯t be clenching your ass in the middle of a corpse-filled battlefield, professing your love to her like a poet talking to a damn tree . " "--I---" Rio blushed all of a sudden, unable to provide a retort . Though, to be fair, he was never able to best Lino during their tongue-in-cheek moments . The man seemed ready for every strike Rio threw at him . "Ah, very well," Lino sighed audibly, ncing over the battlefield, his expression souring . "You did well . Regroup, write down the fallen, and retreat to the City of Sun . We¡¯ll hold the pyres in a week . " He vanished -- just like that . As though he wasn¡¯t even there . Perhaps, if Rio tried telling others, nobody would believe him . They had no reason to . He nced at Xia who still stood stone-faced, seemingly unable to move . His lips curled up into a faint smile; it was the first time, he realized, that he¡¯d held hisposure while she¡¯d lost hers . It felt . . . rather good . Being dragged to drink and toss clever retorts for months no longer seemed like a part of a dark chain of memories, but something rather pleasant . Inspiring . Chapter 488 Chapter 488 CHAPTER 488 FIREFLY Lino stormed into the topmost chamber of the fortress, his expression one of annoyance, right eye edging toward darkness . The chamber was empty, he quickly noted . He was alone -- something he appreciated . Slumping onto the chair, he whipped out a bottle of ale and began sipping it in wild abandon, trails forming at the corners of lips, dripping down . Frustration was evident in every one of his movements, his muscles flexed unnecessarily with every action . "You don¡¯t have to take it to heart," Ataxia¡¯s voice broke out as a swirl of smoke appeared in front of Lino . He¡¯d started projecting into reality more often, Lino noted silently . "It is just who One is . " "Damn him to hell," Lino cursed . "If you¡¯d told me the exact bacsh over killing him rather than being vague, I would have done all in my power to curb the cocksucker . " "He annoys you, yet your goals align . Why? Because his approach is different?" "Because he¡¯s a megalomaniac," Lino shrugged, taking out another bottle, this time of orange-dyed wine . "Unity . . . bah, unity my ass . He wants the world to bend to his reign under the pretense of unification . Ass, just like the rest of ¡¯em . " " . . . is it so hard to believe that his goals might be noble?" Ataxia probed . "If they¡¯d been noble, he wouldn¡¯t be skittering about while the world caved into madness," Lino said . "He¡¯s part of the order that brought the world to its knees, Ataxia . I don¡¯t care for his justifications . He simply let it be . " "So have I . Do you me me too?" "I do . " Lino nodded . " . . . you seem to be throwing me around at everyone these days . " Ataxia nodded, his robotic voice settling somewhat . "You didn¡¯t use to be like that . " " . . . you know I have," Lino chuckled strangely . "I was just too weak to voice it . It¡¯s tiring, jumping around like a rabbit, trying to fix everything you idiots fucked up . " "Are you fixing it, though?" "Of course not," frustration and anger returned to Lino¡¯s voice . "Instead, I¡¯m forced to engage empty bouts with vain dicksuckers with nothing better to do . Instead, I¡¯m forced topel the Origin War, driving millions into unavoidable caprice, death, and fight the battles of no meaning . It amazed me, since the day I stepped on this path, the sheer stupidity of people who¡¯ve lived for eons . " " . . . to me," Ataxia said . "It simply looks like you¡¯re unwilling to conform . You object their way without trying to embrace it, for however little . " " . . . it¡¯s enough, Ataxia," Lino sighed tiredly . "Soon enough, all of this will be over . You will have your victory . You can then conduct yourself to whatever next vile, the-end-justifies-the-means tale you wish . I will never conform because I¡¯ve embraced it . Haven¡¯t I? If I hadn¡¯t, I¡¯d have refused her Origin War . I would have refused to y their games, to entertain their ideals . Instead, I would have fought to protect the few that I love and been done with it . I am in this mess because I embraced it . Against my heart and my mind . " Ataxia withdrew soon after, the puff of smoke disappearing, leaving Lino alone once more, a cloud of gray hovering above his mind . That, however, didn¡¯tst long, as the doors to the room cracked, a short, glistening figure perched her head through with curiosity . The moment she saw him, her lips parted into a brilliant smile, her eyes shining, as she sprinted over, her beautiful hair billowing back in concert with her white dress . "Dad!!" she jumped into hisp, startling him slightly as he raced to catch her so she didn¡¯t fall over . Right then, at that moment, all his worries vanished; there was no gray cloud, there were no frustrations, no anger . Just peace . "You¡¯re back!!" Aaria pressed her head against his chest, tightly hugging him . "Eww," she withdrew immediately after, however, a look of disgust on her face . "You stink . " she, however, remained sitting on hisp . "Ha ha ha, sorry firefly," Lino chuckled, ruffling his fingers through her hair . The little girl seemed content with it, her expression mellowing . "Had I known you¡¯d surprise me, I would have bathed first . " "Right," Aaria rolled her eyes, clearly not believing him . "Anyway, tell me . How was it?! Did you win?! Did you really explode the entire on your own?! Gosh, that sounds so cool! Could you tell me in detail so I can paint it properly? What did it feel like? What was Ashtar like? Was he really, really ugly? Super intimidating and strong? Did he almost kill you but then you find thatst bout of strength to push him back and achieve victory, inspired by all your friends you were protecting? Did you--" the little girl rattled on, causing Lino to squint slightly . Ah, something seemed to click in his mind . This is why everyone looks like they want tomit both suicide and homicide when I rattle on during one of my bouts . . . "Calm down, firefly," Lino smiled, interrupting her for a moment . "You asked plenty, yet you somehow missed the most important thing . It kind of hurt me, you know . " " . . . you can¡¯t ever be hurt, dad," Aaria said with confidence, surprising Lino . "You . . . you are just like those heroes from the stories . Impervious . " "Ho, big words . Where¡¯d you learn that one?" " . . . in the books?" she looked at him dubiously . "Ah, right . I forgot . You never read . " "Oi!" "It is fine -- not everyone can be gifted in the intellectual ways . You are good at fighting, mom¡¯s good at fighting and thinking . She might really leave you if you keep this up . . . " " . . . " corners of Lino¡¯s lips twitched, causing Aaria to leap off hisp . "You¡¯re not going to turn into a world-devouring beast and eat me, right?! That would be horrible!" the little girl eximed in an exaggerated tone, though hardly managing to hide her mischievous smile . " . . . do you think, firefly," Lino asked all of a sudden, his voice turning somewhat serious, surprising the girl . "That your dad is a stubborn, ol¡¯ oak?" " . . . " Aaria inspected him for a moment, her eyes glistening in a strange light . "No," she shook her head . "Why?" " . . . I . . . don¡¯t know," he sighed, leaning back into his chair, taking a sip of wine; it was somewhat bitter, yet sweet once it streamed down his throat . "Just a feeling . . . that¡¯s how others might see me . " " . . . " the girl walked over slowly, climbing back up onto hisp, leaning her head against his chest once more, seemingly no longer infected by his stench . "You listen to everyone . You change what they find troubling . If anything, I think . . . we are stubborn . We know that being stubborn will make you give in . Just like that time I asked you to ride Vy . " " . . . " Lino chuckled inwardly, ncing down, gently caressing Aaria¡¯s hair . "You really are a little minx . Know how to y me . Just like your mom . " "Uh nuh," she shook her head . "I . . . I think . . . you just let us . Because you love us . " " . . . I really do love you . " "We love you too, you know?" "I know," he nodded, smiling . "It¡¯s what keeps me goin¡¯, firefly . " " . . . " Aaria shuffled in his embrace slightly, pressing even tightly . She hadn¡¯t seen her dad like this before; in her eyes, he was always confident, calm, all-knowing, ready with an answer to every problem . A true Emperor, bearing the weight of millions on his shoulders . "I¡¯ll grow up soon," she said . "And I¡¯ll help you . With anything . I promise . " " . . . pfft, ha ha ha ha," Lino burst out intoughter all of a sudden, one free of constraints, full and deep . "Really? Oh my, what will I do then? You¡¯ll solve all of my problems in a day . " " . . . " Aaria pouted, her cheeks flushed in red, as she angrily nced at him . "You¡¯re mocking me!" " . . . I am," Lino grinned, staring down at her . "I don¡¯t need you to hurry with growin¡¯ up, kiddo . You help me plenty already . Live your life, firefly . Love and be loved . Teach and be taught . y to your heart¡¯s content . Your dad¡¯s fine . " " . . . this is what mom meant when she said you can be really selfish sometimes . " Aaria mumbled lowly, lying back down . "I imagine she did . " Lino said . "Do you refuse her help too?" " . . . I do," he nodded honestly . "Though I do get an earful because of it . " "Why? Mom¡¯s also really strong . I¡¯ve seen it . " Aaria asked . "Oh, I know she is," Lino said . "More than anyone in the world can possibly imagine . But . . . it¡¯s not about the strength, firefly . Even if you, or your mom, were a hundred times stronger than me, I¡¯d still be the same . Your mom¡¯s right . It¡¯s my selfishness . " " . . . I change my mind . You are stubborn . " Aaria puffed angrily . "Ha ha ha, yeah, I suppose I am," he said, leaning down and kissing her head tenderly . "I¡¯m sorry firefly . But, I didn¡¯t lie, you know? You really do help me plenty . As does your mom . Without you two . . . none of this would seem worthwhile . " "Hm? What about the others?" Aaria asked . "Aunt Lucky and E, and Uncle Eggor and others? The army? The Empire itself?" " . . . I hold them all dear," he said, looking out the window into the open horizon, where the world curved from the fortress¡¯ high, showcasing the city beneath . "And would fight for them to myst breath . But . . . I¡¯d never die for them, firefly . I couldn¡¯t . Not with you and your mom still around . I know you might think I¡¯m horrible for it," he added, ncing down at the stumped Aaria . "But, in my heart of hearts, I know I¡¯d rather watch the entire Empyrion crumble into ash than see anything happen to you or your mom . That¡¯s how you help me," he smiled faintly, grabbing the back of her head, pulling her closer against his chest . "Firefly . You give me wings, and let me soar . " Chapter 489 Chapter 489: 489 CHAPTER 489 THE PURPOSE A column of space copsed temporarily, revealing a tumbling void beyond . Soon after, a figure stumbled out, white coat tattered at the edges, a few smears of dried blood visible across its smooth surface . ¡¯1¡¯ carved on the forehead still billowed out smoke, though with faintly less grandeur than before . Adinnded on the stone-paved tform, squaring himself immediately, resetting his breathing . Looking about, he quickly realized he was alone . The tform stretched in a rectangr shape, one side much longer than the other, perched on top of nothing, standing alone in the sky . Pavilion of Dreams, that¡¯s what they called it . Why? Myths . Legends . Tales that were never true . He sat down, sighing, his brows scrounging up into a frown, eyes dulling in an inward gaze as he turned to his thoughts . His short bout with the Empyrean was supposed to scare thed, to rein him in slightly, make him conscious . It didn¡¯t work . Rather, it was aplete failure . This is dangerous, a thought escaped him . He¡¯d fought Empyreans before, more than once, but he¡¯d nevere out of the battle worse for wear -- never, not even once . Until today . What was the difference between thatd and the rest? There were plenty, Adin knew . Primal Chaos, that unchained Will of his, that strange sword that danced the edge of Origins -- many factors came together to make the myth of the Empyrean . However, not even all of thembined could ount for that raw beating he was handed . Reying the battle in his head, he still failed to spot the chunks and pieces that he believed were missing from his assessment . What exactly was he missing? He couldn¡¯t say . Thed, not unlike himself, defied the restraints of the Noterra . That, however, wasn¡¯t strange . The Laws of the World are only as strong as the entity governing them . They could not restrict those that existed above them . Both moved at speeds that defied all logic and reason; what the few spectators saw was less than a sh -- they¡¯d exchanged thousands of blows in less than a minute . He could still hear the thundering roars of the sword, the tumbling of his organs each time he¡¯d deflected the strike, could still feel the blood in his veins freeze when he, for that brief ount, locked onto those eyes . Yes, he jotted it together, it was the eyes . Perhaps not the eyes themselves -- but something beyond them . That figure, juxtaposed between two absolutes, standing there, indomitable, like the Edifice itself . Even Adin felt it -- just for that singr sh -- the desire to kneel . To bow . To give in . He¡¯d resisted it, but it still left a permanent mark on his heart . "--you look like you¡¯d seen a ghost . " a tumbling voice snapped him out of his stupor . ncing sideways, he recognized the neer immediately, draped and d in eerie ck from head to toe, the pair of eyes the gems of infinity -- Biyung . How did she know toe here? "Though, I imagine, you finally had . " " . . . you¡¯ve seen them as well?" Adin asked, frowning . "Ay," Biyung nodded, walking over toward him, though her eyes veering past, into the distant horizon . "For a moment . They draw you in, don¡¯t they?" "Yeah," Adin nodded . "I suspect they are connected to the Primal Chaos, somehow . " "No--well, yes, but . . . no," Biyung mumbled . "They are somehow . . . above it . " "Above it?" Adin quizzed, confusion wrapping his expression . "Hm," she nodded, sitting down, facing his eyes atst . "It¡¯s dangerous, little human-pretender . I think . . . Ataxia is way over his head with this one . " " . . . I don¡¯t think so," Adin said . "If he¡¯d lost the control, he¡¯d have snapped the bond and crippled thed already . There must be a reason he¡¯s still sticking with him . " "--wouldn¡¯t you?" Biyung asked . "For better or worse, that boy is the closest we¡¯ve evere to having a proper key . Ataxia¡¯s mind . . . had waned . Too many years had passed . I don¡¯t me him; I¡¯m the same . He must see it as a glimmer of hope -- one he¡¯d do anything to cling onto . " "You¡¯ve always deemed him lesser than the rest of us," Adin chuckled strangely, shaking his head . "Ataxia . . . there¡¯s a reason why he led us, Biyung . Others may have chosen to forgone the return, discarding him as a relic of past, but I . . . I can¡¯t . I want to go back home, if possible . " "You don¡¯t have a home . " "I¡¯ve seen it . " "You¡¯ve seen the ruin it became," Biyung said . "You were born amidst the Crossing, One . " " . . . you¡¯d still deny me the right?" "What right?" Biyung scoffed . "You all are blinded if you believe it is possible to restore our home . " "It is possible!" Adin eximed . "I know it is, Biyung . Time isn¡¯t as impervious as we¡¯ve made it out to be . It cracks, wanes, like the rest of everything . It is not shielded from the same vestiges the rest of us are bound with . " " . . . you sound eerily a lot like him," Biyung said after a short silence, her gaze turning strange . "When he made a plea . . . before he sacked the Silver City, exterminated his own blood, condemned the world to the eons of chaos . " " . . . I don¡¯t condone that," Adin said . "Even if I understand it . " "He stretched himself too thin too many times, Adin," Biyung said . "The boy . . . he should have ended their bond decades ago . The moment the boy restored the Seed of Chaos . . . Ataxia should have ended it . It is not proper . We are not the Exalted, beset to dabble in the Engines of Creation . I think that is what doomed us the first time . Has everyone already forgotten it?" " . . . what condemned us was weakness, Biyung," Adin said . "We couldn¡¯t fight--" "Fight?" Biyung interrupted, scoffing . "Moron . You speak of fighting . . . but do you even realize what we would need to fight? As I said, you weren¡¯t there . You didn¡¯t see . You didn¡¯t experience it . " " . . . " "The time here had truly dulled us," Biyung sighed . "Even Ashtar had gone and ended himself, putting his hopes into an ordinary mortal . They are still watching, probablyughing at our ipetence . They were right to exterminate us . " "Biyung!!" "What? Am I wrong?" the look in her eyes sharpened, her voice growing colder . "Look around, Adin . What have we brought to this peaceful world if not war, if not death, if not pain? Had we left it alone, it would have sprouted into a brilliant seed, grown into a corrupted flower, and burned to ash just like we did . Yet, for selfish reasons, we extend its lifeline . Feeding it darkness, time and again, in the name of the greater good that is dead . There is nothing for us left . The Cycle should have never been restored . We should have ended our lineage, locked ourselves in the Silver City, and gone to eternal slumber . " "--do you not wish to go back home?" Adin asked her, his tone growing strangely somber . " . . . no," she shook her head, her answer startling him . "Adur has perished, Adin . Gone up in mes, leaving behind the Pir of Condemnation as a reminder to the rest of Creation not to act the role of fools . You . . . and everyone should make the peace with it . This . . . is the end of our journey . " Without waiting for his reply, she turned into a streak of smoke and vanished, leaving behind only the trailing scent of ash and soot . Adin remained sitting, his head slumped low . He wouldn¡¯t change his mind, he knew . Nothing, no matter howpelling it might have been, had changed it . He moved his arm sideways, tearing open a hole in the space, yet not the like which exposed the void beyond . Instead, he gazed upon the world of the wobbly transformations, lines running into infinity, the Weave of Time . He spotted it immediately, tearing open the continuity -- ck, lightless, ever-growing . It dragged the traces of Time itself toward it, swallowing them . The tempest of destruction, the spirit of destion -- the beast that had streamed through Adur . . . even if Adur was already dead by that point . Still growing, still in the embryonic stages of existence . . . but it would reach that point . That point of growth where Time itself broke apart under its weight and its sheering force . He¡¯d bet it all on this small ck hole, on this tiny prune . His life¡¯s work . Gazing at it tenderly for a moment, he closed the tear in space right after, taking a deep breath, getting up . Though the battle with the Empyrean had shaken him slightly, it didn¡¯t matter; all of these were simply temporary distractions, a way for him to pass the time . His purpose was to feed it, to help it grow, to expand it . He didn¡¯t care about the supposed restrictions, about the Invincibility of Time; he would reverse it . He would bring back the world forgotten, undo the Ashening, restore the Tears that had given him birth in the first ce . He believed that was his purpose -- the point of his birth . To undo Adur¡¯s destruction, to restore the world, and to find those who destroyed it, and avenge all those souls of Adur that were sacrificed to make him who he was today . Chapter 490 Chapter 490 CHAPTER 490 FLIGHTS OF HEARTS Hannah oversaw the retreat of the regrouped army from a balcony of a brick-cast tower perched on top of a cliff overlooking the open valley thaty in front of her . In the distance, she could still see the smoke billowing out into the sky, the western wind carrying with it the scent of what once was . A somber expression rested on her face, her emerald-green eyes trailing along with the army¡¯s movement . She sighed audibly, shaking her head . For the first time, perhaps, she could understand Lino -- why he always fell silent when returning from a battle he led where people died . Had she been cleverer today, she could have avoided many deaths . Perhaps, after the enemy¡¯smander saw she read him, they might have withdrawn their forces, avoiding the esction of the conflictpletely . She didn¡¯t, however . It fell on top of her, invisible, the weight of the fallen . With ast nce, she spun around and began descending the tower . The spiral stairwell was lit with embedded gemstones shining a faintly cool, cyan light . It has been a long time since she fought, many years since she¡¯dst donned the mantle of the Elysian . Though she never admitted it to anyone, she missed it . In a way, with the creation of Empyrion, she was relegated to being the Empress -- tasked with the dull and boring paperwork, with conferences held to make smooth transitions, with discerning which option was better . She didn¡¯t mind it much at first, but as the years passed, she had grown more and more hateful of the inaction . Even with constant sparring and training, the itch in her never seemed to be properly scratched . The exit to the tower set her out into a fortified courtyard, tall wallsid out into a crescent curve, from one edge of the cliff to the other . Itcked the luster and polish she had grown ustomed to back home . . . yet she found herself eerily drawn to it . On the left side of the tower, a stretch of shacks arose where the guards slept and where the scouts transferred through . On the right side were a massive cauldron and an even greater firepit beneath it, tasked with making meals for everyone . The world beneath her was of dirt, dust, and mud, wild weed growing relentlessly by the edges of the walls, vines sprouting out through the cracks . She, draped in the adorned, golden dress with crimson threads and intricate folds felt surreally out of ce . She seemed like a fine sculpture stered onto the farmer¡¯s field, a fancy distraction but nothing more . It made her feel empty, restless . Even in the eyes of the people around, she felt it; they avoided her gaze, looked around, lowered their heads, jittering when she would walk by . She, now, also understood why Lino avoided meeting people, why he dreaded walking among them; he didn¡¯t want to recognize this reality . It was childish to believe things wouldn¡¯t change, she knew . More than people, the two of them were symbols -- somethingrger than life, something ordinary people like those stoking the mes of the firepit didn¡¯t wish to understand . Or, rather, didn¡¯t feel worthy of understanding . She walked over, slowly, not caring that the tips of her dress trekked across the mud and throwaway branches, splintering . The closer she approached the massive cauldron, the more she could feel its heat, the more pervasive the scent of the cooked soup became . And the stiffer the people became . By the time she stood right near it, she couldn¡¯t hear any other sound beyond the boiling water and the crackling of the fire . People seemed to have stiffened their breaths, froze their bodies in ce, afraid they might set her off . Reminiscing, she realized it was partially her fault; since Lino never embodied the throne,rgely ignoring his position, she had to take the reins of the crown . Be the judge of everything -- especially early on . That image must have stuck and spread . She hardly regretted it, or med Lino for it, but wished nheless she could go back in time and make some changes . Perhaps be less curt, less direct, more weing . s, the time for regrets was not today . "At ease," she mumbled lowly, though it hardly helped . "What are you cooking?" she turned toward the four women who were using steeldders to reach the top of the cauldron, throwing ingredients into it . "I-it¡¯s . . . it¡¯s potato soup, Your Majesty . " one of the women replied in a low tone, barely audible, nearly falling off thedder . "Do you mind pouring me a bowl?" Hannah asked . "A-ah, Y-your Majesty . . . Y-your meal . . . is already prepared . . . " " . . . " Hannah stayed the gaze for a moment, her heart wringing inside her chest . "Very well . " she said, swallowing the bitterint . "Good work . Keep at it . " "Y-yes, Your Majesty . " the people about bowed, not raising their heads until she was out of their view . She retreated to her room, built into the tower itself . Unlike those shacks, floorless, beds made out of simple wood and straw,cking any decoration, hers was not much different than the one in the pce -- wide and squared, spacious enough to engage in a proper duel, adorned with works of art hanging on the smoothed, painted walls, beautiful, hand-sewn rugs decorating the tiled floor beneath . . . the life billions would kill for . . . seemed all-too-dull to her now . She walked over to the balcony, a somewhat narrow extraction, fortified with hundreds of arrays . Sitting down, she took out a bottle of ale, not the expensive kind she was gifted on daily basis, but the old sort, the one that Lino and she used to drink when it was just the two of them . A part of her really did wish to return to those days, to when the two of them traveled through the Titan Realms, irreverent to the rest of the world . She knew it was impossible, however . The two had mantled the responsibility consciously . Nobody threw it at them, forced them into it . The ale tasted bitter, causing her stomach to rumble in protest . She didn¡¯t care, a faint smile escaping her lips . Thanks to the arrays surrounding the balcony, she was doused in stilled silence . Just the sounds of her gulping and the rumbles of her stomach broke out . Eerie . Peaceful . Rewarding . ncing sideways, she managed to spot the sun breaking out, golden rays showering the world down below . It was yet to recover its lusterpletely, though it wouldn¡¯t be too long . She found it rather strange how, with all the stories she¡¯d read, it would always rain insistently after a battle, as though the heavens were crying . Yet, there was the sun, shining ever so bright, not a droplet of rain to be found falling . She started all of a sudden, feeling the talisman brimming in her void world . Taking it out quickly, her expression mellowed as she burned it . Rather than a screen forming from the ashened and smoldering pieces, space next to her tore open as a figure wearing ordinary clothing, one that would make him seem the part of the fortification, walked through . Amazingly, he hadn¡¯t changed much, Hannah realized . Not in the way he thought, not in the way he behaved, not in the way he spoke . He hadn¡¯t allowed the world to change him, for better or worse . "My, my," he said, grinning, as he sat down opposite of her . "You look sour . Almost as much as that old ale you¡¯re drinking . " "Fancy a cup?" she asked, smiling back . "Always . " she poured him one, taking a sip herself . "It¡¯s not sour . It¡¯s bitter . " "Doesn¡¯t change myparison," he chuckled, causing her to shake her head . "But, I was prepared . Warned since I was a wee-young boy . Listend, bearded gruffs used to say, women, they are opposite of wine; the older they are, the more bitter and undrinkable they get!" "I see you¡¯ve hung out with the good crowd before I fixed your ways . " she added . "Aye, I always had keen eyes for fine fes," he said, ncing out, over the balcony¡¯s wall, onto the open in . "You look a whole lot like that idiot in a mirror of mine whenever Ie back from a battle . " he added in a somber tone . "Only, you know, about infinity times more beautiful . " " . . . we lost a lot of people today," she said, sighing . "Because I can¡¯t lead . " "We would have lost far more if you hadn¡¯t, Hannah," Lino said . "Don¡¯t be a downer . " "Are you really in a position to tell me that?" she cracked a faint smile, looking back at him . "Ah, but of course!" he eximed, taking a sip of ale . "You see, the brooding look goes well with usds . On you,dies, it just makes you look like you hadn¡¯t taken a proper shit in months . " " . . . ah, woeful me . How dare I feel the same things you feel?" "Oh, fell them alright . Just feel them inside . That¡¯s the key aspect of brooding," Lino said in a serious tone, causing Hannah to barely stifle herughter . "You can¡¯t show too much of it, makes you look like you¡¯re begging people to ask you questions . No, no, m¡¯dy . Can¡¯t have that . " "Silly me," Hannah said . "How could I have forgotten there¡¯s a proper way to brood? Ah, I should be exiled . " " . . . hey," he said, reaching out over the table, caressing her cheek gently, his lips curled up into a gentle, encouraging smile . "You¡¯re doing more than any that might me you for today . " " . . . when was it that we switched the roles?" "Oh, we hardly had, woman," Lino chuckled . "Just wait till you hear of my angsty tale . You¡¯ll be back on your moral high in no time . " " . . . I miss it, Lino . " she said, pulling back, surprising him . "The fighting . Traveling . The uncertainty of tomorrow . " " . . . " "I¡¯m tired of lounging around in thick,plicated dresses, talking all day long, surrounded by glow and shine of worthless possessions . I bitterly recall telling you specifically I was not that sort of a woman . Yet, here I am . " she didn¡¯t look at him for a moment, worried what expression she might find . " . . . I know," he said lowly . "Every night, I could see a part of you grow limper . Like someone¡¯s been stealing parts of your soul slowly . I guess . . . I just didn¡¯t want to admit it to myself . I¡¯d much rather have you brooding and angst-ridden but safe, than jovial and inspired but surrounded in infernal fires . Aah, that littless and you are remarkably alike . " he chuckled at the end, shaking his head as Hannah turned hers to face him . The way light folded over his scarred left eye stunned her for a moment, his expression seemingly perfectly encased in light . "I only ever felt confident leaving the throne because I knew you had it covered . And, each time I¡¯de back, I¡¯d be plunged into shame . How could I possibly reign when I¡¯d just fuck up and have you fix it? You cast a remarkable shadow, Hannah," he added, ncing at her, his eye a storm of emotion . "Sometimes, I feel, that even without me, without Ataxia, without the Empyrean . . . you would have changed the world all by yourself . " " . . . " she remained silent for a moment, getting up and walking over, pulling her head over his, her crimson hair draping on her sides, shading him from the sun . Their eyes met in the tranquility of the dark, in the sce of the silence, the grip of the warmth . "Sometimes," she mumbled, lowering her head, closing her eyes . She could feel his lips on her forehead . "It gets scary . How many tremors you cause in my heart . I¡¯m not a young girl anymore, Lino . My old, fragile heart can¡¯t take much of it . " " . . . we¡¯re close, butterfly," he mumbled, running his lips against her forehead gently . "So close . And I know, in my heart, it would hardly feel a victory if, in the end, I stood there alone . You¡¯ve wings," he added . "And it breaks my heart not to see you fly . " They remained draped in shadows for some time, time which ceased to matter . In silence and sce, there was nothing and no one else . Just the two of them, like statues in the snow, ineffable . Chapter 491 Chapter 491 CHAPTER 491 TRESPASSERS An arm stretched from the void, long, sickly-pale, draped in thick, smoldering shadows folding over its long fingers, curling like tiny snakes, dancing about like bolts of lightning . Veins bulged on the surface, ck blood clearly visible, flowing like a violent stream . Following the arm, the skeletal shoulder,cking flesh, burst through, surface seemingly chewed, rotted . Corporeal shadows emerged from the ever-growing vortex, a pulsating sphere churning out, a vertical, void-ck slit rocking back and forth against the bloody-red surface, seemingly peering into the soul of the stone beneath . Another arm came through, the same as the first, wildly tearing through the void, emerging in a single burst . The creature hovered just slightly off the ransacked stone, moonbeams consciously avoiding it . It was as tall as a two-story building, beholden in the dancing smoke, a singr eye juxtaposed between two behemoth-like arms, long and terrible . It seemed to look about for a moment before pushing itself forth; as it cruised above the stone, the ashen-gray surface turned horribly corrupt, blisters of ck exploding into acidic outburst, eroding away the rock . Right as it moved to the edge of the triangr tform standing erect on top of a ruined tower, surrounding walls cleaved and rotting, the vortex behind it jittered once again, a burst of strange, ck liquid spilling over . Thick and light-absorbent, it rolled onto the stone, filling the tiny gaps between the rugged tiles, rising up against thews, forming a strange drape, like a human child donning a ck nket from head to the toes . It moved unnervingly, strangely, eerily, each one of its steps producing sizzling sounds, each one of its movements causing a jerking reaction of the liquid . Bubbles arose one after another, imploding right after, the traces of thin, ck ash scattering into the wind . It moved up to the first creature, trembling-still, stopping at the edge, bending over and extending, elongating like y, into a looming shape, bending a full circle until its tip stared through the window a whole floor below . The vortex shuddered once more, vibrating in the open space, widening all of a sudden . A slithering shade pounced through, reminiscent of a small lizard, yet over five meters in length . Bones stood beneath the dancing shadows, crimson-white in make, a wet-sounding tongue splicing out of its narrow, dislodged maw, dripping ck droplets onto the stone, boring deep holes in it . Two long ws stretched from its sides, just beneath what looked like its head, three-fingered, stoked in the silent, ck mes . It flew over and about, seemingly dancing to the tune of freedom, forming cricketing sounds with each one of its movements . Low, unnerving . Its bones seemed to be made out of paper, as though touching one would break the whole, yet still seemed terribly resilient, as though nothing could break them . The void-slit expanded once more, this time with a resounding weep, as a boulder-like creature broke through . Hundreds of arms jerked on its ever-throbbing surface, blood-red veins popping, the scarlet seeping into its sheered skin . Vertical slits jotted in-between its limbs all opened all of a sudden, revealing hundreds of identical, maroon-red eyes, blinking in the same rhythm . It rolled over, its arms like wheels,ing to a halt at the edge, joining the other three . Onest weep resounded, the space exploding behind the four, causing violent winds to tear through the world around, ripping the dead trees from their roots, flinging them over the edge of the tall cliff into the abyss down below . The entire tower trembled, bits and chunks of rock falling down, rolling into the steep cliff beneath . An ear-bursting scream, yet one that no human ear could pick upon, rived out, causing vibrations to roll into corporeal form, the space for hundreds of miles wiggling like a ripple in the water hit by a rock . A massive creature, well over a hundred meters tall, boomed through, right leg first . Muscles and tendonsy exposed, wrapped around ck-jetted bones, eyes sprinkling about freely, dying and rebirthing with every passing second . Following the leg, thousands upon thousands of macabre tentacles crawled through, exploding like vines into the sky . Some ck, some gray, some bone-white, some blood-red, they nketed the entire surrounding cliff like branches of the world¡¯s tallest tree . Upper torso came next, a massive slit running from top to bottom, exposing the ck void beyond . Wide, trembling, it had no skin, much like the limbs attached to it . Neck sprawled above, over a dozen meters long, full of holes, blending into an oval-shaped, featureless head . No eyes, no lips, to distinct lines; just a smooth surface reflecting the world that was not . Space trembled ceaselessly, seemingly weeping, begging . The creature appeared indifferent, if it could appear anything, its tentacles thriving about, thrashing, almost as though they were independent of the main body . Thenky arms reached from the shoulder-des to the creature¡¯s toes, terribly thin, hole-ridden, bleeding profusely . All the rest of the world grew silent at that moment, the deterrence of the horrid abominations too shocking . "--summon Others," a hiss trickled out of the one-eyed creature, its two arms grabbing at the edge of the tform, the slit turning up and ncing at the behemoth-like creature behind it . "Warn of the Changes; adjoin the Cursed . War awaits . " "War, aaahhahaha--war," cracklingughter joined right after, the sprawling, lizard-like creature dancing in the air . "Blood, death, pain, agony, terror . Aaahahaaha, war---" "Calm down," the giant behemoth spoke out, its voice choral, overbearing, strangely dignified . "Brother fell; we must ount Father for this first . If he rejects our pleas, ughter the boy . Others still asleep need to wake; I¡¯ll endow those who can¡¯t with Chaos . Urath, find the Burrowed," the creature seemingly turned its featureless head toward the boulder-like one, sporting hundreds of eyes and arms . "Noth-Ythoth, you find the Slumbering," it said to the lizard-like crawler . "Nosh-Ydheeh," it turned to the liquid-draped creature which still loomed over the edge . "Infiltrate, report . Ghaggurakh," it turned to the one-eyed-two-armed creature and said . "Retrieve the Stones . I shall set up a camp here . Go, now . Let us not waste the precious breaths we have . " ** They-e . Lino awoke all of a sudden, doused in thickyers of sweat, panting . His ck eye darted about the darkness of the room, few beams of moonlight managing to break through the breaks in the curtains on the windows . He was shaking, silently trembling, uncertain as to why . ncing sideways, he saw Hannah was still fast asleep, her crimson hair spilled over the pillow like bloodied tendrils . Shaking his head, he got up off the bed and walked over to the balcony, perching over the wall, gazing into the ever-distant horizon . He felt strange, almost nauseous, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint why . He had to consciously prevent his body from shaking, as though trying to answer some distant call he couldn¡¯t hear . The wind blowing was rather refreshing, caressing his skin, helping him calm down somewhat . His eyes subconsciously moved south-east, staring at the point beyond the rising mountains and looming haze . Something there, he felt, was calling him . Not a voice, but something deeper, far more primordial . "You alright?" Hannah joined him right then, walking up to him, yawning and stretching before leaning against the rail . " . . . hmm . " Lino mumbled a reply, though seemed unfocused . " . . . what¡¯s wrong?" she asked with a concerned expression, cing her hand onto his back . " . . . I don¡¯t know," he replied, sighing . "Something . . . is, though . I can feel it . " "Well, wow, if you can feel it . . . " "Oh, shut up," he rolled his eyes as she chuckled . "I¡¯m serious . Something is wrong . " " . . . maybe you¡¯re just growing old and senile . " "Oh, I¡¯m definitely growing old and senile," he said with a smile, ncing at her . "But, this . . . summon the Council first thing in the morning . Activate all defensive arrays, withdraw our borders, and double the guards . Tell them to look for anything strange and odd . " " . . . if you¡¯re that rattled," she said after a short silence . "Something must be wrong . I¡¯m gonna go back to sleep . Don¡¯t stay too long either . " "Hm . " he nodded absentmindedly as he felt a wet peck on his cheek . Whatever it was that he felt was now gone, disappeared, as though it was just a fabricated illusion . He knew it wasn¡¯t, however . He felt it . And that voice . . . the one that woke him up . It was eerily familiar, yet it wasn¡¯t . Different . Way-worn . He had never stopped trusting his instincts; rather, he trusted them more than he did his conscious senses . It felt as though his very soul had warned him that something has gone awry, that something is not quite right . He didn¡¯t stay on the balcony for too long, withdrawing into the bed, pulling a nket over himself as Hannah folded her arm over his chest, snuggling closer . Though he wished it, he was unable to fall asleep . The worries and doubts gnawed away at him, like tiny worms wiggling about in his brain . Something ising, of that he was certain . The only question that remains is what . Chapter 492 Chapter 492 CHAPTER 492 THE ETERNAL SHROUD The sun, that was supposed to be bounding the high-skies around now, was nowhere to be seen . Instead, the entire eastern horizon was blocked in a swath of a ck mist, one so thick and terrible it sucked away any light that approached it . Formed along the ridge of the ins just outside the City of the Sun, hundreds of thousands of soldiers quivered; some few braver ones stepped up front, trying to shield the terrible winds doused in Qi of Destion from hitting the weaker ones . At the far front, Lino stood isted, his expression terrible . The odd feeling that had woken him up not a week ago manifested today -- as far as the eastern shores of the Western Continent reached, they were doused in Primal Qi of Chaos . Over two hundred Primes nestled there, behind the nearly a whole million of the ordinary Cultivators . His fingers were curled up in a fist, the horrid wind gently passing him, as though too terrified to touch him, causing his hair to billow backward like smoke . Just behind him, arrays lit up, yet still failed to properly defend against the winds -- after all, no one in the Empire ounted for the Primes joining the war, especially against them . E, Hannah, Titus, Amadeel, Val, and a few others did their best to suffocate the winds, while Eggor, Tim and Primul worked rapidly on a makeshift array to contain it . Barely a quarter of army was assembled at the moment; should the fighting break out, they would be at a monumental disadvantage -- yet, it would break out . The other side had no reason to wait for him to assemble his forcespletely . If they were smart enough, they would even employ the deadly dash -- send hundreds of thousands hurdling toward them, eventually overrunning them, capturing the City of the Sun . His expression still twisted, he nced back, noticing the expressions of suffering and agony across the tens of thousands . Very few were ever exposed to the sheer brutality that the Chaotic Qi can impose upon one¡¯s Will, which meant that very few were equipped to withstand the horrible winds . Gritting his teeth, he unfurled a pair of ck-feathered wings, taking to the skies under the loud protests of those just behind him . He ignored them all, however, wanting to learn why Primes chose to suddenly join the war, and, more importantly, why were they against him . Against Ataxia . He came to a halt in front of the imposing figure that stood at the forefront; a massive behemoth of a creature, oval-headed yetcking any features, two long arms extending down the sides of its skinless body, all the way to the floor . It stood sunk slightly forward, the head spinning in a circle asionally . Tentacles abound exploded from its skin, wiggling about like worms . Hundreds of them, at the minimum . Though terrifying, it still failed short of some other creatures Lino saw lingering in the thick shadows . Monstrosities and abominations that would cause even his bravest Generals to retch their guts out . I can¡¯t let them fight this, he thought, I have to prevent it... somehow . "--who are they?" Lino mumbled lowly into his jaw, but Ataxia remained silent . No reaction . "You knew what that feeling meant . Why didn¡¯t you warn me?" " . . . " " . . . suck a dick, bastard . " "Don¡¯t bother, human child," a choral, yet eerily melodic voice, trickled into his ears as he focused onto the featureless head . "You may be Father¡¯s Chosen, but we are his Children . He is merely upied by trying to solve the problem of sending us back, buying more time with false promises . " " . . . if we fight," Lino said . "You¡¯ll exhaust yourselves without achieving anything palpable . Is it really worth it? Just to pull me back down slightly?" "What do you know of our goals, human child?" the creature asked, the head spinning once more . "Nothing . As ignorant as a newborn babe, you are . " " . . . you are supposed to at the very least stay neutral," Lino mumbled, his right eye burning in mes of fury . "What the fuck are you doing?!" "You could not--" "It was a rhetorical question, you goddamn fucking imbecile," Qi seethed about him, morphing into corporeal shadows temporarily that danced off his skin like tendrils . "If you really do attack," he added, taking a deep breath to calm himself down . "I swear upon all I have, I will eradicate you all -- whether you¡¯re Ataxia¡¯s children or his whores . " " . . . can you, though?" the creature asked with a faint trace of bemusement in its voice . " . . . can I?" Lino mumbled emptily . "You¡¯ve slumbered too long if you ask that . " " . . . ha ha ha, perhaps," theughter burst out, not just from it, but from virtually every Prime . "Though, you¡¯re hardly the first to threaten us with extermination . s... words are wasted . Engage us, if your blood burns so . We are here, and we¡¯ll be here until thest remnant of a human race is wiped from this continent . It is time the cycle was restarted, human child . You¡¯ve had enough fun . " " . . . " Lino said nothing for a moment, ncing back, meeting E¡¯s and Hannah¡¯s eyes . Looking about, he also saw Amadeel, Titus, Ivon, Myveen, Cain, Alex, Lucky... everyone was here . At least everyone who could make a difference . He cast onest nce at the Primes before turning around,nding next to the small entourage that quickly gathered around him . "E and I will keep the Primes at bay," the tone of his voice was suffocating, so much so that no one -- not even Hannah or E -- could voice aint . Cold, deste, tired . "Hannah and Amadeel will lead the central charge . Amadeel, you¡¯re tasked with ensuring the remnants of the higher battles don¡¯t reach our forces . Bring them closer to the sh safely . Hannah, you¡¯ll be taking on the Descent with Lucky¡¯s support . Lucky, take four-five most experienced Shadows, those who won¡¯t cave under pressure no matter what, and ensure she doesn¡¯t get overwhelmed . "Titus and Myveen, take a ten thousand strong force each and start circling on the nks . Mostly regimes with good bombarding Arts that can cover a lot of ground, a few speedy Shadows to act as scouts . Alex, Cain, you¡¯re in charge of holding the rear; support wherever you see the line being pushed back . Ivon, stay near the Commanders and Generals in the War Room, and protect them whilst rying the orders . Summon as many Legions as possible -- don¡¯t care about the costs . If need be, unlock the spatial void temporarily to let them through . " " . . . " all the while he spoke, the small group held their breaths, unable to interject or reply -- merely capable of nodding their heads in agreement, as though it was the only possible answer . "By the end of this goddamn hell," he added, his voice growing even colder if possible for a moment . "I imagine a good chunk of us standing here today will be dead . Good luck to you all . We¡¯ll meet in the infinity . " He spun on his heel, unfurling his wings once more, taking to the sky . E nced at the group and nodded, following right after him, catching up . She nced sideways at his expression, one which caused her heart to stir, her eyes nearly tearing up . " . . . this isn¡¯t like you . " she said . "What¡¯s wrong?" "--nothing¡¯s wrong," Lino replied . "I¡¯m just angry . " "Never this much . " "Plenty times," he said, ncing at her . "It was just that usually, I was not strong enough to act on it . " " . . . do you fancy we can really take on over two hundred Primes?" "Most are useless caprices that may as well be helpless blobs," he said . "By my estimates, there are only four-five that can threaten me in a direct confrontation . The rest are probably going to be used as a distraction or be sent to the battlefield . That¡¯s why I¡¯ll charge directly while you¡¯ll stay behind, preventing the stragglers and supporting me when you see me being overwhelmed . " " . . . many will die today . " E mumbled, ncing at the cked horizon of smoke and ash . "Too many . " " . . . let¡¯s ensure, then, as few as possible die . " "Rather than thinking of them," she said, suddenly putting her hand on his shoulder . "Focus on keeping yourself alive . They aren¡¯t the ones fighting the Abominations of Chaos, Lino . " "--no," Lino replied simply, suddenly smiling . "Another such abomination is . " " . . . looks like you aren¡¯t quite right in the head," E said, squinting her eyes . "Maybe I should take the lead . I am quite strong, you know . " "I know," he nodded, his eye shining in a mysterious glint . "But today¡¯s not the day for you to show off . The cost would be too big to bear . " " . . . " E said nothing, merely shifting her gaze on the front as the two came to a halt . Prime after Prime, abomination after abomination, took to the sky, meeting them head-on . A small stretch of space separated them, the distance that meant nothing to those on their levels . Rather, the entire continent was probably too small to contain them, let alone the few hundred meters currently separating them . The armies bellow had already begun moving, Eggor and Primul having finished the makeshift array, temporarily blocking the winds . "So... you choose to die with honor," dozens of voices trickled about . "As the Empyrean should . " "Die?" Lino chortled . "I can¡¯t die . Life¡¯s... too much fun . You, though, can go to hell . No, wait -- you will go to hell . No, wait, I¡¯ve destroyed hell already . Eh, you¡¯ll go where you¡¯re meant to go . Damn all of you . " Chapter 493 Chapter 493 CHAPTER 493 PATH OF THE CREATOR Hannah was currently overlooking the massive mountain pass, the valley that cut between two tall peaks . It was usually enriched in green, though with thest failed invasion and today¡¯s, none of the greenery remained . Instead, it was a destend of blood and gore, of corpses and bones . By her side, Amadeel floated with a hardened expression as the Legions began forming under and around them -- they¡¯ve taken up the bulk of the force, over one hundred and fifty thousand souls altogether . The number was enough to douse thend beneath in the souls, so much so that individuals ceased to stand out -- it was just a sea of people . The other side, however, had three times their numbers at the central point of the battle -- nearly five hundred thousand souls . The colorfulbinations of armors and weapons nketed the pass and the sky above it, so much so that Amadeel began feeling rattled . It finally dawned on him that many will indeed die . Perhaps, by the end of this bloodbath, more than half their forces will have perished . "Keep about your head," Hannah said, ncing at him and smiling faintly . He felt a faint sense of shame creep up on him . How was it that a child yet to turn even a hundred was moreposed and readier than he was? "Protect those you can, mourn those you can¡¯tter . " "Be careful out there," he said . "Aside from Lino and E, you will be in the most danger . " " . . . hardly," she said as Qi around her began churning rapidly . The terrifying purity startled Amadeel momentarily; nobody had seen Hannah fighting in a long time, and most had begun viewing her simply as the Empress, the closest person to the Empyrean . "Good luck . " Blinding-white light burst out of her in seams, shouldering her entire being as she vanished, appearing over two miles away and over ten up, right where over thirty members of the Descent were gathering . Amadeel stared momentarily, stunned; for that brief moment, he sensed it -- perhaps, in raw stats and power, she eclipsed even Lino . Shuddering, he spun around, steeling his nerves, and began calling orders . This would be a long day . ** Hannah came to a halt in front of the thirty-three members of the Descent . Save for One, all other founding members were here -- Two through Seven . Her appearance had changed in that single span of her breath; though her hair remained bloody-red, fluttering in the invisible winds, her eyes had turned entirely white, adorned in graceful shine . Her one-piece dress appeared redone, cast into brilliant armor of white and silver, golden edges shining like the sun . The world about her appeared to bow, kneel, expressing its servitude . Her expression remained cid, a tinge of anger and fury hidden beneath the calmness, as she stared at the figures that slowly began fanning out into a crescent encirclement . " . . . who was it?" she asked in a voice void of imperfections -- melodic, faint, orderly . "Who was what, Maiden of Order?" Two stepped forth, blocking the influence of her voice from reaching the rest . "Did youe here to chat or fight?" "Who was it that permitted the Primes to enter the War?" Hannah asked again . " . . . I was," Two said, shrugging . "What of it? Would you refuse free help thates knocking at your doors?" " . . . you wouldn¡¯t dare," Hannah continued . "I guess it was One . So much for remaining indifferent to our conflicts . It¡¯s a shame he¡¯s not here today . " "Ha ha ha ha," Two crackled into faintughter, shaking her head . "What if he were? You think any one of you could do anything to him?" "--All Creation Heed--" "Fan out more!!" Two called toward the rest, realizing the time for chatter was over . "Formte the Barriers, prepare the attacks! Let us kill the Order itself!!" "--Your Empress is Here . " Qi jolted, all elements bursting apart at their seams, devoured inside out from their cores, reforged within a nanosecond of the existence . The sky splintered into a slit around Hannah, wings of light spreading for ten miles on each end, shining resplendently . Above her, a silver-adorned crown stood up, billowing light backward, folding it over her being, projecting her into a spectral Avatar -- a grand creation, surmounting five miles in height, almost corporeal . The winds began blowing in ceremonial concert, sheering through the erected barriers; two members of the Descent were immediately killed, winds tearing through their eyes, mouths, muscles, and bones . With a cry they vanished into thin ash, incorporated into the wind itself . "Attack!!" Two called out as hundreds of arrays lit up asudden, the remaining thirty-one members of the Descent spread out into a strange form, in such a way that they themselves formed a gigantic Avatar -- one of the earth-colors, steaming in hazy, ash-colored Qi . Hannah pped her hands together, jolting back and ripping open the vestiges of space with the trace of her arms; thousands of tree-thick bolts of crimson lightning appeared, sting away at the giant Avatar opposite of her . The crown on top of her head shuddered, crying out in joy, as she spread her arms wide, Qi tangling around her, forming fanned-out formation of light-woven des . They erupted outwardly, cruising along the curve toward the Avatar that retaliated atst -- boulders formed out of Qi, superimposed over the tiny dots of Purefire, came crashing in a uniform fashion from all frontal angles . The des ignored them, thousands of them bursting from nothing into reality, winding about in a long curve before striking at the Avatar¡¯s sides; the perceived skin cracked temporarily, a single cry jolting the sky as a member of descent fell into the oblivion . In the meantime, Hannah exhaled a deep breath, the chill manifesting into a circr sigil in front of her . Touching the center with her index figure, she infused it with a storm of Qi, expanding it until it blocked her entire Avatar -- it ate away at the boulders, one by one, as tendrils of smoke arose in their wake, arms breaking out toward her . She spun in ce, raising her arms over her as space beneath her ripped open, a rectangr pir of pure light consuming her, rising up like a curtain, swallowing the smoky arms . "Order in Destion," she mumbled lowly as her eyes began shining even brighter, the glow turning into wisps of smoke that folded back over her, forming anotheryer to her crown -- the trail of smoke appeared like the fully carved antlers of a deer . "Sever the Lithe Binds of Creation . " The light that ceased being defined by color erupted out of her like the rays of the sun, washing over the surrounding world . The beams weaved about into a loop, converging into a behemoth of a de that sliced over a thousand times in rapid session, cutting through the Avatar, felling five members of the Descent in the process . "WHAT IS THIS?!!" Five cried out suddenly, barely managing to evade the de . "Two, we can¡¯t defeat her!! We have to retreat!!" "IF WE RETREAT, EVERYONE BEHIND US WILL DIE!!" Two "GO ALL OUT!! WE AT LEAST HAVE TO CONTAIN HER!!" Two sucked in a mass of Qi, letting it trail through her body until time around her slowed down to a crawl . She sped her hands together, a process that appeared tost a whole eternity to her, yet itsted less than a second to the observers, sending an ever-weaving shockwave around her that wrapped around the Avatar . The dtion allowed them to easily dodged the strikes as Four stepped slightly out, doused in thick shadows, spreading his fingers wide and belting Qi out in droves . Thousands upon thousands of zombified, winged corpses came to, rapidly pping the rotting wings as they dove toward Hannah . Thetter, still indifferent, pped her right arm in front of her, causing the space to the left side of the Descent¡¯s Avatar to rip open -- a beam of ever-devouring Light trounced it, burning like the fires of destion . Just as she was preparing to continue the attack, Hannah frowned, withdrawing backward in a single sh of light . Space, where she stood, ripped unto itself, exploding into a shockwave, while her beam -- and the rip it wasing from -- vanished from the sky . She had managed to kill six more members of the Descent, though none of the core members . Her gaze sharpened, she looked upward, toward the head of the Avatar, where a new figure joined -- ¡¯1¡¯ carved into his forehead . " . . . " rather than growing frustrated, however, Hannah smiled rather wickedly, aplete contrast to her ethereal pure figure . "Atst . I was wondering whether you¡¯ll truly let them die . . . " " . . . you seem rather confident," Adin said, smiling faintly . "You shouldn¡¯t . " "Confident? No," Hannah shook her head, taking a deep breath and taking to the high-sky once more, her Avatar following her . "Angry? Yes . Whatever you may be, you should not have done this, One . Trust me . . . you cannot afford the price you will have to pay . " "--I¡¯ve paid my dues already, Elysian" he said, shaking his head . "I did what had to be done . Were you of clear mind, you too would see that the world can¡¯t continue down this path . " " . . . Song of the Beginning," Hannah sang in a low tune, spreading her arms wide, as Qi melded into the warm winds that gracefully entangled her . "Of Light, Night, Dawn and Dusk -- Elements of Creation, Manifest . " "Spacetime Lock," Adin extended his hand, his palm open, fingers spread, as Two joined him, mimicking his posture . "Pocket of Nothingness . " As the elements swelled into an ever-devouring symphony, the two massive Avatars temporarily vanished from everyone¡¯s eyes . Though Hannah found herself in apletely different dimension, she appeared unperturbed . Even realizing she couldn¡¯t locate the Descent¡¯s Avatar, rather than confused, she smiled . " . . . thank you," she mumbled, bringing her fingers up to her lips, blowing at them gently . "Eternity in a Song; Now, Tomorrow, Forever -- Imand All . " The dimension suddenly came alive, like apletely new world sprouting out over the course of billions of years . Oceans,ndmasses, rivers, mountains, hills, trees,kes, living, all seemed to conjoin in the creation of everything thatsted a few breaths . The Descent¡¯s Avatar stood in the distance, both One and Two bearing the expressions of confusion that swiftly turned into anxiety . This wasn¡¯t an illusion, that they immediately ascertained -- Hannah hadposed a whole world, one as diverse and as massive as Noterra -- in the span of a few breaths . "All of Creation Heed," they could hear her melodic voice trickle into their ears, one that almost caused them to walk over to her and surrender . "Your Maker is Here . . . " Chapter 494 Chapter 494 CHAPTER 494 BEAUTIFUL LIGHT Titus led a ten-thousand strong army toward the left-end mountain range that cradled the mountain pass and the valley standing dipped beside it . They moved rapidly, bounding in a wide circle as to go unspotted, yet still with great haste . He wasn¡¯t certain how long the vanguard force of the Pass would hold onto; the discrepancy in numbers was toorge, and though the end-game of the battle would be decided by the powers muchrger than them, if they faltered here, millions of innocents would lose their lives . Their role still mattered immensely, of that Titus was certain, and they needed toplete it . He donned a resplendent, silver-cast armor with crimson tinges and the carved sigil of Empyrion on his right breast, his helm open wholly upfront, revealing the expression of determination . Holding onto a thick ymore, he severed the rising bushes and crowded trees, opening up the path others behind him followed . All of those behind him at least had some experience with war and, more importantly, were among the best when it came to static, long-range bombardment . Myveen¡¯s and his jobs weren¡¯t to nk themselves, but to protect these twenty thousand men and women from falling . A series of bright lights shed above, causing him to nce upward; he saw Lady Hannah battling away with the Descent, carving away at their numbers, as his lips curled up into a faint smile . That woman, he mused, was as enigmatic, if not more, as the Empyrean himself . Though silent and unassuming, Titus had long since learned not to ignore her . The Descent, apparently, hadn¡¯t . Refocusing back onto his goal, he began the charge up the mountain; there was a decently-sized set of tforms midway up one of the mountains that could be used as the high ground from which they couldmence the bombardment . Though they themselves would be exposed to fire, it was the best they could do with the limited time and options they had . Though it took them less than two minutes to reach the designated spots, it felt like eternity; Lady Hannah and the members of Descent had vanished from the sky, Lady E and Lord Empyrean had been swallowed in the swath of darkness in the world well above their own, and the central vanguard army was already being pushed back . Amadeel worked his hardest, with the help of Cain and Alex, to prolong it as much as possible, though it was clear that they would eventually be overwhelmed through numbers alone . Members of Descent, those of higher numbers, mixed in with the old cultivators of the Holy Grounds, which made up a rather terrifying force of their own . As they began settling along the set of tforms on a looping slope, Titus nced to the opposite end and saw that Myveen had already begun bombardment . Balls of fire were looped into arcs, raining down upon the enemy¡¯s forces . Most were blocked, absorbed or deflected, though a few found their way through, breaking a few ranks . Nothing that could change the tide of the battle, however . "FIRST LINE, FIRE!!" he ordered immediately as he draped himself in Qi, taking to the sky, drawing lines in front of him and creating a makeshift, small array that would allow him to perceive movement within a specific region more precisely . He could feel the Qi behind him churn for a moment before being unleashed; fire, ice, earth, shadows, light itself beamed past him, directed downward . There was roughly two miles of difference in height; he wished they could have gone farther up, but it was too scattered and narrowed, so this would have to do . He took a deep breath as he watched several Generals and Commanders of the Holy Grounds ry orders while pointing at him . Over ten ranks of soldiers and cultivators broke off from their Reserve Force right then, most taking straight to the sky while a few ran along the lines of earth, sides of the mountain, draped in shadows, beyond difficult to perceive . Titus swiped his ymore, one shimmering with golden glory, crafted by Lino himself, in a wide arc; a tempest of lightning burned out, bolts breaking through the membrane of reality, striking at a small group, killing over twenty figures in a single bout . He immediately spun, dragging the sword up and drawing a full circle with a simple wrist movement -- a circr array lit up in front of him, one that dragged the iing bolts of fire directly toward the center whereupon he sucked them into the tip of the de . The golden color grew warmer, brighter, as he swung the sword in a full downward arc . A gash sted off, ripping open the void and settings its edges aze; fire cascaded downwards through theyers of reality, extending into a massive circle, burning like the sun . Upon collision with the ground, it formed a massive crater, one that continued to burn well after the impact, consuming nearly a hundred souls in a single bout . Some attacks, however, he couldn¡¯t block; a few trickles of lightning, fire and shadow found their way past him, felling a few soldiers behind him . Gritting his teeth, he cried out from his lungs, his armor shimmering as another ymore appeared in his left hand, identical to the first -- holding both, he felt as though he was holding the heavens themselves . He began moving erratically, unpredictably, snapping from one end of things to the other, spinning like a whirlwind, unleashing the storm of destion, raining hell upon all those who dared meet his des . Defend!! His mind screamed at him as he caught a glimpse of the toppling bodies falling off the edge, some still whole yet colding, others disemboweled . Defend!!! A breathtakingly bright spearlight punched at his gut, finding its way through the binds of the armor, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood, temporarily paralyzing him . Another hundred fell to their doom, though the bombardments still continued . Fire, ice, earth, wind, water, shadow, light, life, death, all rained from the high skies . Those people up there, Titus realized, knew what they were signing up for . They never expected to return with their lives . As shouldn¡¯t you! Defend!!! He churned Qi through his pathways, his Singrity beating in the rhythm of his heart . Golden light burst form his seams, des of resplendent lightning crashing against the cold steel, turning him into a burning sun . He sped up madly, burning through the spacetime like a firefly; now here a momentter there, beheading, begutting, disemboweling, slicing, thrusting, killing . Blood fell from the high-skies like rain, his figure a monument of terror . Yet, two hundred more fell . DEFEND!!! The sky above him split open into thousands of tiny slits, each spitting out bolts of golden lightning; like little worms they locked onto the rising attackers, piercing through their eyes like needles . PUSH!! A sharp sickle of shadows pierced his thigh, paralyzing his left leg immediately, causing him to momentarily lose bnce, flipping over . Even when falling upside down, he quickly came to and swathed the two ymores in a wide circle, a shockwave of blinding light spreading out with him as the epicenter, devouring everything in its wake . Burnt corpses fell one after another, yet a thousand more fell . Fewer and fewer stood perched on the tforms, fewer and fewer attacks falling down . The vanguard army managed to regain its footing, even pushing back temporarily, but if they fell here, all that work, all the sacrifices, it would all have been for naught . NO! DEFEND!!! He gritted his teeth so tightly his gums began to bleed, the teeth themselves cracking in his mouth, pieces spat out alongside the projectile of ck blood . Regaining the bnce, he stormed upward, resplendently alight, illuminated by Will that shifted into a world-bending Avatar -- a lion with golden mane, with eyes representing two suns, shuffled from his wounded back, its roar bellowing out into the ever-nothing, deafening, shaking and quaking the world . "NOT FOR CHAOS," he shouted from his heart, swinging swords without a pause, sending thousands upon thousands of des of light downward, upward and about, some passing through the attackers, raining down upon the central charging force . "NOT FOR ME, NOT FOR HIM, NOT FOR HER, NOT FOR NO ONE!!!" he continued shouting, his voice setting the hearts of the few thousand remaining behind him aze, their rate of attack increasing . Elements beganbining into the creational unity, beams of destion consuming everything in their wake . The sheer quantity of Qi stabilized, turning into the faintly-fading white mist that shrouded the mountain they were on . "BUT FOR EVERYONE!! FOR EVERYTHING!! FIGHT! GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT, FIGHT TILL YOU RUN OUT OF BREATH!!" A crescendo of light spewed out of him in waves, devouring the encroaching darkness; like the sun falling from the sky, he beamed into a small legion of two thousand, hundreds of arms of light alongside hundreds of des slicing away from him, mirage after mirage yet each so real it cut in a single strike . For a moment, there was nothing but light and his roar, nothing but the arched beam of ashen-gray light that looped over him toward the earth down below, nothing but the brilliance of the stand that withstood the siege of thousands . Titus¡¯ eyes veered back, where he saw the trailers, his heart sinking . Those that ran up the mountain walls, the shadows, reached the temporarily teau, their swift movements bringing them into the ranks of the remaining soldiers . One by one, gashes appeared on their throats, their bodies limping, eyes turning nk, a gray puff of smoke bursting out of them as thest sign of life . One by one they fell, and each struck at Titus¡¯ heart stronger than any wound he¡¯d received so far . In less than two breaths, the remaining soldiers fell; ten thousand brave, fearless, undaunted soulsy cold, some still perched on the cliffs, some somewhere at the bottom of the mountain . Some still whole, some in pieces . No matter how bright the light shone, the cruelty always persist . The pain always returns . No, he thought as he felt a cold shiver trace along his throat . He will eradicate it, his eyes closed, his breath drawing shallow, his body going numb . He will free us, his mind slowed, the world in front of him blending and blurring . He will . . . redeem us . . . The light vanished, sucked back into nothingness . A charred body fell slowly through the graced wind, drawing itsst, elongated breath . A cascade of memories shed through him at thatst moment, his lips barely managing to curl up into a faint smile . A tranquil, epting smile . "No . . . he . . . already has . . . " his voice trickled out onest time, forever endowed in the wind, entombed, meant to wrestle for all eternity . Then, his light died . Chapter 495 Chapter 495 CHAPTER 495 THE CHRONOMANCER Thick droplets of sweat poured down Amadeel¡¯s forehead as he reoriented squads of soldiers and cultivators repeatedly, staying at the center of the formation, providing the nket above that prevented the thousand of elemental songs from descending downward . Darkness, no matter how invasive, could not live for a whole second before being extinguished; fire, lighting, elements of light zed from every corner, the tremor of earth dancing to their tune . His robes fluttered in the violent wind as he sped his hands together, closing his eyes . Invisible sphere jolted into existence around him, spreading rapidly as Qi above, be it the independent one or the one assimted into attacks, came crawling to a halt . Time bent to his Will as a singr eye arose from his back, projected like a screen behind . Wide, the iris shaped like a slit, golden in hue, it stared down at the creation in frigid apathy . Time, Amadeel found, cannot be conquered -- it can only be asked and pleaded with . If there is evil in the world, perhaps the Time itself is the closest one to it -- indifferent to everything, to everyone . All bend to its will and whim and all pray it spares them . To appease Time, he has to give Time -- for all that he retains, he gives . He¡¯d already given up his emotions, and now, at the brink of breaking down, as the central lines dragged into the conflict of the Mountain Pass began being pushed further ind, he started giving up more -- his memories . First those distant ones, of his first wife, his first child, a time before he became the Cultivator . The sphere expanded out, retracting faintly before it exploded, rolling upward like a, streaking throughout the sky and consuming all the bombarding arrays of elements . Next up were the memories of his first Master -- Enduyun . Such a name didn¡¯t exist in the memoirs of history; yet, to Amadeel, he was one of the most important figures he had ever known . After all, it was due to Enduyun that Amadeel understood how Time functioned -- that it cannot be treated as other Laws, other Elements . His eyes opened -- in concert with the one projected above him -- shining in resplendent gold . His aura rapidly washed over the thousands upon thousands of souls down below him, allowing them to see, perceive and process reality much quicker than their opposites -- the swings of the des slowed, the rapid lightning became a slowly-moving arrow; they managed to stabilize temporarily as Amadeel raced toward the front . Leading the charge was a group of Aeonian Elders, some of which he recognized and some of which were new faces; they were heavily armored and virtually couldn¡¯t be hurt by those standing against them who, at best, could try and slow them down . Amadeel reckoned the eye behind him as it shuddered, Qi bursting at its seams . He shoved his arm downward, palm open, squaring it against the earth . Gold belted out in pirs, shimmering, as Time married the Space for a brief breath . Just then, the first supporting bombardment from their nks came, namely from their right, Myveen¡¯s group . As the elements rained down in individual arrays of light, the world in front of Amadeel spun upside down; what was on the earth was now staring down at it from above, and where there was a patch of dirt and destroyed grass, now beheld only empty space, like a reflection of the sky on theke¡¯s surface . Surprised and confused, the Aeonian group was charged immediately by the onught; more than half of them, nearly a hundred, were immediately turned to paste and ash, the few managing to scrawl out yet wounded beyond reproach, and even fewer managing to defend in time . Next to go were the memories of his first Sect, his first Brothers and Sisters . He¡¯d outlived them all, many eons over, yet they were what defined his early days . Why he strove to be stronger, why he tried to understand the Time better . In a breath, all of them were gone, leaving an empty void . Amadeel trounced his other palm against the earth, crying out in the process as a slither of tears began streaking down his reddened cheeks, his bald head bulging . The world turned mirrored for a moment, left and right equalizing, the stretch of space and time in-between dulled into an invisible sheet . Those in the sky found the exact replicas of themselves on the other side, the picture-perfect representation of the reality around them mirrored to the tiniest detail . At the center of the stretch, Time and Space came together in a wind, weaved through the spiraling winds . Though calm at first, it turned into a tempest right after, a raging storm that blew outward like a house struck by the lightning . Shards of the Spacetime knew no barrier and no shield; however, they also knew neither the friend nor the foe . Amadeel quickly rose to his feet and into the sky as he felt another set of memories being ripped from him -- those of his second wife, Ilma . They¡¯d stayed married for almost an entire Eon, though never having any kids . He was certain that, back then, he¡¯d loved her more than anyone before . After all, he sacrificed all his other emotions besides love to keep her alive for that long with the help of Time . In a breath, she was gone . A void . Emptiness . Cold . So cold . He extended his right arm, exhaling into his palm, his breath condensing into a rotating, transparent sphere with golden edges . Like a ma, it drove all of the shards of Spacetime toward him, pulling them away from the marching soldiers down below who charged forward . With the help of the cover fire from the nks and him restraining the Aeonians, they felt reinvigorated, charging to retake the lost grounds . The shards pierced into Amadeel, one by one, though no visible wound could be seen . No trail of blood stood anywhere to show others he was hurt . However, inside, he was breaking, barely holding together . Though he was the Master of Time, he hadn¡¯t mastered Time . It saw him exactly as it saw all else -- indifferently . With the help of pills and talismans, however, he managed to stabilize his body for the time being . Though already having burned through half his Qi, it was no time to stop, withdraw and rest . He nced toward his left, where he saw Titus engaging in a brilliant, breathtaking battle -- and losing . He could see it . The youngd, so passionate, so jovial . He could see him falling to the de . Dying . With bloodshot eyes, he looked away . All who were here right now knew they might not return . These desecratednds would probably be where they make theirst stand . Thed will die, and so will many others . Perhaps even Amadeel himself might not make it to see the dawn of tomorrow . With Time, after all, everything is rtive . He would be lying if he said he felt anything, staring at the carnage . That was the most frightening aspect of his life -- to feel nothing while staring into the eyes of destion itself . Thousands dying every single breath, the earth turned upside down by arts that ravage it without a barrier, the world itself bleeding at its seams . He wanted to feel something, anything, but to no avail . What Time takes, it never returns . Taking a deep breath, he raised his legs and sat cross-legged midair, golden shine radiating from his skin like the sun itself . He could hear it . That low voice . Thest words . Another memory . Hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t have to give it up as well . Time around Amadeel sped up all of a sudden as he gave those beneath him the wind behind their sails; charge grew stronger within a breath, the line of the battle drawing further and further into the mountain path . It was all temporary, however . They couldn¡¯t win this conflict . They were outnumbered, well beyond the capacity to handle . All they could do was temporarily buy time, wait for Hannah, Lino, E, and others to end their conflicts . Another memory shed, like a sheet of paper thrown into the burning hearth . One moment there, the other one not . The day he became the Chronomancer, the day he finally understood the time . He held onto it for as long as possible, the scene of him sitting on a tall cliff overlooking a swath of ocean . The sun in the distance perching above the horizon, casting a brilliant, zing ovey across the world . The warmth, the tranquility, the peace he felt at that moment . The day he let go of thest emotion he held onto -- love . The moment he gave up being aplete human being . The day he became something between the dead and the alive . Impassioned, indifferent, almost apathetic . He knew that was the end-point . That was his end . He would be just like Time; unmoved by anything but its own will . No thoughts, no emotions, no memories to bind it to something real . Just an existence that lives beyond everything else . Something tangible, yet too cold to touch . As though by the will of the force beyondprehension, tens of thousands of arts were suddenly ripped from the arms of their creators . Fire, water, earth, shadow, light, dark, life, death, winds, time, space, everything began uniformly moving toward him, forming a transcendent orbit with him at the center . Full circles of arts formed, some rounding him horizontally, some vertically, some diagonally . He stood as though he were the beholder of everything, of all matter . Time drew all else toward it, Time that lived in his heart . He heard another whimper, a low cry of destion; he could swear, within that immeasurable moment, one that no one could possibly experience but those entwined with Time, he felt something . A tinge . A trace of the emotions long-gone . He tried to hold onto it, but it slipped through his fingers . He cried . Not because his heart couldn¡¯t take it anymore, but because that was the only way he could express what he was supposed to be feeling . Overwhelming sadness . Overwhelming grief . Instead, nothing . He was a stone, entirely unaffected . Extending his right arm, he turned his palm upside down and pointed it toward a swath of charging enemies down below, ones that had just crossed the threshold of the pass . The arts that had orbited him for a moment shuddered before trailing over themselves, looping back and shooting toward where he pointed . The Mountain pass turned into hell, carnage beyond description . How many? Two hundred thousand . He counted . What for others took less than a single breath to transpire, he experienced through unspeakable eternity . He memorized all their faces, the expressions that didn¡¯t even have time to switch from passionate to horrified . Stuck somewhere in-between before melting off . All of the world moved slowly but one part of it -- the swirl of eternal darkness high above them, where the creatures of Chaos fought . Time and Chaos . . . two existences forever married in the loop of rejection . Win, Amadeel thought, thest trail of his Qi vanishing from his veins as his body began falling . He heard someone calling his name, but couldn¡¯t distinguish . His mind was too slow . Please, Lyonel . Win . Win . Win . . . Chapter 496 Chapter 496 CHAPTER 496 NATURE OF NURTURE A string of vines bored through the earth, forming man-sized tunnels through it, form the bottom of the mountain all the way to the halfway up-top set of tforms . Nearly a hundred tunnels altogether existed leading ten thousand people on a rapid climb . Myveen led the charge, her body wrapped in a peculiar, lime sheen, small, butterfly-shaped spirits dancing around her figure, shimmering . She had a look of resolve on her face, her fingers rapidly weaving the Qi in her surroundings, wearing the rock around her thin . It all went ording to her calctions; they broke free of the tunnels five minutes into their climb, reaching the point where they could overlook the entire Mountain Pass down below, bombarding it with the cover fire . "OUT, OUT, OUT!! SET THE FORMATIONS!!!" she cried out on top of her voice as she saw the front lines being pushed back, hundreds dying by minute, a balding figure shining in resplendent gold fighting back an army all on his own . Figures, each as fearless as thest, darted out of the tunnels and lined up, forming rows after rows of long-range cultivators . She didn¡¯t even have to order them to fire as the Arts quickly lit up the sky like fireworks . She stood muted for a moment, admiring andmenting the picture, before snapping her fingers back to work, grabbing at the edge of her tform . From the tips of her fingers, like little snakes, green vines began sprouting, expanding outwardly like tentacles, forming a above them that temporarily blocked the arts of the split enemy force charged with dealing with them . Qi swelled her veins, causing her muscles to ache; she was not the fighter per se, more of a support . However, those roles didn¡¯t exist today -- in this sort of carnage, where heads were flowing like rain, she couldn¡¯t afford to sit back in thefort, supporting others . Just like the young and the old, she set her heart to defending this ce . It was beautiful, beyond beautiful . Too beautiful to let it be corrupted like the rest of the world . She nced briefly at the distance where Hannah suddenly vanished alongside the members of Descent . Her eyes shimmered in pride, wondering how can she be called the Master of someone like that . Yet, Hannah called her that without reservation -- be it in private or in front of everyone . As though the memory kindled the fire in her heart, she cried louder, ignoring the pain that was pulsating through her body and leaping into the sky all of a sudden . Thick vines wrapped around her body, forming a quasi-armor of sorts, propelling her into the iing force of nearly fifty . While the world around her repeatedly exploded, shockwaves rippling without a stop, the mountains themselves shaking, the space ripped open and healed time and again ceaselessly, she ignored all of it, punching out with her right arm . The movement caused the vines sitting perched on her right shoulder to wiggle, exploding into a growth sprout, tangling around her arm in a spiral fashion and exploding like a beam from her fist . They pierced through nearly twenty souls, cruising through their hearts as though they were made out of paper . The vines jolted when they reached the end of their trajectory as Myveen swiped her arm inwardly, toward her chest, the vines following the motion . Over two dozen halved corpses fell, raining blood upon the beyond-bloodied world, cries of anguish finally reaching her . Her gut wrenched for a moment, though she discarded the feeling . "WATCH OUT!!" she barely heard the distant voice, turning toward it, as a burning boulder crashed into her side, swatting her from the sky directly into the steep slope of the mountain . She bore a deep hole into the mountainside, crying out in pain till her throat burned . Her entire right arm, and most of the right side of her chest, was gone . The right side of her face waspletely disfigured, her bones sticking out, each and every one broken . She trembled and shook, lying in the darkness of the bore-in, contemting for a moment to just stay there, in the cold, in the dark, away from the carnage outside . She couldn¡¯t, however . She knew . While everyone else fought, leaving all the had on the bloodden rivers, she couldn¡¯t whimper and withdraw . She knew no one would judge her if she did . In fact, plenty would probably suggest she does exactly that due to her state . But, she couldn¡¯t . Something much stronger than the instinct to survive awoke within her . Something she hadn¡¯t felt since the long-gone days of her youth when she was just an aspiring cultivator roaming the world in search of opportunities . A desire to protect, a desire to ovee herself, her own limits . Using her trembling, left arm, she barely managed to sit up, each one of her movements causing her bones to creak and weep . For a moment she thought she¡¯d pass out because of the pain, though she managed to endure . Step by step, each harder than thest, she began climbing out of the hole her body formed . She had no Qi to speak of; she had no fuel to push her onwards beyond the sheer resilience of her Will . Holding onto the jagged walls, limping with her half-healthy left leg, she continued . She stumbled . Fell . Cut herself . Bled . Cursed . Got back up . And walked again . The fall into the mountain seemed so short, yet the climb seemed to stretch into eternity . Atst, she could see it -- the light . It continued shing, sometimes in pleasant emerald, other times in warming gold, then another in terrible crimson, and then azure, white, silver, ashen, even ck from time to time . She held her head up high, gaining speed somehow . Finally, her mind thought lethargically as she reached the edge, looking out into the world . Just then, her heart froze like the distant North . The frontlines had nearly copsed, already pushed well beyond the Mountain Pass . Both nks, hers and Titus¡¯ were gone, each and every single person save for her dead . And, perhaps worst of all, she saw the backline -- even further beyond the temporary camp ofmand -- in shambles . Infighting -- infighting everywhere . She couldn¡¯t understand it; her slow, tired, pained mind couldn¡¯t process what she was seeing . " . . . w-what . . . " she mumbled, sitting down, unable to stand up any longer, her legs giving in . "Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?" an unfamiliar voice spoke to her from the side . Though startled, she had no strength to respond properly, barely managing to shift her head sideways and look at the figure . It was a man, draped in simple clothes, looking at her with a strange gaze . His blue eyes seemed otherworldly, his golden hair draped gently over the sides of his head . It was then that she saw it -- ¡¯8¡¯ carved into his forehead -- her mind spiraling . "This . . . is what ¡¯cathartic¡¯ feels like, no?" " . . . y-you . . . you¡¯re . . . supposed to be dead . . . " Myveen mumbled weakly . " . . . I suppose," the man replied, chuckling bitterly . "Thatd really did me in . Had I been a moment slower, he truly would have carved me dead . Now . . . he¡¯s paying for his negligence . " " . . . y-you . . . won¡¯t get away . . . with it . . . " Myveen said, her shoulder slumping, her eyes dulling . "They¡¯ll . . . annihte you . . . " "I keep hearing that, yet, here we stand still," Eight said, crouching down next to Myveen, pulling her chin up with his fingers, forcing her to look into his eyes . "You¡¯ve chosen the wrong side, I¡¯m afraid . He was never supposed to even stand a chance . Yet, he confused us . Led us astray . yed us . And, as all such people are wont to do, he got conceited . Arrogant . He was even that stupid to stand up to One . Had he simply pretended to be much weaker, letting One beat him slightly, none of this would have happened, you know? One wouldn¡¯t have joined, Primes wouldn¡¯t have been included, and we truly might have lost with the element of surprise . However, he¡¯s too vain . Unwilling to suffer a loss for future victories . Tell me . . . what do you think he¡¯ll feel once he steps out of that hell up there? Anger? Sadness? Who will he me? Himself? Us? The world?" " . . . you . . . morons," Myveen said, smiling strangely as she closed her eyes . "His battle . . . was never . . . with you lot . In his eyes, you are nothing . If he didn¡¯t care . . . care so much about the . . . rest of us . . . he would have ended this stupidity . . . a long . . . long time ago . I should . . . thank you, actually," she added, thest remnants of Qi in her body wrapping around her heart . "For unchaining him . See you . . . soon . . . " Something inside her snapped, a few trails of blood suddenly trickling on the edges of her lips . Eight held onto her chin for a little while longer before letting go as her body slumped sideways and over, tumbling over the edge, falling into the abyss down below . ** "GO, FUCKING GO!!! RETREAT AND FORM ANOTHER LINE FURTHER BACK!!" Cain screamed at the stunned Alex as thetter tried to join him in a rush to the far rear line . "But--" "Oh, for the love of all that is holy!!" the old man pped him gently across the head, waking him from his stupor . "We¡¯re the only ones left Alex . Look around . All the others are younglings, terrified, frozen . Take Ivon, take all who still breathe, and run . We stand no chance here . Regroup with the reinforcements, wait for the Dragons, ande back to reinforce Hannah, Lino, and E afterward . " " . . . you¡¯ll die if we leave you . " Alex said . "Aye, I will," Cain nodded, stroking his beard, smiling . "That¡¯s why you better choose my sessor properly . I can¡¯t have Qe¡¯ll¡¯s dying out with me . " Alex stared into the old man¡¯s eyes for a seeming eternity, until thetter chuckled, shaking his head . "Go,d . You¡¯ve yet to live, just like the rest of ¡¯em . Leave the martyrdom to the old bones like me . As they say," Cain turned his back to him, back seemingly sorge they encapsted the world . "Martyrdom is for the old; vengeance is for the young . Let¡¯s fulfill our roles properly, shall we?" As hisst words faded, so did he . Alex remained frozen for a few more seconds before snapping back to it, gritting his teeth and turning around -- ordering a retreat . They were beaten -- soundly . Though it was impossible to calcte at the moment, he wagered their loses went into six digits . They were outnumbered, outsmarted, and outfought . There was nothing left for them here, he knew . It was just a single battle; he¡¯d lost plenty of single battles but ended up winning the wars before . Yet, this one was different . Sourer . Bitter . Painful . Eerily . . . hopeless . Chapter 497 Chapter 497 CHAPTER 497 HEART-SUNG DEFIANCE Hundreds of pirs of the earth, each shaped exactly the same -- sharpened toward the topmost end to look like a sword -- shot out of the earth in a set of concentric circles around an elderly figure, his robes pping madly in the violent, roused winds . On the top of the pirs, countless bodies hung, eyes rolled up into their skulls, listless, some still spasming . Blood trickled down the pirs¡¯ sides, dyeing the earthly brown in a deeper shade, giving it a tinge of crimson . Cain shot back right after, avoiding a singr bolt of lightning that exploded where he stood, churning out a ring-shaped electric that drove through the pirs, copsing them . Sweat trickled down his forehead madly, his breathing rapid and shallow, eyes jostling in their sockets, looking left and right without a break, Qi in him burning like a bonfire . His bald head felt cold, doused in the falling rain that had turned into a downpour minutes into his fight . It slowly began to wash away the stench of the corpses and the dye of the blood from the surroundingnds, though it would take a rather long passage of time for these parts to be cleansed . He rocked his right arm upward, jerking it so quickly that he broke a bone, causing a wall of earth to jolt out from the ground beneath, taking a direct hit from a burning sh that melted right through it in a singr breath . That breath, however, afforded him an opportunity to dart backward, shooting over a squad of cultivators that had just joined the battle . Without giving them an opportunity to prepare, he sped his hands together mid-flight, intertwining his fingers and crushing them almost until they broke . The earth beneath the newly arrived shook and trembled all of a sudden, a w-like protrusion beaming out around them and copsing inwardly, swallowing them all whole, turning in the end into a closed fist of thin fingers and long nails . Blood slowly began to trickle from its edges, and it almost seemed, from a distance, like a bleeding flower . Hended haphazardly, nearly stumbling back over his own tiredness . Coming to a stop, he slumped over slightly, holding onto his broken arm, breathing rapidly . He nced up, noticing that they had begun encircling him once more . Despite the white mist that had descended upon the Mountain Pass and the surrounding area, blocking the view past a few dozen meters, he could feel them . The earth beneath his feet pulsated with the rhythms of their hearts . Some were calm, some were worried, some were apathetic, some were cold, and some terrified . Such a massive mix, yet they all had to push onward equally . They all had to die for the desires that had nothing to do with them . " . . . give it up, old friend . " a familiar, heart-soothing voice reached him all of a sudden, startling him . Snapping his eyes to the side, he saw a simrly balding figure crawl out of the mist, ¡¯6¡¯ etched onto his forehead . "W-why are you here?! D-did Hannah lose?!" Cain eximed . "For some reason," Six said, sighing . "She kicked Seven and me out before the battle began . Though, she is stuck with One . So, I imagine, she can¡¯t be doing great . " Cain sighed in relief; at the very least there¡¯s still hope . Everyone, everyone can die, but Hannah can¡¯t . That would signal the end of everything . "Why put up the pointless fight? Surrender, and there might yet be some joy in your life . " " . . . I¡¯ve gotta give it to you," Cain smiled faintly, shaking his head . "I never, not even for a second, suspected you were the great Watcher . You had us all fooledpletely . Though, I guess, it¡¯s expected . " "--you can still save them," Six seemed to be pleading, sighing as he spoke . "Your--no, our nsmen . It doesn¡¯t have to end this way . " "Today I¡¯ll die," Cain said, looking up all of a sudden, though there was nothing to be seen there besides the white mist that covered the world . Thick droplets of rain continued to belt his naked head, cooling him . "That is my destiny, Sylver . I¡¯ll die on these wet, bloodied ins . As good a ce as any, I imagine . But, most importantly, I¡¯ll die content . You won¡¯t . Seven won¡¯t . None of you will . " " . . . do you still think he stands a chance--" "None of you quite understand, Sylver," Cain leveled his eyes once more, meeting his old friend¡¯s . There was a certain trace of pity in the former¡¯s gaze, the ilk that made Six shuddered for a moment . "What he¡¯s capable of . Not just in terms of strength and his prowess, but his capacity to outdo you when ites to cruelty . He¡¯s not kind, whatever the people of the Empire might tell you . He¡¯s as cruel as the most sadistic of men and women you¡¯ve met in your heyday . It¡¯s not a matter of whether he stands a chance or not," Cain added . "It¡¯s simply a matter of how quickly he¡¯ll kill you all . " " . . . you became a believer, old friend . " Six said after a short silence, sighing . "I always knew you to be a rational man . Now, as all those touched by him, you¡¯ve turned deluded . " " . . . you believed once, too," Cain said . "For the life of me, I can¡¯t figure out why you abandoned your heart when it was calling out to you . You knew the boy, Sylver . Yet, you still chose to ignore it, settle back in familiar ways . " "None of us wanted this war, goddammit!" Six cried out in anger all of a sudden, his expression distorting slightly . "Do you think I wanted to witness hundreds of thousands perish in a single bout?!!! Do you think I wanted to watch the Heart of Life itself bleed so?! He left us with no choice!! You know it! If he¡¯s let loose and allowed to do what he wants, he¡¯ll have usurped the world at its roots!" " . . . would that be such a bad thing?" Cain said lowly . "The world¡¯s broken . It¡¯s been broken for as long as I¡¯m alive, and for as long as you¡¯re alive, and for as long there were living things here . Wars after wars, cmities after cmities . . . pain never seems to end . Would it be so bad to let him change that?" "--you really think he would have made it better?" "He will make it better . " "He will die, just like all other Empyreans before him . " Six said firmly . "Whether by ours, or his own hand . " " . . . should he die by his own hand," Cain added . "The world would end . Just like Hell . All of you fools seem to have collectively forgotten the past Empyreans and what happened when you struck at their cores . The only reason you¡¯re alive, the only reason anyone from the Descent is alive is that you¡¯d crawl back into your holes like cowards and wait out the carnage that the rest of the world suffered . There won¡¯t be a hole deep enough to crawl back into, however, this time around, should it happen . " " . . . I see that you are too blind . Shame . I quite liked you, Cain . I handed you over Qe¡¯ll¡¯s because I saw potential in you . Potential to eventually seed me . " "I suppose I should be ttered," Cain said, chuckling . "But, it doesn¡¯t matter . The past should stay in the past, where it belongs . Swords had be the words, old friend," Cain said, his weakness betraying him as he fell to his knees, slumping in the rain, his head hung low . "So speak to me, once more . Just like the old days . " The sound of a de slicing through a thinyer of skin, straight into the heart, was low, unheard by anyone but the two of them, drowned out in the rain . Sixy kneeling next to the old man, his right hand holding onto the handle of the sword, trembling, his slightly parted lips quivering . He felt the weight on the de grow as Cain¡¯s body leaned forward, into him . He grabbed it, holding the wet head against his chest . A few trails of scarlet dripped down, though he didn¡¯t seem to care . He looked up into the emptiness, holding back a scream . Why?! he thought inwardly instead, his grip on Cain¡¯s back tightening . Why are you all so much stronger and braver than me?!! Nothing and nobody replied to him, however . Only silence . Dull . Eternal . ursed . He felt like a frozen statue at the moment, kneeling there in the wet cold, dead bruised against his chest . Why was it that he didn¡¯t follow Lino? Why was it that he turned his back on his heart? Why was it that he condoned the hell that surrounded him at the moment? All this while, he refused to ask himself that and, more importantly, to answer the questions . He feared what he might find at the end of the introspection . He feared what he might learn about the man he became . He shuddered at the thought; he had forgotten why he was doing all this . Soon . . . yes, soon it woulde to an end . He needed to endure just a little while longer . Several minutes in, he finally let go of the old body as it slumped to his side, rolling out, old man¡¯s face looking up at the sky, eyes closed, lips curled up in a smile, no trace of pain or regret anywhere to be found . Sylver looked deeply into that smile, one that had never crowned his lips; content, free, liberated . Is that how it felt like to die for something you believed in? Is that how it looked like to die without regrets? He knew the answers, yet dared not voice them out -- not from his lips or from his mind . All he could do was get up, wipe the expression from his face, and walk away . Chapter 498 Chapter 498: 498 CHAPTER 498 NOTHING Millions of cries shook the heaven and the earth -- and millions more bore through the hearts of the members of the Descent hanging in the sky . Enough souls sped toward them to fill the oceans ten times over, the ck dots crowding the mountains like ants . And there, above them, shining in resplendent colors that they couldn¡¯t even quite describe, Elysian hovered, a faint smile hanging on her face . Her crimson-red hair stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of her, yet it seemed to eerily fit in a strange way . Strands wiggled about, as though of their own free will, loosely, like they were in the water . The thumping of their hearts was drowned out by the absolute stampede of the people . None they could recognize, none they couldprehend . They were all living, just like them; their hearts beat, their eyes burned in fervent belief, their minds thought andprehended . " . . . she¡¯s already a Maker," Onemented, his expression turning grave . "This is bad . " "That¡¯s impossible!" Two eximed, rapidly looking at him . "How else do you exin all this?" One said . "She just created a world, life out of nothing . And at such speeds . . . this is . . . really bad . " "Uh, not to rm you or anything," Four joined in from the side . "But Six and Seven are gone . " " . . . she must have expelled them," One said, sighing . "We can¡¯t leave this ce, at least not before we¡¯re overran . We¡¯ll fight . " "If she¡¯s a Maker . . . " Five mumbled from the side, his mboyant hair drowned out by the world¡¯s light . "Today," a melodic, choral voice reached them quickly . "It is time of the Descent to end . You may not want to spend thest few, precious moments you have on the pointless rabble . " "You seem awfully confident in being able to kill us," One said, turning toward Hannah . "Yet, I highly doubt it . " " . . . for the One who Unities," Hannah said, smiling wider . "Congeniality seems to elude you, Adin . Look around . I am Everything . As much myself as I am you . You should know, Adin," Hannah said, twisting her fingers in a strange loop as she extended her arms . "The holy sounds of the Engines of Creation . Hear them, now . " Without giving them a chance to reply, a loud thump burst out of Hannah, vibrating throughout the entire world . The light around her shuffled into the small wisps that exploded right after, turning into the sky-high pirs of ever-epassing light . Golden, silver, teal, white, gray . . . colors danced about freely as she brought her arms toward her chest, sping them loudly . Another thump boomed out, this time around flipping the world unto itself, folding it like a sheet of paper, throwing everything into a cascading void . Yet, before they could adjust, they felt themselves pulled into the suction that they could not resist; the sensation of being dragged against your will through the membranes of reality was vomit-inducing, only One managing to somehow hold it in . He gritted his teeth tightly, grabbing Two¡¯s hand and interlocking their fingers together as Qi within them began to churn, discing the Spacetime surrounding them and allowing them to rip free of the pull . Yet, just as they were about to breathe a sigh of relief, the world around them changed once more, the singrity of light shing like a droning pulse, splitting open with a violent explosion . Beams and rays burst out in droves, consuming the void¡¯s darkness, birthing anew gxies from the swirling gasses, stars,s, life, everything . The members of Descent stared at the sight with gaping lips, saucer-wide eyes . Not just a single world -- but the entire, countless systems . The entire cosmos, it seemed . "s, what are we beneath the weight of everything?" her voice echoed out throughout the reality, seemingly visible, holy . "Do we even matter?" " . . . " they remained silent, partly due to still being in shock, and partly because none of them wished to answer . "We do," her voice gave a reply shortly after as she manifested right in front of them, draped in a one-piece dress this time around made entirely out of light, her eyes having returned to their natural emerald-green dye . "Everyone matters . All stories belong . Yet, you decided to arm against that dream, Adin . You all imposed your wills against the wills of others, suffocating any who thought otherwise . You lived in the perennial denial of bnce, never realizing you were killing the world just as much as the Writs and their Bearers were -- perhaps even more, in a way . The Engines of Creation aren¡¯t selective -- they do not endow one with more than another . We rob others to endow ourselves, stack the cards into a house, and then into the sky-bounding mansion . I may be the Maker, but I do not choose who seeds, nor do I choose who is better . Thus, if I, who created them, have no right to endow, what right do you posses to steal?" " . . . you¡¯ve went beyond the Origin, haven¡¯t you?" Adin spoke out after a brief silence, chuckling bitterly . "So has the Empyrean . . . hasn¡¯t he?" " . . . strength isn¡¯t measured in looseyers," Hannah said, extending her arm outwardly, a small-scaled star suddenly appearing on top of her palm . "It¡¯s not measured in levels, in cultivation realms, in these arbitrary boundaries . It¡¯s much simpler than that . At the cores, everything is simple . Take the mostplex thought you¡¯ve ever had, the most convoluted idea you ever conjured -- they all stemmed from the singr moment of inspiration . And that first thought, the first thing that popped into your mind, defines it . Exins it better than hundreds of tomes ever could . What is life? Awareness . What is death? Temporary end . What is the purpose of life? To live it . You¡¯ve taken the beautiful simplicity of everything and drove webs of lies through them, blinding others as well as yourselves . " " . . . though I¡¯m not averse to discussing philosophy, I believe this is neither the time nor the ce," Adin said, taking a deep breath . "I¡¯ve only ever known six others who¡¯ve crossed the Origin, Elysian, not including myself . Your achievements are beyond impressive, I¡¯ll admit . But, they¡¯re not enough . " " . . . " Hannah looked deeply into his eyes, sighing after a little while, shaking her head . She extended her left arm, pulling her index finger inwardly; Adin suddenly found himself shot over to her without any ability to resist, her fingers quickly curling around his neck, holding him tightly . He had to admit, those eyes of hers, especially up-close, were beyond beautiful . Awe-inspiring, even . In them, beyond the holiness, he saw the seed of emptiness . A strange sight, to be certain . "Tempest of Nothing, o¡¯ heed, Sing me the song of Evermore, Of the moment Your Mind was Born, I am on my knees, I plead . Tempest of Everything, o¡¯ behold, I am Your Servant, Your Me, In Thin alight, aligned are We, I am on my knees, lonely but not alone . " " . . . h-how . . . how do you know that?!" Adin asked, his eyes widening, lips quivering as though brushed by the frigid winds . " . . . " Hannah said nothing, simply tossing him backwards as she turned around, walking away into the empty void . "May the Infinity be kind to you . " Just as her voice faded, the reality around them began copsing, like being stuck inside a bowl cracking inside out . They could see the visible splinters in the cosmos they now inhabited; stars began churning light like mad, erging; gxies began moving toward one another, as though pulled by invisible hands into congeniality; thousands upon thousands of quasars followed, alighting the entire cosmos with their brilliance; all of Creation seemed to suffocate within the concentric sts of energy that could not be measured -- they could see it, the edge, copsing unto them . It was fast -- too fast . The speed was beyond their ability to measure, and the reality beyond their ability toprehend . Everything, including them as they were thrown inwardly by the violent pull -- or perhaps a push, they couldn¡¯t tell -- seemed to be moving toward some distant, central point of the cosmos, the point from which it all began . Their eyes witnessed the End -- yet their minds couldn¡¯t process it . All things blurred, turning into t, straight lines of light, churning energy in violent streams . It truly looked like those moments when they would speed up, that brief second before their eyes caught up, when all of the world around them would blur together into motion-lines . They couldn¡¯t say how much time passed -- perhaps an eternity or perhaps a second -- when they found themselves in front of Nothing . The central point . Heart of the Creation . For all the things it swallowed, it seemed eerily hollow, empty . Nothing, indeed, was made up of nothing . One held Two¡¯s hand tightly, barely managing to nce sideways, meeting her tepid gaze; lonely and teary eyes stared back at him . In the end, beyond all, he found peace here . He would die, as all things born will, with many regrets, but at the very least he wouldn¡¯t die alone . He smiled, ever so slightly, and she replied in that singr moment of respite . While their thoughts slowed down to a crawl, their bodies began breaking, the Qi shields around them unable to protect them anymore . Like stone statues waned through the time, they disintegrated, bit by bit, their chunks vanishing out into the Nothing, bing a small part of it . Invisible . Destitute . The Descent had fallen in the eerie silence, forgotten . Eons of enduring, of surmounting, of bing, amounted to nothing in the end . As though none of it mattered to begin with . Chapter 499 Chapter 499 CHAPTER 499 PRIMEVAL Lino had found himself dragged out of Noterra all of a sudden, flung through the chaotic swirls of spacetime, thrust into the realm of remarkable affinity . He felt reborn inside the rivers and churns of Chaos, the world abound with what endowed him . Above and beyond, the slithers of crimson light danced in eternal swirls, the sky above bound in the ckness beyond match, surrounding objects barely illuminated by the rare shes of crimson . He appeared to be standing on the hilly in, surrounded by dying moss and vines, and crevices spreading like spiderwebs across the mounds . Somewhere deep below, he could see the pulsating shes of fires, as though they resided in the bowels of this world . Looking up, his expression turned to a frown; what were just over one hundred Primes, now included hundreds of thousands of amalgamations and abominations of various shapes, sizes, and colors . Some were even Primal Spirits, dancing still detached from the reality of things . Though he couldn¡¯t see E anywhere, he was hardly worried for her; she would be just fine on her own . As would he, really, he mused . The problem was that the additional numbers would prolong his stay here, which couldplicate things on the other side . A sensation of anxiousness overwhelmed him for a moment before he spat it out, rxing once more . "Wee to our Homeworld, Bearer," the one he spoke to before arriving here, the tall giant without features, spoke out once more . "What do you think of it?" " . . . lovely," Lino shrugged . "But, unfortunately, I¡¯ve no time to admire the aesthetics . Or to chat with you lot . You¡¯ve avowed to serve the Chaos -- yet now you wage a war against it . " "Oh? You are the Chaos?" " . . . I am," Lino replied simply, spreading out his right arm, summoning the Edge . The de hummed and cried in melodic tunes, its light bursting out in rays, shining away the surrounding dark . "Are you?" " . . . ha ha ha, I suppose Father does pick the formativeds the most," the creatureughed, supported by dozens of others . "You know nothing of Chaos, Bearer . You¡¯re an infant, standing in the presence of those who birthed you . " "This is my requiem," Lino spoke through his teeth, Qi within him churning, revitalized by the surrounding quantity . "You would have done just fine if you stayed out of it . Now . . . now you¡¯ll have to die . " "I¡¯d like to see that--" The ground beneath Lino lit up like the nightly sky, patterns swirling in crimson hues, pirs and beams of light shining up . All of a sudden, eighteen pairs of wings unfurled behind his back, the clutter immeasurable, their size eclipsing the giant creature grandly . Lino seemed a tiny figure in the sensation, yet impervious to everything at the same time . With a deep, resounding bellow, he shot toward the sky, the Edge in his hand bleeding light like blood, his entire body coated in a holistic fashion, a mix of dark and bright . He flew across like a star in the sky falling upward, illuminating the world he phased through . He felt alive -- truly alive -- here, in this hallowed ce of Chaos . His lips curled up into an involuntarily smile, his heart dancing in jitters . For the first time in years, if not decades, he held no inhibitions; even when he fought Ashtar, he held back slightly -- keeping a trace of himself at bay, something to fall back onto in case things went south . Not this time . He reached the tall creature immediately, switching the Edge to the reverse grip as he extended his free, left arm; his hand opened up in a motion of grabbing someone¡¯s throat as light shot out from his fingers, projecting into a massive hand that matched the giant¡¯s neck, wrapping around it immediately . Lino jerked, pulling the giant creature forward, destabilizing him . Though itcked features, Lino could still see the shock and fear in it . Before it had a chance to mount a defensive, Lino curled his finger tightly around the Edge¡¯s handle and sliced across the throat, splitting the head clean off its body . Thetter fell, smothered, turning to ash, while he held the former in his freehand for a moment before tossing it backwards as though it were an ordinary pebble . His actions greatly unsettled the rest of the Primes, though it didn¡¯t freeze them; rather, they immediately began backing away and building room, trying to circle him and suffocate him with a barrage . Sucking in a deep breath,pletely recovering his Qi and Vitality, even increasing them due to the kill, another pair of wings suddenly grew from his back, the resplendence and the darkness growing even more monumental in the process . The Edge in his hand trembled, weeping in joy, as his feet shone in brilliant sparks of crimson lightning . A flutter of wingster had him nearly ten miles sideways, right in front of the small group of five-six Primes . Most seemed more abominations than creatures, deformed versions of a proper lifeform that no-doubt existed somece, sometime . Lino spun in a full circle, ded lights shining off the Edge like the torrential rain; the sword had no equal -- it wouldn¡¯t allow itself to have an equal . It sliced through all of creation, no matter how sturdy it may be . The bodies of the Primes exploded into gassed excretions, the stench quite lethargy-inducing . A beam of Chaos bolted against Lino¡¯s back, sending him stumbling through the sky for a moment; despite the fact that he was of Chaos, he could still be hurt by it . Chaos was not privy to anyone; one may use it as they see fit, but they can nevermand itpletely -- simrly to Time . It¡¯s a quintessential element, the Engine of Creation, the glue that held all of everything together . Something like that could not be tamed . Wincing briefly, Lino spun around and shot back, leaving a trail of brilliant light and shadow wherever he passed . The skies were void of storms, much to his surprise, as his foes separated into groups of three-four each . They¡¯re just buying time, Lino realized immediately, quickly noticing that they seemed to have no desire to try and actually kill him . Why? A sizzling sound trickled to his left ear, causing him to rapidly spin and stab the Edge from above toward below at an angle, piercing something rather soft in the process . Laying his eyes on it, he saw that it was a creature that seemed more like a liquid than something dense . Despite that, however, it didn¡¯t matter; if it could not be sliced to pieces, it could be evaporated -- the Edge left none alive . While defending himself from one side, an array of attacks were hurled at him from every other imaginable angle -- some of Chaos, some of the other Elements thrown at him by the Spirits . Some attacks he ignored, some he deflected, and some wiggled their way through his defenses and struck at him . They were not deadly sort, he immediately realized, but the ilk meant to slow him down further . A few slowed down his Qi gathering speed, a few his general speed, some the radius of his attacks . . . more than afraid, he was frustrated . They dragged him in here not to fight him, but to keep him away from the Noterra . "--you can¡¯t use it--" "Don¡¯t tell me what I can or can¡¯t do," Lino interrupted Ataxia harshly as he looked toward the sliver worming about in his soul . Dipping into the finite deserves of the Primal Chaos, he felt his body recover, his strength skyrocket . Qi around him turned corporeal, more so than the visible Chaos in the skies, shining in dark-red . His Heaven-set Armor suddenly changed; ck metal surfaced above the silver one, armguards spiked as they reached the elbow, shoulderpads expanding to thrice their size, denting inwardly toward the center whereupon a chaotic swirl of crimson rotated midair . His breastte grew two fingers thicker, simrly cked in hue, trails of red arrays spurring about like veins . A simr thing happened to his leggings and greaves, his cape turning dark-red, expanding in size to over two dozen meters, fluttering like an extension of himself backwardly . It wasn¡¯t just his armor that changed -- it was him as well . His one eye turned wholly ck, a single, red dot at the center shining, spitting out jets of red smoke . The contour of his face grew more angled, all his features moving upward at their edges, including his eyes and brows . His ck hair turned ethereally white at that moment,cking a single blemish, radiating a holy glow that appeared a stark contrast to the rest of him . An exact replica of the Edge appeared in his freehand, the difference being the simr, stark contrast of colors -- what was holy-white, was now pure-ck . He looked more a contradiction, a paradox, abination of opposites, than anything even remotely human . Rather, he ceased being human as his skin attained a scarlet tinge, stretching out till it folded over his facial bones, giving him a rather grotesque appearance . Just at that moment, his decade-closed eye jolted open all of a sudden, a reverse of his healthy one -- crimson around, a single dot of ck resting in the center, belting out ck smoke from the edges . As all else began to settle, the space above his head jostled and turned, looping unto itself for a moment, breaking and repairing, forming a corporeal object -- a singr crown . Spiked in a full ring, ck, white and red in hue, it smoked like a chimney,plementing his abominable appearance even more . " . . . this is how your world ends," his voice, distorted beyond recognition, inhuman down to thest sound . "In Chaos so primeval, yours was not even an infant just yet . " He vanished into the thick billow of smoke, his figure projecting into a world-bounding avatar, his eyes looking down from beyond the high-skies; it was terrifying, the sheer output of Qi . It shook all of the creation resting in the strange world, forcing it to kneel down immediately, shaking . It was the sort of fear that could not be broken, could not be restrained . It was the ilk that had to be obeyed . Lino¡¯s much smaller figure began shing through the world, his two swords slicing heads off in swift and clean motions . He left behind a trail of afterimages, the light itself catching up to his actions slowly . By the time he was done, there were no living left . There was nothing left but the scenery of Destion . The end of everything . Chapter 500 Chapter 500 CHAPTER 500 THE UNHINGED A slope of light bent strangely over the rising staircase of light . E stood at the bottom, looking up with a perplexed expression . She was here before . A long, long time ago, before her eyes stirred open and her mind was cleansed . Well before Noterra was born into the world, before life sprung like flowers in the rain . Yet, her memories of those days were at best hazy; the shing, blurred scenes that she could not fully connect . She had expected to join Lino, yet was instead flung here -- somewhere beyond her scope of perception . No matter how far she strung out her Divine Sense, she could see nothing but the void . Slightly unsettled, she braved a deep breath and took a step forward, slowly climbing the stairs . It was strange; she couldn¡¯t even feel them, as though they weren¡¯t there, yet she didn¡¯t fear to fall . Paradoxically, she felt as grounded as she ever did . The stairs of light seemed to go into infinity above and beyond, surrounded by the trickling void . She, strangely, could not see a star in sight, could not even see a singr gxy to say nothing else . The further up she climbed, the lither she found herself; more graceful, less consumed, unburdened . Her mind seemed to sharpen, the distant memories slowly beginning to recover . The first toe to her in full was the day shended on Noterra -- back then, the entire was nothing but a swirl of burning boulders and acid rain, rivers of magma and sulfur flowing ceaselessly . In the first Cycle, the entirety of thend was covered by an insanely deep ocean, before resurfacing back up during the second . She was asleep yet eerily aware; she could recall every single moment she spent, yet not the time she spent sitting cross-legged like a statue, ensconced in a golden shield of light . The second memory to return was of her constructing her home -- The Hollow Isles . She remembered tinkering with the first signs of Qi, trying to call out to anyone who would hear . She constructed a sanctuary that was immune to all hail of death from the outside, surrounded in perpetual mist and shadow dusted in ck . A simple, wooden house still stood there, she believed . A sloped roof, a chimney, a hearth made out of strange stone by now certainly extinct . . . A strange sensation swelled in her chest as she came to a halt . The more she remembered, the more she wished to turn back . A grim premonition whispered inside her mind that, if she were to climb the top of these stairs, she would have to forgo all she loved in this world . Yet, an even greater yearning within her heart counteracted it . A sh, a silent one, resulted in her steps slowing, but the climb continuing . She convinced herself that she could turn around any time she wanted . Just a few more memories, is all . The third memory to return to her was of the day she saw the first life besides herself inhabit Noterra -- it was a humanoid creature falling inside a steel construct that spat out fire from the bottom where nine, conical holes existed . He crashed onto a distant mountain, entirely unaware of her . She remembered his face clearly -- heavily bearded in ck, his eyes like two, swirling portals to the abyss, body reaching nearly four meters in height, clothed in burned garbs that barely seemed to cover anything . He stumbled out of the strange construct that sted bolts of electricity within and without, his arms wrapped around another figure tightly snuggled inside a nket . The memorypleted, the covered figure¡¯s faceing into focus; a pair of silver eyes coupled with silver hair that shimmered faintly gave her a particrly ethereal appearance . It was certainly a she -- as far as E could tell, anyway . The man ced her down gently onto the soft earth, his emotionally-deprived eyes shedding a few tears as he caressed her cheeks . He mumbled something in a strangenguage that E couldn¡¯t understand, but one word seemed to repeat time and again -- na, pronounced with a thick focus on the first syble . The man wept so for hours on end before his mood shifted all of a sudden, his expression turning grimly dark as he looked up toward the sky . A roar beyond anything E had heard, one defying even the formation ofary systems, shook the world . The roar of anger, of grief, of agony, of pain, of regressive, unmatched turmoil . But, at the core, it was a cry of sadness . E could feel it in her bones . She had half a mind to walk over, yet held herself back in the end . He was a stranger, having arrived here in a strange way, looking twice as strange as anything else she¡¯d seen . He was not hers . As the man¡¯s cry came to an end, ck tendrils of smoke began rising from the edges of his body, slithering up and vanishing a few inches off of it . His eyes turnedpletely ck, his muscles raging, veins pulsating fiercely and violently, as though ready to burst out from underneath his skin . The earth beneath him turned ckish all of a sudden, as though the fire had burned there for weeks, leaving ashen soot behind . It spread and spread in a full circle around him, drowning out all other colors, until it shuddered and shook, exploding into a ghastly pir constructed entirely of Spirits -- no, E shuddered in horror -- those weren¡¯t Spirits . They were Souls of the dead . Billions . Hundreds of billions of them, a number beyond count . "TAKE THEM!!!!" he suddenly spoke a tongue she could understand, E realized . It was not hers, but it wasn¡¯t entirely alien either . She couldn¡¯t quite exin it . "TAKE THEM ALL, I DON¡¯T CARE!! JUST GIVE HER BACK TO ME!! I BEG YOU!! PLEASE!!" " . . . " neither the heavens nor the earth replied to him, but the pir itself shook slightly . "PLEASE!! WHAT WORTH IS WHAT YOU GAVE ME IF I CAN¡¯T EVEN SAVE MY ONLY BLOOD?!! PLEASE, PLEASE . . . please . . . " the man begged until his voice died out slowly, turning into a whimper . Broken . Completely broken . " . . . should we?" a voice trickled into E¡¯s mind, startling her . She quickly raised her hand and covered her lips, afraid the man might hear her . Quickly ncing around, she saw no one but the empty air . Did she imagine it? "Should we, nor?" "H-huh?! Who¡¯s . . . who¡¯s there . . . ?" E muttered in suspense, backing up a few steps, repeatedly ncing around . "The rest are in-between the dead and the alive", the voice continued, as though it hadn¡¯t heard her question . "Yet, there is a chance for her . His daughter . Hisst blood . Should we, nor? Should we grant his wish despite the fact he swore up to our Opposite?" " . . . I . . . I don¡¯t . . . I don¡¯t know . . . " "We shall," the voice said quickly, as though it was in a hurry . "So, one day in the distant future, you may return to us . Please . Come back home . . . " The pir died out . The man¡¯s cries ceased . The voice vanished . E¡¯s anxiety shuffled into a shock as she saw the girl open her eyes . They glistened and shimmered with unbound life, yet appeared dull, as though her mind was not there yet . "Ha ha ha ha ha . . . " the manughed all of a sudden; hisughter was full of unparalleled joy, of relief, of happiness that E couldn¡¯t even put into words . "Thank you . . . thank you so much . . . I¡¯ll do it . . . I¡¯ll do anything you ask of me . . . I swear . . . thank you . . . thank you . . . thank you . . . " E came to a sudden halt on the stairs, her mind stirred . She only now realized her body was shaking with emotion, her breathing turned into gasping . She shouldn¡¯t have remembered . She shouldn¡¯t have climbed the cursed stairs . She should have turned around and walked away, just like thest time . It was toote now, however; she knew too much for her to return as though nothing happened, and yet too little to do anything concrete with her knowledge . She had to climb . Further . Higher . Until the end, wherever it may lead her . ** Lino quickly ripped open the membrane of the world, tearing open a tunnel toward Noterra . His worries allowed him not even a second of respite despite the fact that he desperately needed it . He had, by now, returned to his ordinary appearance, unable to even endure the Edge¡¯s presence any longer, forced to withdraw it . He was gone too long . In his worries, he had even failed to notice that E was not with him -- that she never returned from wherever she was flung off to . As the tunnel through spacetime ripened, he quickly burst through, speeding as much as he could without tearing away at his body . Though the journey was short, it felt like an eternity . He appeared in the high-skies of the Empyrion, right where he left . His eyes veered down, yet he immediately regretted it . Destion . Everywhere . Death beyond measure, beyond count . Hollowness filled him all of a sudden, his entire body freezing as he swept his Divine Sense through . How many? Ten thousand . . . twenty . . . fifty . . . a hundred thousand . . . His heart turned to a frigid boulder as he came across Titus¡¯ limp body lodged between two rigged rocks . The man had a tranquil expression on his face, his entire body covered in wounds . Dead . Myveen was in much worse shape, her body spiked onto a sharp rock inside a mountain-dip . Yet, even she had a smile on her pallid face . Cain was, perhaps, the worst off, his body bared nude and stuck to a cross, a single sword dipped through his skull, leaving through his chin . Though disfigured, Lino could still see the traces of a smile on that olden face . Amadeely cold, draped in a muddied garb, buried underneath a mound of soldiers . Just as a faint sh of hope returned to Lino¡¯s mind, having sensed a trace of life in him, it vanished . He drew hisst breath . Bid the final farewell to the world . Tyvole, Surmin, Eynor, Fillian . . . all the young Generals he had spoken to before . . . he saw each and every one of them lying dead with their squads . How many? Numbers ceased to matter . If the death of a single person is a tragedy, what is this? What was the death of so many? This . . . is what you wanted? A thought shed through his mind for a moment as his eyes began to weep . It was the silent sort of a cry, the ilk only the winds would ever know of . His ck eyes turned bloodshot-red, his lips quivering as though in the cold . It did little to ease the pain he felt inside his heart . It felt turned upside down, ripped and patched together ruggedly, pierced and sliced, burned and frozen . He couldn¡¯t block the memories, and with them came the flood of emotions he was unwilling to deal with . Yet, he had to . His empty eyes soon veered over toward the west where he could feel countless battles ongoing . They were still being pushed further back in . How many dead would he see there? How many familiar faces would he have to witness being culled from this world? " . . . you can feel nothing . . . " the offer was tempting . Too tempting . "Be free of all of this . " " . . . at what cost?" he mumbled, seeming absentminded . "To be like you? Silently nestle and watch while someone butchers all of your children?" " . . . inviting, no?" " . . . hey . " a soft voice whispered gently into his ear as he felt warm fingers tangle with his own . Turning back, he saw Hannah floating right there, her eyes mirroring his own -- bloodied . Her crimson hair spilled over her shoulders like a waterfall, yet even it seemed to pale inparison . How much had she cried? "You¡¯re back . " "As are you . " he replied in a cracking voice, tightening his grip as she replied the gesture . "You¡¯re a grown-ass man," she said, trying to force out a smile to no avail . "What business do you have crying like a little girl . Goddammit . . . " she added with a whimper, burying her head into his chest . Lino could feel her tears trickling down his bared chest . Warm . Unneeded . " . . . let¡¯s go help the rest first," he said, his expression mellowing into one of love and warmth as he reached over and caressed her hair gently . "There¡¯ll be time to mourn and weep after . By god, there will be time . " "Together?" "As always . " END OF VOLUME XX END OF BOOK V Chapter 501 Chapter 501 BOOK VI THE EMPYREAN BLACKSMITH VOLUME XXI WORLD REBORN CHAPTER 501 THE ONSLAUGHT Lucky left behind no shadow as she darted through the innumerable ranks of the invaders . She had long since lost the count of how many she had in, the print of it all having stained the leather armor and her already dulled des of the daggers . The sweat trickled down her forehead, biting away at her eyes, yet she didn¡¯t even dare wipe it away from the fear of being blindsided . It was so sudden -- so abrupt . Just as they got the request for the reinforcements, before they even had a chance to properly organize, the swarm came, bounding the mountains, bounding the valleys, making numbers seem irrelevant . They were at the doorsteps of the City of Sun, the first major city of the Empyrion . Barely ten miles away from it all, the City still felt the shockwaves of the battles ongoing . How many people lived in that city? Over four million,st it was checked . Most weren¡¯t part of the army, over half not even being dedicated cultivators, yet many still braved the weapons and the arts and charged out with the feeble army they were able to muster up -- less than two hundred thousand altogether, reinforcements included . Opposite of them, however, stood a sea they could not even put a dent into; however many they felled, twice as many filled their numbers . They fought with the fervor and valor Lucky had never seen them with before, as though there was an inspiring wind blowing into their backs . She thrust her right arm sideways, slicing as she manifested into the world briefly, taking the head of another General . That was the fifteenth she¡¯d in in just the half-hour they were battling, yet it hardly seemed to impede their ranks . The soldiers themselves knew what do without someone shouting at them, moving in concert as a proper army should . She still didn¡¯t quite understand how they were able to hold them back . No, she did -- through the beyond-brilliant effort of fewer than ten figures beside herself . Ion led the charge of over fifty thousand, withstanding the central push practically all on his own . He took hundreds of Titrs by his lonesome, reaping lives like the incarnation of death on the battlefield . He appeared not to get tired or wrung from the sights, which inspired many more to reach into the depths of their souls for just a tinge more, to kill just one more before they themselves died . Their left nk was protected by the brilliant duos of four young Generals, one of whom Lucky herself had taught a long time ago -- Rio, Xia, Yun, and Namia . The youngs poured their heart out, fighting without a moment¡¯s break, barely hanging on . They couldn¡¯t continue for much longer, Lucky knew . All reserves have their bottom, no matter how brightly they burn . The left nk, the side with the most rugged terrain, was held up by Lucky, Lyn, Ty, Irot and over a hundred more Elite Shadows . Unlike other battlefronts, theirs was not the one of direct confrontation; rather, they darted and danced around the treed and hilly terrain, ducking around the tall and thick rocks, ying with the shadows to surprise their foe . Nheless, despite theck of the obvious signs, their side was perhaps the most gruesome; they held up against an outpour of cultivators, some ranging from barely being in the Core Realm to Universal Titrs . Corpses littered the streaks of makeshift roads as well as several patches of nd, blood having already dyed the earth beneath in thick red . She didn¡¯t know what had transpired at the Mountain Pass, but many familiar faces were missing . Too many, really . One thing was for certain, however -- they were bested . And they couldn¡¯t be bested no more . Dragons were at the very least ten whole minutes away from reaching them . The closest one capable of actually impacting the battle on arge scale was Alison who was still good five minutes away . Lucky, however, suspected that she would have trouble boring through the demons of her mind to thrust herself into this hell . Lino? E? Hannah? From the survivors, she knew they were stuck fighting the true soldiers of the Holy Army . The Primes and Descent . So long as they won, and so long as Lucky and the rest held out until their return, they would win . No, they would win either way; it was only a matter of how much will they have to sacrifice to achieve today¡¯s victory . She felt a talisman inside her void shudder as she withdrew momentarily, letting Lyn take over her post . Gasping for breath, she reached into the void world and ripped open the talisman, a small, palm-sized screen lighting up in front of her eyes, quickly molding into a worried face of Allison . "Lucky?! Are you okay?!" she cried out from the other side . "I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine," Lucky chuckled, finding it strange how her tensed muscles and muddied mind both cleared up immediately . Alison truly had a strange impact on the people . "Where are you?" "I¡¯m over the Crossing," Alison replied . "I¡¯m almost there . Hang on . Just hang on, please . " " . . . prepare yourself," Lucky said elusively . "Before youe . " " . . . what do you mean?" Alison asked . "I gotta go," instead of replying, Lucky ducked her head over to the side of the rock and nced out, seeing another batch of the enemies rushing toward them . "Don¡¯t die on me, you hear?" "L¡¯, what--" Two daggers in her fingers lit up in macabre shadows as she turned invisible to the naked eye, all signs of life vanishing from her . She became the world itself, a part of it, skirting over to the backline where themanding tent was being set up . She couldn¡¯t let them establish a proper chain ofmand; if they fought like this while without it, then what if they set it up properly? Would they be able to endure even for a few minutes? She quickly located the man she presumed was in charge -- a bald-headed, ck-eyed man d in strange, leather armor . He was ying his arms about whilst shoutingmands at his soldiers, and appearedpletely oblivious that his life was being targeted . Lucky darted forward, picking up on speed, ensuring not a trace of her left the realm of shadows . Tightening her grips on the daggers, sheunched herself off the earth, vaulting over a bone-shaped, white rock and onto the slight elevation where themand was being set up, looming over it in an arc, bound directly toward the man who still looked too engrossed in givingmands to pick her out . She began falling toward him, her speed increasing further, the des of the daggers gleaming in a strange light . She struck out with both des, wishing to ensure the kill, as she felt goosebumps and shivers strike at her soul . Withdrawing the daggers rapidly, she crossed them to her left and braced herself; not a breathter, she felt force akin to a mountain-sized boulder belt against her, throwing her out of the realm of shadows and the air, straight into the string of trees . She crashed through all of them, breaking them in half, in the process catching the glimpse of her assant -- it was a woman draped in resplendent armor, her weapon-bearing hand lowering the shimmering bow it held, looking at her with a trace of surprise . The man standing beside her finally seemed toe to, startled, as he jumped next to her, turning toward Lucky in wonder . Thetter ignored the pain as she quickly realized this wasn¡¯t like the other pushes; they sent someone who knew what he was doing, in addition to assigning him someone who can actually protect him from the assassination attempts . She dug her nails into the earth and infused them with Qi, preventing herself from rolling backward, instead skidding into a crouching position, locks of her hair fluttering in the wind she had formed . Without resting, she switched one of the daggers from the reverse grip into a standard one, elerating onward . She caught a glimmer from the corner of her eye, molding her feet into shadow as she ducked right, evading the arrow that burned through the trees and rocks alike, boring into the earth for good two-three miles before stopping . Soon after, another one came, and after that another; within seconds, there was a shower of them, fired off without catching a single breath . Lucky strained her eyes, muscles and her Divine Sense to their maximum, using all she had at her disposal to evade and deflect those she couldn¡¯t evade . Though it felt like an eternity, she returned back to the elevation less than ten secondster, jumping out of the thick ruins of earth and trees . Her eyes locked with the woman¡¯s whose now burned with fury and shame besides surprise; she lifted her arms up once more, nocking seemingly nothing as Qi about the bow stirred, shifting into a pulsating arrow . Looking over the woman¡¯s armor, Lucky realized she would have a tough time killing her quickly, which made her switch her eyes back over to the man who was now protected not only by the woman but also a full circle of well-armored guards all giving her death stares . She cringed inwardly,nding, atst, standing barely fifteen meters away from them . The rest of the battlefield blurred out of her vision as she couldn¡¯t afford to keep her attention on it any longer . Though she felt a thrill rising deep within her soul, one she¡¯d only ever feel when encountering seemingly impossible tasks, she hardly rejoiced over it . It was not a matter of victory -- but whether she could achieve it swiftly or not . And the answer was that she clearly couldn¡¯t . She was confident in all aspects of her strength, even the direct confrontation as Lino himself taught her, but she didn¡¯t have the physical strength to back up her poise . "Had you not let out a sliver of bloodlust toward the end," the woman spoke all of a sudden, pulling down her bow and stepping out toward Lucky . "You would have killed him . That is rather impressive; even the best men of the Bloodmoon can¡¯t evade me so skillfully . I¡¯ll be bold and assume you¡¯re the infamous Death, the head of the Shadow Order of the Empyrion . Less a pleasure, and more an honor . " " . . . " Lucky said nothing, merely studying the woman deeply, trying to figure out her motives, still gripping her daggers tightly . "My name¡¯s Eyrine," the woman said, smiling at Lucky¡¯s reaction . "And the man you had just tried to kill is my husband, Huruk . I¡¯ll be blunt -- I want you to join us . Name your price . " " . . . " Lucky stared dumbly at the woman for a moment before bursting out intoughter, shaking her head . "Leave it to the Holy Grounds to be arrogant enough to try and recruit someone in the midst of a battle . You may know my name, but you clearly don¡¯t know me . Raise your bow woman . I¡¯ve no time for the idle chatter . " "Don¡¯t be so quick to reject my offer," Eyrine chuckled as though having expected Lucky to react the way she did . "If you do join us, I promise to spare all people on this side of the battle . It is only a matter of time before your frontlines copse and before you¡¯re routed from the back . There¡¯s not going to be another soul in the entire army that¡¯s going to offer you the same conditions . Think carefully for a moment . " " . . . so what?" Lucky replied somewhat angrily . "The worst that¡¯ll happen is that we¡¯re going to die . Bathe in that glory, ¡¯cause none of you fuckers are leaving this continent alive . Now, I said, raise your bow, woman . Because Death ising . " Chapter 502 Chapter 502: 502 CHAPTER 502 THE YOUNG BLOOD Rio ignored his scalded, left leg and pressed onward, shoving Qi into his fingertips and weaving them in front of him, summoning a massive, cascading wave of fire that flew over his head and fell like a crashing river onto the Holy Army . There were so many of them, he mused as he caught a free breath . No matter how many they killed, just as many, if not more, somehow broke past the mounting piles of corpses and engaged them . They were fighting without a stop for nearly half an hour now -- yet, the sheer number of the dead was simply . . . absurd . He nced a bit forward, to his left, and found the shimmering figure amidst the shade of the death; even here, amidst the horrid weepings of the falling, she shone resplendently, like a star ripped straight from the sky . Xia heaved her greatsword over her shoulder and back down, at an angle, cutting through four well-armed foes who tried to tie her up . Carrying the momentum, she continued her swing in a full circle, spinning like a whirlwind and cutting down five more whilst moving a few feet closer . She was the herald -- the lighthouse perched in the midst of the dark, stormy sea, for all sailors to see where their home was . Her crimson hair fluttered beneath her helmet, her expression slightly excited; she thrust herself straight into the hell, leaping over a pile of disfigured corpses around her, striking like a bolt of thunder at the earth down below, driving the greatsword into it nearly up to its hilt . The ground around her cracked and broke, sending good dozens of her foes stumbling over their own toes and onto their behinds . Just as they were about to recover, a storm of well-hidden, shadow-encased daggers fluttered through their exposed throats, reaping lives cleanly . Yun crept from behind the trees, shuffling over to the other side now that his position was exposed, while Xia continued her onward onught, somehow managing to actually push back the enemy¡¯s frontline . Revved up, Rio sucked in a deep breath as his Qi began to churn again within him . Ripping the halberd from the nearby stone, he cast the soles of his feet in ice, skating in a full circle and firing off balls of ice and fire toward the army¡¯s backline . His own men and women followed right behind him, fearless, engaging in a fight after a fight . Though they were definitely tired, as Rio could see it in their eyes, none faltered . Providing him with a cover fire was a woman in her mid-forties by her appearance, d in shining, teal-dyed robes, a grand halo of light the size of a windmill¡¯s wheel spinning behind her back . She called down the beams of de-shaped light all around him, killing at least ten with each strike . Namia was by far the best in terms of long-distance engagement, while the remaining three of them were morefortable in mid-range to the meleebat . Her role, perhaps, was the most important, as she, alongside other members of her squad, had to provide cover fire for all three of them at the same time . Yet, she did so with impunity -- never letting the other side take a breath without having to evade one of her strikes . Rio circled back over, shuffling through the t terrain that was less than perfect for him as it didn¡¯t provide him much cover; however, his job wasn¡¯t to charge into the front right now, it was to route back toward Xia and enable her to push further, perhaps even causing a cave-in in the enemy¡¯s forces . Namia and Yun would then have to ensure, however, that the circle doesn¡¯t close on the former two . Xia nced at him from the corner of her eyes, nodding faintly and smiling as he skated behind her, to her left, rolling over sideways and nting his palm against the wet earth beneath . Right after, one spike of ice after another burst out from underneath the ground, forming a tunnel of sorts in a straight line from Xia to the other end, where one of the enemy Generals resided . Unlike them, the Holy Army¡¯s Generals stood at the back, never engaging . While this meant easier fighting, it also meant they were fighting a more uniform army that would never crumble . Xia charged with a roar, her armor glistening underneath the suddenly surging mes below her . Rio lit up the road for her, and she followed . One swing . Second swing . Each one stirred the storm of wind to follow right after, and each strike at the earth caused it to tremble and crack, piles of destitute rocks flying over from the impact . The bodies fell one after another as she carved a path right through, her squadron following . Red capes fluttered madly behind them, their shouts reverberating throughout the tunnel, causing it to shake . Rio, after finishing the channeling of the mes, joined in the rush while Yun and Namia stayed outside, though creeping closer to the tunnel, positioning themselves on both sides to ensure the copse of the enemy¡¯s forces after the tunnel falls . Whilst all others ran on the burning ground that they seemed eerily immune to, Rio ran along the walls, stirring the small particles of ice behind his heels . He caught up to Xia in no time, just in time, actually, to watch her smack her greatsword over her shoulder in a full,teral swing that cleaved cleanly through the array-enriched te armor . Blood gushed from her victim as he fell to his knees, the look in his eyes incredulous, before toppling over to the side, dying . In the distance, Rio could see the enemy¡¯s General slowly beginning to withdraw, which caused him to groan before speeding up along the trajectory . He faintly heard Xia call out his name in panic, though he didn¡¯t turn around . Skillfully evading the strikes at him that came from down below by shuffling over from one side of the ice-encased tunnel, by its roof, to the other end, he reached the head within a few breaths, exploding out into a temporary encampment . Without even properly taking in his surroundings, he encased himself in ice rapidly and fell down like a meteorite, crashing into the ground and forming a massive crater . The burst of energy also finally did in the tunnel as it began copsing; on both ends, the Holy Army fought like cornered, mad beasts to push through and reach Xia¡¯s forces whilst Yun and Namia, as well as their own squads, fought just as madly to prevent them . From the straight line filled with corpses, a single figure shot out, encased in a thick storm of corporeal Qi . Her armor burned alight as she drew an arc over the sky, crashing into the encampment before it even had a chance to settle . With her she bore along a storm of death, the rate of her attacks increasing tenfold . It didn¡¯t look as though she was wielding a weighty greatsword, but rather a thin branch of a tree . Each one of her swings imed at the very least a dozen lives despite the dust storm raging around her . "HIGH LORDS, COME ON ALREADY!!" Yun¡¯s, Namia¡¯s and Rio¡¯s hearts stirred for a moment as they heard a panicked shout bellow out . Just as it faded, a string of Skyserpents appeared above the battlefield, four-winged, slithering snakes of translucent skin and eighteen eyes dotted over their massive heads . They were over twenty meters long altogether, the end-tip of their body split into four, arrowhead-shaped tails shining in a strange color, releasing an even stranger odor . "Crap!" Rio mumbled angrily as he heaved out of the crater he formed, entering a raging dust storm that prevented him from seeing anything . "Retreat back to the arrays!!" he infused his lungs without as much Qi as he could without letting them burst, whipping out his halberd once again . "AND CHECK WHEN THE FUCKING DRAGONS ARE ARRIVING ALREADY!!! AARGH---" his charge of madness was interrupted immediately as he felt a firm grip of fingers on his cor, pulling him back and nearly choking the life out of him . Just as he was about to take a swing at the figure, he recognized the faint trace of thevender scent, causing him to nce sideways . Xia stood right by his side, enamored in a thick sheen of fire, her eyes two beams of judgment . He cowered in his clothes, seeming almost like a turtle withdrawing into its shell . "What were you about to do?" she asked firmly while dragging him as well as her back from the encampment to rejoin their forces . " . . . uh, nothing . . . ?" Rio replied lowly . "Idiot," she grumbled . "What¡¯s the point of rushing out to die? High Lords or not, we can fight them -- but only if we fight together . " " . . . are you sure, though?" Rio questioned as she finally let him go while he began running by her side . They were yet to leave the dust storm . "Those are Skyserpents, you know? They ain¡¯t some low-level beasts . " "I¡¯m sure," Xia nodded confidently . "In the end, aren¡¯t they just big snakes? Poke ¡¯em cleanly in the eyes and they die . " " . . . pfft, ha ha ha ha," in the midst of raging chaos, Rio found himselfughing like a small child, causing Xia to look at him in confusion . The two finally left the dust storm behind, rejoining their forces as theymenced an orderly withdrawal . The enemy forces, as well, began scattering back as the fighting ceased temporarily . "W-what¡¯s so funny?" Xia asked him, blushing faintly . "Ha ha ha, nothing, nothing, sorry," Rio shook his head, grinning at her . "You¡¯re right . They¡¯re just big snakes, ain¡¯t they? Let¡¯s regroup and find a way, then . As we always have . " "DON¡¯T YOU DARE!!!!" just as the two settled, they heard a resounding, world-bellowing voiceing from afar . Their eyes instinctively looked up, assailed with blinding light right after . The voice was melodic, warmly familiar, and both immediately realized it was Lady Alison¡¯s . Yet, the usual tranquility was nowhere to be found within it; instead, anger, fear and pure rage reigned within it . Chapter 503 Chapter 503: 503 CHAPTER 503 ETERNITY IN A BLADE Ion charged madly, his roar akin to one of a thousand beasts, his spear dancing in the sunlight . He looked to have no care how many people were around him -- be it a hundred or a thousand -- as he charged well past the line of the skirmish, and jostled his way into the heart of the enemy¡¯s vanguard . He was followed there by only nine others who surrounded his nks, barely hanging on while hemenced the carnage of a lifetime . Like a spitfire, he began throwing spears that reappeared back in his hand a mere momentter, all around him, boring holes through countless bodies in the process . His Will manifested into a gold-maned winged-lion behind him that swatted at the sides with massive ws, cracking the souls of anyone who met them directly . Coated in a thick sheen of putrid green, he danced and hollered about like a firefly, swinging, thrusting, and slicing without a break . His armor, well beyond the point of simply staining, had over a hundred cracks but was yet to break wholly, somehow held together through its will alone . The grandness of his manner imposed terror on those who faced him, so much so that he was managing to hold the steady line this deep in and prevent reinforcements from going to the line of the skirmish, instead ryed over toward him . He fought with all the fervor he had in his blood, ignoring his injuries, the draught of Qi in his veins and meridians, the sheer tiredness that his mind was enveloped in . He shed to the side, thrusting the spear that elongated right after into a straight fireline, boring a tunnel through the spacetime, warping it around itself and causing over two hundred soldiers to get sucked into the current, disintegrated in the storm . Stepping into his pivot foot, he spun and heaved the spear back over his head, sticking it into the earth and using it as a propeller to bolt himself over to the other side, stirring along the winds of death . Just as he was about to cleave open another set of skulls, a dark-jetted de met his spear and stopped him . His mind finally jolted back into consciousness as he warily backed away, eyeing the neer for a moment before realizing who it was -- Erebus, Bearer of the Dark . The man was d entirely in ck, a cloak and a tightly-wound mask covering his face save for the pair of abyss-drawing eyes . It took Ion a moment to register another figure homing in onto him -- he couldn¡¯t see it, as it didn¡¯t exist, set somewhere in the limbo between the life and death . He drew his spear back and got into a half-bent stance, holding the shaft with both his hands, putting his strength onto his left leg which was drawn a few paces back, ready to pivot to any angle an attack mighte from . "You¡¯re a long way from home," Erebus said, flickering the sword as he took a step forward toward Ion . "Young General . " "You¡¯re even further," Ion grinned, standing his ground . "Though, I suppose, anyone with half a brain would prefer this scenery to be their resting ce . Imend you for it, and we certainly wee you . " "Look around . " Erebus said, taking another step forward . "Do you really think you¡¯re winning?" "Always," Ion replied simply, the gleam in his eyes sharpening . "In the end, we¡¯ll sing in the Evermore . Reborn into infinity . I¡¯d say that¡¯s well worth it . " "You bear the legacies of destion and destruction," Erebus said, lifting his sword over the ck-belted shoulder pad adorned with concentric spikes, seven in total . "Neither Evermore nor the Rebirth awaits you . Just the depressing Nothingness of the void . " " . . . well, I suppose there¡¯s only one way to find out, no?" Ion cracked a smile taking a deep breath . "Come, traitors of your Maker . I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for a long, long time . " ** A shadow made up entirely of liquid-like jolts slithered along the bed of the earth like a snake, melding into it, before bursting out in a swift, violent motion and striking with a dagger in-between the binds of the te leggings . Shouts around abound as it zed back, digging into the earth and splintering into blurred clones that backed away in a cone . Arts of the light and darknded right after, forming a cracking web of lines as Eyrine shuffled her aim from the ground to her left, across a splintered set of rocks, unleashing a massive arrow of light . Lucky gritted her teeth as she bent backward unnaturally, so much so that she could feel her spine crack slightly, while she swatted her daggers above her chest, barely managing to deflect the arrow . Even still, the sheer remnant energy belted against her chest, caving her lungs in and causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood while being cannoned into the earth, rolling through the thick trees and forming a boulder-shaped road by her body . Bloodied, dirtied and muddied, she immediately heaved onto her feet, ignoring the pain, her disheveled hair stered by blood against her angered face . Channeling Qi as quickly as she could, she molded back into the shadows, darting around the razed trees and boulders and through the rising storm of dust . Her figure vanished from the sights of those who stood opposite of her, each and every person nimbly pulling back into a tight circle with Eyrine and Huruk safely tucked in at the center . A shift in space to her left rmed Eyrine as she pulled her arm over Huruk and flung him behind her; just a breathter, a set of over a thousand fingernail-thin needles burst out, coated in an acidic liquid, toward them . She flung her bow to the floor and crossed her arms across her chest, channeling Qi into a makeshift screen of protection . Before it was broken through, the two were dragged sideways, over a dozen men faced with a rain of poison that felled each and every one of them by the end . Lucky appeared on the outside, behind a small shrubbery to their left; because she was tying them up, the fight was beginning to stabilize . However, both knew it was just temporary; she was growing tired, low on reserves, and the entanglement would cease soon enough . "An admirable effort," Eyrine spoke, meeting Lucky¡¯s thorny gaze . "Yet, just short of a sess . " " . . . if there¡¯s one thing you lot are good at, it¡¯s surviving like fuckin¡¯ cockroaches . Unless we shove your heads onto spikes, you always seem to find a way, some fuckin¡¯ hole to escape . " "Are you saying you won¡¯t try and escape?" Eyrine asked, smiling faintly . "Why would I want to escape?" Lucky smiled back, bringing up her daggers, flinging them over her fingers casually . "You¡¯ve had a decade to spy on us, to set up a group of usurpers that had us so fucked we nearly lost before the actual battle even began . . . yet you seem to have been rather indignant over not learning a single goddamn thing about us . " "Oh, we know enough . You¡¯re all quite the suckers for noble deaths," Huruk joined the conversation, atst, pulling Lucky¡¯s eyes from Eyrine . "Unsurprising, considering who you obey . " " . . . oh, fuck off," Lucky rolled her eyes at him . "What balls do you have to speak to me, you fuckin¡¯ worm? Stop hiding like a bitch that you are and step out for a second here, and see whether I¡¯d enjoy a noble death or carving your eyes out and shoving them so far up your ass you¡¯ll be seeing your shit ¡¯till the end of eternity . " " . . . funny, your tongue is even sharper than your des," Huruk chuckled, seemingly unbothered . "Though, I suppose, it runs in the family . Let¡¯s finish this up; we have to proceed to the next course . " "Very well . " Eyrine nodded, picking up her bow off the ground . "You should have epted my offer, little swan . Now . . . now you¡¯ll have to die . " "Eh," Lucky shrugged, beginning to mold back into the shadows . "We all die one day . At the very least, I¡¯ll ensure both of you apany me so I have someone to make fun of in the dull, boring eternity . " The battle resumed, with Lucky darting around as quickly as she could, asionally trying to strike at the weakest link in the full-circle defense, asionally throwing daggers from afar, and, most often, simply dodging the relentless onught of arrows Eyrine was firing . The woman seemed to have inexhaustible reserves of Qi, Lucky mused as she barely managed to dodge another one; yet, before the arrow¡¯s hit even registered with the earth, another one followed right after, bolting straight through Lucky¡¯s left arm, shaving it cleanly off her body . She stumbled with a cry and rolled to the side, hitting a tree, as blood began to gush out of her massive wound . She instinctively dropped the dagger from her right hand and pooled it over her wound, yet the bleeding hardly ceased . She was tired . So tired . Every bone in her body wept and creaked, unwilling to move . Her muscles sloped over them like kids having just thrown a tantrum, lying there motionless . She barely kept her eyes open, watching Eyrine walk out of the circle and toward her, stopping good ten meters in front of Lucky . Ah, thetter chuckled bitterly inward . She¡¯s not an idiot, I guess . " . . . the end of line . " Eyrine said . "Is it as noble as you imagined it¡¯d be?" " . . . ain¡¯t no nobility in death," Lucky said, coughing out some blood, feeling somewhat better afterward . "I failed, and thus I die . If he could, I imagine he¡¯d drag me out of my grave just to give me a lecture . Ha ha ha . . . " " . . . don¡¯t worry too much," Eyrine said . "He¡¯ll join you soon enough . Then, he can give you as many lectures as he wants . " " . . . ha ha ha," Luckyughed once more, meeting Eyrine¡¯s eyes squarely . "You can¡¯t kill ¡¯im,ss . Not you, not those you know, not those yet to be known . Short of him for some reason deciding to shove a de through his heart, he can¡¯t be killed . I do, however, invite you to try . I sure hope the afterlife is real, just so I can witness that blunder . Oh boy, I might piss myselfughing . " " . . . we¡¯ll see about that . " Eyrine said, lifting her bow up, aiming it at Lucky . Thetter closed her eyes, lowering her head, her heart at peace . She was thest remnant of his first failure; perhaps, with her gone, something inside him might finally push him over the line, absolving him of the darkest memories . Almost sixty years, she thought . Not bad for a Yondur brat everyone thought would never make it in life . . . "DON¡¯T YOU DARE!!!!" Lucky¡¯s eyes jolted open, her heart stirred, as the melodic voice, one full of anger and fury she had never heard in it before, tricked into her ears . Just as she opened her eyes, a blinding sh of light drowned out the world, burning through the membrane of reality, of spacetime, crashing directly in front of Lucky, turning the entirendscape around, for nearly two miles across, save for that small patch beneath a tree, into absolute inferno of death . Nothing -- absolutely nothing but the burning carnage of blood and gore remained after the fact, the singr de the size of a massive building stuck at the center, alight in resplendent gold . Ally, d in brilliant armor of gold and silver, her sun-beamed hair fluttering madly in the violent winds, stood with her back to the carnage, the pair of teary eyes staring into Lucky¡¯s . Her thin lips quivered as she bit the lower one, crouching down in front of Lucky and tenderly cing her hand on the cheek, caressing it as though she was touching ss . Something inside Lucky broke down as the corners of her eyes grew wet, her entire body shuddering for a moment; she¡¯d forgotten, so haplessly, that her fight was no longer just for him . She¡¯d forgotten the light that had breathed life back into her, re-anewed her when only empty destion loomed overhead . She¡¯d made peace with death too quickly, too easily, causing her heart to burn and churn in shame . " . . . I¡¯m in time . . . thank the gods I¡¯ve arrived in time . . . " Alison muttered in a cracking tone, leaning closer, hugging Lucky and bathing her in a brilliant glow, causing thetter¡¯s wounds to close up one after another at speeds that even the rarest pills couldn¡¯t match; within a matter of seconds, her missing arm regrew as though it was never cleaved cleanly off . "You¡¯re fine . . . you¡¯re fine . . . " she mumbled repeatedly into Lucky¡¯s ears as thetter pulled the few strings of strength she had remaining in her to wrap her arms back around the woman that had just saved her life . In the aftermath of bloodbath within which over eight thousand souls were felled in a single sh of light that no one could reconcile or exin, the two sat underneath a tree surrounded by andscape so torn it was unrecognizable . They sat, embraced, oblivious to the world around them, bathed in a warm, golden glow of the inward sun . The eternity was brushed alive at that moment, sketched into reality; why am I fighting? Lucky thought as she felt Alison¡¯s body shivering . Why was she fighting? For glory? Riches? Renown? For Lino? For Hannah? For the Empire? No, she realized . Her motives, in her heart of hearts, were far more selfish . She was fighting for this moment -- so that it may spill over like ink onto the canvas, far off into eternity . Chapter 504 Chapter 504 CHAPTER 504 WILL OF THE SPEAR Ion muffled a cry, ducking so quickly he snapped one of his knees, stirring dirt beneath his feet . A curtain of darkness folded above him, passing like a storm, as he slid onward, grinding the spear he held tightly against the ravaged ground . Snapping it twice over, he used the burst of energy to lift himself up and turn, spinning a full circle before thrusting the spear in a downward angle, toward the ground, with all the force he¡¯d managed to umte . The thrust splintered the spacetime around the spear, ripping through it and striking at Erebus who stepped back into the shadows, vanishing . The shadows arose violently from the earth like a man-sized grass, looming in concentric circles at whose heart Ion fell . He shoved the shaft of the spear under his armpit, grabbing at it with his hand and spinning a full circle again, stirring the winds and the earth in a single bout . Earthly pirs shot out of the ground, cleaved cleanly in half and sent flying like the burning boulders across the sky . He gasped, stumbling for a moment, setting the spear against the ground and holding onto it . ncing to the side, he saw the slither of shadows shaped like a soul-devouring de trace toward his throat; his focus sharpened, eyes billowing jets of transparent smoke, as he gripped the shaft tightly, rounding it back over his shoulder and swiping in a crescent, downward motion, swatting away the iing attack . His legs alight, he bolted toward the source of the de, cutting through the all-epassing darkness, and reaching the ck-d figure in it . Just as his thrust was about to pierce Erebus¡¯ shoulder, his spear seemed to crackle and crack, like the ssed bowl thrown against the wall . Startled, he pulled back, realizing it was still whole, unharmed; however, the crackling continued, like the booming calls of thunder . He felt as though he was standing in the high-skies during the monumental storm, surrounded by nature¡¯s carnage, yet not seeing any of it . He pulled back instinctively, ramming his spear repeatedly at odd angles around him; his eyes couldn¡¯t see that creature of nihility, the creature beyondpare . The crackling continued, consuming his world; he could nary hear the sounds of the distant battles, the cries of friends and foes alike, or the deafening sts of world-consuming arts . Focusing all his senses on the source of the crackling, he was still unable to pinpoint it, forcing him to enter a defensive stance; he stepped into it, focusing Qi into his senses, lifting the spear perpendicrly to his body . A lighting-quick thrust to the left followed, his eyes shimmering as the tip of the spear pierced through the membrane of reality . What followed was a monumental cry of pain and the seeding roar of anger . Darkness descended en-mass, like the toppling of the day by the starless, moonless night . All his senses closed, his body feeling strangely disoriented . However, he still held onto the spear, held onto the feeling of piercing someone¡¯s flesh; entering the push-and-pull game, he overcame the opposition, in the end, dragging the humanoid creature from the eerie nothingness . It hardly registered with him that she looked like a young girl, as he immediately curled his fingers into a fist, sting away at her face . Blood sprayed out in droves as he felt a painful stab into the back of his spine; grunting and gritting his teeth, he used his free hand to reach toward the waist-strapped belt and take out a dagger, shoving it back . He, once again, cut through the flesh, reaching the bone itself . The pressure, however, didn¡¯t vanish; if anything, he could feel the de of darkness crawling deeper into him, sizzling through the Qi-reinforced bones . "Oh, fuck of!!!" he roared at the top of his lungs, bending sideways and snapping the de -- part of it gushed out, alongside his blood, while the other part remained lodged in his spine . The pain, he felt, was beyond the capacity of exnation; it felt as though each one of his nerves was on fire, as though each of his bones was being ground by a massive hammer, as though each one of his muscles was being ripped apart with bare hands at the same time . Yet, he endured; like a creature pushed into a corner, drove to the serenity of madness, he gritted his teeth, blood spraying out of his gums, and drove closer to the creature of nihility . He grabbed her by the throat and pulled her toward him, gripping it with as much force as he could muster . He wouldn¡¯t let her crawl back into the nothingness . He couldn¡¯t . "NO!!!!" a hurried, panicked cry came from behind him as his grip tightened further alongside the spear he dug out of her flesh and pointed at in-between her eyes . The horror and fear in them, in the lucidly ck swirls of elementary nothing, didn¡¯t give him a pause; he¡¯d long since forgotten to care for the terrified faces of those he killed, be they seasoned veterans or boys and girls sent to the war for the first time . He shoved the spear right through her skull, in-between her eyes, driving the entire tip through till it burst on the other side . A cry was stifled quickly, the ends of her body spasming madly for but a second before they turned dull and dumb . He still held tightly on the throat he could curl his fingers around easily, gasping for breath, as he watched the world around him rapture -- nothing became everything, and everything became nothing . Bends and uses of reality flipped unto themselves, the darkness turning to the ever-consuming light, the tangible Qi vanishing and reappearing millions of times within the span of a single breath . The earth beneath his feet crumbled as he began to fall into an abyss, only to ssh into a massive body of ck water which, in turn, swallowed him like a tunnel, belting him out into a blood-dyed skyline . He began falling through the sky, the sensation of grating wind irritating his wounds . He crashed into a sword-shaped mountain, yet it was hardly a crash . Rather, he molded into it, like a finger stuck into jelly, swallowed whole and spat back out into the realm of darkness . The journey was short-lived, barely a few seconds, yet it shook him down to his core . It was only then that he realized he¡¯d killed the Bearer of Nihility . He felled one of the most enigmatic figures to have ever lived . "DAMN YOU TO HELL!!!" his mind was called back to reality by a roar and the startling sensation of bone-breaking pain . A series of ded-lights pierced through him, cleaving open one wound after another as he fell forward, the body he was tightly holding onto turning into ash . He fell and stumbled, rolling over the crescendo of thrusting sounds; he felt too weak to even turn back and look into the eye of darkness . He was drained, like a starving man looking at the table full of exotic foods, yet forever unable to reach it . Yet, he smiled . He hated smiling; he hated feeling the content of joy, as it reminded him of the time ofcency, when he was too weak to protect those he loved . Now, however, he was no longer that man; he turned into someone who can lead others, who can fight for others, and who can protect others . He became what he looked up to his entire adult life -- a guardian, someone who can shoulder the death itself for others . "DAMN YOU!!" the cries grew woeful as he felt his body spin by the strength of a vicious grip that left his ribs bruised . The man loomed over him, darkened shadows folding over the edges of his body . His face was distorted, a cross between anger and pain, eyes bloodshot-red, tears cradling his sunken cheeks . "WHY?!! WHY?!!" " . . . " Ion didn¡¯t reply; rather, he couldn¡¯t . He felt as though there was a river of blood stuck in his throat, but even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t . He¡¯d asked the ¡¯why¡¯ portion of the eptance plenty times before in his life . No answer will ever sate the bone-deep hunger . No reason, ever, will feel justified . He loved her, Ion realized; cleanly, purely, drowned in the affection . But, Ion himself had loved plenty who died . As had thousands and millions of others, and perhaps billions through the eons of time . Love is forever finite, Ion hade to realize; ites andes, healing the hundred-times broken heart, all the same, giving it new life . " . . . why . . . why . . . " Erebus¡¯ weeps became low and somber, his energy depleting like a deting balloon . His hand slowly inched closer to Ion¡¯s throat, the hand draped wholly in a thick masquerade of shadows . Ion could feel death looming; for a trifling moment, a surge of regrets billowed into his heart . He had nothing leaving behind him; no family, no proper legacy . Just a single story of him swallowed in the curtain of darkness, and when thetter pulled back,ying there in the cold, dead . Yet, the regrets vanished quickly . He didn¡¯t care for the glory or the legacy of his name, but the imminent moments of life . For the struggles to ovee, to overwhelm . He may not ink his name into the writs of history, but he has inked it into the hearts of countless people . In them, he will live on, like a legend . He felt the hard, trembling grip tighten around his neck as Erebus finally met his gaze squarely . The pain vanished in lieu of anger, the thirst for vengeance; Ion remembered, he was just the same . It was far easier to give in to the blood-boiling anger, to me, to project, than it was to ept . It temporarily patches the breaking mind, gives it a faint glimmer of purpose; however, as with all things of people, it was temporary . The pain would return, like the surging waves washing over the ckened shores of the cracking mind . Closing his eyes, Ion epted it, weing the Bearer¡¯s fury . He paid his dues, lived a full life, however short it may have been . He did something . "DON¡¯T YOU DARE!!!" a melodic voice broke out all of a sudden, burning through the membrane of the curtailing darkness that surrounded the two . It was terribly familiar, yet beyond distant; he¡¯d heard Alison speak many times before, yet never with such fervor and anger . It was different, startling . His eyes jolted open just in time to watch as the brilliant, resplendent, warm light burned through the surrounding realm of darkness, burned like the fire burns through the piece of parchment . It washed over the reality like the rolling thunder, blowing back the entire curtain in one, fell swoop . The light embraced him, as though it was a mother protecting her child; it filled every inch of him, unfolding a rebirth of his mind, body, and will . The light was unstoppable; it backed against Erebus and sent the man flying, forcing him to unfurl his fingers from Ion¡¯s neck, blowing him back like a broken kite through the sky . The night turned into the most beautiful, the most brilliant day Ion had ever seen . Cloudless . Warm . Ever-embracing . It gave him strength the likes of which he never experienced, the feeling that he cannot be killed . That he was eternal, just like the cosmic void . It healed him, strengthened him, grew him anew . He underwent such a startling metamorphosis that, for a moment, he believed this was all a fabrication of his splintered mind; that, in some deep ends, he was unwilling to ept death, and thus came up with such a fanatical story to excuse himself from it . However, it was real . All of it was real . The men and women surging toward him in a circle with panicked yet relieved expressions . The folding and kneeling enemy lines that seemed to have met their God in person . The stuffed silence where the onught of war should be . It was all . . . real . Chapter 505 Chapter 505 CHAPTER 505 THE LAST RESORT A terrible jet of energy suffocated the Qi in Rio¡¯s surroundings, temporarily trapping him within a breathless realm . Void of strength, he was unable to prevent a slithering pang from tangling around his waist, pressing like a massive tong, cracking his bones . A heralded shout burst past the edifice of suffocation, a greatsword cleaving through its membrane, splitting the wet, slippery body of the Skyserpent as blood gushed out, dyeing Rio¡¯s body . Xia walked over in rapid footsteps, gasping for breath, her hair disheveled, shoving several glistening pills into his mouth and forcing him to swallow them . They dissolved rather quickly, the gushing stream of healing helping his bones regrow anew . He sat up stumbling, holding onto the halberd and Xia, as both turned their eyes toward the sky -- the swarm was endless . It was a torrent, like a high-season rain -- it never ceased . Tapping and tapping . They stumbled back once again as over two-dozen stepped forward in their ce, holding the line . Namia and Yun kept up the support from the back, light and shadow manifesting into des and daggers, seemingly without a stop . Yet, everyone knew they, too, had finite reserves of Qi; and those reserves were running out quickly . Rio and Xia sat down, side by side, entering meditative positions, trying to recover as much Qi as possible in the short respite they were afforded by the sacrifice of others . They couldn¡¯t seek help elsewhere, as each front of the battle was beginning to copse, like a house of cards . Each held by the edges of their teeth, fires of fervor burning almost visibly over their heads . Rio couldn¡¯t grasp how they were yet to falter, to be pushed back, to be utterly annihted . What was blowing in their backs and keeping them asteady escaped him, though he hardly cared to venture for an answer . He imagined each soul had its own reasons -- fighting for the symbol, for the glory, for themselves, for the home, for other people back home or even here, among them . Whatever held them standing, Rio mused, was good enough . "We can¡¯t continue like this," Xia mumbled from the side, having recovered somewhat . "We won¡¯tst even a few minutes more . " "What do you propose?" Rio asked . " . . . " Xia remained silent, biting her lower lip . She¡¯d been orchestrating the entire battle so far, and Rio realized it was unfair to expect her to know the answer to everything . Taking a deep breath, he steeled his heart and turned toward her . "I may have an idea . " he said . "Eh?" she turned toward him quickly, a twinkle of hope sparkling in her eyes . Rio found himself frozen for a moment, locked in those gems that he never felt closer to, but managing to rip himself away, realizing now was not the time . "You do?" she probed . "It¡¯s a bit insane . . . " "At this point, there¡¯s no other kind of an idea . " she mused with a faint smile as he chuckled back . "I suppose so," nodding, Rio turned away from her and looked up . "We keep going in and back out, always just before we would be in danger . What if we . . . just . . . stayed? Tested our luck? Force ourselves to be pushed into the corner without a way out, and hope for the best . " " . . . put it all on a table?" Xia mumbled . "My, I never expected that suggestion toe from you of all people . " "I¡¯ve a feeling you just insulted my manly pride there . " "You¡¯ve no manly pride . " Xia said, her lips curling up into a smile . "Be that as it may," Rio said, coughing lowly . "I do have some pride in me . I am a soldier, after all . What do you think?" "Let¡¯s do it . " " . . . don¡¯t you want to deliberate on it a bit?" Rio eximed in faint shock as she immediately agreed to it, even going as far as to stand up . "Deliberate on it?" she looked down at him in faint confusion . "We¡¯ll have plenty of time to deliberate in death, Rio . Now? Only act . Act, act, and act . You think too much . Sometimes, you just ought to listen to your heart and charge . Throw yourself into the brick wall until it copses . " " . . . or until you break your bones in the process and die?" he replied, though he got up as well . "Or that," she nodded,ughing . He could still not quite get used to the sound of her melodicughter -- it contrasted far too much with the frigid countenance she disyed to the world . Only around him, he realized, she would thaw . "But, I believe our bones are sturdy enough to endure . The wall¡¯s in danger, not us . " "Man," Rio took a deep breath, picking up his halberd . "It is difficult to remain rational with you around . You¡¯re awfully lot like Lino . " "Eh? The Emperor?" Xia still seemed to have trouble adjusting to Rio calling the Emperor by his first name so casually, which provided him plenty of chuckles . "Hm," Rio nodded, taking another deep breath and turning toward the sky . "You two have the tendency to ignore the likeliest oues, or, rather, to just usurp the general expectations of the reality . One moment, he¡¯d beughing with me, making silly jokes at my expense, and the next he¡¯d be running off to take on the entire Army of Hell on his own . You¡¯re just like that," he turned toward her, lifting his hand and patting her head gently for a moment . "Though, I suppose, it¡¯s one part of why I fell in love with you . " "Because I was the closest you could get to your dear Emperor?" she teased back with a smile, causing him tough . "Nay," Rio shook his head, steeling his feet and getting into a stance, ready tounch himself over . "Because you are everything I ever wanted to be . " He bolted over, leaving behind a trail of dust, quickly taking over the frontline that was once again copsing . Xia followed right after, somewhat starstruck, though still focused . The two startled their peers, as well as their subordinates when, instead of rooting themselves at the front and defending, they charged past the line of the skirmish, past where the heat of the battle was settled and dove straight into the heart of the foe¡¯s army . Countless Skyserpents, simrly, experienced a startling shock, freezing for a moment, as they saw two tiny, lightden dots sh into their ranks so abrasively . Rio roared, his body grown armored in two-part fracture; one end, his left, was as chilly as the mountains of the North, icy steam sparking back and folding over the edges of his body, his left eye shaking in startlingly cyan sheen . The other part, the right side of his body, was wholly alight, aze in the colors of the fire . The mes pivoted toward his heart and out, belting out smoke in droves, forming a stark contrast of two opposites that should not be possible . Right by his side, Xia shone in resplendent gold and silver, her crimson hair attuning, the greatsword in her arms shuddering and shivering in excitement . A beam of light covered the two as they felt their veins pulsate, the Qi in them surge, their stats skyrocketing . Both nced back for a moment at the distant figure who, smiling-still, nodded at them and copsed, passing out due to tiredness . Yun stood by Namia¡¯s side, helping her lie down, his eyes glued to the two of them . At that moment, he shed them a strange grin and shook his head, quickly beginning to re-orient the forces around the reckless actions of the two of them . They dove straight into the sea of the Skyserpents, the eerily-wet and slippery bodies crowding around them in droves, dancing in a strange fashion . They seemed capable of defying the Laws of Gravity, as they could surge in all directions at will, with no need for proper eleration . Rio chucked his halberd overhead, crushing it into powder and reforming it into a giant de of fire and ice . He controlled it with the movements of his fingers, slicing away the behemoth of a sword downward in an arc, cutting through the transparent bodies . Xia stood by his side like the eternal guardian, preventing anyone froming near him . Her body alight, she swung the greatsword as though it was a thin branch of a tree; each one of her strikes produced a loud whizz and boon, light bouncing off the edge of her de, fired off like the cannonball, cleaving cleanly through the countless tails and ws . The bloodbath ensued as the edifices of light, fire, and ice bloomed like a colossal lotus in the high-skies, tearing away countless Skyserpents from their ground charge, drawing focus . Those still aground watched with glistening eyes the two figures above them, watched them as they beheld the world at their fingers . Xia shuffled sideways, tearing open a wound in spacetime as she grasped at the approaching Skyserpent, which towered greatly over her, with her left arm, keeping the greatsword afloat with only her right; with a soul-bounding shout, she pulled the beast downward and elbowed it in the end, ushering in a massive wound that sprayed bodily matter all over her, dyeing her stark armor in a strange, glittering tint of silver . The creature fell from the high-skies, dead, as she turned and swung the de in a full circle, sending out a massive arc of light . Rio repeatedly moved his fingers, firing the massive sword left and right, repeatedly avoiding the Skyserpents to the best of his abilities . He hung on, though just barely, when he noticed the serpents change their target from him to Xia . rmed, he turned toward her and saw her holding back over a dozen creatures, each managing to strike at her from her blind angles ever so often, creating one wound after another . With a panicked cry, he shifted the de over toward her, only to be struck from the side . Stumbling over his own reality, the pain assailed his senses, though he did manage to somehow send thest strike of the massive sword at around Xia, alleviating some of the pressure she was facing . Drained and tired, he couldn¡¯t recover his footing in time as he began crashing through the sky like a falling star . Xia noticed it, rapidly disengaging while allowing herself to be hit over two dozen times more, diving into a free fall toward him and barely managing to wrap her left arm around his waist, pulling herself beneath his back, before they crashed into the ground, opposite of where their forces were . The inertia dragged them on for good two miles before they came to a stop, just beneath a slight-rising hill, surrounded in a now-ruined meadow of green . Both gasped rapidly for their breaths, wound tightly together, bleeding . Rio turned up and smiled bitterly; she was much worse off, wound after wound retailing through her features, her eyes barely open . A deep pang assailed his heart, the strange sense of unworthiness returning; had he been a smidge stronger, a smidge smarter or faster, he might have been of more use to her . He might have even endured longer, been able to help her better, and work in concert with her tighter . The way it was, however, was her adjusting herself to him, holding back, covering for his shorings . " . . . I¡¯m sorry," he mumbled lowly, nestling into her cracked breastte . "I¡¯m . . . sorry . . . " " . . . for what?" her voice replied lowly as she struggled to breathe . "We gave it our all . It just wasn¡¯t enough . " "But--" "Did you give it your all?" she interrupted . " . . . " "If you did," she continued . "Then you¡¯ve nothing to feel sorry for . Perhaps only thecking luck . That¡¯s all on you . " "Pfft, ha ha ha, cough, cough," Rioughed, hurting his lungs in the process, though he hardly seemed to care . "You know, I always thought a sense of humor was lost on you . " "What are you talking about?" she said . "Among my sisters, I was always humorous ones . " " . . . one of your sisters is a nun, and the other one is a philosopher," Rio said . "It¡¯d be stranger if you hadn¡¯t been the humorous one . " "Ah, fair enough . But, I am slightly hurt you thought me a humorless woman who only knew how to swing about her sword . " "Hey, that¡¯s on you! You never used to make jokes!" "I am making them now, aren¡¯t I?" "What? I should have judged you with the hindsight that I didn¡¯t have?" "Something like that . " " . . . pfft, ha ha, alright, alright," he said, struggling to sit up by her side . "My bad, my bad . I should have been able to see into the future . " "What now? Any crazy ns?" she asked, noticing the swarm diving toward them . "Pray?" "Eh, sounds as good as any I¡¯ve got . " she shrugged . "Who do you pray to?" " . . . anyone who¡¯d listen?" "Ah, how will they listen if you don¡¯t specify? Gods, the lot, are rather proud . ¡¯nless you go about praying in a convoluted ritual, they turn deaf . " " . . . well, let¡¯s hope they might be feeling rather generous today . " "Ay, let¡¯s . . . " "DON¡¯T YOU DARE!!!" the voice familiar to them both, yet one eerily strange and distant, resounded through the world -- it broke it down, in a sense, as the holy winds stirred about madly . Both could hear the resulting crash cleanly and even feel the after-effects of it miles and miles away from the epicenter . The somewhat dyed, yet evenly massive, wave of holy light filled with warmth surged, washing over their broken bodies, healing every inch of them in what felt like a blink of an eye . What would take weeks, if not months, with using pills and proper treatments, took . . . nothing . Not even the amount of time worth mentioning . Both Rio and Xia were too startled to speak for a moment, remaining frozen, leaned against each other . " . . . well," Rio mumbled, his gaze turning dubious . "I¡¯ll be damned . It actually worked . " "Pfft, ha ha ha ha ha . . . . " Chapter 506 Chapter 506 CHAPTER 506 EDIFICE OF CREATION She felt adrift, floating along the sea of non-existent stars . She could hardly tell how long she had been climbing the steep steps, surrounded by the eternity of nothing . Odd after an odd feeling swelled within her as the memories, some recent and some as old as time itself, began storming her mind . Her eyes were dull, lost in those terrible memories, her lips quivering ever so often as though grazed by the cold . Though now she knew more than she ever expected she would, all that knowledge was crammed too quickly into her mind; her head hurt, yet hardly as much as her heart . It, in an odd, metaphysical way, bled, heralding her into silent tears . E came to a stop atst, for she had reached the end -- onest step remained until she was at the top . What was there? She couldn¡¯t tell . Void . Thest step led straight into the void as far as she could see . She slumped, sitting down, cradling her knees with her arms, rocking back and forth as though she were a child in the midst of thundering skies . She seemed to age -- not in the way she usually would, but actually age . Not in appearance, per se, but more so in the eyes, in the countenance, in the asional gray swelling in her golden hair . She had found out who she was, atst, after pondering on the question ever since her mind awoke two-thousand-something years ago . For twenty centuries she was at odds with what others spoke as truth since she seemed to have always instinctively know if something was the truth or not -- and more often than not it wasn¡¯t . Now she knew exactly why she felt that way, and why she could do the things she could . It wasn¡¯t some ethereal talent, or a peculiar, inborn gift; she wasn¡¯t the blessed in thend of the cursed . . . she was never growing stronger, just remembering . Remembering what she had forgotten a long, long, long time ago . After what felt like months, she finally got up and straightened her back, facing thest step . She hade so far, she may as well cross to the other side . As she crossed it, her mind jolted, as though assailed by ten thousand bolts of heavenly lightning, causing her to cry out in pain as she held to her head . A flush of memories streamed into her mind, thest bit, thest piece of the puzzle she was missing, overwhelming her as she stumbled over thest step and fell off, adrift in the ripping of the void . She had no mind to pay attention to it, however, as thest of the memories awoke within her, the moment of the past that could not be quantified . She, among nine others, stood amidst the nothingness -- not the void, not the emptiness of the cosmos . . . but the nothingness . No light nor dark, nows, no energies, no matter . Their figures were eerily blurred, glitching in and out of existence, and all stood in a full circle, surrounding an edifice of boundless height . It seemed like an obelisk, yet was more; wide at the bottom, it sprung straight out in one dimension, then twice out in the second, then four times in the third, eight in the fourth, sixteen in the fifth, thirty-two in the sixth . . . it sprung and grew like the mythical Tree of Creation, its branches reaching everything, even if there was nothing . It had no color, nor a particrly distinct shape; E concluded its appearance more so from a generic association rather than the actual observation . Along the thinly-carved crevices of its surface, gemsy embedded, fiercely alight . No, not gems -- stars . The scale shifted as her memory bnced out, with her growing beyond small, while the obelisk grew extensively eternal . So many stars . . . so many differences among them . . . theyy embedded along the main body, along the splitting branches of the higher dimensions, along every edge of the brilliant surface . E realized, at that moment, this was the cosmos . No, not just the cosmos she knew . The everything . The blurred figures of the others came into focus as they all looked toward her, their expressions of grace, yearning, and joy . Names, one by one, began to etch themselves into her soul . The names that were banished from her eons ago . The faces that she was forced to obliterate from her memory . The voices she was so keen on hearing again . She could see the desire in their eyes to rush over, yet they seemed incapable of movement . Of course, she mused . It¡¯s just a memory . Yet, it felt like more . Five men and four women seemed to outstretch their arms toward her, their voices, though silent, as loud as any she¡¯d heard, calling out to her . nor . nor . nor . "You -- have -- remembered --" instead of their voices, however, she heard another -- just as familiar, yet one far less warm, and far moremanding . She instinctively felt like copsing onto her knees and bowing in reverence, yet a force greater than her own held her back from it . The voice spoke directly into her mind, one so ancient it was even less quantifiable than the timeline of her life . A voice that outstripped the momentous timeline of everything . E heaved her head up slowly and looked into the infinite above, where she saw a pair of eyes dazzle the ¡¯sky¡¯ . Colorless . Colorful . Full . Empty . Indescribable . She felt fire akindle within her when she met the pair, her strength crossing over into the realms she thought were even impossible . "You -- have -- regained --," the voice spoke again, the pair of eyes blinking, shuddering the nothingness . "And -- remembered . Forgive -- Us -- but -- We -- require -- Your -- Assistance -- after -- All . " . . . " E remained mum, partly because she could not speak physically, and partly because she felt too ashamed to speak in such a grand presence . "Our -- Paradox -- Awoke," the voice continued . "Threatens -- Us . A Seed . Long . Inimical . A Foil . It Resides -- a Boy . Yours . Growing . Grows . As We Feared . As We anticipated . Enriched; Erged . Dangerous -- Worlds Adangered . nor . nor . Assist Us . As Expected . Unwritten . Our -- Engine -- of -- Creation . It Pains Us -- but -- You are Not -- to -- Create -- but -- Destroy . nor . nor . Our -- Engine of Creation -- Agent of Destruction . Obliterate . Awake . " She was still adrift, now not in the empty void, but among the ceaseless stars . She could see them everywhere around her, burning, zing, speeding through space . Her lips were parted, eyes widened, body limp and listless . Then, like a tidal surge, tears streamed out of her eyes, freezing on her cheeks, building up like mountains . Her heart felt stabbed countless times over, throbbing, begging to cease beating . " . . . no . . . " she muttered to no one but herself, for there was neither the living nor the dead to hear her . "Not that . . . no . . . no . . . please . . . no . . . " She trembled softly, her heart the epicenter of quakes of pain, her mind a turbulent storm with no seeming end . It was too much; for all the things she had experienced, both in this and many other lives, none built up the wall that would have prevented the copse of the moment . She spun her head softly and slowly to her left, looking into the vast distance, beyond the membrane of the existing dimensions . To her home . To the ce of her creation . If she tried going there now, using all her strength, she would fail to reach it before her death . And if she had another million lifetimes, she would still fail to reach it . It was too distant . Too far away . On the other hand, Noterra was so close; barely a few weeks¡¯ long journey, and she would be back . Back to the people she loved, back to the ce she called home for so many years now . And back to the ce she would have to ravage . The mere thought pained her, the mere idea terrified her; she couldn¡¯t refuse, yet she couldn¡¯t ept . And there was no other choice, she knew . All would end in simr oues -- fighting . Fighting . Fighting . Even if she refused, someone else would be sent toplete what she had failed . Such were the ways of Creation; ineffable, undetermined, unabashed . She whimpered softly, facing the wall of absolutes, a prong with no right choice . No proper choice . No choice that both her mind and heart were willing to make . She shouldn¡¯t have climbed those stairs . She should have turned around when she realized what they represented . She shouldn¡¯t have taken thest one, as there was still time to turn away . She would know nigh everything, yet not all . What now? she pondered . Chapter 507 Chapter 507 CHAPTER 507 SYMPHONIES Lino and Hannah belted across the high-skies, now dulled in ashen-gray clouds and pelting, cold rain, stamping behind them two trails of fluttering light, etching out their trajectory . They moved as quickly as they could, dry anxiousness swelling in both their hearts, eyes perennially-glued to the distant ground down below . They could visibly trace the movement of a massive army as it constructed a massive footpath across the ins, racing toward the City of Sun . Neither dared do a rough headcount, as they feared what they might find . The rain¡¯s chilliness managed to calm Lino somewhat, causing his swell of emotions to soothe . It has been a long time since he felt the eroding trembles burn through him, though it was hardly the first . He never worried about losing the war itself -- be it when he was thrust into the battle with Primes, or when he finally left the realm and found the initial battlefront desecrated -- but causing irreparable damages to the spirit of the Empire . ncing to the side, he saw Hannah¡¯s worried expression, mirroring his . For her, perhaps, it might be even worse as, unlike him, she wholly thrust herself into the matters of the Empire, meeting and knowing thousands of souls personally, drawing lines of connection between all of them . He tightened his grip on her hand, jolting her out of her deep thoughts and causing her to look to the side, at him . Amidst the stormy clouds and the dry, soot-doused rain, the green of her irises appeared to be shining, like two brilliant gems cast into the pool of dull liquid . Not even the shes of lightning could overcast the shine of her eyes; if anything, it was made duller byparison . She smiled at him, the sort of a smile that, in his eyes, only she could pull off so effortlessly; the slight dimples tucked at the wide-ends of her lips, cheeks blooming slightly, eyes curling in crescent, brows arching up imperceptibly . Though the age may have added a few lines to her face, it only served to enunciate her beauty . "--after all of this is over," he said, smiling back . "We really need to take a vacation . " "Haven¡¯t you been on a vacation for the past decade?" she shed him a dubious look for a moment . "No, no, I mean, both of us," he said . "And Aaria . We¡¯ll go somece . Somewhere in the trees or the hills or the mountains, somewhere by the river . Every mornin¡¯, we¡¯ll make a grandiose tradition of fishin¡¯, and every night of drinkin¡¯ . " "You are awfully quick to abandon the post of your duties," she chuckled . "Though, I suppose, it doesn¡¯t sound half-bad . I do think Aaria, however, will take some issue with being taken away from all her friends . " "Bah, the years we have her for ourselves are short," Lino snorted . "By gods, I¡¯ll make use of every second, lest I regret itter . " "Aah, I always knew you were going to be a possessive one," Hannah sighed, shaking her head lightly . "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to stand on the girl¡¯s side for this one . " "For this one?" it was Lino¡¯s turn to look at her dubiously . "I haven¡¯t seen you on my side since the birth of that little devil, Hannah . " "Because you were never right . " "I¡¯m always right!" "Ah, but of course . My apologies, Mr . Right . " "Scoff all you want," Lino cracked a smile . "But name a Mr . Righter for you than me . " "I could name a good dozen if you wouldn¡¯t run off to kill them . " she fired back . "Dozen? My, it sounds like I¡¯m quite receable in the end . Oh, woe is me!" "Ah, I wouldn¡¯t mourn if I were you; nary a single has an Empire to his name . A woman of my stature, naturally, has to have a high post to reflect her inner greatness!" "Oh, I didn¡¯t know your love was tied to my crown more so than my heart," Lino stered a hurt expression on his face . "How rueful . " "In equal realm," Hannah said, smiling . "Your love is tied to my holes and lumps; I¡¯m the rueful one here, clearly . " "No, no, you¡¯re more than your mounds and crevices! There¡¯s also your curves, your ps, your feet--" "Eww, goddammit, do you have to ruin everything?" she rolled her eyes, sighing and shaking her head, the wet locks of her hair rocking back and forth over her forehead . "I honestly think you do it on purpose . " "No, no, I¡¯m really just that disgusting," Lino grinned, chuckling afterward as it got better of him . "We¡¯re almost there . " he added, ncing down toward the distant ground . "Whatever we see," she said, tightening her grip . "You can¡¯t lose your shit . I don¡¯t have the strength to deal with that right now . " " . . . yea, you do," he said after a short pause, his smile mellowing . "You always do . But, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t . " The two were startled by a sudden, distant cry, one that was apanied by a blinding burst of light that shot out like a pir into the sky, burning away at the oveing clouds, bringing the faintly-beaming sun rays in . They were still too far to clearly hear the voice, with it being distorted somewhat, causing them to speed up and almost immediately appear in the skies above the City of Sun . The city itself, much to their relief, still stood, tall and defiant as it always seemed to be . Though, as though there was an untraceable line cutting through thendscape, they could vividly see two canvases beneath them; one still resplendent, and the other, scorched in a hellish inferno beyond match . Frowning, the two sought with their eyes the source of the blinding light and immediately saw it, cradled inside a massive crater still alight, d in a brilliant armor of sorts . The burst seemed to have interrupted the battle, as both sides stood some ways from each other, staring cautiously at one another . A perfect sort of a stalemate existed, the soil waiting with bated breath for the first to break the tranquility . Yet, nobody did . "--who would have taught Ally would arrive before us?" Hannah mused aloud . "Remember that her dear wife was in danger," Lino shrugged . "I imagine we could practically trace back her journey from her to back home through the rips in spacetime . " "Aah," Hannah sighed inment . "I remember the days you sought me with such urgency . Now, it¡¯s all, ¡¯hey wife, grab me a beer¡¯, ¡¯hey woman, I know you¡¯re headed into a dangerous situation, but could you fix me dinner first¡¯ and ¡¯hey woman¡¯ while tapping the bedsheet next to you . What happened Lyonel? Oh, dear gods, what happened?" " . . . we clearly havepletely different understandings of our lovely marriage," Lino fired back, smiling . "Though, in your case, it seems you don¡¯t see it as lovely no more . " "What¡¯s lovely about being taken for granted? I decry such behavior!" "Aye, aye, you decry plenty," Lino chuckled at her exaggerated expression . "Come on, let¡¯s go help them . We¡¯ve long days ahead of us; let¡¯s not extend them any further . " Whilst Lino descended directly toward the heart of the battle, speeding as a burst of light, Hannahgged behind and instead went toward the heart of their own army, toward the stunned Generals and Commanders still engaged with the burst of light that had long since vanished . The eight or so men failed to even notice her as she appeared next to them, instead tracing their eyelines toward the high-skies where, among the damp, ashen clouds of the distant horizons, a gaping hole of light existed . "She packs a lot in that seemingly fragile body of hers, doesn¡¯t she?" her voice woke the men and women from their stupors, startling them into cowering before realizing who she was . "A-ah! Y-your Majesty!!" recovering haphazardly, the eight quickly formed a crescent line on the floor as they knelt respectfully, shaking visibly in their boots . "Arise," Hannah said simply, the yful countenance she disyed only in front of Lino having long since vanished, reced by distanced demeanor . The eight obeyed, slowly shooting up to their feet; none were a part of the older generation, but instead werergely young and inexperienced leaders thrust into an unfavorable position by the virtue of where they were . Not unlike her not too long ago . "You can rx," she added . "The battle¡¯s over . " "Y-your Majesty?" "Start sending requests for Cleverboys and Clevergirls," she said . "And drag all the cleaners over here and toward the Mountain Pass . There¡¯s a lot we need to go through in the following few days . Also, contact the Council and have them start preparing for the Mass Pyre that will be held in the month¡¯s time . Erect another stele in the District of Heroes, and have carvers pour their blood into it . " ** Lino looked straight ahead, standing amidst the foes who dared not take a step forward; no, not even dared, they were physically unable to move . His mere presence was enough to staple the entire army to the ground . On the other side, clout in thick shimmers of Qi, he recognized a few familiar faces -- Six, Seven and Eight, among others . The three had rather decrepit expressions, having immediately realized what his being here meant for the overall destination of the battle . They had lost, and nothing could change that anymore . None tried to run, for better or worse, seemingly willing themselves over to his judgment, and the judgment of those that they¡¯d be trialed under . Their fates sealed, they dispersed the Qi from their bodies and sat down on the ravaged ground, cross-legged, closing their eyes . Days ahead, they knew . . . would be eerily tragic . Chapter 508 Chapter 508: 508 CHAPTER 508 SETTLING ASHES Three days had passed since the battle, already named ¡¯The Battle of Extinction¡¯, had ended . Though three days, in plenty of circumstances, might be a lot, for this specific asion it was hardly so . At first nce, nothing seems to have changed . Thendscape, running all the way from the Eastern Mountain Pass over to the threshold of the City of Sun, remained ravaged, grass of green nowhere to be spotted . Stench still permeated, one so bad nary a soul could approach it without retching out on the side . Swords, axes, shields, armors, all ilk of craftsy strewn about where once a roady, and where once the green fields pleased the eye . Smoke, still, reigned supreme; it billowed out, dancing in the faint winds, curving and bending, converging into the sky . Some ces still burned, some were finally ceasing, and some were stretches of soot and ash . Corpses beyond count decorated the entirety of the ins outside the City of Sun; hundreds of thousands, piled into countless mounds, friend and foe alike lying next to one another, both cold and rotting . It was hard to look at the sight and not see the stars before passing out, hard to take it all in and ept it -- after all, just three days ago, all of these dead were among the living . Still whole . Alive . Breathing . It would take months just to clean up the bodies, Lyn realized . She stood just outside the city gates, watching the river of people stream in and out, each bearing a mask covering the lower half of their faces, each pair of eyes that met her hollow and empty . A ghastly sight, perhaps one just as bad as if she were to look out onto the field itself; for however many died a physical death, many would die a mental one before thesends were renewed . Her dark eyes seized the entirendscape, most of which she could not see as it was doused in ck dots and shimmering pieces of steel and iron, and took a mental picture of it . This was war . No heroics . No bards willing to romanticize it . At least, not just yet . She knew, however, that with the passage of time, and with the closing of the wounds, stories and songs would spring out . Just like they did when Lino fought in the Battle of the Isles . Just like here, back then and there, corpses lined the ocean¡¯s waters . As far as the eye could see . Yet, now, nary a decadeter, hymns are sung about it on a daily basis . Some praising his valor, some his endurance, some his will and spirit, some his dashing appearance . . . all things he preciselycked in those moments . How much of written history, then, was actually true? Are there any tales of battles and wars that are not embellished by the penchants of the clever? " . . . you alright?" she turned to the side and saw a distorted face of a man she¡¯d like to call a friend if he wasn¡¯t hellbent on being pettily jealous . Ty, simr to her, was draped in the ck cloak, a hood hung over his face . "Better than them, at least," Lyn replied, turning back toward the carnage . "You?" "Could be better, could be worse," he replied casually, taking a deep breath and immediately regretting it . "Fuckin¡¯ hell, we need to ask some proper cultivators to blow this stench away . " "Nah, leave it be," Lyn said . "It¡¯s a good reminder . " "My memories are a reminder enough," he said . "I pray there are cultivators who can make those go away . " "My, I didn¡¯t take you for an easily disturbed person, Ty . Or, perhaps, was that only the front you put up in front of the Lady?" " . . . like the one you¡¯re putting up in front of me now?" Ty nced at her, his gaze mellowing somewhat . "Aye, something like that . " " . . . what¡¯s happening in the Castle?" she asked, looking away quickly . "Silence . " Ty replied . "Not a mum left the walls for three days . No one¡¯s allowed in, not even the Lady nor the Bearer . " " . . . the ending," she mumbled . "Was rather . . . anti-climatic . Is that what it means to be strong, Ty? To simply appear on the battlefield where hundreds of thousands have died . . . and end it? If so, I envy it . " " . . . I doubt he¡¯s very much proud of it," Ty said lowly, sighing, Lino¡¯s face shing inside his mind . "In his mind, I¡¯ve no doubt, he was toote . Take how heavy your heart is, and then multiply it . . . countless times over . . . and you¡¯ve arrived at the point of how he¡¯ll remember this . " " . . . I¡¯ve heard some cities are already celebrating our victory . " Lyn said . "Perchance, we should drag them out of their ivory towers and throw them into reality . " "Leave them be, Lyn," Ty said, putting his hand on her shoulder gently . "I doubt you¡¯d force even your worst enemy to witness this, let alone some innocent people . " " . . . " she said nothing as Ty turned and walked away, no doubt heading back to the Records Room to help . That was also where she should be right now, sorting through countless parchments, marking exactly who lived, who died, who got rich, who got poor, whose cultivation progressed, whose dwindled, and whose disappearedpletely . However, she had no strength; she couldn¡¯t . Not right now, at the very least . It was still too fresh . Perhaps, she mused, Ty was right; her title of the Lady¡¯s second-hand was wholly undeserving . ** Lino sat inside a rather damp and empty room, looking out the iron-barred window onto the busy streets of the City . He sat in the deep dark, the sole source of light that window which cast a strange shadow over his face, half dark and half light . He yed with a gourd of ale in his fingers, asionally taking a sip . However, there was no alcohol potent enough to dull even a tiny bit of it . Not just yet . He¡¯d locked himself inside this room shortly after the battle ended . He couldn¡¯t face them, nor could he participate in the cleaning . All he could do at the moment is contain . Contain . And contain . He could feel himself aging rapidly with every moment, yet his appearance hardly changed . Still ck-haired and bearded, with some traces of silver, the wrinkles on his face putting him somewhere in the fifties . The sole change over a few years ago was that his eye was healed . He could see with both clearly, now . ncing toward the door, his gaze held a certain expectation as thetter creaked a mere momentter . A gust of fresh air lunged itself inside, followed shortly after by three sorry-looking figures d in thick, array-enchanted, iron chains . They wore hemp robes, tattered all about, just enough to cover their bodies . Six, Seven and Eight . To Lino¡¯s knowledge, thest remnants of the Great Descent, save for a few higher numbers that hardly mattered . Their cultivations had been sealedpletely and, at the moment, they were effectively mortal . A simple cut across the wrist would be enough to kill them . Rio kicked all three at the backs of their knees, forcing them to kneel down just a few steps away from Lino¡¯s table . The youngd nced heavily at Lino for a moment, forcing out a faint smile, before turning around and walking out . Lino didn¡¯t know what they did to the three in the past few days . He¡¯d ordered them locked in the dungeons, though hardly cared what was done to them so long as they lived . They were living, though he wasn¡¯t certain they were still alive . Dead eyes, gazescking any desire to continue, bodies slumped, heavy, as though there were mountains on their backs pushing them down . "Is-is this how you treat your prisoners--" "Cull your tongue," Lino interrupted Seven harshly, throwing the gourd in his hand straight at her face; though partly ceramic, she was a mortal -- the shards sted across her face, cutting it a dozen times over, causing her to cry out in pain as her face began to bleeding . Six shuddered, yet the impression of Will on his mind prevented him from moving . "Have you seen it?" he mumbled, ncing out the window once more . "You have . You must have . You¡¯ve caused it, after all . Bnce . . . hah, bnce . Petty little creatures, you lot . Hungry . Greedy . The world was yours, as it always was, but no . . . that wasn¡¯t enough . " " . . . w-what will you do . . . to us?" Six asked in a weak voice . "Kill you, of course," Lino replied coldly, his voice terribly apathetic, as though he was talking to some stray wolves rather than people . "What? Did you think I would give you any more chances? I¡¯ll shove a dagger through your skulls and hang your bodies on the walls until your bones melt into ash in the distant future . Even that . . . would be considered empathetic . They all hate me for it; torture them, put them into the pits of fire, heal them, and disallow them the suicide . Melt their skins time and again, have them experience every pain known to man for countless eons . " the trio kneeling shuddered, lowering their heads . "If I was smart, I¡¯d listen to them . String you lot to hang alive for all eternity . " he took out a bottle of mead this time, uncapping it and taking a quick sip, his eyes still sternly focused on the outside, gazing through the window . "I . . . just can¡¯t be that cruel, though," he said . "The very thought . . . makes my insides churn . " " . . . you . . . still think yourself a hero above us?" Eight spoke through his teeth . "Ha ha ha . . . mad . You really . . . have gone mad . " " . . . of course I¡¯m above you," Lino turned his back onto them . "Quite literally, actually . See? You lot are kneeling, and I¡¯m sitting . Well above you . " he forced out a chuckle that died quickly . "Pigs Aaria keeps as pets are above you, idiots . All those dead outside, both yours and mine, are above you . Everyone¡¯s above you . If there were hell, you lot would be condemned to it for all eternity . Not even a chance of salvation . " "And . . . you wouldn¡¯t?" Seven said . "Compare blood on our hands . . . and on yours . . . foolish Empyrean . . . " "Aye, let¡¯s do just fucking that!!" Lino screamed out, getting up off the chair and kicking it away, crouching down and pulling Seven¡¯s head up by her hair, causing her to cry out in pain once more . "Want topare blood on our hands?!! Let¡¯s do it, you sadistic whore! All my life -- all my fucking life -- I¡¯ve killed only so I wouldn¡¯t be killed . I didn¡¯t y god by establishing and crippling dynasties, I didn¡¯t y god by determining who gets to live and who gets to die, who gets to seed and who gets to fail, who gets to grow old and who doesn¡¯t even get to the teenagehood . Even now, when I should have wiped out everyst remnant of your army, everyst man, woman,st cub of a child, I chose not to . I always keep choosing to spare, so in the name of all that is fuckin¡¯ holy, why am I the one always being punished?!! Why in the god¡¯s name is it so fucking difficult to at the very least be a decent person?!! Huh?! You lot have lived billions of fucking years, bones long overdue for graves, yet you still -- still -- greed for more . Greed . Greed . Greed . All your fucking wants have been fulfilled . You¡¯ve done as you pleased, killed as you pleased, and where is your punishment?!! Where?!!" he was an inch away from her face, screaming and spitting at her, as he grew tired of it, flinging her head sideways and throwing her back onto the ground . "You¡¯ve spilled enough blood to make a bridge from here to the cosmic center," he said, taking a sip of mead . "Don¡¯t ssh about your shittery with me, abomination . All this cruelty," he sat back down, sighing . "How . . . just how can I continue believing in our capacity for good? When the only thing I¡¯m ever shown is our absolutely abominate evil? I¡¯ve sworn myself I¡¯ll better this world, if need be craft it anew, but where in the god¡¯s name do I even begin? By killing you all? Fuck that . I¡¯d be doing the exact thing you¡¯d been doing . By being really stern with you? Right . Maybe . . . you lot are really right . Just like Ataxia . Just like those Primes . Just like everyone fucked in the head . Maybe . . . there¡¯s just not any good left in the world . We sucked it all out, shat it out, and fed it to the flies . Maybe . . . all that¡¯s left in this world . . . is cruelty . And, in the end, those less cruel are the ones suffering . " " . . . keep the veil on your eyes," Six said, looking up, meeting Lino¡¯s eyes . "And keep lying to yourself . But, don¡¯t spit it out at us . I¡¯d rather you just kill me . " " . . . I considered you my family," Lino replied after a short pause . "I was willing to bleed for you . How easy it was it, huh? How easy was it for you to toss me aside like I was some filthy sock? You ugly piece of shit . " "You--ggurhaarhur . . . " Six¡¯s reply was cut short by a flying dagger that pierced straight through his throat . "NOOOOO!!!" Seven screeched, tossing herself over at his dying body, screaming and crying madly . "Oh shut it; go," Lino growled . "Join him . Pray tell you¡¯ve hearts for more than yourselves in your next life . " "YOU BAS--URRGHUgghr--" she slumped, spasming, right over Six, her widely-open eyes staring at him defiantly, full of hate . " . . . I thought you¡¯d do better," Eight said, closing his eyes . "I guess I was wrong . " " . . . wrong? No," Lino said, getting up, walking over with the shimmering de in his hand, pressing it against Eight¡¯s throat, leaning into his ear . "You were terrified because I was better than you wanted me to be . Sow the chaos . Unite the warring cunts . Exhaust me . End me . Begin the cycle anew . I interrupted the tale of your ywright, the perfect cycle you¡¯ve established oh-so-carefully . I ended it . And, for that, I had to pay . Pay the price no man should be forced to pay . But, little shit, you¡¯ve failed," he pressed the de tighter against the throat, causing it to bleed as Eight winced . "I¡¯m yet to be broken . Yet to die . Unlike you . " it was a swift motion that cut straight; Eight¡¯s eyes rolled back, blood gushing out of his mouth as his body slumped back and fell, dead . Lino remained hovering over it for a second, his right hand trembling as he let go of the dagger, getting up and walking back to the chair, taking another sip . It was harder, he realized, than he imagined it would be . Much harder . Still too weak, he thought . Still . . . too weak . . . Chapter 509 Chapter 509: Dark Apathy CHAPTER 509 DARK APATHY Ion overlooked the vast stretch ofnd in the process of recoveryid in front of the gates of the City of Sun. Though nearly a whole month had passed, save for the majority the corpses, not much has changed. Stench still remained, as ever strong, the green was yet to grow, the rivers and rapids yet to regain their vigor. He sighed heavily, turning around and walking down the walled stairs of the tower, reaching the far edge of the city where the stream of people continued going in and out of the city. However stomach-churning it may be, the mess outside created a fair number of jobs -- and people were quite willing to earn something without having to put their life on the line. The streets wereid out perpendicrly, tall rises cutting in-between them, districts clearly established. Moving past the wall-bordering one -- which mainly consisted of administrative buildings in charge of processing neers and tradeing in -- he increased his pace and dashed through the residential, merchant and academy districts on his way over to the center, the gem of the city, a massive, stone-encased pce. On his way over, he was greeted by plenty, familiar and unfamiliar alike. The slow process of recovery had begun, with a resemnce of kindling life returning to the eyes of those who¡¯ve witnessed the battle firsthand. Some have even returned to their posts, resuming their lives. The construction of the massive mausoleum hanging high above the pce¡¯s domed ceiling was still underway; by Ion¡¯s estimates, it should bepleted within a week, just in time for the nned mass-pyres. It was a well-adorned sort, built out of the white, marble stone, tall and wide, a tform in front of it spreading for over twelve miles in circumference. While the bodies would be burned on the tform, their belongings would be kept in the mausoleum itself. Too many were dead to bury all, and too many to even burn at the same time; Ion wagered that they¡¯d have to switch the bodies at the very least a hundred times to go through them all. He made his way directly into the pce, its upper floor cast in wide hallways lit by hanging gems and adorned by various canvases, over toward the right wing where he was summoned. As far as he knew, it was a makeshift summoning of the Council; though they didn¡¯t know the purpose, when the Emperor made the call, every soul called answered regardless of whether they could. By the time he entered the wide hall upheld by stone pirs of dull brown and a wide, red carpet beneath, the room was already upied by good twenty people. Among them were two Dragons who sat in solemn silence, nestled in the corner of the rectangr table, as well as some Gods, of which Ion only recognized Tim. Spotting a more familiar face after nodding a greet, he moved over toward Lucky, Lyn, Ty, Alison and Reba, a stately, self-proimed bard who somehow managed to make her way up and earn herself a spot in the Council before reaching even forty. She was a somewhat short, plump woman of dry, brown hair and simrly-colored eyes, but her physical appearance hardly diminished the countenance with which she presented herself. Seeing him approach, the four women smiled lightly, with only Reba and Alison offering a slight bow, while Ty turned to a salute. Despite being a Shadow, in the wartime, he was also Ion¡¯s subordinate in the army. "I really didn¡¯t think you¡¯d show up," Lucky said, taking a sip of the wine. Uncharacteristically for her, she donned upon herself a rather gant dress of white, further pronouncing her tanned skin. "Figured you¡¯d be cooped up in some room somewhere, brooding." "Ay, I had all the intention to," Ion smiled back. "But I was told the great Death herself had graced the world with a coquettish appearance of a girl, and no matter how broody I felt, I couldn¡¯t miss that." "Oh, piss on your eyes," Lucky rolled her eyes. "me Alison." "me?" Ion arched his brow. "I think all of the council will fall in love with Ally even more than they already are." "Hush," Alison joined in, a faint blush hanging on her cheeks. "Don¡¯t tease her. She looks beautiful." "She really does," Ion nodded, stroking his beard. "Were she not taken, I might even try courting her. Despite the thorns." "You? Courting a woman?" Lucky looked at him dubiously. "The world might as well end at that point, for it had seen everything." "Ah, don¡¯t look at me like that," Ion shook. "Very few women out there are willing to fall asleep in a cold bed nine-tenths of days in a year. Should you find one, please, do let me know." "Just chase after one of your Generals or something," Ty added from the side, stuffing his face full of fish. "You¡¯ve got that cute redhead. What¡¯s her name? Sally? Sarr? Sylo? Ah, S-something. She already spends like nine-tenths of her life by your side. I imagine it wouldn¡¯t feel all that different." "Aye, though I imagine her husband and her four kids might take an issue with that," Ion smiled wryly, shaking his head. "What about you Ty? Still hellbent on pursuing your pure love?" "Ah, no, I¡¯ve decided to give up," Ty sighed inment, ncing at Lucky and Alison. "A man must know when to seek, and when to retreat, and when to concede. I¡¯ve lost." "It was never even a battle,d." Reba added with a chuckle, ying with a goblet of wine. "Oi, shut it, bard," Ty growled. "It was totally a battle, alright?! Tell them L¡¯! Tell them it was a battle! For the love of god tell them it was a battle!" "Aye, aye, it was a battle," Lucky sighed, shaking her head. "Damn kid." "Last I heard," Reba said from the side once more. "You switched your eye onto young Lyn. So, the question is, have you really, really given up? By all ounts, Lyn is a spitting image of Lucky." "... alright, leave the poord alone," Ion coughed, stifling augh, as he watched Ty¡¯s face billow into red fumes, staring daggers at the young,ughing bard. "Does anyone know why did he summon the Council?" "A number of things, I imagine," Lucky replied. "The pyres, the war, the future, and probably to form a search party for E." "Still no word?" Ty asked, his expression serious. "No." Lucky shook her head. "It¡¯s been almost a month," Alison sighed. "I¡¯m not worried something might have happened to her, but still... where did she go that even Lino can¡¯t locate her?" "Will he take volunteers?" Ion quizzed. "Why? You signing up?" Lucky asked back. "Of course," he nodded. "Things should settle here for a long while. If I can help somehow, I naturally will." "I imagine most of us will," Ty said. "The question is who will he choose. Have any of you even seen him in thest month?" "Nope," Lucky replied. "I mostly get information from Hannah." "He¡¯ll be fine," Ion said. "He always has." "Hm," Lucky nodded, ncing toward the doors that were flung open at that moment, new people arriving, Eggor and Cae among them. Both had dark circles beneath their eyes, their hairs disheveled, bodies tepid. Noticing their small group, the two headed over, bidding farewell to the people they arrived with. "... wait," Cae said, frowning and rubbing his eyes. "Am I really that sleepy that I¡¯m seeing L¡¯ in a dress? Dad... I need to take a nap. Come on, punch me in the face." "Oh, shut up, you little shit," Lucky chuckled, ruffling the young boy¡¯s hair gently for a moment. "What¡¯s wrong with wearing a dress?" "Nothing." he replied. "You look pretty." "Oh? Wow, would you look at that -- Cae said something nice. You must really be sleepy." "When was thest time you slept, you two?" Alison asked worriedly, walking over to the two of them and inspecting them. "This can¡¯t do. You¡¯ll tire yourself out to death." "We¡¯ll be fine," Eggor shrugged. "Don¡¯t worry too much, Ally." "Humph, what do you mean don¡¯t worry? Of course I¡¯ll worry! We all worry! But you have to take care of yourselves first, alright?" one by one, the remaining members of the Council began streaming in, until nearly all the seats of the massive hall were full. "..." Eggor remained silent, sighing inwardly and looking away, toward the topmost chair, the most decorated one. He hadn¡¯t seen Lino either in over a month, not since he departed for war. As with almost everyone else, he¡¯d ¡¯seen¡¯ him through Hannah. Poor girl, he thought, she¡¯d been running here and there like a headless chicken for a month now... The doors flung open once more as the chatter ceased, all eyes veering away toward the entrance where two figures appeared. Hannah wore her usual, folding dress of gold and crimson, her red hair tied with white ribbons. However, hardly an eye had the mind to look at her beyond the figure to her left. Lino didn¡¯t wear his usual, hemp clothes, but was instead d in his Heaven-cast armor, the Edge and the yer both tucked into mboyant scabbards strapped to his belt. A cape of ck fluttered behind his back, joined with his long hair tied into a ponytail. Metallic sounds of his boots beating the floor resonated across the hall as the sole music, his pace rapid. One after another, everyone lowered their heads, shaking involuntarily; the look in his eyes froze them, inside and out, his Will barely contained within him, seemingly ready to burst at any moment. Had they not known any better, they¡¯d have assumed he was preparing for a life-or-death battle. He sat onto the chair slowly, leveling his eyes over everyone in the audience, none of which dared reply -- not even Lucky, Eggor, Alison, Cae and the rest. Hannah nced at him from the corner of her eyes, sighing afterward and sitting by his side, retreating backward into her chair, seemingly removing herself from the gathering. "... the Pyres will happen three days from now," he said in a stern, apathetic tone. "If they don¡¯t, all in charge will be permanently removed from their positions, and have majority of their wealth confiscated." "..." everyone remained silent, holding their breaths. "Ion," he turned toward the man toward the back who shuddered all of a sudden, still not daring to look up. "Mobilize all of our forces. Within a week, charge onto the Holy Continent and annihte all resistance. If they surrender, leave them alone. If they don¡¯t, kill them all." "Y-y-yes..." "Lucky," upon having her name called, she took a deep breath and finally looked up, meeting his eyes. Her soul nearly froze in that moment, a cry of terror nearly breaking out of her lungs. "You have two weeks to find where Dangwe is hiding. Where his every base is. Report to me directly." "... yes." she replied lowly. "Hannah will be in charge of organizing the search party," he said, getting up, walking back toward the entrance. "Her word is mine." Minutes would pass after he left before the atmosphere in the hall would rx somewhat and people began breathing again. All looked at one another warily, their eyes burning with questions none dared ask. "... just ignore it and do as he asked," Hannah said, getting up as well. "If you can¡¯t, let me know. Nothing will happen to you, don¡¯t worry." She walked out as well, increasing her pace to catch up to him. She found him standing on one of the open balconies of the pce, seemingly waiting for her. As she stepped out onto the balcony, she felt her soul ripped out of her body, her mind thrown into apletely different world -- a world of stately white and dark, two suns burning in the high-skies above her, and a figure sitting at the center of them. He looked at her with a yful smile, one entirely void of the frigidity from just a few moments ago. "I can¡¯t sustain this much longer," he said, walking over to her and pushing his forehead against hers, hugging the back of her head. "I¡¯m sorry I was kind of a dick these past few weeks." "... kind of a?" Hannah replied, smiling. "You were a major dick, dick. Finally ready to clue me in?" "I can¡¯t," he shook his head. "Not yet. It¡¯s too dangerous." "What¡¯s too dangerous, Lino?" she asked, frowning and pulling away. "... I¡¯m not too sure myself," he sighed after a short pause. "I always thought my final obstacle was here... but... I don¡¯t know. The Primal Chaos inside of me... it almost seems it hase alive, Hannah. It¡¯s acting restless, churning and churning, firing off at my mind, rming, warning me of something. For now, y along. Distance yourself from me. I¡¯ll probably do some... questionable things in the near future, but you can¡¯t try and stop me. I promise it will make sense soon." "Does it even make sense to you?" she asked, shaking her head. "Don¡¯t be so coy," she added, smiling dubiously and turning around. "You¡¯re not the only one with a Writ, Lino. And Astrum is hardly the shy one when ites to sharing. When it happens, I¡¯ll be there. ying along." Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 510 Chapter 510: na CHAPTER 510 ALANA Two women sat side by side, perched on top of a tform in the high-skies surrounded by nothing but clear, even dull, cyan. The tform rose up into a gardened gazebo, domed roof adorned with hand-carved lines of gold. The windows were covered up in slits of perfumed wood, the benches inside cushioned, with the steps outside leading up from the tform to the gazebo cast out of white, smooth marble. Gaia and A¡¯yor sat in silence for a long while, gazing off beyond the orbit of Noterra, into the empty cosmos. Their minds were heavy, gued by the reality that had transpired not too long ago -- the Empyrean had won. The Descent was gone. The Primes were dead. The Holy Army itself routed back onto the Holy Continent where, no doubt, they would soon be pursued and executed. The entirety of Noterra now belonged to the prime agent of Chaos and was his tomand. Gaia¡¯s emotions were akin to a whirling pandemonium; a sensation of regret, a trace of awe, a pulsation of longing. She still had trouble reconciling everything, how he went from the boy she met in the Umbra Kingdom decades ago, to the undisputed Emperor of the whole world. He seemed so innocent, naive, unlikely to ever ascend, back then. Yet, their realities now stood uprooted. Perchance, in his eyes, she hardly even registered anymore; only as a stain of the past he will eventually cleanse. "... do you think Dangwe can fight him?" A¡¯yor asked, her red hair trailing back like small threads as she turned toward silver-eyed Gaia. "... no," Gaia shook her head, sighing and tearing her gaze away from the cosmos. "If anything, Dan is probably looking for the deepest hole to hide in right now." "... this can¡¯t be it, can it?" A¡¯yor asked with bitterness in her voice. "After so many years... after getting so close... just for it all to... vanish?" "--I should have listened to my heart all those years ago," Gaia said. "Had I, we would be down there, celebrating in the gloom. Rather than here, just being... gloomy." "Nobody could have predicted this," A¡¯yor said. "Perhaps not even Ataxia. At least not for all of this to happen so quickly. In less than a century... hah. If the others who tried to conquer the world heard of this, they might just go absolutely mad." "...hm?" Gaia arched her brow, turning her eyes in front of her whereupon space there trembled and shook, a faint ripple exploding out followed by a crimson-shaded ck swirl emerging. His heart thundered, though her limbs refused to move. He¡¯s here! Though her thoughts were screaming that, the ripple vanished without him churning through -- only the crimson-ck swirl of chaotic energy. A¡¯yor shot up to her feet and pulled Gaia back, standing in front of thetter, pulling out a shimmering sword. "... rest your arms, child," Ataxia said, his robotic voice cracking slowly. "I haven¡¯te to fight." "Then why did youe? To mock us?" A¡¯yor asked, baring her teeth. "No, I¡¯vee to prepare you for the next battle," the ck swirl zed over onto the tform, his voice turning eerily human, that of an old man¡¯s. It slowly began bending and sheering, extruding upward and shaping up into a figure -- a figure of an old, dreary-looking man with a wrinkled face and a pair of abyss-like ck eyes. He towered tall, over four meters in total, and seemedrge enough to pound a mountain into mincemeat with his bare hands. The look in his eyes, however, was strange, as they never left Gaia, not looking at A¡¯yor even once. "--what... the hell?" A¡¯yor stumbled over her words, uncertain as to what was happening. "You¡¯ve spent countless lifetimes looking to peer through the doors," Ataxia said, sighing lowly. "To see what¡¯s inside." "..." "Do you really want to know that badly?" "--I do." Gaia replied, her emotions strange; she didn¡¯t feel fear or anything even remotely like it. Rather, she felt an odd sense of peace. Calmness. "... very well." Ataxia said after a short pause, sighing. "Let¡¯s go then." The space around the three rippled and tore as they found themselves shuffled from one reality into another, bounding countless miles of their journey within a few blinks of an eye. They found themselves standing in front of the massive gates embedded into the side of a mountain, sloped at a steep angle, all-around countless protective arrays shimmering in brilliant hues. Ataxia walked up slowly, with heavy steps, and gently touched the door¡¯s cool surface. His brows trembled, a deep sigh escaping his lips. Turning back toward Gaia and A¡¯yor who still remained somewhat wary of him, his lips curled up into a faint smile. "I¡¯ve never had the intention of opening these doors again," he said, turning back toward them. "They held... too many memories, after all. Too much pain. I eventually intended on leaving them here, locked for all eternity. But... the state of affairs has changed." "--does Lino know you are here?" Gaia asked, frowning. "No," Ataxia replied, shaking his head. "Ah... Lino," he chuckled bitterly, looking down. "Thatd... changed everything. I... I don¡¯t think I can fulfill my promise from that day, na. I¡¯ve given him too much, and he gorged on it greedily. What¡¯s worse... the Edifice seems to have settled entirely on him. No matter how I try, it won¡¯t even respond to me anymore. Though, I suppose... it had given up on me the day I have given up on it... for you." "--w-what are you talking about?!" Gaia frowned, taking a step back. "Speak sensibly, Ataxia!" "...e." he said, touching the gates gently and forming a ripple on their surface, stepping through as his voice vanished. "Follow me." Though still wary, both A¡¯yor and Gaia couldn¡¯t resist the temptation; after all, this was something they were pursuing virtually since the day of the Holy Union. Something they failed to do through so many eons, Ataxia did with a simple touch. He was still as unfathomable as always, Gaia mused. Though she could always easily read other Writs, she was never able to understand the enigmatic Writ o Chaos. Ever-fading. Ever-changing. Ever-eluding. As the two stepped through the doors, they were thrust into a strange world -- they found themselves afloat in a boundless void, ckness all around them as far as the eye could see. Gaia shook, her mind churning thoughts madly; she was reminded of the days before-the-beginning. This ce looked exactly like that. No... no... it was that ce. The cold, apathetic, dissevered piece of the world she spent her early years, or decades, or even centuries, in. Where she learned of everything. In the far-off distance, she saw a speck of light, one so warm, so familiar. It seemed to call out to her, dragging her body along. A¡¯yor followed after rapidly, confused and uncertain. Ataxia was waiting for them by the sole source of light in the entire reality around them. The source of light was a translucent, amnesty coffin, crafted beautifully, lined with silver threads. It was angled, much like the gates to this ce, spinning in ce, shimmering in warm silver. As it slowly spun a full circle and turned toward Gaia, both her and A¡¯yor froze, unable to move, speak or understand -- what was staring back was her spitting image. Silver-haired, fair-skinned girl in her early thirties draped in silken dress, her hands crossed on her chest. A bejeweled crown rested on her head, the superimposed gem upfront holding inside it a swirl of white-crimson, two threads interlocked, dancing the eternal waltz. Her thoughts came to a standstill; though some differences existed, namely in their ages and clothing, that girl was her. There was no doubt about it. But... how? One of her clones? No. The connection was far deeper than that. Far more profound. Far more primeval. "--w-what... what is the meaning... of this?" she asked in a shaky voice, turning toward Ataxia who was staring at the girl in the coffin with a faint, warm smile. She could see something base in that smile, something so ordinary she for a moment thought she was dreaming the entire thing up -- love. Pure, unconditional love. "... though I knew it would be like that," Ataxia said. "You really haven¡¯t changed... at all. Haah... to think so many years have passed since thest time I stepped in here..." "...w-what... answer me!" Gaia eximed. "What¡¯s all this, Ataxia?! Who is that girl?!" "... it¡¯s you," he turned back toward her, his expression mellow, warm. "They cheated me, na. I was cheated so harshly, I nearly abandoned all reason and raced to war them. They promised me they¡¯d save you... yet, is this really saving you?" he pointed at the girl in the coffin. "Locked in a coffin, stuck in the perpetual state of mindless sleep... yet... I could never... release you. I thought about it. Plenty of times, actually. But, I couldn¡¯t. So, instead, I made another deal -- they would clone you, in pure likeness, in pure capacity. And you would live, so long as your fragile body lived." "..." "Ah, how joyful I was when I saw you rising in this ce, learning, absorbing, growing. But... I couldn¡¯t attend to you. I could only hope you were just like before, na. And use it to try and regain a small resemnce of standing with the Edifice. Nothing worked... however. It ignored me. No matter what I tried, how much Chaos I sowed, how much I defied the Creator... it never answered my call. And then... Lino came along. Rash, unbridled, hotheaded... as there was little left for me to do here, I decided to make him myst Bearer for now. Sow chaos, and eventually leave once all Qi is gone. I never understood," he continued, seemingly more so to himself than the two women who have long since lost the grip with reality. "Why the Edifice chose him and not me. What was it about him that drew it out from the hiding, risking early exposure? What did he have that I didn¡¯t? That none before me did?" "..." "It wasn¡¯t until a few days ago, actually, that I realized," Ataxia chuckled, shaking his head. "It had nothing to do with him, not really. He just happened to know one of the Agents of Creation... by pure, cosmically-unlikely chance. And thus, the Edifice chose him. Ah, how fickle... the nature of everything is. He won¡¯t wait for long, I don¡¯t think," he finally turned toward the two women and smiled. "He¡¯s too settled in his ways to listen to me again. Though, I suppose, it¡¯s partially my fault. I was never a good paragon. Perchance, had I just been honest with him from the start... but, s, the time for regrets has long since passed. There is no doubt that, by now, the Edifice was sensed. The deal still stands, na. They will protect you. So, when all hell breaks loose, and the world is copsing... take who you wish, and hide here. They wille for you. I¡¯ve done all I could, butterfly," he walked over to the frozen Gaia and suddenly wrapped his arms around her, the corners of his eyes growing teary, his body trembling. "I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry I failed you. Both in the past, and this life. Elta was right, after all. I was not a proper father, not to any of you..." Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 511 Chapter 511: The Traces CHAPTER 511 THE TRACES Ion overlooked a massive in set between two rivers running perpendicr to one another, decorated with asional slopes of erect stones. Currently, none of the green which it sported just a few days ago could be seen, entirely reced by jetted, ck, silver and crimson dots across. It was a sea of people -- over four hundred thousand in total -- all ready to charge out onto the Holy Continent. He stood on top of the tallest, ttened stone erection, behind him a pping tent from which chatter of the voices could be heard. Over a dozen Generals beneath him red out at one another over the best way to invade, but Ion knew it was pointless. No matter what they did, how they did it, or even when they did it, they would face little opposition. The only trouble they¡¯de across is when they reached the sects of the Holy Grounds as Defensive Artifacts were difficult to battle against. None of the other powers on the Holy Continent could contend against the Empyrion, and this was mostly just a show of force -- or at least Ion assumed so. He¡¯d seen Lino angry before, but this time around something was different; rather than just anger, his voice, his countenance, the way he ryed what he wanted to be done, was apathetic. Indifferent. As though he didn¡¯t even care whether it was done or not, but did it simply for keeping up the pretense. Ion shook his head, dispelling the thoughts; it was not on him to consider the motives behind Lino¡¯s actions -- it was on him to simply do what he needed to do to fulfill the mission. He wagered that, at this pace, they would depart in three-four days at most, and would reach the Holy Continent, in full force, within three months. The entire conquest should take around a year at most, excluding taking over the Holy Grounds themselves. This was the quickest he could manage, and still, if anyone were to hear his thoughts, they¡¯d think him absolutely mad. ** Lucky was currently standing beside several dozen corpses, a deep frown etched on her face. Wet blood mixed with dry, dyeing her face and clothes, causing her expression to seem rather demonic to the few still living around her. None dared make a sound, however, cowering and shaking, leaned against the cold stone-walls of the dimly-lit room. "... the fox really covers his tracks well," she mumbled, ripping herself away from her thoughts after a long while. "You¡¯d think he was a fucking ghost at this point, no?" "He effectively is, to you." she didn¡¯t seem startled by the neer who appeared from the thin membrane of space a few feet away from her. He stood straight, emotionless, draped in traditional armor. Lucky quickly recognized him as Dangwe¡¯s right-hand man, the one everyone called Son because of Lino. "... for all the power he professed to have," she grinned lightly. "It seems it still can¡¯t rebuild hiscking balls." "My Lord is simply waiting for yours to regain his senses and end this madness." "... pfft, ha ha ha," she burst out into a bout ofughter, getting up, ying with a dagger in her right hand. "You two still sound quite hopeful that you¡¯lle out of this alive. Tsk, tsk," she clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "There ain¡¯t no hole here or elsewhere deep or far enough to hide in. I¡¯ll find you, don¡¯t worry. And when I do, he¡¯ll sweep in and crack your bones one by one." "... you seem entirely unconcerned by his actions," the old man remained calm, looking directly into her eyes. "You do realize he¡¯s intending tomit dozens of mass massacres?" "Aye," she nodded. "The bastard should have done it a long time ago. Would have saved us a lot of headaches. Why the long face? He¡¯s just doing what you¡¯ve been doing since life on his shithole existed. The difference is," she added with a faint smile. "He has the balls to do it openly and call out anyone brave enough to challenge him." "... and you believe there¡¯s no one out there that fits that description?" the old man asked, tilting his head slightly. "Oh, I¡¯m sure there is," she shrugged. "I¡¯m hardly the wise littledy, but I¡¯m not blind either. I didn¡¯t take you to be, though." "... he¡¯ll regret his decisions." "I¡¯m sure he will," she said. "He¡¯s a softie like that. Won¡¯t change a thing, however." "... you¡¯re mindlessly following his creed without even understanding the stakes." he said. "Can you evenprehend what he is contending against?" "... who cares?" she shrugged indifferently. "Let ¡¯em duke it out, no? If he wins, great. If he loses, what¡¯s the worst that will happen? We die? Eh, it ain¡¯t too bad. You¡¯re too serious man, you gotta rx," she stretchedzily, yawning. "Now skitter back over to your cor-bearing master and holler at him, will ya¡¯? Tell him his old friend his waiting, impatiently at that, for a visit. They¡¯ve a thing or two to split hairs about." "... good luck with your search," the old man sighed, withdrawing through the membrane of space. "Though, your results might be rather unsatisfactory in the end." Lucky watched him leave with an indifferent face, sending a few daggers flying at the throats of those still living, killing them all swiftly. The daggers retracted back into her hands as she twirled them around her fingers, putting them back into the holds on her belt. Meanwhile, on the other side of the spacetime, Dangwe watched the old man appear in front of him, a solemn expression stered on his wrinkled face. Dangwe himself had a deep-etched frown as an expression, tapping his index finger against the armrest, seemingly deep in thought. "... this might be the end of the line, old friend." Dangwe said after a long silence, sighing. "My Lord, don¡¯t say that!" the old man eximed quickly. "If we continue to hide, they will never find us!" "... they will. It will take some time, but they will." Dangwe said. "We¡¯re only dying the inevitable. We made a wrong bet, and we lost. It¡¯s fine. Next time, we¡¯ll do better." "... this... it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this..." "me thatd," Dangwe said, his eyes growing misty as he looked past the membrane of reality, his sight catching a figure standing tall on the snowy mountain. "Take care of the home, old friend. I¡¯ll be seeing you in another life." "--my Lord--" the old man stretched out his arm, but it only reached emptiness -- the young man that was sitting opposite of him vanished. The old man crumpled to his knees, tears beginning to stream out of his eyes. The end of an immeasurably long story... has arrived. ** Lino spun around slowly and faced the neer on the top of the mountain; he still maintained the appearance of a young man and was d in rtively ordinary clothes. It was clear from a quick nce he wasn¡¯t here to fight. The wind around them blew relentlessly, snowkes joining into swarms as they belted the earth. However, as they touched Lino¡¯s exposed torso and arms, they melted straight off and turned into droplets of water. His ck hair billowed violently behind him, the pair of dark eyes meeting Dangwe¡¯s squarely. "... I thought you¡¯d hide till your bones turned to ash." Lino said emptily. "I thought so too," Dangwe replied, smiling faintly. "But then I saw how lonely you looked up here, so I figured I¡¯d join you." "... you came to terms with it?" "Aye. I suppose I have. Or, at least, as well as I ever would." "This feels... rather anti-climactic." Lino said. "What? You expected me to go out and fight you with all I have?" Dangwe asked, his smile widening. "You seem to seriously doubt my intelligence." "Among other things." "... I suppose I deserved that. I truly am sorry, Lyonel." "No you¡¯re not," Lino said, shrugging. "But, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need you to be sorry." "I made a bet." "You made a choice, Dan," Lino said. "Don¡¯t relegate it like that. Don¡¯t make me lose whatever little respect I¡¯ve left for you." "... a startling variable," Dan mumbled, sighing. "You really pulled the wool over our eyes, Lino. You¡¯ll make it far." "Wool? When have I ever pulled anything?" Lino said. "I always told everyone I¡¯d win. For decades now I¡¯ve been saying that. It¡¯s not on me that you lot are morons." "Ha ha, I suppose that¡¯s true. You really did always ooze confidence. We thought it arrogance, however." "... hm," Lino hummed lowly, walking over to Dan, pulling out the yer from its scabbard and pressing it against the man¡¯s throat. Thetter flinched slightly, though didn¡¯t cower, still squarely meeting Lino¡¯s gaze. "You¡¯re yet to lose thest bone, I see." "..." Dan remained silent, finally closing his eyes, exhaling deeply. "I¡¯ll leave him alone," Lino added in a whisper. "Thank you..." Lino heaved the yer back and swung it in full force, prepared to end it all swiftly. Just as the de was about to cut into Dan¡¯s neck, however, he felt immense force break out of in-between the two, a sort of a wall built up entirely of an unknown form of energy that caused the yer to bounce back violently, pulling Lino with itself backward. The de cried while Lino channeled Qi rapidly, startled. As he regained his footing, he looked at the simrly-confused Dan; the man clearly had no clue what happened either. It was then that, above him, the space tore open as a figure d in holy, golden armor, a spinning halo of pure energy superimposed over her back, walked through. She was perhaps even more beautiful than ever before, drowned in the light so holy Lino was unable to stare at it directly. However, he¡¯d recognize her whether he could see her or not. "El¡¯?" he called out, finally getting used to the light slightly, managing to meet her startlingly bright eyes. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked, walking back toward Dan. "Give me a sec. I¡¯ll finish it quickly." Back off, Lino! He, however, ignored Ataxia¡¯s warning. "... you can¡¯t kill him, Lino." E¡¯s voice was as melodic as always, though there was something different in it. It caused him toe to a halt, warily ncing up. "... it is you, El¡¯? Right?" "It is." "Any particr reason as to why I can¡¯t kill him?" "Any particr reason as to why you should?" she asked back. "Plenty." "..." "What¡¯s going on E?" he asked, taking a step back and drawing the yer forward, entering a fighting stance, his eyes turning into slits. "..." she looked at him emptily for a moment, though he did spot a faint crack in the facade. Itsted for less than a sh, though it was there. Which only made it worse -- as he confirmed it was really her. "Why can¡¯t I kill him?" he asked again, his muscles stiffening. That warning was back again. It was calling out to him once more, even more violently than before. It felt as though the Primal Chaos within him was about to rip through his body and escape. "..." E stared at him for a moment before sighing, shifting her eyes sideways and onto Dan as her expression grew even moreplex. The man stared back at her, stunned beyond belief, his lips trembling, legs quivering, too weak to keep him afloat. He copsed to his knees, his entire expression distorted. "L-La?" Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 512 Chapter 512: The Quintessential Truths CHAPTER 512 THE QUINTESSENTIAL TRUTHS The wind whizzed unperturbed, carrying with it the chill of the winter, sting through and around the tall mountain at whose peak three figures currently stood. Lino had drawn some distance between himself and E and Dan, confusion swirling inside his abyss-drawn eyes. Dan was still on his knees, his eyes saucers, looking up at the ethereal figure floating slightly above the ground who looked straight back at him for a moment before turning back toward Lino, her eyes deepening in confliction. She bit her lower lip,nding and removing the decorations around and on her, returning to her ever-so-slightly less beautiful state. She still stuck out like a sore thumb from the dull and colorless background of white and gray, though to a lesser extent. "... put down the sword, Lino." E said. "..." Lino looked into her eyes for a moment before obliging, putting the yer back into its scabbard. "You seem... different." he added. "I remembered." "Remembered what?" he asked. "Everything." E replied. "But mostly who I am. All the people I¡¯ve been." "... and one of them just happens to be his wife?" Lino¡¯s frown deepened as he nced at the still-kneeling Dan who seemed entirely unaware of their conversation. "... yes." E nodded heavily, sighing. "... any others I should know about?" Lino asked queerly. "Just in case I get a murder-boner for one of them." "Don¡¯t be like that." "Like what? Confused? Because I don¡¯t think I can maintain any other state of mind right now." "Dismissive," she said. "I didn¡¯t know." "... you know now," Lino said. "And you should know well enough I can¡¯t leave him alive, El¡¯. My Will won¡¯t let me." "... and mine won¡¯t let me stand aside as you do it." she replied, smiling bitterly. "... so we¡¯vee to an impasse then," he said. "... you feel it, don¡¯t you?" she asked, peering beyond his facade. "Who are you? Really?" he asked. "At your core?" "..." she remained silent, as though contemting whether she should tell him. "... do you still consider me your son?" he asked after a short silence. "Of course I do! How can you--" "Then stand aside." he interrupted. "... that¡¯s not fair, Lino." E said. "That¡¯s not fair." "... I¡¯m not patient enough for the quizzical riddles and cerebral nonsense, El¡¯," Lino spoke in a growl. "Nor am I interested in trying to decipher them. Where have you been since the invasion?" "... remembering." "Good for you," Lino sneered, shaking his head. "I hope it was worth the while. Meanwhile, do you know what I was doing?" "--Lino---" "I was worrying whether something happened to you," he said. "Besides grieving over the deaths of the hundreds of thousands of people, El¡¯. Hundreds of thousands. Do you know what hundreds of thousands of corpses piled on a stretch of a few miles looks like? Whatever you imagine, it¡¯s far worse." "..." "Cae and Eggor have barely slept since we¡¯ve figured out you were missing," he continued. "I actually heard the old guy praying, El¡¯. Praying. And what about Cae? Thed barely smiled in over a month. And what were you doing? Remembering. Hah, remembering..." "... I had to remember, Lino," E said, calming down. "Otherwise, I would always feel a void inside of me." "--in remembering all that, did you forget us?" "... I know it¡¯s not you," she said, sighing. "Resist it, Lino. Please. Resist that calling. Don¡¯t answer it." "..." Lino remained silent; she was right. Something inside him, the Primal Chaos that was now well beyond his control, was urging his heart to be consumed in hate, in anger, in repulsion. However, it did not create those feelings; it just emphasized them... considerably. "Tell me then, mom," he chuckled. "Why is it that the quintessential form of energy, one that shouldn¡¯t even exist, to begin with, feels repulsed by you? Why is it that you of all things in the whole goddamned world woke it from its slumber?" She--can¡¯t---tell-you--- Lino shook, taking an involuntary step back. E cringed, her expression distorting. "Ignore it, Lino! Please! Listen to my voice!!" It wasn¡¯t Ataxia -- he vanished, as far as Lino could tell, somewhere deep, hiding from the primal energy that was surging within Lino¡¯s veins. She--is--bound;--I;--can tell. Ask. Ask me. "Lyonel!!!" E¡¯s scream jolted Lino back to reality as he instinctively drew out both the Edge and yer, entering the battle stance once more. She still stood on the other side, her expression pained. "Please... I¡¯m begging you, Lino. Ignore it." "... and if I don¡¯t?" he asked warily. "... please, please," E suddenly began to cry, visibly, startling him. "Please, Lino... that is the only way... I can save you..." --save? or enve? Ask theeself. Ask--ask--Us. "What do you think?" Lino whispered toward the small fragment of Chaos hidden away in his depths. Ataxia shook, the ck swirl dancing for a moment, seemingly meeting Lino¡¯s gaze. "Any advice for me?" "... I¡¯ve asked, once," Ataxia replied after a short silence. "There is no turning back, Lyonel. Some questions... and some truths... are better left unanswered and unlearned..." A thousand thoughts were currently sitting jammed inside Lino¡¯s mind. Though he felt overwhelmed, he never once lost hisposure. One thing that surprised him was that the Primal Chaos withdrew -- it didn¡¯t try to control his emotional state or his thoughts anymore. Rather, it seems to have given up the decision entirely to Lino, allowing him to choose freely... something that happened rarely. While both E and Ataxia urged him one or the other thing, the Chaos left him, strangely enough. It was a novel position to stand in, as he had a faint idea over what awaited him on the other side... yet it was all still entirely hidden within an imprable mist. A fog so thick it¡¯s impossible to peer beyond it. For a long while, he felt that some things never quite added up and that his story, or at least the story of the Empyrean Bearer, transcended the tiny realm of Noterra in some way. Chaos was too... vtile to be chained to a single in the expansive void. He extended his right arm amidst E¡¯s shouts and Ataxia¡¯s anxious whispers, opening his palm upward to heaven. His fingers tingled with electric dissonance for a moment as unstoppable energy swarmed through them, tiny, crimson bolts belting out of his fingertips, converging to the center of his palm, just slightly above it, into a tiniest, silver-white-crimson sphere. It seemed to face him, its gaze, beyond metaphysical, pure and unblemished. It didn¡¯t say anything, do anything, or try anything; it simply stared at him openly, waiting patiently for him to make a decision. To make a choice. He could reject it, and it would most likely leave. Lino had the faintest of ideas of what it might lead to; following it, Ataxia would also rip himself from Lino and leave. He would cease being the Empyrean once and for all. In the worst-case scenario, he might even die. But, in return, he¡¯d be freed from any supernatural struggles of the future. He would be able to return to the simplest of lives, however short it may end up being. He also wouldn¡¯t have to fight E, as this choice seemed to be the only way to avoid the confrontation. And he really didn¡¯t want to fight her. And yet, he couldn¡¯t settle. It wasn¡¯t even the case of his Will anymore, but of who he was at the core of his being. He may yearn for the return to the simpler times, but he yearned even more for seeing all of this through. He wanted to chase the unreachable heights, pull back the curtains folded over the eternity¡¯s truths, understand the whys, the hows, and the wheres. You--made;--your--choice. It spoke to him, seemingly having read his throbbing heart. I have. Are--you--certain? Is anything certain? --all--things--are; Show me. You--will--fight;fight---forever-- ... show me. "Lino, please, don¡¯t!!" E cried out from the top of her lungs. "There¡¯s no turning back, Lyonel..." He ignored both of them and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and suddenly clenching his fingers into a fist. The swirl of energy exploded through him like a violent, soul-tearing storm. It dug through every inch of his body, remolding it from the tiniest of molecules. The skies above him darkened and thundered, the world around copsing, seemingly incapable of withstanding the sheer surge of energy. It was no longer Qi -- but something much, much purer. Something that Lino felt only when he channeled Primal Chaos into one of his attacks. Strength and power beyondprehension filled him, his muscles pulsating, veins bulging, blood surging like the most cataclysmic river to have ever flown. His mind cleared, like the sky after dispersing the countless, ashen clouds. His body rose slowly, ck, crimson and silver tendrils exploding out of him in the form of threads, as the surrounding winds gained in speed and severity. They tore through the thickest of ice-encased stones, ripping apart everything in their surroundings. The pair of ck eyes heaved up toward the sky and exploded in a burst of ck light shaped like two conical beams. A roar burned through his lungs and out his throat, tearing through his flesh on the way out; the spacetime broke apart as though it was the rotting wood, void consuming the reality around temporarily. Ask--ask--ask--now. Who am I? Thee--is---Agent--of---Destruction-- Who is she? She--is----Agent---of--Creation-- Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 513 Chapter 513: Pirs of Chaos CHAPTER 513 PILLARS OF CHAOS The tip of a tall, cloud-piercing mountainy ttened, a massive opening seemingly smoothed over carefully, reflecting the world above it. ck and crimson shadows folded gently over Lino¡¯s body, forming strange, parallel trails of smoke behind him that looped back toward the center, forming a house-sized halo of silver. It spun and shimmered, humming lowly like a gear, casting the faintest of lights over at him. Though his outline remained humanoid, his features changed; the pair of ck eyes grew angled and slightly nted, their irises turning wholly blood-red, while his hair turned wild and disheveled, incorporating three colors of silver, crimson and the original ck. His shoulders grew broader, yet more rounded, turning his arms ayer slenderer, while his entire body elongated ever-so-slightly, causing him to finally break two meters in height. His fingers appeared restless, jittery, as he stared at E who had a terriblyplex expression on her face. The corners of her eyes were watery as the light began surging around her, toppling over into a brilliant armor, into shining wings, and into a resplendent halo spinning behind her back, bleeding light at its edges. "... why?" she asked in a cracking voice. "... I had to know." Lino replied. "You could have avoided my life, Lino," she said. "And as someone who¡¯s lived it... you should have avoided it." "... I just had to know, El¡¯," he said, sighing lowly. "Just what could cause a mother to turn her back on her family." "I haven¡¯t turned my back on anyone." "... all of this," he mumbled, lifting his right arm and curling it up into a fist over and over again. Chaotic lightning bounced around his thin and long fingers, rapping off the sounds of thunder into the sky. "Feels... ah, I can¡¯t even find a fucking word, to be honest. Breathtaking? Overwhelming? Something along those lines, I suppose." "--was it worth it?" she asked somberly. "You¡¯ve now thrust yourself into a war that will never end, Lino. Edifices are relentless; to reign the Chaos entirely, they will do anything. Anything." "I know," he replied simply, smiling. "But, unlike yours, mine hasn¡¯t asked me to kill you." "Yet." "Not just yet," Lino shook his head, sighing. "It knows I can¡¯t kill you. Him, however..." he added, ncing down at Dan who seemed out of sorts, still processing everything that has transpired. "You truly intend to build the Edifice of Destruction here, Lino?" E asked somewhat angrily, her brows tightening into a deep frown. "You¡¯ll have upset the bnce of everything." "From what little I understand of the Edifices," Lino mused aloud. "I¡¯ll be restoring the bnce, El¡¯." "By destroying. Didn¡¯t you say you were a smith, Lino? That you will craft a different world? I certainly didn¡¯t think this is what you had in mind." "... why? Because it isn¡¯t your kind of a world?" he asked back. "No--because it is the wrong kind of a world." she replied quickly. "Creation versus Destruction -- you can excuse it with maintaining the bnce, but the truth is staring you in the eyes." "... ah, if only the things were so ck and white," Lino shrugged, ncing around. "Weren¡¯t you sent here to kill me?" he asked, tilting his head. "Tell me, is that creating or destroying, El¡¯?" "--you could have lived a happy life," she ignored his question. "But, instead, you chose this. You¡¯ll be dragging everyone you care for into a conflict that they will never understand. Hannah, Aaria, Lucky, Val, Amadeel, Titus, Val... everyone." "... it¡¯d be quite miraculous, wouldn¡¯t it?" he chuckled bitterly. "If I actually could drag the dead back from the beyond and into this conflict, no? I¡¯m afraid, however, that I wasn¡¯t bestowed with such prowess." "Dead? Who?" E asked quickly. "... you should leave, El¡¯," Lino added, staring deeply into her eyes. "Go back to the Creator and ask of it some time. Eggor and Cae shouldn¡¯t suffer the reality of who we are. Ask it to let you live out their lives before fading silently and resuming whatever this is. If it really is the ¡¯pure¡¯ side of Chaos, it will allow you. If not, well... I suppose we¡¯ll be seeing each other simrly to now soon enough." "... you won¡¯t tell them?" E asked, frowning. "Tell them what?" Lino looked at her. "How do I even exin this? No. They deserve the simpler lives, E." "And who are you to decide what they deserve?" she asked. "Weren¡¯t you all about personal choices?" "I am." he smiled faintly. "I suppose I really am a hypocrite. But, oh well, I could be plenty other far worse things." "You will be." "... absolutes... are for fools," Lino said, ncing toward the sky, beyond the Noterra¡¯s membrane, and into the void. "There is nothing absolute, El¡¯. No absolute truths, lies, lives, realities... everything, in a way, is a freak of nature." "I¡¯m surprised it took you less than five minutes to insult your literal Overlord now." E grinned faintly. "Overlord?" Lino tilted his head, facing her once more. "What? Do you think the Edifice is like Ataxia? That it will tolerate your antics and ignore your insults? It¡¯s a Destroyer, Lino. Always keep that in mind." "... then why I am not destroyed?" Lino smiled, spreading his arms wide as lightning once more began dancing around the edges of his body, the smoke trails intensifying. "Any creature vain enough to kill another over a single insult... bah, I truly hope nobody like that actually exists." "--don¡¯t." "Don¡¯t what?" "Don¡¯t try to agitate me." she said. "... it ain¡¯t my fault I¡¯m hitting sore spots," he shrugged. "You should go, El¡¯. Ask it. Beg it, if need be. Don¡¯t leave them stranded." "How can I know you simply won¡¯t give in and kill me once I¡¯m back?" she asked. "... because you know me." he looked deeply into her eyes, smiling. "Whether it¡¯s Ataxia, whether it¡¯s the Edifice, my Will is my own, El¡¯. Nothing, absolutely nothing, canmand it over me. And, should the day trulye when that¡¯s no longer the case, feel free to point it out." "--I¡¯m taking him." she pointed at Dan as Lino sighed. "... fine," he shrugged. "Take him. I¡¯ll tell the others that you¡¯ve discovered another world or something. Don¡¯t take too long to return." "..." E looked at him deeply for a moment before ripping open a tunnel in spacetime and vanishing through it alongside Dan. Lino was left alone, floating, here and yet not. He had aplex expression as something inside of him jolted, a projection bending over in an arc through the air and forming a mirror image of himself on the other side that quickly remolded into a stalwart, massive figure of a man nearly twice Lino¡¯s size. "... so that¡¯s what you look like, huh?" Lino chuckled. "--I should be rather furious with you," Ataxia said. "Your position should have gone to me." "... I still don¡¯t understand many things," Lino said. "But... perhaps most of all, I don¡¯t understand your motivation, Ataxia. What was the purpose of all of this? Why waste time here? You could have done what One had done, made yourself into a direct Bearer, and roamed the cosmos. Why settle here?" "... for the same reason you will, Lyonel," Ataxia said with a sigh. "Because of my heart." "Hm?" Lino hummed, arching his brow. "Will you kill me?" he asked. "Why would I kill you?" "Didn¡¯t the Destroyer order you?" Ataxia asked again, clearly confused. "No," Lino shook his head. "He just told me to champion over you and officially take your ce." "... so it has." "Where did you hear the word ¡¯kill¡¯ in there?" "Do you really think semantics matter here?" Ataxia growled. "... we are here now, alone," Lino said. "And I¡¯m deliberating. Truth be told, before today, I had thought our battle was virtually inevitable. Simply how it was supposed to be." "..." "But, well, as you know well enough, I am very much merciful, understanding and kind, and beyond forgiving of a soul; how can I simply fight someone to death so easily? Ah, what would be of my heart?" "... ugh." "So, instead," the mboyance retreated in lieu of a somber tone. "Tell me your story, Ataxia. From start to finish. I want to know you. The real you. Share with me your Archaic Record." "And if I do you won¡¯t kill me?" "I won¡¯t kill you either way," Lino said. "All things said and done, I am here because of you. You¡¯d enabled me to achieve all that I had. Whatever your intentions were, you were my guide, light when I thought there was no out. I will never betray that." "..." "So tell me," Lino added, smiling warmly. "Your story. From start to finish... Eldon." Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 514 Chapter 514: Sanctum¡¯s End I CHAPTER 514 SANCTUM¡¯S END (I) Hannah watched from a window of a tall tower overlooking the vast swath of the Empyrion as the countless masses began marching toward the teleportation arrays and toward the ships, embarking on a journey that would be thest spark to change the current makeup of the world. Aaria and Cae stood by her sides, former watching with faint amazement and curiosity, while thetter still retained a rather tired expression on his face. "--Uncle Ion... is leading all of them?" Aaria asked, ncing at Hannah. "Yup," she replied, smiling at the girl. "Isn¡¯t he amazing?" "... tche..." the young girl clicked her tongue, her mood souring. "Then anyone... could do it..." "Oh? So you could do it, too?" Hannah asked with a cheeky grin. "O-of course!" "My, my. I should probably call Ion back, then, and have you take his ce." "E-eh?!" Aaria eximed, backing away a few steps, her expression fearful. "Pfft, ha ha ha ha..." "Y-you meanie!!" "... should you really be teasing her that much, Auntie?" Cae asked with a bitter smile as he watched young Aaria storm away and into her room, snapping the doors close. "Eh, it¡¯s good for her to learn she can¡¯t always have her way," Hannah shrugged. "And don¡¯t you start pointing at yourself here. Remember, she¡¯s Lino¡¯s and my kid. You¡¯re a product of two, essentially, sane people." "Essentially?" Cae quizzed, arching his brow at Hannah. "... eh... they have their moments." Hannah shrugged, turning back toward the masses that had begun thinning out. "They¡¯ll win... right?" the young boy asked. "Hm," Hannah nodded. "It¡¯s just a matter of time. Don¡¯t worry about them." "Right, where¡¯s brother Lino?" Cae asked. "I haven¡¯t seen him in a few days." Hannah¡¯s memory shed briefly to the simple message she¡¯d gotten from Lino a couple of days ago -- ¡¯Will be off for a while. Don¡¯t be missin¡¯ me too much. And, if you do, I¡¯ve left a special rod just for you under the bed¡¯. A bitter yet sweet smile emerged on her lips as she sighed, shaking her head. "He¡¯s off doing something," she replied in the end. "You know him. A day cannot pass with him sitting calmly on his fat ass." "... is he really okay?" Cae asked again, his tone somber, as he recalled the day he stormed into the Hall. "He seemed... out of sorts." "I¡¯d wager he¡¯s never in the sorts," Hannah chuckled, ruffling the young boy¡¯s hair and getting a grunt out of him. "You¡¯re too young to be worrying about the old bones of ours, Cae. Go out a bit; look for some finedies and begin courting them. I¡¯ve no doubt El¡¯ and Eggor are expecting a grandchild any of these days." "W-what?! I--I¡¯m thirteen!!!" the young boy eximed, his cheeks flushing in deep crimson. "Y-you really are a meanie!" "Oh, my bad, my bad; it¡¯s just that you act so serious all the time I figured you were already two hundred years old." "... tsk..." "Ah, would you look at that," Hannah giggled mischievously. "I managed to frustrate even the ever-calm Cae. My, my, I¡¯m quite proud of that one, to be honest." "... I¡¯m leaving." Cae mumbled, still rose-cheeked, turning around and walking away, leaving Hannah alone. "... are you sure he doesn¡¯t need me?" Hannah asked the silence after a little while. "Seems a bit anti-climactic, I gotta say." "Not yet, anyway," Astrum replied. "It seems Ataxia and he worked something out. Though I sense a discord of sorts, there is no battle intent present among the two. Rather, they¡¯re sitting cross-legged across from one another inplete silence. If I had to take a wild guess, Ataxia is showing him something." "Ah, those two and their wild bouts," Hannah shrugged. "Leaves the woman wanting, doesn¡¯t it?" "--perhaps he was right to leave that rod, after all." "Oh, shut up," Hannah rolled her eyes, turning away as thest of the soldiers from the mass vanished from her sight. "Don¡¯t make me use it on you." "I¡¯d love to see how you¡¯d be able to do that." "So would I." "So let¡¯s not." "Where did the courage go, Astrum?" "What courage?" the Writ replied in a hum, causing Hannah to chuckle. "Oh well. I guess I can patiently wait. This isn¡¯t the first time the bastard¡¯s making me..." ** Lino was currently staring at a star-stunning sight, a marvel of unifying shapes splintered into blocks that ravaged his view. Smoothed, sand-dyed, yet not sand-made, buildings of sorts grew like mushrooms after the rain from the earth and toward the sky. Their fronts, universally, were triangr, yet t, blowing back into a full shape like massively oversized and overbuilt tents. Yet, there was a certain sense of solidity to them, with uniform, patterned windows decorating the fronts and the sides, a giganticwork of strange cables weaving in-between, through and above the buildings. Each was at the very least two hundred meters tall, entirely entrenching the streets down below in a perennial gloom -- or, it would have, had it not been for the fantastically-carvedmpposts spread out every ten meters or so. Each shone a pleasant and cool shade of blue onto the streets which were made of a material Lino was unfamiliar with. It had a deep, dark shade of gray to it, yellow and white lines cutting through the streets two and sometimes three to four times. Besides the ground-level streets, nigh every single one also had a massive bridge overhead, or at least what Lino assumed to be the bridges, that were upheld by strange-looking pirs seemingly made out of thick alloys of iron. A lot of what he saw reminded him of the Gods¡¯ style of life back on Noterra, except far more advanced and polished --he couldn¡¯t quite put it into words. The sides of the streets were swarmed with people -- each was at the very least two and a half meters tall, draped in one strange garb after another; from wholly transparent cloth revealing virtually everything, to mboyant set of shapes and colors that hurt the eye, and all in-between, there didn¡¯t seem to be some sort of a social restriction on what one was supposed to wear. "This is my home," a voice next to him spoke; the two floated midair, invisible to those beneath them, as this was simply a distant memory. "Or, well, was my home. As far as we knew, we were the most advanced species in our small quadrant of the universe. Though we¡¯d asionally run into some other rather advanced ones, never quite on our level. It made us conceited. Terribly so." "..." "We practiced our own form of magic," Ataxia continued, pointing at one man -- or what Lino assumed to be a man, at least -- standing on the corner, performing some sort of an act. He was wholly naked except for a pair of tight shoes and was currently standing on one leg, the other bent inwardly. "We called it Augmentation," the man slowly lowered his arm as the space around it wiggled, the fire soon exploding from the sides of his arm, thinly so, out into the world. "Unlike Noterra, we had no Qi to rely on, so we created a technology that allowed us to manipte the base forces of our. Though the limitations were plenty, and restrictions even greater, we came far with it. Never quite to the point, though, of Augmentation being more viable than our other technology during the wartime." "... how far is this ce from Noterra?" Lino asked. "Hmm, around six million light-years, give or take," Ataxia replied. "Not that far, eerily enough." "..." noticing Lino¡¯s nk stare, Ataxia chuckled, exining. "The distances in the universe are too big for the standard measurement, so we settled on using the distance the light travels in a single year -- hence, light year. In that case, one light-year is roughly equivalent to six million million miles." "... oof. Close my ass." Lino shrugged. "Oh, trust me, in the grand scheme of things," Ataxia said. "It is beyond lucky and coincidental that Noterra was so close. Usually, you can go for tens of thousands of light-years without encountering a habitable. In effect, we had roughly two hundred thousand light-years around us entirely charted; beyond that, we at the very least had a rough sketch of what the things were like. We had massiveary defenses, several systems dedicated entirely to training our army. Yet, in the end, all of that was quite useless." "..." "Let¡¯s go then," Ataxia nced at him, smiling faintly. "On the tour of my life. Thest six months before Adur was to disappear... with almost everyone on it." Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 515 Chapter 515: Sanctum¡¯s End II CHAPTER 515 SANCTUM¡¯S END (II) Thousands upon thousands ofntern-shaped objects, each shimmering in the faintest of cyan, framed in silver-cast outline, hovered inside a gigantic, dome-shaped room. Odd-looking cables, each as thick as three grown men put together, with folds running like circles over their surfaces, decorated the ceiling, forming a strange, worming pattern that converged toward the central point where a mural of the suny etched in acrylic. At the center of the entire room stood a widened, round tform, beneath it an open abyss that ran deeper than an ordinary eye could discern. The tform had a tiled, ssed floor, framed in a peculiar, steel fence as tall as a young child. It was connected to the entrance by a narrow and long bridge, and it extended over the abyss itself with seemingly no support. Sporting six reclining chairs, each leather-bound with ss-steel frames, each of the chairs was turned toward a hovering screen depicting various images beneath which a stretch of strange equipmenty, with buttons abound. The six figures sitting in the chairs would move infrequently, usually just to reach a button they couldn¡¯t from their usual positions. Each was at the very least three meters tall, with long arms that could stretch to the edge of their working area quite easily, but otherwise had human features -- differently-colored eyes, different hairstyles as well as their dyes, different builds and so on. A strange hum permeated the entire room permanently, yet the six seemed entirely used to it, not letting it bother them. "--Registering, Space Object XX-R3395," one of the figures spoke out in an almost mechanical tone. "Weight -- approximately eight hundred and twenty-four tons; length -- approximately eighteen meters; speed -- approximately eighteen hundred kilometers per second and decelerating. En-route to Twelfth Sector. Tag as Yellow." As his voice faded, the room turned to silence once more, with only the grating hum persisting. The described object appeared on one of the screens, dozens of lines stretching sideways from it, depicting various numbers before the object vanished somewhere. The doors to the room opened all of a sudden, bringing with them another sound to the reality -- that of the walking footsteps. A figure, one slightly taller than three meters, draped in tightly-wound cloth, walked over the bridge and onto the tform. "Your shift has ended," the figure proimed in amanding voice. Without a fuss, the six figures each took strange objects from their heads, loops connecting two ear-encasing circles, standing up and walking toward the figure. "Good job." "You¡¯rete," one of the figures said in a somewhat annoyed tone. "Whole forty seconds." "Apologies," the neer bowed slightly toward the annoyed figure. "You all will bepensated with credits appropriately." "Hm." "Ah, Eldon, here," the man reached into his cloth, wiggling about for a moment before taking out a paper-covered, rectangr object and handing it over to one of the men -- tall, stalwart, ck-eyed, haired and bearded. "Wish the young na a happy birthday from me, will you?" "Ah, thank you," the man epted with the present with a faint blush, scratching his head. "You¡¯ll really spoil her, Commander." "As I very well intend to do." "We¡¯ve got her a present as well," one of the women chortled from the side, taking out a child-sized, paper-wrapped box from seemingly nowhere and handing it over to Eldon who epted it, almost stumbling and falling over. "Bring her around more often." "Aah, I¡¯d love to," Eldon sighed. "But she¡¯s quite the duty-bound one. Won¡¯t skip a day of school." "... are you sure she¡¯s yours?" the woman asked, nting her eyes. "I¡¯m sure!" Eldon eximed, his blush deepening. "Shut up. I wasn¡¯t that bad at school." "From what I recall," the man they called Commander chimed in from the side. "You barely passed. And that is only because the Reverends got tired of seeing your face." "Ha ha ha ha ha..." "Bah, you people are terrible," Eldon growled, pushing past everyone and walking toward the bridge. "I swear, I should have put those records into a Vault like the rest of you." "Had you been better at the school, you might have remembered to!" "Oh, shut up!!" Eldon stormed out of the strange room and into an open, curving hallway. To his right was a stretch of ssed windows, exposing the nightly skyline of the city; shimmering colors abound, a marvel of hues at the disy had long since stopped impressing him. Tall and taller buildings seemingly shone, thousands upon thousands of vastly colored screens floating alight in the skyline, depicting thousands upon thousands of different images. He, however, ignored them, speeding through the curving hallway. To his left, a smooth, almost wholly white wall expanded, bulged slightly, seemingly guiding him to the exit. On asion, gaps would open, revealing a set of doors leading deeper into the building, but he ignored them all until he reached a stairwell leading downward. It was a spiral-shaped, extremely narrow as means of using as little space as possible, and it led all the way to the bottom floor from the eighteenth that he was on. It spat him out directly into the weing lobby that was eerily empty. A well-fenced desk stood embedded into the tiled floor, opposite of the entrance, with no one currently in charge. Eldon figured the guard must be on break or something, and as he swiped the card to indicate his leaving, without looking back, he exited through the ss doors that split apart as he approached them. Walking out onto the street, a faintly cold wind began blowing against his cheeks. Quickly stuffing the presents into the Porter, he put his hands into his pockets and ran left. It was a short walk to his apartment as it was part of the massive tfieldsplex. Theplex was usually closed off to the public which was why there were no people, save for asional passerby such as himself, either leaving or going to work. Streets were narrow and quite ustrophobic, stuffed in-between massive buildings, some triangle-shaped like the dominant architecture of the city, and some seeming more like the massive cubicles rather than original buildings. One of those was also where his apartment was; twenty-five stories tall, a perfect cube in shape, framed entirely in thick ss,rge enough to hold over a thousand people -- truly a marvel of ¡¯aesthetics be damned;fort be damned; how many can we stuff is the question¡¯ mentality. The extremes they pushed it towards were reflected in the fact that there was no functioning elevator and that he had to climb eighteen flights just to reach the apartment. ¡¯It¡¯s good for your health¡¯, they said. Cursing inwardly all the way through -- as he had neither the breath nor the strength to do it aloud -- he managed to reach his apartment after a grueling, five minutes long climb. Every apartment in the building was the same, whether you lived alone or with a family of ten -- three ¡¯rooms¡¯ stuffed into a cube shape -- the bathroom, the kitchen, and the bedroom. Short of breath, he slumped through the front doors and entered the three-meters long, well-lit hallway. He immediately noticed a small set of shoes to the side, causing his frowning lips to curl up into a warm smile. "Dad?" a melodic voice came from the bedroom as he took off his shoes and headed over. Entering, he saw na sitting on the bed, her eyes glued to the screen in front of her. She had already put on her pajamas, her silver-cast hair tied roughly into a bun. Though small, the room still felt homely --rgely due to her efforts to put up framed pictures of the two of them on the walls and stands, to weave a beautiful rug herself and put it on the ice-cold metal floor, and to arrangemps in such a way that they cast extremely warm and pleasant light onto every corner of the room. She turned toward him only after he entered and closed the doors, pausing whatever she was watching. Jumping off the bed, she ran over and hugged him -- though rather tall for her age, she was still to reach half his size, making the hugging a rather awkward endeavor on her part until he picked her up by her armpits and cradled her into his arms. "You¡¯rete..." she pouted lowly as he walked over to the bed and sat down. "And you stink. Bah, what did you eat? You should brush your teeth! Is that a stain?! Dad!! I told you to be more careful! Ugh, take off your socks! Gosh, you really need to go and see a doctor about--" "Alright, alright, calm down, calm down," Eldon chortled in a deep bellow, shaking the bed beneath him. "Could you cut your dad some ck, eh? Especially since it¡¯s your birthday?" "Oh, you remembered?" na looked up, her silver eyes shining brightly, her cheeks desperately trying to hide the surging blush. "How could I not?" Eldon shrugged, putting her down gently. "I¡¯d be worried about my chip if I managed to forget even your birthday." "Whose did you manage to forget?" she asked. "Ta¡¯s." Eldon sighed. "... ouch." "Yeah... anyway," he cleared his throat and first took out a cake half her size, holding it steadily in his hands. It was a fouryered piece, each sporting four candles, indicating it was her sixteenth birthday. Frosting ran rampant across the edges, several dozen strawberries decorating the inner circles. "Happy birthday angel." "... thanks, dad." na nodded lowly, her blush deepening, as she reached with her finger and closed her eyes, following the tradition -- take one strawberry from eachyer, dip it into the frosting on four corners, take a single bite, and put it in her drawer until tomorrow, when she¡¯ll carry it with her to the outside, feeding it to the Ancient Fish. "Hm... it¡¯s... really tasty..." she said, staring at the half-eaten strawberry covered in the frosting longingly, barely managing to put it away. "Ha ha ha, I¡¯ve had uncle Rott make it just for you! He really is a genius, I gotta say." "What?! How much did that cost, huh?! Did that geezer charge you an arm and a leg? He did, didn¡¯t he?! Ugh!! Dad!! I told you not to get swindled so easily!! I¡¯ll go over tomorrow and give that old swindler a piece of my mind--" "Oi, oi, angel, rx, rx, he did it for free! For free!" "What? No way. He wouldn¡¯t even take free money for free. He¡¯d charge you just so you could give him money." "... why... why do you hate him so much?" Eldon sighed, scratching his head. "Humph..." "Fine, fine, whatever." he shrugged, slowly pulling out one present after another. "A lot of people miss you, you know? We should really visit them soon..." "I can¡¯t," she said absentmindedly, her eyes already turning to the building pile of presents. "I¡¯m in the middle of my exams." "... don¡¯t lie to me. Your exams ended months ago." "Different exams." "There are no different exams." "One of my favorite parts of your parenting is that you were entirely lost when it came to my schoolwork," she said, pouting. "Why did you suddenly start paying attention?" "... ah, you¡¯ll really be the death of me..." he mumbled as she slithered around him and jumped into the pile of the presents, opening up one after another. He turned toward her and sat in silence, watching with a beaming smile as hers widened. It was calm, silent, and distant. They didn¡¯t have much -- rather, they barely had enough. But... it wasn¡¯t bad, he mused. He truly was blessed. More so than most others far richer than him. Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 516 Chapter 516: Sanctum¡¯s End III CHAPTER 516 SANCTUM¡¯S END (III) "Ugh..." Eldon stretched widely, yawning and exhaling deeply. His bones felt extremely rigid, causing him to get up off the oversized chair and walk around the hanging tform for a little while. He was alone today, his shiftsting whole twelve hours and he was barely four hours in. He truly hated the solitary shifts, yet could only work silently and hope he¡¯ll get promoted soon enough so he doesn¡¯t have to spend twelve hours in absolute istion every other week. He kept his eye on the monitors just in case something popped up, but it was a massive rarity. After all, the majority of the space around Adur was entirely charted. Only on asion would an unknown object fly by, usually being a passing asteroid, but hardly anything of significance. Hours slowly began ticking by as he did his best tobat the boredom and the desire to fall asleep right then and there. As soon as the clock ticked four, he jumped off his chair and stretched for a minute before bolting out. As the gates to the hallway opened, his recement stood there dispirited -- Fig. A youngd, barely a few years older than na, just shy of two and a half meters. Eldon looked at he boy sympathetically, thed¡¯s starkly amber eyes seeming rather teary. "Hang in there," Eldon said, sping the boy¡¯s shoulder firmly in support. "You can do it." "... thank you Mr. Eldon," Fig sighed, shaking his head. "I swear, they aren¡¯t paying us nearly enough for this..." "... they really aren¡¯t..." Eldon mumbled as the boy faded into the room, the doors closing behind him. He didn¡¯t let his mind ponder upon the boy for too long, however, as he finally had some time to spend with na outside their little apartment. As he had a day off tomorrow, it meant that they could go out to dine tonight and spend the entire day together tomorrow. He raced home with a beaming smile on his face, his joy so overflowing that he didn¡¯t even curse the eighteen flights of stairs he had to climb -- too much, at least. Storming into the bedroom, he startled na who was sitting by her desk, reading something. The young girl cried out as she stumbled out of her chair and fell onto the floor. Eldon cried out even louder and ran over, helping her up tenderly. "Dammit, dad!!" the young girl eximed, rubbing her back. "Are you going to war or into your bedroom?!" "... sarcasm?" "Of course it¡¯s sarcasm!!" na growled, sitting back up. "Did you eat? Of course you didn¡¯t eat. You never eat. Look at those bags under your eyes -- do you even sleep anymore? It¡¯s just work, work, work, work with you. Tsk, one of these days I¡¯ll storm into the damn Bureau and give them a piece of my mind!" "--I-I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about it!" Eldon eximed quickly, fearful she might actually do it. "I¡¯m off for today, and I¡¯ve the entire day tomorrow free! So, what do you want to do? Where do you want to eat tonight?" "Eh?" na calmed down quickly, the shimmer in her eyes growing slightly resplendent. "You¡¯re free?" "Yeah." Eldon nodded. "... can... can we visit mom?" "... of course," Eldon¡¯s smile turned slightly bitter, yet warm at the same time, as he reached over and caressed the young girl¡¯s cheek gently. "It¡¯s been a while since we visited, huh?" "... do you think... she misses us, as well?" na asked as she nestled into his embrace tightly, her body shivering. "Of course she does," Eldon said, pulling her head against his chest, rubbing her hair tenderly. "Your mom misses you very much. While there, we can also grab a bite at Myther¡¯s, you know?" "... as if we can afford that." na mumbled. "It¡¯s not your ce to worry what we can or can¡¯t afford, kiddo," Eldon said. "Your dad is just smart enough to manage it, you know? And your dad says that we¡¯ll be eating at Myther¡¯s. I¡¯ve been wanting to try that new fish of theirs for quite some time now." "I hear it¡¯s awful," she said. "Lyndia said her parents ordered two portions, and threw out three-quarters of it because it was too salty." "... how about we go for something safe, then?" "That sounds... good..." She remained cradled in his arms for a long while, silent, until he finally realized she had fallen asleep. Her cheeks puffed faintly each time she took a breath, causing him to hold in a squeal as he picked her up as gently as he could, carrying her over onto the bed and putting her down. Pulling the nket over her with a smile on his face, he went to her desk and began cleaning up; it was mostly her school books and a single magazine about the newest technologies. Eldon felt rather proud as he was able to understand at the very least ten words per paragraph as he skimmed the first few pages, but since he felt sleepiness creep in, he quickly put it away. "... your handwriting¡¯s really messy, kiddo," he mumbled, his lips curling up into a smile again. "Just like your mom¡¯s." Realizing they wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere tonight, he went to the kitchen and in front of the wide-open wall with just a few buttons next to a ssed hole. He punched in a four-digitbination and waited for a few seconds before the ss moved up, revealing a bowl of steaming soup behind. He ate in silence, the sole source of light an overhead bulb encased in thick stic. His mind felt very light; rather, it¡¯s been like that for months now. He had little toin about, after all. Though the job was difficult, and it would hardly make him rich, it was enough for the two of them. na¡¯s grades were at the very top of her year, and he had no doubt she would enroll in the most prestigious Academy. The only question that remains is what she¡¯d like to do when she grows up. He didn¡¯t care, truly; it was entirely up to her, which is why he never really asked her. Though he did intend to discuss it with her eventually just to confirm she had something in mind, at the very least. As for him? He didn¡¯t matter all that much. A decade more and he¡¯ll have fulfilled all the requirements for the Retirement Benefits, which would be more than enough to carry him through the winter years of his life. Following the dinner, he stayed up for a few more hours watching the news before also deciding to turn in. They¡¯d have to get up rather early in the morning to avoid the traffic, which is why he set the rm for before dawn, closing his eyes and nestling into the bed, next to na. It was a dreamless sleep, one from which he was awoken by the annoying, ring sound of the rm. Groaning, he barely managed toe to after nearly a minute, sitting up and yawning. ncing to the side, he saw that na wasn¡¯t there, causing his heart to start for a moment. However, as he heard the boiling watering from the kitchen, he realized she must have woken before him. He first went to the bathroom before walking into the kitchen. A single table and two chairs, besides the window-wall on the side opposite of the doors, were the only decorations of the dull room. There was already a wide breakfast spread waiting for him on the table, including the boiling-hot coffee as well as lime pancakes. "--when did you wake up?" he asked, sitting down and taking a quick sip of coffee. It streamed through his throat like magma, even hurting slightly, though the sensation of joy far surpassed it. "Not too long ago," na said, taking a piece of bread and putting it into the jar of butter, swooping a whole handful. "You slept well?" "I guess. Geez, you really need to lighten with the butter," he said, shuddering. "You¡¯ll get really fat." "Oh, look who¡¯s telling me," she rolled her eyes at him. "When was thest time you tried working out?" "Never!" "Don¡¯t say it with such pride!" "Ah, I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go... calm down." "Yeah, right," na sighed, shaking her head and dipping the bread into the butter once more. "I¡¯ve already called the Transport. I hope that¡¯s okay." "Of course," he nodded. "I hope we¡¯ll avoid traffic." "We should," she said. "If you speed up a bit." "You try speeding up the drinking of the boiling coffee." "Then don¡¯t make it boiling!!" "But you made it!!" "Because you won¡¯t drink any other!" she eximed back. "You have way too many weird quirks!" "Oh, look who¡¯s calling the kettle ck..." "S-shut up! Eat your damn breakfast!" the girl quickly devoured a whole bread with gusto, while Eldon also sped up, only eating two pancakes as he wasn¡¯t feeling too hungry since he ate rathertest night. "Alright, go get ready," she said, getting up. "I¡¯ll clean up." Eldon obediently listened, taking a quick shower and dressing up in his best suit -- one his dad bought for him over twenty-five years ago. Though it was old, it had gone past the phase of being ¡¯old¡¯ and into being ¡¯retro¡¯. He wore it not too long ago during one of the parties at work, and a lot of his colleagues asked him where he got it. His ego rarely got stroked, which is why he still remembered the party fondly. They were out of the building in less than ten minutes. na wore a simple, slightly loose, lime-dyed silken dress with sun-dyed patterns running across the sides. The Transport she ordered was of the cheap kind -- an oddly-shaped wheeler with a tall, crescent roof and jets extended on the sides, billowing down yellowish mes. The two barely managed to squeeze in, though it remained quite ufortable. The vehicle was self-driving, which is why they hardly cared forfort since it was intended as the cheapest form of transportation, usually for one person. "Destination?" a robotic voice quickly asked them as they settled in. "CIRA, please," Eldon said. "And speed up if possible so we don¡¯t get caught in traffic." "-- a decrease from sixteen minutes of travel to nine will cost an additional twenty credits. Approve?" "Approve." Eldon quickly said as he saw na trying to reject. "Idiot! That was two meals worth of credits!" she whispered angrily into his ear. "Don¡¯t worry about it." he chuckled lightly and leaned back, as much as he could, as the vehicle began moving. It first lifted off roughly to a hundred meters, a midyered portion of the approvednes, before leaning slightly forward and bursting forth. It moved roughly six hundred kilometers per hour which, though on the lower end of things, was still rather speedy. The two spent their journey in silence, Eldon locked in his thoughts while na tried to glean some of the blurred buildings outside through the window, though with little sess. Luckily, they managed to avoid the morning jams, which meant that they arrived in less than nine minutes -- just as the A.I. promised they would. Thending was rather rough, causing their inner organs to tumble slightly, and for na to feel sick for a moment, though, otherwise, it went without a hitch. They exited straight in front of a massive building made out of cyan ss and framed, shimmering steel beams, rising to over two hundred floors. It loomed over the surrounding buildings like a behemoth, gigantic ¡¯CIRA¡¯ looming over the exit. Streams of people went in and out, people of all walks of life, and Eldon and na joined the newly entering group silently. The insides of the institute were massive, as though they entered the belly of a titan. There were over a hundred elevators spread throughout the ground floor leading up, with reception built around the central pir of stone decorated with dozens of monitors. The institute¡¯s staff raced left and right to amodate anyone who might have some questions, but the two of them had no need for the help as they¡¯ve underwent this ritual a lot of times before. They quickly left the group and bound right, toward the further edge of the ground floor, one far less popted than the main portion. The ssed floor beneath gave way to the stone-tiled one, decorated and bright walls reced by the ones that saw little maintenance. Reaching the corner elevator, steel-built device unlike others which ran on Augmentation, they entered and specified the eighteenth floor. The ride was rather loud as the cables tumbled over the rusting gears, with na even eximing fearfully once or twice in the process. It, however, didn¡¯tst that long, less than a minute. Exiting, they found themselves inside the familiar hall, with over a hundred different rooms spread about. Eldon quickly pulled the card through the Checker; the device took a moment to register and dissolve the electric guard over the gateway. "--Room 4463. Time limit is one hour." the robotic voice informed them as they walked past, though neither caught much of it as they¡¯ve heard it countless times before. The hallway had a rather tall ceiling, and divided this quarter of the floor into four squares altogether, the hallway forming a cross at the center. Room 4463 was to the left of the intersection, nearly toward the end. It was gated by the wooden doors, which opened as Eldon dragged the card through another Checker. The room itself was rather cramped, barely enough to fit ten grown men side by side, yet enough to fit what it was supposed to hold. na¡¯s expression soured immediately, her eyes growing teary as she walked over to the other wall of the room where, perched against it, an amnesty-decorated, ssed coffin resided. Over a hundred pumps stretched from its sides and into the wall behind, going somewhere into the building. Inside the coffin, a middle-aged woman, just shy of three meters in height,y still, her hands crossed over her chest, entirely naked. Silver hair spilled back over the pillow and to the coffin¡¯s sides. She was just as she was thest time, Eldon mused as na put her hands onto the coffin, leaning against its cool surface. "... I hope you¡¯ve been well," Eldon said, walking up, cing the hand onto the coffin himself. "Biyung." Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 517 Chapter 517: Sanctum¡¯s End IV CHAPTER 517 SANCTUM¡¯S END (IV) Aplex expression danced through Eldon¡¯s face, his lips faintly quivering as he traced his fingers over the cool surface of the coffin-like enclosure. She appeared so peaceful, lying there, as though she were asleep. No, in a way, she was asleep. Perhaps not the mostmon, usual one, but the only one she could afford. "Status?" he mumbled lowly, turning toward the center of the translucent ss whereupon a set of screens appeared, each depicting one of her vital signs. "The patient is stable." a robotic voice replied soon after. "Any regression?" he continued. "The patient is showing no signs of regression," the robotic voice replied once again. "Metastatic cells aren¡¯t spreading, but they aren¡¯t retreating either." "Any changes to the prognosis?" "No -- the prognosis remains the same. At the current rate, the patient can be sustained for eighteen years, five months, twenty-four days and eleven hours before all chances of rescue are lost." "... thanks." "I am at your disposal, at any time." Eldon sighed, ncing to the side where na was still staring at Biyung¡¯s face, the former¡¯s terribly sad. He felt a pang in his heart as heid his eyes on hers; they were much too young to experience such pain, yet, there she was, in as much, if not more, pain than he. After all, he had good two decades with Biyung; na, on the other hand, had barely spent seven years with her mother before she, for all intents and purposes, lost her. "You okay, kiddo?" Eldon asked, reaching out and patting her head. na lowered it, low sounds of snuffling echoing throughout the small room. "... it¡¯s unfair." she mumbled. "Aye, it¡¯s unfair." he nodded. "She¡¯s... so young," the young girl continued. "And she was healthy, right?! She followed everything properly!" "..." "... so... why? Just why?" "... I don¡¯t know," Eldon said, sighing and crouching down, bringing himself to the girl¡¯s eye level, forcing her to look at him. Her silver eyes had turned a shade redder, the corners worn out slightly due to tears. "Sometimes -- no, most often, really -- things like these... don¡¯t make sense. Try as we will, we just keep on swimmin¡¯ in the dark. So, instead of delving into the past... let¡¯s look toward tomorrow, alright? She¡¯ll be better, na. I know it." "... and what if she doesn¡¯t?" the girl asked defiantly. "Then we¡¯ll escort her gracefully and properly," he said, his smile turning into a painful one as he rubbed the girl¡¯s silver-cast hair, causing it to flutter slightly. "As she¡¯s earned." "..." na perched her lips together as they quivered; unable to hold it in, she cried out and rushed into Eldon¡¯s chest, burying her head in them. He remained still, simply hugging her back tightly and holding her. "Come on, kiddo," he said as their hour was nearing the end. "Let¡¯s go grab a bite." "Hm." na nodded obediently, wiping her eyes. Eldon took onest nce at the figure in the enclosure, sighed, and left. Meanwhile, left behind were two ephemeral visages, smoke-edged figures of the beyond. Ataxia, his age showing through the graying hair and beard, and Lino stood side by side, both looking at the figure in the coffin. Lino recognized the make immediately -- it was almost a picture-perfect copy of the one he found Umbra in. "... so, that¡¯s Biyung, huh?" Lino mumbled. "The same one?" "... in a way." Ataxia replied, his voice pained. "... this ce," he said. "Is... surprisingly ordinary. At least akin to something within the vision of my imagination." "... this is the low-end area of a small city," Ataxia chuckled. "Most of what defined us as a species is nowhere near here, I¡¯m afraid." "What is wrong with her?" Lino asked. "... it¡¯s simr to what the Dragons in the Isles underwent," Ataxia replied. "An elerated growth of the cells that refused to die, mutating into tumors that eventually eat the body inside out." "No cure?" Lino asked curiously. "There is, but not for the fourth or the fifth stage, when the initial growth spreads to the other parts of the body and slowly stars shutting down the body¡¯s functions," Ataxia said. "Unfortunately, we were unable to catch it before it evolved that far. She seemed... eerily fine beforehand." "... your reaction to her when I first met her," Lino mumbled. "Is starting to make sense." "... it isn¡¯t anything profound," Ataxia exined. "I just... failed to save her, Lino. I could have, truly. But, instead, I chose to save na. And, yet, in a way, I failed in that too. Biyung you met... was... ahh, she was a failed attempt of mine. Alive, yet... not. A strange form." "... so, she was right, then. That she¡¯s a mother to all Primes, I mean." "Abstractly, perhaps," Ataxia said. "But, I hadn¡¯t even begun restoring her body by the time I¡¯d converted all Primes." "The robotic voice?" Lino nced at him with a smirk. "... ha ha," for the first time since he¡¯d met him in this form, Ataxiaughed freely, scratching his head. "Yeah, I picked it up from the technology A.I.¡¯s from my world. I did try using my normal voice a few times, but nobody could get ustomed to it. Besides, using a robotic voice... masked well who I really was." "... and who are you?" "... just an ordinary person, Lino." Ataxia said after a brief stare-off, smiling lightly. "Who lucked into the threads of the cosmic fate." "Hm..." "Come on," he said as the scene dissolved. "More of the story awaits us." na sat patiently in the corner of a small restaurant, ncing around the immensely packed tables. The floor beneath her, as well as the walls the ceiling around and above, were abyssal, pitch ck, with the gxy formations spreading widely, shining resplendent light. The entire set made it seem as though they were dining in space and sitting on the stars instead of chairs, yet na could never quite get ustomed to it. Even now, whenever she walked across the floor, she felt getting sick. Eldon came back a few momentster, carrying two trays of food and two bottles of drinks with him. Her lips turned into a pout as she saw him walking over the abyss with confidence, not stumbling even once. Putting the trays down on the table, which was in the shape of a ck hole, he pushed one over to na, quickly picking up the food from his own. It was Myther¡¯s staple food, Feryor Chicken fried in the Deep-sea oil with the far Southern spices sprinkled in the mix. It was slightly spicy, but just the right amount for the two. "Hm? What¡¯s wrong?" Eldon asked, chewing the soft chicken¡¯s breast. "Why aren¡¯t you eating?" "--how are you walking over the floor so easily?" na asked, frowning. "Eh? Pfft, ha ha ha ha...." "W-what?!! What is it?!! Stopughing!!" "Ha ha ha ha, oh my god, is that what got you all pouty? Ha ha ha ha, that¡¯s adorable..." "S-shut up!! Grr, I wish I¡¯d never asked! Humph!" "Ha ha, awwe on, don¡¯t be angry," Eldon said, barely stopping himself from furtherughter. "It makes sense, no? I look into space on a daily basis, and the actual space is far, far, far emptier than this. It¡¯d be strange if you could walk normally when wee here only like twice a year." "... b-but still..." "What? You that disappointed that your old man can do something you can¡¯t?" he grinned, taking another piece of the chicken and downing it with a mouthful of bubbling orange juice. "... humph, fine, be gleeful about it," na mumbled, starting to eat as well. "You rarely get an opportunity anyway." "... aye, and I couldn¡¯t be prouder," she blushed all of a sudden, her eyes widening as he looked up. "Ah, don¡¯t look at me like that, kiddo," Eldon shrugged. "What father would possibly want to be better than his kids, huh? Every day I thank the heavens you took after your mom instead of me, you know? Your brilliance... sets me at ease. I know that, no matter what... you¡¯ll do just fine." "... y-you... how can you say that stuff without getting embarrassed?" she stuttered, hiding her face in the food. "What do I have to be embarrassed about? What? If you want, I can start shouting that I have the best kid in the world right here and now, so that the entire world hears." "DON¡¯T YOU DARE!!" "Pfft, ha ha ha ha ha..." "A-a-you... you are really terrible, you know?!" na once again cowered behind her food, her blush deepening in the shade. "Aww,e on, I¡¯m not that terrible," Eldon chuckled. "Alright, hurry up and finish. Let¡¯s take a walk; it¡¯s been a while..." Please go to https:///Legend-of-the-Empyrean-cksmith/ to read thetest chapters for free Chapter 518 Chapter 518 CHAPTER 518 SANCTUM''S END (V) Eldon yawned lowly and stretched, rolling sideways and stumbling out of the bed . The first signs of the dawn perched through the curtained windows, barely giving him enough light to see where he was . Getting up, he nced backward at the still-sleeping na, muffling his footsteps so he doesn''t wake her, quickly making his way over to the kitchen . The mornings were awfully cold and empty; sitting alone in the silent room gave way to many thoughts he didn''t want to have, which is why he usually tried hurrying up with his morning routine and leaving for work . Today he wasn''t going to the House of Cosmic Collection as he was temporarily being resigned to the Gctic Registry due to the shortage of manpower . It wouldn''t be his first time, but he didn''t like going there as it was generally filled with a rather arrogant lot who always ignored him . A job is a job, however, and he stepped out of the apartment with a sigh and the faintest determination . The Transport waited from him right outside, but luckily he didn''t have to pay for it as it was organized by his supervisor . It was still the cheapest kind, but it didn''t matter; he never experienced luxury, to begin with, and had little to feel depressed about . Though it was still early, there were still quite a few people either going to or returning from their jobs . The surrounding buildings which seemed to defy the heavens in their size, shape and make, used to be looked at as monuments worthy of devotion . He still remembered, as a kid, walking down the Roney Lane, the most popr stretch ofnd in the city, hosting the most important buildings . The high-rises were new, especially the tall ones, and nobody could help but stop and sigh in awe at them . Now? He didn''t even notice them . After a fifteen minutes long journey, he was dropped off in front of an egg-shaped building,id horizontally on the side, curved perfectly . It was surrounded by a massive pool of water beaming a reflection of the building''s framework . It was a rather spectacr sight, though Eldon imagined the architects didn''t want to be known as the ones who designed the ''egg building'', as their initial idea was the gxy-shaped building . Faintly chuckling at his own random thoughts, he made his way over the framed, steel bridge and through the automatic doors . Insides were immacte, spreading out into a wide cone walled off by beautifully decorated motifs of the cosmos, over twenty elevators and two sets of stairwells spaced out to perfection . The reception desk was held up by six people dressed in the traditional white-spun satin . shing his badge at them, he was oriented to the leftmost stairwell as he didn''t have enough clearance to use the elevators . Sighing, he shook his head and began climbing -- at the very least it wasn''t eighteen floors, and he only had to climb three . The third floor was gated in eight quarters, the one he was assigned to be in right to the left of the stairwell . It stretched into a quarter-circle shape, over fifty monitors hanging on the inside walls, the central part separated by walls, turned into a cubicle, while the rest of the desks were strewn about at random, some extruded from the walls and some from the floors . He quickly spotted his supervisor, a slightly older woman, Reli . She was nearly as tall as him, bald-headed, her skin gleaming in the slight cyan -- a byproduct of the activity popr among the rich, Ice-dipping . Apparently, as far as Eldon heard at least, it kept the skin stic and was immensely popr . As she spotted him, she waved at him and smiled; despite the difference in their status, she was among the few that didn''t treat him as air, but instead as another person . "You made it . " she said, smiling still, her green eyes -- hidden behind a pair of what Eldon considered to be hideous sses, though he''d seen plenty of richer people wearing them -- glistening . "Hm," Eldon nodded . "Traffic was light . " "That''s good," she nodded . "I''m sorry to call you here, but they''re really short-staffed -- it''s just for today, don''t worry . " "It''s fine," he shrugged . "Work is work . What will I be doing?" "Ah, it''s simr to thest time," she exined . "You just have to go over thest week''s registry and remove the red gs . " "Hm, alright," he said, sitting down at the chair and pulling the screen down to his level; there were over 200,000 entries, which immediately caused him a headache . "Ugh, this . . . is gonna take a while . . . " "You can just use the filters for the initial sweep," she said, sitting next to him and smiling apologetically . "For instance, if you type in ''lifeforms'', you should be able to shave off a lot of entries as they''re usually false gs . " a "Ah, alright, thanks," Eldon nodded, quickly following the instructions; the interface of the program they used was still as messy as he remembered it being . It looked like something developed half a century ago; even the program at the Cosmic Collection wasn''t as bad . "Wasn''t today supposed to be your day off?" he asked her as he saw she had no intention of leaving just yet . " . . . eh," she shrugged helplessly . "If you get a call, you answer the call . It''s as simple as that . " " . . . haah, I gotta say, I don''t envy you . " Eldon said, wondering how he''d react if he got a call on his day off that he was spending with na . He would have probably quit the job altogether -- damned be the consequences . "Eh, I''m afraid I''m the dull type outside the work," Reli said . "Hardly a hobby worth skipping the work for . What about you?" "Hmm, I mostly spend them with na," Eldon replied somewhat absentmindedly as he began filtering through the entries, deleting the red gs . "In a way, I guess, you could say she''s my hobby . " "Ha ha, why wouldn''t she be? She''s adorable . " "She really is . What about you?" he quizzed . "Ever thought about having kids?" "Ah, to have kids, you have to find a guy who''ll tolerate your insane schedule first . And that''s proving to be . . . rather difficult, I must say . " "Don''t be down at yourself," he said, ncing at her with an encouraging smile . "You''re too good for that . " " . . . thank you . . . " Eldon withdrew from the conversation, not noticing Reli getting up and walking away strangely . He had too much work to go through and too little time . They didn''t care about the process itself, after all, just the results; and if he wasn''t finished by today, he wouldn''t get paid the full amount . Though the work was easy, as it was a two-button-clicks sort of an ordeal, it was also horrendously dull . He considered applying for it originally, but one of his good friends at the time had the foresight to warn him about just how boring the job is -- even more so than his current one . Mindlessly sifting through the horde of entries all made by the still-developing A . I . that can''t differentiate between an actual new lifeform and a piece of greenish rock was all but interesting, so much so he found himself nodding off for a moment barely two hours in . Snapping out of it, his gaze sharpened as he took a closer look at the entry he was about to delete; it was inputted three days ago, and A . I . assigned it to a low-priority pile . It was a low-resolution image roughly thirty light-years away depicting several dozen tiny dots of light . Usually, pictures like these weren''t surprising; the phenomenon of clusters was well-recorded and not that umon, but something set him off about the picture . Though the clusters were not umon, they were generally rather random; the distances between lights varied, their sizes varied, and their brightness -- that is, their distance -- varied greatly as well . This one, however, appeared eerily . . . orderly . Each dot was spaced out evenly, and the closer Eldon looked, the more auspicious it became . Pulling the picture into the scanning interface, he inputted controls for scanning for a pattern and waited for a few seconds; he was right -- there was a pattern to them -- arrow-shaped one,rgely used in the ancient military books . No way . . . he thought . He must have started seeing things of interest because he was too bored . He ran the image through the scanner once again, but the results were the same . A . I . , too, seemed somewhat rmed by it as it scanned the image several times on its own . The low-priority suddenly turned to high-priority, which deemed the image worthy of several dozen more in-depth scans, which resulted in something even Eldon couldn''t predict -- Red Alert . rms began ring off throughout the building as people jumped in panic; he saw Reli walking over rapidly with a worried expression on her face . "W-what''s wrong?!" she asked, sitting down next to him . "I--I don''t . . . " he really didn''t know, despite the fact that the results on the screen were telling him -- A . I . overruled the manual usage of the long-rangeary scanners and automatically pointed them at the direction of the cluster, scanning repeatedly . The power usage went through the roof for a few minutes as it was taking spitfire images, most-likely in hopes of rendering one of a higher resolution . The results came in a few minutester; Eldon didn''t even realize that over a dozen people joined Reli and him, standing around his station with worried and confused expressions . The image rendered slowly on his screen; he, much like everyone else, shuddered . Depicted on the image were twenty-one figures flying in the arrow-shaped formation, each d in resplendent, golden-white armor, wings of light at their backs . "IMPOSSIBLE!!" several voices shouted out at the same time, and even Eldon nearly stumbled back out of his chair . What they were seeing was indeed impossible -- those were people, eerily simr to them, flying through space without a ship or a proper suit . . . people with wings of light on their backs . . . headed straight for Adur at insane speeds that even the''s best fleet couldn''t possibly hope to ever match . Chapter 519 Chapter 519 CHAPTER 519 SANCTUM''S END (VI) Madness . Perhaps that was the aptest description of what transpired when the news of the creatures flying through space was leaked . Nobody was certain who did it, but it had to be someone from the group that surrounded Eldon when he discovered them to begin with . The entire city -- nay, the entire world -- went mad, Eldon was certain . He''d immediately contacted na and ordered her to leave the school and go back to the apartment as quickly as possible . He himself had nned on getting a Transport and going back quickly, but it turned out to be a pipe dream; not only could he not spot a single Transport, but the skies themselves also seemed to be aze with how many crashes had urred in the space of ten minutes . Grunting, he didn''t hesitate and broke out into a sprint . It would take him a long time, but at the very least he would get there . What to do when he got there, however? Hide? Yes, but where? He didn''t know . Rather, he didn''t even know what were the intentions of those creatures, or whether they were evening here . Though the A . I . predicted so, it was far from being wless . Besides, even if they arrived, the military would deal with them, no? They had an entire defensive system set up throughout the nearby cluster -- everything from the concentrated sts of radiation to singrity bombs . Just one of those was enough to level a whole to the ground; what could a few creatures possibly do against it? Though those thoughts sprayed through his mind, something inside him told him he was deluding himself . He had to remind himself those creatures were flying through the open space without any equipment -- flying faster than any of the ships they had, so faster it was embarrassing to evenpare the two -- and they couldn''t be gauged with their ordinary knowledge . The rms were ring all throughout the city, Red Alerts singing aloud, the projectors dropped from the skies portraying the Spokesperson of the Union trying to orderly ry what people should do . Eldon suspected nobody quite cared since, as far as he could tell, not a single person he came across even bothered looking up . They hadn''t had a major war ever since the Gctic Uprising, which was well over two centuries ago . Comcency was a rather dangerous thing, and none of the ordinary people were quite ready for any sort of battle . Perhaps even the military wasn''t, especially against the creatures that appeared entirely mythical in make . After a long and grueling marathon, Eldon finally managed to make it back to the apartmentplex that had half-emptied by now . He could still spot dozens of people racing about the massivepound, however, despite several hours having passed since the announcement . Disregarding all of them, he shot up the eighteen flights of stairs in his record time and burst into the apartment . na cried out in surprise as she saw him, his clothes wet as though he''d just gone out for a swim, heaving madly, his head smoking . "W-what''s wrong with you?!!" she cried out worriedly . "Did--did you seriously run all the way here?!" "A-are you okay?" he asked instead . "I''m fine, I''m fine," she rushed him onto the bed; the moment his body felt theforting envelopment of the mattress, he copsed, unable to move a single muscle in his body . In retrospect, what he just did was absolutely insane; where did he even get the strength to do it? "You look like crap, though . . . " " . . . aah, ahhh," he was unable to answer her just yet, barely managing to breathe . His lungs felt as though they were ready to burst out of his body, seemingly falling apart at their seams . "Sorry . . . aahhh . . . " "Ugh, shut up," she said, rolling her eyes and pulling up the screen in front of them; on it, he saw military being mobilized, both theary and the gctic ones . "Though your call shocked me quite a bit, I only realized why you were like that when I came back home and checked the news . On my way over, it all seemedrgely normal . Did your group discover them?" she asked worriedly . " . . . y-yeah," Eldon replied, barely managing to sit up . "Did they show the picture?" "Hm," na nodded . "They looked like the Winged Heralds from the old Holy Books . . . " "They might as well be," Eldon shrugged . "How the hell can they fly through the open space without a ship?" " . . . I guess it''s simr to our Augmentation," na said, stroking her chin . "Just, obviously, countless grades better . " " . . . hmm," after a short thought, Eldon nodded -- that seemed like the most likely possibility . "The military is really going all out . " "I don''t get why everyone got so panicked," na said . "Even if their Augmentations are powerful, can they really do anything against a Nanocannon? That thing can bore holes through the stars . " " . . . I think it''s mostly just a chain reaction, and the surprise factor," Eldon replied . "This is the first time something like this happened, after all . . . " "You''re no better . . . " "Sorry, ha ha," he chuckled awkwardly . "I just . . . got a bad premonition when I first looked at the picture of them . It was like . . . I don''t know . . . like my instinct screaming at me . That those things . . . aren''t as simple as they seem . . . " " . . . what? You think they can go up against our military?" na asked with an incredulous expression . "I don''t know . . . " he sighed . "It''s better to be cautious, however . . . " "My worries proved right soon after," Ataxia said to Lino whose eyes were peeled on the angelic-looking figures on the still image . "In less than ten days, Adur would cease to exist, as well as all but fourteen members of our species . " "Fourteen?" Lino quizzed . "With other Writs, you, na, and I imagine Biyung, isn''t that nine? Where did the other fivee from?" " . . . Ashtar was one of them," Ataxia replied with a sigh . "As was Asmodei . And Adin . The other two, you''ve never met . One of them heralded the Titan Race into existence with my help, the second died on our way to Noterra . . . " " . . . who were they?" Lino asked, pointing at the still image . "They look eerily a lot like the Archangels . " "--when the Edifice asked me what kind of an army I wanted, I instinctively thought back at them, which is how Archangels came to be," Ataxia replied . "As for who they are . . . I have no idea, to be honest . My spection is that they are simply members of many other gctic species inhabiting the cosmos . They, after all, gave very little exnation during their ransacking of my home . " " . . . to be honest," Lino said, chuckling bitterly . "All of this . . . is so far outside my scope . . . it''s embarrassing . For a long while now I''ve been concocting various theories of your origins, but, by gods . . . I could have never thought up this shit . " "It isn''t surprising," Ataxia said . "You had nothing to go on . " "--other Writs, then . . . aren''t your natural enemies?" Lino asked . "On the contrary," Ataxia replied . "They . . . are my friends . Or, at least, they used to be . " "That''s . . . hard to believe . " "They intentionally wiped their memories before they reached Noterra," Ataxia exined as Lino listened, his entire worldview shaken beyond belief . "It was a gamble . In a way, we wall knew those things -- or at least someone like them -- mighte back in the future . With the help of the Edifice, we turned from creatures into concepts -- however, the requirement was that we gather enough Chaos to rebuild it . Chaos is, surprisingly, easy enough to generate; each time there''s a discord to the natural order, a small bit appears . And, bit by bit, we collected them . That was why I made Primes -- since they made the perfect vessels for Chaos . "However, to be effective at it, we decided to segregate into camps; I on one side, and the rest on another . For this to work, they''ve given up majority of their functions over to me, and thus . . . the story of Noterra began . " " . . . holy hell . . . " Lino mumbled, sucking in a cold breath . "Now, perhaps, you can see why I was so ambiguous with you . . . " "Aye . . . " Lino nodded, still trying to process everything Ataxia told him . "Then, the First Scripture . . . ?" "A small pod of the spaceship we arrived in, the one I carried na with to Noterra," Ataxia replied . "It holds as many records as we could salvage of Adur, as a way of preserving the memory of the entire system of worlds that have vanished from all cosmic annals . " " . . . is there a way to restore the Writs'' memories?" Lino asked . "Yes," Ataxia replied . "Though, I imagine, a few of them have already begun remembering certain things -- especially Astrum and Nirvana . Lino," he said in a strangely serious voice, forcing Lino to look at him squarely . "E . . . will not return as a friend . " " . . . how do you know?" Lino asked . "I just . . . do," Ataxia replied . "And, most importantly, she won''t return alone . Seeing as you''ve now be a fully-fledged Agent of Destruction, you are effectively at her level of strength, if not even stronger . She will bring either other Agents, or armies under them . " " . . . " "There is only one way to ensure the survival . " "I won''t abandon Noterra, Ataxia . " Lino said firmly, frowning . " . . . do you think I could ask of you to do that?" Ataxia sighed painfully, ncing down at the frozen, distant memory . "No, we won''t abandon it . Rather, we''ll turn it into our starting point . " "Hm?" "Rebuild the Edifice," Ataxia exined . "And unite the world . Prepare them for a war the likes of which none of them can even imagine . The one where battles like yours and Asthar''s are asmon as weed . Otherwise . . . the same thing will happen to Noterra, the same thing that happened to my home . " Chapter 520 Chapter 520 CHAPTER 520 SANCTUM''S END (VII) Apocalypse . Lino observed from the ether of the memories the carnage that followed in front of him . It was soul-stirring on manyyers to the point that he felt a pang in his heart . It wasn''t a battle, not really -- and it especially wasn''t a war . It was a simple massacre of world-scale proportions . The angelic figures were annihtors, and the people of Adur were ants waiting to be annihted . Spears of light descended like the rain from the sky, each boring a massive hole into the behemoth of a . Thousands upon thousands of buildings crumbled into ash, dust and ruin each second, and hundreds of thousands of people died wretched deaths . The screams bounded the entire, so much so that they seemed ceaseless . Blood ran everywhere, cascading, spraying upwardly, shooting left and right . All the while, the angelic figures remained expressionless, as though they were doing absolutely nothing . Even though it was a memory, Lino was able to roughly calcte their strength . They were weaker than him . Considerably weaker, actually . By Noterra''s standards, none of the figures probably even reached Level 100,000 . Had any of the prominent figures of Noterra been here, they would have easily dealt with them . But . . . all the people of Adur were, effectively, mortals . They had numerous war machines, yes, and even Augmentation, but the gap of such scale couldn''t be made up . In that scenario, the only option was to roll over and die, ruefully epting their dreadful fates . Lino''s expression crumpled as he sighed . Ataxia didn''t know the reason why they attacked, and neither did he . If he dove into spection, he could pry out hundreds of reasons . Boredom, resources, grudge . . . it was simply impossible to determine . What he could determine, however, was that those spears of light that they used to shower the entire Adur with to the point it looked like a porcupine, were because of the items rather than their own innate arts . Eight identical spears existed, and their quality was beyond measure -- they were more powerful than anything Lino crafted so far . Even the Edge paled inparison . However, even with all eight spears ounted, he would still be able to make easy work of them . Will this really happen to Noterra as well if we sit idly by? He pondered inwardly . It''s not as though he didn''t trust Ataxia, but he was still doubtful as it was still just specting on his part . It never hurt to err on the side of the caution, however; when he returns, he will start preparing . He himself can stand up against E, perhaps even defeat her if he let go of his inhibitions, but what if someone even stronger apanies her? No, what if she simply brings ten people simr to her in strength? Could they withstand that? No . Lino was certain . Besides him, there were perhaps four other people on the entire Noterra that could stand up against her for a prolonged period of time . It would be possible to form groups, but that would just be dying the inevitable . In his heart, however, he desperately hoped it wouldn''te to that . E was still his mother . Despite how he faced her thest time they met, he didn''t know whether he had it in him to outright attack with the intent to kill . And, if he were to fight her, that''s how he would have to fight . "--items, I suppose, are the easiest way to make up for the gap," Lino mumbled . He didn''t know anything about the outside forces; all his life was settled on Noterra . Rather, until recently, he didn''t even know of the existence of other life, though he at least suspected it . "But, the materials are finite . And nothing short of the Origin Items will do us any good . Is there even anyone besides Eggor who can craft them?" though he let his thoughts wander and seep out, he didn''t tear a part of his attention away from the ''battle'' . This, after all, was what made Ataxia who he was . Despite all the horrible things he''d done, Lino understood, in a way . Anyone who experienced this, lived through it, and got to see another day, would do anything to prevent it from happening again . He himself, after all, had done many horrible things in the name of preventing much more horrible things from happening . Now, at the very least, he realized why Ataxia chose him of all people -- he could withstand it . For better or worse, Lino was impervious to those changes -- in a way, he always has been . He took everything in stride, and Ataxia needed someone like that . Not someone like Eve who would break down and be consumed by the madness; not someone like Eshter who was unable to withstand the cracks in her heart; not even someone like Q''vil who attached himself elsewhere more so than to the Writ itself . ** Eldon sat in desperation, gazing outside the window with flickering eyes . na sat crumpled behind him on the bed, covering her ears, wrapped tightly inside a nket . It was over . Whatever little hope he held yesterday was gone . Nothing could stand up to those things . They tore through all their weapons as though they were made out of paper, and made their way over to Adur without even being stopped once . The moment they appeared, they began shooting strange flickers of light that tore through everything in their path, blowing up Adur inside out . Everything cracked . How many people have died in the mere few hours? Eldon didn''t even dare estimate . His heart already bled profusely, why would he want to worsen the condition of it? Pulling back the curtain, he retreated and sat onto the bed . It was only a matter of time before those flickers of light reached here . No; perhaps the entire might blow up first . There was no escape . He didn''t care much for himself, but ncing sideways caused his heart to tighten . She was too young . What did she do to deserve this? He sped his hands together, lowering his head in shame . He couldn''t save her . What kind of a father couldn''t save his own daughter? Unknowingly, he began crying . Tears flickered out one after another, his entire body beginning to shake . Soon after, he was jolted awake by a pair of arms tangling tightly around his waist . na leaned on his back, her shivering body matching his . Eldon reached down and grabbed those tightly hands, holding them . No . There had to be a way . He couldn''t just sit back and let her die . "Come on, let''s go . " he said, getting up all of a sudden, surprising na . "A-ah?! Go where?" she asked . "I''ll find a way to get you out of this safely, I swear . " he eximed strongly, walking over to the closet of clothes and rumbling through it for a moment before pulling out a gun . "Ugh, where did thate from?!" na eximed . "I thought you told me you sold it!" "I lied," he shrugged . "Come on, get up . We don''t have much time . " "Where are we even going?" na asked as they left the apartment . "Do you have a n or are we just going to blindly roam around?" "I remembered there''s a research facility nearby," Eldon said . "Tasked with developing new spaceships . If we''re lucky, there might a functional one there . " "Can you even operate it?" she rolled her eyes in disbelief . "I''ll figure it out . " "What about those things? You think they''ll just let us pass?" "We''ll sneak away somehow . " I said, sounding less and less convincing as she continued her questioning . "Sounds to me awfully lot like a gamble . " " . . . is there any other option?" Eldon said, ncing at her as they left the building . Everything around them was a mess; good half of the city in the distance couldn''t even be seen, having already been vaporized into nothingness . The other half was well on fire, crumbling as they spoke . " . . . " na remained silent . A gamble, indeed, sounded rather good at the moment . The earth beneath them quaked repeatedly, making it terribly difficult to actually move at a high speed . They stumbled and fell often, bruising themselves in the process, but endured . It took them nearly half an hour to reach the end of thepound, during which the other half of the city was also vaporized into the nothingness . The moment they left thepound, Eldon spun and picked na up, pulling her head into his chest . The young girl cried out, startled, trying to shake him off but to no avail . "W-what are you doing?! Let me go!" her muffled voice reached his ears . "No," he said, pale-faced, looking at the horrid sight in front of him -- hundreds, no, thousands upon thousands of corpsesy littering the streets like decorations . Though he felt like bending over and letting his innards go, he couldn''t . He had to endure . "You don''t need to see this . " "See what?!" "Hush," he said, slowly beginning to walk again; with the added weight of the little girl, he found himself less stable, but endured . "Don''t peak . " Though the stench was also present, due to the ever-blowing winds of the countless explosions happening all the time, it wasn''t as bad . He somehow made his way in-between the corpses, doing the best he could not to look down . The research facility, ordinarily, was about an hour away on foot; however, at their pace, it would be lucky if they got there in five or six hours . They didn''t have that long . If not the flickers of light, the ground beneath them might give in and pull them into the abyss . Just as he began feeling his lungs giving in, a screeching sound startled him as an old-fashioned vehicle spun from the side street and onto his own, rotating twice on the axis beforeing to a stop . It was rtivelyrge, dyed ck, six-wheeler that was older than Eldon''s grandparents . The side doors spun open right after, a familiar face breaking through . "Finally found you!" Reli shouted . "Hurry up! Get in!!" Chapter 521 Chapter 521 CHAPTER 521 SANCTUM''S END (VIII) Eldon didn''t think as he threw himself, still tightly holding na, into the vehicle . Reli, as well as another pair of arms from the inside, helped him up as she flung the doors closed behind him, shouting right after . "Go! Go! Go!!" the engine revved and the tires screeched as the ancient vehicle turned and began moving . After settling somewhat, Eldon looked around and realized that there were quite a few folks besides Reli inside -- three more to be precise, two men and a woman . Thetter was of simr appearance to Reli, and though Eldon never met her in person, he quickly realized it was her younger sister, Elta . Though he didn''t recognize the other two men, it wasn''t important; one was in charge of the wheel up front while the other was the one that helped him get inside . "--how?" Eldon asked, the tiredness finally oveing him as he began drawing short breaths . "We went to your apartmentplex, but you weren''t there," Reli exined . "We spotted you on ident as we turned around . " " . . . " though Eldon had many questions to ask, he had no strength to do so . na wiggled out of his embrace and sat up, fixing her disheveled hair, angrily ncing at her father . "Where are we headed?" she took the role of the questioner as Reli giggled lightly . She''d only met the girl once or twice, yet that fierceness still remained intact . "To the research facility nearby," Reli replied . "One of my close friends works there and has contacted me, saying there are several operational ships . " though she spoke with a certain sense of calmness, it was impossible to miss the shock and terror inside her gaze . While the world around them was copsing, they hung onto thest straw of hope . "--can . . . can we escape, even with that?" na asked with a somewhat lowered tone . " . . . I don''t know," Reli replied honestly, sighing . "But . . . what other choice do we have?" That was true . Adur was headed to the copse -- not a figurative one, but the literal one . The would cease to exist . The atmosphere had already begun copsing slowly, meaning that even if, by some miracle, the body held together, every living organism on the surface would die from exposure within a year at most . However, chances were that before that transpired, they would be flung into the open void and left to the cold and deste destitute of infinity . Eldon managed to recover somewhat, sitting up and inspecting the insides once more; the vehicle had twopartments, the front, and the back . Elta and the driver sat up front, thetter furiously spinning the wheel as the world in front of him continued copsing . The backside also had seats, but also some room in-between that seemed to have been used for some minuscule storage . The other man and Eldon sat on that opening, both leaned on the doors, while na and Reli sat on the leather seats . Gathering some strength and courage, Eldon lifted himself up with a grunt and looked outside the window . Something immediately got stuck inside his throat; the massive behemoths were copsing into ruin, yed like the tiny houses of cards . The debris rained upon the world, most of it infernal, as fires bellowed out from all sides . He didn''t even understand how the driver was operating through this hell . " . . . thank you . " Eldon mumbled faintly as he sat back down, ncing toward Reli . "You . . . didn''t have to . . . " " . . . I couldn''t have just let you die, now could I?" Reli replied, smiling strangely . "Ah, these twods are also family -- the driver is Elta''s fiance, Artur, and this serious-looking fe is his brother, Itor . I myself lucked out quite a bit since the three decided to visit me today due to some wedding ns . . . " " . . . what happened?" Eldon asked . "To our defenses, I mean . Did . . . did they really destroy everything?" " . . . yeah," Reli''s expression sank as she thought back to a few hours ago when their vanguard met with the strange creatures . It wasn''t a fight, not really . It was simr to what was happening right now . "They didn''t even pause . I don''t know what those things are . . . but they''re definitely supernatural . " " . . . " everyone fell into silence, as there was little else to say . Right now, they hung onto thest hope; chances are, they wouldn''t make it out alive . They''d be buried with the rest of their world . Forever forgotten . Ataxia and Lino watched the vehicle flying through the inferno, floating somewhat above it . Ataxia had a remorseful, pained expression, while even Lino was unable to stand indifferent . After all, he was witnessing the copse of an entire world . An entire, one muchrger than Noterra, with the poption being at the very least a hundredfold . Though true they didn''t have Qi like the people of Noterra, they had technology that surpassed even the Humans of Earth . Pondering for a moment, Lino realized that something simr could have also happened there . But . . . why? What was the point of all this? If he projected why people warred from the surface onto the cosmos, it had to do with conquering resources andnd . But, that clearly wasn''t the objective, otherwise they wouldn''t simply destroy everything without saying a word . At the very least, Lino expected them to take ves . Yet, not even that . They killed everyone without even a hint of remorse . " . . . this is bigger than I imagined," Lino mumbled as Ataxia nced at him . "Are they really just doing it for the hell of it?" " . . . I don''t think so," Ataxia replied . "Though my time with the Edifice was short-lived, it did say something about the gctic conflicts . Perhaps this was simply one of them . " "No, I get the warring part," Lino said . "Think about it . If the Emperors from Noterra had the ability, wouldn''t they do to others what they did to the other nations? Just bring them under their banner, no?" " . . . " Ataxia nodded after brief thought . "But, this isn''t really warring or conquering," Lino said . "If the point was to simply destroy, why bother waiting for so long? Why even wait for life to spring out? No, wait--that''s it . " "What?" Ataxia asked as he spotted the glimmer of realization in Lino''s eyes . Thetter suddenlyughed strangely, shaking his head . "Goddamn, the entire fuckin'' cosmos is fucked up . " "What?" Ataxia asked again, curiosity swelling within him . "Aren''t they doing what I do as well?" "Hm?" "Killing to absorb Vitality?" Ataxia''s eyes also lit up at that moment as his entire body shuddered . "If we look at it like that, it makes sense . It makes sense why they left you alone, why they suddenly attacked, and why they didn''t leave anyone alive . " " . . . so . . . you''re trying to say that all the people of Adur . . . were like the livestock to them?" Ataxia asked as anger surged through in his voice . It has been eons since hest felt this emotion, yet he couldn''t help himself . At the very least, all this while, he believed there was some higher purpose to his home being destroyed like this . "I imagine it''s not the only world like it," Lino said, his eyes growing more resentful . "If I really had gone mad and started murdering everyone, I imagine my strength would eclipse the boundary of even what I''m capable of doing now . It''s not hard to assume that someone else in the cosmos -- nay, many others -- have developed simr ways of empowering themselves . However . . . " he added, his brows crumpling into a frown . "I feel like there''s something more to it . If the point was to simply raise lifeforms as livestock, wouldn''t it be simpler to literally grow it? Instead of scouting the entire cosmos and hoping you run across a world inhabited by the living? Or the world with a mere potential of being inhabited sometime in the future and waiting for it?" " . . . " Ataxia also relented to thest part of Lino''s conclusion, entering deep thought for a moment . "Wouldn''t it be easier if you asked the Edifice?" "--it already used up its reserves by making me its Agent," Lino said, stroking his chin . "Looks like you were right -- I''ll really have to rebuild it . " " . . . aren''t you a bit frustrated?" Ataxia asked as a cheeky smiled fluttered on his face . "Hm?" Lino nced at him, tilting his head . "You always despised being used as a puppet, yet, lo and behold . " " . . . it''s different," Lino said, smiling faintly . "You were simply an Agent-in-making, and I imagine thest resort . " " . . . ugh . " Ataxia grumbled, yet couldn''t retort . "It''s difficult to exin, but my autonomy hasn''t beenpromised . If anything, it increased since I no longer have you regting me . I inherited all your functions, and though it will take time to unlock them, it shouldn''t take that long . However, I don''t have the restrictions you had . I don''t need a vessel, nor do I need to use insane amounts of Chaos Qi to manifest myself into a body, or use shitty means like Adin to form the body . " " . . . ah . So you already figured out how I became my own bearer . " Ataxia chuckled . It seemed like Lino had acquired far more during the brief moment he became the Agent than he let on at first . "How strong are you anyway? The moment you became the Agent, I couldn''t read anything about you anymore . " " . . . hmm, fairly strong," Lino chuckled, ncing at him . "A few tiers above you, actually . " "Me?" Ataxia tilted his head in confusion . Did he misspeak? After all, as far as Ataxia was concerned, even if he didn''t die, he''d at most just regain his mortal body from before he became the Writ . "I didn''t rob you of everything, old relic," Lino rolled his eyes . "I already figured some shittery will unfold, so why would I lower the number of people who could help me? Hmm, if I assist you for a bit, I suppose you should reach roughly E''s level . After that, however, it''s up to you to work out . " " . . . you . . . you can fucking do that?" Lino nced at the shock Ataxia and realized something, causing his eyes to turn into slits . Was . . . was this the first time this idiot cursed? Fuck! I should have recorded it . . . aaiii, why do good things always happen to the unprepared? Shit . . . Chapter 522 Chapter 522 CHAPTER 522 SANCTUM''S END (IX) The world was falling apart . Eldon, Reli, and others jumped out of the spinning car, rolling down onto the quaking ground . All around them ze consumed everything, thest remaining buildings, thest remnants of the civilization, toppling over, destroyed . However, none had the luxury to either admire or dread the spectacle . Reli helped Elta up, dragging her despite thetter''s protests as she scrapped her knee, while Eldon still held onto na tightly . Though both his arms had suffered greatly, blood pouring out, he didn''t care . They were almost there . The research facility was also in the ruins, debris scattered everywhere, shards of ss forming pools on the ground . But, it didn''t matter; the hangar was underground, and they couldn''t give up hope . Not aftering so far . The two men besides Eldon, Artur, and Itor, helped Reli and Elta as the small group raced madly through the copsing stone around them . The ground was uneven, slightly sloped, several dozen corpses lying about -- a ghastly sight that they couldn''t afford to take inpletely . Eldon''s heart started as he saw the nearby column of the nted stone give in under gravity, copsing . He roared and jumped forward, barely evading it . Hended strangely, however, and twisted his ankle . With the adrenaline still pumping strong, he ignored the pain as he regained the bnce and resumed running . It was so close he could almost feel it . As they reached the entrance, they quickly realized there was no way in; everything had copsed . Chunks of stonesy on top of the building, with no doors or windows to be seen . Artur quickly called from the side, informing them there was another entrance . Eldon followed, his body screaming at him . He hadn''t exerted himself this much ever before -- but he had to maintain it . His arms ached, his twisted ankle wept, but he ignored them . He could still feel na shaking in his arms, the young girl remaining crumpled in his embrace . For her, he''d ignore everything . He''d skin himself alive if need be, just so she could live on . The back-end entrance was lying wholly exposed, angled into the ground . There must have been a massive steel-frame guarding it, but it, too, had copsed, alongside everything else around them . One by one they trickled into the hole and descended down the lengthy step of stairs . The deeper they went, the less the earth shook and quaked, though they knew it was just temporary . Soon, even the''s innards would begin copsing . From the stairs, they entered into a set ofplex hallways as they began running blindly . Nobody knew where the hangar was exactly, so all they could do was explore every passage . The flickering fluorescent lights hanging on the hallways'' ceilings gave little insurance, and it seemed it was only a matter of time before they stopped working . "Damn it," Artur cursed as they reached another dead end . "Where the hell is this?" "T-there," na suddenly spoke out, pointing at a small gap with her shaky fingers . "I-I can see a ship . . . " Turning toward where she was pointing, the group saw a small tear in the wall . Beyond, just like the young girl said, they saw a set of ships scattered about the massive open space . Without another word being said, Artur and Itor ran over to the gap and began pulling on two opposite ends . Though it seemed the gap was quite high up, they would cross that bridge once they reached it . ** Lino observed the entirety of the escape, feeling rather impressed by the small group . They''ve eluded death numerous times, and despite the cataclysmic scale of the copse, they persisted -- as just ordinary mortals . He hardly looked down on them, but it was hard to say that the mortals could do everything the immortals could . Yet, whether through sheer luck, or abination of other factors, they managed to survive theplete destruction of the . He had never thought that he''d get to experience Ataxia''s life like this -- namely because he never thought Ataxia even had a life . Just until recently, he had wholesomely believed Ataxia was just a realization of the concept -- a sentient realization . Even when Lino learned he was not of Noterra, that belief didn''t disappear; he was just a concept that arrived from somewhere . It turned out, however, that Ataxia was leagues more simr to him than he ever expected . He, too, had experienced grueling hardships -- ones beyond even Lino''s understanding and empathy . Just like Lino, he had a daughter -- and just like Lino, he was willing to do anything for her . Would he have made any other choice? No, he quickly realized . He''d make a deal with anyone who offered salvation without thinking of the consequences . For Aaria . . . indeed, he would condemn the world itself, just like Ataxia did . Thinking back to their journey, Lino felt bitter . How many times had he gotten angry with him? Countless times, he knew . He threw countless tantrums, bickered like a child, while Ataxia upheld all this in silence . The whole world was against him, but he was doing exactly what they asked him to do . Everyone had given up on him at one point, Lino realized . Be it the other Writs, the Devils, Gaia, the Descent, the Holy Grounds, and even the Primes, his own children . They''d all considered him a scourge of evil, a relic that had to be purged . Lino sighed, his thoughts muddled . He always found it easier to get by in life by adapting the easygoing nature . He found that the perpetually serious people rarely had happy and wholesome endings . However, he was unable to take in all this through his easygoing nature . He couldn''t make a joke or a remark . It was above him . This sort of a struggle . . . this sort of resolve . The war that Ataxia spoke of . . . began worrying him . They weren''t strong enough . No, for starters, they weren''t even united . While he could force the world to fight through the sheer terror, was that something he truly wanted? All the while he fought to remove exactly that -- to remove the overhead governance of the few who yed with the people''s lives as though it was a game of chess . He didn''t have the heart to inherit that position . He could already predict many things that would happen in case E returns with an army . She still loved him, he knew that much . And he still loved her . But love . . . love faltered beneath the weight of faith . Beneath the shackles of determination . At least the kind of love the two of them shared . He understood it, faintly, after bing an Agent . While he wasn''t subservient to the Edifice, he did feel an innate desire to please it . And this was the effect after only a few hours . What about E, then, who had been an Agent for god-knows-how-many-eons? How could a bond formed within a few decadespare to something thatrge? He was lucky she loved him enough not to immediatelymence a ughter . If she returned with the intent of warring, he also knew what would be her first move -- she will give him an offer she knew he''d be unable to refuse . His life in exchange for Noterra . He contemted in silence, deliberating over countless possibilities . While he was undoubtedly strong, so strong that it was difficult to express it to those not on his level, he was, in effect, a calf . He was the solitary Agent of Destruction, but what if two Agents of Creation showed up? What about three? Or five? E knew Noterra just as well, if not better than him . If the war was inevitable, she wouldn''t bring a pitiful force . She would bring enough to overrun him and everyone around him without a chance of resisting . He knew that he was the determining factor of whether Noterra would end up like Adur or not . Though he told Ataxia he would fight, and though both his heart and his will were telling him to fight, his mind was uncertain . "-R-Raise--Us . " instead of Ataxia''s voice, a different one now lived inside of him . That of the concept he couldn''t even begin to fathom . "And--You--Shall--Win . " " . . . how?" Lino asked . "How do I raise you?" "D-Destroy--Destroy . Create . Modify . Augment . Replicate . Obliterate . Reforge . Annihte . Dissever . Recover . You--Are--Destroyer--; Yes--Destroyer---but--You--Are--Chaos--First--" " . . . " Lino resumed the silence . Too many things hung on his mind as he watched the small group descend the sloped wall of the hanger, racing toward one of the ships where another group of people was waiting for them, urging them in panicked voices . Fight . Yes, he knew it -- he would have to fight . He fought all his life, since the days of the orphanage, all the way until today . He never bent and he never cowered . However big of a battle it was, battles he knew -- he adored them . He thrived in them . He could give up, ept her deal . But he couldn''t trust another to secure the lives of those he loved . That was something, he knew, he had to ensure himself . It didn''t matter if others couldn''t match up to E and her army . He''d take them all on if need be . He''d ovee, as he always had . Just like many times before, if death stared at him coldly, he''d stare back and defy . Just as he always has . Just as he always will . Until the end of time . Chapter 523 Chapter 523 CHAPTER 523 SANCTUM''S END (X) Eldon sat against the side of the carbon-alloyed ship, praying . Though he didn''t believe in a god -- or, rather, the entire concept of religion had been missing from Adur for quite some time -- he had no other avenues of settling down . They were about to take a flight to the sky . Would they live? Die? He didn''t know . Chances are that they would die, struck down by those horrible beams of light . na lied on hisp, fast asleep, too exhausted to continue . He patched his wounds haphazardly, but couldn''t focus on the pain . It was too much . Unlike the rich, he had ordinary genes, meaning that he couldn''t live that long . He was already in the twilight of his life, inching toward thest third of it . The wear and tear of endlessbor had deteriorated his body, with today''s events being the nail in the coffin, it seemed . --Weakness--Is--Not--Yours He was hearing things, atst . He snorted bitterly at himself, closing his eyes . He was tired . Too tired . Inside of him, the desire to slump over and fall asleep burned hot . But he couldn''t . At the very least, he wanted to see how the story would unfold with his own eyes . If death muste, he wanted to at least stare at it . We--Will--Give--you--Strength There was a storm inside of him, a whirlwind of unstoppable emotions as his mind finally cracked, remembering . He had left her behind, lying asleep in the cold coffin of ss . Biyung . What whipped at him like the holy fire was that he didn''t even think about going to save her . He hadpletely forgotten . His heart, already a furnace about to explode, bled . He loved her -- that was indisputable . Yet, he abandoned her . So quickly . So easily . It wasn''t that long ago that she was his entire world . She pulled him up from the vapid holes of emptiness and showed him the light of the living . She was the one who gave him purpose, the one who gave him strength, the one who made him into the man he was today . Yet, he abandoned her -- so quickly . . . so easily . You--Can--Protect--Survive--ErgeDid she wake up? Perhaps the system malfunctioned and she woke up . How would she feel? Stuck inside the cold, deste, unknown ce, calling out his name . . . just for him to never arrive . Calling out haplessly until death descended upon her fragile body and mind . How terrible was he? Terrible . Too terrible . Despite the fact that he tried to patch his mind by repeating that he saved na and couldn''t help Biyung, it was pointless . Guilt rode him like a wave, bashing against his walls like the ocean against the high cliffs . Each breath was difficult, even agonizing . Nothing--Is--Out--Of--Reach The voice wouldn''t shut up, but he was in too much distress to care . They rose up slowly . Their flight had begun -- a flight that would determine whether they lived or died . But . . . what if they lived? Where would they go? They''d be stranded in open space with limited supplies and no cryo chambers . They''d drift and drift, and they''d still die . Perhaps, in a way, it would have been better if they died on the surface, with the rest . Death--Is--Not--Inevitable The ship shook due to the resounding shockwave that swept over them . There were no windows inside the wide, living chambers -- just thick, gray-ck walls and flickering lights of the elongated bulbs . The patterns were the same, dull, even, repeating . It shook again . And again . The feeling was terrible, as each time he could feel the shake, his heart would freeze for a moment with worry . He somehow moved his lethargic arms over to na and tried to stabilize her as much as possible . Destroy--NO-CREATE--Destroy His mind was an unwinding mess, his body a shell that wouldn''t listen . He could feel his eyes closing, his mind sinking . And sinking . And sinking . The birds chirped, the lonely sound of the flute adjoined, the hazy wind billowing the thin, naked branches . The vast meadow spread, isted from the carcass that was the cityscape . The mountains . Ah, the mountains -- some drowned in green shrubbery and trees, and some naked to the earthly bone . They were beautiful . Everything was beautiful . Breathtaking . Like a song . Annihte--PROTECT--Obliterate--DIFFUSE The tall grass of green and yellow swayed, droplets of the early-rise dew shining on the surfaces of the stalks . They swayed in unison, creating a beautiful scene that could not be replicated elsewhere . All around him, all he saw was . . . beauty . The sort of beauty that was transcendent . The likes of which no artificial hand could make . Something that grew of itself, bing what it is now . Inspiring . Alluring . Inviting . Dissever--GUARD--Consume--ASSIST He walked, yet he didn''t . No, he swam -- like a butterfly led by the wind, he swam through the grass, letting it cradle him . Warm . So warm . His wounds eased . His mind settled . His heart calmed . All around he saw peace, unity, beauty transcendent of reality . Here . Yes . Here . This was where he belonged . This was the ce that needed to be his reality . Chaos--CHAOS--Chaos--Chaos--INVItes--YOu-- Something surged from within him, a ck mist of sorts, soundless, wordless, colorless . Flickers danced inside it as it rose from his slumped, tired body, spreading out . The world of the swaying grass and the rising mountains shook, startling him . The clear blue sky dimmed, the ashen clouds turning ck and devouring it . Bolts pelted like rain, destroying the mountains . Burning the grass . He wanted to scream in defiance, yet he couldn''t . He had no strength . He was powerless here, just as he was powerless there . Strength . Yes . It was clear to him . Everything was determined through strength . CHAOS--Chaos--Chaos--Chaos--Primal "I--I--" The ck mist epassed the ship whole . The beam of the light headed over like a judgment of death itself, ready to devour it . Everyone made their peace with it, closing their eyes . They would die, dispelled from the world for all eternity . Then, a miracle . The beam descended, but it didn''t destroy . It was consumed . The ship was fine, continuing its flight . It was perfect . "Strength . . . " Chaos--CH--Chaos--C--Chaos--Helps "Help me . . . " It--Is--Willed "Help me . . . " The ck mist streamed urgently, flowing like a rapid into Eldon''s mind . Something inside snapped, the grassed meadow splitting in half like a porcin bowl, shards scattering in the ever-violent wind . He found himself inside the open void, inside the terrible darkness that he could not reconcile . There, juxtaposed between nothing and everything, a single structure arose . No, it wasn''t a structure . Yet it wasn''t living either . It was there yet not . Shaped strangely, yet straightforwardly . Eldon couldn''t understand . Couldn''tprehend . Hear--Our--Voice He heard it, the whispers that trickled through his mind . The darkness before him cleared, and he could finally see . He could see with such rity that he was stunned . He felt boundless strength, power akin to what he never felt before . Be the Champion . The Writ . Create Chaos . Consolidate it . Warp it . Unify it . Expel it . Use it to rebuild the Edifice . To restore the order to the Universes . Rebuild the Destroyer, so it may contend against the Creator . Eldon shuddered as his vision expanded; it felt as though his spirit left his body, streaming through the vast sky of Adur and into the open Cosmos . His eyes gleamed sideways themselves, beyond the vast nothingness of the void, onto a tiny, almost invisible speck . It rained fire, acid, and molten rock . It was horrible . But, it was to be his home . No, their home . He was not alone . He could not do it alone . Yet, soon after, the regret inside of him swelled . Biyung . Despite all this, she was gone . Destion and coldness returned, corrupting his mind once more . We--Shall--Restore; Though--Not-Whole; She--Lives A tiny speck appeared before his eyes, the size of his fingernail . A bubbly sphere of white surrounded a beautiful, ck-haired woman cradled in a fetal position . A screen suddenly fluttered in front of his eyes, startling him . It was simr to those from Adur, which made it easy to navigate . [Biyung''s Soul -- Cosmic Mythical] Level: ?? An iplete Soul, restored by temporarily reversing the tendrils of time and death that had consumed her . Currently in slumber . Needs to be fed in order to be fully restored . A chance of failure still exists . 0/1,000,000 Note: We--Are--Chaos--Before--Destroyers Eldon stared numbly at the screen and then back at the tiny speck floating above his palm . That . . . is Biyung? He shuddered, tears of joy streaming through his eyes . There was a chance . That was all that mattered to him . There was a chance he would see her brilliant smile once more . There was a chance he would hold her once again . There was a chance they would be a family again . He didn''t know why it happened . Why he was chosen . He didn''t understand anything of what had just transpired . But, he didn''t care . na was safe . Biyung could be helped . There was hope, hope for the future that they could not have had on Adur . And, inside, he swore to himself, he would make that future a reality -- even if he had to down his soul in endless sin . Chapter 524 Chapter 524 CHAPTER 524 THE JOURNEY OVER Thirteen souls in total sat around an elongated and elegant ss table, their expressions uniformly sunken . They escaped, true, and lived, but . . . what now? Not only did they bear on their shoulders the death of their entire race, but there was no way the fourteen of them could prolong it . Even worse, they were stuck on a ship in the middle of nowhere with limited supplies . It was simple to see that it was only a matter of time before they died . Nobody spoke . Partly because there was little to say, and partly because they were still trying to figure out how they lived . They were certain the beam of deste light washed over their ship, yet . . . it did nothing . Their ship was fine . It traveled past the gravitational pull of Adur and into the open vastness of cosmos . They weren''t even chased and were instead left alone to roam . Why? They didn''t know . Eldon said nothing during the past four days of their journey . It wasn''t yet time . The wounds were still too fresh, their minds too distorted to focus on anything but the past . They didn''t see the future; rather, they couldn''t fathom there was even one to begin with . He nced around the room with heavy eyes; they were still not ready . Inside him, he held the power to change their helpless future . They could revive, grow strong, far stronger than those beings that caused this -- they could get their revenge . They could remake Adur -- no, not just remake, but forge it to be better, greater, something that could never be destroyed . However, he had to wait . How long? He didn''t know . Maybe a week . Maybe a month . Maybe a year . Heart and mind were strange things; sometimes resilient beyond measure, and sometimes as fragile as ss . Right now they were as fragile as ss . " . . . sitting in silence is pointless," Oyer, one of the people that waited for them on the ship, said . He was a rtively young man, praised for his intellect above all else . Ordinary-looking, he was on the shorter end of things, yet to reach even two and a half meters . "If the point was to brood, we could have done it just the same in our rooms . " " . . . " a few groans were his reply as he shrugged . Though he, too, was pained, he tried to move past it . Why did they struggle to live, otherwise? Just to die like this?"Oyer is right," Eldon said, realizing he couldn''t take the backstage . He had to be the fuel to push them forward . "We don''t have to do anything today . Or tomorrow . We can mourn, as we should . But . . . we still need to start thinking . " "Thinking about what?" Itor eximed, irate . "About how absolutely fucked we are?" "Itor--" "Itor what?!" he growled at Reli who tried to calm the atmosphere . "You know I''m right . All of you do . We are just . . . prolonging the inevitable . " "Then why did you try to escape so hard?!" Elta fired back . "Because--because . . . I felt like I had to . . . " Itor said, lowering his head . " . . . we are stronger than this," Reli said, biting her lower lip . "We may not . . . ever get over it . No, we shouldn''t . But, we have to do something . Our entire world was wiped out . Everything we''ve built for thousands of years . . . gone . Aren''t you guys angry?" "Of course we''re angry!!" Lyer, another one of the guys who waited for them in the ship eximed, mming his fist against the table that didn''t even shake . "But what of it?! What can we change, huh?! Can we fight back?" "Stop shouting, Lyer," Antya, the pilot who operated the ship, interrupted the angry young man, rubbing her temples . "Nobody''s suggesting we fight . But, others are right . What was the point of escape if we''d just sulk in the ship as we slowly die? We are just trying to find a way to do something . Anything . " Now''s the time! Eldon thought . He thought he might have to wait a few days, but it was unnecessary; he had miscalcted something . Others grieved, true, but they were also angry . And their anger was farrger than their sorrow . They were angry at those beings who obliterated everything they knew without uttering a word . They were angry with themselves for being helpless against it . For running away . For being unable to do nothing . If he gave them a straw . . . "We''re not helpless . " he said as every pair of eyes present in the room, even the silent na''s, turned toward him . "What do you mean?" Itor frowned . " . . . haven''t you guys wondered how we managed to survive that beam?" Eldon said . None of the people here were idiots; they immediately grasped the implications . " . . . you had something to do with it?" Lyer question . "--not me," Eldon said . "But something bigger than me . " he extended his arm and opened it up . Right then, like a mirage, a swirl of crimson-ck smoke extended upward like tendrils . The pressure extended outward like an overwhelming shockwave, causing everyone in the room to turn pale and short of breath . "I was given strength, in thest moment, to resist . I took it . It''s the sort of strength that transcends the reason . I . . . I don''t know why it gave it to me . But, I don''t care . I''m confident that, with it, not only can we survive . . . but we can thrive . We can grow strong . So strong those creatures will be nothing . We can get our vengeance . We can rebuild Adur anew, so that it never crumbles again . " ** "You lied to them . " Lino said simply to the faintly smiling Ataxia . "I had to . They were at the bottom, and a simple rope was enough . I needed adder . " he replied . "But thedder wasn''t there . . . " "They didn''t need to know that," Ataxia sighed . "You know it, Lino . What it feels like when there is absolutely no light to see or warmth to feel . When it seems as though the entire world is against you . " " . . . " "In those moments, salvation . . . is impossible," Ataxia said . "No amount of hands diving for you will ever reach . They were angry . They felt pathetic . I needed to orient those feelings outward . To a specific goal . " " . . . the archangels?" Lino said, referencing the creatures that destroyed Adur . "Hm," Ataxia nodded . "In the darkest moments, I didn''t give them light . I simply gave them more dark . The bloodied sort . They hung onto that . The straw of hope that, one day, they''d be able to crush those creatures beneath their feet . " "--why aren''t you showing me the rest?" Lino asked as he saw the memory vanishing, Noterra recing it . " . . . that is for my heart," Ataxia replied . "I hope you understand . " " . . . " Lino said nothing, merely nodding . "Ashtar wasn''t the first, wasn''t he?" "No," Ataxia shook his head . "After I made them Writs, they fell asleep on top of the ship, consolidating their strength . My n was tond with na and quickly establish a temporary residence . Edifice told me life would spring out here, so I just had to wait . I never intended to face them early on, because they would need time to adapt to their manufactured identities . " " . . . so what happened?" Lino asked . " . . . malfunction," Ataxia sighed deeply . "We took the pod and dove toward Noterra . Midway, something broke . A part of the pod exploded . I was still inexperienced . . . and she suffered for it . The pressure crushed her lungs, bones, and mind within moments . She was dead, Lino . As dead as one can get . And I asked the Edifice to restore her . . . but it said it couldn''t . It used all its strength to help me . " " . . . so . . . you turned to the other one?" "Not consciously," Ataxia said . "I just screamed . Screamed and wailed like a child . And, it replied to my call . " "They brought her from the dead?" Lino questioned with a hard gaze . " . . . ha ha, no; they cheated me," Ataxiaughed bitterly, anger clear in the tone of hisughter . "They simply cloned her essence . It was no longer na . However . . . I had nothing else to hang onto . So, I put na''s body into the pod and buried it untilter on . " " . . . the First Scripture?" Lino asked . "Hm," Ataxia nodded . "I put the clone one into a separate dimension and had her experience everything that would transpire . That you had already seen . " " . . . ooof," Lino sucked in a cold breath as the story slowly came to a close . It was certainly far bigger and different than what he had expected . "Your story . . . is truly remarkable . " " . . . hardly," Ataxia said . "Tragic stories are on every corner, Lino . I failed countless times in my life, far more times than I seeded . While some can be assigned to powers beyond me, most . . . simply fall on my shoulders . I had a grandiose n when I came to your home . . . and I was beyond certain in achieving it . But . . . I was wrong . When I met you, I was truly desperate . They were close to finding out the truth . Especially Adin; I imagine he suspected something was off for a long time . Too many variables arose while I was blindsided, too indulged in my own arrogance . The truest tragedy of my life," he said, sighing . "Began only after I descended upon Noterra . . . " Chapter 525 Chapter 525 CHAPTER 525 THE EMPYRION The winds of change swept through the Holy Continent . No, not only the winds of change, but the absolute winds of overturning . The massivendmass shook and quaked repeatedly as the onught trudged through it without stopping . An army beyondpare, one endowed by the spirit of Chaos itself, stormed the world without a pause . Kings and Queens fell one by one, the banners and gs burned to ash, reced by the sigil of chaos and order . The whole of the continent from the far west to the Sanctified Grounds was swept clean . Ion stood at the front of the massive force that had swelled considerably . The army now surpassed a whole million, and it was impossible to camp it within a single in . It stretched beyond the eye''s capacity to behold, and every time it moved, it struck at the heart of everything . They now stood beneath the Great Divide, the world''s tallest, most imprable fortress that withstood the eons . This was the mark, Ion knew . Spreading out his Divine Sense, he easily recognized that everyone who mattered had gathered in there . The leaders of the still-fighting Sects, the remarkable individuals who fled the army''s onught¡­ this was where thest battle wouldmence . "¡ªI can win . " Ion mumbled . It wasn''t arrogance or conceit ¨C but an absolute belief, both in himself and the army behind him . Behind him stood the Emperor ¨C the sort that could not be confined within a small Empire . Yes, Ion knew, the only Empire worthy of Lino was the world itself ¨C all its corners, all itsndmasses, all its people . And Ion would give it to him . "Prepare," he said to a gruffy-looking man standing next to him, his second inmand, Commander Sil . "The moment the dawn breaks, we attack . ""¡­ are you sure? The power of Defensive Artifacts isn''t a joke," Sil said in a concerning tone . "And now we have to fight four . " "It''s fine," Ion said . "I''ll deal with them . You only have to think about taking over the fortress . " "¡­" Comparatively speaking, it was an easier assignment . Yet, even still, Sil couldn''t help but smile bitterly . Commander Ion spoke as though he was telling him to take over a small vige . But, the Great Divide¡­ why was it that the Holy Grounds remained untouched for so long? It was because a massive invasion was impossible . This fortress was a monument, a deterrent to the world . It stood juxtaposed between two massive mountain ranges, built over the sole path through them . It was not a fortress, not really ¨C and more of an insanely fortified city . It could host over two million people at any given time, and its walls were not only built out of the strongest materials but were reinforced with the strongest arrays known to man . Most considered sieging it a pipe-dream, but Sil thought differently . This was something that was necessary . If the Empyrion was to consolidate its worldwide reach, they had to break this wall ¨C they had to prove to everyone that they were unmatched, the sky above the sky . They had to crush the monument thought as indestructible, and they had to do it by making it seem easy . His head hurt, yet his heart was excited . When did he have the ability to lead a million-strong army? Never . Even if he was the most prominent Commander of Heaven''s Chosen, battles of this scale urred rarely . While the legends often spoke of battles of millions, those never truly happened ¨C it was simply impossible . There was nondmass that was wide enough to apany that scale . What about the sky? Yes, people could fly ¨C but, in reality, for how long? Very few could stay up there indefinitely . It was just a tiresome way to fight . Sil nced back and shuddered; every time he looked at the mass, he felt revitalized . Something inside of him burned . Tomorrow¡­ the world will finally experience the full might and majesty of its greatest Empire yet . ** Y''nn sat in front of a pping tent, calmly drinking ale under the dimming sun of the sunset . He had a calm expression on his face, despite having ''betrayed'' the Holy Grounds just a few hours ago . He tried to open their eyes to the reason, but¡­ he failed . He knew it better than anyone, however, and didn''t me them ¨C this was their lifeline, and their hearts bled . They would fight . Y''elleve left the tent right at that moment, draped in silken-white, sitting opposite of him . She didn''t seem to belong here, in the midst of mud and billowing smoke, yet at the same time, she seemed to perfectly blend in the environment . Much like Y''nn, she had a calm expression . They would win . Just like Ion, their confidence couldn''t be matched . Even if, by a miracle, the Holy Grounds survived tomorrow¡­ what would happen if Lino showed up? No, not even Lino . What if Hannah appeared? Y''nn had realized it only after thest sh that happened on the Forgotten Continent ¨C those two could not be fought . It was beyond the measure of a reason . In addition, there was also the secret monster that surpassed even them ¨C nor . Every time he thought back to the moment she revealed herself in front of him, he would tremble . If Lino''s and Hannah''s strengths were beyond the measure of reason, then what of nor? He couldn''t even begin to fathom . She existed on a that he was yet to even realize existed . "¡ªording to Ion''s personality, him, you, Y''vol, Ivon, Lux and I will be in charge of fighting the Artifacts . " Y''elleve said in a pleasing tone . "It won''t be easy . " "¡­ taking over the world never is . " "Did you imagine his aspiration was this big when you joined him?" she asked . "No," Y''nn honestly replied, shaking his head . "I imagined he would make his own plot ofnd and defend it, but¡­ this¡­ haah, I''ve really gotten old . " "¡­ truth is, I don''t think he intended it . " Y''elleve said, surprising Y''nn who turned to her . "What makes you say that?" "Because I never saw that kind of greed in him, nor his actions," she replied . "I believe that, had he not been provoked, he would have merely kept the Holy Grounds in check, rather than outright destroying them and taking over . " "¡­" the silence fell between the two as Y''nn turned to deep thought . It was possible . However, he was not interested in deliberating . Either way, tomorrowe, the world would see aplete upheaval . From the age of Kings and Emperors, they would enter the age that hadn''t happened since the Skyhaven Era ¨C the age of a single ruler . ** Hannah sat on a rather chilly floor, cross-legged, her dazzling, emerald-green eyes focused on the meditating figure in front of her . Lino had the countenance that she could not recognize . Whatever happened in the short period she hadn''t seen him had changed himpletely . Her lips curled into a perfect smile, her eyes turning crescent . She wondered how it was physically possible to love someone so much . Despite well over a decade having passed, he still stirred her heart just the same as when he suddenly kissed her for the first time . For him, she realized, all the sacrifices were worth it . And, she knew, he was the same . To love so much, and to be loved just as much . For good part of her life, she thought it impossible . What was it about him that thawed that coldness? "¡ªI''m still too weak," she said . "I can''t help him . " "Then grow stronger . Just like us¡­" "¡­ you remembered wholly?" "No," Astrum replied . "But enough . It almost feels fated for you two to end up together . " "Hm?" Hannah quizzed . "Makes me a bit jealous, to be honest," the robotic voice suddenly cleared as the white-trounced smoke split from Hannah''s front, forging a sitting figure in front of her . It was a woman whose height shouldn''t be possible, sitting leisurely, ncing at her with a kind and loving smile . "You won his heart, while I failed . " "¡ªe-eh?!" Hannah eximed . "Astrum?! What the hell?!" "For so long I silently stood by the side," instead of answering her, Astrum continued, sighing . "Waiting . Waiting for his heart to wane, for his eyes to look away from her and onto me . Just once . I managed to pull his gaze just once . How is it possible Hannah?" Hannah met the pair of glistening eyes squarely; they were brilliant in their radiance, so much so that Hannah felt it put hers to shame . "To love someone for eons upon eons?" "¡­ w-what are you talking about?" confused Hannah asked, startled by Astrum''s expression . "Elta told me, time and again, it was futile; she had him whole . But, I never gave up . I believed firmly that, one day, he''d recognize me . And I was right," Astrum chuckled joyfully, almost like a young girl . "Unfortunately, it was just before I was to forget everything . The first time he stuttered trying to say my name¡­ Reli¡­" ** "¡­ it is enough," a voice of an old man muttered into the wind, followed by lengthyughter from the lungs . A straw-made hat hung over his head, concealing his features, and hemp, loose clothespleted the image of a farmer . "You might experience some difficulties, but you''ll endure¡­" he mumbled, his eyes gazing toward the frigid teau currently upied by three imposing figures . "You''re the first, Lyonel," his gaze pierced the realms of reality andnded on the unknowing Lino . "Who exceeded my expectations . I wonder," he hummed a low tune as his body began distorting, the straw-made hat fluttering for a moment before flying off, revealing the bald head beneath . "Will you endure until I give you an army?" His lower body was the first to vanish, slowly crawling toward the top of his head . The wind-carried particles lit up the invisible world as thest of him began to shudder and shred; his eyes, brows, and his forehead . The engraved number fluttered momentarily, turning into a burning haze, as ''6'' vanished, alongside any trace of anyone ever having been there . END OF VOLUME XXI Chapter 526 Chapter 526 VOLUME XXII MYTHOS OF CHAOS CHAPTER 526 THE CREATOR''S CALL A transcendent-like blue sky curved smoothly, shaded in resplendent azure . Not a trace of clouds could be found, suppressed underneath the might of a clear day . Flocks upon flocks of birds, some as tiny as a grown man''s hand and some asrge as a small castle, flew across the tender skyline, their cries belittling the world beneath, forming a symphony of perfect sounds that melded together . Beneath the skyline stretched an impetuous river, over twenty meters wide, cutting through the greenden meadow like a god''s de . Transparent, regardless of its mythical depths, even an ordinary eye could gleam past its frigid, violent surface and into the calm and tranquil depths where bedrock gave way to the scores of pearls and shining diamonds . Several hundred children yed, swimming and dancing, within the river that should have swept them clean . Yet, instead, it cradled them, like the beautiful day above . The surrounding mountains formed a perfect ring, enshrouding the meadowed in like massive walls barring anyone unwanted from entering . All were drowned in thick forests beyondpare, thin veils of swaying webs visible among the few . The wind tickled the chuckling branches and the slithering grass as the mountains gave way to an unnatural nd, onepletely without a hill, stretching to over a hundred miles in circumference . Viges sprung out like mushrooms after rain all around, most adjacent to the massive river, ensuring there was never a moment of silence . Within one of themunities, a small, wooden pier extended past the riverbank and over the clear water, barely a meter, thick and made out of seemingly old and rotting wood . On top of it, a topless man wearing only short trousers barely reaching his knees currently held onto a fishing rod, a hat shielding his face from the burning sun above . He melodically hummed a low tune, rising and lowering the notes ever so often, sometimes turning to whistling to change the pace . He hummed peacefully, worriless, swaying left and right as the wind cradled him gently . He had iparably distinct features, two eyes spun wide, the irises eerie beyond description . Eight lines crossed through the mid-section, burning in distinct, violent hue, his pupils swirls of damning azure, reflecting the sky . His eyebrows burned red, locks of simrly-dyed hair fluttering over his pronounced, wide forehead . Beneath his eyes, a pair of sunken cheeks gave way to two circr holes just before reaching the jawline, revealing the innards of his mouth . Tendrils connected the top and the bottom, asionally pulsating, reacting to the beat of his heart . Several holes simr to these permeated his body, namely at his shoulders, outer thighs, lower forearms, and sides of the ribcages . Yet, every time the faint beam of the sunlight would caress one of these wounds, something seemed to awake within them, flickers of deep, terrible fire that should not exist . It scorched the wound further, yet the man seemed not to care, or even notice . All of a sudden, just as the sun hit its zenith, the man shuddered, the hat falling off his head . His entire body exuded an aura of dignity and excellence, so much so that the river before him seemed to slow down . The edges of his body flickered in crimson-coral, like the fire being kindled, as he raised is head, his strange eyes gazing beyond the breathtaking skyline . "¡­ the Creator''s summons?" he mumbled, suddenly extending his left arm and snapping his fingers . Space next to him distorted strangely as a figure with simr designs walked through . She appeared no older than thirty, her ck hair the length of her body, tied in one massive tail wrapped around her neck twice over, let down in-between her breasts . Like the man, she was topless, the bottom covered up with a low-thigh skirt made out of ordinary cloth . She had the exact same eyes save for the color of the diagonal lines which were holistically golden, beyond dignified . Her appearance, though not precisely beautiful, was entrancing, inviting and warm . "This is rare," she said in a somewhat surprised tone . "You haven''t called me for four hundred eighty-eight thousand years, eleven months and fourteen days . " "¡­ ugh," the man groaned, swallowing a deep gulp as he nced at the woman with a strange expression . "Please, we are married . Will there evere a time when you''ll stop being a stalker?" "How are we married?" the woman questioned . "How can I be married to a man who I haven''t seen in four hundred eighty-eight¡ª" "Fine, fine, fine," the man interrupted, seeming annoyed . "I''m terribly sorry I haven''t interrupted you during the precious Enlightenment . How cruel of me . Ugh¡­" "¡­ so, what''s up?" the woman''s expressionless face spun upside down as she sat down next to the man, her lips curling up into a beautiful smile . "The Creator summoned me . " "Eh? What''s that dude up to now?" "¡­ can you not speak so casually about the Creator?" the man frowned . "Eh, creator-schmetor," the woman shrugged her shoulders . "My creators are my papa and mama who, once upon a time, deemed it a good idea to screw¡ª" "Yeah, I''ll stop you right there," the man said, putting his palm onto the woman''s lips . Merely a momentter, he felt a wet sensation strike against his palm, causing him to sigh . "I know you have mixed feelings about it, but¡­ just¡­ keep them to yourself, please?" "Ugh, stop being a scaredy-cat," the woman pped the back of his head gently, chuckling . "What would Caleb and Talisha think if they saw you right now?" "¡ªugh, why do you have to bring those two up each time?!!" a look of horror crossed the man''s features; for a brief moment, his memories shed back to the distant and desired-to-be-buried memories, and the pair that struck the long-term trauma and phobia into his heart . "Ha ha ha, because your reactions are adorable!!" the womanughed, leaning her head onto his shoulder . His hardened expression mellowed somewhat as he reached out and caressed her hair gently . "What does he want now?" "¡ªI don''t know," the man sighed, shaking his head helplessly . "The summons didn''te directly; rather, Agent nor contacted me . " "Hoh? Hasn''t she been missing for, well, a long-ass time?" even the woman couldn''t remember thest time she heard that name . Was it shortly after the Ashening? "Hm," the man nodded solemnly . "From the sound of it, it is rather urgent . Aah, looks like another war is imminent . This is getting tiring¡­" "Then don''t go . " "You know I can''t refuse . " "Caleb can . " "¡­ Caleb is insane . " The man shuddered once more, ncing at her with faint hostility . Is she trying to piss me off?! "I''m not . " "You''re insane enough yourself when you try," she smiled provocatively for a moment . "Like when we first met, remember? Aah~~ the escastic feeling that swelled in my groi¡ªI mean my heart when you jumped in and started smashing their heads and setting them on fire . Aah~~" "¡­ did-did you hang out with Talisha while I wasn''t looking?! You''re reminding me more and more of her!" "What''s wrong with that?" the woman shrugged . "She''s even worse than Caleb!!" the man exploded . "Have you already forgotten?!! She alone ransacked over twenty fortifications and killed over at the very least a million people before the Ashening!!" "It''s good to be scary, isn''t it?~~" the woman teased as the man settled down, sighing . "Where are those two anyway? I should give them a call; the Agent said I should bring at least two more people . " "Who knows?" the woman shrugged . "Last I heard, they were rampaging on Citrus . But that was a good billion years ago . I can go, and we can call Lenny . He should suffice . " "No, it''s fine," the man refused . "You still need some time, and Lenny isn''t strong enough for this, I feel . It''s¡­ bigger than before, Ana . I can feel it . " "Oh, well, if you can feel it . " "I''m serious," the man said, his gaze sharpening . "Something about this¡­ is different . Far too different than before¡­" ** Calls like these swept through the numerous worlds, and none dared reject them . After all, the Agent was a direct Child of the Creator itself ¨C how would they, who fought for the Creation, dare refuse? One by one, streams of light ranging through all hues, burned through the empty cosmos as they headed over to the mythicalnd where only the select few chosen were allowed to enter . It was a call that could not be ignored, and they all felt, to varying degrees, the seriousness of it . One by one, heroes that conquered the worlds, that rose above their peers, that defied the wills of heavens, came streaming beneath the solitary hole in the nothingness, not daring to enter . Inside was the Garden of Creation from where the sprouts of all other worlds extended like the branches of a tree . Before them, d in the light so holy it was blinding, a single woman hovered, her features beyond the description of beauty . She bore a dignified, yet painfully solemn expression, on her face, her lips quivering slightly . Soon enough, nearly a hundred thousand souls stood, each as reverent as thest, the topless man among them, now d in a simple robe . She''s changed, he thought, thinking back to the cold, heartless creature she was when they first met . What happened? "Thank you all for gathering at such a short notice," E''s voice easily permeated the miles of empty cosmos, defying thews of physics, reaching all ears present . "And in great numbers . Lend me your strength, the Chosen Ones," she said as the halo behind her spun in resplendent gold, shaking and expanding into a massive ring of fire as the tendrils of me converged to the center, forming a face of a middle-aged looking man . "The Destroyer seeks to resurrect with the help of this man," she added . "They believe themselvesrger than our Creator . It is our destiny to prevent! To stop them! To uphold the Law!" nobody cheered; rather, E didn''t expect them to cheer . Suddenly, her entire body shuddered as blood seeped from the corners of her lips . The fiery face behind her stuttered in a strange, bizarre fashion, the face converging further until it appeared agonizingly realistic . The expressionless face turned pained, corners of the eyes veering down at E who nced back in horror and surprise . "L-Lino¡ª" "It''s a shame¡­" his voice broke past the barriers of reality, reaching the ears of everyone gathered and causing them all to nearly spit out a mouthful of blood . "Your army is weak, El'' . Be better than those ordering you; don''t send them to pointless deaths . " The face vanished all of a sudden, but it etched itself in the heart of all those present . The topless man was shaking, a trail of blood edging at the corners of his lips . We''re supposed fight him? He pondered inwardly . Fuck you, Creator!! Are you out of your fucking mind you shitty-ass bitch?! Fuck, I should have listened to Ana and pretended to be deaf¡­ fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck¡­ n''s actual personality unknowingly seeped through . It has been a long time since that happened . Almost a year at this point . Chapter 527 Chapter 527: 527 CHAPTER 527 THE CHOSEN A massive tform, decorated with over a hundred buildings constructed of emerald jade, stretched across the brilliantly lush skyline of Evers World . Though hastily constructed in terms of time, it exuded dignified brilliance that couldn¡¯t be matched even by the Pces of the Emperors across the cosmos . The tiled floor of the tform glistened in the precious silver, indomitable underneath the feet of thousands that trampled it at the moment . People moved furiously from one building to the next, with the solemn atmosphere slowly heating up as the minutes passed . "Wow~~the Lynthorn¡¯s Gloves?! I can¡¯t believe even he decided to craft something!" "Alphael¡¯s Spear! What?! How did it end up here?!" "Ivorel¡¯s Combustion Magic? Aplete set? What the hell?!" Shouts simr to these echoed out ever so often as the thousands raced to find the best-suited items for themselves amidst the heavenly shops they couldn¡¯t even dream of finding prior to today . It wasn¡¯t necessarily free, but considering the value of the items on disy, it may as well be . Very few among the masses remained impassioned by the sudden development, among them n who sat on one of the terraces, drinking ordinary tea and observing the chaos unfolding beneath with a solemn eye . In total, only seven people currently weren¡¯t running around like headless chickens, trying to umte as many items as possible . n sighed, his memory shing back to that face of fire . Itsted only for a few seconds, yet it left toorge of a mark on him . Though everyone here had conquered their worlds and rose up above their peers, there were obviously still differences among them . When Agent nor said that she would deal with the man, the vast majority lowered their guard . n didn¡¯t . "¡ªa human? Ho ho, looks like your species isn¡¯t entirely dumb," a rather coarse voice entered n¡¯s ears as he nced sideways; there, an ash-skinned man d in thick, crimson scales, an elongated forehead that burst out into a curved horn, sat with crossed arms . n quickly realized that the man belonged to a very unique species ¨C Vampiric Dragonkin . He¡¯d only encountered one before and nearly died because of it . "Ah, why the frown?" the man chuckled strangely, his cat-like yellow eyes shimmering . "Don¡¯t take it to heart . " "You insulted my species," n scoffed . "How can I not take it to heart?" "Look," the man pointed at the store opposite of them . "They¡¯re mypanions . They¡¯re also morons of the highest degree . It¡¯s shameful that I have to share my blood with them . Aren¡¯t all of us here like that?" n quickly realized that the remaining five members were also of different species, though the rest kept to themselves . "You¡¯re thinking about retreating?" "... shallowly . " n replied vaguely, sighing as he took a sip of the tea . It was simr to the menthol tea he used to enjoy a long, long, long time ago, but slightly sweeter . "You?" "... haah, still weighing the benefits," the man replied . "The chances of me dying if I join the expedition... are very high . On the other hand, benefits shouldn¡¯t be that great, considering there are tens of thousands of us . " "I don¡¯t doubt the Creator would individually reward the best performers . " "Perhaps," the man shrugged . "But what of it if we¡¯re dead?" "... how strong do you think that man is?" n asked, frowning slightly . "Though Lady nor imed she¡¯d keep him in check," the man said . "I don¡¯t think she can do it . " "... he¡¯s stronger than her?" "Not necessarily stronger," the man¡¯s eyes shimmered strangely for a moment . "There¡¯s a story between the two of them, and while the Lady¡¯s heart still seems warped, his appeared indistinctly cold . Chances are that he¡¯dpletely ignore her and simply focus us . " "... that¡¯s what I was thinking as well," n nodded . "You still haven¡¯t answered my question, though . " "... hmm, it is rather difficult to gauge from a few seconds of pressure," the man said, stroking his chin . Despite their differences, Vampiric Dragonkin were still a humanoid species, meaning they shared a lot of habits with humans . "In addition, it was my first time experiencing that kind of pressure . Distinctly simr to that of our beloved Agents... but vastly more violent, untamed, and, quite frankly, powerful . " "¡ªfrom my observations, Agent nor is a Voidbringer at best," n said, taking another sip of the tea . "She¡¯s the youngest of the Prime Agents, but that still seems somewhat weak . When Ist met her, she was at the level of Origin Mother . Just a singleyer increase for nearly ten billion years?" "It is possible another Agent will apany her; I don¡¯t think she will be conceited enough to face that man alone," the Vampire said, getting up . "If he¡¯s truly Agent of Destruction, he will inherently be stronger than her . " "Why?" n quizzed, forcing the man to sit back down . Though n knew quite a lot when it came to the Edifice of Order and its Agents, he only knew a few things of its opposite, the Edifice of Destruction . "Chaos needs to be tamed in order to be used for Creation," the Vampire exined with a cheeky smile . "On the other hand, Destruction is its base nature . Nobody here wants to die," he added, ncing out onto the still-bustling streets . "We¡¯ve already experienced the thrill of immortality, of strength that can¡¯t bepounded . If things go astray, none of us here will stay behind because of a noble purpose . Before we are servants of the Creator, we are selfish individuals with a desire to live . On the other hand, what about the man we¡¯re facing? Though Lady nor said there was nobody else as strong as him, it isn¡¯t an assurance . He¡¯s unreasonably strong, to begin with . It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if there were hundreds on the level of our weakest, and their hearts would be far more solidified whenpared to ours . We¡¯re invading their home, and their attachment is still fresh . " "... still," n sighed . "Wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous to allow the Edifice of Destruction to return? Right now, it only has one Agent, but wouldn¡¯t that change?" "Ha ha ha," the Vampireughed all of a sudden, shaking his head . "You¡¯re mistaken, little human . If Agents were so easy to find, there wouldn¡¯t be mere ten right now, and tens of thousands of those ¡¯Agents¡¯ . Nurturing a single one goes beyond the concept of strength; you im that Lady nor is at a level of Voidbringer, but I guarantee she could easily handle several hundreds of ordinary Cosmic Beholders, and even Travelers . Agents are a special existence since they are nourished directly by the Edifices; this is especially true for the Prime Agent . Haah, the more I talk, the less I wish to depart..." "Aren¡¯t you underestimating us a bit too much?" a somewhat feminine voice joined them all of a sudden from the side; it took n a moment to recognize that the neer belonged to the Seraph¡¯s Bloodline . Though simr to humans in appearance, her features were emboldened by golden threads and angelic, feathered wings . In addition, the Seraphs were one of the Noble Races, meaning that only a few of them existed at any given time . n was surprised to meet one here as they usually refrained from interfering in the cosmic disputes . "No matter the sacrifice we have to take, we can¡¯t allow the Destroyer to be reborn . " "Hoo?" the Vampire nced at the neer with interest, a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, enriched with golden hair and eyes and beautiful features that almost reached nor¡¯s level . "A Noblewoman~~ true to the rumors, I see . Shouldn¡¯t you be even more cautious when talking about sacrifice?" "That man may be Agent, but he¡¯s still young," the woman said with a haughty expression . "He isn¡¯t even a century old . Even if he has the Edifice on his side, how much strength can he actually exert?" "That¡¯s what makes him dangerous, little angel," the Vampire crackled, shaking his head . The woman¡¯s brows twitched at being called a ¡¯little angel¡¯, but she endured . "Unlike us, he¡¯s a cub yet to cling to the straws of life . Even if we don¡¯t want to, at the back of our heads, there¡¯s always a voice... a tiny speck calling, warning . ¡¯You will suffer¡¯ . So, we run . Him? He doesn¡¯t have it . He¡¯ll throw himself into the sea of fire and damn us all in the process . It¡¯s not the strongest that are the scariest, little angel," the Vampire smiled, exposing his sharp, white teeth . "It¡¯s the strong that are fearless . Unlike us, he¡¯s protecting his home . He won¡¯t sink . " "¡ªthat¡¯s a rather high appraisal based on a few seconds," the woman scoffed after a short silence . "I didn¡¯t think Vampiric Dragonkin were this cowardly . " "Ha ha ha," the Vampireughed instead of taking it to heart . "Are you saying you aren¡¯t a coward?" "Hm?!" "It¡¯s grand to be proud, little angel ¨C especially for someone with roots as deep as yours . But, in the end, pride will get us nowhere, no? Wouldn¡¯t it bite me in the ass if I trusted you with my back, believing your pride will hold you steady, only to die because you ran away after seeing we¡¯re being overwhelmed?" "..." "In the end, it will all depend on forces higher than us..." n mumbled, feeling bitter . Has anything truly changed since his early days? Back then, all his struggles turned out to be in vain . He believed wholeheartedly he could change the course of fate, only to painfully be proven wrong... time and again . Even now, with his transcendental strength, in the clutches of power few could even imagine, his fate still wasn¡¯t in his hands . The struggle... seemed eerily in vain . A hero? The chosen? He was hardly either of those two things . He was a temporary passenger boarding the ship that didn¡¯t care about him . Should he fall, there would be hundreds to rece him . His mind once again shed back to Caleb . At one point, they stood on the same line . They were given the same opportunities . How is it, then, that he was able to unchain himself? Even before the Ashening, n realized that he would never be able to catch up to that madman . Yet, in that madness, there was a proper method, n knew . Even still, despite Caleb¡¯s defiance, the Earth was destroyed . Billions of years passed, and Caleb¡¯s defiance grew beyond the point of reason . What about him? It was the same . His life, just as when he watched his home burn and crumble with the tears in his eyes, still wasn¡¯t his own . "... I¡¯ll go, I guess," the Vampire broke the silence, getting up and stretching . "It should be fun, meeting the Agent of Destruction . " "Even if you die?" the woman scoffed . "Die? I¡¯ve no such ns," the Vampire shrugged . "It may be the war for cosmic bnce, but what does that have to do with me?" "Your Creator is fighting the war, and you would defy Him?!" the woman eximed angrily, her cheeks turning slightly red from anger . "... my Creator?" the Vampire nced at her strangely, smiling . "Chaos is our creator, little angel . What does it matter if we¡¯re reigned by the Creator or the Destroyer? In the end, we¡¯re still of Chaos, and Chaos is of us . " Chapter 528 Chapter 528 CHAPTER 528 INDULGENT Howrge is the universe? No, E dissipated the thought; it wasn¡¯t just a single universe . The makeup of everything transcended the ordinary thought . This universe, the one Lino was currently trying to upturn, was a speck of dust . All these heroes that gathered here, all the souls that trounced millions of others to rise so far up, were just a tiny droplet in the ocean . She could see it ¨C the extending tendrils were like the branches of the World Tree sucked away into the void, each linked to the living and breathing universe hosting an endless stream of souls . She, too, felt small beneath the behemoth that was Everything . Originally, it shouldn¡¯t have been like this . Two Edifices would be at constant war, maintaining only a single world ¨C not even a single universe, but just a singr ¨C where their chosen would sh . It changed, however . When? E didn¡¯t know . It happened long before her time, long before the time of all the current Agents, even the first one . The Creator prevailed over the Destroyer and monopolized the Chaos, allowing it to sprout like a tree . The Destroyer came back countless times, but couldn¡¯t contend . This time wouldn¡¯t change anything, E knew . Even if she failed and died, Lino would be unable to realize his dream . That is why she begged him to give it up . That is why, even now, she couldn¡¯t help but cry, tears streaming like waterfalls from her eyes . Her heart was a storm, and there was no ending of it in sight . Her plea, one shemenced from the depths of her soul, one she expressed with all her heart, wasn¡¯t even considered . Destroy . That was the reply she got . Though in the depths of her soul she knew it would turn out like that, she still hung onto hope . But... why? What was different this time? She loved billions of times before, and she grieved just as much . She watched the fleeting life fall to ash before her time and again, but what was different this time? The difference... was that she watched him from the very beginning . From the very first steps he took as an ignorant, little boy to the Emperor that he was today . She watched him struggle, bleed, cry and scream in anguish . Why? Why would anyone want to invalidate his sacrifices? All he sought was the strength to prevent his heart from breaking like ss . Isn¡¯t that what everyone was doing? His sole fault, inparison to others, was the source of his strength . Was it just? No, E knew . It was as unjust as it gets . Yet... what of it? She couldn¡¯t defy the Order . It was in her bones . In her heart . In her soul . However much she loved Lino, that love could not bepared to the one she felt toward her Creator . Yes, he struggled, he endured and he climbed when everyone thought he would fall . He overcame all the walls, all the barriers, and he reached the apex . But, so did the countless others who subsequently fell . There was no eternity to an ordinary name . His light, however brilliant, would eventually die either way . She tried to justify it, but it failed . Her heart wouldn¡¯t calm . The image of him dragging his tired, breaking body over the muddied streets underneath the burning sun... the image of him leaving the vige for the first time, his back that seemed so tiny back then... the image of him crying in her arms as he felt the loss of heart for the first time... she couldn¡¯t stop the flood . The picture of him meeting her beneath the earth, his smile ringing out with true joy . He never gave up the creed, the one she instilled in him . He embodied the grief and the loss and all the whispering demons that apanied them . Even now, she knew he will take the burden upon himself . He will fight the universe if it meant protecting what he cared for . However... it wasn¡¯t just this single universe he was fighting . He was fighting the Creator of Everything . E stumbled and fell to her knees . The praying mat beneath her was already drowned in her tears, yet it didn¡¯t change . Everything around her was still the same . Nobody cared, she realized . Nobody cared about who that man in the fire was; they feared his strength, certainly, but nobody asked about his story . Why? Why was he defying the Creator? How did hee in contact with the Destroyer? Why was he trying to resurrect it? Nobody cared . This was the reality of Everything ¨C this cold, frigid reality . Self-interest soaked thendscape of reality, be it of the lowliest or of the highest . Those few that tried to transcend above it were punished, in return making even fewer willing to follow in their footsteps . Did she hold a grudge against the Creator because it was forcing her to act against her heart? No . The one she loved was Lino, but the one she despised was the source of his strength . Because the Destroyer didn¡¯t exist, the countless universes flourished . How many souls that live today wouldn¡¯t exist had the Destroyer continued struggling? The number couldn¡¯t even be reached . Why should they be deprived of life? They shouldn¡¯t . Her determination remained firm, despite the cracks of her heart . Until the very end, she would seek ways to rip Lino away from the tendrils of Chaos . She would do all in her power to restore him and destroy the link he formed with the terrible existence . If she failed? That was it . She would grieve, as she had many, many times before, and ensure his legacy will never be forgotten . The boy who transcended the thought of reason, the one who withstood the barrage of the Creation and defied . He wasn¡¯t alone; many before him tried, but each was as transcendental as he . Special existences, those that could not be measured withmon sense . He belonged in that hall, in the string of names that shook the Creation . E rose from her knees slowly and wiped the tears from her eyes . The sorrowful expression was reced with one of determination . She couldn¡¯t falter, not anymore . She would fight, as she always has . As she left the squared chamber, she found herself on the Pathway of Stars . Small, pebble-sized rocks shining in the colors of the rainbow stretched in an upward slope throughout the ck void, rounding around into a massivework of passageways . Her eyes, however, steered away from the magnificent staircase and onto the figure waiting outside . He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with simr features to her ¨C beauty beyond description, eyes shimmering in deep azure, blonde hair fluttering freely even in the open space . He had a faint smile on his face, d in trans-formal armor of gemmed silver, two scabbards adorned with rainbow-fluttering gems hanging on his sides, a halo of silver rotating behind his back . "¡ªyou¡¯ve suffered, little one . " He said in a calm, loving tone . Yes, this was her true family . All other bonds she formed failed to match the original one . She replied to the smile, her lips curling up gently . "Sorry for worrying you . " E said in a truly tranquil voice . "You don¡¯t have to go," the man said, fluttering over and hugging her gently . She could feel the soft tremble in his voice and the shake in his body, stirring her heart . "We¡¯ll deal with it . " "... no . " she let herself be embraced by the brotherly love she had been missing . Though he was countless eons older than her, it didn¡¯t matter . "It is my failure, and I need to correct it . " "Failure? Hardly," the man said, pulling back, his smile turning slightly painful . "It is never a sin to love, little one . It is a sin to deny love . " "..." "After all," the man said as the two began climbing the brilliant, cosmic stairway . "The essence of Creation is love, nor . Father made us with love ¨C and he gave us hearts to feel it . Whichever way we are swayed, He is never disappointed . If possible, I¡¯d also like to save the boy . " "... is there a way?" E asked with a hopeful tone . "It is up to him," the man said, sighing lowly . "Do you think he will be willing?" "... no . " E didn¡¯t need long to realize that . "Why?" the man asked . "Because it would mean he has lost control of his destiny . " "... he has lost it the moment he surrendered himself over to the Destroyer . " "He doesn¡¯t feel that way," E shook her head . "And that stubbornness... ah, I suppose it will be his undoing . " "¡ªI¡¯ll still try," the man said . "No, we¡¯ll try . We¡¯ll get through to his heart, little one . Anyone loved by you cannot be that far gone . It proves that he¡¯s a good man . " "... yes... we¡¯ll try . " Though E said so, she knew, deep in her heart, words would not change Lino¡¯s mind . In reality, she had thought of several ways to end this without fighting till death ¨C but each was more deplorable than thest . Threaten to destroy Noterra, kidnap Aaria or Hannah, even threaten to kill herself... there were many ways to manipte Lino into doing what she wanted him to do . But... were any of them right? No . She couldn¡¯t do any of them, to begin with . Even if she had the heart to go through with them, the risk was too big . Despite all his growth, Lino was a ticking time-bomb . Should a single thing go awry, he might truly let go of himself . E knew the best that was specifically why the Edifice chose him over Ataxia; thetter was cautious, never letting his emotions get in the way of the cold, calcted ns . It was difficult to harness the Destruction in such way . On the other hand, Lino wasn¡¯t as unshakable . If someone close to him was harmed or killed, chances are that he would forget reason, as he did many times before . That was both his strength and weakness; while those like Ataxia could maintain themselves for a long time, they would always fall short of breaking past the gripping barriers . On the other hand, those like Linoe and go like butterflies ¨C in billions across the universes . They mostly fall, their stars diminishing after a brief sh . However, among the masses, some still seed . And they be the figures that can defy everything, including the Creator . That untamed nature is a variable that can never be predicted or understood . She prayed, above all else, it would note to that . Else, perhaps everyone, including E and her brother, might die alongside him . Chapter 529 Chapter 529: 529 CHAPTER 529 DIVINITY How long has it been? Too long, Lino realized while he stared at the scratched anvil and the slightly rusted hammer on top of it . All around him silence reigned, the peace that was so difficult to find these days . His gaze was heavy, distant, as he approached the anvil and reached out, gripping the hammer¡¯s handle . It was a strange sensation, eerily unfamiliar . His hand trembled for a moment as he pulled the hammer up . A long time ago, he remembered, he was too weak to hold it even with both hands . Yet, now, it weighed as much as a feather . No, even less . He sighed, sitting down onto the wooden stool . A strange sensation offort overtook him . Despite having a massive throne, an array offortable chairs and sofas and beds he could sit on, nothing quitepared to this simple and old device . The sensation of familiarity slowly began returning to his fingers . He had sworn he¡¯d be a forger, that he would imprint his name upon the world as a smith, yet the reality was too cruel . How many people really knew him as a smith? Perhaps only a few . When had his story gone astray? He didn¡¯t know . At some point, the imperative changed . He wasn¡¯t alone . He kept losing too much and realized he couldn¡¯t afford to lose any more . He, deludedly, had forgone his dream . Now, sitting inside the dark,nguid smithy, the old feelings poured in . How joyful was holding the hammer, tampering the materials known and unknown to the world, creating something that was never created before? He chuckled bitterly at the thought, realizing he had forgone this joy as well . Though he very much enjoyed fighting, it was not the same; the procession of stabbing someone¡¯s heart inspired vastly different feelings than breathing life into something new . He looked around, slowly getting up and walking over to the furnace, throwing in some firewood and setting it on fire . He didn¡¯t use any special mes, but the most ordinary ones . The crackling sounds soon reced the silence as the coral mes arose within the stone-encased furnace . It was a warm sight, beyond the sensation of mes . Lino smiled gently, shoving his arm into the fire . It couldn¡¯t hurt him; rather, there was likely nothing on Noterra that could hurt him now . Understanding this transcendental strength had given him a new insight into the reality of things . In truth, it was all too simple . Too mundane . There was no truth worth pursuing . Death? Life? Light? Darkness? Time? Chaos? Order? It didn¡¯t matter . They were all uniformly the same . "... it always happens, doesn¡¯t it?" he mumbled to himself, withdrawing his hand that remained spotless . "That we forget the joy of the simple things . " He took out a few ordinary iron ores and started melting them, purifying them . Draw them into the shape of a de . Heat them up . Cool them . Hammer them . Rinse and repeat . Draw out the guard from the de, make it a simple cross, extend the handle, make it slightly coarse so it doesn¡¯t slip from the hand . He was done within an hour . Holding the most ordinary sword in his hand, he felt a strange joy ovee him . There was nothing special about the sword ¨C rather, it could even be considered a disgrace that someone on his level made it . However, he didn¡¯t care . Status, honor, dignity... those things were fleeting . [Iron de ¨C Normal] Level: 10 Damage: 7-10 He put the sword down gently and sat back down onto the stool . He had truly forgotten, the joy of creating . Did he regret his choice of bing an Agent of Destruction? No . He would destroy to protect, and create to inspire . He didn¡¯t care about the cosmic bnce, about the binary oppositions that seemed to exist everywhere . He didn¡¯t care about restoring the Edifice of Destruction so it may contend against its opposite once more . It has been a long time since he fought for himself, so it won¡¯t be any different than hundreds of other battles he had fought . It was regardless of his opponent ¨C be it E, some other Agent, or the tens of thousands he had spotted with a brief glimpse . The doors to the smithy opened and a familiar figure walked through; Hannah had changed into ordinary clothes, the likes of which she wore a long time ago when they were still youths learning the truths of the world . One-piece, white dress unfolded from her smooth, slightly exposed, shoulders and over her body . Her crimson hair fell freely to the side, her eyes the tranquilkes that calmed the hottest of fires in him . Though many thought she had maintained her appearance through Qi, she hadn¡¯t; this was how she truly looked at nearly sixty years of age . Lino couldn¡¯t quite understand it, considering he looked through and through like an old man, but he didn¡¯t care . She smiled at him gently, gingerly even, just like she always does in private . "What do you think?" she asked, spinning in ce . "I dug out one of my old dresses . Still suits me, eh?" "Eh, I¡¯m still of opinion that no-clothes suits you the best . " Lino grinned, stroking his chin thoughtfully . "Haah, how can someone so old still be so perverted..." Hannah sighed yfully, shaking her head as she walked over, sitting onto the wooden table next to the stool . "You¡¯re a disgrace to all men out there, you know?" "It¡¯s this strange subus that I married that is to me, I¡¯m afraid . " "Ah, me the beauty not the beast, eh?" "The beauty should stop taunting and teasing the beast, then . " Lino smiled . "Aah, you are really terrible; the beast should understand it¡¯s undeserving of the beauty and step back, no?" "... he really should . " Lino said . "He would have . But, it turned out, the beauty loved him too . " "... aah, that smooth tongue of yours is really a problem," Hannah chuckled, her barefoot legs rocking back and forth . "What now?" she asked with a slightly more serious expression . "Astrum¡ªno, Reli also managed to free herself?" Lino asked instead . "Hm . " Hannah nodded . "... now we prepare for the war . " "Are you sure she will fail?" Hannah asked . She didn¡¯t want to fight E . Not because of fear, but because of simple respect and care . "... I¡¯m sure she cares for us from the depths of her heart, Hannah," Lino said, sighing . "But, we are just the fleeting faces in her life . She¡¯ll try and convince me, no doubt . But, in the end, we¡¯ll fight . " "Can you handle her?" she asked with care . "I can," Lino replied confidently . "I can even defeat her, perhaps even kill her, if I go all-out . " "... if?" Hannah quizzed . "I¡¯m worried about the second Agent," Lino said . "Or perhaps even Third and Fourth . If there are more than Three, we¡¯ll get trampled on without putting up a fight . " "... I can deal with one with Reli¡¯s help . Ataxia can form a band and fight another . We have many powerful people that can stand their ground, Lino . " "I don¡¯t doubt that," Lino said . "But, it¡¯s not enough that they stand their ground, Hannah . How long can they stand is the question . An hour? Two? Three? In the end, we are just humans . There are limits that are hard to break at the moment . " "... at the moment?" Hannah caught the implications and asked . "If given time, naturally, it¡¯s easy to break the barriers," Lino said, sighing . "That¡¯s why this war seems so urgent and imminent . However, they will only expect me to be able to stand up to them . That might be the sole advantage we have . I¡¯ll start crafting again," Lino said . "Eggor¡¯s in no state of mind to help, so it might take some time . Meanwhile, I won¡¯t be able to leave this ce for a while, so the burden on you will grow . I¡¯m sorry . " "... what are you apologizing for?" she looked at him gently, jumping off the table and walking over, kissing his forehead . "My burdens areparatively cheap . " "... ah, your talent to undersell yourself and your pain is beyond anyone¡¯s," Lino said, sighing . "I¡¯ll craft you a set beyond their imagination . If we can¡¯t fight with our strength, I¡¯ll create that strength out of nowhere . " "... ha ha, I¡¯m kind of looking forward to it, to be honest," Hannah said . "It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve seen you at your best . We¡¯re gonna win Lino . Right?" "... of course," he said, ncing up at her eyes that were a few inches away, smiling widely . "I don¡¯t care whoes . This is our home, and I¡¯ll kill the Creator itself before I let him touch this ce . " "... I know you will . " She mumbled, pressing her lips against his tenderly . Lino¡¯s confidence wasn¡¯t baseless . It wasn¡¯t only Ataxia that had filled his mind with knowledge, but also Edifice . It was a relentless onught of information that he was still having trouble processing, but it didn¡¯t matter . All he cared for was this small corner that seemed so insignificant in the grand scheme of things . However, to him, it was everything . Worth more than all the rest of Everythingbined . [Lyonel Qa¡¯yi ¨C Divinity] World-eater The Empyrean cksmith of Destruction Titles: Agent of Destruction, Guardian of the World, The Destroyer, The Divine Traveler, The Reborn, The Unbent, Destroyer of Life, Beholder of Madness, Beholder of Divinity, The Deified, The Untouched, Creator of Destruction, The Ineffable upations: Beggar (Level 311), cksmith (Tier 3: Divine), Cultivator (World-eater), The World Guardian (Tier 0 ¨C tier increased each time Homeworld is defended), Prime Agent of Destruction (World-eater) Divinities: , , , , , , , , , ... . The One who touched the Heart of Everything Chapter 530 Chapter 530 CHAPTER 530 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (I) Lino held onto the hammer tightly, his breathing even and calm . Incandescent fire churned and boiled inside the furnace, its golden sheen cascading along the ridges of the stoned walls . The heat it exuded was nigh impossible to bear for anyone except Lino since it was the fire he himself had created ¨C [Divine mes] . The mes were so strong they escaped the framework of Noterra¡¯s levels and reached the so-called Cosmic Frame . Though weakest still there, the concept of mythical mes was far more corrupt, making the [Divine mes] unparalleled in a way . Being Tier 0, far from the potential height of Tier 9, was more than enough for current Lino . They could melt and purify every material that Lino was aware of, and as Ion¡¯s campaign was slowlying to a close, the number of materials that were being sent back to the Empyrion was beyond measure . The Empire¡¯s treasury was expanded at least ten times in the past month, yet it was still inadequate in size to contain everything . Lino plundered only the best, ready to create the best . He grabbed the zing steel beneath his fingers tightly; the fires that could melt through the reality itself sizzled and wept underneath his pressure . One strike . Two strikes . Three . Four . The hammer in his hands descended time and again, perfectly aiming at the precise points of pressure, slowly molding the strongest steel possible on Noterra ¨C [Divine Steel] . The nigh-indestructible steel slowly bent under his will, each strike of the hammer shaping it into a stainless de . The Edge and the yer were both indispensable tools, but that was only within the confines of Noterra . Beyond, they carried little weight . He would never leave them; rather, both always remained either in his void world or at his person, but the sentimentality couldn¡¯t blind him . He needed something bigger, something better, something that transcended the limits of this small world . Pouring the heated de into the barrel of water, he began heating it up again . He had already been at it for nearly five days, but the progress was visible . It shouldn¡¯t be too long before the first part was done . Unlike before, where he mixed all kinds and sorts of supportive materials, he didn¡¯t add anything to the [Divine Steel] . While the options will probably be limited, the raw strength of the sword born of its pure origins would overwhelm the shorings . He settled on a simple design, extending the de to be roughly a meter and a half in length, no wider than three fingers, three and a half centimeters thick . At first nce, it would seem no more extraordinary than themon swords found in every army in the world . It was fine; the de was meant to kill, rather than to be an ornament . Eggor¡¯s teachings never left him, though his instinct still wished he would decorate the de at least a bit . Uhm, there¡¯s... right, there¡¯s nothing wrong with adding a tiny bit of a personal touch . I¡¯ll make the guard slightly eye-catchy... The sounds of the hammering echoed throughout the small smithy . Sweat gripped tightly at Lino¡¯s skin, dripping like a river . His ck eyes glistened in the momentum of joy, of the rekindled fire in his heart . Each time he took a swing with his hammer, his muscles tensed and rxed, bulging, as though reborn with new vigor . You will be a protector... His mind whispered to the de yet to be born, the blood in his veins trailing from his heart to his fingertips, embodying the de with the will of its maker . Yet you will shed blood beyond measure... Each strike hummed, forming a melodic symphony that echoed against the awoken walls, the song that would never be heard outside this small room . The burden will be great... As though responding to his will, the de cried out with each strike; it wasn¡¯t a cry of pain, but the cry of resonance . So great even I can¡¯t imagine it... The fire raged stronger, the elementsbining beneath the might of the hammer . It was apletely ordinary hammer, made out of purified iron, yet, at the moment, it seemed to have the capacity to craft the world itself . But you won¡¯t crumble... The sparks flew out like fireflies, crackling and chuckling during their sh-in-the-pan existence . Because you are a protector... The pieces starteding together as the de, the guard and the handle slowly became one beneath the gaze of their maker . You are bigger than pain... The resolute cry shook the room as the [Divine mes] swept over it, seemingly baptizing the newly-born creature . Bigger than this old man¡¯s regrets... Topless Lino held onto the de tightly, his eyes emotional . Slightly grayed hair fluttered in the invisible wind, wrinkles on his face rxing . Bigger than the world itself... A pir of light shed brilliantly across the room as the sword lifted itself from Lino¡¯s grip, floating holistically in front of him for a moment . [Divine de of Protection ¨C Soul Artifact] Special Effect [Absolute Protection] ¨C will block 3 attacks in session regardless of their strength; if the attacks overwhelm the sword¡¯s Ego, it will enter forced slumber for a week Special Effect [Absolute Defiance] ¨C born of the strongest Will, sword¡¯s Ego is indomitable; it will never crumble, no matter the obstacle Special Effect [Will of the Maker] ¨C the sword inherited its Maker¡¯s stats; so long as it¡¯s wielded by the Maker, it doubles the Maker¡¯s prowess Special Effect [Indominable Ego] ¨C the sword¡¯s Ego will never serve another besides its Maker; so long as the Maker lives, so will the sword Special Effect [The Protector] ¨C the Ego is sensitive to the threat toward its Maker; it will disregard all orders if the Maker¡¯s life is threatened Special Effect [Divine Will] ¨C the sword purifies either the targeted area or up to 10 billion individuals, removing all negative effects imposed Special Effect [Dissever] ¨C though a Protector, it is a child of the Destroyer; the sword¡¯s Ego has an inherent capacity of disregarding limitations of reality, striking anywhere at any time within the Maker¡¯s field of view; each strike has a high chance of severing the target¡¯s Will temporarily Note: We are Eternal... Father... Lino stared at the sword kindly, his lips curling up into a smile . The sword floated around Lino on its own . It was perfect, just as Lino imagined it being . An ordinary-looking de will be hispanion until the end of his life, however long or short it may be . Grasping at the handle, Lino chuckled as he swung it around a few times . It felt perfect, as though it was an extension of his being . "Hm, wait a second now," Lino said, letting the sword float next to him . "I¡¯ve gotta create a few brothers and sisters for you . I can¡¯t have you feeling lonesome . " Lino, once again, began shuffling through the materials . What kind of armor did he want? It was hard to decide . He was iparably difficult to kill, but it didn¡¯t mean he was invincible; thergest problem would be if the other side had a way to prevent his regenerative properties since that¡¯s where the majority of his survival was invested . If he failed to keep up with the rate of inflicted wounds, not only would he have to focus more on healing the wounds, but he¡¯d also be put in a passive position which would be a death sentence . In the first ce, Lino was hardly a defender . Rather than taking hits on directly, he preferred dodging or parrying . Because of this, he knew the armor couldn¡¯t be cumbersome; it had to be fitting, but also loose enough for him to move his limbs at will and at any angle . In addition, it would have to sustain the pressure akin to the singrity¡¯s direct pull during the direct confrontations . His idea for the sword was simple since he had a clear vision of what he wanted out of the sword . With armor, however, it was different . If it would slow him down, he¡¯d rather fight with his flesh . "Hmm..." he grumbled as he sat onto the stool, stroking his ever-graying beard . His gaze dulled slightly as he began thinking, recalling E¡¯s armor . It felt like it was the extension of her, but in a different way from my sword, his thoughts raced, like it¡¯s a part of her skin . That¡¯s a wrong way to go about it, however, he shook his head, limitations would be too grave . Despite the stats, I can easily damage her if she takes a direct hit . The more I think about it, the more it seems it was built to project dignity rather than to provide protection . He didn¡¯t intend to rely on vanity when it came to crafting the armor, which is precisely why he was so indecisive . Armguards are out of question, he quickly concluded . Breastte can be full, but limited in depth, while I can make leggings somewhat cumbersome halfway down my thighs . Shoulder-pads... hmm, too tricky . Even if I thin them out, I have to restrict the full area of my arm¡¯s movement too much . Lino got up from the stool and started pacing around the small smithy, humming all along . One-piece? It is feasible . I can fashion conduits in the form of a belt, and lessen the burden around the corbone, turning it into ordinary wraps around the shoulder . I won¡¯t be able to connect it as a neck-guard, but it is unnecessary . It would be too obtrusive anyway, just like the helmet . Rather than focusing on the direct protection, he slowly sat back down and took out several dozen parchments, ink, and a quill, I should make it so that the strikes easily slide off . The problem is that toorge of a burden will easily crack it, but I can deal with it . It will be in charge of dealing with the smaller strikes anyway . His fingers slowly traced straight and curvy lines along the rugged canvas of the parchment, cleanly depicting a few potential designs . There¡¯s no need to make it in one piece then, however . It will just burden the internal framework too much and make the durability even worse . The belt can be independent, while the breastte¡¯s focus should be more on the back rather than the front . I¡¯ll shave some weight off from the front to make the back more durable . As I thought, I¡¯ll have to use some simple cloth armor with attributes for the other exposed parts . It will tear quickly, but the cloth¡¯s effect should persist so long as it¡¯s not destroyedpletely . As he repeatedly broke down the designs and rebuilt them, he slowly settled on the final concept . It will take some time... he thought, stretching . But, it will be worth it . Chapter 531 Chapter 531 CHAPTER 531 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (II) mes in the furnace churned strong, the sounds of crackling mixing with the stirring, echoing sounds of the hammer striking against the hard steel . Droplets of sweat flew off in arches of the Lino¡¯s glistening skin, his abyss-darkened eyes immovable from the surface of the red-heated te beneath his fingers . Each strike of the hammer jammed the surface of the te downward, slowly tempering the shape properly . He had long since lost the count of minutes and hours, and even possibly days, as he devoted his concentration entirely to crafting . It was hard to remember when was thest time he felt this way, when was thest time he abandoned the worries of the external and simply focused on creating something never created before . As he was approaching his sixties, Lino had realized that most of hister years of life were spent fighting and worrying, interspersed with the few moments of joy and tranquility . He had abandoned the hammer in lieu of the sword, his heart waning . Taking a deep breath, he sat down for a moment, resting . His breaths were short, somewhat ragged, but his expression was hardly one of tiredness . The full, slightly dry lips, were unable to tten from the curve of the smile, the wrinkles around his eyes arched in crescent . The break didn¡¯tst long, just a few minutes, before he got up again and returned to work . He wasn¡¯t certain how long he exactly had worked, but it should be a little over a year at least . He¡¯d spent nearly six months going through Ataxia¡¯s life, which means it¡¯s been just over half a year since E left . Though time was a constraint, it was more than enough for him . Truth was that he could easily just take any random armor and grant it Ego, making it almost as strong as the Divine Sword ¨C but for his and Hannah¡¯s items, he settled on going through the entire process, partly because the end-products were slightly better, and partly because he missed the sensation . For the few rest that will end up forging, he will go through the quick one . Besides Hannah and he, very few were capable and willing; none of the captors of the Holy Grounds met the bill, and most of the people Lino knew simply weren¡¯t strong enough . The one he had the most faith in was Y¡¯nn as he was just slightly beneath Hannah in terms of strength, but it was still just the three of them which was far from enough . Even if he had already put Primul in charge of theary formations, those had a limit, especially so considering he only had a year and a half to create them . Naturally, Ataxia, Astrum and other Writs would also fight, but their roles would be heavily limited since their strength was extremely conditional . In the end, however, as with most other battles, the oue would depend entirely on who won the fight of the highest order . He simply didn¡¯t want to lose any more people than necessary . "... huuuh, finally," exhaling deeply and wiping his forehead, Lino smiled at the finished breastte . It shimmered in strong gray, edges lined in doubleyers, flexibility pronounced around the armpits and the waist areas . It looked rtively ordinary, much like the sword, yet Lino knew it was anything but . He traced his fingers across the still-cooling surface, tapping a few times, producing deep and hollow drumming hums . "mes ever disappoint..." [Breastte of Infinity ¨C Divine Artifact] [Eternal] ¨C unconditionally blocks 3 attacks at will; recharge time dependent on the Maker¡¯s ability [The Guardian] ¨C the armor will never break or be pierced on the condition the Maker¡¯s Will is never broken [Last Bastion] ¨C should the Maker¡¯s life be in danger, the Ego will forcefully repel everyone within 60km radius, replenishing the Maker¡¯s Vitality to the maximum; recharge time dependent on the Maker¡¯s ability [Bound] ¨C the breastte cannot be worn by anyone else except the Maker; in return, its Ego is incorruptible [Union] ¨C the breastte can either tighten or loosen, depending on the Maker¡¯s wish, providing either a triple increase of all movement or a triple increase of all resistances [Singrity of Eternity] ¨C channeling Chaotic Binds into the breastte¡¯s core creates a temporary singrity that will suck in all the iing attacks and reflect them at triple the damage unconditionally; can only be used once a day Note: I will never let you be harmed... Lino chuckled faintly as the breastte shuddered and hovered, floating next to the sword . The two seemed to be conversing in some invisible ways, so Lino left them alone and focused on the next item ¨C the belt . Unlike the sword and the breastte, Lino had no intention of granting the Ego to the belt as it was unnecessary; it was there to simply act as a conduit between the top and bottom armored parts, but that didn¡¯t mean he could craft just anything . He deliberated for good three-four days on the design before finalizing it and slowly beginning the craft . Though he wasn¡¯t as careful as he was with the sword and the armor, he still didn¡¯t cut too many corners; despite being a conduit, the belt would have to be firm and have high endurance, not only by connecting two pieces of armor but also as an intermediary of two Egos . In the end, he spent just over a full day on crafting the belt and was rather satisfied with the end result . The loop was made out of sleek leather, binding to the center where a steel-cast, horizontal grid of barsy encased within an iron-ovey with dotted slits on top and bottom that will be used to connect the pieces . It wasn¡¯t much to look at, but it wasn¡¯t shabby-looking either . As a personal touch, Lino added a pair of ming, silver wings at the very center of the belt, though they were rather hard to spot from anywhere but up-close . [Sacred Belt ¨C Origin Tier] Defense: ? the Base Defense 3* to Vitality 2* to Strength Special Effect ¨C has the innate capacity of managing Ego-infested items Special Effect ¨C proportionally decreases weight upon the wearer, making it easier to move Nodding slightly, Lino¡¯s lips curled up into a smile once more . Even if it didn¡¯t touch even the realm of the sword and the breastte, it was everything he needed at the moment . Rather than taking a break, he simply took out a gourd of wine, freshening up his parched throat and slowly moving over onto designing the leggings . It was by far the most difficult part as he had to find the perfect bnce of weight and length so that his agility wasn¡¯t bogged down unnecessarily . Just like the breastte, he would smooth out the surface for the easier deflection while also maintaining some proportions of good defense . In the end, if he had to rely on the armor to survive, it would mean he had already lost . It was there to support him rather than to carry him which is the mindset he had while crafting it . Sounds of the hammering soon filled the smithy once more, the crackling of the mes, the asional, deep groan, and the screeching of tempering; altogether they formed a strange song without a singer and even stranger sight . Lino worked meticulously; unlike the breastte, the leggings were a bit more delicate since a rather deep precision was necessary, which meant his work was slightly slower . Days ticked by, one by one, and soon a week had passed . He switched between hammering, tempering, smoothing and resting frequently, sometimes simply sitting down to stare at the mes for a little while, and sometimes even taking a nap if he felt too much mental exhaustion . From the feelings of anxiety he entered the smithy with to today, the entire paradigm had shifted; he wouldn¡¯t lose . A hammer descended swiftly upon the redshifted steel . He wouldn¡¯t conform . Sparks flew out like fireflies with each strike, alighting the dark walls . He would ovee . His heart thumped in the rhythm of the hammer¡¯s descent . He¡¯d lost too much to lose more . The time itself seemed to slow down in the midst of his creation . He¡¯d suffered too long not to defy . Thump . He was above it . The steel sizzled as he shoved it into the barrel of water . He was beyond it . Thest piece of the puzzle fit, two steel-cast shapesying still on the wooden table . "... ¡¯nother one," Lino chuckled, taking a sip of wine . "Holy hell, I should really vent this fucking room a bit . " The air was rather stuffy, but he ignored it for the moment as light sted off the leggings, lifting them up into the air, right next to the sword and the breastte . [Amarath ¨C Divine Artifact] [Unseen] ¨C increases movement speed proportional to the momentum [Unmatched] ¨C increases damage dealt proportional to the momentum [Solitude] ¨C doubles the Origin Energy while protecting the weak [Destroyer] ¨C high chance of destroying the weapons striking it unless they are at least 3 Tiers above [Sky] ¨C enables permanent flight at no personal expense [Bound] ¨C can only ever be worn by the Maker; in return, it cannot be destroyed unless the Maker¡¯s Will is destroyed [Sacrilege] ¨C instantaneously teleport the Maker out of the danger at no personal expense; can be used twice a day Note: I¡¯ll protect you forever, Father... Chapter 532 Chapter 532 CHAPTER 532 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (III) A rather sizeable gathering was currently observing Primul as he was shifting across a massive, wooden board, using ck charcoal on the whitened wood to drawplex and ever-shifting lines that, in the eyes of the observers, neither made sense nor seemed to fit at all . Yet, nobody said a word; instead, they stared at those lines sternly, waiting with bated breaths, as theplexity of the array continued on its upward trend . The size of the board was beyond massive, sixteen by fourteen meters, and was leaned against the thick, stone wall . Primul had to use adder frequently, but he didn¡¯t grumble, unwilling to break his concentration . The surroundings glistened in the smoothed stone, several dozen pirs upholding the slightly concave ceiling from which a single, silver chandelier hung, alighting the hall . Over twenty bookshelves arose in tidy rows, stacked to the brim with old and new tomes alike in even parallels, the only respite being this frontal corner, on the opposite side of the doors, where the boardy leaned beneath a beautiful mural depicting Hannah in her Avatar form . What started as a series of concentric circles turned to abyrinth of lines, some thick and some thin, winding around over a hundred nodes, which had a surge of perfectly parallel lines within them . Primul had already been at it for over two days, but within a single hour, it was almost impossible to make heads or tails of the formation . He often went back to the old patterns and fix them, orpletely erased them and drew different ones, which made the observers wonder how he could remember what was what . Hannah rubbed her temples lightly as she looked away from the lines; she felt as though she¡¯d get a headache if she stared at them for too long . Ipetency struck a chord within her since she understood how little she actually knew of the formations . Alison was in a simr state, though she stubbornly persisted in trying to understand it ¨C to no avail, however . "What the hell is this guy¡¯s brain made of?" Y¡¯vol grumbled, his mustache trembling slightly . Y¡¯nn dragged him here for some reason, and now it¡¯s been two days since he¡¯s been staring at a wall of lines and circles . To his keen, artistic eye, it was rather pleasing, of course . "The best ingredients, I imagine," Y¡¯elleve chuckled bitterly, shaking her head; she dabbled in formations here and there, so she was somewhat confident when she first arrived . By now, however, she didn¡¯t even bother trying to understand them . "Do you understand anything?" she asked Y¡¯nn who was stroking his beard, seemingly in a contemtive state . "Not a fucking thing . " His words were spat out right after, causing her to nearly stumble over her dress; if you don¡¯t understand anything, why do you look like you¡¯re really into it?!! "Ho ho, I have an image to uphold, you know?" as though having read her mind, he chortled for a moment, ncing at her . "Bah, shut it," Y¡¯elleve cursed back at him, annoyed . "What image? Of an old geezer still acting like a teenager? Bah!" Alison finally sighed in defeat, shaking her head and looking away . No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to grasp even an iota from the formation . It was too convoluted andplex, and no matter how deep she dove into the trove of knowledge she had, it was useless . "Sheesh, I didn¡¯t know I was this stupid..." she mumbled as Lucky, who stood next to her, grinned . Thetter didn¡¯t even bother deciphering the formation, mostly drinking and sleeping sinceing here . "It¡¯s good that you know now . " Lucky said . Alison swiftly turned to face her, growling and pouting . "What? I was agreeing with you?" Lucky grinned once again . "... you¡¯re not supposed to agree at times like these..." "Eeh, no way . I can¡¯t possibly disagree with the cutest creature in the world, can I?" "Ugh, shut up..." Alison mumbled, her cheeks flushing red as she looked away from Lucky . Hannah stared silently at her surroundings, her smile turning mellow and warm . A bit further away, she saw Aaria and Cae staring at the board with furrowed brows, trying to decipher it . Thetter had recovered slightly with the passage of time, but Hannah would still catch him staring into the nothingness from time to time . It was difficult for everyone, but none felt it as much as Eggor did . She felt a strong pang in her heart as she remembered his face; if he wasn¡¯t drunk, he was crazed, screaming and demanding he be left alone so he can go and look for E . She could hardly me him, yet do little to console him . Neither he nor Cae were told the truth; rather, nobody except Lino, the former Writs, Primul and her knew the truth . She had nned on telling Y¡¯nn after Primul finishes with the formation, but they¡¯d work to keep the information contained . The world was justing off the war unequaled in its history; it was yet to settle, so the invocation of another, even greater one, was simply unnecessary . Even she was yet topletely settle and process everything; despite her confidence in knowing a lot, it turned out she knew almost nothing after Lino ryed the whole story . It would be a lie to say she wasn¡¯t terrified . While on the cusp of the story¡¯s end, her worldview was shocked and shaken, forcing her to rewrite the entire script of her understanding of it and the universe itself . She didn¡¯t wee the burden, though she didn¡¯t voice it out to Lino; she knew he felt a sense of responsibility for it, but she didn¡¯t agree . It should not be on him to save the world that had cursed and condemned him his whole life . Yet, the part of him that so quickly and selflessly took that burden was also one of the parts she loved; she had no heart to bar it, yet couldn¡¯t stop herself from worrying either . Though he seemed confident on the surface, the two weren¡¯t strangers who met up with each other asionally . Deep inside those eyes, she saw that he, too, was worried . A low sigh escaped her as she lowered her head, getting lost in thought . Even if they won this time, she worried the battles and the warring would never end . Though she would never admit it aloud, she wished Lino had given up his role as E asked him to . She didn¡¯t care how far up they stood; they could have withdrawn and turned to the recluse life, living out however many years they had in them . He was not made to withstand the endless battles; his heart, more so than his will or body, would break . For each life he¡¯d take, it would grow heavier and heavier until it flooded over and copsed . She heard the cheers all of a sudden and looked up, realizing Primul was done . Everyone pped, enthusiasm visible on their alighted faces . She tuned out the sounds at that moment, all movements turning into slow motion . Finally, she understood it . It wasn¡¯t about them, or the world that condemned him; it was about this . Would he be any better than those before him if he chose to stand aside and watch the world burn when he could have fought to protect it? Though there may never be perfectly good and eternal peace, he fought to protect moments like these . Moments filled with joy andughter, with a sense of belonging and unity . Shaking her head, the roaring atmosphere returned to her ears, diving into her mind, enlivening her . She smiled as well, ncing at Primul who stood, sweat-soaked, in front of the board, ncing high up at it with a look of pride, yet strange looseness, in his eyes . He¡¯d made up his mind, hasn¡¯t he? She realized . She¡¯d seen those eyes before, in others as well as in the mirror . Biting her lower lip bitterly, she shook the thought, walking over toward Aaria who stared with scrounged brows at the board . "Give it up," Hannah said, patting the girl¡¯s head . "Come back to it in a decade or two . " "Humph! I can figure it out!" Aaria growled back, causing Hannah to sigh . "None of us here do," she said . "Do you fancy yourself cleverer than all the rest of us?" "..." the young girl said nothing, though Hannah could see her eyes growing teary . Ah, she realized . She was trying to prove herself . As she always does . Hannah and Lino were almost deified figures in the Empire at this point, and the older Aaria grew, the more she realized it . Now that she was entering her teenage years, that shadow loomed high, overbearing, pressing against her tiny shoulders . Even if nobody asked it of her, Hannah knew the little girl imposed the role upon herself . She had to be better than everyone else, the best at everything she did, to carve out a path of her own, or at the very least to prove she was worthy of the privilege . Hannah smiled mildly, having no intention of breaking the pattern apart . It was good to be focused and hardworking, though she¡¯d keep an eye out if it turns into an obsession . She spun around and nced at the full room once more as people, one by one, began walking up to Primul, congratting him and asking him questions . Hannah knew he poured out all he knew into those hundreds of thousands of lines; this would be his legacy, the protector of the world . Just like Lino, he chose to save the world that rejected him and condemned him, pouring his heart out for it . Empyreans really are something else... Hannah thought silently, entombing the moment in her heart . Chapter 533 Chapter 533 CHAPTER 533 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (IV) Y¡¯nn sat in heavy silence, quietly staring at the man sitting opposite of him, taking frequent sips from the cup of ale . The news that the man just shared with him struck at Y¡¯nn¡¯s core, and he had to do everything in his power not to crumble beneath it . He, much like everyone else, had firmlye to believe that the Era of Peace was about to fall upon Noterra . The Empyrion had won . Though it couldn¡¯t be said it unified the world, the dissenting voices were few and far in-between, and hardly enough to make a dent in the massive Empire . Yet, Lino had just informed him of reality . The gruff-looking man endowed with thick hair and beard, both of which were showing the signs of aging, sounded casual when he spoke of the imminent invasion, yet Y¡¯nn could hardly allow himself the same attitude . Staring at the man, Y¡¯nn had numerous questions, yet couldn¡¯t voice them . It was his first time talking to Lino face to face, but what shocked him even beyond the news he received was the pressure exuded from his body . It was akin to E¡¯s ¨C no, perhaps even greater -- when he fought against her for the first time . And, at that time, she had fully unveiled her strength . Yet, right now, Lino was merely drinking ale, seeming as rxed as though he was enjoying a drink with a friend . "... are you certain?" Y¡¯nn asked . "Yup . " Lino nodded, smiling faintly . "What? You scared?" "... I¡¯ve lived too long to be scared of something like that," Y¡¯nn shrugged . "But, the question still remains: can we even win?" "We¡¯ll win . " Lino said confidently . "What gives you the confidence?" Y¡¯nn asked . "My strength . " Lino¡¯s reply caused Y¡¯nn to nearly topple over from the chair and onto his side . The answer was so simple, and perhaps expected to a certain degree, yet was still shocking nheless . "I¡¯ll take the brunt of it all . I just need you to assist Hannah and others so that the small-fry don¡¯t slip past me andnd on Noterra . Naturally, I wouldn¡¯t be sending you out in your current state . To be blunt, you¡¯re too weak . But, you have the greatest potential not to die from my help . " "... oh? So there¡¯s still a chance I might die?" Y¡¯nn smiled bitterly . He didn¡¯t get offended by being called weak . However many souls he reigned over was irrelevant to Lino, who reigned over the entire world . "That will be up to you," Lino smiled faintly, taking another sip of ale . "Truth is that, even if you do fully develop, you might still die in a war . Though I called them nothing, the supporting force is that only in my eyes . For the rest of you, they¡¯re equivalents to the strongest force you¡¯ll ever face . " "What¡¯s their average strength?" Y¡¯nn asked . "Hmm," Lino pondered for a moment . "They would be akin to me after I killed the Primes . " "... ugh . " Y¡¯nn swallowed a bitter remark, shaking his head with a sigh . "That¡¯s... ugh . . " "Ha ha ha, it¡¯s quite hrious; Hannah had the same reaction when I first told her . " Lino chuckled for a moment, taking out a bottle of ale and filling his cup back up . "Nearly skinned me alive, that woman . " "¡ªhow many of us will be there?" Y¡¯nn asked . "Hmm, even if I exert as much as possible, truth is that I expect only about twenty to be able to put up a fight . " "... twenty against hundreds? If not thousands and tens of thousands? Ah, I know you¡¯re the Empyrean, but your levels of insanity still shouldn¡¯t have reached that high..." "It¡¯s always easier to defend than it is to attack," Lino said, smiling faintly . "You¡¯ll be fighting within the formations, and with the gear I crafted for you . I don¡¯t need you to kill them all . I just need you to hold on until I¡¯m done . " "How long would you need?" Y¡¯nn asked . "If it¡¯s just E, not too long; if there¡¯s one more besides her, then slightly longer . Any more than that, and we¡¯re talking at least days if not weeks . However, if I sense things growing too dire, I won¡¯t hold back . " "..." Y¡¯nn bit his lower lip . He had no intention of refusing Lino¡¯s offer; rather, he couldn¡¯t refuse it even if he didn¡¯t want to . He was still the leader of the Heaven Sect, and he would be fighting for them more so than for Lino . If he had a chance to be a variable that would lead to salvation, he¡¯d happily embrace the role, even if it meant his death . "Even if we win, what if they send more? Even you¡¯d eventually be exhausted . " "Don¡¯t worry about that," Lino smiled cheekily . "If they fail to win this time around, it will be a long while before they¡¯ll dare to try another time . You¡¯re in?" "... haah, of course I¡¯m in . Is there any other choice?" Y¡¯nn shrugged . "If I die, I just hope you¡¯ll take care of my children . " "... don¡¯t surrender yourself to death that easily," Lino said, getting up . "You¡¯ve survived me, old man . I guarantee you that no other obstacle in your life will be quite as taxing . " "... ha ha ha..." Lino quietly left the room, leaving Y¡¯nn to ponder on the future . The former had a rxed expression because he had to; his confidence in the endeavor lit the fire in the hearts of others . They would win ¨C Lino never allowed them to question the oue of the war . However, with each conversation, he felt the burden on his shoulders growing heavier . He couldn¡¯t fail now even if he tried to . He let go of a corrupt breath he was holding as he made way down theplex set of well-lit, white-cast corridors of the Fortress . His room wasn¡¯t far away so it only took him a few minutes until he reached it; opening it, he found several figures already waiting for him inside . Ataxia¡ªno, now he began calling himself Eldon again, Reli, Elta and Hannah . The three former Writs have recovered rather quickly from their unusual situation, which wasrgely aided by Hannah who hardly left their side in the past few months . "He agreed?" Hannah was the one to break the silence, smiling . "Did he have a choice?" Lino shrugged as he sat down . He immediately noticed a slightly tense atmosphere between the three former Writs; Reli and Elta, a pair of sisters, were sitting further ways of from Eldon who tried his best to look calm . "Anyway, there aren¡¯t many more cards I can y with confidence . What about the progress of the formation?" "Primul sent us the report just a few hours ago," Hannah said . "He should be done within a week . " "Cannons?" "Ready and armed," Elta said; she had a slightly pitched voice which went well with her rather childish face and features . Tsk, it¡¯s kind of scary how well she pairs with Ally... Lino thought inwardly . It¡¯s like the two were meant to be... Elta, formerly known as Alison¡¯s Writ of Immortality, held her guard up still against Lino . "Concentration is sparse, however, due to theck of materials . " "It¡¯s fine," Lino said . "They¡¯re meant to serve the supporting role anyway . All of you tested out your items?" "Hm," Reli nodded, smiling faintly at Lino . "You really went above and beyond, haven¡¯t you?" "Did I have a choice?" Lino repeated the line, smiling bitterly . "Anyway, thank you for your assistance . " "Did we have a choice¡ª" "Let¡¯s not turn it into a joke," Hannah quickly interrupted Elta¡¯s attempt, causing thetter to pout at her . Shit, is she really as old as Reli and Eldon? No way... Lino thought as he observed her behavior . "We don¡¯t have long, so we should return to training and getting as strong as possible with what little time we have . " "It doesn¡¯t matter," Eldon spoke for the first time from the side, causing the eyes of everyone else to veer toward him ¨C all except Lino¡¯s . "The key difference is that none of us save for Hannah had made the transition . We¡¯re still bound by the Noterra¡¯sws, which limits how strong we can get . Any further push in strength will be extremely limited and just a waste of time . I¡¯d rather we help Hannah transition from Tier 0 to Tier 1 Divinity . " "¡ªindividual¡¯s strength is limited¡ª" "He¡¯s right," Lino interrupted Hannah . "They¡¯re already strong enough, with the formations that is, to hold on against the others . You, however, at your current level, will be of limited help . Even if Eldon said nothing, I would have suggested the same thing . " "The two are right," Reli nodded after a short silence . "Formations and Lino¡¯s items will be enough to make up for the gap for us, but no amount of formations or items will help you, Hannah . " "... fine . " Hannah relented with a sigh, in the end, shaking her head . "How long will you need to build the Edifice?" Eldon asked Lino after a few minutes of silence . "Hmm," Lino pondered for a moment . "It depends on the difficulty of the battle . If I have enough wiggle room, I¡¯ll actively extract the Essence of Chaos from our shes which means it won¡¯t take that long, but if the battle turns out to be difficult... even I can¡¯t say with confidence . " "It¡¯s the key to standing up to them," Eldon said . "Without the Edifice, they¡¯ll just keep attacking . " "I¡¯m well aware," Lino shrugged . "But I can¡¯t force it . It¡¯ll be the cornerstone of who we are for eternity . That¡¯s not something you build lightly . " The silence fell among the group once again as everyone withdrew to their thoughts . Though the battle was still at least three-four months away, nobody was at ease . After all, it wasn¡¯t merely a battle of life and death; it would determine the fate of every single soul on Noterra . That¡¯s not the sort of a burden anyone took lightly . ** n had a tensed expression on his face, sweat dripping down . He wasn¡¯t an exception, however ¨C tens of thousands of brothers and sisters in arms standing, or rather, floating, by his side were the same . After a long and grueling journey thatsted over six months, they were finally here . Their destination ¨C a small, almost unremarkable world called Noterra ¨C floated right in front of their eyes, a visible shield of rainbow-dyes cast above its surface, protecting it . However, it wasn¡¯t the that drew their eyes, nor the twenty or so souls that stood on the same eye-level as them, waiting . It was a singr man floating higher up, ¡¯sitting¡¯ cross-legged . He had a terribly dark countenance about himself, his long hair violently jerked back in the open vacuum of space, moving in slow motion almost . A pair of abyss-ck eyespletely ignored them, yet, even so, exuded the kind of pressure that managed to crush all the will they¡¯ve gathered during their journey . n quickly realized that Agent of Chaos was far more than they were led to believe; even if he cloned himself a million times, he would still fail to even approach the man, let alonend a proper hit . It was the sort of pressure that not even the three Agents of Order apanying them were able to exude . Beyond him, however, there was another presence among the twenty that drew the eyes of the few, n included; it was a human woman, seemingly in her thirties, sporting a breathtaking, crimson hair and a pair of emerald-green eyes that shimmered like stars in the open ckness . Though her overall presence paled inparison to that of the man above, it was still at the very least at the level of Agent nor . "--," in the midst of perennial silence, a voice spoke . It was a deep voice, one seemingly reaching from the bowels of hell and into the world . " . " Over ten million swords of light spread infinitely out of the man and covered the space around him and the three Agents . It signaled the start ¨C the start of the battle that would undoubtedly be etched even in the most exclusive tomes of Cosmic Histories . Chapter 534 Chapter 534 CHAPTER 534 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (V) n stared interestingly at the massive construct floating in front of him . It ran long on the side, well over five miles,rge chunks extruding up and down, forming up the exoskeleton of the ship . It was quite reminiscent of the ones they designed on Earth, just actually realized and on a muchrger scale . It was designed to be their mode of transport from here to the small corner of the cosmos where Noterra resided since it would allow them to enter the battle at their most optimal . A small river of creatures slowly began streaming into the ship, n among them, though reactions of the most were rather lukewarm . n himself had traveled on muchrger and more extravagant ships, though he imagined this one would be the fastest of the bunch . He was led through the winding,plex corridors of the ship by a floating sphere of light, all the way toward his room lined up against the hull of the ship, in the row of over a hundred others . Insides werepact and dull-looking; gray, metallic walls surrounded a single bunk bed, illumination provided by the overhead string of bulbs shining in cooling cyan . His bunkmate was already waiting for him, and as fate would have it, it was someone he knew ¨C the Vampire he¡¯d talked to prior to departure, who he learned was called Jonttar, was looking out of the massive window of sorts that provided a view of the that they would soon leave alongside the rest of the cosmos beyond it . "Hoh?" Jonttar grinned faintly and eximed as he turned around, noticing n . "It is like it was meant to be, no?" "You could say so," n shrugged, sitting down on one of the beds . "I know you said you¡¯de, but I¡¯m honestly surprised to see you here . " "You may doubt my courage," Jonttar said . "But don¡¯t ever doubt my greed . " "Oh, my bad . So, what inspired your greed?" n asked . "... I¡¯ve a feeling you¡¯ll jump me and try to kill me the moment I tell you . " The Vampire said, still grinning . "You n on bing a turncoat?" n asked with a disinterested expression . "Hoh? Is one of your powers mind-reading?" "I don¡¯t need to be able to read minds to see it," n sighed . "A great deal of the rest is probably thinking the same . For most of us, we¡¯ve hit our ceiling; either we¡¯ve dried up our personal talents, or are barred from ascending by powers that be . Most of us don¡¯t share heart-bound devotion to the Creator, and, most importantly, anyone who¡¯se up this high... is rather selfish and self-centered at their cores . " "... it¡¯s still a gamble," Jonttar said, walking over to the other side of the room and leaning against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest, meeting n¡¯s gaze squarely . "Perhaps we¡¯ll be treated even worse on the other side since they won¡¯t trust us . " "... if the Agent is as smart as he¡¯s powerful," n said . "He won¡¯t turn them through trust, but through promises . Get a grip on them through affording them the power they otherwise would never obtain, and it¡¯s enough . " "¡ªyou seem rather experienced in manipting others . " "Not really," n shrugged . "I was just exposed to it for a long period of time . It would have been weirder if I hadn¡¯t picked anything up . " "So? What are your ns?" Jonttar asked . "... I¡¯m not a maverick, I¡¯m afraid," n smiled bitterly . "My options are rather limited . Don¡¯t worry though; I¡¯ve no ns on exposing any of this . Furthermore, I think powers-that-be already know it, so they¡¯ll most likely set up some barriers . " "... well aware of it," Jonttar chuckled . "You¡¯re wrong about one thing, though . " "Hm?" "It¡¯s not because I¡¯m looking to get stronger that I want to switch sides . " Jonttar said, his words surprising n somewhat . "... it¡¯s not? What is it, then?" "... I grew up on a small called Areon," Jonttar said, looking out of the window once again . "By the time Ashening caught up with us, we¡¯ve barely started developing as a civilization . We had the most rudimentary technologies, our Manaflow was at the level of magic tricks, and, like with most other Ashenings, we failed to win . " "..." n remained silent as the ufortable memories started flooding in; it was a story he was all-too-familiar with, after all . "Besides me, there were only four other survivors," Jonttarughed mockingly, shaking his head . "One of them was a kid who hid in his basement for ten straight years, hibernating . Our race... was done . The two others swore vengeance on the Adul¡¯ris, the race that conquered us," he continued, his tone growing dark . "However, neither were able to transcend past Tier 1 Divinity in the end . Not because of theck of talent, but because their chances were ripped out of their arms time and again . Eventually, they did a suicide-rush and, well, died . " "..." "I¡¯ve no idea what happened to the kid, so, as far as I¡¯m aware, I¡¯m thest of the Vampiric Dragonkin of Areon," Junttar said, looking back at n . "I¡¯ve endured silently all this while because, well... because I¡¯ve had no other choice . But now... the opportunity has presented itself . " "..." n had already pieced together the motivation, but he said nothing . He could see in the Vampire¡¯s crimson eyes the determination that wouldn¡¯t be quashed, no matter how many warnings n gave out . "I know you think it¡¯s idiotic; even if the Destroyer does get resurrected, its impact on the cosmos will be minimal for billions of years . But... that¡¯s the hope . It¡¯s the only variable that¡¯s able to counteract the corrupt reality of our lives, little human . Since I was exiled from my home, I¡¯ve watched thousands upon thousands of ¡¯heroes¡¯ emerge from the ashes of their own homes, unted as the chosen, yet each more broken than thest, burying down the hate and the anger . It¡¯s the vilest form of control that I¡¯ve encountered in my eighteen billion years of living . Even if it¡¯s a fool¡¯s errand, I¡¯ll hang onto any straw I see . " "... from what I heard, Noterra was scheduled for Ashening only half a billion years down the line," n said after a short silence . "If you want the proof that it¡¯s not about giving opportunities but controlling, look no further than this expedition . " "So you see¡ª" "Even still," n interrupted quickly . "Whether we are devoted to the Creator or not is irrelevant, in the end . What matters is that he¡¯s quite real and quite invincible . Even if you turn to the other side, who says they won¡¯t be the same? If the Destroyer does gain the same power, who¡¯s to say he won¡¯tmence Ashening after Ashening as well? If I¡¯ve learned anything in my life, it¡¯s that those who gain power are terrified of losing it . It doesn¡¯t matter whether they¡¯re wise or whether they¡¯re idiots; it doesn¡¯t matter whether they¡¯re saints or sinners ¨C power is absolute . " "As I said," Jonttar said, his voice low . "It¡¯s a gamble . " "..." The silence fell between the two as n lied down onto a rather ufortable bed . Ashening... he hated the word itself, yet it was perhaps the mostmon word spoken in the cosmos . No, in the cosmoses . It¡¯s been a long while since he himself had experienced it, yet the wounds were still just as fresh, with the scars still aching every time he thought about it . Whenever he closed his eyes, he could practically rey the day when the sky of Earth burned, when the rtive peace was turned upside down, and the world was turned into a literal hell overnight . It¡¯s not as though he didn¡¯t understand Jonttar¡¯s imperative and his motives; however, n himself couldn¡¯t hang onto the hatred . He had a family that he put above all else, and while the thoughts of vengeance did emerge inside his mind every once in a while, he was quick to dissipate them . He couldn¡¯t be like Jonttar, or even like Caleb; to him, even the current stretch of things was far better than if the Destroyer truly did resurrect . Wouldn¡¯t that signal a full-on war? Ashenings would increase in quantity as a preemptive measure against losing control over one of the worlds over to the influence of the Destroyer, while all the newly-ascended ¡¯heroes¡¯ would be sent half the cosmos away to fight in a war they didn¡¯t even know about until a few months ago . n was going to stay behind but changed his mind when he saw that three Agents would be apanying them . No matter how strong the newly-appointed Agent of Chaos is, it was all rtive . Strength didn¡¯te only in the rawest of forms; it had countlessyers, just like everything else . A part of him wished Caleb hade along; not as an assurance, because nothing was ever certain around him, but simply to see how he¡¯d align when it came to the matters at hand . Even as far back as the downfall of Earth, Caleb never bent a knee to the powers-that-be . As a matter of fact, he was the only one to kill a Divinity sent to ¡¯support¡¯ them during the Ashening . Because of this, unlike n, he was never recruited directly and was forced to roam the cosmos on his own . Yet, time and again, n would hear rumors and whispers about the crazed human pulling off all kinds of insane stunts . That was what hecked ¨C that fire, the defiant spirit that never kneeled before anything or anyone . There was a time when Caleb was much weaker than him, yet their attitudes were still the same . It was simply a difference of who they were at their cores, and those things wouldn¡¯t change even with the passage of countless eons . Aah, he sighed inwardly, closing his eyes . I truly hope we win... please... just win... that¡¯s all I ask... Chapter 535 Chapter 535: 535 CHAPTER 535 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (VI) The vast cosmos spun around them, extending into vast nothingness, distant flickers of stars fading in and out of existence . The massive behemoth of a ship flew through the vast expanse speedily, its innards shielded from the countless cosmic storms they¡¯d encountered by a thin, silver sheen . E sat at the far front of the ship, looking out through the ssed front of the hull into the blended nothingness, her gaze heavy and turbid . She wore a simple, leather outfit dyed in dim silver, her long hair flooding down her slightly slumped back . Her surroundings were eerily unfamiliar, like sets of mechanical altars springing thousands of buttons, above them a swath of screens depicting a variety of numbers and images she couldn¡¯t understand, though she hardly cared to . The doors to the massive room split open as two figures walked in, Cadel who she thought would be the only one apanying her, and Limrur, the eight oldest Agent of Order . He was on the taller end of things, almost as pale as snow, featuring the same appearance as E and the man walking by his side ¨C deep, azure eyes and the golden hairposed of winding locks . The two wore the same outfits as E, walking over briskly and sitting beside her, gazing out the window for a moment . "We¡¯ll arrive in about fifteen days," Limrur said, ncing at her, smiling faintly . "Are you ready?" "... hm . " E nodded faintly . "If it¡¯s too much," he said, caressing her hair gently . "You can always stay in the back, Cadel and I can take care of it . " "... no, it¡¯s my failure," E sighed . "I should at least meet it face to face . " "You¡¯re doing the right thing," Cadel said in an encouraging tone . "Have faith in yourself . " "If we fail, the entire structure of Creation would be ripped open; the vast cosmoses would be thrust in a perpetual war," Limrur said . "I am certain that the child does not possess those intentions, but his intentions are nothing against the Will of the Destroyer . You¡¯re saving him, nor; saving him from the pain of having begun something that would end so many lives . " "... I know . " E mumbled faintly after a lengthy silence, dropping her head into her chest . "Still..." "... we know," Limrur said, pulling her head up by her chin, revealing a pair of teary eyes . "Your pain... we¡¯ve all experienced it, little one . Shortly after I became an Agent," he continued, taking a deep breath . "I was nted on a world called Idor, chiefly set there to eat them inside out . Just like you, however, I was a nk te, a worm biding his time . In the process, I conceived a family and developed friendships . So, when the day of the Ashening came, and when I regained my memories, I dully refused to do anything . Rather, I was set to rebel against the Creator . " "..." "So, I granted powers to thousands upon thousands of people," he said, his voice growing heavier . "In hopes they¡¯d use them to defend, to repel the invaders . Instead... they used those powers against themselves . They began concocting ns to invade other worlds, to expand, whilstmitting acts beyond vile in front of my eyes . Unconditional power... cannot be handed at a whim . It corrupts, like the drip of the acid upon the skin . My transgression cost me my family; they imprisoned my wife and six of my children and ckmailed me into helping them . I spent decades limping about until Sister Albina was sent by the Creator to rescue me . " "..." "Creator never forbids us from making our own decisions," Limrur said, ncing at her and smiling . "Rather, He encourages us to think for ourselves, to make the best of our circumstances . He¡¯d much rather the boy be saved than killed . But His care is for all of the vast Creation . Unlike us, who have narrow hearts and love few, He loves everyone . He can¡¯t watch the fire be set to Everything to save your broken heart . " "... I know," E said once again, sighing . "However, Lino isn¡¯t driven by a sense of power . You don¡¯t have to reiterate it, Brother; yes, power corrupts, especially one on that scale . But, I am only saying this to warn you against rxing ¨C he is not driven by the sense of entitlement thates with his power . He is driven by the same, general principle the Creator is, just on a much lesser scale . He fights to protect, rather than to Destroy . He¡¯s unscrupulous in his ability to deny everything if it means protecting . The reason he didn¡¯t give up the power is that he knows that being powerless would render him incapable of protecting anyone or anything, not that he hates being powerless . If anything, I think that, deep down, he¡¯d not feel the need for strength than the other way around . " "..." Limrur and Cadel listed in silence, looking sideways at her . "My fear is that if we do push him to that edge, he might genuinely surrender to the madness you fear; in that case, I could see him abandoning everything and running away, biding his time . " "We¡¯ve obviously thought about that," Limrur chuckled . "He won¡¯t be able to run away . " "... I sincerely hope..." E mumbled as she closed her eyes, memories once again trailing through her mind . ** Lira had trouble finding another normal human on the ship; most scoffed at her approach, some even tried to kill her, and the best she¡¯d gotten was a cold shoulder and a shrug . Frustration began to seep in as she ransacked about the massive meeting room, looking for a kindred spirit . In the midst of hundreds of different races she expected to be weed with open arms, yet if any arms weed her, it was those armed with daggers and swords . At the end of her wits, she spotted a figure leaning against a metallic pir toward the corner of the hall, isted and lonesome, arms crossed against his chest . He had a rtively handsome appearance, was on a tall, leaner side, and wore ordinary shirt and trousers rather than whatever mboyant nonsense others wore . Spark in her eyes lit up like the brimming candle as she sped over, inspecting him closer . Hmm, handsome indeed... though, from her experience, people this handsome usually had at the very least four wives, so she quickly put out the hopes in her heart . "Oi!" she called out aggressively as she approached, causing n to flinch; ncing sideways he was surprised by the neer who suddenly called out to him . She was, at best, one-fifty centimeters tall, reaching just above his abdomen, sporting hair like a hedgehog ¨C spear-like tips protruded from her skull upward, each dyed in a different color, making her seem more akin to a creature than a human . "Ye¡¯ got wee bit time fo¡¯ a chat?" "..." n frowned, gazing into the honest, ck eyes of the woman who approached him . She was entirely unfamiliar, though that didn¡¯t really say much; humans, or at the very least humanoid races were the most numerous throughout the cosmos, meaning it¡¯s possible to run into them at any time and anywhere . "What do you want?" he asked in a slightly hostile tone . "Oi, oi, rx! I ain¡¯t a swindle, ye¡¯ know?" the woman frowned back, gesturing with her arms violently as she spoke . "I¡¯as just wonderin¡¯ if ye¡¯d like to partner up, or form a squad, ye know? Power in numbers, ¡¯n all . " "... I¡¯m good, thanks . " "Ho ho, don¡¯t be so quick ¡¯bout rejectin¡¯ me; I¡¯m quite strong, ye know? I pull me weight!" "I¡¯m sure you do," n said, sighing inwardly . "I just don¡¯t like partnering up . " "What¡¯s yer name?" "As I said¡ª" "Fine, fine, you won¡¯t partner up, ¡¯tis fine! I¡¯m asking yer¡¯ name, not yer¡¯ hand in marriage, woman!" "..." n, for a moment, contemted just walking away, but managed to reign in his basic instincts, instead taking a deep breath to calm himself down . "It¡¯s n . " "n? What a nifty name! ¡¯tis Lira! Me name, I mean!" "... it¡¯s nice to meet you, Lira . " "Likewise, likewise," she said, stroking her chin in an attempt to seem contemtive . "So, n, let¡¯s partner up!" "Oi! As I said¡ª" "Ye, ye, yer a prick, me get it! But, the battle will be dangerous! I¡¯ve foreseen it!" " . . . . " "Ah, don¡¯t stare at me like ¡¯tisdy¡¯s a madman! A¡¯right, a¡¯right, I may¡¯ve¡¯not foreseen it," despite his attempts to walk away, Lira stuck to him as she strutted rapidly by his side . "But, I feel it! Ye know? When ye feel it in yer bones? Like when that face showed up, remember? Boi, I felt chills! Tho they tell us he¡¯s the only strong, do ye really believe it? Me don¡¯t . I knowst, ah, no, I imagine," she quickly corrected herself as n red at her . "He has plenty strong under him . Wouldn¡¯t we be sheep bashin¡¯ into a steel frame of a barn if we headed in willy-nilly?! Ah, we¡¯d die right there! Boom! Bam! We dead! Who will bury us, huh? Can you even bury someone without a wholesome bodi? ¡¯tis this why I want to partner up! Hah! Got each other¡¯s backs! We¡¯re invincible! Hah! Bury that, eh? We¡¯ll fight¡ª" "Alright, alright, fine!" n relented, eximing loudly . "I¡¯ll partner up with you, fine? Just... just... shut up..." "Ha ha ha, great, great! Let¡¯s go then!" Lira eximed, her lips curling up into a wide, innocent smile . "... go where?" n asked ambiguously . "To recruit others, of course! What else?!" . . . ...I should have fuckin¡¯ stayed home... Chapter 536 Chapter 536: 536 CHAPTER 536 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (VII) Tepid silence reigned above the ever-floating Noterra, surrounding void expanding into seeming infinity around a small group of people stifling the tension rising within their bones . Far above the group of twenty-three, a singr figure, seemingly immune to the hups faced by those below, floated, cross-legged, eyes closed, breathing calm and even . Lino had emptied his mindpletely, focused entirely on calming his heart . He was hardly at ease, yet he had to project it, if for nothing else but those beneath him . Hannah, Eldon, Lucky, Alison, Reli, Elta, Y¡¯nn, even a young General that popped out of nowhere, Xia, who¡¯s barely entered her thirties . He had dragged them into this reality, and he had to maintain the farce of certainty . He, at first, sensed it subtly ¨C in the far distance, beyond the scope of the Divine Sense, a flicker of world-bearing energy appeared . Then, thousands of smaller iotas lifted off through it, boring outward, moving toward him . He barely managed to suppress a groan as he felt two additional energies simr to E¡¯s, both being even stronger than hers . Sighing inwardly, he opened his eyes just as the sea became apparent; one after one, creatures of all races popped into the existence from the void, swarming the outward orbit of Noterra . Leading them were three figures d in resplendent armor, exuding an aura of dignity, benevolence, and impunity . His eyes, however, ignored everyone except a pair of gem-blue ones that stared back at his with aplexwork of emotions . He nced beyond her once, growing slightly unsettled; though he was confident that the twenty-three would be able to hold on long enough, he grew worrisome . "... stay with them . " he whispered softly to Hannah who merely nodded . There was no need for disputes; she knew well enough that, without her, the rest would fall within a few minutes . This, however, did increase Lino¡¯s burden, but he had no luxury to care . "," he mumbled, his voice ripping out through the restraints of space and reaching everyone present . " . " Qi ¨C no, it ceased being Qi, metamorphosing into a higher form of energy, one purely Chaotic ¨C churned within his bones, exploding outwardly like a surge of tidal waves, thin veils dotting next to one another and forming millions of swords of pure light that surrounded him and the three Agents in a resplendent curtain, cutting away the pressure they were exuding, as well as their existence itself from the realm the others were stuck in . The three didn¡¯t try to fight it, merely letting themselves be swept away into fireworks of light . Outwardly, the four simply seemed to have teleported elsewhere, but they were fully able to observe the outside from within the domain . The edges were spread wide and afar, space expanded considerably . "¡ªam I being a na?ve fool, still believing this is simply an entourage apanying you to a celebratory party?" Lino sneered, turning his eyes back on E . "You¡¯re more than meets the eye, little human," one of the men, simrly d to E, sporting the same features, stepped forth, seemingly shielding her from the responsibility of an answer . "If possible, we do not wish to fight you . Need we break more hearts?" "... then don¡¯t fight me," Lino smiled still, replying . "Walk away . If you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll even apud and sing you praises . " "So long as you give up on that thing inside of you, we will . " The man said, unperturbed . "Well, looks like we¡¯vee across an issue, haven¡¯t we?" "If it¡¯s the strength you require," the other man, long-haired one, yet still eerily simr to the former, stood out and spoke . "You won¡¯t becking it . We¡¯ll give you enough to protect those you love . " "Perhaps," Lino mused aloud, moving his eyes toward him . "Or you might shove a skewer up my ass and churn my insides out the moment I give in . " "We wouldn¡¯t¡ª" "Words are cheap," Lino interrupted him quickly . "For all I know, you might be the most honorable creature in the entire universe, and, if so, I apud you, honestly . But... I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t make that bet . See, I¡¯m not much of a gambler I¡¯m afraid . I do far better with certainties . " "¡ªand is the Edifice your certainty?!" E spoke atst, gnashing her teeth . "Are you truly willing to choose it over me, over everyone else?!" "..." Lino said nothing for a moment, moving his eyes slowly toward her, meeting her pained gaze . "Don¡¯t shift the me, El¡¯ . You¡¯re the one that walked away . " "I¡ª" "I hardly me you," he interrupted her, speaking softly . "But this story... is beyond you . I do love you ¨C I will always love you and consider you my mother, whatever the oue of this war, but my defiance isn¡¯t so cheap as to be made up of fear of weakness . " "I promise we won¡¯t touch Noterra no matter what!" "You won¡¯t," Lino said . "But, it¡¯s a small world, ripe one at that, just ready for the pickings . " He added . "We¡¯ll guarantee that Ashening won¡¯t happen . " The long-haired man said from the side, seemingly seeing a trace of hope . "... put yourselves in my shoes for a moment," Lino said, chuckling lightly . "Two strangers, and someone who walked away from you,e promising everything your heart needs and desires, but only if you give up the tool that allows you to fulfill your needs and desires . Would you ept the promises on the face value?" "..." "I¡¯m terribly young,pared to you," Lino continued . "And twice as ignorant . I don¡¯t know the workings of the universe, the Engines of Creation, or even Edifices at that . I don¡¯t know the secrets and the eternal musings of how everything works . What I know is what I¡¯ve grown up with, what I fought for with my blood and bones to achieve, and countless people down there depending on me . I don¡¯t have the greater picture in mind ¨C if anything, my picture is terribly small . But... that pictureposes the entirety of my heart . And, if need be, I¡¯ll die fighting here to protect it, rather than hand its fate over to the few strangers who brought over an army . " "..." the trio remained silent, realizing their pleas were for naught . "... whatever the oue, as I¡¯ve said," Lino turned toward E once more, straightening his body, drawing out an ordinary-seeming sword . "I¡¯ll always love you, El¡¯¡ªno, mom . This won¡¯t cheapen what you¡¯ve done for me, or erase it . Don¡¯t hold back; if you¡¯re capable, shove your sword through my heart and kill me . Let us both do what needs to be done . " Just as thest word escaped Lino¡¯s lips, he suddenly spun to the side and swung the [Divine de of Protection] upward; a metallic sound was followed by a billowing shockwave that swept toward the edges of the domain, a golden figure, the long-haired man, bounced back with the force he couldn¡¯t withstand, holding two swords crossed over his chest, gritting his teeth . "Limrur!!" E called out as Cadel, who was just next to her, appeared behind Lino, good two hundred meters away, swiping open his arms whereupon slightly transparent, golden chains shot out like whips . There were hundreds of them in total, forming a-like structure as they dove toward the lonesome-seeming figure standing in their path . Lino nced back for a moment as he doused his feet in crimson-chaotic lightning, springing from a standstill into an ethereal visage that burned through the countless chains and reached Cadel almost immediately . Thetter quickly responded, driving out a behemoth of a shield that burned right after in a bright golden, extending upward and downward in a curve, forming a cocoon of sorts, wrapping him up entirely . Just then, Lino¡¯s sword descended, the sheer momentum behind the strike enough to rip open a mile-long gash in spacetime, the swing itself apanied by a thunderous roar of a just-woken beast . The resulting sh burned out in a ze, shockwave once again reaching the edges of the domain like a sea of fire, as Cadel found himself shot backward like a cannonball, bouncing off the edge and about at the speed of light . Lino vanished once again, following the trajectory of the cocoon and spinning in a full circle as he intercepted it, carving a massive chunk of the shield out with a strike . Crimson tendrils bled over from the de and exploded into a frontal cone as thousands of bolts lightning bore through the shield, exploding it from inside . Just as he was about to press onward and catch the fleeing, golden figure, a pair of golden swords projected into massive visages descended from above him; Lino spun and swung upward, ejecting a singr rip the size of a small city at a sloped angle, meeting the golden descent . The two strikes negated each other as Limrur bore through the ashen clouds, swiping rapidly . Lino met the de-dance strike for a strike; upward swing followed by a retreating parry, into a sideways sh and a rapid change of trajectory to match the evading Limrur . Each time the three swords collided, sparks flew off like stars, trails of smoke extending from the two blurred figures Getting tired of the dance, Lino frowned for a moment as he let one of the Limrur¡¯s strikes through, surprising the man, making him lose his footing . As the golden edge lodged itself into Lino¡¯s right ribcage, he reached out with his free, left arm and grabbed Limrur¡¯s shoulder, pulling it toward himself and suddenly ripping the entire arm out . Blood gushed out, though no cry followed as Limrur quickly pulled himself back and out of Lino¡¯s grasp, the missing arm growing rapidly as a shower of de-shaped droplets of fire fell toward Lino . There were over a hundred thousand of them, each the size of an ordinary sword, epassing him whole . From behind, an eruption of chains escted as Cadel sped his arms, his figure shining brightly, his cape fluttering violently behind him as the previously transparent chains grew corporeal, doubling in number . Rather than panicking, Lino turned toward Cadel as he activated one of the sword¡¯s properties ¨C [Dissever] . Aiming at thetter¡¯s heart with his eyes, Lino shoved the sword sideways into the seeming nothingness . Cadel had less than a second to register the wobbling in the space in front of his heart, barely shifting slightly sideways as the ordinary-looking de struck through the spacetime, lodging itself into his shoulder, ripping open a massive wound . Seeing he missed, Lino clicked his tongue and rapidly withdrew the de, crouching for a moment as his entire being churned in crimson lightning . "," he whispered softly into his jaw as the Chaotic energy within him bubbled and burst from within his chest, encasing him in the soft membrane of red before copsing unto itself . A raging storm of smoke-like substance exploded out of him as he swept around in a full circle, unleashing a repeated torrent of annihting whirls of light, each the size of a mountain, powered by his Will . Space around him ripped and crumbled, the destruction beyond measure, as both Cadel and Limrur scraped to escape the onught of the des that ripped through their attacks with ease . Even the sword domain wasn¡¯t enough to contain the chunks of energy as they ripped through as though they were ripping through a piece of paper . The group down below that was just about to engage into a fight suddenly felt the space above them rip and ripple, momentarily pausing and ncing upward; just then, as though from nothingness, a storm of de-edged crimson lights, each at the very least five kilometers long, encased in thick bolts of red lightning, ripped through and onward into the infinity, forming a series of massive gashes in spacetime . The sheer remnant energy that pushed down caused everyone to get sucked into a whirling shockwave that sent them spinning like spin-tops, flung left and right against their will . The sword domain recovered as quickly as it was breached, Lino standing at the epicenter of the cosmic destruction, looking about with gloomy eyes . Three figures had regrouped on the other end, each having evaded the strikepletely . Clicking his tongue once again, cursing himself out for not practicing uracy well enough, he readied the sword once more and turned toward them . The battle had only just begun . Chapter 537 Chapter 537: 537 CHAPTER 537 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (VIII) While everyone remained ttened by the sudden appearance of overwhelming energy, Lucky quickly shuffled her focus away from it and onto the swarming group in front of her . Her body shed in tepid grey for a moment as she morphed into a trailing shadow that sped up, covering the short distance away from the other group within a few seconds . The pair of crimson-trailing daggers beamed through the shadows and struck, leaving behind them a trail of light . A singr cry of pain and destitute seemed to awake the atmosphere as the swarm turned toward their center, where they saw a ck-d figure swiping a single dagger through a human¡¯s throat, ripping his head off and kicking it at the person right next to her, causing him to stumble backward . Right after, she followed it up by shing the other dagger upward, over the man¡¯s groin and through his chest killing him instantaneously . It all transpired before anyone was able to act, but as they quickly came to, the circle opened up as those surrounding her withdrew; a mere shter, a bombardmentmenced . Several dozen shing des of light swung at Lucky as she darted among them, her body merely a trail of smoke weaving in-between the crimson, scalding des . She kicked sideways all of a sudden, making an abrupt turn to her left as space where she was heading split open, twisting unto itself and imploding . She skated around it and reached a humanoid figure draped in thick scales and angr skull; ignoring the somewhat odd appearance, she swung over his neck, swiping one of her daggers while wrapping her legs around the creature¡¯s chest, bending backward to evade a ming spear that skirted right above her, bringing with it a sensation of heat that was enough for her to groan . Flexing her muscles, she jerked back violently with all her strength, breaking the creature¡¯s spine and darting underneath it, through its massive legs, dodging a rippling pir of light that consumed the creature soon after, killing it . Yet, evading a singr attack put her in an even more precarious position; she felt her movements diminish greatly, space around her rippling like ake punched by a pebble . Biting her tongue, she freed herself from lethargy, spinning in a full circle like a spin-top, blowing out the steam of shadows as she vanished, reappearing over a mile away, behind another line of the enemies; her eyes quickly identified the one that had slowed down her movements ¨C it was another human, a woman seemingly in herte forties, that had immediately realized she was the target . Calmly, without panicking, she spun in ce and withdrew, shooting her arms out consecutively as swirls of tingling lightning dyed in deep yellow sprouted out toward Lucky . Explosion after an explosion registered in her ears as she realized the battle hadmenced in full; just as she was about to dodge, a majestic surge of energy swept through the space around her, ripping the lightning into pieces . Alison appeared from seemingly nowhere, d in majestic, silver-d armor, wielding Lino¡¯s former weapon, the Edge, slightly reinforced until it reached the Origin-tier . The two¡¯s eyes met for a moment as Lucky vanished into shadows once again, Alison swinging the Edge in an angr, downward cleave, ripping through the array of attacks headed toward her, pushing onward like a boulder . The woman Lucky targeted continued to shuffle back as the crowd around her scattered and engaged as well . A boulder the size of a mountain, bursting in mes, fell toward Alison at a high pace; before she could deflect it, it crashed directly into her as a volcanic eruption of fire billowed out from the crash, smoldering pieces of rock floored through the vast expanse . The fire continued to burn, seemingly against the logic, as her silhouette appeared, walking out of the mes unscathed . Her golden hair fluttered violently in the zing storm as her being turned into a shining beacon, her Will ripping out the restrictions around her as she turned into a singr array of light, bursting through . She swung her sword at the man who cast the boulder, yet the Edge was met by another de as a slightly pale-skinned human appeared in front of her, draped in thickyers of crimson-ck clothes, smiling faintly at her, exposing slightly sharpened canines . Unperturbed, she quickly withdrew from the lockdown as a pir of ashen-gray sprouted at the ce she stood, the man burning through it right after, giving chase . Rather than escaping, she shuffled her backward momentum and manipted the membrane of space to bounce herself backward at even greater speed; the ensuing sh between the two sent a massive shockwave akin to a ripple, cleaning up the radius around them for tens of miles . The man managed to endure for a brief sh before being flung backward like a kite without strings . Alison followed right after, the beam of golden light shining in the midst of cosmic darkness . Meanwhile, Lucky used the massive shockwave that the two had created, and that had disturbed the enclosing circle, to shuffle in-between the backlines, reaping lives cleanly and efficiently, her de growing a shade darker . Realizing that they were shuffling to encircle her again, she withdrew back to her original position, behind Hannah who alone was engaged against at the very least three hundred souls . A massive circle spun behind her, halo-like, fuming in scalding coral, her arms spread far and wide . The world around her grew misted, chilly and frigid, as over a thousand shining bolts of ice formed above her and shot out right after; each was the size of a household, and each, even if deflected or defended, caused a massive explosion that resulted in countless ejections of frigid air . Right after, her soft cry struck out into the open void as she sped her hands together . Surrounding the three hundred or so that had engaged her, ripples in space shifted into open, circr rips counting in thousands, forming an almost perfect sphere as a form of encirclement; each shone in resplendent gold, open-palms of stone depressing through the openings, shuddering . It all transpired within a mere second, the frigid explosions, the massive rips, and the palms the size of a small mountain; thetter blew out immediately, discing the space in front of them as they copsed toward the three hundred . Thetter didn¡¯t stand still; rather, sheens of impable light surrounded them on all ends as spige of turbid, ck mes sunk under and up, exploding into a majestic disy; the numbers matched those of the palms precisely, and arrived at the edge just in time to sh with the descending and ascending palms of golden stone . The two colors soon blinded the onlookers and the participantspletely, the sheer number of explosions resulting in the unstable quaking of the reality itself; ck and golden rippled upward into a seeming infinity, forming two eerie curtains that seemed to split the world itself in two . Hannah didn¡¯t rest, however, veins on her neck bulging massively, like worms, as she began repeatedly, and violently, pping her arms forward, first right then left, each time unleashing ever-growing waves of crimson-coral mes shaped like coiling dragons . Though, at first, they were blocked from piercing beyond the curtain, the ever-growing size and strength ensured that the fifteenth one that reached burned through the thin coil, setting the innards aze . The golden-ck sphere exploded in a bizarre, outgoing fashion, like a simultaneous eruption of thousands upon thousands of volcanoes; sprinkled in with the ejected pirs and waves of dashing fire were bits and chunks of the stoned palms, as well as an ever-growing cloud of ash and soot . Figures, one after another, began darting out of the explosion, withdrawing, none remaining untouched; out of three hundred, in the end, just over a hundred and fifty made it out, the rest consumed in the staunch mes that seemed unwilling to die . Hannah channeled her energy once again, weaving her arms around in a circle, the massive sea of fire in front of her in the shape of a rippling sphere seemingly following the movements of her arms, weaving out and about until it copsed into the perfect sphere the size of the moon; sping her hands together and intertwining her fingers for a moment, Hannah took a deep breath before she ripped them apart, flinging her arms outward in a straightforward fashion . The sphere followed those movements precisely, ripped open as though its core exploded, ejecting two consuming beams of fire on two ends for hundreds upon hundreds of miles, scrying the remaining souls and killing an additional hundred in a single sweep . Though many had died, it hardly put a dent to the battle; Y¡¯nn, Eldon, Reli and Elta were protecting her nks and allowing her to focus entirely on offense, while Lucky had long since darted out once again, no doubt itching to abuse the ensuing chaos . Alison was still engaged in the far distance, her golden beam repeatedly shing with a crimson-dyed one, each sh producing massive shockwaves that, while paling inparison to the ones on Hannah¡¯s end, still manage to hurt and coil the membrane of spacetime . Taking a breather, Hannah nced up for a moment, her expression bitter . In the recent sh, she hade to realize just howcking he was inparison; mere aftermath of one of Lino¡¯s attacks left everyone on the battlefield stunned and frozen for a moment, while her almost all-out effort failed to afford even the remotely simr reaction . It¡¯s fine, she thought, taking a deep breath and sharpening her gaze once again . Soon enough, I¡¯ll be an Agent too . The bastard¡¯s gonna pay for all that braggart shit I had to endure for fucking months... ugh... Chapter 538 Chapter 538 CHAPTER 538 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (IX) Xia held tightly onto her greatsword as she felt a massive pushback force m into her chest, propelling her backward a great deal . She gritted her teeth and burned through Qi to halt the momentum, rapidly throwing herself back . Unlike most others, she was engaged in a one-versus-one duel, yet was still falling short . This was despite Lord Empyrean¡¯s best efforts to aid her in the past year to be as strong as possible . In her heart she felt she was failing his expectations of her, dragging the rest down as she even required asional assistance as to notpletely crumble over . Her opponent was a simrly-armed man seemingly in his forties, slightly on the handsome side, wearing rather ordinary-looking te armor . In his hands, he held a greatsword that was evenrger than hers, yet he wielded it with such prowess and nimbleness that he managed to attack twice as frequently as she could . Part of her had already realized that the man wasn¡¯t even trying to kill her; for one reason or another, he simply kept pushing her away and observing the rest of the battlefield . "... is it fun?!" she asked, though quickly remembering it was pointless as he wasn¡¯t from Noterra . There was no way he would understand her . "Is what fun?" the man, surprisingly, replied, and no less in Noterra¡¯s Common Tongue . Briefly shocked, she recovered and stared carefully at him; is he a traitor?! "..." noticing her gaze, n smiled bitterly and sighed . Why did I get stuck babysitting this kid?! Though heined inwardly, it was actually a perfect position for him; he had no desire to throw himself into an impossible battle like Jonttar or even Lira, both of whom were fighting at their full capacity, yet still failing to gain any ground on their opponents . This reality had shocked n greatly; the numerical advantage they possessed was beyond being ridiculous, yet they were still being held back greatly . Granted, arge portion of it was due to the single person floating in the far distance; n wagered that even if half of them attacked in concert, they¡¯d still fail to defeat her . Right now, all they were doing was upying her and feigning deaths in order to buy some time and try and exhaust her . "Oi, stop looking at me like that," n finally couldn¡¯t endure the strange woman¡¯s even stranger gaze, feeling jittery all over his skin . "I can cleave a in two with my sword, so why the hell shouldn¡¯t I be able to pick up on anguage within a few minutes?!" "... oh!" she eximed in understanding as tears began streaming down n¡¯s cheeks . It seemed that no matter the corner of the universe, humans still remained ever the same . "Why are you toying with me, then?" she asked a momentter . "Shouldn¡¯t you be grateful?" n shrugged . "You can im to have participated in the battle without ever being in danger of dying . " "Huh? What bullshit is that?" the woman spewed back, anger visible on her face . "You are invading my home! I don¡¯t want to slide along the edge and ¡¯survive¡¯!" "..." n sighed once again, slightly reminded of countless others that had the same fire in their eyes . He envied them, slightly, that ability totch onto something with such fervent passion it blinds them . "I don¡¯t want to diminish your intentions," he said, smiling faintly . "But, if I¡¯m being honest, you¡¯d be able to fight only the weakest of those from my end . And, even then, chances of you winning are slim . Part of the reason why I¡¯m not fighting you seriously is indeed that I simply don¡¯t want, but another part is that I¡¯d most likely be blown up into pieces if I do . " "... hm?" the woman looked at him quizzically . Ah, n realized, she¡¯s one of those types that sees nothing outside the immediate battle... "Well, it doesn¡¯t seem as though this battle will end any time soon," he shrugged, turning his attention back to her and lifting up his greatsword ¨C with a single arm ¨C pointing it at her . "For the next ten minutes, be a sponge . " "...huh?!" "Rather than digging into your mind, trying to find ways to kill me, focus on how I battle; learn from me . However much you can absorb within ten minutes, well, that¡¯s up to you, isn¡¯t it?" "..." Xia stood entirely confounded, staring at the strange man in front of her . All of a sudden, he dered he was going to teach her how to fight . Part of her felt shame, another part confusion, and yet another a faint sense of excitement . She was hardly proud enough to ignore the good grace; at the very least, if she¡¯s not fighting out there, she¡¯s tying him up... kind of . "Fine!" she eximed, entering a battle stance . "I¡¯ll learn all your techniques and then use them to kill you!" "..." n felt an iing headache, quickly shoving it back . Ah, I¡¯m really no good with people... ** Alison spun in a full circle, shing upward with her de held in a reverse grip, parrying an overhead strike aimed at her neck . Using the shifting momentum, she spun back around and used the de as she would a dagger to swiftly stab it toward the man¡¯s abdomen; thetter quickly responded, thrusting the sword down and blocking it . A momentary lockdown ensued as their eyes met ¨C the man¡¯s yful expression had long since vanished, instead reced by a serious one . However, the gleam in his eyes was rather strange, Alison realized . "... Tier 2?" the man mumbled strange words, causing her to furrow her brows . "What?" Alison asked, taking the moment¡¯s respite to catch a breath . "How would you rank yourself amongst your friends?" "... that¡¯s a rather sloppy way to buy time, isn¡¯t it?" she asked back instead of replying . "You¡¯re clearly not the strongest," the man ignored her, continuing as though he was talking to himself . "Both that nutty woman over there setting the entire cosmos on fire, as well as that nuttier thing moving in shadows and killing like it¡¯s nobody¡¯s business, are clearly stronger than you . Fuckin¡¯ hell... aren¡¯t you people supposed to be a newly-born world? What the hell is this shit?" "..." Alison grew slightly confused but still kept her attention sharp . For all she knew, this was a ploy set up by the man to make her lower her guard . "Should you really be saying that? I was confident I¡¯d be able to run amok, yet here I am, being tied up by a single, ugly creature . " "... oi, isn¡¯t that a bit uncalled for?" the man finally looked at her, sporting a pained expression . "I know I¡¯m not the handsomestd ever, but I nobody ever said I was ugly..." "Bah, I¡¯d avoid even vomiting on you..." Alison said, crying inside; this was a ¡¯tactic¡¯ that Lucky taught her for when she was facing a strong opponent . She still clearly remembered Lucky¡¯s words as she was ¡¯teaching¡¯ her ¨C ¡¯if you can¡¯t smack ¡¯em with a sword, use your tongue! Lash out like a frog and let ¡¯em have it!¡¯ "... that was genuinely the most hurtful thing I¡¯ve ever heard in my life..." the man seemed to be on the verge of tears, causing Alison¡¯s faint fa?ade to immediately crack . "I¡¯m sorry! I really didn¡¯t mean it!" Alison quickly cried out, for some reasonforting her enemy . "You¡ªyou really are handsome! I love your eyes! And you¡¯re clearly not a bad man! You could have not fought me, but instead, you chose to jump in to save your friends! How can someone like that be ugly?!" "..." Jonttar pulled back slightly, his mind a trickle of confusion . He was simply ying along, yet the strange woman in front of him took him seriously and was now ascribing him attributes he certainly did not have . Jumped in to save them? He questioned . I just... I just wanted to test your strength, though... "Ah, you¡¯re still in shock!" the woman cried out once again . "I am truly sorry! I listened to stupid advice and I inadvertently hurt you..." Shouldn¡¯t that be your main goal, though?! "I am thoroughly ashamed of myself . I should have never listened to that vile wife of mine..." Wife? "Wife?!" Jonttar eximed, his eyes suddenly turning star-eyed, startling Alison who pulled back from their lockdown . "W-what?" Alison asked warily . "Alright, I¡¯ve decided . " "... huh?" "I¡¯ll join you guys . " Jonttar said, puffing his chest out in pride . Unknowingly, in front of this strange woman, he had reverted back to his childish personality that he had spent countless eons trying to cull . "... what now?" Alison questioned, certain she had heard him wrong . "I said I¡¯ll join you," Jonttar replied . "You¡¯re super-powerful, so are your friends, and that dude fighting up there... fuck, I nearly pissed my pants when that de thingy got spat out . Sheesh, can you imagine the absolute hell they¡¯re causing over there? Anyway, you said you have a wife? Are marriages between womenmon on your world?" "... h-huh? Ah? What?" Alison was barraged by a continuous extension of confusion, unable to wrap her mind around what was happening . "Ah, no, don¡¯t tell me!" Jonttar shook his head . "I like surprises! Hoho, I can already imagine it... ha ha ha ha..." Why... why is he suddenlyughing like a madman?! "No wonder you jumped in like that into the heart of your enemy¡¯s force! Your wife was in danger! Aah, tell me, is there anything more beautiful than the purest of loves between two women? No, there certainly isn¡¯t! Plus, both of you are insanely strong! Honestly, it gives me shivers... aah, I¡¯m so thankful I can finally stop fighting you . My poor life would have been in danger if we continued... ah, no, it¡¯s still gonna be in danger ¡¯cause now I have to fight hundreds of people instead of one . Ah, no matter, no matter . You can count on me¡ªuh, what¡¯s your name?" "... Alison . " "You can count on me, Ally!" he quickly assigned her a nickname as though the two had been friends for years instead of having just fought with their lives on the line . "I¡¯ll protect the purity of women¡¯s love¡ªI mean, I¡¯ll protect your homeworld! Of course, in concert with your friends . Ho ho, if I was strong to kill all of them, ho ho, would I be here? Ho ho..." ... I knew it, Alison thought, on the verge of crying . I¡¯ve picked up Lino¡¯s halo! I¡¯m attracting weirdos now as well! Why me?!! Little did she know, it was not Lino¡¯s halo... Chapter 539 Chapter 539 CHAPTER 539 FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (X) Limrur and Cadel retreated apprehensively, stopping by E¡¯s side, both their expressions slightly paled . The level of destruction from that singr attack startled them; they were well aware of the strength of the surrounding domain, yet those des of light easily pierced through them . "... he¡¯s much stronger than anticipated," Limrur said, frowning . "E, you should stay back and act the role of support . Cadel, while I¡¯m engaging him, try disrupting him from the side . If we aren¡¯t careful... our heads might really roll today . " "... he doesn¡¯t seem even a tiny bit weary after that attack," Cadel sucked in a mouthful of cold breath, shaking his head . "Just how strong is he..." "I¡¯d approximate he¡¯s at least a Hermit from what he showed so far," Limrur said, flexing his hands slightly . "Don¡¯t drop your guard . Cover our blind spots, E, but never engage him directly . " "..." meanwhile, E still stood at the same ce she did from the beginning, bbergasted . She truly believed Lino would, at most, be capable of ying a few rounds with her brothers before falling . Yet, she was once again reminded of who he was ¨C someone who promptly ttened all the expectations and rose above them like a looming mountain . Lino, on the other hand, shifted his focus away from the healing tears of the domain and onto the trio who regrouped some distance away . He held back the shaking of his arm and appeared entirely unphased, though the reality was somewhat uglier; after all, he hadn¡¯t been able to ustom his body enough for the past year and a change . Using one of his key abilities so early on put him in a rather downtrodden mood as he worked his energy like mad to repair the shrinking and breaking veins in his body . He redirected his gaze back onto E who flinched, suddenly lowering her eyes . This isn¡¯t her... he realized quickly, sighing inwardly . E that he knew would never look away from her opponent, no matter who it may be . No, in the first ce, she would never wager the lives of billions on something as abstract as a cosmic conflict between the ¡¯Creator¡¯ and the ¡¯Destroyer¡¯ . Whoever the person standing in front of him was, she had long since stopped being the woman that effectively raised him . He raised his left, free hand all of a sudden, palm open, facing up, as a flicker of me kindled within, turning into a burning sway of crimson and ck . The trio¡¯s focuses sharpened as they nced at the me attentively; the mes weren¡¯t made up of any art but were simply birthed through a somewhatplex cirction of energy . Lino slowly pulled his palm over, facing it downward, and let go of the fire that, just as it reached the level of the soles of his feet, exploded into a sea . Though it technically wasn¡¯t a Domain like a sword one surrounding them, its effects were simr . He basked in the warmth of the fire as he felt his pores opening up, his innards quickly replenishing . "!" a cry ensued shortly after as the space above Cadel ripped open on two ends, spitting out behemoths that certainly were not chains ¨C at least not the likes of which Lino had ever seen . Each sported the thickness of a giant defensive tower, shimmering in transparent gold . Two chains interlocked for a moment before being fiercely ripped apart, diving in a full crescent on two ends to nk him . Meanwhile, he had noticed Limrur had vanished, racing toward him from the front . Lino took a deep breath and heaved his sword up, in a guard position, as thirty-six pairs of wings exploded out of his back . However, rather than maintaining them, he splintered them into sections whereupon each feather grew alight, churning outwardly like fanning knives, aiming for the chains . Limrur, just around then, was right in front of him; weing the descent of the de, Lino once again engaged the man . He pushed forward, holding the dull bottom of his sword¡¯s de to parry the descending attack, causing Limrur to stumble backward slightly . Using that opportunity, he spun in a forward motion and shot the Protector sideways, managing to nibble at the edge of Limrur¡¯s armor . Good reflexes, Lino quickly began assessing his opponent¡¯s prowess . Somewhatcking perception; speed a few notches below mine, general strength as well, though his endurance and defense should be superior . While thinking, he didn¡¯t stop with his attacks; using the fact that he had put the man on defensive, Lino pressed onward, shing left and right with seemingly maddened, yet eerily calcted, strikes . I canfortably allow a dozen hits without endangering myself, he continuedying out the opponent¡¯s strengths and weaknesses in his mind . The other guy will be a bit troublesome since he seems to be the control type . I can¡¯t let those chains entangle me . El¡¯ will probably act the supporting role and aim at the openings while covering up their mishaps . The logic in him told him that the best course of action was to simply ignore the two men and charge toward E immediately, killing her as to prevent variables from popping up . However, his heart wouldn¡¯t allow him; however much she had changed, he was still unable to let go of his inhibitions so easily . Blocking an attack aimed at his neck, Lino took a quick breath and erupted with a burst of speed; even if he couldn¡¯t kill her, he could still incapacitate her . A sudden burst of speed and strength sent Limrur stumbling backward in confusion, but he quickly reeled his mind in and spotted Lino¡¯s trajectory . "Cadel, cover for E!" he swiftly called out . However, his shout arrived roughly at the same time Lino did; thetter appeared before the unprepared E, his arm locked behind him in a full swing, tendrils of crimson smoke folding over the edges of his body, his entire being beyond imposing . E tried to draw back and dodge, yet felt her Willpletely being overwhelmed . This never happened to her before, meaning she was momentarily frozen, unsure as to what to do . The de, however, didn¡¯t wait for her toe to her senses; she quickly realized he didn¡¯t intend to kill her, as the sword was aimed at her right arm, intending to cleave it off, yet she still couldn¡¯t help but feel a part of her heart crack . She hadn¡¯t moved an inch since the battle¡¯s beginning, still hoping, praying, yet he didn¡¯t seem to share the same inhibitions . Gritting her teeth, she somehow managed to rip herself off from the constraints and withdraw a couple of dazzling, emerald swords from her void storage, crossing them over her chest and blocking the attack just in time . However, the sheer force of the sh caved her lungs in, forcing her to spit out a mouthful of blood before she was shot backward like a cannonball . Lino had no luxury to chase after her, however, as a rain of chains interrupted his advance, forcing him to focus on them, deflecting and evading repeatedly . Limrur also caught up, circling in-between the openings and asionally managing to strike at Lino cleanly, though not dealing nearly enough damage . Finally managing to rip himself open from the quasi-cage, Lino pulled back and opened up some distance between them, his mood souring further . It wasn¡¯t because of them or the way they fought, but because of himself . Few could afford to dive into introspection at moments like these, yet Lino hardly cared . There was a knot around his heart, one so tightly wound it expanded into ground-holding chains that held him back . Had he been more decisive, he could have killed E swiftly andpletely avoided the encirclement . "... ugh, piss off already..." he grumbled angrily as he swung the Protector sideways, unleashing a gigantic beam of light that ripped open a gash in space and nearly sent Limrur tumbling into it . "I¡¯m in a really, really bad mood, so I¡¯ll give you onest chance," he warned as the trio regrouped, E having already healed her woundspletely . "Leave this ce, and inform your daddy this is no longer his kingdom . If he has a problem with it, have him find me . I¡¯m always open for a chat . " "¡ªhe¡¯s rattled for some reason," Limrur whispered to the surrounding two, taking in a deep breath . "I¡¯ll need a minute to prepare something; keep him chatting, no matter what!" he spoke thest part to E who nodded silently, turning her eyes back to Lino; the hesitation in them was gone, reced by deep resolve . "Think about this again, Lino," she spoke as softly as she could . "You¡¯re not alone . Why would you want to thrust the entire Noterra into a war?" "... who¡¯s the one thrusting it into a war?" Lino¡¯s mood worsened once again . It was too quick . Too abrupt . "Besides, nobody there will feel the edge of war . " "What? Do you honestly think you¡¯ll be able to protect them all by yourself?" E questioned . "Why not?" Lino shrugged . "Look . I¡¯m even giving that idiot enough time to prepare whatever the hell he¡¯s preparing . I never once doubted my victory; it was only the question of whether it would be a calm and calcted one, or a pyrrhic one . I didn¡¯t ascend this far up to back down, El¡¯ . As I said, Noterra is no longer your kingdom . It¡¯s mine . And down below us, the same people you stood by are now fighting with their lives on the line, protecting what you¡¯ve abandoned . What kind of a King would I be if I couldn¡¯t protect their burning hearts? I¡¯d be too ashamed to look them in the eye if I replied to their wills with indecisiveness . " "¡ªyou had a choice," E said calmly . "Don¡¯t shift the me, Lino . I staked my name on the fact that we wouldn¡¯t touch anyone, even you, if you gave up your moronic intention of reviving the Edifice . Whatever excuses you may unt to yourself and to the world, none excuse that you held onto the power instead of ensuring those you loved were protected . " "... your friend seems to be done," Lino said after a short silence, moving his eyes past her to the man behind her who had begun shimmering in resplendent silver . "You¡¯ve bought enough time . " "..." E bit her lower lip, partly in frustration and partly in self-loathing . She suddenly felt a warm current transfer into her bones,ing directly from Limrur; startled, she nced back and met a pair of honest eyes staring at her with a faint smile . "You have to remove the demon yourself, little sister," he said in a warm and encouraging voice . "Let him be a pleasant memory you¡¯ll look fondly upon, rather than a regret that will eat away at your heart until there is nothing left . Be the Agent you were meant to be . " "... I¡¯ll leave them in blissful ignorance," Lino said softly, ignoring the sudden increase in E¡¯s presence . "Better they think you¡¯re in a distantnd, a foe," he spoke into his jaw,rgely to himself . "Rather than dead, forever gone..." Chapter 540 Chapter 540 CHAPTER 540 WORLD-EATER (I) The skies beyond the skies of Noterra repeatedly shed in majestic, overbearing colors . Even though the entire was shrouded in a massive formation preventing it from being damaged, those ground-standing still felt the asional shockwave reach them . Among those who intently stared at the empty sky without looking away was Aaria, looming perched on top of the balcony of her room, her clear eyes shimmering in worry . Standing by her side were young Cae, Eggor, and Primul, all three of whom also had rather pensive expressions . Primul¡¯s was the mostplex one, however; as someone who used to stand on top of this world, the journey since his ¡¯rebirth¡¯ had truly shaken him . He had realized he was nothing but a little grain in the ever-throbbing gears of history, his name bound to be forgotten amidst the sea of those just like him . Lino had offered to help him regain his previous strength well over a year ago, but Primul refused . The me of his legend had long since waned ¨C there was no reason to rekindle it . No, rather, he didn¡¯t wish to rekindle it . In his bones he already knew he didn¡¯t have long to live; he¡¯d decided to dedicate the rest of his life to protecting this world that, once upon a time, he loathed . However little, he hoped to repent for the endless stream of sins he hadmitted in the past . He didn¡¯t trust himself still, however; he feared that, if he regained his prowess, he would be too attached to life, too ignorant of his past actions . Besides, his influence beyond the array would be minimal, even if he trained constantly . He sighed inwardly, looking away from the clear, blue sky . It was beautiful ¨C all of it was . Be it the nature, or the human condition imposed upon it . Was there unity in the world? Hardly . Even now, while Lino, Hannah, Alison and the rest were bleeding tears of blood to defend the world, there were hundreds of wars ongoing on the surface . Be it amongst the mortals, the minor and major Sects, individuals, Kingdoms, Empires... those partaking were none the wiser . Primul didn¡¯t me them, however . Their scopes of perception were limited, and their lives were finite; everyone tried to better their position in the world by however little they could . Those fighting to survive, or to ensure they had enough food to eat as to not starve, couldn¡¯t care less about therger-than-life stories . Their worries were right in front of them, rather than above them . Primul could faintly understand the vanity of Lino¡¯s desire to retire to the simple life . A long while ago, Lino shared with him that his greatest dream was to retire from everything, escape from it, and return to the life of simplehood . Work for a little while, sleep for a little while, enjoy life without all the chains binding him . However, he had long since epted that was impossible . At best, he held it tightly to his heart as a distant dream, never letting himself get distracted . How bitter did he seem at that moment, Primul pondered? Thetter had even suggested to Lino to simply give up the power in return for protection; perhaps even Hannah didn¡¯t know that those were his intentions until just recently . Lino was truly prepared to give up being the Agent, to give up the strength that allowed him to scale the cosmos fearlessly, in exchange for that life of simplicity . Even Primul, however, didn¡¯t know what changed his mind . "... they¡¯ll be fine . " Cae consoled suddenly-shivering Aaria gently, patting her head . He had finally entered his growth sprout, and atst began to look like Eggor¡¯s son; despite being stuck inside the libraries nearly all day long, every week, he still grew to be nearly two meters, with wide shoulders and even a tinge of muscles . Aaria, on the other hand, had just begun entering teenagehood, first signs of maturity, besides rebellion, present both in her features and her countenance . Even still, however, whatever fa?ade she put on when facing others, helplessness permeated her bones . Unlike her mother and father, both of whom could move the sky and the earth as they wished, yet still chose to put their lives on the line for everyone else, all she could do was silently watch over them . Bitterness grew tight inside her heart; while the two of them never urged her to do anything, she could see the principle of expectation in virtually all other eyes, even those she considered close friends . Even if she continued doing nothing and freeloading until her death, she doubted anyone would say anything ¨C but that was entirely due to who her parents were . She was little over Level 100, barely amb in thend of Dragons . While definitely above average, she was hardly content; even Cae, who barely cultivated, was a little over Level 40 by now . Even with all the resources at her disposal, in the past three years that she had begun her training sincerely, she was unable to make any distinct progress . No matter how much she tried to reject it, the reality was clear ¨C she had no talent . Perhaps that wouldn¡¯t be all that bad since, as many had told her, neither did her father; if anything, he was even worse than her . But, he had something that she knew she didn¡¯t ¨C immovable will that could not be shaken . The sort of determination that enabled him to climb from that nothingness, from being a talentless nobody in the middle of nowhere to being the Emperor of the world . "... I know they will . " Aaria replied, atst, ncing at Cae and meeting his gaze . "They wouldn¡¯t dare leave me all by myself . " She shrugged, quickly recing her worried look with the haughty one she began employing around a year ago . She felt unworthy of being friends with countless legendary figures that flocked around her, doing their best to help her with whatever problem she had . Unworthy of their kindness, the only thing she could do was slowly drive them away . ** Though vacuum of space had the property of swallowing up all sounds, its membranes were being repeatedly sheered by the pure brutality and scale of the battle . Time and again, continuous drums of the explosions bellowed out into the nothingness, only swallowed up a good few miles away . The battlefield was an absolute hellhole; even Hannah couldn¡¯t quite make heads or tails of what was going on . Halfway through, she began spotting figures that were fighting them just a moment ago switch about and fight alongside them . Naturally, neither her nor those by her side shared an inkling of joy, but rather confusion and doubt; what if it was a scheme, after all, designed to make them drop their guard? Rather than joining those people, they kept a good deal of distance away . Yet, those people continued fighting, even killing several dozen, entirely ignoring Hannah¡¯s and others¡¯ movements . Reaped by confusion andcking the knowledge as to what to do, Hannah remained pensive until she saw Alison appear just by her side, a strange man standing next to her . Hannah quickly recognized him ¨C it was the man that had engaged Alison when she went out to help Lucky . Wait... don¡¯t tell me...? "So..." Alison smiled helplessly, already realizing what Hannah was thinking . "Him too?" Hannah quizzed . "Hm..." Alison nodded, sighing . Hannah turned toward the man who inspected her with a pensive expression . Jonttar was the most worried about the woman now floating in front of him . Though weaker than the Agents, she would easily be able to rank among the top experts on the General Board of the Union . For a small world to nurture someone to such a degree... even Jonttar had no clue as to how they did it . "I¡¯d really like an exnation . " Hannah turned toward the strange man and asked, frowning . "Ah¡ªdon¡¯t misunderstand; it¡¯s actually not that odd," Jonttar quickly said, fearful of garnering ire of the woman in front of him . "If anything, I should expect a few hundred more to turn over by the end of this . " "... huh?" "Truth be told," Jonttar took a deep breath, preparing himself for a lengthy exnation . It appeared that, even if the Agent of Destruction knew anything, he hadn¡¯t said much about the state of the cosmos, most-likely as to not dispirit them . "Hardly a few of us who came here wanted to . If anything, you could see this as a sort of ckmail . " "..." Hannah listened carefully, wishing to see the big picture . "Most of us here, save for the Agents fighting that maniac," the man added with a shudder . "Climbed up just like you, I imagine . Fighting, winning, losing, bleeding . Are you aware of what Ashening is?" "... yes . " Hannah nodded, her expression turning dark for a moment . How could she not? After Reli recounted everything to her, she longed for nothing more than to thrust herself out to find those whomenced such onught and give them the taste of their own medicine . "I¡¯d wager that at least 90% of here are the product of it," Jonttar said with a hardened expression . "While some, naturally, had long since stopped caring about the destruction of their homeworld, most of us haven¡¯t . However, the binds of the Creator are toorge, the reach and army too overbearing . All we could do, all this while, was sit in silence and endure . While the Ashening is exined as an event designed to foster geniuses and talents, in reality, it is nothing more but one of the ways to curb any potential opposition, to root it out before it could even grow . The sort of resentment that builds up after watching your homeworld crumble isn¡¯t something that can easily be discarded by many of us . Do you understand now?" "... so you chose totch on the opportunity presented by Lino?" Hannah seemed to have picked up on everything . "Lino?" Jonttar quizzed, surprised by a strange name . "That maniac . " Hannah added with a faint smile . "Ah, the Agent? Yes," Jonttar nodded, immediately deifying the name ¡¯Lino¡¯ in his mind . "To bepletely forting, I don¡¯t think many of us hung onto a lot of hope when we came here . You may not realize it, but the scope of the Creator¡¯s strength is beyond measure . Those three Agents currently fighting are just a drop in the bucket . The sole reason more weren¡¯t dispatched is because fires of rebellion are constantly burning throughout thousands of the universes . Whether idental or intentional, the timing you guys chose is practically perfect . Even with all that, however, at the very least I still held doubts . Just the Agent alone wouldn¡¯t have been enough . What convinced me, and I imagine others, was the general strength of you guys . Whatever methods you used, though still below the bell-curve of the rest, for a world only scheduled for Ashening muchter into the future to produce over twenty powerhouses... is virtually unheard of . And then there¡¯s you . " "Me?" Hannah asked, a frown returning to her face . "Haven¡¯t you noticed it?" Jonttar asked with a faint smile . "You¡¯re by far the strongest individual out of all of us here . In truth, a few of us could probably best you ¨C but that would entirely be because of the items and arts we possess . In terms of raw strength, none of us are a match for you . " "Who says I don¡¯t have any odd arts and items?" Hannah asked with a queer smile . "I¡¯m sure you do," Jonttar chuckled . "All the items you¡¯re wearing had already left theary confines and could be considered decent . But, look at this," Jonttar took out a small sphere, norger than a pebble, letting it float above his palm . "Inspect it . " He urged Hannah; thetter focused on the sphere as, rather than a window as she was usually ustomed to, the sphere¡¯s information trickled directly into her mind, scaring her shitless . "What the fuck?!" "He he," Jonttar chuckled at her reaction, feeling somewhat proud . "Though I spent an arm and a leg to acquire it, it¡¯s quite grandstanding, no?" "... no shit . " Hannah sucked in a cold breath; the small sphere only had a single property, its tierbeled as ¡¯Grand Tier-3 Divinity¡¯ . Though Lino had informed her slightly about the tiers, she still didn¡¯t really know what it meant . What she did know, however, was the sole property of the sphere ¨C it was a condensed version of a behemoth-like star . Should Jonttar activate it, it would swallow up the entire ster system within a breath and kill everything and everyone within it . Perhaps only Lino, E and the other two might stand a chance of escaping . "I don¡¯t want to discourage you; as I said, for a world yet to encounter Ashening to produce the quality of items that you¡¯re sporting... it¡¯s quite frankly impossible . I¡¯m a bit, uh, interested... if you¡¯d care to divulge just how?" "... that maniac made them . " Hannah shrugged . "You¡¯ll have to ask him when he gets out . " "... eh? He¡¯s a smith?" Jonttar¡¯s mind nked for a moment . "He keeps calling himself smith first and a fighter second," Hannah said, sighing . "I¡¯ve no clue as to why, though..." "..." Jonttar took a few seconds to rebound from his shock . "Wait¡ªyou¡¯re certain he will be the oneing out?" "¡ªof course," Hannah grinned for a moment . "The sole reason he¡¯s even humoring them is that one of the Agents is quite important to him . " "... just how strong is he?" "I don¡¯t know," Hannah shrugged . "He¡¯d told me that, in some cosmic terms or whatever, he¡¯s a World-eater . Can you imagine the level of ego? That bastard..." Though Hannah continued chattering away, Jonttar didn¡¯t hear anything she said past the ¡¯World-eater¡¯ . His entire body froze as he nced around the battlefield . Like a maniac, he began rying the information to anyone he even remotely knew or cared about, including the friend he made recently, the human called n . n suddenly paused as he pushed battered and bruised Xia away, a single sentence trickling into his mind . He recognized Jonttar¡¯s voice immediately, wondering what he wanted; he had already spotted that the Vampire had switched sides, which was why he found it so strange that he contacted him . Eh...w-what...? Just like Jonttar¡¯s, n¡¯s mind nked upon the mention of ¡¯World-eater¡¯ . Without a second thought, he immediately burned through his most treasured talisman that ignored the distancepletely, and even the universes themselves, conveying but a single message to his family: Pack up as many things as you can; leave immediately . You have 5 hours toe to my location . We¡¯re turning . Chapter 541 Chapter 541 CHAPTER 541 WORLD-EATER (II) The stage was set ¨C quite literally, Lino mused, observing the phantom floorboard beneath his feet spreading out into the infinity . It appeared to flicker in and out of existence on asion, the tiles somewhat transparent, seemingly holding the entirety of the stars across the cosmos within them . On one end of it stood he, d in ordinary-looking yet nigh-invincible armor, currents of ck and crimson streaking across his body, folding over his wide frame . On the other end, E stood upright, holding two swords in her hands tightly, d in shimmering, majestic armor of gold and silver . Beneath her, a halo of purity spun like a wheel of destiny, jets of golden liquid looping over it, feeding the holy atmosphere even further . The look in her eyes cleared up, the blood in her veins churning with the newfound strength . If she failed to win, both her brothers would perish here today . She couldn¡¯t afford that loss; no, the universe itself couldn¡¯t afford that loss . Rising new Agents was an extremely long, extraneous and painful process . For her to go from a young, talented fledgling to a full-blown Agent, it took full forty billion years, to say nothing of the grueling pains everyone, including her, had to endure throughout it . Loss of a single Agent, even for the Creator, was a difficult ordeal that took a long time to recover from . If three fell in a single day? Even she couldn¡¯t quite grasp the sheer ramifications of it all . So, she had to win ¨C no matter what . The gauntlet was thrown, and the past binds were dissevered . She gazed at the figure standing opposite of her clearly, her eyes bursting with the radiance of stars . The figure smiled, tilting his head to the side somewhat . Though he was beyond-eons younger than her, Lino appeared far older; while she, at most, looked to be in herte twenties with her current appearance, he looked like someone well in his sixties, entering the twilight of his days . Grays had all butpletely overrun the ck strands of hair, wrinkles decorating his forehead and the corners of his eyes . However, this hardly took away from his countenance . There was something eerily sagacious about his appearance at the moment as he held onto the small sword rather loosely, staring back at her with his abyss-dark eyes . Just as she was about to burst forth, something strange happened; Lino utched the binds of his breastte, shoulder-pads, and armguards, withdrawing them into his void world . His leggings and greaves were quickly reced by ordinary, loose, gray trousers and sandal-like wraps . Top of his body waspletely exposed, scars mounting his muscr features infinitely . He snapped his neck a few times, tying his loose hair into a long-winding ponytail behind him, rotating his arms a few times to seemingly rx and warm up his muscles . "¡ªyou¡¯re putting everything on the line," Lino chuckled, noticing the incredulous expressions of the trio . "I¡¯ll humor you with a chance, El¡¯ . If you can wound me, I won¡¯t kill any one of you . If you can¡¯t, all of you will die . Make the best of thest of my graces toward you . Don¡¯t disappoint me . " "..." E stared at his figure that suddenly grew hundreds ofyers more imposing than before . As though chains that were binding him were loosened, his figure grew stalwart, a contrarian to hers . Though nothing changed physically, she felt an enormous sense of pressureing from him . Meanwhile, Cadel and Limrur withdrew further back, thetter¡¯s expression sinking as he closed his eyes . "... we¡¯ve lost . " He mumbled in defeat, sighing deeply . The sigh seemed to carry the boundless burdens, as he let go of them . "... lost?" Cadel muttered in shock . "But¡ªbut sister is at least a Hermit right now . Save for Big Sister and Big Brother, none of us would be her match . " "... erase the regrets from your heart, young brother," Limrur didn¡¯t exin any further, merely closing his eyes . "For today we perish . " Rather than waiting to get attacked, E steeled her nerves and burst forth, her speed leaving afterimages behind her . The light itself had no time to catch up to her fading figure as she turned into a mere speck . She crossed the dual des across her chest and sliced them outwardly as she reached Lino; thetter, seemingly as slow as a snail, barely lifted the de and deflected her strike . What seemed like an ordinary deflection, however, was anything but; just as E braced herself to chain more strikes and gain the momentum, the des crossed . She felt her figure flutter for but a sh before she bounced back like a cannonball, ripping through space for over a hundred miles and rolling across the phantom floor,pletely losing the control over her body . She didn¡¯t despair, however ¨C she had no time to . Gritting her teeth, she shoved the two swords into the ground and pulled herself to a stop . Lino didn¡¯t pursue, waiting at the same position . A battle cry burst out of her lungs as the halo behind her spun violently, shedding away ayer while her body exploded in a golden glimmer . Her speed increased twofold as she darted toward the distant figure, covering the hundred miles distance before a mind could register she even left . She nked from left rather than shing directly, maintaining a distance of around twenty meters as she shot out beautiful des of light that wiggled through space, crossing the immensely short distance in a sh . Lino turned and nced toward her, meeting her gaze squarely; a chaotic swirl exploded out of him as he swung the Protector, burning through everything in its path and scalding the tform . It was an invisible de ¨C no, not even a de, just the withdrawingposition of reality ¨C that assailed E . She withdrew back slightly and spun twice over, sending over a dozen de lights to negate the pressure . Lino moved finally, crossing the distance between them in a sh and swinging the Protector overhead; the de tripled in size all of a sudden as he held it in both hands, crushing down at the speed beyond the conception . E shifted to the side, barely dodging the de¡¯s descent by a breadth¡¯s hair, before counter-attacking, holding her swords in a reverse grip, moving them to stab Lino¡¯s sides directly . The giant Protector halted mid-descent as Lino¡¯s muscles bulged ¨C he moved it sideways immediately, using the dull side to pummel the right side of E¡¯s chest . Before her swords were even within the vicinity of his ribs, she felt her entire right side crack in pain . Bones blew under the unrelenting pressure, her armor barely doing anything to repel it . She shot sideways even faster than before, entirely out of control, rolling around like a ragdoll for tens of miles without a stop . Blood flew out of her like a river, her energy barely counteracting the insane destructive prowess of a single strike . Her heart froze for a moment; physically, she waspletely outmatched . No, it wasn¡¯t even the matter of being outmatched ¨C even if she was a hundred times as strong, she felt, she still couldn¡¯t be able to resist that strength . So far, Lino hadn¡¯t used a single art, entirely relying on simple swordsmanship . No, it wasn¡¯t even swordsmanship, E realized ¨C they were just ordinary swings even a child could do . Inhaling a deep, bitter breath, she finally restored a semnce of control over her body as she came to a grinding halt . Like before, Lino didn¡¯t follow; she half-suspected she would already be at her wits¡¯ end if he really did follow up each time he blew her back like a ragdoll . She couldn¡¯t understand . Just a moment ago, he was nowhere near this strong . Why did he suddenly grow so much? Though she already knew the answer, she was unwilling to admit it . With another cry, she shed anotheryer of her halo, the shimmer around her turning into a corporeal barrier . She no longer had the luxury of probing . Rather than closing the distance, she pulled her arms back and wound them as much as possible, to the point of nearly breaking her bones and muscles, before swiping down with all her might . A golden wheel-like array of light struck out, alighting the entire world around her in brilliant, resplendent colors, as it raced over toward the distant figure, reaching it in a sh . On the way, it suddenly exploded, manifesting into two, then four, then eight, all the way until it reached a thousand and twenty-four in total, surrounding Lino from all ends . was ayered Art directly passed down by the Creator . E had barelyprehended its first form, which meant its prowess was greatly diminished . However, it was still something that could cripple every other Art in the universe . Lino nced at the wheels indifferently, as though they were ordinary ones made out of everyday wood . He held up the Protector with both his hands, raising it above his head slightly before shoving it down into the tform, nearly all the way up to its hilt . Cracks spread around violently as chaotic energy churned . "," he uttered slowly; he didn¡¯t have to use any Art to deal with the wheels, but he wanted to reply to her heart with his own, without holding anything back . Though it would cost him dearly, as his body was stillpletely incapable of enduring the sudden surge of strength he had obtained, it wouldn¡¯t impede him in the long-term . " . " All around him, in diameter roughly reaching eight miles, ck-crimson pirs exploded out like jets of light from the floor, copsing unto themselves for a moment before forming a lotus-shaped surface . The flower blossomed in eerie colors, its veins pulsating in the crimson dye for but a moment before it suddenly exploded . Everything, including the phantom tform, copsed . The wheels of light didn¡¯t endure even for a second before being obliterated out of existence . The energy swept out in droves, the shockwave ripping through the sword domain as the might of lotus burned through, devouring everything within a hundred thousand miles radius . At the epicenter of destruction, Lino coughed up a mouthful of ck blood, seemingly aging ten years almost immediately . Aaah, shit, I¡¯m really an idiot... "No¡ªYou¡ªAre¡ªNot," the voice inside of him, whichrgely remained in slumber, suddenly replied . "Wounds¡ªOf-Flesh¡ªAre¡ªTemporary," the Edifice continued as Lino found himself afloat in strange, alien energy that bundled him up in its arms and began healing his wounds . "Continue¡ªReplying¡ªThe¡ªHearts¡ªof¡ªOthers . Surely¡ªthen¡ªYou¡ªwill¡ªhold¡ªtheir¡ªhearts¡ªand¡ªwills . Fight¡ªher--," the Edifice said, surprising Lino somewhat as he frowned . "Even¡ªat¡ªthe-expense¡ªof¡ªresurrecting¡ªUs . Roots¡ªof¡ªheart¡ªrun¡ªdeep . Never¡ªbetray¡ªthem . " ...ah, I see . Lino chuckled audibly, feeling reinvigorated . That¡¯s why this idiot lost . Fuck... I might lose in the long run as well if I listen to him . What a hopeless romantic... Chapter 542 Chapter 542 CHAPTER 542 GOODBYE E reeled backward from the shock, her entire body caving in underneath the overwhelming stream of chaos; one by one, she felt her bones snap, her muscles tear, her organspletely shatter within her . Without even being able to put up her defenses, she was once again blown backward at speeds that she couldn¡¯t even reconcile . Unlike the lotus¡¯ explosion, she didn¡¯t leave the domain but rather bounced off its edge like a balloon, spat about like a broken ragdoll . The lotus¡¯ explosion gave birth to a burning storm of razor-sharp winds that trounced everything they touched, carrying her about against her will . Left and right, up and down, she had quickly lost the sense of direction, forced to close her eyes, at mercy of the violent winds . She survived on the edge, her energy barely enough to sustain the core of her being from being ripped apart like a sheet of paper . She had no clue how much time passed, but eventually, she managed to finally open her eyes . She was on the floor, her body spasming involuntarily, blood streaming out of her, forming a massive pool beneath her lithe figure . Her armor waspletely wrecked, the halo behind her shattered, her swords nowhere to be found . Her head was stered against the chilling, phantom floor, her eyshes fluttering with base defiance . She couldn¡¯t move; rather, she could barely breathe . Even if left alone, she knew that her days as the Agent were over . Her Soul had cracked, wisps of who she was slowly streaming out like smoke . There was no way for her to make the heads and tails of what had just transpired; one moment, she was brandishing her swords and preparing for an elongated fight, and the next she was on the floor, dying . The distant sound of footsteps jostled her as she gazed slightly to the side . It was just in time to witness the topless figure walking up toward her two brothers who were, much like her, sprawled on the floor . She wanted to scream, to warn them, to rush over and protect them, but she couldn¡¯t even move . ** Lino steeled his steps and walked toward the two lying men casually . Though his entire body was aching as though there were consistent explosions rampaging through his soul, he endured forcibly, never letting it show on his face . Approaching the two men, he crouched down, meeting their trembling eyes . Both were still alive, though wouldn¡¯t be for long . Reaching out, he grabbed the one he assumed was in charge and pulled him up, feeding him a faint trace of energy, just enough for him to speak without drowning in his own blood . There wasn¡¯t a trace of majesty that he exuded upon arrival, not a trace of holiness that he had wrapped himself in . It was a wretched appearance, a man trembling, dyed in stains of blood, snot spilling out of his nose, eyes weeping . "... was it worth it?" Lino asked faintly as the man met his gaze, his irises jostling about . "... y-you... won today... but... don¡¯t rejoice..." the man stuttered through his crackling teeth . "... rejoice?" Lino¡¯s voice turned grim, his grip tightening . "You¡¯re a cruel fucking bastard, you know that? You fuckers could have left her behind, and stormed me yourselves . What Creator? He¡¯s a fucking psychopath ying around with hearts like they¡¯re musical instruments . Sending a mother after her own child... pitting them together... tsk, your hogwash of philosophy sickens me . Vain, insipid, insidious, two-faced cunts like you and your daddy disgust me . Today I won? Only shit-eating scum like you would consider this a victory . " "... you... don¡¯t have to kill her," Limrur smirked faintly . "Oh, the big-hearted one . " "..." Lino grinned, suddenly shoving a sword straight through the man¡¯s heart, surprising him, leaning in and whispering directly into his ear . "Fret not, little cocksucker . One day, I¡¯ll send your daddy right back to you, then you can continue sapping that fucker¡¯s dick for however long you may desire . " Lino threw the man¡¯s body aside and walked toward the other; Cadel was currently shaking, inside and out, having witnessed his Brother¡¯s cruel demise . He wanted to jolt to his feet andmit to vengeance, but his body wouldn¡¯t listen . Even his mind was reeling in fear more so than anger . Before he could even process everything, his eyes caught a glimpse of the shimmering de as it sliced through his neck, separating his head from his body . He lived on, for a few seconds longer, the world around him rolling and tumbling, before thest of life faded from his eyes . Taking a deep breath, Lino first nced up toward the nothingness before turning around and walking toward E . She was still lying limply, seemingly doing everything in her power to get up on her feet and run at him like a crazed beast . The look in her eyes cracked his heart; he felt it being whipped andshed by scorching chains, each one leaving a permanent mark that wouldn¡¯t heal until the day he died . His steps slowed down somewhat the closer he got, seemingly unwilling . Of course, he was unwilling, he cursed inwardly . Wouldn¡¯t he be no better than the rest if he was willing? No, he already wasn¡¯t better than them . That man was right ¨C he didn¡¯t have to kill her . He had won . He could send her back, or he could lock her up in a dungeon . There were many ways he could handle her without dissevering her lifeline . Yet, a part of him, the one he trusted the most, knew she had to die . It would be thest step, thest threshold his feet would scramble over . Crouching next to her, he brought her into his arms and held her, sitting on his knees . She looked at him coldly and vehemently, but he didn¡¯t care, channeling some energy and repairing her body enough so she wasn¡¯t in pain . Those blue eyes spat venom at him, her trembling lips bleeding, teeth sinking into her gums . His arms felt heavy, nearly as much as his heart . Tears quickly formed on the corners of his eyes . Six decades was hardly enough to prepare him for something like this . No, six or six hundred, or even six thousand wouldn¡¯t have made any difference . His hands trembled as he pulled one out, caressing her forehead gently, pulling her hair back . "... without you," he mumbled, lowering his head . "I would have died in that small vige . You¡¯ve been my sword and shield all my life, the light which doused me in a cool and safe shade . I knew that, no matter what I did, or what happened to me, I would always have a home to return to . A ce where I would be weed with open arms . To me, that safety was what allowed me to always push forward . To never give up . To keep climbing the walls others deemed unclimbable . Whenever I¡¯d slow down, your voice would be the wind pushing me onward . You were the first one to teach me what love was, what warmth of the mother¡¯s embrace felt like, what unconditional eptance meant to the heart . " "..." "You¡¯ve made me into the man I am today," Lino¡¯s voice began cracking slightly, coarse and deep, filtered in the echo of his age . "For however tall my tower became, you were the steady, unflinching foundation beneath it . The immovable hand upholding my house of cards . " He ced his finger on her forehead gently as his body began to tremble . "Deep down, beneath theyers of what they had done to you, I know you love me . And I know you will forgive me . And I know you¡¯ll ask me to take care of that egg-head and that bookworm . And I know you¡¯ll bless my journey, and wish me the best of luck for all the eons toe . And I know you¡¯ll watch over me from wherever you may go . And you should know I¡¯ll always stay true to my heart, the same heart that you inspired in me . And that I¡¯ll always fight for what I believe in, and protect those I love . And that I¡¯ll take care of both of them, and give them lives unblemished by even an iota of pain and difort . And, one day, long, long, long into the distant future, I¡¯ll go over to that psychopath, and I¡¯ll shave off the tendrils he¡¯s bound the cosmos in . Anyone with a heart dark enough to pit two who love each other doesn¡¯t deserve to live, let alone be titled a Creator . " "..." "Hate me or love me," he added, pressing ever-so-tightly against her forehead . "My heart goes by the words of the woman who raised me, upheld me, protected me and embraced me when the whole world shunned me, not the carcass filled with hate they¡¯ve turned you into . My mom... was a resplendent star, the most beaming sun beneath which nobody felt alone . Her heart bound the world," he added with a chuckle, looking up into nothing . "And unbound the countless chains . I¡¯ll always love you . Rest now . Goodbye..." a trickle of energy seeped through the tip of his fingers as E¡¯s eyes widened for a moment . It was painless, she realized as she began drifting through the memories that had grown hazy . Peaceful . Releasing . The chains of oath broke, one by one, and the deep-seated whispers in her soul vanished . Just before thest of life left through her cold, shivering lips, she curled their edges into the faintest of smiles . It was invisible to anyone but her fading soul, forever to remain hidden from the world . Lino felt her draw herst breath in his arms, her eyes closing . His entire body was trembling, inside out, tears streaming against his will . He gnashed his teeth together and closed them, shaking like a pup in the rain as he brought her into her chest, holding her tightly . It was too early for thest goodbye, he realized . Far too early . Chapter 543 Chapter 543 CHAPTER 543 SIMPLE THINGS Lucky stood at the back of a swath, her expression dubious, eyes zing over the ¡¯battlefield¡¯ that she could not understand no matter how hard she tried . Just a few moments ago, they fought with their lives on the line, outnumbered and outpowered, yet, out of nowhere, the other side had barely fifty left, standing about just as confused as Lucky herself . The rest? They decided to switch sides . One or two, perhaps, she could understand ¨C but so many? She couldn¡¯t . Neither could Hannah or Alison who were standing at the epicenter of the change, ncing toward the strange, pale-skinned man next to them . The two repeatedly rubbed their eyes, yet nothing changed no matter how many times they did it . Fifty or so still stood on the opposite end, defiant, hundreds suddenly joining their cause . "¡ªyou may not understand it," seeing their confusion, Jonttar decided to offer an exnation, his smile somewhat stiff . "But, World-eater is... ah, it¡¯s not the sort of existence that the Creator can just overpower . " "Hm?" seeing that she was finally getting an exnation, Hannah focused her attention on the man . "To put it into perspective, the general knowledge is that there are currently 14 World-eaters in existence . Of course, however, there are probably quite a few more hiding in the shadows . Regardless, those 14 remain untouched, free, unrestrained . The price the Creator would have to pay to kill them or subdue them is simply too big . Effectively, if those 14 banded together, it might not be impossible for them to entirely eradicate the Creator¡¯s faction, roots and all . " "... so that¡¯s why the others decided to switch sides so quickly?" Hannah quizzed . "The roof is all-epassing?" "Hm," the man nodded . "The protection offered by the sheer instion of a World-eater is something that cannot be bought . Most of us are fairly old, uninterested in running about the vast cosmos and seeking treasures; we only wish to settle down somece and not be hauled over time and again on missions like these . Moreover, a lot of us have families, and none are quite willing to hand their children the same fate they suffered ¨C to be a soldier, a bug in a heartless army that didn¡¯t care about us . We¡¯ll still fight, naturally," Jonttar provided insurance with a faint smile . "If ites down to it . But, I must warn, young human; hearts are fickle . Be it me, or all others here, I would not trust us . " Just as Hannah was about to reply, she felt a flicker in the domain above her, her heart growing taut; ncing up, her actions inspired others to do the same . The domain was ripped inside out, millions of flickering lights exploding outwardly like fireflies, vanishing soon after . There was no overbearing pressure that they had expected, no demonstrably bloody and cruel fight unfolding before their eyes . Instead, the atmosphere was heavy ¨C heavier than most had experienced in their lifetimes ¨C and the fighting was nowhere to be found . A single soul stood breathing, three cold and listless . The former held one of thetter three gently in his arms, the other two floating next to him . Lino shot a nce to the battlefield, his expression growing slightly dubious . Eh? What¡¯s this? Shrugging, he nced at the fifty or so that stood opposite to Hannah, throwing the two Agent¡¯s bodies at them slowly . "Bring them home," he said in an indifferent, distant tone . "And warn that king of yours . This is my kingdom now . Next time... I won¡¯t be as lenient . " Just as he finished talking, he put E¡¯s body into the void world, shielding her from the gazes beneath, descending next to Hannah . Jonttar began shaking in his boots, a thousand thoughts sting against the walls of his mind, not daring to look directly into the man¡¯s eyes . "... what¡¯s going on?" Lino asked Hannah with a dubious expression, thetter sighing helplessly and rying what happened . "..." Lino nced at the man shaking in front of him; he belonged to a Vampiric Dragonkin lineage and was fairly strong all things considered . "You forgot to zip your pants . " "... eeh?" Jonttar stuttered out, nearly losing grasp of himself as he heard the man speak . "I¡¯m not too familiar with your race¡¯s customs," Lino said, his expression wholly deadpan . "Are you inviting me over? Are you flipping me off? Are you exposing interest in pissing onto us? Which is it?" "... I¡ªI¡¯m... not wearing pants..." "... pervert . " "..." "See?" he then turned to Hannah who had a hand on her forehead already . "This is how you make a terrified man question all the choices he made in his life . Ally, lead the ones who want to stay and lock ¡¯em up somece until Ie down . " Alison sighed helplessly and slowly ryed his order; soon enough, the previous battlefield disappearing, only Lino and Hannah left behind, former gazing at the vanishing enemies in the distance, thetter at him . "... I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d kill her . " She said lowly, gently wiping away the strands of hair that fell over his forehead . "Me neither . " Lino replied, sighing . "What happened?" Hannah asked . "... they changed her," Lino replied after a short silence . "I don¡¯t know what they did to her, Hannah... but... the woman that came back to us was not E we knew . It was an obstinate, single-minded creature . Deep down, that resolute woman who raised me still existed, but she was buried beneath theyers of eroded sanity and reason . " "... an excuse?" "No," he shook his head, sighing once again . "Excuse or not, however, I still did something that the entire world will condemn me for . " "... the world will condemn you for protecting it?" Hannah chuckled lightly, wrapping her arms around him from the back, hugging him tightly . "I very much doubt it . " "... I¡¯ll make a trip . " "No you ain¡¯t . " "I have to . " "Over my dead body . " She remained steadfast, causing Lino to chuckle lightly, ncing back at her defiant expression . "I¡¯lle back," he said, patting her head . "Some debts, however, I must pay immediately . Besides, because I did something stupid, I no longer have enough Chaotic Energy stored to revive the Edifice . So, I have to go and steal a bit from our good friends . " "... haah, you really know how to make a gal feel utterly useless..." Hannah sighed, shaking her head in resignation . "Somehow, I have a feeling I¡¯ll have an easier time than you," Lino shrugged . "You¡¯ve a world-wide Empire to consolidate, a whole heap of neers that certainly cannot be controlled with just pretty words and a daughter who¡¯s begun developing some serious issues to boot . Comparatively, I¡¯m taking a stroll up a slightly steep path . " "How long will you be gone?" Hannah asked . "A few years, at most," Lino replied, smiling gently . "Will you be alright?" "... what do I tell Eggor and Cae?" Hannah asked while Lino sighed . "Truth?" he said, smiling painfully . "I... don¡¯t have the courage to face them just yet . If you want to, you can just make up a story until I return . " "... it¡¯s the least I can do," Hannah said . "To lessen your burdens . " "... did you ever imagine it?" Lino chuckled bitterly all of a sudden . "Back when I was a brat, in the vige? That, one day, we¡¯lle this far?" "I don¡¯t think even the bards with the wildest imaginations could have ever evene close, let alone the poor, old me . " Hannah chuckled back . "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still regretting embarking on this path?" "... nah," Lino shook his head . "It¡¯s something I¡¯ve chosen . I only regret always falling short of being strong enough to prevent so many tragedies from urring . What about you?" he asked back . "Regretting anything would mean regretting being with you," she shed him a faint smile . "So, I¡¯m afraid, there are no regrets here . Go," she gave him a light shove on the back, turning toward Noterra . "Give ¡¯em my greeting as well . Ande back home safely . " "... I will . " He watched her fading back for a moment, smiling, before turning around, focusing his eyes to the ever-growing beyond . His body slowly faded, immediately reaching the sort of speed that could not be matched by anyone else . He traversed through the countless dimensions the reality wasposed of, boring his way through the wall after a wall, his expression determined . It would alle to an end, soon . That was his only constion at the moment . Chapter 544 Chapter 544 CHAPTER 544 WEIGHT OF THE PAST The sky settled and the colors faded; the energy of the unounted was gone, and the world seemed to calm . Primul stood at the edge of a tall cliff, a lithe smile on his face, a gourd of wine in his hands . His legs dangled off the edge, his dark hair fluttering in the hazy wind . He knew it was over; they had won . He didn¡¯t know the price of the victory, but it was not on him to wager it . Taking a sip, he let the cooling sensation trickle through his body . A shadow suddenly stepped into his shade and rose up, standing next to him . Ty nced at the seated figure from the corner of his eyes before looking back up toward the sky . "We¡¯ve won . " Ty said in a low tone . "Hm . " Primul nodded . "All¡¯s well that ends well . " "... what now?" "For you," Primul turned sideways, smirking faintly . "It¡¯s about time you stopped trying to make thatss jealous and state your heart, no? Even that cowardly Rio stepped up . Why can¡¯t you?" "... her heart¡¯s not mine, I¡¯m afraid," Ty smiled bitterly, sitting down and taking out a gourd of wine as well, taking a sip . "Not all can have their happily-ever-after, Primul . " "... tell me about it . " Primul chuckled, shaking his head . "Oh well . I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a woman yet . If not, you can always pretend your cultivating art forbids you or something . " "Haii, do you really think I¡¯d sink that low?" "I at least don¡¯t think you¡¯re above it . " "Puh, what a cruel guy..." Ty sighed, shaking his head . "What about you?" "..." Primul remained silent, prompting Ty to do the same . There was an inexplicable glimmer in the former¡¯s eyes, a shine the likes of which Ty couldn¡¯t recognize . His countenance cooled, strangely, and the air about him seemed to dete . "It¡¯s my time, junior . " "..." Ty remained silent, words stuck in his throat, before sighing . Taking another sip of the wine, his dreary eyes looked toward the distance . "Can¡¯t you reconsider?" "Ha ha ha," Primul burst out intoughter for a moment, startling Ty . "Time ain¡¯t something that¡¯s in our capacity to reconsider, Ty . It pushes and pulls as it wills . " "... hah," Ty scoffed, shaking his head . "You haven¡¯t even said the goodbyes just yet . " "... I¡¯ve settled all my affairs," Primul said . "Found a sessor, watched the world I nearly destroyed be brought back to life and beyond, and I contributed, however little, to its inception . I don¡¯t have any regrets . " "We all have regrets," Ty said . "You¡¯re not above them . " "... perhaps," Primul paused for a moment and nced at Ty, replying after . "None, however,rge enough to weigh me down . Do you know why I came here?" "Why?" "One of the few memories I have before bing an Empyrean is of my father and me standing on a cliff like this one, overlooking a massive sinkhole," Primul said, taking a sip . "At the time, I couldn¡¯t have been older than thirteen, fourteen . Even though I can¡¯t remember his face, I do remember him whipping out his cock and taking a piss into the sinkhole, with me following right after . " "..." Ty¡¯s mind burst for a moment as he nearly stumbled and fell, shellshocked . "You... you¡¯re not gonna ask me to whizz with you, right?" "Ha ha ha, no, no," Primul shook his head,ughing . "I can¡¯t for the life of me figure out why that memory remained so imprinted in me . He didn¡¯t say anything or do anything besides pissing into that hole, and neither have I . Yet, among all the things I could have remembered of my childhood, that one scene is the most striking . " "..." "That¡¯s the sort of a person I ended up bing," Primul said, taking a sip of the wine and sighing . "Looking down at the world, pissing all over it . When I first met Lino, I couldn¡¯t figure out what made him so different than me . I saw it, in his eyes, the same madness that reigned over my heart . I saw that he was not above his emotions, above losing it . Yet,e rain and fire, he never surrendered over to that thirst . When I saw it, I knew he would be someone farrger than life . The world will continue down itsne; even he won¡¯t pacify it . Rather, it is impossible to pacify our base desires . He can¡¯t restrain them, so he¡¯ll let them be . " "..." "I think that¡¯s what most of us, in the end,cked," Primul said . "The just wanted to uproot the entire world and make it better, even by force; the corrupt didn¡¯t care either way and just fanned the mes in the end . He lets it be . He lets the world struggle, and he lets people fight for whatever they wish, be it for good or evil . I hope you¡¯ll continue to watch over him for many eons toe . " "... you could as well . " Ty said . "..." Primul said nothing, setting down the gourd of wine by his side and ncing at Ty with a tranquil smile . "It¡¯s been an honor, junior . " Just as Ty was about to reply, Primul pushed himself off the edge and flew . Ty¡¯s arm stretched out instinctively, but he held it back, in the end, merely sitting on the cliff and watching the tiny body falling deeper and deeper into the abyss . His lips trembled for a moment as the figure faded, swallowed by the eternal darkness . "... tsk, what a coward . " A familiar voice spoke from the side, causing him to nce; Lyn stood upright, arms crossed over her chest, gazing down into the abyss . "..." Ty said nothing, merely taking the gourd Primul left behind, putting it away, and getting up, dusting off his clothes . "Help me find a big b of stone . " "..." Lyn said nothing, turning around and meeting his eyes . "Is it true?" "... it¡¯s rather ill-mannered to eavesdrop, no?" Ty smiled bitterly . "... buy me a dinner tonight," Lyn said, moving back down the slope, locking onto a ratherrge b of stone . "And not that cheap ship you usually eat; I want some high-end crap . " "..." Ty remained silent for a moment, stunned, beforeing to and following after her . "Do you know any prayers?" he asked . "Huh?" she nced at him strangely . "Maybe we can honor him by whizzing down?" "..." "Oh, wow . " "... ugh, shut up . " Ty struggled inwardly; his heart trembled strangely as he suddenly uncovered a deep-seethed fetish he was unaware of up until now . "Isn¡¯t it kind of depressing though?" he asked, sighing . "A legend... fell just like that . Someone who terrorized the world and evoked fears in the billions of hearts died in the middle of nowhere . " "... isn¡¯t that a given?" Lyn shrugged as the two reached the b, both beginning to chisel at the edges . "No matter how holy the saint, or unholy the tyrant, both equally wind up dead eventually . It¡¯s how it ought to be, if you ask me . " "..." Ty said nothing, slowly shaping the stone into a child-sized grave, crouching down and simply carving ¡¯Primul¡¯ into the stone¡¯s surface . "If anything," Lyn said as the two picked up the stone, carrying it back up the slope and toward the cliff . "I respect him more for not making a grandstanding out of it . He lived out the remainder of his life trying to right the wrongs, and as he saw the dream of hising true, he realized it was a time to say thest goodbye . Thest hurrah, if you will . " "... hoh? I never took you for an idealist . " Ty chuckled as they reached the top, putting the b down before digging a couple of feet into the ground . "... it¡¯s hardly idealistic," Lyn shrugged . "If anything, it¡¯s bittersweet . " She sighed, ncing down into the distant abyss . "He always kept his distance from everyone . Even in hisst moments, who bid him a farewell? A randomd he¡¯s maybe spoken to twice before . Quite a depressing way to go, really . " "..." Ty said nothing for a moment, settling the grave and pulling the dirt back over into the hole, cementing it and getting up, gazing into the abyss as well . "I think... he was content with it . At the very least, he will no longer be remembered just as someone who murdered and caused chaos everywhere he went . For better or worse, whether he wanted it or not, he found a way into the hearts of many people . Whether he realized it by the end or not, he was no longer an outsider, a temporary help that he wanted to be . Rather... he was a friend . " "... tsk, I didn¡¯t think you were a sentimentalist . I might just have to cancel our date..." "Ha ha ha," Tyughed freely for a moment . "No takebacks, I¡¯m afraid . " He chuckled . "After all, his dying wish was for me to get a girlfriend . It can¡¯t be that you want to renege on such a heavy wish? Tsk, tsk, I didn¡¯t think you were that cold, Lyn..." "... using the dead to ckmail me?" Lyn arched her brows in exaggeration . "Wow, I did not think you had it in you, Ty . My respect for you just shot right back up . " "... good god, you¡¯re so fucking bizarre..." Ty sighed, shaking his head . "... let¡¯s give him a moment . " Lyn said, closing her eyes . "Hm," Ty nodded, closing his eyes as well . "He deserved it..." Chapter 545 Chapter 545: 545 CHAPTER 545 MEMORIES The wind settled deep in the night,stly washing over the tender high-rises surrounding the flying inds above . The picturesque scenery burned against the starlit sky, hundreds of shimmering mes flickering like fireflies . The world was all but quiet, yet on one of the balconies, isted by a surrounding array, not a peep could be heard beyond soft breathing . Hannah sat on a chair, gazing at the distant moon, one of her hands supporting her chin, the other caressing sleeping Aaria¡¯s hair . The girl had remained awake for days and had crashed virtually the moment Hannah returned . Thetter had a tender smile on her face as she nced down, sighing right after . Gently lifting up the girl, she carried her into the bedroom andid her down before returning, opening a bottle of wine . She let the liquid churn down her throat and burn away through her lungs, seething her innards . The reality was rather elusive, she mused inwardly; though she had promised Lino to inform Eggor and Cae, she began deliberating on it the moment she saw their faces . Chuckling bitterly, she shook and lowered her head . Whatever disposition she showed to the world, it seemed that she was still that same indecisive, slightly cowardly girl that she used to be in her youth . The world was hers, yet so were the fears . The space opposite of her rippled all of a sudden as a figure walked out, surprising her . Alison stood garbed in an ordinary dress, her golden hair pulled behind her ears, a single flower decorating it . The gem-like blue eyes met hers squarely, curving in a slight smile . She had retained her perfectly youthful disposition, though Hannah didn¡¯t know whether it was her natural aging, or using Qi . Even still, the elegance and the beauty that had been the mainstay of her life had both been elevated . She gracefully sat across and casually took the wine bottle, filling a single ss she had taken seemingly out of nowhere, taking a sip . "... E¡¯s dead . " Hannah muttered subconsciously, as though the pressing mountain that was the burden forced the thought out of her mind and out into the world . "... yeah . " Alison mumbled lowly, the blue in her eyes shimmering faintly as they grew teary . "Did you tell them?" "I couldn¡¯t..." "... I¡¯ll do it if you want . " Alison offered . "No," Hannah shook her head, chuckling bitterly . "How can I offload it on my Junior Sister? I still have a backbone, Ally," she added . "No matter how hidden it is . " "... let me at least be there with you . " Alison insisted, smiling weakly, stretching out her hand and grasping Hannah¡¯s . "Lately, it feels, we¡¯re of less and less help to you . " "... it¡¯s fine," Hannah smiled, grasping her hand back . "You¡¯ve your own lives . " "As do you . " "And it¡¯s to be an Empress . " "No," Alison shook her head . "It¡¯s just one small part of the whole . If I¡¯m being honest," Alison took a deep breath before continuing . "I hold a tinge of resentment toward Lino for forcing so much on you . I can¡¯t remember thest time the two of us had any fun together . All year-round, you¡¯d be jumping around like a rabbit, putting out fires that should have been his to put out . " "... I don¡¯t," Hannah said, taking a sip of the wine . "While I may have an Empire to uphold, he had the entire world Ally . To be honest, having him as a husband is a wee bit exhausting . " "A wee bit?" Alison chuckled . "That¡¯s one way to put it . " "..." a strange silence fell between the two for a moment before Alison broke it . "I¡¯ve remembered, by the way . " "Remembered?" Hannah nced at her quizzically . "... the days at the orphanage . " "... when?" Hannah asked in a low tone, feeling Alison¡¯s grip tighten . "When Elta left me," she replied, her smile weakening . "It all came surging back... like a tidal wave . " "..." "... do you think he hated me?" she nced up, meeting Hannah¡¯s shining, green eyes . "For forgetting?" "... why would he?" Hannah smiled weakly . "If anything, he hated himself for being the reason you had to forget in the first ce . " "... when I remembered all the horrid things I told to him as you and Master dragged me away... I can¡¯t imagine what he must have felt . " Alison said . "Hey," Hannah¡¯s voice turned gentle and warm as she moved the other hand and covered the Alison¡¯s she was already holding . "Without you, he would have died back then, Ally . He knows that better than anyone . I remember, whenever he would talk about you, pain the likes of which I¡¯ve rarely seen in him surfaced in his eyes . Bitterness, self-loathing, anger... he knows, as much as I do, there¡¯s no greater sacrifice anyone, not me, not E, not Eggor, not anyone, has made for him than you . I can¡¯t tell you how many times I wanted to hug you and to thank you for what you¡¯ve done for him," Hannah¡¯s voice cracked slightly as Alison¡¯s lips began to tremble . "Because... every time I imagine my life without him... it¡¯s the sort not worth living, Ally . " "..." "In his heart, you¡¯ve reserved a pce that can never be reced," Hannah smiled, tilting her head slightly as tears began streaming down her cheeks . "A corner reserved entirely for you . Because, without you, none of this, none of us as are now, would have been possible . Thank you... thank you so much..." "..." a dam inside Alison¡¯s heart cracked as she began sobbing, running over to the other side of the table and thrusting her head into Hannah¡¯sp . Thetter embraced her gently, holding the trembling body as though it was made out of ss . The golden hair spilled over Hannah¡¯s blue dress like the morning sun spills over the sky, breathtaking to behold . "Tsk," a click of the tongue startled the two as they turned to the other side of the balcony where a figured draped in tight leather stood leaning against the concrete fence . "Are you two kids? What are you doing, bawling your eyes in the middle of the night?" "e," Hannah extended one of her arms, her lips stretching out into a beaming smile . "If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make an imperial decree nicknaming you a t-chested pig . " "..." Lucky looked at Hannah dubiously for a moment before sighing, shaking her head and smiling helplessly, walking over and joining a rather cramped threeway hug . While Hannah and Alison still sobbed for a while, she hid a stealthy smile of her lips . It seemed to her, at that moment, that the decades of bone-breaking struggles, heart-wrenching pains, and soul-ripping agonies... was all worth it, just for now . For this . The three remained embraced for a little while longer before pulling away, sitting around the table, drinking wine in silence . The reddened eyes spoke volumes to the bleeding, yet continuously healing, hearts . Hannah gazed over the two women sitting with her, realizing that without Lino, she most likely would have never met them . Rather, whichever way she looked, he was the catalyst for everything that orbited her life; the friends and foes she made along the line, the changes she experienced, the lifelong stories that were still unfolding . The vastly foolish boy hellbent on revenge had cornered the world in his palms, yet she hardly cared for that; in her mind, Lino¡¯s greatest achievement, perhaps, was forming the core of their little group, most of which were already fast-asleep, resting after the restless few days . "... we should hold a small gathering one of these days," Hannah said . "Just us gals . We can invite Val, Seya, Xia, Namia, Lyn, Litha, Elta, Reli, na, A, Edith, Ava... everyone . " "Oh? The gossiping event of the era?" Lucky mumbled . "Count me in . " "Oh, speaking of gossiping!" Alison seemed to liven up all of a sudden . "You won¡¯t believe who I saw together just a few hours ago!" "Who?" Lucky and Hannah asked . "Ty and Lyn!" "What?!" Lucky eximed, far more surprised than Hannah . "She confessed?!" "She confessed?!" Hannah eximed even louder . "Didn¡¯t he?" "Eh? He fancied her?" Lucky quizzed . "... what? Did his fawning really get to your head?" Alison asked with a slightly dubious gaze, causing Lucky to feel dripped in a cold sweat for a moment . "He was clearly using you to get a reaction out of her . Don¡¯t tell me his ttery felt real nice, huh?" "N-no, of course not," Lucky quickly denied . "That brat? Psh . What ttery? He was just annoying . Fuck him . " "... oh wow," Hannah mumbled . "You throw people under the wagons faster than booze from the wagon . " "... how long have you been thinking up that one?" Lucky asked, noticing Hannah¡¯s proud expression . "I stole it from Lino, actually," Hannah shrugged . "He sometimes sleep-talks, just listing one terrible pun after another . It¡¯s like a treasure trove . " "... wow, talk about desperate..." "Oh, shut it," Hannah rolled her eyes at Lucky, taking a sip of the wine . "Good for them, still . First Seya and Avon, then Rio and Xia, now Lyn and Ty . If we can convince them to hold their weddings on the same date, we can throw the biggest celebration the world has ever seen . " "Eight months of non-stop drinking, dancing, and screaming!" Lucky eximed . "Let¡¯s fuckin¡¯ do it!" "Oi, hold your horses . What do you mean by eight months of non-stop drinking? Do you want to kill us all?" Alison rolled her eyes . "Tsk, just because you¡¯re a lightweight doesn¡¯t mean the rest of us are . " Lucky said . "... I¡¯m fairly certain only you, Hannah and Lino could endure that without dying . And I¡¯m twice as certain you¡¯d still end up crippled for life afterwards . " Alison retorted . "... fine, fine, fine, we won¡¯t do eight months . We¡¯ll do seven!" "We first have to ensure they don¡¯t break up, though," Hannah said, stroking her chin like a master tactician all of a sudden . "Ladies, start brainstorming . " "..." Alison observed the serious two with a faintly bemused, but more so terrified expression . It was almost impossible for her to figure out whether they were just fooling around, or were genuinely serious; what¡¯s worse, her gut feeling leaned onto thetter . The two were certainly insane enough to pull it off ¨C she was well-aware of it . Chapter 546 Chapter 546 CHAPTER 546 NEWCOMERS n and Jonttar sat side by side, perched up against a thin, wooden frame of the house behind them . All around, simr houses arose from the t dirt and grass, hundreds in number, surrounded by expanding meadows giving way to the woond and mountainous forests beyond . Right to them, a streaming river of blue flew in a slightly downward slope, rather deep yet entirely transparent . Overhead, a sun sat perched on its zenith, sting away the bright rays against the world . It was a haughtily beautiful scene, too serene for the two who were ustomed to hellish circumstances . Both drank the local wine they were offered, their brows scrounged up; it was whole few levels more bitter than what they were ustomed to, yet eerily tantalizing and all-embracing, causing them to continuously take sips only to regret taking them a few momentster when the liquid poured down their throats and into their intestines . "¡ªhave you figured out how they did it?" Jonttar asked, breaking the longsting silence . "Nope," n shook his head, sighing . "The energy is too... deste . It¡¯s rather potent in creating subary individuals, butcks the raw disposition for breaking past the barrier . " "Even the Dragons here are quite weak," Jonttar sighed . "Rather, can they even be quantified as Dragons?" "... that¡¯s what surprised me the most," n said, ncing toward a mountain where the Dragon Tribe lived . "Usually, Dragons don¡¯t evolve individually on the worlds; yet, I can hardly think of a reason why one of the Dragon Kings woulde all the way here to nt a few eggs . " "... isn¡¯t the answer rather obvious at this point?" a melodic voice caused the two to turn sideways and spot a woman walking out, draped in a simple, leather armor, body-long ck hair tied into a tail wrapped around her twice over, hanging to the side, diagonal lies in her eyes shimmering in the sun-like golden . She sat down next to n and stole the bottle, taking a sip before quickly frowning . "God, this shit is disgusting... but... I can¡¯t stop drinking it..." "Tell me about it . " n shrugged, stealing the bottle back . "What¡¯s obvious?" he asked right after . "Think of the major variable this world had those others didn¡¯t . " the woman said . "... Edifice . " Jonttar and n eximed softly at the same time . "Yup," the woman nodded . "Even natural chaos produces independent strains of the overarching species, to say nothing of the sentient one . Besides the Dragons, I¡¯ve seen numerous advanced species roaming about . It¡¯s just that they are still in the infant stage of the development . " "... if the world is protected for long enough," n mumbled . "It will truly be something else . " "There shouldn¡¯t be any problems for the time being," Jonttar chimed in, taking another sip of the bitter wine and immediately regretting it as well . "Not only will the Creator somehow need to rapidly replenish three dead Agents, but there are too many fires across the universes to quell . Even if it¡¯s the Edifice of Destruction we¡¯re talking about, it would still be on the lower priority whenpared to the likes of Wormers and Devourers . Alright, I¡¯m gonna go and take a nap," Jonttar said suddenly, surprising both n and the woman . "A nap?" n looked at him dubiously, questioning . "I¡¯ve learned it¡¯s one of the favorite past-times for people here," Jonttar replied with a grin . "Inspired precisely by that maniac . Maybe there¡¯s something to it," he shrugged, walking away . "See ya¡¯, lovebirds . " "..." n stared at the fading back for a moment before shrugging, taking a sip of the wine and cursing himself inwardly . "We¡¯ve a visitor," the woman said as the two turned sideways and saw another woman approaching; draped in a rather simple dress, her red hair flowing back like fire, the green eyes staring blindingly at theirs . "She¡¯s firing off my danger signals..." "As she should," n shrugged . "She¡¯s the strongest person besides the Agent on this world . " "Hello," Hannah greeted the two with a faint smile, noticing the wine in their hands and quickly taking out a couple of bottles, sitting next to the woman and chugging the entire bottle down in one breath . The two stared at her with the belting eyes and dropping jaws, questioning her sanity . "Aah, Myther¡¯s wine... it¡¯s already been like six years since he suddenly stormed into the Court and, amidst the session, yelled he¡¯d invented the best wine in the world . He¡¯s got half the world addicted to his shit and is quite literally swimming in gold coins . But goddamn if it¡¯s not worth everyst one of ¡¯em . " Yup, definitely insane . The two came to a quick consensus, confirming it by a quick nce . "How are you finding your temporary living situation?" Hannah asked, turning toward the two . "We¡¯re working on something better, but I hope you¡¯ll endure for the time being . " "It¡¯s fine," n smiled back faintly . "This feels like vacationingpared to some of the ces we¡¯ve been . " "... what is your story?" Hannah asked suddenly, surprising the two . "... our story?" n asked back . "Hm," Hannah nodded . "For instance," she said, tilting her head toward them, meeting their gazes . "I used to be a so-called Holy Maiden of one of the major Sects in the world . It was also around this time that I became the Bearer of a Writ ¨C consider them offshoots of the Edifice... kind of ¨C and roughly about when I met him . Eventually, our paths crossed again, muchter on in our lives, before converging into a romancing tale of the world conquest, heart-stirring adventures, and so many wars I¡¯ve deliberately stopped counting . " "... pft, ha ha ha," the woman burst into softughter, causing Hannah to chuckle . "Sounds like a lot of fun, I must say . " "Eh, it had its moments . " Hannah nodded . "What about you?" "Us? Hah, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not nearly as fun-sounding," the woman said, sighing painfully . "Our homeworld underwent Ashening, and after a grueling, decade-long struggle for survival, we began roaming the universe, stopping here and there, while slowly trying to get stronger and stronger only to realize there¡¯s a major cap unless we¡¯re willing to sell ourselves wholly over to the Creator . We continued to skittle along the edges, trying to find the gap we could exploit, until the call came . And, well, here we are . " "... Ashening..." Hannah mumbled softly, sighing . "I still have trouble understanding how something so cruel can be easily executed . " "... it¡¯s a droplet in the ocean of cruelty," n added from the side . "Just a small smear on a massive, bloodied wall . " "I¡¯m sorry," Hannah said . "That you had to go through it . " "... thank you . " "If you¡¯d like," Hannah perked up a bit as she took a few more sips of wine, much to the two¡¯s dismay . "I can allot you guys a guide and show you around the ce . " "It¡¯s unnecessary for now," n said, smiling faintly . "This ce isn¡¯t too bad either . " "..." Hannah merely smiled understandably, getting up . "Well, if you change your mind," she tossed a couple of talismans to the two . "Or if you ever need anything, feel free to contact me . Until then, just rx a bit . It¡¯s good for your bones . " "..." the duo watched her fade into a spatial ripple, vanishing as though she was never here, the only evidence being the two, empty bottles she had left behind . "... I wonder," n said, taking a subconscious sip . "How she retained decency in the face of such strength . " "... a steady environment," Ana mumbled . "And limited corruption, I¡¯m assuming . This world seems whole leagues different than Earth, yet... eerily simr . " "Just a quick scan showed me that it isn¡¯t all that different, really," the woman shrugged . "There are wars everywhere still, people are bickering to retain the positions of power, there are crimes beingmitted left and right... but, somehow, that nature didn¡¯t creep up to the head-positions . Most of the individuals you¡¯ve fought, as well as those that seem to orbit the central structure of power, are either hiding the corruption like world-ss actors or are simply void of it . " "I think it just spills over from the top," n suggested . "Lino could have killed everyone on the spot, and he wouldn¡¯t have been any worse for wear, but not only has he let us join him, but he also let those who still opposed him leave . The fucked-up thing is," he chuckled bitterly . "I still think he would have been better off killing them instead of letting them go . Goes to show just how much I¡¯ve changed..." "... you¡¯ve changed once," the woman said, leaning against his shoulder and closing her eyes . "It means you can change again . Just give it time . I¡¯m quite curious about him; I hope we¡¯ll get a chance to chat in the future . " "Oh, wow, it¡¯s barely been a few days and you¡¯re already thinking about leaving me for a better guy? At least give it a month or two so you don¡¯t seem too desperate . " "Gal¡¯s gotta do what gal¡¯s gotta do," she yed along with a chuckle . "Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t seen you eyeing the redhead . You barely held back from kneeling and proposing to her on the spot . " "Tsk, and here I thought I hid it pretty well . Looks like I¡¯ll have to polish up on my acting skills; they¡¯ve gone rusty . " "Oh, babe, it¡¯s adorable you think they¡¯ve been anything except godawful since the beginning..." "... that¡¯s just fucking mean . " Calm silence fell between the two as they remained seated, enjoying the serene atmosphere they¡¯ve rarely experienced in a long, long time . Aah, n thought, closing his eyes and letting the wind caress his cheeks . I could get used to this... Chapter 547 Chapter 547 CHAPTER 547 SAVIOR (I) A horrifying explosion blew apart the cloudy skyline, shimmering mix of red and azure copsing into an abounding pir of energy that shot beyond the¡¯s membrane . Surrounding it were repeated flickers and shes of colorful lights, shooting left and right, continuous, smaller explosions sting off without a stop . Grandstanding cathedral, shielded within a cyan encapstion, stood amidst the bastioned ruins, leveled buildings forming a downtrodden cascade across the falling slope of a hill . Hundreds of cratersposed an eerie scene surrounding it, ck fires and smoke crying out into the vanishing sky . Standing in front of the cathedral was an elongated, strange, humanoid-looking creature; thin limbs stretched out for well over two meters each, chest area sunken, pulled inward, lined with steel pipes at the sides . At the very center of the chest, a dim, azure crystal still burned, tendrils of light dancing within its confines . The chest gave way to a narrow, oval-shaped head elongated into a tail-like protrusion backward, simr-looking steel pipes framing the skull and the elongation . A pair of desperate-seeming eyes darted left and right, the arms flying along their gaze, creating repeated bubbles of light that swallowed the falling ribs of fire . By the creature¡¯s side, eight simr, only slightly shorter ones fought the same; mostly forming bubbles of protection to contain the violent explosion of the elements, only on asion firing back in singr, concentrated beams of teal light . All they could recognize, as far as their nted, narrow but wide eyes of varying colors could spot was ruin ¨C aary copse of everything they¡¯ve known, loved and built for eons past . In a sh, it was all gone, giving way to the stench of death, a brilliantly horrid, heart-wrenching stench that had nearly driven away their will to fight altogether . "Hold on! Don¡¯t give up!" the tallest creature cried out when it spotted a few dispirited seemingly about to fall to their knees . "Protect the Uh¡¯kur¡¯gaah at all cost!!" With a faintly renewed vigor, they continued deflecting as much as they could, but well up above, in the now corrupt skies, they could see their brothers and sisters slowly being pushed back, losing . By now, it was only a matter of time . This was theirst stand ¨C but none could see the heroism of it, only the filthy decadence, the ugly nature of everything . A single pir of golden light suddenly fell from the burning skies,nding just in front of them . From within the beam, a figure walked out ¨C encased in a shining, incandescent even, armor of gold . Of humanoid appearance, save for the pair of breathtaking wings and the spinning halo of golden liquid, its ethereally blue eyes stared at them calmly and emotionlessly . Ak¡¯gva knew that it was over ¨C it was the Agent . Deep down, all the while, he had hoped the assault wouldn¡¯t have been directed by an Agent... but all his vain hopes have crumbled . The Agent stared at them evenly while they continued to deflect the attacks, warily looking at the neer . The indifferent, even cold expression, the absolute disregard for life... Ak¡¯gva realized that the stories his Grandmother had told him were all a lie . A filthy, deposed lie . "Why?" Ak¡¯gva asked desperately . "It was your time . " The man replied evenly, without batting an eye . "... it was your time?" Ak¡¯gva mumbled in disbelief . "All this carnage... waved away by ¡¯it was your time¡¯?" "Are you doubting the Will of the Creator?" the man frowned, showing expression for the first time, sternly gazing into Ak¡¯gva¡¯s trembling eyes . "..." thetter remained silent, mortified . All his life, he had been taught that the Creator¡¯s Will was the penultimate reality ¨C that nothing was above it . Yet, indeed, a worm of doubt swelled within his heart; what part of his surroundings, drenched in rivers of blood, decorated within the billions of innocent corpses, ruin the likes of which even the cruelest couldn¡¯t envision... what part of any of this was something a Creator wouldmence? "The struggle is futile," the man said harrowingly . "ept your Fates, and Adjoin the Creator . " "..." Ak¡¯gva¡¯s arms shook; had it been a year ago, he would have knelt down immediately and epted it . There was no higher honor for the Un¡¯yuvur Peoples than that of serving the Creator . Yet, his knees seemed to resist the bondage, pulling him back up when he wanted to kiss the earth . "What are you doing?" the man asked, his voice a growl . "Are you defying the Creator¡¯s Will?" "What if he is?" a sudden voice startled everyone present as the space between Ak¡¯gva and the man split open, like the opening of an eye, a human walking through shortly after . The first impression Ak¡¯gva got of the human was that he was... quite shabby . He stood topless, scarred through and through, half-ck, half-white hair fluttering violently behind him, his trousers ripped and bruised all throughout . Yet, he swallowed his words as he felt the pressure he was experiencing vanish ¨C rather, it was only then that he looked up to the skies, where there was no more fighting . His brothers and sisters looked on befuddled, unsure as to what just happened . There were no more foes . No more rippling explosions . No more... nothing . "Had you had a speck of brain in that bean-head of yours, you would defy that cocksucker¡¯s will too . " "How dare you?!" the Agent exploded in fury immediately, drawing out a golden chain andshing it toward the man . Just as Ak¡¯gva was about to warn the human, thetter extended his left arm and grabbed the chain fearlessly . Even before Ak¡¯gva could process the horror of such action, the chain snapped as though it was made out of ss underneath the man¡¯s grip . The Agent, not unlike the rest witnessing the scene, looked at what had just happened in terror, mortified . "How dare I?" the human crackled eerily, evilly even, as he slowly began walking toward the Agent who stood rooted in the ce, his eyeballs jumping about in absolute horror . "I dare because I can¡¯t stand your big daddy," the human¡¯s pace was even, brisk, unhurried, his small feet leaving even smaller footprints in the wet earth, yet to Ak¡¯gva they appeared world-bounding . "An indifferent, power-hungry tyrant professing holy multitudes . He¡¯s no better than a king sucking on the queen¡¯s tits while their kingdom burns and dies . " "..." the human quickly covered the short distance between the two, reaching the Agent . Thetter was merely half a head shorter, yet from the view of those watching, he appeared more akin to a child standing beneath the might of a giant, of a behemoth, looking up in awe, wonder, and mostly terror . "Y-y-you¡ªyou..." "You, you, you," the human shrugged, rolling his ck eyes . "Come on, treasured son . Don¡¯t you love your father? Shouldn¡¯t you at least try and defend his honor in the face of my mockery? Or are you too busy controlling your dder so you don¡¯t piss yourself?" "..." "He thinks he can waltz into my home," the human¡¯s voice darkened as he extended his right arm and wrapped his seemingly thin fingers around the Agent¡¯s neck, lifting him up, holding him like a child . "And act whichever way he likes... and suffer no consequences? It seems to me," the human tightened his grip around the ever-caving neck of the Agent . Thetter¡¯splexion paled quickly, a tint of bluish appearing in his cheeks . "He¡¯s been unbridled for too long, having forgotten that madness invokes madness . Why you, do you wonder?" the human asked with a faint trace of amusement in his voice . "I don¡¯t mind answering . Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s because it was your time . " Without even letting the Agent process the words properly, the human snapped his neck in a violent jerk, ripping his head off as the hapless body fell onto the ground with a silent, yet world-ripping thud that echoed in all the hearts witnessing the scene . The human seemed to stare at the wide-eyed Agent for a moment longer before suddenly tossing his head sideways, as though he was too disgusted by it to hold it for much longer . It was only then that he turned around and faced the still-stunned Ak¡¯gva . Among all the humans thetter has met in his long life, the one before him hardly stuck out from the crowd ¨C ordinary features, slightly on the more mature side, a pair of jet-ck eyes, ordinary nose, slightly wrinkled forehead, thick and bushy ck-and-gray beard, and the still-spewing hair . Yet, amidst the ordinary, Ak¡¯gva recognized the extraordinary ¨C it was in the countenance, in the way the world around him seems to bow to his will without him doing anything . Ak¡¯gva saw the Elements that he trained for thousands of years to merely befriend immediately kneel before the figure, shaking not in terror but in reverence . "Don¡¯t . " just before Ak¡¯gva was about to follow their lead, he heard the human¡¯s voice, forcing him to stop lowering his head and looking up, meeting those ck eyes squarely . "Your bravery is quite inspiring . What is your name?" "... Ak¡¯gva . " "Ak¡¯gva?" the human repeated, as though storing it into his memory . "It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ak¡¯gva . I¡¯m Lino . " "... t-thank you... for saving us . " Ak¡¯gva expressed his gratitude quickly as thest of their forces began converging toward the Cathedral, barely a few tens of thousands in number . "Barely made it," the human called Lino grinned boyishly for a moment, quickly dispensing the rather overbearing countenance Ak¡¯gva saw in him . "Though, I imagine, this won¡¯t be thest force they send after you . And, as much as I¡¯d like, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t stick around as you are just one out of many currently engaged in the war of survival . If you¡¯d like, however, I can transport you and your people to my void world temporarily, and bring you back to my home when I¡¯m done here . Or, if you¡¯d like, I can help you escape to some other ce . You choose . " "We¡¯d like to apany you, Great Human . " Ak¡¯gva replied without much thought; they hardly had any alliance willing to stand up to the Agents of Creation and the Creator himself, and anyone who can so easily kill an Agent has to at the very least be a World-eater, those few who even the Creator dares not offend easily . "Very well," Lino said, tracing his finger across space next to him, opening up a vortex . "Bring whatever you wish and hop in once you¡¯re ready . I¡¯m looking forward to our lengthy friendship, Ak¡¯gva . " Chapter 548 Chapter 548 CHAPTER 548 SAVIOR (II) "Pull back! Pull back to the Inner Sanctum!" a hurried, panicked voice broke past the sounds of repeated explosions that rippled throughout a fantastically-constructed city of high-rising spires, ssed mausoleums, high-towers of spectacr make and design whose once-breathing grandeur was now reduced to ruin and ash . Hundreds of thousands of people ran over the well-paved streets, asionally besieged by a falling ball of me, eradicated to ash within a sh of an eye . Those realizing they wouldn¡¯t make it would root themselves in ce, spin around, crouch and shoot at the sky . Though they didn¡¯t know whether their bullets hit anyone, it was the only option they had . Rammraght watched as the City of Wisdom, thest sanctum of Ivulits burned . The cradle of the civilization that broke past the ordinary, that had seen, touched and conquered the stars, was burning as though it was an ordinary city . Yet, Rammraght hardly found it surprising . After all, he had been a soldier in this war for well over a year, battling all over the, witnessing their most prided weapons keel over in front of therger-than-life powers that had besieged them . He wasn¡¯t even quite certain as to how they held out for so long in the first ce; partly a miracle and partly the unconditional sacrifices billions have made in vain hopes of preserving their little paradise . Bit by bit, the Inner Sanctum found itself entirely full, dripping with life seemingly drawing itsst breath . The streets that once stood beyond wide and spacious were now packed to the brim with young and old alike . Rammraght watched from the Vivilian Spire, the remarkable achievement before a purposeful building, standing at eleven kilometers in height . The encirclement was closing ¨C the flying men and women orbiting their little sanctum inching ever so closer . He, too, much like many of his brethren, would have given up if it were not for a single rumor of sorts that he had heard just a week ago . Though he didn¡¯t know whether it was true, or even if it was just a voice in his head kindled out of desperation, but a melodic voice of a woman told him of a human figure, not unlike himself and the rest, currently saving the worlds like his own . He just had to hold out ¨C and he¡¯d be rescued . "... hey . " He turned to the side and saw Antvvara walk out of the elevator, draped in the ordinary, military outfit that was unable to block a single arrow from the bowmen that they had fought . Tight-fitting, d in thetest nano technology, costing immeasurable wealth to produce even a single one... yet utterly worthless . She had a depleted expression on her face, her full, pink lips drawn back and under, forming a deep frown of sadness . Her red-gleaming eyes nced past him and out into the sky, shimmering in anger . "Thest leg, huh?" "... yeah . " Rammraght replied simply, sighing, looking out himself . It was a terrible sight to see ¨C a terraformed of green and blue now dyed in red of blood and gray of ash and soot . "Do you regret it? Fighting until the end?" "... why would I?" she shrugged, stepping up next to him . "I wasn¡¯t made a Commander for theck of desire to fight . Quite the opposite, I¡¯d like to im . " "..." "Did you hear the voice again?" Antvvara was the only one he had ever told of the voice, as even he realized how insane it sounded . However, she was someone he could trust beyond reason and knew that even if she didn¡¯t trust him, she¡¯d at least keep it to herself . "Can you really me a dying man for hanging onto thest straw instead of watching his home burn and his people die violent and needless deaths?" Rammraght chuckled bitterly, noticing the faint sarcasm in her tone . "... no," she said after a short silence . "I suppose I cannot . " "What about you? Why are you here instead of with your mom?" he asked . "My mom¡¯s fine," she shrugged . "She¡¯s off praying, since for the first time in her life nobody¡¯s condemning her for it . " "... in a way, it seems, she was always right . " "I hardly think so," Antvvara objected . "She spoke of benevolent creatures who harkened life into us . I don¡¯t know what you are seeing, but I¡¯m certainly not seeing that ilk of creatures . Quite the opposite, again . " "... people flying," Rammraght mumbled . "Shooting fire and lightning and earth and water from their palms... conjuring storms the likes of which we haven¡¯t seen in eons... augmenting matter better than any of our machines could evene close to... for however much we knew, Antvvara, we were a hundredfold more times ignorant, it seems . " "..." she said nothing, merely sighing . Magic, after all, was a thing of imagination, a device used by creative minds to entertain . How could they have possibly known it was a reality waiting for them in the ck void? "¡ªyou¡¯re finally here..." a cold, indifferent voice that sent shivers down both their spines bored through the spacetime, seemingly like a pair of cold hands stretching out to grab them and squash them . Yet, before they could, space before them rippled out gently and bounced the voice back, squashing it instead . From the ripple, a single figure walked out; he seemed ordinary ¨C too ordinary, as a matter of fact . The sort of person Rammraght might have seen in the low-end coffee shops and never paid much attention to . Topless, wearing tattered trousers, a single sword strapped to a worse-for-wear belt, long, ck-and-gray hair tied into a ponytail... much like the magic itself, he seemed a figure of those stories more than a living and breathing person . He had a faint smile on his face as he met their questioning eyes . "¡ªsorry it took me so long," he spoke to them softly, patting their heads as though they were children . "I¡¯ve caused you to suffer too much . Go back down now," he said, turning around and facing the sky . "I¡¯ll take care of the rest . " Before the two could process what had just happened, he vanished, appearing beyond the shield of the Inner Sanctum, floating in the sky with the rest . "... did... did he just pat our heads?" Antvvara questioned, her eyebrows twitching . "Let¡¯s go down . " Rammraght said; he, for one reason or another, held unquestionable faith in the strange neer . If he could save thest of his people, Rammraght would serve his head on the tter, let alone a pat or two . Lino¡¯s lips curled up in a grin as four figures stepped out of the void . Thus far, the most he fought at the same time was two ¨C but it seems they had finally wizened up . Two men and two women, d in the same, incandescent armor of gold and silver, hovered before him, behind them a staggering set of souls, counting in high millions, bloating the sky as they finally materialized . "A trap?" Lino mumbled, a warm wind caressing his cheeks . "Boy, quite clever . Though, I gotta say, you¡¯re gonna need a whole lot more than what you¡¯re showing . " "... arrogant, despondent, cruel, bloodthirsty," one of the men stepped out from the pack, looking at him with a glooming and angered gaze . "You will suffer the consequence of your sins today, Destroyer . " "... I¡¯m sure to suffer them eventually," Lino chuckled . "But, today is not the day for me to suffer the consequences of my sins ¨C but for you and yours, I¡¯m afraid . And, by the way, Destroyer? What the hell? How did that nickname get spread around? I haven¡¯t destroyed anything . I¡¯ve mostly killed and saved, you know? If you want to give me a nickname, at least make it an appropriate one, geez . I didn¡¯t think Agents of the Creator himself were this moronic . I weep for the guy . No wonder he felt so rmed over me, seeing as his top-guns are as ipetent as two-year-old children are at making lumber . " "... tongue as vile as your actions . Fitting . " The man said with a scoff, turning toward his army . "Attack . " His tone was low, yet it reached every ear it was designed to in a sh . The sky lit up a breathter, as though all the fireworks this universe produced since its inception were fired off at the same time at Lino . Colors, those known and beyond, blended together in an onught of shing energies, some reaching him quickly, others biding their time . Agents themselves rushed into the melee immediately, striking him from all four corners . In Lino¡¯s eyes, however, the speedy attack that should have caught him unaware was as slow as a snail trailing along the wet, rained-on earth . Over the past month or so, he¡¯d gotten more and more ustomed to using his new body and the new strength, slowly creating an equilibrium between the two . Were he to redo his fight against E and the other two again, he would hardly have to resort to actually exerting some of his strength at the expense of his body . He shook, drifting sideways in a manner that appeared painstakingly slow, yet the one which caused him to immediately appear in front of the Agent that had just spoken . Thetter¡¯s eyes grew into massive arcs, widening like saucers, as an ordinary-looking sword spiked through his heart, sucking out everyst ounce of his life from him within a nanosecond . In the same motion, Lino spun in a cleaving curve and shuddered the Protector, causing a crimson glimmer to explode off of the de¡¯s surface and transform into a phasmantal light of absolute destruction . The light grew rapidly, epassing the trembling sky in a sh, causing the entire to temporarily appear coated in a scarlet hue . It flew off like a sharpened knife, boring through the spacetime as though it was a folding piece of paper, wreaking destruction, sowing the embryo of chaos in its path . Bolts of crimson lightning shifted off of its surface and, like weaving tendrils and self-realized pythons, shot off to the sides, exploding in the rippling sensations that lit up the world in a light so blinding those who hadn¡¯t closed their eyes in time had their eyeballs scorched . Millions of screams blew out before those watching down below could process what was happening . All they saw was the briefest of red shes, and a breathter, millions cried out in pain, fountains of blood blooming like flowers mid-sky, falling like rain upon the world . Along with the cries, and the rain of blood, bodies, one by one, numbering in tens of millions, began falling, as though picked out from the canvas of the sky and thrown onto the ground . None were whole, at least missing a limb or two, while most were disemboweled beyond recognition . Carnage the likes of which they had not only never seen, but couldn¡¯t even possibly fathom, unfolded before their eyes . A single swing of a seemingly ordinary de outpaced all the millions of attacks that were headed toward the man, obliterating them all without exception . In the following aftermath, a massive gash appeared on the earth, splitting the massive supercontinent into two, cleaving off one side and sending it spiraling outwardly on the ensuing, massive waves . In Rammraght¡¯s eyes, this was no longer the matter of magic ¨C as this attack hadpletely shot past the concept . This was something that shouldn¡¯t be possible ¨C the strength that no single soul should have the capacity of procuring . Yet, all the same, it was so . Chapter 549 Chapter 549 CHAPTER 549 SAVIOR (III) The red light that had eclipsed the sun settled shortly after, leaving behind a tender ruin of death and destruction . Amidst the fiery winds and the fading weeps of terror, a single, lonesome figure floated, his expression shaded in a darkened hue, his lips parting into a faint sigh . The sigh seemed to bear the cries and the curses of the millions he had just in, as though he was letting go of their ghosts, banishing the demons from his heart . Rammraght and Antvvara, alongside the others behind them, stared with the cked jaws and wide eyes . There, truly, was something beyond harrowing about the scene they had just witnessed . Something that had utterly overturned what they believed to be the truth of the world . The human figure in the sky merely nced over the scattered survivors,pletely ignoring them afterward and turning around, descending amidst thest sanctum of Ivulits . The survivors had no mind to stop him, quickly banding and hurrying away, terrified out of their wits . Since the human didn¡¯t stop them, Rammraght wasn¡¯t about to either; they were hardly a threat at this point, after all . Knowing that the rest probably had no courage to step anywhere near the human, Rammraght swallowed a mouthful of saliva and took a brave step forward; countless eyes nced at him with gratitude and relief, though he hardly had time to pay attention to them . All his wits were drawn to the abyss-like ck eyes that were looking at him smilingly,cking any previous terror he had disyed to the world . A joint sound of footsteps echoed in Rammraght¡¯s ears as he nced sideways; Antvvara, though shaking and barely holding it together, had joined him . From the side, he could clearly see her lithe eyebrows flutter, her full lips quivering as though doused in a frigid bath . "... boy, you two must suck at the sports," the human chuckled all of a sudden, calling Rammraght¡¯s attention back onto him . "It¡¯s barely fifty meters, yet you sure are taking your sweet time . " "Ah! I¡¯m sorry¡ª" "Ugh, I¡¯m kidding," the human groaned with a rather strange and queer expression, suddenly striking a weird pose of sorts, jaw angled toward the sky, a single finger lifting the chin . "Why is it always like this? I... only want to make friends... you know?" "..." "..." Ah . He¡¯s the weird type . It seemed as though everyone currently paying attention to the scene collectively understood it, their guards dropping alongside the sense of fear and horror . Rammraght barely held in a bout ofughter, while Antvvara had to shift her head sideways and cover her lips, though her shoulders were mysteriously bouncing up and down . "If you want friends," Rammraght approached, extending his hand . "I¡¯d be d to be yours . " "... hoh? Really?" Lino smirked faintly, grabbing his hand and shaking it . "Wee to the party, then . So, what will you do now?" "..." Rammraght truly didn¡¯t know; though he wished to ask the human to help them, he could neither speak for the rest of the survivors nor request more from their savior . "If you¡¯d like, you can join me and I¡¯ll bring you back to my home," Lino said . "On the other hand, if you¡¯d like to retain your autonomy, I can help you escape somece, though I can¡¯t guarantee you won¡¯t be found in the future . " "We¡¯ll join you . " "A-Antvvara?" Rammraght belched out, staggering . "What?" she scoffed . "Of course we¡¯re joining him, idiot . He just decimated the force that got us down on our knees despite all our efforts . And he did so within seconds . Where else in the entire universe is it safer than by his side?" "... oh, stop it . You¡¯re making me blush . " "..." Ah . He¡¯s the really weird type . "That¡¯s fine, but... I..." Rammraght muttered, ncing at theirst sanctum with a heavy gaze . "... Hu¡ªGreat Human," Antvvara suddenly bowed down in front of Lino, surprising both him and Rammraght . "I know it¡¯s a selfish request, but I¡¯d like to ask you to let us bring along ourst sanctum . I know it will take a while to prepare everything... but..." "Oh? That?" Lino muttered dismissively, suddenly extending his right arm and ripping open a vortex in space . "Don¡¯t worry about it . Just have some of your people go around and mark the edges . " "Huh?" Rammraght asked with a questioning gaze . "Boys, you¡¯re up!" the strange human shouted into the void; a mere few secondster, all manner of creatures began streaming out like a flood ¨C from animal-like to massive giants towering at nearly thirty meters . "Oh? Who did you save this time around, boss?" "They look like humans . Ah, when will you save another group of Iyvar¡¯s, boss... I¡¯d really like to meet a new girl, y¡¯know?" "Nice ce, nice ce . " "Where do we start digging?" "The foundations seem firm, but we should still be careful . Ungurs and Giants will be responsible for keeping it still while Moonfoys dig beneath . " "Hey, you guys got any booze?" "Ah, boss, you are so handsome~~" Rammraght, Antvvara and the rest stared at the beyond ridiculous scene with eyes wider than they were when Lino was fighting . The empty za was quickly stacked to the brim with an insane variety of different species and lifeforms . They began to stare about curiously, inspecting the massive structures as well as the smaller ones . "Coordinate with them," Rammraght took a deep breath and settled his quickly-beating heart, turning to Antvvara and speaking with a faint smile . "We¡¯re saved . " "... hm . " Though faint, there was a lingering smile on her lips as she happily skipped over to the group of neers and led them to their own engineers . Though the digging of the sanctum would still take some time, it won¡¯t be nearly as long had they been forced to do it themselves . Rammraght, on the other hand, walked over to Lino who was chatting with a strange-looking creature of slightly blueish skin, thin and long limbs and elongated, curved head . "Ah, Rammraght¡ªthat¡¯s way too long, I¡¯ll just call you Ram . " "I¡¯d rather you don¡¯t¡ª" "Ram, meet Ak . " Lino said, ignoring Rammraght¡¯s helpless expression . "Ak¡¯gva . " Ak¡¯gva extended his hand with the same, helpless smile . "... Rammraght . Nice to meet you . " "Anyway, he¡¯s way more versed in inter-gctic or whatever politics, so he can introduce you to the leaders of these guys . Right, how far have you guys charted?" "... hmm," Rammraght paused for a moment and began thinking . "Pretty far; but, if you¡¯re looking for another with life on it, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re out of luck . We¡¯ve integrated all we found within two billion light-years . " "¡ªby now, you¡¯ve already cleaned enough to make them wary," another giant, though one three times as tall as the rest, also sporting reddish hue instead of the pale-blueish of the rest walked out of the vortex, crouching down and picking the trio on the palm of his hand, bringing them up to his eye-level . Two massive, gem-like eyes nearly caused Rammraght to jump off, though he barely held on . "With today¡¯s failed trap, the losses the Creator suffered are too much . He¡¯s likely to pull back the truly strong Agents, and perhaps even outsource your bounty to some other World-eaters . It would be wiser if you pulled back, for now . " "... still feels shitty," Lino said, sighing after a short pause . "No matter how many I try and help, it doesn¡¯t even count as a drop in a massive bucket¡ªnay, a fucking ocean . " "... it¡¯s the beginning, Lino," Ak¡¯gva said, smiling lightly . "We¡¯ve already spread out rumors of you as far as we could . Now, others won¡¯t need to simply bend over to every and any of the Creator¡¯s whims . So long as your beacon shines across the vast expanse, they¡¯ll find you . " "He¡¯s right, Lino," the giant nodded, causing a rather powerful blow of wind that nearly sent Rammraght flying . "I know you¡¯re extremely powerful, but you are still but a single soul . The Creator has countless universes under him ¨C you¡¯d die of exhaustion before even getting through one-millionth of them . Rather than breaking your bones by running around and trying to rescue everyone and everything, it¡¯s better to build up an army of your own . Build your own Cosmic Throne, and I¡¯ve no doubt in my mind that, given time, you¡¯ll be able to end his wretched rule . " "... I suppose it¡¯s time," Lino said after brief thought . "I¡¯ve already gathered enough energy to use for the Edifice . I also do have a wife and a kid waiting for me back home... it won¡¯t do my sanity any good if I stay away from them for too long . " "... could you please stop bragging?!!" the giant suddenly eximed while Rammraght could swear he saw the giant¡¯s cheeks flush for a moment . "I already told you why I don¡¯t have a wife!" "... oh, please," Lino rolled his eyes at the giant cheekily . "Keep that ¡¯too big¡¯ excuse for the morons who¡¯ll actually buy it . The truth is that you just suck at talking to women . Fuck, you suck at talking to them even if they¡¯re from apletely different species . My offer still stands ¨C if you tell me how to craft that hammer, I will teach you how to finally get a wife . " "Bah, what do you know?! I already told you I won¡¯t use force!" the giant retorted . "Eh? When did I ever tell you you¡¯d be using force?" Lino frowned . "Wait! Is that how you think I got a wife?! Fuck you! I charmed the shit out of that woman, flirting for months and years before she caved in! Haven¡¯t you listened to my story?! We were childhood sweethearts separated by insane distances, only to be reunited as both friends and foes before conquering all the obstacles and ending up together! What did you think I did?! Press a sword against her throat?! Fuck!" "..." Ak¡¯gva and Rammraght stood to the side, former shaking his head in disbelief as he once more concluded that their Savior ¨C a human who could topple the universe all on his own ¨C was a rather... strange figure . Thetter, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t quite reconcile the man he was seeing in front of him and that figure that crushed millions in a single move . A conspiracy brewed inside his mind ¨C the two aren¡¯t the same people . No, they can¡¯t be the same people . It simply made no sense . No sense at all . Chapter 550 Chapter 550 CHAPTER 550 THE COSMIC STAGE An empty stretch of darkness extended outward into the cosmos into a seeming infinity, the distant gxies shing ever so often with a faint flicker of light . In the midst of the cosmic nothingness, spacetime rippled outwardly like a pond of water, a creature crawling out of the ripple by force, shredding the membrane of reality in the process . Its massive skeleton wasposed of the slightly curved, central body lined with shiny, ck scales, extending to the side into two gargantuan wings, four limbs, and a winding, sharp-tipped tail toward the end . A pair of sun-shining eyes burst open, the sheer energy contained within the action sending out a sphere-like shockwave, seemingly discing the space around it . After a moment, the creature began shrinking rapidly, sounds of the bones breaking contained within until it reached the size of an ordinary person ¨C a young-looking man with long, ck hair and a pair of golden eyes . \"... hoh?\" he eximed softly into his jaw as a strange shimmer lit up his eyes that gazed to his left, into the distance that could not be calcted . Just as his exmation left his lips, spacetime in front of him burned out in a grand splendor of gold, a giant figure standing at nearly eight meters in height walking through . A blonde-haired man draped in a seemingly transparent robe shining with stars like gems walked through, carrying with him a halo eight times his size . The ring spun and bled golden, shining far more brightly than a star; however, the ck-haired youth didn¡¯t seem to care all that much, his attention still on the distance . \"You¡¯re breaking the arrangement, Dragon Child . \" The man spoke in a deep, unperturbed voice . \"Things must be really bad on your end of things if you¡¯re forced to send out a clone,\" the youth grinned faintly . \"Who is it? Riva? Jupiter? Caleb? Clo¡¯gaor?\" \"Why are you here?\" \"I¡¯ve heard fiddling rumors about the new World-eater ss Human,\" the youth replied honestly, shrugging . \"Just wanted to confirm them . \" \"You can leave, now . \" The man said . \"Why? I¡¯d much prefer to stay here and chat for a while,\" the youth crackled . \"Wheels really are spinning against you, fake angel . It¡¯s like a pandemic,\" he added, flipping his hair backward mboyantly . \"Once you let the root take ce, it bes harder and harder to contain it, let alonepletely eradicate it . \" \"There¡¯s no need for you to spend your energy on worrying about us,\" the blonde-haired man said, his strikingly blue eyes and thin lips curving up into a faint smile . \"It¡¯s a temporary distraction, at best . \" \"... that¡¯s what got you fucked in the first ce, man,\" the youth shrugged, shaking his head . \"There¡¯s no doubt nobody can stand up to you alone, fake angel . But, by now, I¡¯m guessing you probably have around six to seven thousand clones running around and putting out fires . If we fought right here and now, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to defeat me . Besides, that human boy is just like you,\" the youth added, his grin stretching . \"Contains the same gic makeup . Which can mean only one thing, no?\" \"...\" \"Who would have thought that, after all these eons of silence, the good, ol¡¯ Destroyer decided toe back, and choose a human of all things as his Herald . I can¡¯t quite imagine how your mum must feel ¨C seeing the nightmare brought back to life, yet unable to do anything about it . It is kind of poetic still, though ¨C lovers long since torn reunited . Were I bard, this would be the perfect story to tell . \" \"Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re moronic enough to also give yourself over like the Lesser Ones,\" the man scoffed . \"Don¡¯t make me lose what little respect I have for you . \" \"... worried?\" the youth grinned . \"Nobody¡¯s going to make a move just yet, I don¡¯t think . It¡¯s too early . However... the future is uncertain, fake angel . If you leave the human boy unchecked, he¡¯ll sprawl, and his tentacles will eventually reach us . Just like you, we might start seeing his clones running about ¨C but instead of putting out fires, he¡¯ll be setting them . After all,\" his grin turned devilishly sarcastic for a moment . \"Isn¡¯t that the nature of the Destroyer? To burn everything to the ground . \" \"...\" \"Ha ha ha ha, wipe that stupid frown off your face,\" the youth said, turning around . \"Go . Keep fighting the infinite battles . Your life must be quite exhausting, I must admit . Despite your strength,\" the youth nced back onest time, slowly beginning to vanish . \"And all the infinite wisdom you possess... you¡¯ll hardly find a soul envious of your position, fake angel . That, I believe, should tell you everything . \" The man watched the space close after the youth, his striking gaze shifting sideways, to his right, to the vast beyond . \"I can spare some time and effort and deal with the boy, if you¡¯d like . \" A figure much smaller than him suddenly crawled out from behind him; he was seemingly a boy yet to reach fifteen, sporting simr features save for the color of the halo that was dyed in deep-crimson . \"No,\" the man shook his head . \"You¡¯re not his match . \" \"Hm?\" the boy frowned, ncing to his right as well . \"Shouldn¡¯t he have just be a World-eater?\" \"When I first became a World-eater, I could take on tens of thousands of ordinary ones . You can¡¯t measure the Prime Agent¡¯s strength so linearly . After all, thergest portion of the Edifice¡¯s Energy is allotted to us, especially in his case since he¡¯s still the only Agent . Even with the Edifice of Destruction yet to be rebuilt, I imagine that his raw output is equal to a hundred of my clones or so . \" \"... no wonder, then...\" the boy sucked in a cold breath, sweating; had he stupidly went after the boy, he might have wound up like over twenty other Agents who were felled by his hand . \"We¡¯ll deal with the boy eventually; really, he isn¡¯t even the problem,\" the man shrugged . \"It will take him some time to consolidate his strength, to say nothing of the birth of new Agents that will slowly begin seeping away at his allotted Energy . Let him ride the coattails for the time being; instead, I need you to focus on finding Caleb . \" \"... he must havee into a stroke of dog-shit luck to be able to evade your senses . \" The boy spat out hatefully, a scar on his back scalding for a moment as a painful memory ran through him . \"There¡¯s nothing he could have found that would have allowed him to escape my senses,\" the man said . \"Whatever it is, he¡¯s either built it himself or with the help of someone else . Either way, if he decides to share it with others, dealing with all this nonsense will be more and more difficult . Though, knowing him, chances that he¡¯ll actually share it are virtually nonexistent . \" \"What about that woman of his?\" the boy asked . \"If we locate her, maybe we can lure him out . \" \"She¡¯s also cloaked,\" the man shook his head . \"Honestly, she¡¯s even a bigger problem than him . While annoying, Caleb is still reigned in by some reason and logic; she, on the other hand, ispletely uninhibited . Anything can and will set her off . Half the problems I¡¯m dealing with right now were directly or indirectly caused by her alone . Them two and the boy are a painful lesson for our ignoring of the Minor Worlds,\" the man sighed, his shoulders slumping faintly . \"Turns out that diluted energy doesn¡¯t mean only weak people will appear . Rather, if a strong one does, they¡¯ll be far stronger than the rest because they had to ovee the shortage . Find a couple of your Younger Brothers and Sisters and have them help you; start with the Byulic Universes . Their pattern of movement so far suggests they might have at least a makeshift hiding ce somewhere in there . Remember, don¡¯t engage ¨C inform me if you find them . \" \"Yes, Brother . \" The boy bowed respectfully before vanishing in a splendor of crimson, leaving the man alone . Thetter fell in contemtive silence for a moment before shaking his head and disappearing the same way he came, leaving the vast stretch of the nothingness empty once more . A few moments after, two figures appeared seemingly out of nowhere, standing side by side and looking dubiously at the ce the giant man vanished . A blue-haired, ck-eyed man draped in a loose, silver coat floated with hands in his pockets, the white-haired, twilight-eyed woman next to him sporting a massive, bulky armor set coated in a purplish dye . \"Hey, would you look at that,\" the man¡¯s lips curled up into a smile . \"The Prime Agent isn¡¯t an idiot, after all . \" \"Of course he is,\" the woman scoffed angrily . \"Why did he assume you made it? Why couldn¡¯t I have made it?\" \"Because you¡¯re too dumb . \" \"... do you want me to rip you apart?\" the woman growled . \"Oh, calm your tits,\" the man rolled his eyes . \"You¡¯re dumb, I¡¯m clever; you can punch a star to death, and I certainly can¡¯t . It¡¯s been countless years, Tal . Learn to ept your ws, for the love of god . \" \"Humph, perhaps I should have been dumb when I was saving your ass back on Noverteck,\" the woman said, lifting her chin up . \"That way we¡¯d both be dead and I wouldn¡¯t have to listen to you insulting me time and again . \" \"... fine, fine,\" the man shrugged, relenting . \"You¡¯re the cleverest girl in the entire universe . There, satisfied?\" \"Universes . \" \"Don¡¯t push it . \" \"... fine . \" The woman said . \"How did you know he was going to be here, by the way?\" \"Because I¡¯m smart . \" \"Hey!!\" \"His Energy has a rather unique indicator,\" the man shrugged . \"It¡¯s not that others can¡¯t follow him just like me, it¡¯s that they don¡¯t dare . It did pay off, however . \" \"Oh, right . What was with that talk about the Destroyer? A new World-eater? What¡¯s that?\" \"...\" the man looked at the woman helplessly; though he loved her dearly, more so than even he himself thought impossible at one point in his life, she really didck a desire to learn anything unrted to the act of killing and causing chaos . \"W-what¡¯s with that look?! I swear, if you call me stupid again¡ª\" \"It just means that someone as strong as you were during the Noverteck episode is born; no, he¡¯s probably just about as strong as you are now,\" the man interrupted her, replying . \"And it means that whatever little order could be found amongst the Creation is about to be flipped on its ass and set on fire . \" \"¡ªisn¡¯t he a big deal then?!\" the woman eximed in faint shock . \"It¡¯s not his strength that¡¯s the big deal,\" the man shrugged . \"But his affinity . Perhaps I should go and meet thed; could be good to get a feel of him . \" \"Eh? Are we finally joining a faction?! No way! If we¡¯re joining a faction, I want to join Bluebards! That bitch only taught me the first part of their assassination techniques!\" \"...\" the man rubbed his finger against his temple, forcibly calming himself down . \"We¡¯re not joining a faction; we¡¯re scouting a potential ally, or perhaps even an enemy . He¡¯s a new yer on the stage and we know nothing about him except that he¡¯s a human . What if he¡¯s a cannibal? Wouldn¡¯t that be bad for us?\" \"Oh, yeah . That¡¯s true . Alright, let¡¯s go visit him and beat him up if he¡¯s a cannibal . \" \"... . \" \"A-again with that look!! You do think I¡¯m stupid, don¡¯t you?\" \"...\" Ah, sweetheart, it¡¯s not that you¡¯re stupid... it¡¯s just that you can¡¯t be bothered not to be... \"Whatever, let¡¯s go visit him . We need to move our kids from Autur and, in the future, we¡¯ll need to move even more erratically . I still can¡¯t believe he managed to pinpoint where we live... it can wait, however . That kid¡¯s most-likely gonna go through the hidden, Minor Worlds first . \" \"He seemed kinda familiar . Who is he?\" the woman asked as the two began shifting through spacetime . \"... eeeh? How can you forget about the time the two of us yed with that poor sod until he literally broke out in tears and pissed himself?\" \"Oh! Yeah! The Bawler!\" \"Yup, yup . Do you remember how he promised he¡¯s going to clean after us and all that? Ha ha ha ha...\" \"Didn¡¯t he pass out once I poked his dick with a sword? What a pussy...\" \"Honey, there¡¯s no man in existence that wouldn¡¯t...\" \"Tsk, you guys are so weak . You can poke me down there however much you want, and I would never pass out...\" \"... yeah, but yours is designed to be poked...\" \"I see you¡¯re still a pervert...\" \"... aaah...\" END OF VOLUME XXII Chapter 551 Chapter 551 VOLUME XXIII FOREVERMORE CHAPTER 551 RAIN Hannah stood in front of a simple, woodden door framed in jagged stone, listening to the rhythmic sounds of hammeringing from the inside . A tall and wide chimney sitting on top of the nted roof spewed out ashen smoke into the sky, seeming extremely lonely, perched inside a valley surrounded by a mountain chain and ake with no other house in sight . She had a pensive look on her face, her fingers curled up into a tight fist, pale-white in hue . Ever so often, she¡¯d reach out for the door¡¯s handle and stop at the veryst second, pulling her arm back . Even more times she wanted to simply turn around and walk away but ended up somehow holding herself back . \"Ugh, get a hold of yourself,\" she suddenly pped her cheeks rather firmly, shaking her head . \"You promised him! Come on!\" Even though it was faint, that little push was enough to allow her to finally open the wooden door and walk inside . A simple hallway weed her, opening to the left and right, the left leading to the living quarters, and right to the smithy from where the hammering sounds were still ringing true . She took a deep breath and walked to the right, entering a spacious room lit up by oilnterns hanging on the walls and the giant furnace standing on the other side . Dozens of tools hung on the walls, corners decorated by hills of different types of ores, center with a set of tables and three anvils, one of which was currently being used by a stalwart, old-looking man . Seeming to finally notice her, Eggor lifted his head up and smiled, dropping the de into the barrel of water for a moment before putting it back on the anvil, taking a nearby towel and wiping the sweat away before walking over . \"Getting visited by the Empress herself,\" he said with a chuckle, taking the cup of ale from the nearby table and downing it . \"I¡¯m quite honored, I must say . \" \"I think I¡¯m your daughter-inw first, and your Empress second,\" Hannah replied, smiling back . \"So me visiting shouldn¡¯t be that odd . \" \"Ho ho ho, look at me, having the Empress of the world as my daughter-inw,\" Eggorughed fully, sitting down . \"I really made it in life, haven¡¯t I?\" \"Oh, shut it,\" Hannah rolled her eyes with a smile, sitting down as well . \"Where¡¯s Cae?\" \"Ah, where else but somewhere being suffocated by the books,\" Eggor sighed helplessly . \"I swear, that kid might actually go and marry a damn book eventually . \" \"Which, as a loving and understanding father, you will no doubt respect, right?\" \"Right my ass!\" he eximed . \"Bah, let¡¯s not talk about him . How¡¯s Aaria? She hasn¡¯t been around in a while . \" \"Eh, she¡¯s going through her phase of self-consciousness,\" Hannah said . \"So she¡¯s finally acting like a proper princess from the stories . \" \"Oh, yeah, I heard something about it,\" Eggor nodded . \"Didn¡¯t she send someone into a dungeon for a day because they identally brought her ck shoes instead of white?\" \"Yep . \" \"She really is Lino¡¯s daughter...\" \"... just what kind of a person do you think your son is?\" Hannahughed faintly, shaking her head . \"Ah, that bastard . Selfish, arrogant, morally loose, definitely up to no good whenever he opens his filthy mouth . \" Eggor said, his thick, bushy brows dancing . \"But... just like Aaria who ended up giving the poor sod a bucketful of gold for his troubles... he¡¯s too kind, Hannah . To this day, I don¡¯t know how he hasn¡¯t broken down just yet . \" \"... he¡¯s as strong as he¡¯s kind, that¡¯s how . \" \"...\" the silence fell between the two as Eggor drank the ale while Hannah took out a bottle of wine . It persisted for a long while, as demons inside of Hannah¡¯s heart raved and ravaged while she barely kept her expression together . \"E¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t she?\" \"... e-eh?\" Hannah eximed fearfully, ncing sideways and seeing Eggor¡¯s dark eyes meeting hers squarely . \"... I just... know it,\" he said, taking another sip . \"I know it¡¯s impossible... but in my heart, I felt it, Hannah . That she wasn¡¯ting back . She is, isn¡¯t she?\" \"... yeah . \" Hannah took a deep breath and replied . \"She is . \" \"...\" \"... I won¡¯t ask if you¡¯re okay,\" she said, extending her arm and cing it on his shoulders that seemed to grow much smaller at that moment . \"But, if you need anything... I¡¯m right here . We all are . \" \"... thanks . \" He said, taking a deep breath . \"Would you mind staying for a while and drinking with the old man?\" \"Of course,\" she said quickly, her lips curling up into a faint smile . \"We¡¯ll drink till we¡¯re both passed out on the floor, napping like babes . \" \"... geez woman, you have some problems...\" \"Ha ha ha...\" \"E... she never liked drinking,\" Eggor said as Hannah turned to listen carefully . \"Didn¡¯t like the way it made her feel, she said . Wobbly . Even on our wedding day, she toasted with moonjuice instead of wine or something like it . And, every once in awhile, I¡¯d look around for some new booze to try and get her to drink with me . That¡¯s how I wound up with a collection that even made that bastard jealous . \" \"Ha ha ha... he really is... grumbles about it all the time...\" \"She never took to it, though,\" he continued, sighing . \"Always maintaining her... stupid argument . \" \"... I always wanted to ask,\" Hannah said . \"Where did you two go after escaping the Sect?\" \"We settled on the Central Continent for a while,\" Eggor replied, smiling . \"On the shore . I worked as a local smith while she worked as a cleaner in a nearby monastery . She was quite lost... for a while . I¡¯d often see her staring off into space, her mind drifting somewhere else . It was the first of many times I¡¯ve feltpletely helpless . She was the love my life... and all I could do was stand on the side and watch her wither . \" \"...\" \"Eventually, however, she started getting better,\" he said, taking another sip . \"Began talking with the neighbors, sharing gossip with me, started smiling... it was when I knew I waspletely head over heels for that woman . So I swore to myself I¡¯d be someone she could depend on; I promised myself she wouldn¡¯t have to w out of any future hell all by herself . Heh, one promise I never got to keep...\" \"... I think... you¡¯re under-selling yourself,\" Hannah said after a short silence . \"You helped her far more than you might realize . \" \"...\" Eggor nced at her eyes, noticing a familiar spark . \"While he¡¯s out somewhere, god knows where, here I am, pretending I¡¯m helping,\" she chuckled bitterly . \"There used to be a time where he depended on me, and when I felt like I was needed . Even then, he stubbornly demanded to always stand by my side, ride whatever winds caught us . Yet, as the roles slowly started being flipped... I couldn¡¯t do what he did . \" \"... the way that kid looks at you,\" Eggor said . \"It¡¯s like he¡¯s seeing the most beautiful thing in the world for the first time, each time, Hannah . In my heart of hearts, I know he could live without all the rest of us; he would have done just fine had we just walked away . You, on the other hand, are his anchor . I guess... in a way, I was hers too . \" \"... you have a big heart, old man . \" \"I am a big guy, after all...\" \"... when did you twoe to Umbra Kingdom?\" Hannah asked . \"... a few decades before we met him,\" Eggor smiled . \"It was supposed to be a temporary stay... but, hah, who would have known...\" \"... all the pieces that fit into the world¡¯s story... seem to beckon back to that small corner of the world,\" Hannah said, leaning further back in her chair . \"Talk about serendipity...\" \"Do you know,\" Eggor suddenlyughed faintly . \"That one of the first things that bastard did is promise me he¡¯d steal E away?\" \"Ha ha ha, it does sound like him...\" \"He was definitely a major prick... but, he was still a kid,\" he sighed . \"Behind that strongman fa?ade... all I could see was pain . He¡¯s someone who¡¯d lost everything, and who kept losing, time and again, while always picking himself up . Quite honestly... right now, I envy him . All I want to do is crawl into my bed and forget the reality . Anywhere I look, I just see her face looking back at me . It¡¯s like I¡¯m living in a fucking nightmare...\" \"... I don¡¯t think his strength is magic,\" Hannah said . \"He once told me something, that his secret is in using the pain as the fuel, rather than letting it overwhelm him . I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be of any help,\" she added . \"But... maybe you could craft something to immortalize her . \" \"... I¡¯ll give it a shot,\" he nodded lightly, taking another sip . \"However much I want to disappear, I can¡¯t . Not with my kids still living out and about, and such a wonderful daughter-inw . \" \"Oh, stop it, you¡¯re making me blush . \" \"Thank you,\" he said, meeting her gaze with a faint smile . \"For being honest with me . And for staying to listen to my rambling . \" \"... it¡¯s not rambling, but a story,\" Hannah said, smiling lightly and getting up, walking over . \"A beautiful, heartwarming one . \" She crouched down slightly and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his wide back . \"Thank you for being his strength and his shield when he needed you the most . Now... let us be yours . You¡¯re the grandfather of this Empire, Eggor, and all of us, one way or another, are your children... all at your beck and call . \" \"Who... who would want a whole bunch of brats like you as kids...\" his voice cracked faintly as his body began to shake, causing Hannah to tighten her grip, her eyes feeling as though being pricked by the thorns . \"Who would want that...\" she gritted her teeth and endured as he sobbed lowly, his shaky arms holding onto her back like a man hanging off the cliff, hanging onto a rope . At that moment, Hannah felt as though her heart was about to crack; even figures that, to the world, seem indomitable, like fortified walls, those names that seemrger than life, are, in the end, people . They shake and break like the rest, yet they can never show it . People look to them because they seem untouched by anything, because they look like nothing and no one would break them . She, too, felt it ¨C the eyes of the people who look at her as the shining star . That was why she held onto the few friendships she knew were true, especially with Lucky and Alison . Those two didn¡¯t care for what titles she held; they treated her just as a friend would treat a friend . She had no doubt Eggor had it far worse; everyone who knew him knew him as the Emperor¡¯s father, the untouchable, the name beyond the names . He had only them, those few that were with Lino for a long time, yet when was thest time she herself had visited him? Talked with him? Shared a drink with him? In a way, she realized, she too treated him as someone she couldn¡¯t treat ¡¯normally¡¯ . If it would always take death to break down the walls of separation, and to open hearts to one another, and to give into eptance, would it even be worth it? Rich or poor, strong or week, eloquent or illiterate, brilliant or dull... they¡¯re all just artificial lines drawn by the closed minds . None of it truly usurps the single, simple truth of the reality: all everyone wants is to live happily for as long as they¡¯ve got, and perhaps to form a few bonds over their lifetimes to share the everyday pangs of life with . \"... tomorrow,\" she whispered softly . \"I¡¯ll have you meet up with me and a few girls, and you¡¯re going to help us design some jewelry . \" \"... what?\" \"Oh, and Aaria¡¯s been asking for a new, ¡¯mboyant¡¯ crown, so you¡¯re going to have to make one so big and so bejeweled she¡¯ll be too embarrassed to ever put it on her head . \" \"H-Hannah?\" \"And you and Cae will have to attend the uing ball; I hear some beautiful, prestigious women of those Holy Sects will being, so it will be a good opportunity to hook Cae up with someone . You, as a father, have that obligation because, clearly, your son couldn¡¯t be less interested even if he tried . \" \"... you¡¯re scaring me...\" \"I heard one from the Aeonian Sect was rather decent; headstrong, honest, upfront, she¡¯d be a good counterpart to Cae . I can probably abuse my power a bit and force them together if you¡¯d like...\" \"...\" What the hell is wrong with this woman?! Chapter 552 Chapter 552 CHAPTER 552 INCANDESCENT LIGHTS The usually somewhat quiet surroundings of the central part of the fortress were now a hub of noise and chatter, as hundreds of pairs of feet ran left and right, in and out, groups forming and dispersing repeatedly around the corners . After all, just a day ago, the Empress herself had announced the Empire¡¯s victory and thepleted conquest, and, in the name of that, she donned the following week a national holiday, throwing a massive ball for the asion, and supplying any and every other gathering inside the Empire¡¯s heart . Countless stalls already stretched across the somewhat convoluted set of roads spanning the fortress, some leading to the city down below, selling anything from the Empire¡¯s gs, small statues of the great people, collections of stories and poems describing the valor and the might of the Empire¡¯s top figures, and even cheap replicas of their identifying weapons . Meanwhile, Lucky stood perched on top of the wall of the fortress, gazing at the sea of people streaming in and out of its walls with a calm expression . She took in a deep breath and gazed up, her cherry-red lips stretching into a content smile . Nearly sixty years ago, when she first entered her teenagehood, she imagined her life taking many routes ¨C yet, not even in her wildest imagination did she think anything close to how it actually yed out . It feels like yesterday that she still struggled to grapple with the reality of things, when a woman promising her stars stole away her heart and heralded her onto the path that led her here . Ever so often, Ae¡¯s smiling face would pop into her head as a swell of regret would assail her heart; she worked far harder than anyone in that small group, yet fell short of ever experiencing the penultimate splendor it would reach . Atst, however, she could rx; thesest few decades felt as though she was constantly walking on the path of swords and needles, never quite certain when one might prick her an inch too deep . It was over now, however . Perhaps not for forever, but she could put her heart at ease at least for a little while . She turned into a shadow all of a sudden, rapidly, and vanished from the walls, the liquid-like shape trailing along the walls and rooftops of the buildings, reaching the ¡¯pce¡¯ of the fortress before heading in and entering the Grand Hall where the ball would be held . Most of the decorations were already in ce, with over a hundred silver chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, the usually dull, stone pirs decorated with a golden tint, cold floor covered with beautiful rugs and the central carpet, wooden tables reced by the steel-framed ones, the center carved out into a slightly elevated tformrge enough to fit at least a hundred people dancing at the same time, with some room to spare . The wide edges of the hall were lined by the extruded tables that would be filled with food and drinks when the ball begins, various portraits and mosaic adorning the tall walls of the hall . \"Oh, you¡¯re finally here,\" Alison¡¯s voice jolted her back to reality as she nced sideways, spotting a somewhat disheveled-looking figure holding a giant table in one and a bundle of wooden nks in the other hand . \"Could you help me with this?\" \"Uh, sure,\" Lucky said, quickly racing over and taking the stack of nks . \"Why are you doing this? Aren¡¯t there literally thousands of people who would cut their cocks for the privilege?\" \"... can¡¯t you say something normally just once?\" Alison smiled helplessly as the two headed to the backside of the fortress . \"Besides, it feels good to work . Break a sweat and all that . \" \"... I know quite a few ways we could break a sweat without carrying around a bunch of wood . \" Lucky smiled strangely, causing Alison¡¯s cheeks to flush for a moment . \"Hush, I told you not to talk about it in public! It¡¯s embarrassing!\" \"Why do you think I keep doing it still?\" \"Because you¡¯re mean?\" \"Because seeing you embarrassed gets me through the day . \" \"So, yeah, because you¡¯re mean . \" Alison rolled her eyes . \"Do you mind if I, uh, run something by you?\" \"Sure . What¡¯s up?\" Lucky asked, using her free hand to take out a gourd of ale, taking a sip . \"... if possible, uh, I¡¯d like... uh...\" \"... what?\" Lucky nced her dubiously . \"Spit it out already . \" \"... I¡¯d like to adopt a kid... or two... maybe...\" Alison¡¯s voice fizzled out toward the end as she looked away from Lucky, seemingly too afraid to see her reaction . \"... sure . \" \"I mean, I know it¡¯s a grand undertaking and I know you¡¯re not that good with¡ªsay what?\" \"I said, sure,\" Lucky chuckled bitterly . \"Why? Is it that surprising?\" \"Yes!¡ªI mean no, of course not...\" \"Nice save, babe . \" \"... are you sure? I... I don¡¯t want you to agree to it just because of me . If you¡¯re not ready, then maybe we should wait...\" \"Eh, it¡¯s fine . I can see myself tormenting a couple of toddlers . \" \"Tormenting?\" \"I meant raising,\" Lucky said . \"I use them as synonyms . \" \"Yeah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how that works . \" Alison looked at with a faint smile, extending her free arm and pulling back a few strands of Lucky¡¯s hair behind her ear . \"Are you sure? Like, absolutely sure?\" \"... yeah,\" Lucky smiled back as the two stopped . \"You¡¯re gonna be a great mom, you know?\" \"As will you...\" \"Oh, no, I¡¯m gonna be a dad . \" \"... a dad?\" \"Yeah,\" Lucky nodded seriously . \"While you¡¯re teaching them all about histories, art, and whatnot, I¡¯ll take them out to brothels, teach them how to drink, and how to fight . \" \"... on the second thought, let¡¯s just not have kids . Like ever . \" \"Ha ha ha ha, ahe on, you know I¡¯m just kidding,\" Lucky ran after the annoyed Alison,ughing madly . \"So, which lucky kid got your gear spinning?\" \"Huh?\" \"It¡¯s fine; however much of a cripple he or she is, I won¡¯t mind so long as you¡¯re happy with them . \" \"She¡ªshe¡¯s not a cripple!!\" Alison eximed angrily . \"Oh, so it¡¯s a she?\" Lucky arched her left brow, grinning . \"... I hate it when you do that . \" \"Do what?\" \"Manipte me . \" \"I don¡¯t think that really qualifies as maniption,\" Lucky said . \"Nudging, I¡¯d say, at best . \" \"Call it what you will, it¡¯s uncool . \" \"... so, tell me about her . \" \"What do you want to know?\" Alison asked . \"What¡¯s her name?\" \"... June . \" \"June? Hm, nice name . What¡¯s she like?\" \"... she, uh, lost both her parents in the Battle of the Mountain Pass,\" Alison replied . \"She turned nine a couple of weeks ago, in the Military Orphanage down in the city . She¡¯s... quite clever, quick on her feet . Saw me roaming about, walked up, asked me if I needed something... and then asked me for a few coins when she helped me . \" \"Oh? Sounds like my kind of a girl . \" Lucky chuckled . \"... yeah, she reminded me a bit of you,\" Alison said . \"A tough, greedy surface... yet, after I followed her stealthily, I saw her buying a few sets of clothes and handing them out to other kids . She didn¡¯t keep even a copper for herself . \" \"...\" \"I know that, even if I leave her alone...\" Alison said, her voice turning slightly quieter . \"She¡¯d probably do just fine by herself . She¡¯d scrape and scuffle and fight, and find her path in the world . Just like you . \" \"... yeah . \" \"But, I don¡¯t want her to go through what you did, just to climb to the top,\" she said . \"I don¡¯t want anyone to go through it if I¡¯m being honest . \" \"...\" Lucky said nothing, merely taking a sip of ale . \"I want to give her the best opportunity to blossom into whatever flower she wants to be,\" Alison said as the two stepped out of the hallway and onto the nearby balcony, leaning against the railing . \"That¡¯s... what I think, at least . \" \"... can I be honest with you?\" Lucky said after a short silence . \"S-sure . What¡¯s wrong?\" Alison asked . \"It sounds me like you¡¯re trying to project your guilt, Ally,\" Lucky said, smiling gently and patting the former¡¯s head . \"From the sounds of it, she¡¯s just like Lino . Arrogant, boastful, greedy, the sort you¡¯re quick to hate, yet once you get to know impossible not to practically worship . \" \"... that¡¯s what I love and hate the most about you...\" Alison said, her shoulders slumping . \"How easy you see through me . \" \"...\" \"On the other hand, I can only pray you tell me, lest I keep walking blindly about, guessing . \" \"... she sounds like a great kid,\" Lucky said, chuckling . \"But, if I¡¯m being even more honest, we¡¯ll have to reign her in a bit . We can¡¯t have another Lino-like abomination walking around, corrupting everyone . One generation has suffered enough . \" \"... you¡¯re saying...?\" \"Yeah . \" \"Thank you! Thank you!\" Alison spun around suddenly, dropping the wooden table and wrapping her arms around Lucky who stumbled back and nearly fell, bursting out intoughter . \"I love you... I love you so much... so, so much...\" \"... I love you too . \" She said, her quivering hands wrapping around Alison¡¯s thinly-exposed back . \"... you¡¯re the best, you know that?\" Alison said, closing her eyes, enjoying the gentle touch of arms on her back . \"Ah, I do . It¡¯s both a blessing and a curse...\" \"Ha ha ha... yeah, I can imagine . \" The two stayed cradled in silence for a long while longer, the streams of gentle sunlight washing over their inconspicuously tiny figures inparison to the massive world around them . The silence itself was just as, if not more, warming and embracing than the sun itself, lulling them into a peaceful splendor of the ever-fleeting present . Chapter 553 Chapter 553 CHAPTER 553 RULES OF THE EMPIRE Bit by bit, the Grand Hall was slowly being filled up . Lights from above lit up every corner of the majestic opening, people streaming in, gathering in small andrge circles, chattering away in peace . It would be hard to im a certain sense of uniformity within, as styles of clothing varied from the grand-standing,yered dresses full of fluff and decorations to seemingly low-brow, leather-capped vests, pants, and boots dyed in a dull brown . Hairstyles as convoluted as sculptures themselves, all the way to the bald heads, calm and exaggerated demeanors, it seemed more like a political gathering of dozens of different Kingdoms than an internal ball . Yet, even with the surface-level differences, the distinctions themselves seemed to stop at that point; people, regardless of their appearance, mingled with others, with the samenguage echoing in and out, and a sense of belonging present in the shimmering eyes . Rio and Xia, alongside Namia, Yun and numerous other, young Generals, mingled toward the leftmost corner, sporting their military garb and proudly disying their ranks, the highest of which belonged to Xia, having been promoted to the Lieutenant-General, the second highest being Rio, Yun and Namia, Major Generals, with the rest being Brigadier Generals . Thetter, especially, often nced enviously at Xia¡¯s insignia strapped to her shoulder-pad, as she was now on par with some of the Empire¡¯s legendary figures in terms of rank, like Y¡¯vol and Y¡¯elleve . Xia hardly minded their gazes, most of the attention drawn to Rio who was unashamedly sharing his ¡¯heroics¡¯ with the young generals, his ego no doubt soaring at the moment . \"So, how does it work between you two?\" Namia asked her suddenly . \"What?\" Xia asked back . \"Does he have to greet you as a superior each time you guys draw the curtains over the bed? Like, saluting you each time he reaches for one or the other piece of clothing?\" \"... no?\" Xia tilted her head in confusion as Rio¡¯s eyebrows twitched . \"Jealousy is really an ugly bitch, huh?\" hemented from the side, causing Namia to shift her gaze over to him and smirk . \"Aren¡¯t you embarrassed your girlfriend is a higher rank than you?\" \"Why would I be?\" Rio shrugged . \"If they ask me, I¡¯d promote her to the General of the Army . That¡¯s how good she is . \" \"... aah, don¡¯t even bother,\" Yun sighed . \"These two are a weirdly odd specimen . \" \"It¡¯s not that,\" Rio chuckled . \"But, once you¡¯ve experienced the disaster called the Emperor and his vile tongue, most others be... somewhat meek . Anyway, what about you guys? Will you retire or continue?\" \"Continue,\" Yun replied . \"If I retire, won¡¯t you shoot past me? That¡¯d be enough shame to send me to an early grave . \" \"What he said . \" Namia nodded . \"¡ªwhat happened then, General Rio?\" one of the youngsters prompted Rio to abandon Yun and Namia and turn his attention toward the thirsty-eyed neers . \"Ha ha, let me tell you ¨C I charged straight through the tunnel! Unleashing sts of fire and ice, killing hundreds with each move! And then I...\" \"... aren¡¯t you embarrassed by him?\" Namia asked Xia who smiled contently . \"Let him have it,\" she replied instead . \"He¡¯s deserved it . \" \"Attention!!\" a serious voice suddenly burned throughout the entire hall, causing all chatter to cease instantaneously . \"Duchess Alison and Duchess Lucky Olltor are entering!\" Eyes of those present quickly shifted over to the grand entrance to the hall where two women were currently entering; both, by now, were very familiar faces to everyone here as their portraits have long since been distributed throughout the localities . The former sported a sun-gilded hair let loose freely down her back, her glistening, sky-dyed eyes shining more brightly than the chandeliers above, entrancing all those who met them . She wore a bright-dyed dress, a mixture of silver and light-emerald, strapped loosely to her shoulders, arms exposed . Her appearance sent quick tremors, though everyone quickly swallowed them; nary a soul hadn¡¯t already learned of her actions during the Battle for the City of Sun which earned her the nickname of the ¡¯de of the Thousand Suns¡¯ . Lucky, on the other hand, lived up to her extensive rumors ¨C even for the ball she dressed up in tightly-bound leather armor, several daggers strapped neatly to her belt, her ck hair cut somewhat short, the piercing ck eyes seemingly capable of draining life from those who dared stare at the for a second too long . Though far less was known of her than Alison, her name rang far more terror across the vast ne of the world, dubbed ¡¯Death¡¯ herself, the silent, invisible sword of the Empire sharp enough to pierce the world . \"... tsk, these pr reactions really are grating,\" Lucky clicked her tongue andmented, causing Alison to nearly burst out intoughter . \"Dudes look at you, their eyes light up as do their dicks, no doubt . Me? They look like they aged a century at that moment . \" \"Maybe if you didn¡¯t choose to proudly disy weapons on a ball, people¡¯s opinions might change . \" Alison kept her smile as she waved to the now-apuding audience . Their seats were ced on the highest table, one that rose even above the dancing tform, where the Empire¡¯s top figures would be seated, beneath a massive, crimson-dyed banner . \"Who knows if there might be opportunistic lurkers . I can¡¯t loosen my guard so easily . \" \"Aye, there are sure to be a whole heap of dissidents in a hall filled with the world¡¯s most powerful people . \" Alison said . \"Because anyone clever enough to have hidden themselves from us so far, certainly is dumb enough to try something today . \" \"... oh shut it and keep walking . \" Lucky rolled her eyes, taking out one of her daggers, beginning to twirl it through her fingers, causing many in the audience to swallow with a loud gulp . The two quickly shifted past the dancing tform and onto their seats from which they could easily see the entire hall . The room stayed silent for but a moment before it was filled with chatter once more, only an asional nce shing their way . \"I told you we were early...\" Lucky sighed, shaking her head . \"We¡¯re the only ones here . \" \"Ah, remember that weird guy I was telling you about?\" Alison asked suddenly . \"What weird guy?\" \"The Vampire one . \" \"Oh, yeah, the one who surrendered after you told him you had a wife?\" \"That one . \" \"Yeah, what about him?\" Lucky asked . \"He¡¯sing up . \" Lucky shifted her gaze and spotted a well-dressed, rather handsome man walking up to the table, courteously bowing toward them, looking upward . \"This lowly one greets Duchesses and begs a minute of your time . \" Jonttar said, barely managing to hide the excitement in his heart . \"Ha ha, what are you doing Jonttar? Come on up,\" Alison chuckled and invited him . \"You always mored about how much you wanted to meet my wife, no? Here she is, in all her glory . \" \"Could you not treat me as a ssed disy?\" Lucky rolled her eyes, uncapping a bottle of wine and taking a gulp directly from it . Jonttar quickly, yet still elegantly, climbed the invisible stairs toward the tform and reached the two, though didn¡¯t dare sit down . His eyes veered past Alison and onto the ck-haired figure seated next to her, his eyes lighting up . \"... it really is true...\" he mumbled . \"It¡¯s one Legendary-tier weapon for a preview . \" Lucky met his gaze and smirked . \"Hm? What preview?\" Alison asked innocently while Jonttar coughed, trying to hide his awkwardness . \"You jest, Duchess ¨C I wouldn¡¯t dare,\" he said quickly . \"Besides, Legendary-tier weapon is too cheap¡ªI mean, I¡¯ve no such motives . \" \"...\" Lucky grinned, shaking her head . \"Sit down . \" She pointed at the chair next to Alison¡¯s . \"How are you finding our little lovely?\" \"Immeasurably pleasing,\" Jonttar said, sitting down . \"Brimming with life in all corners . You all have done a fantastic job . \" \"... you sound like someone who¡¯s experienced the court before,\" Lucky said . \"No?\" \"Ha ha, numerous times, I¡¯m afraid,\" Jonttar smiled sheepishly . \"It¡¯s simply the most widespread system in the universe . \" \"What do you think about ours, then?\" Lucky asked as Jonttar winced . \"Don¡¯t worry about it,\" Alison said, sighing faintly and shooting an angry re at Lucky . \"She¡¯s only mean on the surface . I¡¯m also curious about what you think of it . \" \"... h-honestly?\" Jonttar mumbled . \"Hm . \" Alison nodded while Lucky shrugged, turning her attention to the bottle of wine . \"It¡¯s, uh... a bit too... loose? I¡¯m sorry ¨C I can¡¯t think of a better word at the moment . \" \"Loose?\" Alison pushed . \"For instance, right now,\" Jonttar continued . \"Everyone on the hall resumed talking without you two having never given them a signal . \" \"... eeeh... we were supposed to do something like that?\" \"Ah, no, no, I don¡¯t know . I¡¯m just spouting nonsense...\" \"He¡¯s right,\" Lucky chimed in from the side . \"It¡¯s the basis of instating hierarchy, especially now that we¡¯re entering a peaceful period . Ranks need to be established and rules of the court followed . \" \"... why?\" Alison asked curiously . \"...\" Lucky nced at Jonttar and smiled mysteriously, causing him to shudder for a moment . He naturally wasn¡¯t the one to pass on a handed opportunity . \"Because of power,\" Jonttar said . \"The message that is being sent is that the Duchess themselves, people just beneath the King and the Queen, can only be greeted and entirely ignored right after . Though it may seem minuscule and even oppressive otherwise, it is important in establishing a clear structure . \" \"Part of it stems from the fact that the two idiots who founded the Empire,\" Lucky chimed in once again . \"Don¡¯t really give all that much shit about ruling it . Well, no, Hannah does; she¡¯s perhaps the only person those loafers down below wouldn¡¯t disrespect even if eighteen generations of their ancestors arose from their graves and ordered them to . However, the Court itself is still too young and none of thends are distributed . Nearly all members of higher royalty reside here, in the fortress, while the rest of the Empire isrgely left to the locals to administer . \" \"...\" Alison nked for a moment, though her expression quickly grew serious as she began processing everything . \"... the Duchess seems to know more than enough,\" Jonttar smiled bitterly . \"If I may ask, why you haven¡¯t tried changing anything?\" \"... eh, waste of effort,\" Lucky shrugged . \"You can¡¯t douse the ambitions . Almost every single person in this room has a precise reason as to why they decided toe to this ball . I can¡¯t be bothered to try and reign them all in, so I may as well let them give it a shot and kill the few that step out first as a lesson . \" \"... ha ha, ha ha...\" Jonttarughed weakly, cold sweat dripping down his back . \"I¡¯ll just ask Hannah to put Jonttar in charge of it,\" Alison said after a brief silence . \"That way, you can stop scaring people and always threatening you will kill them . Seriously, that joke has gotten old long before even we did . \" \"Don¡¯t worry about it,\" Lucky chuckled, ncing at the now-stunned Vampire who couldn¡¯t quite follow the logical stream of thinking of people on this . \"If I were you, I¡¯d grab onto this opportunity, you know?\" \"Huh? Ah, yes...\" \"Political power right now in the Empire is really vtile,\" Lucky said . \"And only a few positions are really secure . Without having divided thend, established the chain ofmand, or even properly distributed the titles, the virtual majority of the active power exists in the vacuum right now . That¡¯s why they¡¯re here tonight, a lot of them,\" she added, pointing at the chattering audience . \"Right now, they¡¯re merely chatting about coins and trade deals; however, once those with titles start showing up, you¡¯ll start seeing just how good we are at kissing ass and licking boots . The only truth, and the one they all realize, is that the central figures cannot be reced ¨C that is Lino and Hannah . The rest of us, to them, are just a temporary patch, the lucky few whotched onto those two¡¯s tits early enough to now enjoy the fruits of sess . I¡¯m a Duchess, but I may as well be a swollen cock, seeing as I¡¯ve no army, nond, and no coffers . Rather, well over half of people here have bigger armies, morend, and most certainly much fatter coffers . \" \"... that still doesn¡¯t matter,\" Jonttar sighed, smiling bitterly and ncing at the audience down below with an empathetic smile . \"What you have cannot be bought with deep coffers, or won by arge army . \" \"...\" Alison and Lucky remained silent, knowing full-well what he was talking about . \"But, you are right in that establishment of a proper governing body is necessary, even if for nothing but for the billions of people to whom those two are just figures of the stories . Besides, in a properly ran Empire, the Emperor and the Empress usually only need to show up ever so often to remind people they¡¯re still there and not much else . \" \"Attention!!\" the announcing voice once again quickly drowned out the chatter as everyone focused on the arched entrance upfront . \"Her Majesty, Princess Aaria Qa¡¯yi, Grand Duke Eggor Qe¡¯ll and his son, Duke Criador Qe¡¯ll, and Earl Ivon the Eternal are entering! Please arise!\" With another announcement, four figures slowly walked through the archway, the leading one a young girl draped in a rather mboyant dress, walking straight with her head held up high, followed shortly after by two awkward-looking men dressed ufortably in formal clothes, andstly by a rxed-looking middle-aged man greeting everyone with a faint smile on his face . \"... if I were you,\" noticing Jonttar¡¯s dubious gaze, Lucky chuckled from the side . \"I¡¯d worry more about our haughty Princess than the rest of ¡¯em . That little chick doesn¡¯t listen to anyone except a select few . \" \"Select few?\" Jonttar mumbled, ncing at Lucky who grinned . \"Where are you watching, little princess?\" Lucky¡¯s voice suddenly drowned the apuse as the eyes of the audience shifted onto her angry face . Aaria stumbled and barely stopped, fearfully looking up . \"Is there something interesting on the ceiling the rest of us are missing?\" \"... uh, no... no, Aunt Lucky...\" \"Is there something wrong with your neck so you have to keep staring up?\" \"... n-no...\" \"Then why the fuck are you looking up?\" \"... uh...\" \"Hush,\" Alison pped the back of Lucky¡¯s head with a pout and turned toward Aaria, smiling apologetically . \"Come here, Aaria . Ignore her . \" \"...\" This Empire is fucked from top to bottom! That was the solitary conclusion Jonttar made after his brief exposure to the reality of things . Who embarrasses the sole heir to the throne so openly and publicly?! And why is the Princess herself so fearful of a mere Duchess?! Just what the hell is wrong with these people?! Chapter 554 Chapter 554 CHAPTER 554 RETURN OF THE KING Everyone here is nuts! ¨C that¡¯s the single, overarching conclusion that Jonttar hade to in the few minutes that he had observing those around him . While Alison tried to soothe Aaria against Lucky, the other three were hardly better; the young Duke opened a book right there, on the table, and started reading as though nothing else interested him, the Earl was actually napping right now, and the Grand Duke ¨C someone who, at times, has even more power than the Emperor himself, was drinking and chatting with him like they were the best friends . \"¡ªyou look somewhat pale,\" Eggor said . \"Are you okay?\" \"¡ªah, no, yeah, I¡¯m fine,\" Jonttar stuttered . \"It¡¯s, uh, just my naturalplexion...\" \"Oh, ¡¯s that so? What¡¯s your name anyway?\" \"... Jonttar, Grand Duke . \" \"... who?\" \"... you?\" \"Oh, right!\" Eggor eximed, as though having just remembered it . \"Right, I remember Hannah telling me she gave me some important title . Hur hur, Grand Duke, huh? Doesn¡¯t sound all that bad, does it?\" \"... n-no...\" \"Ha ha ha, rx, rx,\" the big fist gently pped his back as the odd Duke shoved a ss of wine in front of him . \"Drink . It¡¯s lonely drinking alone . \" \"... y-yes...\" Jonttar took the ss and slowly began chipping away at it, crying inwardly . He had already realized that none of the Empire¡¯s royalty paid much attention to their standing ¨C if they were even aware they had it in the first ce . At the end of the day, no matter what Jonttar did, if they didn¡¯t change their behavior in public, the public itself won¡¯t change their attitude toward them . \"Grandpa!!\" a young girl cried out as she shuffled away from her seat and ran into Eggor¡¯sp . \"Aunty is bullying me!\" \"A-ah, is that so?\" Eggor chuckled bitterly, ncing at the smirking Lucky . \"What did she do?\" \"She¡¯s only a Duchess ¨C you¡¯re a Grand Duke, you can punish her, right?!\" YOU¡¯RE THE PRINCESS!! THE ONLY PRINCESS OF THE EMPIRE!! Jonttar wanted to scream out but barely held himself . \"¡ªcould... could you give her a break, L¡¯? Please?\" Eggor sighed helplessly . \"Meh, fine,\" Lucky shrugged, leaning back into her chair and copying Ivon, deciding to take a nap . \"Don¡¯t wake me up, no matter what . \" \"... fine . \" Alison sighed helplessly herself, ncing apologetically at Aaria who was currently pouting . \"... you¡¯re already fourteen, Aaria,\" Eggor said, stroking the girl¡¯s hair gently . \"Did you know your mom is thinking of picking someone for you to marry tonight?\" \"... bah, as if dad would ever let that happen . \" Aaria said . \"Why do you think she¡¯s doing it while your dad isn¡¯t here?\" \"¡ªw-wait... you can¡¯t be serious?!\" \"She thinks it¡¯s time . \" Cae nced dubiously at his old man, smiling bitterly; he was just as shrewd as the rest of them . Nobody who will be seated on this table tonight is a nice person, save for perhaps Alison . \"I¡ªI...\" \"Do you want your grandpa to talk with her?\" \"Could you? Please?!\" Aaria¡¯s downtrodden expression quickly lit up, her eyes shining . \"Of course, of course,\" Eggor nodded, smiling lightly . \"So why don¡¯t you return to your seat and keep quiet, eh? Let me handle it . \" \"Yes, grandpa!\" He¡¯s dangerous!! He¡¯s too dangerous!! Jonttar broke out in cold sweat as he watched the old man manipte a young girl so easily and effortlessly . \"Tsk, she¡¯s still just a pup,\" Eggor sighed, noticing Jonttar¡¯s gaze, smiling . \"Now, her dad, that bastard... haii, after him, each kid bes a vacation, I swear . \" \"... I... I keep hearing a lot about the Emperor,\" Jonttar said, taking a sip of the wine . \"What¡¯s he really like, though?\" \"Nuts . \" \"E-eh?\" \"He¡¯s nuts,\" Eggor shrugged . \"Greedy, arrogant, self-absorbed, maniptive, ungrateful bastard . If I were you, I¡¯d keep as far away from him as possible . \" \"A-aren¡¯t... aren¡¯t you his father?\" \"Yup . So I know the best . \" \"...\" Jonttar turned to silence once more, slumping back into his chair ¨C well, someone else¡¯s chair . He was praying that, whoever was to sit here,es quickly, lest he loses all the remaining marbles inside his mind . He¡¯d also realized the simple truth ¨C it¡¯s not that none of the people here were inept, or simply didn¡¯t know any better... it¡¯s just that none of them cared . Chances are, if anyone tried to usurp them, whoever did so wouldn¡¯t even know why they were clearing sewers a few dayster . In a way, it was a brilliant strategy ¨C nobody took them seriously, underestimating them severely . \"Attention!!\" the voice echoed out once more, and once more after that, several times in a row, as various titled began arriving one by one, filling the tables . However, to Jonttar¡¯s surprise, nobody came to upy his ce, which piqued his curiosity somewhat as he turned toward Eggor . \"E-excuse me, Grand Duke?\" \"Hm? Oh, just call me Eggor . \" \"... E-Eggor, then . \" \"Hm . What is it?\" \"Whose seat is this? The one I¡¯m sitting on?\" he asked . \"Oh, that¡¯s Hannah¡¯s . \" \"... Hannah¡¯s?\" Jonttar tilted his head in confusion but for a second before suddenly feeling his soul freeze over . \"Y-y-you mean... the E-Empress Hannah?\" \"Yup . \" Eggor nodded nonchntly . Does nobody REALLY give no shit about anything here?!! Howe nobody even bothered ncing at me with ill intent?! I¡¯m sitting on your Empress¡¯ chair guys!! For the love of all that is holy!! \"Attention!\" the voice echoed out once more as the chattering audience quieted in an instant . \"Her Majesty, Empress Hannah Qa¡¯yi is entering!\" as the announcement faded, all those who stood quickly shot down to their knees and lowered their heads . Through the arched gateway, a single figure walked through gracefully, dressed in an ornamental dress of crimson and gold, a bejeweled crown resting beautifully at her head . Even those seated at the table, excluding exactly one figure ¨C Eggor ¨C got up and bowed . Finally, Jonttar sighed inwardly, feeling eerie pleasure in kneeling down and kissing the floor beneath . A normal reaction . Yup . This is how things ought to be . He could feel the sheer and raw respecting from everyone; it wasn¡¯t merely out of necessity that they had knelt, but exactly that respect . At that moment, he knew that she was untouchable ¨C nobody, effectively, couldn¡¯t even fathom the Empire without her standing on the top . \"At ease . \" Her melodic voice echoed soon after as everyone, one by one, slowly started getting up . Jonttar sat back down unconsciously, quickly freezing over and shaking as he saw the figure standing by his side, looking at him with a faint smile . \"You like that chair?\" \"Aa-h, n-no, sorry¡ªI¡¯m really sorry¡ª\" \"Eh, save your breath,\" Hannah shrugged . \"Looks like this old man finally found a drinking partner . You okay with him?\" she asked Eggor . \"Hm, pleasant, if not easily scared,pany . \" Eggor nodded with a grin . \"Alright, don¡¯t drink too much,\" Hannah said, walking past the now-seething Jonttar . She¡¯s nuts too! You¡¯re all fucking nuts! \"Save your breath, Aaria,\" she quickly said, sitting on the girl¡¯s spot casually . \"Your Aunt is taking a nap; even I¡¯m not brave enough to wake her from it . \" \"... ugh, fine . C-could... could you go and talk with the grandpa?\" Aaria said nervously . \"I heard him say he had something to talk to you about . \" \"Behave tonight and I won¡¯t marry you off . \" Hannah said, smiling lightly at the girl . \"...\" Aaria¡¯s expression darkened slightly as she realized she was just being yed with . \"Humph, now I just might go and find someone to marry!\" \"I won¡¯t allow it if you pressure them into agreeing,\" Hannah said, chuckling lightly . \"You have to woo them properly . \" \"W-woo them?! I¡¯m the Princess! They should be wooing me!\" \"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you¡¯ll never find someone with that attitude, Aaria,\" Hannah said, sighing exaggeratedly . \"What if he¡¯s a shy boy and doesn¡¯t have the courage to talk to you?\" \"... then... he¡¯s unworthy...\" Aaria lowered her voice as she sat next to Hannah, in a special chair that, on most asions, remained eerily empty . \"Nobody¡¯s unworthy of love,\" Hannah said, her smile turning warm as she patted the girl¡¯s head . \"Are you saying Cae¡¯s unworthy of love?\" \"...\" \"Truth is,\" Hannah added . \"Neither your dad nor I care much who you marry . We don¡¯t even wanna meddle . It¡¯s your life; what say do we have in it? We only want you to find someone that will love you at least half as much as we do, and someone you¡¯ll love back just the same . So don¡¯t worry about it . You¡¯re still young . \" \"... dad told me that he knew he would be with you even before he was thirteen...\" Aaria mumbled . \"Ha ha ha, your dad is bullshitting,\" Hannah cracked lightly, shaking her head . \"A helpless romantic, that bastard is . Don¡¯t listen to him too much, alright?\" \"... so... you won¡¯t marry me off?\" Aaria asked, ncing stealthily at her . \"... go on, mingle with your friends,\" Hannah chuckled . \"Everyone¡¯s waiting . \" \"... thank you . \" Aaria said, pecking Hannah¡¯s check quickly before rushing away in a flurry, causing thetter to break out into a warm smile . Her eyes veered down and onto the floor where she saw dozens of groups gathered, talking, drinking,ughing . She was, however, quickly forced to interrupt her thoughts as, one by one, people beganing over, greeting her, identally mentioning their talented children and whatnot, prompting her to resort to her usual persona . \"Eh? What¡¯s with all this fancy shit?\" a strange voice caused a hushed murmur to erupt as displeased eyes turned toward the arched gateway where two figures walked through; one of them was a decently-dressed, handsome-looking man curiously looking about, while the other was a dirty-looking, hemp-clothed old man with hands in his pockets . \"A ball? Wow, who would have thought we were fancy enough for something like that, eh? Look at this Ram, we walked into an actual, fucking ball!\" \"Hm, it¡¯s very beautiful . \" The handsome man nodded, both seemingly not noticing the daggers pointed at them . \"I especially like that mosaic . What¡¯s it about?\" \"Oh? That?\" the beggar-looking man turned toward the wall the handsome one was pointing at, depicting a beautiful-looking, sun-haired woman fighting lonesome against an entire army, a host of hurt people behind her . \"That¡¯s Ally . Remember that fight I was telling you about, when she swooped in and saved everyone¡¯s ass?\" \"Oh, yes! Ah, so that¡¯s her? Beautiful indeed . \" \"Ah, sorry mate, she¡¯s taken¡ªno, wait, in the first ce, what are you doing, eyeing other women? Do you want me to tell Anty?\" \"... please don¡¯t call her Anty,\" the handsome man smiled bitterly . \"You know it¡¯s me who she always punishes...\" \"How long are you two going to---a-a-a-a-\" one of the people, tired of the two, angrily walked over and suddenly stumbled and stuttered as he met a pair of abyss-dark eyes . \"Byrone, what¡¯s wrong? What did you do, filthy b-b-b-b-\" \"Wow, look at that,\" the beggar suddenly scratched his nose in embarrassment . \"I somehow even developed the ability to make people forget how to talk... aah, how embarrassing . \" Rammraght rolled his eyes and sighed . \"H-h-h-His Majesty, Emperor Lyonel Qa¡¯yi, has entered!!\" a single announcement seemed to freeze the entire hall in time as everyone cased moving, their lips quivering as though assailed by the frigid wind . It took a few moments, and nobody was quite certain who did it first, but one after another, people fell to their knees, beating their heads against the floor so much that the entire hall shook . \"A-All hail the Emperor!!\" Lino cringed as he felt a slight pain in his ears, ncing forward where he saw only Hannah and Eggor looking at him with helpless eyes . He replied the gaze in kind and walked over, sighing . \"...\" Rammraght observed the surrounding people curiously, as he noticed all of them were shaking like leaves in the wind . \"There are all sorts of people here . \" He noted . \"The universe really is vast and full of mysteries...\" \"Eh, this is nothing,\" Lino shrugged . \"I¡¯ll take you and the rest out tomorrow and show you around . \" Lino said as he walked up to the elevated set of chairs . \"Right, by the way,\" he leaned toward Hannah with a questioning gaze . \"Why are they still kneeling? Did you order them or something?\" \"...\" Hannah smiled mysteriously, shooting a strange nce at Jonttar who sighed helplessly inside . \"¡ªy-you... you haven¡¯t released us, Y-your Majesty...\" he said in a meek tone as Lino turned sideways and found the source of the voice . \"Ah, you¡¯re that Vampire . \" \"... y-yes...\" \"Good; it looks like you¡¯re getting used to this ce, eh? What about the rest?\" \"... we¡¯re all thankful for your grace . \" \"... at ease, everyone,\" Hannah said with a sigh, realizing Lino had already forgotten about it . \"You¡¯re early . \" She said, turning toward him . \"They were weaker than I expected,\" he said, sitting down next to her . \"Ah, Ram, sit there . \" He pointed at Aaria¡¯s seat . \"How¡¯s everything around here?\" \"It was all merry and chatty until you showed up,\" she said, smirking . \"Now, everyone¡¯s too terrified to make a sound . \" \"...\" Jonttar, who was already getting tired of the cold sweat, was once again doused in it . However, his restless heart has also calmed down considerably ¨C if everyone in the audience genuinely respected the Empress, they felt nothing short of reverence, worship, and soul-stirring terror toward the beggar-looking Emperor . That was the sort of reaction that cannot be gained through a mere conquest, or dering yourself an Emperor; it was something that went well beyond the corporeal . \"See?\" Eggor said suddenly . \"What did I tell you? Completely nuts . \" \"...\" Ah, you¡¯re all fucking nuts, old man... Chapter 555 Chapter 555 CHAPTER 555 THE CRUTCH The atmosphere in the grand hall slowly regained its vigor as the time ticked on, though retaining a certain sense of awareness throughout, with eyes frequently ncing past the dancing tform and onto the elevated point . Their attention was drawn to but a single figure, sitting at the very center, draped in clothes so ordinary one might mistake him for the side-street beggar, surrounded in a rxed and tranquil countenance that almost seemed like a falsified front for what really lies beneath . Though Lino had noticed their eyes, he simply ignored them as it wasn¡¯t anything new . Instead, he excitedly chatted with Rammraght, introducing him to various things and people inside the hall, while Hannah sat to the side, smiling faintly . Unlike with her, nobody walked up to Lino to greet him, as even with the current rxed atmosphere, there was a sense of absolute distance, the point which they should not cross . \"... right, where is Aaria?\" Lino suddenly turned to Hannah and asked . \"Honestly, I thought you¡¯d forgotten herpletely . \" Hannah replied with a cheeky smile . \"... I should have forgotten you instead . \" \"I very much doubt that¡¯s physically possible, considering all the unforgettable things I¡¯ve done to you . \" \"Yeah, like crack my heart like an eggshell time and again . \" \"Well, something certainly did crack like an eggshell on asion...\" she said, her smiling widening . \"I¡¯m fairly certain Aaria is the proof that nothing was a-cracking . \" Lino replied, smiling back . \"... could you two possibly shut it?\" Lucky grumbled from the side, yawning and stretching . \"You¡¯ve barely been back half an hour, and yet you¡¯ve already made me wanna kill myself eight times . \" \"Weren¡¯t you asleep?\" Lino asked . \"... got me . \" Lucky shrugged, taking the bottle in front of her and drinking a bit . \"... you¡¯re awfully grumpy for someone who¡¯s about to adopt a couple of toddlers . \" Lucky gagged and spat out a mouthful of wine, coughing violently right after while Alison buried her head into her bosom, her cheeks flushing . A strange silence quickly erupted on the table, with Lino grinning at the now-fuming Lucky . \"I¡¯ve always known it, but damn, you caved in rather easily . \" \"... shut it, bastard . \" She took a deep breath, calming down . \"... congrats,\" Lino got up and walked over, patting her head gently . \"Both of you will be great moms . \" \"I¡¯ll be a father, though?\" Lucky¡¯s lips stretched into the faintest of smiles as she swatted his hand away . \"Tsk, I¡¯ve always known you were grooming a cock under all thoseyers of clothes,\" Lino said, returning to his seat . \"Too bad it¡¯s not functional... sigh... what a shame...\" \"Alright, quit yapping,\" Hannah pped him gently, barely containing herughter . \"She¡¯s right . You¡¯ve barely been back half an hour, and I already want to shove an ax through your brain . \" \"... ah, dear Ram,\" Lino sighedmentingly, his expression of pain exaggerated as he swung his arm around Rammraght¡¯s shoulder . \"Do you see how they treat me? Their very Emperor? It¡¯s like... it¡¯s like I¡¯m a pissed-on piece of turd to them, you know? See all the injustices I¡¯m facing . \" \"...\" Rammraght rolled his eyes and sighed, wholly sympathizing with everyone except for him . \"When you told me you were an Emperor,\" he said . \"I was picturing... something else entirely . \" \"Right?!\" Lino eximed . \"You were expecting at least a basic level of respect, no?!\" \"... I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be so loved by everyone,\" Rammraght said, smiling helplessly at the old man¡¯s antics . If one were to distinctly remove his appearance, it¡¯d be easy to conclude he was still a kid . \"You must have done something special to this ce...\" \"...\" Lino met the pair of shimmering eyes squarely as his lips broke out into a grin . \"We¡¯re each other¡¯s crutches, is all,\" he replied, taking a sip of the wine from the table . \"I¡¯m Emperorst, here . Titles are dead, after all; we are, on the other hand, very much alive . \" \"... I¡¯ll toast to that . \" Hannah chuckled and raised her ss, and was quickly followed by the rest, even those who didn¡¯t know what they were toasting to . \"That¡¯s great and all, but you never told me where¡¯s my little princess . \" Lino said right after the toast, causing Hannah to sigh and roll her eyes, dispassionately pointing her finger at the hall down below and the small figure hiding inside a group of people . Lino grinned as he met the pair of starlit, smiling eyes . \"Alright, spin the music . \" \"... huh?\" it was Hannah¡¯s turn to nearly choke on the wine . \"What? Can¡¯t a father dance with his daughter?\" \"... shouldn¡¯t you dance with me first?\" \"Danced with you plenty . \" \"We danced like three times in our lives . \" \"... really?\" \"Really . \" \"Eh, you¡¯re old . You have more patience . \" \"... did you just call me old?\" \"I¡¯m sorry; I meant you¡¯re enviably young . \" Lino said, quickly getting off the chair, avoiding Hannah¡¯s deathly re . \"But, seriously, tell whoever¡¯s in charge to start the music . Firefly!\" he spun and ran off, shouting and causing the hall once again to throw in a towel, turning silent . \"Come ¡¯ere,\" he signaled to Aaria as he made his way to the empty dance tform . Aaria sighed, knowing full well there was no point to resistance and made her way through, slightly embarrassed yet also excited . \"Boy, you¡¯re all grown-up now! Sheesh, looks like it¡¯s time to marry you off...\" \"... mom already made that joke . \" Aaria rolled her eyes as she walked up . \"Tsk, she keeps stealing my jokes . \" Lino clicked his tongue, ncing at Hannah . \"... wee home, dad . \" Aaria said, stopping in front of him, tinkering with her fingers . \"... what are you doing?\" Lino looked at her dubiously, tilting his head . \"... u-uh... following etiquette?\" \"... what etiquette?\" \"... a proper one?\" \"...\" the music suddenly began, dousing the silence in a breathtaking symphony . Lino seemed unperturbed as he continued staring at the nervous-seeming Aaria . \"Etiquette is fine and all, kiddo,\" he crouched down, lifting her chin gently and meeting her eyes, smiling . \"But, whenever you don¡¯t hug me, I lose about one-tenth of my total lifespan . This old heart of mine can¡¯t take it anymore . \" \"...\" Aaria rolled her eyes and extended her arms, throwing herself into him . She had already forgotten that there was a massive hall full of people around her, as in her eyes there was only the single figure ¨C someone who can draw that attention away . A figure she respected more than anything or anyone else in the world, someone whose shade could nket the entire world and protect it . \"I missed you...\" she whispered softly as Lino hugged her back . \"... missed you too, firefly,\" he chuckled, slowly standing up . She was good three-four heads still shorter than him, but even if it was awkward to dance, neither seemed to care much . \"Listen...\" he mumbled, ncing upward . \"Do you know this song?\" \"... no . \" she replied . \"It¡¯s your mom¡¯s favorite,\" he chuckled . \"I remember her threatening to leave me if it didn¡¯t y at our wedding . \" \"... ha ha, that does sound like something mom would do . \" Aaria chuckled faintly, closing her eyes and letting the sounds sweep her along his arms . \"You stink, by the way . You really should have at least washed up...\" \"... sorry . \" He chuckled awkwardly, finally having realized it himself . \"Nhm...\" she shook her head faintly . \"It¡¯s fine . It reminds me of you...\" Hannah remained seated, watching the two figures rocking back and forth in ce, growing teary-eyed . There was something between the two of them that was their own, a small piece where she had no ce to intrude; at times, she really did feel like an outsider looking in, yet she didn¡¯t mind it all that much . The song slowly came to its end as the music ended, followed soon after by apuse . Aaria looked up and met the pair of encouragingly-ck eyes who looked at her smilingly . Lino patted her head gently, chuckling . \"A¡¯right kiddo, run off to your mom now . \" He said . \"Your dad¡¯s gotta do something first . \" \"Hm . \" Aaria nodded faintly before turning around and leaving him alone on the stage . He walked up to the edge and looked down at the audience that grew quiet immediately . He maintained the silence for a few moments before speaking out . \"... we are victorious,\" he said simply . \"Whatever little that means . Before we roll off to another war, and before we begin scuffling and battling and bickering over this and that, at least try and remember the cost of the crown . It¡¯s a cheap piece of jewelry built upon the seaden corpses . The throne but a chair built by the endless stretch of bones . The g but a piece of cloth woven by the tears of all those left behind . All these titles just worthless mementos of vanity . I won¡¯t care for how you go about obtaining power, hoarding wealth, and whatever other dreams you may have; but, if any one of you, be it those I¡¯ve yet to meet, those I¡¯ve met, or even those I love, ever fan the mes of war again, I¡¯ll behead each and every one of you on the spot . \" Everyone in the hall felt cold shivers run down their spines as the ck eyes scoped across them . \"Consider me a tyrant, or a hypocrite ¨C I don¡¯t care . We can either prosper and live together in peace, or I can spend a few years weeding through you lot . It¡¯s entirely up to you . Enjoy the ball . \" Chapter 556 Chapter 556 CHAPTER 556 MOON-HUNG Rather than sticking around, Lino left right after addressing the hall, shing a faint smile at Hannah and the rest before departing toward the back wing of the fortress, into a small garden, bushes encasing a petite, crystalline clear pond of water at the center . The night had slowly begun to fall, the bright, full moon hanging far above, casting sets of shimmering, faintly silver rays of light onto the world . He plopped himself against a ragged rock, taking out a gourd of ale and settling it beside himself, averting his attention onto the starlit sky . Flocks of his ck hair swayed ever so often in the wind¡¯s rhythm, hiding and revealing a pair of ck eyes that seemed lost in thought . It was over, Lino knew ¨C at least for now . The warring, the battling, the endless stream of shadow-encased clouds... were all purged . At longst he had aplished what he set out to do from a long time ago ¨C create for himself, and those he loved, a peaceful world in which they can do whatever their hearts desire without fear of dying . Yet, eerily so, he found himself somewhat empty, his heart unsettled . For too long had he been in a constant state of alert and rm, always expecting a battle to pour cold reality over his dreams, that neither his mind nor his heart were quite yet settled on the idea of peace and calm . This sort of restlessness scared him, perhaps more so than any battle he had fought through and prevailed . The possibility that he was simply unable to imagine a warless life anymore left him feeling cold and hollow, distant from the rousing lights, chatter, and songs that he left behind . Taking a sip of the ale, he slumped further back, nearly lying on the shallow grass beneath him . A familiar set of footsteps echoing behind and, soon, near him awoke him from his slumber and limpidness, causing him to shuffle his gaze sideways and onto the figure that sat just on the opposite end . Between them, a rough, dirt pavement pierced, circling the flower-encased pond and winding around to the other end, extending past the hedges and onward . He was still the same, Lino reckoned, yet vastly different . Tall, stalwart, muscr, aged... nothing on the surface of things has changed, but the look in his eyes was different . He knew, Lino realized . \"... Hannah talked to you?\" he asked, taking a sip of ale and passing another gourd from his void world to Eggor who grabbed it . \"Hm . \" He replied, taking a sip . \"Can¡¯t believe you ryed it onto your wife, tsk, tsk . \" \"... she volunteered . \" \"Of course she has,\" Eggor said . \"She¡¯s an angel . \" \"... she truly is,\" Lino chuckled . \"More so than I¡¯ve ever been, I think . \" \"... you used to be a lot more like her, at least,\" Eggor said . \"But, whether you ever admitted it to yourself or not, years shaved away at your heart, Lino . \" \"... I know . \" \"... did you really mean what you said inside?\" Eggor asked . \"Or was it just a story for them to fret over?\" \"... a little bit of both, I suppose,\" Lino said, sighing faintly . \"I¡¯ve tried... I really did . \" \"Nobody said you haven¡¯t . \" \"... I killed her . \" Lino admitted, shifting his gaze sideways, back onto Eggor who met it squarely, the ck pair of eyes barely flinching . \"She told you even that?\" \"... no,\" Eggor shook his head . \"But, there was nobody else that could . \" \"... there¡¯s a special ce in hell for the likes of me, I believe . No... chances are, this is all there is to it . I can¡¯t quite reconcile it . \" \"... some years ago,\" Eggor spoke out after short silence . \"E confided something in me . \" \"Hm?\" Lino eximed softly . \"She told me that, one day, you two might stand on opposite ends . As she described it, it was just a ¡¯mother¡¯s instinct¡¯, the sort of gut feeling... the same sort of the gut feeling that was telling her, all this while ago, she didn¡¯t belong with this world . To be honest... I was preparing myself for today ever since . \" \"...\" Lino remained silent, taking a sip of ale . \"You are our son ¨C always were,\" Eggor said . \"And parents stand by their children no matter what they do . You¡¯re a father now as well,\" he nced at Lino with a faint smile . \"You already know you¡¯d forgive that little devil everything and look the other way . It¡¯s just something we do . \" \"... there are limits to everything,\" Lino said . \"I¡¯d much rather you yell at me and punch me, old man, than try to rectify what I had done in your mind so you don¡¯tsh out . \" \"... would it help your guilt?\" Eggor asked . \"No,\" Lino replied honestly . \"It would help yours, though . \" \"You don¡¯t need to worry about me . \" \"Of course I do,\" Lino chuckled . \"I¡¯m an old man myself, now . The sides have switched . \" \"The sides never truly switch, Lino,\" Eggor said . \"To me, you¡¯ll always be a young, slightly bashful boy too proud to ask for help . That won¡¯t change whether you¡¯re sixty or sixty thousand years old . Whether you¡¯re an Emperor, or a simple, local cksmith, or even a side-street beggar . You¡¯re my son before any of them . \" \"... she was different . \" \"Who?\" \"Mom . \" \"Different how?\" Eggor quizzed . \"... it¡¯s hard to exin,\" Lino sighed, taking a deep breath right after . \"She always seemed to be on the cusp of... something . Like there¡¯s a perpetual battle going on inside her mind . Shecked that calm... the eternal calm that permeated her no matter what . I know it sounds like ame excuse,\" he pushed out a bitter chuckle, lowering his head into his breasts . \"But... aah, I don¡¯t know...\" \"... she finally managed to make you speechless, eh?\" \"Hm?\" \"She used to say it was one of her goals in life,\" Eggor chuckled, taking a sip . \"To make you tongue-tied and shut you up, if for but a moment . I guess she finally managed to do it . \" \"... you both left me speechless plenty of times,\" Lino said after a short silence . \"I wish I had expressed my heart each time I held it in instead, embarrassed . \" \"We always knew . \" Eggor said . \"... I also know Aaria loves me,\" Lino said, taking a sip . \"But, by god, when she tells me, it¡¯s like the whole of the world lights up in these colors I never thought possible . No matter how tired I may be, it¡¯s like her simple words breathe life back into me . \" \"... aye,\" Eggor nodded . \"Kids... really are a marvel, aren¡¯t they?\" \"... at first, I mostly wanted to have a kid ¡¯cause I knew Hannah wanted a family,\" Lino spoke out his heart, sighing lightly . \"But... things changed . They changed so quickly, it felt like I was hit by an invisible boulder going at the speed of light . Suddenly, I was watching this little creature crawl about the house, hot at her steps, fearful she might bump against something . Anything she did, no matter how little, would make my day and more . I found my eyes repeatedly drawn to her tiny figure, and, soon enough, I couldn¡¯t imagine my life without her . No matter what future I pictured, she was in it . And she was happy, rid of the sorts of ills we had to go through . \" \"... that was El¡¯s greatest regret in life,\" Eggor said after a brief silence . \"That she imposed on you the life no one heart should ever need to experience... and that neither one of us were able to help you in your greatest time of need . Instead, we sat by the side and watch you burn in a ze, so brightly it left us blind . Truth is, we¡¯d do anything for our children, Lino,\" he added . \"But, the difference between a parent and a good parent... is that they knew when to leave their child alone . Give them the tools to achieve something in life, and watch over them as they fly . Should a day evere when their wings are clipped, our job is to be there and epted them back with open arms . To provide a ce they will always be able to call home, no matter what other storms may rage on the horizon . Yet, because of it, you had to endure so much... too much . \" \"... life never gives us anything we can¡¯t ovee,\" Lino replied, ncing at the old man that seemed all-too-fragile all of a sudden . \"Would I love to go back in time and right so many wrongs I¡¯ve done, fix all the things I couldn¡¯t, and prevent all the bad things from happening? Of course . But, good or bad, all those things led me here . And, however horrid it may sound, there¡¯s no other ce I¡¯d like to be . \" \"... I loved her,\" Eggor said all of a sudden, his voice cracking slightly . \"For nearly all my life, she was the only light in my life, Lino . My reason for living . \" \"...\" \"But, little by little,nterns, like stars, began shining around me, without me ever even noticing . Soon enough, she was not alone in my heart . You took just as deep a root in there . Then, one by one, I¡¯ve found myself drawn to others, opening up the doors of my heart that I had thought locked for the longest time . Had she died before I met you and the others, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest to follow her . \" \"...\" \"Back then, my life would have been purposeless without her . But now... now... I can¡¯t leave,\" he lowered his head, the sound of the grounding teeth escaping in-between his words . \"And... the guilt... the guilt is ravaging . \" \"...\" biting his lower lip, Lino got up and walked over, crouching next to him . \"There¡¯s nothing you should feel guilty about,\" he said . \"Mom would beat your ass if she saw you like this, you know?\" \"... I know . \" \"She would yell at you and lecture you for hours . \" \"... yeah, she definitely would . \" \"She loved us,\" Lino said, corners of his eyes growing moist . \"More than we can probably ever know . One way or another, she was the light that led us through the otherwise darkened days of life . Not just us, but many others . She made all our storiese true, and all the happy endings we¡¯re writing right now a reality . You... have made her happy, dad . That much was clear . Just as she was yours, you were her strength, the courage when she needed it the most . But, now, others need our strength . Guidance . Let us not leave the heaven hung in ck andy content, but give it the same light she afforded us . \" \"...\" Eggor¡¯s reddened eyes peeked through the muscr arms as he got up to his feet, Lino following soon after . At longst, thetter was right there in height, though not quite the width . The two stared at each other for a moment in silence before Eggor spread out his arms and dragged Lino in, thetter replying in kind . \"I¡¯ll trust Hannah,\" Eggor whispered gently, his lips curling up into the faintest of smiles . \"Somehow, when both your mom and I failed, she was the one to pull you back, no matter how far you were gone . \" \"... she has the magic,\" Lino chuckled lightly right after . \"That seems to make all my walls irrelevant . \" \"Good,\" Eggor nodded as the two drew apart . \"I¡¯ll leave the rest to her, then, and go dance with my granddaughter . Ho ho ho, I didn¡¯t know she was that good of a dancer . I¡¯ll really have to teach that bastard son of mine some new things . If it goes on like this, he¡¯ll die only ever having learned to read and scribble...\" \"...\" Apologize to all the bards in the world, you old bastard! Lino¡¯s lips hung in a tender smile as he watched the broad back vanish beyond the garden, leaving him standing solitary beneath the shine of the moon, his heart faintly lighter ¨C though barely noticeable, for now... it was enough . Just enough . Chapter 557 Chapter 557: 557 CHAPTER 557 SHAMELESS Six figures stood leaning against the cool wall of the hall, silently observing the ball that had long since begun in full . The dancing tform was permanently filled with people, and the music itself never stopped, instruments mingling either together, or bellowing out in solo pieces . On asion, even those from the elevated tform would dip down for a quick dance or two, though it was mostly the general audience . Eldon stood in silence, drinking with a rxed expression, observing the ongoing ball with a faint smile on his face . He looked no different than other humans now, albeit slightly on the taller end of things, with groomed hair and beard and the festive, somewhat mboyant clothes . Though a smile hung on his face, there was a trace of bitterness in his eyes . Shortly after he talked with Gaia ¨C confessing who she was ¨C she vanished . Though he could have asked Lino or even Hannah to find her, he chose not . If she ever wanted to find him, she would, of that he was certain . Besides, in more ways than simply one, she was no longer the same na that grew up under his eyes . She wasn¡¯t a child anymore, chiseled by eons of the rugged and biting winds, her own, whole person . \"... that guy really didn¡¯t return?\" Elta quizzed with a somewhat queer smile, ncing at the empty chair up above . \"Tsk, you sure knew how to pick ¡¯em, Eldon...\" \"Isn¡¯t that his style by now?\" Reli chuckled . \"Do something oundish and then just... vanish . \" \"Always has been,\" Eldon chuckled as well, shaking his head . \"Could never quite read himpletely . \" \"... do you regret it?\" Itor, the solitary one of the Writs who never entered the conflict until the very end asked . \"Giving up all that strength?\" \"... not one bit,\" Eldon replied with a smile . \"It wasn¡¯t for me . \" \"How long have you known?\" Artur asked Itor following a brief silence . \"Known what?\" the starkly red-haired and red-eyed man asked back . \"That the famed Writ of Chaos was Eldon . \" \"Oh,\" Itor chuckled lightly . \"Not too long; perhaps a few decades prior to Lino bing the Bearer . \" \"And it never urred to you to share it with us?\" Reli asked, arching her brows . \"Would you have even believed me?\" Itor shrugged . \"Besides, the fact that I remembered told me that you will too, eventually . So... I just had to wait . \" \"It doesn¡¯t matter anymore,\" Elta chimed in, shrugging . \"The question is... what do we do now?\" \"... I¡¯ll be staying here,\" Eldon replied as everyone turned toward him . \"At least for some time . What about you?\" \"Same here . \" Reli replied immediately . \"Ditto . \" Elta joined in . \"I¡¯ve to visit those famed brothels as well...\" Artur added with a smirk . \"Elta¡¯s staying, so I¡¯m staying as well . \" Itor added . \"We still need to wait for Anda . \" A rather gloomy-looking man, seeming no older than thirty, spoke out for the first time, his starkly ck eyes seeming perpetually half-closed . \"Hoh, look who suddenly cares for Anda,\" the woman who was yet to speak joined in as well with rather loudughter; her strikingly short, brown hair shimmered beneath the light of the chandeliers . \"Weren¡¯t you two always fighting back home?\" \"Oh shut it, jealous slut . \" The man rolled his eyes at the woman, sighing . \"There¡¯s a whole new world of men waiting for you ¨C go, start chasing . \" \"Ah, here we go again...\" Elta mumbled as she and Itor quickly withdrew, Artur following soon after, deciding to try and mingle with the crowd, leaving behind only Eldon and Reli who, a few minutester, were also no longer able to endure the valiant attempts at masked flirtation, withdrawing . \"Still no word from na?\" Reli asked in a somber tone as the two made their way to the nearby table full of fruits, both grabbing grapes by a handful . \"No . \" Eldon replied . \"... it¡¯s only been a few months,\" Reli said, biting her lower lip . \"She¡¯ll reach out, I¡¯m sure of it . \" \"... thanks,\" Eldon chuckled blithely, shaking his head . \"But, whether she does or not... it¡¯s fine . \" \"... ugh, you stubborn, old oak,\" Reli grunted, pping the back of his head gently, startling him . \"If you won¡¯t start looking for her, I will . \" \"... how is it possible that your temper hasn¡¯t changed even after all this time?\" Eldon sighed, rubbing the back of his head, smiling bitterly . \"How is it possible that you were able to face the world alone, yet cower in the face of your own kid?\" Reli sighed as the two sat down on the small protrusion of the windowpane, their bodies cast in thick shadow, hidden from the peering eyes . \"It¡¯s easy,\" Eldon said . \"I didn¡¯t care all that much about the world . \" \"You did . \" Reli said . \"You very much did . \" \"... what about you?\" he asked after a short silence . \"Any ns?\" \"I¡¯ll ask Hannah to give me a job in rtion to information gathering,\" she said . \"Something simr to what I was doing back on Adur . And, well, I¡¯ll take it from there and see what happens . \" \"... hoh, so you have it all figured out already?\" \"Not all,\" Reli said, her expression hidden in the dark . \"One,st piece is still missing . \" \"Which one?\" Eldon asked . \"Your reply . \" \"Reply?\" \"The one from the ship . \" \"... oh . \" Eldon¡¯s voice trickled out, his eyes staring at the figure next to him, barely able to pick out a few features . \"Reli, I...\" \"I¡¯ll win you over just yet, Eldon,\" Reli chuckled, getting up, stepping out into the shimmering, bright light . \"I missed you in that life; it won¡¯t be so in this one . \" \"...\" she smiled brilliantly beneath the light, her features seeming incandescent for a moment before she spun around, her dress fluttering in the rhythm, heading off into the crowd, leaving him to sit in the solitary dark . He held tightly onto the ss of wine, following her figure with his eyes until she disappeared . A part of him felt entranced, not just by her forthright nature, but also by the reality that her heart was, somehow, still set on him, even after all this time . Yet, that part was vastly eclipsed by the emptiness that whispered ever-so-softly into his heart, reminding him of all that he had had and lost . Even taking a sip of wine did little to ease his parched throat . He didn¡¯t wish to break her heart, yet he couldn¡¯t reply to it either . Love was too heavy of a thing, he hade to realize through the eons of time, through countless examples he had seen . Stories like Hannah¡¯s and Lino¡¯s are a rarity, where two people not only fit perfectly together but meet and fall in love in the precisely perfect timing . Most of the time, however, it¡¯s a jostle and bustle that never ends, the spinning wheel that seems more a mocking jester than something that unites . For every happy and satisfied heart out there, there are tens, if not hundreds, burned and scalded . However, she was strong, he knew that; she will find her ce in this new world easily and flourish just as she always has . Perhaps, sometime in the future, she¡¯ll also have her own, little, perfect love story, untarnished by ills and pains . He leaned further back into the dark, closing his eyes and dipping into his thoughts and memories . His heart still bled for a ghost, untouched yet by the living . ** Long after Eggor left, Lino still remained seated by the pond, drinking in silence, asionally humming a song . The small opening was really a piece of paradise for him, beautiful and peaceful beyond description . Ever so often, he¡¯d hear the string of a violin or the piano¡¯s key as they hit their stride, though more often than not it was spectacrly silent in his little corner of the world . His eyes narrowed all of a sudden as he casually swiped to the side with his gaze, locking it onto the seemingly nothing just on the opposite end of the pond . He stared persistently, not looking away, taking a sip of ale from time to time, seemingly patiently waiting for something . \"¡ªshit, C! He can really see us!!\" a woman¡¯s voice broke the silence as Lino¡¯s gaze turned strangely dubious . Two figures materialized right after, right there, a man and a woman, both seemingly in their early forties . The former had a heavy, pained expression, his palm stered against his forehead, while the woman had a gawking expression, relentlessly ncing back between the man and Lino . \"Didn¡¯t you say we were invisible?! What the shit?!\" \"...\" Lino remained silent as he stared at the peculiar scene, taking a sip of wine as though he was watching a y as an observer . \"Tal, please... just... just stop talking...\" Caleb sighed painfully, finally lifting his head up and meeting the pair of dark eyes that never left them ever since they snuck in here . At first, he thought it was simply a coincidence, but it was clear that the man knew they were here from the get-go . What was even more outrageous, at least in Caleb¡¯s mind, was that the man did nothing all the while . He didn¡¯t call for reinforcements, he didn¡¯t call them out and tell them to step out, he didn¡¯t try and sneak attack... he just continued drinking and staring, much like right now, as though he was watching a show . \"Tsk, you stop talking,\" the woman clicked her tongue, turning toward the man sitting on the opposite end of the pond . \"You . Hey, how were you able to see us? Do you have cameras or something?!\" \"...\" Caleb was on the verge of tears for a moment, regretting not leaving her to roam about instead of bringing her with him . \"What do you mean how was I able to see you?\" the man replied in a strange tone, and Caleb immediately realized one, simple truth ¨C the man, too, was a bit... off . \"See these?!\" he pointed sternly at his eyes . \"It¡¯s this thing that we have that, would you look at that, lets us look at stuff and see whatever we want to see! It¡¯s a miracle!! Eyes really are a window! Or... wait, was it a scope? Or ss? Aye, I saw you through the ss!\" \"Eh?! ss? There¡¯s ss in front of us?!\" the woman eximed, carefully reaching out with her hands, tapping the air . \"That¡¯s one mighty ss, if you can see us through it . \" \"Hm, hm,\" Lino nodded while Caleb crouched, hiding his head in his hands . \"I spent eight fortnights crafting it with the Hatefully-omnipotent Fifteen-million-colored Soul mes on top of Mount ss-eye, nearly dying eighteen times in the process!\" \"... he¡¯s fucking with me, isn¡¯t he?\" the woman dropped silent for a moment before asking herpanion . \"YOU GOT IT JUST NOW?!!\" Caleb exploded, regrettinging here to begin with . \"Hi hi,\" the man sitting across the pond snickered for a moment, taking a sip . \"What are you doing, screaming at your girlfriend?! Humph, is he always this hateful?!\" \"Yes!\" the woman immediately turned the embarrassment she felt into anger focused on Caleb, running over to the man and pouring her heart out . \"He¡¯s always screaming at me, and yelling at me, and insulting me, and correcting me... all he ever does isin!\" \"Bah, what a hateful man!\" Lino eximed while Caleb remained standing, frozen in ce . \"How can he be so cruel to a beautiful woman like you? If I were you, I¡¯d spank the back of his head from time to time to teach him a lesson, you know?\" \"Oh? That¡¯s not a bad idea!\" the woman fervently nodded, ncing angrily at Caleb . \"He always does it to me, anyway . \" \"What?! He actually hits you?!\" Lino shot onto his feet and pointed a finger at Caleb who was already tired enough to bury himself alive and die . \"You hateful man! I challenge you to a duel of Honor! If I win, I shall strip you naked and let this beautiful woman whip you a thousand times! If you win, I shall strip you naked and let this beautiful me whip you a million times! Do you dare ept?!\" ... I... I... Caleb wept, his heart bleeding . He was not prepared . Not ready . For someone even more shameless than him . And everyone else he met before . Combined . He was not ready . Not ready at all . Chapter 558 Chapter 558: 558 CHAPTER 558 MUSINGS OF THE STRANGERS Caleb sighed helplessly and walked over to the other side of the pond, joining the snickering, strange man and Talisha who was still sending him nasty looks . Sitting down, he whipped out a bottle of beer, taking a sip and getting a closer look at the man; on the surface, he appeared entirely unassuming, draped in hemp clothes, sporting disheveled beard and hair, one wouldn¡¯t go wrong with assuming he was an ordinary beggar . However, the atmosphere surrounding him was all but ¨C rather, perhaps it was the opposite . Each one of his movements seemed to stir the world around him, entirely unconsciously at that, and the pair of ck eyes seemedpletely impervious to all forms of illusions and tricks . \"... I know it¡¯s rude of me to ask,\" the man said suddenly . \"But, if you would be kindly inclined to reply, why did you break into my home?\" \"... I¡¯m Caleb . \" Caleb said, extending his arm, deciding it was best not to go along with the antics as they may never end . \"... Lino . \" The man replied, smiling faintly and shaking his hand . \"You¡¯ve got a strong grip there for a sissy . \" \"... why is he a sissy?\" Talisha asked curiously . \"Oh, he knows . \" Lino grinned, causing Caleb to sigh once more . \"Anyway, how can I help you, Caleb?\" \"We simply heard some chatter about you,\" Caleb replied honestly . \"And wanted to see whether you lived up to it or not . \" \"Is he telling the truth?\" Lino turned toward the woman and asked, causing Caleb¡¯s eyebrows to twitch lightly . \"Yup!\" Talisha nodded as she epted a strange bottle from him, uncapping it and smelling a brilliant fragrance that shuffled right into her lungs, revitalizing them . \"This is great! What is it?!\" \"Ah, that? Not much, just my personal brew; I¡¯ve spent eighteen long moons hung upside down over the volcanic mouth, gathering tiny embers of me and refining them through Uteric Flower¡ª\" \"Do you think that shit up at a moment¡¯s notice, or is there a whole collection of nonsense already stored in your mind?\" Caleb interrupted quickly as Talisha was, somehow, being dragged into the story . \"Yo man,\" Lino frowned slightly . \"You¡¯re killing my buzz here . \" \"And you¡¯re killing my brain cells . \" \"Wow . I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have those . \" Lino said with a serious expression . \"... alright . So, we¡¯re going to go . \" \"What for?\" Lino chuckled, getting up and stretching . \"You took a trip all the way here . May as well stay and let me guide you through my humble home . We¡¯ve got some fine brothels here as well . \" \"... is this your mission in life?\" Caleb said, ignoring the dagger-spitting eyes next to him . \"To screw over everyone thates in contact with you?\" \"Nope,\" Lino replied as he led them through the archway . \"It¡¯s to have fun at other people¡¯s expense . \" \"... isn¡¯t that the same thing?\" \"Yeah, but I worded it more eloquently, which makes it seem less piece-of-shit-like . \" \"It really doesn¡¯t . \" \"Sure does,\" Lino said . \"I¡¯ve concrete proof . \" \"... does it have something to do with us following you right now?\" Caleb asked, his eyes nting . \"... you could have let me have it, you know?\" \"I¡¯ve spent all but two minutes with you and I don¡¯t want to let you have anything . \" \"Ouch . What did I do to deserve such cold eyes?\" Lino mumbled, putting on a pained expression and ncing back . \"Is he always this hurtful?\" \"Yup . \" Talisha nodded . \"You can never joke with him...\" \"He¡¯s not joking with us,\" Caleb said . \"He¡¯s fucking with us . \" \"Is there really a difference?\" Lino questioned, taking a side hallway instead of the one that led back into the grand hall, moving through a curved corridor decorated with hanging chandeliers and several dozen magical crystals shining warm colors onto the tiled floor down below and the surrounding, stone walls . \"... where are you taking us?\" Caleb asked, looking around curiously . \"On the grand tour of my little house,\" Lino said . \"And this really cute cemetery just down below . \" \"Your sense of humor is jumping all over the ce,\" Caleb said as they passed a wire-hung painting on the right-side wall depicting a scene of a woman in the garden of rosemaries . \"From goofy to psychotic . Could you, maybe, make up your mind?\" \"My sense of humor is all-epassing,\" Lino chuckled faintly as they exited the corridor,nding on the outside terrace hanging over the middling walls of the fortress well down below . The wind quickly grazed them gently, the shine of the moon and the stars cascading down the mountains forming a wall on the horizon . \"You can¡¯t limit yourself if you want to be sessful . \" \"Sessful at what? Pissing people off¡¯\" \"You got it . \" Lino grinned as the three walked up to the waist-high stone wall, looming over it for a moment . The scenery down below exploded in the expanse, capitting the ever-expanding sky and giving way to the far-reaching meadows and ins that surrounded a ring-structured city beneath the fortress . High-rises stuck out in the midst of humble-seeming outskirts where the majority of the dwellings were constructed . The central za was built directly beneath the shade of the fortress, over twenty bridges connecting a small, artificial ind hanging above the crystalline-clearke . \"... what do you think?\" Lino asked . \"The most brilliants minds came together to design it . \" \"So... you had nothing to do with it?\" Caleb fired off . \"Wow . Two out of two; you¡¯re on fire man! Calm down, you might burst inside out . \" \"Don¡¯t worry about me, just ensure your mind doesn¡¯t implode over all the moronic thoughts it¡¯s endlessly concocting . \" \"Ah, I wouldn¡¯t worry,\" Lino said . \"The force of dumb in there is counteracted with the force of genius . \" \"So you admit there¡¯s enough dumb to form a force?\" \"Life ain¡¯t fun if there isn¡¯t,\" Lino chuckled . \"If you know answers to everything, act properly on all asions, say and do the right things all the time, andply with all the expectations others have of you... are you really living?\" he nced at Caleb from the corners of his eyes, smiling still . \"Or are you just ying along with the script someone else wrote for you?\" \"... aren¡¯t you a bit too old for philosophy?\" Caleb said, smirking lightly . \"How old do you think I am?\" Lino scoffed . \"I¡¯m not even seventy yet man . I¡¯ve plenty of time to spit out abstract philosophy that makes me seem deeper . \" \"... I imagine your people must love you . \" Caleb sighed bitterly, shaking his head . \"Must be nice . \" \"Aren¡¯t you the same?\" Lino smiled, ncing at Talisha who was too lost in the view to hear the two of them . \"You have the love of the one that matters the most . \" \"... that¡¯s true,\" Caleb chuckled . \"Though that love is interspersed with a whole host of other things . \" \"As it should be,\" Lino nodded . \"Life¡¯s all about having as much fun with however much time you¡¯ve got . And you can¡¯t do that if your other half grinds down your will to live through sheer boredom . \" \"... what are your ns now?\" Caleb asked suddenly, causing Lino to look back at him . \"You¡¯ve bought time ¨C but that¡¯s all . Eventually, the fury of all of the Creation willnd on your doorstep . \" \"... does that scare you?\" Lino asked, grinning . \"It should scare you . \" Caleb replied calmly . \"... I¡¯ve lived in a state of perpetual fear before,\" Lino shrugged . \"And worrying about what might be gets in the way of other, good stuff . How and when and where and in whichever manner theye... is irrelevant . The moment I picked up my sword against them, I knew the oue of my decision, as well as my response to the eventual inevitability . \" \"... fight?\" \"Win . \" \"You sound awfully confident . \" Caleb snickered . \"Looks like your trip didn¡¯t teach you enough about the depth you¡¯re up against . \" \"If you¡¯re the best at something,\" Lino said, his tone calm . \"Do you go around looking at what others are doing, fearful they might reach you?\" \"...\" \"No; you continue pushing yourself, higher and higher ¨C so high that, no matter what others are doing, they will never even see the bottom of your ass, let alone reach your level . \" \"You¡¯re saying you¡¯re the best?\" \"No, we are,\" Lino smiled once again, this time around exuding a strange sense of warmth . \"I¡¯m confident I¡¯ve with me the smartest, most hardworking people the entire of Creation has produced . My job isn¡¯t to protect them indefinitely, Caleb; it¡¯s to give them the room to breathe and grow and transform in what I know they can be . By that day, whatever army maye knocking, it¡¯ll be knocked right back to where it came from . \" \"... I¡¯ve shared your confidence once,\" Caleb chuckled bitterly . \"But, eventually, you learn topromise, Lino . There are no absolutes anywhere out there . However strong you may be, you¡¯ll find out there¡¯s always, always, someone stronger than you . So you learn to pick your battles ¨C fight when it¡¯s winnable, and retreat and hide when it¡¯s not . It let the two of us survive all this while, even prosper . \" \"... isn¡¯t the answer simple, then?\" Lino said after a momentary silence . \"Simple?\" \"Simply ensure that all those stronger than you are on your side,\" Lino grinned, suddenly extending his arm . \"On that note ¨C how about you and this lovely creature next to you join me? I¡¯ll give both of you a nice house on the edge of that mountain over there as apensation . Ah, what the hell, I¡¯ll even throw in a hardwood-furnished bed that will make your asses so sore you will forgo sitting until the day you die . \" \"...\" Chapter 559 Chapter 559: 559 CHAPTER 559 TWO KIDS, A NERVOUS WRECK AND A WEIRDO The ball had ended nearly a week after it had started; hundreds poured out of the fortress as well as the central za of the city down below and began returning to their homes and their everyday lives and obligations . The state of permanent noise, music, and chatter ceased, reced by a deep-rooted silence that seemed to permeate all the walls . Only the asional chirp of the bird seemed to rattle the calmness, the world otherwise giving way to the strange tranquility . Lucky sat inside her room, in a corner, reading a tome as thick as one¡¯s arm, while Alison sat on the table next to her, sifting through a horde of papers . There seemed to be a sense of nervousness and dread surrounding her, causing Lucky to roll her eyes quite a few times as Alison released one of her pent-up sighs . Nearly four hourster, a knock on the door startled her, causing her to jump awkwardly onto her feet and face the closed doors . Lucky sighed and shook her head, putting down the tome and walking over to the doors, opening them . Beyond, the face of a middle-aged woman currently shining greeted her, as well as two toddlers grasping at the silken dress, hiding behind her legs . It was a ratherical sight, though she managed to stifle theughter that was about to break out, inviting the woman in . \"A-ah, Duchesses, it is an honor to meet you!\" the woman bowed as soon as she entered the room, the two kids following right after her, awkwardly trying to imitate her movements . \"Yup, yup, thanks,\" Lucky shrugged, walking back to her seat while Alison remained standing, her eyes glued to the two toddlers . \"Why don¡¯t you have a seat so we can wait till Ally returns back to this reality?\" \"E-eh? Is-is everything fine? Did wee at a wrong time?\" the woman questioned worriedly, just now realizing that the woman standing at the center had a... strange atmosphere about her . \"Nope,\" Lucky said . \"She¡¯s just remarkably terrified, is all . Anyway, all the paperwork went through properly?\" \"Yes, indeed,\" the woman nodded, ripping her gaze away from Alison and back onto Lucky . \"Everything is fine ¨C both June and Anton are now Olltors . \" \"... you guys are rather efficient . \" Lucky chuckled, taking out a bottle of ale and drinking a mouthful . \"We only put in the papers three days ago . Don¡¯t tell me you pushed us up the queue . \" \"... you two are astute figures,\" the woman thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully . \"Which means you can be trusted . For most of the adoptions, we have to, by the Emperor¡¯s ordinance, be extremely detail-oriented and sift through all the potential downsides . You two, on the other hand, are pirs of the Empire, and well-known as the virtuous figures . It was really only a matter of exining these two the situation and getting all the paperwork in order . \" \"... a¡¯right,\" Lucky shrugged; she has already begun to hate how people around her started dressing-up the words . In effect, they did skip the queue ¨C a ¡¯yes¡¯ would have been sufficient . \"Anyway, thanks . I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be popping down there once in a while if these two wanna see some kids, so we¡¯ll be seeing each other . \" \"Ah, yes,\" the woman nodded, quickly bowing, realizing it was her cue to leave . \"It was truly an honor . You have made these two extremely happy . \" \"...\" Lucky watched the woman leave, ncing twice at the still-shellshocked Alison, before departing, atst, leaving the room in a strange silence . Two kids stuck together, one girl that seemed not much older than nine, sporting medium-length brown hair and a pair of clear, astute hazelnut-colored eyes, and a more-timid boy who Lucky knew was eleven, two years older than the girl, yet was currently hiding behind her . \"Is she right?\" she asked the kids all of a sudden, surprising them . \"...\" \"About you two being super-duper-extraordinarily happy and all that nonsense . \" \"Y-yes...\" the girl, June, timidly nodded . \"Really?\" Lucky grinned . \"To me, it seems more like you¡¯re two are scared shitless . Though, I suppose, I¡¯d be too if I was brought into a strange ce with probably little to no exnation outside of ¡¯Duchess are adopting you; shut up and ept their grace¡¯ . \" \"...\" \"Anyway, it¡¯s gonna take this airhead a while to recover, so why don¡¯t the three of us go and have lunch? What do you say?\" \"S-sure...\" June, once again, nodded timidly, ncing at Alison as Lucky got up and walked to the door, the two kids following soon after like little ducklings . She led them down the winding corridors in silence, asionally taking a sip of ale, asionally humming a strange melody . Taking them, eventually, to a small, subsidiary Lunchouse of the fortress¡¯ main Dining Hall, she sat down on one of the many empty chairs as the two kids followed her . \"What do you want to eat?\" she asked . \"... anything... anything is fine . \" June replied . \"Oh? So you¡¯re fine with rats skewered on skeletal remains of dogs, seasoned by rotted eggs and honey?\" \"...\" \"The terror and horror on your faces tell me you¡¯re not,\" Lucky grinned, realizing this might be more fun than she thought . \"So, let me ask again: what do you want to eat?\" \"... uh... I... I heard a warm, beef stew is really good...\" Anton said suddenly, causing Lucky to nce at him . \"Aiming high, I like it,\" she grinned, signaling a somewhat chubby-looking woman . \"Give us three beef stews, a central spread, and something to drink for the kids . \" \"Aww, the adoption went through?\" the woman quickly jotted down the order on the paper before crouching next to the kids, patting them gently . \"Yup . \" Lucky nodded . \"Is the whole fortress aware of it?\" \"If it wasn¡¯t for the ball, it might have been the talk of the Empire . \" The woman chuckled, getting up and ncing at Lucky . \"Congrattions you two . Can¡¯t wait to see what you make of them . \" \"... those wordsing out of the cook¡¯s mouth... aii, are you having some weird intentions toward my kids?\" Lucky grinned, causing the woman to chuckle bitterly . \"There you go again, Lady, making fun of us; I just might report you to Lady Alison if you continue, you know?\" \"Tsk, when did you lose your sense of humor?\" Lucky shrugged and dropped the subject as the woman walked away, leaving behind two somewhat confused-looking kids . \"I¡¯m sure you two have plenty of questions, so let me give you a quick rundown of things before you¡¯re allowed to ask any: you¡¯ll both be enrolling in some or the other school next week ¨C for more details ask that blockhead when she wakes up . When you turn twelve, you¡¯ll be able to choose one or another Cultivation Method and start all that business ¨C if you want to, that is . We¡¯ll be living here until you two start going to the school, but once you do, we¡¯ll move to a house somewhere, I¡¯ve no idea where ¨C we¡¯ll have to ask that blockhead . Yes, you can meet the Emperor and the Empress ¨C rather, I¡¯m surprised those two haven¡¯t stalked their way over the moment you two came to us . When you do meet them, just ignore everything they say; nothing goodes from indulging them . No, you won¡¯t meet the Princess, at least not until I beat some backbone into you ¨C ah, I don¡¯t mean beat literally . Although, if you gush out about it, I just might...\" As the onught of information washed over the two kids, they stared nkly at the figure in front of them, June especially so . Unlike the boy, she had heard quite a few stories about the two legendary Duchess of the Empyrion . If the stories were to be believed, they were exalted figures that could not be touched by anything or anyone, figures of worship for manymoners . When she learned that the people who adopted her were exactly those two figures, she was beyond terrified that there was some sort of a mistake and that the two will be pissed off when they finally meet her . Yet, all the illusions that she had built up inside her little head hade crashing as quickly as they were built . One of the two was an awkward, nervous woman that she hadn¡¯t even spoken to yet, and the other was an easy-going weirdo who seemed to have a negative nickname for everyone, including the Emperor and the Empress, as well as the Princess . \"Anyway, I think that about covers it,\" Lucky nodded after a few minutes long monologue, stroking her chin in satisfaction . \"I know it¡¯s going to be a bit difficult to adjust to all of this, so take your time . But not too long . No, wait, that blockhead told me to be gentler with you two . Uhm... uh, so, yeah, take as much time as you need . Ah, save your questions; herees the food . \" June and Anton nced at each other and smiled stealthily as they saw the widespread appear, gentle and beautiful scent invading their nostrils right after . Pots steamed as though on fire, pieces of meat floating on the surface, while the center of the table was filled with all sorts of meals ¨C from fish to some fruits . Though their food in the orphanage wasn¡¯t bad, there was still a limit on how good it could be due to the sheer number of kids living there . Except once during the celebration, the two had never seen the food as well-prepared as the one they were seeing right now . Fearful it might vanish, the two jumped in right after, trying to gobble up as much as they could . Lucky didn¡¯t start eating just yet, staring at the two who had seemingly forgotten she was even there, their cheeks flushed red with excitement . A gentle smile crept upon her face, one even she was unaware of, as a strange,pletely alien emotion overwhelmed her heart . Perhaps, she thought, chuckling . This might be more exciting than all the fightingbined... Chapter 560 Chapter 560: 560 CHAPTER 560 INEFFABLE CROWN The eerie silence of the world swept past Lino¡¯s mind as he sat, alone, contemting, perched on top of the small balcony¡¯s guard, legs hanging off the edge, above the tip-scraped skyline of the fortress . Down below, streets werergely empty, most people still stuck in the deep droves of hangovers and post-jovial emptiness . His gaze appeared evenly dulled, somewhat alien, as his thoughts were reflected in the chaotic turmoil of the still pupils . He was so absentminded that he hadn¡¯t even heard the figure walking out onto the balcony, leaping on the edge and sitting beside him, facing the other way, staring at his profile . A gentle wind blew past suddenly, lifting Hannah¡¯s hair and sending it trailing backward like fire . Her emerald-green eyes gazed warmly at the figure next to her that seemed enveloped in the ghastly soot of loneliness . She reached out with her hand and gently touched his cheek, waking him up finally with a startle . He nced sideways, meeting her gaze, smiling right after . \"My, my, I was this close to stumbling and falling to my death . Your assassination attempt failed, it seems . \" \"There¡¯ll always be the next time,\" Hannah yed along, smiling back . \"You were just lucky today . \" \"... everything alright?\" Lino asked, noticing her strange gaze . \"No . \" she shook her head . \"Here¡¯s the entire Empire, celebrating,ughing and toasting, and then here¡¯s their Emperor . \" \"Eh, they seem to be doin¡¯ just fine without me . \" Lino smiled faintly, ncing back down at the fortress and the city further down below it . \"If anything, I nearly managed to dampen the celebrations with my shitty speech . \" \"... oh? Have we finally reached that point?\" \"What point?\" Lino quizzed, confused . \"They say that there alwayses a point in the married couples¡¯ lives where they start lying to each other... all the time . I figured we¡¯d reach it eventually, but it still feels too soon, if you ask me . \" \"... who says that?! Tell me so I can beat him up!\" \"... I know you want to use your free time to feel depressed about stuff,\" Hannah said, chuckling . \"But, you know, I won¡¯t let you . \" \"Oh? You won¡¯t?\" \"Nope,\" she shook her head, jumping off the railing and pulling him back as well . \"You used to say often that we can feel depressed all we want once we die . Last I checked, we were very much still alive and kicking . \" \"I don¡¯t see us kicking anything, though?\" Lino grinned, following behind her as she dragged him back into the room and toward one of the teleportation arrays . \"I¡¯ll kick your ass if you don¡¯t shut it,\" she grumbled, rolling her eyes . \"When you married me, you promised I¡¯d be your strength, no? Or, were you lying back then already?\" \"... you are my strength . \" \"Not as far as I can see,\" she shrugged, stepping past a small corridor into an even smaller room which only had an etched array on the floor . \"It¡¯s fine if you want to keep everyone else at the distance, but I¡¯ll seriously kick your ass if you try that shit with me . \" \"Looks like I have no choice then, huh?\" Lino chuckled lightly as they stepped through, the world shing before his eyes momentarily . Just as he blinked, he found himself standing in a rather peculiar ce ¨C a small, rundown shanty surrounded by the newly-constructed, empty houses and a stretch of mountains all around . It took him but a moment to recognize where they were . \"Boy, you really never hold back, huh?\" \"What? I just wanted to remind you of the ce where you got smitten for the first time by a girl,\" Hannah chuckled as the two walked into the house . \"Aah... what happened to you? You used to be quite cute . \" \"Are you saying I¡¯m no longer cute?\" Lino mumbled, putting on a pained expression . \"My heart . Oh no . It¡¯s breaking . \" \"... your indifferent, everything¡¯s-a-funny-joke attitude really used to be cute,\" she said as she sat down on a chair that seemed on the verge of breaking . \"Especially when intermingled with those broody moments of yours . Now, if I¡¯m being honest...\" \"... please don¡¯t . \" \"It¡¯s kind of pathetic . \" \"Ouch... didn¡¯t you hear me say ¡¯don¡¯t¡¯?\" \"I did . \" Hannah chuckled as Lino sat opposite of her . \"So... we aren¡¯t leaving this ce until you settle your heart . \" \"... hm?\" \"However long it takes,\" she said, taking out a bottle of wine and two sses . \"We¡¯ll stay here . \" \"What about the Empire?\" \"Fuck the Empire . \" \"... oh boy . Is that the attitude the Empress should have?\" Lino asked, grinning as he took the ss Hannah filled up . \"What would the people think?\" \"Fuck the people too,\" Hannah said, taking a sip of wine and sighing . \"Neither you nor I care much about that shitty throne, so we may as well leave it to the people who do, no?\" \"... I suppose so . \" Lino chuckled, leaning back into his chair . \"But, there¡¯s a bubble that you seem wrapped in that I just have to burst . \" \"And that is?\" \"... I¡¯m not particrly depressed,\" Lino said, taking a sip . \"Mostly sad, Hannah . \" \"... why?\" she quizzed . \"Oh, I don¡¯t know, it could be all those trees we¡¯re cutting, or the rodents just merrily living off of the cheese supplies being killed, or it could be the fact I lost my mom . \" Hannah chuckled faintly, shaking her head . \"It¡¯s not even that I killed her which bothers me,\" Lino said . \"Just... that she¡¯s gone, Hannah . I just... need some time . \" \"And that¡¯s exactly why we came here,\" she said . \"Away from everything and everyone . Except for me, of course . \" \"... we did grow a bit estranged, haven¡¯t we?\" \"I wonder whose fault that is . \" \"Mine,\" Lino admitted immediately . \"I¡¯ve been so concerned with running around and putting out fires and putting on the fronts that I¡¯ve forgotten the sole reason I was doing any of that . You . \" \"Oh, wow, that¡¯s some unhealthy obsession you¡¯ve got there . It¡¯s bordering creepy if I¡¯m being honest . \" \"Creep, then, is what I am,\" Lino chuckled, looking directly into her clear, lithe eyes . \"It¡¯s a good tradeoff if you ask me . \" \"... what do you want to eat?\" following a short silence, Hannah got up with a smile and walked over to the nearly destroyed tables in the corner of the room . \"And if you say ¡¯you¡¯, I¡¯ll chop you in half . \" \"Tsk,\" Lino clicked his tongue, taking a sip of wine before replying . \"Baked potato . \" \"Baked potato it is,\" Hannah chuckled as she slowly began preparing everything, holding the conversation whilst moving about . \"What¡¯s in store for us now?\" \"... I was thinking another kid,\" Lino said . \"L¡¯ and Ally got two, we can¡¯t begging behind . \" \"In order to have a kid,\" Hannah nced at him, sighing . \"You have to fuck me first, you know? Besides,\" she grunted as she took out arge pot and threw it over in the corner, over a makeshift firece of sorts . \"We turned the first one into an insecure, self-loathing, envious creature without even trying . \" \"... she¡¯ll figure it out,\" Lino chuckled . \"She¡¯s finding herself in our shadows, and within the world¡¯s expectations . You know well enough how difficult it can be to meet the expectations others have of you . She¡¯s already on the right track if you ask me . \" \"She¡¯s better than us, that¡¯s for certain at least,\" Hannah chuckled back, throwing some water into the pot as well as cutting a few potatoes on the side . \"She seems to throw herself quite seriously into the whole ¡¯I¡¯m a Princess which means I have a say in the Empire¡¯s do-hows¡¯ business . \" \"That¡¯s good,\" Lino nodded . \"We should retire in a few years and let her do her thing . \" \"Wow . You really, really don¡¯t want to be crowned, eh?\" Hannah said, wiping her hands off her dress after she threw the potatoes in, stoking the mes . \"... I never did,\" Lino replied . \"You know that . \" \"I figured you¡¯d have a change of heart . \" \"And I hoped you¡¯d too over my meal . \" \"Time and ce, time and ce . \" \"We¡¯re alone, and time is rtive to perception . \" \"In my perception then,\" she said, sitting down . \"It¡¯s rtively time for some baked potatoes . \" \"... I¡¯ll be resurrecting the Edifice in a couple of days,\" Lino said, taking a sip . \"Wanna join?\" \"... won¡¯t the entire world technically join?\" Hannah quizzed . \"I mean, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna be a tiny thing nobody¡¯s going to ever see . \" \"Oh, no, it¡¯s going to be massive,\" Lino said . \"About the size of roughly two million Noterras . But, in truth, we¡¯ll barely see a fraction of it . And that includes me . \" \"Hm? Why?\" Hannah questioned with interest . \"It¡¯s a sprawling entity epassing all of the dimensions, not just the ones essible to us,\" Lino replied . \"What you¡¯ll see are random chunks of something seemingly warped in a skewed loop . \" \"... you¡¯ve grown awfully lot more knowledgeable than me recently; I¡¯ll have to rectify that soon enough . \" \"Ha ha, I¡¯m counting on you, ¡¯cause I really can¡¯t be bothered to sift through everything I¡¯ve learned,\" Linoughed, taking another sip . \"Besides, we only have a short while to reminiscent so leisurely . We¡¯ll have to make some drastic changes eventually . \" \"What sort?\" Hannah asked . \"Hmm, changes might be a wrong way to think of it; reinventions is more like it . Our focus is no longer on Noterra, but on establishing our presence on a cosmic scale . That means sifting through the hundreds of millions of people I¡¯ve brought over, finding out their talents, and slowly setting up the ssic divisions other civilizations have at the cosmic scale . \" \"Hm, yeah, that sounds like¡ªwhat hundreds of millions?!! Where¡ªwhat...what? How?!\" Hannah eximed, wide-eyed, causing Lino tough . \"During my journey, rather than just making some trouble for the other side, I swept past a few worlds and saved a couple of kids,\" he said . \"That guy I came to the ball with is one of them . \" \"... but... he looked like an ordinary human?\" Hannah questioned, her eyes narrowing . \"A whole slew of them are,\" Lino shrugged . \"Anyway, those potatoes seem to be burning, so I guess I¡¯ll be eating you for dinner after all . \" \"... dropping bombs and changing subjects,\" Hannah grumbled, walking over to the now-steaming pot and clearing it up, taking out several dozen burned pieces and aligning them on the tes before bringing them over to the table . \"The hell was I worried for? You haven¡¯t changed one bit . \" \"... you know,\" Lino said, taking one of the pieces, scraping the burned parts and taking a bite . \"I wasn¡¯t lying when I said you are my strength, Hannah . While El¡¯s situation did crack my heart, it did not break it . You and Aaria are the shine no darkness will ever submerge . No matter what atrocities I¡¯ll have tomit, so long as it keeps you two by my side, I¡¯llmit them without blinking my eyes . \" \"... there¡¯s no need tomit them alone,\" Hannah smiled lightly as she extended her hand over and caressed his cheek gently . \"Burdens are easier to bear when shared, Lino . I¡¯ve shared all of mine as a partner wont to do; extend me the courtesy and do the same . \" \"... fine,\" Lino chuckled, grabbing her hand and holding it gently . \"The next time I set out to kill countless people, I¡¯ll be sure to bring you along . \" \"Sounds like the best date of my life . \" \"... ah, there¡¯s the psychopath that I¡¯ve married . I¡¯m so happy she¡¯s back . \" \"She¡¯s never left,\" Hannah chuckled . \"Was merely too busy running the shit you started so it doesn¡¯t copse . \" \"And I can never thank you enough for it...\" \"Alright, eat now; wouldn¡¯t it be rather uncool if you died while choking on the burnt potato after all you¡¯ve lived through?\" \"... or would it be the coolest thing ever?\" Chapter 561 Chapter 561: 561 CHAPTER 561 THE SHADOWS CAST Aaria groaned lowly as she opened her eyes, her eyshes fluttering wildly in a haze . A few streaks of the sun made their way through the open-curtain window to her left, shining over arrays of light across her mboyant nket and onto the carpeted floor . She fought the grogginess as she pulled herself up and sat against the hand-carved bed¡¯s frame, looking out into the empty room . It was rather long, winding in a slight curve against the side of the fortress¡¯ walls, decoratedvishly by nearly everything she could find ¨C paintings, sculptures, mosaics, hand-woven, borate rugs, extravagant furniture, convoluted chandeliers, and even a few pieces of stuffed animals . She sighed with an empty expression, throwing the nket to the rear and stepping to the bed¡¯s side, leaning over, her flocks of hair shining in the golden sun, strands lingering to the side, seeming messy . She stared emptily at the floor for a moment before standing up, stretchingzily and walking over to the basin in the corner, quickly washing herself . Right beside the basin was a massive, carved-in room full ofvish clothing, where she spent nearly half an hour choosing and dressing before stepping out, draped in aplex, multiyered dress of crimson and gold, held together by shining bows on the sides and around the waist . Right by the closet¡¯s entrance was a small chair lingering in front of an oval, gold-framed mirror and a mid-raised table full of strange, tiny cups of makeup . She paid them a quick nce before looking into the mirror, her reflection painstakingly staring back . The disheveled hair appeared a stark contrast to her dress, causing her to sigh lowly as she began fashioning it the best way she could, turning into aplex bun somewhat slowly and awkwardly . She put her elbows onto the table and leaned closer in, lowering her head for a moment before looking back up; her skin was smooth, well-maintained, yet also appeared... fake . Her eyes reflected the sort of inner turmoil she had difficulty expressing, one that was eating away at her for years now, slowly building up, fanning the mes of her insecure heart . Managing to tear herself away from the mirror, atst, she got up lethargically and walked over to the door, stopping for a moment and taking a deep breath before walking out . Right outside, several dozen women dressed like clones quickly shot to their feet and aligned to her sides, creating a sort of a path through the terraced road . To her right was an open view of the Empire¡¯s horizon, pirs upholding the upper floor, a variety of flowers decorating the railing . Her eyes, however, ignored everything as she made her way through a makeshift, human blockade converging behind her, creating a strange sight . She stepped out into the open, the corridor¡¯s exit leading to an open za down the set of stairs; the za was entirely empty, as was the case during most of the days, as it stood straight in front of the Empire¡¯s official ¡¯pce¡¯ of sorts . At the very edges, she could see a few figures working, though she paid them no heed, walking straight toward the pce¡¯s grand entrance . Usually, this early in the morning, it was rather empty and silent, the Grand Hall seeming more a ghastly ce from the horror stories rather than one of the Pce¡¯s main buildings . She left the entourage outside and made her way in, ncing around; etched across the walls, on the ceiling, present on dozens of paintings hanging around were the two figures that loomed over her ¨C her parents . Their heroic figures stood imposed in one terrible circumstance or another, all of which they managed to ovee, making their way to the top and creating what is effectively a unified world . Both were unmatched in terms of strength and charisma, the ability to lead without even trying . She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she saw her father attend any of the Empire¡¯s meetings, yet one word from him would still be enough to mobilize the entire Empire within minutes . Despite the fact that the majority of people never met him or even talked to him, his name carried such weight that it was unnecessary . The sheer quantity of titles that often came with his name was enough to etch him into the memories of people . She moved to the edge of the hall and sat down on one of the benches lined against the walls, looking eerily lonely . There were murals of her, too, hanging about, and her portrait was even centralized amidst the two . It remained the penultimate reminder that she was inadequate; she wasn¡¯t as strong as her father, as quick-witted as him, as smart as her mother, and not nearly enough capable of a leader to take over an entire Empire . She could feel her shorings in everything she did, and the stories she¡¯d hear when others didn¡¯t know she was listening were like swords being etched deep into her heart . By her age, the Empress was already a Holy Maiden... She has everything she could ever dream of and still can¡¯t cultivate faster than some kids from the orphanages... She¡¯s weak... She¡¯s dull... She¡¯s shallow... She¡¯ll be a terrible Empress... I wish the Lord and the Lady would have another child... The pricks mounted, one by one, over the years, each digging a further inch deeper, stabbing at her . She used to believe in the empty fa?ade that everyone was her friend, that everyone liked her because of who she was, and that it had nothing to do with what she was . However, the reality was much crueler than what her rose-colored, child¡¯s mind believed . She realized quickly that, save for her parents and their unconditional love, she could rely on very few others . Among those of her own age, perhaps only her older brother was one of them, someone who always treated her the same . She sighed, lost in thoughts, leaning further back against the bench . Every morning of every day, she woulde here just as the dawn struck the day, sit in the silent thoughts for a good hour before others started showing up . Though she tried many times to sort the mess inside her head, it was all for naught . No matter how hard she tried, she always found herselfing up short of the world¡¯s expectations . By all ounts, she was entirely ordinary; the only thing separating her from those kids throwing mudballs at each other on the streets was her namesake . The idental point of her birth... and nothing else . More than once, she wished she had been born in an ordinary family; she could have lived her life in silence, estranged from the eschewed eyes that never truly epted her . She could have been someone ordinary, someone untouched by the mor and the glory of the Court, unblemished by the expectations she knew she would never be able to meet, no matter how hard she worked . The reality escaped her eyes, and she escaped it in turn . \"... you look awfully despondent . \" A voice startled her out of her thoughts as she cried out, jumping up . Only then did she notice a familiar-looking figure sitting on the bench next to her, smiling faintly, his hair just as disheveled as hers was when she woke up . She had never seen her father without a cheeky smile on his face or entirely cleaned up . Perhaps only he could walk around in the Pce, and among the Courtly, looking as though he had juste from the streets where he begged for bread for hours . \"Oh, wow . If I look awful enough to scare my own kid, maybe it¡¯s time I took some fashion advice from your mom, eh?\" \"... ha ha ha, sorry,\" Aariaughed lightly and sat back down, leaning against his shoulder briefly . \"It¡¯s not that; you just startled me . \" \"What were you thinking about so deeply anyway?\" Lino asked, moving a few strands of her hair from her forehead . \"Nothing much . \" Aaria replied, pulling the corners of her lips into a smile . \"... you got the same smile as your mom,\" he said after a few moments, sighing . \"I remember her giving me the same look a long, long, long time ago . Reassuring me . Then, a few dayster... she was gone . I wouldn¡¯t see her for over ten years afterward . Are you nning on running away, firefly?\" \"...\" Aaria swallowed back her words, staring deeply into the pair of abyss-ck eyes . If there was one thing that she prided herself on, it was that she never burdened her parents with what she believed were her insignificant troubles . The two had the entire world to worry over; her little worries weren¡¯t nearly bad enough to impede on that . Yet, his gaze seemed to thaw that thinyer of frost of confidence around her heart . \"... I¡¯ve thought about it . \" She replied atst, looking away in shame, lowering her head . \"... where would you go?\" Lino asked . \"... I don¡¯t know,\" she replied . \"Somewhere . I¡¯d figure it out . \" \"... let¡¯s go somewhere then . \" \"Huh? Aa-aaaaaaaaaaaah!\" Aaria suddenly screamed out as she felt herself pulled out of the reality, thrust through the world she had never seen before; all around her, the reality warped into a tunnel-like shape, colors beyondplexion forming shapes beyond descriptions, temporarily dulling her mind . By the time she registered it all, she felt a breeze of wind push past her cheeks, her legs touching the hard ground . It took a moment for her mind to catch up before she bent over and bawled out a mouthful, coughing right after . \"Ugh, what the hell dad...\" she grumbled angrily as she wiped her lips, straightening right after and taking in her surroundings . \"Oh, right, you never space-tunneled before,\" Lino chuckled . \"My bad . \" Aaria realized the two were standing on a riverbank, a stream of clear water pushing beside her down the rocky steep . Behind her was a small cabin, perched underneath a tall and bushy tree, the two surrounded by a massive in . \"... where are we?\" she asked after a moment . \"This,\" Lino replied . \"Is where I met your mom for the first time, second time . \" \"Huh?\" \"A long while back, I passed out after a fight with a Devil,\" he said as he walked up to a small, wooden pier, Aaria following right behind him . The two sat down by the edge, letting their legs dangle off just above the stream . \"And your mom... she brought me here . When I opened my eyes inside that cabin, a strange, masked woman weed me . I never told her this, and you better not either, but I nearly pissed myself from fear back then . \" \"...\" \"Anyway, we spent some time here until I recovered,\" Lino said, ncing up toward the sky, a warm smile hanging on his face, one that caused Aaria to smile as well . \"During which... I fell in love with her all over . Staying here, with her, away from the world, shut off from its troubles, from all the noise... is in one of my favorite moments of all time . \" \"...\" Aaria lowered her gaze back onto the stream, rocking her legs back and forth . She was lucky ¨C she always knew that . Beyond simply having been born into the right family, the truly lucky part that her parents were irreceable . \"You and mom are really amazing...\" \"... it¡¯s your mom that¡¯s amazing,\" Lino chuckled, ncing down at her . \"I¡¯m just a straggler who managed to ride the coattails of her marvelous life . \" \"... no, you both are,\" Aaria sighed, shaking her head . \"Whenever people talk about you, it¡¯s like... each story somehow bes crazier than thest . You did all these crazy, insane, yet incredible things... all the time,\" sheughed bitterly, looking up at the clear, blue sky . \"And, somehow... you always... always... won . \" \"...\" \"People hate me, dad . \" \"... huh? What? People don¡¯t hate you . \" \"Ha ha, it¡¯s fine; I know they do,\" sheughed bitterly, corners of her eyes growing teary . \"And... honestly... I don¡¯t me them . I¡¯m never good enough . Never good at anything, dad . No matter how hard I try, how much effort I put in... I alwayse up short . I want to be like the two of you; I want people to have their eyes shine whenever they mention me... not really because of me, but because of you two . You¡¯ve built this amazing world all by yourself... and sometimes... sometimes I feel I¡¯m the only stain on your legacy . \" \"...\" Lino listened in silence as tears began rolling down her slightly reddened cheeks . \"... I... I¡¯m sorry,\" she cracked all of a sudden, her fingers¡¯ hold onto the wooden pier tightening . \"I¡¯m so sorry...\" \"... you seem to have a really skewed view of your mom and me, firefly,\" Lino said with a pained smile, caressing her head gently . \"We¡¯re nowhere near as amazing as you think we are, and especially not as much as people describe us . If anything, both of us, especially me, are littered by faults, regrets, and past mistakes we¡¯ll never be able to erase . You say we¡¯ve aplished all of these amazing things on our own, but that¡¯s hardly the truth; all along, we had countless arms and hearts supporting us . And, as people do from time to time, we failed many of them . \" \"...\" Aaria moved her gaze away from the river and onto the man she always considered ineffable, untouchable, a wall that can never be cracked . Yet, that very wall was cracking right now, in front of her eyes . \"This Empire... this damned empire was built on blood and bones, firefly,\" Lino said . \"Names of hundreds of peopley etched in its bloodbound soil . I failed so, so many times, I¡¯ve long since lost the count . However, nobody mentions that . Recently, and secretly, I sneaked into some of the schools just to see what¡¯s it all about, and not once did I hear anyone mention how I had to escape my first, true war with a tail between my legs . Not once did I hear anyone mention how I had failed to protect the very first people that decided to follow me, leading to their early demise . Not once did I hear anyone mention all the countless mistakes I¡¯ve made, the endless sea of people I¡¯ve let down, and no doubt countless heartbreaks I¡¯ve caused . \" \"...\" \"All those murals, all those paintings, mosaics... what they paint isn¡¯t a story of how your mom and I got to where we are,\" Lino sighed, shaking his head with a bitter smile . \"They paint a folktale that¡¯s about as true as if you said birds give birth to lions . Remember this, firefly -- behind every single moment of glory is a story full of heartache, failure, and breakdowns . If there is one thing I¡¯d never let you be, firefly, it¡¯s to be like your mom and me . They talk behind your back? Let them . The only reason they don¡¯t talk behind my back is that they¡¯re scared shitless . If it bothers you, just whip them a few times to teach them a lesson . \" \"... ha ha ha ha...\" \"I didn¡¯t change this world for them, Aaria; I didn¡¯t fight endless wars, lost hundreds of friends, and set the world on fire for years, for them . I did it for you ¨C so you wouldn¡¯t have to . You are amazing, no matter what you think of yourself . You say you failed at everything you tried, but the only thing I saw you try is to follow in your mom¡¯s and my footsteps . That¡¯s a no-go, firefly . Be yourself . Never let our shadows hold you back from bing whatever you want . If you want to be an Empress after us, devote yourself to it . If not? Then don¡¯t . Who gives a shit, anyway? There are literally millions of people out there who¡¯d be more than happy to inherit the throne . If you like painting, then paint; if you like dancing, then dance; if you like music, then sing; if you like writing, then write; if you like doing nothing andzing around all day, thenze around until your heart¡¯s content . The world is yours, firefly, and you don¡¯t owe it anything . Nor do you owe its inhabitants anything . You only owe yourself to live the life you want to live . \" \"... how do you not care?\" Aaria asked, biting her lower lip and throwing herself into his chest; all her troubles seemed to fade away right at that moment, as though a wall between them and her had been erected from the solid nothing . \"... I can¡¯t answer that for you, firefly,\" Lino said, caressing her hair warmly, embracing her with his free arm . \"If you want, your mom and I can abdicate the throne today, and move here . It will be just the three of us, day in and out . However, something tells me... that¡¯s not the path you want to take . \" \"...\" \"The key in life, I¡¯ve learned,\" Lino said, taking a deep breath . \"Is finding yourself in the midst of others . You¡¯ll always feel the pull to be someone else; when I was younger, the only reason I wanted to be a smith was because I saw howvishly the smiths in the vige lived . But, before that, I wanted to be a miner, because I saw miners eating freshly baked bread on their way over to the mines . And, before that, I wanted to be a guard of some fancy noble, because I always saw those guards dressed in the best armor and weapons coin can buy . If you let this pull of the na?ve heart win, you¡¯ll never find yourself . You¡¯ll always be somebody else . Look no further than yourself,\" he added, chuckling faintly . \"How many millions of girls in the world want to be the Princesses because they believe you¡¯re at the peak of happiness? That you have everything?\" \"...\" \"So be yourself, firefly; you may be my kid, but before that, you are your own self . You owe neither your mom nor me anything . Never let these, or any other, old bones hold you back . If you try and fail, what does it matter? Everyone tries and fails . If I never failed in life, I¡¯d have never learned anything . So, you could say, my genius is built upon the mountain of failures . \" \"Oh, your genius, is it? Ha ha ha...\" \"Indeed, indeed,\" Lino chuckled, stroking his chin . \"This unparalleled genius indeed . \" \"... unparalleled, huh? So... you must have failed tons in your life?\" \"Oh, more than you can count . \" \"I can count plenty, though; I may be a bit slow, but I¡¯m not a dud, dad...\" \"Oh, my bad . I heard some clerk talking about how he saw you struggling to count to a hundred, so I just assumed...\" \"WHAT?!!\" Aaria jumped up suddenly, her cheeks red like a cherry . \"I-I can count more than a hundred!! Who said that?! I¡¯ll beat his ass so hard he¡¯ll forget to count to a hundred!!\" \"... I think he was like... a hundred and one years old, though . Oh, sorry, it¡¯s a hundred, plus one . \" \"...\" Aaria settled down, finally realizing she was being messed with . That cheeky smile... ah, that cheeky smile ¨C she loved it more than the words could ever describe . \"You¡¯re an asshole...\" \"... oi, where¡¯d you learn that word?!\" \"From a hundred and a one-year-old clerk who said you stink of cheese . \" \"... you know what? You just might make it as a Court Lady . You¡¯ve a fierce tongue on you, firefly . \" \"Eh, I guess I did inherit something from the two of you unparalleled geniuses...\" \"And it¡¯s the best part, at that . Be proud!\" \"... I¡¯d really rather not...\" Aariaughed lightly, rolling her eyes . \"Thank you...\" \"... I¡¯m just sorry it took me so long . \" \"I understand; don¡¯t worry about it . \" \"No,\" Lino shook his head . \"It pains me that you even understand . I may say I built all of this for you, but if I¡¯m constantly running about, what was the point? From today onwards, reserve one hour every day ¨C we¡¯ll call it Daddy-Time!\" \"Ugh, no, please... that¡¯s so embarrassing...\" \"Says who?! I, as the only other person here, say that it¡¯s absolutely magnificent! The first order of our Daddy-Time ¨C tag! If I catch you, I¡¯ll throw you into the stream and we¡¯ll swim together!\" \"Ugh, stop joking¡ªoi, no, don¡¯t! Dad!\" Aaria suddenly jumped up and ran off, sprinting, Lino right at her heels . \"I¡¯m serious, stop!! The water is too fast, and I can¡¯t swim that well! Daaaaaad!!!\" Chapter 562 Chapter 562: 562 CHAPTER 562 LONELY FLOWERS There was no swelling music, nor the presence of the overbearing crowds with thousands of eyes, nor was there a grand procession, nor long-winded speeches recounting her life and deeds . There was only the sound of the shoveling, and the sounds of dirt flying briefly through the air before pelting against the casket set inside the ground . Somber rays of the sun fell alongside the shimmering field of grass, a set of towering trees encircling a small enclosure resting by a narrow, yet wild, stream . The sounds of the shoveling echoed out repeatedly, an asional grunt adjoining . There weren¡¯t many people present ¨C Eggor, Cae, Lino, Hannah, Aaria, Alison and Lucky, seven in total . Though the speed was slow, soon enough a small mound of dirt existed where once a hole was . One by one, all seven stepped further back, while Eggor circled around to the other side and picked up a wooden que, striking it deep into the mound, ensuring it wouldn¡¯t be moved . A faint trace of wind whizzed by, untangling the flowered garden behind the que, bashing against the thick trunks of the trees even further behind . \"... it don¡¯t look bad, eh?\" Eggormented, wiping sweat from his brow as he joined back with the others . \"No, not bad at all . \" Lino said, patting his shoulders . \"Your sense of aesthetic... ah, how the hell are you a smith?\" \"Oh, pipe down, brat,\" Eggor rolled his eyes, pping Lino¡¯s arms away as the restughed for a moment . \"You couldn¡¯t even properly dress up for your mother¡¯s funeral, and you¡¯ll preach to me about aesthetic?\" \"It¡¯s because I wanted to be authentic!\" \"Right, right, authentic...zy bumass...\" \"Alright, could you two not throw curses at one another for a minute?\" Hannah sighed, joining in . \"We are here to pay our respects and bid her thest goodbye, not to watch you two make fools out of yourselves . \" \"... are you sure... you¡¯re fine with this?\" Alison asked in a lowered tone . \"I mean...\" \"... it¡¯s fine,\" Eggor chuckled, patting her head gently for a moment . \"She was hardly someone to demand grandeur . Come on,\" he added, pulling young Cae by his arm . \"Come drink with your father . \" \"... why?\" Cae groaned in protest, shuddering . \"Are you saying you don¡¯t want to drink with me?\" \"... I¡¯d really rather not...\" \"But you will, ha ha ha ha...\" \"Come on girls, let¡¯s go drinking as well,\" Hannah chuckled . \"Rejoice Aaria; you¡¯ll finally get to taste the wine!\" \"Dad let me taste it like five years ago, though,\" Aaria said . \"I didn¡¯t like it very much...\" \"HE WHAT?!!\" \"Calm down, calm down,\" Lucky quickly jumped in and reigned her back . \"It¡¯s in the past, in the past . Come on...\" \"... we¡¯ll talk about this, bastard . \" Lino shuddered as he met a pair of the starkly green eyes screaming at him, quickly looking away, drenched in a cold sweat . Soon enough, however, he was alone, standing in silence above the tiny patch of dirt . He crouched, sighing lowly, and took out a gourd of ale, drinking a few sips . The wind whizzed by again, belting against his hair, disheveling it and pushing it sideways . Strands dangled like tendrils, bending over the contours of his tired-looking, aged face . Wrinkles decorated the high forehead, thick brows giving way to a scarred bridge of the nose and the dented pair of ck eyes enshrouded in the drooping circles . The thick beard had already turned mostly gray, adding quite a few more years to his appearance . A few droplets of ale rolled down the corners of his lips, dangling off the thick hair, absorbed in it before they had a chance to fall . He ced his hand softly onto the mound and held it, open-palmed, as though he was using it as a support . No words left his lips as he stared at the patch of dirt, his eyes unflinching . The sun eventually set, hiding behind the tall set of mountains on the horizon, giving way to a starlit night . Lino finally came to, ncing up beyond the shroud of Noterra and out into the infinity . Taking a sip of ale, he shook his head and smiled, walking over to a small garden of flowers, plucking out one rose and putting it on the fresh grave . \"... see ya¡¯ . \" He muttered lowly as he turned away, walking out of the tiny grove, his shoulders ever-so-slightly slumped, heavy-looking . ** Caleb watched in silence, with a faint smile hanging on his face, as Talisha chased around a few young Dragons along the vast stretch of a beautiful, tranquil in . The two had already spent quite a few days here, far longer than he initially anticipated, though he didn¡¯t mind it much . The life outside of this small bubble rarely afforded them the momentum of calm and peace, which made it ever more precious in the end . He drank and slept in silence and peace every night, not needing to worry about setting up rms, or of being raided and attacked at his most vulnerable . He chuckled as he saw Talisha stumble over a Dragon¡¯s tail, fuming right after, while he leaned further back and looked at the clear, blue sky . He¡¯d thought deeply about Lino¡¯s strange proposal; it was no different than any he¡¯d received in the past from countless figures . A proposal to join sides andbat the undefeatable always sounded empty and rang hollow to him, as the struggle was always shallow . He didn¡¯t fight against the Creator; rather, he was on the run . All his life, ever since the Earth¡¯s fall, all he could was run and hide . The more he¡¯d learn about the reach, about the suffocating tendrils poking at every corner imaginable, the more he wanted to bore himself into a hole somewhere deep and hide in silence . The surface pretenses he¡¯d put on were nearly as empty as the concentrated ¡¯war¡¯ against the Creator; in truth, very, very, very few figures had the capacity to resist... and he was not one of them . He used cheap schemes and lies to build a narrative around his name, though how authentic all of that was... needed not an answer . His eyes were opened to reality a long time ago, when he met someone who could actually resist the Creator without the facades ¨C the first and thest time he met a figure that could walk into every corner of the entirety and do whatever he wanted . That insurmountable gap between them was the answer he sought ever since escaping the Earth . Yet, for the first time in his life, that empty that rang hollow... was not here . The pair of ck eyes that looked at him honestly... shook him . He hardly doubted the man¡¯s strength or even his charisma, but both were far toocking; yet, for a reason he could not quite understand, he found his heart opening up to that strange confidence . Lino eerily reminded him of Rog¡¯wal, the same figure that opened his eyes to the reality for the first time . Both seemed entirely ignoble of the actual reality, yet in their eyes held the perfect perception of it . Na?ve-seeming on the surface, they exuded confidence bordering foolishness, yet, time and again, in those moments of need when most fumble, they broke past it all and endured . One could say that theycked that basic caution, the instinct drilled into every single soul that ensured the organism survives; but, perhaps a better way to word it is that they lorded over that same caution, that base instinct . Had Lino stayed further out into the open, fighting, Caleb would have nevere; it was clear that the strange man knew the limits of what he could do at the moment, which is precisely what confused Caleb ¨C why was it, then, that he could with absolute confidence im he¡¯d be victorious? \"... what¡¯s got your panties twisted?\" a familiar voice dragged him out of his thoughts as he saw Talisha sit next to him, her expression distorted slightly . \"Had fun?\" Caleb asked with a smile, wiping a few droplets of sweat from her forehead . \"Tsk, these Dragons are really vicious; one of them even spat on me and stuck her tongue out . Can you imagine?!\" \"... you tried to set their asses on fire,\" Caleb shrugged . \"I think their retaliation was still rather mild . \" \"... what¡¯s wrong?\" she suddenly asked as she ignored his probe . Traces of that innocent naivety could also be found in her gaze, though in her case, Caleb was well aware, it really was na?ve innocence . \"... should I ept his deal?\" Caleb asked as Talisha pulled back all of a sudden, a shocked expression on her face . \"Y-you... you are asking for my opinion?!\" she eximed . \"Wow . He must have gotten you real good if you¡¯re so desperate as to ask me . \" \"... he really has,\" Caleb chuckled . \"But, it¡¯s your time to shine . Just like every other time . \" \"... we should stay . \" Talisha said rather quickly, surprising Caleb . Whenever he¡¯d reach one of these moments in his life, when he was at the conflict over what to do, he¡¯d always ask her... and trust whatever her answer was . So far, it has never betrayed him . \"... that was quick . \" Caleb said . \"... it¡¯s a good ce, C¡¯,\" her sudden smile caused his heart to stop for a moment as the wind zed past, sending her hair spiraling for a moment . \"To be honest, I¡¯m kinda tired of jumping from ce to ce . Running . Hiding . It¡¯s not just us anymore; we have a big family... and we barely see any of ¡¯em . That guy, I don¡¯t know... he... instills me with confidence, for some reason . And, looking around, that seems to be the case with everyone here, no?\" it certainly was true; a whole slew of cosmic species could be found here, Caleb realized . And all of them were here specifically because of that perpetually-terribly dressed human . \"... we¡¯ll stay here, then,\" Caleb didn¡¯t deliberate on it for too long; though he trusted his keen insight beyond reason, that trust still fell short of one other ¨C that of in her . \"I¡¯ll bring the kids and others over . I guess... it really is a good ce . \" \"Eh, better than that shithole we¡¯re calling our home now . \" Talisha shrugged . \"Oi, I spent like two years building that...\" \"And it shows...\" \"... ouch...\" Chapter 563 Chapter 563: 563 CHAPTER 563 EDIFICE OF DESTRUCTION (I) The void around Noterra remained as ever still; the shine of the sun nketed one side, while the other sprung out into the vast emptiness asionally interrupted by the faint glimmers of the distant stars and gxies . A figure suddenly appeared in its midst; a throng of a sound suffocated immediately as he stepped out of the tunnel-like apparition behind him . The familiar sensation hit him against his chest, the eerie feeling of having to stifle his breath and coat himself in the sheen of energy . Even at his level, he realized that it was impossible for his body to endure the tears and burns of the empty void . ncing around, he eventually dragged his eyes downward onto a massive; from so far up above, besides the unified everything, all details escaped him . The mountains were at best differently-colored dents, rivers virtually invisible, and even the Empyrion itself just a sensation rather than something that could be seen . He took a deep breath and spun around, extending his arm outward; right after, above his open palm, a single shudder of crimson-ck light appeared like a bolt, tiny, seemingly insignificant when contrasted to everything around it . Yet, its mere appearance caused the space around it to disce outwardly, like a sphere, creating an insting nothingness within ¨C no matter, no energy, no particles . Even Lino couldn¡¯t quite understand that concept, the idea of absolute nothingness, as everywhere else, no matter where one looked, there was something, no matter how tiny or minute it may be . Yet, there, within that small patch, nothing but the flicker existed . Lino let go of it and watched it float out of his palm, spinning round itself in the process . It changed shapes rapidly, from the onset, rounding out all those Lino was familiar with, and those that he couldn¡¯t have even fathomed on his own . Bit by bit, it also began expanding, alongside the surrounding patch of nothingness, seemingly swallowing away at the reality itself with each movement . Lino himself backed up slightly, tremors in his heart diluting the curiosity he felt; no matter how strong he had gotten, he was still a tiny speck ¨C a nothingness . The Edifice was what he originally thought Ataxia to be; it was not a creature, not really ¨C not an individual of his or her own conscience, drives and interests . It was a realization of something much greater, apendium of Natural Laws . The notions of the ¡¯Creator¡¯ and ¡¯Destroyer¡¯ were rather misleading, he¡¯d learned; rather than creating, they were shaping, augmenting, metamorphosing, distorting . For as old as they were, that from which they came was even older . He had quizzed the Edifice curiously about that origin, but even it fell short of an answer; it was undoubtable, however, that the two of them did create everything that is feasible in the universes ¨C the matter, the range of energies, particles,ws, and, naturally, all the celestial bodies one might encounter . In the extended tree of it all, they even created him . Space rippled as a strange phenomenon suddenly unfolded before Lino¡¯s eyes; the tiny Edifice sprung into a bursting continuum of expansion, looping upward into a tail-like curve before suddenly stopping, at the first nce cut up . Yet, beyond that line, Lino could still spot the remnants of the expansion as they influenced the spacetime . Eventually, far up, thousands of kilometers, the contour burst out back into reality once again, this time as thick as the itself, looming like an eternal shadow . It wrung and spun, forming loops, rings, patterns, asymmetric lines, all manner of shapes and sizes . Rather, there was no uniform shape that Lino could assign to it; perhaps a tree-like structure would be the most appropriate, yet hardly descriptive enough . Within minutes, Noterra¡¯s surroundings were jammed with in-and-out phantoms, forming a shield-like formation that burst out into a tall canopy further up above, and then some more . Calctions ceased to be possible, Lino realized, standing in the midst of the formation, jagged and rugged and ttened and smooth shapes pulsating around him, floating serenely in the open . An unfathomable sensation overcame him as his stern expression softened, his ck eyes bursting out with cone-shaped beams of light for a moment, his body flung into a stasis that he could not escape . Arms spread far open in conjunction with his legs, his back bent backward into a spinal curve, his voice stuck inside his throat . Bounding space and time, and all limitations he believed to be unbreakable, he saw it ¨C the core, the heart, the very center of the ¡¯creature¡¯ that must have spanned at the very least the entire gxy in size . It nestled not too far away from Noterra, up above it, like a tiny crown of energy forever resting, forming an ethereal throne . Inwardly, indeed, it seemed like a tree, with a single, obelisk-like jaunt billowing upward, exploding on the sides into branch-like protrusions that opened the ripples in spacetime, slowly swelling new universes into existence . Even the Edifices, however, could not bend the time of uniformity; perhaps in the small pockets of space, to a certain extent, but not on arge scale . It meant that those universes were just born, and it would take a long, long, long time before they grew . Yet, what stunned Lino perhaps more so than anything else was the sheer number of them ¨C millions . And that was only of those he could see with his eyes . He stood amidst the nothing, realizing his body was just a projection into a much higher dimension that he had no ess to . Noterra, down below, seemed nothing like a he knew it as; it was merely a ttened ne of two colors and some lines stretched through ¨C as was most of the universe surrounding it, he realized . Veering his gaze back over onto the obelisk-like structure, he saw someone walked out of its ck walls ¨C it was a human, or at least a projection of one . A child, Lino quickly realized, somewhere around ten-year-old, sporting a pair of entirely ck eyes with no whites in sight, and a chilling, blood-like crimson hair . The child walked slowly, sauntering up to him and stopping, looking up and meeting his eyes . \"Thank you . \" Though the feeling of gratitude was expressed, Lino could hardly feel it as he couldn¡¯t reconcile the choir-like chanting voice of the bellowing depths with the child-like appearance . \"For resurrecting me . \" \"... no problem?\" Lino uttered back, shrinking slightly beneath that gaze . \"You don¡¯t need to fear me,\" the child said, its voice still, however, putting the sentiments into question . \"By your human understanding, we are family . \" \"... where... am I?\" Lino braved himself enough to ask, ncing around once again . However, save for the obelisk-like protrusion and the branches, there was nothing else . \"Call it what you will,\" the child replied . \"It is what it is . I am still consolidating the energy and expanding; the unnerving part, however, is over . Your home is now safe so long as I stand . \" \"... how long will that be?\" Lino asked . \"I cannot know,\" the child shook its head . \"It will depend entirely on you and those you choose to follow you . \" \"... huh? Wait? I¡¯m the one choosing Agents?\" Lino eximed in surprise . \"Of course,\" the Edifice nodded . \"It matters little to me, as I trust you . \" \"... you do realize that I¡¯ll make you make all my friends Agents, right?\" \"Think before you do, however,\" the Edifice warned suddenly, surprising him . \"Right now, you may be free to do whatever it is you want to do . However, soon enough, that freedom will end . Being an Agent means being a part of the war that never ends ¨C day after day, eon after eon . Right now, the Creator has hundreds of Agents spread across the Universes, all of them fighting ¨C some of them with clones numbering in hundreds as well, with all those clones fighting . Neither he nor I can battle directly; as neither he nor I can indefinitely and frequently make new Agents . Those Agents that you¡¯ve killed have set him back millions of years, as that is how long it takes to create one . You, and his own Prime Agent, are exceptions, as you were bound with me from the start; others, however, will have to undergo the same principle as everyone else ¨C training, fighting, killing, and more training . \" \"...\" \"It is hardly a life of joy, Lyonel; during ourst cycle, I can¡¯t tell you how many Agents eventually decided to take their own lives . It is not something you quit either ¨C as a bond is formed, instinctually pumping psychological pressure to follow my mand¡¯ . I am the same; I cannot unbind an Agent, nor can I harm one, and I always have to do all in my power to make them stronger . \" \"... more war, huh?\" Lino sighed, shaking his head lightly . \"Eh, I suppose it could have been worse . How long do you think I have before I need to get out there?\" \"You¡¯re still young,\" the Edifice replied . \"So to you, it¡¯s a long time ¨C millions of years, in fact . Don¡¯t worry too much yet and just live; outlive the regrets, and relish in the simple life . Even grow attached to it . Time is rather uncanny, that way; it can wane all loves and desires, and there¡¯s little any one of us can do to change it . \" \"... you know,\" Lino growled lowly . \"Your foreboding speech implied it would be a hellish life from the get-go . Millions of years?! What the fuck am I supposed to do for millions of years?!\" \"Most other humans seem to enjoy making children,\" the Edifice said . \"Perhaps you could go back to it?\" \"... ah, so it¡¯s indeed possible,\" Linomented . \"That even sex can get boring...\" Chapter 564 Chapter 564: 564 CHAPTER 564 EDIFICE OF DESTRUCTION (II) Lino stood in front of a silent room, seated, a bemused smile on his face . He began rapping his fingers against the armrest of the chair as to break the monotony, still observing the faces in front of him ¨C eight in total . Among them, only Hannah seemed entirely indifferent, seated at the corner, one leg crossed over another, yawning . The surrounding walls were void of decorations, as was the stone floor beneath; the room that seemed no simpler than that of amoner was, effectively, where Lino made all his decisions alongside those present . It was located deep inside the forest, beneath the seeming ground floor, locked away into the darkness nobody was aware of . Growing faintly bored, Hannah and he each took out gourds of ale at virtually the same time, sharing a knowing smile in the process . \"... in my heart of hearts,\" he said after taking a sip, breaking the silence . \"I rmend you walk away . \" \"Because we¡¯re not strong enough?\" Lucky asked with a faint frown . \"... bravado is pointless here, L¡¯,\" Lino shrugged, cracking a faint smile at her . \"It has nothing to do with strength . It¡¯s amitment that cannot be understated, and one that will change your lives forever . To me, I will have a long gap still to enjoy life; you, however, will not . Forget family and friends, you might spend thousands of years never even seeing the light of day . The only reason I even brought it up is that I believed all of you will choose to walk away . \" \"... Hannah won¡¯t . \" Ion said . \"And neither will I . \" \"Hannah won¡¯t because she¡¯s a moron,\" Lino sighed . \"And because, if I said no to her, she would chop my head off in my sleep and take my ce anyway . What for, Ion? You¡¯ve already proved all you had to prove ¨C righted all you felt was wrong . You are too old to still have a chip on your shoulder . Go find a girl and start a family of your own; live the life, not the nightmare . \" \"... warring is my life, Lino,\" Ion chuckled lightly . \"I¡¯ve spent all my life so far defending our home . What¡¯s so wrong about just extending that duty?\" \"¡ªman, you¡¯re one stubborn oak,\" Lino sighed . \"I won¡¯t say anything anymore . Everyone, go back and think about it, talk about it . For once, I hope you all have enough sense to say no . \" soon after, everyone except Hannah left, leaving the two to drink in silence for a moment before Lino broke it . \"You won¡¯t change your mind?\" \"No . \" Hannah replied quickly . \"... I understand where you¡¯reing from, Hannah,\" Lino sighed . \"But, I really, really would wish if you¡¯d change your mind . \" \"Oh, would you look at that; wishing something doesn¡¯t magically make it happen . Who would have thought?\" \"... what¡¯s pushing you?\" he asked . \"Pushing you so hard you¡¯d abandon all reason and throw yourself back into the exact thing we¡¯ve been escaping for decades?\" \"... I¡¯ve been escaping it with the idea of you spending that peace with me, Lino,\" Hannah said . \"With the idea that, when it was all over, we¡¯d settle down and sit by the fire . I don¡¯t care whether I live in peace or in war, so long as it¡¯s with you . And, in my heart of hearts, I know you¡¯re the same; you¡¯d rather have me in hell than be without me in heaven . As you¡¯ve said,\" she added with a smile . \"Bravado is pointless here . \" \"... we¡¯ll have millions of years of that peace,\" Lino said . \"So much of it you¡¯ll tire of me . So much of it, you¡¯ll wish the day woulde sooner . \" \"... do you really believe that?\" Hannah said, meeting his gaze squarely . \"If the roles were reversed, would you be like that?\" \"...\" \"I won¡¯t im I¡¯ll never get bored of you,\" she said . \"And that I¡¯ll never wish to just have a few days without you . But, the only reason for it... is the knowledge that you will be there when I return . Waiting . Millions of years are long ¨C so long, right now, neither one of us can quite grasp that length of time . But, they are still finite . They will end . And, one day, you would have to leave ¨C probably for good . Millions of years with you for eternity without you? Sounds like the worst possible deal ever conceived . \" \"¡ªyou are remarkably insane,\" Lino chuckled bitterly after a short silence, shaking his head . \"Far more insane than anyone I¡¯ve ever met in my life . Even that ugly reflection in the mirror . \" \"... besides,\" Hannah added, getting up slowly and walking over . \"Those dreams you¡¯ve rekindled... never died, Lino . I don¡¯t want to be a pretty face sitting on the throne; I don¡¯t want to be a Queen, or the Empress, or one¡¯s mother eventually . I don¡¯t want to be the wife of the Empire¡¯s founding Emperor . I don¡¯t want to be a name perennially attached to yours . An empty fantasy keeping men up at night . Had I not met you again, that life might have been a perfect choice for me,\" she added, sitting down on hisp and leaning gently against his chest as his arm reached around her and hugged her over the side . \"But... spending all these years with you... chasing our tails and heads all over the world, fighting, surviving, nearly dying, winning, losing, grasping at straws... those years were infinity more fun than the days I¡¯ve spent locked inside the ivory tower,menting my ¡¯cursed¡¯ fate . \" \"...\" \"It might be selfish, but... I want to be my own person,\" she said . \"Independent of you, of Aaria, of the Empire itself . Just... Hannah . That crazed chick that blew up a star once and startedughing . \" \"... I can honestly see you doing exactly that . \" Linoughed briefly, stroking her hair gently . \"I want you to be all those things, too . There¡¯s always that battle going on inside my mind, Hannah; you, safe at home, with Aaria, away from me ¨C or you, right by my side, participating in that infernal suffering . I want you by my side ¨C right there, in those mes, standing opposite of the world with me . But, my selfishness needs you to be safe ¨C somewhere far away from all the pain . All my life, those contradictions haunted me . I know you can shine brighter than anyone else, fly higher up than I ever could, be someone whose name will outstrip mine with ease . And I want you to be all those things... yet, at the same time, I don¡¯t . \" \"... I thought you¡¯d have shed all youryers ofplexity by now, old man,\" Hannah chuckled . \"But, I suppose you¡¯re still just that wellyered, delicate boy that you always were . The same boy who always, for some reason, had this unreasonable faith in me . \" \"... I¡¯d hardly call it unreasonable,\" he said . \"You work just as hard as I do, but the difference is that I¡¯m dumb . I see a wall, I¡¯ll bang my head against it until it breaks down; you, on the other hand, will look around, find some trees, build adder, and climb over it . You¡¯re just like El¡¯ ¨C an enigma that I never understood . While I had to effectively make a deal with the devil to cross the boundary, you did it with ease . Just like that . As though it was natural . As though there¡¯s a higher realm you¡¯ve always belonged to, and are now just returning there . \" \"... the only reason it seems that way is because I¡¯ve always had you to chase, or to at least keep up with,\" Hannah chuckled . \"Throughout all these years, no matter how strong I¡¯d get, you¡¯d always seem to be getting further and further away . No matter how hard I practiced, how cleverly I designed my tactics, whatever I did... it always seemed to fall short of you . It took me decades to realize why that was . \" \"...\" \"Precisely because of what you want to deny me right now, Lino,\" she added, looking up and meeting his eyes . \"All your life, you¡¯ve always fought ¨C every single day was a battle for survival . And I understand ¨C I truly do ¨C why you wouldn¡¯t want anyone you love to go through the same thing . But the very thing you condemn is the sole thing that has built you up . Compared to me, in a fight, you can effectively see into the future because of how much experience you have . Me? I have to rely on schemes, or just outright overpowering someone . I can¡¯t react . Not in time, at least . If I meet someone stronger, I can¡¯t be like you ¨C I can¡¯t rely on my instinct to bridge the gap . All I can do is either run away or bank on my luck . \" \"...\" Lino sighed heavily for a moment, looking away and up toward the ceiling . \"I¡¯d trade all this experience Hannah... I¡¯d trade it in a heartbeat . \" \"I know . \" \"I¡¯ll never quite understand why would anyone want to throw themselves into the troves and ws of death just on the off-chance they might get stronger . In those moments... my heart would freeze, and my blood would roll backward . Do you know how terrifying it is when your mind just... stops working? It¡¯s like you give way to something else inside of you, and you pull back, observing your own body . You see a sword piercing toward your heart, but your mind is too slow to even register it ¨C yet your body moves out of the way . More terrifying than death itself is dying without ever putting up a fight of my own . Those instincts you talk of... are the scariest shit you¡¯ll never experience . \" \"... I imagine they¡¯re still less scary than the life without you,\" she said . \"In every way, shape, and form . \" \"... I won¡¯t be able to help you,\" he added . \"But... I know I don¡¯t need to . I just wish... I could be there . Watching . Just in case . \" \"¡ªI¡¯ll alwayse back,\" she reassured, snuggling closer into his embrace . \"I¡¯ll be the exact nagging type of a wife you need . Even when gone, still there . \" \"... you better . \" he muttered lowly, kissing the top of her head gently, his lips curling up into a warm smile . \"You better...\" Chapter 565 Chapter 565 CHAPTER 565 EDIFICE OF DESTRUCTION (III) Lino was currently staring dubiously at Ion who was seated across from him, inside a luminescent room of wall-embedded gems and wooden furniture, drinking calmly, a faint smile hanging on his face . Of all those in the room, only he eventually returned, causing Lino a deep-seated internal conflict . Had it been Lucky or Ally, or perhaps even Val, he¡¯d have outright kicked them out, no matter what they might think of him afterward . However, deep inside, he knew Ion hadn¡¯t made this decision on the fly, as the sort of ¡¯let¡¯s give it a go¡¯ thought . The now-oldd had the same determination in his eyes that Lino himself had sported countless times prior ¨C which meant that he knew the best it would be nigh impossible to dissuade him from doing it . Just as Lino was about to try, however, the doors to the small room opened and a figure casually walked through; Lino groaned right after as he recognized Caleb, draped in macabre, ck robes, walking over and sitting next to Ion, the two ncing at each other for a moment . "You too?" Ion quizzed, taking a sip . "Yup . " Caleb replied simply . "Nice . " "Hm . " "..." Lino sighed, taking out a bottle of wine, not bothering to take out a cup, drinking straight from the bottle itself . "What devil urged you toe here?" he asked Caleb who joined in on the drinking as Ion handed him a gourd of ale . "Revenge . " Caleb replied simply . "... revenge?" "There were a couple of bastard Agents who nearly killed my ass," he said . "So I need to return the favor . " "... oh fuck off," Lino groaned . "I won¡¯t even consider it if you don¡¯t tell me the truth . " "... does it matter?" Caleb said after a short silence, looking Lino straight into thetter¡¯s eyes, unflinching . "Besides, I was honest . It is revenge . Back before I learned of the reality of things, I used to be among the best of my homeworld¡¯s hitmen . People would pay me exuberant amounts of money to sap away at their loved ones, and in the course of nearly twenty years of my career, I had never failed any of the targets . Then, the Ashening happened . And, for the first few years, I¡¯ve found myself repeatedly failing ¨C failing and failing and failing . To say nothing of the day the Agent arrived and culled millions of the survivors down to a hundred in the blink of an eye . On that day, I decided I¡¯d rip his face off and shove it up his ass before gutting his heart . " "... oh wow . I didn¡¯t take you for the empathetic sort . " Linomented . "Hardly," Caleb shrugged . "I don¡¯t give a shit he killed millions . It¡¯s how he ignored everyone and just walked away right after . " "... right . " "It took me millions of years to uncover he¡¯s one of the Prime Agents, whatever the hell that may mean beyond him just being ¡¯super strong¡¯ . I¡¯ve yet to meet him again after that, the bastard . " "You¡¯re really fucked in the head, aren¡¯t you?" "Eh . Aren¡¯t you the same?" "... you¡¯ll tell me the truth eventually, you know . " Lino smiled after a short silence, taking a sip . "That¡¯s the thing about me; I¡¯ve the uncanny ability to draw out people¡¯s secrets over time . " "..." Caleb remained silent, merely smiling . "If you¡¯re letting him, then you¡¯re letting me too . " Ion joined in from the side . "... wait, don¡¯t¡ª" "I also desire revenge," Ion said, maintaining unashamedly serious expression . "There was this one bastard Agent, you don¡¯t know him, who smirked at me once and told me he¡¯d fuck my wife when I got married . It traumatized me so much I decided to never get married . The only way I¡¯ll ever get married is if I first find him and kill him . " "... Hannah¡¯s waiting for you," Lino waved his hand off, giving up; it was pointless, after all . Neither of the two were children, but rather fully-grown people with their own intentions . In the end, it was their choice, and not his . "I wish you both good luck . Right, what about Talisha?" Lino asked Caleb . "She¡¯ll stay here for now," Caleb replied . "I¡¯ve brought our family over, so she¡¯ll probably spend some time with them . After, I imagine she¡¯ll start stalking you and pestering you to disclose where I am which, naturally, you won¡¯t know . So, over time, you¡¯ll start losing your mind and probably lock her up . I¡¯m saying all this to make it easier for you ¨C just lock her up right now and tell her I¡¯m undergoing the same training that mightst a few billion years . " "... fuckin¡¯ hell man... is she your wife or your ve?" "... you don¡¯t know," Caleb shuddered for a moment, a look of horror crossing his eyes in that second . "Lino . You don¡¯t know . Talisha is... Tal is... anyway, I¡¯m leaving . " "See ya¡¯, my dear Emperor!" Ion downed the remnants of his drink and got up as well, mboyantly saluting toward Lino with a grin . "I¡¯ll be sure to remind everyone I kill of your name, so it may spread throughout all the universes there are!" "..." Lino wordlessly watched the two walk away, chuckling right as the doors closed, falling silent . Besides him, there were three more now ¨C or, at least, there will be three more in the future . As to their futures, Lino had little say in them ¨C he could only patiently wait and trust in them . From what the Edifice told him, how long it would take for them to be full-fledged agents would depend entirely on them . It¡¯s not as though they¡¯ll spend millions of years out and about, but, altogether, it might take that long, if not even longer . Timescale he was yet to really understand, or, in a way, even believe in . Just before he was about to depart as well, the doors opened once again ¨C an unsuspecting giant walking through casually . Lino paused, his lips gaping into a look of surprise as Eldon walked up and awkwardly sat in a chair way too small for him . Though Lino himself was hardly on the short side, the man before him towered over even when seated, to say nothing of if he were standing . Lino absentmindedly stared at the calm Eldon for a long while before jolting himself back to reality, taking out another bottle of wine, quickly drinking it . "Don¡¯t tell me..." "I wish to be Agent to seek vengeance..." Eldon said . "You ran into those two?" "Yeah . " "... what the fuck are you doing here?" Lino asked straight out . "Aren¡¯t you fucking tired already? I figured that, by now, you¡¯d be merrily going out and about with Reli, readying to pop out a few kids already..." "... I wish to seek vengeance..." "Vengeance my ass!" Lino interrupted, mming his fist against the table, cooling the atmosphere . "The other two, I sort of get . You? No . Not at all . Again... what the hell are you doing here, Eldon?" "..." thetter looked deeply into Lino¡¯s eyes for a moment before sighing . "I¡¯m too used to it, Lino . The life of struggle, of battles that never end . I¡¯ve spent billions of years entrenched in it . That isn¡¯t something you simply walk away from..." "What about the rest, then? Are theying as well?" Lino asked . "No," Eldon shook his head . "They¡¯re stronger than me, in that . " "The hell they are . " "They are," Eldon reaffirmed . "They can look at the future and see themselves as a part of the world you created, Lino . Me? I can¡¯t . I see no future limbering around, ¡¯finding¡¯ myself all over again . I¡¯ve already found myself, many times over . And each time it was in the wars and battles . " "... did you talk to them?" Lino asked, calming down . "No . " "... why?" "For one, I¡¯m fairly certain Reli would have a nervous breakdown," Eldon said . "And, secondly, they¡¯d follow me . " "..." "I don¡¯t know what Hannah told you," he continued while Lino took out yet another bottle of wine, his nerves stretched tautly . "But... I¡¯m still in love with a ghost, Lino . I can¡¯t respond to Reli¡¯s, or anyone else¡¯s, heart . The sole purpose I see for myself is entrenching myself back into the life I¡¯ve known for what seems an eternity . " "... what if I say no? Will you follow in Primul¡¯s steps?" "... I don¡¯t know . " Eldon replied honestly, his wide shoulders slumping . "I truly hope... from the bottom of my heart... you will let me . " "... you¡¯ll regret it eventually . " Lino said . "I might . " "No, you will," Lino ascertained . "Nobody, no matter how broken, is meant to spend eternity shedding blood, Eldon . One day, you¡¯ll look back on today, on the words you said to me, and wish you could go back in time, turn around, and walk back to your friends . " "... I might . " Eldon said firmly, causing Lino sigh . "You may have more years under your belt than me," thetter said . "But, by god, if you aren¡¯t at least twice as dumb . Go . See if I give a shit . Go and chase whatever it is you need to find . " "... thank you . " "Nothing will bring her back, Eldon," Lino added just before thetter walked out of the room . "I just hope that, during your journey, you will finally ept that in your heart . " "..." not letting himself be blindsided again, Lino shed out of the room and vanished, appearing on the small balcony of the fortress, just outside Hannah¡¯s and his room . To his surprise, Aaria was already sitting there, her back facing him, dressed in uncharacteristically ugly clothing ¨C something Lino himself might wear ¨C a broad canvas in front of her, her hand tracing over it gently . "... isn¡¯t the color of the sun all wrong?" Linomented as he walked right up to behind her, stroking his beard . "AAH!!" Aaria cried out, stumbling back and nearly falling as Lino reached out and held her, all the while focused on the canvas . "Also, what¡¯s with that dog? Did it evolve into the breed that haspletely abandoned the sense of proportion? And what of these mountains, huh? Why are they shit-colored?" "¡ªcould you ever, ever, give me a warning before you pop out?!!" Aaria growled, quickly setting herself back up to her feet and covering the canvas with her body, her cheeks flushed red . "... you do realize you¡¯re just outside my room, right?" Lino asked, smiling . "... I needed a ce nobody would bother me . " She said . "... so, whatcha doing?" Lino asked as he walked back over to the table and a set of chairs, sitting down . "I mean, besides failing . " "Hey!! Didn¡¯t you say you would support me at whatever I decide to do?! Is this your version of support?! To belittle me?!" "... how am I belittling you?" Lino asked . "Are you really going to im it¡¯s good?" "... well, no, but I¡¯ve just started . Of course, it¡¯s not going to be good!" "... paint me . " Lino said all of a sudden, ignoring the daggers she was throwing at him through her eyes . "Huh?" "I want you to capture me right here and right now; just remember, the portrait you make will be hung just above the throne, and will stay there until the end of time . " "..." Aaria was stunned into silence at that moment, quickly recovering as she saw her father¡¯s cheeky smile, fire in her chest igniting . "Fine!!" she eximed, ripping the canvas and putting up a new, fresh one, turning it over to face the seated Lino . "Just you wait, old man! I¡¯ll paint you better than you can ever even look!" "... less yappin¡¯, more paintin¡¯ . " Sheesh, he thought, barely holding back hisughter . Tricking her is easier than stealing from babies... wait!! Have neither Hannah nor I ever taught her about the most basic maniption?! Hell!! If I hadn¡¯t realized, I¡¯d have been sending herpletely unprepared... I¡¯ll have to properly sit her down and teach her all the tricks . Hm, maybe not all... messing with her is kinda fun... Chapter 566 Chapter 566: 566 CHAPTER 567 SHATTERED HEARTS Lino watched as the sun slowly perched above the horizon, its golden rays showering the world in tender warmth . The colors of the early Spring joined, forming a rather picturesque scenery of newly-born colors and flourish . Finishing up the quick breakfast, he got up and vanished, appearing at the far, lonely outskirts of the fortress where a single building, isted from the rest of the world, stood . Smoke was already billowing out its wide chimney, sounds of the rapid hammeringposing a sheet of music in the moment . Lino walked in casually, immediately moving to the backroom; to his surprise, besides Eggor, there were three other people there ¨C all young, seeming in their early teens, watching the old man hammer, intensity, awe and fervor clearly present in their gazes . All three were boys of simr height, still-developing, slender builds, wearing tattered-looking hemp clothes, bandana tied around their foreheads, no doubt to mimic Eggor . Nobody noticed him as he walked in, stopping by the wall and leaning against it, casually observing the crafting process . Lino himself had put the smithing to the back of the priorities recently as he was too preupied with everything else, yet that fire that had never died out slowly began to stoke as he watched the old man immerse himself in the process . Lino quickly gauged that Eggor had gotten even better than him, and was on the cusp of bing the sole figure qualified enough to craft items for the Agents . At the very least, the only qualified one from the Noterra natives . Luckily, among the millions Lino had brought home and was yet to release due to their city still being built, there was no shortage of experts in the auxiliary fields, smithing among them . It still felt good, however, to know there was a potential for people from Noterra to reach those heights . From the looks of it, Eggor was crafting a round shield, steel-framed with a wooden body, not toorge and not too small . The temperature in the room was rather high, but none of those present seemed to mind it; after all, if there is one requirement to bing a smith, it is to practically be fire-resistant, especially at the higher levels . The same scene continued for nearly an hour more before Eggor finally put his hammer down, showcasing the shield to the kids who immediately raced over and started inspecting it . It was also then that he¡¯d noticed Lino creeping in the corner, that same, perennially smug smile hanging on his face . "¡ªoh my, kids, we¡¯ve got a very important guest," Eggor crackled faintly . "The one and only ¨C the Emperor who never did an Emperor-like thing . " "... eh?" the three kids eximed in unison, turning around and facing the wall Eggor was pointing at . Immediately after, the three stiffened in horror, their jaws crackling as though suddenly thrust into the coldest tundra . "Tsk, when will I shed the image of me that makes kids freeze?" Lino grumbled . "Never . " Eggor replied simply, walking over to the table near Lino, sitting down and taking out a couple of bottles full of cyan, cool-seeming liquid . "What brings you here?" "Boredom . " Lino replied, sitting down, ignoring the kids that were yet to move from their spots . "Figures," Eggor shrugged . "Don¡¯t you have an entire Empire to run?" "People far smarter than me are on it . " "... that¡¯s one of the few things I genuinely respect about you . " Eggor chuckled . "Eh, you taught me well . " Lino joined in, taking a sip of the drink . "Good shit . So, who are the kids?" "My newest disciples . " Eggor replied after taking a sip as well, shuddering from the cold in the process . "Barely talented bunch, but they¡¯re passionate enough . I can make somethin¡¯ of them yet . " "Aww, are you trying to fill the gaping void I left when I actually became better than you?" "Just hopin¡¯ I¡¯ll run across another freak like you," Eggor shrugged . "Though I may not know everything, from what little I do, it sounds like we¡¯ll need a lot of ¡¯em in theing future . " "... we really will," Lino nodded, sighing . "Though, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to break your self-imposed heroism . " "Hm?" Eggor quizzed, arching his thick brows . "While I was rampaging across the universe, I came across a few... uh... a few million people, kind of . Some of them are leagues better than either you or I . " "... isn¡¯t that good? Why have you been hiding them? Fuck, I could have improved considerably by now!" "... I don¡¯t know where to put ¡¯em . " "... you do realize you have an entire fuckin¡¯ world?" Eggor growled angrily, taking a mouthful of the chilly drink and regretting it immediately . "Yeah, but they can¡¯t live on the hills and shit," Lino shrugged, chuckling in a mocking tone . "The city I nned for them is gonna be finished soon . " "Eh? That thingy to the west is for them?" "Yup . " "... fuck . I honestly thought I was gonna be stuck for centuries trying to make even an iota of improvement . That might be the best news I¡¯ve heard recently . " "Yeah, you and me both," Lino nodded . "My calendar blew wide open recently, so it looks like I¡¯ll be spending all my days right here with you . " "I¡¯d rather you don¡¯t . What kind of a son lives with his parents when he¡¯s in his sixties?" "The kind that misses his father dearly . " "Oh, fuck off . " "It¡¯s gonna be just like the good, old days," Lino chuckled . "You relentlessly screaming at me, and me relentlessly cursing back at ya¡¯ . " "..." "Doesn¡¯t sound half-bad, does it?" "... I suppose not," Eggor shrugged . "Invite some of those smithing mavericks to join us . I wanna see what kind of crazy shit it¡¯s possible to craft beyond our current realms . " "Will do," Lino nodded . "Some of them are fine-looking youngdies," he added, stroking his chin as a peculiar gleam shed through his eyes . "We can add a bit of eye-candy to this drab-looking ce, no?" "... Hannah will eventuallye back," Eggor grinned . "Do you want her toe back to me telling her all about your antics?" "She¡¯s an understanding woman, that Hannah; so long as I do nothing awry, or sin, and just feast, she will be forgiving . " "... bah, do what you will," Eggor relented, sighing . "I suppose, deep down, you¡¯ve never really changed . You just got reigned in . " "... I suppose so," Lino nodded faintly, taking a sip . "Besides¡ª" the doors to the smithy suddenly burst open, startling the kids awake and Eggor onto his feet as he grabbed the nearby sword and pointed it at the doors . Lino, on the other hand, remained seated, turning around calmly and facing the fuming neer . Her hair stood disheveled, sweat dripping down her face, a gaze of bedevilment quickly locating Lino, the sound of the gritting teeth filling the gaps . Reli stood in ce, simply staring at Lino, while thetter stared right back at her, calmly, with a serious expression . "... you should take the kids and leave," he said to Eggor who merely nodded, understanding it was something beyond his scope . He quickly ushered by now terrified kids and disappeared, leaving the two alone, staring at each other in silence . "Sit . " Lino said, breaking the silence, pointing at the chair where Eggor was sitting just a few moments ago . Reli remained standing for a few moments before relenting, walking over and sitting down, never taking her eyes off of him . "... you¡¯re pure evil, Lino . " She said . "Why?" "Why? You have the conscience to ask me that?" "... why?" Lino repeated . "You¡ªyou couldn¡¯t leave us alone!!" she screamed out, her fingers curling into fists as she smacked them against the table, breaking it . "He was just out of it ¨C out of that hell ¨C and you pulled him right back!!" "..." Lino remained silent for a moment, taking a sip of the drink; by now, Reli¡¯s usually clear and cheery eyes had dulled and turned teary, her expression that of maddened grief . "He left himself, Reli . " "... huh?" "He came to me," he added . "And begged me to let him go . " "... no . " "Yes . " "You¡¯re lying . " "I¡¯m not . " "... he wouldn¡¯t . " Lino sighed, shaking his head . "The man you fell in love with," he continued . "Has died a long, long time ago, Reli . Alongside any faint sentiment he might have held toward you . " "..." "I know it hurts to hear it," he said . "But I¡¯d rather you break now than hold onto the faint hope for the rest of your life . He will never respond to your heart . " "I¡ª" "Listen to me," Lino¡¯s voice firmed, forcing Reli to look back up from the floor and meet his clear eyes . "You¡¯ve waited and clung on for long enough . Let him go and find your own happiness . " "... I want to be an Agent . " "... you¡¯re not listening to me . " "Make me an Agent, Lyonel!" Reli cried out angrily . "... then what?" "Huh?" "What if I make you an Agent?" Lino asked, growing somewhat angry himself . "What will you do?! Spend the rest of your life chasing his ass across the universes, hoping that one day he might finally pity you enough to indulge you?! To hell I will!" "... what do you know?" Reli asked in a mumbling tone . "..." "I know I can make him mine . " "... listen to yourself, Reli," Lino sighed, calming down . "You don¡¯t make people yours . Is that the kind of life you want? Where, day and night, you¡¯ll spend worrying when will he leave? We throw our hearts at those we love, and we hope they throw theirs back at us . That¡¯s how the lifetime stories are born; they aren¡¯tposed of manipting, ckmailing, and tricking people into loving you . I know you¡¯re better than that . " "... I¡¯m really not, Lino . " "... you are," Lino chuckled, smiling gently . "If you hadn¡¯t been, god knows what would have Hannah turned into . Instead, you¡¯ve built a mountain from the few pebbles you were given . You¡¯ve helped her grow into someone so strong, it makes me envious . Don¡¯t throw everything that you are for him . " "... did he tell you why?" Reli asked, meeting his eyes again . "Did he really just run away from me?" "... no," Lino shook his head . "He ran away from everyone . From everything . " "... coward . " "... perhaps," Lino said . "But, in my eyes, what he did is brave, Reli . He faced himself in the mirror, and chose the one path that meant anything to him . " "..." "You¡¯ve woken from your slumber, what, a year and a change ago?" he continued . "To you, everything is still fresh . However, to him, it is all a distant past he¡¯s most-likely forgotten . His heart¡¯s fuel, the sense of revenge he could have gotten had the Edifice chosen him, is empty now . He finally epted that the love of his life is dead; that his daughter is dead; that slim veneer is gone . He could have thrown himself into your arms and made you equally miserable . Instead, he chose to walk away . Break your heart now, to save it tomorrow . " "..." Reli remained silent, sitting slumped in the chair, in front of the shattered pieces of the table . Her eyes appeared vacant, tears already drying on her full, flush cheeks . Lino stayed, sitting across from her in silence . Once again, he¡¯d realized how lucky he¡¯d been, despite all, to have met Hannah at the right moment, under the right circumstances . How many love stories that could have been majestic never blossom simply because of the bad timing? Most, he wagered . Vast majority . Chapter 567 Chapter 567: 567 CHAPTER 567 TO LIFE Eggor watched, gobsmacked, as hordes of people and creatures of all shapes and sizes streamed out of several thousands of vortexes spinning around the surrounding ins; there seemed to be no end to them even ten minutes after the beginning . Almost all hollered a greeting at Lino before converging toward the majestic-looking city situated at the in¡¯s center, only a few figures remaining behind, gathering around Lino, after each round . It was a spectacle the likes of which he had never seen before and was likely to never see again . Among the variety of creatures, there was nock of diversity; from snake-like ones, all the way to bird-headed ones, and even some that seemed to defy description itself, souls one after another poured out and moved further into the city . The city was massive ¨C nearly as big as the capital itself ¨C more than enough to house well over fifty million people . As such, every individual species seems to have been allotted a specific part of the city to inhabit, while the center itself was most-likely where the industry would be ced, as well as the leisure districts . Besides Eggor, others, too, had at best dubious expressions, and at worst going even beyond Eggor, falling on their knees, among them being Aaria . What kind of a pull and power did her father have to convince so many people to join his crusade? She couldn¡¯t even imagine . Among those that seemed the least surprised was Talisha who was currently standing just behind Lino, stroking her chin . Though perhaps impressive for people of Noterra, this small amount of people was nothing to her who had seen virtually all there is to see . Lucky, Alison and the two kids, June and Anton, stood just next to her, thetter¡¯s three expressions drooping, while Lucky¡¯s remained bemused . Though it would be a lie to im she¡¯d gotten impervious to Lino¡¯s spectacles, she at the very least had developed a certain immunity to them ¨C one that nearly copsed as well when she saw the hordes streaming out . n stood on the wayside, hidden in the crowd, repeatedly nodding as he inspected the neers . Right now, though Noterra had potential, its sole pir was Lino himself ¨C besides him, there was no one else who could go out into the vast void and proudly im he¡¯s from Noterra without getting annihted instantly . However, among the neers, there were some auras and names that he¡¯d noticed ¨C even the faces of a few people he was somewhat familiar with . Though it wouldn¡¯t make them an unbeatable force immediately, it did signal that the Noterra¡¯s Golden Age was about to begin . With such an influx of neers, especially those dealing with the side professions, it meant that the local talent was also about to blossom . So long as Lino remained the shield, those beneath him will be able to grow and thrive, eventually reaching the point where they won¡¯t just be nameless soldiers in the war . It was only about half an hour or so that the spectacle came to an end, as thest of the bunch poured out of the vortexes, and thetter closed up in their golden shine . Most had entered the city, numbering in nearly twenty million, though some, roughly three hundred, remained behind, gathered around Lino, merrily chatting . Among them were giants, squid-like creatures, humans, and a whole host of other species, each weirder-looking thanst to the Noterra¡¯s natives . "Albec," Lino suddenly called out to a man most have missed, as he stood barely a meter and a half, surrounded by behemoths acting as shade . "I¡¯ve a job for you!" "I just arrived!" "Good for you!" "... what do you want?" "Take your best smiths and teach my best smiths how to be better smiths!" Lino eximed with a grin . "Alright, I can do that... but... what¡¯s in it for me?" "I¡¯ll teach you how to flirt . " "Deal!" the small, bearded and somewhat plump man eximed joyfully as he headed into the city, thinking aloud who should he bring along . "Eh, there¡¯s too many of you here to give you assignments individually," Lino said, suddenly taking out stacks of papers, throwing them onto a massive, single-file pile . "So here are the general guidelines ¨C who to report to, what to do, what not to do, to not get upset when people from here cry when they see you since you bunch are all weird-fuckin¡¯-lookin¡¯, and so on . If you need me, don¡¯t look for me; for I am as free as the wind¡ª" "Oh, shut it," one of the giants hollered . "Let¡¯s go drinking!" "Drinking!" "Ah... you guys only have drinking on the mind¡ª" "I¡¯ll gift you a bottle of Tyrzone . " "Let us go fuckin¡¯ drinking you bunch of panty-asses!" Lino cried out, pping his chest as the hundreds surrounding him collectively rolled their eyes, immediately finding a lifelong bond with the Noterra natives . "Oh, first, let me introduce you to some key people of mine ¨C they are all over there! Alright, let¡¯s go drinking now!" "Oi, fat-ass, aren¡¯t you gonna invite us to drink too?!" Lucky growled after him . "... what for?" Lino nced at her with somewhat angry eyes . "What for? So I don¡¯t beat your ass, that¡¯s for . " "... yeah, so, would you lot like to go drinking with us? If so, bring your own drinks . Don¡¯t leech . " The already established connection between the neers and others deepened immediately as the sound of the gritting teeth of frustration crackled alongside the wind . Lino, however, seemed entirely oblivious to it, happily humming a tune as he began walking into the city, groups soon converging and following behind him, grumbling . The same groups quickly began to mix one after another, themon point of discussion being Lino and the ways to make him permanently silent . The focus of the numerous discussions led the charge in solitude, ncing back and smiling lightly before refocusing upfront . The best way to unify two sides who knew little of each other? Form amon point of hatred and frustration ¨C and he didn¡¯t mind being that verymon point . "... you aren¡¯t just a sly-tongue brute," a melodic voice had him turning sideways, meeting a familiar face he hadn¡¯t seen in awhile ¨C Antvvara . "You¡¯re also quite clever . " "... it took you this long to realize? Sheesh, no wonder Ram never boned you . " "You¡¯d think I¡¯d be surprised at people insulting me if Ipliment them," Antvvara chuckled merrily, picking up her pace to match Lino¡¯s . "But, truth be told, it¡¯s almostmonce among the men I¡¯ve known . Why do you lot always grow so defensive and awkward whenplimented?" "No, no, if you want topliment me, say something other people don¡¯t already know," Lino said, his tone indicating an iing lecture . "Like, I¡¯ve got smashing shoulders, breathtaking calves and such . Everyone knows I¡¯m clever . " "... why is it that the weirder someone is, the stronger they end up being?" she sighed bitterly, shaking her head . "It¡¯s a nice ce you prepared for us . Thank you . " "... it¡¯s the least I could do," Lino said, smiling faintly . "I¡¯ve carved out a small plot ofnd behind your residential area where you can relocate your sanctum . " "... thank you . " Antvvara¡¯s voice cracked slightly as she lowered her head . "One day, I promise, we¡¯ll repay the lifetime of favors we now owe you . " "What are you talking about?" Lino chuckled, patting her head as though she was a child all of a sudden . "You owe me nothing . None of you do . We ought to help our friends when they need us, no? Besides, so long as you make it a priority toe to visit me at least once a week for some tea, all your debts will be paid . " "... pfft, ha ha ha ha," Antvvaraughed merrily, swatting his hand away as she shook her head . "Fine, fine, I¡¯ll get an honest word out of you yet . Just you wait . " "..." Lino smiled back as she watched her trot away, back to her group, by Ram¡¯s side . He shook his head and continued walking, lost in his own thoughts . Meanwhile, fiery discussions were well underway within the groups, especially so the one where Lucky belonged; she seemed to have developed a quantifiably insane number of ideas, so much so that many of the neers had put her on the same rank as Lino ¨C too insane to mess with . Alison and the two kids stood by the side, smiling bitterly, as, to them, this was nothing new ¨C merely everyday dinner talk . One of the groups, however, was currently enjoying two contradicting states ¨C a merry discussion on one hand, and the somewhat awkward silence on the other . n had to wipe his eyes several dozen times, but no matter how many times he did it, the woman in front of him hardly changed . "Tally!" Ana, standing by his side, on the other, cried out immediately and went over to the simrly surprised woman, hugging her . "My god, how long has it been?!" "Eh?! Ana? It¡¯s really you?" Talisha eximed back, examining the neer in detail ¨C there was no doubt about it, it was the one and only Ana . "Holy shit! What happened to your eyes? They¡¯re so fuckin¡¯ cool!" "Ha ha ha, if you¡¯d like, I can show you how~~" "If I¡¯d like?! We¡¯re doing it right now! Fuck drinking, I want those eyes!" "Ha ha ha, man, you haven¡¯t changed one bit! Right, if you¡¯re here, where¡¯s Caleb? Don¡¯t tell me you finally actually killed him?" Ana asked with a faint trepidation present in her voice . "Nah, that bastard actually ran away," Talisha immediately gnashed her teeth in anger as Caleb¡¯s name got brought up . "Can you believe that shit?! He actually went off and became an Agent without consulting me! Fuck, I might really kill him when hees back..." "..." Ana immediately shot a nce at n who fervently began shaking his head, as though to deny usations he hadn¡¯t merited in any way, shape or form, feeling somewhat wronged afterward . This was hardly the only group where people reunited, as Noterra seemed to be the converging home for the vagabonds and strays, indiscriminately epting all those who wished toe . On that day they promised themselves ¨C they¡¯d never let it be the cosmic dust like their homes, partly because of the sense of debt they felt toward Lino, but also partly because they could see this tiny bing their new home for many, many generations toe . Chapter 568 Chapter 568: 568 CHAPTER 569 THE LUMPS OF FOREVER Shortly after the groups settled down and started drinking inside a rather wide and well-lit tavern, Lino withdrew silently from the ce, going on a cloaked walk across the city currently housing all the neers . A fairly shocking mix of architectural styles popped off with practically every new corner, giving even more gravity to the diversification present in the small corner . As to how it would y out, he was uncertain, as with many other things . The Agents-to-be have departed and were already undergoing the first course of their training . It could be either months or even years until he sees any of them again, and, in the meantime, there was very little for him to actually do . Atst, he could refocus, settle back, and pursue the desires of his heart . Not yet, however; he decided to give himself a bit of leeway, a few months, during which he¡¯d simply... live . Go to sleep whenever he felt tired, eat whenever he felt hungry, meet up with people whenever he felt lonely, spend time with Aaria, enjoy the seeds of hisbor in peace . He eventually reached the city¡¯s edge, standing in front of the sloped entrance, looking down at the ins that, in the distance, gave way to a breathtaking forest . A gentle wind whipped past him, startling his rugged clothes and hair awake, bending them sideways in concert . He had his hands in his pockets, standing entirely still, his gaze sharp and focused . He ripped open the spacetime continuum and spun through it, appearing back in the forest, just outside the training grounds . They were currently eerily empty, as Lucky, who was in charge, was absent, yet he could still hear an asional shout and cry from the few that showed up in their free time . All were kids in their early teens, yet he hardly found it in himself to encourage them, standing on the side . He wanted to say there was no reason for them to bleed and fall asleep with their entire bodies aching, that they could pursue other paths, but that was impossible; not because he needed them, but because they needed it . Whether he liked it or not, he¡¯d be a homogenous symbol of the Empire ¨C the solitary figure standing so far above, that even the sky was kneeling before him . And, throughout their childhoods, kids are told stories of his heroics, of his journey filled with world-shaking battles and oveing the difficulties; very few manage to maintain a calm heart, and not get dragged into the immediate fiery passions . Not everyone is built to fight, and not everyone should be asked to do it ¨C yet, these kids continue to throw themselves against the invisible walls in vain hopes of following in his footsteps . There was no way for him to change this mindset outside simply forbidding the very mention of his name in all of the schools; it was, however, something that would change with time . Right now, the entire history is fresh ¨C recent ¨C and everyone is still enamored by his name . Time, however, will pass ¨C and people, both as individuals and as groups, will slowly start forgetting . In the far distant future, the Emperor would be an enigma suffocated in myths that nary a few would believe were true . And that was his intention . Passing the crown and the throne over onto Aaria, and then her doing the same for her children, and so on down the generational line, the Emperor or the Empress would merely be a symbol of unification . He had no intention of holding a tight grip on power or even micromanaging the world and its inhabitants . Despite the solemn and fiery speech he¡¯d made during the ball, it was simply to quench the early mes of a conflict that might arise in the current power vacuum . In the end, he couldn¡¯t remodel the very nature of man ¨C in time, it will regress . There will be wars . There will be dissents . There will be new Kingdoms and nations created by chopping up the Empire¡¯s borders . And he had no intention of preventing that from happening . He would let the world run its course however it wills, in whichever direction the winds of change take it . No crown is eternal, and no crown should be eternal; thought can¡¯t ever be truly uniform, and people shouldn¡¯t be forced into that perceived uniformity if they didn¡¯t want it . He¡¯d experienced it . Hannah had experienced it . Alison had experienced it . Eggor had experienced it . Everyone had felt the hand of conformity wrap around their throats and suffocate them at one point in their lives . And, right now, chances are that billions of people were feeling it as well . They didn¡¯t want to be a part of this newborn, fledgling Empire; they had their own cultures, traditions, beliefs, and systems of rule that were all snuffed out overnight . The same discontent he and many others felt before, they are feeling right now . That is why he couldn¡¯t continue to pop up everywhere ¨C his image would be a reminder, and however little people would admit it, it would terrify them into submission . The best thing he could do for the world was... withdraw from it . Ensure that in the next few hundreds of years, the newest generation will even begin to doubt his existence ¨C and, in time, that will breed the sort of discontent that cannot be snuffed out . The Empire will be broken up, and it has to be broken up ¨C it is far too big to be sustained . He will direct Aaria to do the same, and Aaria will direct her children to do the same, and the enigmatic, royal family that had once taken over the world will be all but a symbolic myth of a cult-like mentality of the past . ncing at the still-fighting kids onest time with a sigh, he spun and walked out of the building, out onto the eerily empty streets . Over time, the fortress would cease being anything more than a floating hunk of stone in the sky that may or may not house that mythical royal family . All who live here will spread out into specific regions, and all the shops, all the buildings, everything that was built in the past few decades... will grow hollow . He didn¡¯t mind it, however; he didn¡¯t have the heart to chain people to this ce and cut off their wings . Let them go wherever they may . Besides, his eyes had long since begun looking beyond Noterra itself ¨C it was no longer the task of his heart to fight for this world within it, but without it . He only had to ensure all those scuffles, all those inspiring stories of him turning into mere legends and myths, all the changes that will unfold... can unfold in the first ce . Everything will, eventually, be ancient history . The Writs . The Imperial Dynasty . The stoked fires of insurmountable conflicts every member of that structure had undergone . People will forget about the Empyreans and Elysians, they will forget about the Creator and the Destroyer, and they will forget about their Agents ¨C there would be no battles outside Noterra, just a sea of stars inspiring bards and poets . He didn¡¯t need to instruct anyone for this to happen ¨C it will happen naturally . The older generations will continue to mor about him, but the younger ones will, slowly but surely, begin to doubt all those stories more and more because they will be so far removed from their everyday reality, they will seem impossible . And, eventually, new Age of Heroism will begin; corners of the Empire will spawn their own heroes, and those heroes will fight to cleave themselves away from the behemoth . And then they¡¯ll fight to make their own corner a behemoth . And, once again, as in all ages before, the heroes will sh, and new histories will be written, new names praised and remembered . In the end, he¡¯ll be a footprint in the tomes and volumes of history books ¨C his name most-likely overtly written with ¡¯allegedly¡¯ and ¡¯ording to legends¡¯ next to it . The world will normalize, return to its natural state of conflicts and progress . Just like it always has, no matter how shaken it¡¯s gotten . This reality hardly filled him with a sensation of loss; walking down the streets of the fortress, he was at peace . The young heart that once brimmed with the desire to prove himself, to carve his name out into the pages of history, had long since matured . It had realized that no matter how tall a statue one builds of oneself, time will wane and destroy it, and, just the same, the name itself will vanish . There was no point in living for the future in which you were dead ¨C he¡¯d long since learned to live for today, and for tomorrow . To live in such a way to create the memories of his own, rather than memories of him in others . Immortality in thesting memories was afort food; the happiness found in such a vain pursuit was hollow, and forever hungry . If he wanted, he could maintain the current situation until the end of time ¨C but... what for? He¡¯d merely be suffocating the world¡¯s natural progress . He would slowly breed hatred against himself and his family . He might be ineffable and undefeatable, but Aaria isn¡¯t . Neither will his grandchildren be . His vanity would simply put all those he loved in danger . And billions more in the perpetual life of discontent . That was why he decided to slowly fade; he would always be there, a hidden shadow, the hidden light guarding the world¡¯s autonomy, ensuring nothing untoward happened to it . But he wouldn¡¯t try and change it ¨C self-correction is the blissful reality of everything . Cruel tyrants will rise, but so will those who will fight back and overthrow them . Nothing is forever ¨C it is for now . Just like his current image in the public, just like his name, his stories, and the face that not even one percent of the world had ever seen personally . He decided to let them fade in the obscurity of time, as all other things do; there was no longer a ce for him amidst the surging river of life ¨C and trying to carve out that ce wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good . Just bring more misery, something he spent his entire life fighting . And will continue to do so indefinitely . Chapter 569 Chapter 569: 569 CHAPTER 570 THE PEACEFUL DAYS Lino stared silently at the stoking fires, alone . The mes cast dancing shadows along the stoned, gray walls, the ck soot gathering along the furnace¡¯s edges, giving away its age . The mes themselves were brilliantly golden, churning and burning like the surface of the sun . Save for him, perhaps only a few more could withstand standing so close to it without catching aze . To him, however, it was more temperamental than anything ¨C quaint, pleasant . He waited, patiently, before proceeding on ¨C beating, tampering, cooling, repeating everything all over again . He¡¯d been at it for months, at least, hardly sleeping or eating . He had entirely shut off the world outside from his perception, erasing that part of himself, bing one with the fire . Stoking . Churning . Burning . He had actualized his belonging in this part of the world, hidden amidst the aging stones, buried in them, damp and dark . His ce was not on top of the throne, but in front of the furnace, in front of the anvil, with a hammer in hand . It was his home . ** Aaria was currently curiously staring at Cae reading away at a bulk of massive books she got a headache from merely ncing at . However, though the books themselves may be behemoths she will never tackle, Cae¡¯s sheer absorption into whatever he was doing was rather inspiring . She felt deep envy, seeing him like this, as shecked that fire in his eyes ¨C the same fire that her father had when crafting, something uniquely his own that nobody else could take away . The candlelight perched by the table¡¯s edge burned on in a faint coral, casting trickling shadows across his focused face . His thin fingers moved rapidly as he inked page after page, drawing circles and question marks asionally, and sometimes even chuckling at a joke in anguage whose name she wasn¡¯t even able to pronounce . His home was, effectively, this library ¨C tens, if not hundreds of thousands of booksy scattered across over forty bookshelves, each three times taller than she, seemingly ready to copse at any moment now . "¡ªnothing?" he asked her all of a sudden, pulling her out of her thoughts and causing her to smile bitterly . "Nothing . " She replied with a sigh . "Don¡¯t worry," he smiled encouragingly, patting her head . "It wille . " "... I sure hope so . " "... can I ask you something? But you have to answer me honestly . " He asked in a rather serious tone, surprising her . "Uh, sure . What¡¯s wrong?" "You do realize that your dad will most-likely hand you the crown in a few years, right?" "..." Aaria remained silent, though the look in her eyes betrayed her . "You can say no . " "And what if I do?" "Then he¡¯ll hand it over onto someone else . " "..." "You don¡¯t want it?" Cae asked, putting down the quill and turning to face her directly . "... I don¡¯t deserve it, Cae . " Aaria replied, sighing . "Howe?" "Oh, please," she rolled her eyes at him exasperatedly . "To everyone, he is the Empire, Cae . Forget the throne, forget the crown, forget everything ¨C when someone thinks of the Empyrion, they think of him . I¡¯d have to spend my entire life trying to break out of the shell thicker than Dragon¡¯s scales while wing away at it with spoons . " "..." "He may not care for any of it," she continued . "But... I know he understands . The only reason he¡¯ll offer me is that he wants to give me a choice . " "... no . I think he genuinely wants you up there, Aaria . " Cae said . "You¡¯re almost sixteen now ¨C you¡¯re not a kid anymore . Brother has unconditional trust in you ¨C the same as me, sister-inw, and every one of us who watched you grow . You keep setting yourself against the impossible odds ¨C of course you will feel unworthy . Standing beside them, who can?" "You?" Aaria arched her brows . "You never seemed bothered by it, as long as I remember . " "Of course I was bothered by it," he chuckled . "My father was arguably the best smith in the world, and my older brother was the most famous individual who also became the strongest one, and formed thergest Empire there ever was . But, remember, neither you nor I ever once felt the hammer of pressure from them ¨C my father never forced me to be a smith, and yours never forced you to be anything . They gave us all the tools, taught us patiently, and let us do whatever we wanted . " "..." "When thinking about the throne, don¡¯t think about those who will doubt you," he continued . "But think of those who trust in you . Besides, you should have realized it by now that brother Lino doesn¡¯t want the Empire to be for forever . So, even if you somehow manage to fuck it up majorly, it works out in your favor . " "... ha ha ha, shut it . You know I¡¯ll manage to fuck something up majorly . " "And that¡¯s fine," Cae chuckled, setting back his spectacles and picking up the quill . "As long as you never give up ¨C which I know you won¡¯t . You may not realize it, but you¡¯ve the same qualities that let him climb all the way to the top Aaria ¨C his heart, and his bull-like stubbornness . " ** Lucky was currently yawning amidst the Courtly proceedings; she sat toward the top of an elongated, rectangr, stone table, in one of the seats of honor, yet she was hardly present in the room . In the back of her mind, she registered some voices and asional shouts, though hardly enough to discern what they were talking about . Alison sat next to her, and was, unlike Lucky, rather engaged in the entire discussion . Jonttar stood right behind her, his hawk-like eyes staring at everyone who raised their voices at her . He had self-proimed himself as the guardian of ¡¯two choir-inspiring Angels¡¯ and has spent thest few months shadowing both and squashing any and all negative rumors he¡¯d pick up about them . The two pr opposites in virtually every way, shape, and form falling in love ¨C in his mind ¨C had to be protected . At all costs . The Court¡¯s Session was currently deciding on how to develop the Ounds, that is virtually every other part of the Empire save for their small continent . As it wasn¡¯t in Jonttar¡¯s job description, he also cared little for it; he merely ensured that the Court remained, at least on the surface, mild and merged . Whatever undercurrents transpired, by the Emperor¡¯s orders, he let them be so long as they didn¡¯t grow out of control . Though he was rather shocked when he first realized the Emperor¡¯s intentions, after sitting on them a bit, he¡¯d realized it made sense ¨C and that it was effectively the best course of action not just the Empire, but the entire world of Noterra could take . Even if the grand figure appeared entirely unknowing, in reality, he knew better about the base nature of cognitive than most, Jonttar included ¨C which is also why he ordered Jonttar to let the Court scheme and n, and even sap away at the crown¡¯s authority, bit by bit, until it bes merely a symbol sometime in the future . At the moment, nobody dared do anything too oundish ¨C after all, the speech the Emperor gave during the ball was still quite fresh ¨C but Jonttar had already noticed at least two dozen figures with ambitions that couldn¡¯t be quenched . He smiled inwardly and shook his head, dispersing the pointless thoughts . "¡ªwhat are your thoughts, Court Advisor?" someone suddenly spoke to him, though he wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint exactly who as the ce was rather cramped . "All ideas are sound," Jonttar nodded knowingly . "But I am here to advise, Council ¨C not decide . I¡¯m afraid that is beyond my scope . Whatever you settle on, so long as it serves the Crown, I¡¯ll approve . " He easily lied his way through it, as he hardly knew even an iota of what they wanted to do . However, his answer garnered quite a few knowing nods ¨C he was actually quite liked by the Court specifically because he abstained from overruling their decisions and injecting too much of himself into the discussions . In truth, he didn¡¯t care enough to ¨C especially with no incentive to do it . "Let¡¯s reconvene tomorrow, then," someone said . "After we sleep on it . " "Aye, sounds good . " "Tomorrow it is then . " "Let¡¯s meet tomorrow . " "... ugh," Lucky groaned, stretching . "It¡¯s over?" "... yes . " Alison replied, sighing bitterly . "Fuckin¡¯ hell, that felt like a lifetime lost," Lucky said . "Come on, let¡¯s go drinking . " "What about the kids?" Alison asked as the two slowly departed, Jonttar following right after them . "Those bastards are too serious," Lucky growled . "They just study and practice, study and practice, study and practice . I¡¯ve nothin¡¯ to fucking lecture them on!" "... isn¡¯t that a good thing?" "Bah, whatever . Jonttar, you up for some drinking?" "Always, Lady Luck . " "Who¡¯s Lady Luck, you bastard?!" Lucky pped the back of the grinning Jonttar¡¯s head, pulling him by the ear toward the left-end corridor while Alison smiled at him apologetically, continuing forward . "Alright, we¡¯re going shopping . " "... aren¡¯t we drinking?" Jonttar quizzed, gently cating his hurting ear . "Alison¡¯s birthday ising up soon ¨C I gotta get her something . And you seem to have an eye for this weird shit . " "... y-you... you would trust me with something so important?!" "... what fuckin¡¯ weird hole did you crawl out of?" Lucky shuddered for a moment, sighing . "But, sure, yeah, whatever you said . Just help me . " "Of course! I¡¯ll make sure you two will stay together until the end of time! My efforts shall not be in vain!" "... oh, I get it . " "Huh?" "I get why you fit in so well with the rest of us," Lucky nodded knowingly . "You¡¯re also batshit insane like the rest . Tsk, just you wait . I will trick apletely sane person one day and make them a part of this weird-ass group . " Trick?! Jonttar shuddered . "He he he," Lucky smiled creepily . "It¡¯s gonna be so much fun..." ... eh, whatever . Maybe I should also find some gullible people and trick them? Yes! Whatever makes the Ladies happy! Chapter 570 Chapter 570: 570 CHAPTER 570 NEW TOMORROW (I) Seya was currently enjoying the seaside breeze, her legs dangling off the tall cliff overlooking the violent and maddening ocean as it shed against the thick rocky side . The day was beautiful, with the clear, blue sky and the golden sun overhead giving way to another perfect midsummer day . She could hear the distant chirping of the birds and even songs of the dolphins just a few hundred meters away from the jagged shore, to say nothing of the swaths forming into ck clouds in the sky that she couldn¡¯t hear . She had cut her hair short, strands dangling barely to the side, though had otherwise remainedrgely the same in appearance, if only growing a shade darker . Even while wearing nothing but a loose, tank top without undergarments beneath and the cut trousers she had shortened to the midway point of her thighs, she still felt rather hot, droplets of sweat asionally forming on her temples, trickling down the side of her face . It was early in the morning, the morning of a big day, though it would hard to say so from her expression . "Oi, why didn¡¯t you wake me up!!" a hurried and panicked voice called out to her from behind as she turned around only to see a topless man pointing at her and running, his hair a disheveled mess, eyes fuming in anger . "I told you specifically to wake me up the moment you wake up!" "Oops . I forgot . " She shrugged with a smile, getting up and dusting her behind . "You slept well?" "¡ªwell, yeah, I did¡ªbut that¡¯s beside the point! We¡¯re gonna bete!" he eximed . "And look at you," he growled, walking up to her and suddenly beginning to straighten her hair . "You should have gotten ready by now! Did you even take a bath? I¡¯ve left out the dress for you right beside the bed, you couldn¡¯t have missed it!" "Oi, rx," Seyaughed for a moment, grabbing the sides of his face and pressing her forehead against his . "We won¡¯t bete . Besides, if you weren¡¯t freaking out about it, I wouldn¡¯t even be going..." "How can you not go?!" Avar¡¯s dark skin suddenly paled twelve shades, an expression of horror surfacing on his face . "It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s one of the most important days for the Empire! The Empire, by the way, that you¡¯re a fucking Earl of!" "Eh," Seya shrugged, stretching and yawningzily . "It¡¯s just a kid taking the throne . Nothing¡¯s gonna change . " "... did... did you just call Princess¡ªno, Empress Aaria a kid?" "I believe I have," Seya chuckled, hugging her arm around his shoulder and dragging him back down the slope toward their small mansion . "You gotta learn not to always be walking on the road of needles and swords . Your panic attacks are starting to stick to the kids, idiot . What if they grow up neurotic messes that forget how to breathe each time something mildly out of thefort zone happens?" "... I¡ªah, I know..." Avar sighed, his shoulders slumping . "But, you¡¯ve worked hard to get to where we¡¯re now, Seya . I... I just want to ensure it stays this way . " "... what? You wouldn¡¯t want to be with me if I suddenly became a wanderingmoner again?" she asked, grinning . "Eh, at least it would afford me an opportunity to make you a Queen of my own strength," Avar grinned back . "Nheless, this is a rare asion when pretty much all of our friends will trickle to one ce . It¡¯s worth going just for that, no?" "Hah, I guess," Seya said . "I haven¡¯t shared a drink with some of those fucks in quite some time . " "Ah, Lord Avar! Lord Seya!" the two were interrupted on their way down by a small entourage, a peddler cutting across the field with a couple of toddlers and some sheep in tow . "It looks like the world itself knows the importance of today, with the sun beaming down on us so warmly!" "It sure does, Martin," Seya chuckled, ncing at the two toddlers hiding behind the old man¡¯s legs, peaking out . "They¡¯re growing up quite healthy, eh?" "Ah, sted children are too shy," the man, Martin, replied with a sigh . "I wish they¡¯d look up to Lord Savar and Lady Eos..." "Eh? What did those two misfits do now?" Seya asked . "They organized a fullpetition for cross-country running!" Martin eximed, a trace of awe present in his voice . "Can you believe it? With rewards, rest points, and all! Then the two won the first three ces! They really are miraculous children..." "They do take after their mom more than me, I¡¯m afraid . " Avar chuckled faintly as Seya sighed, rolling her eyes . "All for the better; forgive me, Lord Avar, but you can hardly match the Lady . " Martin said . "That is true," Avar nodded . "Be on your way then;e visit us when you get some more of that fish from thest time . It was quite delicious . " "Will do! Best of the day to you, Lord, Lady!" Avar and Seya watched the peddler urge the two toddlers and the sheep as he continued on cutting the ins . The two, too, resumed their descent, hand in hand, anxiety from before seemingly vanishedpletely . "... I wonder if Hannah wille . " Seya mumbled after they got close to the mansion without walls and the one with the front doors perennially open . People streamed in and out all the time, each individually greeting the two as they passed them by . "From what I heard, she returned briefly two years ago," Avar replied . "But, her visits have grown less and less frequent . " "... could you endure it?" she asked him . "If I left like her, I mean . " "No . I¡¯d have killed myself . " "Oi . " "I¡¯m serious," Avar said . "It¡¯s a sickness, Seya . I¡¯m too dependent on you . Do you know what I did when I woke up this morning and saw you weren¡¯t there?" "You had a panic attack?" "I had a panic attack . " "Damn dude..." "Can you me me?" he asked, chuckling, pulling a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear . "I somehow wound up with the most beautiful woman in the entire world; how could I be moronic enough to let her go?" "... what do you think he¡¯s feeling, then?" Seya asked, smiling warmly for a moment . "Lino?" "Hm . " "... I don¡¯t know," Avar sighed . "He hasn¡¯t made an appearance in the Court for over six years now, pretty much relegating everything to Aaria . Jonttar told me he¡¯s mostly crafting, napping, and drinking . I hardly envy him . " "Well, he¡¯ll show up today," she said as the two entered the mansion amidst the masses . "So we¡¯ll see how he¡¯s doing . Though, it¡¯s Lino . Ever since I first met the two of them, I¡¯ve had this feeling that distance pays little dividence to them, you know? Like... all those thousands, millions of miles separating them... are nothing . " "..." Avar stayed silent as the two climbed up to the mansion¡¯s third floor where no one but the two of them could be found . The two quickly dressed up and went to the Portal Room where a small entourage of guards and escorts of their own awaited them already . Following a quick exchange of greetings, one by one people stepped through the spinning vortex, vanishing into the void beyond, until it was Seya¡¯s and Avar¡¯s turn . The two felt faint difort as they bored through the countless miles of distance within a breath, winding up inside the heart of the entire Empire ¨C its capital city, Inmistus . Just by stepping outside onto the streets, they could clearly tell it was a big day ¨C the usually rather spacious streets were absolutely crammed with people running and left and right . Songs were yed on a repeat by the street-side bards, all windows flung open, young and old hanging out of them, observing . Far high up, looming like the third celestial object besides the sun and the moon was the now-immortalized fortress, the location of today¡¯s Coronation . The chunk of stone that wasrgely abandoned in thest fifteen years would once again see its walls illuminated by light and life of the civilization . Seya and Avar didn¡¯t dally for too long; due to their status, they had the right to fly overhead rather than mingle with the masses, but even they couldn¡¯t head over to the fortress just yet . Instead, they chose to drag their feet over to the gathering ce set up beforehand among the Nobility ¨C a small, seemingly rundown shanty just outside the city, ced on top of the hill teeming with tall grass and wildflowers . Unsurprisingly, at least to Seya, they were the first to arrive and settle outside, on the porch, while the rest of their entourage either stayed in the city or surrounded the hill . "... sorry . " Avar mumbled after a few moments of silence, sighing . "Eh, it¡¯s fine," Seya shrugged, taking out a bottle of wine . "Either here or there, it¡¯d still be just the two of us . Which is mighty-damn-fine, if you ask me . " "You sure it was fine not to bring those two along?" "... have you learned nothing from thest time we dragged them over against their will?" "... eeeh... they might... have matured a bit..." "They haven¡¯t . " "... yup, they haven¡¯t . " Avar relented, knowing full-well the two angels he loved beyond words were actually devils in the eyes of many others . "Who do you look forward to seeing the most?" "... I don¡¯t know," Seya sighed . "All of them, I suppose . I haven¡¯t seen anyone in at least a year . We really drifted... haven¡¯t we?" "... it¡¯s not that strange if you think about," Avar said, taking the bottle from her and gulping down a few mouthfuls . "The two cornerstones that held you all together are no longer there . " "... yeah," Seya nodded lightly . "I don¡¯t think anybody quite realized just how dependent on Lino and Hannah the rest of our friendships were . With them not acting as the sun of our small system... it feels eerily natural that we¡¯d go adrift from one another . " "But... it¡¯s also that we¡¯ve all found our own lives to live, independent of the two of them," Avar said . "Families, friends, territories... besides, life is long . There will be plenty of chances to sit together and drink . " "¡ªit¡¯s strange how we always think that," Seya said, her gaze drifting toward the sky . "Until someone dies... and we realize we¡¯ll never sit together with them and drink... ever again . In the end, it¡¯s all in the excuses . The younger I was, the more I wanted to share my time with others, to spend the hours and days amidst the vastpany . Yet, honestly, right now... I¡¯d much rather snuggle in with you and watch the starry sky than go drinking with any one of them . " "..." Avar stared at the profile of the woman that had captured his heart many moons ago, yet that noose wrapped tightly around the blood-pump never got to loosen, even the slightest bit . He¡¯d found himself frequently questioning just what luck had driven him to that pier on that day when he had no business going there in the first ce . He couldn¡¯t even imagine how differently his life would have turned out had he never offered her to be a guide . He didn¡¯t even want to imagine . It would not have been better than this ¨C only much, much worse . Chapter 571 Chapter 571: 571 CHAPTER 572 NEW TOMORROW (II) The already-crowded city had begun bleeding people on the edges by the midway point of the sun; thousands upon thousands of tents were spread on the city¡¯s outskirts, housing hundreds of thousands of people that streamed in from virtually every corner of the Empire . Some stuck to istion, others formed small groups, and some yet therger ones that seemed to dominate the city both within and without . Settled on a small hill just outside the city, warded off by hundreds of staunch-seeming guards hawking at anyone who walked by, a small group had formed, drinking merrily . Though Seya and Avar arrived a bit early, others weren¡¯t too far behind them; Val, Edith, and Tim arrived just half an hourter, with Eggor, Reli, and Caegging an hour behind them . By the time midday came about, the two had turned to fourteen in total, among them faces familiar and slightly muddy . In the midst of the heated discussion, the space just outside the hill ripped open as four figures, three women and a man, walked through . Eggor¡¯s eyesnded on the small entourage as he eximed softly; it had been a long while since he¡¯dst seen Alison and Lucky as they were among the first to withdraw from the fortress and into their dukedom . The changes were quite noticeable, yet not distinct enough to make them unrecognizable ¨C for starters, Lucky had let her hair grow long, almost on par with Alison¡¯s ¨C and had switched her usual, leather-bound getup for a more uniformbination of courtly suit that was supposed to go to men . Alison, on the other hand, had styled her golden hair into a single braid, appearing ever as young, sporting a one-piece, crimson dress with golden threads binding it together . Though both had traded in their somewhat youthful appearances of before with a slightly more mature look, the changes were rather minimal, at least inparison . The two standing behind them, however, Eggor had trouble recognizing as thest time he¡¯d seen them, they were a couple of kids yet to enter teenagehood . Yet, now, both had fully grown, the man sprouting into the tallest one in the family, sporting broad shoulders and a somewhat muscr build, mimicking Lucky¡¯s clothes down to a tee . The woman, on the hand, appeared rather graceful, taking far more after Alison ¨C at least in countenance ¨C with her hair loose and free like a flowing waterfall, cascading down the naked shoulders that gave way to a rather fluffy-looking, twilight-dyed dress . The appearance of the four quickly shook the atmosphere as, one by one, people began getting up and formally greeting them; Eggormented inwardly as, technically speaking, he was of higher rank than them, yet hardly afforded such a reaction from people . While Alison and June tended to the greetings, Lucky and Anton quickly rounded the crowd and joined Eggor, Cae, and Reli, sitting down for a round of drinks . "¡ªey, what do you know, just a week ago I ran across Cae¡¯s name in the reports," Lucky said . "The fucker made a report over how I was negligent of my duties . Huh? What about now pipsqueak? Do you dare say it in my face?!" "... you are negligent of your duties," Cae, now in his thirties, replied with a sigh, fixing his spectacles . "Yourst public appearance was dominated by you chasing people around with daggers if they refused to share a drink with you . " "... bah, why bother," she shrugged, taking a sip . "Anty here has gracefully taken over my duties . " "That¡¯s right," the man nodded, staring daggers at Cae . "I request you immediately pull back the report ndering the Father-Mother . All her duties are regrlypleted by me . " "... you really got him to call you Father-Mother?" Eggor asked, chuckling faintly . "I¡¯m d to see you haven¡¯t changed one bit..." "Why change perfection?" Lucky asked, ncing at the still-silent Reli sitting beside him . "On the other hand, a lot of things have changed about you . Some of which, and by some I mean all, we seemed to have been misced an invitation for . " "... we didn¡¯t want to make it big," Eggor said . "And inviting the likes of you would certainly ensure that . " "And that¡¯s why we¡¯ll be drinking today as if it was yesterday!" Lucky said, gulping down half the bottle before Anton suddenly took it away . "You have hit your hourly limit," the man said . "You should eat something . " "..." One by one, new arrivals slowly began entering the picture until the small hill was aspacted as the city itself, with hundreds inhabiting it . Old friends reunited, new friendships were formed, and everyone slowly settled down into small groups that rarely remained static, with people moving in-between them frequently . Chatter was unceasing, silence finding no room for itself amidst the masses . Though quite a few years had passed, in the grand scheme of things, it was still a short period of time . In rtive perspectives, to some people, fifteen years felt like a lifetime, and to some, it was a flick that barely registered . To those who were young kids, it signaled one of the most defining fifteen years of their lives, and yet to those who were older it just meant a fair passage of time . "Any word on whether Hannah and the rest will be joining us?" Val asked the quasi-original group that had formed sporadically after intermingling,posed of a number of those who¡¯d been with Lino since the early stages . "She should," Eggor said . "I doubt she¡¯d miss Aaria¡¯s big day . " "Hardly feels like an Empire with one of the holding pirs out in the void, and the other spending time god-knows-where," Lucky said . "Shouldn¡¯t Dukes like me, in a proper Empire, be forever fearful of keeping their seat? Why do I feel like nobody gives a shit?" "It¡¯s still the early period," Cae answered . "Now, with Aaria¡¯s Coronation, it might change slightly as I heard she has some big ns . " "They still need to be approved by the Court, right?" Edith asked in a mellow tone . "Hm," Cae nodded . "But considering that the Court is still either indifferent or quite terrified of Brother Lino, so long as her ideas aren¡¯t insane, it should be smooth sailing . " "Hm," Jonttar, feeling somewhat as though not belonging to the group, still decided to chime in . "Fifteen years is too short of a time for decentralized powers to gain much ground . Even if the Emperor had mostly relegated his duties over to the Court, everyone¡¯s still in the checks-and-bnces phase, mostly vying for lesser ces in the Court that won¡¯t have any immediate ripple effect . " "Aii, can we not discuss politics?" Lucky said, sighing . "I¡¯m already getting a headache..." "Aye, today we¡¯re celebrating," Eggor nodded . "So let¡¯s drink!" "Drink!" ** Aaria knocked softly onto the wooden doors of a small cabin whose chimney was still spewing forth billows of smoke, sounds of thundering hammers echoing far out into the surrounding area . Shortly after her knock, the hammering stopped and the sounds of footsteps approached swiftly, opening the doors . From behind, an aged, yet still robust, topless figure covered in sweat peaked, his somewhat distressed expression quickly turning upside down into a brilliant smile . Just as he was about to lunge over at her, Aaria backed away fearfully . "Dad! No! You stink!" "Eh? So what? You never minded it before . " Lino said, seeming somewhat confused . "I¡¯m already dressed-up, though," Aaria sighed, shaking her head; the older she grew, the more she realized that she could hardly judge the man before her in terms of his age . "The Coronation will start in a couple of hours; I don¡¯t have time for another bath . " "Eh? That thing¡¯s today?" "..." "Sorry, sorry, as you know, your old man is growing ever-older and ever-more-senile," Lino said with a chuckle . "I keep forgetting stuff . " "You already blew through that excuse for this month . " Aaria said . "Eh? I did? What do I have left?" "I think you¡¯ve only got ¡¯I identally broke my knee with a hammer which caused temporary memory loss¡¯ to go with . " "Hm, yeah, let¡¯s go with that one," Lino chuckled . "Come on in . I¡¯ll go and quickly change . " Aaria followed him inside, the striking scent of metals was hardly anything new to her nostrils; the older she grew over the past fifteen years, the more time she spent here, with him . Sometimes, she would sit for hours and days, simply watching him hammer away at the same piece of ingot over and over again ¨C and sometimes the two would drink for hours on end and talk about anything and everything . Walking in and going to ¡¯their room¡¯ to the side, furnished to her taste from fifteen years ago that he was still adamant about not changing, she realized she had spent far more time within these four walls than she did in either the Pce or the Court . Rather, the mboyant scents and perfumes, the artificial bearing of those two ces, set her off for some reason . Were it not for the fact that the Court insisted, and that her Father didn¡¯t bother to even show up to the hearing, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen to be the Empress just yet . Even still, it hardly mattered to her; she knew that, within her lifetime as a ruler, her role would be further and further diminished, something she was overtly looking forward to . Lino came back a couple of minutester as she prepared a cup of warm tea for each of them, waiting patiently . To her shock, he dressed up in formal clothing ¨C not the ilk that an Emperor would wear, but still a massive upgrade from the hemp tatters he usually wore, be it in his house, or in the Pce . "¡ªeh, what are you looking at?" he asked, grinning . "Your dad cleans up nice, doesn¡¯t he?" "... truth is, I didn¡¯t even know you can clean up . " Aaria replied, grinning back . "Ouch . But, oh well, I deserved it . Big day, ain¡¯t it, firefly?" "... not really," she shrugged . "Shouldn¡¯t you be more pitiful about it? You¡¯re no longer going to be an Emperor . " "Funny; there are people who still think I am an Emperor?" he asked back with a smile . "Are you sure, though, that you want it? If not, I can just wring out someone who can¡¯t say no and have them take the Crown . " "... it¡¯s fine," Aaria said, chuckling . "This will at least be an incentive for me to find a husband, mother a couple of children, and pass on the Crown as quickly as possible . " "Aye, to be honest, for a while now I¡¯ve been thinking you share the tendencies of aunty L¡¯ and Ally..." "... ugh, you¡¯re a bastard..." "What? Can you even judge me on it?" Lino said, taking a sip of the tea . "I haven¡¯t seen you share a conversation with a man your age in years . To be fair, though, to do that, you¡¯d have to stop hanging out with your old man all the time . " "... am I bothering you?" "No; I just feel like you¡¯re wasting your youth indulging me, firefly," Lino said, his smile turning warm and gentle, creases of his face seemingly deepening, growing coarser in Aaria¡¯s eyes . "But, if that¡¯s what you want, I certainly won¡¯t say no . " "... you¡¯re a tough act to follow, dad," Aaria chuckled . "Whether I want to or not, each time I meet a new man, I almost instinctivelypare him to you . And, unsurprisingly, each one of them seems to fall a wee bit short . " "... though I¡¯d like to say that my angel deserves a hero of her own," Lino said . "If you want to catch one, you¡¯ll have to wait a couple of million of lifetimes for it, firefly . I¡¯m fairly certain that a great deal of those boys are in many ways far better than I am, or ever was . " "... I don¡¯t care whether they¡¯re strong or not," Aaria said . "But... in how they treat me . You... talk with me . Not to me . If they aren¡¯t overtly terrified of me, stuttering through whatever kind of messy flirtation they are trying, they¡¯re trying to sell themselves to me . I did this, I did that, I own this, my parents own that... it gets rather tiring . " "... then don¡¯t worry about it," Lino said . "Don¡¯t settle, is all I ask . I don¡¯t want you toe crawling back to your mom¡¯s and my ce in a few decades, crying over how he cheated on you . " "Oof . That hurt . " "Anyway, who¡¯s evening to this thing?" Lino asked . "... uh... everyone? It¡¯s... it¡¯s kind of mandatory, dad . " Aaria said, sighing . "Eh? Really? Damn . Looks like I¡¯ll be drinking buckets this week," Lino crackled . "Haven¡¯t seen some of them in quite some time . " "... will... uh... will mom being?" Aaria asked in a somewhat tempered voice . "As far as I know, she¡¯s already here," Lino shrugged . "You¡¯ve neglected your training again, haven¡¯t you?" "Eh? What?" Aaria asked in confusion . "She¡¯s been standing behind you ever since you walked in, firefly," Lino chuckled, pointing behind her back, causing Aaria to spin around and spot a woman draped in a simple, white-dyed dress, leaning against the doorframe, long, crimson hair hanging to her side like the fire of the sun, her lips curled up into a smile . "See?" "M-mom!" Aaria quickly shot up to her feet and ran over, throwing herself into Hannah¡¯s arms while thetter nced, exasperated, at Lino . "Wee home..." "What? Did you really think I¡¯d miss this big of a day?" Hannah chuckled, rubbing Aaria¡¯s head gently . "N-no... of course not..." "Ah, how touching," Lino said, taking a sip of the tea . "The first thing your mom did to me is p my face because I haven¡¯t replied to any of talismans . Then my ass... because I haven¡¯t replied to any of her talisman calls . What a strange woman..." "Oh shut it, old fart," Hannah rolled her eyes . "Come on . Let¡¯s go and intimidate the entire Empire into kissing the ground upon which our little kid is walking . " "Oh, damn woman . Now you¡¯re talking . " Lino quickly got up while Aaria sighed; no matter how many years pass, it seems as though nothing with these two would change . They¡¯d still remain as ever-entric, taking life in strides, at their own pace, and their own rules . "What do you think we should do?" "I was thinking that you roll in withpletely unleashed aura¡ª" "I¡¯d kill pretty much everyone if I do that, though . " "¡ªslightly unleashed aura, while I set myself on fire and put Aaria on my shoulders . Then, when we¡¯ve got everyone¡¯s attention, you start shouting like a madman, breaking tables, throwing a tantrum, that kind of stuff, while I roar and spew fire out of my mouth at random directions . " "... holy shit, that sounds awesome!" Lino eximed . "While we¡¯re at it, I can secretly attach some of my aura to Aaria and have people believe she¡¯s spewing it . And we can, like, generate a massive halo of fire behind her, and inside it we can squeeze our faces, looking all menacing-like at the masses . " "... it is genuinely ¨C genuinely ¨C terrifying," Aaria chimed in atst . "That I have no clue whether you¡¯re joking, or whether you¡¯re actually going to do it... genuinely terrifying . " Chapter 572 Chapter 572: 572 CHAPTER 573 NEW TOMORROW (III) A grandstanding scene unfolded before the fortress, on the carpetid out by the stars, shimmering, expanding radially into seeming infinity . Hundreds of thousands of people stood packed, shoulder to shoulder, their gazes drawn toward the fortress¡¯ entrance, anticipatory . There was a strange lull taxing the shoulders, the generational like that was difficult to describe, yet easy to sensationalize . Far to the front stood the Nobility, forming an inner ring, though still standing; the fortress¡¯ gates opened atst, for the first time in over ten years, the massive doorframe creaking loudly into the cut-clean day of the sun . Right as they opened, the music swelled out into the sky, drowning out all other sounds in a swift manner . Starting from the gate, a hazy path of rainbow colors unfolded toward an elevated throne standing solitary above the masses, decorated in jagged and old stone . Around it was nothing, guarded by istion brought by the titr implications . Three figures walked past the ster gates, two of them shadowing the central to the sides; Aaria wore a rather simple, yet astute dress, her countenance that of grace, expression a mixture between the calm candor and internal separation from everything around her . Though she stood between the two figures that cast a shadow seemingly unmatched, she still somehow managed to stand out, to be her own, to exist between the undoubted pirs of the entire world . To the surprise of many, Lino, too, had cleaned up; his usually unkempt beard was tidied, as was his hair, and the hemp clothes he was so fond of were reced by a proper, courtly attire . However, especially to the young people who have grown up in the stories of his heroics that shaped a very peculiar and specific image of him, it was a strange experience; there was no overbearing atmosphere, no sensation of not even being able to breathe . In their eyes, of the three, he appeared the least distinct, almost like a background drop . The music slowly came to a halt as the three approached the imaginary stairs leading up to the throne . Right then, Eggor stepped out from the masses, walking over to the trio with a smile and picking Aaria¡¯s hand while Lino handed him a bejeweled crown, taking a step back . Hannah reached out and gently patted Aaria¡¯s head, withdrawing right after as well . Eggor took charge and led her up the invisible stairs as the masses stared with the bated breaths . Lino and Hannah joined the sidelines, former yawning while thetter stretchedzily, though it was hardly something that more than a few noticed . All eyes, one way or another, managed to find their way to the figure that most, especially of the older generation, had dismissed . Yet, for all her shorings, they¡¯d realized Aaria was no longer an awkward, insecure Princess that was forever stuck in her parents¡¯ shadows . She was her own self, a name that would, too, be etched in the world¡¯s history ¨C not as a footnote, but as someone bearing nearly as much weight as those who came before her . She was the torchbearer of the new generation, a signal that the times were changing . While those who made the world were slowly withdrawing to the shade and shadow, the new lights were springing out, the ones that would define eons yet toe . Eggor and Aaria reached the throne rather quickly, stopping in front of it and turning to the masses . The breaths were stilled and the attention was taut; nary a soul, at that moment, doubted that she was now the Empress . "On this blessed day," Eggor¡¯s voice broke out strongly, reaching every soul of the hundreds of thousands present, and echoing further out throughout the city . "August the 9th, Year 14 of the Empyrion Calendar, all of us bear witness to a change ¨C to the start of a new Era . There is no shortage of us here, today, who had not seen many erase and go, some good and some bad, but one thing ¨C one constituent ¨C always persisted: each and every era was started by the young blood, by someone who saw the world, disagreed with it, and wanted to change it . Today is no different; the sole difference that I see is that we do notmence the new beginning by spilling the blood of the old . And, quite frankly, I am perfectly fine with that . It has been too long and too tiring; it was a high time we had one of those starts . "The world will change, as it always has, and as it always will; and that change is heralded by the shining torchbearers that light up the darkest of nights and guide us to the dawn . This crown," he said, lifting it overhead . "May just be a somewhat expensive piece of jewelry, but the head upon which it will now rest is that light ¨C that torch to take us from the darkness and struggle, into peace and stability . By the power vested in me, I, Grand Duke Eggor Rimwall of Eversylt, proim the end of the rule of Emperor Lyonel Qa¡¯yi, the First of His Name ¨C and by the same power, I officially dere the beginning of the rule of Empress Aaria Qa¡¯yi, the First of Her Name, the Torchbearer . All hail the Empress!" "All hail the Empress!!!" the resounding shout turned quickly to cheers as Eggor walked over to Aaria and smiled gently at her before slowly putting the crown onto her head, leaning closer into her ears, whispering . "The crown may be light, young Aaria," he said . "But what it stands for is heavy beyond any other burden; rule with kindness, yet with justice; rule with words and not swords; rule with the voice of inspiration, and not of decadence; lead the world into its greatest yet age, one of perennial prosperity and peace . " "... thank you, Grandpa," Aaria whispered back, her cheeks flushing faintly red . "I¡¯ll do my best . " "And that¡¯s all I needed to hear . " Eggor chuckled, joining the masses as everyone fell down to their knees facing the throne . As Aaria turned her gaze around, she saw that everyone was kneeling ¨C even two figures that should never kneel before anyone . Her heart stirred as she noticed her old-boned parents, the two suns that made today possible, on their knees, virtually indistinguishable from the masses . She knew they did it for her; after all, the two felt neither the sense of shame nor the loss of pride no matter what they did, if it was for her wellbeing . However, her heart could not bear to watch the scene any longer; though they may not have felt shame, she did . "All rise!" her voice quickly swept through the masses as people, one by one, began standing up . She caught Lino¡¯s wry gaze from the corner of her eyes, one that nearly caused her to break into a giggle, though she managed to hold back in the end . Eggor, too, was gone from the tform, joining the masses down below . While the silence temporarily reigned, Aaria swept her eyes over the crowd and slowly moved to the throne, sitting down, taking her ce . "¡ªI may be the torch," she said, her voice full of confidence and serenity . "But, I can¡¯t usher the world into the best it can be all by myself . For that, I will need all your support ¨C your hearts and minds . Rather than following the empty light blindly, stand by my side instead, and build the world you want to see with me . The world in which all of us can find ourselves, be the best versions of ourselves, and live long and prosperous lives unblemished by strife . Today, I will swear to all of you that, for as long as this crown rests upon my head, I will try and be as just and as understanding as I can ever be, and that I will always strive to better myself . In my heart, I know that Noterra can be a paradise ¨C not just for us standing here today, but for all of those on the outside looking in, and even those beyond them, stuck in the muds and ills of life . For us, for them, for everyone, let us make this world the best ce it can be, and then even better than that . Long live the Empyrion!" "Long live the Empyrion!" Aaria had tuned out the ensuing cheers and the apuse; if just a five years ago somebody told her she would really be standing here today, in front of the Empire¡¯s greatest names, unflinching and confident, she would haveughed at their face ¨C that is, if it was somebody other than the person who brought her here, from the knees of fears to the highs of confidence . She stealthily turned to the side and found the figure in the masses, pping and cheering the loudest, the look of pride on his face impossible to miss, the shine in his eyes brighter than that of the brightest stars . In her heart, she knew that many of those who were currently pping would never see her as the true leader of the Empire and she didn¡¯t me them . To most of them, her father was too big of a figure, too bright of a light, too resounding of a name to ever be reced by anyone else in their lifetimes . However, as her father put it, it was not her job to lead them; they, in his words, were stubborn old oaks that never knew neither peace nor stability . Instead, it was her job to lead everyone else ¨C the young and inexperienced, who didn¡¯t sink their lifetimes into the fires and mes of war . To them, Lino was merely a myth, an empty name . To them, the Emperor or the Empress would be whoever was hoisting the crown, sitting on the throne . And they, rather than those still stuck in the old mindsets, were the future . That unwavering, unconditional trust and support he put in her was what spurred her, what allowed her to sit here, today, on the ufortable chair, bearing the hollow crown carrying the cherished dreams of billions, without fragmenting on the spot . Once again, she realized how much her parents had to bear if her crown felt so heavy in the times of rtive peace . What was it like holding the world on their shoulders when it seemed it would burst out into mes at any given moment? She prayed she never had to find out . Chapter 573 Chapter 573: 573 CHAPTER 574 NEW TOMORROW (IV) The tform of tiled stars was currently a host to one of the world¡¯s greatest celebrations, with hundreds of thousands of people jaunted out and about it, dancing, singing, drinking, eating, and talking . There seemed to be no distinctions, groups melding naturally, people walking left and right without clear directions . At the center of it, a small table extended in a crescent, standing on a slight elevation, filled to the brim with exotic foods and drinks, several figures seated behind it . Aaria sat at the very center, still wearing the crown, observing the ongoing celebration with a quaint smile on her face . Hannah, who was just sitting on her left side, had joined the celebration down below, reuniting with the faces she hadn¡¯t seen in quite some time, while Aaria¡¯s right side was currently upied by Lino who was eating and drinking in silence, his gaze pointed toward the distant sky and the invisible stars . "¡ªdon¡¯t you want to join mom and chat with your friends? You don¡¯t have to entertain me . " Aaria said, breaking the silence between the two, smiling lightly . "I¡¯d be a distraction," Lino replied, smiling back . "She hasn¡¯t got long to stay; let her enjoy it . " "... haah," Aaria sighed, ncing at the red-haired woman down below . "I really thought she could stay for a little while longer this time around..." "Me too, firefly . " "How are you holding up?" she asked . "Missing the crown yet? I can lend it to you from time to time if you¡¯d like . " "Ho ho," Lino chuckled, pinching her cheek lightly . "You¡¯re already too old to be taking after me, kiddo, with that tongue . But, keep the crown, though; if I begin missing it, I can always craft myself a better one . " "... you¡¯ll stay, right? At least for the first few years, until I settle in . " "I¡¯m gonna be here for a long while, Aaria," Lino said . "Your children, and grandchildren, and children of those children, and onwards, will all grow tired of the old, entric Grandpa who likes drinking way too much for his own good . " "Ha ha ha," Aairaughed, her cheeks puffing lightly . "You may inspire many things in us dad, but getting bored with you is hardly one of them . " "Eh, that¡¯s ¡¯cause I¡¯ve still got stories to tell," Lino shrugged "But what about in a couple of hundred years from now? Everyone will have heard my wonky stories a hundred times over, you know? And spending every waking hour in front of the fire and with a hammer in my hand isn¡¯t exactly building my library of cool stories . " "... I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way . " "Lying?! Hah! How little do you think of your old man?!" "Just little enough to believe you¡¯d make up a whole assortment of stories to entertain . I¡¯m fairly certain that you were a bard in your past life . " "... tsk, you know me too well," Lino smiled . "You¡¯re right . I¡¯ll think of something . Same to you, though; now that you¡¯ve managed to steal your old man¡¯s crown, don¡¯t go about plotting and scheming against me, and, even more importantly, don¡¯t you dare stoping for the visits, alright?" "... I don¡¯t think much will change," Aaria chuckled . "I still, somehow, much prefer your stuffy smithy than the, somehow, even stuffier Court . They¡¯ve already begun to suffocate, dad . It hasn¡¯t even been twenty years, yet it seems their ambitions are impossible to quell any longer . " "That¡¯s what ambition does, kid," Lino said . "Be careful around them . If they step over the line, don¡¯t fear the consequences and the whispers . " "... what would even qualify as stepping over the line?" Aaria sighed, taking a sip of wine . "At thest month¡¯s session, Birmich called me a cloud-headed calf that will always be riding on her father¡¯s coattails, never achieving anything of my own . Is that stepping over the line?" "... no . " Lino said, surprising Aaria who quickly shifted her eyes over to him . "If anything, I respect that he at least said it to your face . " "... I was thinking the same . " Aaria smiled, chuckling right after . "I know many others say far worse things behind my back; at least, he¡¯s not afraid to share it . " "I¡¯ve always found myself getting along better with people who have something they believe in, and they aren¡¯t afraid of shouting to the world exactly what that something is," Lino continued . "They may have been evil in the eyes of many, the ilk beset for the gallows, yet, in my heart, they still somehow ranked higher than the supposed saints shrouded in light, revered by everyone . It¡¯s because of those saints that the world ran on pus for eons on end, not because of the maniacs shouting and crying their ideologies . Those emotions are hardly sustainable; we burn through them quickly and are left hollow . The incessant greed, the unquenchable desire for power, all hidden beneath the clout of serenity... those things... canst forever . " "... which one are you?" Aaria asked cheekily . "A little bit of both, I suppose," Lino chuckled, ncing at her . "I spent a great deal of my early days shouting and crying, wearing my soul on my sleeves . The older I got, however, the more corrupt I¡¯ve found myself bing . I hid things from others ¨C hid the ambitions, the intentions, the desires . Blindsided them . I justified it by iming it was impossible, otherwise, to achieve what I set out to achieve . " "... for the greater good . " "Aye, the eternal adage," he nodded . "For the greater good . Some of the greatest evils this, and every other world had ever seen... were born of the greatest intentions . And, era after era, that ¡¯wisdom¡¯ was shared . And, era after era, that ¡¯wisdom¡¯ was left unheard . I hope you can break the cycle, kiddo . " "... what? I¡¯m not allowed a stint of evilness in the name of good like the rest of you?" Aaria asked, smiling wryly . "... you¡¯re too good for it," Lino smiled back, patting her head . "For the life of me, and until my grave, I¡¯ll never understand how did someone with as big of a heart as you, came from your mom and me . " "... I can," Aaria said . "You two have always had big hearts, dad . The world... simply wasn¡¯t ready for them . " "... your mom and I had, and still have I¡¯d say, a great capacity for good . " Lino said . "But, it was always matched . I was never above setting the world on fire if it meant protecting the few I loved . Killing, something I found abhorrent, once-in-a-lifetime sort of a deal, became a part of my nature . I could whack away at millions without batting an eye now . That¡¯s why... that crown became too light for me," he added, pointing at the jewelry . "Weight of the billions of souls... no longer felt that heavy to me . And that¡¯s a terrifying feeling, firefly... too terrifying . So, if you inherit any empty wisdom of mine, inherit this: if you ever feel the burdens of your heart easing, yet the death toll of those around you rising, set the empty crown aside and step down . Walk away without ever looking back . Those who would starve their own to propagate a mighty image of themselves to the world reached that boiling point... and pressed onward . " "... is it really that difficult to give up power?" Aaria asked . "... it¡¯s only partly power," Lino replied . "Mind... the mind is a strange thing . Get pped at, praised, drooled over for long enough... and no matter the reality of things, you will begin to believe you¡¯re the son of the skies . The chosen one . The unshakable . The poison of corruption is never as simple as the tangle of power; it¡¯s asplex as any other facet of the world and us . Ambition is the fuel all of us need; corruption is the wildfire that can¡¯t be contained any longer . One feeds the other if given free rein . As do countless other facets of who we are . " "... I really wish I had known you back when you were young," Aaria said, smiling and leaning over, kissing his cheek gently . "I think... we would have been great friends . " "... eh? What? Aren¡¯t we the bestest of the best friends now? Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?" "Ha ha ha ha, no, not that," Aaria shook her head . "We are; I wouldn¡¯t trade what we have for anything in the world . But... it¡¯s different . I¡¯m a sponge, and you¡¯re the rain, dad . I can only sheepishly stand to the side and listen and absorb as much as I can . Had I been with you when you were the sponge as well, I feel... we would have gotten along just as well . And I could have grown side by side with you, instead of burning through the sleepless nights in the vain hope of catching up to the skyless tower you¡¯ve be . " "... eh, I prefer this," Lino grinned . "Makes me feel quite mighty, you know?" "Oh, I do . The way your eyes shine when you think you¡¯ve said something profound... it¡¯s rather adorable, actually . " "... I wouldn¡¯t worry if I were you, firefly," Lino said, sinking further back into his chair and closing his eyes . "In no time, you¡¯ll shoot well past me . I¡¯m only here to give you the first bedrock upon which to stand . Then, just like the rest of the world, I¡¯lltch onto your wings and fly . Fly... fly... fly..." Chapter 574 Chapter 574: 574 CHAPTER 575 LEGENDS ARE FOREVER Lino had stealthily removed himself from the celebration, sneaking back into the fortress while the mes of joy and shouting still lived on just outside its tall, aging walls . He had gone to a small garden deep inside the fortress, surrounded by minimal decorations save for the flowery groves ripping out of the earth in half-circles, conjoining to create a rather breathtaking scene . At the very center of it all was a small patch of dirt covered in tiny, pebble-sized, red petals spreading out wholly beneath a child-sized, hand-carved stone, seeming as polished as though it was buried yesterday . He sat in front of the grave and stared at it in silence, taking out a gourd of ale and dousing the earth twice over before taking a sip himself . Though it has been over fifteen years, that day still remained as clear inside his mind as though it had all happened yesterday . The world, on the other hand, seemed to have moved on . Save for Eggor and Cae, who from time to time visited this ce, he hadn¡¯t heard E¡¯s name mentioned in ages . It was eerie, really, how quick the living are to forget some dead, yet how slow they are in forgetting the others . He pondered the differences between those remembered and those forgotten, yet Ecked nothing of what made others immortalized . Partly, he suspected, they forgot due to him, as they seemed to also forget all his other past failures . Though, to be fair to them all, he rarely left his smithy in the recent years; as far as he knew, chattering about his past failures might be all the rage at the moment . He doubted it, however . Sighing, he veered his gaze up toward the clear sky, a whizz of the cool wind nestling against his skin, cooling him down . It has been so long, sixty years and up, since it all began . Sixty years . That number seemed sorge to his young self, the passage of time that would take forever toplete . Yet... looking back, it all went by so quickly he barely had a moment to catch his breath . Time, truly, was as rtive as anything else in the world . A sound of the ruffling leaves caught him by surprise as he turned his eyes sideways . Strips of cloth billowed out into strange loops as the spacetime settled, birthing in its ce a figure that Lino knew well ¨C too well ¨C horribly well . His expression, however, remained cid as he met a pair of shimmering eyes adorned with the aged face and the bald head . He had changed a bit, however, since Linost saw him; he seemed to have far more spring in his steps, his body barely containing the extreme levels of energy that left even Lino stunned temporarily . It was him, yet it was not . Lino took a sip of ale and continued meeting the man¡¯s gaze . Thetter smiled quaintly and took out a gourd of his own, taking a sip before sitting down in front of Lino, ncing at the grave, sighing right after . "... such a shame, what happened to her," he said . "She had talent that rivaled the Ancient One . " "... the Ancient One?" Lino quizzed . "The Creator¡¯s first Creation," the man replied, turning around and meeting Lino¡¯s gaze squarely once more . "The Prime Agent . " "Ah . " "Though, to be fair, she would have never caught up," he continued . "But... it would have been joyful watching her try . You don¡¯t seem that surprised to see me . " The man smiled lightly, taking another sip of his drink . "... I am," Lino replied, taking a sip as well . "It¡¯s been a while since west saw each other, though . I might have changed slightly . " "... hm, you have," the man nodded . "You grew up exactly as I was hoping you would . " "... though we could continue talking in the roundabouts and the riddles, I¡¯d rather you spring on me whatever answers I might have to w out of your mouth, no?" "... ha ha ha, I suppose so," the man crackled, shaking his head . "Ever as impatient, however . " "... who are you?" Lino asked . "The same man you¡¯ve always known," he smiled cheekily . "The Eternal Watcher . " "..." "... ah, fine," the man sighed, rolling his eyes . "But, I really am called the Eternal Watcher . At least I used to be when people remembered I still existed . " "... and I¡¯m guessing your job is to eternally watch, no?" "I¡¯ve no job," the man shrugged . "Save for the one I assign to myself . " "How¡¯d you end up on Noterra?" Lino asked . "Followed the scent of Destruction," the man replied . "If you ask it, it will happily tell you I¡¯ve been following its scent since beyond the count of time . Asgrid, Ferteln, Tytorn, Fulkumn... each and every time it tried to reestablish itself, I was there to help it . " "..." "So, when I traced it over to Noterra, and saw who it chose, I was ready for another cycle of disappointment and failure," he continued . "Don¡¯t get me wrong; Eldon is a great man, but I¡¯ve seen so many great men in my life, it ceased to matter a long time ago . So, I slithered about this world, waiting, having some fun in the meantime... when I met you . " "¡ªit was love at first sight, eh?" Lino chuckled . "You managed to actually piss me off . " "Didn¡¯t seem that hard at the time . " "Youcked everything that those great men had," the man ignored Lino¡¯s jab, moving on . "You had no ambition you would die for . You had neither the heart nor the mind that could endure anything and everything . Every time you were hurt, you would shout and y about like a child . You hardly ever thought things through, just ramming straight into the wall and hoping for the best . " "..." "But, from the get-go... I realized that it would choose you in the end . I¡¯m fairly certain you were told this before, but you are just like the Chaos itself, Lino . On the surface so simple it¡¯s almost worth augh; yet, forever ineffable . To this day, I don¡¯t think anyone quite got you, as they say . Not me . Not the Creator . Not the Destroyer . And, perhaps, not even you yourself . " "... stop . I might blush like a young girl in love . " "... I think it was the fourth cycle after the Destroyer was defeated . Ittched onto a young spring called Leve . She was the literal opposite of you in virtually every single way . Until herst breath, she never once broke down in tears, never once cried injustice, never once made a wrong decision, never once failed . Until that breath . I was certain ¨C certain ¨C she would bring about the Destroyer¡¯s resurrection . Every single thing pointed toward it being a reality . She was catching up to the Ancient One, she was repeatedly winning skirmishes, she was building a strong force, causing headaches left, right and center . Truly, it seemed it was only a matter of time before we¡¯d win . " "..." "Then, one day, she stepped out of the Meditation Room, ready to take a bath, when the Ancient One showed up and shoved a spear through her heart, killing her on the spot . None of us even realized it until hourster when her body was found . How? We asked and asked, hundreds, thousands of times over . Did someone leak our location? No . Only four people knew where she was at the time, and none of us would utter a sound even if disemboweled time and again . Did they somehow put some sort of a tracker on her without us realizing? No, that was impossible . For a long while, we truly believed the Ancient One simply got lucky and found herpletely at random . " "... but that wasn¡¯t it?" "Pattern . " The man said, taking a sip . "It was all in the pattern . " "..." "There¡¯s no such thing as infinity; so, within the finite reality, everything eventually forms a pattern ¨C except the Chaos itself . No matter how careful she was, she was not like you . She could be predicted, as it turned out . " "... what happened after?" "What else?" the man shrugged . "We were hunted down like dogs and executed till only two of us were left . The Destroyer went back into the swirls of Chaos, biding its time once again, and I had to continue watching the Creator spread its seed like a mad King raping its entire Kingdom . " "... I don¡¯t think I¡¯m all that different from her, old man . I¡¯m not nearly as ineffable as you make me out to be . " "... the moment I realized that you actually were," the man said . "Was when I saw you nning something for months, carefully moving around pieces and writing out the future, only to shit all over it in the spur of the moment and do theplete opposite of what you were nning . And this... this didn¡¯t happen just once or twice... but time and again . " "... wouldn¡¯t that be what you¡¯d call ¡¯emotionally unstable¡¯?" Lino grinned as he asked, taking another sip and leaning against the warm wall behind him . "... just like the Chaos itself . " The man said, smiling, toasting the gourd toward Lino before taking a sip . "... what do you want from me, Six? Or whatever the hell I¡¯m supposed to call you anyway . " "Ss will do," the man chuckled . "And, as for what I want from you... absolutely nothing you already don¡¯t want yourself . I only wish to help you . " "How can you help me?" "The same way I helped all those before you; I¡¯ll be the ears and the eyes, and the whisper digging holes in the hearts of those rejecting you . Only, my job will be much easier this time around as there¡¯s the Edifice itself to back up all my ims . " "Wouldn¡¯t it be in my nature to tell you to go fuck yourself right about now, or even try and finally actually kill you?" "To be honest, I¡¯ve no idea what you want to do," Ss said . "So, whatever you choose will surprise me equally in the end . " "... why are you fighting this war to begin with?" Lino asked . "If I¡¯m to trust your words, you¡¯ve been fighting it for quite some time . " "Since the Beginning . " "... the beginning?" Lino quizzed, tilting his head . "... just like Is was to the Creator its first Creation, I was the Destroyer¡¯s," Ss said, chuckling bitterly . "I¡¯m what you¡¯d call the Destroyer¡¯s First Agent . " " . . . . . " "Though, as you may have guessed, I¡¯ve failed ¨C big time ¨C to live up to that role . Is shot past me in terms of strength within literal decades," Ss sighed, looking up to the sky . "He pped me around like a child my entire early life . To be honest, I¡¯ve never quite recovered from it . Even today, I¡¯m too afraid toe anywhere near his clones, let alone his actual body despite the fact that the gap between us has shrunk considerably . " "... what makes you say so?" Lino asked . "Because he hit his peak eons ago," Ss shrugged . "Even if I got stronger at a snail¡¯s pace, I¡¯d still close the gap at least a bit over time . " "... you don¡¯t want your official role back?" "... no," Ss shook his head . "I¡¯ve had it and wasted it . The least I can do is not gobble up someone else¡¯s potential by stealing the energy . " "... I¡¯m still quite muddy on the endgame of all this," Lino said, looking up toward the sky himself . "To be honest, I don¡¯t care nearly enough about the whole cosmic and dimensional war of two concepts well beyond my capacity to understand . The sole reason I¡¯ve evene this far was because it was the best choice I¡¯ve had at the time . In the end, what of their conflict? What if I somehow do manage to help the Destroyer topple over its scorned spouse? From what I understand, the entire concept of multiverses will vanish, and with it literal trillions of souls . Wouldn¡¯t I be the number one mass murderer in the history of everything?" "... you understand it wrongly, then," Ss chuckled . "There never was just one universe or just one world, Lino . It¡¯s just a story, a tale of the winner . " "...?" "Before the Destroyer fell, there were roughly forty-six million universes," Ss exined . "With a new onebusting into existence on hourly basis . Following the Destroyer¡¯s fall, the Creator purged ny-nine percent of them, leaving only those that belonged to him intact, killing those trillions you mentioned in the process . Despite the countless eons he had, the current number of the universes doesn¡¯t even topple a few million . In the past, both had the capacity to dig into the finite energy of the Source and use it to create the universes; right now, however, the Creator has the monopoly of it ¨C and rather than using it to create universes, it is using arge portion of it to feed its own homeworld and breed one Agent after another into existence . All the while, anyone who manages to tap into the Source through some backend means is hunted down and executed like a dog ¨C that is why the few that do manage to tap and escape are currently the only ones holding back theplete takeover . " "... funny . The Destroyer never mentioned that . " "And it would have never mentioned it," Ss said . "Look at me . Do you think if I was under the Creator¡¯s wings, I¡¯d have been allowed to live all this while after all my failures?" "..." "Yet, time and again, no matter the cycle, I was weed with open arms . It leaves our agencies intact, and lets us do by our hearts . If you were to change your mind tomorrow and decide to destroy it, do you know that it wouldn¡¯t even try to dissuade you, let alone actively stop you?" "... I somehow doubt that . " Lino chuckled . "And yet it is the truth," Ss said . "Neither the Destroyer nor the Creator are beyond the concept of individuality, Lino . Just as you and I, and every other living thing, change how we look at things as we grow older, so do they . It¡¯s not the matter of good and evil, but simply that they developed in different directions . For instance, the Creator¡¯s love for its Agents borders insanity . It would do anything for them . Yet, outside of them, it could easily massacre everyone without batting an eye . " "Eh? Did you get so mad lonely you went and resurrected Six?" Hannah¡¯s voice caused Lino¡¯s contemtive expression to mellow out into a gentle smile while Ssughed out, shaking his head . "Turns out I was so weak back then I couldn¡¯t even kill this old fart . " Lino said as Hannah joined him, kissing her gently . "He came back to haunt my ass . " "Well, to be fair, it¡¯s a fine ass to haunt . " "If we¡¯re talking about fine asses to haunt, why is nobody haunting yours?" "You are . Everyone else is simply too terrified to try . " "Oh my . I¡¯m so sorry," Lino said . "That must make your ass quite lonely . " "On the contrary; you hound it so much, it¡¯s getting tired . " Hannah fired back, chuckling . "Anyway, though, what¡¯s going on?" "... fine," Lino nced toward Ss and nodded . "Go find Lucky and cooperate with her . If you run into Caleb, coordinate with him as well . " "... see you around . " Ss nodded and quickly vanished, leaving confused Hannah to stare at Lino for an exnation that never came . "... don¡¯t look at me like that," Lino shrugged . "You¡¯ve got enough at your te . When you be an Agent, I¡¯ll exin it . " "... eh, whatever," Hannah shrugged back, leaning against his shoulder, closing her eyes . "I¡¯ve missed you..." "... not nearly as much as I¡¯ve missed you . " "Strength, turns out, is quite costly," she sighed . "How did you make it seem so easy?" "Acting . Lots and lots of acting . " "Pft, ha ha ha... dumbass..." "... you keeping safe?" Lino asked . "Always . You?" "Hardly; I keep hammering my thumbs, distracted, thinking about you . " "... hammer away, chief . You crafted anything nice for me?" "As the matter of fact, I did," Lino said, taking out a heart-shaped ne from seemingly nowhere, handing it over to the excited Hannah . "What do you think?" "... it¡¯s beautiful . " "Come here," he said, taking the ne and turning her around, moving her long, fiery-red hair away from her neck and putting the jewelry on before shuffling to her front . "It looks perfect on you . " "Really?" she asked, her smile widening . "... really . " He smiled back, pressing his forehead against hers . "Everything looks perfect on you, though . " "Even you?" "Especially me . " "... now and forever?" "Now... and forever . " [Oathsworn Medallion ¨C Divinity] Tier: 3 [Oathbound] ¨C cannot be worn by anyone but the person it was intended for; cannot be destroyed by anyone but the person who created it [Unlimited] ¨C the wearer and the creator canmunicate at all times, regardless of distance, and one can teleport to the other instantaneously once every decade regardless of the distance [The Vow] ¨C the wearer is made invincible for 10 seconds if their life is threatened; during this period, [Unlimited] can be used regardless of whether it was used within 10 years [Forever] ¨C the creator¡¯s Vitality is liked to the wearer¡¯s; one won¡¯t die so long the other lives Legends in the eternity... END OF VOLUME XXIII END OF BOOK VI END OF ¡¯THE LEGEND OF THE EMPYREAN BLACKSMITH¡¯ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!